Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Wooten.
Hi Mike, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I was 18, I was delivering pizza and I found out my girlfriend was pregnant. My first thought was I need steady employment. I started as a general laborer on commercial job sites, after a few weeks one of the plumbing superintendents took notice of me and offered me a job. I’ve been doing it ever since.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
With any sort of physically demanding trade, it’s never easy. First, you have to overcome the mental part of it, Wich is learning an entire world of information and retaining it to use it on future jobs. And then it’s a physical challenge. Water heaters, pumps, well tanks, well pumps… they will wear you out, but over time you get acclimated. But by far the worst is on call rotation. Literally the phone ringing all hours and all weekend, just reminiscing about it sends dread through my body.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
So right now I’m a commercial plumbing and mechanical superintendent, and I own my own residential plumbing service business, Wich I work evenings and weekends doing. I would say my absolute specialty is well pumps, or well systems in general. When I was an apprentice I was paired with a technician who would get every well call that came in because not a lot of people really specialized in it in my area. So I got to learn a lot real quick, Wich I’m very grateful for today. Nowadays, most plumbers have atleast relevant knowledge of plumbing systems.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Let the tools do the work, every tool has a purpose and using your body to muscle things around or putting extra stress on your body will make you severely regret it later in life. And don’t bring your work home with you! God I wish I could follow this one.
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