In this fast-paced, internet-based society, more and more people are finding ways to avoid face-to-face interaction. Groceries can be ordered online, delivered to a front door, or picked up with minimal social interaction. A car can be purchased solely online without even speaking to a salesman, and it will appear at the address specified a few weeks or even days. With so many of the daily tasks that once involved interacting with other people now slowly being relegated to computers and robots, it is easy to ignore, or perhaps, never realize that social anxiety is still relevant today. Social anxiety affects over 15 million people in the United States alone, and ranges from slight to severe. There are many remote jobs available that people with severe social anxiety may seek, but one man chose to face his fears and start his own, customer-facing, fully interpersonal company instead. His name is Donnie Richardson, owner of Dryer Vent Authority.
Donnie vividly recalls an instance where he pulled up to a customer’s home with clammy hands, and instantly, paralyzing anxiety overcame him... He sat in his truck at her curb for fifteen minutes, overanalyzing every word that could be spoken, every question and answer, every single “what if” scenario while his heart raced, breath shortened, and felt like his whole body was malfunctioning. When he finally mastered it and moved to open the door, the customer appeared, having come outside to check on him. Donnie was mortified to explain to her why he stayed in his truck for so long after arriving. However, the customer was gracious and understanding and made him feel at ease. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case, and Donnie admits that his severe anxiety has hindered the growth of his business at times. New businesses thrive from networking, meeting people, and promoting, all of which is incredibly uncomfortable and hard for Donnie to do.
So why would someone who struggles so much with social anxiety start a business that requires so much socializing? Donnie does it because he cares. He discovered the field online by accident and was instantly intrigued. The more he researched, the more he realized that this was an incredibly important and vital service that many people were not even aware they needed. Lint is the number one cause of fires starting in your dryer, and dryer lint occurrences account for almost fifteen thousand house fires annually. After speaking with his family, Donnie found out two different relatives had suffered a house fire that started in their dryer vents because of lint. That sealed it! Someone had to step in and spread awareness and lower the risk for those who didn’t know how to clean their dryer vent.
Donnie received certification through the Chimney Safety Institute of America as a Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician in 2019 and set to work saving homes one dryer vent at a time. The challenging issue with dryer vents is raising awareness that they require maintenance. The National Fire Protection Association recommends a dryer vent cleaning annually at a minimum. The heating elements in the dryer cavity can reach over 550 degrees, and lint is already highly flammable. Any sort of blockage in your duct work could lead to a back-up and increase the risk of a fire. If it’s been over a year since you had your dryer ducts professionally inspected and cleaned, give Donnie at Dryer Vent Authority a call. We appreciate Donnie letting us share his story and for all he does to keep people safe in their homes as well.