I recently traveled to Las Vegas to get married (save your marriage jokes!). A good time was had by all, but I noticed something: The ring on my finger isn’t the only thing that has changed about me recently.

When I started working at The NEWS in December, I didn’t know a whole lot about furnaces and air conditioners, and I sure as heck didn’t know the ins and outs of HVAC contracting.

As I walked through The Strip, I kept peering at these giant, massive resort hotels and casinos, and I kept thinking, over and over again, “Man, they must have some huge air conditioning systems in these buildings!” I began questioning exactly how contractors installed or maintenance such systems, whether they were energy efficient, how much the jobs cost, how much work is required, etc.

Then my wife fell asleep as we were walking. I do have a tendency to be rather long-winded.

That aside, the point I’m attempting to get to here (again, long-windedness), is don’t be afraid to branch out if you think your business can benefit. Before I came to The NEWS, I was a sports reporter. Now I’m really into HVAC and love speaking with contractors and people in the industry.

I recently spoke with a contractor a few weeks back who has completely reinvented his business by making zoning his big niche. It’s worked, and he’s carving out a name for himself through this idea. I took a risk moving from a newspaper to a trade publication, moving from sports to HVAC. Perhaps it’s time you left your comfort zone and expanded your horizons. The grass is always greener on the other side, right?