Spring Cleaning And a Life Lesson

Hi, this is Wayne Rivers at FBI, where We Build Better Contractors. We've got two Boot Camp classes starting up. February
in Dallas next year, and April in Raleigh. So, get your high potential folks signed up. Contact Charlotte for more information.

This week I want to talk about spring cleaning and life lessons. So last spring, it was kind of unusually hot and humid day
in the spring, my wife and I were cleaning a boat. And in the wintertime, where anywhere water pools on the boat, the
low angle of the sun allows mildew to show up and kind of fester. So, we want to clean this thing up. We want it to look
nice. We want it to perform well. It's kind of the end of the day. We're getting tired and a little bit aggravated. And some
of that work, as those of you with boats, it's awkward. A lot of it's awkward. You're reaching into fish boxes and coolers
and all kinds of stuff. And sometimes you feel like you need to contort, boat yoga. You need to contort in all these weird
ways, and it can be aggravating.

And so, I'm cleaning underneath rims of fish boxes and stuff like that. And I was getting aggravated. I cracked my knuckles
a few times and Lisa said, "Look, you're getting aggravated. Just stop. Nobody's going to see that part of the boat anyway."
And I understood what she was saying. I really do. But I would've known. I mean, other people would not have known that
there was mildew in this fish box, but I would've known. I would've known.

And what about this is important to you? Fish boxes and boats and stuff? What about this is important to you? Well, I
don't think conscientiousness or integrity is something you turn off and on. I think that's part of who you are.
Thoroughness, for example, in this case. They're part of who you are and how you choose to live. And when I clean
something, I want to clean. It didn't matter that nobody else would know that there's mildew in some part of the boat
that's unseen by most people. But it would've mattered to me.

So, how did this thought manifest itself? A member called about one-on-one consulting. I forget specifically what the need
was, but there was a clear need, and it was a need that fit our strengths. We could have helped out for sure. And I gave
him the price. And as most of you know, we charge everybody the same thing. We're working with roughly 300 contractors
at a time across the US and Canada at any given time. That's the only way we can think of to be fair to everyone. Everybody
pays the same price. And he said, "Let me think about it." He called me back a day or two later and he wanted a small
concession. Not a big, he didn't exactly want me to break the price, but he did want a concession. And he said, "No one
else would know, Wayne. And I'm certainly not going to tell anybody. It'll be our secret."

Well, I thought about it for five seconds. The guy had a need, and we had the capability to help him. So, I thought about it
for five seconds and I said, "No. No, we can't do that." I didn't have a choice. I had to say no. I would've known. No other
contractor in our program would've known, but just like the boat, I would've known. How could I look my other contractors
in the eye and charge them X knowing I charged him X less something?

I just couldn't do it. How do I hold people at FBI accountable if I don't hold myself accountable? If I'm not meeting the
standard, then how can I suggest anyone else meet the standard? So maybe you can help me. Did I do the right thing?
Share with us in the comments. Did I do the right thing? We did not help that contractor, who clearly needed help. But I
thought it was a matter of integrity. If I'm charging every contractor in our program the same price, I felt I had no choice
but to charge him the same price. Did I do the right thing? Share with me in the comments. Maybe some of you will have
some wisdom that didn't occur to me.

This is Wayne Rivers at FBI, where We Build Better Contractors.