Simmons Sooty Stories

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome back to Simmons Sooty Stories! In this episode, Jeff and Trent dive deep into the early, "scrappy" years of the business and married life. From living in a colorful triplex on 8th Street to the hard lessons learned while working out of a spare bedroom, this is a look at the "sooty" foundations of Top Hat Chimney Sweeps.

In this episode, we cover:

• The 8th Street Triplex: Life in the "eclectic" neighborhood where their secretary lived next door, and the neighbors included a drug dealer and a prostitute.
• The "Devil" on the Porch: Jeff recounts the most terrifying night of his life involving a dark back porch, a lack of railings, and a "demon" with glowing red eyes that turned out to be much smaller (and furrier) than expected [22:32].
• Jeweler Screwdrivers & Justice: Hear the legendary stories of Jeff chasing down mailbox thieves, confronting a building intruder with nothing but a tiny screwdriver, and the bizarre encounter with a "naked" intruder in his shed [34:29].
• Preacher Landlords & Evictions: The frustrations of renting in Alabama, including a literal "runaround" with a policeman trying to serve an eviction notice for a landlord who couldn't spell Jeff’s name right [27:37].
• The $25 Business Mistake: Jeff opens up about "working his way out of business" by only charging $25 per sweep and how a life-changing pricing seminar (and his wife Denise’s boldness) saved the company [44:56].

Key Takeaways for Entrepreneurs:

Jeff shares the pivotal moment he realized that professionalism and thoroughness require a business model that actually covers the bills. If you’ve ever been scared to raise your prices, this episode is a must-listen!

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zuym18DpgY8

Follow us for more stories:

• Instagram: @TopHatChimneyAU
• Website: www.CallTopHat.com

Don’t forget to participate in our listener challenge! The first person to accurately retell one of Jeff's stories wins a Dogfish Head bottle opener!

#SimmonsSootyStories #ChimneySweep #SmallBusiness #EntrepreneurLife #AlabamaHistory #PricingForProfit #PodcastStories

Podcast Website

Facebook

Youtube

Instagram

Send us Fan Mail

The episode begins with the host discussing his decision to change the podcast name to "Swept Away," a title suggested by his AI friend, before deciding to keep the original name . The story then picks up where the previous episode left off, with the host working for Goodwill and preparing to meet his future wife, Denise, who was in radio sales.

Key points from the episode include:

• Meeting Denise: The host, a fifth-year college student at Auburn, was managing a Goodwill store when Denise, who worked at WJHO Radio, came in to sell him advertising.
• The Car Accident: The night before meeting Denise, the host was in a severe car accident with his roommate. He was walking home because his car wasn't working when his roommate picked him up. His drunk roommate was driving at 70 mph when he failed to make a turn, hitting a pine tree. The host was thrown through the windshield and landed on the hood, while his roommate bent the steering wheel with his mouth, breaking his jaw and losing all his teeth. Despite his injuries, including glass in his forehead, face, neck, and ears, the host went to work the next day wrapped up "like a mummy".
• Dating and The Dungeon: The host asked Denise on a coffee date, and she told him that she was drawn to his blue eyes, which were the only visible part of his face. He recounts living in "the dungeon," a crawl space of a house with dirt floors, a cement-floored kitchen and bathroom, and three bedrooms. During one date, Denise had to throw up and went to his house, but she told him to clean the bathroom because it was so "gross". The host also describes parties they would throw in the dungeon, where guests would throw darts at "wolf rats" that ran in front of the TV.
• Proposal and Wedding: The host proposed to Denise on a cruise he received through a timeshare promotion. He put the ring in his underwear to hide it, and when he got on one knee to propose on the restaurant deck, he couldn't find it. After searching for a moment, he found the ring and re-proposed. Denise's initial response was, "Can I think about it?". The host's friend, "Mad Dog," who had a crush on Denise, warned her about the host's partying habits, but she eventually said yes to the proposal. They were married at the Auburn Arboretum. During the outdoor ceremony, a frat house across the street played the song "Louie, Louie" so loudly that it became their unofficial wedding song. Just as they kissed, a lightning strike occurred, immediately followed by rain.
• Honeymoon: For their honeymoon, they went to St. Simons Island on a trip won through the host's father-in-law's radio station. Upon arriving at the hotel room, the host attempted to carry Denise over the threshold but accidentally slammed her head into the doorjamb. The next day, they went golfing, and Denise, who rarely played, beat the host because her golf balls would not sink in the water, "walking on water" instead.

Podcast Website

Facebook

Youtube

Instagram

Send us Fan Mail

Join us for a captivating episode of Simmons Sooty Stories as our guest, Jeff, shares his incredible journey of perseverance and unexpected turns. From a childhood accident in a furniture factory that cost him two fingers and spurred his decision to pursue higher education , to overcoming academic challenges at Auburn University. Jeff recounts his early experiences working at a textile mill where he witnessed a gruesome accident , and later his own life-altering injury at a mobile home furniture factory in Mississippi. Discover how a veterinarian sewed his fingers back on in a small Mississippi town , and how this pivotal moment, combined with a previous factory incident, fueled his determination to attend college.

Learn about Jeff's unconventional path through Auburn, including his initial struggles with basic academics , his time on the Dean's List , and how he navigated academic suspension and ultimately graduated after seven years. He also touches on his brief and principled stand against corporate practices as a personnel manager , and his diverse early work history, from a paper route at age seven to managing various departments at Kmart. Finally, Jeff shares the heartwarming story of how his wife, Denise, a trailblazing woman in management at South Central Bell and later in radio sales, influenced his decision to stay in Auburn. This episode is a testament to resilience, the power of education, and the impact of unexpected life events

Podcast Website

Facebook

Youtube

Instagram

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to Episode 2 of Simmons Sooty Stories! This week, we dive into the fascinating and often comical misadventures of our host directly after high school. Discover why he opted out of college despite his father's firm directive of "military or Citadel".

Travel back to the 70s, an era defined by "sex, drugs, and rock and roll" , as he reveals his youthful experiments with substances, influenced by his own father's unconventional advice. The main event? His ambitious, yet utterly unprepared, attempt at a self-sufficient homestead in the Mississippi swamp with his friend, John Cochran. Hear about their struggles building a rapidly collapsing log cabin , their diet of state-record catfish from a very unconventional "refrigerator" , and the ultimate realization that sent them back to society.

But it's not all laughs; he also shares a powerful and emotional account of his mother's addiction to morphine and her incredible journey to recovery. This episode is a rollercoaster of personal anecdotes, offering a unique glimpse into a life lived on the edge and the profound lessons learned along the way.

Podcast Website

Facebook

Youtube

Instagram

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of Simmons Sooty Stories, hosts recount their humorous struggles with recording, including a "third or fourth attempt" at part one of their first episode, losing the first half of a previous recording, and technical difficulties with sound and slow motion.

Jeff Simmons, owner of Top Hat Chimney Sweeps, shares the origins of his business, revealing he bought a "going concern" that included a bread truck, tarps, and a "timeless" logo designed by a graphic design student for the previous owner, Ed Weatherman. Jeff recounts working for Ed in the mid-80s while considering buying the business, initially as a side hustle to supplement income from his interior plant business, Interior Plantscapes. He shares how he supplied and maintained plants for various locations like doctors' offices, residences, restaurants, bars, and malls.

The episode delves into Jeff's childhood in Greenville, SC, and his family history, noting that the Simmons side has always been in the South, with ancestors eventually transported to Alabama. He discusses his father, John Riffe Simmons Jr., a dentist who dropped "Junior" from his name to avoid an awkward professional title. His mother, who he says studied "Home Ec" at the University of Minnesota where she met his father, is also mentioned.

Jeff also talks about his two sisters, Jan and Laurie. He shares a story about hitting Jan with a rock from a treehouse and another where he removed the chain from her bike, leading to her crashing into a car and landing on her head.

Finally, Jeff discusses his childhood activities from ages seven upwards, primarily focusing on his swim team days. He describes how his parents would drop him off at the club in the morning and pick him up in the evening. He tried golf but excelled at swimming, especially backstroke, despite it being his least favorite stroke. He was part of a relay team with close friends that set state and Junior Olympic records. He recounts making it to the Olympic trials for backstroke but narrowly missing the Olympics by "one one-thousandth of a second or one ten-thousandth of a second" He attributes his drive to a "Ricky Bobby" mentality: "If you're not first, you're last"

Podcast Website

Facebook

Youtube

Instagram