The people we remember most aren't always the ones who made the biggest speeches or received the most recognition. Sometimes they're simply the people who changed our lives in quiet ways without ever knowing it. This series is my way of saying thank you to those people.
Some of the most important lessons you'll ever learn won't come from a classroom, a training manual, or even a job site. Sometimes they come from a simple act that lasts only a few seconds.
Years ago, I worked at AAmarc Company, where one of the owners was Jim DiMarco. Jim was a quiet spoken man. He wasn't the kind of leader who gathered everyone around for speeches or tried to command attention. In fact, if you didn't know him, you might have underestimated him. But the people who worked with him knew exactly who he was.
He led by example.
Every morning, there was a pot of coffee brewing at the shop. One thing I remember vividly is that Jim would pour himself a cup of coffee, look over at me, and ask, "Jim, would you like a cup of coffee?"
I was only 20 years old. I was the young guy, just trying to learn the trade and prove that I belonged. Here was one of the owners of the company taking a moment to ask me if I'd like a cup of coffee.
To most people, that probably doesn't sound like much. To me, it meant everything.
It wasn't about the coffee. It was about being noticed. It was about being included. It was about realizing that someone in a leadership position saw me not just as a young apprentice, but as a person.
There was no audience, no expectation of praise, and no reason other than kindness. That simple moment stayed with me far longer than any plumbing lesson I learned during those years.
When I eventually started Bottis Plumbing & Heating, I found myself thinking about Jim more often than I ever expected. Not because of a business strategy he shared or a management book he recommended, but because of the example he set every single day.
Leadership isn't built on big moments. It's built on dozens of small moments that quietly tell people they matter.
Holding a door. Saying thank you. Taking a moment to ask someone if they'd like a cup of coffee.
Those moments create trust. They build loyalty. They tell people they're valued.
Over the years, I've tried to build Bottis Plumbing & Heating with that same philosophy. Technical skills can be taught. Respect has to be shown.
Sadly, Jim has since passed away.
I don't know if he ever realized the impact that simple question had on a 20-year-old apprentice. I never had the chance to tell him that a cup of coffee became one of the greatest leadership lessons of my career.
Today, every time I take a moment to make someone feel included, I think of Jim. The best leaders rarely know the lives they've changed.
Jim DiMarco probably thought he was just offering a young apprentice a cup of coffee.
What he was really doing was teaching that 20-year-old what quiet leadership looks like.
Thank you, Jim.
