Episode Overview
The young lives of brothers Gilbert and Victor Ayala were rudderless at times. Both found themselves in jail, on occasion. Today, each is proud to look back and recall the paths they took to turn their lives around.
Gilbert is now president and Victor is general manager of Five or Free Electrical Solutions based in Sacramento, California. They dabbled in window cleaning and chimney sweeping, but this year the electrical services company will hit $4 million in revenue, which is a 33% increase from last year.
Gilbert still works in the same building where a former boss took a chance and hired him despite a spotty record.
“The same place that my whole career started is the same place that I walk in every single day,” Gilbert says. “I see the smiles and the lives being changed with the people who are here on our team and working with us.”
Gilbert and Victor were given second chances, and they’re all about giving others another shot at redemption.
“Most people, when they get out of jail, it’s hard to find employment,” Victor says. “If a person is honest about where they’re at and who they are, I do believe that they deserve a second chance.”
Business success is a reward in and of itself. But primarily, the brothers are relieved and proud to have matured to be able to run a company that feeds their own families and provides a better life for their employees.
“I don’t know how other people look at business, but business is a tool,” Victor says. “It’s a means to an end…The important thing is to change lives.”
Gilbert and Victor Ayala recently joined ServiceTitan’s Jackie Aubel on the “Toolbox for the Trades” podcast, which included the Ayalas’ thoughts on:
[3:39] How customer reviews improved a service business’s branding
[7:24] Transitioning from window cleaning to electrical
[10:20] Breaking into the trades and redemption stories
[18:52] Supporting company team members’ self-improvement
[24:40] Why everyone deserves a second chance
To hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to “Toolbox for the Trades” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, or anywhere you get podcasts.
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