Has your trade ever helped you overcome some type of major adversity? Plumbing did that for Ed O’Connell.
This is an update on general “going-on’s” at Service Roundtable International Event.
Tuesday’s (12th) was a highlight of Guest Speakers. The topic is:
Overcoming Adversity
I heard a speaker that morning that made me see thinks in a new perspective.
Ed O’Connell
Ed O’Connell is the owner of a Plumbing Company is the San Francisco area. Ed shared one of those stories that is hard to listen to. The things he went through in his early years would have killed most people.
Literally.
Ed’s early years were a battle of drugs and dangerous situations. He told us,
I was shot in Vietnam. But it wasn’t by the Vietcong. I was shot by a drug dealer. I had to make up a pretty wild story to get out of that one.”
When he returned to the states, things got worse for Ed. His drug use and dangerous lifestyle escalated.
A cop grabbed me by the arm and said, ‘You can’t urinate in the street . .’ The cop whipped me around, and he saw a knife sticking out of my side. I didn’t even know it was there. The cop then said, ‘Great. Now I have a ton of paperwork to do.’ I flat lined at San Francisco Medical that day. But, they were able to bring me back.
Ed’s story had a few more up’s and down’s. But, eventually it started looking up.
Ed reconnected with the world of plumbing after rehabilitation in the VA Hospital. Ed plumbed part time before the war, but it wasn’t a career choice. His career choice was “trouble.” Having a trade to fall back on helped Ed get his life back together. Plumbing gave him the ability to start a new life. A life where things begin to take possibility. A life where people cared about him, and he cared about people.
Today, Ed and his wife Rebecca are respected business owners’. And, they are passionate about the contracting world. They are also passionate about groups like SRT that allow contractors to network, and learn from each other.
You may call it spirituality, you might call it divine intervention, I call it you!
I have known Ed for 7 years. But, I didn’t really know Ed until he took the stage. Thank you for sharing Ed!
Question: How has the contracting world saved your life?
PS – I don’t have Ed’s preso, but you can get a copy of my presentation by leaving your name HERE
