Epic Entrepreneurs

Direction Matters More Than Speed: Building a Purpose-Driven Business with Dasean Willard

• Bill Gilliland

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What happens when genuine service gets lost in corporate sales tactics? On the Epic Entrepreneur’s Podcast, Dasean Willard, founder of Eagle Air Services and Repair, shares his mission to restore honesty and integrity in the HVAC industry. From flashlight holder at 13 to business owner, his journey offers timeless lessons for entrepreneurs across all fields.

"We've kind of lost our way a little bit in the service industry, and I'm on a mission to clean it up," explains Willard. With private equity companies increasingly acquiring HVAC businesses and prioritizing sales over service, he saw an opportunity to offer something different: honest evaluations and genuine solutions without the aggressive upselling. Having worked for larger companies and witnessed this transformation firsthand, his approach represents a return to fundamentals that many customers find refreshing.

The conversation reveals powerful insights for entrepreneurs across any industry. Willard shares his struggle to properly value his expertise—a common challenge for service-based business owners. "We tend to cut ourselves short," he admits, whether to win a job or out of empathy for customers. His breakthrough came with realizing customers are paying for knowledge, not just time. As he puts it, "When I become more efficient at my job, it's better for both of us."

Among the most memorable moments is Willard's advice on bringing energy to your business: "Be a thermostat, not a thermometer." While thermometers merely react to their environment, thermostats set the temperature and influence everything around them. Similarly, his observation that "direction is way more important than speed" captures the essence of purposeful business growth. These principles, combined with his emphasis on coachability in employees and establishing clear work-family boundaries, provide a roadmap for purpose-driven entrepreneurship.

Want to hear more wisdom from entrepreneurs who are redefining their industries? Subscribe to the Epic Entrepreneur's Podcast for conversations that go beyond business tactics to explore the values and mindsets driving successful leaders.

Thanks for Listening. You may contact me or our team at https://billgilliland.biz/

All the best!
Bill

Thanks for listening. Please hit the subscribe button, leave us a 5 star review, and share this podcast. You can reach me at williamgilliland@actioncoach.com or at https://billgilliland.biz/

All the best!

Bill

Speaker 1:

Hey there and welcome to this week's episode of Epic Entrepreneur's Podcast. Hey, I'm Bill Gilliland with Action Coach, business Growth Partners and today I am super pumped. I've got Deshaun Willard of Eagle Air Services and Repair. Welcome to the podcast.

Speaker 2:

Thank you for having me Super pumped to be here. I appreciate it.

Speaker 1:

So tell us a little bit about introduce yourself, tell us a little bit about Eagle Air Service and Repair.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so I've been in the industry, introduced to it by my stepfather when I was about 13. So always been around it in some capacity, you know, holding flashlights and handing tools. And back in the day when we were doing those things, I remember saying, man, this is terrible, I could never do this job and I want to work in the AC and I want to be a dentist. And until that college chemistry came around and I was like, well, maybe dentistry is not in my future after all. So many, many years of just learning in the trade and on-field experience has been crucial for me, and after working for some of the bigger companies around and just kind of seeing how things were done, I decided that I would step out on my own and try to just add a new, fresh perspective to the industry as a whole. I think we've kind of lost our way a little bit in the service industry and I'm on a mission to clean it up and change it a little bit. That's pretty cool.

Speaker 1:

Let's talk about that a little bit. Tell us a little bit more about that wanting to clean it up and make it or whatever you? I think you said clean it up. Tell me what that means. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

So I think, with this new wave of private equity sweeping the nation in all industries really, but specifically the heating and air industry I've noticed over the last few years there's been a slow process over the last decade maybe really where HVAC companies and service industries are getting bought up by private equity and when that happens you know there's a real shift into the sales world as opposed to the service world, so as to where you used to you had your neighborhood guy who you could call and reach out to and say, hey, my system's not working, and they would show up, they would fix what's wrong and they would leave. And there's been a little bit of a shift in that and while it can be beneficial in some ways, I believe that there's definitely an opportunity for somebody to come in and just give an honest opinion and keep it about the service a little bit less about the sales.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I get it. I get what you're saying. I get what you're saying because it can get super salesy and they put a lot of commissions and pressures and everything on the technicians to sell more to add on to do this. It can create some conflicts in there. So let me ask you something If you had to start over from square one in the business, what would you do differently, man?

Speaker 2:

what would I do differently? I think that first off, I would put a little of good talent technicians who are able to do a thorough evaluation of a system and explain what's going on. I think I would have done a little bit more to try and get other people involved in it and you know, as I get into some of the nitty gritty of business ownership, I'm trying to get to that a little bit more get reach some of the people who you know maybe they've never heard of the opportunity to be in HVAC and just trying to spread that, I think is a is a good way to help kind of combat that shortage that we're facing as an industry as a whole.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, we're. We're on a bit of that mission here as well, because you know we're we're facing as an industry as a whole. Yeah, we're on a bit of that mission here as well, because we're involved with trades and construction and those kind of industries and we need skilled labor. I mean, we need people that are trained and it's a great profession and the truth is, AI is never going to replace it. So it's going to help us actually making it better, but it's not going to. Somebody's still got to install the unit and somebody's still got to take care of it. So, yeah, I love that. So what have been some of your biggest learnings as an owner and employer?

Speaker 2:

employer. My biggest learnings, well, first and foremost, has been not being afraid to charge what you're worth. And you know, coming from a background of very modest beginnings and understanding the value of a dollar, when I first started out it was really tough for me to justify to myself pricing, and I think that can be the biggest hindrance to a service-based business owner, especially a small business like myself. We tend to cut ourselves short, whether it be to win a job or whether it be you know you're dealing with a certain specific situation where you, you know your heart, gets into the, into the mix of like man. I feel bad for charging somebody this much, but you have to be able to know that your time is valuable and you've put the work in and the time and the effort and the resources to to be good at what you do, and that costs money. So that would be the biggest for me personally uh, biggest thing, I love that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, love that. Yeah, they're not paying for your time, they're paying for your expertise and your knowledge. That's right and, in fact, if you can do it faster, that's better for everybody.

Speaker 2:

Had a conversation about that with a client recently, about the hourly wage and stuff like that, and they're like, well, that seems to be a little bit higher. And I said, yeah, but if you think of it this way, this job used to take me five to six hours to do, but now that I can do it in two to three hours, why would I punish myself for getting better at what I do? So it's an interesting perspective and it's you know, when you explain it that way, it makes a little more sense. So when I become more efficient at my job, it's better for both of us.

Speaker 1:

Oh, 100%, yeah, 100%, yeah, yeah. I used to own an auto shop and everything there is set what they call flat rate, and so, like you change an alternator, for example, it's, you know, it's an hour and a half or whatever it is, and that's what you charge. If the technician can get it done in 45 minutes, he still gets paid for an hour and a half, and so what they call flat rate, and that's such better for the customer. They get the car back faster. You know, the better the technician is, the everybody wins, and so it's a win-win. It's the same here. It's pretty cool. What do you think some of the common misconceptions are about running a business and how do you address them?

Speaker 2:

The biggest misconception that I had was life's going to be easy when I start my business. When I start my business, everything is just going to flow and it's just going to happen. And you know, maybe that's a little bit of the optimist in me. I'm very optimistic and you know, I believe attitude is everything. So I was going into it naive, thinking that, oh, everything's just going to work itself out and it'll, it'll. You know, we'll find a way and just make it happen. And you know that's a big, big reality that I had to face, that things don't just happen. You got to make them happen. So that was. But you know I'm a big believer in saying that. You know, pressure is a privilege and you either rise to the occasion or you don't. I love that. Pressure is a privilege and you either rise to the occasion or, or you don't.

Speaker 1:

I love that pressure is a privilege Seems like a good title for the episode. Pressure is a privilege, love that yeah. So what do you attribute your growth to?

Speaker 2:

The main thing, first and foremost. You know everything that I do, I don't want to, I don't want to take the credit as if it's it's me doing it.

Speaker 1:

Um.

Speaker 2:

I'm a big believer in uh Lord and savior, jesus Christ, and I do believe that if it weren't for him and, you know, showing me the path that I'm to take, that's my prayer every day is, is, show me the path forward that you would have me take. And, um, you know, just continuing to be obedient to that has really I've seen a, a, a big change just even in the last few years. Really, just giving it to him, implementing a plan, but knowing that ultimately it's his plan that will come to fruition, so that's been the biggest thing. And then just having uh cheerleaders along the way, my wife has been incredible and helping uh, help me get to where I am, and my mother included you know my mom, my wife has been incredible in helping me get to where I am, and my mother included my mom had me at 15, so we always say that we grew up together and if it weren't for her just unwavering positivity and just ability to overcome, none of this would have been possible.

Speaker 1:

So definitely, my mom is a big, big part of that. Yeah, my take on it is it's way easier to know when I'm on the wrong path. I get the message pretty clear when I'm headed down. I love that you're looking for the right path, but I get the message from God a lot that I'm on the wrong path.

Speaker 1:

So, yeah, I don't know, it works both ways, but it seems like it's easier to see the wrong one Sometimes. Yeah, yeah, but you know, and then you got to act on it. I mean, you know, you got to change.

Speaker 2:

You got to change, so it's funny yeah.

Speaker 1:

So how do you balance?

Speaker 2:

You talk about your family, I mean how do you balance sort of the personal life with the business life? I think setting setting boundaries early. You know, my stepfather owns a heating and air company and he's been in business for over 10 years and growing up it was you know. If that phone rings, we're leaving. It doesn't matter where we are, it doesn't matter what we're doing. It could be birthdays, it could be graduation, it could be, you know, family reunion. It doesn't matter when that phone rings. We got to go because if we don't, somebody will.

Speaker 2:

And my stepfather has instilled an incredible sense of work ethic in me, which I'm extremely thankful for, and something that I want to do is to make sure that I am going to work hard, but I am also going to prioritize family time, and when that time comes, the phone is off or it's somewhere else and if you call me during that time, you'll get my voicemail and I will get back to you as soon as possible. But it's been super crucial establishing those boundaries of OK, this is family time and that's it. So I think being super intentional with defining those moments has been crucial for for at least me and my family. So that's, that's kind of how we do things around here.

Speaker 1:

Understand, understand. So what qualities would you look for in employees?

Speaker 2:

I would say just willingness to learn, being coachable is such a lost art. I feel like when a lot of people, I think, in today's society, just think that they have it all figured out. And again, going back to God's purpose in our life, the motto of my church is go, be who God made you to be. And I think that when we're doing that, when we're being who God made us to be, there's you don't feel the rift, you don't feel the resistance, it's just you know what's supposed to be done. And I think if we could create a culture where coachability is a priority, it would just that would be. The most important thing to me is just coachability. You don't have to know I can teach you what you need to know how to fix something or how to do something, how you present yourself, how you speak to people. Those are the things that you know. That coachability and just being accountable for yourself is huge. So the main thing for me would be coachability.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, willingness to learn, willingness to take the learning. I mean it's such a great profession and you know the truth is getting into it and learning it is then it gives you all kinds of options. I mean you'll never not work.

Speaker 2:

I mean there's there's, there's always, there's always a job for you and you know, if everything you know went crazy and we had to move to Europe, I could find a job. We had to move somewhere else across the globe. I can find a job A hundred percent, because it's a skill that is just not taught as well anymore and people aren't looking for it because they don't. Quite frankly, a lot of them don't want to work or work hard in that kind of sense.

Speaker 1:

I mean, but you can make a great living. Yeah, there's a lot of good reasons to get into it, so finding the people who want to work and a coach, but then they're out there. Those folks are out there, you know and some of them may be listening and it's a great place. They can, yeah, you know, come do your apprenticeship and then move on. If you want to start your own business, that's a great thing too. So, nothing, absolutely.

Speaker 1:

I had worked for a guy one time, and he's like Bill, you know. I told him I was going to go into business. He said that's great, you know, when I was leaving, and he's like that's great. I'm always proud of people that come and work for us and then want to, you know, start their own business. You know that's's uh, you know, but that's uh, that's, that's a. That's a great way. So let's uh, epic, uh BE. Epic stands is an, is an acronym. The B stands for uh, bring the energy, uh, and then the EPIC is another uh, you know, education, planning, inspiration and commitment. So I want to get your, I want to get like a quick thought from you, like a sentence or two on each one, just kind of a quick fire round. Would that be good? Sure, all right. So bring the energy. What's your thoughts on that?

Speaker 2:

Bring the energy. My favorite thing that comes to mind with that is the thermostat versus the thermometer. If you're a thermometer, you just kind of read the temperature in the room and you know you react accordingly. You're very reactive. Uh, thermostat, you set the tone, you set the temperature. When you walk into the room, people know what you're about. They, they gravitate towards you because they can feel that energy. And when you do that, I think you can take control of of a lot of your, your situation.

Speaker 1:

Man, I love that, love that. Okay, how about education?

Speaker 2:

What's your thoughts on education? I think knowing being super focused on what it is that you're wanting to be educated on. I think education as a whole is imperative to success, but knowing what you want to be educated on is also super crucial. I love that. How about planning? Educated on is also super crucial. I love that. How about planning, Something that's taken me a long time to get better at, but equally as crucial? My favorite saying for that is a ship without a map is lost at sea.

Speaker 1:

I love that. I love that. So what are your thoughts on inspiration, either finding it or being an inspiration.

Speaker 2:

I think that's something that you know. They say a smart man looks around, but a wise man looks within. So until you can find what that is inside of you, it's really going to be hard to look around your surroundings to find the inspiration aside from family and things like that. But you've got to find that intrinsic motivation to want more.

Speaker 1:

I love that. I love that. And how about C? What's your thoughts on committing and commitment?

Speaker 2:

Commitment, in my opinion, might be the most important, because if you've got the plan, you've got the energy, you've got everything else, but you can't commit to what it is that you're trying to do, then I don't believe any of the other ones really are going to be that effective. So you got to commit, you got to find what you're wanting to do and go for it.

Speaker 1:

Cool. So what do you wish you had known or somebody had told you before you went into business?

Speaker 2:

It's not. It's not going to all be fun, it's not going to all be great. There's going to be some things. There's going to be learning curves, there's going to be some pain. That all comes along with it. And you know, looking at it now, I'm thankful for those things. But again I'm just such a positive, optimistic person. I'm just like, yeah, this is everything's going to be great, it's going to be awesome. And then here come the storms. It's going to rain. We don't know when, we don't know for how long, but it will rain. So being prepared for those moments is crucial.

Speaker 1:

Cool. So what words of advice would you have for other business owners who are looking to grow?

Speaker 2:

Make a plan. It may not go exactly to that plan, but just make sure that you know the direction you're heading in and. I'm a big believer of direction is way more important than speed. Know where you're going and you might not get there in the time that you thought, you might take a few detours, but I think that you know the lessons in the journey and the blessings in the journey as well.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I love that, love that. So how can people get a hold of you?

Speaker 2:

What's the best way for them, let's say, to get a hold of you and your company? Yeah, so text message by my phone number and Facebook email no-transcript. I've watched my parents do it for years. They've started to get into some advertising, but a large part of their business has been word of mouth and they've sustained that for over a decade. So I believe the best business is referral business. I'm in multiple networking groups and B&Is and things like that and I just the power of having a referral from somebody you know like and trust is far more important to me than you know running Angie's List ads. Nothing against Angie's List or anything like that, but I just find more value in those customers. So that would be my advice.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, really kind of depends on what kind of business you want to build. That's exactly that's exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, it depends on how fast you know what, what, what your scaling plans are. At some point you will, you will scale. So that's it. So um super cool, any um any other last words of advice you'd like to give people?

Speaker 2:

Um, never, uh, never be afraid to dream too big love, it love it, love it hey, this is so cool.

Speaker 1:

I really appreciate you being on here. Thanks, thanks for it thank you.

Speaker 2:

I appreciate you having me. It's an honor and until next time, all the best.