Trust, Grit, and Building a Life You Believe In
Building a Business and Life on Faith, Love, and Unwavering Trust in the Right People
By Jodi — Wife, Mother, and Co-Owner of a Small HVAC Business in North Florida
People love to say, “Don’t trust anyone.”
But that’s not true — not for me.
I was lucky enough to find my soulmate. Johnny and I built our life the same way we built our business: with faith, stubborn determination, and a whole lot of love. When we found out we were expecting, everything changed. Suddenly, it wasn’t just about us — it was about protecting our babies, finding childcare we could trust, and balancing work with motherhood.
At the time, I had a boss who told me I had to come back into the office or they’d “have to let me go.” No flexibility. No compassion. Just a choice between my job and my children.
Meanwhile, Johnny was working for a large AC company in Tallahassee. He saw firsthand how customers were treated like numbers instead of people. He knew he could bring better service, better communication, and better integrity to the HVAC world. So, we took a leap of faith and opened our own company.
Eight years later, I can tell you this:
Small-business ownership is not for everyone. It is not for the faint of heart.
Every year, especially after the holidays, I sit down and ask myself: Where can we improve? How can we grow? How can we serve better? Because we’re human. We make mistakes. We don’t get along with everyone. And we’re not afraid to admit that.
But I trust my husband with my life — wholeheartedly.
And together, we’ve weathered storms most people never see.
We’ve had family, friends, and complete strangers stab us in the back.
We’ve had people write reviews claiming we visited homes we’ve never stepped foot in.
We’ve had people say we’re not licensed in states we’ve never even worked in.
We’ve had promises made to us — and broken just as quickly.
But for every negative person we’ve encountered, there have been good ones too.
Strangers who became supporters.
Customers who became friends.
Family members who stepped in when we needed them most.
Here’s something I’ve learned the hard way:
When someone says, “Give me a good deal now, and if it works out, I’ll send you all my properties,” the answer is no.
We work at our normal rate.
If you start giving us consistent work, then we can talk about adjusting pricing.
Respect goes both ways.
And to the big commercial companies who promise 3–5 new construction homes a week — only to reject your application over and over, then suddenly claim you haven’t been “compliant” in 12 years?
Walk away.
Your worth is not defined by someone else’s broken promises.
Running a business with your spouse is raw, emotional, exhausting, and beautiful. It tests you. It strengthens you. It forces you to grow in ways you never expected. But it also gives you something priceless: the chance to build a life on your own terms.
So no — “don’t trust anyone” isn’t my story.
My story is this:
Trust the right people. Trust your partner. Trust your work. Trust your purpose. And trust that even when the world tries to knock you down, you can rise again — stronger, wiser, and more determined than ever.
