A New Journey
There's a journalism term known as “burying the lead” (actually spelled “lede”). This happens when a piece of content starts out with distracting information instead of what matters most to the story.
I’m not going to do that here.
After 10 years with Pro Remodeler, I’ve decided to make a change. I love this job
and wasn’t looking to leave, but when an amazing opportunity in a related industry fell into my lap, I couldn’t turn it down. Pro Remodeler is a great brand, and I will truly miss my colleagues and industry peers.
In thinking about this, my final column, I tried to narrow down the most important lesson I’ve learned from the remodeling industry over the past decade, as well identify one big change that I see in the years to come.
It was a tall order. The last 10 years were transformational in so many ways, and the next 10 promise to be even more so. But here goes.
Lesson: Be Prepared
When Covid first hit in Q1 of 2020, leads for remodelers fell off a cliff. There was complete panic and massive layoffs. I remember one remodeler saying, “It took 20 years to build my company, and just 20 days to kill it.” No one even suspected that business was about to come roaring back.
But as clearly as I remember the collective despair, I also remember how a few companies were prepared. These leaders had enough operating cash to see them through the dark days. Also, once the Covid boom began, they already had strong processes so they could strategically ramp up production, and decide on the right amount of backlog without trying to build the plane while flying it.
As I transition into my new role, I will carry the example of those superstar business leaders into every aspect of my life. We can’t control the outside forces that affect us, but we can greatly mitigate the impact by thinking ahead.
Prediction: Tech Will Create New Leaders
Recently, I attended a user conference for a project management software company. I struck up a conversation with a young man who had started a remodeling company just last year. He was projecting $1 million in revenue for 2025 and had seven team members on board. I asked about his experience, and while he had grown up around the trades, he had no formal business training. “I couldn’t have opened my doors without this software,” he said. “I use it to run every aspect of my company. It fills the gaps for so much that I don’t yet know.”
The barrier to entry for remodeling has always been low —anyone with a truck and a phone can hustle some work. But to lead a profitable business of any size has required myriad skills. Technology now fills many of those gaps, and the rise of AI will fill them even further. This will enable more, and different people to enter the industry. That’s a good thing.
If you want to continue this conversation, or just say hello, please feel free to reach out on LinkedIn. I’ll be around!
