On today's episode of Gathering the Kings. All of a sudden, it just had this realization that either you can sit here and complain about how someone else is gonna do it or you can try to do it if you think you know the You are listening to Gathering the Kings with Chaz Wolfe featuring fellow 78 and even 9 figure business owners who have real battle scars. From business and life, but have prevailed as the king that they are designed to be.
We welcome high performing entrepreneurs to the stage in order to reveal the real of the real on what it takes to build a successful business today. They've made along the way, they give a true and accurate picture of the journey of success and how you too can get there. Through this dialogue, you will learn the value of growing your network and surrounding yourself with power players and keys like today's guest. Grab your pen and notebook because We're about to dive in. What's up, everybody?
I'm Chaz Wolfe gathering the king's podcast. Today, I've got Ryan Rolf here on the king stage. It's like we're brothers from another mother with just another name, another letter in the name, my man. How you doing? Doing great. How you doing? Wonderful. We just like we started, you know, it was a happy Wednesday. And you said, you know what? It is a good day. I was like, yeah, man. It is. That's right. We're upright. That's a great a great day. That's right. That's right.
We did talk about how how maybe the last couple days that you you haven't been due to stressing the body out. We talked about being old men now. Yep. Yep. Yep. But that's alright. Older than our mind thinks we are. So That's right. You know, it's funny because I've asked my grandparents, couple different grandparents, you know, they're in their eighties now. And I'm like, you know, Do you, like, currently at 85 or 79?
Like, do you do you do you feel like in your mind that you're 79, or are you, like, 30 up here? And then, like, 80 in your body, and they're like, oh, a 100%. I'm, like, 30 ish in my mind. And then it quickly, I'm reminded that I'm 80. And when I try to do anything well. You know? Yes. Exactly. So we're already on the trajectory for that. Ryan, tell us what kind of business that you got, brother. So we run a vinyl window and door manufacture business. K. Very good.
And you you you sound like, you just said it super confident, but I wanna know, like, you know, a lot of people maybe, I think, windows and and manufacturing is like the super sexy business, but what what what Like, what's your feeling on the industry? And and, like, why are you in it? And why does it get you juiced still? Sure. I mean, I would agree.
I don't know that it's a super business compared to something like maybe automotive or something that's really cool, but it's a necessary business. That's right. For sure. So the Especially during COVID. Yes. Yes. For sure. Windows have been backed up for for 3 years. So we, you know, I just am new to this industry. So I just moved over in 22.
Okay. And it's it's been a bit of a learning curve, but but it's a different industry compared to where I used to be and how we have a dealer network and a distribution network. And you're selling to both parties. It's not a one or the other. And so understanding that industry, understanding how the building material side works, it's it's very different from where I came from on the railroad supply side of things.
So Wow. Okay. Yeah. Well, I'm sure we'll get into that history a little bit as well and see if those can tied together, no pun intended with the railroad comment. So my question to you to begin with is always the same. I wanna know why, but specifically at this level, like, you've had success, you know, you could sail away for all intents and purposes, but you don't. You're at it. You're pushing hard. Why?
I I think I would be a little bit lost in some ways in in not having a purpose and not doing something. So whether that You know, and I I believe, okay. Well, when it when I wanna step away, I'll be able to spend time with with family and do other things, but I still I still have a drive to to get up and go, make something work, modify something to make it better. And, that's really kind of what and whether that's at work, whether that's at home out on the farm with the family.
I'm I'm the kind of the type a overachiever. I wanna make everything better than what it was. And I think my wife would probably kill me if I didn't have some outlet like work to do that. So Yeah. Yeah. You know, I I was, talking with a good buddy mine the other day, and he was talking about all these things that we do really lead to fulfillment.
And and that were, like, we know that word, but I guess my question to you would be, do you find, like, there's, like, this creative or maybe it's with your hands or problem solving layer to you, like, whether it's in the business or on the farm or with the family, that when you're doing that, that's that's when you feel Wolfe. Absolutely.
So a problem solver by nature, which is great for accomplishing tasks usually makes me a terrible listener because I wanna fix your problem, not empathize and sympathize with where you're at. Right. So I have to turn that off or or ask. I've learned this in my marriage. I ask. Am I listening, or am I helping? So I for me, even, like, sometimes at work, if I'm stuck, we know we've been doing financial review. I wanna go do something with my hands just to feel like I least something.
There's definitely that fulfillment, the the kind of you put in a a hardened day doing something, and you can look back and say, at least I got that done today. Sometimes, you know, looking over budgets and where you ended up last year and where you're projecting to go. Isn't that fulfilling at the end they compared to to doing some physical ABRA every now and again.
So Yeah. Yeah. And and maybe for a guy or gal listening, the numbers, are what's fulfilling in the, you know, the the to do list when they got home, the the hard labor isn't. You know? So it it doesn't have to be one or the other. What I'm hearing you say, but it's the Find it. Yes. That's And do it. Yep. Find out what that is.
How how for you, though, like, I mean, obviously, they're, you know, you kinda put a bunch of us high achievers in a room, and we're all gonna be fairly similar in in some of these things that you're talking about. Maybe not necessarily physically related, but but at least in our mindset. And so has this something that is developed in you over time, or did were you just become more aware of it? You develop the muscle, like, give us a little bit of history that way. That's yeah.
I was not necessarily born Chaz, like, kind of a a high achiever. That actually came probably a little bit later. Actually, I never even really wanted to be a leader of any sort. It was always fun, you know, just being in the background. And then, really, I think, got to college and at that time, I was in a fraternity. And at one point, everyone's like, we know, yeah, you should run for president.
Otherwise, and then something clicked in understanding that either I think I know what to do in this situation, and so I can lead it, or I can second guess somebody else. And for some reason, I was like, why don't you just do it? If you think you know the answer. And then kind of from that point on, it is it has grown on ground.
There's been a lot of, you know, a lot of books and podcasts and things along the way, but For me, I I wasn't that way until all of a sudden, it just had this realization that either you can sit here and complain about how someone else is gonna do it, or you can try to do it if you think you know the answer. So Yeah. I I just feel like that's so relatable to any entrepreneur listening, but really anybody listening is that it doesn't have to be in the DNA per se. Right? Right.
I think that the realization that you had Chaz I'm hearing you say is that rather than complaining or rather than, like, maybe sitting back and and thinking that I could do it better, why not just do it? Why not just go ahead and take the action? And, ultimately, that's what makes you a leader anyway, is the initial, like, I'll just do it. And then what people do is they flock to confidence. They flock to he's got a plan.
Sure. And then so now you have people behind you, which obviously is the the the bigger definition of leaders. You you gotta have people following you. But people follow confidence. People follow a man with a plan. Like, they they feel safe and secure behind that. And so do you feel like that's played into building a business, building your family even? Sure. I think the other, like, there was 2 levels of switches for that. So the first one is, like, the reluctant leader.
And then at some point, it was always like, well, no. I can probably do this better than anyone else, and I'll do it. I don't always want to. And then at some point, probably as I transitioned, as you would say, more to the the king stage from the the warrior stage, realizing that there's no need to be to be all, you know, I'll just shucks. I'll just lead here. If this is what you wanna do, press into it, develop your skills, and do it.
And so that that was kind of like a the the step 2 for me, of of of that. That makes sense. So Oh, I mean, you're you're you're writing the script over here, brother. I I want the listener to pay attention to this. So I'm gonna just hang here for just a half second before I move on because what you just said is just so spot on. It is 2 phases. You're right. You first have to go do take the action, become the leader, and that's not by look at me, come follow me.
It's just by taking action and doing it. Maybe even scuffing up the knees a little bit. But what what happens through that is that you build like, we're just talking about. Sure. And then the next layer is like, okay. So now I know that I'm good. I know that I can get it done, but phase 2 is do I need to be the one to to do it and get it done, or can I facilitate an environment where someone else actually can become a leader inside of my leadership? Right.
And that's the king stage like you talked about. That's the mindset shift. And then so it was it's difficult at times, especially when you're good at something. A 100%. It's easy to hear the bad things. Yeah. It's like accounting. Sure. We'll get a good team member for accounting. No problem there. Exactly. Another part that you have, you know, some sort of talent for it. It's some it's hard to give that up, and then it takes a lot of faith in your team members to do that and trust Yeah. In KPI.
But yeah. I was gonna say exactly something to hold him accountable to. Right? But what would you say to the guy listening right now or gal again? They know that they need they they need to press into this. Maybe it's a hire someone. Most most likely, it's more of like a a key role. That's really what you're talking about is, you know, hiring somebody and giving them, like, actual, like, here you go. This is part of the baby.
What would you say that they need to do in their mind or even in action? I wouldn't say I would treat it like any other investment. So that's that's what it is. It's an investment of your time as the leader. So if it's something that someone could do, I I personally do Wolfe write down the task, put a dollar amount on what you think those tasks are worth.
And is that worth your time to do that, or is there someone else to you can set controls and metrics for and say, if you take this, and that might be 15, 25, $35 an hour, Chaz leaves me the ability to generate revenue or do something else over here with my time. And treat it like it's no different than any other piece of equipment or any other investment that you would make and something. Yeah. So good. How like, bro, you're just, like, spitting gold.
Like, yeah, did you eat a a gold bar before the before the show here, but you're right. It's it's an investment. And and when you write it down, like you said, then you realize, how much you're actually shortchanging yourself by doing it. It's not that you're too good for it. No. Yeah. No. No. Like, that same hour can be spent over here doing the thing that generates more revenue or builds the bigger team or or whatever.
The disservice to your business, if you spend your time doing a $15 hour job when you could be doing something else to generate more revenue. Yeah. Yeah. It's so true. Most do you feel do you feel like most business owners don't feel like if they had that time that they could go generate the revenue. Like, you know what I mean? Like, I have the time. I might as well just do it. They they're not thinking how could I actually take that time and and do something better with it?
That's probably fair. Or in fairness for all of us, there's times that you're winging it because I know I shouldn't be doing this. I know I should be doing else. I don't know what. And so comfortable doing this. So I go back to doing what's comfortable because doing something else is gonna take some courage to either ask questions, get in a a group network, go find someone, hey. What did you do in this step?
And it in at the same time, if you're an entrepreneur, you already have that courage because you've done this one twice twenty five times every day, whatever it is, meaning your business. But, yeah, it takes Did I know you just made a recent switch into this industry, but give us a little bit before that even. Like, how did you get into business? Sure. I I ended up it started out as wanting to be a a physical therapist in in college, and I'm not very patient.
So I didn't make the first cut or whatever. So I forget this. I'll do business. And and part of that's, you know, my dad's ran this business and has you know, absolutely. At the time, it was just torture. I mean, hitting me up with lean manufacturing. I remember we were on vacation in Hawaii, and he's wanted to talk about email. Wolfe I'm, like, I'm twenty some years old. I'm, like, really bad. I'm on vacation. I don't wanna talk about how McDonald's franchise everything.
Like, Kim, do you find yourself being like him now, though? Oh, it's it's so disgusting. Yes. It is. I mean, and and he loves to, you know, he love to teach and bring people kind of under his wing and help him out. And it was always like, when it's your dad, of course, like, I don't wanna do this. I don't wanna do anything like what you're doing, which is part of the decisions that we made. So after college, I ended up Getting into the rail industry did not wanna be in this business.
He Chaz the business right now with 2 co founders and they brought him in slightly after they started to to really ramp up So did want any part of Chaz. I wanted to make my own way, kinda make my own bones. I, you know, different family businesses around sometimes, and I had to work for a business where Second generation came in, and it it didn't go so well. And you have no well. They got this job because of their dad, and I do not like Chaz. Sentiment at all. And so I was gonna come.
It was gonna be because I'd I'd made my bone somewhere else, and it was gonna be obvious to everybody. Yeah. And so for 15 years, worked my way through a concrete railroad tie supplier, for for the railroad.
And Chaz it got bought a couple times, eventually bought by a really large overseas corporation, like 1.2 so kinda 2 things happened Chaz I was moving up an executive in the company realized I am not a fan of working in a corporate office or kinda working for folks that don't have firsthand knowledge where you're at and Yeah. And doing what I don't believe in. I'm not very good at that. I'm I'm a man of conviction, and if I believe it, I'll give them a map.
But I don't, I can't I can't sell that dream. And and an opportunity came up. 1 of the founders were looking to retire here. So there was a a buying group that got together, and I gotta be a part of Chaz. And thought it Wolfe be cool if I could come try to help take this business to the next level and and see my dad off until the sunset you know, get him a couple more years of playing golf and pretending he's in sales or something like that. But and and, you know, and really move us forward.
So in in fairness, he brought the business from in the beginning, they were single digit employees into now a whole new building with think our high watermark this year is a 189 employees. So he's really growing the business over 30 years. So, you know, it's kinda neat. We need to take that over. So Yeah. Yeah. A 100%. Well, you've got all sorts of unique opportunities, but for 1, it sounds like you, me and your dad need to go to Hawaii and talk to E Myth.
Or we Chaz get we could throw in the revisited now since, you know There you go. I I, it's funny. As soon as you said that, it was like, oh, man, that sounds like a great party. You know? And I And Sony is not so much. Yeah. Exactly. Well, you know, I don't know. I I maybe not 20, but Like, I bought my first business at 24. So I was I was in that lane sales before that. So I I appreciate that story, man, because you're right.
I think there's a lot of 2nd, or even 3rd generation businesses out there, the actual person themselves like you feels like, man, I don't want it just given to me. I wanna earn it And then there's a lot of 1st generation business owners like myself who, you know, we've got the battle scars, if you Wolfe. Right?
And so naturally, I don't any longer, or maybe I may I don't even know if I did at some point, but there's a lot of people like me 1st generation that looked down on the second or third, as if, like, maybe you didn't have to go through it, but I I just have this generational perspective on business, which maybe you you can speak to here in a second, is that, like, I don't I don't necessarily need my son or my daughters to figure out every problem that I already figured out.
Like, I don't wanna just get it to him. At the same time, like, isn't that my role is to kinda, like, pave the way a certain distance? And then they get to start where I left off, and and then they gotta figure out the next wave of problem. You know, it's not like they're gonna have an easy route. I just need I wanted them to stand on my shoulders. Well, how what would you say to that? Well, first of all, I think that's exactly Right? And second, I would say there are different types of people.
I, as an entrepreneur, I'm not a creator, If I create something, that takes all the energy I have to create. What I've found out for me is I'm a much better modifier. So you can bring me what you have and I can modify that plan, that idea, that product. And that's how we, you know, can scale it quickly. If I create it, everything I have is gonna be in the inception and creation of this, and I can only take it so far. Yeah. And so I think from our perspective, that's exactly the plan.
That's that's who I am as a person, and so that's why it made sense to me to come in and say, I mean, when I say I'm a modifier, it's like everything. It's just not it's just I mean, if it's, like, Hey. Disrupt everything. Oh, yeah. And and in personal life or whatever. I mean, it's yes. But, you know, I was the dude that it would have a car and if all of them had silver rims and I want a black. I mean, just I gotta do something to make it different.
Yeah. Yeah. It just it it's annoying, actually. The but it like I said, for for the for the generational part and being multigener. I think that's the key is is understanding that the role is different, and it's not a creation. It's a modification, which for certain people, I think that's definitely easier. But easier to put that same amount of effort and get exponentially the amount of growth out of it. Totally. Yeah. It's the owning of who you are. Yeah. It's already been done.
I think that there's ego wrapped up in, like, that I gotta, like, figure it out on my own. And so I think that there's a lot of 1st generation business owners or wealth creators that kinda wear that badge, almost that ego of, like, know, nobody taught me. I figured it out on my own, which School of hard knocks. Yeah. Yeah. School of hard knocks. Like, I I can relate to that. You know? But I don't necessarily need my children to go through that.
Now I'm a I'm I'm of a fan of, you know, they're not gonna get anything easy. They're not gonna get it given to him. That's for sure. But I'm gonna curate an environment where I'm pouring everything. Good, bad, and different. All the stuff that we're gonna talk about, your good and bad decisions today, all that stuff's going into your children. And then and then they should be that much more prepared and ready. That's just that's just the progression of of humans, I think. Right?
Yep. Yep. I I I totally agree. So, I mean, the head start and especially having some other opportunities before coming here, the head start that I have from my year 1 compared to what my father had at 27 with whatever 10 day people are not remotely the same. Chaz far as what my knowledge is of not starting the business and then where the business is at.
So, again, I I was very anti doing this, but doing it the way we've done it, I feel like the effort can be exponential compared to the effort to create. So Yeah. Well, let's get into some of those good mad decisions.
I wanna know, you know, something you know, since you're you're a year into this business and it's at a different level, it's not brand new, like you said, but I still wanna know, in the last year, what was a good decision that you made that just has changed the trajectory of the business. I previously had an an excellent team where I've worked before. And one of the things I noticed here is everything was very kinda central around 1 or 2 people. And so we started to develop team.
So we probably went out and and and paid for some talent more than what they normally Wolfe, but as an investment, it's been it's been insane how that's paid. In 3 months, the paid off and it paid for itself. So and so really understanding what it takes and and who you are, the bandwidth that I have, and what I can and can't fix and where I need spots and team members to be. That was probably the best decision I made for sure. Yeah. No doubt. Yeah. I love that.
What what about for the, you know, business owner listening right now where maybe they don't they don't have a team or maybe they only have a couple, right, and it's just a different different perspective. Maybe they don't have that capital to invest, as you've said. How how did they go about building a team? Because it's still the same answer They still need to build a team. They still have to figure it out. They still have to give some of those hats away.
What does that look like for them do you think? Well, I think it And I've even considered some of it here. The way we can outsource today that was not available years ago, so, you know, I would consider outsourcing payroll, or if you're doing some marketing outsourcing marketing, I think at times, it seems expensive. When you compare to hiring that person as a whole, I think it says it's pretty good value. So I would say identify the areas you want team members. That doesn't have to be a member.
It could be service, and don't don't let because you can't hire a person, distract you from saying, no. I still need someone to do marketing. That's not my wrong too. So maybe I I hire service to do that at at some rate. So Right. Yeah. That makes that makes sense. That's what I would do anyway.
Yeah. No. It's super applicable in So if you're listening right now and you're especially if you're not even at a 1,000,000 yet, but even still, even 1 to 10,000,000, these are these are dropping a bucket that you should be absolutely doing these things. For sure. What about a bad decision? What'd you do this last year? They just A lot of them, man. The worst one, it was early. Earlier on, during COVID, we had, you know, we were pretty much passive and some supply issues.
And so in this industry completing an order, for, like, a window job. That would be for houses is. Yeah. Number 1, it's gotta be complete. New man's initiative with suppliers. Blah blah blah. At some point, we had some some of our customers asking, just, you know, shoot me what you have. I know you're waiting on this piece, and I'll get it later. Oh, I had 1 or 2 of our hundreds some customers asking that. I thought it'd be a great idea to do that for everybody. Yeah. That completely backfired.
That really was not a good idea. Okay. Why? And and not, yeah, not getting with it. So that ended up making a mess and and thinking I was doing something just ignorance of of the industry. I think I'm doing something to help the rest of my customers absolutely did not. And so that was a that was the decision that I had to call many a customer and say, hey. Sorry. Rookie mistake. I I if I should've called you first before we did this.
So that was, definitely a mistake that's not gonna happen again. I can tell you that. So For sure. Inside of that, what's the lesson? Was it just like a overpromise, not enough? Like, it fractionalized the process and it made it confusing? Or I do. Yeah. I think for me, is is understanding who your customers are, that you may have some dealer customers, some this segment of customers Chaz this works for, this segment of customers, it does not work your business is not the same.
My interface with our customers are not the same for every customer, because of the end use. So but that was probably the biggest takeaway in in in general, I would say. For folks kinda trying to customer base their needs. Yeah. And then be able to, I guess, curate that solution based on that, which which, like, obviously. Right? Like, we you would think we know this, but a great reminder, as you said, a rookie mistake.
And and I think that the probably the encouraging thing that I want the listener to pay attention to as well is that even though you've got this, you know, 15 year experience before even coming into this business in a in a, you know, similar vein or or a successful track. Yeah. Exactly. Like, you've led people. You've made these types of decisions before, and here you are. And it just it just it just wasn't the right move.
And so I think there's an encouragement there that you you were able to you know, change it around. You probably had to make some tough phone calls. It'd be my guess. Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, that's yeah. Whatever, you know, introduce myself to to these customers. And then possibly the second or third interaction is, hey. I I kinda completely screwed you over by sending you partial orders. I apologize. Didn't know, you know, gonna be. And that was, wasn't pleasant on every call.
I mean, some some folks are fairly gracious. Some not so. And and they were right. They deserve to call who were gonna change our shipping practices. So Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. I just really appreciate your vulnerability there. I think that it's an it's an encouragement more than anything because because here you are, and you're still working it. And you're growing it, and you got all this.
I'm sure probably a lot of those people believe in you more now than than ever before just because of all the additional promises and then kept promises that you've given to them since then, you know, the journey doesn't have to stop with that. Right? Correct. What what about a habit? I wanna know about you personally. I'm gonna kinda put this on its head a little bit. Wanna know about a habit or maybe a personality characteristic trait that you have that's unexpectedly kept you from success?
I would say fear of probably fear of failure in in some way. So that sometimes I usually don't have no issue making a decision when it's a slam dunk. I mean, to me, I have to double check. So I do the the paperwork, like, run the numbers. It makes sense. And then it always has to, like, have to analyze it and almost like an instinct or gut check. Like, this has to feel like this is the right decision. Right.
I don't know how to explain Chaz, and I don't that that is and the numbers are what they are, but sometimes run those numbers like, yeah. But I don't know if that's gonna be that way forever, and there's this hesitation. And there's been a few times where there's been an opportunity that I dragged my feet on or numbers made sense, but I don't know. That's gonna push me a little bit out of my comfort zone.
And Yeah. And then I don't make that decision, and then you look back and, like, well, that was, you know, now relate to the party because I decided we didn't wanna do this Chaz or the other. And that's something I noticed, and I try to get get better at because it's not like I don't feel. I I feel all the time.
I mean, there's things that we we let drop the ball on all the time, but it's I feel like there's some difference if if I contemplate and I think about it and I feel, for some reason, that seems like that's a lot more than just making the decision and, has their own decision of moving on. But Yeah. That's probably what what holds you back the most. Yeah. I love the honesty there because you're right. A lot of business owners Wolfe find ourselves in this, like, I can do it better than anybody.
We talked about this. I'm a perfectionist. I I I I see order, and I can get things done. And what that what the negative flip side of that and any personality survey is gonna be, well, if you're gonna make it perfect, you're probably not moving very fast, and you're probably hesitating a bunch. So I appreciate that. What what have you done practically in decisions that you're making now to kinda, like, you know, bump yourself past hesitation in those situations now. Bouncing off somebody else.
There you go. So that's we I have a mastermind group that has an eclectic group of people that Not one of the other folks are manufacturing, but but giving someone else to, of course, I have my dad here as well that you can say, hey. It looks like we should be doing this. Numbers say we should do this.
I'm unsure about the the market is where we're gonna take a dip, and we wanna go spend the money on this equipment, thinking that we might have a dip in coming, how to How does our industry fare when that happens and those type of decisions? So Yeah. I say that what ultimately is it's more information. It's more knowledge. Bouncing it off someone else to to maybe complete a perspective that you didn't have on it or something like that.
So Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You're 100% right because that same that same personality trait desires knowledge, desires information. And if we don't have it, that's when we feel like I don't Absolutely. Absolutely. That's awesome. Great information. I'm gonna switch over to our speed round here. I wanna come at you from a numbers perspective. I'm sure you'll like this question, but I wanna know your most important KPI. Or the way I like to say it is if you could only pick 1 Sure.
I man, I've thought about And there are some manufacturing ones that we use, but Sure. At a high level, it's so vanilla basic, but it's gotta be cash flow, net cash. Because that's the lifeblood of the business. So you can tell how efficient you manufacture by net cash flow. You can tell how well you're turning inventory, what you're I mean, it just every everything you do touches cash, and it's not a very sexy answer.
But that if I that's the one thing that I have to look at, that's what I need to know is overflowing cash. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. It doesn't take long with no cash flow for nobody to have a job. Oh. Yeah. Yeah. Those KPIs don't matter so much. So Yeah. Exactly. Love that. What book would you recommend, Ryan, for a business owner in 23 trying to grow the business? Alright. I'm gonna go super pragmatic here. K. Never split the difference by Chris Boss.
More from the perspective of, I think, coming to a downturn, I personally am trying to figure out what has been market price for my suppliers and what is cost plus. And trying to get back to cost plus versus market price. So just finished that book up about a month ago and trying to implement some of those strategies to to get on the bottom line quickly this year. So Yeah. Love that love that book. I negotiated an apartment complex with the principals from that Yeah.
Yeah. I mean, it's it's they're legit. Yeah. Yeah. It's good stuff. What would you say about intentionally networking or mastermind? You've already said you've are a part of an group. Is there a difference? Do you recommend entrepreneurs do both? One or the other? What do you say? Depends. So for me, I I find, like, knowledge is what comfort to me. That's what helps me go to sleep at night.
I know for some people like network does, having this network is is their, you know, their blanket that they curl up in, and it'll make them feel decent. And so the master minding part forces me to have to network with folks because I would just dig into a book or go read something and figure it out for myself and have one perspective versus, you know, 9 or whatever. And so I think that's really important. It also makes you pretty vulnerable to talk to other business centers and realize, hey.
If you're you're open and honest, everyone has issues in their business. Everyone has something that they're working on. There's always something next that needs fixed. There is not where you want it to be, and it's encouraging in some ways that you, you know, there's days that you just feel like, you know, the business 1 I lost today, then so that that's encouraging we have those those groups of people.
So networking, I could definitely be better at that the mastermind is great because it forces me to do that. So Yeah. Love that perspective. I've got a question for you about family. Kinda prompted you a little bit just because of your family dynamic, upwards in the business. But from you down, obviously, all entrepreneurs are are focused on the business. We're growing, and we're obsessed. And, you know, here we are talking about all these things.
But in the background is your wife and your kids, and and your desire for them is equally or if not more than the business, but oftentimes it's entrepreneurs. We find ourselves upside down on that. And so what what have you done over the years to to I don't I I get a lot of the work balance, but to maybe go after your family, your marriage, your children as hard as you have for the business. Man, great question. Probably, I would say that's not something that I've been great at.
The the job I left. One of the reasons for that was it was a a pretty heavy travel schedule, which made it tough. And you know, as a dad, you're taking crazy flights to get home to see a ball game or whatever else. And so this change is is helped in that regard where I'm pretty much around the you know, majority of the time.
The other part, I think, is trying to find that when you're competitive and you like to win, it's a little bit maybe addictive to find a way to win, find finding a way what is a win for you with your family. Yeah. Because if you don't find how there's a win there, you'll get the the lure of competing over here in your business and and meeting metrics and goals and that satisfaction. For me personally, anyway, is always gonna outweigh. If I don't find a way to say, I need to spend time here.
I need to do this. We need to go on this vacation and and get away from it all and and unplug. You gotta find some way to to put some level between, you, you, and your wife and and your kids. What is winning for us at home? So Yeah. That's so good. I want the listener to, like, soak that in a couple years ago. I started saying, I get this dopamine hit from building a business. Yes. I get a I get jazzed. Like, it is a different feeling building a business than playing Uno with my four year old.
Right? Yeah. However, just like you just said, the language I started using is, oh, now I'm I'm building a business or I'm building my four year old. Yes. We get to play Uno, but, like, what am I doing inside Uno game to build my my daughter and my son. And you're right. What does winning look like? Cause, man, when you when you put in that perspective, it's winning. It's like, okay. Want another let's score again, baby. Let's go. Yep. Yep. Yep. That's that's the way I'm wired.
It's Chaz that's what's that's the path I'm trying to to defining that now. I mean, could it change your kids are young, it's one thing. When you have teenagers, it's something else. And Yeah. You know, they've you might only get 2 or 3 hours a week because of schedules or whatever else. So you you have to adapt as you go. So Yeah. I've got close friend now, but he started as a mastermind member in Gathering the Kings, and we were just texting last night even.
He he's got I don't know, maybe a ten and a and a eight year old or a ten and a nine year old, something like that. Just a few years older than mine. And I was feeding my seven month old at, you know, a bottle at 11 o'clock last night. And we were texting back and forth. I shot him a picture and, you know, I'm in the dark and, you know, feeding the baby and And he's like, man, I remember those moments. Like, soon enough, they won't even want you to read a book. So, like, just just be there.
You know? Yep. So it was a good encouragement. One last question here for you, Ryan. If you could whisper in the younger Ryan's ear, What would you say? Take chances. I mean, you know, there were certain times to do certain things, and I would definitely say, you know, if it's on paper, it it requires a bit of courage to take chances.
I mean, the 15 years of experience helped, but there's also the what if this was you know, 5 years ago, where would the business be with having a a fresh set of eyes on it? So so I would, yeah, that would definitely be what I would tell myself. Take more chances. Jump. Go. Yep. Absolutely. Yep. Everything's gonna be okay. The parachute will deploy. And if you I mean, what happens? If you fail you start over, it is what it So Yeah. I just love that.
There's an Uber of confidence when you when you can resonate with that, like, deeply in your soul of, like, if the worst thing is that I just start all over. So what? Then, man, there's it's almost like you become fearless. Right? Yeah. I think in in the moment you have setbacks, at least for me, like, that just creates more drive. I mean, I learned something from this. And so now I'm I'm better for it. And and let's go let's go at it again and see what we can do.
So but I would point out people did that. Like, people that would lose you, you know, lose a business, and then you get back up and start again, but the what you're learning in that process makes it easier to turn around and and and get there.
So Yeah. Well, you said you're a knowledge guy, and so I think that at least for me, the realization of I know how to do this, even though maybe it this one failed or it didn't work out or the situation destroyed whatever, you the confidence actually is in and then you, your ability, your knowledge, you know, your history. And so If I did it once, I can do it again.
And and the failure doesn't sting maybe as much because it's not necessarily attached to who you are, although that's difficult to not allow that to attach itself to you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There may be a week or 2 of some self pity. So Yeah. Yeah. But it is what it is. Right. How can the listener find you, man? If they wanna pick your brain as a business owner. They wanna reach out because they need windows. I don't know. Well, happy to find it. So we have our website vinylcraft with a k.com.
Nice. You can get to our website. We sell through a network of of dealers and distributors. So you can find us there. The easiest way to to get with me would be via linkedin. Just search Search Ryan are off there. And, yeah, we could get hooked up or if you have someone needs some windows or different things Chaz wouldn't hurt my feelings. So Yeah. Absolutely. Well, you've been just incredible value here today.
You've given, you know, the perspective of a 2nd generation business owner, a hustler, a dad, you know, all these different nuggets drop it on us today. Super valuable. And so I appreciate your time. Selfishly, I'm excited to continue to get to know you. And so, again, thank you for being here. Blessings on your family. Blesses on your business, even as you help your dad sail away into the sunset. Yeah. Thank you for being here. We appreciate it. Alright. Appreciate it.
Thanks, Adam. Have a great time. Thank you for listening to Gathering the Kings today. I hope that you were able to pull out a few nuggets to go apply into your business right away. More importantly, though, I hope that you're realizing that it takes more to be successful than just being by yourself doing it all on your own, carrying the weight all by yourself.
What I have realized, not only in my own journey from multiple businesses and multiple different industries and now interviewing literally over 2 or 300. Other very successful 7, 8, and 9 figure business owners is Chaz It's tough to do it alone. And so gathering the Kings literally exists to bring together successful entrepreneurs. In fact, we are putting together 1, 1000 kings, specifically who are grateful, but not done.
We're intentionally assembling kings who fight tooth and nail for their business, family, and communities, and here's what we believe Chaz in the pursuit of excellence in those areas, that it ignites within us the responsibility to govern power and forge a lasting legacy. So if that relates in and resonates with you. And you know that you need people around you sharp, qualified other very successful business owners. I want you to go to gatheringthekings.com.
I want you to take a look at what we're doing and see if it makes sense for you to be part of our pursuit. To 1000 kings. Talk soon.