From Addiction to Top 5% Sales Rep: Kenny Long’s Recovery Story

Kenny Long has 26 years in the trades and is a top 5 percent earner in HVAC sales. He is also in recovery, and the two are not separate stories. They are the same one.

Sam sits down with Kenny for a conversation that goes beyond sales technique into the place most trades conversations never go: addiction, identity, and what it actually takes to rebuild a life and a career at the same time. Kenny talks openly about the rock bottom that nearly cost him everything, the moment he realized he couldn’t do it alone, and how that same lesson reshaped the way he sells and serves customers today.

This episode also gets into what predatory sales practices look like from the inside, why Kenny walked away from a company that was grinding him down even while he was making great money there, and what it means to build a sales career on honesty instead of pressure.

What you’ll learn:

• Kenny’s 26 years across HVAC, electrical, and plumbing, and how he became a top 5 percent earner in the industry
• The rock bottom moment that led him into recovery, and why he couldn’t do it alone
• How the shift from self-centered to service-focused changed the way he sells
• What JCPenney pricing and other predatory sales tactics look like from inside a company
• Why burnout and grind culture in the trades can quietly cost people everything
• What it means to build a sales career you can actually be proud of
• Kenny’s advice for anyone in the trades who’s in that dark place right now

If this episode helped you, share it with someone who needs to hear it, in or outside the trades.

Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Google, and if yours gets read on air, you earn a no-charge one-on-one coaching session with Sam directly.

Review link: https://g.page/r/CbfnnDqTCwQdEAE/review

Connect with Kenny Long:

Facebook: facebook.com/kenny.long.946517

Instagram: instagram.com/heelyeah82

Work with Sam:

Website: closeitnow.net

Coaching & Training: closeitnow.net/coaching

Email: [email protected]

Go be somebody worth buying from.

Welcome to Close it now, the podcast that's revolutionizing the H Vac and home improvement trades industries.

Get ready to dive deep into the world of heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

We're turning up the heat on industry standards and cooling down misconceptions.

And we're not just talking about fixing vents and adjusting thermostats.

It's about the transformative movement that's reshaping the very foundation of H Vac and home improvement.

We're the driving force, inspiring top performers who crave excellence.

Excellent not only in their professional endeavors, but also in fitness, nutrition, relationships, and personal growth, proving that we can indeed have it all.

This is Close it now, where excellence meets excitement.

Let's get to work now.

Your host, Sam Wakefield.

Hey, hey, hey.

Welcome back to Close It Now.

Sam Wakefield here.

I have a awesome guest today.

This is a story that I have, I heard from this gentleman a while back and getting to know him, you are going to love this guy as well.

He has been in the trades and home services for 26 years, so he's got a little bit of time under his belt.

I'll let him introduce himself to you all and tell you about his history and the different elements he's worked in.

But one of the fun pieces, this is a fun fact.

Him and I originally connected right around the time there's a couple companies back for him.

He was with a company that sold to this private equity firm that just happened to be the exact same firm that my company in Austin had sold, you know, had sold to years ago.

And so my, my go round with that.

So just.

So it was a really interesting connection at first.

It's like, oh, my gosh, I know those guys.

You know those guys.

Hey, we're just alike, right?

The rapport thing.

But it was really funny.

So that's how we originally connected.

But we've, we've known each other for the last several years and it's been, it's been fun watching your journey.

And so everybody.

So this may be a little bit of a heavy conversation today, but it's a message that has to get out because I know a lot of you that listen will resonate with this.

So I'm so happy to introduce my friend Kenny Long today onto the show.

Welcome to the show, Kenny.

Glad to have you.

Thanks for having me, buddy.

Yeah, man.

So let's dive in a little bit.

So first of all, unpack.

Well, actually, let's start with something fun.

What is the number one thing that you can say that has nothing to do with Heating and air, nothing to do with the trades that keeps you motivated every single day.

What's one thing that you do that, you know, gets you going to continue to perform the way you do, that keeps you driving?

So first and foremost, I'm in recovery and I've got family too.

But what I've learned over the many years and many mistakes that I've made along the way is, you know, the way I'm wired.

If, if I don't put recovery first, then everything else behind, that kind of falls apart for me.

And that's, that's been my experience and I've had a lot of history of putting things ahead of that and I wound up losing a lot it.

Because of it.

But right behind that and it's, you know, not saying it's a second place.

I mean, they're, they're pretty much neck and neck.

But I got remarried.

I have three beautiful children.

One that's 20 years old who actually made me a grandfather last year.

Congratulations.

44 Years old and being a pawpaw is a little different.

But especially, you know, having toddlers in your 40s, which is not for the faint of heart, man.

I'm tell place.

It's, it's, it's, it's a, it's absolute journey, man.

But it's one I'm grateful for.

Yeah.

You know, these, these two little babies that I get a second chance to be a father, to present, you know what I mean?

And that's all due to the life I lead through recovery too, man.

Because without that, without that, I'm a fraction of what I am sitting in this chair today, man.

I love it.

That's definitely going to be a lot of what we're going to talk about today.

But before we do, give everybody a quick highlight rail.

It doesn't have to be long or exhaustive, but you've been at this in the home services and in the trades for a hot minute.

So walk us through because you've done a lot of different components to this.

It's not like you've just been in one vertical the whole time.

It's not like it's only been H Vac or only been one thing.

So give us the quick rundown.

So I actually quit high school.

Yeah.

Right before I turned 18.

And my cousin pretty much didn't give me a choice.

I mean, I was working it with him before that, but my cousin's the one that introduced me to it, so 12, 11, 12 years old.

I was helping him change out units because that's what he did, he was in the heat and air and.

Oh, wow.

So I got my first job around 18 years old, working for Heat and Air Company local to the area, who also sold to private equity, I might add.

Surprise me.

But, you know, three years went from being, you know, sealing ductwork, you know, wearing the mastic in the hair and having it all over me, all over my pants, silicone, everywhere, to being a lead.

Still same scenario, still coming home with mastic in my hair and silicone all over my pants and shirts.

But then I started.

I went to school, so I went to trade school.

And I'm one of those.

I'm a really good starter, but I'm not a very good finisher.

So I had some things happen.

I got pretty caught up.

And this is kind of a part of what led me into.

To my addiction too.

I was shot when I was 22, so I ended up quitting school because of it.

It just shot with bullets.

That was shot with.

Yeah, I got.

I got shot in the chest.

I thought I was scarf face, I guess you could say.

I don't know, you know, and that wasn't for me.

And you know, my track record has proven that over the years.

But anyway, I got myself in a pretty good bind there and I quit going to school.

I did get some certifications before I quit trade school, but then I got my first job as a service tech at about 23, 24.

I had my first daughter and I've been doing service work after that.

But there was also times where, you know, I was doing electrical work.

I worked for a motor company, so winding motors, diagnosing big motors, working on compressors, not like air compressors for the Norfolk Southern out here, train stations, conveyor systems, man, I've done a little bit of everything.

Water heaters, chillers, boilers.

Just a big mix of all kinds of different things.

So it's got power to it.

I probably worked on it to some degree anyway.

And the past five years I have been more strictly just heating and air.

And I have kind of had a little bit of a jumble between plumbing, electrical, you know, selling the other trays across sales.

If you.

Yeah, those three marry together so easily.

I mean, it doesn't make sense to not be able to do some of all of that.

Right.

100.

And you know, I know quite a bit about electrical, you know, selling generators and stuff like that too.

I'm pretty acclimated with.

And then of course, you know, the water heaters and, you know, re pipes and things of that degree.

And you know, but it's just been sales for the past four and it's definitely been a life altering experience, I'd say, because of where I was versus where I'm at today.

Yeah.

And how I place what I do, you know, within my mindset.

Because I'm.

I'm a pretty spiritual guy, not real religious.

I don't go around quoting scripture.

But, you know, the way I live my life today is because of my spiritual condition, man.

The way I try to serve customers.

And I think that's where it's kind of put me at today, while I'm able to do things the way I do.

Yeah, yeah, no doubt.

So.

Well, thanks for sharing.

I mean, that's a huge story.

I definitely did not know that you were shot at one point in time.

Well, that's right there.

It's kind of important, man, because, you know, that was what kind of started me on my path of, you know, going down a really dark hole.

You know, that happened to me and a couple of my buddies were in the same position with me.

And, you know, I took that in, I held on to that pain.

And ultimately that's what, you know, really put me in a spot to where I just, I was already having it.

I already had an addictive nature, you know, just the way I ran my life and the way I did things.

But, you know, I could never turn that switch off.

And you know, the, the vicious cycle of, you know, the drug that I chose to do, really what brought me to my knees, man.

And it was a long time struggle.

A long time struggle.

Are you comfortable sharing a bit more details there?

That way we can have some context of what that was you were going through.

And then, because I'd really love to talk about the journey.

We touched on this a little bit in our conversation the other day because you mentioned so many similarities between going from addiction into recovery and a lot of those steps parallels a lot of the journey from.

Into cells and so many of the similar muscles that we have to build and the habits and habits we have to get rid of and gain as well as.

This is the first time I'd ever heard anybody talk about similarities in this journey to sales.

And so I was really.

I'm really curious to dive into that.

But if you're comfortable sharing, set us up a little more context of where you came from so we can talk, you know, so we can understand that a bit better.

Yeah, no problem.

I mean, I, I don't.

I.

What we like to call recovering out loud.

I don't Hide what I do, you know, where I work, you know, it's pretty apparent I don't hide it because I mean it saved my life and it put me in a position that I'm in today.

You know, I'm actually a man at peace instead of man.

A complete turn on chaos like I was once before.

Yeah.

So you know that.

And I don't want to be drug specific but because I don't feel like that, that part's important.

But what I do feel like is really important is the pain that I went through that was all self induced.

And I believe that all people to some degree are selfish and self centered and you know, they want to control everything.

And I really think that that's why I chose to go the route that I went and why I did things the way that I did them.

I mean, it's just, you know, why what drove me?

Right.

Because I want it my way and I want it my way all the time.

Instant gratification kind of guy.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So, you know, so many times with different, you know, to be.

Not to name anything specific, but we, you know, we can go through the list of everything from you know, there's a lot of alcohol to you know, any other drug of choice.

It's like instant gratification a lot of times versus that's exactly what it is.

Yeah.

You just don't want to work for it, man.

You want it, you want it to come easy, right?

The microwave generation.

Exactly, exactly.

I want to get it by osmosis.

I want to sit next to somebody else has got it.

Hopefully I can absorb it, you know.

Yeah.

But it's, it's crazy to think like you know, where I was the guy who, I mean ultimately like didn't want to live no more, man.

Like I, I was suicidal and even though, you know, I would never.

I didn't ever have the guts to, to really do it.

I mean I was ultimate.

I was killing myself.

It was a slaughter.

Suicide.

But just taking, you know, from the person that I was being as selfish and self centered as I was, doing the things that I did and applying them the way I apply them today.

Well, how long were you in that cycle?

Like as far as that, you know, in addiction and, and actually so if we could park here for a second.

How so two part question.

How long were you in there?

And I'm really curious because knowing you and knowing enough about you, it doesn't sound like there was ever a place where you just went completely off the rails and no job and no.

So you're functioning to some degree about how did that affect your daily life and everything that was going on.

So unpack that a little bit for us because I feel like there's a lot of people, I mean, you've been in the Facebook groups all over the trades groups and how many of them talk about, about, oh man, I gotta do this and this and this and this and this.

And they list all of these things before they climb into an attic to work or they, you know, it's like so many people daily function on substances and I don't, I understand it because I was a functioning alcoholic through my 30s, 100%.

I didn't, I mean, I didn't.

Thank God I didn't hit the place where it just, you know, my life completely derailed.

But oh my gosh.

So I get a lot of that.

But so talk about that for us because I think there's some elements there that a lot of people really need to hear.

So I wasn't really what you would call, quote unquote, the employable type.

I couldn't, I mean, I didn't have a driver's license for a long time.

I was extremely irresponsible.

But I've always had this part of me, man, it's just, I'm charismatic.

Right.

So I got a pretty good personality and I was real manipulative.

Like, I mean I could, I could talk you out of whatever I wanted to talk you out of, typically.

So.

But I was doing it with the wrong motives, you know what I mean?

Like it was really selfish and self centered because I needed what I needed.

But I could never really keep a job.

Yeah.

If I did it maybe last four or five months and I didn't find out what I, well, ultimately like what I was like, yeah, he's a great guy, he knows what he's doing and he's, he's a hard worker.

But what's.

Are we going to be able to trust him?

Right.

Is it like that's a time bomb waiting to happen type of a thing?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Well that explains like why you went through so many different things along the, across the years then.

Oh yeah, yeah.

It's what we like to call in the rooms.

You ruined my Using my drinking for the rest of my life, like, my using and my drinking will never be the same once I get a little bit of taste of that recovery and what it's like.

Because I found my people and I found who I am.

I've heard my story.

These people get me, and they know what I am.

I can't.

I can't hide it no more, right?

I'm out in the open, and it's scary.

I don't like being vulnerable.

Yeah.

I want to hold on to this.

I want to protect it with all I got.

Yeah.

I'm being exposed, right?

So it's like I'm walking around naked.

So when you say taste of recovery, that means actually started to go to maybe groups or have conversations with other people in recovery, explain what getting a taste of recovery means to someone who wouldn't have any idea if they're not in it.

So you get to this point, and it was recommended by, I'll say, let's just say a county.

A county representative.

How about that?

A county official, right?

So let's just say it was suggested.

Okay, So I go to treatment, and, you know, you start hearing all these things.

And at that, man, at that point, it was like, I'm looking at differences, right?

I'm not looking at the similarities, because I hadn't got that bad yet.

Like, I had all these things that I had done.

Yes, I could relate to this person and that person, but this person that's homeless, like, this person that was living under the bridge, this person that didn't have no family, I couldn't relate to that.

That stuff, man.

So I was real bad and focused on looking at the differences instead of the similarities and hearing the pain, because I had experienced some of the things that they had, you know?

So I counted myself out because I didn't need no help.

I can do all this by myself.

And I think for a lot of us guys, I think it's just.

It's just a man thing, right?

And it's really dependent upon how you're raised.

But for most people who are blue collar, you don't show weakness.

The only emotion you're allowed to show is anger.

That's it.

Yeah, that's it.

And I didn't know how to express myself.

You know, I didn't have a dad.

My dad was.

He left when I was three.

So I was learning how to be a man on my own.

I didn't have anybody to teach me.

And the ones who were teaching me were showing me the wrong ways to do Things and taught me how to raise hell.

Right.

And that's, and work, that's.

That's what I knew how to do.

And I had a, I had my grandfather who was, you know, my only father figure, but you know, the, the values that he instilled at me when he passed away at 16 were gone.

Yeah.

And I was fully relying on my uncles and my cousins.

Yeah.

But you know what, Going to those meetings and it was, it took me a long time, man, because I'm hard headed, right.

I'm stubborn as a mule.

And I just, I had to get my ass drunk a lot, man.

I mean, I, I've, I've.

Everything that's happened to me has been self induced.

Yeah.

I couldn't admit that eight years ago.

Sure could not admit that.

But I met a woman, you know, down the road and she, she gave me a reason.

She gave me a reason to change my life, man.

Yeah.

And I knew, I, I honestly like, I thought at one point like I was just gonna, I was gonna die, I was just gonna wither away.

This is the life that, that I was going to leave until my days.

Yeah, that ended.

And I didn't really have anything to live for.

I felt like, I mean, I still had a daughter, you know, but I just thought it was a lost cause, man.

Yeah.

But I went to this place in Rockingham as local, man.

That place saved my life.

And it's because of the work that I have done too.

But that place, you know, did something uncomfortable.

And that's what a lot of guys, you know, don't want to do.

We don't want to do uncomfortable things because we like being completely like being comfortable.

You know, we don't, we don't want to run.

Right, Exactly.

We want the easier, softer way.

And that's what I'd always done.

And I didn't want to do anything hard.

I wanted it all to come to me easy.

Instant gratification, you know.

That's how I wanted it.

That's how I wanted to live my life.

And if I couldn't get it like that, then hell with it.

I'll throw up my hands, you know.

But this woman that I met, man, she's a godsend.

And I didn't see it at the time, you know, I was still struggling.

But after about two years of being together, you know, I had fancied myself because a lot of people had talked about, you know, wanting to kill themselves and this, that and the other.

And I never thought that way until something just kind of happened, man.

And I was on a pretty bad road for about two or three weeks.

And it was the first time I'd ever contemplated suicide.

And I can't believe I'm telling you this, but I just feel like it's something important to say for anybody who's struggling with.

With a disease of addiction, man, which I firmly believe is it's a disease because it's affected me the way it has.

And I got a phone call and it was, you know, either you're going to go get some help or we're done.

Yeah.

So that's when that transition started, man.

And I went to this place down in Rockingham and really started giving an opportunity to myself, you know, ultimately to work on myself and, you know, see where I was wrong in the way that I was living my life, man.

And light bulb went off and I was like, dude, I'm my own problem.

It's me, it's me.

Yeah, I make all these decisions, I do all these things and I. I really feel like, man, for me, and you know, this may make some people skin crawl, but the most important thing in my life, man, is a relationship with a higher power.

And it can be whatever you want it to be.

Sure.

Don't have to be my view, you just have to have a view of it.

Because at the end of the day, I feel like we're all spiritual beings, man.

And, you know, if we're living a life, you know, spiritually fit, then we're going to do things for the right reason.

Right.

We're not.

We're going to do things to be a service to others.

Right.

And this is where I feel like it's really important.

And what we do is at the end of the day, when we're being of service to the customers and we're in their home and we're actively listening now, I say that does not mean I'm perfect.

I do my best because it's a.

Journey for all of us.

I need reminded all the time of this.

So it's constant.

And if you can't tell, I'm a.

Talker, I love it.

So you keep going because this is so good.

So to catch us up here.

This is an incredible journey so far.

And this transition spot of that realization is, I think, critical.

So before you continue, what would you say to that person?

Because I know there's a lot of people in our industries, in all the trades and home services and home improvement that are living that moment right now.

What would you say to them about that aha moment?

What is it, they need to hear that maybe they're right at that spot and that'll help them pass that and actually start to take that action.

What was it that made you realize, hey, it's my decisions, it's me?

Just like you're saying the whole time.

It's kind of funny, man.

And I'm not saying it's an extreme paradox, but you know, when you realize like how selfish and self centered you are, it is also, I am not alone.

Yeah.

I am not unique.

There are other people who understand.

Like there's other people who have been exactly through.

And maybe not to a T, but there are people who have been through what I've been through and understand.

And I think that's the hardest thing for anybody who is in that, in that dark spot, man, to really fully come to terms with the fact that you ain't the only one.

Yeah.

We feel it's not island by ourselves.

Right.

And it's not the case, man.

You know, and one of the things, and this is something I learned in another one of the fellowships, is never alone.

Never again.

I am never by myself unless I want to be.

And here's the caveat.

Right.

Is when I was doing what I was doing, I was stuck in the bathroom by myself.

Yeah.

And I was with the last person that I used with.

So why in the hell would I ever think that I can get better by myself when I was the one sitting in the bathroom?

Yeah.

That's what the classic, you know, classic saying to keep doing the.

The same things we're doing and expect different results.

This definition of insanity, right?

Sincerity, man.

Yeah.

You know, and that, that's, it's, it's just hard for, for men and some women too.

You know, it's hard for us to admit that we need help.

Yeah.

Because we're me and we feel like we're not supposed to need help, man.

Like we're not.

Most of us aren't raised that way.

Sure.

Yeah.

The word identity keeps coming to mind in this.

It's like you do the things according to who you believe you are.

And it's like that shift is so hard for us sometimes.

It is, man.

I mean, I'm not saying this to say that I perfectly do this every day.

I don't.

There's days where I fall short, man.

There's days where I struggle.

There's days where I'm not having very good days.

But you know, one thing that always comes to mind, I heard this, this predecessor say one time enough in a meeting and he Said, man, I know what a bad day is and today ain't one of them because I'm in.

Here with y' all great saying, I like that.

And it's the truth though.

And I, I know what a bad day looks like.

I know what it feels like to sit in a jail cell with nobody to be able to call because you know nobody's coming because they're tired of your.

Yeah.

I mean part of my friends, but you know that they're, they're tired of what you've done to them.

Yeah, I know what that feels like, man.

That's, that's a bad feeling, dude.

That's a bad feeling.

And then to be sick from what you're doing on top of that, knowing you're stuck, you ain't going nowhere and, and, and man, and looking at yourself enough and anybody who's done this and seeing yourself in a reflective metal in a, in a, in a sale and just looking at yourself with just complete disgust because you're sobering up.

Yeah.

And you, you don't have anything in your system.

It's gone.

You're sick and you're a fraction of yourself.

And I weighed 212 pounds today.

If, if you could only imagine me at 123.

Holy moly.

Just skin and bones.

Oh, it was, it was terrible, man.

It was terrible.

And it's all self induced.

Yeah.

I couldn't even look at myself in the mirror and brush my teeth.

Yeah.

Wow.

Yeah.

I was disgusted with myself because I let myself get to this point in my life.

I didn't think there was a way out.

Wow.

That's.

What an incredible story man.

That is, it's so powerful to hear that you, it's so inspiring to hear you on the other side of this talk about it.

So one so candidly and thank you for being so transparent with us.

But it's a story that so many people struggle with.

Especially with all of the, you know, the economy and the, the market up and down and you know, the trades businesses are a lot of times they're feast or famine.

You know, we go through this place, it's great.

This is everything.

Yeah.

Woohoo.

We're all making money and then it's like crickets and it's like wow.

So it's either we have more money than we know what to do with, so what do we do with it, or we get this place where it's so desperate and so now we're looking for ways to cope a lot of times.

And it's Just like, wow.

Making it through this in a way that is healthy is one of the biggest missions.

It's tough, man, and I, you know, because the highs are really high, but when them lows hit, man, them lows are really low.

And.

And for a person in recovery, you know, all I've ever wanted was peace, man.

That's all.

That's why I did things the way I did them, because that's the only way I could find it is the noise would quieten.

Yeah.

When I had that first drink or I smoked that first whatever.

Yeah.

Went quiet, right.

I could breathe.

And that's why I did things the way I do.

All I wanted to do was have that place of peace right in the middle.

That's why it's.

It's so important.

And you don't have to be addicted to anything, man.

This.

This is.

It's.

I'm just grateful that I have a, you know, a life of recovery, man.

And I got some steps that I can follow to work on life, because these.

These things that we do, it works in everything, man.

And.

And for people who don't have a program, I kind of feel sorry for you.

You know what I mean?

Yeah.

Yeah.

And I think everyone has.

I mean, it doesn't have to be, you know, a hard drug or something.

I mean, everyone has some sort of vice or some sort of coping mechanism.

But.

So to what you were saying earlier, you know what?

I went through some horrible tragedy 13, 14 years ago, and that started my journey into my 30s of just being this horrible downward spiral from the outside.

People are like, oh, man, this is great.

You're setting records and all this stuff.

And the inside, it was awful.

Thankfully, I'm grateful.

Looking back, I did choose alcohol as my coping mechanism, but also, I.

Personal growth just happened to be the other side of things because I knew I'm out in the rural country, I'm driving sometimes 200, 250, 300 miles a day to see one or two people.

And so I have had so much.

And this is before cell phones, hardly we had them, but it wasn't the thing.

And there was no, you know, like, all of the support online now.

It was me and me for hours by myself.

So I knew if I didn't choose something that was gonna keep my head on straight, it was not a good situation.

So thankfully, I drove down.

The number of books and motivation stuff that I was constantly listening to because I had to.

It was the only way I was coping at the time.

So, in a way, it was super self Centered.

But thankfully I got value from it along the way.

But not everyone chooses to have a positive coping mechanism.

And that's one thing that I've always really stressed.

Everybody is, you know, we all have coping mechanisms to get through life.

Choose the things that uplift and don't pull down because it's hard sometimes.

We all have hard times.

There's no doubt.

I was, I was just sitting here thinking about something and I wanted to kind of add some context to what happened, you know, when I got shot.

I know I kind of hit it briefly, but that was really like a turning point in my life.

Now I feel like I know because of what it done to my mentality.

Like it just took my whole world and flipped it upside down.

And I, I don't, I don't want nobody to say it, you know, bragging at one point in my life, man, I would, I did.

I used it like, man, I got shot.

It was the worst thing that ever happened to me at that point.

Right.

And just, it was just what it done to me inside.

Like, I almost lost two of my best friends because of my selfish and self centered behavior.

Yeah.

And I never fully recovered from that, man.

And because of everything that transpired before, during and after it.

I think ultimately that's why I went as hard as I did.

I was always looking for excuse to just take it a step further.

And that was the first.

My papa being.

Well, I said my papa was the first when he passed.

But that, that moment in my life, man, was a turning point for me.

And it wasn't in a good direction.

I had no trust, no faith in nobody.

And I think that, you know, because of that I just used, I just used it, man, as, you know, an excuse to, to, to graduate to the next step.

Totally just derailing my life.

Yeah.

And why anybody wanted to be around me after that, I don't, I don't, I don't really know.

I really don't.

And.

But yeah, I didn't want anybody if I hear this and say, oh man, this is just bragging about.

No, that is not it.

That is not why I said it.

I said it because.

Yeah.

Because without it, you wouldn't have some of a lot of your journey.

Yeah.

Yeah.

For good or bad.

So this is really a great segue because we've talked a lot about the leading up to this place, but it Sounds like we're getting to this moment of especially the more you're getting into recovery and understanding that you're not alone and all of these components.

So this really lands us at that transition like we were talking about before, going from being so absolutely self centered to starting to have a view of hey, there's others outside of me and this like we were talking about the idea of service and how does that going from just being so self centered and self focused and everything is about you to turning, looking outward instead of inward all the time.

Love for you to talk about that a little bit.

And then of course there's some obvious correlations now to what we do, you know, in not only service work or sales or whatever it is.

So when I've been in the five years that I've been doing sales and on this and there's multiple models, but the, the same premise is pretty much, you know, everywhere.

And I have been around a lot of people just in the past five years that I've really paid attention to how they do things.

And there's, I've been around a lot of grimy individuals, people who ultimately don't have a conscience, man, like that, like they can just lie and you know, use those manipulative skills in a negative light, man.

And you know, those are the kinds of guys who sell water to a well because the well doesn't really need the water.

Right.

And I can't bring myself to do it that way.

And I think, you know, you see all these guys and I'll see these guys and I'm not kidding you.

And you've seen them too, Sam.

I know you, these guys that come in, man, and just kill it.

I mean just absolutely murder numbers like you've never seen before.

Conversion rates like you've never seen before.

And the guys are making all this money.

But what I've also noticed is those are the guys who, who don't last.

Yeah.

And there's obviously there's a reason behind that.

Like, you know, you see these guys and if, if you've been in any kind of bigger private equity group, like, you know, a lot of times you'll have leaderboards and you know, those are the types of guys.

And I'm not saying always because there's, there's definitely some guys who do things the right way.

I mean it's obvious but you know, you see a lot of those guys up top five out of 120, 130.

I've been in groups, it was as many as 500.

But you see those guys up there and, like, man, like, I would just love to be up there.

And I'm not saying that I don't feel that way, because I do.

I'm.

I love being a center.

Yeah, of course.

I love being up top.

I mean, who does.

I mean, spirit of competition.

I mean, you have to have some of that to even be attracted to the sales at the level we do.

If you ain't got a little bit of dog in you.

Yeah.

Then this is not.

This is not the.

The.

The.

The job for you.

100%.

I mean, I promise, if we were in a. I don't care who it is.

I don't lose contests, period.

I will outwork everyone around me.

So there's.

There's a way to have competitive spirit and also without taking advantage of people.

Right?

Exactly.

Exactly.

And, you know, I play.

I play ball, you know, growing up.

And I am extremely competitive.

And I had a guy who gave me the opportunity to move into sales.

He's like, dude, you're an absolute alpha, and you don't want anybody else to be an alpha with you.

And I just competitive, you know, by nature, man.

I mean, that's just the way I was brought up, you know, I wasn't.

I wasn't gonna let anybody beat me up in the neighborhood as a kid.

I wasn't gonna let you out, hit me on the football field, you know, but there's.

There's a.

There's a hindsight to that, though, because there's a negative connotation there too.

If I'm not, then I feel bottom right.

And Ricky Bobby style.

The second place is the first loser, first, your last.

Yep.

And.

And I. I turn that internally sometimes.

But the.

The way it's shifted, man, is, you know, being able to be of service, do things the right way, like selling things to the point of being of service to a customer.

Yeah.

Not selling them what you want to sell them because that's the biggest ticket or the most commission for you, but because that's what the customer wants.

Yeah.

And their.

Their needs will align with that.

And you.

You know, we show them how.

And that's.

That's what.

That's what's being a service.

Right.

You know, selling the customer what they want, not.

Not what you want them to buy.

Yeah.

Right.

Not using your skills to convince them that this is the only option that makes any sense for you and your home.

Right.

So before we move off of this, because I know you've been in a couple places, we've talked about this one Especially where you were going out there and you were making a ton of money, but also you felt so slimy and just had such a hard time going to sleep at night and laying your head on the pillow without feeling creeped out of what you had to do throughout the day.

And it was from the top down in this organization.

But I think we talk about this a lot of times, but we gloss over these moments of.

Can you give us an example or two specifically of what we mean by that, when guys are going out and doing those types of things?

Because I think this is some context here.

A lot of times people come into the industry and maybe they've only ever worked at one company, and it happens to be that.

And because what's preached from the top of that company is also, hey, this is the right way and we're serving and blah, blah, blah.

But the gross underside of it is that's basically like lying to everybody to make them feel good about themselves.

And so what are a couple of examples of that in case, like, we just don't know what we don't know right now.

So I think this is.

This is not every company, man.

Because like I said, there's one place that I've worked, it was private equity group, man, and we were pretty tight group.

But it got to the point to.

Where, I mean, it's not every company, but it's often enough that all over the country are getting shut down and their licenses because of this.

So, yeah, we in every.

I think every market has, you know, every city has one or two of these.

Oh, it's.

Yeah.

People listening need to know what to watch out for, too.

So we call it JCPenney pricing, right?

So go in.

Because anybody shopped at JCPenney, you go in, you see everything, it's 40% off, right?

So you know what it is, is like, we're starting out.

Well, this price is just ridiculous.

It's ridiculous.

But if you'll put this in tomorrow, we'll get you down to here.

And it's like, well, why didn't.

Why didn't you just start there?

Yeah, why don't you just leave with that?

I mean, in a red flag, right?

And what I think what a lot of these places are doing, it's psychology, man.

Because, you know, it's a good side of it.

And there's also dark psychology, 100%.

So, you know, you lead these people astray to a degree, right?

I mean, it's, it's.

And it could be for, like, the most basic package.

I mean, the thing is just out of sight, astronomically high in comparison to everybody else in your area.

And, you know, but I'll get you down there.

Let me make a phone call if I could get you down there where you do it tomorrow.

That's what I'm talking about, that stuff.

But to the degree of watching these other individuals go to people, and, man, if any of my buddies listen to this, they're gonna know.

Zach Von Dunk.

Yeah.

Give us the worst possible examples that you saw.

Like stories from the field.

Like, what's.

The ones that were just like, I can't believe this guy type moments, man.

How about a $55,000 sale and customers more than likely really didn't know what they were signing.

And if you can do any kind of math, imagine $53,000 at a 12.99% interest rate.

I mean, I've had plenty of projects like that.

I have no problem with with a55,000 project at 12.9.

But the thing is, is, is if you're transparent and you're honest and this is what the customer wants, and the customer is fully understanding of what they're signing.

Yeah, that's.

That's one thing.

Right.

I mean, you know what you're getting.

And I'm not saying, like, I've had big tickets, I've had massive tickets.

Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah.

But I'm like, you know, this is what we're doing.

Sure.

This is what you want to do.

Yeah.

Making it really, really, really obvious, you know, not trying to hide anything from a customer.

Coming from the absolute place of care.

Because I don't want just you to purchase from me.

I want you to tell your family.

I want you to tell your family's friends, and I want them to do the same in return.

Because I took care of you.

Yeah.

And I was honest.

And you knew you could trust me.

You also knew that if you called, I was going to pick up the phone and I was going to handle your situation.

Yeah.

That was another thing that drives me nuts.

You're the first person or I'm the first person that you see from my company most of the times, especially on marketing leads.

If you're purchasing from me, essentially to a degree, you're also purchasing a relationship.

Right.

I don't want to just see you one time.

I want.

I want you to have me to come back.

So if I do anything to damage that trust in that relationship, that one sale might cost me 20 or 30.

Yeah.

Because I didn't want to do things the right way.

Yeah.

I love being able to go home and lay my head down and not worry about what's going to happen to this customer or what's going to happen to that sale.

Yeah.

And I think for me, that is the most important thing.

I love making money.

I need money.

I got kids.

We don't have to be.

I have to be able to provide.

But if I can't do it the right way, I won't do it.

Yeah.

I won't do it.

It's.

It's too important to me because, remember earlier I was saying all I ever wanted was peace.

Why would I let something that I do professionally rob me of my peace when I could control it?

Yeah.

100% On this topic, because the last time we talked, you were talking about this, you know, being at that place and, you know, making a ton of money.

But also.

So if.

Because I think this is where the.

The recovery aspect comes back in.

And you were.

You'd mentioned to me that if things had continued the way they were, you knew you were headed down a road that was not going to be good for you, especially in your recovery life.

Yeah.

And.

And there was the guy who introduced me to the position where I was at, man.

And I love the dude.

He knows it.

There was a couple of managers there I absolutely love, man.

And then there were some guys there that I absolutely love.

But it's the way it comes from the top down.

You gonna grind, right.

If it is to put you in a position for one, like, to be.

I did my best with not being grounded, man.

I absolutely did.

I really.

And that's probably why I didn't make as much as some of the other guys, which I was okay with, that I was doing okay.

I was making enough.

But I think what really was getting to me the most was to give some.

Everybody some context.

Real quick, what was your biggest year there as far as total revenue?

Well, at this place that we're talking about, that ground me down the most.

I wasn't there very long.

Yeah.

Okay.

I wasn't there very long.

But it was long enough to know that if I continue this trend, I'm not.

I'm not gonna make it.

Yeah.

Like, it's, you know, because you're still.

Doing, you know, a few million a year, though.

Right.

You know, I mean.

Right.

So if.

If.

If we.

If I would have continued on that year, I would have been over three, which I know a lot of guys do more than that.

Yeah.

So here's the context that I was wanting to bring out with this though, because to hear you, if I didn't know that, I'd be like, oh my, my mind.

And a lot of people listening would go, oh, well, you know, this is coming from somebody that probably didn't sell very much.

And he says he's not as much as the rest of the guys.

So Maybe he's doing 750k a year or something like that.

He's laughing.

So I want everybody to know.

So 3 million plus a year is literally top 5% of the entire industry.

Not that many people do those kind of numbers.

There's only a handful of people in every city, major city, that do that level of number.

So that, that's why I wanted to bring this context in.

So for everybody listening, Kenny's not bad at what he does.

He's the badass here, but doing it the right way.

So this is, this is where the real conversation comes in.

Because, you know, and you'd reached out to me, we've been talking about coaching and stuff because there's always room for all of us to improve.

Oh, yeah.

And at the same time, you know, you weren't like the, you know, the bottom in the list of the, you know, the guys on the team either.

I've never been at the bottom.

So that's the context I wanted to bring.

Because, I mean, because again, it's like, wow, okay, yeah, so this guy does know what he's.

This is the history.

And because I know your numbers, because we've talked about them, I want everybody else to hear that too because, you know, there's a big difference in somebody that's just figuring this out versus somebody that has the skills and the ability to, you know, have a really successful sales career.

Because if you can do 3 million here, you can do 8 in roofing or anything where else, Right?

Because it's such a.

This, It's a hard sell in H vac a lot of times, even though it's need based and not want based and a lot of those things.

But man, it's a grind.

It is a grind and it is 100%.

There's no doubt.

So, man, dude, this is such a good conversation.

So we're coming up on the hour, so we've got to land this plane pretty soon.

But I want you to kind of finish up where that transition went from, you know, where you were, you know, the great people around you.

But just the problem is systemic in the organization.

It's not that it's, you know, bad individuals collectively.

I think what happens is the focus is when the goal is the numbers.

And it has everything to do with making sure the company makes budget and improves by such.

And the last word is always what does the bottom line look like?

And we lost the focus on did we help that homeowner.

And I think that's where that transition really has to.

We can't lose sight of that.

Are the numbers important in being profitable?

Of course, any company needs to understand business, but that's what's caused our industry to be such a trap a lot of times nowadays.

So talk about your journey from there to where you are now.

So the hours were crazy, man.

So I probably wouldn't get a call until 12 o' clock most days.

And you know, we've traveled to Chapel Hill, Durham occasionally, which if you're not from the Piedmont Triad in North Carolina, that's about an hour and a half drive, give or take.

So my grind was usually from 12 all the way till 10 o'.

Clock.

There was a lot of nights where I didn't get home till midnight, one o' clock and then I had to stay up and do paperwork.

No, because for these next day installs because everything had to be dialed in.

Right.

Which, that place is a machine.

I mean it is, but it just was the machine that I wasn't willing to ultimately trade off for my piece of my sanity.

But there's a place locally owned and operated and I had actually interviewed here a couple times and at the sets of time it didn't feel like the right fit.

Say the name of where you're at now.

Okay, well I'm, I'm at Go green with employment.

Heat and air and electrical, locally owned.

They've been in business for about 15 years I believe and this is one of the few that have grew and have refused to sell.

And man, the culture here is just something that I can't even explain it, dude.

Like, and I was telling you earlier about the discovery week they're doing upstairs and like the training room and you know, the way things are, look, everything's got quirks, you know, of course it takes a little time.

There's no perfect company.

I mean I've hundreds of companies at this point and we're all messed up somehow.

So the trade off, trade off is I get to go home, right, if, if, if I need to.

Like tonight I got ballet and tap on my daughter, right.

I might go do what I need to do.

You know, I'm still making good money, but I'm not selling myself for it.

Yeah.

And the way we treat people here like, the clientele is phenomenal.

I mean, it's, it's incredible the way we treat people here, customers, you know what I mean?

Like, I'm a project manager and I do things the way here that I've never done before.

Like, you're going to get a drawing.

I'm doing your ductwork.

I'm laying it all out because I don't want my installers to get stuck.

I do videos from the door to the, to the attic.

Like I'm laying this whole thing out for them and it's not going to be perfect.

But we're doing this because we care about what the installers do.

Because if you've ever done install, it sucks.

Yeah.

It's the hardest job next to the warehouse guy, bless his heart.

That dude gets run ragged.

But just where I'm at, man, and being at this place is a breath of fresh air.

And you know, like, we got the truck or treat coming up, which usually brings in over a thousand people.

You know, they're training.

They give 50 guys an opportunity upstairs to move into the trades and they'll cut them down to about 13 by the time it's done at the end of this week.

Yeah.

Give these guys a chance in the trades.

They do parades.

Big on community.

We're part of the Energy Saver program, which has been a tough one.

But that's basically people who don't meet income criteria to be able to afford the system.

I was huge in that for.

Actually for a couple years years ago.

I used to own a company called Dr. Energy Saver, but before that I was in a community action agency, specifically in the weatherization department for below the poverty line income people to help them with their homes to be able to.

Bills aren't so stinking high.

Yeah.

And that's, that's, that was really what kind of gravitated me to hear plus.

So community focused, it sounds like.

Yeah.

And Alicia, we kind of know each other.

You talk to her, I'll let her tell you from, you know, previously.

But, you know, that was what kind of drew me into here.

And I was over private equity.

Yeah.

At that point because that place had just ground me down, man.

And this is a common conversation we hear all the time now.

It's like it's the biggest heat and air company in the country.

Yeah.

So, you know, cog in the wheel, man.

And here I'm more than just a cob.

Like I'm, I'm, I'm a piece of a team that, that actually means something, you know, And My experiences leaned on.

Instead, I overlooked, like, people trusted me and asked me questions.

I've only been here four months, and I.

But it's.

It's pretty obvious that can.

You might know what he's talking about.

Well, you bring in a lot of.

A huge amount of experience, too.

Yeah.

And, you know, I just so happen to be halfway decent at sales, too.

But there's always room to grow.

Right?

Like, I. I want to learn more.

That's why I listen to podcasts, man.

That's why, you know, we use real.

That's why I was literally just in there a minute ago asking questions like, what could I do to be better at closing?

You know what I mean?

Just things like that.

I'm always trying to.

To level up and better my craft, man, because ultimately, like, what I do at work, that's how I provide for my family.

So if I can do whatever it takes to provide a better family, provide a better life for my family than what I experienced as a kid, I'm gonna do anything in my power to be able to do that.

Yeah.

And it's, you know, it's an ebb and flow, man.

Some days are rough, some days are tough, but, you know, I'm comfortable being uncomfortable.

That.

That's a big one.

That's a huge place to get to.

So as.

As we close this out, what would you say to, you know, anything you want to share?

But through your journey from where you started, through addiction, into recovery, where you are now, you know, what's some words of advice, some wisdom lessons you've learned?

What would you leave to everybody listening today before we sign off?

Man, it's so much.

Because there's so much that I've been through, dude, and it is absolutely imperative that you understand that you are not alone.

You are not unique.

It is okay to not be okay.

You know, we grow by doing uncomfortable things.

And, you know, the dude is sitting in this chair right here.

If.

If you were feeling like I felt, and, you know, you've kind of heard a little bit about what I've been through, you don't know the whole story because that's.

That.

That may not be for the absolute public, but, you know, it's.

If you need help, man, it's okay.

It's all right to ask for it.

You just.

You gotta humble yourself.

You know, I had my ego busted.

Yeah.

You know, does not mean I lost my confidence.

I'm a pretty confident dude.

Yeah.

Well, confidence.

And I think so many people think confidence and ego are the same thing.

And it's not.

It's very, very.

If you got a big ego, you're arrogant.

Yeah.

People don't like arrogance, man, because that means you think you're better than everybody.

I am as humble as I can be.

Not saying I'm the humblest person you know, I know.

But I do my best to be humble, because if you're not humble, you can't be taught anything.

You know it all already.

What's the saying?

The people that think they know it all have the least, and the ones that think they know the least are.

Have the most.

Right, man.

I mean, because that's.

That's the only way you can get better at what you do is.

Is.

Is being able to be taught something new.

And, you know, I'm a testament to that.

You know, I'm a testament of.

Of really bad side of life that I chose because I didn't want to admit that I needed help.

But ergo, I'm also on the side of the good because of what I've been through and.

And.

And what I've done to overcome, you know, all the chaos and the tribulation and the trials.

And also because now you're choosing differently.

Right?

100.

And I'm not a. I'm not a taker anymore.

And I'm not saying I'm always a giver, but what I am saying is that I do things for the right reason.

Yeah.

Right.

I do.

I do things to the best of my ability to make sure that when I go home at night, I can look at my kids and my wife in the face and know that I'm a pretty damn good man.

Love it, man.

It's good stuff.

Thanks for being on the show today.

This has been super powerful, and I know that I. I firmly believe this, that all of us.

So your story will be the key that unlocks some prisons out there for people listening.

And thanks for sharing and being so transparent today because we covered a heavy topic that a lot of people aren't as comfortable sharing.

And also, I think we miss the component of our.

Especially with what we do in our industry, because so much of it is so grind, grind, grind culture.

And there's this place of burnout that we get to, and getting past that is so difficult.

I mean, I had a couple years where it was hellacious.

My burnout was rough.

All of the.

Just about everybody I know that's in the industry that's been in it for a long time has that burnout story.

And so that's why I love bringing guys like you on the show.

Because if we can help even one person not have to experience some of those things, then that's my definition of success.

That's why I run this podcast and do this consistently.

Because, man, we've got to raise the standard of our industry.

It doesn't have to be what the norm is.

The norm for too long has just been use and abuse people and taking advantage of people, both starting internally with, you know, with us as the people doing the work, and then by extension, that carries out to, you know, the client and the customer.

But, man, just internally, we can do better as.

As industries that, you know, we say, we're a service industry, let's serve.

Let's serve our people.

That's what's gotten lost.

Yeah, yeah.

In a lot of places.

So let's bring trust back to the trades, man.

This is.

And you're doing a massive step for it.

So thanks for being on the show and making an impact because it does not go unnoticed.

And your value is listening to everything.

I think one of the biggest things is guys like you in those places need somebody to come in their life and say, hey, you're valuable for who you are, not for what you do, not for what you produce.

And 100, man feeling that changes at all.

And real quick, Sam, before we close, I just want to say one thing, man, that if.

If there's something that.

That I said, you know, that maybe touched somebody and maybe they're in that spot that I was once in or, you know, whatever, man.

Just anything that that possibly could have touched somebody in any way, shape, fashion, or form, if I am always available, dude, I, I, I, I am who I am because of my willingness to help the other man.

Right?

And if anybody ever needs anything, you can look me up on Facebook.

I'm on Instagram.

You know, it's.

It's Kenny Long.

You can find me.

You'll see a picture.

I get those links in the.

For everybody.

Listen, I'll make sure to get those two links in the show notes, too.

So find Kenny, Pop him a message.

That's what I do, man.

I don't get to do it as much as I would like to, but anytime anybody reaches out for help, man, my hand's always there.

Love it.

Love it.

That's it, man.

Pay it forward.

Good stuff.

Well, thanks for being on.

Let's land this plane.

We've hit our hour mark.

That's about as long as we like to keep these episodes.

Couple quick things for everybody Listening.

If you got some value from this Today.

Absolutely.

Share this one with someone.

Share this episode with someone, you know, that could, that could stand to hear this, that needs the message, that needs the encouragement, that needs to know that there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

There's hope.

They don't have to stay in that grind and they don't have to stay in that place.

And so share.

Share this.

Share this to, you know, to your company, to your teammates, people that, you know, they don't even have to be in the tray.

It's just share it with people that need this message.

Because this is one of my missions with Close it now is to help change just that place of.

I mean, you hear it in the intro.

It's like we don't have to grind so hard that we lose our life because of it.

And so, yeah, so share this also.

What helps this show move along is I'd love a review.

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Close it now on Google.

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Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

If I read your review on the show and you hear it, you've won.

Actually, not one, but you've earned yourself a coaching session with me.

So that's the way I can give back in ways that will help to again, pay it forward for all of you.

And yeah, thanks.

Thanks for being on, man.

It's been a pleasure and I'm sure we'll be talking again soon.

So this is.

This story encapsulates the whole mission of Close it now, which is working to become someone worth buying from.

You've been listening to the Close it now podcast.

Our passion is to dive headfirst into the transformative movement that's reshaping the very foundation of H Vac and home improvement and at the same time covering fitness, nutrition, relationships and personal growth, proving that we can indeed have it all.

We hope you've enjoyed the show.

If you did, make sure to like rate and review.

We'll be back soon, but in the meantime, find the [email protected] find us on Instagram thereal Close it now and on Facebook at Close It Now.

See you next time.