Building Elite Business Teams
Building Elite Business Teams
How can a mission-driven mindset help businesses build lasting success?
It's about our mission. We aim to lead—not necessarily to be the biggest, but to set an example. Eventually, what you do has to be bigger than yourself. We’re building something lasting, bringing in great people and teaching them the industry, hoping they’ll take it forward.
Nashville, where we’re based, has a booming economy, giving us tremendous opportunity. We represent about 30 lines with exclusive rights to certain manufacturers, and they rely on us to grow alongside Nashville’s market. That’s a strong motivator for us.
Personally, the shift from “faking it to making it” is significant—it’s a mindset change that pushes us to continue building.
What are the benefits of prioritizing strong hires?
Things definitely changed once we focused on hiring great people and selling. I spent the first few years trying to manage everything, probably micromanaging and setting up too many processes. Early on, we partnered with a franchise, which was a big success and helped us get off the ground faster.
Ultimately, what mattered most was having excellent people and keeping them supplied with a steady pipeline of opportunities. When I stopped focusing on operations and trusted good operators to do their job, I could focus on filling the funnel, telling the story, and mentoring young sales professionals while learning from them, too. Building a strong team has been key—it’s about letting people do their jobs and driving growth through sales.
How can creating clear procedures and role definitions drive business growth?
I had to do the work. I had to sit down and grind. Early on, I read two influential books: The E-Myth, which taught me how to step back and become an operator and leader rather than just a worker, and Traction by Gino Wickman, which I read before it became popular. About five to seven years ago, I spent six weekends writing standard operating procedures and job descriptions for nearly every role, then turned it all over to the team. I finally understood how things should go right. I just reinforced and supported the team rather than trying to do it all myself. That was a big turning point.
Why are patience and soft skills crucial in the service industry?
When I came on board as a contractor, I thought I was in the construction business, but I soon realized I was actually in the service business, which is very different. I was too impatient with people at first, expecting everything to be done according to the contract without understanding the importance of building trust. I had to develop soft skills to succeed.
I made mistakes early on, letting some key people go in a knee-jerk reaction when I should have kept them on board. Now, I’m much slower and more thoughtful when it comes to making personnel changes.
What are the benefits of sharing challenges with your team?
I used to internalize issues and carry them on my own shoulders before involving the team. Now, when I face a serious issue, I don’t react immediately. Instead, I communicate it to the relevant team members as quickly as possible. Distributing the responsibility allows us to tackle it as a team rather than individually, and I’ve had much more success this way.
Why is joining a peer group valuable for business growth and expertise?
I'm part of a peer group, which has been incredibly important for my growth. The number one thing I’ve learned is that it doesn’t take much to be seen as an expert. If you do something successfully twice, people often view you as an expert. Business leaders and entrepreneurs are like everyone else—just trying to figure things out together. It’s amazing how willing people are to help each other without expecting anything in return.
*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.*
