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Charlie's owner's key advice: 'Try to keep improving things'

Saturday, September 27, 2008 11:12 PM CDT

Charlie Hogg, president of Charlie's Heating and Air Conditioning in Carterville, learned the lifelong value of hard work in 1970, when he was 14, and the lesson came about in a most unexpected way.

That summer, Hogg decided he wanted to purchase a fishing boat, which cost $89. He bought some tomato plants, planted them, raised them and began selling them by the side of the road, hoping to eventually earn the $89.

"One day, a gentleman who owned a car lot in Hurst stopped and asked me what I was doing," says Hogg. "I explained that I was raising money to buy a boat."

The man asked Hogg if he would be interested in washing cars for him. "He was very impressed with what I was doing, and it was obvious that he wanted to help me," says Hogg. "He said any boy with enough incentive to raise tomatoes and sell them had to be a good worker."

Hogg went to work for the man, earning $1 an hour. "That was great, because that was 40 dollars a week," he says. "Since the boat was $89, it wasn't long before I had my boat." In fact, says Hogg, he ended up not only being able to buy the boat, but all kinds of other fishing supplies.

His lesson: "Hard work will pay off," he says. He has used that same philosophy in his current business. Hogg has been in the heating and air conditioning business for 25 years. He looks back on some of the people who inspired him in his commitment to hard work.

One was his father, Charles Hogg Sr. "I was raised in a family of hard-working people," he says. "My father worked double shifts in a factory as a tool and die maker to provide for us."

Another was Don Gentry, a close friend and entrepreneur. He reminded Hogg that part of hard work involves persistence. "He reminded me that the team that wins the World Series didn't win every game that year," says Hogg.

A third was Dean Cook, a contractor, who told Hogg, "If you give a little extra to the customer, it always pays off in the end."

A fourth was Ray Goodman. "Ray and I were working on a project together, and things weren't going so well for someone on the project," he says.

Goodman told Hogg that he could always tell what kind of person someone was. "It is easy to be good when things are going smooth. Business has ups and down. Be strong, no matter what."

Over the years, Hogg admits he has made some mistakes. What he has learned is you don't have to let the mistakes get you down. You just try again and work harder.

"I have always been one to try to keep improving things, both in my business and my personal life," he says.

While Hogg inherited a "hard work gene" from his father and grandparents, he admits that, for better or worse, he inherited a "worry gene" from his mother, which makes him work even harder to make sure things go right. "I always worry about tomorrow," he says.

Bill Atkinson has been a full-time freelance business magazine writer since 1976. He is also the author of seven books. His most recent is "Eliminate Stress From Your Life Forever." Contact him at 985-4486.