On today's episode of Gathering the Kings. If you have a good product and a good service, comes to your ethical duty to share that with more folks and not keep it to yourself and grow. And if you grow, you're able to help more people. Yeah. And it's not sales, but it is in terms of just that outlook of being able to expand and grow in help more people. 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 Chaz giving true and accurate picture of the journey work and surrounding yourself with power players and keys like today's guest. Grab your pen and notebook because we're about to dive in.
I'm Chaz Wolfe. I'm your host, gathering the Kings. Dave Supple on the stage, y'all. How are we doing, brother? How you doing? I'm doing great, Chaz. Thank you for having me on here. I'm excited. Dude, we were just talking off stage a little bit about a little bit of your story, and we're gonna get into it. But you've got this merging of industries that so many people know about, and you've got this unique perspective.
So first off, just tell us what industry that you're in, what kind of business that you're running or business and let's start there. So I have a business in Boston called New England Design And Construction, and we act as both the architect and the builder. Typically known as separate professions. We have integrated. It's known as design build, which is getting to be known. It's big getting bigger and bigger.
We're gonna do a little under 10 mil this year just to give some insight in in revenue. We've grown every year, but to COVID year. I've got a ton of questions for you, but let me start with my introductory question. I ask every guest, which is at this stage, you mentioned it 10 mil. You're no newbie. For all intents and purposes, you've done extraordinary things in business, and some of the listeners might be thinking you've made it. And you have. You've done some really cool things.
But why at this point? Do you continue? Why are you still pushing? It's all relative. Who do you hold up? Maybe within my industry, I am probably in one of the top percentages. It's a very segregated industry. It's composed of guys in their pickup trucks, but there's a lot of that to have any sort of organization and growth trajectory over time is different. Really, I'm looking to change my industry. That's really what I'm looking to do It's cool.
In doing so, I wanna set a really incredible example. And that's really what drives me in in my future. It's not to have the biggest architecture construction firm. Although you don't stay safe either going up or going down. So Yeah. I think they if influence is or industry change or update or growth, you can't be the littlest guy in the room trying to change the whole thing. Unfortunately, that's just the way that the hierarchy of life works. Nobody's gonna listen to you.
And so you've gotta have a certain level of success. So I appreciate that. It's really cool too as we've had lots of guests. Some are legacy driven. Some are a family driven. Some are industry change driven. We get a a handful of different, like, deep motivators and such. Really cool to hear that you say that it's the industry for you. So let's go back a little bit into your story. Where did business start for you? Like, how did you become an entrepreneur?
Yeah. So I grew up in relative middle class neighborhood, a family. You go to college. I always come by folks had the 1st college grads in their family. So Yeah. It was never any other option. I played sports in college. I was really the hell I did in college. Sure. And I got a degree in, architecture because I like that area Yep. And so I graduated. I got a degree. I started working as an architect in a very short amount of time. I realized I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. I relate it.
It's like going to school to be a chef. This is how an architect is trained today. It's like going to school to be a chef. But you've never cook anything and you've never cooked anything in your life, but you're not your job is to tell folks what to cook and how to cook it how to mix the ingredients, but you've never mixed them. It's it's actually asinine. It doesn't make any sense. Yeah. It was completely insecure. About that. I felt completely deficient because I couldn't really do my job in.
Right. And I think if you've hung out with enough architects, That's from where I come. So I'm not demeaning. Is but it as a generality, there's a little bit of pretentiousness there. Yeah. I think that comes from what I've experience from potential. Yeah. That's where it started. It makes you think of like imposter syndrome. I think every entrepreneur goes through imposter syndrome.
Like, where we have to have a certain level of, like, belief in our Wolfe and in our product and and what we're doing, but you just took it to a whole another level. You had to be someone or at least an authority in space that you had never operated in. Yeah. It's almost trained educationally. It's that's the way it is. It's not thought of as not making sense because it's just the way it is. Yeah. But and it's taught in these prestigious universities, so it must be right.
But basically, at that point, I didn't wanna keep pretending. And so I actually just worked as a carpenter, took a job as a carpenter Wow. With the specific intention to fill that void. I had because I had never built anything in my life, but my job was to tell folks what to build and how to build it. And so I worked as a carpenter until I'd like to say until I feel Chaz, boy, but what really happened is I got fired. I never really made it. As an architect.
And then I didn't have a job, and so I started the company really as a way to make income. And I started off still with the intention to learn. So I was very hands on. A lot of the jobs were so small. I didn't need to design things, but if it did, I would design it, then I'd build it. And then and that was 2005 end of 2005. But since then, I've been growing, replacing myself in various hats, and, so long and a short of how I tripped into business owners. That's it's awesome.
I think a lot of the skill sets that it takes to be an architect play into potentially some of the same skill sets that it takes to be a business owner. The one that stuck out to me, as you were talking, is the almost like a an agitator and you wanna change the industry, you're an absolute agitator. That's why you got fired or probably a very similar reason is because entrepreneurs wanna do it our way. And that's good. So because that it led you to start your own deal.
And so I think everybody listening today can relate with some level of that for sure. Yeah. Yeah. I think sports actually had for me was more like drive, get it done work ethic. Totally. That was really I think just put your head down and go to work. That that was I had that in me when you started your business. There's nothing. It takes a long hours of blood, sweat, and tears. You gotta just Yeah. Get through it.
And I think listening to podcasts like this and like getting mentors I know you probably gonna ask me this later, but I just dropped it. That's something I wish I had done earlier. And I did to a degree, but if I had to go back, I Wolfe shot my Yeah. My standards were too low. And So you don't know what you don't know. And you don't know if you don't know. So that's to your point. I love what you said about not just rolling with the pretending piece and diving in.
I just think that speaks to just like, your desire to actually bring excellence in in the product delivery, like, you wanted to actually deliver and what better way to make sure than of yourself and then later replace yourself with someone else, maybe more capable or whatever, but you did it yourself. Is that like a virtue that is, like, still in the business now? Is that trickle down into your team even or or give us some insight there.
Yeah. I think as an as a company, we talk about it every day in terms of really setting an example and having that communication and collaboration. Yeah. And in terms of setting ourselves apart and just looking to make a change in the industry. Definitely. Like, even more so then because back then, I actually didn't I knew that I didn't wanna pretend and I knew that I wanted to fill that void and it just made sense to me.
Yeah. But since then, I've educated myself, I've taken a deep dive and I've sorted out the whole how we got to this point and it does not make any sense. It was done for the wrong reasons. And it happens to be where we're at. Interesting. Can you share more about that? And one of the short of it is Chaz when I was an architect, this is one of the things that inspired me to get to hell out and learn and fill that void was somebody told me the origin of the word architect is master builder.
So it's comes from ancient Greece times and that comes from the building trades and the architect was always just the best builder throughout history up until the mid 1800. If you look in an English dictionary and you look up Architect and you look up builder in an English dictionary in mid 1800s, they are synonyms. They mean the same thing. Okay?
The only reason it changed and nobody knows this because it's been doctored in in the history books and livelihoods depend on this not getting out really, but Yeah.
It changed for social status because the problem, the best builder's architects Same thing at that time we're trying to solve is that they could not reach the highest social status of that time, which was out of a gentleman, because they were associated with manual labor, with building, which you can't get away from, right, if that's your product. Which which that is the product. And so they created the American Institute of Architects with the stated purpose to raise their social status.
And the way they did that was by getting the way an architect was trained from that of an apprenticeship system. And that that name master builder comes from the trades. Like, an apprentice. You're a journeyman. Now you're a master. Exactly. Yeah. That's where it comes from. So they changed it from that apprenticeship hands on approach to that of a university curriculum. And at first, it worked out. Alright. But then you had this a little bit less. These cycles generational to you guys. Got it.
Got guys like me. They're like, I have no clue what I'm doing. This makes no sense. But it's just the way it is at that point, and it's taught at Harvard and MIT and it what have you. So it must be right. But basically when that industry wide shift occurred, there was never anybody left who was fully accountable for a and that rift is still left today in the industry. And that's why you have such issues.
That is the root source of all the challenges and and horror stories you hear about in the industry, it is that lack of accountability. Yeah. Like what you just said there. And so we just got done building a home for the last 16 or so months. And It looks nice. I appreciate that. Yeah. You see the little backdrop here that my wife made sure that happened for me. What you as so we've gone through all the trades.
And, of course, the builder for us was that connector point, but everything you just said as far as that that one person who isn't responsible all the way through because at the beginning, we started with the builder and we went to the architect. And then we went to the this, the trade, and that trade. And so we were with the builder, but to your point, there wasn't one person that oversaw everything Chaz degree.
So it's super interesting that you say that because there are tons of issues in the trades, and I think Chaz, a lot of people would probably raise their hand to say Chaz it had a bad experience. Even being in the trades. Just don't get me started on this subject because you just fear me back off it. But Okay. Okay. But within the trades, There used to be this higher level of thought inherent within the trades.
And then when that got pulled and taken away, the trades got knocked down at here and they became order takers and nail banks. Yeah. Which Chaz probably led to today where you have not enough people going into those skill sets. That is correct. When I grew up, it was not cool to be a plumber. Right. You know? Today are crushing it, though. Yeah. They do it alright. We're bringing it back. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Alright. But we could probably have a whole show on that, but let's keep moving.
My first question for you along the journey here is, man, you've made you've done so much in in even just since 2005, so I wanna see where I can start here. But maybe before you were seven figure. So, like, a minute ago, a building a team. Give me a good decision that you made specifically around or scaling to the seven figure mark. Yeah. That was pretty good. Didn't have the trades to fall back on. Yeah. So I think that was actually a plus point, and I had some business savvy.
I have organizational skills. And so that's more what I fell back on, which was a benefit in naming out targets and having some semblance of a plan moving forward. I think that was definitely a strong suit and getting around, I said I should have aimed higher, but I did get around those that were more successful than me in my space. And I did look to learn successful actions and emulate what was working for them. And sales training was freaking light. Oh my god.
Chaz that was if I had to say there was one thing, that would be the thing that I invested in myself Wow. That really made a difference. Yeah. Yeah. So there's so much to be said there. Obviously, I have a huge background in sales, but give us, like, maybe one little insight of, like, you go through sales training. You said you invested in so I can only imagine all the just mind opening opportunities that you walked yourself through.
But one little snapshot of what it been able to do inside of your business. You you investing in that way. I thought about this earlier when you're talking a minute, but it relates to sales in terms of growth. If sales is really about helping people. And if you have a good product and a good service, it's becomes like your ethical duty to share that with more folks and not keep it to yourself and grow. And if you grow, you're able to help more people.
Yeah. And it's it's not sales, but it is in terms of just that outlook of being able to expand and grow and help more people and Yeah. That's that's one thing. I mean, yeah. But also value, like, I'm kind of understanding, like, I have extreme certainty. On my value proposition. What I bring to the table for folks, and I can exhibit that. I am confident. I am competent. And I I can display that very well.
And that's something that I think when I first did the sales training, I didn't have all that confidence. Sure. But over time, I've really grown that muscle. That's really helpful. I think the process that you're describing of learning first gives you the competence, like you said, the understanding, which then helps you go win. Like, you win and got a job. You went in one of it. You went and sold a deal. You got a client Yeah. Which then makes you happy. Yeah. And then and then, yeah, exactly.
Exactly. Yeah. Which I think you're probably not listening to the show if you haven't sold a job or soul the client or help somebody, but it's the confidence really at the end of it where you're just like, okay. Now I have this, like, Uber sense of duty of, like, have to get this in more people's hands. And so then, therefore, that leads you to paid ads or prospecting a different way, like, filling your pipeline. That's how you it's pretty straightforward. That's how you grow a business.
But if you don't have sales, you don't have a business. You have to, at some point and this might be helpful for the listener too Chaz we're talking about this. You said Chaz it's about helping people. And so if for some reason, you're building your business to not help people, then you don't see the sales process as helping people. If you're just literally doing it for money Yeah. Then you might have a potential block in your brain of, I'm just this person for money.
Yeah. You're gonna hold yourself back. You're gonna it it's gonna be a block for you. 100%. 100%. So I think that's good. I think also too, like, a lot of people have the IKE had a bad sales experience, and so they don't want to be that. But, man, when you can follow along a certain process and ethically and do it with honor and integrity and helping people. I think that changes everything. Totally. Cool. Let's flip the coin then.
Let's talk about a bad decision along the way Chaz, did not go well at all. Yeah. I've made some bad decisions. I guess one was at some point, I felt like I could hire folks and just replace myself in certain hats Sure. And just peace out without really that transitioning happening successfully. You know, a few years ago, and actually, was a little bit before COVID, but I replaced myself. I really was trying to get out of the business and go expand into other areas.
And I did not do that super successfully. And one thing that we've transitioned to since then which has been extremely successful is is more looking to promote from within and that's been extremely successful was not my initiative, but has paid back tenfold. Wolfe. It's really grown to stability. The, I think, loyalty within the company. Yeah. And, whereas I brought in these folks from paid them a lot of money. They were never really accepted. Which is in your organization. Makes sense.
And it it became a promise. Definitely a mistake. And so looking back, if you were in that same situation where, basically, you brought these folks in because you didn't have them at least in your organization maybe yet. And so you just maybe would have spent more time with your current folks to build them that level? Yeah. Yeah. I would have looked from within who can I promote, which is what I ended up doing after the 3rd word beautifully?
Yeah. Because, you know, those people were trusted by others by me and paid their dues. They knew what the hell was going on. Yeah. These other folks came in with these certain fixed ideas or what have you, didn't I liked them to sound good to, but it never was embraced by the entire organization in the war organization of 20. So it wasn't like, you know, you know, the there's not hundreds of us. But Yeah. So it's a family, really. And so if they're not accepted, it's like, it's a big deal.
Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. You're not gonna spend your days there. I Chaz some exit I Chaz some really good people leave the company, but it was a lesson learned. Yeah. Exactly. Obviously, I appreciate Chaz perspective now because now you know how to do it in a different way. It makes me think of one one of my locations and one of my franchise locations specifically.
They have probably 10 or 12 folks on the team there, and I had a transition away from one manager and was gonna bring in somebody from out of state still within my organization, but somebody that they didn't know that that location and I had one gal step up and was like, yeah, I want this opportunity. Like Nice. And it was like, oh, okay. Let me let let's see. And, man, she has just been a rock star.
Yeah. So I second your thought there on looking in because even from the outside, if that person maybe isn't exactly what you Wolfe want them to be giving them the space because what I learned is that I'm just a big personality, probably similar to yours, like, where if I can get out of the way, then it actually allows them space. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's a great point. You have a lot of persuasion and charisma, and you can get by a lot with that, I think.
Yeah. But at the end of the day, it can detract, I think, by holding folks back if you're not letting them step up and fill that position. Yeah. That's right. 100%. Okay. Question for you about making decisions since you've we've been on both sides of the coin now. Do you have a certain discipline or a certain process that you take decisions through that help you try to make more good than that? Yeah. That's a good question. Due to the extent of a greater good, I try to look at what's right.
For example, I wrote this book. I'm publishing a book this year. It's gonna change the Wolfe, and I had written the book and I was done with the book. I don't write books. I was waking up in 4 in the morning to write this in book. Yeah. And and when I was done with the book, I was like, I'm done. I don't want anything to do with this ever again. But then I've shared it with some trusted folks, and they're like, you have two books there. And I was like, no, no. I was like Is this 1?
Just keep it 1, please. But it wasn't because that was right. The books actually will be more powerful, being separated. And more effective. And it wasn't that it was the right thing to do. I actually just realized this recently, and sometimes it's tough yeah, I think that you gave actually 2 things there that stick out to me. Number 1, especially as entrepreneurs, because we can have trusted folks around and we can put our head down. That's what you said. You put your head down.
You just did it. Like, and then we've got some trusted folks around us. If you don't have trusted folks around, you you have to. It can be lonely if you don't And so that's why certain programs exist, but or free Facebook groups or whatever, but you can get the feedback like you did. But like me, I we're a similar in this way. You had to have your own, like, moment, you know, wherever I'm at. I hear you, and I hear you, and I hear you.
But I still gotta go wrestle with this to to be able to own it. Totally. True. Yeah. And I think that's really how I do it is I just look I was I had a thing there while I wasn't letting myself look. I was like, nope. I'm done. I'm not look. But once I did look at it, because I had already had this intention to do, like, a portion of the book as a free ebook. Oh, sure. Yeah. And so I did that. And after I did was done with this, that made me look at it. And then I was like, okay.
Yeah. I used 2 books. Yeah. I think what we're talking about, every entrepreneur can relate to, but it's a blessing and a curse because I would say that the stubbornness that we're talking about has given us the persistence that it takes to, like, just I've gotta really do it my way to really get behind it. And then, therefore, I've become successful. But, man, to your point, if we had just gotten around some other folks sooner to your point or maybe just listened a little better.
In my point, we'd probably be further, even though, for both young guys. I think it's yeah, and just that ability to look. And that's really how what I would credit to a lot of any success I have had in any I feel like my best success will be this discovery and then reuniting my industry. And that really came from just observing and looking without fixed preconceived ideas and being willing to look and being willing to just go into that.
And I feel like one can have somebody if you have somebody who's just encourages you to do Chaz. Because they some if somebody makes you wrong, you're gonna dig in a little bit more on Chaz, but I think I look back at some of the conversations I had with folks And I got I'm gonna tell this dude, I'm like, dude, you were right. And he he did a good job. He didn't make me wrong.
I was like, no. Get people to just look in a non combative way and make them right because there was a lot of things right about that book and what have you, but all I needed just was look at it more. And you just unpacked, like, three things that are just unbelievable to leadership, really. Because so number 1, the looking that you're talking about and this is for listener who kinda takes notes here, but the looking that he's talking about is you not having an ego. It's really what it is.
It doesn't mean that you can't be confident and you're the guy. We know you're the guy, but when you're talking to someone on your team or in this case, a trusted person that you sent the book to, you've gotta have an openness or a laid down ego to really be able to grow in any circumstance.
And so then he was talking about is communicating with that person that you're laying your ego down with and then communicating to inspire or encourage or empower them to actually do the thing that you've given to them so that you can either get the feedback or that they can do the role successfully Yeah. I like that. Because you just get we get in their way. He's gonna help. Like, I could have helped with that more. Like, just ask questions. Like, how help me look at this more.
Because really what I look at, I didn't I wasn't sharing the book to get tell people to me to change the book. I was help I wanted them just be like, this is amazing. Change the world. Yeah. Yeah. You wanted a yes, man. You wanted somebody to be like, yes, sir. This looks great. It's perfect. Yeah. Yeah. And it it I think there was a lot right there. Yeah. That's why you sent it to him. And just in your ego, it was I sent it to him to get accolades, to get, like, a affirmation of, like, done it.
But but that just goes against growth and development and change and all the things that that got us to where we are and all the things that we want our people to go through. And so that's so it's super cool that now you can not only look back on it and be able to to know where you fell short, but then also to be able to know how to communicate I think you did such a great job there. Okay. Awesome, dude. Let's transition to the, the speed round here.
I'm curious to know some of your answers to these questions. The first question is this. If you could only pick 1 metric, so you having these 2 merging industries, if you will, into this one firm, what's the one metric you can only pick one that you track forever and ever. I think revenue. You can make a lot of revenue and not make any profit. So That's right. I am cognizant of Chaz. But that's from when I started. That was always the metric of growth for me.
Sure. And as a way to keep score, I think it is relevant. Yeah. 100%. I think spoken from a guy who went through sales training. Yep. It matters, man. It matters. Okay. So what book would you recommend that six figure business owner reads specifically. I know you you're a GC guy and and all his books have really help me. That is the sales training I've done, and I really dove into that. And I would that's what I have the most experience with. That's cool. I'm a huge audible subscriber.
I'm listening to Frickin Walton's book now. And I like those. I like the stories of the successful people and what the hell they did. Yeah. Have you listened to Titan about Rockefeller and then the other one about Andrew Carney. I can't remember the name of it. No. I'll put I will now, though. Both of those are like 20 hours plus on audible. I listen I try to listen to him on on on 2 speed if I can. Oh, yeah. Me too. I'm with you. Yeah, dude. That's actually a a skill.
You have to, like, work into that. Yes. You because if I had it, let's do it in a while and I go back, it's, like, this guy's speaking gibberish, but if you work into it, You can really your mic can keep up with it. It's crazy. Yeah. Yeah. No. I'm with you. So some books you gotta I gotta rewind a little bit more. To be like, what did you call that? But I'm I'm always, I'm the same way. That's awesome, man. Okay. Next question. Do you intentionally network or mastermind with other entrepreneurs?
Oh, yes. Most definitely. I should do it more than I do because I love the interaction. I love the communication. I love the ideas I get and being able to communicate something and have that grow and get feedback from it. And that's powerful. So It's huge. Yeah. Very cool. Okay. So I got I've got a new question for you. It wasn't, wasn't on the list, and then I'll and I'll hit you with the end one. But the question is if you only had 1 hour, in the week or just 1 hour.
Like, it could be 1:1 hour in in a day. It could be 1 hour in a week. It could be 1 hour in a month. You only Chaz the 1 hour to run your business. What would you do in that hour to effectively run your business, which is that one time? I would inspire folks and really get on the purpose. Like, what the hell are we doing here, folks? Yeah. That's good. Because purpose is powerful, and I really try to ding down in mission statement is lifting spirits with spaces.
We're really trying to improve folks day to day lives with the spaces we create. And if I have a minute number amount of time, I want folks to get into that mindset and to let them be inspired to to carry out that purpose in the minutia in in the mechanics of how they're gonna do that, but let's start with that. Yeah. That's huge. I love that answer. Okay. Last question. If you lost it all, Dave, What would you do, ma'am? If I lost it all, I'll just pick up where I left off.
Just start over again. Yeah. For me, I'm gonna be doing this. For some time. If I had to start over again, I would just dive in wherever the hell I left off. Yeah. Yeah. That's awesome, man. I love the the tenacity. It's so logical for you. I would just pick up what's today's Thursday? I just pick up tomorrow, Friday, whatever. Yeah. Yeah. It can't be anything else other than that at a at the core level of an entrepreneur.
That's Sure. Dave, if somebody connected with you today and they wanna reach out, if they wanna find another way to connect with you, how can they find you? Yeah. On LinkedIn, David Suple is is where I'm at and I'm on Instagram Design Build Movement. Nice. And we'll love to be connected, particularly if you're in, if you have any interest in this sphere of architecture and construction. I mentioned a publishing couple books now. 1 is called rebuilding the architect.
And that's a little play on words there rebuilding the architect. And the other one which is actually gonna be first is classical architectures, African roots. Which Oh. Just to dive into a tidbit is Yeah. These fellows that changed the narrative to make it appear like the architect and builder will always step the other thing they changed the history books on is that classical architecture, ancient Greek and Roman, our architecture actually derives from Egypt, from Africa.
Most definitely. And I show Chaz, conclusively, with photos, and they change those history books for the same reason for social status. Sure. Because Africa is connotated with black people, which in the middle of the 1800s, was associated with slavery. And colonization it. And so Yeah. It worked. Yep. Exactly. Wow. If you haven't been inspired today, listening to this and this guy, I don't know what will get you off of the couch doing something.
But the books that's themselves, even just that title, before you even gave the snapshot, I was just like, woah. Like, powerful. There's some deep stuff in that book right there. Thank you. Yeah. So I'm excited for you to launch those, man. And you've just brought so much value here today. The conversation's been incredible. Thank you for that. Just gracing us with your value and just authenticity. It's been really great. Appreciate you being here. Thank you for what you do.
Appreciate the opportunity. Yeah, man. Thanks for listening to Gathering the Kings. We hope you got a ton of value today and learned 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, you think you got what it takes, to level up your business, I want you to go to gatheringthekings.com and apply. And we will see you on the other side.