Procrastination is a clever thief. It steals your paycheck. It steals your sense of security. It can even take your home. How can such a banal delay do such things? Anyone who lived in the Keys during Hurricane Irma knows the answer. Austin Klein saw the result himself when he returned with his family after the evacuation.
“I thought I was prepared for what we’d return home to, but what I saw was horrific,” Austin recounts. “All of the green mangroves were wiped clean, jet skis were on the side of the roads, appliances were stacked up on the side of U.S. 1. It’s impossible to be prepared for it emotionally, but it made me realize I need to be more prepared in ways I can control.”
Austin and his wife, Jessica, were lucky. They had a house to bring their son back to, but it took several hours to board up their house before they could leave and even longer to remove them.
“I returned straight to work, and there were so many things to do that I only had time to remove one or two boards the first week. We lived in darkness, surrounded by devastation, and it prolonged this sense of displacement and uneasiness.” At the time, Austin’s family rented their home, but he vowed to be better prepared once he became a homeowner. Thankfully, soon after purchasing a home, Austin started working for Wright’s Impact Windows and Doors as Lead Product Specialist.
Austin didn’t procrastinate and became one of his first customers. He ordered hurricane impact windows to replace his old, outdated hurricane shutters. Never having to board up his windows again triggered the decision, but it’s not the only reason he acted so quickly. “During my training, I learned homeowners can save 30-40% on insurance with impact windows and doors. I had no idea it was that much! I realized installing them is not just a precaution, it’s an investment.”
The son of a remodeling contractor, Austin was also anxious for the improvement to his curb appeal. He could easily visualize how his house would look with better windows and without clunky storm shutters. Realizing the value for himself, Austin thought it would be easy to sell the products to others. In many ways, he thought right; nobody can argue the benefits of having impact windows, doors, and shutters in the Keys. However, people’s tendency to procrastinate becomes their biggest challenge.
“We think about how we should have boarded up sooner or left town sooner, but the real procrastination is months before a storm ever hits,” Austin explains. “And with the delays COVID has caused in the supply chain, people truly can’t afford to procrastinate any longer.”
Austin explains that many people are adopting a “we’ll order when things get better” mentality, but that only delays the benefits indefinitely. He says the sooner they order, the sooner they will save on energy and insurance. More importantly, the sooner they’ll feel assured that they’re doing everything in their control to prepare for the next big storm. Now that Austin has that reassurance, he’s working hard, but he’s also playing hard. He and his wife are originally from northern states, so they soak up the sun every chance they get. They enjoy taking their son on the water to fish and boat around the seemingly innocuous seas.
Austin is always amazed at how well the Keys recovered after Hurricane Irma, but he’ll never forget how quickly it was wiped out. He’ll never forget the decimated mangroves and displaced families. He’ll never forget what procrastination took from so many. It’s Austin’s hope that people forego the excuses that procrastination uses against them. Taking action is the best defense, and it begins with a phone call.
Visit Wrights Impact Window & Door Showroom located at: 91880 Overseas Hwy #9, Tavernier, FL 33070 or call 305-376-7077
wrightsimpactwindowanddoor.com
–Jerrica Mah is a writer, Army wife, and freelance book editor, who loves to travel with her family.