In 2023, PHCPPros launched a new rep agency specifically for brand ambassadors in the PHCP community, PROS REPS. Our clients include highly skilled and influential professionals who showcase their profession, love of the trades, and the products they use and install to their thousands of social media followers.  

PROS REPS client Jacob Krauss is a residential HVAC technician/operator of a small business in central Florida. He provides customers with the industry's best practices to ensure the best expectations are met. He also enjoys sharing content about the ups, downs and lifestyle of the blue collar trades to nearly 9,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, @KoolinwithKrauss.

PHCPPros: How did you enter a career in the trades?

Krauss: My daughter was about a month away from being born and my dad said to me, “Boy, you need a career." Being that he was also in the HVAC trade and second generation, he was able to put me on that path.

PHCPPros: How did you find your specialty within the trades? 

Krauss: I wouldn’t say I have a specialty per se; I try to implement all the best practices of the industry into the field as best as possible.

PHCPPros: Why did you decide to start using social media to share what you do with the world at large?

Krauss: I would watch others do it all the time, and I just figured it would be something I could do, adding my personality into it and showing my perspective.

PHCPPros: What is your favorite type of content to share with your followers? What gets the most engagement? 

Krauss: People love the tool review videos, as well as the raw and real videos. I don’t hold back from the good and bad, the mistakes I’ve made, or some of my diagnostics that weren’t “perfect.” I show everything, and I think the realness of my content is what drives the best engagement. 

PHCPPros: What kind of advice would you give to people in the industry who may want to do something similar to you on social media? 

Krauss: DO IT!!! There’s no reason not to, especially with the camera technology we have access to on our phones 24/7. You just might teach someone something they knew nothing about, or a different way of doing it that makes the job easier. Or, you just might do badass work, and the world needs to see it!

PHCPPros: How do you think the industry can use social media as a tool to encourage the next generation to join the trades?

Krauss: Social media can showcase the different fields and possibilities of any of the trades, and just how awesome it really is to be blue collar — knowing that you’re a part of what society is truly built upon! 

PHCPPros: What kind of advice would you give people who are looking to enter the trades?

Krauss: Ask questions and don’t hesitate. Try out a few different trades to find which one is best for you — and learn to love it. 

PHCPPros: Is there anything from your personal life that you'd like to highlight? 

Krauss: I’m a husband and a father to three, and my family means everything to me. They’re my "Why." Without them, I’m not sure if I would have gotten into the trades. Who knows where my path was headed. I love what I do, I look forward to going to work every day, and God has truly blessed my family and me.

Follow Jake on YouTube, @KoolinwithKrauss, and Instagram, @koolinwithkrauss_hvac.

For Brand Ambassadors: Want to join PROS REPS as a client? Email PROS REPS Business Development Manager Nicole Meyer at nicole@phcppros.com.  

For Manufacturers: PROS REPS can connect manufacturers with individuals like Jake to create custom brand ambassador campaigns. Learn more by emailing Nicole at nicole@phcppros.com. 

Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.