Meet Chad Thackston | Private Eye Drain Inspection

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chad Thackston and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chad, what role has risk played in your life or career?
When it comes to risk, I have always been fairly averse to it. I like to go into situations knowing everything I possibly can. If it seems as though there are too many unknowns, I tend to play things safe. That has sometimes been to my benefit, but it has mostly left a certain lack of fulfillment. There’s a reason the saying “with great risk comes great reward”–or something to that effect–exists. Taking risks are really the only ways to move forward. That said, the risks I have taken have oftentimes paid off in a very beneficial way. And I am glad that I mustered up the courage to power through them. Some of my riskiest ventures have led to the greatest relationships, both personal and professional.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m glad there’s no character limit, here. I could have selected creative, because that was true for many years of my life. I went from wanting to be an actor, to a filmmaker, to an ebook writer, and somehow through all of that I wound up owning my own inspection company. I was working with my Dad as a drain cleaning assistant and a thought popped in my head, ‘could I make a career out of inspecting home drainage systems?’ I quickly asked my Dad what he thought about that. He figured there was a career in it. He even told me that there was one other company in town that did it, which meant that the competition levels were fairly low. For a risk averse person such as myself, it looked like a good opportunity.

I set to work, pretty quickly researching, looking for equipment, and then came the marketing avenue… Making the marketing materials for anything, has always been fun. The tough part was, as it is for any business, I’m sure, getting eyes on those materials. And even though I enjoy the creation of those materials, I find more joy in doing the actual work. It is a strange thing to admit that anyone would enjoy looking inside sewer pipes. But, it’s a great feeling to tell a home buyer that everything looks good on my end. I actually take a little pride in knowing that whenever a home has not been purchased, it’s not because of anything that I found. It is also really cool to visit neighborhoods and see the inside of homes that I otherwise would never know existed

I suppose the one thing that sets me apart is that, even after 3 years, I’m still the new kid on the block. And, being new means I still have plenty of footwork to do. It has always surprised me at how a job–any job–is fairly easy. The hardest part is getting the job. But, once it is obtained, everything else seems to be automatic.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This question is making me laugh. I am fortunate that I live 5 minutes away from my best friend. I am also fortunate that I am not usually the one who has to come up with the fun ideas. I typically get to go along with the flow. I have lived in the Houston area my entire life and I still have to look up all the fun things to do in town. But, hypothetically, I suppose that in this scenario, I would, first make sure they eat at my favorite local spot. For a burger that would mean Goodson’s Cafe in Tomball. For pizza, that would mean Dan’s Pizza in Webster. If they just wanted to stay in because they were tired of traveling, I would order a pizza from Mr Hoagies off of FM 1960. The next day, I would want to take them through some of the more historic areas of town. Maybe grab a light breakfast in the heights. If it is summer time, we will definitely end up at Schlitterbahn in Galveston.

I’m the kind of person that can appreciate the energy of people in town. It always feels a little more fast-paced, and it drives me toward wanting to be productive. But, the slower pace of the towns just at the edge of Houston have a massive appeal to me. The atmosphere is just more relaxed. It puts me at ease and while it’s great to be productive, it seems like a calmer state of being is more desirable.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents deserve more credit than I probably give them. They raised me and my brother to pursue whatever goals we sought out. They never tried to force us into any sort of career path or process. And that was true for academics as well as extracurriculars. I think that gave me a freer outlook on possibility. It created a kind of uncertainty about some things, but it gave me an unlimited view.

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