Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Luke Soderling. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Luke, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry? Any stories or anecdotes that illustrate why this matters?
Businesses lose their way early on when their focus shifts from solving a problem to exploiting a problem for their own gain. As a service company who provides plumbing and electrical services for our community, our focus is not on solving plumbing and electrical issues. Our focus is on solving the personal problems that come as a result of the disruption of life and the added stress that comes from having a leak in the ceiling the day before Thanksgiving where your mother-in-law will be coming and is going to judge how well you cooked the turkey and how clean your house is. If we can take care of that plumbing problem in a fast and efficient manner with up-front pricing, we can take one worry off your plate and help facilitate a less stressful family gathering.
We exist to solve a problem. When we forget what the real problem is, we focus on the technical problem and forget the human element. This further degrades into looking for technical problems that aren’t really an issue for the customer and exploiting those technical problems for your own gain. If I, as a tech and salesperson, misrepresent the severity of an issue to earn more money, I’m forgetting that my goal is to help this customer care for and support their family.
Too many companies have lost their way and are beholden to stockholders or their own personal love for money, and they forget the sole reason they exist. To solve the real problems of their clients and create an environment where a successful business can grow, provide a good culture and wage for their employees, and where the business succeeds and is there to help the client when they need us again.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Our family plumbing business was started by my father in the early 90s. I grew up learning the trade and became a master plumber in my early 20s. Fast forward to the fall of 2020, I took the business over and began to make some changes. Our very small business of one employee (me) and my wife by my side has grown by over 600% in revenue and has 10 employees in 4 years! We have built a new building and have just added electrical to the services we offer.
All the while I was learning the trade and working in the business, I got hit with a few life-changing challenges. In 2013 I was diagnosed with stage 3 thyroid cancer. This was devastating news and turned my world upside down. I have been very blessed to have had successful treatment and just celebrated 10 years cancer-free last year! I learned many things during this trial and wouldn’t change anything for the world. I took my new lease on life and wanted to show the world that there was life after cancer, that you don’t give up. I wanted to show my 5 boys that with hard work and determination you can accomplish your goals. So I signed up for a reality survival show, The Wheel, on Discovery Channel. This 60-day survival challenge in 6 places in South America put many of the lessons I learned surviving cancer to the test. In the end, I beat that challenge and have taken the confidence gained from that into the world of business. In addition to running the world’s best service company, I travel the world speaking to groups and sharing my motivational story.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
After spending 8 days trying to survive in the Amazon rainforest, I was picked up and transported to a new location. On my journey in by horseback, I had gone through some very thick brush. In these bushes were a tiny bug like a chigger that hangs in clusters. When you brush by them, they swarm all over you. I was scratching and rubbing as they swarmed all over my body, biting me everywhere. The sun was about to set, and the only thing I knew about this new location in the Pantanal Wetlands of Southern Brazil was that they had jaguars, and I needed fire! The bugs eating me alive were not the focus; I needed to gather as much wood as I could and figure out how to make a fire with just a ferro rod that makes sparks. Just as the darkness fell, I got a fire going. But there was no rest as the bugs continued to bite. I was itching so bad I couldn’t stand being in my own skin. I tried to lay down and rest, but I couldn’t lie still. I got up and began to pace back and forth. I was not going to let a little bug beat me! After a few hours of pacing, it began to rain, and the temperature dropped. I couldn’t get wet because I would get hypothermic, and they would pull me out. I crouched down and hugged my knees as I pulled my tiny tarp over my head. My motto of taking it one day at a time that I learned when surviving cancer changed that night as I counted off the seconds 1,2,3,4 I will not quit; 5, 6 ,8,9 I will not quit. I did that for about 5-6 hours until the sun came up. This experience tested my resilience more than anything I have ever been through in my entire life.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
About 5 years before having cancer, I told my wife that I thought it would be cool to be a motivational speaker. She asked, “What have you done and why would someone listen to you?” I realized that I guess that wouldn’t work because I hadn’t done anything extraordinary. God saw fit to allow me to go through some tremendous trials so I could build a motivational story that would end up helping thousands. After my experience surviving cancer and the wilds of South America, I created a presentation to share with local groups about my experience. I got the same response everywhere I went, “You need to share this story with the world!” I continued to build my story, hiring a coach in and joining the National Speakers Association (NSA). I learned so much and won the “Fastest Growth Award” from my local chapter.
I now travel a few times a month speaking to groups all over the world and sharing my story of “Lessons Learned Through Survival”. It’s one of the most rewarding things I’m able to do right now.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.LukeSoderling.com www.ApproveHomeServices.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukesoder?igsh=aHU4Y3VlMmRyd3hr&utm_source=qr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-soderling-a8354725?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Twitter: @LukeSoderling
- Youtube: @LukeSoderling