My father was inducted into the Maryland Hall of Fame as a World Champion Pitcher. He pitched for a living and had a phenomenal record as a hitter also.
At the age of 33, he quickly learned the trade of meticulous carpet installation as a means of supporting my mother and six children. Two years later, he formed a "Mom and Pop" carpet business that thrived for the next 37 years with nothing but word of mouth recommendations and always booked weeks in advance.
My father began taking me to work with him during the summertime when I was 10, teaching me to install carpet as if every installation was like winning the World Series. I was not permitted to make excuses for shoddy work or mistakes....only to do it the best way possible with no shortcuts or deficiencies.
At 10 years of age....my father taught me how to balance a heavy roll of rubber pad on my shoulder and carry it into a house. He also taught me how to hand sew wool carpet with a 3" needle using heavy duty thread and wax to soften the back of the carpet.
Though my hands looked like they had been put through a wringer by the end of each day...I learned the value of hard work...of doing whatever thy hand finds to do with all my might. I learned how to go the extra mile in serving the customer in order to gain loyal referrals and keep our family business serving and thriving in the community.
