How a plumber built a multi-million pound business

One of my go-to phrases whenever I speak to new grads is this:

“Become your own professor in the school of life.”

In school, you’re told what to do and what to think. Then, graduation hits, the conveyor belt stops, and many people stagnate.

One of the most important things any of us can do is to keep educating ourselves—even when no one’s there to teach us.

The problem is time.

I used to read a ton. But now that I’m juggling speaking, writing, and fatherhood, I rarely have time these days to sit down and read full-length books.

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• ⁠”How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen” by Joanna Faber and Julie King (which has helped me communicate more intentionally with my toddler and adults alike)

• “Laziness Does Not Exist” by Devon Price (which has helped me better self-diagnose why I keep procrastinating on some tasks)

• ⁠”Talent Is Overrated” by Geoff Colvin (which has helped me better understand how people make it to the top of their field)

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STORY
How Charlie Mullins changed the image of plumbing in London

If you’ve ever had a leaky pipe, a clogged sink, or a broken water heater, you’ve probably interacted with a plumber before. In moments like these, you probably didn’t expect much—just someone to show up, fix the problem, and leave. No uniforms, no branding, and certainly no small talk.

But did you know that “London’s largest independent plumbing company” built a multimillion-pound business by focusing not just on the work itself but on how it was presented?

It was the 1970s in London, and Charlie Mullins was a 15-year-old apprentice, working long hours under contract. At the time, plumbing was widely seen as low-status work.

“A lot of plumbers had a bad name,” he later recalled. “When I finished my apprenticeship, I was pissed off with people knocking plumbers. They’d say things like, ‘They’re late, they’re scruffy, they never finish the job, they never give you a price’—all these things. And I thought to myself, ‘I’m going to change the image of plumbing.’”

And so he did.

After his apprenticeship, he decided to start his own plumbing business. After seeing the negative perceptions toward his profession first-hand, he did the opposite of what was expected—“by wearing a smart uniform, good vans, turning up on time, being transparent about cost, not ripping people off, finishing the job, and respecting people’s houses.”

“I came up with about ten or twenty things that were bad about the image of plumbers,” he added, “and I just did the opposite.”

Then he trained his team to do the same. They didn’t just fix problems. They earned people’s trust.

And customers noticed. Over time, that level of professionalism allowed him to charge a premium and grow Pimlico Plumbers into a household name and a multimillion-pound business.

UNSPOKEN RULE
Disarm others!

We all have stereotypes that work against us. What Mullins taught me is the power of uncovering what we’re up against—and quietly disproving others one stereotype at a time.

What does this mean for you?

Fill in these blanks: “Chances are, [these people] must think I’m [this stereotype] simply because I’m [of this identity]. So, I’m going to prove that I’m different by [doing all of these things without saying anything].”

So…

• If you’re in school: “Chances are, my professor must think I’m just scrolling through my social media feed in class like everybody else. So, I’m going to prove that I’m different by approaching them after class and asking follow-up questions to show my commitment (defined here!).”
  

• If you’re in your early career: “Chances are, my older colleagues must think I’m lazy, entitled, and overly sensitive given that this is the predominant narrative towards Gen Z. So, I’m going to prove that I’m different by calling out where I think I can improve and then asking for feedback.”
  

• If you’re in your mid-to-late career: “Chances are, the higher-ups and my younger colleagues must believe in the idiom, ‘you can't teach an old dog new tricks.’ So, I’m going to prove that I’m different by trying new technologies, being on top of the latest trends, and sharing what I learn.”

There will be stereotypes against you—no matter who you are. Here’s your chance to make those stereotypes work for you.

See you next Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule!

—Gorick

What’s an “unspoken rule”? They’re the things that separate those who get ahead from those who stumble—and don’t know why. You can learn more about these rules in the workplace in my Wall Street Journal bestselling book called—you guessed it—The Unspoken Rules.

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Gorick Ng
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Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

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Sources

1. Charles Mullins with a Pimlico Plumbers truck, undated

2. “London’s largest independent plumbing company”

3. “A lot of plumbers had a bad name”

4. “When I finished my apprenticeship, I was pissed off with people knocking plumbers.”

5. “by wearing a smart uniform, good vans, turning up on time”

6. “I came up with about ten or twenty things that were bad about the image of plumbers”

7. Pimlico plumbers’ professional look.