We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Desmond Jones a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Desmond, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
I’ve learned to be successful even when I’m the only one in the room by learning and developing skills that not everyone has. I’ve also learned to constantly work on myself and try to get 1% better each day. Doing those things while also just being authentically myself has always outweighed me being the only one in the room. At the end of the day people just want good work from a person they can trust.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
So I’m a handy man / contractor and I do anything involving home improvement related. Pretty much anything involving the interior of a house, apartment, store, or commercial building I can fix. The most exciting thing about what I do to me is the challenge of having to figure out why something isn’t working and the new people that I meet on a day to day basis. Since the last interview I’ve become a vendor for a few large companies that manage commercial and residential properties.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back on my journey, the three qualities that were the most impactful was my willingness to learn, being relentless on perfecting my craft, and become one of the most reliable person at my job. My advice to anyone on their journey on how they can best develop or improve on those qualities is to become a sponge and work at the best company in your area. Build your resume by adding skills that will make you stand out from other people. Never give up or be afraid to fail. Always show up to your job no matter what unless it’s life threatening or you have a medical emergency.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
An ideal client is someone that respects your time, expertise, and price point for whatever product or service that you provide. They never ask for a discount or try to talk you down on your price.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Jprservices
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jonespremierresidentialservices/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desmond-jones-573178a9
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/jones-premier-residential-services-orlando
