Author Archives: Roofers Paradise

For Joel Patzke, owner of TrueWorks Roofing, work life began at a very early age.

“When I was 11 or 12, I started my first company. My buddy and I printed out the stencils for address signs. We would go knocking door to door painting new address signs on people’s curbs. We had a whole pitch. Then we started doing mailboxes too. We’d do two for one; we started giving them deals and everything. We’d come home with sixty bucks in my pocket. We mowed lawns. Then a snow cone stand when I was 15.”

In his early career, Joel went into restaurant service, eventually becoming the general manager of several restaurants and bars in the Houston area. His team transformed customer care standards through out-of-the-box, proactive service. At the bars, crews learned to note visitor names and their drinks during their very first visit. By their second visit, greeters would be ready with visitor names and their favorite beverages, blowing minds and winning serious brand loyalty. 

Over time, Joel found that these premium customer service skills and strategies translate very well into the roofing industry.

Above and Beyond Customer Service

“When we’re looking for employees now at TrueWorks, once I see that they’ve had server or bartender experience, they really go to the top of the list for me. Because they’ve had years of training that they don’t really know the value of yet. It’s just about relating to people, looking them in the eye, laughin at their dumb joke, being witty on the spot, all those kind of things…Everybody likes to be VIP, especially blue collar guys and gals.”

Working in roofing can be a very challenging occupation, especially with frantic homeowners worried about their property’s future. 

“We always joke ‘Nobody ever wants to call a roofer.’ But they call us in their most stressed out state. We do get a lot of people that call; they are upset and a little hysterical. It is rewarding to be able to go in there and take that burden off of them, deliver that great quality job, then get to see them through to the other side smiling. As many people as we meet, we meet so many good ones too that are just great human beings that were in a stressed out state. They really appreciate what we do, the efforts that we go through to go above and beyond. It’s fun getting invited to barbecues. We make friends with these people. That is rewarding and really fun.”

Forging Relationships through Unusual Acts of Service

At TrueWorks Roofing, Joel founded a culture of creative customer care to consistently break the mold. Employees are encouraged to explore new and insightful ways of blessing their customers after each job.

“We call it our ‘Thoughtful Cherry on Top’. We just try to do fun creative things. It’s really about listening to the client, observing their needs. Maybe it’s a dog toy for their dog. We had a client say ‘There’s a lot of mosquitoes.’ We sprayed their yard. We’ve mowed the lawn. We’ve done a mobile car detail. We’ve painted a mailbox – going back to my old roots – putting an address on it.”

Inspiration might come from Joel’s past or particularly inventive professionals in other industries. Real estate agents are just one class of professional who are really good at paying attention and providing that over-the-top finish to their service. Those are the types of moments that really stand out in a customer’s mind. Home owners have so many options when it comes to roofing contractors, but it’s the little things that often rise to the top of the pack. 

It’s not necessarily the monetary value either that captures a homeowner’s loyalty. It’s the thought behind the extra service or gift that really hits home. When that mentality is baked into the culture of a company in fun, practical ways, it’s amazing the level of innovation that naturally comes out of it. 

Networking and Growth Opportunities

Constant innovation is a struggle! Even with all sorts of brain power packed into his staff, Joel can’t manage the task alone. Thankfully, there’s plenty of like-minded professionals out there pushing the service envelope and making new strides in customer care. 

“When I first started, I would share a lot. I was real active on LinkedIn. Then you got on one podcast, then another. You started meeting people and started networking. Then you join a mastermind, and you meet different leaders. You go to their company and see how they do things. You let other people come to you. Again, it goes back to that… We’re on a mission to elevate the roofing industry. We’re all in this together. Everybody who shares that same mission, we are on a team. There’s plenty of work for all of us. The ones of us who are trying to do things the right way, we’re not gonna run out of work. We’re not gonna run out of roofs that need to be roofed.”

Exposure to other professionals and their programs has certainly helped Joel refine his own processes at TrueWorks Roofing, especially with employee training.

“People doing training well in roofing I find are typically cramming it all into 2 or 3 days. The ones who are doing it good are doing 2 to 3 days of classroom training like 9-5. They’re throwing 6 months of training at this person – deer in the headlights – who’s not gonna retain any of that. 

We take a different approach. We basically have a 3 month training program. By the time they get out of that, they really are experts at roofing systems (residential, commercial, insurance, retail, etc.) and the way we do things. Your roof’s just so important; I don’t want somebody not being knowledgeable and being unable to educate the client out there representing our brand. We take training very seriously.”

It turns out that effectively teaching company culture takes time. That’s especially true for many hard labor professionals and salesmen, who often struggle unlearning the old ways of doing business. 

“I think the roofing industry is 5-6 years behind other industries when it comes to marketing. When it comes to customer service, some technologies, some processes… things like that. Some of the other companies that I’ve been in have no CRM, and still use a vanilla folder and filing cabinet.”

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Hop on the Roofer’s Paradise Podcast!

In an industry that’s so frequently behind the times though, a little extra customer care and marketing initiative really pays off. If you’ve been looking to break free of the weekly grind and start making headway towards growing your roofing business, then now is the time to get out of the old “I just do roofs” box. 

To find more inspiration and updates on some of the hottest industry trends, be sure to subscribe to the Roofer’s Paradise podcast!

We’d love to hear your story too. Join the ever-growing tide of innovative business owners like Joel Patzke, who are making waves in the industry. Call our team today and hop on a podcast with Nolen!

Note from the Editor: We had so many spectacular quotes and words of wisdom from Mike Mataraza to choose from! Instead of our normal article format, we’ve snagged most of Mike’s insights and arranged them for your convenient reading. With the exception of a few editor’s notes and headers, this content all comes straight from the source!

Introduction

Hi, everyone! My name is Mike Mataraza. I am a business and life coach for entrepreneurs and business owners. My website is coachwithmike.com, pretty easy. I’ve been doing this for about 17 years. Before I started coaching, I had 4 businesses of my own. I had one in Tokyo, one in Bangkok…3 now, 2 before in North America. I worked with [Tony] Robbins; I was an executive at his company for 5 years.

Tony had me going to 5-8 companies a week and talking to the owners, finding out what their problems were, doing customized trainings for them. I did real estate, I did mortgage, I did tech companies. I worked for Budweiser. I went to Pepsi. I went to Walmart. I went to investment companies. I did tons of work with remodeling people, solar panel people, roofers, plumbers. You know, I have to go in and turn business into more business. It was amazing, because I got exposed to every type of company there was, all the different personality types and owners. All different types of problems. All different sizes of companies, from 5 people to 5000 person companies.

Learning to Ask for Help

Why would anybody do their first thing without mentorship?! You could say “Oh, I know how to do that.” Sure you do, but you also don’t know what you don’t know. And if you got a guy…who’s done this for more than a decade…what tiny little things might he have that could save you this much money here and that much money there, make the process faster…

There’s a reason why I’m a business and life coach. When I first started, I was purely a business coach. When you’re a business owner, any mental block you have, any health thing that’s out of balance with your life will affect the business. Everybody has this dream they have in the future. What if you could have a lot of your dream now and really enjoy the journey to an even bigger dream later?

How Teach-ability Can Be Cultivated

I remember when we [Mike and Nolen] started coaching. The wonderful thing about you as a client is that you came to me with a massive level of success. You’re a very smart businessman. You have multiple businesses and multiple income streams, and they were certainly doing well. Yet, you were super coachable.

A lot of people, when they start with me, if they were in your situation they’re just like ‘You know, I hired you just to have a business coach, but I just want you to know that I know everything. I always humor them and say ‘Great! Tell me what you know.'” Then 2 to 3 sessions in, they go “Oh, well I kinda know everything…but what about this?” Then we start having a real dialogue.

You love Maui like nobody’s business. That is your passion. You came to me; you said “Mike, I really want to live in Maui full time. I’m going to start buying property and then do the…rental income. And then finally, I can move.”

I’ve been with them [clients] for years. I’ve been through marriages and children. Through going from barely making any money to living their dream, and it’s beautiful to go deep and watch the progress. And that’s the difference with coaching.

Redefine What a Business Looks Like in Your Head

One thing I see with a lot of people that I coach is: They actually think they’re business owners and they’re not. What they are is very advanced self-employed people.

Do we have systems, processes, people, procedures in place? What can be delegated to another person? What kind of software are we using to track all your projects? Are there standard operating procedures? Because those are the things that allow someone to be a true business owner. The only measure of being a true business owner – there’s just one measure – Can you go somewhere for two weeks, not answer your phone, and when you come back everything’s fine and you have more money in the bank than when you left?

If you want to go beyond traditional levels of success, don’t just think of yourself as a craftsman. Put on the mindset of a businessman. Create those processes. Build a system of people, software, tools, etc. to standardize those processes and gradually remove yourself from that equation. “My job is no longer to be the roofer. My job is to be the owner of a roofing company.”

At that point you have choice. I work with a lot of people like yourself that they build their business with their bare hands. They don’t necessarily want to leave. They like seeing the supervisors every day. They enjoy their team. They actually love their people and their secretary and their assistant. They enjoy going into the office. So it’s not like, you’re a business owner and you just bail on your business.

Anchor to Your Dream and Move Towards It.

Anchor to your dream. If you want to live in Maui, why would you buy 5 rental properties in Fort Worth that you now have to take care of and manage?

There’s a reason why I’m a business and life coach. When I first started, I was purely a business coach. When you’re a business owner, any mental block you have, any health thing that’s out of balance with your life will affect the business. Everybody has this dream they have in the future.

Make a 6 month plan. It’s long enough that you can get stuff done, but short enough that you don’t have time to sit on your butt. Health, relationships, finances, and business. What are my goals in each of those areas? What are my top 5 steps in each of those areas to make those goals happen? What’s my vision statement?

[Mike goes on to explain how goals should be segmented into months, then weeks and days, and how accountability plays into their success.]

I swear it. If you just do that… 30% increase minimum in your income. If you get accountability plus coaching, 50% increase in your income, because now you’re actively looking at what you’re doing and making changes.

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Keep Pursuing Your Dreams with Roofer’s Paradise!

Well, that was a spectacular discussion from Mike Mataraza! Remember: Don’t treat a dream as just a dream. Treat it like it’s something you’re going to do. Take inventory of your life. Consider what’s in the way of your dream and start cleaning that up. Don’t do it alone either! Your objectivity is limited to your perspective, so widen that perspective with insight from successful, like-minded people who challenge you.

Be sure to check in next week for more exciting content from successful business owners. If you haven’t already, subscribe to Roofer’s Paradise so you never miss a new release! We can’t wait to see you next week.

Brett Huizenga understands the relentless desire to strive, progress, and earn. He also has a unique, shrewd perspective on the roofing industry, thanks to his personal background in the investment industry. Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Brett grew up in a sales-driven environment for much of his formative years. Even in college, he supported his studies by selling premium steaks and specialty knives.

In his early career, Brett worked for TD Ameritrade as part of a stock options division. A post-recession environment taught him the heavy consequences of dangerous investment practices, knowledge he would carry with him along his business management journey.

In 2018, Brett purchased Hometown Roofing, located (quite appropriately) in his hometown of Omaha. While his ownership story may be very different from those we’ve previously shared on the Roofer’s Paradise Podcast, we can extract some very valuable lessons from it. Be sure to take notes from Brett’s keen insights on smart expansion and investing in your future self!

Pick Your Battles, and Expenses.

Ambition drives progress, but it can also lead to some sticky situations. Plotting your roofing company’s growth rate, and balancing risk and rewards, can all be quite challenging. One question will help keep your course clear as the company grows: If you expand your business and take on more expenses, will it leave you wanting or needing to earn more money?

There are three flavors of expansion:

• Growth of service area.
• Advancement in service capacity.
• Expansion of service offerings.

Each type comes with its own investments in equipment, personnel, and more. What too many business owners don’t realize is the rate of return sometimes makes not expanding more profitable. On the happier end of the spectrum, some roofers discover a sweet spot market (like Brett’s situation in Omaha) that offers limited competition, but great profit potential!

“Yes, there’s a lot of competition. I think competition is a good thing, because it pushes people to the next level. But…this brand has been around for a while, here in Omaha. If I can continue that and grab market share here, I don’t know that I necessarily need to expand to other cities.”

As we’ve mentioned in some of our prior discussions at Roofer’s Paradise, expansion into additional cities and states typically comes with considerable SEO difficulties due to lost “local business” status. Add in the additional complexities of increased personnel and equipment expenses, and you’ll quickly see why premature expansion has killed so many businesses! If you find your future self set on growing your business into new markets, be sure to take all these factors into account before you pull the trigger.

Extend the Lead (into Referrals)

In commercial-centric roofing, it’s easy to hang up your hat at the end of a job. In residential roofing, however, every installation project represents a networking opportunity with neighbors and friends. Extending one lead into many takes practice and confidence, but it’s also much easier than cold calling.

Here are some incredible tips to maximize referral opportunities during a roofing job:

• Maximize your passive brand exposure with yard signs and vehicle wraps.
• Door knock on nearby homes to introduce yourself and your company.
• Turn active clients into word-of-mouth representatives via referral incentives.

As Brett shares, physical branded assets offer incredible exposure for your business. While yard signs and truck wraps may not have the same prestige as billboard ads or similar marketing venues, they offer superb branding opportunities at a fraction of the cost. With these assets laying the groundwork around your job site, it’s almost like you already have a foot in the door when you start door-knocking down the boulevard.

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Share Your Business History on Roofer’s Paradise!

Have your own hot take on the roofing industry and business management? Share your story on Roofer’s Paradise! We’re always exploring new ideas here on the show, and we’d love to hear yours. Contact the team to schedule your talk.

If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to our podcast to be notified of all the latest content. Investing in your future starts with learning from others’ successes and mistakes, and you’ll find all the best pointers on Roofer’s Paradise!

All Exterior Solutions’ Devan Gallardo takes a very direct approach to managing his roofing company. A heart for learning and a dedication to quality craftsmanship continues to make his service one of the top businesses in a very competitive Denver market. In this week’s Roofers Paradise Podcast, we sit down with Devan to get his take on what it takes to make your own little roofing heaven and maximize your potential through personal development. 

About All Exterior Solutions, Inc. 

This roofing company has served Colorado communities for almost 20 years. While Devan’s business may earn the lion’s share of its annual revenue from roofing installations in Denver, his team intentionally brands itself as a general contracting company instead. “It gives us more of a generalized GC aspect rather than, you know, just roofing. It gives us a lot more variety when homeowners are calling us as well. We’re not limited when people are all ‘Oh, I need my roof done, but I also need someone to handle my siding as well.'”

Recent industry trends suggest that this generalized contractor status can also allow greater opportunities for insured roofing projects, with some agencies offering better payouts to contractors without the “roofing” keyword in their company name. This may vary by state, but it’s an interesting trend to watch. 

All Exterior Solutions offers a broad variety of solutions, including: 

• Windows
• Siding
• Gutters
• Powerwashing
• Fence

Personal Development and Management in the Workplace

Devan first entered the roofing world at age 15, when a friend convinced him to take a summer job at his father’s contracting business. “We just tore off roofs all summer. I helped with the labor work. It was definitely hard work. I remember the first day I said I never want to do roofing again in my life because it was so hard.” 

But that installation-side experience made a huge influence in Devan’s management style as he continued his career in the industry. It certainly made it easier to spot shady sub-contractor tactics! Now he teaches his project managers to do the same. 

Critical Lessons for Company Owners

Don’t Let Fear Keep You From Getting Your Hands Dirty.

Growing up as an introvert made sales a real challenge. According to Devan, he never really liked the idea of trying to sell people what they don’t really need or can’t afford. But even the most experienced sales manager won’t have the same drive to see your business succeed. What’s more important is recognizing that people truly need quality roofing services. 

“What I really love about roofing is we’re not selling anything. We’re offering a service. They know they need it. They know insurance is going to take care of it and cover it. We’re just offering them a great service and a great quality product. [We’re] someone they can trust and put their faith into.”

That personal confidence drives Devan’s roofing lead generation and drives them to go out and connect with people who need help. Yes, that includes door-knocking in communities hit hard by storms and long-term ice damming. It really works when his team offers such excellent service.

Stay Connected to the Management Process

There are plenty of young guns out there who want to start up a self-driving business, then step away and have nothing to do with its management. But that’s rarely the best way to run a business. “If you say ‘I die tomorrow and the company is gonna run.’ I don’t agree with that. You need to be there. You’re the one who started it. You’re the one who took that leap of faith… No one is going to run it as good as you. Get your hands dirty in some form.” 

A personal commitment to manage your business truly sets apart multi-generational companies from the rest. Without a guiding hand to ensure quality control and efficiency, growing brands frequently stumble in their post-development years. That could mean a surge of bad reviews, lost trust, and a (potentially) permanent stain on your brand’s good name. 

Commit Yourself to Personal Development & Professional Growth

Great American entrepreneur Jim Rohn once shared how personal gain only extends as far as your personal growth.  “Here’s the great challenge of life – You can have more than you’ve got because you can become more than you are…You see, here is how the other side of the coin reads – unless you change how you are, you will always have what you’ve got.”

The ambitions of men will rarely materialize beyond the breadth of their character. If you want to grow your income and cultivate an exceptionally profitable business, you’ll need to invest in your own personal development first. 

For Devan, that means continually learning about his own industry and marketing tactics through research, conferences, and more. For you, that might mean opening yourself to practicing tasks you’re uncomfortable with. Whatever skills and character you need to cultivate to lead a successful career, just don’t wait too long. Those doors aren’t going to knock on themselves!

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Join the Conversation at Roofer’s Paradise!

We’re always working on our personal development, here at Roofer’s Paradise. That’s why we want to hear from you too! Call or email our friendly team and share your industry experience with other roofing professionals across the country. If you have fun stories or important lessons from the field (roofing or related), we’d love to hear it.

Be sure to subscribe to the Roofer’s Paradise Podcast in the meantime! We’ve got a whole lot more exciting content on the way that we can’t wait to share.

Justin Woodruff is the owner of Roof Central in Clayton, North Carolina — a company that offers residential and commercial roofing services. Because of his entrepreneurial background, Justin’s ascendance to roofing industry success came faster than most. Yet, along the way, Justin has remained steadfast with his core business principles while adapting to the evolving industry.

Mastering Your Roofing Specialty

Roof Central offers both residential and commercial roofing services, but the company is divisional. As a result, the commercial specialists don’t pitch residential and vice versa. In 2022, many roofers try to become the jack of all trades and neglect becoming the master of one. You get results when you solidify yourself as the best in one part of the industry.

Optimizing Your Roofing Jobs Pipeline

You have the sales, bookkeeping, production, operation, and so on. Every point in your job pipeline must be optimized to realize complete success. Any weak point can render your strong points useless. Therefore, paying attention to your roofing jobs pipeline is one of the most important things you can do for a business, especially in the roofing industry.

Get More Roofing Leads from Your Online Brand

There’s more accountability in today’s roofing industry because consumers can check your reviews before hiring your company. As a result, failing to establish an online brand can cost you jobs. Conversely, investing in a robust online presence can increase your roofing leads exponentially. 

So if you’re serious about growing your business, online branding is essential.

Preparing your Roofing Business for Sale

Most roofing business owners should not sell their company, but all of them should prepare it for sale. Why? Because preparing to sell your business ensures that it operates at full functionality. When your processes are in order, you make a more significant profit. The irony is that once your company runs smoothly, you won’t even want to sell.

More About Justin Woodruff

Justin first went into business at only 15 years old, which showcases his entrepreneurial background. Later, Justin began satellite installations for DirectTV, which eventually transitioned into performing home theatre installations. Next, Justin entered the roofing industry as a CEO for 3 and 1/2 years, at which point he decided to found Roof Central.

Roof Central in North Clayton, NC

Roof Central offers all types of roofing services, from restoration and storm damage repair to soft wash roof cleaning. Operating in North Carolina, Roof Central provides excellent services for its customers. The company’s 51 5-star Google reviews reflect the quality of their work.

Roofer’s Paradise Podcast

Don’t hesitate to contact us today if you want to join Nolen Walker as a guest on The Roofer’s Paradise Podcast. We are willing to talk to roofing professionals and individuals with experience in industry-adjacent fields. As the #1 business podcast for roofing professionals, we aim to expand our roofing community and provide valuable insights online.

You can subscribe to the Roofer’s Paradise Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Make sure to listen to all our new episodes and leave comments, ratings, and reviews on the platform of your choice.

Kenneth Byler of Great Lakes Commercial Roofing, LLC knows how to start a successful commercial roofing company. As one of the most successful commercial roofers under the age of 30, Kenneth has achieved results that few can match.

Kenneth joined the Roofer’s Paradise podcast to discuss how he got into the commercial roofing business, the value of mentorship, and the advantages of commercial roofing versus residential roofing.

The Value of Roofer Mentorship

Kenneth started his roofing company at 18 years old with no business experience. As a result, he sought out a business coach and a group of mentors to help him avoid common pitfalls for commercial roofing startups. Ken credits his mentorship group with his ongoing success.

The Importance of a Strong Roofing Company Owner

The #1 reason why roofing companies fail is because of incompetent ownership. If an owner stops learning, growing, and improving, the company will follow suit. Rarely is it the fault of a lower-level employee when a roofing business goes bankrupt. Instead, it’s the owner’s fault.

Merging Mindsets with Skillsets for Roofers

We hear a lot about the roofer’s mindset, and for good reason. Having a positive business mindset is very important for growing your business. However, it will only work if you combine your mentality with skills and knowledge. You can’t simply self-talk your way to success. Instead, you must continue to seek out knowledge and develop or master skills.

The Farmer’s Work-Ethic for Roofers

Ken Byler is so successful at a young age because he grew up on a farm where he developed an elite-level work ethic. With farm work, there are no breaks because you work all day. As a result, you get a great night’s sleep because of the physical labor.

While you can’t directly translate farm work to business work (primarily because farm labor feels much different and creates satisfaction you can’t emulate), you can utilize the work ethic to maximize your roofing business.

Commercial Roofing vs. Residential Roofing

The commercial roofing business has several advantages compared to residential roofing. That’s not to dismiss residential roofing company owners but instead to point out the differences. 

For example, commercial roofing companies make more money doing fewer jobs. Secondly, they typically enjoy better business interactions by dealing with a fellow business owner rather than a homeowner.

Great Lakes Commercial Roofing, LLC

Kenneth’s Roofing Company, Great Lakes Commercial, LLC, operates multiple locations in Pittsburgh, PA, Meadville, PA, and Dubuque, IA. The company offers the best commercial roof coatings and restoration projects in the region, thanks to Ken’s elite-level leadership skills. 

Aside from running a successful commercial roofing business, Kenneth is a contributing author at Forbes Councils, where he’s earned membership for his outstanding business ventures in the roofing industry.

Roofer’s Paradise Podcast

If you’d like to join Roofer’s Paradise podcast as a guest, contact us today. We are always open to new guests who are open to discussing the journey in the roofing industry and helping other contractors learn from their experiences. Nolen Walker is the host of Roofer’s Paradise and is willing to discuss your industry background.