On today's episode of Gathering the Kings. That's how you're gonna grow the business. So I'm Exactly. I'm pampering the business more financially than my Wolfe, and that's not something that everyone Wolfe because if you're because the business is doing really Wolfe. Right? I could be paying myself a lot more. I could be you know, I I I could be spending more money on going on trips and doing this and doing that because there's things I wanna do. Right?
And I will eventually But right now, my my focus is still making the business number 1, which is keeping all of the profits in that account. And just taking the risks when it comes to making that big purchase for the business. You are listening to Gathering the Kings with Chaz Wolfe featuring fellow 7, 8, 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 reel of the reel. On what it takes to build a successful business today. We dissect the good and bad decisions they've made along the way Chaz give a true and accurate picture of the journey of success and how you too can get there. Through this dialogue, you will learn the value of growing your network and surrounding yourself with power players and keys like today's guest.
Grab your pen and notebook because we're about to dive in. What's up, gathering the king's nation? I've got, guest fellow queen today. You guys know that the king is not masculine. It's a mindset. And so Dina Parker today absolutely crushes this show. And I want you guys to hear it because just a couple of months ago, she was not a seven figure owner, didn't even think that she would ever be a business owner. Crazy story. I want you to hear it. There's so much gold here.
Her mindset is everything. Grab that pen and paper. It's coming down. Let's go. Alright, everybody. Gathering the Kings. Chaz Wolfe, I'm your host. And today, I've got miss Parker. Now, miss Parker. Welcome to the stage. I we we did this on the first call, but your first name is d e n a. Yes. And how do people get it wrong? Because the American way to spell Dina's d I n a and finding it. Dina's a German name and the correct way in Germany to spell this Dina.
So Yeah. So everyone says DIA, but it's it's deviantic. Yeah. I love I love names are so important. And I like saying them correctly, but, obviously, you know, it to your point, and we learned this in our first call Chaz, it's super easy to say your name, Dana, as you said, as opposed to, you know, so Yeah. You don't have to go by miss Parker. We'll call you Dean to the rest. I just wanted to do that as a quick yellow intro here. But, Dean, what kind of what kind of, business do you have?
So, for everyone mile high, it's an artificial grass company. So we're a premium artificial grass company. That's all we do. Anything with artificial grass, maintenance, repairs. Sales, the installation, the whole shebang, artificial grass, anything to do with it. Very cool. Yeah. I love I love it's like tis the season. You know? Well, I guess artificial grass really has all all season, but, at least the season that people are thinking about grass. Exactly.
We've been me this year in Colorado just because the sun's been out a lot. We haven't gotten a ton of snow, which is surprising. So, the skiers hate it, but I've been actually really happy because we can install more than typical throughout the the winter. So that's been good. Exactly. Yeah. That's great. I I I can see why the skiers may not may not share that vision with you. Right. But okay. So you've got a really fun story. And I wait to get into it, but you're you're a a new owner.
It's not a new business. You you bought an existing business, above the 7 figure mark, And so that's why you're here. And I'm so curious about your story. I wanna dive into it because you you're a totally different road than a lot of my other guests, more so similar to my story, actually, but At this stage in the game, even though you're new, quote, unquote, to the business, What I'm curious about is at this stage in the game doing this much revenue, why why do you continue to push?
Like, why do you want more from this business. Because it's not like you bought the business to to go flat. Like, you want it to grow. Right. Yeah. And, I mean, in my opinion, everything in life, not even just a business. It should you should always have the mindset of continuing to grow in some way. So you know, I took the business over and we're, you know, we're doing the numbers that we're doing. I still wanna have 2 to 3 installation crews, which means another 2, trucks and trailers.
So it's like goals like that I have now. My the goals when it comes to, like, actually building those relationships, sales, that's kind of just there at this point. Now I'm just trying to figure out where I how can I get to that next level? And it doesn't have to be tomorrow or next month, but the decisions I'm making today now with where we're at is is this gonna affect us a year from now? Is this gonna grow us? Are we gonna stay the same with this decision?
So I'm not, like, in a rush to, you know, be making 1,000,000,000 of dollars, but it's more of just like, I want to continue to grow even if it's a slow growth. I mean, you just should always be growing. Personally, work related. I just feel like that should be something that's always important to do. Yeah. 100%. I'm in I'm in full alignment on that. And so with you, I mean, I know a little bit of the story from our off off air talk, but here's what I would say.
From a angle of where business started for you is so different, and you didn't even think potential that you would be a business owner. So tell us tell us how did you get into the lot where you're now the business owner. Oh my gosh. If you would have asked me a year ago, I I would never guess I'm gonna be business owner, even just a year ago from today, wasn't on my mind. I've always been a salary salesperson, and I'm always been great at what I do, and I love working for other people.
I've always just been a go getter. I'm a peep people pleaser. So when I make my boss happy, it's a good thing for me. So I've always just been a hard worker and, the businesses I've worked for, I've always just treated them as my own. With that mindset, it's just high. It was raised. The work mentality I have. So Yeah. You know, I know for ever long corporate, because it was founded in a small town in Ohio. I actually graduated high school with the CEO's son.
When that was back when Forever was actually a smaller company. There maybe were only 2 franchises nationwide, but I knew the company. I moved out here 7 years ago for an AT and T job. Account manager traveled the whole state. Great job. And I went back 1 year for Christmas, and I the CEO, Brian Kearney, with Foreverline. He's one of them. They're 2 brothers, but I saw him at a little Mexican restaurant small town, and he knew I was in Denver, knew I've always been in sales, and he said, hey.
There's actually someone open up a a franchise for everyone mile high. In Colorado. Like, you should you've always been in sales. Can I give him your number? And I said, yeah. Sure. Like, I love my AT and T job, though. I don't know how passionate I can get behind grass because I'm a passionate person. You could probably tell by how I'm talking. So, I was like, yeah, I can get my number. I'm don't mind working a second job.
Maybe if it's something I can do from home, just calling leads, more than happy to help. So Yeah. About 6 months later, Trey actually out. He's the previous owner for everyone mile high. And, I told him the same thing. I said, hey. I love my job, but if it's something I can do from home, I'm more than happy to to help you out with calling lead sales. You know? Yeah. I I'm always Get in where you fit in. Right.
I'm always been someone to, and you might hear with other questions down the road, find this out, Bonnie, but I was I did not come for money. So I've always worked 2 jobs, even, you know, when I was younger, big lots and they clean houses. So I've always just worked worked worked. So I started helping them on the side. And the more I did it, the more I loved it and found that I was becoming passionate about artificial grass.
I mean, who knew there could be 29 different types and 3 different types of 3 different types of backings and Yeah. Different types of installations, colors. So I just what part of it did you fall in love with? Like, I I I mean, the the variation, the designer, like It's not everything. I mean, the whole process of it as in, like, the relation, because I've always been why I'm good at sales is because I'm good at re building relationships.
So Sure. Yeah. The building relationships with, on the commercial side of things with architects, and contractors I became very good at. And then just seeing how many different I like finding solutions for things. So we weren't just throwing one product at every artificial grass customer. Alright. This is our one product. This is what you get. This is how it works. It was more so tell me what you need. Why are you looking for artificial grass? And then, okay, this is the product you needed. Why?
So I could actually come up with solutions for customers and with kids, like, we like I said, with new colored playgrounds. I mean, that's freaking cool. Like, I wanted a colored playground with mounds when I was a kid and hopscotch built into it. Wolfe. So, yeah, and then I just, I mean, as doing it, learning the opportunity for it when it comes to just growth and the knowledge that's not out there with artificial grass.
So one that's more opportunity because just by getting the knowledge out there and, the money that's in it. I mean Yeah. You know, I mean, it's it's when I first started, I was honestly a little surprised on how much money people would spend on artificial Now I'm not.
I'll make a bid that's, you know, $80,000, and I don't even blink because it's just, you know, that it was a a shock at first 6 years ago when I started working for Trey on the side, but now I'm just like, if, you know, so I just it became there's so many different reasons. In the process of it, though, the scene that before and after photos, like, my favorite photos to post on LinkedIn you might have seen are before and after photos.
The transition from, you know, dirt yard to a beautiful green grass yard. Fixes my OCD a little bit. So That's right. But, yeah, and then I also just kinda fell away from the big cork corporate world. You know, I was with Verizon at one point, AT and T Dish Network. Great companies, and I liked my jobs, but you're a fly on the wall. Right? You might have a you don't you know, you just don't have a lot of say with things.
And Yep. When I started to get to know, like, the franchise world a little bit, it it's more of a family and you make it your own, and they actually hear you. It's it caught my attention. It's a little scary, though, because Right. It's a franchise. You could something could go wrong tomorrow and it's gone. Or Right. You know, so I guess the reason why I held onto my corporate job Chaz long as I did Instead of going to full time with Trey back in then was it was a big company.
I knew it wasn't going anywhere. Right. Full stability. That was And that was my mindset for the longest time was because Trey actually tried to give me the couple of time for him for a couple of years. And I was like, no. No. Like, I kind of like what we set up, like, working on a side. And, but then, you know, bosses change with the other job and you don't really like who you work for and, you know, so and as I get older, you know, what's important to you changes is changes too.
So I told Trey that, you know, about a year and a half ago, I said, you know, I think I'm ready to pull the trigger. If you still want me full time, at least. He's like, oh my gosh. Like, yes. Yesterday. Like, start today. Okay. So, It happened really quick then after that. I started working for Trey full time, and things were going great. Things were going phenomenal. And then Trey kind of sat me down one day. We got lunch, which was typical because I, didn't see him a ton. I lived in Denver.
He's in Colorado Springs. There's only an hour away, but so when I go to Colorado Springs, he's pretty late at lunch, and he just said, you know, hey. Well, listen, I are we're we're pregnant with the our 5th kid. And I was just like, not really surprised by that because I mean, you know, I was talking about kids, but I was just like, okay. Like, wow. Like, 5th kid, you're you guys are gonna be busy. And he said, yeah. He goes, A list is kind of thinking about moving back to Western Kansas.
That's where they're both from to have help with the family. And I was like, okay. I said, well, I mean, I feel like I can handle everything. Said move back to Western Kansas, like, as long as corporate's okay with me running things in in Colorado for you, you know, move back to Western Kansas, you don't do much now anyways besides payroll besides besides, like, as in payroll and taxes. Like, I didn't mean that in a way.
Like Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, he was the foundation, but, like, physically, we just didn't need him here. Look, you you gave, like, the ultimate team member answer. And in fact, I've had so many conversations with entrepreneurs who, like, when they receive that response, of, like, excuse me, Kenny. If you could just get out of the way we got this, it's such it's it is no fault of, like, you're not doing anything. No. No. No. We understand.
It's like, no. We've finally empowered somebody to, like, run. And so, anyway, it it was a compliment to you and to him. But so so you tell him you can run it, and then what he says, what? He, you know, he just said, you know, that's kinda what I was thinking. I just need to get approval from corporate and all of that fun stuff. So he went to court. And I knew, like, I graduated with their their boys. I was like, their corporate's gonna be cool with it. You know, he knew it too.
We just you know, we wanted to do it the right way. So, of course, corporate said, yeah, that's fine. So Trey and his wife moved back to Western Kansas. I'm still running things and you know, trades a lot like me as we're very hands on. So, you know, this morning, actually, I told you I was rushing here to to meet with you on time because I wanted to stop by an install. I didn't have to. I just am very hands on.
If I have the extra time, I like to stop in on jobs and see things, get photos for, you know, social media. So Trey was the same way. He moved back, and he found himself coming back more often Chaz he wanted to. So he's actually spending more time away from his family. Yeah. Because it's only a 3 hour drive, but he would stay in hotels out here, stay with a friend, and so I kinda he made had he may started making some comments about, you know, hey.
Have you ever thought about taking over for ever long mile high one day. And I said, yeah, maybe one day, but, like Yeah. No. Like, how are the things are going? Like, yeah, things are great. I just started working for you full time. Right. And, you know, he just started making comments, like, you know, if I do you Wolfe you stay working for Forever or My Ohio if I ever sold anyone else? And, you know, and so I kind of had feeling, you know, it was pretty those were pretty obvious questions.
So I had a kind of feeling soon he was gonna tell me he wanted to to step away, which Forever on Mile High was Trae's baby. He did start it from ground up. So in my head too, I'm like, there's no way he just wants to walk away. Like, there's just no way. So one day. This was probably 3 months later. I would say, actually, this was around September time last year. I went to the warehouse in Colorado Springs.
Trey was sitting there, and I actually started crying before he because I Tracy came a friend, him and his Wolfe, they did shoot very very good friends of mine. I respect I respect trade so much over the years. And, he I could just tell. He was about to ask something. I started crying. I said, just say it.
He he was like, well, and he was just like, like, me and Alyssa have been praying a lot about, what we're gonna do the next chapter of our lives with this 5th pit It's kid coming, us being back in Western Kansas. He said an opportunity arose for me to purchase a different business in Western Kansas, and I have to, like, go with Breville on my Ohio. And I tried to, like, guilt him in a little bit for staying and just say, this is, like, your baby, like, are you sure?
Like, what if you absolutely have to do nothing? Like, you never come, and he was just like, you know, that I Wolfe. Though. Yeah. I was and I was like, you know, when I understand, and he said and I said, well, you know, the first thing I started just I started crying even more, and I was just like, well, how am I gonna get approved for a loan? How am I gonna do this? How am I gonna do that? And Yeah. I just, you know, and I was thinking out loud.
I was just like, maybe there's someone at corporate that would invest until I can purchase it or, you know, I was just thinking of all these things outlined. He goes in, you know, He got a big smile on his face. He's like, that's the thing. He's like, if it's you, I'm willing to work with you and figure out payments, figure out you know, you don't have to pay me up front. If it's someone else, yeah, it'd be a little different. He's like, but you already treat the business like your own.
And if anyone's gonna grow it, It's you. Yeah. I have a couple because there was other landscape companies that we work with that probably purchased it, but it'd probably go in the back corner burner or it'd be just something, you know, Right. That's on the side for them that they can offer. Yeah. But he and he goes, I don't want you to feel obligated. You know, if it goes to someone else, we'll definitely make sure Chaz they're willing to keep you on a salary and take care of things.
And I was like, you know what? In my head, in my gut, I was just like, if I don't try. Yeah. I mean, I was scared. I was in that moment, if I was freaking out, I'm scared. Like, I've always had a salary job. Never long Chaz one. So This is the furthest thing from that. You're gonna write your own check. Exactly. And but I just said if I don't try, I will immediate I will regret it. I I have to try. So I told him, I said, listen. I I know it's gonna be hard.
And I'm so scared right now with these words coming out of my mouth, but I'm gonna do it. And So I started from that moment on, I started cracking for January 1 because January 1 was when it was gonna be official. So I had already started changing my mindset even more so to be, like, the actual business owner, and that's when everything just changed. Yeah. I wanna dive into that. But before I do, I wanna give a quick recap of your story. So first off, wow.
What what a roller coaster of going literally from, like, loyal corporate employee all the way to, having a chance to step into a business ownership role.
And so what I want the listener to hear here, at this moment is Chaz actually twofold from from trace perspective, which is if you don't plan an exit, And the accident doesn't have to be a sale, although if you're building your business in a way where you know that you can sell it at any time if you were to want to, whether it be to someone else or to someone on your team, that that's how you should be building your business, keeping clean books,
making sure that you're raising up a team, making sure that you're not always involved. Like, all these things that you kinda said that he was doing, even though he was coming back, it's because he probably cared more than anything. Right. But he built a system around himself to where he could literally physically remove himself, and then someone else could come in. And then therefore, He now has this opportunity where he can move himself on and and and have a great candidate like yourself.
So I think that that's number 1, even though the is building a 6 figure business right now and they wanna get to the 7 figure mark, you still build your business in a way where you can sell it at any point in time, even if you genuinely think you're gonna do it for the next 40 years.
And then the second thing is from your perspective of, like, the team member, it's like, man, you just never really know who you're gonna find on your team, especially those salespeople, those crazy salespeople, because, obviously, I come from a sales background. They're they're little entrepreneurs.
And and depending on who they are or how they're incentivized, their ownership or their autonomy in your business as the listener right now, as you're listening to my voice, you can maximize opportunities like, you know, this happened for for Dina. So, anyway, pick up where you left off there. How you said your your mindset shifted, obviously, from salesperson or employee to owner, but what what what did that look like for you? Immediately, my mind went around the financial side of things.
I told you, you know, I I I don't come from money. That's why I've always worked multiple jobs. A little personal side of me real quick. When the pandemic started, I actually started experiencing horrendous I was actually on a road trip to the Grand Canyon, and I started getting really, really sick. Thought it was COVID, and it wasn't, I was actually sick for a year and a half. It took the doctors 10 months to figure out what's wrong with me.
It was actually my gallbladder to, you know, praise It was Chaz. And, you know, so I even though I had health insurance, you know, medical bills, just trying to figure out what's wrong with me, then I had the gall surgery. I mean, it just added up in this. Yeah. So when this happened, financially, I said, you know, I need to start setting small goals until January 1 at least to to have a different to be in a different place where I'm at right now financially.
So I my mindset was my goal before January 1 is to get my medical bills paid off, which was not a small bill. But I said at least Chaz long as I can get that paid off before January 1 Chaz my starting as the business owner, you know, that's at least one expense I won't have to worry about anymore. So, you know, I started door dashing on the side, immediately, and that's not something I'm proud of. It was it it's was not fun.
I hated every second of it, but I was so motivated to make this work Yeah. To not to be successful. So, yeah, if I have to sacrifice my gym time right now, or if I have to sacrifice, my yoga classes right now, so I can be working a second job on the weekends and in the evenings. I'm gonna do that just so I can pay these medical bills off. And so that's what I did immediately that next day, and I and and training new.
Like, Trey also knew personally where I was with that, which is also why he was willing to work with me when it came to. I wasn't planning on owning a business and had, like, savings to just purchase business. And he also then knew the medical, you know, he knew my medical stuff had been going on, and I was paying towards that. So I told him. I said, this is my plan, and he loved it. He's like, that's a he's like, that's awesome. And so, I started grinding away at that.
I would work my, my job to try Monday through Friday. Sometimes even a little bit on Saturdays. And then, when I wasn't working for Trae and for everyone mile high, I was door dashing. And, I was just hustling in. I was able to pay bills off before Yeah. For January 1. And, but that's where my mind initially shifted was when I told him I would do it, I'm like, okay. I need to pay off my medical bills. Okay. I need to figure out, what I can cut back on personally right now.
This so it eventually, it also, in my mind, when it came to financial things was sacrifices. Right? As a business owner, this is now Trae's literally giving me this baby. So I now have to make sex. When we have kids, you know, you have to make sacrifices. That's right. So I was like, okay. What's what sacrifices can I make? I mean, this might sound silly, but I've been one, like, always get my nails done every 2 weeks since I was very young. So Yeah. First thing in my head was like, wow.
I can cut off, you know, $40 80 bucks a month just by not getting my nails done until, you know, I can. And then I'm getting my nails done. And I can do it. But, like, at first, like, that was one of the things that in my head, I'm like, this is a sacrifice. So Chaz was kind of what my mindset transitioned to. Yeah. So I've got I've got, I've got a lot of thoughts But first off, congratulations. I mean, that's set setting a target like that and just going after it.
But why do you think and and I'm gonna circle this around too then, helping the the the the listener right now in their in their current state, but there was something about the next step for you, like taking over the business.
That was some sort of a level of either pressure or the fact that you you wanted to be ready or not have the debt to make sure that there was cash flow to, like, even personally to be able to live depending upon what the deal was with trade and how much you needed to pay him, but there was something about the pressure of what you were about to step into that made you in that moment months months before ago, I'm willing to sacrifice. So what you just said.
So Yeah. Tell us why because really what that is for the listener is maybe what they need to do in the current moment. It's it's they need to pressurize themselves in a way toward a target, towards something that they want because that's what gets us into In an essence, it's the reason why you started paying off the debt beef and and because you could have done it before. Clearly, you could stop doing your nails. You could door down.
Yeah. You've been more responsible with your your money coming in. I mean, you were in sales, so you're making good money. But the directive is Chaz you chosen that moment to finally actually do it. Why? You know, I asked myself that question I'm I'm a roommate and, you know, I when I started door dashing and I started paying off my medical bills, I even asked him, like, I don't know why I didn't do this sooner. And, I mean, I would be a lot less stressful right now if I would have.
And I think it's because, you know, especially in that salary position and, you know, just making my monthly payments, I was one comfortable. Yep. And, 2, I didn't have and I didn't have anyone else depending on me. Besides myself and my pug if you wanna count him. I didn't I didn't, you know, I now I have an installation crew, right, where if I'm not keeping the company afloat and making us work, what are they gonna do? Right? So and then also I don't have anything else to fall back on. Right?
I mean, yes. I have a lot of amazing relationships with previous jobs and companies and I'm sure I could find something, but not something that's gonna be mine. Right? So I don't just have something else to fall back on. Like, this is it. And this has gotta work. Like, my mindset, when it changed, it was just like, I don't have the option to fail. So I have to do everything I can right now to make this work. Yeah. I love I love certain people.
I'm sure you've gotten this in your story along the way, and because I know I have because I didn't come from anything either. Is that, you know, you got lucky. Right? You got you got lucky. You met the right person. Mhmm. And and maybe there's a there's a portion of that that true, you did get lucky that maybe you met Trae or that you knew the owner sons of that franchise and he connected you or but it could also be you probably did some work in the sales process.
You probably learned some things, through your jobs that allowed you to excel. You talked about having a work ethic that was unmatched. And so it was all those things, all those nights that you were studying or or the days that you were traveling around Colorado for your AT and T job that you know, you were putting in the work, quote, unquote, but Oh, yeah.
Prepared you for the moment to work in sales at Trae's office, which then you built a relationship with him, where he trusted you, where he was, you know, having to do more than just sales, which then led you to the opportunity that you're in right now, which obviously are super grateful for. That that's what you're that's what you're saying is a Oh, absolutely. This is your chance. Like, you got me.
Absolutely. And if I would have never if I I 100% would not be where I'm at today if I did not have the work ethic I did, or have because even with my previous jobs. I mean, Trey would have never kept me. I had seen Trey when I helped him on the side hire put people on full time on top of me. And they never they never stayed. Or, like, I was part time, and I would, like, follow-up on things that his full time people weren't doing.
And I would just, you know, I I'm not one of those people that calls people out, and Trey could just tell by what I was doing. How is this person that's working 4 hours a week, selling more than the person I have working 40 hours a week. Yep. So Here's your sign. Right. And so and I've had there's another dealer, a Forever line dealer, when I was working for Trey, she was just like, I wish I could just clone you. And I said, it it is sad.
I mean, even with my AT and T job, part of my job was to hire people. And a lot of people, my age, I mean, it is so hard to find people that are actually willing to work for a paycheck and actually work hard, like, as in, you know, they care about this business. So Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. It's That's really what it comes down to is integrity. Yep. Yeah. It's just a lower, lower standard of excellence. I think that excellence is is what's been lost. But but not with you.
And and then it was that excellence inside of you along your entire history that gave you then quote unquote the luck or the opportunity And so what would you what would you say right now for the 6 figure owner who's trying to get to that $1,000,000 mark?
They've been grinding, but Mhmm. But they've probably been making bad choices like you, you know, if we're gonna put you in that category of making bad choices financially, because you know now that you could have done it sooner, And the only real reason that you hadn't was because you said you were comfortable, and that's really where a six figure owner is potentially is that he's been comfortable or she's been comfortable But that's why she's or listening right now is that
they don't wanna be comfortable anymore. So what do they need to do? What did you do in that moment mentally and then even physically to Okay. Let me go to the next level. I need to stop my excuses and start doing it. Whatever. What is that? You have to take the risks and taking those risks, it's it's very scary, and it's an uncomfortable feeling.
For example, financially, I mean, right now, even with the business, I am still being very frugal to where I'm still making sacrifices for myself Chaz in I only put into my personal account what I need to pay bills. The rest stays in the business account. Why? Because I wanna get stock on some of the materials instead of ordering ordering them per sale. Right? Like, I that's how you're gonna grow the business. So I'm Exactly.
I'm pampering the business more financially than myself And that's not something that everyone would because if you're because the business is doing really Wolfe. Right? I could be paying myself a lot more. I could be, you know, I I I could be spending more money on going on trips and doing this and doing that because there's things I wanna do. Right? And I will eventually. But right now, my my focus is still making the business number 1, which is keeping all of the profits in that account.
And just taking the risk when it comes to making that big purchase for the business. Okay. So, like, when it comes to, you know, buying a truck and trailer is something that I'm looking. It's my next big big expense. Typically, that's something someone would just continue to push off. Like, oh, we'll do that next summer. Like, no need to just not do this personally right now so I can do this financially with the business.
Yeah. You you've basically not only just taught yourself because you probably knew it from before, but you've reinforced the discipline, in your finance towards growth. And and before you have a business, you you do things like personal development or books or seminars or, you know, things that you do with maybe a marriage treat or something like that. Like, that's that's that's how you invest, quote, unquote, into yourself so that you can make good choices.
But even more so now, like what you're saying in in your business is that you've gotta pick things that are gonna grow the business. Inventory, a truck to carry the inventory, more sales guys, you know, training for you, training for your business or your team, like, all of those things are gonna help you grow. And I I just I I'm I'm saying, I'm reiterating what you just said simply because I want the listener.
So, like, I really I wanted to hit it home because it's it's exactly how they need to operate. And if they're not operating in that, it's literally probably one of the top three reasons why they're not getting to that next level. And so here you are at that level, and you're still making those choices, which is probably right because you don't wanna read your press clippings too quickly. And, Right. And I was the same way.
Like, the moment that I wanted to start reading my press clipping, sleeping in a little bit, kinda taking it easy. I knew. I knew. I'm like, nope. Let's figure out. Let's flip the switch. I gotta I gotta get gotta get aggressive again. You know? Yeah. And, like, to give you an example, so I before I found out that I was taking over the business, me and, me and one of my friends were gonna go on a road trip to Zion, and it was planned, kind of around, like, right before winter.
Like, October, I think we were gonna go September, October. Yeah. It was, like, the month after I found out. And I told my friend, I was like, hey. I'm DoorDash ing right now, and I'm just trying to make extra money. Like, know our trip's not gonna be super expensive, but I'm gonna have to postpone. Like, I this is just the most important thing right now. Let's plan it for another time. So now I'm I actually, you know, we didn't reschedule it.
We just kinda canceled it for the moment, but, I'm turning 30 next month, and I'm taking a road trip to Zion. And so And how much more sweet is Chaz that trip gonna be now? You know? Oh, it's gonna be so much. So I would've been so stressed if I financially, not that I won't be, you know, I'm always building a business owner.
You're always gonna have stressors, but, you know, I would have been so stressed going before I became the owner because, you know, I was trying to pay off those medical bills. In my head, I'm like, spending money, all this money on gas, this could be paying off part of this medical biller.
You know, so now that that's just kind of like, I'm past that and I'm where to where I can start enjoying small you know, weekend getaways to the mountains in Colorado, right, where before I was just stepping away from that because I'm a very outdoorsy person. Like, I can sacrifice you know, 5 months, not Yeah. You know, traveling to a mountain town and saving that money on on gas and Airbnb if we're not camping or whatever.
But now I'm gonna start, you know, I'm telling myself, you know, I can start enjoying these things slowly. Now that I took time off of it, I made that sacrifice for while I needed to. Yeah. 100%. Such such valuable, tools in and out of the business. The listener, should be taking notes if they haven't been. So I wanna I wanna switch over to our speed round, and I'm gonna ask you some questions that are gonna be, you know, kinda quick fire questions.
And and I think some of what we were just talking about plays into a few of these questions. So it's gonna be interesting to, get your opinion on these. But if if you could only pick one metric, in all of the business to track forever and ever, what would it be? Volume. Volume sales. Sales. Mhmm. Well, you know, just because if I know what I'm doing volume wise, I know what I'm doing sales wise, money wise, what's coming in profitably, like, Yeah.
If I can track a volume, I can pretty much mentally keep track of everything else as long as I can keep track of volume. That's right. That's right. I'm the same way. My answer is sales. 100% of the time, sales is the lifeblood. If I know what the sales are, the rest of it goes in my brain. I know they know the I know the bottom line. Exactly. That's awesome. Okay. And so, what book would you recommend for a six figure owner?
It it this is gonna be an interesting question because, obviously, you you went from employee straight to some bigger owner, but there was still mindset growth that you went through, so I'm so curious of this answer. What what book would you recommend? I really like the book, shut up and listen. That's it. It's at actually something that Trey recommended me to to read. And this is actually something he had me read before.
I even knew I was gonna take over business, but it's it really is for business owners. So it's called shut up and listen. Nice. Because I think a lot of people it just really teach you. I'm very quick speaking. Actually, I used to be very quick to speaking. I have learned to think through things before I speak because I'm a very passionate person. So if something didn't go my way, I would get flustered and I would get heated a little bit.
And I would say something that I would probably wouldn't have said 10 minutes later if I would have just given it a second. And I'm yeah. I am a talker, and I I, as you can tell, I am a talker. So, learning to listen, not that I wasn't good at it, but doing it more to people who are working for me. Right? So let's do that would be what I say. That's awesome. I I love how you put that in perspective of of leading your team because you're right. I mean, of course, you need to listen to clients.
You know, you can't find out their needs in the sales process if you're not listening, but you know that from that angle. But right now, you're not just selling. Right? You're you're leading a team in multiple teams. You got multiple different staff. They're on they're doing different things. And so, yeah, you you have to be able to listen to them.
One of the things I'll give this to the listener maybe for you too, but When I was running sales teams many years ago, I had the same problem where I would I would at least I knew to tell my new person, hey. I might look you know, like, really focused or intense, but I I want you to come ask questions. So at least they would. Right? But while they were asking me questions, I I was still, like, eyes on the screen just is doing my thing, which is which is terrible.
And and once I realized that, I literally had to turn my chair and sit on my hands and make eye contact with them and say, what, you know, what can I help you with? What is your question? Because I'm telling you what? Like, that that one little piece of being able to hear them is different than listening. Absolutely. Absolutely. You know, because I am I'm always on my I sometimes I have free screens in front of me.
My phone, my iPad, my laptop, and my roommate will be talking to me, and I'm doing all these things, and she's like, you're not even hearing me. Like, I promise I am, but you're right. I'm not. I need to stop what I'm doing and, like, listen and focus on what you're saying. So Yeah. Yeah. No. It's it's so true. In fact, I'll give this one to listeners Chaz well, but I even have this language with my wife, and my kids are starting to pick up on it too, because I'll be doing something.
As you know, as a business owner, I'm sure every listener it it goes through this to a degree. I got my phone, and I might I might be working one second. And then the next, like, I'm I'm with the family. Like, hey. We're hanging out in the middle of the day, or maybe it's the evening, whatever time, but I might be working and then not working like that. And and they know that. It's cool. You know, multiple businesses, multiple industries is fine.
But, yep, they now know that if if I'm down here looking on the phone, you can't just talk. Just because I'm in the room doesn't mean I'm listening. And so I I my wife and I have gotten on the same page in in our communication, but my kids are starting to pick up on it. Daddy, do I have your attention? Because that's what I've asked my wife to say. Like, If you're talking to me Yeah. Just say, do I have your attention? And I will say, because I'll hear that. I'll go, no. You don't.
Give me one second. Or, yes, I'm not doing anything of value. Let me put this down and let me listen to you. But my kids are starting to pick up on that too now. Like, daddy, do I have your attention? It's just good communication. Yeah. No. That makes yeah. And one of the things so when I took over, the project manager who stayed thankfully, Connor, who is awesome. I mean, I view him as a business partner.
I told him one of the things I said to him is, hey, if because he's kind of a quiet he's definitely not like me. He's very quiet. He Chaz a hard worker. He keeps to himself. And I, you know, and I've worked with him for a Wolfe, so I knew who how he was. And I said, hey. If something bothers you or say you have an employee you're having issues with, come talk to me. Don't let hold it in your frustrations because you would get flustered and hold it in, you know, in the past.
I said, talking about things. Like, if you're having issues with something or you want something to look a different way, you know, the installation process better than me. That's what you do. And if there's something we can change or do better with, or if you're just frustrated about something, come talk to me. Like, I'm not gonna bite your head off. I want a studio communicate. Yeah. Yeah. So so good. So good.
Okay. Do you intentionally network or mastermind with other entrepreneurs now that you've stepped into the ownership role. Yes. And I actually kind of was prep for this before I became an owner, because back in the day, Trey was in a magazine and the magazine, it's like neighborhood magazine. And the magazine would actually have all of the owners, the small business owners that publish in it, they would have, like, you know, monthly lunches where we kinda conversus owners and all that.
And I did that years ago. And then on LinkedIn, as you found me, the person that I new years ago from that. He said, oh my gosh. You're the owner and I, like, he started asking me questions. He's like, I know you're not in our magazine anymore, but would you He was like, I would love for you to still come to our our monthly meetings and Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And and just be involved. So I do that.
They're The guy that I work with with marketing, he also has a group that of business owners that get together once every 2 months. So I do that as long as I my schedule allows me to. It's it's all about relationships and anything in this life. So just even on LinkedIn, there's a lot of people I Chaz with that are just local business owners. They're not in my industry, but they're a local business owner.
I love even before I was owner, I love like, supporting local restaurants instead of going to a chain. So Sure. You know, now I value that even more being in the position I'm in, but, yeah, so I do occasionally go to groups where there's other small, you know, small business owners. And a lot of them are just again, not in the field I'm in, but you never know who they're gonna know. A lot of them have even said, hey. I wanna quote personally or, hey.
My my friend has a million dogs, and she hates her lawn. You know, it is Yep. You never know. So, yes, I do.
Yeah. And and more so, I think from an entrepreneurship perspective, because everything you just described Chaz spot on, but it's from a sales perspective, you Chaz a salesperson, and that's how you've been trained for so many years, is who do I know that can lead to a deal And and as a business owner, you're thinking the same thing, of course, but it's also who do I know that opens doors to a different opportunity or a different
relationship, or maybe it's a connection of someone that can teach me something, or it's it's who you who you don't know. Like, you don't know who you don't know or you don't know what you don't know. Absolutely. I'm meeting new people is how you do that. And so, I think it's incredible. Okay. Last question. If you lost it all, there was no more artificial grass. What would you do? What we just talked about, I would turn to my relationships.
I would not, you know, I wouldn't just go into a dark because when when people lose things, it's it's sad. Heart. It's easy to go into a dark hole. Yeah. You know, I would immediately, even if that means I'm just door dashing until I figure something out, I'm gonna keep going I may be upset, you know, and but I I would keep going in some way. I would never stop working even if that means I'm revert you know, going back to DoorDash just so I, you know, pay small bills until I figure it out.
But I Wolfe really turn to my relationships is what it would come down to. Because My relationships have gotten me to where literally I am today is all because of relationships that I have built throughout my career. So if something would come up and I would lose everything, I would it would come down to my relationships and the people that I've met through the years. Yeah. I love that.
I think the the successful entrepreneur understands how to leverage time, how to leverage resource, and how to leverage key relationships. And so, you played right into that one. I love it. And and so true too. So It has been an absolute pleasure here with you today, miss Dina Parker, but and and so if someone wanted to connect with you, because they wanna hear more of your story or they wanna connect with you in a in a in a in a in a in a one on one scenario, well, how would they find you?
Yeah. Almost every social media platform. I'm LinkedIn. I'm big on. Professionally. I Dina Parker, d e n a p a r k e r. LinkedIn, but we also have, Instagram, Facebook, Forever lawn, mile high, forever lawn is one word. But for everyone mile high, You can type that in on Facebook, instagram. You're gonna find the flows platforms, and everything comes to me message wise. But that's that's how you guys could look me or the business app. That's awesome.
You have been, incredible congratulations on taking over the business this year and already planning for so much growth. I just I love the story, and, you got a lot ahead of you. It's really exciting. Speaking of relationships, I I know that eventually, this relationship will turn into something as well because it always does. You know somebody that needs to be on this show, or I know somebody in Denver that needs artificial grass or something that we don't even understand. Yeah. You never know.
So Right. Still thankful to meet you, and, thank you for being on the show. Yeah. I appreciate you inviting me, and, thank you for your time. And I'm sure we will stay connected on LinkedIn and just another relationship to have. So I appreciate it. Thank you. Thanks for listening to Gathering the Kings. We hope you guys ton of value today and learn a thing or 2 about taking your business to 7 figures and beyond.
If you desire more and want a community around you to help you get there, I want you to go to gathering the king's dot com. That's gathering the king's dot com, and I want you to apply for our next becoming a king 90 day intensive We are extremely exclusive by nature as a group. What that means that we're really wanting only the entrepreneurs who take their business and targets super serious to apply.
So if that's you think you got what it takes to level up your business, I want you to go to gathering the king's dot com and apply, and we will see you on the other side.