What is a question you get asked most about being a chimney sweep/chimney sweeping/the industry?
So, what made you decide to want to become a chimney sweep?
 
How did you get started in the industry?
I worked in insurance and was getting tired of working tirelessly from paycheck to paycheck to earn a living for my family, never seeming to get ahead. A good friend convinced me to start a business. I started my chimney service business from scratch after his recommendation and convincing part time on the weekends until I felt confident enough to leave my full time job in the insurance business. 
 
What advice do you wish you had received when you were getting started?
Get the proper education! Reach out to other chimney service professionals and learn as much as you can from them.  In the beginning, I had no clue that chimney service was an actual profession!  After joining NCSG and getting the Sweeping magazine, I found a local service company that was featured in the magazine and reached out to them to set up a time to meet. I've never looked back.  Best decision ever! My mind has been opened to the possibilities this industry has to offer.
 
What is the biggest challenge you face on the job? What are your best strategies for overcoming it?
Encountering an issue that I've never experienced before. Every chimney restoration job brings along its challenges.  I've been able to meet and network with some fantastic professionals in this industry that are extremely helpful in these situations.  I've got certain guys on speed dial. Their willingness to offer us guidance has helped us excel in our business and continued education.
 
Who was your most famous customer?
David Sandy, a magician!  Believe it or not. He's a world-renowned magician that lives right here in our community. He's the past president of the international brotherhood of magicians.
 
Have you ever attended NCSG Annual Convention & Trade Show? If so, what was your favorite takeaway?
Absolutely!  We started going two years ago. Network, Network, Network! I try to meet new people each year. Everybody has a story and experiences we can all learn from. I love meeting new people and picking their brains.  So much great knowledge!
 
What is your proudest accomplishment?
Making the decision to take my business full time and getting married to my wife Janna, of course! The two go hand in hand.  Without her and our children, I'd probably not be as motivated as I am to build our business and life like we have and plan to do.
 
Have you ever had to make your own tool to solve a particular problem?
Yes!  Before I knew suppliers existed for this industry we started making our own deglazing equipment.  After deciding to go full time in business, an entire new realm opened its doors to us!
 
Weirdest thing you have ever found in a chimney?
A duck!  It had fallen through the chimney flue in behind a wood stove insert (slammer). It was still preserved, colorful blue feathers and all. The customer was saddened and in disbelief.
 
What do you like to do outside of work?
I spend time with my wife and kids. Why work so hard if we can't spend time with those we love? 
 
What is, in your opinion, the most valuable part of being a member of the National Chimney Sweep Guild?
Networking, training opportunities, company involvement, etc. This is our trade, our life, our family.  I believe whole-heartedly in being as involved as possible with our trade organizations.  They support us behind the scenes. Let's be proud of it! And of course our clients love to hear that we belong to the National Chimney Sweep Guild!
 
 
Thanks Gary! It’s always great to hear about the awesome things our members are doing and what they enjoy most about this wonderful industry. If you’d like to be the next featured Meet a Member, send an email to Annemarie Stockton at astockton@ncsg.org. 

What is a question you get asked most about being a chimney sweep/chimney sweeping/the industry?
After asking what is a Chimney Sweep? Well the next question is why are there not more sweeps out there?  It is a difficult question to answer for most people. We just tell them that it is a long, hard and dirty job and not everyone has the stamina to do this type of work.
 
How did you get started in the industry?
Back in the late 70s, we were approached by a family member who read Mother Earth News and thought this would be a great job to do. He never once swept a chimney but has the smarts to hire Vince as his sweep; I followed along later into the office. In 1983, we left that company and started on our own, as we wanted to learn from other sweeps and go to training classes to better our knowledge.
 
What advice do you wish you had received when you were getting started?
Oh so many options! I wish that we had of know about savings accounts for retirement – no pensions in our trade. We started small and built this business from the ground up and are happy in it, we built it ourselves with help of good employees and family members. We have been multiple trucks in the past and single trucks. We like to be small and under our own control with a good core group of people working WITH us not FOR us.
 
What is the biggest challenge you face on the job? What are your best strategies for overcoming it?
For Yvette, it is being a woman in a male dominated trade. For Vince, it is the daily work when you are getting to that age! LOL. In all seriousness, the biggest challenges are attempting to get the client to understand that we are not just soot sweepers, we are not out to steal their money. We are trained and knowledgeable tradesmen and women, we know our stuff and are doing our best, each and every day, to make them as safe as possible with guidance and care.
 
Who was your most famous customer?
Oh, we have had many famous clients in the past: John Candy, The Bacardi Rum family, McCain’s (food), and a few hockey players of note. We don't like to brag about our clients, but it is really nice when we get to the job site and realize exactly WHOM we are serving that day! But all our clients are important to us, no matter who you are and what you make.
 
Have you ever attended NCSG Annual Convention & Trade Show? If so, what was your favorite takeaway?
We attempt to go each and every year. The best thing that we take away is friendship and comradery. We love to meet new friends, new sweeps and share our knowledge with them. Each year we gain new friends, new product knowledge and new family (because that is what you all are to us).
 
What is your proudest accomplishment?
For Yvette, it has to be being the Past President of the Chimney Sweep Association of Canada. For Vince, it is probably that he has shared his brain with some of the finest sweeps in our area.
As a result, our son Martin is a Trainer all over North America, our daughter-in-law Shannah is invested in helping to run our offices and our grandson Jared is thoroughly embedded into our trade now – all as Certified Chimney Sweeps and Technicians. Proud to say that we are the first three generation sweep family in Canada!
 
Have you ever had to make your own tool to solve a particular problem?
A few eons ago, we ran into a special problem with our torches. There were no 45-degree nozzles on the market so we had one custom made for us. Now they are on the open market!

We once had a 36" breech that we had to deal with. No one had arms long enough to get to the tee screws to connect the liner, so off to our friend, the welder. He quickly made us a 48" screwdriver. Problem solved, but every week we find something we have to “MacGyver" to make it work.
 
What is the weirdest thing you have ever found in a chimney?
In 42 years of doing this, we have found so many things in chimneys it is hard to figure out which item was the weirdest. We have found dope, photos, carcasses, tools, eyeglasses, money. But the best was a LIVE 4 FOOT BLACK RAT SNAKE! Just what you need to get your heart pumping again!
 
What do you like to do outside of work?
We both own vintage Corvettes, and we love to take them out on the road and cruise.
 
What is, in your opinion, the most valuable part of being a member of the National Chimney Sweep Guild?
The vast amount of knowledge we can glean from others. We always have a pool of friends that we can dive into when we need advice or help. And we are there for others as well. What a wealth of Brothers and Sisters in Soot we have! The best family in the entire world!

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Thanks, you two! Who should be featured next? Send an email to Annemarie Stockton at astockton@ncsg.org with your nominations. 

What is a question you get asked most about being a chimney sweep/chimney sweeping/the industry?
"Doesn't the house get dirty when you clean?" And I inform them of our careful process to protect the home to make sure it stays as clean as it was when we arrived.
 
How did you get started in the industry?
I joined a great company that had been in business for over 30 years and have learnt from the best!
 
What advice do you wish you had received when you were getting started?
Take in all the information you can when learning and never stop as the industry is ever changing.
 
What is the biggest challenge you face on the job? What are your best strategies for overcoming it?
Since I am the office manager for the company, trying to help clients over the phone can be difficult when we haven't been to their home yet.
 
Who was your most famous customer?
Ted Nugent
 
Have you ever attended NCSG Annual Convention & Trade Show? If so, what was your favorite takeaway?
I have not, but plan to in the future.
 
What is your proudest accomplishment?
Becoming the company's first ever CSIA Certified Office Manager.
 
What do you like to do outside of work?
I spend my free time with my family and reading a good book.

What is, in your opinion, the most valuable part of being a member of the National Chimney Sweep Guild?
Being able to stay connected to the industry and know what is going on around the country.

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Thanks Alan! Who wants to be featured next? Email Annemarie Stockton at astockton@ncsg.org for your nominations! 

How did you get started in the industry?
I got started in the industry 15 years ago with the Boy Scouts. I was in the Boy Scouts and dad was sweeping chimneys and needed some help on the side, so I decided to go help him. Anything to make a buck, right? 20 bucks is 20 bucks. So that’s what I did for a little while. Then I joined the military, went away for a long time, got out and came back to it. I worked for another company for a little while. 
 
What is a question you get asked most about being a chimney sweep?
The question I get asked most is ‘how did I get into being a chimney sweep and why am I a chimney sweep?’ I got into it from Boy Scouts, my love of construction, and enjoying doing a little bit of everything on the house. I really enjoy doing the chimney sweep because it’s an all-trades kind of job.
 
What advice do you wish you had received when you were getting started?
That the chimney sweep industry is a giant onion. I wish I would have known that there are so many layers involved with being a chimney sweep. It’s not just sweeping a chimney and running a brush. It’s inspections, it’s fireplace change-outs, it’s masonry skills, it’s a little of electrician, it’s a little bit of tile layer.  It’s just a little bit of everything, and even after being a civil engineer and being a chimney sweep and certified and fire certified, everyday almost I peel back another layer of that onion.  I don’t know if I’ll ever find the center of it, but I strive to find that daily.
 
What is the biggest challenge you face on the job and what are your strategies for overcoming it?
My biggest challenge on the job would be getting the job done on time and right, but not too slow. That fine line between doing it right and getting it done in a timely manner. The way that I go about doing a better job of that is do it more, practice more, get better, and improve upon my deficiencies.
 
Have you ever attended convention, and if so what was your favorite takeaway?
I have attended the annual convention for 4 years, and the trade show, and it’s been an absolute blast. My biggest takeaway is being surrounded by all the other sweeps, the brotherhood, that shot of energy and morale that I know when I come home, in lonely Oklahoma, that I know there are other guys everyday fighting the good fight, sweeping the chimneys just like me.
 
What is your proudest accomplishment?
My proudest accomplishment would be marrying the love of my life, my wife Seire, and not pissing her off bad enough to where she’s run off yet.
 
Have you ever had to make your own tool to solve a particular problem?
Yes, we call that Okie Engineering, and we make our own tools quite often.  Generally wrenches, pry bars, things that need to be cut or welded at another angle to get leverage on something.
 
What do you like to do outside of work?
I enjoy cattle ranching and fine woodworking. I build my own furniture: cupboards, cabinets, desks and just all kinds of real fine, high-skilled woodworking.
 
What is in your opinion is the most valuable part of being a member of NCSG?
Two things are the most valuable parts. On paper, one of the benefits if the TAC line (the Technical Advisory Council call line). That thing has been so amazingly valuable to me. Anytime I’m really hung up in a smoke chamber or liner issue, I can jump on that website, call whoever it is that’s in that specialty, and within an hour I’ve got an answer. I feel like I can really get done what I need to do thanks to the TAC line. Outside of that, things that you can’t really put on there as a bullet is the comradery, the brotherhood, the massive amount of sweeps out there that just want to help each other and help you to do better and grow to be a better sweep and a better person. 


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Thanks, David! Do you want to be the next featured member? Send an email to Annemarie Stockton at astockton@ncsg.org to either nominate yourself or someone you know. 

​What is a question you get asked most about being a chimney sweep/chimney sweeping/the industry?
There are still chimney sweeps?
 
How did you get started in the industry?
In the early 80s, we built our house and heated it with wood. I had been doing service and maintenance in a number of fields for many years. When it came to stove maintenance I had gotten the equipment needed and swept and maintained the wood furnace and venting system. While at a home show, I met someone who had a sweeping business and several years later, I saw an ad in the newspaper that they were looking to hire someone. I applied and got the job. At that time, the company had just expanded into air duct cleaning.
 
What advice do you wish you had received when you were getting started?
Don't stress, just do your best. If you take your time and treat the customer well you will do well. It takes time to build a business.
 
What is the biggest challenge you face on the job? What are your best strategies for overcoming it?
Finding the best way to educate the customer. Everyone is different and grasps information in different ways. If you can pass along relevant information in a way that the customer understands it can make a huge difference in how they view the issues regarding the systems you are working on and their trust in you as a professional in your field. What I find works well is using analogies to common things in everyday life. When the customer says, "that makes sense”, I know I have made a connection.
 
Who was your most famous customer?
A singer that most people have heard the songs.
 
Have you ever attended NCSG Annual Convention & Trade Show? If so, what was your favorite takeaway?
Many times, though I don't know exactly how many conventions. The "favorite" takeaway is a tough one since there are more than one. First is the people, there are so many awesome people I have met over the years. So much to learn from seminars and people. If you are having a challenge, someone else has been through it also. You can call that the "Lighthouse" or "Beacon" effect. They can give you some information that can help you navigate through the darkness and make it through challenging times.
 
What is your proudest accomplishment?
My wife and I raising our three children. They are all thoughtful adults who try to make things in their sphere of influence better by helping those around them.
 
Have you ever had to make your own tool to solve a particular problem?
Yes.  I have been doing service work for many years/decades. I have always modified or made my own tools. That's where the supply side of our business came in. When we come across a challenge, we do something about it and the result is usually a new tool, product or technique.
 
Weirdest thing you have ever found in a chimney?
30+ Blackbirds filling a woodstove and the stove pipe.
 
What do you like to do outside of work?
Fireworks.  I am a licensed Pyrotechnician
 
What is, in your opinion, the most valuable part of being a member of the National Chimney Sweep Guild?
The people and the community.

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Thanks, John! I'm sure we'd all like to have you around on the Fourth of July. 

If you or someone you know should be featured in the next Meet a Member, shoot me an email at astockton@ncsg.org or call (317) 837-1500! 

What is a question you get asked most about being a chimney sweep/chimney sweeping/the industry? 
Is this the worst you’ve ever seen?
 
How did you get started in the industry? 
My Captain at the fire department owned what would become my company. I was assigned to his engine company when I was a rookie. He liked me and asked me if I would start working with his company on our days off. The rest is history.

What is a question you get asked most about being a chimney sweep/chimney sweeping/the industry? 
You can make a living in Los Angeles at that?!?!?!

What advice do you wish you had received when you were getting started? 
First become a CPA, a lawyer, and a psychologist before becoming a chimney sweep!