"That's Not Going to Be My Story" | Winning the Fight for His Health and His Business

This week I sat down with Spencer Hardin, owner of First Response Pressure Washing, and I'll tell you up front, this one gets emotional. Spencer holds nothing back and neither did I. It's as real as it gets. Spencer has built one of the most respected exterior cleaning companies in the Louisville market, with over 450 five star reviews, two trucks, and 30+ jobs a week. He did it while serving as a full time firefighter and raising three kids. That story alone would be worth your time. But in January of 2023, everything changed. Spencer woke up with tingling in his toes on his way to the firehouse. By that evening his face was numb. Two hospitals ran labs, found nothing, and sent him home with the wrong diagnosis. Spencer knew something wasn't right, so he called his own doctor and pushed for one more test. That phone call likely saved his life. The diagnosis was Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare condition where your own immune system attacks your nervous system. The numbness climbed from his toes to his waist in six days. If it reached his diaphragm, he was going on a ventilator. Fourteen days in the ICU, a spinal tap, five plasma exchange treatments, and months of learning to do the simplest things again. It took nearly half a year before he could do a single push up. We talk about what happens when the person everyone depends on suddenly has to depend on everyone else. The fear, the depression he rarely talks about, the friends who slept in his hospital room, the strangers from across the country who reached out, and the mentor he still carries with him every single day. We also get into the business side, because his company kept running while he was learning to walk, and the lessons he took from that changed how he leads today. If you've ever wondered how you'd respond when life truly knocks you down, Spencer actually had to find out. His answer will stick with you. WHAT WE COVER Running a business while working full time at a firehouse The exact moment he knew something was wrong, and why he refused the first diagnosis Being your own advocate when the labs say you're fine What Guillain-Barré actually does to your body Losing independence when you're the person everyone depends on Depression, grace, and giving yourself room to accept a new reality How a business keeps running when the owner can't show up Hiring, processes, and the callback problem every service business hits His framework for adversity: control the controllable, one bite at a time CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:49 Who Spencer is 02:29 Firefighter, father of three, business owner 03:31 450+ five star reviews and how they happened 04:30 Reputation, community, and not sleeping 07:39 January 2023: the first symptom 09:29 "Nothing is wrong with you" 13:36 Trusting his gut and calling his own doctor 16:51 The nerve conduction test 18:16 "I have some bad news for you" 19:17 Googling it in the lobby 20:58 The spinal tap 22:17 The worst case scenario 24:22 The most terrifying part 28:22 Watching it climb to his waist 30:04 The tribe that showed up 32:16 "That is not going to be my story" 35:09 Going live on Facebook 40:31 Where the fight came from 48:32 Matt Cappotelli 54:00 The turning point 56:12 Learning to walk, drive, and do a push up again 58:10 Depression and the silent struggles 59:39 The business that ran without him 1:00:33 2024: the hardest business year 1:04:09 Why pressure washing 1:07:05 Processes, people, and callbacks 1:12:23 His advice on overcoming adversity 1:16:43 What's next for First Response and for Spencer 1:22:11 Mama Hardin ABOUT SPENCER First Response Pressure Washing serves Louisville, Mt. Washington, and Southern Indiana. https://firstresponsepressurewashing.net This episode is sponsored by Next Level Sports Nutrition: https://nextlevelsn.com And if you listen closely, you'll hear why that means something. Sean and Amy at Next Level ran a fundraiser out of their store for Spencer during his recovery. That's the kind of business we're proud to partner with. BUILDING MARKET LEADERS Real playbooks from the entrepreneurs leading their markets. Hosted by Darriel Kelly. Website: https://marketleaderspodcast.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0341pdk... YouTube:    / @buildingmarketleaders   If this episode hit you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. And if you haven't yet, subscribe so more stories like Spencer's get told.