Legal Career Abandoned for Ethical HVAC Business

My biggest strategic move was walking away from a stable corporate legal career to co-found AirWorks Solutions with my husband Kevin in 2010. The catalyst came when Kevin quit his HVAC job after refusing to sell an unnecessary system to an elderly customer - his boss wanted profit over ethics.

We had zero business connections in the HVAC industry and I had never run a service company. But I leveraged my MBA and legal background to handle operations while Kevin focused on technical work. The risk was starting from scratch in a field dominated by established players who often prioritized quick sales over customer relationships.

The change happened when we committed to radical transparency - upfront pricing, honest assessments, and refusing profitable but unnecessary sales. This approach seemed financially dangerous initially, but it built incredible customer loyalty. Our reputation for integrity spread through word-of-mouth faster than any marketing budget could achieve.

By 2024, we expanded from a two-person startup to full service, installation, and administrative teams, adding plumbing services and now serving both Ventura County and Sacramento areas. The ethical stance that seemed risky became our biggest competitive advantage -customers specifically seek us out because they trust we won't oversell them.

Stephanie Allen, CEO, AirWorks Solutions