Rug and Fine Fabric Upholstery Class Last Week

[Jim Pemberton]

Most of you know that Lisa Wagner invited me to share the stage with her and present a class on cleaning "Fine Fabrics" (Translate: The scariest stuff to clean) on August 6 and 7th at Winners Circle In Las Vegas, primarily for Piranha members, as well as several guests.

I want to take this time to thank Lisa for inviting me to train what I believe was a bit more than 100 people in what was quite a bit more than 105 degree heat! (We didn't do much in the air conditioned classroom, as it was mostly a "hands on" course).

Many of you also know that I don't care to train "on the road" much any longer. Some of it has to do with personal reasons, but frankly a lot of it has to do with not wanting to leave my "controlled environment" here where I have all of my props and a support staff who makes everything work smoothly for me here.

The Winners Circle training facility staff, the exhibitors (especially Glen Galatan from Sapphire Scientific) and the Piranha members who came in early did all of the hard set up work and made my job easier than its ever been on a road trip. I have them especially to thank for making the class work like it did.

Also as some of you might know, I've made the decision to no longer teach IICRC certification classes. No, its not a rift between the IICRC and me. I'm still on the board, and Jeff Cross is taking over for me at my location to provide certification training.

I just decided I needed to work outside of the outlines of the IICRC classes and offer what I consider to be the latest and most advanced techniques in cleaning. This class was my first opportunity to do a test drive of those ideas.

I appreciate Lisa taking the risk to let me try out my new concepts with her Piranha members, who were informed and questioning, but ultimately a very cordial group.

It was a privilege.

 

[The Great Oz]

Jim,
This "work outside of the outlines of the IICRC classes and offer what I consider to be the latest and most advanced techniques" idea seems to be spreading. The Interlink/JonDon suppliers and manufacturers like Dri-Eaz and Injectidry are leaving IICRC training behind and are quoted as doing so for the same reasons.

I would guess that this is in response to perceived foot-dragging on the part of IICRC committees or the process of approving changes and the decision to move away didn't happen overnight. Did the people responsible at the IICRC think everyone was bluffing or that they couldn't live without providing IICRC certification? Or is it currently just working too well for a few individuals?

If the process or the people could be changed to bring programs up to speed would you or others that you know be interested in coming back?


PS: Obviously no one is afraid of Darth Ept anymore.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

I hate to detract from my main purpose of my post, which was one of thanks to some people who worked very hard to make my training experience enjoyable.

But, that said, to your question Bryan:

I want to see the IICRC get there, and they are trying. Otherwise I would not have Jeff Cross coming to teach for us in November.

But I'm just not interested in doing it myself anymore. I have things that I really need to do in training, and I need them to be rewarding to me, and more importantly, I have to believe they have the most reward to those who trust me enough to invest their time and money to come to my classes.

I never say "never again", but its not likely that I will.

I got more enjoyment out of this class than any I've taught in my career. And that goes back to 1979, when I was 19 years old.

The newness, relevance, and freedom to teach my own subject material was part of it, but the support and feedback of the Piranha folks was just as important to me, if not more.

It doesn't matter if all I want to do is only meaningful to me, after all.