About John Stephenson

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John Stephenson’s journey started behind the counter at In-N-Out Burger, where he learned the value of hard work, speed, and consistency. The fast-paced environment taught him how to stay calm under pressure, work as a team, and deliver quality no matter how busy things got — lessons that would stick with him for life.

After leaving the burger line, John jumped into construction as a laborer. The work was grueling — long days of demo and framing for just $100 cash, if the boss even bothered to pay. Many nights ended with John waiting for hours after closing, only to have to track the owner down just to get what he was owed. When that company eventually lost its license, John moved on, determined to find something better.

Over the next few years, John took on short-term roles in rebar and stone masonry, picking up new skills and learning the rhythm of construction sites. Not every lesson was easy — like the day he accidentally poured grout water down the wrong drain on a major San Francisco job site, flooding a superintendent’s desk and getting kicked off the project. These moments weren’t setbacks — they were stepping stones. Each job taught him something about the trades, about himself, and about the kind of career he wanted to build.

After bouncing around early construction jobs, John found himself in the world of chimneys, fireplaces, and masonry — and it was here that he learned what true construction etiquette meant. For nearly five years, he worked as a chimney sweep and mason, spending most days high up on roofs where balance, safety, and precision mattered as much as speed.

This was where John really learned the value of doing things the right way. He mastered bricklaying, gas connections, venting systems, and the art of converting and building fireplaces from the ground up — in new construction, remodels, and everything in between. The work taught him discipline, attention to detail, and how to be efficient without cutting corners.

Just as important, this was where John learned the importance of showing up prepared. He was taught to bring his own tools and tool belt to every job, invest in the right equipment, and take care of it like it mattered — because it did. Those lessons about respecting the trade, respecting the job site, and respecting your tools became foundational to how he would approach every career move afterward.

By the time he left the chimney trade, John had built not just fireplaces but the mindset of a professional — one ready to take on bigger challenges and build a future that was truly his own.

John’s big break came when he landed a plumbing apprenticeship with a major leak detection franchise — the moment that truly changed the trajectory of his life. For the first time, his paycheck was enough to move out of his mom’s house, and his work opened up a world of knowledge that seemed endless.

From day one, John threw himself into the trade. In his first year, he never missed a single day of work and quickly advanced to technician level. By the end of his second year, he was crowned Top Producer, proving his dedication and natural skill for diagnostics.

But John didn’t just clock in and out — he treated the company like it was his own. On weekends, he attended plumbing trade shows, took flights to Los Angeles to earn certifications in combi boilers and water distribution, and enrolled in online classes focused on municipal water systems so he could be on the same level as the water departments he frequently spoke with. This extra training gave him a broader perspective and strengthened his technical edge.

He also brought friends into the business, mentored them in the field, and went above and beyond for every customer. Thanks to his efforts and community connections, the company earned recognition as Best in Marin several years in a row.

John continued to climb the ladder, eventually becoming a supervisor and taking on the responsibility of training, leading, and setting the standard for excellence. These years were foundational — not only did they refine his skills in leak detection and plumbing diagnostics, but they also shaped his vision of what a company could be when it truly cared about its people and its customers.

Working in leak detection meant John was often on his own — driving from job to job, solving problems solo, and figuring things out in the field. That isolation drove him to look for a way to connect with others who shared his passion for the trade. Out of that search, The Leak Doctor was born.

What started as a way to learn more turned into a thriving network. John connected with plumbers, technicians, and contractors from all over the country, forming relationships that lasted for years. During this period, John went all in — dedicating 100% of his focus to the company. Every lead that came in was routed directly to him, generating over $60,000 in indirect leads in a single year. He shared tips, tricks, and lessons learned from tough jobs — and brought back new techniques to train the technicians he was mentoring.

The page quickly became more than just educational — it became creative. John loved making videos of plumbing being put together, from detailed process clips to satisfying before-and-after transformations. His passion for tools also pushed him to reach out to tool companies for demos and promotions. Brands like FLIR, General Pipe Cleaners, SebaKMT, Milwaukee, HIKMICRO, RIDGID, Tramex, Jacobs Manufacturing Co., and many others took notice, sending him products to review and share with his growing audience.

One of John’s proudest moments came when he won a RIDGID Tools contest with a submission about how badly he wanted to one day work for himself. The RIDGID team delivered a one-of-a-kind sewer camera directly to his job site — a symbol of both his dedication and the respect he had earned within the trades community.

The success of The Leak Doctor eventually caught the attention of John’s bosses, who asked him to take over their company’s social media presence on Instagram and LinkedIn. John’s efforts brought a new level of professionalism and engagement to the company’s online presence, further building its reputation in the industry and strengthening its connection with customers and peers.

For John, The Leak Doctor became more than a personal project — it was a springboard into leadership, marketing, and branding, laying the groundwork for what would eventually become The Leak Authority™.

After five years in the plumbing and leak detection trade, John took the next big step and earned his contractor’s license — officially launching JS Plumbing. The timing coincided with the onset of COVID-19, which slowed work across the industry. Instead of letting that hold him back, John used the downtime as an opportunity to dive headfirst into learning service plumbing, mastering everything from water heater installs to fixture repairs.

As work picked back up, John mostly used his license to bring new projects into the company he worked for and took on occasional weekend jobs under JS Plumbing. For a while, the balance worked — but by his ninth year, the restlessness set in. Being the top producer, managing teams, and only running his own show on the side was no longer enough.

John made the leap, leaving the company he had helped build to strike out fully on his own. As a sole proprietor, he began running service plumbing calls across the Bay Area and Sacramento — and quickly rediscovered the thrill that had drawn him into the trades in the first place.

That first month, operating out of the back of his pickup truck, John generated $36,000 in revenue — enough to buy his first work van and take things to the next level. With new momentum and a clear vision for the future, he launched Hydronos Corporation, the umbrella under which The Leak Authority™ was officially born.

Starting a corporation was no easy feat. The moment Hydronos and The Leak Authority™ came to life, it felt like money was being pulled from every direction — licenses, insurance, tools, marketing, vehicle costs, even past employers— everything seemed to demand cash. John was making money, but every dollar went right back into the business to keep it moving forward.

One of his first big opportunities came from a well-known contractor in Los Angeles — someone John had looked up to for years. It was a huge step for his young company, but the road wasn’t smooth. His van broke down twice on the trip, turning a proud moment into a stressful scramble. Still, the job got done, and John refused to let setbacks shake his resolve.

A colleague once told John, “Some business owners start out easy, then have that one month that just destroys them.” That advice stuck with him — and in a way, his very first month prepared him for that storm. He had learned to keep pushing, to stay hungry, and to never let one bad break define the future.

The real turning point came when John realized he couldn’t do it all alone. He hired an office administrator to handle scheduling, invoicing, and client communication so he could focus on leadership and growth. For the first time, he could take a breath, knowing the business was starting to operate like a true company rather than a one-man show.

Today, Hydronos Corporation is young, with The Leak Authority™ lighting the way forward. to endless possibilities.