Episode Transcript
[00:00:02] Speaker A: Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Cutting Edge Install Podcast brought to you by Omni Cubed, where innovation meets installation and everything in between. I'm your host, Merv Campbell, and it's an absolute pleasure to have you with us.
This podcast is about celebrating pros, so we're going after the creme de la creme of the install industry.
The experts, the game changers, those who move and shake.
And so it's an absolute pleasure this morning to have Yitter Sanchez from Granite Tops down there in LA Yutter, it's a privilege to have you on the show.
[00:00:40] Speaker B: Thank you. Thank you.
[00:00:41] Speaker A: Yeah, it's awesome. So basically what we're going to do in a podcast, we're going to try to keep it as light as possible. I know there's so many varieties out there to listen to, and so I hope my accent, my Irish twang will hopefully keep people engaged as we communicate one with each other. And so whether you're on the job, whether you're on the road, or you're just looking to stay sharp, you've come to the right place. So let's get cracking. Yiter, can you tell me a little bit about your story? I know it, but a lot of other people don't. So can you kind of work me in how you got started working with Granite? What drew you to this craft and what keeps you motivated?
[00:01:19] Speaker B: Yeah, sure.
Well, I started back in 2000, 2004, so it's been over 20 years.
Right out of high school, I started working at the mall, and then one of my friends started working with a company close by. One of my best friends, he.
Rest in peace, he actually passed away a few years ago, but he started working with a Granite company. And then he told me about it, that they were hiring. So I ended up and started working with that company.
I worked with them for about two years, and then during that time, my oldest daughter's mom was pregnant, you know, with my daughter.
[00:01:55] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:01:56] Speaker B: So I ended up branching out on my own at that time, and I've been out on my own ever, ever since.
[00:02:01] Speaker A: Wow. Quite an achievement to be going that long these days.
Yeah, yeah, we know. We. I know a lot of companies. I'm sure you do, too. That Covid. Things boomed, and in the last couple of years, it's been kind of bleak, but. Yeah, no, that's awesome. Really cool.
So we kind of talked a little bit how you got into the industry.
What keeps that spark going, like the initial spark that you had? Probably everything was new, everything you were learning. That's always Fun, but the mundane kind of takes over. How do you keep that spark within you still lit and ignited?
[00:02:34] Speaker B: To be honest with you, I just enjoy working with my hands.
I remember even when I first started, because back then everything we did was by hand. Right. We used to cut on a saw by hand. We used to do the bullnose edge by hand.
[00:02:48] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:02:49] Speaker B: And I used to enjoy that. Like I fell in love with it, you know, just getting dirty, being dusty, I just enjoyed it. And yeah, even nowadays I'm always out on the, or not always, but most of the times I'm out on the field with my guys doing the installs, I help them out at the shop. So I just enjoy it.
[00:03:04] Speaker A: Yeah, that's awesome. So you kind of talked there a little bit about the old school style of doing things, highest technology, because that seems to be the whole thing. I also automation all of these things.
How has that like kind of played into your role and into your business even over the last decade or perhaps even the last few years, even now.
[00:03:27] Speaker B: I see a lot of systems to gravity measurements with digitally and everything.
We don't have a CNC machine, so we haven't really invested in that, in any of that. So we still do our, you know, our, our wood templates and everything. But we do use a bridge saw at the shop. So that definitely has helped as far as, you know, the quality of things. Because it's a straight shot, it's a straight run, you know, it's a, it's a clean cut. So that's helped us quite a bit.
[00:03:54] Speaker A: No, that's awesome. Yeah. A lot of people are wanting everything done quick and easy and sometimes old school ways are still the best, even though people give off. But it's like people want craftsmanship. And that's one thing about granite installers. They are craftsmen. Like they phenomenal work that gets put out. When you see a beautiful kitchen, you don't appreciate the work that's gone into all of that on the backside. So people that do it by hand, still kudos. Good stuff.
[00:04:27] Speaker B: And I mean I see the benefit of having a CNC and everything because for a while after I went out on my own, things kind of slowed down in 2008, 2009 for me and I worked for a company briefly for about six months and they had a CNC machine, they had a bridge saw. So I got to see things through a different lens. Right. Because they were doing things differently. And I saw how easy or how you're able to hire people without really knowing the skills or Having the skills to do what we do, you know, off the streets. Because mostly everything it's done on the CNC machine.
[00:04:58] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:04:58] Speaker B: At that point. So I see the benefit of it. It's just that at our stage right now, we don't. We haven't invested on a CNC machine, like I said, but things have been moving along really well for us.
[00:05:08] Speaker A: That's awesome. Good stuff.
So some people have preconceived ideas about granite. Guys, installers, all the rest.
What do people get wrong about people that's in this industry?
[00:05:25] Speaker B: People that are in this industry.
What do they get wrong?
I can't really think of anything. I mean, I can see what people get wrong that are maybe clients looking from the outside in and. Yeah, I mean, I would have to say the turnaround time.
[00:05:42] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:05:43] Speaker B: Being part of the. Of like. Like the show. Right. Like we were on. On a couple shows on hgtv. But being part of that, I can see how people might get the wrong impression. Where things don't just happen overnight, they take time. Right? Yeah. Or an install or fabrication process might take five to six days. On tv, it takes two seconds. Right. One. One second we're doing something and then the next second we're doing the install already. So maybe on that sense. Yeah, it's kind of. It takes time.
[00:06:10] Speaker A: Yeah, it does. It takes time. One of the things that always comes to my mind is that everyone wants it cheaper. So I'm going to go around and I'm going to find the cheapest guy to do the install.
And then when the homeowner gets it installed, they go, oh, what is this? This isn't what I asked for. There's a huge gap in my seam where the color, nothing lines up or matches. And some people think that, oh, it's an easy job. Anybody can do it. Anyone can knock out this install or the granite and cut it. But it's a skill, even down to feeds and speeds on a saw is like. It's craftsmanship. You gotta know what you're doing.
So. Yeah, it's funny that you say that. Turnaround time. Cause they think it just magically appears, you know, here's a huge piece of material. It can't be that hard, but it is, so.
[00:07:02] Speaker B: Or sometimes we'll show up to job sites and then there's other trades there, you know, that have been there for. For weeks. Right. Working. And then we show up, we're in and out within three to four hours.
[00:07:11] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:07:12] Speaker B: And they say, oh, well, easy money. But it's like there's so much that has happened behind the scenes that they don't see in order for us to make it look easy.
[00:07:20] Speaker A: Oh, that's hilarious. Yeah, they think it's just so easy. It's just like. Yeah. Then the other thing is you come back and there's one of the tree heads is standing on top of your granite that you just installed. And you're like, oh, that's our work. You're like, come on, man, I just fitted that and you're standing on it.
Kind of changing topics a little bit, going. Making it fun and interesting. A little bit more about you as a person.
I like to read. I'm a big audible guy, so I'm not sure if you can call that reading, maybe more listening to books. But what's, what's one book or something that you would recommend for people to listen to, to enjoy or something that you find enjoying?
[00:08:03] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm the same way. I do purchase the actual physical books, but I do listen to a lot of audible books.
[00:08:09] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:08:09] Speaker B: For starters, the Bible. To be honest with you, there, you know, there's so much, so much there about life in general, Business, family, about growth and everything.
[00:08:18] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:08:19] Speaker B: But outside of that, I would say a book that kind of made me change and look at things differently was. And I'm sure you've, you've heard this one plenty of times, but it's Rich Dad, Poor Dad. That one did. That one made me look at things differently. That as far as changing my mindset. And then also Profit first by Michalowicz.
[00:08:44] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:08:44] Speaker B: That was a good book too, for business, financial and stuff.
[00:08:48] Speaker A: So the Prophet first book. Cause I've read it. A number of people here have read it.
What's sort of one takeaway even from that book that if you could just tell someone that has never read it, maybe to get them intrigued, even in that one book, what would you tell them?
[00:09:07] Speaker B: It's something that. It goes back to the Bible. Like I said, it's about tithing. Right. I don't know if most people know what tithing is, but you give 10% of your income and everything.
So that's what I took from that book itself. Because mentally, I mean, it tells you to make different accounts for, for payroll, for. For taxes, but most importantly, have a. Have a profit account. Right. So everything comes out of the. When you first get money, everything goes into these different accounts. So I, I saw it like, it was like tithing. Like that's the first thing that you do. You take, you know, the profit, you put it into the account, which is the same thing as tithing. As soon as you get your paycheck, then that goes until you know you're tithing. So I took that from. It more than anything.
[00:09:45] Speaker A: That's awesome. No, that's really helpful and it's a good plug for that book. So, yeah, highly recommended, both of us, so that's awesome. I actually didn't know that you'd read that one, so I was like, wow, that's really cool. So good stuff.
Everyone has hard days. Everyone has difficult days.
You and I are no different. There's days that you just want to pull the old duvet over your head and say, oh, wait, everyone, just leave me alone.
Was there ever a time that even you wanted to give up and just say, you know what? Enough's enough. I need to step away from this. And then from that. Like, what keeps you going, Yida? What pushes you every day to get out of bed, to go do your work, provide for your family? Obviously, but what keeps you motivated?
[00:10:30] Speaker B: My family, my kids, they eat a lot.
[00:10:34] Speaker A: Oh, that's so true, man.
[00:10:38] Speaker B: Yeah.
But it kind of goes back to what I mentioned, that I just enjoyed. Enjoy working with my hands. I know the struggles are part of it, and we just kind of gotta push through it. I know that back in 08 09, that was. That was really tough, I think, for everyone. And then that was maybe one of the points where I kind of felt like quitting, but at that point, it was like, what else am I gonna do? Yeah, everyone's struggling. No one's hiring at that. No, no one was hiring at that moment. So, yeah, I think that was the toughest time.
[00:11:08] Speaker A: Yeah, that's really difficult. Yeah.
I was actually still in Ireland during all that recession that really hit, and so it really hit hard here and it hit hard over there. So, yeah, there was times even at that point I was working for a company who built buses, and we were just dwindling down in people and the orders weren't coming in, and you're going, I have to put meat on the table for my kids. And, like, like your kids? My kids love to eat. I have two boys that love steak and anything meat related. So it's like, oh, man.
But no, it's a lot of fun. But, yeah, those are.
I think for someone who is struggling in these days and are going, just give it up. You got to just keep going. There's light at the end of the tunnel.
It's difficult. It's hard, but you just got to keep persevering. On that's what we're called to do. So that's awesome.
If someone wanted to follow in your footsteps, because obviously we're not going to be here. We have to think of the future.
If someone was to follow in your footsteps, what's one bit of advice you would give them?
Starting out, kind of middle of their journey and then near the end of their journey?
[00:12:30] Speaker B: I. I think that it might sound. It might sound kind of cliche, but kind of love what you do. Right. Like when you first start doing something, you might not know all the ins and outs, but if you fall in love with it, kind of push through it and really look into building something out of it. I think that's what happened to me.
I've never mind getting dirty, but like I said, it was 20 years ago, over 20 years when I started, everything was done by hand. I used to come home dusty dirty, and I fell in love with it. Right. And I think that's one of the key things to kind of.
Yeah. Fall in love with what you do.
[00:13:05] Speaker A: Okay. Yeah, that's helpful.
It's always good to be thinking of that next generation, you know, I'm 42. I won't ask you what age you are, but I'm 42.
Wow.
Dude. Even more in common. We're in the 40s, and I think to myself, you know, how much longer do I have? I'm 42. I'm still young enough, but things are starting to hurt. I have pains and aches that I never knew existed before.
And so you're looking forward, but you're also looking kind of back going, who do I bring up with me? Who do I pull alongside?
Who do I mentor to do the job that I love so well and maybe even do it better than I do?
And that's. That's one thing in a company that's so important as, yes, look to the future.
Think of the future and then look at who's. Look at who's behind you to help drag up. So, yeah, very, very important.
[00:14:03] Speaker B: Yeah. One of the things, I think that one of the things that I've started doing recently, too, was recording everything I try to record, even things that I don't post online. Just for us here, just kind of walking through the process and why we do things the way we do. Kind of show that to the, you know, to new employees. Okay. This is the process, is how we do things.
[00:14:22] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:14:23] Speaker B: And these are the reasons why. That way I don't have to be repeating myself all the time because people come and go. Employees Come and go, unfortunately.
But yeah, that has helped us quite a bit.
[00:14:33] Speaker A: No, that's awesome. That's cool.
Kind of, kind of related to that a little bit.
How do you, as a company, because everyone has to think of quality.
They've got to think of making sure the customer is pleased, that they're happy, that they sign off on the job, that the contractor basically gives them the thumbs up.
How do you as a company, look after your quality, look after your precision, make sure everything's right? Do you have steps in place?
Are there any special tips, techniques that you have that you'd be willing to share to help even someone who's just starting out in the business?
[00:15:11] Speaker B: Nothing special, really. We just have a list of things that the guys have to check off before they leave a job site. Something as simple as maybe vacuuming inside of the sink cabinet. Right. Because that's where they make the cuts and everything. Sometimes I get to forget, like, I tell my guys, you know, I look at it like, like if I'm buying a brand new TV and I walk home, it was already installed. I walk in and then there's finger smudges all over the tv.
Yep. You know, like, I'm not gonna focus on the TV itself. I'm gonna focus on the details that I don't like. Right. So it's kind of like a homeowner, you know, there's. They're spending thousands of dollars and as soon as they walk into the kitchen, it might be a, you know, a flawless install, might be a beautiful kitchen. But if there's, you know, debris on the floor or the guys left the counter that was dirty, that's the first thing that they're gonna notice. So we just have a list, you know, of them cleaning, you know, wiping everything down, cleaning inside of the sink cabinets, different things that they have to do, and then also take pictures at the end of the. Of the job site.
That way we could. If the homeowner isn't home, and if I'm not able to make it to the job site, we always email the pictures of here. This is, you know, we're done. This is what it looks like. So in case, if any other trades come behind us, like, like you mentioned, if someone stands on the counter and then the scene pops or something breaks, like we have proof, like, it wasn't like this when we left. Right?
[00:16:30] Speaker A: Totally. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. It's good to. We've got to keep the homeowner. Right.
But I think that's where, like you would attest to some of The Omni Cube tools in regards to. We've got to keep our employees right. Because when you get special, good, hardworking employees, they're very hard to replace.
And then. And today it's hard to train people because they come in with the mentality of, I know everything. There's nothing you can teach me that I don't know. And you're like, but there's details. There's detail and the details.
And that is, like, so important, especially as, like, a business owner ensuring that the employees are doing all they can to keep your reputation because they are, at that point, ambassadors for you as a company. So, yeah, vitally important.
On that note, if anyone is in the LA area and they're wanting a kitchen or a bathroom. Done. Yitter. How would they find you?
[00:17:31] Speaker B: They can find us online. Our website is mygranitetops.com and our phone number is 888-933-8363.
[00:17:39] Speaker A: Awesome.
[00:17:40] Speaker B: And we are located in the city of Bellflower. We're right next to Long Beach, Lakewood area.
But we service all the, you know, L.A. county, Orange county area.
[00:17:50] Speaker A: Sweet. Awesome. On just following on from that. What. What do you offer? Is it just countertops for someone who does?
[00:17:58] Speaker B: Yeah. So we. We offer countertops. Any natural stone countertops, quartz countertops, porcelain countertops, cabinets, tile.
So, yeah.
[00:18:08] Speaker A: Awesome.
[00:18:08] Speaker B: We try to stay within our niche. Right.
We get customers that might want us to do some plumbing, some electrical work, but that's not what we're licensed for. We don't really want to get into that.
[00:18:20] Speaker A: You're like, leave it to the experts.
[00:18:22] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:18:23] Speaker A: You don't want to call on a Saturday night off? There's water leaking from somewhere. Yep. Yeah, that can be kind of awkward. Totally.
So I want to hone in on you.
You have been very sort of special to me in the last couple of years.
Number of years, actually.
For those that don't actually know, this is the first time that Yator and I have actually clapped eyes on each other, not via, like, pictures or text mess messaging. And so this is a very special day for me.
I just want to thank Yator for all of his hard work. He is a great ambassador for granite installers for all the guys in the industry.
I think very highly of this man and I think he's a great ambassador for all things granite and stone. So what's one thing that someone might be surprised to know about you?
[00:19:21] Speaker B: Oh, man, I'm not good about.
[00:19:24] Speaker A: About talking about something. Oh, dear.
[00:19:29] Speaker B: I. I think just the amount of time that I've Been in this industry, people ask me all the time how old I am and how long I've been doing this. And they're always, always surprised.
[00:19:38] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:19:38] Speaker B: So, yeah, it's been about 21 years since I started, so.
[00:19:42] Speaker A: That's so cool. That's awesome.
[00:19:45] Speaker B: Nothing special.
[00:19:46] Speaker A: The one, the one thing that people.
And I can tell the people that are going to listen to this and say, these four walls of my own.
I like Celine Dion.
I like her singing.
And people are always like, what are you free? I'm like, yeah, my parents played it when I was younger. I kind of grew up on it. That French Canadian accent, I'm like, I like to listen to that. So there's a fun thing that people didn't know about me, but they do now. And I may have to edit this part out. Who knows?
So what is. Everyone has a routine. Like throughout the day they do things.
Some are really cool, some are you kind of scratch your head and go, why would someone do that? But what's your normal morning routine? Kind of work us through your day and then kind of into the evening. How does your day typically look like a typical day?
[00:20:44] Speaker B: Oh, man.
I want to say I usually wake up around 5:36.
As I'm getting ready, I'm listening to my Bible, to my pastor. He does a Bible reading every morning, so that's about 20 minutes long. So I usually listen through my AirPods. As I'm getting ready, I head out the door, I'll go to the shop, meet up with the guys, talk about what we're going to be doing that day. If I'm out on an install that day, I'll usually, I mean, I'll go with a couple guys to do the installs. If not, I'm out getting measurements randomly. I'm usually, I mean, randomly I'm here, my wife is usually here at the office. I have a desk and everything. But I, I'm usually never at it.
[00:21:29] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:21:30] Speaker B: Yeah. So if I don't really have any installs and the guys are just fabricating at the shop, I might come here, work on estimates, on videos, on updating the website.
[00:21:40] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:21:41] Speaker B: And then if we do have an install, I usually get home around 5 or 6 in the evening.
[00:21:47] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:21:47] Speaker B: Most, most days.
[00:21:49] Speaker A: That's awesome. Yeah. Normal. A normal day. It's. Yeah, pretty much.
[00:21:54] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:21:54] Speaker A: Yeah. There's. There's always the odd curveball day and it's like, oh my goodness, I wasn't expecting this. And then we get, yeah, the good old days. So, yeah, that's. That's awesome.
What's on your bucket list? Everyone kind of has an idea of something they'd like to do, somewhere they'd like to go, someone maybe they'd like to see.
I don't know. But what's on Yida Sanchez's bucket list right now to do?
[00:22:19] Speaker B: I read this question and Nadia sent it, and I struggle with it because I don't really think I have anything specific on my question other than I know my wife wants to travel quite a bit.
[00:22:31] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:22:32] Speaker B: So maybe just doing that with her for maybe taking off for three to four months is travel.
[00:22:38] Speaker A: That's awesome.
[00:22:38] Speaker B: Do that, I would say. Yeah.
[00:22:40] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, I can highly recommend Ireland. And if you need, if you need any destination spots, just come to me, I'll help you out. A lot of. A lot of people go to the tourist areas and it's like so expensive, so crowded, and that's not Ireland.
Stay with Scotland and England and Wales and this is.
I might even. I might get inundated with stuff. But if anyone is traveling to Ireland and they need a travel advisor, here I am. I can do it for sure. Oh, dear. Oh, that's awesome. Yeah, I think a lot of. A lot of people like to travel. It's become more accessible.
Obviously, cost is a big thing, but, yeah, take your wife away, my friend. Take her away for a couple of months and just enjoy it. So that's awesome. Yeah.
Final sort of question, wrapping this all up. Yeter, if you could give one piece of advice to someone, you know, wanting to turn this into a career, what would you give them?
[00:23:39] Speaker B: Someone wanting to turn this into a career.
I don't want to keep repeating myself, but I think it's just kind of fall in love with what you do, even if it isn't this, but specifically, but just kind of love what you do because that's what's going to help you push through during the hard times sometimes. Right.
Invest in yourself and you're learning and learning more about the industry that you might be in.
And if it's about this career, just take care of yourself. I think from the get go, when I first started, I wasn't aware of, you know, of how bad the dust was and everything, as far as the breathing it in and everything.
[00:24:19] Speaker A: And.
[00:24:20] Speaker B: And I didn't take care of myself as much as I should have.
Of course, I knew. I knew that it wasn't good to be breathing it, but just take care of yourself, of your body.
Even. The tools that you guys provide us with have helped us quite a bit as far as our bodies comes to mind.
[00:24:40] Speaker A: That's good.
What's your favorite Omni Cube tool?
[00:24:47] Speaker B: I would have to say the.
The. The pro lift.
[00:24:50] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:24:51] Speaker B: Why? Yeah, yeah. Every. Every time we. We take that out to the job site, the neighbors that are walking down the street or even the homeowners, they. They're impressed with it.
[00:25:00] Speaker A: That's awesome.
[00:25:00] Speaker B: That's cool. It always catches everyone's attention as soon as we get it off the truck.
[00:25:05] Speaker A: What is this shiny thing with wheels that they pull out from the back of their pickup truck? What is going on here? Yeah, no, that's.
[00:25:14] Speaker B: Inside. It might just be maybe three guys, and it's a huge island, and if the painters are there or whoever's working there, like, they'll stop doing what they're doing, and they're just watching us.
[00:25:23] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:25:24] Speaker B: What we're going to be doing with the car. How will we do it? So. Yeah.
[00:25:27] Speaker A: Yep. Oh, that's legit. That's so awesome, dude. That's really cool. Well, Heater, it's been an absolute privilege.
It's. I always like either texting now I can do this with you, which is great.
I really appreciate you taking the time out of your very busy day to come on here to be on the cutting edge install podcast from Omni Cubed. Yator, thank you for your time. I wish you all the best. Keep safe, keep plugging along. And, yeah, for everyone else, cheerio. And I look forward to recording another one and getting it on the airwaves very soon. Until then, take care. Cheerio.
[00:26:02] Speaker B: Bye.
