I aspire to motivate other installers to follow their dreams, whether they grow their existing businesses or start careers with a larger firm. Using their technical skills as a foundation for business and leadership growth is possible.

Some might say my path was the hard way, but it gave me a profound understanding of the trade from the ground up, pun intended. It provided me with skills and insights that have proven essential in shaping a successful career as a leader in the flooring industry.

Initial Experience

Like many in the trade, I learned from my father. He was a flooring installer until he passed at the young age of 65. Dad was a no-nonsense guy when it came to work. He was not gifted with coaching skills or patience. You either kept up, or you were left behind. This instilled an early sense of urgency, dependability and value for timelines. I grew up in Metro Atlanta, graduated, and started as his helper. We moved to West Monroe, Louisiana (home of Duck Dynasty). It was a rural community, and it was necessary to be proficient in all flooring types to stay busy. This will become useful for me in the future.

Career Advancement

By age 20, I had parted ways with Dad professionally. I landed a job with another installer that focused on large commercial projects. These were installations on a much larger scale. Safety, quality and dependability were even more of a driving force with other trades coming in behind us. Slowing the schedule was not an option. JB was the installer, and I noticed early on how valuable his relationship with the top salesperson was. We were the team that delivered on the salesperson's commitments. Our job was to provide a finished product without issues and create future business for the brand. I was fortunate to recognize this dynamic early in my career—the symbiotic relationship with salespeople and quality installers.  When they work together, they form an incredible experience for customers.

Starting My Own Business

At 22, I convinced myself I could do this independently and purchased my van and tools. I was not ready! But, in hindsight, you never are. Each failure made me stronger. I was driven to correct every wrong, even at a loss. My "extreme customer service" started early. I live and promote this ideal to this day.

I operated as an independent flooring contractor for 10 years. I had many clients, including local retail shops and service providers. One of our biggest clients was a new player in the game at the time—The Home Depot.

Along the way, I stumbled across a flyer inviting me to join a nonprofit organization that promotes proper training and quality for the everyday flooring installer—the International Certified Flooring Installers association, or as many call it, CFI. Dad and I had separate businesses, but we were palling around and found the advertisement on the counter at a local flooring distributor in Atlanta, CISU. If you know, you know. Recognizing that brand will date you.

We signed up and went together. We took the class and were certified on two basic levels: one for commercial installations and one for residential. I was #855, and Dad was # 854. There were 853 people before us. CFI has certified over 80,000 members to date.

Dad appreciated what he learned, but I was fascinated. I was eager for more knowledge and determined to become a Master Certified Floor Covering Installer with CFI. Michael Hetts was my first certifier and remains a mentor and close friend today. This relationship and many others started my most valuable key to success—my network.

No one has seen and done it all, but this combined network is as close to it as possible for the flooring trade. The founders of CFI, Jim and Jane Walker, were committed to improving the independent flooring installer's image and quality. They successfully changed and improved the industry with that endeavor.

I went on to achieve Master Level Certification, but I wanted more. I volunteered to be an instructor with CFI. Members of my installation company were Hispanic. They taught me their language. I became a functional speaker of Spanish.  This was very useful. As a volunteer instructor with CFI, I was often sent to cities that needed translation help. As an instructor, I discovered that I was learning as much as I was teaching. Frequently, the students had legitimate tips and tricks of their own. My network grew with each interaction.

First Leadership Opportunity 

While installing for a Home Depot service provider, I convinced several other flooring installers and their associates to attend a certification class in North Carolina. There were about six teams. They loved it! The owner of the Home Depot Service Provider, who was my client, approached me after that event and asked me, "Why did you do that?” I explained that I wanted these guys to know what I knew. I wanted them to feel what I felt. Knowledgeable, valuable, and part of a community and network.

He then asked me to join his company as a manager. It was a tough decision for me as I had a successful business, and the salary did not seem as much as I was earning. I was about 33 and noticed some physical tolls from installation. I took a leap of faith. I appreciated the steady salary, health insurance and retirement planning. These things were achievable as a business owner, but this path included the opportunity to lead and influence beyond my small business and volunteer efforts with CFI.

In this role, it became imperative to translate the hands-on experiences I had gained into a broader operational understanding. I had to manage the transition from peer to leader. This can be difficult, but it was made easier with my CFI affiliations. I’d shown my fellow installers that I was a guy who cared about their success by sharing my experience and knowledge with no expected benefit. I had to learn how to get the same quality mindset I had developed from other installers. Having the common knowledge we all received from certification was a huge help. It helped tremendously in speaking the same language regarding technical issues, solving problems and understanding limits.

Growth Through Leadership 

I remain dedicated to promoting growth and excellence in this new role. I spent six years in that first leadership opportunity. We grew from one location to six markets. I got to play a significant role in that expansion and learned a lot about scaling a business. The flooring industry is dynamic and continuously evolving, presenting new trends and technologies.

Fortunately, I'm a bit of a tech geek, and that served me well. Learning and utilizing Microsoft Office has been an invaluable tool and necessary to manage financial reports and track growth. After six years, I joined another Home Depot service provider in Atlanta and spent 23 years with that firm.

There, I learned even more about scaling. During my tenure, they grew from an annual revenue of $8 million to $128 million with a national footprint, servicing over 1,000 homes daily. My path went from Service Manager to Branch Manager and Regional Director of Operations. What I learned from this owner was integrity and "do the right thing." As a leader, I found this to be the best possible beacon. Making all leadership decisions based on "doing the right thing” was an invaluable tool that played a significant role in the success and growth of this company and my personal success.

The Present 

After 23 years, I felt it was time for a change. I left on excellent terms; I remain connected with the owner at my previous company and still collaborate with long-term friends and team members. They are a part of my network; I help them, and they help me to this day.

My professional joy is growing businesses from small to medium or large. I love the challenge and process of scaling. I'm now the Director of Operations for the Flooring Division at a general contracting firm at Place Services. Our annual revenue exceeds $500 million collectively, and the flooring division is targeting $20 million this year.

The division was formed in 2019, but the company was started in 2006. I was hired to grow a successful commercial flooring division. I've surrounded myself with team members from my network who are committed to excellence and have better skills than I do at certain aspects of our business.

Never Stop Learning

A week before starting my current position, I was concerned that it was intensely focused on commercial flooring. Although I’d had some commercial experience, most was in large-scale retail. I decided to sign up for the FCICA Certified Installation Manager course (CIM). This has proven invaluable. It jump-started my understanding of how the commercial contract world worked. Since then, the CFI and FCICA have joined forces for their annual conventions. This couldn’t have happened at a better time for me. My network has doubled. Both organizations serve a specific purpose but share many of the same constituents.

As I come to the end of writing this article, a couple of things stand out to me: I encourage you to have a passion for what you do, invest in your network and be willing to give back. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Surround yourself with team members that provide the strengths you may not have. Yours will help them.

With determination, sustained effort and a commitment to ongoing learning, anyone can move from tradesperson to leadership and achieve significant professional success.