About the Brothers that just do Gutters

An Immigrant's Story

My name is Jimmy Olang, and I am the owner of The Brothers that just do Gutters here in the Lehigh Valley. I was born and raised in a remote village in Kenya, East Africa. Growing up in a family of 9, we didn’t have much. In fact, basic necessities like food, water and a proper place to sleep were sometimes lacking. Our mud hut with thatched roof frequently leaked while we slept. I cannot count how many times we went to “bed” hungry or with very little in our bellies. Part of our responsibilities were herding goats and cows, walking through the forest to fetch firewood for cooking and boiling drinking water, walking for miles to the river to fetch water, walking to school bare foot and the list goes on.

While it sounds harsh and unforgiving, there was also beauty and levity in the simplicity of that lifestyle. Our parents instilled in us the values of hard work, honesty, family, appreciation for the most basic needs, and most importantly FAITH.

While I gave it my all, I still struggled in school. My teachers often ridiculed me in front of other kids and told me I was dumb and would never amount to much. I could have let those words affect me but instead I channel them them into a motivation to prove everyone who doubted me wrong.

In 2001 with $20 to my name and the hunger for more, I came to the US and started working as a gutter installer. I quickly acquired a second job working the night shift in a group home for adults with developmental disabilities where I did things such as bathing them, cooking, laundry and changing diapers.

Over the next 13 years I worked those 2 full time jobs while also earning an associates degree in communications. By all accounts, I had proven my childhood teachers wrong, and I was proud to say that I had finally accomplished something. After getting married and starting a family I realized that working 2 full time jobs was not sustainable. I approached my employer about starting my own gutter company and he informed me that the company was in the process of franchising the brand and that I was exactly the kind of driven individual they were looking for. I decided that buying a franchise of my own, of a brand that I had been a part of and loved for 13 years was the right move for me.

In 2015, my wife and I decided to relocate to the Lehigh Valley, where she’s originally from, and launched our business. For over 2 years, I worked 16 hours every day installing, running estimate appointments and networking while my wife took care of our little ones. Slowly the business began to develop and grow, and I was able to hire additional help.

Today, The Brothers that just do Gutters has grown to over 23 employees, 8 trucks, 3 office locations, and a strong community presence. I believe that my upbringing and the values that I was raised with have guided me all these years and continue to guide my leadership as a small business owner.

This great country has blessed me with so much and I will be forever grateful to the many wonderful people and lessons learned that have helped me along the way!