"What if we could create a business based on caring and helping each other?" my brother asked me, when I flew down from Rochester, NY to Charlotte, NC to hear about a business plan he had in the works for over 8 years. When he told me it was a membership-based home maintenance business, I was confused. "How on earth do the two connect?" I wondered.
I spent a week with him that fall of 2022, when we were both at a crossroads in our career paths, wondering how we could live and work a life with more meaning and purpose. Todd started to share his vision. "Well, you know David, the guy we grew up with our small hometown and moved to Charlotte... he and I had lunch the other day and started writing on a napkin the kind of people we want to do business with. They are kind and help each other out. They say what they are going to do, and they do it. They show up, with their whole selves, ready to learn and to teach all who are willing."
I recognized the type. After all, he was describing the people we grew up with in our small, rural hometown of Frewsburg, NY. The kind of place where you rotary dialed your friends to help out with home projects. You had a Randy to do some carpentry, a Mike to climb a ladder, a Brett to bring a saw, and a Denny to make some connections for the stuff you couldn't do.
It hit me. You are trying to recreate what we did growing up. A bunch of hard-working people came together, brought the skills and tools we had, and finished the job with ease. Many hands make light labor. We worked together as a community. And, we had fun doing it. But how do we do that today, and make a business out of it? Shop classes left the schools with our dad in the early 90's. Baby boomers are retiring, leaving vacancies in the service industries. People are moving to Charlotte to launch successful corporate careers and to spend time doing what they love, not home maintenance.
"That's the biggest challenge," Todd tells me, "and also the most rewarding one to solve. A healthy mix of hometown family values and application of corporate real estate principles makes it a win-win for everyone." Sharing knowledge and resources provides a benefit to both the homeowner and to the Dwelink team.
This challenge means we get to look for people who remind us of home. People who want to work collaboratively, in partnership, together. Dwelink's purpose and vision has become crystal clear: to build kindred communities of people who help people.
How are we doing this? We are connecting with businesses and organizations who share the same values. They uphold Dwelink's CARE Commitment, to be courteous, authentic, reliable, and to excel by collaboration and continuous learning. We recently formed a strategic partnership with Collins Comfort Solutions, an HVAC company who values relationships based on trust and honesty. We partner with our hometown friend David (known as 'Drew' in the workplace), at Harkey Tile and Stone.
"Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” This was the sage advice that, as a child, Mr. Roger's got from his mother when he was troubled by scary new things. Well, starting a new business definitely has times that are just plain... scary. We are looking for helpers who want to work together to build this innovative new business which can continue to help more people and make the world a better place to work and live. Working with Dwelink means you work to provide employment opportunities for She Built This City and volunteer opportunities at PeaceHaven Community Farm. It means working with other members of the team who prioritize mental and emotional wellness and give back their time by volunteering at places like Path Forward Counseling to help people through recovery.
Caring truly does matter, and that's why I work at Dwelink and my brother, Todd. You simply won't find another person who works harder to make sure people see the value and potential they have to offer this world.
If you're curious and want to know more, please reach out to us. Job postings can be found on the Work With Us page. We'd love to hear from you.
By Lindsey Graser
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