Meet Crissy Collins who with husband Zach founded World’s Greatest Heating & Air, which has earned a reputation for quality and honesty. Here, she reveals her views on finding the right work/life balance and keeping the focus on what’s truly important.
What specific moment inspired you to start your business?
After we sold our HVAC company in Georgia, we moved to Florida to be closer to family. Zach has 30 years of experience in the industry, so it’s something we know very well, and we were watching the industry and didn’t necessarily like where it was headed. There seemed to be more and more focus on sales and maximizing every service call instead of simply being honest with people and solving their problem.
One day, Zach and I were talking about it in the car and joking that if we just started a company that was honest, gave people good advice and did the right thing, we would be the “greatest in the whole world.” We laughed about it, but then we looked at each other and thought, “Why not?”
That car ride became the beginning of World’s Greatest Heating & Air. The name may have started as a joke, but the idea behind it was very real: build a company that puts doing the right thing first.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
I’m a mom first, so my day starts with breakfast and getting my daughter, Eden, off to school. Once she’s settled, I usually start with emails and any outstanding follow-ups that need my attention. From there, I divide my days into either operations or marketing.
On an operations day, I’m focused on our team, our clients, processes and making sure the business is running the way it should. On a marketing day, I’m thinking about how we continue to grow our brand, connect with clients and stay involved in the community.
I also make it a priority to get out from behind my desk. Whether it’s through the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce, a networking event, or another community organization, I try to create opportunities to meet people and build genuine relationships. So much of our business has grown through being present and involved in the community we serve.
After I pick up Eden from school I am usually at her gymnastics lessons with my laptop out again, but at home it goes away, and I try to give my family 100% of my attention. I wasn’t always great at this, and it is hard when you own the business, but she only gets one childhood, and she needs me present for it.
How would you describe your leadership style?
I would describe my leadership style as very collaborative. I believe every person on our team brings value and a unique perspective, regardless of how long they’ve been with our company or even how long they’ve been in the industry.
In fact, sometimes the people with the least experience bring the freshest ideas because they aren’t looking at a problem through the lens of “this is how we’ve always done it.” When something comes up, my first question to my team is usually, “What do you think we should do?” Then we talk it through together.
I want the people around me to feel comfortable sharing their ideas, challenging the way we do things and helping us find a better solution. I don’t believe leadership means having all the answers. I think it means surrounding yourself with great people, listening to them and creating an environment where everyone feels like they have a voice.
What advice would you give to women who are looking to start their own business?
Just start. I think as women, we can spend way too much time doubting ourselves, and then even more time planning and waiting until we feel completely ready. The truth is, you’re probably never going to feel 100% ready. Start anyway, and then just keep going.
You also have to accept that you’re not going to know everything — and you’re not meant to know everything. Figure out what you’re really good at, lean into those strengths and then find people and resources that can help you with the rest. There are so many free resources available to small business owners, including programs offered through the State of Florida and local organizations. Take advantage of them. Ask questions. Find mentors. Learn as you go. You don’t need to have the entire path figured out before you take the first step.
Some of the best things I’ve done started with simply deciding to begin.
What advice would you give to women who are trying to find a good work/life balance?
Schedule your family time. Literally block it off on your calendar. You wouldn’t sit in a meeting with your best client constantly looking at your phone, answering emails and working on something else. So why would we do that with the people who matter most to us?
I think we have to start treating time with our families — and time to take care of ourselves — with the same importance we give our most valuable business commitments. Put it on the calendar, protect that time, and be present for it. There will always be another email to answer and another thing that needs to get done. Work will take as much time as you’re willing to give it.
Sometimes balance means intentionally deciding when work has to wait.
What would you like our readers to know about your business?
World’s Greatest Heating & Air is about so much more to us than heating and air.
We really believe this business is one of the ways we honor God’s calling for our lives. We’ve been blessed with a business, a team and a platform in this community, and we believe we have a responsibility to use those things to do some good.
Yes, we want to provide an incredible service and take great care of our clients, but we also want to get out into the community, help people, support causes that matter and hopefully make people smile along the way. That’s also why we have so much fun with our brand. If we can brighten someone’s day, make a child laugh when they see one of our trucks, help a family who needs it or use our resources to support our community, that matters to us.
At the end of the day, success for us isn’t just about how big we can grow the company. It’s about what we can do with what God has given us and how many people we can positively impact along the way.
