STEVIE POTERLOT: THE CHOICE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Originally

I started plumbing quite by accident. At first my only desire (or my only need!) was to move: not to remain seated! I started with a BEP and continued with a Bac Pro work-study in a plumbing company in Vendée.

Then I worked in several companies. A first that doesn't really appeal to me anymore. The feeling is important! And I didn't have it with my employer. Fortunately, I very quickly found the right fit in a family business of 5 people. I stayed there for 4 years as a convenience store. I learned a lot there.

The woman who now shares my life then drove me to Mauritius for 1 year. When we returned, I was a civil servant for the city of Les Sables d'Olonne for 5 years. It was a very rewarding experience: I did a lot of installations on very different sites. It gave me an extra skill. I was now efficient in troubleshooting and installation! But after a while I wanted to fly on my own... And still with the same deep desire to move, I tried the adventure to become a surf teacher: my second passion. I passed a 1-year state diploma and for 2 years I managed a surf club still in Les Sables d'Olonne. With the arrival of my granddaughter, I realized that it was complicated to combine club life (open on weekends) and family life.

So I made the decision to return to my first activity: plumbing. And set up my own bathroom renovation company: plumbing installation – heating and troubleshooting. I joined a group of craftsmen (painter, plasterer, carpenter) and very quickly I made myself known.

Passion for the profession

To be a plumber you have to be both cerebral and manual. That's what I like. It is a job that requires both a long apprenticeship and great agility.

+: entrepreneurship allows me to be totally flexible in my schedule. I can combine my two passions: plumbing and surfing as soon as the conditions allow it!

Greatest achievement

To have succeeded in getting started in entrepreneurship. It's scary and it takes a lot of energy. I have to manage everything on my own (making appointments, building sites, repairs, accounting, etc.): you have to be organised. But I am so happy today to be able to organize my schedule between plumbing and surfing. Thanks to this, I take real pleasure in my daily work.

Bonus: in July/August in Les Sables d'Olonne, construction sites are prohibited to avoid noise pollution for holidaymakers. I then put on my surf instructor suit, heading to the beach to give lessons! And on the plumbing side, during this period, I simply provide repairs for my customers.

Choice of products

2 main criteria for me:

- Reliability: no possible doubt, you have to be calm about the product installed. And even more when you are a business leader

- Ease of implementation: quick installation

The product

Undoubtedly the Valentin chrome-plated brass universal digilic drain: an incomparable quality/price ratio. A very nice finish for robust equipment that adapts to the thickness of the worktop and the sink.

3 words to describe Valentine

Reliability, design and robustness!