Meeting Eric: A Man at His Lowest
My business – Eric is a 35-year-old American guy, born and raised in a small town in Ohio. He’s the kind of person you’d call a dreamer—always talking about starting his own my business, a little plumbing company he wanted to call “PipeDream Solutions.” But life wasn’t kind to Eric. He’d been through a rough divorce, lost his job at a factory, and was struggling to pay his bills. “I felt like I was drowning,” he told me once, his voice cracking a little. “I didn’t know how I was gonna make it.”
Back in 2022, Eric was at his lowest. He’d stopped going to church, something he’d done every Sunday growing up. “I was mad at God,” he admits. “I kept asking, why me? Why did everything I touch turn to dust?” His faith was shaky, and he felt like no one in his town understood what he was going through. That’s when he met Ana, a Brazilian immigrant who’d moved to Ohio with her family a few years back.
Ana’s Family: A Beacon of Hope
Ana and her family were devout Catholics, the kind of folks who’d welcome you into their home with a warm plate of feijoada and a big smile. They ran a small cleaning business, and Eric met them when he took a temporary gig helping them with odd jobs. Ana noticed right away that Eric was struggling—not just with money, but with his spirit. “He had this sadness in his eyes,” she told me in her soft, lilting accent. “I knew he needed more than just a paycheck.”
One Sunday, Ana invited Eric to join her family at church. He was hesitant at first. “I hadn’t prayed in years,” he said. “I didn’t even know if I beleived anymore.” But something about Ana’s kindness made him say yes. That day at church, Eric felt something shift inside him. The priest spoke about resilience, about how faith can be a light in the darkest times. For the first time in years, Eric felt a flicker of hope. “It was like God was speaking right to me,” he said.
Ana’s family didn’t stop there. They saw how much Eric wanted to start his my business, but he didn’t know where to begin. Back then, he didn’t even have a website or a business profile online. Ana’s husband, Carlos, had some experience with digital marketing—he’d used business google to grow their cleaning company. “You gotta get online, meu amigo,” Carlos told Eric one evening over dinner. “People don’t look in the phone book no more. They search on Google.”
The First Steps: Building a Business Profile
Eric wasn’t tech-savvy. “I didn’t even know what a business profile was,” he admitted with a chuckle. But Carlos sat him down one afternoon and showed him how to set up a Google Business Profile for PipeDream Solutions. They added the basics—Eric’s phone number, the areas he served, and a short description of his plumbing services. Carlos even took a few photos of Eric working on a leaky faucet at their house to add to the profile. “You gotta show people you’re real,” Carlos said.
That little business profile on business google was a game-changer. Within a week, Eric got his first call—a lady in town needed her sink fixed. “I couldn’t beleive it,” Eric said. “She found me on Google, said she saw my profile and liked that I was local.” That first job gave him the confidence to keep going. He started getting more calls, mostly small jobs at first, but it was enough to pay his bills and put a little aside.
Ana and Carlos also helped Eric set up a simple site business. They used a free website builder—nothing fancy, just a page with his contact info, a list of services, and a photo of Eric smiling in his work overalls. “I wanted people to see I was someone they could trust,” he said. Carlos made sure the site mentioned keywords like “plumber near me” and “emergency plumbing in Ohio,” because he’d learned that’s how people search on business google. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start.
Finding Faith Through Community
While Eric was building his my business, something else was happening—he was rebuilding his faith. Ana’s family invited him to their weekly prayer group, where they’d read the Bible and share stories of how God had helped them through tough times. Ana told Eric about her own journey—how she’d left Brazil with almost nothing, faced discrimination in America, but kept her faith strong. “God never gives up on us,” she’d say, her eyes shining with conviction.
Those prayer meetings became a lifeline for Eric. “I started to beleive again,” he said. “Not just in God, but in myself.” He began to see his struggles as part of a bigger plan, something that would make him stronger. One night, he shared his own story with the group—how he’d felt so lost and hopeless, but how their kindness had given him a second chance. “I cryed like a baby,” he laughed, “but it felt so good to let it all out.”
Growing PipeDream Solutions
By mid-2023, Eric’s my business was starting to take off. His business profile on business google was getting more reviews—happy customers leaving five-star ratings and saying things like “Eric saved the day!” and “Best plumber in Ohio!” Those reviews brought in even more clients, and soon Eric had to hire a part-time helper to keep up with the demand.
He also upgraded his site business. With Carlos’s help, he added a section for customer testimonials and a blog where he’d write tips like “How to Fix a Leaky Faucet” or “What to Do in a Plumbing Emergency.” Eric wasn’t the best writer—he’d sometimes mix up “your” and “you’re,” or write “plumming” instead of “plumbing”—but his posts were honest and helpful, and people loved that. “I ain’t perfect,” he’d say with a grin, “but I know pipes.”
One day, a big opportunity came knocking. A local apartment complex needed a plumber for regular maintenance work—a contract that would bring in steady income. The manager had found Eric through his business profile on business google and liked that he had so many good reviews. “That contract changed everything,” Eric said. “It gave me the stability I needed to really grow my business.”
The Role of Faith in Prosperity
As PipeDream Solutions grew, so did Eric’s faith. He started giving back to the community that had helped him so much. Every Sunday, he’d volunteer at the church, fixing leaky faucets or unclogging drains for free. “It’s my way of saying thank you,” he said. He also donated a portion of his profits to a local charity that helped immigrants like Ana’s family get settled in America. “I wouldn’t be here without them,” he told me. “It’s only right to pay it forward.”
Eric also found that his faith helped him in business. “When things get tough—like when a job goes wrong or a customer’s unhappy—I pray,” he said. “It calms me down, helps me think strait.” One time, he had a big job go south—a pipe burst during a repair, flooding a client’s basement. Eric was panicked, but he took a moment to pray, and then got to work fixing the mess. He didn’t charge the client for the extra work, and they were so impressed with his honesty that they recommended him to all their friends.
Lessons from Eric’s Journey
Eric’s story is one of superação, a beautiful reminder that even in our darkest moments, there’s hope. Here are some lessons I took away from his journey:
Faith can be a guiding light. For Eric, reconnecting with his faith gave him the strength to keep going, even when things seemed impossible. It wasn’t just about religion—it was about believing in something bigger than himself.
Community matters. Ana and her family showed Eric that kindness and support can change a life. If you’re struggling, don’t be afraid to reach out—there’s always someone who cares.
A strong online presence is key. Setting up a business profile on business google and creating a simple site business were the first steps to growing Eric’s my business. In 2025, being online isn’t optional—it’s essential.
Mistakes are okay. Eric wasn’t perfect—his website had typos, and he made plenty of mistakes along the way. But his honesty and hard work won people over. You don’t have to be flawless to succeed.
How Eric Inspires Us Today
Today, in May 2025, Eric’s my business, PipeDream Solutions, is thriving. He’s got a small team of three plumbers working for him, and he’s even thinking about expanding to a second location in a nearby town. His business profile on business google now has over 100 reviews, with an average rating of 4.8 stars. “I never thought I’d get here,” he said, his voice full of gratitude. “But I did, thanks to faith and good people.”
Eric still goes to church every Sunday, and he’s become a mentor to other small business owners in his community. He helps them set up their own business profile and site business, just like Carlos did for him. “I wanna be for others what Ana and Carlos were for me,” he said. “A little help can go a long way.”
A Final Word
Eric’s journey, from despair to success with his my business, shows us that with faith, community, and a bit of hard work, you can overcome any challenge. It doesn’t matter if you’re an American like Eric or have roots elsewhere, like Ana, who brought a piece of Brazil into his story. If you’re thinking about starting your own my business, take a page out of Eric’s book: get online with business google, build a site business, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. And if you’re struggling with your faith, remember that sometimes it takes a kind stranger—or a whole family—to remind you that you’re never alone.