WE TALK ABOUT PRIORITISING MENTAL HEALTH IN YOUR INSTALLATION BUSINESS, NO MATTER WHAT THE TRADE WITH HOWARD SMITH

From electrician to rehab center owner

Howard Smith went from 3rd-year apprentice directly to self-employed electrician, but it wasn’t a straight path. Along the way he lost his best friend and became a recovering alcoholic. This is the story of how, through it all, his personal and professional growth became intertwined. We discuss how no one taught him how to run a business, how he only turned over 20K in his first year in business, seeking professional help, and how to employ vulnerability as a skill.

Howard Smith is the founder of HDS Electrical and Bali Beginning (a rehab center for treating drug and alcohol addiction).

What we discussed

(00:00) From apprentice to businessman (directly)

(03:09) Learning how to price & raising your prices 

(09:45) Balancing getting sober with work

(18:50) Panic attack every time the phone rings 

(25:21) Managing your flaws to run your electrical business 

(34:10) Pain = growth?

(40:28) Why fake it until you make it is bad advice

(52:38) How to remember more

(54:30) Setting up reliable systems (daunting AF)

(57:31) Mental health advice for tradesman

(01:06:47) Letting your goals shape your business 

(01:15:36) Battling with bravado 

3 ways to preserve your mental health as you grow your electrical company:

1. Learn to ask for help, treat help like a muscle you want to grow in the gym, train it! Go out and start asking questions and break down the fear of rejection
2. Be ultra honest and vulnerable with your clients, and they will respect you - it can be so disarming to admit yor mistakes, how you really feel or what you really need. Don’t fake it until you make it, own who you are and own your shortfalls.
3. Take a few days to set up strong systems that help you automate or lighten the load in parts of your business (eg: CRM, bookkeeping, email system, etc.). It can seem daunting in the very beginning but it will lift a huge load of stress off your shoulders in the long term. You’ll spend less time setting it all up than you will worrying that you haven’t set it up.

Pod will be live at 8am Friday morning

Links

Artisan Electrics

Connect with Howard Smith: LinkedIn | HDS Electrical |

Contact the Smart Home Surgery

• Send us a DM on Instagram @smarthomees
• Email us at [email protected]

Thanks for listening & see you on the next episode