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Jose Barajas: Working His Way Up

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

TRACY — As the head of a one-man window washing operation, Jose Barajas says his main focus is working his way up (in some ways literally) to the top of his industry. “For about nine years, I inspected powered platforms—the kind that window washers use to wash high-rise buildings,” he explains. “I got to know the owners of a couple of window washing companies and learned it was a very lucrative business. After a while, I decided to get into window washing myself, as well as power washing. So far, things have been going very well. Currently, I’m only servicing buildings up to three stories high, but I’m planning to work my way up from here.”

Today, as owner of Maintenance Agents, Jose enjoys the daily challenges his livelihood presents. “My job is definitely challenging, but then again, I’ve always done challenging things,” he says. “My favorite challenge of all is pushing the limits of the types of jobs I can handle. Recently, I serviced a three-story, 30,000-square-foot apartment complex, which is the biggest job I’ve done so far. I’m looking forward to topping that in the future.”

A lifetime Bay Area resident, Jose lives in Tracy with his wife, Carina, and their daughter, Olivia. When asked his favorite part about living and working in the Bay Area, he says it’s the many different metropolitan areas. “In my line of work, I spend a lot of time in big cities. Whether I’m working in San Jose, San Francisco or Oakland, I really enjoy being amid the hustle and bustle of city life.”

Outside of work, Jose likes to stay active with hobbies like fitness and hiking. “While I like spending time in the city, I also really enjoy the outdoors,” he affirms. “In particular, I like going on hikes with my family and lifting weights. Whether it’s outdoors or at the gym, exercise is an important part of my life.”

In his life and career, Jose espouses the value of pursuing your goals. “I often remind my daughter that nothing worth having comes easy,” he explains. “The more difficult the challenge, the more likely something good is going to come out of it. Whatever your goals are, if you work hard, you’re going to be rewarded in the end—if not financially, then internally.”

When asked the first thing he’d do if he were to retire tomorrow, Jose says he would travel the world. “I’ve been to Hawaii, and that’s about the furthest I’ve traveled, so I obviously still have a lot to see. I think if I retired tomorrow, I’d plan a trip across Europe. That seems like a good place to start.”

Ask Me Anything!

Q: What’s your favorite restaurant?
A: Buffalo Wild Wings.

Q: Music or talk radio?
A: Talk radio, especially The Armstrong & Getty Show.

Q: If you could time travel, would you go to the past or the future?
A: Definitely the future, because I’m interested to see how far technology goes.

Q: What kinds of movies do you like?
A: Sci-fi and action.

Q: What’s your favorite snack?
A: Supreme Cheddar Doritos.