Meet Anja Smith! Anja is a Managing Partner along with her parents (Scott and Trina). They have owned All Clear Plumbing since 2012.
She said her favorite thing about The Golden Strip is, “Simpsonville’s growing downtown is probably my favorite part about the Golden Strip. I live close enough to walk and the restaurant, bar, and shopping options seem to be growing by the day. That’s our favorite date night is just walking to downtown Simpsonville to hang out.”
We want to thank Anja for participating in our Faces of The Golden Strip interview and sharing how much the Golden Strip means to her and her family.
Q. What inspired you or led you to your current career?
A. Like many people who enter the trades, I followed my father into the profession. Not without some detours though. While my father is a tradesman, I went to college and got a degree in business. That turned out to be fortuitous though, since that pairing of his skills and my knowledge (and my Mom’s finance background) gave us the foundation we needed to start our business.
Q. How long have you been in this position for All Clear Plumbing?
A. My Mom, Dad, and I founded the company together in 2012 with my dad as the only full time employee. It wasn’t until 2015 though that we could support bringing me on full time. My Mom followed in 2016, and now the whole family is employed full-time by our business.
Q. What do you enjoy most about what you do?
A. I love that the work we do as a company matters. Plumbing is this vitally important piece of our lives that we – thankfully – largely get to take for granted. We only realize how privileged we are when it breaks. I love that we get to be people’s heroes in that moment.
Q. What do you think sets All Clear Plumbing apart from its competitors?
A. We believe in supporting the people of our community in order to help it thrive. We noticed that a growing shortage of skilled plumbers is currently occurring throughout the United States. Many generations of high school graduates have tracked onto college rather than learning a skilled trade, which has left the majority of licensed plumbers at or near retirement age. In order to find a solution, All Clear Plumbing has worked with Apprenticeship Carolina and the United States Department of Labor to create a custom apprenticeship program. It’s a four-year program that provides a mixture of classroom education and on-the-job learning from All Clear’s experienced staff of plumbers. All Clear’s apprentices are full-time employees, who receive the same terrific benefits as All Clear’s plumbers. On top of that, the schooling for apprentices is paid in full by All Clear.
Q. What did you do prior to All Clear?
A. Oddly enough, I ran a technology company. We sold a special-use network router via ecommerce and shipped worldwide. In fact, most of the customers were out of the United States. That company still exists today but the ownership has changed hands. I’ve always been involved with small business. The industry wasn’t as important as the work of running and marketing the business.
Q. What is your favorite restaurant in the Golden Strip, and what do you love there?
A. Low Country Shrimper in Mauldin! They are a family-owned and operated business, just like ours. I love shopping local! These folks know how to cook some seafood. I don’t really eat meat, so I love a good seafood joint. That place is underrated! I’ve never been disappointed – they bring seafood in fresh from the coast several times per week.
Q. How long have you lived or worked in the Golden Strip area?
A. My family moved to Mauldin in 1997, just in time for me to start Mauldin High School. So, I’ve lived in the Golden Strip for the majority of my life at this point.
Q. Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in the Golden Strip area ?
A. No one person sticks in my mind, but I have to say that we have such an amazing small business community in this area. I love that I have a huge choice of local businesses to shop at and that many of the places I spend my money, I’m on a first-name basis with the owner. That feels so good and is such an interesting part of living here. I don’t think you get that everywhere!
Q. If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? And why?
A. Since I already have a trip planned for Ireland, I guess I should say that! I’m very excited, because it is my first trip outside of the country. Aside from that, my spouse and I have a goal to visit all of the National Parks, so I’d probably pick one of those!
Q. What is your favorite movie OR what is the first movie you remember seeing in a theatre?
A. The first movie I have a vivid memory of seeing was my Aunt and Uncle taking me to see The Muppet Christmas Carol. It’s a classic! Still one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time.
Q. What advice would you give a crowd of people?
A. Be kind. Kindness gets lost – in crowds especially – and it is something we could all use a little more of. It costs us nothing but makes the world a much nicer place to live.
Q. What is something on your bucket list?
A. Visiting all of the National Parks! I love seeing the beauty this country has on offer.
Q. What is your favorite music/ 3 bands you would like to see (dead or alive)?
A. Some of the musicians that I grew up on, I’d have loved to see perform while they were still alive or in their hay-day. Harry Chapin and The Knack would be high on my list. My contemporary choice would be Lady Gaga, just for the theatrics.
Q. What current / former local business makes you feel the most nostalgic about the Golden Strip area?
A. The Ice Cream Station in Simpsonville hasn’t been around that long in the scheme of things, but it certainly feels like it’s been a part of the community forever. Going there makes Simpsonville feel like home to me.
Q. Choosing anyone alive and a non-relative: with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? Where in the Golden Strip area would you have lunch?
A. You ruined my answer, because I always say a younger version of my Grandfather, but you said non-relative! So, I’m going to go with John Muir just for the stories. I’d take him to Stella’s Bistro. I think he’d appreciate the effort to locally source and work with seasonal ingredients.
Q. What is your favorite thing or something unique about the Golden Strip area?
A. Simpsonville’s growing downtown is probably my favorite part about the Golden Strip. I live close enough to walk and the restaurant, bar, and shopping options seem to be growing by the day. That’s our favorite “date night” is just walking to downtown Simpsonville to hang out.
Q. Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?
A. Hopefully doing a lot of the same that I’m doing now! I love being an active member of my community, I love that I help create jobs in the area, and I love to travel. Those things are my passion projects and I don’t want to stop.
Q. (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
A. I spent a hot minute in the Army right after high school. I didn’t even make it all the way through basic training though. It’s my biggest “unfinished business” and a near-regret (although I wouldn’t change the trajectory of my life for anything!) So, long-time friends and family know that, but it doesn’t come up in conversation much anymore.
Q. What 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
A. Family, coffee on the porch, nights at the fire pit.Q. If you were cast into a major motion picture and had your choice of anyone to be your co-star, who would you choose? I want an ensemble cast – Anna Kendrick, Dax Shepard, and Kristen Bell seem like they’d be so fun to hang out with.
Q. If you had a full time staff member that was fully paid for, who would you choose? AChef, Housekeeper, Driver, Coach, Physical Fitness Trainer, or Nanny?
A. Housekeeper, times a thousand. Seriously, does anyone want to do my laundry for me? Because it’s my kryptonite.
Q. Who would you like to see nominated as a Face of the Golden Strip?
A. Clint Richey, whose steps I’ve followed in for a while now. He’s a fantastic leader in our community!
