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Sally McKnight has developed some pretty decent office skills over the years. So when she was hired to set up an office for a chimney sweep in Oakland, California, it didn't take her too long to get an efficient, workable system on the go.

McKnight knew a lot about running an office, but she knew very little about chimney cleaning. So when her boss suggested she come out on the job with him for a day, it seemed like a good idea. The more she knew about chimneys, the more effectively she'd handle customers.

That day changed McKnight's career direction forever. "One day. That's all it took. I said, 'I don't ever want to go back to the office again.'"

Many years later, she still feels the same way. Eventually she went into partnership with her boss and, in time, bought him out.

So what is it about chimney sweeping that appeals to her so much?

"It's refreshing to be able to be in different places all day long. I'm in five to eight different homes each day, with five to eight different homeowners, all with different chimneys, all with their own problems and idiosyncrasies."

That variety and interaction with people helps keep the job interesting. "By the time I retire from this, I'll be deserving of a master's degree in psychotherapy. Chimney work is providing a service to homeowners. You have to have the ability to listen to what other people are saying to you. Your job is to solve their problems," says McKnight.

After the northern California earthquake of 1989, McKnight had lots of problems to solve. She hired 14 employees to help with the increased workload. Because McKnight has two different contractor's licenses, she was able to offer several options to her clients.

"If I only had a masonry contractor's license, all I'd be able to do is rebuild their chimney. But because I have another license that allows me to work in metals, when I meet with a homeowner to solve a really big problem like that, I have lots of options to offer them. And most homeowners do not understand about their fireplaces. They don't have a clue about how they work."

McKnight sees herself as an educator first and foremost. It's important to give her customers as much information as possible so they can make good decisions.

"I can't make those kinds of decisions for them. I don't live in the house. It's not my pocketbook. It's not my lifestyle. So that's who I am -- I am an educator foremost."

Though her company increased in size after the 1989 earthquake, McKnight was miserable. "I didn't want to be a manager. I wanted to be a field technician-entrepreneur. I went back to a much smaller company."

Gary Stanger can relate to that. He got started in this business right out of high school, working for a company with a staff of 10 chimney sweeps.

"It was just a job and I wasn't going to do it forever. I didn't have any real career goals at that time. My father was a bricklayer, and I figured I'd go into the trades, too. I just didn't know what trade yet."

But after learning the chimney service business, it occurred to Stanger that he and his father had a lot in common in terms of their work.

"I wanted to go out on my own, but I was a little nervous about it. My father was already doing brickwork, including building chimneys, so we formed a partnership. He builds them and I maintain them.

"My dad would say to people, 'I've built you this beautiful fireplace and chimney. That was my job. Now your job is to have my son clean it regularly to keep it in this fine condition.' I got lots of business that way."

Stanger's father is semi-retired now, and Stanger runs the company pretty much alone. "We do less building and more maintaining and repairing now."

The worst part of the job for Stanger is working in very cold weather. Though fall and winter are the busiest time of year, Stanger says it is the worst time to work.

"You're dealing with icy and wet roofs, and that can be dangerous." He offers lower rates in the spring to encourage homeowners to do cleanings earlier in the year. "I keep hoping it will reduce the mad rush in winter, but so far it hasn't worked."

The key to being a good chimney sweep is customer service. Stanger listens carefully to his customer's needs and educates them about fire safety in their homes.

"Most people don't have a clue about their chimney -- how it works, how often it should be cleaned. That's why we still have so many chimney fires. People just don't know any better. That's the most important part of my job -- educating people," says Stanger.

Aside from the importance of fire safety, Stanger and McKnight agree on another benefit of the job. "Cleaning chimneys is hard physical work, but it will keep you fit!" says Stanger.