Fox Energy Specialists Announce The 2018 Designee of the Year, TAG Gilkeson, CGB, CGR, CGP, CAPS, CGA, CMP, CSP, GMB, Master CGP and Master CSP.
This award was developed by the Education Committee to recognize an individual who exhibits excellence in the pursuit of knowledge in the advancement of their career. Tag’s quest for knowledge leads to a better educated workforce and better opportunities for our entire industry.
Gilkeson, principal owner of Tag & Associates, has worked hard to obtain seven certifications in one year, but he isn’t stopping there. His goal is to hold a total of 11 certifications, which will earn him the distinction of holding the most certifications in the nation. He was motivated to undertake such an achievement for both professional growth and to help bring national attention to the Dallas Builders Association.
Currently Tag is a member of the Dallas BA Education Committee and serves on the Board Directors, he helps spearhead the certification class schedule and selflessly assists in drafting articles for selected designees. He freely gives his time when called upon to instruct local courses and is a certified NAHB national instructor.
1) How did you get your start in the building industry?
I originally obtained my real estate l license in 1998. I worked with investors to find properties they could fix and flip for profit. I found this one home that the investor stood to make $250,000 on but it was difficult to see because the seller was a hoarder. I must have run 7 or 8 investors through that house. I finally found someone who saw the potential I was trying to explain. I got him all the way up to the closing table and he backed out. I was so frustrated that I called the lender up and told him to switch everything over to my name and that I would take the home down myself.
On Friday I was a real estate agent and on Monday I was a custom home builder. I had no business being in business as a builder. I had no idea what I was doing. I would work during the day 10 to 12 hours swinging a hammer and then I would go home and research what to do next.
“Okay, the framing is done, now what?â€
From there, I was a small builder building spec homes coming into the largest recession I’ve seen as an adult. I couldn’t find a buyer who wanted to buy my houses, and I couldn’t find investors who wanted to invest in other homes. The music had stopped, and I was left looking for a chair.
I was out of work for nearly 19 months. I was always told, when you can’t find work, get an education, and that was exactly what I did. I went back to school and got my degree in architecture, then continued that degree in construction management.
My plan was to get a secure job making decent money at a large firm as a project manager. While going to school, I started drawing plans on the side. At first, I did it to learn.
I then placed an ad on Craigslist saying I would do any size house, commercial space or any sized drawing for $300. The ad went on to say that I was a student, I had a background in construction, but I was offering this low price because I wanted to learn the program. I did over 20 houses, commercial spaces, retail build outs and even “she sheds†for $300 each.
From there, people started referring me to other people who referred me to more people and more people. I had built a reputation for being able to do great work and do it an amazingly short period of time. I had created a business that I loved doing with the freedom to be as creative as I wanted to be. It was everything I could ever ask for.
2) Why did you decide to continue your education?
I have always valued education. I was taught early on by someone I looked up to that no matter what job I was working at I should soak up all the knowledge that was available because at some point the money will stop, but the education that I had gained at the job, could never be taken away from me.
This one truth has always been a consistent factor in my life. I used that knowledge to get another job where I was able to obtain more knowledge and another job and even more knowledge. This cycle repeated itself, and I started to recognize it to the point where I looked for that in future places where I would work.
3) How often do your customers ask you about your certifications?
My clients ask about my certifications all the time. It’s because I promote them all the time on my business cards, my website and, most importantly, my email signature. They see my email signature constantly, 4 or 5 times a day. That has been the best thing I have ever done to promote my certifications.
4) What value have these certifications brought to your business?
What the certifications have done for me is it has sparked a conversation between myself and a potential client. They may be on the fence about doing business with me, but as soon as we swap business cards, it opens a new conversation that isn’t business related or having to do with their particular project. It is a way to become personable with the client. They can relate to something that has been difficult or challenging in their life and then accomplishing it.
The value of the certifications are two-fold. It is an investment in myself, my business and in my industry. Those things can’t be monetized, but it is also an investment back into the client. The client realizes that if I put forth the effort to obtain all these certifications, that I won’t be timid when it comes to working on their design. It allows a level of professionalism that goes unsaid.
5) What was the driving force behind your goal to obtain the certifications in one year?
In January of this year, I attended the IBS in Florida. I flew in early to take some classes and after talking to one of my instructors I realized that I could take an additional class the following month and I could obtain another certification. He explained how and where to look it up on the NAHB website.
What I didn’t realize was the potential that the NAHB website had to offer with its wealth of information if you knew how to search for it. I was taught how to look for upcoming classes in other states or even other venues. I then looked further out, the following month, then the following 6 months. I realized quite quickly that I could take one or two more classes here and there and obtain another two certifications.
It was in that moment I wanted to see how many certifications I could obtain if I applied myself. I found that with taking minimal classes throughout the year I could obtain 11 out of the 13 designations that NAHB had to offer. So, I sat out to create a road map to see how I could achieve this.
I planned out my education no different than you would schedule a house to be built. I found out which classes were available next and created a play book for the entire year. After finishing and looking at the task ahead, it seemed reasonable, and it seemed like it could be obtained if I just took one class at a time. This was the key, one class at a time.
I recruited my friend Tim Lansford and we both bought in to obtain as many as we could for the year. I couldn’t have done it without him pushing and encouraging me along the way.
What I didn’t realize is the attention I would get from doing it. I didn’t get the education so that I could get recognition. I did it because the knowledge was valuable to me. The recognition both locally and nationally was a byproduct of taking all the classes. It is a spectacular bonus to be acknowledged by your peers in the industry that you have given so much of your time and energy to.
6) When you’re not in the classroom, what do you enjoy doing?
My passions and hobbies lie in the more creative spectrum. I really love working with cars. There is something special about being able to take something that was broken and working on it to determine what is wrong, finding the solution and fixing it with my own hands.
The only thing that would be better than fixing something that is broken is to upgrade something that isn’t. That’s one of the biggest benefits to working with cars. There is no end to the accessories, add-on’s, or upgrades that you can do. If your imagination can dream it and your wallet can afford it, then the possibilities are endless.
This also spills over to computers. I love to build computers from scratch. I love the research that it takes to see if part A fits with part B and then working out a solution if it doesn’t. There is a certain reward in being able to take parts out of a box, put them all together, make them work and then using that computer to draw people’s dream home.
I have recently built a bitcoin mining rig where it ups the complication factor over a typical computer. This one runs 13 graphics cards and run’s 24/7 to mine for cryptocurrency. I then take the cryptocurrency earned and exchange it on the NYSE for either real cash or stocks for other companies and commodities.
7) What philanthropic projects do you participate on?
Giving back is one of the greatest things I was ever taught by my mentor. It is so rewarding to give back to people who are in need. It allows me to use the money I’ve earned throughout the year to do something special for someone else without the expectation of something in return.
Over the years, I have donated to several organizations. The most memorable to me has been Hearts and Hammers put on by the City of Dallas. It seeks out individual homeowners that are unable to meet the mounting repairs to their home due to either financial or physical limitations.
I worked with BOKA Powell in 2015 when we got together a group of 20+ employees to help repair siding and repaint a gentleman’s house in oak cliff. I’ve never met a more appreciative or deserving person than that man.
The only thing better than doing something like that with an established company is to be able to finally do it with my own company. This year all seven of my employees participated in StreetSide Showers, an organization run by Lance Olinski out of Plano that helps homeless people by setting up a portable shower and bathroom. It is heated and air conditioned, so they can provide this service all year round.
Lance said that sometimes, homeless people want a hot shower more than they want a hot meal. It made me realize how much I take for granted being able to take a shower any time I want. We were able to donate several hundred dollars of supplies, razors, towels, soap and other hygiene items to Lance and his organization.
The truly special and fortunate thing about this year for me was that I made a commitment to match the donations of all my employee’s dollar for dollar. If they donated it, I matched it. I’m very excited about where our philanthropy money went to this year and we look forward to being able to help even more next year.
8) I know you are a very proud father, tell us a little about your children.
My son is 10 years old and my daughter is 15. They both are in advanced placement classes in school here in Carrollton.
My daughter is a sophomore at Creekview High School and is learning to drive. There is nothing prouder and scarier as a father than when a daughter is learning to drive, except maybe her very first boyfriend. Fortunately, she is learning to drive in my big massive truck so driving anything smaller than that should be easy for her. I believe that because the H2 is so large, that it makes her safer and forces her to pay attention more on the road.
My son is into STEM and we participate in as many things as we can to encourage that kind of development. Right now, we are creating a school project where we determine what the best and most efficient wings on a rocket are. The great news is that we will need to do lots and lots of testing, so we will get to launch several dozen model rockets, record the data and then do it all over again!
As of right now, neither of my two kids is interested in becoming an architect, but as a father I can still hope. I keep hoping that Minecraft will stimulate the desire for my son to want to design a house, but only time will tell.
Brought to you by Fox Energy Specialists
