Today we’d like to introduce you to Jim Baur
Hi Jim, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I recall many late nights my tears dripping onto the calculator while my wife and little kids are sound asleep. I’m exhausted and waking up for my “day job” comes early. The year was 2007 and the forecast doesn’t look bright. I thought I was going to lose everything, but what hurt the most was that I missed out a lot on my boy’s first 2 years of life from the sacrifices I made, and I won’t have anything to show for it.
“Success is built on tenacity and tolerance”. I’m not sure where I heard that, or maybe I made it up, but it’s one of my favorite quotes.
The “day job”: I started working at UNF as a teenager (age 19, which is my son’s age now). Earning 2 degrees and growing 30 years with the school transforming it’s fitness offerings from a tiny 6500sf space into a massive world-class facility 12 times larger felt like a decades-long entrepreneurial-ish endeaveor. Although I’m not the “owner”, I’ve treated it with all of the vigor, hopes, dreams & ambitions, and convictions as if it were my own. If it weren’t for vision and creativity, my OCD attention to detail and my unwillingness to just rely on the complacencies and inefficiencies (it takes 7 approvals to order a t-shirt) that unfortunately lurk in government systems, the place would have resembled a boring “big box” gym we see on every street corner. It would have been okay, I guess, but not amazing. I had no formal education in “management”, but yet I assumed the responsibility of a $20M facility with over 70 staff. I figured it out along the way.
A purpose-filled career educating and influencing thousands of young people was a blessing and has had moments of great times. Calling the shots on the fitness center’s evolution has been an extraordinary opportunity, for which I am grateful for the responsibility I was entrusted. That’s all great and warm and fuzzy and all, but it didn’t pay the bills. A masters degree, a university administrator and professor, and considered an expert in my field sounds prestigious, the pay– not so impressive. When my son was born, my wife and I decided to forego all the things 2 full incomes can provide for time with him at home. Instead of searching for a higher-paying profession, I decided to do go the route of what can i do “in addition to” and not “instead of”. I’m so thankful for that struggle, now looking back. Had we been a typical 2-income family, or had the university paid me what i thought I was worth all those years, I may not have taken the risks and ventured out to create legacies and unique experiences for our kids. It was a necessity to do more, not just for my family’s finances, but for me. I have other interests and I need uncapped, unrestrained pursuits.
One morning , 13 years ago, when I dropped my little boy off at kindergarten, I promised myself that by the time he’s in college, I’ll be independent from the “9-5”, (whether that means I’ll retire early, or be self-employed). I just envisioned being able to leave town to visit him without asking anyone for permission. I saw the freedom and joy my wife’s part-time business gave her. Those were driving forces over the years working toward independence. Well, he’s heading off to college to pursue a degree in business/entrepreneurship in 2 days, and I’m pretty close to achieving that goal. (by the way, I didn’t promise it would happen by his Freshman year).
When Jimi was in 3rd grade, he was drawing and making realistic-looking iphones out of paper and cardboard to sell for $1 each, I knew he was destined to pursue business someday. 2 years ago, I figured what better way to prepare him for business school than to start a business with his involvement AND this could get me one step closer to independence. Baur Power Wash was born. This is the 2nd business venture I’ve wrangled my family into, and both were accomplished outside of my “day job” commitments. Nights/weekends/ early mornings the last 20 years, have been peppered with what some would consider “work”, but it doesn’t feel like it [as much] when it’s something you enjoy, and what I enjoy the most is the independence and work devoid of constraints. Constraints and I don’t see eye-to-eye…. Never have.
I’ve always loved working with my hands.. First time I remember I was in 2nd grade. I cut little pine tree branches and carved my own Lincoln Logs to build tiny log cabins with; also made my own Checkerboard set out of paper and styrofoam. Later, when i got into weight training in junior/high school, I built my own weight tree to organize the plates. At 16, as a Christmas present for my Mom, my first significant project was a complete restoration of her 1960s bicycle. The restoration itch began. Next was restoring/modifying a ’69 Ford Falcon as my highschool/college daily driver muscle car. A decade later, the only thing that could scratch that itch was restoration/renovation of old beach homes.
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now”. I wanted to leave legacies for my kids.
Legacy 1: The year was 2005. I was 31 and my wife and I took out a 2nd mortgage on our first old beach house to use as a down payment on our first investment property, a unique beach property 4 blocks from the ocean, zoned multi-family with 2 old houses on it. The neighbors said they were former crack houses. The inspector said a bulldozer should be parked outside instead of his truck. I said, “sshhh… my wife is in the room next door. She might hear you”. All I could think of is it was time to buy more tools, I guess. Other than watching my Dad build and fix things when I was a kid, I had no experience with anything of this magnitude, nor did I know anything about real estate investing or being a landlord. I guess I’ll figure it out.
Nevermind the urine-soaked corner of the room where the homeless were previously sleeping, the house had original glass doorknobs and heartpine floors! There is beauty that needs to be restored, protected and enjoyed. There is value here. It’s going to be a lot of work, but this could benefit my family. One investment property turned into 2, turned into 3. At it’s peak, we had 7 mortgages on 5 rentals, but were negative $5K per month, we planned to be “temporary” until the 2 properties we intended to sell didn’t. Hello Recession. 2 years later, with finances depleted, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection was the best option, although risky. An almost 6-year process, it turned out to be a win-win solution that allowed us to retain the properties and it benefited the banks by keeping a customer and keeping the places tenant-occupied vs. the alternative of vacant foreclosures. I never took an accounting class, nor could I afford a CPA to do my monthly and quarterly reports which were very tedious. I figured it out.
We turned crack houses into vacation destinations (I opened an Airbnb before I ever stayed in one). After managing over 70 sets of tenants (and one squatter, named “Bob”…and Bob , if you’re reading this, I love ya, buddy) over the years, we eventually converted them into Airbnbs. The last conversion happened during the pandemic shut-down (Home Depot was open!) and my whole family had the time to help me sand and refinish floors, paint, repair roofs, build fences, and lay tile. My wife handles the guests and she and my girls do all the cleanings. My boy and I do the repairs and the yards. It turned into a family business and my kids began learning life-skills and responsibility at very young ages.
Legacy 2: Mom always said to “leave a place looking nicer than when you arrived”. I took my eye of creating attractive spaces and the safety/risk management experience of my day job and property management to the world of pressure washing and the goal of providing safe and presentable spaces for home and business owners. This is a world I didn’t know very well. Sure, I had used pressure washers before, but not a commercial-grade, trailer-mounted machine with buffer tanks and a separate softwash system. Doing this as a business was never a thought , that is, until I started watching satisfying pressure washing videos on youtube and learning more and more about the equipment, the business, and potential for making good money either solo or with a minimal crew. I didn’t realize it , but my son was watching the same videos and getting interested in pressure washing the same time I was. I had also tinkered with the idea of starting a handyman business (I have my own handyman Youtube channel “Out of the Toolbox Tinker”, but my son said “Dad, it’s not scaleable like pressure washing is”. That statement impressed me, and he was right so I turned my focus on to pressure washing. We can figure this out together.
I figured Jacksonville is only getting bigger and mildew will always grow. There is potential. Watching an hour of videos each night before bed I was considering that a free education. I was definitely learning something…. A new skill and bits and pieces of how to create a business. I began to thinking of the equipment I’d like and how I’d like a trailer “rig” to be assembled.. Within a couple months I used funds from a cash-out refi 2 years earlier as seed money to have a custom rig built. Simultaneously, creating the LLC, getting proper insurance, a logo created, website and social media in place (my first time using social media). Our first job was for a family member– a big driveway, patio, and partial roof and house wash. I thought it would take a couple hours. 5 hours later, we were exhausted, had already trouble-shot and fixed a couple equipment problems,… the beginning of an exciting, but steep learning curve. We’ve since done work for many residences, businesses, restaurants, schools, and churches. It’s honest work, satisfying work, a great workout, and much-needed bread for my family. Each job is different and presents it’s own unique challenges and opportunities… Opportunities to help people. One of my favorite jobs was cleaning a very slippery, mildewy patio for an elderly lady. I felt like a pre-hero for preventing a slip and fall for her. If it weren’t for my mechanical background, I couldn’t do this. You have to be handy. Probably every third job, I have some sort of breakdown that I have to fix.
Our website (www.baurpowerwash.com) states “every job is performed and scrutinized by the ones whose reputation is on the line”, as we do the work. As a father/son 2-man, and soon-to-be a 1-man operation (unless he’s home for break). He will still maintain the Instagram page from his college dorm room. Who knows, in a few years, his educated brain may choose to scale up this business. No limits…. no constraints. I know he can figure it out.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The first 12 years of raising children on a household income of less than $55k , for a family of 5, wasn’t easy. We drove paid-off old vehicles, did our own haircuts and oil changes, and we tent-camped at the Suwannee Music fest as our yearly “vacation”, which is still a favorite family tradition. I built a triple bunkbed so the kids could share one room in our 850sf 2 bed/ 1bath duplex one block from the ocean, while our upstairs tenants paid 65% of our mortgage. It was built in the 1930s and was not only super “cozy” (like indoor camping), it became more than just a DIY hobby, but a lifestyle….. still is. It takes a lot to maintain an almost 100 yr old house. Our timing of investing in distressed properties put us in what seemed like an impossible situation when the market collapsed in ‘07/’08, but through prayer and God’s alignment of the right people at the right time, the God-given perseverance and stubbornness, we pressed on. : “Seek Wise Counsel” is one of my favorite Proverbs…. Realtor friends, my mortgage guy, accountant friend, hero-attorneys and the crusty retired tradesmen at home depot…. All of them have answers as long as you have the right questions. God wants us to surround ourselves with people who have wisdom and can provide guidance.
I didn’t have formal education or training in most things I’ve done. I just figured it out. Diplomas and certificates aren’t always a prerequisite for success. I encourage people to just do it and figure it out as you go. Ask the right people for help. Take risks and don’t be afraid of hard work.
Money is still tight. In fact, my son was qualifying for a PELL grant based on our household income, until we had to factor in investment property equity. I’m not selling, so please hire us….. I’m doing everything I can to minimize the school loans my kids will have to take out. My wife is a new realtor, so hopefully that will be fruitful and take some load off.
Margins on the airbnbs aren’t comfortable enough to hand it over to someone else to manage, or to hire a cleaner. We have mortgages and bills on those places. It’s not passive income (for us) by any stretch of the imagination.
One of my biggest challenges is accepting leaders (and followers) who don’t challenge authority. Just ask “why?”. It’s a pretty easy one-syllable word. At least it shows you care and you never know where that could lead.
Having availability of late afternoons/nights and weekends may limit some potential residential jobs, but makes us a great fit for places like office parks, medical buildings, schools, and businesses.
Having sacrificed and spent hundreds of hours nights/weekends missing a lot of my boy’s first couple years, I’ve made it up working side-by-side in the last.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Owner-operated father/son pressure washing / soft washing business serving East Jacksonville & the Beaches. Jim (Father) has a perfect safety record managing UNF’s $20M fitness facility over 25 yrs. He uses his OCD to his advantage and has an osprey-eye for detail. Jimi (Son) is a hard-working, 3-time Regionals wrestling qualifier at Fletcher H.S. He started working at Publix at age 14 . We work hard to provide a clean and safe space for home and business owners. All work is performed and scrutinized by the ones whose reputation is on the line.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Movies of struggle, perseverance and triumph made an indelible impression on my development as a kid and through my 20s: All of the Rocky movies…. (even bits and pieces of Rocky V) demonstrates that ordinary people can do extraordinary things if given an opportunity and work stubbornly hard. Also Pursuit of Happyness, Amistad (demonstrates that intelligence and education are mutually exclusive), Castaway, Rudy, Life of Pi, and Cinderella Man.
Favorite Rocky quotes: Rocky to his son: Rocky 4: “by going that one extra round when you don’t think you can, makes all the difference in your life”. Rocky Balboa: “if you know how much you’re worth, go out there and get what you’re worth, but you got to be willing to take the hits. Don’t be pointing fingers saying you aren’t where you want to be because of him or her or anybody. Cowards to that and that ain’t you… you’re better than that!”
Favorite Bible verse (I posted on the front doors of my home restorations): 1 Chronicles 28:20: “Be strong and courageous and get to work. Do not be afraid, for the Lord is with you. He will not forsake you. He will see that everything is finished correctly”.
Favorite book: “Originals” by Adam Grant taught me that you don’t quit your day job until you can afford to. Also, that “groupthink” can have disastrous consequences.
Jimi’s favorite books: “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. “Sell or Be Sold” by Grant Cardone. (reading these books helped improve his SAT score!)
Google Earth/Maps: I’ve always loved geography and I truly enjoy using the app to measure spaces for pressure washing and roof soft washing.
Favorite Youtuber mentor (my free education).. “The Fresh Rinse”: A solid, Christian entrepreneur I learn from (in his quirky Dad-joke ways) almost daily.
Podcast: Mike Rowe’s “The Way I Heard It”. I listen to him almost every bike ride. He celebrates the tradesman and just old-fashioned hard work.
Pricing:
- In honor of both of my parents who were in wheelchairs at the end of their lives, and my Dad who was a WW2 Vet, we wash ADA ramps and parking spaces for free.
- We offer discounts to senior citizens , foster families and veterans.
- Free estimates.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://baurpowerwash.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baurpowerwashllc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093603034226
