Meet Jackson: Building a Team That Actually Cares About Your Home

We're out in Humboldt today working on a pretty sloppy crawl space. Got a crawl drain and sump pump to install before we can even think about vapor barrier. Muddy, wet, not the easiest conditions.

But I wanted to take a minute to introduce you to someone new. This is Jackson, our newest team member.

Now, you might be thinking, "Why do I care about who's on your crew?" Fair question. But here's the thing: the people actually doing the work under your house matter just as much as the work itself. Maybe more.

When you call a crawl space company, you're not just hiring a service—you're inviting people into your home. And who those people are, what they care about, why they're there... that makes all the difference.

Jackson's not new to hands-on work. He's been doing this kind of stuff for a while now. But when he reached out to us, he said something that really stuck with me.

He'd worked for other companies where professionalism was just... lacking. Crews that didn't care. Bosses who cut corners. That "good enough" attitude that's way too common in this industry.

So when he was looking for something new, he wasn't just looking for a job. He was looking for a company that actually does things right. A team that values quality. A place where professionalism isn't just something you talk about—it's how you operate every single day.

And honestly? That's the best compliment we could get.

When someone with experience in the trades specifically seeks you out because of your standards, it tells you something. It means we're building what we set out to build: a company where quality actually matters. Where the work matters. Where treating people's homes with respect isn't optional.

Jackson wanted to be part of that. So we're glad to have him.

Here's the thing most homeowners don't see: a lot of contractors treat their crews terribly.

They hire whoever shows up. Pay them as little as possible. Give them unrealistic schedules and pressure them to move faster, cut corners, just get it done and get to the next job. There's no training. No mentorship. No investment in helping people actually get good at the work.

Then those companies send those rushed, underpaid, undertrained crews to work on your home. And they wonder why the quality is inconsistent.

You can't build quality work on a foundation of people who hate their jobs.

When your crew feels undervalued, overworked, and pressured to just "get through the day," that's exactly what you get. Work that's just good enough to pass. Shortcuts that won't show up until later. Cleanup that gets skipped because they're already late to the next job.

But when people actually care about what they're doing? When they're proud of the work? When they feel respected and valued? You see it in every detail.

The vapor barrier is installed right. The cleanup is thorough. They take the time to do it correctly instead of just doing it fast. They treat your home like it matters—because to them, it does.

That's not something you can fake. And it's not something you can get by just hiring warm bodies and sending them out.

The quality of the people doing the work determines the quality of the work itself.

When we bring someone onto the team, we're not just filling a position. We're asking ourselves: would we want this person working on our own homes?

Technical skills matter, sure. But character matters more. Work ethic matters. Caring about doing things right matters.

We're looking for people like Jackson—people who've seen what bad looks like and actively want to be part of something better. People who don't just need a paycheck, but actually take pride in their work.

That's why we stay small and intentional. Chris and I aren't trying to run ten crews across three states. We're not trying to scale as fast as possible and hire anyone with a pulse. We're building something we can be proud of, with people we actually trust.

When Jackson's under your house, he's representing us. Our name. Our reputation. Our commitment to this community. We've lived in Mahomet our entire lives. We see our customers around town. If the work isn't right, we hear about it.

So yeah, we're careful about who joins the team.

We'd rather stay small and do excellent work than grow fast and lose control of quality. Because at the end of the day, it's not just about getting jobs done—it's about doing them right. And that starts with having the right people doing the work.

When you hire a crawl space company, you probably spend most of your time thinking about the work itself. The vapor barrier, the drainage system, the price, the timeline. All important stuff.

But here's what you might not be thinking about: who's actually going to be under your house?

Because that person determines everything. How they treat your home. Whether they clean up properly or leave a mess. If they take shortcuts when no one's watching. How they handle the unexpected issues that always come up.

An indifferent crew will do the minimum. They'll get it "done" by whatever definition gets them to the next job. They're not thinking about your home's long-term health. They're thinking about five o'clock.

But a crew that actually cares? They're thinking about doing it right. They're paying attention to details. They're taking pride in the transformation. They're treating your crawl space like it belongs to someone who matters—because it does.

You can see it in the cleanup. The way they protect your floors. How they communicate throughout the day. Whether they invite you to inspect the finished work or just want to collect payment and leave.

Who's doing the work matters. A lot.

Before you hire anyone for crawl space work, ask about the actual people doing the job:

Who will be working on my home? Will it be employees or subcontractors they've never met?

How long have they been with your company? High turnover is a red flag.

Will the owner be on site? Or are you just getting whoever's available that day?

What's your training process? Or do they just throw new people into crawl spaces and hope for the best?

Can I meet the crew before work starts? Good companies won't hesitate. Bad ones will make excuses.

How do you ensure quality control? If the answer is vague, that tells you something.

These aren't rude questions. They're smart ones. You're inviting people into your home to do work you'll be living with for decades. You have every right to know who they are and why they're qualified.

If a contractor gets defensive about these questions, that's your answer right there. Quality companies are proud of their crews and happy to introduce them.

When you work with My Guys, you're getting Chris and me. You're also getting people like Jackson—people who specifically chose to work here because of our standards.

We're not trying to be the biggest crawl space company in Illinois. We're trying to be the best in Central Illinois. And that means staying intentional about who we bring on the team.

Every person working under your house represents us. Our name. Our reputation in this community. The commitment we made to do things right.

So we hire carefully. We train thoroughly. We build a culture where quality actually matters. And we stay small enough that Chris or I can be involved in every single job.

That's not just a business model. That's a promise to our neighbors here in Mahomet and the surrounding area.