Contractor Highlight: Nick Parlet—Using the Wave of Success – Plumbing Perspective

When he isn’t performing wildcats on his snowboard or working ollies on his skateboard, Nick Parlet @plumbingsk8r retains busy together with his residential service plumbing firm, Tidy Pipes Plumbing, Webster, N.Y.

 As a third-generation union plumber, Parlet’s dad and his grandfather inspired him to hitch and study the commerce, so on the age of twenty-two, Nick joined the native plumbing union. Nick started doing two years of pre-apprentice work after which began his five-year apprenticeship. After 5 years of education, Nick turned a journeyman and labored industrial new construct development. Parlet ultimately ended up working within the industrial plumbing service, and after doing that for a few years—in addition to doing aspect jobs for household and pals—he determined to open his personal residential plumbing firm, Tidy Pipes Plumbing.

“To be trustworthy, I didn’t know if there was ever a time that I used to be sure about going alone; nevertheless, with rising on social media with Plumbingsk8r and assembly a ton of nice folks within the trade, it was clear that there was extra money to be made proudly owning your individual. My spouse and I—spur of the second—purchased a truck on a random Tuesday, and the remaining was historical past,” says Parlet.

Being on his personal with the brand new firm got here a brand new wave of pleasure understanding that every name Parlet obtained would develop his enterprise additional. “Interacting with my very own prospects was actually thrilling; I felt a larger sense of accomplishment and objective for every job that I went to,” says Parlet.

Becoming a member of the union proved useful for Parlet. “There are various advantages as a union member, particularly for these going into the trades younger. They provide protection for well being and dental insurance coverage, in addition to retirement choices and pension plans. There’s additionally the perk of getting your training and education offered for you if you happen to undergo the total apprenticeship program. It’s simply good understanding there’s a group of individuals retaining your finest curiosity in thoughts when you’re first coming into the commerce,” says Parlet.

For these fascinated about getting began within the trades, “Go for it!” says Parlet. “Take into account the advantages in your future and do not forget that the trades pay. It’s information that may by no means exit of fashion. Tradesmen will all the time be import sooner or later and AI can’t take your job.”

So how does this translate to how we as an trade getting extra folks within the trades? “If there was extra give attention to the cash to be made, I believe there can be much more curiosity. There are all the time jokes about plumbers, they usually have this stigma surrounding them that they’re low paying job, however in actuality you can also make the identical quantity and in lots of instances greater than somebody who’s 3-5 years out of school,” says Parlet.

Believing within the notion that stress is a killer, Parlet is making an attempt to remain stage headed about retaining the precise work life steadiness. Firstly, Nick loves spending time together with his spouse and youngsters, and he is aware of full effectively that he doesn’t need to shave just a few years off his quick time on earth simply to make just a few further bucks. “Beginning my firm has been very difficult for balancing all the pieces as a result of I need to please all of my prospects, and that typically means working late and dealing weekends, however I’m assured that that is simply a part of the start-up course of,” says Parlet.

As time went on, the boldness grew. And, as soon as Nick began rising on social media and was requested to be a part of the Oatey ambassador program, he says he met so many nice folks, good pals to at the present time that each one turned mentors.

Nick (r) with Evan Berns at Oatey

“My buddy Thomas Younger, aka TYCustoms, Nick from Cheddars Plumbing Co, Jake from MotherFlushers, and Roger Wakefield all instilled loads of confidence in me and actually made me notice that I used to be able to proudly owning my very own firm as effectively. I hope to be a task mannequin in displaying the youthful era that there are different choices moreover school and that the trades are all the time rising and wish staff,” says Parlet.

“Big shout out to everybody at Oatey, by the way in which! Amanda, Alyssa, Katherine, and Tyler, you guys are superior! They’ve actually helped to push me additional into the highlight of the plumbing social media group and for that I’m very grateful. Due to Oatey I used to be in a position to meet a few of my finest pals in the present day.”

Talking on the significance of social media, “A few yr and a half in the past, my good good friend Brian was continuously sending me TikTok plumbing movies by way of textual content messages,” recollects Parlet. “After just a few instances of clicking the hyperlinks, I used to be locked out of watching the TikTok movies until I downloaded the app. So, I downloaded the app and with out placing any thought into the identify so I created @plumbingsk8r.

The Hub’s Tim Ward (l) and John Mesenbrink (r) share fun on the RIDGID afterparty throughout PHCC Join in Cleveland.

“At the moment, I used to be actually solely posting on my private Instagram web page. In the future I used to be bored, I posted what I did at work to my Instagram story. I used to be shocked on the response I acquired from my pals that weren’t within the trades. My pals have been truly fascinated about what I did for a residing and would usually ask me for assist with their very own plumbing points. I began placing somewhat extra although into filming my plumbing movies and edits. One evening, Brian informed me I ought to publish one among my movies to the TikTok and I used to be somewhat hesitant at first however I finally did. The subsequent morning, I wakened at my video had 75,000 views. I used to be shocked. I posted one other one and it didn’t accomplish that good. I posted another and that one took off as effectively.

“Every single day, I might publish what I did at work and I began to realize somewhat following. I reached out to different plumbing content material creators and ended up constructing some good friendships. We’d discuss loads about content material creating but additionally about being a enterprise proprietor. Lots of them sparked the thought of opening my very own firm at the moment. I take pleasure in all the pieces about plumbing, together with assembly different people who find themselves extra educated in regards to the commerce than me. Social media has turn into a software I’ve been in a position to make use of to study greater than I ever thought I might in regards to the plumbing and the enterprise aspect of issues.

“There have been so many instances I’m on a job and suppose to myself. ‘I guess TY would know the reply to why that is doing that.’ So, I name up my buddy that lives on the opposite aspect of the nation and positive sufficient he is aware of precisely what I’m speaking about.

“As for the time I put into my movies in the present day, I attempt to publish at the very least as soon as a day. I attempt to movie jobs that at totally different comparable to pouring a lead joint since you do see that fairly often. The filming course of doesn’t take a lot further time however the modifying and cross posting course of can take wherever from 30 minutes to 5 hours per video. If I don’t really feel creatively motivated, I can’t edit or publish that day. In a way, social media has turn into a 2nd job for me but it surely’s a job that I can do after I really feel prefer it so there isn’t any strain. I’m simply having enjoyable with it and assembly as many individuals as I can,” says Parlet.

In conclusion, when Nick began his plumbing profession in industrial new development, he felt as if he was not challenged sufficient. “I realized loads about set up however not as a lot about what I used to be truly putting in. With the intention to be a superb service plumber, you want to understand how all the pieces works to be able to correctly diagnose and repair the issue. “Each service name that I am going on has its personal challenges and after I discover the answer to the issue, repair the problem and put a smile on my prospects face, that’s the rewarding half.”

Oh, and that identify @plumbngsk8r? “I’ve been skateboarding since I used to be 10 years previous and I nonetheless actually take pleasure in skating and filming with my pals,” says Parlet.

You’ll see Nick if you happen to attend the 2024 WWETT Present, KBIS in Vegas, “and I used to be not too long ago picked to attend the RIDGID Expertise, which I’m extraordinarily enthusiastic about, and I’m hoping to get to the ‘holy grail’ of energy instruments occasion, the Milwaukee Pipeline.