Jose Calderon: Diving Back In

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

VACAVILLE — After taking a brief detour from his pool service career, Jose Calderon decided to dive back in and go deeper than ever before. “My first pool service job was with a company in San Jose,” he recounts. “Jim, the owner, was like the Mr. Miyagi of pool service and taught me everything I know about chemistry and maintenance. Later, when I took a job selling cars, I gave my position to my younger brother, Christopher, who ended up starting his own pool service business in Sacramento. A few years after that, I was thinking about starting a pool service business myself, Read more

Eric Zugnoni: A Student of the Industry

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

ANTIOCH — Most auto mechanics attend ongoing educational courses, but few can be classified as true students of the industry. Eric Zugnoni falls into this classification, and his educational enthusiasm is a big part of what propelled him to professional success. “During my early years as a technician, I attended a lot of industry-related classes,” he says. “I heard about a teacher in Concord who was highly recommended, so I started attending his classes on topics like advanced drivability and emissions. He became a mentor to me, and when I was laid off by Bank of America, Read more

Miquan Johnson: An Insulation Fascination

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

OAKLAND — Miquan Johnson had already started down his career path when a unique opportunity led to a permanent change in direction. “I initially started my career in the construction field, where I learned how to do framing and electrical work,” he recounts. “Later, while attending college, I was offered a job doing insulation upgrades for low-income families through a government program. We would go in and reinsulate the walls, attic, and crawl space at no charge to the homeowner. It was really rewarding work, and it sparked an interest in insulation and its impact on energy efficiency. I’ve been doing insulation ever since, Read more

Peter Freeman: Moving it Forward

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

PETALUMA — Peter Freeman has always been interested in business and innovation, so when he got the chance to work for a cutting-edge enterprise, he was all in. “I joined Good Green Moving when I was still in college,” he says. “I was majoring in economics and applied mathematics, with the hopes of starting my own business when I finished. I got connected with Jonathan Cook, the company owner, through my mom, who is a real estate agent. His company was doing a lot of innovative things with data and software to improve efficiency and environmental sustainability in the moving industry. Read more

Ian Hlinka: Slow and Steady Success

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

SEBASTOPOL — After 25 years in the construction business, Ian Hlinka looks back on his gradual progression from apprentice to owner of a sizeable firm. “I’ve been in construction since I was 16,” he says. “My father-in-law got me a job building tract homes with a general contractor, where I learned to do framing. I continued to do framing for seven years or so, then I started working for a developer building custom homes and commercial buildings in Petaluma. In 2004, he was starting to get out of the business, so I decided to get my license and go out on my own. Read more

Chih Ling Han: From Software to Sunshades

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

HAYWARD — After investing a decade into a steady career in software, Chih Ling Han took a radical leap of faith and dove headfirst into an unfamiliar industry. More than a decade later, he has no regrets. “After 10 years working as a software engineer, I realized that I wanted to be my own boss and run my own company,” he recounts. “However, I didn’t want to start from scratch and found a brand-new company, so I decided to buy an established one. In 2009, I acquired Acme Sunshades Enterprise. Since I didn’t have any prior experience in the sunshade industry, Read more

Matthew Iribarne: In His Element

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

SANTA ROSA — Not long after ascending to upper management at an established glass company, Matt Iribarne realized he belonged in the field rather than in an office. “My grandfather had a glass business and I got involved at a young age,” he explains. “Right out of high school, I joined a union, went through an apprenticeship program, and worked in the field for 18 years before moving into estimating and project management. Eventually, I became vice president of the company.” However, despite reaching an upper rung on the proverbial ladder of success, Matt couldn’t help but feel he’d lost something along the way. Read more

Marco Vargas: Plumbing Pride

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

LIVERMORE — When Marco Vargas got hired as a laborer for a local plumbing company, he had no idea just how far this initial step would take him. “In 2005, I got the opportunity to do some work for a local plumber who had a big project going,” he recounts. “I ended up staying with the company, and over time, I moved up through the ranks. Eventually, there came a point when I was basically running the whole operation. When the owner, David Reed, saw how well the company was doing under my watch, he decided to make me co-owner. Read more

Ruben Cordova: A Window of Opportunity

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

SAN JOSE — When Ruben Cordova started installing windows early in his construction career, he didn’t know he was laying the framework for a much bigger opportunity to come. “I started working construction when I was 18 years old,” he remembers. “The first company I worked for was a general contractor, where I got experience with all aspects of home construction. A year later, I went to work for a window company and was given the opportunity to monitor a crew. In 2001, I moved to San Jose, where I continued to install windows. My customers noticed the level of attention I gave to the job, Read more

Eric Schaefer: A Double Livelihood

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

CONCORD — Until fairly recently, Eric Schaefer was living what some might call a double livelihood, playing an active role in two disparate professional spheres. “I worked as a service director for Porsche for many years while simultaneously pursuing a construction career on the side,” he explains. “My grandfather was a general contractor and a real estate developer, so I got my passion for working on houses from him. In the late ’90s, I started dabbling in heating and cooling as a specialty. Over the following decade, I became more active in the trade, and in 2013, I left my job at Porsche to pursue full-time work as a residential climate control specialist.”

In 2010, Read more