Ep 29 From 0 - 35 Clients a Week:How Austin Kirby Built His Dryer Vent Cleaning Business

Summary

Podcast Summary: Locally Owned – Ep 29 “From 0 - 35 Clients a Week: How Austin Kirby Built His Dryer Vent Cleaning Business”

Host: The Street Smart Entrepreneur (Dave)
Guest: Austin Kirby, Founder of Kirby Dryer Vent Cleaning
Date: January 29, 2026

---

Overview

This episode features the journey of Austin Kirby, a “hands-on entrepreneur” who left behind the 9-to-5 grind, bought a bucket and a snake brush, and grew a local dryer vent cleaning business from scratch during the COVID-19 pandemic. The discussion dives deep into Austin’s personal motivations, faith-driven approach, lessons from humble jobs, the realities of local business growth, and his philosophy on customer care and sustainable scaling. Austin’s story is marked by authenticity, grit, and a steadfast determination to serve his community.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Personal Purpose and Early Influences

• Faith and Purpose: Austin’s main driver is a deep sense of purpose, grounded in his Christian faith. The verse Jeremiah 1:5 ("Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you...") centers much of his narrative about destiny and action.

  • “God had a plan for all of us when we were in the womb... but you have to find it. It takes you going out and trying to do something.” – Austin Kirby [02:08]

• Restless Beginnings: Austin always felt out of place in the academic system and traditional jobs, describing school and 9-to-5 life as a “hamster wheel,” which he found unfulfilling.

  • “This is not it.” – Austin Kirby [07:20]

• Family Support and Doubt: He acknowledges encouragement from his dad, his mother, and his now-wife, but also recalls moments of doubt and discouragement from bosses and peers, which only fueled his determination.

  • He recalls a Safelite AutoGlass manager questioning his work ethic and how it lit a fire:

    • “That lights a fire in someone. So there’s all these things... these little fires that light up under you.” – Austin Kirby [08:36]

2. Low Points & Turning Lows Into Fuel

• Humble Jobs: Austin reflects on jobs washing dishes and cars, and working at Sunglass Hut. These gave him clarity: “Fine is a problem”—he didn’t want to just “get by.”

  • “Since I was out there washing those dishes... I always felt, okay, this could not be a career. Am I doing the right thing? ...just felt like I was missing out on something.” – Austin Kirby [15:17]

• Advice for Younger Self:

  • "Trust in the Lord and keep going. That'd be the biggest thing. Tell him it's going to be all right.” – Austin Kirby [11:08]

3. The ‘Aha’ Moment: Business Genesis

• The Accidental Launch: Austin stumbled on an online ad for vent cleaning, mistakenly believed it was a job offer, bought the equipment, and realized he had to find his own clients after purchasing the kit.

• First Steps: He began by posting on his personal Facebook and local groups, quickly receiving his first call:

  • “I received my first call... I have a call… I get to go, you know, service someone by myself and drive by myself, and I don’t have a boss.” – Austin Kirby [19:08]

• Early Success During COVID:

  • First week: 4-5 clients, $700-$800 earned.

  • • “It was proof not to settle. It’s proof that he was right to pass on safer, more traditional paths.” – Narrator [21:29]

4. Business Growth and Scaling

• Growing to 30+ Clients a Week: Now, the business generates around $6,500 per week, serving 25–32 clients per week, with just Austin and one technician.

  • “Weekly now it’s 6,500… we've been really averaging like, 32 clients a week.” – Austin Kirby [22:54, 23:15]

• Employee Culture: He pays his technician well above industry base rates, emphasizing quality of life and loyalty over scale.

• Sustainable, Not Maximal Growth:

  • Austin isn’t chasing massive expansion; he wants high-quality service and manageable size.

  • “I would like to keep it small... keep the income to where it’s a certain point, and... all of us can sustain, but we’re not having to have all that stress and get bigger… More money, more problems.” – Austin Kirby [32:13]

5. Service Philosophy & What Sets Him Apart

• Customer Service as Differentiator: Austin credits his rapid growth and retention to personal relationships and superb service:

  • “If I just went and cleaned the vent and walked out, I wouldn’t… probably wouldn’t be here today. It’s the fact that I did that over and over and over again to my first, second, third, fourth, fifth. Because guess what? The second one and the third one, I did such. I went so above and beyond that they’re gonna tell their friend.” – Austin Kirby [37:03]

• Detail and Integrity:
  • His “OCD” and integrity (faith-driven) inform everything: “The perfection and the attention to detail... Every client's treated the same.” [24:04]

    • “[God’s] seen me behind closed doors... picking up that extra piece of lint... The perfection and attention to detail I take of every single thing I do.” – Austin Kirby [24:04]

• Reputation: More than 700+ five-star reviews; systems and procedures ensure every client gets the same high-quality service.

6. On Risk, Entrepreneurship, and Helping Others

• Encouraging Others:

  • Austin has helped 8–10 others start their own vent cleaning businesses; 2 are currently successful, including “Mama Bear Dryer Vent Care” in Georgia, now with 4,300+ 5-star reviews.

  • “Just go out there! No one can do it, but you gotta fight for it... People taking the risk. That’s the hardest part.” – Austin Kirby [34:23-35:54]

• On Why Businesses Fail:

  • “You gotta expect a lot of failure in the beginning… a lot of people just don’t have the stomach for that.” – Dave [36:33]

  • “It’s the customer service ... You don’t just go through the motions and just do the bare minimum.” – Austin Kirby [37:03]

7. Community Impact and What "Enough" Means

• Defining Enough:
  • Austin’s success metrics are not just financial—they’re about the quality of life for his employees and himself and his ability to serve with integrity.

    • “He didn’t just build a business, he placed a boundary. He decided what enough looks like for his life and didn’t let anyone else decide that for him.” – Narrator [33:38]

---

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “This sense of purpose that you felt like you were born with, from that, I’m gonna take it a little bit deeper ... the more you followed it, the stronger it got.” – Dave [03:50]
• “I butted heads at all my managers and all my people. I didn’t like being told what to do.” – Austin Kirby [12:09]
• “I never was complacent.” – Austin Kirby [15:13]
• “Fine is a problem because there’s a big difference between things being fine and us feeling fulfilled in what we’re doing.” – Dave [15:40]
• “Didn’t want anyone calling back saying I did something wrong... so I would pick up every bit of lint...” – Austin Kirby [24:04]
• “He trusted his read on people, and I applaud his willingness to take risk and let competition fade into background noise instead of being a threat.” – Narrator [42:59]

---

Key Timestamps

• Early Life & Faith: [02:08] – [07:46]
• Turning Point/Low Point Reflections: [10:11] – [15:40]
• From Side Hustle to Business: [18:21] – [22:06]
• Business Now: Revenue & Operations: [22:53] – [23:28]
• Customer Service Philosophy: [24:04] – [26:23], [37:03] – [38:09]
• Scaling and Employee Focus: [28:38] – [32:13]
• Advice to New Entrepreneurs: [34:23] – [36:33]
• Systems and Reviews: [40:09] – [41:16]

---

Practical Takeaways for Local Entrepreneurs

• Purpose fuels persistence: Trusting your gut and leaning into your individual wiring—especially when you don’t fit the "normal" mold—is key.
• Risk is essential: Building a business isn’t comfortable. The leap is a requirement, not an option.
• Attention to detail & relationships drive growth: Even if your systems/tools are basic, commitment to quality and client connection make lasting impressions (and generate referrals).
• Define your “enough”: Growth for growth’s sake isn’t necessary. Sustainability and satisfaction can be more important.
• Faith and integrity matter: For Austin, faith guides his approach to business and clients, compounding his success beyond dollars.

---

Contact/Find Kirby Dryer Vent Cleaning

• Website/Social: Search “Kirby DVC” or “Kirby Dryer Vent Cleaning” on Google, Instagram, and Facebook.
• Phone: [phone]
• Top-rated in Alabama; prompt, detailed service.

---

Final Motivation

“Nobody’s born an entrepreneur—entrepreneurship includes room for formation.” – Narrator [42:59]

Austin’s story is a testament to action, integrity, and faith—a blueprint for any aspiring local business owner looking to create meaningful, sustainable success on their own terms.

Transcript

[Narrator]

Imagine that guy you knew in high school who couldn't sit still in a classroom. He was a cool guy, but somehow he didn't always quite fit in. And imagine him almost choosing the safe 9 to 5 path until he sees a strange online ad and buys a bucket and a snake brush and builds a business out of that with his own hands. Well, that's Austin Kirby of Kirby Dryer Vent Cleaning. And this is Locally Owned.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Hello and welcome back to another episode of Locally Owned. Today's guest is Austin Kirby. He is a true hands on entrepreneur. He didn't inherit a business and he didn't wait for permission and he didn't start with any sort of master plan. He got started with a bucket and a snake brush, which if you don't know what that is, you're about to find out. And a belief that his life was meant for more than just what he calls the hamster wheel. And Austin, before we get into the business, I want to go back to. To you, to the version of you that existed before this business and your story and how you got to where you are. You said that you knew early on that you didn't want to be on the hamster wheel, which you describe as this 9 to 5 grind of getting up, going to work, coming home, eating, taking a shower, going to bed and doing it all over. You didn't. You knew that wasn't for you. And. And I love the way you knew it. It was partly because of a scripture that you read from Jeremiah 1:5. It says, Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart. And you said that everybody is born with a passion and a purpose and you have to find it. And that's the hardest part. I got the feeling that verse is not just inspirational to you, but something about it felt personal to you. Can you talk about that?

[Austin Kirby]

Yeah, of course. Yeah. The biggest thing with that verse, that's a quote that I could look back and just realize that, that I try to explain to a lot of people is God had a plan for all of us when we were in the womb. Could be to be a plumber, be an electrician, or it could be to be a doctor or be a lawyer. And so I believe you have to find it. Now, as far as finding it, you can't just sit there laying in your bed 24 7, just not doing anything and not trying to find it. It takes you going out and trying to do something. And it relates to my story well, because I could have not picked up that bucket and that snake brush and started what I've created with my hands. And I wouldn't have known my purpose. And a lot of people think that the purpose could be just being successful or anything like that. But my biggest thing is in my heart treating other people like they want to be treated like I want to be treated. I've always been a person with a warm heart that welcomes anyone, talks to anyone. And that's what I think is the biggest thing that people need to understand. This is a good motivation for people out there that, you know, have not. Who do not know what they exactly want to do in life. That's my best motivation to them is it doesn't matter the service you provide. It's how you provide that service. Minds, yes. Cleaning event. But you go through customer service, you go through their systems in place that you have to do. All things come into play. I've OCD to where I'm very structured and everything, with all my booking and everything, and it all aligns. But that is one of the biggest things for sure now.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

So this sense of purpose that you felt like you were born with, from that, I'm gonna take it a little bit deeper. Do you feel like it was this thing that was always really strong, or do you feel like the more you followed it, the stronger it got? The more. Like you said, you can't just lay in your bed, wait for a blue shaft of light to come down and tell you this is your purpose. You have to get out there and let. Let God direct you. But you feel like where you pursued it, the stronger you felt.

[Austin Kirby]

Yeah. So I would. The best way to explain it is people are going to go through a series of things in life. Struggles, happy times, ups and downs. The biggest thing is just like we were talking about taking that step no matter what's going on in your life. And then you keep on trucking along. And that's what I did. And that's literally the secret. You can't just sit there and just wish and wish. And I think a lot of people want the snap of the finger. And it's not like that.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

It seems like you've got some people around you that know you. You mentioned that your dad knew that school was just not for you. I know plenty of people that have decided not to go to college and have built these amazing companies and have sold them for millions and. And they just had the smarts, but just the way they're wired, they need to be out there building something. Sitting in a classroom just was not for them. And you've got these people around you, at least at this point. When you first got out in the world to work, you had your dad that said, hey, this is the way to go for you. And you've got your wife now and she was your girlfriend and you mentioned your mom, but what was it like? Maybe tell me that moment when you're working for safelight, you're trying the nine to five, you're doing what you call the hamster wheel.

[Austin Kirby]

Yeah.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Was there a moment when you were like, this just isn't going to work for me and you knew this is not my purpose?

[Austin Kirby]

Yeah, that's a great question. So I would say, to preface, no one wants to go out and necessarily go slave away. Who doesn't want freedom? I. So I'm not going to be like, oh yeah, Dad, I love that idea. Let's go. I'm going to go try this and I'll slave away in 8 to 5 till I'm 50 or 60 and then I can retire or whatever. And so no, I didn't like the idea. And we butted heads a ton through that time. And I told you this as well. Before through school, I always felt a little different than everyone else. I always, I just saw these people. But the most smart people in school, they do these types of things and they take these classes. I just, in the back of my head, I just knew I've got something else. This is not my plan. And when I was younger, I had that mom where I was like, this is not my plan. And I. And so moving on into when I tried it, when I had to try it, when school's out, safe flight was the first thing I tried. And you're waking up at 6:30 heading there. I remember my first day of training. You get there, you're just out of school, you're. I didn't even care about really the money. Honestly, the first day, it's just in my head I'm just like, this is just not it. It's just I always had. And you don't know it. No one knows it. You don't know what it is.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

I just know that it's not it.

[Austin Kirby]

This is not it.

[Narrator]

That's such an honest phrase. This is not it. Most people feel that, but they're slow to listen to it. They might be tempted to settle or try to make the most of it. But Austin treated it like a signal instead of an obstacle or a false start. And I love that he was willing to listen to his inner voice telling him it's time to move on.

[Austin Kirby]

But. So anyways, you always had that in the back of my head, and it's not. And it's not detailed. Like, I didn't have exactly this, but just through my emotions and everything, it was just. Yeah, this is not it. I moved on to Anthony's car washes to get a car wash job. But there's two things I'll add in the middle of Safe Flight that I'd love to add that were big stepping stones into building who I am actually at those points. And the first one was so. So I was in a car and we're cleaning a windshield, the inside. And I was next to a guy named Tommy, and he's like their best tech. And he was telling me. He said, I was working, trying my best to learn everything. And he looked at me and he said, you're gonna. You're gonna do something special. He's. You're a special kid. And I don't. And he was just. He was a country guy. Just whatever. He's not very warm, I would say, and fuzzy. He's more like a. He's a little warm, fuzzy, but more like a joker type and like the hardcore guy. And. But he looked at me and said that. And I still remember to this day, I just. I didn't know what it meant, but I took it as being special and being able to do something. And that was one thing. And then another big thing was the end of Safelight, where at the end they took me in the office and manager that I've tried my best for, whatever. That's not even there now, because he got in trouble. He actually. He brought me in and he. And he questioned my work ethic. He said, I think you need to get your work ethic before you find a job or a career and just question my work ethic. And I. From there, that. That lights a fire in someone. So there's all these things. And I was doubted a lot. High school, everything. There's these little things, these little fires that. That light up under you. And they kept building. And that was a couple of the ones. And so I remembered that so then. And so then. Anyways, from there, then went to Anthony's car wash and so on as far as jobs, until I got to where I am today.

[Narrator]

What strikes me about these moments is how small they were and how big they became. Sometimes the most prophetic voice. Voices in our lives don't even know they're being prophetic. And it's only when we look back that we're able to see that somehow our future was revealing itself to us through these ordinary people in these seemingly odd but very ordinary moments.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Yeah, and I, I think there was a, there's always maybe a low point before things start going up. And you shared with me that you had this job at, I mean it was Steel City Pops, you and you're there working dishes. It's work. And so you're not putting the work down itself. But you came to this sort of epiphany that your path is not the same as a lot of your classmates because a lot of your classmates you were aware would, had some had a path cleared for them. They would either work in their parents companies or they were in high school, college. And, and so you realize my path is not the same, but this is not my path either. It felt like a real low point to you and yeah, yeah, if you could go back to your, I don't know how old you were then, but your 19 year old self right now, if you could go back, what would you tell your 19 year old self at that point?

[Austin Kirby]

Yeah, that's tough. I'd tell him to trust the biggest thing is trust in the Lord and keep going. That that'd be the biggest thing. Tell him it's going to be all right because when you're at your lowest point and you're butting heads with your family and like how I'd mentioned that and you brought up that my classmates are going out and they're in college and going to go have a job after and it's lined up and everything. And I always tell myself, and remember that, never have any regrets for what you've been through, what anyone's been through. That's a big thing with me because everything happens for a reason. And God puts us in these places because he has a bigger plan in the future to build you into and I was built into this and you were built into that and it's, it could be the worst of things happening, but it's all, everything happens for a reason. And yeah, I, I fully believe that. And that's what I would tell myself if I could go back.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Would you tell yourself, hey, you're going to be super successful, you're going to build this company and you're going to have these great clients?

[Austin Kirby]

No. And the crazy thing is, and that's what my wife still says, there's just no way. There's not a higher being there. There's not our My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I l built a life from a bucket And a snake brush. And just absolutely built it with my hands, built it from what I am like. And obviously hard work and all this stuff, but it was what I was born to do. It's what for me. He formed me in the womb and before I was formed, he knew. And different people have different things, but mine was. I had to go get it myself because I wasn't going to work for anyone. I just couldn't. I butted heads at all my managers and all my people. I didn't like being told what to do. So it's not. From what I did. Zero percent. I would not believe.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Yeah.

[Austin Kirby]

It. If I had to go back and most people would not. Because it's very, very hard to believe. And just because getting out of high school, what I did is just is astronomical. To be able to build what I did, it's just. There's no other excuse but hard work, dedication, and the good Lord above, who is all I can thank. And the people around me.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Yeah. Yeah. And they have a. There's a plan that you can't see. And.

[Austin Kirby]

And it sucks that you can't see.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

It does. But I think some. To some extent, though, as it gets revealed, it helps you relax into some other hard times knowing that, hey, I've had some low points in my life and I'm here now. Everything's going to be okay, 1,000%.

[Austin Kirby]

I love. I love that you said that. Like, why would. He did this for me and built this. Why would he. At this low time, this wouldn't be the way it ends with him on your side. And that's a big thing. I love that you said that for sure.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Yeah. Yeah. Because suffering, hard times, trials, whatever you want to call it, they're part of life. It's just part of it. And it's often the way we learn and it's often the way that we get. We get clarity from that too, and grow that where we go, okay, this. I don't want this ever again in my life. And so they really do have a purpose and we wouldn't jump into them ourselves. And so sometimes they just have to be a part of life and we learn from it. And you have this low point and then where you come to this realization, like, I'm here. I am washing dishes and my classmates are on to college and. And nothing wrong with washing. It's good work. And it's a. Nothing wrong with it. Yeah, dude, this is not for me. And this is. I want. I can see myself having more. I just can't see what it is.

[Austin Kirby]

I want to preface the dishes thing too, to get it out to everyone. Like you said, it's not the washing dishes part. It's about wanting to be able to sustain and live and build a life. And I'm just here not working towards it.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Yeah. Yeah, I love that. Yeah. Because you can't even provide for yourself, let alone provide for others.

[Austin Kirby]

No, exactly. I was never complacent.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Right.

[Austin Kirby]

Since I was out there washing those dishes, since I was out there washing those cars, I always felt, okay, this could not be a career. Am I doing the right thing? Am I building my life? Am I gonna build up for success of what I want? That's a big thing as well, is just knowing I wasn't in the position I felt like to build my life and just felt like I was missing out on something.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

I like that you said that, because that's the perfect segue because you end up leaving there, you get a job at Sunglass Hut. And the way you describe it, and I love it because it really shows your entrepreneurial spirit within you. You're like, and things were great. You were fine. It was. Your boss was good and your job was good. But really, for most entrepreneurs, fine, it's a problem because there's a big difference between things being fine and us feeling fulfilled in what we're doing and feeling like we're offering something to the world that's valuable that we can contribute to. And. And what was it when you were there where things were fine that made you start to feel like fine is a problem? For me, it's. This isn't really what I want.

[Austin Kirby]

Yeah. To be honest with you, I'm making nine hitting bucks an hour and part time, and it's. I'm just ready to start my life and I'm ready to try something and do something. I was tired of sitting in a mall and just standing around, and I just. After two years, I decided, I want to make some money to help provide and everything. And then that's what led to me trying to go to school.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

But now you decided to go to school for automated manufacturing, and you went to Lawson State and did that feel because you had said something like, okay, maybe I'll make a career out of this. And you knew you'd be working with your hands with that. That it wasn't going to be a desk job, which you knew that fit you. Did that feel okay? Maybe it's a compromise that you're, okay, I'll be working with a company, but at least I'm Working with my hands as well.

[Austin Kirby]

Yeah, I would say, I would say I gave up. I was like, you know what? I know I want to work with my hands. I'm just going to do a two year degree and get paid hopefully 24 an hour and just work. And it could have been long hours or whatever. So it's just, it was me giving up. And so I would say, yeah, for sure. Definitely. Definitely a compromise, for sure.

[Narrator]

What I hear in this part of Austin's story isn't giving up, it's discernment. He knew when it was time to chase the dream and he also knew when it was time to shoulder responsibility. And that takes a kind of intelligence you don't learn in a classroom. The ability to adjust for the people you love without abandoning the person you're trying to become. He didn't walk away from his calling. He just knew it's gonna have to wait. And he's learning to carry it.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Okay, but then you, you quit your job at Sunglass Hut and decided, okay, you saw this. What did you see? Like an ad or something that.

[Austin Kirby]

Yeah. So what I did was so I was going to school at Lawson and it's crazy looking back, it's like you're just going through the motions. I don't know what I'm doing. I'm just going through the motions. Like I'm going to class. I had great grades the first semester. Getting into the next semester, I was like, oh my gosh, I don't know any of this electrical crap. And so I was like, towards like just being done. And at that point I was just like, okay, screw it, I'm going to look for an apprenticeship for a plumbing company or something. I'm like, I'm gonna find that. I'm just gonna. Because they can make some good money. And so I was looking up something like that. I was looking at like Roto Rooter and stuff and I was scrolling, scrolling and all of a sudden I found something that said like Vic Cleaning. And I was like, okay, 100 something Bucks spent cleaning. I was like, that seems easy. What? And I clicked on it and they were a company out of state and I ended up call calling them and they were going to send me the equipment, I was going to pay for it and they're going to send me the equipment. And they didn't tell me that I was supposed to find my own clients. I was just like, oh, there's another hurdle. So I have the equipment. I'm like, what the heck? You know what I'm supposed To find my own clients. And so that's what started my company. So my girlfriend at the time, wife, now I was sitting down, and I was like, okay, I'm gonna do this. So one of the biggest steps that I did, I was posting on just my regular personal page, Austin Kirby, on Facebook. And I ended up posting in what's happening groups like, hey, this is Austin Kirby. I'm doing dry and cleaning for blah, blah, blah, price. Boom. And ended up posting in that. And then I would say, honestly, I posted. And then maybe like an hour later, me and my wife were sitting there, and we were like, we should do a Facebook page. And so, yeah, she told me, make the page. I made the page. And then hours later, after I've done. After I did both of those things, posting what's happening and made a Facebook page, I think I received my first call. And I still remember to this day the butterflies, like, in my stomach. I'm like, oh, my gosh. Like, I have a call. I'm like, I get to go, you know, service someone by myself and drive by myself, and I don't have a boss. And I'm like. And go take their payment. I'm like, what? Taking a payment by myself. And. And so anyways, I did it. I went and did theirs. And I had two more that week. So I had two more call. I can't remember if it was the same day, but, yeah, I had. I ended up my first week. I think I did. I think I did, like, maybe five cl. Four clients. Five clients. And ended up doing 700 bucks or 800 bucks my first week, which was like, okay, wait, what the heck? And mostly in this economy, it's like, in this economy, back then, in 2020, it's what in the world? Because this was Covid time. I'm like, I just made 700 bucks. And I, Like, I remember calling my mom at the time, and I'm like, 700 bucks a week. If I can do this, like, with my entrepreneur, I'm like, if I can make 700 bucks a week, that's. Yeah, that's, like, how much technically I would be making at school. So I'm like, yeah, that first.

[Narrator]

Money isn't really about the money. It's the moment reality whispers back, saying, this might actually be real. This might be what you've been looking for. And a part of you that has always been there seems to come to life. What it really is is proof. Proof that he was right to keep moving on, Proof not to settle. It's proof that he Was right to pass on safer, more traditional paths. It's proof that he can do this and that he should be doing this.

[Austin Kirby]

And so from there, boom, all uphill. Once I had that little bit of. That little bit of hope. And I remember, like, after, like, my. I think after that week, I was just like, I think I know. Or like, this is it. It took that one little thing and already had all that fire behind me, and it just. From there, it skyrocketed.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

And that came from posting on Facebook.

[Austin Kirby]

That was posting on Facebook on what's happening. Yep. Think about the very first time someone trusted you. No matter if it was your business, building a business, your first career, first time someone trusting you, it's just like, into something that changed your life. It's the most. You're so thankful, right? Yeah.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

So what are you. What are you doing now? What's your. What's it.

[Austin Kirby]

Yeah.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Look like?

[Austin Kirby]

Oh, Weekly now it's 6,500.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

That's fantastic.

[Austin Kirby]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, guys.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

How many employees do you have with you now?

[Austin Kirby]

Right now it's me and my technician. He's my only one. And, yeah, he does all.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Fantastic. So 6,500 a week, and it's just. And you can do that volume with one technician?

[Austin Kirby]

Yes. So we do usually, like I was saying, we kind of range around from the 25 clients to really this new year, we've been really averaging like, 32 clients a week. And it's just been keeping on growing from the very first week I started the company.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

That's great. That's fantastic. Yeah.

[Austin Kirby]

Thank you. Yeah.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

One of the things that I can gather from.

[Austin Kirby]

Yeah.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

You sent me your background, and I read all that. In just thinking about it and then in talking to you now, I know your faith is very important to you.

[Austin Kirby]

Yes.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

But how has it developed for you? Because I would imagine your customers that call you back again and again, it's because you care about the quality of the work you're doing. Seems very important to you. What drives that for you to really make sure that the job is done right.

[Austin Kirby]

Yeah. So I would say to dig deep. What drives that for me is so a little bit in the back of my head that I always have had. My dad always told me to work hard at anything you do, no matter what it is. But I'd also say the biggest thing is being at that low from the beginning. I didn't ever want anyone calling back, saying I did something wrong, whatever. So I would pick up every bit of lint that was on the Ground. I didn't want someone complaining about lint on the ground. Like when people are. The biggest thing about me and what I believe God's helped my success so much is because he's the one who's seen me when I'm behind closed doors and that client can't even see me and I'm doing something for them that another person would probably kick to the side, like picking up that extra piece of land or if I knock something out of place, putting it back into place. The perfection and the attention to detail I take of every single thing I do. Every client, thousands of clients that I've serviced and thousands of clients that have called me. Every single little attention to detail that I do. Everyone's treated the same. And the attention to detail and the cleaning and everything that we do is going to be perfect from the beginning and they're going to be treated the same. And I think that I'm real construction oriented where I'm like, I want this a certain way, I want to make it perfect and blah, blah. But I'd say the biggest thing is when I go out to service a client, if they trust me to take their money, they're my family, I love them. They're in my heart. Crazy as it sound. Like, literally, I'm that warm of the heart, picked up your phone to call me. So you are going to get my. All my respect. I've always done that. Even in life, if someone's treat me the right way, I. I'm gonna treat them the exact same way. I'm gonna be happy, smiley. If they treat me bad, you're gonna get somewhat the same. I'm not gonna let someone walk over me. And so that's the biggest thing I think is that I care about my clients. They trust me, I care about them. So that's gonna be your. That's the answer to the question is that they trusted me, they're giving me my money. So they're gonna get. They're gonna get everything.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

So it's part who you are, part the integrity you have because of your relationship with God. And then third part, ocd.

[Austin Kirby]

There is some OCD for sure. And that helps.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

I would rather an OCD person hire them to clean my house than someone not. Yeah. Everything else being equal.

[Austin Kirby]

Yes, yes. That's definitely the biggest thing for sure.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Yeah. I love that. That's a great blend of letting your faith guide you and guide you know who you are for your customers and how you perform your. The work that you do and be

[Austin Kirby]

there well and in relating a little bit real quick. I'm a believer. So it's. If I'm a believer and he can see me, it's like he's given me all the success. He's the one who gave us this life. So I'm like, I trust in him, so he's got to trust in me to do the right thing.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

No, I love that. It. I gotta wonder when you got that. When you applied for that ad and you thought it was an apprenticeship, and so you paid money for the equipment and you thought that you were going to be trained and go through this apprenticeship, shipping, and then you realize that's a scam. And. And it's up to me. And so you said, I'm just going to do this for myself. Why would I. Because. Yeah. Why would you continue on with a company that's not honest from the beginning? And so you decided to do your own thing. I got to wonder, if you had known it was a scam like that, you were going to have to go out and get your own customers and give them a cut of the money, would you have done it? Look where you are. If you would have just said, nah, it's not for me, and walked away from it.

[Austin Kirby]

It's crazy. I don't know if I would have. I guess that's. I don't like to think about it because, Lord, dude, I was halfway out of school. Halfway. Oh, gosh. I don't. Man, I don't know where in the world my life would be right now if I didn't do this. Zero. I have zero clue. So that's why I'm so thankful every day. Once I had that first client, I knew I could do it. It was no turning back.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Yeah.

[Austin Kirby]

Yeah.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Obviously, if you've gone from $400 a week to $6,500 a week, you're employing somebody, helping them make a living where they can take care of their family. And so what are the plans for Kirby Dryer Vent Cleaning?

[Austin Kirby]

So in the beginning, I didn't know if I was going to hire someone. It took me four and a half years. So I finally hired someone. And we talked about a little bit on the phone. When we very first talked, I just. I'd like to keep it small. I remember you said you had over 20 employees around that. 20, 19.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Something like that varied from time to time.

[Austin Kirby]

Varied. That's right. That's what you said. So I've got a buddy in another city, and he's doing. He does $236,000 a month off of just dryer vents. So then there's that. I don't know what it holds. I just remember to always keep bettering myself. Always keep bettering my employee will. And I'm gonna keep doing what I love to do, servicing clients and providing this, the utmost respectable service to Birmingham and meeting new people and just loving what I do and just seeing where it takes me. All I can say is I'm busy at the beginning of the year. So I don't know. But it's a good problem to have the.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

I've heard this as an analogy and I like it. It's when you see this mountain, you want to get up and you get to the top of it. And now that you're at the top of it, you can see these other mountains that are even bigger and you could see them from the bottom.

[Austin Kirby]

Yeah.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

And at one point, 700 in a week was quite a mountain to climb for you. And now you, you're in a much different place, much higher. But you've got this friend that's saying that that has shown you this is possible. And so you've got this spirit of, you were born for this purpose. I formed you, I made you. And everybody's purpose is not to grow as big as possible. It's not.

[Austin Kirby]

You can't. That's my attention to detail.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Yeah. Yeah. And that's okay. Mine was something that was very life changing for me was when someone had mentioned to me, and it was more in an offhanded way, or maybe they were intentional and I didn't. I was. I had some blinders on. And so when they said it, it was new to me, but I was just talking about my goals and growth. And this guy said, yeah, and look at what you get to do. You are providing work for men and women to take care of their families and to make a living.

[Austin Kirby]

Crazy.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

And I hadn't thought about the importance of that. And so I reshaped my company at that point where I wanted it to be something that the important thing was that they could make a living where if it was a guy, his wife could stay home and take care of the kids and they had health insurance and a 401k. That became much more important than how much I was doing every month. It was, am I building a company? It's really good for the employees. And so it shifted. I didn't know how important that was until it was introduced to me. And I was like, you know what? Yeah, it would seem Shallow to make $236,000 a month. If my employees couldn't feed their family on what they were making, it had to become something where they're making great money. They got a 401k, so there's. Their future is becoming more secure and they've got health benefits. They get paid time off. It's so. I talked too long on that. Sorry about that.

[Austin Kirby]

No, you're good. I love hearing it.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Things shift. And so having this massive company, that's great for some people because it provides work for lots and lots of people that may or may not be your vision.

[Austin Kirby]

And that's a great perspective. And that's all for. Yeah, that's a great perspective. Like what I tell a lot of people when they ask me about growing and I tell them I would like to keep the quality to where I can have one or two technicians and keep the income to where it's a certain point and keep it to where all of us can sustain, but we're not having to have all that stress and get bigger. So that's the biggest thing that I tell people at the end of the day. More money, more problems is what everyone says, and it's the truth. More people, more problems. If you can sustain off of something and you're not in the restaurant industry where you know, I have to do something, our OI is so great. We. Our return on investment is amazing at what we do. We don't need all these $20,000 machines. If we can stick to where we can do this and help people and grow people and share our faith to people, then that's what I would like to do and that's how it's going to be. I just don't. I can't ever see myself getting that big. And like you said, with the quality of life and everything for my technicians and everything, I started my technician off 15, probably $15,000 more, talking about annually than the base technician was getting paid globally, probably. But he's going to be paid a good amount. And, yeah, that's how I was as well. As far as quality of work for.

[Narrator]

If you're listening, I'm sure you noticed what Austin just did there. He didn't just build a business, he placed a boundary. He decided what enough looks like for his life and didn't let anyone else decide that for him. And he measures success less by how big he gets and more by how well the people around him can actually live because of what he's building. That's the kind of leadership that isn't about scale. Being a good steward is what Comes to my mind.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

One final question. You're able to speak to somebody who feels like they are stuck on the hamster wheel, but there's more to their life than that. What would you tell them?

[Austin Kirby]

Yeah, so I've helped over probably. So I've, I've helped over probably eight to 10 people try to get. Get up on their heels and start a company. I've had two that have actually done it. One is very successful now in Georgia. It's Mama Bear Dryer Vent Care and he's got a rap band, everything. He's got like over 4,300-5star reviews and he had nothing. And then he talked to me. So this is one guy that I've helped build and I just told him over the phone and what I tell everyone, he might have been 48 years old. I can't remember exactly in the corporate world has money, he's fine, but was bored and done and wanted to branch out and try something new. So he went all out and I told him, look, I told him everything I told you in this whole podcast really just to. You've heard it all. Just go out there. No one can do it, but you gotta fight for it. And then he was already good at talking on the phone. So customer service is big. And so what I would tell someone and what I tell him that has now built this awesome company from not just me. Obviously he went out and did it, but it's just going to try and doing it and it's people taking the risk. That's the hardest part. And that's what I did. And if I didn't take that risk, guess what? I want to be where I'm at. But not everyone's going to take that risk in this world and in this life. And that's what sets us apart as entrepreneurs in the 1 to 3% that do this in America.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

I know. And that's. It's nice that people won't take the risk because it gives you less competition.

[Austin Kirby]

That's exactly what I. You said the. I know you're an optioner as well because you said the exact same thing that I said to one of my clients. I forgot who it was, but it was one of my clients that started his businesses. Business as well. And he. I said the same exact thing to him. I told him that's a good thing that only 1% or whatever don't. It's a good thing that people don't take the risk because if they took the risk then we'd have a lot more entrepreneurs and Stuff. Successful ones, because a lot of them are on. It's so hard. And that's why it's so interesting meeting people like us. It's. It's so hard. So many fail. 99% fail.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Yeah. I think a lot of businesses fail partly because they don't have a great plan. And it is. I. And I didn't have a great plan, but I was willing to work hard. And I think some. Sometime I think the ones that fail is they're just. You gotta expect a lot of failure in the beginning where things aren't gonna work out until you find out what does work out. And. And a lot of people just don't have the stomach for that. It's. Yeah, things don't work.

[Austin Kirby]

You want to tell you. You want me to tell you the biggest thing that also sets them apart? Perfect customer service. Talking with them, noticing things in their house, being open with them, being personable. If I just went and cleaned the vent and walked out, I wouldn't. I probably wouldn't be here today. It's the fact that I did that over and over and over again to my first, second, third, fourth, fifth, because guess what? The second one and the third one I did such. I went so above and beyond that they're gonna tell their friend. And the biggest thing that I think people, young people should take from this or anyone when they're going out is that, sorry, but you're not. It's not gonna work if you go and you're just, oh, clean the vent, you're good, move on. Doesn't work like that now. It's not saying it's impossible, but if you want success, you don't just go through the motions and just do the bare minimum. That's never it. And that's the biggest thing that I did that. That sets all of us apart is definitely caring, unlike a lot of people.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Yeah, that's a great point. Because there's the work that you do, and if someone did that work equally as good as you, but you took the time to engage with your client and build a relationship, that relationship is always going to matter more than the work you do. Now. You can't do sloppy work, but if you're building a relationship, nobody's going to ever steal them from you.

[Austin Kirby]

And it's crazy you say that. Back then I was using a snake, a bucket and a snake. I don't know if that was cleaning the vent. I hope I was cleaning the vent, but it was back then. You don't have as. As much good materials yeah, obviously I want to have the best quality work back then, but it's like I was only doing what I was told. So it's like, yeah, I was cleaning the vent, stuff was coming out. But it's like now I've got so much tools. That's a lot different. But like, back then, you think about it, it's like it was. It had to been the customer service because obviously they like my work and it worked and I was cleaning vents. But it's. Back then, it's. It had to been the customer service because you got to build your quality work mostly with what I was doing without a degree and stuff. Mine was a bucket of snakes. It's like I had to build my equipment, build it all. So no, it. Mine was 1000% definitely the customer service and taking that next step.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

And that's the thing is people, when you take that time, they get to know them, then they feel like they can count on you because they know you. You've shared a little bit about yourself with them and. And so there's no. They're not left wondering, did he do a good job? Did he do things right? You take the time to build that rapport and people, now they know who you are and so if there's a problem, they're not afraid to call you. Whereas if that relationship isn't built and there's a problem, they're like, I'm not going to call them, but I'll never use them again. Yeah, we all do that. And I think people don't realize how powerful just taking the time to build a relationship with.

[Austin Kirby]

With everything is 1000%. And to piggyback off that, I can't even believe how many. I go back and look and I'll search up a last name or something. And I can't believe how many people's family members I've ended up cleaning. Multiple. Multiple. Because of them telling their family probably. I've also had clients where it's. I've looked back and they're like, oh, I clean. And they're like, oh, I didn't say anything. So I've cleaned somehow behind their back, the same family, which is crazy. That tells you I'm doing something good. Yeah, so that's crazy. And then, yeah, just with the attention to detail thing, I followed that into with my technician before I hired him. I put systems in place to where we get everything done with the quality work and everything. I've got notes full of just the systems that we do and we run our business through housecall Pro. We take pictures, we do all this stuff. Okay. Yeah. Like you said, just attention, quality to work is huge. And we, I continued that from me to now someone else because it's got to be perfect. And our 700 five star reviews shows it that we are perfection. We're, we want to do the best we can and we're going to do it for all of our clients.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Yeah. Yeah. Nothing speaks louder than somebody else saying what a great job you did.

[Austin Kirby]

Exactly. How's big on that from the beginning, man.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

I appreciate you getting on here, taking some time and talking to me and being able to share your story. The winds but everything. And I know there's going to be a lot of people that hear this that are going to. Everybody's got a dryer. Everybody's got a dryer vent. Everybody needs what you do. So how do people get a hold of you?

[Austin Kirby]

Yeah, you can look online at, you can search up Kirby dvc. That stands for Dryer vent cleaning. Our company name is Kirby Dryer Vent Cleaning. Like I said, you can search up anything. Kirby Drive and cleaning or Kirby dvc. We're on Instagram at Kirby Dryer Vent Cleaning. Facebook, Kirby Driver Cleaning. But yeah, like I said, we're rated the top rated in Alabama. So all you have to do is search Driving Cleaning near me. Driving Cleaning Birmingham. It'll pop up as well. And then to reach us, 205-382-3824 is our number, but you can find that on social media as well. And then my name's Austin Kirby and I'm owner. And yeah, you can find us on anything as far as social media for sure to get us out there. And it's recommended annually by the National Fire Protection association to get this done.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

I need to get it done.

[Austin Kirby]

Yeah, it's recommended.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Out of my house. Yeah.

[Austin Kirby]

Yes. So yeah, for sure.

[Interviewer (Dave)]

Thank you, Austin. And hey, if you're listening and you see yourself in Austin's story, this show exists for you because building a business isn't just about making money. It's about what you're doing and how that's shaping who you're becoming.

[Austin Kirby]

Yes, I appreciate it. Thanks, Dave.

[Narrator]

Thanks for listening to another episode of Locally Owned. As you walk away from Austin's story, notice what really makes him stand out. He isn't intimidated by people with more money, more experience, or a fancier version of the same thing he's doing. I love how unpretentious he is and how he trusts his read on people. And I applaud his willingness to take risk and let competition fade into background noise instead of being a threat. But what makes this bigger than a business for him is this. This work didn't just give him income and sustainability. It gave him a path to finding the version of Austin that he seemed to know was always there. It's his stage for how he sees people, how he works, and even how he understands God. And the longer I do this, the more I realize that people aren't born fully entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship includes room for formation. Hey, I hope you've enjoyed listening to Austin's story as much as I have telling it.