Dragon's Den to Roofing Industry
Dragon's Den to Roofing Industry
What are the key lessons learned from early entrepreneurial failures?
I remember when I was 10 years old, a friend of mine had a pear tree in his backyard. I had this idea—why not gather the pears and sell them? So, we found a bus stop next to a convenience store that didn’t sell any fruit, set up a little table, and put the pears out. The pears looked terrible; they were in bad shape. We didn’t have much success. Just as we were about to shut down, a guy walked up with his girlfriend, looked us both in the eye, and said, "I love entrepreneurs." Then, he pulled out a crisp $20 bill and gave it to us. At that time, it felt like a million dollars. The lesson for me was that the product was bad and the execution was terrible, but if you have the courage to go out there and just try, good things can happen. That’s always stayed with me.
Why is delegating a crucial element to a successful business?
I can think of many mistakes I’ve made, but the one that took me the longest to learn was the right way to delegate. Just because you can figure something out doesn’t mean you should be the one doing it. In the last three or four years, I’ve learned that even tasks you can handle need to be delegated because there are people around you who are either much better at it or at least on par. The quicker you realize this, the better.
I’ve also made plenty of mistakes trying to build the right type of teams and understanding how to complement each other’s skills. Many books suggest how you should do things, but ultimately, every business needs to achieve certain core functions like demand generation and operations—ensuring people within the company are happy, customers are happy, and doing all of this profitably.
What is the value of masterminds and peer-to-peer groups?
I like networking, masterminds, and peer groups. I think they’re great. For me, a successful peer group is more than just about referrals or business tips. It’s about cultivating a group of people who genuinely have your back. It’s a place where you can talk about anything, trust the group with your thoughts, and know they have your best interests in mind. A group like that is incredibly valuable because, as entrepreneurs, we often feel like we should have all the answers. Sometimes, you just need a space to put everything out there, and having a group that truly supports you is invaluable.
*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.*
