Finding Complete Fulfillment as a Woman in Construction

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What's going on L and M family. Jessie here got another sweet episode for you. This one is with Ms. Lisa by Yon. She's a mother licensed plumber owner operator of mastermind plumbing. She's got it going on. Renee did not join us because we rescheduled our typical recording time because Lisa and I were hanging out at the traits discovery day at the boys and girls club here in San Antonio, which was an amazing event. And we got to do a whole lot more of that. So it's just Lisa and I, which is, which is pretty cool. That means I got most of the attention. I didn't have to split it with Renee. And as we were talking. Lisa talks to us about how she shifted her career from being an accountant. Having gone to school, got the degree and was working as an accountant and made the shift to plumbing. It's a, it is an inspiring story. Maybe someday there'll be a Disney movie. and when you get a chance, you're going to want to check out the YouTube version of this podcast so that you can see her light up. When she talks about the joy and fulfillment, she gets from helping others through the plumbing trade, alleviating the pain of, of other people, uh, that she did not anticipate how. Just simply doing plumbing Oh, and I need to make this request. I need y'all to pay extra close attention to her thoughts around what it's like to be a plumber with the superpower of womanhood. Um, we've come a long way. But we have such a long damn way to go. And she shared a story about dealing with the client. That was it was less than awesome. There's plenty of women out there in our industry that are doing the right thing and being courageous and putting themselves out there. And because we can't get past ourselves, they have an extra burden to carry and that is not okay. Uh, so we need to, we need to step it up. People come on, baby. We could do it. We got to give a shout out to our patrons out there that are contributing to, to the effort and remind you that you can sign up at Patreon.com/Learnings and missteps. Signing up for any, level's going to get you access to the backstage pass baby, and if you sign up for like the higher tiers, you're going to get access to other exclusive content. We love your support. So we're going to go ahead and just jump on into the episode.

Jesse: 2:47

What's going on L and M family. I got Ms. Lisa Payanwith mastermind plumbing here. Lisa, how are you

Lisa: 2:58

today?

Jesse: 3:01

What was great about, yeah. What are you so hyped

Lisa: 3:05

about? Well, the fact that, uh, there's like-minded people like myself in the. That want to do whatever it takes to bring youth in the trades and anyone for that matter and being surrounded by like-minded people. Gets me energized.

Jesse: 3:28

Ah, so where exactly were you surrounded by all these like-minded superstar?

Lisa: 3:34

So today we hosted, I volunteered with Alamo trades club. Alma trades club is fairly new club in San Antonio. Founded by Justin Beard, VP of TD industries and another gentleman by the name of Robert. I'm not too sure. They partner up with boys and glows boys and girls club of America in San Antonio and today's event was held over in the west side of the heart of San Antonio at the car, not on location. And so boys and girls from all over San Antonio. Okay. And we're able to have hands-on experience in so many traits.

Jesse: 4:17

Oh, it was awesome. So I thanks to you, Lisa. Thank you for letting me know. Um, I just crashed the party today.

Lisa: 4:27

It was awesome.

Jesse: 4:29

Got to see kids soldering copper, screw in dry wall, signaling a crane, pulling an air handler unit off of a, uh, flatbed onto the concrete onto the street. Carpentry just wreck

Lisa: 4:45

trickle electrical, one, working hammer drilling. Yeah, everything

Jesse: 4:53

painters. There was painters. That was scaffolding, man. It was you're right. It,

Lisa: 4:58

well, I mean, drywall, there's so many stations. We'd be here all day. We wanted to talk about every one in a month.

Jesse: 5:04

Yes. Yes. And you're right. Like I came, I didn't want to. And then I left in my brain was the glue. I got to do this. So like super, super excited. Uh, got to hear you speak. I'm probably going to cut your speech that you gave today into this video. So just giving you a heads up, it'll be probably on the front end because it was a beautiful talk to those students out there

Lisa: 5:29

and sweet. And, um, I've done this event a couple of times at the girls and boys and girls club. Oh, my goodness. I want to say this is not the third or four time already in the past two years that I've done an event like this or at the boys and girls club. And so you only can say so much before you start losing the interest of, you know, young they're not hands-on.

Jesse: 5:55

Yes. Yes. Uh, so with all of that, what should the LNM family know about you leaving.

Lisa: 6:04

Well, I am a college graduate of a and M San Antonio. I was born and raised here in San Antonio Burbank high school, and I graduated a and M with a degree in accounting. And my thing was not to go into debt, but to graduate with a bachelor's degree. So what I did was I found the cheapest university in San Antonio at the time, and that was a and M and they only had three degrees available and those degrees were to become a PE teacher, um, an accountant or to work in it. And so I wrote the guys and I said, let's do a county with, uh, no idea what I was getting myself into, but it sounded like a great opportunity at the time. Of course, graduated got myself an accounting job, and I thought I do not like sitting at a desk anymore. I've done this for so many. And not only, you know, through, uh, elementary, middle high school, and then, you know, went to the community, college, went to the university and then you go work and you sit in a cubicle staring at a screen. Mm.

Jesse: 7:39

Hmm. Hmm. Is that fun? I don't think you, the amount of energy and passion that you live with. I think maybe a cubicle, not the best spot for you.

Lisa: 7:55

Well, I didn't know through high school, you know, they give you test and for me, it always came back with you're the person that loves to help people. Right. Self test the counselors do. And they're like, you'd be a great nurse or counselor. Cause he loved to help people. And I thought that's a great idea. Let me join the army because I had been in Jr ROTC for four years and they said, you can come in as an E three, you can get paid some more money. The only bad part is we're not taking any nursing students for probably another nine months, or I don't even remember. It's been so long. I thought I'm not going to wait that long to start my career. So I just went to community college, but. Yeah. I had a great opportunity at one point in my life to make a change because, well, my husband is a master plumber. He's been teaching plumbing and uh, I thought, whoa, Let's do this.

Jesse: 8:54

So how did that have like your, an, you got a college degree, you're an accountant. You got your family, uh, your husband Mauricio. He's a master plumber. He's done a lot for the community. It's like the, the construction community. And, and like, was it just a dinner? Like, Hey, let's start a business.

Lisa: 9:14

Like, well, what happened was that, uh, I got pregnant with baby number three while I was working in the accounting field, working 50 plus hours, plus commuting an hour to work and an hour from work. So I was gone from the home more than 60 hours a week. And then after having baby number three, uh, I said, oh my God, How am I affording this, you know, work pain, afterschool care for my number one and number two, plus paying for a brand new baby at a daycare. I was left with pennies right after the car payment and the bills. And because I'm getting home at six after 6:00 PM, take out was probably on the dinner table more times than, than a homemade meal. Uh, so I quit. I just said so unhappy. I am a happy sitting at a desk in a cubicle staring outside the window craving for outdoor work. So I quit. He said, go for it. Quit. We're good. Yeah. I mean, he's a plumber. He makes good money. Oh yeah. Uh, and you were comfortable, especially I'd taken away a daycare and two afterschool payments were very comfortable.

Jesse: 10:48

So it was like, now you're winning again. Yeah.

Lisa: 10:51

Why, why didn't I do this sooner? And then I got a little bored. Oh no, no, no. Let me between that. I quit. And then I got pregnant again. So baby number four came daughter, number four, stayed at home, and then I got bored and I said, let's move to Columbia, south America, where you're from. You're really crazy. And you're really bored.

Jesse: 11:22

I remember this, I remember the move, like what it sounds crazy. And also

Lisa: 11:28

all at the same time, right? We are, we have $4. We own a home. We own a rental property. Uh, we own, you know, three cars and, um, my husband is a very successful plumber at the company he's working for. Somehow. I convinced them though.

Jesse: 11:51

Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Uh, when you have your mind made up Lisa, eight's going to happen. Like that's just the way it

Lisa: 11:58

is. So we moved. We rented out our rental property made sure there was an 18 month contract on it. We rented out our home, made sure there was a year long contract sewed. All our belongings packed two luggages each and bought six one way tickets to south America. And we lived there for a year about 10, 11 months. It was pretty amazing. But it was time to come back. There was no, we lived in a very small town where there was no fast foods and hardly no outdoor, I guess, uh, activities, curricular activities, movie theaters, and those kinds of things, uh, entertainment. So we came back, we kicked our renters out and we moved back home. And there is a national platform out on social media called next door. Okay. I'm not too sure if you're familiar with it. So next door is an app or website that you get on and you promote your businesses. Refer tradesmen, you vent and complain about dogs pooping in your yard, your neighbors partying. Uh, this might be great for you actually. And so on next door, I had a neighbor needing a simple garbage disposal replacement. So I asked Mauricio my husband and I said, Hey, these neighbors, they need a garbage disposal replacement. Yeah, sure. I'll go help them out. Cool. I put his number as a key. My husband's a plumber. Give him a call. That was job one. And then those people turned around, put us on this national platform called next door in our local area. And everybody who's registered in your area. And then some sees that conversation. So when someone else asks for a plumber, they turned around and put my DCO, his phone number, call him. He just helped us with this exact same job. He's a plumber. He's a licensed plumber. Well, wow. Wow. Wow. The cost started coming in so hard that he said I work full time. They can be. What's your number on there. You're at home with the two little ones all day anyways, and just see what they need. And when I get home, we'll talk about it. See if I can get to it. I said, okay, sounds good. So as the days and weeks go by, the calls are coming and coming and I'm calling. He comes home one day and he's like, why did you take this job? And it's a plumbing job. Yeah. Uh, he wasn't too happy to say the lease. He said, you're saying things that you don't even understand what you're saying. So of course what I said was, well, then I need to go with you so I can see what I'm saying and I can understand. And I did dinner. He said, okay, get in the truck. Let's go. And so I did, I got in, I remember going to the exact, that exact first job, and it was hand me the channel locks. And I'm like, what, what is that? And that's it, it kind of snowballed. And the idea for the next couple of weeks are you need to get your apprentice card. If you're going to be out here on the truck, helping me on the nights and weekends. And he showed me how to register for my print. I don't even know if he showed me. I think I had to do that on my own. So I, uh, he, he told me what I needed to do. And I went on to the Texas state board of plumbing, examiners, and I printed out an application to become an apprentice. And I sent him my $15 and a few weeks later, I had this shiny card with red lettering that says Texas state board of plumbing, examiners, you know, qualified plumbing apprentice. And as time went on, he, I am, uh, went last February, got my test date and I aced the. And as time goes on, uh, we created this company, mastermind plumbing, or Mauricio was my master plumber. And even though he still works for TD industries, I try to do as many jobs as I can on my own. Okay. Whether it's day nights, weekends, um, digging ditches, fixing your leaks, garbage disposals, a few water heaters. You're reducing vows, um, leaks under kitchen sinks, restroom sinks, you know, uh, auguring, toilets. Yeah. Whatever I can get to, to. Uh, work now needing a helper or Mauricio around.

Jesse: 17:28

Ah, so how are you enjoying the work

Lisa: 17:33

Y to this day? Uh, seven plus years later, I still love it. It's a passion of mine because I get to help people and who would have thought. Yep. I would have loved helping people in this career. Right. You would just think, okay, the counselors say you can be a counselor, social worker, a nurse, you know, that's helping people, but never did they introduce to me as a female?

Jesse: 18:04

Yes. Yes. Do you think that that's a stinky thing? A good thing. A bad thing.

Lisa: 18:12

I probably at that day and time, you know, when you're 18, a female doesn't want to be a plumber. Sure. But now wow. Pretty enjoy. I enjoy when people call me and I hate telling people, no, I can't get to them because either I didn't have time or the manpower or whatever the case might be, that I can get. Let me have two hands. I wish I sometimes had eight hands so I can get the job faster and drive to the next one.

Jesse: 18:44

Yeah, of course. And so you talk about the, that element of helping people. What does it feel like when a customer calls you and says, I, you know, I got this sleek or they're gonna cut my water off or my gas has been cut up. I don't have hot water and then you go and you do your job. And now you got them back to normal. What does it feel like when they, when you've served them?

Lisa: 19:07

Oh, that's pure joy. I drive off of that job site or I drive away from that house and I thought, oh my goodness. Wow. This smile that I get from. Uh, and that just sense of satisfaction that I, to help something with someone so simple, you know, sometimes a lot of times it's such a simple as the drippy shower head that they couldn't sleep the past week. Right. I kept them all night, something so small. But yet very pleasing.

Jesse: 19:48

Yes, yes. Alleviated pain. And nobody talks about that side of it. Right. I heard you on your speech today. Like when people think of a plumber, they think of a big, heavy crack flashing plumber. They don't think of the person that's going to come and give them their sleep back or give them hot water again. Like they don't think about that, but that's exactly what you doing now. Now. So in terms of helping people, I know that you do a lot more mobile, one mother of four, uh, running this business. Managing Mount ECL, making sure he doesn't get in trouble and get too far out of the lines. Um, but you also do a lot for the community. I've seen, I've seen a lot of send some social media posts that you're doing with lone star or some kind of apprenticeship thing what's going on there.

Lisa: 20:40

So Lonestar com uh, construction trades training is a nonprofit organization that is bringing trends. Training to individuals who are looking for that career change. And, um, there's a lot of people who are 18 and over twenties, thirties, forties, who have been in hospitality. They've been working as a bus boy as a mechanic and different, all different types of work. Yup. They're ready for that career path, because they've seen either someone they know or they've heard about it and they thought, wow, I can, I can do that. And they want, they want to change. And that's when they call us and we provide training for. Ages 18 and over a one week training, 40 hours, Monday through Friday, eight to five. We have an electrical course right now and we have a plumbing course.

Jesse: 21:48

Oh, nice.

Lisa: 21:49

Okay. And so it started off with the electrical training and they just incorporated the plumbing training. And so that's where I come into the picture. And that's where I've been teaching the plumbing courses. Uh, the past two plumbing courses that I've taught. I have been over at family services. street. It's another large nonprofit in San Antonio that we have partnered with to offer these courses. And in this class I teach as much as I can. Everything from very basic primer and gluing PVC, how to cut the lines, how to Augur the drain lines, how to solve. I can go on and on and on, right, right. Fundamentals that I can squeeze into 40 hours. I try my best because I want them to be able to have a very good understanding. And there's only so much that we can be taught in 40 hours. Of course, of course.

Jesse: 22:46

But if I can give a little bit,

Lisa: 22:49

right. A basic range of what can be taught in those 40 hours. And they're getting paid $4 an hour. It's a stipend. Oh, nice. So they're going to qualify. Yes, they do.

Jesse: 23:01

Dang. Okay. So 12 bucks an hour, 40 hours to come and learn and get, get some, a taste or a flavor of what that work might be like so that they can maybe make a decision and make that leap. That career

Lisa: 23:14

change. Yeah. Yes. And so that they act, um, on Friday when we finished with our trainee, I tried to have employment opportunities, whether it's a staffing company. And or plumbing companies I spend the week before and the week of calling these plumbing companies, asking who's available to take a summer helper. And we also walk out of there with these, uh, students get to walk out with a plumbing apprenticeship.

Jesse: 23:44

Nice. Okay.

Lisa: 23:47

And OSHA 10 training.

Jesse: 23:49

I was just going to ask that. So they come out with OSHA 10 certification, uh, plumbing certified plumbing, apprenticeship card certified by Texas state board of plumbing, examiners. 40 hours of understanding of the tools, systems, connection methods, and, and there's tons of employers complaining that there's not enough people out there.

Lisa: 24:15

Right.

Jesse: 24:17

So employers out there, hello, wake up. They're out there.

Lisa: 24:24

My first class, uh, by that Friday, I had two individuals who had. And by the following week, um, two more individuals had worked and as the days have rolled over and the weeks have gone by they've called me that they'd gotten work and they'd kept in touch. And as well as my second class before the week is over, you know, there's always one or two. Students who are super eager. And they're asking questions on day one. I say, call this company. You want to start work this following Monday, call them right now. Yes, they're gun-ho and they're driven and they're ready. They're they're getting hard before Friday.

Jesse: 25:03

Wow. That's amazing. So back, can you think I'm going to take, let's take a trip back down memory lane. When you were the fighting Falcon at Lowell middle school, uh, what, what kind of at that time, where did you think you were going to be spending your time in terms of a career?

Lisa: 25:26

Probably a nurse or social worker. Cause that's all I was towed.

Jesse: 25:32

So the people around you, the adults around you were saying, this is what you should do. This is probably the best for you. And you're saying, okay, that's what I'm going to do. Yes. Would you, I mean, even now looking back, would you have ever guessed that you would be a plumber and not just a plumber, but running a business, contributing to the community and exposing people to careers in the trades?

Lisa: 26:00

No way. No. How not in a million years. I

Jesse: 26:03

just, it just, it just happened. You posted on an app, you saw something on an app and when it fixed a garbage disposal and in boom

Lisa: 26:15

and boom, life has blown up. It's no bond, there's no snowball effect. This is the snowball effect.

Jesse: 26:23

So I have a theory, uh, and I've been living my life by. For a long time now, but you know, you've known me for a long time. And for a very long time, I was, I was running wild, spinning my wheels, wasting, wasting the talent that I've been blessed with. But when I finally started getting it together, I discovered like I used to have this really long career path and how I'm going to scale the ladder and optimize my earning capacity. Um, and then I shifted and said, you know what? The next two steps in front of me are pretty damn cool. And I'm going to take those two steps provided. I can share my skills and talents to help other people. And since I started doing that, my life has transformed dramatically and the places that I'm in, the people that I get to meet the experiences that I get to have never. Five years ago, there was no way that I could have predicted that I'm doing what I'm doing. I got a podcast now. Right? Like, is that was, does it feel like that to you? This snowball thing?

Lisa: 27:31

Yes. Yeah. Not until I really kind of turn around and figured who else can I help behind me?

Jesse: 27:42

Yes, that's.

Lisa: 27:44

So that's. Like wow. Life is great. Life is good. Cause really, honestly, I could blow this thing up. The marketing on a female owned, operated plumbing company. Oh

Jesse: 28:01

God. Yes. Right.

Lisa: 28:05

And I know, I know I can do it, but I still have two young, two young daughters. They're nine and 10. And, uh, even my 16 year old, I, I feel very, I feel like there I'm still my priority at this time in my life course. And when you have a business, not just a small business, but when you start to make go medium, where you start to have a larger manpower company trucks, uh, that's definitely going to take. And time away from my personal life. Yes. And I'm not ready for that. So as I met, as much as I know my snowball can become an empire and I can grow and I've been given so many opportunities, probably the past two years since I've had my license, um, the opportunities have been coming to me. Plenty for very blessed. Um, but I'm not ready to take that step.

Jesse: 29:11

Good. I'm I'm going to say this, the fact that you're giving back and helping other people, that's the secret. That's that's the magic sauce behind this empire that is it's coming. Whether you like it or not, you probably know that already. And so you're just metering it, engaging it so that you can be there for your daughters. But for me, for sure, when I lose, take my focus off of serving others, that's snowball. It turns into a damn night. Yes. But if, when I'm focused on sharing my gifts and talents and working towards becoming the promise, I'm intended to be, it's just it's gravy, baby. It's just, let's just keep on going. I can pick and choose, make a decision, say no and feel good about it. And still be contributing back to the people I care about to my community, to the people that need. Um, and so with that in mind, you got four, you got four little girls. Well, they're not all little, um, how are you helping them understand the value of, of giving back?

Lisa: 30:23

Good question. Um, My oldest, my 21 year old, she has the heart of a kindergarten teacher. She's super sweet. And, um, definitely does her part without you don't have to say anything. Right. She was just born that way. That way. Yeah. Uh, then my 16 row, my 21 year old wants nothing to do in the plumbing industry. First born, my 16 year old does have her apprentice card.

Jesse: 31:00

Oh, well. Okay.

Lisa: 31:04

And she, uh, the first one also did come do work with me. I work with this, uh, not very well.

Jesse: 31:14

Under duress that's

Lisa: 31:15

okay. But the biggest, the biggest impact she had was when we first started off, she was here making dinner, making sure the little ones did their homework and got to bed. And that probably was the biggest stepping stone making more work. Right. It due to her on that in, cause I would not have been able to being out there nights and weekends learning on the job, uh, with my master plumber. Had it not been for her, for her helping us out

Jesse: 31:43

at home with the family? Yes, definitely.

Lisa: 31:46

And so then my six year old now has her apprentice car. She's had it for Lois since she turned 16, almost going on a year and she does enjoy coming out and working and I stepped back and said, Get to it, you know, shower cartridges, very basic, right. Replace a kitchen sink, garbage disposal. There's a leak in the yard. Uh, she came to my first plumbing class all week long. Teen she's demonstrating to 30 and 40 year olds. Wow. How to plumb a pair of channel locks, how to hold a Crescent wrench and how to build a toilet tank replaced parts. So that was pretty awesome to have her there. And even though she say she doesn't want to be a plumber understanding and learning how tools work and how to help other people and itself 21 and my 16 year old, both have friends and coworkers that say, Hey, I have this plumbing problem. What do I do? And then they're like, let me call my mom right quick. Let's call her on a three-way on a conference call and let's talk about. Yeah, I I've done lots of work for their elementary, middle and high school teachers, administrators, libraries. Yeah. Yeah. Cause they're, they're passing around our business cards of course are two little ones as well. Uh, they're there with us working and I said, the lights aren't free and dinner isn't free. So get to work and they don't complain. They just get their jeans and boots in a mastermind, plumbing t-shirt and it's time to go to work. We're not as you can only imagine we're not a family that sits at home and plays video games.

Jesse: 33:31

I like that is very clear. That's coming across loud and clear, you know, I applaud you Lisa, because I know a lot of people in the industry, including. That the last thing they wanted their kids to do was enter the construction industry. And it feels to me like you're approaching it differently with their girls, like saying, Hey, this is an option. And it's a, it's a viable option. How accurate is that true?

Lisa: 33:59

True. Uh, it's not something that. It's still norm, right? It's still very abnormal in a lot of people's eyes. For instance, when someone calls me and I say, okay, I will be there. They say, whoa, wait, you you're the one they say, well, yes, I'm a licensed plumber and they'll hesitate. And they just say,

Jesse: 34:30

Ah, because you're a

Lisa: 34:32

woman. Right. And where I've had times where I show up to a knock on someone's door and I get no handshake or no eye contact. Uh, majority of the times it's a older male. Um, it might be some sort of. Y, you know, out of all the people who could have showed up on our front door, it's a female plumber and you know, and then my cheesemonger effect.

Jesse: 35:05

Yup. Oh yes. Uh, we, we suffer from that in so many different ways, but you still powered through. Of course. So what, what kind of recommendation would you give to other women in the trades that are building their business? And there's no doubt in my mind. It don't matter what state they're in or what city they're in that they're dealing with the same BS. What would you recommend to them?

Lisa: 35:31

Smile and do a really good job.

Jesse: 35:36

Okay. It's that easy? Huh?

Lisa: 35:39

Why not? Why make it complicated?

Jesse: 35:42

Yeah. And so after you deliver and do that good job, how do they change their attitudes?

Lisa: 35:48

Majority of the time? Yes. Yeah. My worry is one of these, uh, I'm working in a very high-profile house in San Antonio about a year ago or so, and I was working inside the home and I had, I was done. I just had to turn the water back on and go inside and test. So the homeowner. Hmm, odor mail. I said, okay, sir, I'm done job as John. I'm going to go ahead and turn the water back on. We're good to go. He follows me outside with his checkbook as I'm on the curb with my water key, turning the water meter back open. There's two older ladies walking their dog morning, early morning. And the guy's writing his check so he can pay me, lady stopped. And they're like, is she working, sir? I guess they were neighbors or something. Yeah, she's the plumber. She's she's done already though. And they were told her ladies and they laughed, they laughed. And they said it was, wow. Talk about a sign of the times. Wow. And I could never, I'll never forget them laughing. You know, they were just, you know, here this home, you know, who knows what the guy did? I don't know. They had a very expensive luxury cars in the driveway and they had a very expensive house and here they are, you know, I'm on my knees and the guy's paying me. Thinking. Wow. You know, that is a sign of the times.

Jesse: 37:32

It absolutely is a sign of the times progression, um, empowerment and, and, you know, we've made strides, but we still have such a long way to go.

Lisa: 37:44

Unfortunately, there's still a lot of. Individuals who don't welcome. And I've had that unfortunately here in the city with city inspectors, um, with other professionals in the trade who still have a hard time accepting females in the plumbing trade. Um, but it's probably a little bit more 80 20. I probably get a good 80% of some really positive feedback and that very small percentage who still have a hard time with it. Um, Just got to

Jesse: 38:17

move forward. Yeah. And they're going to have to get used to it because it's common. It's

Lisa: 38:22

common. Yeah. I have a female friend. She's a female master plumber in San Antonio. She's med gas as well. She's working for say Tex plumbing right now for Robert Gonzalez. She's the power horse. She's she's awesome. Back then certified, uh, you know, she can operate any machinery. Uh, she just worked at a hospital, running all the med gas. Uh, she's a power horse. She's, she's making headways as well.

Jesse: 38:53

Nice, nice. Well, I think I know you are a fantastic representation of the industry of women, of south siders, right? Fellow south side or on the call. Mothers. I mean, you, you ma'am are a powerhouse like you absolutely are. Those areas I got to ask about the earrings are those like little levels.

Lisa: 39:20

They are here. I had these made for me. They were gift actually from my mother, from my really good friend, Michelle, she's a local. She's a art professional here. She's and she works over there at San Antonio art museum and she made those for me and I just, I was blown away and it's a real level. It's a real level I ever need. You know, if you're on the

Jesse: 39:55

job and you forgot the level of get, get the earrings. Fantastic. I love it. Okay. So now I'm going to the, here's the, here's the secret fans, only question Lisa. I know you've lived a very, um, fruitful life. And so the question is, is based on the title of our podcast, which is learnings and missteps, and like, you know, Lisa you've been around. You've been around longer than anybody I've ever dated or been married to. Right. And so I say that because where I'm at now in my life is a result of some serious, some real deep learning. Due to serious missteps, painful missteps. And so the question is what is one learning that you've had as a result of a very painful misstep?

Lisa: 41:00

Well, I guess, um, I'm not even too sure how to answer that just because. Everything I've done was done. Um, I learned from as funny as let's see, I'm not even sure. I mean, I don't know. I don't know. Um, That's a good question. Yeah.

Jesse: 41:48

It's a

Lisa: 41:48

tough one. Yeah. I should have prepared for that one.

Jesse: 41:51

Yeah. That's not a problem at all. I, I it's clear that, that you have learned from, from the decisions that you made, that didn't, uh, translate into what you expected them to be, especially, you know, the accounting degree and starting a job as an accountant. And then.

Lisa: 42:09

Let's see. Well, the good thing is, see, I could say, oh my goodness. You know, I went into debt, but I didn't write because I found the cheapest university and every semester I worked full-time and I went to school full time. So I turned around and I paid for school every semester. And it was only like 1300 or 1500 semester because it was the cheapest university. Cause they were trying to get their enrollment up. I paid for every university. It took me like four years, but I did. And, um, and that was only my junior and senior courses.

Jesse: 42:41

Right.

Lisa: 42:44

And, and with my accounting business degree, I'm able to do the business side, a mastermind plumbing, right. I'm able to do the accounting part. I'm able to do, I don't have any marketing because my word of mouth is 100% referral business. Uh, I don't mark it at all, but there's so many other business tips and tricks out there that I would not have known had I not go to college. Had I not learned from the people surrounding myself at that time in my life?

Jesse: 43:14

Yep. So I have a theory, dear, a mother of four, and in my mind, Being a mother and managing a household is probably more complex than running a business

Lisa: 43:32

100%. And sometimes I just work, work, work. Uh 'cause yes. Uh, my oldest has moved out. Therefore I needed to play taxi more often now. And, um, my 16 year old is playing club soccer and the two little ones are playing soccer as well. So we have the three at home are all playing soccer and a little fun fact. Uh, we were fostering for awhile for about 10, 11 months. We fostered two little boys. And they've left our house. So we've kind of gone through a little grievance, grieving period. Uh, you, you bond very closely taking care of someone. Else's kid, probably a little bit more than your own because you have all eyes on you. And, uh, I want to do more of that because I am that helping person. Right. I am that I want to do more to help others. I just don't know what avenue I'm at that point right now. Rom, like, do I go more in play more of that motherly role? Or do I stop and do I go ahead and proceed, uh, in my professional career and take down that rope. So that's probably where I'm at in my life right now. Uh, but I am at a pause because we're in the process of buying our fourth investment property. So on top of everything else, right. Being a mother and running the household and running the plumbing company, and part-time working for Lonestar, uh, and volunteering my time back to the community. I also have rental properties that I run, that I run and manage myself. Um, So

Jesse: 45:20

like, you're just like, yeah. You know, no big deal. Real estate development, plumbing, business, parent, you know, volunteer.

Lisa: 45:31

Yeah, volunteer. Uh, where do you need me at volunteer this weekend? Uh, the, on my home screen of my cell phone is a cow. And as these, these past probably year, two years, you would think, oh, COVID everyone kind of is at home and closed their door, but it worked in reverse for us. People are home. People are listening to the constant drip, they're clogging up their toilet. They're using water more often. They're needing those things done. Yes. So our business has increased this past two years. Uh, we, even though we stopped doing commercial work, but our residential service has increased.

Jesse: 46:10

Yeah. Wow. Wow. Okay. Here's another hard question for you, Ms. Lisa, what footprint do you intend to leave on the world?

Lisa: 46:23

I don't think that far like you do.

Jesse: 46:26

Okay.

Lisa: 46:28

But I do go to bed every night, feeling super happy with my life. Uh, I don't feel like, I feel like I'm being a very honest, fair person kind. Give back to the community, be generous. Um, I don't feel like I'm ever robbing anybody when I perform a service. Uh, I always stopped to go to my kids' practices, soccer games, uh, cook them a homemade meal every now and then. And, uh, and as long as I go to bed feeling like I did a good job every day, I'm pretty content. I don't, I don't think in those ways of, oh, let me sit here and think about when I die. What are they going to talk about? When I, my funeral. Those things don't cross my mind. Just like for instance, right now, I'm not pondering about, um, what, where I'm going to be at in five years. Those questions always stumped me. You know, where are you going to be at in 10 years in your life? Five years. Heck I don't even know what I'm going to be next week. That's

Jesse: 47:37

real talk right

Lisa: 47:38

there, sister. Uh, I have so many things going on in my life. That 5, 10, 15 years, everything minus my retirement, that, that, uh, is something very important to me. Uh, cause I don't want to be living with any of my four daughters when I come to that age and I want to be able to be financially stable and mobile, which means I need to stay healthy and keep moving. Yeah, I don't, I don't sit at a desk and I'm glad I don't, because I feel like a body in motion stays in motion, right. To be active and physical. So even though I don't get to break out in my day to go work out at the gym, uh, I do own three acres, right. South of you do have to go cut trim Mo and I call that Lisa's gym along with digging drench, trenches, uh, moving. 150 200 pound water heaters from upstairs. Second, third floor addicts. Uh, so yeah, uh, I'm not going to the gym, but I'm exercising and I'm trying to create healthy. And so when I lay down and it's time to go to bed and I thought, oh gosh, today was a good day. I have a lot ahead of me tomorrow. I try not to stress about it. And I'm usually out and about a good 30 seconds to a minute on a nightly basis. Wow.

Jesse: 49:01

So as soon as you hit the bed, boom done,

Lisa: 49:05

these are fun field, uh, exciting. And like 90% of the time happy I try to be happy. And do, as your sign stays behind you inspire.

Jesse: 49:18

Yes. Yes. That's that's I believe that's what we're here for to inspire others. You know, I love, I love that you answered, I don't know. I haven't thought that far and what I want the L and M family to take away from that is if you don't have the five-year 10 year vision statement and all that stuff, but what I'm getting from you, Lisa is find out what makes you happy, help other people stay mobile and you will have an amazing. You don't need the five-year plan, the 10 year plan. You need to do that.

Lisa: 50:06

That's true. And I'm at the dinner table. When I sit with my, with my daughters, it's not about, you need to be this big successful college degree person. Just be happy. And in the. And I tell my, you know, uh, just last weekend we were over at some friend's house, Roxanne and Edwin, and they bought a new house and they have a daughter the same age as my daughter, they're in the same grade, there's juniors and getting ready to graduate in another year, they pull my daughter in the kitchen and I'm not there, but my daughter told me, they asked her, you know, just like everybody else. Okay, sweetie. You're junior. What are you going to do when you graduate? And so while back I told her look just she's like, I don't know. I don't. I said, I didn't know either, but as long as you want to be happy, it's okay. Cause you could be B my mother is a waitress and you know, uh, you could be a mechanic. You could be. Making $10 an hour, but if you're happy and you're content like my 21 year old, she works at a daycare cause she loves babies. Cause she has that kindergarten heart, you know, she's uh, she doesn't want to be in the hustle, bustle out there, breaking a sweat or, and, or with other people she's happy then that's good. I'm proud of them because being happy, I think means so much more in life and people. Take that income, the money, making jobs, thinking that's going to make them happy.

Jesse: 51:42

Negative falls. I agree. A hundred. Cause I've been there buying all the things that the two car garage, the truck, the vacation, and, and you know what? I never got any fulfillment out of that. It wasn't until I started serving people. That I, that I found happiness. And until you're 21 year old being out there with, with babies, she serving somebody and she's content and fulfilled with her life. No amount of shiny things or TVs or cars are going, can replace that if you're a hundred percent, right.

Lisa: 52:29

There's and CFOs. Yep, but are they happy today was very eventful. You know, I, the past two, three days we've been working at a house at a custom build in the south side. And so, uh, not only is muddy Sheila working and I'm, I'm in the middle of closing on this other property here. We have a lot going on, but we still have our business run. Yep. And so I'd been up all late all week long a week, probably went to bed after midnight, we're up at five and to today's trades event. And it was very exhausting, very satisfying, fulfilling. Uh, be able to have complete young, uh, strangers, these young adults walking up and say, miss, you need to come to my volleyball game. I heard you should come over to our haunted house next door. And I did. How do you say no to a 13, 14 year old saying, you know, I had a great time with you, even though I didn't. I didn't get to talk to a lot of these kids, but they approached me. They said, come with me next door. We have a haunted house. And so when we finish this interview here, I'm going to load up my girls. They're all here. And we're going to go to their hunted house to go support them because that's the right thing to do.

Jesse: 53:46

Well, I do not want to be between you, the girls and a bunch of candy. So we'll go ahead and wrap this up. Is there any. Anything that you wanted to talk about? Any shout outs you want to give before we shut it down?

Lisa: 54:01

Uh, probably, uh, just take a minute right quick. And I know my husband will watch. He's not here right now. He gave me some peace and quiet time cause he probably would've interrupted when he does watch this video. I just wanted to give him a shout out and it really is because he allowed me to work under him and to learn from him. Uh, my apprenticeship years that I am where I am and he's allowed. To grow and, and be a part of, of a world of a man's world. Right? Because I think there's a lot of men who are very machismo and even I have some friends who, their spouses, their, their husbands won't allow them to pick up. Uh, I won't allow them, you know, let me take care of it. You know, the oil needs a car change. Let me go put gas in your car. I'm like, excuse me. I can have a bit myself. And I, and I, unfortunately I lost friends because I've shown them more than their spouses wanted them to know even something as simple as, uh, we need to get you a driver's license, you know, because there's very, there's very much, he's no man in my head. On a positive note has been very supportive of me coming into this, this career path has supported me and raise me up. Yes. Usually when he talks about me, it's pretty good. Oh yeah.

Jesse: 55:32

He is very proud of you. I mean, you mean the world to him

Lisa: 55:36

and I'm very grateful for his support and allowing him to teach me this field because I don't think no one else out there could have taught. As much, I know almost as much as he knows, you know, he's a, he's a 22 year veteran in the plumbing industry. And I lucky me, I get to teach him a lot of these. Nice. And so I kind of feel kind of good about that, but he's been, and he's been pretty awesome. And my family and friends who are all kind of, you know, support and do all the shout outs and they support us and they support and they understand that I'm am a small family. And I take my two little ones with, to work with me a lot because I'm homeschooling them on top of everything. Yes. I'm homeschooling my God. Wow. Sound where in the mornings I kind of get a, like a good two hours in a with them and I get to, um, teach them and then we go run supply houses or we'll do a job or two. Uh, yeah. And we have fun. And so a lot of people. A lot of my clients, no more family.

Jesse: 56:50

Yeah. They spend time with them. We see them coming into their home.

Lisa: 56:54

A lot of our clienteles have become family. They invite us, we've gone on trips and restaurants and we've closed down bars and, uh, family, uh, you know, I have about three or four invitations to Halloween party. And, uh, most of them are clients and they're like, bring the kids, you know, y'all come hang out with us and Christmas parties and birthday parties because our clientele have become family and it's been.

Jesse: 57:24

That's amazing. So shout out to Mount ECL. He is an amazing man. He's influenced me in a lot of ways. Helped me become more human than I was before I met him. And so did you, Lisa, I appreciate your time today. I'm glad I got to share the stage with you out there at the boys and girls club. And I'm looking forward to seeing all the amazing things you're going to continue to do girl. And

Lisa: 57:47

likewise, I can't wait to move forward and work together. Yes,

Jesse: 57:52

ma'am, we'll make it happen. Yup. That's my friend Ms. Lisa, one thing that we didn't really talk a whole lot about is she and I are both from the south side of San Antonio. So it brings me tremendous. To see her thriving as an individual, bring in and raising those four young ladies. There's no doubt in my mind, they're going to have tremendous impact on the world and she gets it right, like giving back to the community, sharing the gifts and talents that she's got to help others, uh, realize there are options out there. I mean, damn. talk about a role model. And speaking of motivators and role models, we got to give a shout out to Ms. Christine. Christine says, I like the pace of the conversation. It's not too fast or too slow. Y'all are funny and serious plus every now and then you drop some slang and that gives your podcast a human feel. Thank you, Ms. Christine, I can't help, but you know, be maybe sometimes inappropriate and it's just, it's where I come from and it is comforting to know that it's valued and appreciated out there. Uh, so thank you all again for listening and we'll be getting some more coming out man you are one dedicated listener, sticking with us all the way through to the very, very, and please know that this podcast dies without you. And we invite you to share how the episodes impacting you along with your thoughts, questions, and suggestions. You have been gracious with your time. So we added social media links in the show notes to make it super easy for you to connect with. Be kind to yourself. Stay cool. And we'll talk at you next time.