We had the good fortune of connecting with Pete Mizeres and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Pete, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?

As a college educated Industrial Engineer working in the manufacturing industry in the 1990’s and early 2000’s I observed a couple things:

1.) I didn’t have the corporate political talent to move from middle management to executive management in the Fortune 500 corporate environment
2.). I observed many mid-level managers and Engineers in the industry get downsized in their 50’s due to corporate America’s drive to outsource production to low cost producing countries – which meant that these managers and engineers would have to pick up and move their families to find comensurate employment and salary in a different part of the country. So I knew I had a shelf life in corporate America and I needed an escape plan before it expired.
3.). There was and is still no loyalty to salaried employees in corporate America – and I needed something more secure than a corporate job – which is a paradox because most people think they need to go to college in order to get a good job with a good company in order to achieve financial security. I came to realize that this is the real “Big Lie” so I got busy figuring out my escape plan.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
After starting and stopping several side hustles that cost me time and money for about 10 years, I finally stumbled upon the Home Inspection Industry when I was around 37 yrs old.  A home inspector is usually hired by a buyer/occupier or investor/landlord when purchasing a residential, investment, or commercial property.  The home inspector then proceeds to inspect the critical areas of the home in order to identify issues with the home that the new buyer may be un-aware of and cost them money down the road.

I quickly realized I had the mechanical aptitude and professional communication skills to give it a try – even though I knew very little about housing construction and the trades such as electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and roofing. I also realized this was a business I could start for under $20,000 – so I got trained and started in that industry. Of course I made several mis-calculations in starting that business which cost me time and money again – the biggest being that I didn’t need to purchase a franchise to get started and be successful, and I didn’t need to quit my day job to start building a client/referal base and perform the inspections. So those mis-calculations put me in debt about $50K because I quit my day job and had no money coming in for about 6 months. So I went back to work as a mid level manufacturing manager in my local area of Cleveland Ohio – but I kept doing home inspections on the side for the next 10 years – always carrying 2 cell phones on me, one for my day job and one for my business. I worked 45-50 hrs during the week at my day job and performed home inspections during the evening and on weekends, slowly but steadily building up my client base (which actually are the Realtors who then refer their buying clients to me for inspections). Over this 10 yr time period I steadily built up my referal sources and business by focusing on process and communication excellence – skills I picked up from my manufacturing management experience.

So one day 10 yrs after I started the home inspection business, my day job suddenly disappeared – the company I worked for went bankrupt with no notice and everyone lost their job instantly. But I was ready – my business had steadily grown to almost match what I was making in my manufacturing profession – so that day job loss was my sign to go full time with the home inspection business and not go get another day job. So I tightened my belt and hunkered down for the next couple years as my business continued to grow based on word of mouth referals.

Over the next 10 years I got so busy that I started to hire and train new inspectors and automate the front and back end of my business – which has allowed me to retire from performing home inspections in the field. I now have 5 full time home inspectors and spend my winters in Florida with my wife Colleen. Since my business pretty much runs on auto now and I get to choose what I want to do with my professional time, I decided to start 2 more businesses and I am now working on a third:

Detailed Home Inspections
http://www.detailedhomeinspectionsclevelandohio.com – my home inspection business

Home Clean Home
http://www.homecleanhomellc.com – my cleaning business

The Home Inspector Mentor
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0AGPH3DylZ5wzcOJ77hXfg – my influencer business

So what sets me apart from others? In my local market I think it was my outgoing personality and desire to be the best home inspector in my local market. In life, I think it was my desire to become successful and never give up after dozens of failed business ideas.
I am most proud of having imparted by entrepenurial spirt to my adult children who are each pursuing their version of financial independence and personal freedom.

I am most excited about my future – I am not professionally done yet and I think I can tripple my passive business income over the next few years.
So we all have a story to tell – I’ve only told a fraction of mine here, but as my mom taught me, I think it is more important to listen to other’s stories than to tell my own – unless asked of course.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
In the winter time we are in Sarasota Florida – I would take them to Siesta Key, Lido, and Venice Beach and go downtown Sarasota for excellent dining as well as visit the Ringling Brothers Circus museum. In the summer time we are in Cleveland Ohio – I would take them to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame museum and go downtown to the Warehouse district and the Flats for drinks and food.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, the famous self-help book first published in 1937 kicked off my journey to achieve financial independence. I became a self help book junkie after that reading every popular author on the topic of how to get rich. As I reflect on the impetus that sparked my early in life desire for financial independence, it must have stemmed from my parents (who were life long educators in the public school system) who brought me and my brother up to be the best we could be in all areas – which I think probably sparked a competitive streak that drove me to want to succeed to a level that 95% of Americans never get to. So I dedicate my success to my parents – Pete and Arlene Mizeres who are now deceased but lived a charmed life all the way to the end and passed easily and gracefully living independently and in relatively good health in their extensive retirement which allowed them to travel the world and actively participate in my children’s childhood.

Website: Detailed Home Inspections http://www.detailedhomeinspectionsclevelandohio.com Home Clean Home http://www.homecleanhomellc.com

Youtube: The Home Inspector Mentor https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0AGPH3DylZ5wzcOJ77hXfg

Image Credits
Palmieri’s Photography/Video & Custom Framing

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.