On today's episode of Gathering the Kings, you know, everybody is set in their way. You have a great plan. You have this rail written down on a nice piece of paper. And then COVID hits or storm wipes out your inventory or, you know, that type of stuff. It happens every day. I mean, you have bad things happen every day. Yeah. So where do you pivot your company? You're gonna change things. It's gonna be online. It's gonna be, I mean, whoever saw Zoom that we're on right now, Right.
You know, 3, 4 years ago was gonna be the way it is. Right. So that's one thing is is learning to pivot and keep an open mind and know, the direction that you originally set out in the class you thought you had isn't gonna be the one you might stay on. And be open minded to that. Change is hard, but that's something that it it happens a lot in business.
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.
We dissect the good and bad decisions they've made along the way that 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 kings like today's guest. Grab your pen and notebook because we're about to dive in. What's up, Gavin? The Kings Nation Chaz Wolfe back at you this week. And my guest, Nathan Lang owns multiple businesses.
And this guy, not only does he own multiple businesses and the multiple seven figures, but this dude looks to solve problems. And so I want you to listen to this story, not only just how he was successful and the things that he did along the way, of of taking over a family business and then building up other brand new businesses. But they stemmed from him solving problems. And so as an entrepreneur, that is what we do constantly all day long is we are solving problems.
We are solving problems in the marketplace. And Nathan is an incredible example of not only solving problems, but doing it at scale to where he can literally create not just an idea or a hobby or a small business, but businesses that are taking care of multiple teams of people there are people in his community that should be extremely thankful for the fact that he sticks out his neck constantly to solve problems. So I cannot wait for you to hear this This, episode, grab your pen and paper.
Nathan's got a ton for you. Alright, guys. Gathering the Kings Chaz Wolfe, I've got Nathan Lang here. Welcome to the stage, bro. Thanks. Glad to be here. Thanks for coming. We really appreciate, you just be willing to take a few minutes out of your day and and, bless us with your your knowledge. Tell us what kind of business you have, man. Got a couple different businesses.
I got one business that does natural stone, from granite countertops to landscape supplies, masonry supplies, Chaz well as, monuments that you see in the cemetery. Wow. Another business I own is going to be insulation. So we do spray foam insulation, fiberglass, and there's also waterproofing foundations. And then, recently started a property management, We're gonna develop some commercial property for a leasing of other contractors and such. So Yeah. I love it.
And I know a little bit of your range of stuff. Yeah. Yeah. But but they're all tied together. And and, you know, from from, us talking off air, you know, I know that they've started for different reasons along the way. And so I'm curious, to hear you talk a little bit more about that. But before we get kinda into the journey, some of the things that you've done along the way and such. But, tell us why at this stage, like, okay.
So you just said I'm about to start a third company property management leasing, but, you know, what blah blah blah. But you already have multiple businesses that are at the 7 figure mark and you're crushing it. And for all intents and purposes, you've made it. Right? But, like, So why? Like, why do you continue to push now? I guess part of it well, the reason we're we're adding on another section is out of personal need. Somewhat. We wanted to add a location. I looked and looked and looked.
I couldn't find one. So, well, it's it comes down to if I'm looking, other people are looking, So why not you know, we're in the position to be able to buy some property right on a major highway. Let's build out a building, make some property available for other people like me Chaz aren't, you know, need a small building to lease out of there. It's ready to move from the transition of moving from their house to a outside property where where they can lease that.
So that's kinda where that transition went to to add that section of things. Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, and and this is you're just, like, super practical about you know, that answer as well as just some of the other story that you've given me about your history. Just, you know, that made sense. Like, I needed it. So other people Wolfe, so great. Might as well do it. But, like, underneath Chaz, underneath the practicality and logic.
Okay. Why would you go through the process of starting a company and offering the cert, like, when you don't have to, obviously. Is there is there, like, is there, like, this n 8 drive for more? Is there, like, you know, like, you wanna get eight figures, you wanna become a billionaire? Like, what is it? I don't know. Yeah. I guess, yeah, I got a lot of internal drive to to succeed.
I got I got a lot ideas and vision and, sit and see a lot of the future and and growing and and taking people along with me. You know, as as I've gotten bigger in the company and stuff and and and we've grown.
It's awesome to see your fellow employees grow with you, whether it's a new they bought, whether it's a new house they bought, and to see the joy on their faces, and as well as our family grow and the stuff that we're able to do internally with our family and friends compared to where we were, you know, when you're scratching together and working multiple jobs and whatnot. So actually probably work more now than I did with multiple jobs because I I have them.
But, you know, it's it's the I don't know. I just see a lot of things that I can accomplish yet, and I'm I don't feel like I'm anywhere close to the gun. And, you know, a lot of the drive is is bringing the people with me. Yeah. Family friends, employees, promoting within and and structure like that. Yeah. I I love that mindset. You can have that before you're able to help others. Legitimately in your own businesses, bring your people along.
They can buy a new house, new truck, you know, all the things you've mentioned. You can have that mindset before, but you're right. Before you actually get to that point in your business where you can provide the opportunity where they can make that type of a money. It's just a thought. It's just a dream. And and you have to keep your head down and keep growing the business so that it can get big enough to be able to then offer those those, things to other people.
And so that's the transition, right, like the warrior to King stage. I know we talked briefly offline about that briefly, but, you know, at the King stage, you're you're thinking about the community. You're thinking about your team. You're thinking about your family buying your time back, you know, all that fun stuff that, seems like the light at the end of the tunnel. Yeah. That's the way we started all. Right? You start a business and you get going and you're like, alright.
I'm gonna do this so I I can set my own hours or I have my own freedoms. And then you realize that you work 7 days a week and set up to sun down. And and it's not there, but, you know, there's just a transition to get there. And it's a long transition depending on how, you know, some people, it's quick. Some people do not. You know, I've been at it for a long year, a long time.
And, you know, it's just it is a little bit just recently which we can cover later on too about of that a little bit more freedom within the company too. So. Yeah. Yeah. 100%. Good. I think that's an excellent start. Let's go back. You've got a you've got a unique story on on how, business came into your life originally, were you always like this? Was it the way you were raised? Like, give us give us how it started for you. Yeah. I mean, I think I always had the entrepreneurial background.
I mean, I remember back when we were in elementary school, I mean, I got a picture of my wall that Me and my buddies were in were long bills, the turtle race capital of the world. So you'd literally, little green turtles and you'd go find them and you'd bring them in a cage and you'd rent them out and you'd make money. You know? Wow. So I have a picture of that renting turtles, and I have a picture of, you know, just different things in in whether it's you know, a shop class.
I Chaz weld together a a boat trailer for a guy and and make fifty bucks. You know? So it was there's always a a way to to better the current situation, whether it was to be in the good graces with the principal at school and build them a bookshelf. You know, there was always a way to better yourself. Financially and and other other ways. So, I guess it's kinda how I've always looked at everything.
You know, I I go to a project or I go to an event, and I I'm the guy that fits back and looks at, like, man, who built all this? And what did they charge? And how does it work? You know, I'm looking around at the structure, and my wife's like, what are you doing? I'm I'm just looking at all the scaffolding set up or whatever it may be in the trucks it took to get here, and that's my mind works like that.
I always look at the background stuff and say, somebody did this and how they do it that, you know, knows what's kinda how I was built. I've been growing up, I'd add, you know, our our grant of company, We just recently purchased Chaz, actually, well, the end of this month Wolfe be 1 year. Wow. But I grew up in it. My parents started it. You know, 37 years ago, I believe. And so I worked alongside my parents their whole way. Very hardworking. Kinda went out there.
I mean, I remember every day after dinner, we'd go out have to work in the shop to get a project done. So Yeah. Growing up in that atmosphere and and, just kinda led me onto other things. I would see things in the business that we were hiring a subcontractor for. And I'm like, well, I could be that subcontractor next weekend. This company hire me to do that project, but I can make more money. And then, you know, so I just kinda keep diving off into left and right there.
And Yeah. So Yeah. It's interesting that you had the opportunities to be able to even do Chaz, let alone know or have the skill set to then fulfill those requests. W would you, you know, knowing knowing how you were raised? Let's just say that. Would you would you change anything about that to be able to better prepare you for business now, or are you doing anything different with your own family, you know, like, to to prepare them any different.
Sounds like you had a pretty, pretty cool entrepreneurial up up. Yeah. I think, you know, I was brought up during the building of the company, which was awesome to see because it's, like, I see what it took. You know, you didn't always get to dinner time. You didn't always, you know, credit. I mean, families, everything, but at the same time, you know, if something went wrong or something problem happened in the company, you were there to provide so you you had to maybe step away.
Yeah. And another, you know, close family friends, they were the same thing. I mean, sometimes you missed a Christmas, know what I mean? Like, if something broke down or equipment broke down, you had to fix it, then you had to move on. So I think that was awesome to see. And then I I grew up you know, in every aspect of the company. So I started at the ground. I shoveled. I swept, you know, when I was young. I worked my way out. And with my own kids, the same thing.
You know, I never, I'm not somebody that's gonna push my kid to do this our business. You know, I I believe every kid has their own direct and they need to find that on their own. Yeah. I'm the guy that's gonna give them great opportunity. If they want it, I'm not gonna push them. As far as the in the business and and what I do, you know, someday, yeah, I'd love to have the kids take over, but if that's not in the cards, you know, it's not there. It's it's not know, if I can be hurt about that.
But bringing him up, I mean, my son, he followed me along. He would come to work with me, nights weekends. He did some sandblah. Lettering, you know, on the side is extra money again. Yeah. My daughter's 11, and she, she's doing filing. She wants the job this summer. She's gonna start scanning old files into a computer system.
Yeah. They also she, you know, teach them the aspect of what money is and why you have it and the good things you can do with money and and, you know, it's and, you know, accomplish something every day. You know, it's Yeah. At the end of the day, it's not all about money. Obviously, it's it's you wanna have a you feel good about yourself at the end of the day for the task that you accomplished. Yeah. 100%. That makes me think of, something that my dad says.
Currently, I didn't grow up with my dad. Unfortunately, we met when I was 24, but he has said this many times since I've gotten to know him, he would say things like, you know, I just wanted my kids to know a good, honest days' labor. So that way at the end of everything, they could at least know how to work hard to provide a meal and and survive, take care of themselves. And that's in essence what I just heard you say is, like, you there's there's opportunity and we'll teach them this.
We'll teach them money mastery. We'll teach them how to, you know, organize multiple businesses and all the fun stuff that you and I get do, but but the baseline is, look, work ethic. Here's what here's excellence. Here's what here's what good things look like. Here's good choices. That's what I'm hearing you say from from, like, a father's perspective. At least Chaz, those are my daddy's working up. You know? Am I am I catching what you're saying there?
Yeah, I mean, at the end of the day, that's the nuts and bolts for that. I mean, you know, through the whole journey of everything, I mean, you need a hard work ethic. I mean, you can't you can't fluff off and, you know, do a do a 9 to 2 and and think you'd you know, you're gonna get further along. Don't tell me, you're not gonna have a bad life, but you're not you know, if you wanna be the overachiever and you wanna go further, you know, it takes that extra work.
It takes that, above and beyond attitude. And then how hard days work is what it is. Anywhere you do in life, mean, if you put a hard honest days, work, and work hard, if you feel good about that at the end of the day, you're gonna succeed. You know, sometimes it takes a little longer, but it is there. Yeah. Yeah. The time frame is is everything. So we Chaz get into some of that. But, let's talk about a bad decision, that that you've made. Now granted, I I wanna hear maybe 2 answers from you.
I'm gonna I'm gonna ask double work, via today as one of my as my guests, but you you bought into a family business. And and was it already 7 figures when you bought it or or not? It was. Yes. It was. Okay. So you have the perspective of So the company was Go ahead. Sorry. Yep. The company was a 7 figure company, and we were really based in, in countertops, let's say, the granite countertop industry. Yeah. And in 2008 hit, I mean, our company dropped by by 80 90%.
I mean, our upfit, it went way down. We might even do it below the 7 figure number there for a Wolfe. And then we we had to build that back up, and I was part of the build back upstage, kinda when I took over running the things middle of there, my parents I mean, my dad was the guy. Like I said, he he's like, well, I can make more money going and driving the truck. So he drove a truck for night 10. It took over the day to day stuff.
And Sure. You know, to make ends meet at the same time, help build that company back up, and then, you know, and and last year, we've seen huge growth. I think we grew, you know, 34% last year. Wow. And then we're we're, you know, hopefully setting ourselves up to do at least that or more, projection wise for this year. That's incredible. On the installation side, Yeah. The installation side, I started from the ground up.
Yeah. Yeah. You know, I just I wanted my own house insulated, so I thought I'd buy a spray foam rig and I figured, why not? I can do it. Somebody else does it. I can do it. Right? And then, you know, it was it was an honor. It was a blessing, through the whole curse, you know, and We, we built that company up and, it was a blessing through the building of the house. I needed the extra money. So everybody was calling me to do these projects, and I I would kept growing it.
And, you know, we were we're busy. And then, came to a point of almost selling it, and then we ended finding a few employees and kinda growing and and, you know, now I think there's 10 guys on payroll in that company, and and we have multiple rigs and the new location is gonna be for the spray foam company or, you know, full installation company. So Yeah. You're you're doing the you're doing the thing. You you you you did the thing. You you bought you bought into a thing.
You helped build, rebuild the thing. You built your own thing. And so the the the question about a bad decision I was kinda setting you up there for for multiple angles or maybe multiple answers is that you've seen different, like, okay, multiple seven figures, now drops down. Now we're rebuilding, starting something from scratch, literally. And all of that, or maybe there's even a couple different bad decisions in there, but what what bad decisions can share with the listener right now.
They got their pen. They got their paper. They're ready. What shouldn't they do, or what did you do that they should avoid? Well, you can always use the cliche if there is no bad decision because you always learn from it. Right? That's right. That's right. But, which which is very, very true when you get back at things. I mean, I made some decisions, and you're like, what the heck, but you learn and you grow through that as well. But I agree.
Specific is, there's 2 things that come to mind is is one is very relevant in the last 2 years. It's gonna be pivot. You know, everybody is setting their way. You have a great plan. You have this rail written down on a nice piece of paper and then COVID hits. Or Yeah. Storm wipes out your inventory or you know, that type of stuff. It happens every day. I mean, you have bad things happen every day. Yeah. So where do you pivot your company? You're gonna change things. It's gonna be online.
It's gonna be, I mean, whoever thought Zoom that we're on right now. Right. You know, 3 or 4 years ago was gonna be the way it is. Right. So that's one thing is is learning to pivot and keep an open mind and the direction that you originally set out in the class you thought you had isn't gonna be the one you might stay on. And be open minded to that. Change is hard but that's something that it it happens a lot in in business.
Yeah. Another bad decision that it happens, and, and and it goes relevant for my both companies. I I had currently were running with employees is, keeping a bad employee, for too long. Yeah. You know, we all in that mindset a lot of times of, you know, so that'd be one recommendation to somebody that's growing is your you got this guy and you've had him for a long time and but he's he's a bad egg.
And you know he is, he's got a bad attitude or he's got something he's bringing everybody else down, or he's just not doing good work. But he's like, well, I can't be without him. But at the same time, you know, if a guy is continually doing bad work, you hang on to him. So, I mean, there's there's always a give and take with employees, but, you know, you gotta keep your head on the floor with that too. Yeah. What what could possibly come from that bad decision of hanging on to someone too long?
I mean, they can spoil the whole, you know, Apple basket. I mean, they you get you get a guy with a really bad attitude and he's working amongst every other all the other people that you're working with, they're gonna bring them all down pretty soon everybody hates their life. Everybody hates their job. Everybody, you know, if you you there's guys out there that do Chaz. They they're angry all the time. And you you don't know why. You don't know what it is.
And Yeah. And they start telling everybody else that that works there pretty soon. It it's just trickles down, or you get the the guy that's not doing the best work and you keep doing them or moving them in a matter where you move them in a position continually do the bad work and not that they're a bad person. They're just they're not a good fit. They're not they don't fit your culture, maybe. You know, so you gotta you kinda gotta look at that and see what your culture is.
And do they fit or they don't? Sometimes you're better off and you attitude, Jamarillo, your company might go because that person said, Hannah, we were all waiting for you to get rid of that guy. We had a guy this winter. One of our employees was you know, he was an angry person, and we held on to him because we're like, we don't have anybody else. We need them on and on and on, and then we finally got into a big fight. Kind of deal kind of exploded, and he was he was fired.
And afterwards that that I have to shop came up and said, man, what took you so long? Yeah. You know, and it's like, oh, well, we were thinking the other way. Like, it's gonna give you guys more workload. But Right. So, you know, you're you're in your head, sitting at a desk or an entrepreneur or wherever you're at. Yep. You're thinking one direction and sometimes your employees are thinking another. So, you know, ask them, see where they're sitting. They'll be open and honest with them.
So That's so good. It and it's so real too. I mean, that's probably happened multiple times. To you. I it's happened multiple times to me. That exact example too of of how you're just trying to protect the others, and the others are actually they'd be willing to step up. They they want to step up. They're they're waiting to step up. But but we've made that decision for them. Holding on to this guy or this gal, whatever it is. And, and that's usually my response as well. It's like, wow.
I didn't expect Even though even though we're both, you know, seemingly good guys, seemingly good entrepreneurs, good bosses, if you will, good people to work for, Why wouldn't they wanna step up? It's like, well, sometimes we just kinda oversee those things, but the that's so good. So don't so what you're saying, the the the the cap here, the point is, don't hang on to the guy. Just move on.
Because you're probably gonna have your other people step up anyway, or you'll get creative and figure it out. Yep. Yeah. A lot of times that the work they were doing wasn't up to par. It wasn't up to your standards anyways, and you're happy to fix them. Or they were just a bad attitude and brought everybody down and everybody's workload. You know, everybody's work went downhill with it. So Yeah. 100%.
Good. Okay. Let's flip the coin here and let's talk about a good decision that you've made, whether it be with the building of the of the rebrand or the the rebuilding or in the new business? And and maybe both. I mean, the best decision I made is marrying my wife course. Now you know, she's not gonna be listening. Give us the real I'm just kidding. Alright. That's probably what I would say. I listen later, though. So, no, I mean, good decisions. You know, another one is That's good.
Is, he is right back to the employee. I mean, promote the good ones, you know, bring them along for the ride, bring them, you know, promote them, get them to help you out, ask their feedback, Chaz as everybody grows and we take on more, you know, I I get asked a lot of times when I'm in these different groups and stuff, there's, you know, people that are let's say they are smaller businesses. Like, so how do you do everything? And I'm like, well, I don't do everything. I can't.
I mean, I have good people, And I I believe that, you know, I we we're setting it all up in order to, you know, let them help achieve. They they're gonna make mistakes too. I'm there for guidance. You can't come down on them for that. I mean, they are living and learning the same you are. They're not gonna make the same decision you do. Hopefully, you're you're you can guide them and help them, but you're gonna have to step away. You're gonna have to run to here and go here or do Chaz.
Somebody's gonna have to be there to make that decision. So a good decision is is also the employee side is promoting or you know, hiring somebody to take the position that you think, you know, that you're in or that you're not very good at. Yeah. You know, everybody in this Wolfe has to decide what they're good and what they're not at.
Some owners, I I know many owners of businesses, they don't even sit they don't even sit down enough They literally are in the field working every day, and they hire people to do everything else to do. Like, that's not what I'm good at. Yeah. So but then there's the owners that are good at the business side of it, and, you know, they need somebody that's in the production side or the, you know, warehouse side.
So Yep. I'd say that's another good decision is is the people that you bring along with you. I mean, I had a great example, like, with last fall, with my spray foam company and this company, we were I was working. I was stressed out. I was just crazy busy. The installation, I mean, I was doing 30, 40 hours a week of sales with that, the the granite company, I couldn't leave because everybody was asking me the questions.
And, I actually got to a little bit of point where, I would say I guess, yeah, I don't I don't like using the word burnt out, but, I mean, I got to the point where there was, like, a week there. I was just like, man, what the heck am I doing here? You know, you you come to them realizations, but you're like, do I have the money to do it? Can I afford it? You know? And and we sat down with my Wolfe, and we're talking about, hiring a salesperson.
Yep. And and for this in insulation side that we did, and it was an awesome move. Yeah. You know, right off the bat within 2 weeks, I'm like, oh my this is amazing feeling. Why didn't I do it sooner? Phone call. Exactly. You know? And I got a phone call, and I can send it to that guy. And he calls him back. And I don't have to stress over, you know, 3 days, and I didn't get to get back to this customer because it it bugs me when you don't.
Yeah. Okay. And then as well as in the in the granite company, we've promoted a guy to be a general manager to take off some of the day to day stuff off of mine. So both businesses are growing and there's more Chaz I needed to do over here in the vision and the securing the company. So he's helping out with that in both of those aspects of it. Just changed everything dramatically. So Yeah. Yeah. That's huge.
The good decision that I'm hearing you say as a recap here is not only not only hire, because first off, you gotta have a team to to bring them along. Right? So you you gotta you gotta give things away. Even at the level, though, once you have those people and you're giving things away, give more away is what I'm hearing you say. Give give even more things, which which is which in essence, thing allows you what you said is to do the things that you're best in.
And, like, the decision to, hire the sales guy. It's funny Chaz you were saying that, I was thinking, oh, man, he's the sales guy. And then, boom, 30 seconds later, you're like, I hired a sales guy. My life changed. I'm like, yes. That's incredible. Because, listen, the the the guy who's listening right now, the gal who's listening, what you're thinking is, I can't afford it. Or, I'm I'm scared. I'm terrified to bring on someone I got and now I'm responsible for them too.
And if I keep it small, then I don't need to worry about it. And I can just I can I'll I'll take the customers. I'll I'll I'll I'll take the phone calls. I'll do the job or I'll handle the client's fulfillment. But I'm telling you right now that there are other people and to to the point here, that Nathan's making is that they're probably even more qualified than you to do whatever that task is. So Yeah. I mean, it is. It's if there's people out there that are are that are great salespeople.
You know, you you it's hard to find in the different industries we're involved with, but you know, you're not gonna hire an expert most of the time. Right. Chaz you can train them. You can take, you know, coach them. You can help them along the way. And a lot of times, you the same thing. And that and that's one recommendation is, you know, obviously, I don't know at all.
I I learn as I go here and a lot of that stuff is tried and true coming from, you know, my my failures here too is I mean, I I know for a fact last fall, I was, crippling the installation company because I couldn't get back to people. I was losing jobs left and right because I couldn't do it. And that's when I that one, like I said, that 1 week, I just had to come to the realization. Like, I can't do all of this.
And and at the time, like, the company is growing, so we're investing all our money back into it, you know, with the with the new location and buildings and people and rigs and all of this stuff and inventory as we're growing any more inventory. So all my money is tied back up in the company. But I'm like, can I can I forward to this, or can I not? And I'm like, you know, like, the conversation with white, my wife and I was, well, you know, I wasn't painting myself very much.
And, I'm like, well, I just pay nothing, I guess, and just we'll get this going. And and you look at the bigger picture, sometimes you have to take a step back to move forward. Yeah. So and that's kinda kinda what I had to do personally, you know, a 100%. I guess. And the deal that the deals, the just one fact alone that that guy will close deals that you would not have even gotten will pay for himself. Period.
Yep. So when you run the numbers on it, it always makes sense, but it doesn't it doesn't take away from the emotional, like, I'm scared, or, do we have the money, or is that the right move? And and and I know, that the guys and gals listening right now are thinking these same things.
And so for you to be able to share these things Chaz even at your level, it makes perfect sense Chaz we know what the right thing to do is But sometimes in that moment, it's it's still we just gotta grind out that that type of decision. So Let me ask you this when it comes to decisions. I'm just huge on decisions. And and, obviously, like you said, the cliche pieces that we don't make bad decisions, we just We have things that we go through that we learn from.
Do you have a process or a discipline of any kind? You said you chatted with your wife. Do you have a process that you follow when you try to big decisions, or just any decisions? I Wolfe say I I mean, I probably just go with my gut. Majority of the time. Now as we've gotten a little bit bigger, I do have a team of people that I I bounce ideas off and I get, you know, their feelings and I get like that. I mean, when I when I into the business. I'm just like, well, I need this so I go there.
And now I'm going here. I go there. I just I'm all over the board, and that's just how it worked. And and it worked. Yep. But as you get bigger and you're affecting more people's lives and the and the the risk is a little higher, I do value everybody's opinion more. Ultimately, a lot of times, I I can I can see the end I just need to know how to get there? So I I kinda I would say I almost work backwards. You know? Like, I know we're backed up in this. How do we make that go away?
Okay. We need to do this. Need to buy a machine. We need to reorganize this. How you know, what's the steps to get to the end? You know? Yeah. You know, you need to have a destination if you know you're gonna go. Yeah. And that destination's gonna always change, but you don't get your car and say, hey. Let's go to dinner, and you have no idea. You turn right or left. Right. You know, so if you know you wanna go to this certain restaurant, what road do I do to take to get there? Right.
And that's, you know, the same similar thing. And so I guess that's kinda how I make the decisions. And you know, I I always look at the ROI and what's it gonna take and how many years is, you know, the payback on big purchases or new locations and Yeah. And some of it is is is I would say most entrepreneurs are probably a little bit of a gambling kind of guy. I mean, they're gambling. You know, some people don't. And And I would say back to, like, you know, with my wife, she's not at all.
She's not a risk taker. And I would probably say I am a big risk taker. I mean, I will probably would I would risk most of everything to see what I want. So it's really it's kinda You and me both. And, and so, you know, so that's part of it. And so I guess that's kind of it. You've gotta find the end goal. Yeah. And what's it gonna take and work backwards and and and simply write it on a piece of paper. I saw more effective in the last 2 months is write it down.
Yeah. You know, it's always up in my head and it's always going, but you know, write it down. This is what we wanna accomplish and just start making notes and and, and growing from that. And and then the more you grow with the the the journey and the more people you meet and the more experiences you have. Yeah. You know, a decision you made when you were, let's say, just starting out nowadays, like, whether you need a tool or a saw or whatever.
Like, man, I don't know if I wanna go spend a $1000. I mean, it still crosses my sign the mind sometimes, but now now it not that and other bigger decisions, but ultimately the same thing. Like, you wanna you wanna achieve, you know, whether it's financial freedom or freedom of your time or whatever may be the goal and, you know, how do I get there? Yeah. Yeah. I love I love, the description that you've given, which is first, the identification of where you're going. I think that's huge.
And so as I kinda recap all this, for the listener, you have to identify first what you want. And maybe even why you want it. Right? Like, okay. So, like you said, maybe it's financial freedom. Maybe it's more revenue. Maybe it's more money. Maybe it's a bigger team. Like, why? Where are we going and why? And to your to your dinner example, it's like, well, we're gonna go to dinner at ADVs here in KC.
And it's because they've got some amazing steak known for seafood, but, man, bro, that's taken the point is is that we know. And so then that that that then fuels all of my decisions along the way, the turns, the amount of gas I'm gonna need, maybe, the type of dress that we wear, like, all of those things.
And so I think that what, Nathan has given to you is Probably a clearer road map than he even realizes, which is if you can identify what you want and then potentially even why, literally, as it comes across your desk, then all you have to do is compare whatever it is that you're deciding on to what you want. Does it help you get it? Great. Do it. Don't hesitate. Make the decision. Do it.
Whether it costs money, whether it's time, whether it's scary, whether you wanna hesitate Chaz a matter, if it helps you get what you you make the decision. You do it. If it doesn't help you get what you've already identified you want, you don't do it. Why are you doing it? You run the other way as fast as possible, not because it's a bad thing, whatever it might be, but it's not gonna help you get what you, if I already identified it, what you want. Love what you said. Write it down too.
That's a that's an old hack, that you can get from many books, something that I've done myself for many, many years. You write it down, and I'll tell you what, Nathan's right. That stuff starts like, poppin' up. Like, Wolfe. That happened. I wrote that down years ago. Holy moly. Right. You know, the vision thing of it, it's a it's a big thing. I do believe big in that. I mean, I so this piece of property we just bought, I drove by that piece of property for 2 years.
And I'd send a picture to my Wolfe. And I'm like, oh, this would be a cool piece of property someday, and we could die. We could build. We could do whatever, you know, like, Wolfe just be a cool location for another landscape yard, and I didn't even own the company at the time, or it'd be an awesome location for my spray foam company, you know, and then we went looking for property. Mean, I was looking to lease, and I looked everywhere. I looked at all these buildings. I looked at everything.
Nothing came out. Yeah. And I bet I called this guy who owned the property. All he had was a little sign in the corner for a sale. It was there for 6, 7 years. Even in this economy, it was just it's still sat there. And, I finally got him on the phone. I've been after 15 calls. I just wanted to know what he wanted for. For for a year and a half, I called the guy. Wow. Leave message You know? That's why I was still on the market.
Right. And, I mean, honestly, when it all came down, I'm like, really, that's what you want. Like, it's 9 acres on a main highway. Is that, like, it wasn't even near what I thought he was gonna tell me. Right. And then it all you know, it aligned out and we were able to make it work. But, you know, I you know, you can say it's your vision. You can say it's, you know, you know, work hard towards that goal, but it's kind of like buying a new car.
I mean, when once you buy a white car, you see all sorts of white cars or Ford Explorer for or, you know, that's what's in your mind at the time, and that's what you're driving towards. Yeah. So I guess it's kind of a a formula there too. So Yeah. Put it in the mind's eye. Like you just said, That's that's that's so good. I hope that, you're taking notes on this.
I've kinda lingered on this moment for a mo or on this point for a moment so that you can take these notes because I think it's just so important. If I could nail down, I don't know, the top 5 things ever that's made me, you know, a ton of freaking money And this would be one of them for sure. So I'm I'm totally in alignment with you. So, okay, let's let's let's hop over to the speed round. Change the change the pace here a little bit. For the, for the listener.
We're gonna go one word answers, but, I'm I'm, like, known to, like, dig in and ask follow-up questions. So don't don't hesitate to give me more, especially if I ask for it. Speed round question number 1 is you obviously have 2 large businesses, and you've got you're starting a third, and you have all these important things that I'm sure you pay attention to. But if you could only track one metric, in all of your businesses forever, what would it be? Profit. And is that profit on every job?
Chaz profit at the end of the year? Is that profit? No. Profit quarterly, let's say, if you wanna track it that way. It goes right down to, like, you just said with every job? No. You don't make money out of the job. I would say another one would be that goes along with this would be customer satisfaction. I will be I'm the kind of guy that would go I will lose money to make a customer happy. Sure. I've done it. I actually just had a meeting with my insulators this morning.
And I told, you know, one of the big things that we tell them is we clean the job sites by every one of them. I clean the carpenter's mess, the electricians' mess, the homeowner's mess. When that when you need that job, that homeowner, that's spotless. That cost me money. But, ultimately, the customer's happy. They walk in there. They're happy. They're wild. Granted? Yes. I mean, if they're not if they if if the project didn't go good, you know, I do everything I can.
I'll be there tomorrow if I can. Sure. We've We've sold steps and products before at a loss just because we made the mistake. You can't make a habit of Chaz, but in the big picture of things, the customer satisfaction and happy, happiness and helping, you know, helping them, you know, reaching their goal, your customer's goal, Yeah. It's more important in that way instead of watching dollars and cents on every single job, you gotta watch your profit. Profit's not a bad word.
People like to, you know, people are doing, oh my god. You're making so much money on this and that. Well, in turn, most businesses, you're not. You mean, the profit margins are low. And yes, you're making a living. You're making money, and most companies put it back in, but the profit, it has to be there. Yeah. And and even, like, last year, with all these price increases and supply chains and all of this, you have to watch it hard.
Yep. We raised our prices, I think, 4 to 5 times last year, you know, just to because all of the different market shifts than what we had to do, and we had to buy product at a higher price in order to get it. Right. We had it. You know? So Yep. You gotta keep track of that because if you don't have it, you're gonna you're gonna fail. Yeah. You'll go to the opposite direction and and facts. Yeah. So so what he said there, just to just to, make sure that you're paying along here, pay attention.
Is you gotta make money, but I loved how intimately he linked customer satisfaction with profit because If you have happy customers, it doesn't mean that you go looking for ways to lose money to make your people happy. But No. Chaz they're happy, you're making money most likely. Mhmm. And then they're gonna tell their friend they're happy. Yeah. So that it it just trickles down on all of that. I mean, it's customer satisfaction. You're it's gotta be one of your your main things.
One of your main goals in businesses is to achieve what the customers, you know, trying to achieve, help them achieve their goal, help them achieve their dream of what you're looking for. You know, I always another thing I always tell my all my guys here, I'm like, you know, we're not just doing a granite countertop. I mean, we're building a granite countertop for our customer that saved their whole life, and all she wanted was a nice kitchen.
Okay. This is gonna be a second home in our area that This is a cabin, and they've dreamt their whole life Chaz they want a cabin on the lake, and they finally have it. And we get to help them put steps to the lake. That was their dream. They've had their vision for years. We helped them with that. You know? And and on the installation company, it's the same thing.
I mean, it's it's it's kind of you can you can say whatever you want, but I just tell the guys, like, we're insulating their house for for multiple reasons, but, you know, that one bedroom upstairs in the corner, that's gonna be their baby's room.
Yeah. Do you want it drafty and cold and moldy because you got condensation issues, or do you wanna say when you're all said and done at the end of the day Chaz that you helped that whole customer achieve a very well balanced healthy home so that you can continue on and be happy and and hold your head high about that and have a customer be happy for the next 30 to 50 years until somebody else remodels Yeah. Yeah. So big. Yeah. Giving giving giving even your your crew a reason to press in.
All that's so good. I mean, we we could we could do a whole show just on Chaz. Even if we just had just that one piece, you would have provided always so much value. But nevertheless, the next question is this. What book would you recommend that a 6 figure owner read that wants to get to the 7 figure mark? I have 2. Perfect. Double. Profit first. Yes. Profit first. Goes tied with my profit. It's a very good book on on how to basically spend within your means. It's kinda funny.
I mean, it goes not to go into deep with it, but it basically I mean, if you have $5, you'll figure out, spend $5. If you have a 100, you spend a 100. But if you have 50 and that's all you have, you're gonna only extend the 50. So it's a very good way to to structure that. Otherwise, I do believe it it's it's easy look at your bank account and say, well, I got some money. I'm gonna go buy this or buy that, you know, and this kinda helps you structure that in it. I think that's a good book.
Yep. And another one's an old one is the thinking grow rich. It goes back to your vision of of what you're gonna, you know, you know, basically, it's in the wording. Thinking grow rich. It it's your vision of where you're gonna go and what you're gonna accomplish. Yep. I can attest to both of those books. I think you're right. Paying yourself, first, is basically the principle and making sure that the excess comes, after.
And and then, of course, thinking to a bridge, that's an annual read must must must read that book regularly. Very good. Okay. So next question, do you do you intentionally mastermind, or network with other entrepreneurs? Yes. Well, probably the more so in the last 2 years, I've seen the value of this versus in prior years. I made a lot of different industries, so it does make it a little bit harder Chaz far as what industries, but I did like this year.
I had 3 trade shows I attended, you know, one for installation, one for countertops, and one for monuments. Right. And also on that, I mean, you, you know, you can it's it's one thing to go to these things and you spend the money and you say, okay. The company's gonna spend this much money. We're gonna go to this event to try the network. Right. It's the next thing to actually network. Everybody can go walk a show floor. Yep. Right? Introduce yourself. Meet somebody it's very hard.
And it was harder for me. It's a lot easier now. I'm a talker, so I can talk my way into something. Sure. Excuse me. And but it's very hard. I remember the first convention I went to. I mean, when we're all sitting, now we walked the convention floor, we went back to our hotel, and that was it. Like, we sat there. Then we went to dinner with no one.
And then I'm like, this isn't, you know, then I'm like, no. I'm going to this cocktail hour, and I'm gonna have a beer with these guys and then to meet some people, you know, and And now, I mean, it's just on the one industry. Now I sit on the board for the for the mining industry, and I'm a VP on the board. It's all volunteer for organization. And And, I mean, it's just an awesome. And now you're in that you're higher level networking. You know?
Yep. Yep. And all of Chaz, the conventions, the the any networking, whether it comes down to, your local chamber, you know, if you don't have any money or if you're just starting out your local chamber, your local events, your every town has an event of some search start going to a mall. Yep. You know? Another one is I am actually on the the on the chief of the local fire department as Wolfe.
Wow. I mean, that's you get some great, opportunity to network with your fellow firemen Chaz are all in the industry kind of that know them all, but and we see each other twice a month. You know? So, but but all of that stuff is all networking. It that it doesn't necessarily, like, set structure mastermind or or something like that, but it's all the networking part of it. But then I also do, like I said, in the last 2 years, I've done more of the mastermind stuff.
I have, joined a few different groups, kinda like the one that you host, where, you know, if you wanna level up, I do believe you need Chaz. You know, there's other people that have been through all of this, whether you're a 6 figure, 7 figure, 8 figure, 9 figure, wherever you're gonna go in life. Yeah. If you're somebody who wants, you know, I'm starting out and I'm a 5 figure. I wanna go to 6. We'll start talking to 6 figure and figure out how to do it.
We'll start talking to 7 figure owners and start how did they do it? What are the Where are you buying your product? What are you doing? How are you handling employees? Where are you finding them? Right. These are all things that everybody would talk about. And I the the cliche of their competitor, even, like, the the more I've learned, the competitors out there, yeah, you always have a competitor, but Sure.
I just went to a convention and and sat with one of my biggest competitors, and we've sat there over beers and bullshitted and have talked about all sorts of stuff. Yep. You know, yep. And they're not really competitors. Everybody's there in the industry that wants to see everybody succeed. Yeah. You know, you always have your secrets that you're like, man, I don't like that guy. But at the end of the day, we all you know, everybody wants to succeed.
So and, you know, just depends on the level you're at, I guess. You know, to start with, it's it's a local group's smaller stuff, and then But the faster you wanna grow, you need to talk to the higher level people. Yeah. I mean, I've learned a ton in a few masterminds and and phone calls and and stuff like Chaz, that it told me it kinda pulls you to the next level faster than you can get there on your own. Oh, 100%.
At most, to your point, most people, at least clients of mine, one one decision instantly makes the whole thing, quote, unquote worth it. Right? One connection, one 1, I didn't do Chaz. And instead, I did this because I met so and so or whatever. It it it can you don't know what you don't know. And you don't know who you don't know. So, I love how you said that because me being an introvert, I'm the same way as you described going to your first in your first conference there, man.
Like, getting out and, like, purposely talking. Like, that's a choice. That's a choice, especially for someone like me who's an introvert by nature and just like, man, I I need to shake hands. And it's not easy. And I have to choose to do it, but the value that's come, not only to my businesses, but to me personally, I grown as an individual because of hands that I've shaken. Guys like you, like, that's how we've been. I reached out.
I can't remember if you you reached out to me or I reached out to you, but We reached out. We that's just how we that's how high performers connect. Does he reach out? You don't care what other people think, and you just meet people. That's just that's just how things happen. And it's Chaz. You meet. Like I said, I sit on that board. We meet quarterly, and I see him more than my family half the time, you know, my 10 family. I mean, they're good end. You can pick up the phone.
Hey. What are you doing? You're you're sending goofy texts between people. It it's more of a friendship, and it grows. And and the business side is is the easy side at that point. Yep. Exactly. I love that perspective. Okay. Last question, and and sometimes it's the heaviest. I leave it to the end if you lost it all. What would you do, Nathan? What would you do? I would I mean, I I'd probably end up starting another business of some sort and whether it's I mean, I don't know.
It's just kind of my mentality. I always see something that I think to do with I mean, I would probably fire off another direction. I mean and you you work hard and you get through it and, you know, you have cut back and the things you need and you make it through it, you know, and grow it from there. Yep. I don't know. I just always, you know, a lot of people say when they're growing up and stuff up, know, not everybody knows what they were doing. I feel like I was fairly fortunate.
I I did kinda know what I wanted to do. I mean, I I kinda felt like you know, growing up in the granite business, saying, like, I know that that's prob I mean, not probably that's, like, what I wanted to do. No one forced me to do any of this. Sure. The spray foam kinda fell on my lap, but, I mean, it was it's a great adventure. And I love seeing a crow, and I love the people that are that they work with every day and the and the products we do.
Yeah. So I would probably end up starting another another business and Yeah. You know, and it some people say my businesses are all over the place too, but they're actually kind of linear know, there is kind of a ladder effect with them all. I mean, we go from waterproofing somebody's foundation, you know, to insulating their home to now we can do their granite countertop We can do their landscape supplies and masonry supplies. You know?
And then, I mean, if you wanna get darker, it's the the monument side. But, you know, I mean, There's kind of a a linear progression there. Are you saying you have them covered from the beginning to the end? Kinda. Yeah. We got them covered from their home build to the end there. So Let's do that. Put that on the trailer. We got you covered from the beginning to the end. That's right. Hey. I only asked for 1%. K? A lot learn long time ago. You don't have a double pie.
I'll sell it to you for only 1%. Right. Nathan, dude, this has been incredible. Your story, I I love the perspective of buying into a family business, a big family business, and then having to rebuild it. Obviously, there's family dynamics that I'm sure that went into Chaz, having something else on the side that's grown into an actual company. I mean, your side project employs more people than, you know, 80% of the the the businesses out there that are solopreneurs. You know?
So Like, you're obviously a a a killer. You're obviously a high performer. So, like, congratulations. Number 1, but just thank you. Thank you for coming. Thank you for sharing. Yeah. Anytime. If if somebody, resonated with just everything you've got going on, they wanna connect with you. Maybe they wanna come work for you. I don't know. How would they how would they find you? You know, I'm always willing to help with anything.
I learned a long time ago that, you know, you gotta give to receive so I'm always willing to help anybody's questions, anybody's I don't have them all. I'm a long ways from knowing everything. But you can check with me on Facebook. You know, it's it's Nathan Lang. You know, I've got my my Facebook for my Northland spray foam company. Northland Monument company. But personally, it's Nathan Lang, or you can, you know, you can contact you too.
I'm on websites of northlandsprayfoam.comornorthlinemonument.com. My Instagram is, chief. So you can kinda any anywhere you want there. We've so we've got we've got lots of ways to connect you. Nathan Lang. That's awesome, brother. Hey. I so appreciate you. I know the listener does as well. You gave way more than we bargained for. So thank you again, and, best of luck to everything you have going on. Thank you. Alright. Thanks for listening to gathering the Kings.
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