Moving On; The Gentle Giant Alumni Bios – Carson Duarte

By bloGGer | June 17, 2013 | Community, Fun Times, Massachusetts Moving Company, Meet the Giants, On the Trucks, Real Estate | Comments

Shortly after graduating from Boston University in 1999, Carson Converse found herself rowing at Riverside Boat Club, living with Gentle Giant Moving Company employees, and in need of a job. Carson’s roommates encouraged her to apply to Gentle Giant, but she resisted initially because she felt her 5’5 frame was not “Giant” enough to handle the physically demanding aspects required to move furniture on GG’s level. Once her roommates successfully convinced her that her years of rowing and training made her just as strong as any taller Giant, she agreed to interview with Gentle Giant’s Director of Human Resources David Lister, who was thrilled to hire her to work on the trucks.

Carson was all smiles during her time at Gentle Giant Moving Company

Speaking to Carson now, almost 10 years out of the moving industry, she still chuckles while reminiscing about the first job she was on. After completing an extensive training beforehand, she spent a day packing a customer’s house to make sure it was ready for the big move the following day. Little did she know this particular move day would be an 18 hour ordeal that took her up to New Hampshire and back. As she rode her bike back to her home at 2 in the morning after the job, she reflected not on how physically tired she was, but how impressed she was by her Crew Chief that day, the legendary Steve Hart. One of Gentle Giant’s finest Crew Chiefs, Steve had a calm, assertive approach to running a job that showed Carson exactly what it took to take charge and complete a seemingly monumental task, all while laughing and making the crew and customer feel comfortable and engaged.

This is one of the most important lessons that Carson learned while working at GG. While anyone that knows Carson now will find this hard to believe, but she claims that when she first started, she was really shy. However, the combination of working with such charismatic people and the customer-facing nature of the job forced her out of her shell. As she felt more comfortable on the job, with coworkers, and with customers, Carson took on more responsibility at the company and became a Crew Chief.

As a Crew Chief, Carson enjoyed the experience of showing up at the job each morning to see the look on customers faces that read, “This is the ‘Giant’ I hired? How is this petite woman going to muscle my sleeper sofa up four flights of stairs?” This disbelief was soon erased after they saw the strength, hustle, and command Carson displayed as the leader of a well oiled moving machine. One valuable lesson she learned and then preached at Gentle Giant was “never judge a book by its cover” because “everyone has something to teach.”

Looking back, one of the reasons Carson chose to work for Gentle Giant at this time in her life was the flexibility the job afforded her to pursue her many interests. It has always been Gentle Giant policy to support employees, which includes allowing movers to take extended time off from work

Carson's husband, longtime Gentle Giant Manager and Trainer Noah Duarte, takes their pup Flynn out for a ride along in the truck.

whenever it is needed with the promise of a job to come back to. During her tenure, Carson took advantage of this benefit to pursue rowing and traveling, which included several road trips around the US, backpacking in Utah and Costa Rica, two trips to Baja, Mexico, Henley England, New Zealand, and Israel.

After leaving Gentle Giant, Carson attended graduate school at New England School of Art and Design to get a degree in interior design. Once she graduated, Carson went to work in hospitality design, and now focuses specifically on hotels and restaurants. She still relies on the spacial awareness she honed while working at Gentle Giant. “In my work now, it’s important for me to see in my head how furniture will fit in a spot before it is moved there. This saves a tremendous amount of time.”

Today, Carson lives with her husband and longtime Gentle Giant manager and trainer Noah Duarte in Charlemont, MA with their adorable pup Flynn.

A Moving letter from a Mover about Gentle Giant Moving Company

By bloGGer | May 28, 2013 | Community, Fun Times, Interstate Moving, Meet the Giants, On the Trucks, Real Estate | Comments

: Larry O’Toole, Gentle Giant Founder and CEO

From Larry to You:

We are all very proud of our culture here at Gentle Giant Moving Company, but sometimes as we brag about it we worry “does it really live up to what we’re saying?” We have to be humble and remember that our culture is something that is fragile and could easily be broken or lost.

Eric Jones is a good friend of mine from Andover, MA who has started a wonderful moving company, Adamantine Moving, in Iowa City, Iowa. We have worked with him on a number of interstate moves and he has always loved working with the Giants. Recently he spent two weeks working on the trucks with our movers in Somerville, MA and observing our office staff at work. After his time here he sent a wonderful letter which is heartening to read because it validates that we are succeeding in our quest to build and protect our company culture. Please enjoy Eric’s note below:

May 2013

Hi Larry,

Just wanted to write and thank you again for letting me join Gentle Giant for a week and work alongside your guys. I can’t tell you how valuable and fulfilling the experience was for me – I came out of the week tired and sore (next time I need to train for those Harvard stadium runs), but absolutely recharged and excited for the busy season.

I’ve been struggling for the last few years, in typical mid-life crisis fashion, about whether I should stick with moving or try to do something else. There’s lots I like about my job – the teamwork, the pleasure of working hard physically and getting a lot done in a single day, the excitement of adapting to challenges as they come at you, the feeling of self-sufficiency you get from laughing in the face of grimly long days and (occasionally) even longer nights.

The Giants enjoying a nice day of moving in Weston, MA

But it’s also easy for me to feel less than enthusiastic about yet another day on the trucks, moving another two bedroom house across town. ‘Is this what I was meant to do with my life?’ I sometimes think in my darker moments. ‘Moving couches through doorways and getting covered in cat hair?’ At times it feels as though I’ve traveled a long way down a railroad siding that I wasn’t even supposed to be on in the first place; the switch got flipped the wrong way back at some junction eleven years ago, and now here I am, a household mover. Not a bad thing, necessarily, just surprising and strange.

At any rate, that’s where my head’s been the last few years. I mention this just to give you a sense of what it meant for me to come and visit Gentle Giant. I told a number of people at GG, maybe you included, that our little moving business here in Iowa is like a fort in the woods, while Gentle Giant is like a mansion or a 27-story apartment building. Wouldn’t anyone who’s lived for years in a fort love to have a chance to check out a mansion?

The metaphor is apt not just because GG is so much bigger and more sophisticated than we are. We’ve built our little fort almost entirely on our own. We had no prior experience with the moving industry (I’d never even wrapped a chair when I was hired to do my first job!) and to this day we still have almost no real knowledge about how other moving companies work. So coming to spend time at Gentle Giant was a lot like coming out of the woods, out of the wilderness. It was a chance for me to learn a lot, to see what great solutions a whole bunch of smart and dedicated people can come up with to some of the same problems we’ve been trying to solve all on our own for a decade, and, most important, it was an opportunity for me to connect with a company in the industry I admire a ton. I feel a whole lot less isolated in the work I do here in Iowa because of my visit, and I wanted to tell you how grateful I am for that gift.

Gentle Giant works hard and always has a great attitude!

There was lots that impressed me about Gentle Giant. Your people are really, really smart. The systems you have are super slick – I watched Shane Thompson do five long distance estimates in the time it would have taken me to do one, and with far more accuracy and skill than I could ever hope to achieve. Your crew leaders care as much about doing a great job as any highly paid lawyer or doctor I’ve met. Your movers run, really do run, from the start of a job to the end, even when the job goes to thirteen hours. Not only that, but they actually seem to enjoy it! (Needless to say, I felt humbled in their presence).

But the thing that impressed me most about my visit was the fact that every single person I met at Gentle Giant, every crew leader, every mover, every manager, every salesperson, received me with warmth, openness, and generosity. Most of them had no idea who I was, or simply assumed I was a new hire they hadn’t yet met. Maybe more than anything else, I think that should make you proud of the community you’ve helped create. Good for you; and good for all the people who’ve worked to build a place where kindness and openness is the norm. Especially now, especially in Boston, that kind of kindness really matters.

In my opinion, Gentle Giant is a great company not just because your people are great at what they do. It’s a great company because your people are good, and I mean that in the old-fashioned moral sense. Good in the sense of being great without acting better than. Good in the sense of looking out for each other. And good in the sense of really welcoming some guy from Iowa who’s crazy enough to take a vacation from moving by doing some more moving . What a gift to be welcomed like that. Hope I can someday return the favor. Thanks again Larry.

All the best,

Eric Jones

10 Tips for Senior Citizens Downsizing Homes or Moving from Gentle Giant Moving Company

By bloGGer | May 17, 2013 | Charlotte Moving Company, Community, Giant Innovations, Massachusetts Moving Company, Moving Tips, New York Moving Company, On the Trucks, Pack Like the Pros, Real Estate | Comments

Gentle Giant takes the time to work with seniors during transitional periods.

Moving senior citizens, retirees, and the elderly is emerging as a specialty service as baby-boomers are faced with downsizing themselves while simultaneously transitioning their parents to one of the many types of senior housing.

Below you will find Gentle Giant Moving Company‘s helpful 10 Tips for Moving Seniors:

Start with a floor plan of your new space.
A floor plan may be the single most important thing you can have. It will tell you how much furniture you can fit, and help you decide where everything will go before you step foot into your new home.
Reduce the amount you have to move.
Downsizing can be physically exhausting and emotionally draining, but many items that have been accumulated in a home over many years can’t or shouldn’t be squeezed into a new home. So take your time and ask for help. If you have children who no longer live there, ask them to retrieve their possessions. Give things to friends and family. Have a yard sale and/or donate some items to charity. If you can’t bring certain items that you’re not ready to part with, consider using a storage facility.
Begin in areas of the house no longer in use.
This strategy will be least disruptive to normal life and will help develop some momentum to carry you through other areas of the home later on.
Have a sorting system.
Use colored stickers to identify items that are going with you, elsewhere, or to-be-determined. Make a list of potential recipients, such as loved ones or charity or auction, and match up items to them instead of coming up with different recipients as you sort through items one by one.
Start with large items and work toward smaller ones.
Sorting through large furniture pieces first will create a sense of progress for the person who is moving. This will make it easier to sort smaller items later on, because it will be clearer what storage will be available in the new home.
Block off a certain amount of time for working each day and stick to it.
Start and stop at a certain time. Don’t get sidetracked. You’ll be surprised how much you can accomplish.
Focus on one area at a time.
Dealing with a whole house can be overwhelming. Break it up into smaller chunks by focusing on one part of a room at a time. Then move on to the next.
Packing – Let the movers take care of it.
A professional move coordinator like the ones at Gentle Giant can recommend a professional packing crew to help prepare your dishes, linens, furniture, you name it. Hiring such a team will make packing go by much faster, and your items will be safer as they are moved.
Create a Move-Day suitcase with the essentials for the first 24 hours in your new home.
Set aside a couple of outfits, a set of dishes, towels and sheets. Include a first aid kit and a flashlight, or even a night light. You’ll have what you need at your finger tips instead of having to dive into many different boxes to find what you need.
Be patient – with yourself and others.
Moving is hard, especially for seniors who may be leaving a home where they’ve spent decades with their family. Remember it’s okay to be sad about parting with things, however the goal is not to get rid of everything – just to simplify. Set aside down time, and reward yourself or the person you are helping at various stages in the process. Accept that there will be a range of emotions.

Meet the Giants – New York Regional Manager Josh Charry

By bloGGer | May 2, 2013 | Community, Meet the Giants, New York Moving Company, On the Trucks, Real Estate | Comments

Gentle Giant Moving Company - New York Manager Josh Charry in his Brooklyn Warehouse

When New York moving company Gentle Giant began expanding outside of Westchester County and more into the 5 Boroughs, the company knew they needed to put an individual in charge who was not only an expert mover, crew chief, and leader, but also an individual that knew every neighborhood in New York. While there were several excellent candidates vying for this position, Bronx born Master Crew Chief Josh Charry was the perfect choice given his New York upbringing and several years moving within Gentle Giant’s Westchester County office.

Back in 2008, Charry started his career at Gentle Giant in the company’s Somerville, MA headquarters after seeing a job post seeking athletes looking for fun, challenging work. Charry’s extensive athletic background, which included football, soccer, lacrosse, and college baseball at Quinnipiac University qualified him for the demanding work Gentle Giant expects from our entire Operations team.

Before long, Josh was taking on more responsibility in the company, becoming one of the company’s top Crew Chiefs and leaders. Customers and crews alike loved Josh’s positive attitude, hustle, and attention to detail. During this time in late 2009, Gentle Giant’s New York branch was expanding rapidly and was in need of top Crew Chiefs to run jobs, train new Giants, and continue growing the business. Josh saw this is an opportunity to really make an impact on Gentle Giant and his career, and jumped at the chance to fill this need.

Today, Josh is managing Gentle Giant New York, which has locations in Westchester County, Long Island City, and Brooklyn. This position has Josh in charge of almost every part of the New York moving company which includes hiring, training, and running jobs.

Josh claims that GG New York’s key to success starts at the hiring process. He has an eye for talent, but the nature of moving can quickly weed out the individuals not cut out for the job. Josh’s management and hiring philosophy is resonant of George S Patton himself: “Pressure creates two things; dust and diamonds. At Gentle Giant we sweep away the dust and keep the diamonds.”

To book your move with Josh and his fellow Giants, visit Gentle Giant’s website today!

History Lesson: Allston Piano Movers

By bloGGer | May 1, 2013 | Fun Times, Massachusetts Moving Company, On the Trucks, Piano Moving | Comments

Long before Allston Piano Movers paired up with Gentle Giant Moving Company in 2010, owner Bobby Franklin and his highly trained crews were gaining a reputation for being a fast, friendly, and reliable piano moving service provider throughout New England.

This video slideshow demonstrates the experience, teamwork, and strength it takes to execute a flawless piano move.

The 117th Boston Marathon Tragedy and Gentle Giant Moving Company

By bloGGer | April 23, 2013 | Community, Massachusetts Moving Company, On the Trucks | Comments

This year disaster struck the Finish Line of the 117th Boston Marathon. Gentle Giant, along with thousands of spectators and runners, were down at the Finish Line witnessing the fear, confusion, courage, and heroism that these attacks produced throughout Copley Square.

While Gentle Giant was relieved to learn that our 20+ employees down at the Finish Line were safe, our hearts were breaking for the victims of these senseless attacks. Gentle Giant has pledged to continue our support of the BAA and the Marathon, and looks forward to proudly returning in 2014 at the Marathon Finish Line.

: Click the image of above to see all the pictures of Gentle Giant Moving Company at the 117th Boston Marathon

Since in the mid-90′s, it has been an annual tradition for Gentle Giant Moving Company to partner with the Boston Athletic Association to assist with the logistics surrounding the Boston Marathon. Of all the wonderful organizations and events Gentle Giant works with, the Marathon holds a special place in our hearts because it is not only a celebration of elite fitness and personal accomplishment, but because it defines the spirit and culture of Boston.

Months before the Marathon every year, the Gentle Giant operations team begins preparing for all of the details involved with the loading and delivery over 250,000 lbs. of Marathon goods and equipment. As Race Day gets closer, dozens of Giants clamor to be put on the Marathon Crews so they can participate in the fun work and festivities surrounding Boston’s world class road race.

Like everyone else affected by this tragedy, Gentle Giant is proud to be Boston Strong!

To Grow their DC Moving Company, Gentle Giant Recruits Athletes

By bloGGer | March 19, 2013 | Community, DC Moving Company, Fun Times, On the Trucks | Comments

gentle giant moving company recruiting rowers

Gentle Giant DC recruits rowers within the Thompson Boat Center in Washington DC

On a recent trip to the Thompson Boat Center in Washington DC, Gentle Giant Moving Company Managers and Recruiters Craig Averett, Kieffer Karim, Andrew Rozzi, and Will Allen set out to recruit athletes from two elite rowing programs, Georgetown and GW University, to work at our DC/VA area offices and other offices across the country.

Despite Gentle Giant DC growing significantly over the past few years, the biggest limit to our success in this region is our manpower. The solution is simple though. By hiring more strong, quality people, we’ll be able to book more of the leads that are coming into us, generating more revenue.

On Thursday, March 7^th, GG’s DC recruiting team met with the crew teams at the Thompson Boat Center around 8:00 AM. Most of the crews were already out on the water at this point. They met up with friend and Georgetown Varsity Women’s coach Miranda Paris, who was about to head out to practice with her team. The Men’s Novice coach, Mike Guerierri, had directed us to set up on the table located between the Georgetown and GW boat bays, a perfect location to meet with both crews.

In an effort to attract interest to our table, Gentle Giant brought a bunch of food and drinks, the first thing these athletes think about when they’ve finished practice. We also brought a bunch of GG shirts to give to anyone who left their name and email address as being interested in getting more information about working for Gentle Giant Moving Company over the summer.

One by one, each crew finished their practices and put their boats away. A little curious but tentative about approaching the table, GG decided to approach the rowers instead. We told them who we were, why we were there, and offered them some food. The offer of food after burning 1000+ calories was all it took. After making their presence known, Craig, Kieffer, Andrew and Will spoke with individuals and small groups from each team, men and women. Some came just for the food, other were curious about our Washington DC Moving Company, and a solid group of people seemed genuinely interested.

As each group came in, Will Allen introduced himself to each head coach. They all knew we were coming, but to formally build that relationship was key. The way Will sees it, if the coaches see the kind of company we are, they may be more apt to tell their athletes about the opportunity to work at Gentle Giant Moving Company. As a rower himself, Will knew how to talk the talk.

Over the course of about 3 hours, we saw over 100 athletes and collected around 70 names with emails from people who were at least curious, if not interested or very interested. We are excited to report that a handful of people submit applications online, even before we have followed up with the people who left their email addresses!

Click this link for more information about Job Opportunities at Gentle Giant!

Having a Co-Chief on the Job Ensures Every Move Goes Smoothly

By bloGGer | February 19, 2013 | Charlotte Moving Company, Giant Innovations, Interstate Moving, On the Trucks, San Francisco Moving Company, Virginia Moving Company | Comments

By the middle of winter it becomes apparent to everyone at Gentle Giant just how seasonal the moving business can be. But during these slower times we remember that we’re always building a stronger company. We often compare this seasonal cycle to the flight of a commercial jet liner. During the summer we’re in flight at 30,000 ft. and strictly focused on getting jobs done well. During the winter the plane is on the ground in the hangar, and it’s time to perform the necessary maintenance before the next busy season.

The Giants with another happy customer

This winter, Gentle Giant’s Training Department has worked hard developing a new role that will greatly improve our customer service and operational capacities for the busy summer and beyond. The new role we’re introducing is called the “Co-Chief.” The purpose of this role is to be a second in command to the Crew Chief; but even more importantly to support the Crew Chief on successfully executing every important detail that our customers have come to expect.

As a company and service provider, Gentle Giant has always prided itself on delivering the greatest possible moving experience for our customers, guaranteed. To deliver on this promise, we have always challenged ourselves to grow the types and levels of service that we offer. In this new age of moving services we are able to provide everything from storage to furniture restoration. While our skilled Crew Chiefs are focused on making every customer “a customer for life,” and ensuring every job runs smoothly from beginning to end, it’s important for them to know that someone else on their team can share accountability for some of the details and support them in their roll.

The Co-Chief will also be key in making sure our crews hit all the important “Brand Essentials” during the job, including discussing Gentle Giant Restoration, preparing and giving out the Comment Card, and writing the Thank You card. We are looking forward to beginning this new program because we are confident that this will help develop stronger Crew Chiefs, increase customer satisfaction and retention, and improve our company, top to bottom.

Moving On; The Gentle Giant Alumni Bios – Blake Evitt

By bloGGer | February 13, 2013 | Community, Fun Times, Massachusetts Moving Company, Meet the Giants, On the Trucks | Comments

Growing up in Somerville, Blake Evitt was familiar with Gentle Giant Moving Company’s famous purple trucks long before he ever picked up his first sleeper sofa on the job. It wasn’t until he was home from Davidson College in North Carolina during Christmas break his sophomore year that he applied to start working at the Giant. “I thought that it would be a good way to stay fit for the upcoming cross-country season,” Evitt explains, “As well as a way to supplement my summer training.”

Evitt was initially intrigued by the fact that Gentle Giant was very different from the typical 9-5 jobs that most of his fellow classmates were applying for. “The idea of running stairs all day, seeing beautiful houses around the city, and being part of a company with a great vibe around it was very appealing to me,” Blake recalls. “The pay was also pretty good and the possibility to earn lots of overtime and tips was a big incentive as a student.”

Before long, Blake was immersed in Gentle Giant’s company culture and enjoying the camaraderie that developed with his colleagues on the trucks. Working in a different place every day was also its own perk. “I got to know Boston in a way that I never expected,” Blake says. “It still feels really good when I walk down the street and spot a house that I helped to move. It was also really cool to see how other people lived and to help them transition to new living arrangements as smoothly as possible.”

On the job, Gentle Giant expects a lot from employees both mentally and physically, so having an athletic background can really help assimilate new hires to the demanding daily activities moving entails. Blake was no exception, for he was a lifelong runner and even ran Division I cross-country and track (800m, 1500m, 3k steeplechase) throughout his four years at Davidson. While this prepared Blake, he recalls that his first summer “was long, hard, and hot, but also a lot of fun. I got a lot of hours, made a lot of tips, and really enjoyed the work GG provided. At first, I did feel like the ‘runt’ of the company, because as a distance runner I was definitely one of the smaller guys on the trucks. By the end of the summer I was a lot more confident with the larger pieces though. I was also about 15 lbs heavier, much to the chagrin of my cross country coach!”

When asked about the toughest piece he ever moved, Blake cites a big oak cabinet in a Boston walk-up that he and his crew had to wrangle down a really tight set of staircases and hallways that “will remain seared into my memory.” Blake adds that the crew “tried so many manipulations of that thing before we finally got it down that I was really tempted to just leave it stuck upside down halfway through! Luckily, the crew chief kept going and we eventually got it down without leaving a single mark on the walls!”

Blake parkoured his way through Thailand during a recent trip.

As a former Giant, Blake often calls on the practical skills he learned on the trucks. “I learned a ton about packing things that I use all the time now; cars, trucks, closets, boxes, storage rooms.” Additionally, Blake learned a lot of valuable life lessons too, including one that propelled him into his new career. “Don’t be afraid to make the jump into the unknown. A lot of times you want to wait until the situation is perfect before you commit and that rarely happens. Things end up working out, usually in ways that you didn’t expect or know about when you ‘jumped’, so you really need to just go for it.”

This makes sense coming from someone helping to lead the launch of Parkour Generations Americas, a subsidiary company of Parkour Generations (based in London) that teaches parkour around the world. For those unfamiliar, parkour is the sport of moving along a route, typically in a city, trying to get around or through various obstacles in the quickest, most efficient manner possible, as by jumping, climbing, or running. “I’m heading up our operations on the East Coast and basing things out of my hometown- right here in Somerville. Our goal is to eventually offer top-quality parkour instruction and performances throughout North and South America and to help spread the practice and values of the sport.”

Whether it’s for parkour, pleasure, family, pure curiosity, or any combination of those things, Blake travels extensively. “I love going new places and exploring new cultures. I’ve been blogging about my parkour adventures for the past 2+ years, but when I’m not bouncing around the globe or off buildings I really enjoy reading, watching films, playing any number of sports, and eating new foods.”

Blake was born and bred in Somerville, but has “been bouncing around the world for the past few years. He returned home in September ’12 to help lead the launch of Parkour Generations Americas and is “pretty happy to be back in my home turf.”

Are you interested in learning how to parkour safely and effectively? Blake and Parkour Generations Americas are offering classes and workshops. Visit their website here: http://pkgamericas.com/timetableboston

Moving On; The Gentle Giant Alumni Bios – Louis Insalaco

By bloGGer | January 22, 2013 | Fun Times, Massachusetts Moving Company, Meet the Giants, On the Trucks, Real Estate | Comments

Gentle Giant Moving Company started as a small group of strong leaders with the goal of bringing excellent customer service back to the moving industry. By setting forth an example of honesty, enthusiasm, respect, and teamwork, new members of the Gentle Giant team quickly became strong leaders themselves. 33 years later, this tradition remains at the core of the company.

The leadership skills taught on the trucks at Gentle Giant are learned and tested by fire day in and day out on the job to prepare our leaders for demanding customers, demanding crewmembers, demanding (physically and mentally) jobs and access, finances, and accountability to the company to get it all done correctly. These are skills the Giants count on throughout their entire careers, in or out of the moving industry.

Lou Insalaco; Gentle Giant 2004-2010

Lou Insalaco is an impressive young man that has benefited from this leadership program in his pursuit towards finishing medical school and becoming a Head and Neck Surgeon. Lou was still in high school back in 2004 when he started at Gentle Giant after encouragement from his Uncle Pat, a longtime leader at Gentle Giant.

On his very first day, Lou trained with some of the best leaders in the company, Senior Crew Chief and Gentle Giant Hall of Famer Jon Powell and quick witted powerhouse Blake McCauley. Despite completing Gentle Giant’s in-class training before he beginning work on the trucks, nothing could have prepared him for the physically and mentally exhausting aspects of the actual job.

“Being young and the new guy on the job meant I had to really prove myself to Jon and Blake”, explains Lou. “On the 3rd floor walk-up, I was the middle man on the stairs. The job was moving so fast I didn’t have the time to think about how difficult it was, I just had to keep up the fast pace set by the Crew Chief. By the time the on-load was finished, it was already 3pm, and I didn’t even realize that we’d worked right through lunch!”

Being with such an experienced crew gave Lou a lot of insight into the subtleties of a successful move, including communication with the customer, taking the time to work with a less experienced crewmember, and setting a positive, accelerated tone for the move. From this day forward, Lou modeled his leadership style after Jon Powell.

Lou’s enthusiasm and hustle quickly began making an enormous impression on every customer and crewmember he worked with at Gentle Giant, which led to him becoming one of the youngest Crew Chief’s in the history of the company. While it was a lot more responsibility to take on, Lou had been mentored by the best, and was up for the task.

Lou relished the challenge of running jobs, and quickly advanced from being the Crew Chief on small, one truck moves to commanding large crews on several day jobs requiring multiple trucks.

One job Lou recalls as being exceptionally challenging was supposed to be a straightforward one, but upon arriving at the job, Lou immediately identified that he was going to need a lot more manpower. “This job could have turned into a real nightmare,” Lou recalls. “But I knew how to handle the situation.”

By referencing the leadership skills he learned from his Giant mentors, Lou was able to communicate effectively, calmly and swiftly alleviate the problems that arose, and become a true leader himself. Lou contacted Dispatch to get more Giants sent out to the job, as well as the Swift Lift to help with the horrific access in the building. By handling the situation like a pro, the job got done, and the customer was thrilled. Today, Lou is often complimented on his grace under fire by the doctors he works with. Lou explains, “Entering into medical school, a lot of my peers simply did not have as much experience performing in high pressure situations where each second counts, people are depending on you, and you have to think quickly on your feet.”

Lou has counted on his experiences at Gentle Giant to help him succeed in college, medical school, and now in the hospital. During residency interviews, Lou discussed in detail how he overcame all the challenges he faced while on the job as a leader at Gentle Giant. “What it boils down to,” Lou confides, “is that to be a good doctor, you have to make good decisions. I learned the importance of making good decisions running jobs for Gentle Giant.”

Gentle Giant wishes Lou the absolute best in his upcoming graduation from medical school, and all of his future endeavors. We are excited to witness his continued growth into a respected leader within the medical community.