Today we’d like to introduce you to X’avier, Georgio Samaniego,Paredes.
Hi X’avier, Georgio, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
The inception of what would be later named Ginx, was in the month of October 2016. I ( X’avier) was visiting Georgio during a break between classes. Georgio, Mikey (his older brother), and I were discussing Georgios lay off from a national pest control company. Georgio was a bit bummed, he enjoyed his job and what he was learning. He talked about how the process of exclusion worked and that it was a new and upcoming technique to remove unwanted critters from peoples homes and attics.
I was in my junior year at Texas A&M University- San Antonio, looking to earn my bachelors in business administration, so my mind was already looking for what was going to happen after school. After listening to Georgio I asked him why we didn’t just start our own company? He had the learned the skills, I was capable of putting it together, it just made sense. I went back to class later that evening with a new purpose on my mind. I began to fall down the rabbit hole learning how to form a company from scratch.
A month passes and tragedy struck when Georgio and Mikey were shot outside of a nightclub a week before Thanksgiving. Ultimately Mikey lost his life and Georgio sustained multiple injuries. That night in Mikey’s room that we were first talking about Ginx he was the one that encouraged us to do it.
Obviously Georgio was sad and lost without his older brother. The situation motivated me to keep pursing the business as a way to lift his spirits. He suffered a gun shot wound to the knee that left him unable to work for a period of time and he also learned he was going to be a father to his first child. Jobless and on the verge of becoming a father is not a good combo. I kept going, filled out all the documents, established an LLC with a $500 loan from my father and in February of 2017 Ginx was officially established.
Later on Georgio would tell me that he was unsure of the whole idea because he was nervous it wouldn’t work but I just didn’t stop. Now we were all the way in and we scrounged up the money for the startup costs, signed up for thumbtack and what was then HomeAdvisor and hoped for the best. We received our first job through thumbtack pretty shortly after. No company shirts, no business cards, just two 22 year olds in my 2002 Gmc Sierra pulling up to our first customers house ready to inspect it. We were so excited that when i picked up Georgio from his moms house that morning he left all the supplies we bought to complete our first job if it sold. We still laugh about it to this day. It did sell! The customer told us another company had offered a 15 month warranty as opposed to our 12 month warranty. I folded instantly and said we’d match it and the job was ours. Georgio makes fun of me, saying that I caved too quick but I think we just needed our foot in the door.
Again, so excited that instead of going all the way across town to pick up the supplies, we went to the nearest Home depot and picked up enough to complete it. We got it sealed up, set rat traps and that was it, the beginning of what would turn into the next 9 years.
Here we are 9 years later, two work trucks, thousands of houses sealed, hundreds of thousands of dollars made, and so many lessons learned. Looking back now we thought we’d be rich by 30, we’re now 32 and that hasn’t exactly happened in the money department. However, we’ve become rich in other ways like time. Time to be present in our childrens lives and time to enjoy our lives. We’re on our own schedules, no bosses, no time stamps, just freedom to work as long and as much as we want.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
For us the road started as a gravel road, all base. We had no money beyond startup costs, like I mentioned being in school I had zero dollars, Georgio lost his brother, was jobless, had a hurt knee, broken hand, and burning through his savings just trying to stay afloat. We landed that first job and it felt great! Then a week would go by before we got another, Not knowing if we were going to make money waiting for our next customer. Doubt begins to creep in, is it going to work? Will we be able to make a living from this? Luckily for us we didn’t have any overhead besides gas and insurance. And even then I don’t think we had insurance for maybe the first 8 months or so until we ran into a job that required it. That’s what saved us in the beginning. Starting organically with nothing but the cash we would earn from each job. Slowly becoming what we liked to call %100 legit. Started with magnet decals for the sierra, a ladder rack, then t-shirts, then business cards, then a work truck. All the way up to an accountant at the end of the first year. Brick by brick we built.
Everything for us has been a learning experience. Whether it was finding new techniques to perfect our craft, learning the commercial and residential side of business, refining our price points. and the list goes on. Lets not forget COVID! Just like like everyone else we learned on the fly and did our best to push through. Glad we made it out and looking back it was an experience that really forced us to grow.
The one thing we did know from the beginning was customer service. We’ve always been able to make a connection with our customers. At 23 years old we ran into skeptical customers that were weary of our young age. We know this because many of them would tell us at the end of our service when their problem was solved. For us that was the most satisfying compliment we could receive. Over the next nine years the road would begin to be paved. Little by little Ginx has become a name that customers know can be trusted not only to solve their problem but be happy to do it.
Although we’ve created a solid foundation, the road is never fully smooth. For instance, the motor on our first truck recently went out on us. Set us back a vehicle, cost of a new motor etc. These things happen and you have to be able to adapt and overcome any obstacle that may come your way. For us this isn’t our first time we’ve run into this situation. In 2022 we our second work truck was totaled by a driver who ran a red light. No one was hurt in the accident but the truck was done for. Again, you never know what might happen but experience really is the best teacher so don’t fear the experience, learn from it.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Ginx Rodent and Wildlife Removal LLC was established in 2017. The name Ginx was created by using both our names. G for Georgio and X for X’avier. We specialize in exclusion, the process of sealing up entry points that can be used by anything from a mouse to an adult raccoon. We’re also experts in trapping animals such as armadillos, foxes, opossums, raccoons, rats,ring tail cats, squirrels, and skunks.
What sets us apart is our enjoyment for the service. We genuinely love working for our customers and getting the job done. Safely removing baby raccoons and mom out of someones attic, removing squirrels or rats and giving them their sleep back brings us great satisfaction.
Just our name as a whole. Ginx has become a company that is really trusted by homeowners, realtors, property managers and business owners. The happiest things you can hear are ” I was referred to ya’ll by …” and ” When can ya’ll get it done.” No selling points, no why us, just complete trust from our customers that we’re giving them great work at a fair price.
We want the readers to know that Ginx began as just an idea from two young adults who had nothing to lose. We’re happy that we’ve gotten this far but we owe it all to any and everyone that ever believed in us. All the customers that took a chance on us, all the people in offices that helped us navigate through paper work and procedures. It means everything to us. Because of those people we were able to create an enjoyable life for our families.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
God, first and foremost for placing all the positive people in our lives and keeping us safe all these years. I’d also like to thank my father who listened to my business plan and loaned me the $500 dollars and my mother who always believed in whatever I did. Georgios mother, who always cheers us on!
Our customers, without them it’s all impossible. We’ve met so many great people over the years. Special shout out to Realtor Danny Charbel, we met him early on in our journey and he was someone who really wanted us to succeed. He still refers us to customers til this day.
Pricing:
- Free Home Inspections
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ginxrwr.com
- Instagram: Ginxrwr
- Facebook: Ginx Rodent and Wildlife Removal LLC
- Other: TikTok: Ginxcatchemall
