From humble beginnings to high-quality hardwood floors
Today my wife Patricia and my son Dago Jr. are an essential part of my business. Here we are in the showroom I opened six years ago.
I live in one of the most beautiful (and expensive) cities in America, and my hardwood flooring company has a showroom and specializes in creating high-end custom hardwood floors for the area's wealthy residents, many of them movie stars. But honestly, this is nothing I would have ever imagined happening in my life, and it may seem unlikely when you know how my life started.
My father owned a farm in Mexico, so I grew up around cows, horses and corn. I used to milk cows and go to school, and that's where my life was headed... until my father passed away when I was 9 years old. My uncles took everything from my mother, so my brothers and I had to go to work to be able to bring money to my mother. We worked in different fields during the day and went to school at night.
That changed when I was 20, in 1985. I had an aunt in El Monte, California, in the Los Angeles area, and the plan was to visit her for a year to learn English. But after three months of not being able to find a job, one Friday he put me on a Greyhound bus to Santa Barbara. I had a friend who lived there, but I didn't know his address or phone number.
When I got off the bus I started walking and looking for my friend, but since I had no information about him I couldn't find him. When night came, I had to sleep under the highway. On Saturday morning, a man selling tacos and cakes in a local park was passing by, saw me and fed me, and then fed me on Saturday night too. When he was still there on Sunday morning, instead of feeding me he asked if I wanted to help him sell his food in the park and I said yes. At the end of the day I asked him to drop me off at my “house” (my place under the highway) and he laughed and said, “No, I'm going to give you a job and a place to sleep until you get there.” Find your friend.”
When I first came to the United States in 1985, I had no idea that my path would lead me to owning a high-end hardwood flooring business.
He also owned a Mexican meat market. I started working there for him and six months later my friend entered the market. After we met I began to have a more normal life and got to know the city much more. On my days off from the meat market, I worked in a carpet store doing demolition and after a few months I started working in that store full time. A year later I became a carpet and vinyl installer and did it for 10 years until I hurt my knee and couldn't use the kickers. I went on to work on the hardwood flooring side of the business and loved it. Even just making a small straight cut into the wood, I knew this was what I wanted to do.
I learned installation there, but I wanted to gain more skills with sanding and finishing. I wasn't going to get any further where I was at, so I started working for a company in Santa Ynez where I learned all my skills for sanding, finishing, custom colors and patterns. I was very happy working for that company, but when I bought a house on the south side of Santa Barbara, more than two hours from where my company was located, the trip became very hard for me and I decided to continue on my way. own.
That moment was like falling off a cliff with the first step into the air. Now where do I go? But my boss was kind and helped me get started with the paperwork and getting my own license from the state of California. At first it was very difficult to get a job; I felt that because I was Hispanic and new, they didn't believe in me. I had previous clients who wanted to give me work, but I didn't want to steal them from my previous boss who had been so good to me.
The only thing I had in mind was to be honest and do what I said I would do. Over time, I began to build my own reputation and receive word of mouth from owners. Years passed and I felt like I needed help, so I hired an assistant. Then, when he learned more and became a hardwood floor mechanic, I had to hire two more helpers: one for him and one for me. Additionally, my son, Dago Jr., left college to join the business and has attended many industry seminars to improve his hardwood flooring skills. This is how we started to grow and today we have eight employees. Everyone who works here knows our company's skills from the ground up; No one here has learned from another company.
We hand planed and beveled this Monarch French Oak before coating it with Bona Craft Oil in “Air”.
The high-end part of the business grew gradually. We used to do one or two jobs a year that had small designs, custom steps, wire brushing, custom colors, etc., but now every job we do is high level and difficult; There is always something I have to be extra meticulous about. Six years ago I opened my own showroom and my wife started working for the company to run the showroom. Opening the showroom was another moment that felt like falling off a cliff, but I'd say just doing it got us 200 percent more jobs.
In this area, many jobs are for some of the biggest celebrities in the world, but I have to sign a contract in which I do not mention them in writing or show photos identifying their homes. Last year we did some work on a superstar celebrity's house who is extremely famous, and when we were lifting the existing hardwood floor, there were security guards right next to us; They took out the trash to make sure people weren't walking around collecting souvenirs.
Sometimes we meet famous people, but usually we don't. About 10 years ago we had a job at the house of a famous celebrity couple, and while we were working at the job, they suddenly kicked us out because the couple wanted to be in that house. Two weeks later we received the call saying that we could return and they paid us for the two weeks we were waiting. On another job we had a completely different experience: the client, a television actor, wanted to help us do the job! He was very humble.
I never thought my life or my business would go this way; It wasn't even on my mind, but I believe in God, and that God is the one who puts me in certain areas to learn what I know. If I had wanted to be where I am from the beginning, I don't think I would have achieved it, because I would have been pushing for it instead of letting it flow. When you do your work one day at a time, everything flows. I believe that when you look for money, the money will never come. But if you get up at 6 in the morning and work as much as you can in a day, one day at a time, when a month has passed you will have money in your pocket. It's better to do what you like and the money will come later. Today I say that I am not after money, money is after me! Because? Because I'm working.
We sanded this reclaimed hardwood before installing it in this custom design. It is coated with the Loba Invisible water-based finish.
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In Dago Hardwood and Design, we are proud to offer a wide range of services specializing in the installation, repair and design of hardwood floors. Our mission is to provide high-quality solutions that enhance the beauty and functionality of any space. With a team of experienced professionals and a commitment to excellence, we ensure that each project is completed with precision and dedication.
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