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Key Takeaways I couldn’t afford my own equipment when I decided to become a roofer, so I borrowed a ladder from my dad. The way he treated me when I was looking for my first shot in business shaped how I vet partners and dealers.
It taught me that the qualities that make people believe in you should make you believe in others and that your word is everything when you start out with nothing.
When I evaluate partners and dealers now, what matters to me is that you honor your commitments and are willing to put in the work and achieve results without cutting corners.
I’ve been in the home services industry since I was 21 years old, but I didn’t run a national roof restoration brand right away. In fact, I was in my fifties before Roof Maxx was an eight-figure company with dealers in all 50 states.
My career started with a single extension ladder, and I didn’t even own it. I borrowed it from my dad.
It was 1988, and I had decided to become a roofer. I wanted to do something practical, where I could see and feel the impact of my work firsthand, and I wasn’t afraid of heights. The only problem was that I couldn’t afford my own equipment.
Seeing that my drive was genuine, my dad agreed to lend me his ladder. I strapped it to the top of my Honda Civic hatchback and went canvassing the neighborhood to see if anyone needed my services.
The way my father treated me when I was looking for my first shot in business ultimately set the tone for how I would evaluate future business partners and dealers for the Roof Maxx product: a safe, all-natural rejuvenation spray that restores the flexibility of asphalt shingles and extends their usable lifespan.
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