07/25/2026
🚨 I'M COLLECTING BUSINESSES. 🚨
Like Pokémon.
Except instead of tiny creatures with commitment issues...
I want plumbers.
Electricians.
Roofers.
HVAC.
Handymen.
Pressure washers.
Landscapers.
Painters.
Junk removal.
Window cleaners.
Basically anyone who fixes the problems that make homeowners stare into the void.
Here's the thing...
Every single day someone asks me,
*"Hey Vanessa... do you know someone who..."*
And I REFUSE to be the person that says...
*"Well... my cousin's boyfriend's roommate's uncle watched a YouTube video once..."*
Absolutely not.
I want businesses that are so good people practically fistfight over recommending them.
The kind that:
📞 Answer the phone.
🛻 Actually show up.
🧹 Clean up after themselves.
🤝 Stand behind their work.
🚩 And DON'T disappear halfway through a project like they just entered witness protection.
BUT...
Here's my favorite type of business owner.
The one that says...
*"That isn't really my thing... but hold on, I know EXACTLY who you need."*
THAT.
THAT RIGHT THERE.
That's the stuff that makes communities awesome.
Because nobody can do everything.
But the best businesses always know somebody who can.
Don't leave customers hanging out there Googling...
*"Emergency plumber near me PLEASE GOD."*
Help them.
Point them in the right direction.
Be the reason someone says,
*"Dang... EVERYONE they've sent me to has been incredible."*
That's what I'm trying to build.
Not just a referral list.
A ridiculously solid network of businesses that make each other look good.
Like the Home Service Justice League...
Except with fewer capes and significantly more caulk.
If your customer needs something you don't do...
I want your first thought to be,
*"I've got a guy."*
Or girl.
Or retired grandma with a pressure washer and unresolved anger issues.
I don't judge.
So...
👇 Own a business? Shamelessly plug yourself.
👇 Love a local business? Tag them.
👇 Know somebody who's ridiculously good at what they do? Drag them into the comments.
Let's build a network so good that when people ask for recommendations...
The comment section is just all of us aggressively tagging each other.
And if you ARE the type of business that ghosts customers...
This post probably isn't for you.
Respectfully...
Go be somebody else's character development. 🫶😂