BUILDING A BUSINESS WILL TEACH YOU SOMETHING NEW EVERY WEEK.

This week reinforced one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned while preparing to launch One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning:

You can have the capital, the trucks, the technology, the facility, the marketing plan, and the operating strategy—but ultimately, people build the business.

And people are also one of the greatest variables.

Recruiting skilled HVAC professionals has given me an entirely different appreciation for the workforce challenges facing the trades. Finding experienced service technicians and installers isn't simply a matter of posting a position on a job board and waiting for applications.

Good technicians have options.

People's circumstances change. Priorities change. Opportunities emerge. Someone who is committed today may receive another opportunity tomorrow.

As a leader, you can't take that personally.

You have to build for it.

This week caused me to rethink how I approach talent.

Instead of recruiting only when I have an opening, I need to always be recruiting.

Instead of simply filling positions, I need to build a talent pipeline.

Instead of depending entirely on experienced hires, I need to help develop the next generation of technicians and leaders.

That means building relationships with technical schools, apprenticeship programs, distributors, veterans, industry organizations, instructors, and HVAC professionals - even when I don't have an immediate opening.

It also means creating a company where good people want to stay: competitive compensation, strong leadership, professional equipment, training, advancement, accountability, respect, and an operating environment that allows technicians to succeed.

But perhaps the biggest lesson is this:

Build an organization that invests deeply in people without becoming dependent on any one person.

That's not about treating employees as replaceable.

It's about creating systems, developing people, cross-training, building a bench, and making sure the organization can continue moving forward when circumstances change.

We're still finalizing the pieces necessary to open our doors, and weeks like this remind me that entrepreneurship isn't simply executing the plan you wrote.

It's learning.

Adapting.

Building resilience.

And continuing to move forward.

The goal isn't simply to build an HVAC company.

It's to build an organization capable of developing great people, retaining great people, and creating opportunities for the next generation of skilled trades professionals.

Another lesson learned on the road to launch.