Ryan Brenden
Dr. Ashley Green
ENG 099-50
9/14/14
Hard Work Does Pay Off In August of 2013 the teen employment rate was at record low of 7.4%. Teens without a job rely on their parents to support them with all necessities. At the age of seven years old my father began taking me to the job site. He slowly began to teach me the plumbing trade. By the age of thirteen, I was capable of working on small projects alone. As I grew older, I strived to retain as much knowledge as I could. Taking control of my father’s business shaped my life in a profound way. The business forced me to develop strong communication skills. I was fortunate enough to make money and build a clientele. I was anonymously selected to travel the nation working for a synthetic turf company. Lastly, to pursue my ultimate goal, I returned home to enroll in school while working for myself. At the age of sixteen, I began answering the phone calls, scheduling jobs, and doing service calls for my father’s business. In my opinion, talking to customers builds excellent communication skills. Going to work and learning the plumbing trade has allowed me to start my apprenticeship to become a licensed plumber in the state of Illinois. My father urged me to take a management position in his business at a young age in order to teach me business communication. Working in the field and answering the phone was not always the easiest, but I learned to stay organized. In the summer of 2013 I started working in the field full-time by myself. Going on service calls alone forced me to communicate with adults. In addition to communication, managing a business at allowed me to make good money, and build a personal clientele. I was able to purchase my new truck when I turned seventeen. More importantly, I was able save for my college education. My father’s small business usually had repeat customers. After completing a late night emergency call from a local entrepreneur and frequent customer, Jeremy Strawn said “Ryan I want you to come work for me next summer!” At this point I knew people were noticing my hard work. In addition to plumbing, I learned how to professionally install solid hard wood floors. After learning how to properly install a quality floor I purchased the proper tools in order to do it all myself. I began installing hard wood after work for contractors when my schedule had an opening. At this point I realized my possibilities were endless, and I wanted to have broad knowledge of every trade.
A week prior to graduating, Jeremy Strawn called me and offered me a full-time job. Two days after my high school graduation I accepted a job from J&L Strawn Construction, Inc. I packed my clothes and headed to Minneapolis, Minnesota. I began installing synthetic turf on sports fields’ for many professional, semi-professional, and college organizations. After completing my first two weeks at my new job, I auspiciously earned my first promotion as dirt crew operator. At the age of eighteen