On today's episode of Gathering the Kings. I'd love to see her and say, man, I had this beautiful vision board and all this stuff. And it was just honestly, it was just thinking in a truck and a notepad is all it was. I had a notepad full, and I still have it. I have a notepad full of stuff that I wrote down I'd just be sitting there thinking, I'm like, alright, man. We man, I want iPad. I want Apple computers in the office.
So it was just like, but just dreaming up stuff and it just got me fired up and so I'd write it down. 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 they've made along the way, they give a true and accurate picture of the journey of success and how you too can get their 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, everybody? Chaz Wolfe, gathering the king's podcast today. I've got Derek Lyons on the king stage. My brother.
My fellow Missouri in brother. How are you? Dude, I'm awesome, man. Thank you so much for having me on. This is, like, when you first sent me an email asking if I wanted to be on this, I was like, looking around, their client is like, this Derek line is there another one. So, dude, yeah, I'm excited to be on with you. Yeah, dude. I appreciate that humility.
And I think in the entrepreneurial world, I mean, there's always the arrogant ones that we all know about, but then there's this huge community of just real dude Some have hit larger revenue markers than others, but Sure. What I have found is that there's a bunch of just really real guys just trying to make it happen. That's what we're trying to do here. So I just appreciate you giving the time. Yeah, bud. What kind of business do you have, my man? Yeah. So I own garage door guy.
Out of Stratford, Missouri, and it's just what it sounds. We do garage door repairs, installations, and maintenance. And I lead a team of 6 people and that's what we do every day. I love it, man. And Stratford, Missouri is not too far from Springfield, and I played a lot of basketball there. My youth little Springfield Rockets who I played against? Yes. You remember the Rockets section of your team? I've heard about him. Okay. I don't I've moved here Oh, that's fine. At least 6, 6 a half year.
No. It's been actually over 7 now, I think. Where are you from again? I'm originally from Georgia, but I moved here from Arizona. Okay. Yeah. I remember you telling me that. Okay. So let's talk about bigger picture. You've been building for a while. I got a little bit of your history pre business. We'll get into that a little bit here in a But I wanna know what's the Wolfe. What drives you at this level even after being successful. Right? What's the bigger picture?
Man, there's, like, this just inside driving me that's just not okay with being just complacent with being normal. I don't know if it's just a vision that I have in my mind, but there's just something that I could be sitting down, and I feel like I gotta be moving. I gotta be doing something. And I often wonder if just like this chip on my shoulder that I've got something to prove, but, man, I just I do.
I've just got an inward drive that I'm not Kaye with being who I was yesterday, being who I was a year ago, I wanna constantly be growing and becoming better for those around me. And, yeah, I wish I had more eloquent answer, but, man, the more I thought about it, I'm like, it's just like this inward just fuel Chaz. Yeah. Doesn't go out. No. No. I've had times of burnout. I've had times where I might have a season of feeling low energy, but, man, I'm still getting out there every single day.
And you're still hustling. But, yeah. Yeah. Obviously, they're it becomes a game, really. At that point. Right? It's no longer about survival or even just a revenue number. It's really more of a game is what I'm hearing you say. And you're a winner. You wanna play the game to win. You're constantly looking forward, what would you say to you said you've always been like that, but what how has that grown for you Chaz you've gone from 6 to 7 figures? What Chaz that changed? Has it been more clear?
Do you have any different thoughts now at this level than you did before? It's been a really tough thing because I grew up in a family only that was, definitely lower than middle class. Yeah. I'd probably put them lower class, and they were all blue collar, hard workers. My dad was a truck driver ended 60 60, 80 hour weeks.
My step dad, he worked when I was a when I was a teenager, he was the manager at a grocery store working 60, 70 hours, and then man, he get off of there and he'd go straight to a night school to get his degree in IT. Wow. And so I grew up around these guys that were more blue collar and hands in the dirt and just working hard. And I think, honestly, that is that mentality is what made me successful in business at first. It got me up to that $1,000,000, because I was in the business every day.
I was man, I was in trucks with the techs. I was getting my hands dirty. I was on installs with them and, that's what got me there, but then I came to a realization of I can't keep I can't keep doing this. Like, my company suffering because I'm actually in the truck every day working in the field with them. And so, actually, that's been the most difficult part is retraining my brain that I've gotta start doing something different Like, I Yeah.
I can't not that I can't period, but I can no I can any longer be the guy in the truck with my hands in the field. I've now got to bring the energy to the team, and I've got to lead the team to the next level and let them carry out that vision. And so it switched from being dependent on me to now it's depending upon them, and it's dependent upon me bringing that energy to them. So Yeah. I love that perspective of really support.
I wanna know in that transition, there's, a shift that you've described where it become it it was originally about you. We call this the Warrior stage where really all you can focus on is maybe you and the guy to your left and right, maybe. You're in the battle. You're sweating. You're bleeding. All you can focus on is literally today. But at some point, like you said, you actually hinder the growth because you don't step away or pop out, to be able to see the whole entire kingdom.
Obviously, now we're talking about the king mindset and just being able to see the whole playing field. And so in that, did you experience or, I'm leading on to, I'm sure, some of the way that people are feeling right now they're listening. Did you feel that by leaving the trade, the actual battlefield, that you were, like, leaving your guys stranded, that you were sending them off to battle by themselves. And if you did feel that way, How did you overcome that?
Man, I can't I honestly can't say that ever went away because there are days I still find myself showing up at the off in the warehouse, and I wanna go out there and rub shoulders with them because I'm afraid that if I don't, they're gonna think I'm just this I'm the guy running the company, and I'm out golfing all the time and all this kinda stuff. And I can't say that every 100% Chaz gone away, but I just control it in my thoughts more.
And know I think mostly I've come to know that my team doesn't think that. It's an unrealistic it's like a voice in my head that's telling me that it's not real. So honestly, I'd say talking with my team has helped a lot because they've told me what they thought I'd do and all this kind of stuff. And And also when I get down in the weeds of it, when I'm golfing, when I'm running on the track and stuff like that, I'm working usually.
I'm usually answering emails and running texts and calls and stuff like that and still working on the business even Wolfe I'm golfing. Yeah. And hopefully golfing with somebody that's gonna bring you some business. Yeah. Networking. Yeah. Absolutely. That's what we do. Yeah. Okay. So that transition, like you said, maybe it never goes away, but the communication, right, around and maybe and then I'll just give you one more piece here.
As you were telling, you were talking about this to your team asking their opinions. For me, it's been, like, when I share the vision of, okay, here's the machine. Here are all the pieces. If you own this piece and you own that piece, and I own this then together, you don't have to worry about my piece. I don't have to worry about your piece, but together, we're all leaning on each other, and it gets the result that we're all looking for. Then that it there's a freedom there. Yeah. Absolutely.
Oh, yeah. 100%. Absolutely. One last question here before we move on. I'm digging on you here because I think this just so super applicable to a lot of listeners who want to go to the next level, but that are just in their own way. Yep. How did you facilitate that communication with your team? Was it a team dinner? Is it a everyday thing in a huddle? Is it both? Give us some thoughts there. Yeah. It's definitely it's all the above. And if I could, just one little side piece here.
A lot of people like you're saying to get stuck in Chaz, and they get stuck in that. I meet a lot of blue collar guys that are in service service industries that stay in the truck. And the way I see it in my life, the pain of staying in the truck became so great that I had to change. I'm missing my daughter's swim competitions my wife stressed out. I'm stressed out, but my health is going underway. And so the pain became so great to me that I was just like, man, I gotta do something different.
Because you're in the because you're in the truck and running the business. It's not in the truck that was doing it. It's the fact that you got your your plan both sides of the field. Yeah. It was everything. It was everything with the team, rubbing shoulders with them and talking with them, but also, I think it was back in March. I hired a guy named Kevin, and we intro ed him into becoming our general manager. But, really, he brought new life into it to where, like, we'd be talking.
And he'd be like, why are you doing that? You don't need to be doing that. And I'm like, yeah. I know. So why are you doing that? It's Yeah. Because if I don't, then he's like, nobody thinks that, man. There's nobody here that thinks that. And so, like, hearing that hearing that truth from him, but also hearing it from my Wolfe, and from other people, it it it dawned on me Chaz, no, I'm the problem. That's so big, dude. Yeah. I everybody needs it, Kevin. 100%, man.
Absolutely. I've been, man, I've been so fortunate. We've got another we've got a girl named Liz that works on our team. She's been with me for 3 or 4 years, and we race her up to be a general, like, interim general manager. And so she runs, like, all the off the stuff. She knows the ins and outs of everything. The girl's been with us for so long.
She knows everything about the company, everything about the business, even industry knowledge, something she knows more to me about And so with her there, and then now we've got Kevin at the helm, man, it it's awesome. I ain't even gonna lie. Yep. That's awesome. Yeah. The gal on your team, I have affectionately dubbed that position, the key holder, because I can't. I'd in fact, I don't want the keys. I'm not you can't trust me with the keys. Here, I need you keep the keys.
I want you to label the keys. I want you to keep them in a safe place. Like, I I can't be trusted. Yep. I know their keys to I know their mine. I no. They're I'm give them to you, please. Yep. Absolutely. It's good stuff, man. Okay. Tell us. Let's go back a little bit. How'd you get started? Was it this business? Did you get a business before? I know a little history, but give us the transition.
Yeah. No. So back in 2015, my wife, we were living in Arizona, And I was actually working at a garage door company there, and my wife got a job here in Springfield. So we moved here for that. I started working for a company And, man, I was there for about 3 months, and it was just terrible management. The worst I've ever worked in. I was there for about 3 months. I was working man, probably 60 plus hours a week working nights, doing garage door installs, things like that.
And after about 3 months, had a seizure on a Sunday morning Wow. Now back story here, I had seizures as a kid. They went away for 7 years, started to have him again as a teenager, then they went away. And then I had this one back in 2015. In Missouri, once you have a seizure, you can't drive for 6 months. Lost my job. And, anyways, thankfully, convoy of hope Chaz a local nonprofit here in Springfield.
They were kind enough to give me some part time work because they were about a mile from our house, so I was working there part time. Anyways, I did my 6 months. And then my wife was like, what are you gonna do? I said, oh, garage's resolved. No. But I don't know. I don't really wanna go back to working in that. She was like, we should start your own company. And I was like, ah, I don't know. She's like, hey. You're always talking about business.
You've even got, like, a notebook of business plans. And I was like, yeah. I just dreamin' about you. I like coming up with the ideas. I don't know that I want a business, but she kept pushing me. But then what happened is people knew I could drive again, and so friends knew I knew how to fix garage doors. And so they were like, hey, man. Can you come look at my garage door? So I was like, alright. And they just it became one of those things. So many people were asking me. I was like, fine.
It's like, alright, god. Yeah. It's like, alright, god. I'll start a business. So, literally, we had $1500 cash. And so I found a rust bucket old AT and T service truck. It was a 1990 F Three Fifty. I paid a thousand bucks for it. And then I took $500 in Boston inventory, and I started a company. And so it was super grassroots. I ran it out of that truck, and ran it out of our little house for about a year and just cash driven everything. I would advertise on Craigslist.
I was telling all my friends and just You know? Oh, yeah. Hustling, man. I was making videos on Facebook. You name it. I was doing it. If there was a free avenue to do it, I was doing it. So that was how it began. That's incredible. I think that's especially in the service space where you can just get a truck. I've even seen guys start in a car. I think good buddy. My started a security company. He came I was one of his first clients.
He came to my business establishment and installed my security company from the back of his, like, 1987 hatchback. I love it. What is this? He's Yep. It's what I gotta go. Good for you. I like it. Even more now. Yeah. Exactly. How can you not respect that? That's good stuff. Okay. So I wanna know, especially on, maybe in that 1st year or 2, what was a good decision that you made that can resonate with the listeners now that they can take away as a note go implementing their business.
In the 1st year? Yeah. 1st year or 2 or 7 figures. Yeah. I think just building it. Like, I wasn't interested in I wasn't interested in staying small. I wasn't interested in just having that same truck. I had a bigger vision in my mind. Like, I had a vision of new trucks. I had a vision of uniforms, Chaz a vision of all these things.
And I wasn't satisfied with just run it in that truck in those uniforms as, man, as soon as I could, I went out And, actually, I think within the 1st year, I had a full uniform for myself. Like, I went to UniFirst, and I was like, hey. I want uniforms. And they were like, how many people are in your company? I was like, oh, it's just me. No. And they go and they literally were like, oh, yeah. We like, we need more people to do a contract with you. And I was like, okay.
I said, I can come pick it. I've just come whatever I need to do, but I want you to forms. And so they actually worked with me too. So I went and got uniforms from them. And then I went and got magnets for the truck and then eventually that truck broke down. I went and got a van and got lettering on it. And yeah. But I kept building. It was like, alright. I got this, but I want more. I want more. And so I just kept chasing after Chaz.
So I don't know that there was one key decision that I can think back to that. I was like, man, I'm glad I made that decision, but Yeah. I'm just I'm thankful I just continue building it on that vision and just wasn't complacent with it. Yeah. The vision that you had, obviously, as a visionary, you've even described that in personality a little bit. Where that's gonna maybe flow a little bit more naturally to you. I think a lot of entrepreneurs are like that, obviously. Well, what would you say?
What, like, the simple things that you did to keep vision in front of you? Did you have a vision board? Did you write down goals? What were you doing to con did you have time in the truck where you were, like, yeah, dreaming about it? Chaz what would it look like? Yeah. So real quick, just thought I did think of something. One of the things I'm glad I was networking, I got involved in a local business networking group.
And I'll be honest with you, I attribute a lot of the success in my company to those networking groups because there's still people to this day from that 1st networking group that I talk to and I see and do business for it. But Yeah. I just on that note, real quick, I rarely share this. The I just set up a guy for the Gathering of King's mastermind 2 days ago.
That I met 11 years ago when I was in a single unit edible arrangements guy, and I was going to a BNI event And at that time, I don't even know what business he had. Maybe he was just the roofer, but now he's got this huge roofing and solar and all this fun stuff. And we got reconnected and That was 11 years ago. Anyway, I totally relate to that. Yeah. Relationships, man, relationships in business are it. And I hear people in business all the time. They're like, I don't like people.
Oh, anyway, you don't need to be in business if you don't like people. But to to answer your question, as far as the dreaming and when how did I do that? I'd love to sit here and say, man, I had this vision board and all this. Honestly, it was just thinking in a truck and a notepad is all it was. I had a notepad full, and I still have it. I have a notepad full of stuff that I wrote down. Like, I'd just be sitting there thinking, I'm like, alright, man. We man, I want iPads.
I want Apple computers in the office. So it was just, like, just dreaming up stuff, and it just got me fired up and so I'd write it down. Yeah. That's really as simple as it was. And, I'd get fired up about it, and then I'd wanna do it. And my biggest problem is trying to do too much at once. I get the vision. I get excited about it. I'm like, I wanna do it all right now. Right now. Let's go in a hundred directions right now. Yep. Yep. That's good stuff, man.
I I think that a lot of people relate to that. The writing it down, man, so powerful. And I don't actually think a lot of people relate to Chaz. Thinking in the truck, I looked at property actually that we just built our a beautiful home on. I looked at the I literally looked at the property. Replaced, by the way. Thank you. I appreciate that. Yeah, man. I I was mowing. I was mowing over there. Looking over here and doing what you just said, but the next level really is writing it down.
Yeah. I think there's just some people call it manifesting. I don't care what you call it. There's just this applicable thing Chaz when you write it down, man, it's almost because you read it down wrote it down, your mind's working on it. And in the back of your mind, without you knowing about it, your working on how to get there. And I can't tell you how many times I've had an idea. And later, I'm like, oh my god. That was an amazing idea. What was it? And, yeah, I can't even remember it.
Yep. So I really try. My biggest problem is I've got them scattered over 15,000 notepads everywhere, and I've got them in notes in my phone, and I've I have your solution. Chaz idea. You need a remarkable? Yes. Yeah. Remarkable. Yeah. They're a sponsor for this this episode. Just kidding. That's exactly where I was going. That's awesome. Yeah. Yeah. In all seriousness, I'm just like you. I got books, but, like, notebooks, like, one shelf down. Sorry.
It's like books and books and books are just I was like, I wrote that down somewhere. Let me find it. Yeah. A 100%, man. That's me. I thought I wanna I wanna just hit this all the way home for listener because we hear about writing our goals down and having a vision board or doing these things. And I think to the high performing driver, right, Not the dreamer. The high performing driver that's in both of us and the guy that's listening or the gal that's listening.
We think I don't have time for Chaz, or that just sounds a little cheesy. Let me just But it's when we slow down enough, for me, it was four situations like I had to mow the grass. So it gave me opportunity to think and dream about the property or you you had to drive to the next job.
And so you were thinking about this stuff anyway, whether it's the time or then, like you said, connecting the thought with then pen and paper I take notes just on a regular phone call, and not even notes, like, I'm just gonna reference them later. I'm just writing the stuff down that I'm saying that they're saying, and there is power in that and think the dreamer and then the driver then come together in that mode. Wolfe you add anything to that?
Yeah. You know, one of the things I thought, there's so many people that when they hear ideas that they have something in mind that argues with it, they're like, Wolfe, that's just some that's just some stupid idea, whatever, but, like, I'm pretty open minded to an extent. Obviously, I've got morals and values and all Chaz, but Man, I'll always give something a thought. Even when it comes to politics, like, I do not consider myself tied down to very strongly to anything.
I'm always like, That's interesting. You know, let's dig into that. And I think in in what we're talking about, man, you gotta dig into things, and there's no harm. It's almost we act as if there's a harm in just checking something out. Still harm in checking something out and doing some research. And who knows? You might come to the end of it and be like, yeah. That's not for me. But you might come to the end for it and say, okay. I need to do Chaz, and it could change your life.
And so I think we need to do a better job of being more open and analytical things than actually being able to be, I don't know, just open to things and consider them. Just consider them. Because I can I'll sit down. I used to be I'll be honest with you. I used to be staunch Republican, and what challenged me is just sitting down and listening to people. Totally. I forced myself to just sit down and listen to people. And I was like, man, that's a good point.
I've never even taken the time to consider that. So, anyways, sorry. I think to your point politically or really a thing. Yeah. It's just you just first off, you identify that the other person is a human. If they're a person, Yeah. Yeah. That's it. I think that it and and and it doesn't mean that I have to expose what it is that I believe or if we wanna have a conversation about it fine, or that I need to even come off of my beliefs, whatever they are.
Yep. But I should at least be an adult enough to see you as a human and respect you and hear you. Yeah. Yep. But I think that's Chaz we're so far away from business, but but not really. Because if you Chaz the same principle in business, oh, yeah, dude. You start seeing people for how they who they are? I'm in a bunch of, like, my industry's Facebook pages, like, garage door, Facebook pages.
And, man, I can't tell you how many times money that's they'll have a $50,000,000 garage door company, and they're literally just trying to help elevate the industry and giving ideas there's so many guys that'll just jump on there and be like, oh, that doesn't work to all this. Yeah. I actually might want to listen to him. I was having this this talk with a guy. It may have been last week, and he was like, I went to this industry conference of some sorts. I I he may have been an HVAC guy.
Actually, that's what it was. Yeah. He's HVAC. And he's thinking these hot stuff, and he sits down at the con at one of the lunch tables and this guy asked him, hey. How's it going? And, you know, they started getting into his business. And he's like, yeah. I got 5 trucks and done this Chaz and the other. And and just went on and on about his business. And later, the guy never he never asked. The guy never said anything later. He found out that guy had a 150 trucks. Oh, yeah.
Yeah. Just felt foot insert douchebag type of feeling. And and we get that way sometimes. Yeah. We do. Each one of us Chaz well as then, man, how can they aspire? Yeah. How can I aspire to be the ginormous guy in the room that says nothing? Yeah. Absolutely. Or that helps. That's really what it is. Is that, willing to lend?
For me, personally, the more success I've had and the older I've gotten, the more the better I am at listening to people, it's almost like the older you get the more wise you get, you realize how little you actually know, but you also realize it's less about air in your opinions. And, yeah, I've had a lot of those times where, you know, somebody'll be bragging about something. I'm like, wow, yeah. That's cool. And I'm not gonna say anything, but Thumbs up.
And really, not even thumbs up of how I see you. That's so cute. It's really it is actually like, dude, keep keep going. See you. That's good. Yep. Not facetious at all. And alright. Well, we gotta flip the coin. I gotta know a bad decision that you made. We gotta get to the nitty gritty, the dirt. It's a bad story. Give it to me. I got so many. Dude, honest, one one really I don't know. I don't even I haven't I don't even know that I've come to the conclusion that it was a bad decision.
But at the end of last year, we had a guy that been working with us for about three, three and a half years, and and performance just kept just going down, and we were having issues. And so come 1st the year, I said, hey, man. Listen. We gotta get you on a performance plan, all this kind of stuff. And so we did that. No improvement. And so finally, it came down to me having to tell him, hey. We're gonna have to let you go, which he was, like, one of the beginning guys in the company.
And so anyway, it was a very difficult conversation to have. And, man, I gave him. I said, hey. I'm gonna give you a month. I know you got 3 kids at home, so I'm not just gonna cut you off. I'm gonna give you a month to get your affairs in order and all this kind of stuff and So the worst part was his last day for the week that was his last week, our other main guy came down with COVID, And then he had complications from COVID and was never able to come back.
Oh. And so in a month, I lost 2 of our main guys, and I only had 3 technicians at the time. Yeah. And so I lost over half my workforce in them. And then that is what created such a rocky 1st 4 months of the company because then I had to jump in a truck, and I was, like, the only guy in a truck for 3 or 4 months this year. But looking back, there were some things I would have done differently. I might have put more energy into coaching him a little bit more.
Just one of those things where at the same time, I felt like I was between a rock and a hard place because Like, there were issues. We're having customers calling in with issues tonight. We can't have that, but I also had this mentality. I had this mentality back then that oh, I can do it. Like, you know, I could do it better than you. And so whenever there was a problem, I was like, yeah. Exactly. I was like, oh, we'll just fire them. We don't need them.
And I had that outlook on it, the the entire company, like, anybody working there. So if you're not for me, I don't need you. Like, I can do that. And I really just came down to realizing after Chaz, it was a terrible 4 months fear, but I've learned out of Chaz. Now, man, I need people Like, I need you. Yeah. I do I do need you to perform. I need you to produce some things like that. Yes. But I need you.
And so I've became very clear in communicating with my people that not only do I need you, but what you do here is appreciated, and I want you. I want you here. It's good. Also, outside of that, I've made tons of decisions with finances and stuff that I shouldn't have. But when I was in the beginning stages of the business, we decided to move into a warehouse I was running it out of my house.
We decided to move it into a warehouse so we could start ordering in bulk and get lower pricing on our product and everything. We did that. Promise, when we did that, we started ordering a lot more from our suppliers, which meant bigger bills. I'm not a finance guy. And I'm better than I was 6 years ago, but back then, I put it on credit card, and I'd pay it off each month. I still don't know how it happened. I really don't, but my wife was like, I wanna come help you. You're so busy.
You're working all hours of the day and night. I wanna come help. She's a finance, like, wizard. So I'll never forget the moment. She calls me. And she said, hey. What's this $20,000 in this credit card? I'm like, What are you talking about? Well, you don't have $20,000 on a credit card. She's like, oh, I've got this statement in front of me. The credit card's maxed out. It's you've got $20,000 on this credit card. And I still don't know how it happened, but it happened.
I had $20,000 on a credit card. And back then, I was probably only doing 2 to 300000 a year. So 20,000 was It's a big deal. Yeah. And then that same week, we got a call on Wednesday from one of our main suppliers and was like, hey. We've got a shipment for you coming out but we can't deliver it because you're you you have past due invoices on your account. So they're withholding product from me, and I was like, I can't do anything without that product.
So If you wanna get paid, I need that product, but they weren't gonna ship it. Nope. And so it was literally like a we might have to we might have to close doors here. I you know, if we don't have much to do. But we wind it up actually craziest thing is my wife's idea. There was a church that came to us that wanted They wanted, like, this full view glass garage door in their kids area. And so we're like, yeah, let's we'll do that. And so we went out and gave them a bid.
And it was like, I wanna say it was, like, 4 or 5 grand back then. And my wife was like, why don't we just give it to him? And I was like, you you never get the finances down. Right? Yeah. Yeah. Bringing that bringing a biblical aspect to it. She's, yeah, there's so many times in the bible where people gave all they had. It was all they had left and they gave it and god blessed it. And I was like, oh, man, that's good. And I said, I'm like, We ain't got nothing else left. That's it.
And so I said, yeah. Let's do it. And so we did. We gave it to the church. And I'll never forget that same week we did that. We needed a specific amount to pay off a bill so we could get some supplies. I can't remember the amount but I went out and bid a job that week. And the bid was the exact amount we needed to pay that job or pay that supplier, and we got the job and got the check for it. But, anyways, that was a long story to just say is so good.
I've made some bad financial decisions, which is why I no longer handle finances. That's the We gotta identify what we're good at and give away the rest. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I love you you passed over it a little bit, even though maybe finance wasn't the best for you. And there's other pieces of the business that the listener right now is, like, I'm not very good at that, or maybe it's finance for them or whatever.
I love the faithfulness of not only just your spouse, your wife in this scenario that's let me go outside you. Let me support you. That's been a story for you from the beginning. Oh, she's the one that pushed you out. And so that's an incredible part of the story. And then just to know that the lord has been faithful to you, even in that moment, down to the penny. Oh, yeah. And I love that. I love that. Yep. Okay. I'm gonna switch the angle of questions here. We're gonna go speed round.
Oh, okay. This one's the my far the most difficult is why I put it at the I wanna know if you dwindled the entire business down into a one trackable metric. If you Chaz only track one thing forever and ever, what would it be? Company culture. Know it's not a number. How would you track that? Yeah. I know it's not a number. And most people look at numbers, but I look at it as, like, employee satisfaction and performance.
When we are hiring the right people and we finally dwindled down, like, what we're looking for in personality and all these things.
When we are hiring the right people, when we are taking care of them, when we're giving them, we're giving them new trucks, we're giving them tools, and we're giving them everything they need succeed, but also when we're making it a fun place coming to work and they know we care about them and we know they care about us I just have this belief that everything else not that it's just this magic potion where everything else is taken care of, and we don't have to worry about anything else.
I'm not saying that. But they will be they will be your biggest fans for the company. What do they call them intern they're your internal clients. Yeah. Yeah. And it's true, man. Our peep the people, we have an incredible team right now, and they're out finding people to come work. They're like, man, I got a buddy. He would be awesome here. And he's needing this. I know he'd be taken care of. And and it yeah. It just they become ambassadors.
So I know it's not a number, but that's just always been a biggie for me. Good. Derek, what book would you recommend for a 6 figure business owner? Oh, systemology. Oh, okay. What's your take away from that? Most people, get stuck at scaling. Right? They keep hitting the same wall, bouncing back and forth, and they don't know how to get past it. And I have yet to hear a story where systems weren't the answer. Right. If you can build VRite systems for your business, there, it'll scale for you.
And so systemology is a book that will literally create they won't create the systems for you. You gotta create the systems, but a big it provides a very easy framework for creating the systems. And I truly believe that if you implement them, then you're gonna be able to take a month off. Do you know that from personal experience? I do. Yeah. I do. That's incredible. Obviously, as we continue to get to know each other, I wanna hear more about but we'll list that book in the show notes for sure.
What's your next question here? What's your thoughts on intentionally networking? You've already mentioned that a little bit and or master mining with other entrepreneurs? I don't think it's even a question of should you, I think it's literally the oxygen. Because, you know, you hear it all the time as a business owner that Owning a business is a lonely journey. And it is.
It's super lonely because very few people understand, but also very few people can talk with you about it and getting into a group where there's maybe a few people that are at that next plateau you wanna get to and keep on up but they also become, like, when you're trying to make a decision and you're like, man, I don't know how to do this. Man, you you just talk to them and say, hey. This is what I'm facing, what would you guys recommend, and they're gonna have answers.
So I don't even think it's a question of should you. I think it's oxygen, honestly, and it Chaz been for me. I there's no doubt I wouldn't be where I am today, and I don't think it's any different than reading a book or reading books and listening to podcasts and also networking, like, you're talking about, like, what you do with your gathering the Kings, I think it's so essential, and it's all the same.
You're gleaning and learning from people that have been there and that are outside of your perspective. Yeah. 100%. Love that. Okay. Last question. If you lost it all, Derek, what would you do? To be 100% honest with you, I almost lost it all this last year.
So I know exactly what I do I've built it all back, but I know now, not shortcuts, but I see now a quicker road to where I got And so if I had to do it all over again, I would do similar, do what I'm similar to what I'm doing, but it would be a lot quicker and a lot healthier. Yeah. I love the last word that you use. They're healthier.
Obviously, with systems, with the way that you see people, that you're treating people, the way you're building people, I think that you all the things that you've given to us in the show really emulate that that word healthy. Now I would venture to say that you would probably agree that that came from a place of you as a business owner getting healthy, not like in your body, but, yes, I'm sure that's part of it.
Yeah. The mindset, getting around other entrepreneurs that you were talking about, obviously, being around your Wolfe, who's super encouraging, clearly. All those things that made you healthier. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. I listened to Craig Rochelle a ton and he talks about being a healthy leader and leading. Like, you can't lead your people to be healthy if you are not healthy.
You can't lead your people to a place that you have not been And so you've got to keep exposing yourself, to new things, but also you've gotta keep building yourself so that you can take your people there. Because if you think that leading and owning your business is just about you going to the top, and, honestly, in my opinion, you're doing it completely wrong. Cause for me, I think it's all about bringing everybody with you. I don't wanna get up to the mountain by myself.
I wanna be surrounded by my entire team who are making 6 figures and winning at life and they're healthy, and their marriages are healthy, and their kids are healthy. And they have the houses and jobs, and they can dream. I don't wanna dream by myself. I want everyone to be up to dream. Yep. Yeah. It's the the community aspect, but it's also the driver because it's like, hey, guys. Come on. Let's go. I think we can all relate to that as well. Derek, how can the listener connect with you?
They wanna get to know you better. Maybe they're in Missouri, and they need a garage guy. I don't know. Yeah. How can they find it? Yeah. Absolutely. So my company is on Facebook as my garage door guy, or we're all over Google. So you can type in garage door guy. And it should pop up out of Stratford, Missouri. Facebook. Find me under Derek Clients. That's derekly0ns And then on Instagram, it's the underscore garage door guy is what my Instagram is on.
And then, honestly, if If anyone out there ever wants to chat or whatever, I'll even give you my cell phone number. I don't mind, but it's 623-262-4715. I'll be glad to chat with anybody. And especially if anybody out there knows more than me, please call me because I'd love to chat with you too. So That's good. That's a good plug. I thought that's Wolfe. You've been incredible. Thanks just for being open about the up and the down.
And, I look forward to continue the relationship myself, selfishly, just because I I think there's a lot of benefit there for both of us. So, anyway, thank you for being here. First things up on your family, your business, your team. Thanks for being here. Thanks, brother. 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 that 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 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 suit of excellence in those areas, that it ignites within us the responsibility to govern power and forge a lasting legacy.
So if that relates and 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.