Darcy Quinn: An Early Involvement

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

NOVATO — Darcy Quinn has been working in the moving industry since she graduated college, but her initial involvement goes back even further. “My dad has worked for Bekins Van Lines since 1966, so I grew up around the business,” she explains. “When I was a little girl, I would go with him on weekends when he was managing office moves—he would pay me 25 cents a day to help out. Later, during high school and college, I continued to work with him during summer and winter breaks. In 2000, around the same time I graduated from college, he purchased the Novato Bekins Agency from Bekins Van Lines and invited me to be his office manager. Read more

Ted Liu: A High-Definition Career

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

CONCORD — Ted Liu’s involvement in the home theater and automation field started as a personal hobby but gradually developed into a full-time profession. “Several years ago, I installed an A/V system in my home,” he recounts. “I wanted the nicest system I could afford, and over time I continued to make it bigger and better. Friends and family started asking me to help them install similar systems in their homes. Before I knew it, I was going into business as an A/V contractor.”

Today, as owner of InVision Home Theater, Ted says his prior experience as a general contractor comes in handy with his latter-day career. Read more

Tyler Lau: Flooring for Life

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

CONCORD — When asked how he got started in the flooring business, Tyler Lau says he’s been involved since he was a teenager. “My dad and my uncle opened a carpet store called Floor Masters when I was 17, and I started working there during the summers. After finishing college, I came back and worked in the office, where I learned about sales, estimating and other aspects of running a business. After about 10 years, I took a brief hiatus from the industry, following which I opened my own flooring store in Concord.”

Today, as owner of Concord Carpet and Hardwood, Read more

Miro Bokaric: Driven to Succeed

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

SAN FRANCISCO — Miro Bokaric has always possessed a drive to succeed, but it wasn’t until he immigrated to the United States that he achieved his career objective. “I’m originally from Bosnia,” he explains. “My whole life, I’ve never stopped working. I got my first job as a kid digging trenches for a contractor. When I got older, I attended electrical school and became a qualified electrician.” However, just as Miro was getting started in his new career, war broke out in Bosnia. “When the war started, my wife and I decided to leave and relocate to the United States,” he recounts. Read more

Jason Patterson: A Clear Trajectory

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

PETALUMA — An early introduction to the glass industry gave Jason Patterson a clear trajectory for his professional career. “I started working with a glass company in San Rafael when I was 16,” he remembers. “It was a good fit and I enjoyed the work, so I just stuck with it. Over time, I continued to learn about different aspects of the industry, from windows to glass doors and shower enclosures. After high school, I spent some time in retail management, where I gained valuable experience in customer service. In 2018, my wife, Margaret, and I started our own glass business.”

Today, Read more

Dominic Capito: An Early Opportunity

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

SANTA ROSA — Thanks to a family connection, Dominic Capito got an early start in what would eventually become his career. “I first started plumbing during the summer between sixth and seventh grade,” he remembers. “We had a family friend who was a plumber and he offered me an opportunity to learn the trade. I spent the next several summers working for him. At first, I wasn’t thinking about it in terms of a future career—I just enjoyed fixing things. Plus, the pay was pretty good for a kid my age!”

Following high school, Dominic dove headfirst into full-time plumbing work. Read more

Chitra Bheeman: A Personal Move

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

MILPITAS — With a background in business development, Chitra Bheeman has always preferred interacting with people to crunching numbers. That was one of the main reasons she decided to get into the moving industry—that and her husband needed the help. “When my then-fiancé Brian first started Advantage Moving & Storage, I helped him and his partners get things up and running,” she recounts. “A couple of years later, after the two other partners left, I quit my job and joined the business full-time. Since then, I’ve particularly enjoyed the interpersonal aspect of the job. While I also worked with people in my prior career, Read more

David Tetrault: A Northwest Progression

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

SAN MATEO — For David Tetrault, a westward relocation precipitated a northward advancement in his professional career. “I’m originally from Massachusetts, where I got my start in the construction industry,” he says. “In the mid-2000s, I decided to pack up my tools and move to California. Initially, I got a job as a carpenter, but I soon realized that if I wanted to get ahead, I’d need to go into management. Someone suggested that I get into the hardscaping industry, so I took a job as a project manager for a local paving company. It was a pretty seamless transition, Read more

Jorge Paiva: A Service Calling

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

MORGAN HILL — After requesting a service call to fix a broken appliance, Jorge Paiva ended up getting a lot more than he bargained for. “My apartment had a broken dishwasher, so a technician was sent out to fix it,” he remembers. “We got to talking and he told me the company he worked for was hiring. At the time, I was working in the high-tech industry, but I had some familiarity with appliance repair, mostly because my father worked in the field. I told the technician I was interested, so he arranged for me to talk to his boss and I ended up with an apprenticeship. Read more

Roger Boucher: Appliance Legacy

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

SANTA CLARA —Roger Boucher had originally planned to become an accountant, but over the course of working at his father’s appliance business, he realized he’d rather create a family legacy. “My dad started Boucher’s Appliance Repair in 1972, which he renamed De Anza Appliance in 1985,” he recounts. “I started working here part-time while attending college, where I was studying to become an accountant. I started in the front office doing administrative work and gradually moved into appliance installation and repair. Eventually, it occurred to me that I was enjoying my part-time job more than the subject I was studying, Read more