Greg Bright spent his formative years in the family Ace Hardware stores, working beside his father (and mother) beginning in 1975 at the age of 15.
After putting himself through college doing drywall work, Greg joined the family business in a management / ownership capacity. Together, Greg and his parents built the stores into some of Ace’s finest. Five years later, Greg and his parents sold the stores and Greg went to work at Ace Hardware Corporation as a retail consultant.
Greg has also worked as a paint manufacturer’s representative, fastener manufacturer’s representative, and owned a contracting company with extensive concrete mix design and decorative concrete design.
“I have found memories and I’m forever grateful for the knowledge and mentorship gained in the years spent growing up in and then managing our family’s Ace stores. Dad would drag me to every trade show and training event, even as a teenager, helping me hone my skills – he expected a lot and was one tough boss!”
I also appreciate the product knowledge and DIY (do-it-yourself) skills learned at both our family stores and also during the ten years that I spent at Ace Corporate. New products and tools come and go, some stand the test of time. It was my job as a store owner and a retail consultant to source the best products for our customers.
Today, I’m sharing that product knowledge with you.
Why a Fix It Wise Blog?
The best way to build common sense (and intelligence) is by doing. Doing practical, everyday projects. Common sense can not be learned by observing, only through getting our hands dirty through these personal experiences can we build our knowledge base.
Currently being a contractor as well as a in manufacturer, we often hear cries from the industry to engineering schools to include more practical teachings in their coursework. Way too many students are being graduated with “book knowledge” .. “But it worked on the computer.” is a phrase we often hear.
You can start at any age, so start with your kids early. Each project builds upon the next. Take little steps, but take lots of them.
The worse thing I have ever heard a parent say to a child was “Son (daughter), get a college education so you can afford to pay someone to do that for you”. As if somehow working with your hands is beneath you? Of course education is important, but what good is it if we can’t apply it to practical matters.
They say that imagination and fantasy form the foundation of a person’s ability to be creative and conceptualize. The challenge of a new project really gets my creative juices flowing. My hope is that you will get excited about them too. Excited enough to start dreaming up your next project!
Please join us on our never ending journey to learn by doing projects while fantasizing and imagining the outcome. Through this process we can continually build upon our common sense, which “emerges from these lived experiences”…
Wikipedia says: “Common sense is sound practical judgment concerning everyday matters, or a basic ability to perceive, understand, and judge that is shared by (“common to”) nearly all people.[1] The first type of common sense, good sense, can be described as “the knack for seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done”. The second type is sometimes described as folk wisdom, “signifying unreflective knowledge not reliant on specialized training or deliberative thought”. The two types are intertwined, as the person who has common sense is in touch with common-sense ideas, which emerge from the lived experiences of those commonsensical enough to perceive them.[2]
Sincerely – Your Host
Greg Bright
- Family Owned Ace Hardware Stores 1975 – 1991 (ages 15 through 31)
- Retail Consultant – Ace Corporate 1991 – 2000
- Independent Manufacturer 2000 – Present
Old School Hardware Man Meets Practical Fix it Home Repair Projects:
Growing up in our family Ace Hardware stores, I learned a thing or two about tools and the best products for fixing things. Many times it was with bailing wire and duct tape (we had to get inventive every day with our customers in the hardware store). After college I partnered with Dad and we built the businesses to the point that we sold them. Then I went to work for Ace corporate setting up hardware stores and consulting them all over the great state of Texas. Today I own a concrete countertop company, a manufacturing company and a metal fabrication (welding) business. I have brought products and patents to market and everyday I do Practical, Real World Home Repair and Construction Projects where you get to watch along and learn.
Please Help Support My Blog
I hope you love the products that I use, believe in, and recommended in my videos. Heads Up – As an Amazon associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. This means that I may earn commissions on products bought via links on this page at no extra cost to you. Realying on past product knowledge, I spend many hours researching, testing and using these products to help you decide.
Please help me get this little adventure off the ground by using the links provided to buy your products.
Disclaimers
By viewing this educational information, you agree not to hold Fix It Wise, it’s officers nor advertisers liable for any injury or property damage. Viewers assume full responsibility for their own personal risk of injury to persons or property. Viewers are also responsible for all safety precautions as prescribed by the Federal Agency OSHA. These instructions are for educational purposely only. No warranty or guarantee of any certain outcome is implied. The instructions are not for intended for children, nor adults of limited or impaired mental capacity.
Medical Disclaimer: Nothing on this website is intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition of whatever nature, and shall not be construed as medical advice, implied or otherwise. Information on this site is intended to be for educational edification and use only.
Our disclaimer: Our 30 plus years experience in home projects as a Hardware Store Owner, Ace Hardware Retail Consultant, manufacturer, and contractor may make us knowledgeable and familiar with common issues relating to fixing stuff. However, it doesn’t qualify us as technical experts. Please refer to the various technical authorities who set the national standards for many household repair projects, such as The National Electrical Code (NEC), or NFPA 70 for the safe installation of electrical wiring and equipment. NEC is part of the National Fire Code series published by the National Fire Protection Association. Please note that local governing bodies are usually the “authority having jurisdiction” to inspect for compliance with these minimum standards – and for your technical specifications. Similarly, the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) is a model code developed by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) to govern the installation and inspection of plumbing systems as a means of promoting the public’s health, safety and welfare.
NOTE: Your local authority having jurisdiction might preclude you from performing certain projects, without the proper license to do so.