Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher S. Wathen.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Christopher. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
All good things in my life came because of the love and dedication of my parents. I have failed at a good many things, business and otherwise; their steadfast resolve keeps me moving. I started my current path in 1992 as a bicycle messenger contracted to a large law firm in Downtown Houston. I learned quite a bit about a good many things in my decade as a bicycle messenger, preeminent among those lessons is a time-tested courier motto ” A turning wheel is an earning wheel”. Along the way and without planning to do so, I built quite a few long lasting relationships, both personally and professionally. An untold number of people helped me along the way and I was fortunate enough to come across leaders who mentored me and pushed me to be better, in business and in life; Danny Ogg, Texas M. Welsh, Gary Murphy, David Willms and Fred Baca. No story about me would be complete without telling you of my business partner Leonardo Villegas and my wife D’Ann (Cantu) Wathen, the three of us together took the fork in the road that led us to where we are today.
Having arrived at a crossroads where no option appeared any better or worse and with two new babies in our home and two new babies at the Villegas residence; we left behind everything we had worked for up until that point and set out on our own. Firsthand Services was born. To say it was rough would be an understatement but again, with help from people such as Andrew Espinosa and Angela Clark we were able to forge ahead. I believe we have created a culture in our office that is based on respect for our differences and understanding the similarities in all people. We would be nothing without the hard work and dedication of every single person that works for us and our FIRM belief that “The Customer is The Boss”.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It is not always easy to find the right people to work with, in fact, it is damn near impossible sometimes. The right chemistry in a workplace can make or break it. I have hired and replaced so many members of my family and friends that I have lost count, up to and including my parents. I know it is said that you should never hire family or friends, but I really don’t do anything without those two groups of people. For the most part, it worked out and there were no hard feelings, Yes there are two glaring examples of failure but I now see those as inevitable. It was never personal, only looking for the right chemistry- on the way in and on the way out.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Court Record Research – what should we know?
Our company has two focus areas, Services for Title Agencies and real estate agencies; mainly document research and retrieval pertaining to real estate transactions. Services for Law Firms; Service of Process, investigations, mobile notary etc. We are known for getting the job done; quickly, accurately, and reliably. Our people set us apart from others. Teamwork really does make The Dreamwork.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Well, the answer to this would be about a mile long, My sister, Stacy Lekae (Wathen) Sanchez; was always my most avid supporter and the wall upon which I bounced most ideas off of. My brother, Dr. Jay Kyle Wathen; has played a more direct role in our success, building the software we use to run the entire operation, literally. I’ve already mentioned my parents, my wife, business partner and several of the people that have influenced me over the years, but to leave out the people that work with us every day would be a serious error. Many of them have been with me and helped carry me through the lowest, most difficult time in my life, the loss of my sister mentioned above. They deserve much more than a passing mention in this story and they are : Encarnacion “Shawn” Rosales, Leann Wadsworth, Aaron Cantu, Julius Jalufka, Claudia Lewis, Mercedez Tristan, Leonard Rodriguez, David Gebhardt, Ross Gauld, David Gebhardt, Jennifer (Cantu) Kontominas, Gordon Hanna, Rachel Cabrera, Sid Cespedes, Monica “Mika” Lara, Dustin Tierney, Gerardo “Squirrel” Atilano, Charles Rodriguez, and Mason Courtney.
Contact Info:
- Address: Court Record Research Inc.
1320 Quitman St.
Houston, TX 77009 - Website: courtrecords.com
- Phone: 713-227-3353
- Email: respond@courtrecords.com
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