Roofing Success
The Roofing Success Podcast is a show created to inspire roofing contractors to achieve optimal success in their roofing businesses. The host, Jim Ahlin, is the co-author of the book, "Internet Marketing For Roofing Contractors, How to TRIPLE Your Sales and Turn Your Roofing Website Into an Online Lead Generation Machine", and Co-Founder of Roofer Marketers, the Digital Marketing Agency for the roofing industry. On each episode, Jim will be sitting down with industry leaders to talk about their processes, the lessons they learned, and how to find success in roofing.
Roofing Success
Amateurs Are The Biggest Problem in Roofing, How to Go Pro with Deshaun Bryant
Uncover the secrets behind Deshaun Bryant’s extraordinary rise from aspiring speaker to keynote star at RoofCon 2024 in this compelling episode. Known as the Roof Hustler, Deshaun’s journey is a testament to relentless dedication and the power of giving back without expecting anything in return. We'll explore how his sacrifices and commitment to mastery have shaped his path, and how his passion for providing value to communities has become a core part of his success philosophy.
We also dive deep into the ever-evolving roofing industry, where complacency is no longer an option. As businesses navigate changing landscapes, we discuss the essential shift from outdated methods to embracing structured training and KPIs as cornerstones for growth. With insights into the influence of private equity and the fresh perspectives brought in by younger professionals, this episode challenges the traditional family-like culture in favor of a dynamic, team-oriented approach, taking cues from Netflix’s revolutionary 2009 culture memo.
Furthermore, we break down the art of assembling a high-performing 'dream team'. Through fascinating insights into team dynamics, listeners will learn how surrounding average performers with top talent can elevate their game, and the importance of maintaining a professional mindset rooted in principles and systems. Stories of high achievers like Jacob Fuchs and Tom Brady illuminate the path from amateur to professional, emphasizing wisdom through action and the bold mindset shift necessary to claim one’s greatness and consistently perform at the highest level.
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Imagine receiving the call of a lifetime on your birthday, just as you're setting your biggest dream into motion. For Deshaun Bryant, that call led to his first big stage at RoofCon and in just a few short years, he went from dreaming about it to opening as a keynote speaker in 2024. It's a powerful testament to what relentless dedication can achieve. In today's episode, we're diving deep into the mindset and methods that transformed Deshaun into one of the industry's top performers A journey from amateur to pro, filled with lessons on resilience, discipline and executing on your goals with precision.
Speaker 1:Deshaun Bryant, known to many as the roof hustler, has worked with some of the most successful roofing teams across the country. As a keynote speaker, mental performance coach and trainer, deshaun brings a unique approach to professional and personal growth that's hard to find in this industry, and what sets Deshaun apart isn't just his success, but his commitment to mastery, even when it means staying away from home for days to serve homeowners in a storm hit area. His approach is about more than just talent. It's about showing up, rain or shine, and putting in the work. Get ready to uncover actionable insights on what it takes to go from average to exceptional. Let's jump right in with the Roof Hustler himself. Welcome to the Roofing Success Podcast. I'm Jim Alleyne and I'm here to bring you insights from top leaders in the roofing industry to help you grow and scale your roofing business. The Roof Hustler, deshaun Bryant it's crackin' baby.
Speaker 2:How are you, brother? I'm phenomenal man. I feel good to be back, man. This is the one podcast that I prioritize every time it comes my way, because sometimes I done did two people, I done did people podcasts and I'm like, depending on how they ask questions, people probably done heard everything that they want to ask me, the done did people podcast and I'm like, depending on how they ask questions, people probably don't heard everything that they want to ask me the way they ask questions, but anytime we rock out, man, I'm like. I always got to prioritize this podcast because every year I'm growing, every year I'm getting better. So the story continues to progress in a day, the same, you know, four years ago, when I was on my balcony dressed up in the bow tie talking about the 11th floor roof commandments, man. So it's been a long, it's been a journey and you know you like one of my brothers, man. So it's always a privilege and an honor and a pleasure to come on this podcast and continue to help the people grow and get better.
Speaker 1:You know it is the number one podcast in roofing. I don't know if you knew that.
Speaker 2:I didn't know that.
Speaker 1:I didn't know it is the number one podcast in roofing. There's a couple of YouTubers out there that we know that have some. You know they got a little. They do very well also, but as far as just podcasts, there is nothing that comes close. We rank in iTunes as high as top 50 sometimes.
Speaker 2:Wow that's amazing man. So this is a phenomenal podcast that people need to be on if they get that opportunity.
Speaker 1:And really it's a testament to the people who listen Right Like. It's a testament to the, to the audience that has grown with us over the years and and that and I've heard from many people that after they've come on the podcast, the, the reception that they've gotten, you know people reaching out to them. The next event they went to people were talking about the podcast. They've had opportunities open up for them because of being on the podcast. Someone heard them on the podcast and were like man, oh, that person's smart, let me bring them on stage at some different, you know events and things like that.
Speaker 2:Well, exposure is everything right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and but it but it. But it's the right exposure you and I both come from the same place of of give as much value as possible. Right, and that's what we connected on many, many years ago is that is is just to provide value to the community and, and without the expectation of of any, anything financial. On the other end of that, and when we do that, when we do that with the right intention, the right things happen. Man, and I noticed one thing that happened with you recently was you were the keynote speaker of RoofCon.
Speaker 2:Congratulations, thank you, thank you, thank you, man. That that was dope. So the first RoofCon in 2020, congratulations, thank you, thank you, thank you, man, that was dope. So the first RoofCon in 2020, I think I was turning 30 and they was like what you want for your birthday? I was like, man, if I only thing I want for my birthday, I just want an opportunity to speak at a conference.
Speaker 1:Like that's all I want. I was like, I just want that opportunity, right?
Speaker 2:And ironically, I got called the day of my birthday this is 2020 by Diego. And there's like hey, man, we see your stuff everywhere. We love you, we want to do, you want to speak at RoofCon. And it happened literally on the day of my birthday and I said that's all I wanted, right? So you know, I cried because it's pretty profound. I'm just like, man, what are the odds? Right? So then we come back in 2024 and it's maybe like August 11th, august 12th and my birthday August 10th.
Speaker 2:And I get a call from Diego and he's like hey, deshaun, man, sorry, I missed your birthday. I'm like no, it's all good. He was like listen, man, we wanted to know if you wanted to do the keynote at RoofCon. And I'm like I would be honored, bro, because you know, I'm one of those people I didn't feel entitled to be on stage. I, all these other people on stage, I should be up on stage. I just always told myself, when the opportunity come, like I'm going, I'm going to tear it up, like I'm going, I'm going to get up there and do my thing and make sure I leave my mark. And I was actually the opening keynote speaker on day one, so I had a nice crowd first speaker, good anticipation, cause I break out was right before the keynote and man got a great, great response.
Speaker 2:And one of my favorite things about the opportunity to speak at RoofCon was I did it my way. I didn't pay to play, I didn't have to, you know, cause you know I have no people that paid to be on stage and I ain't mad at them, bro, cause you know, hey, get get the access Right. But we did it the organic way, the same way I've been building my brand, the same way I've been building my brand, the same way I've been doing everything. I just stayed true to who I am and it created that opportunity and a lot of people showed a lot of love. After the event Day one, I pretty much I think I was one of the most talked about speakers outside of like the big keynote speakers, like a Tom Bue or something like that I was one of the most talked about speakers man. So that was just, it was just fulfilling man. It definitely made my heart smile and it just also prompted me to continue to keep getting better.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's one thing I've learned about you over the years, man, is you put in the work on the backend. You put in the work first, and like the sessions that you do for the Roofing and Solar Reform Alliance, the, I'm like man. How does he even coming up with new material Like you're, you're coming up with new stuff all the time, but, but what you're doing is you're going, you're, you're, you're on a journey of learning, taking that and bringing it to the industry right, like it's your, your, you're the vessel for it, and it's when opportunity meets preparation, that's all it is Right.
Speaker 1:Like. That's it, man, when opportunity meets preparation, and, but but you have to be prepared when the opportunity presents itself, which we're talking, we've been talking lately, and and and man, really, the industry isn't prepared. They really not. They're not prepared.
Speaker 1:And so that's what we're going to talk about today. So keep listening, because you're going to get some gems on this one. But I want to, like we were talking about and there's a lot of hope out there a lot of businesses, a lot of a lot of sales reps, a lot of owners, a lot of sales reps that are operating on hope.
Speaker 2:Yeah, one of one of my business, my business partner Bruce, which you know. Bruce, he said he called it smoking the hopium. I'm like what he's like. Yeah, instead of opiates he called it opium which is, over the last five years, you know, I've been traveling around the country coaching and training with companies as big as you know 30, 40 reps companies as small as three to two reps, right, companies anywhere between five million, as big as 60 million. You know, retail insurance. So I've had the luxury of working with not just insurance restoration teams but all types of roofing teams.
Speaker 2:Just because the market is shifting, the industry is shifting to a place to where you have to be able to go out there and generate your own business. You have to be able to go out there and attack the marketplace. You have to be able to control your income on any given day. You can't just depend on these storms, but also you just can't depend on Angie or whatever you use in the business. So our industry is shifting in a way where insurance companies aren't buying the way they used to buy you know. I mean when State Farm was buying two Creek shingles, entire roofs, right. And in the insurance industry is changing. So everybody in the industry keeps saying there's a change happening in our industry, but it's only from the insurance perspective, right, I haven't seen our industry changing with the insurance change.
Speaker 2:So I'm still working with companies that don't hold regular meetings. They don't got KPIs, you know. They still don't train their people, they still don't have an in-home trainer, which is like asinine to me because it's like you see how important training is, so it's like why won't you designate a guy just to properly train your people? We just did the event at RoofCon and I'm just like how many people in here still got this like figure it out mentality where you hire guys and you tell them this is going to be the easiest thing that you do and give them a shirt and just tell them to go knock some doors and like a third of the room raised their hand and I'm just like man, that's crazy.
Speaker 2:I'm nine years into the game and owners still haven't understood that, like whoa, this industry is changing on the insurance side. So why don't we start actually preparing these guys for the change that's happening outside of just being good at dealing with insurance companies, right, but our industry, I've noticed they're just so obsessed with roofs, like roofs, roofs, roofs. I get it, it's the roofing industry, but we're actually in the people industry. We just sell roofs, right. So I've noticed, because everything rises and falls on leadership, I've noticed the owners don't have a hunger for learning, growing, evolving, to be able to teach this to their sales teams.
Speaker 1:Right. So it's like, why? Why?
Speaker 2:I just think they lazy. If I'm just being 100 with you, I just think it's lazy. Right, it's easy to call me. It's easy to call John C, and that is easy to call you. It's easy to call the root strategist, right, my boy, adam Visman. It's easy to call us and press the easy button and get it done. But what these guys fail to realize is like the purpose of learning anything is to master it Right. Once you master it now, you can teach it, because Einstein said, if you can't simplify, you don't know enough. So our industry is still behind on training. They still don't got KPIs, like one thing. I wish that would happen to our industry. I wish it got more corporate.
Speaker 2:I love the idea of private equities buying companies out. First I was like man, private equities coming in, they're just buying up these companies. And then, as I've been learning more about private equity, I'm like these people want to make money. They're going to implement training. It's going to be a priority. You're going to have to go to events. You're going to have to show up to meetings. You're going to have to do one-on-ones. There will be standards. We will eliminate favoritism. Right, we will eliminate all of these.
Speaker 2:This just winged mentality. You know how many branches, you know how many companies start branches with no systems. They just like storm hit, put a sign down. We got another office and it's like no office. One should run identical to office two. It's like McDonald's. So our industry, the insurance side, is changing, but the actual roofing industry is I honestly, honestly feel like it's more stagnant than ever. One of the biggest changes I've seen in the roofing industry is the younger guys coming in and the younger guys kind of got this mentality of like we got to train, we got to grow, we got to get better, we got to create a camaraderie, like we got to create teams instead of building families. And that's what a roofing company's team's messing up as well. They're like we're a family and I'm like no, no, no, you don't want to build a family. And they say why not? I say because you deal with more BS from family than you do from a team.
Speaker 1:Let me chime in on that one real quick. I read an article recently Netflix I think it was Netflix, net is it netflix? I think it was netflix, netflix, netflix has the netflix ceo in 2009, released what they referred to as a culture memo, and it was it was. It was all it was the details of how, of what the culture was for their company. It was 15 Wow Right. It was a very in-depth, very in-depth like explanation of their culture and what they were creating and where they were going and like very, very in-depth. Last year or it might've been this year, last year, or it might have been this year they revised the culture memo and that was one of the highlights of it was they talked about we are building a dream team. It's like I hear this a lot Working here is like family.
Speaker 1:Working here, working at our company man, where it's you're, you're like family. You ever had that family member that that you don't really like hanging out with too much at Thanksgiving? Mm? Hmm, you ever have that? That? That family member that just they don't. They don't chip in on the event.
Speaker 2:They're the paper plate man.
Speaker 1:Right, like they're not chipping in. They're not bringing anything to the, you know, to the to the family dinner there. That's family. They just eat and leave you. Allow those people to come to the dinner table anyway.
Speaker 2:When they shouldn't be there.
Speaker 1:When they shouldn't be there. Now, when we're building a dream team, the shift in mindset was are you building? Let's build a dream team, not a family.
Speaker 2:And that's what I've been getting on these companies about. But he like family to me. I said, well, that's the first've been getting on these companies about it, but he like family to me. I said, well, that's the first problem, that's right, that's the first problem. What do you mean? I say because it'd be times that you can't just excommunicate family like you just can't do that. But you can fire a teammate. You could trade a teammate, you can lower pay to a teammate whatever you got to do, right, you cannot renew a contract with a teammate and it's just business and it's like you just don't contribute to the team, you don't bring value at the level that you should, but all of these guys get caught up, fixated on this. We build in a family environment and once you build this family environment, it's a slippery slope.
Speaker 1:It's amazing, it's amazing, it's amazing. Sorry, my camera's a little off. There we go. That's the thing. And then what else it comes down to is you might hear the term A players From an HR perspective, when you're hiring and training people like oh, I got some A players on my team, the, the A players, the, the, the lower, the lower performing players drag those people down. They make them not want to work there. Right, there's there, there's a lot of the resistance. If you are like, if you are Kobe Bryant or, or you know, lebron James or Michael Jordan, you want to play on a winning team winning team.
Speaker 2:Did you see that study? What they said they did? They did two study groups. They put average performers around top performers and their performance increased by 30 percent, or increased by 15 percent. Let's say they increased by 15 percent. Yeah, top performers around average performers and they dropped 30 percent. Yeah, 30 percent, and I'm like that is nuts. So that's why it's important to build a dream team at that. But also it's even more important to vet the team members. Eliminate team members, cut fat, add new bodies guys, be like man, nobody motivated. I said the best thing you could do is go hire five new guys, bring in some new blood, guys that get everybody riled up, worked up, because they're going to increase the performance of the team, like you need guys that's dedicated to success and got big dreams, because some guys just here to get a check. They're not here to do nothing huge. So you need to get around top performance to raise that performance. But it's just so many things in this industry that I see aren't adaptive.
Speaker 1:There's another part to that. You know, like, if you you know, if you had some friends that were really good high school athletes, right, you know, and you go to the basketball court with them, you play with them. Or you go play football on a weekend, right, like man, that person's really good, but then you get the chance to play with the top, a high-level college player, division I player. Or you get to play with a real professional, right, like you get to if you're a you know man, my cousin's a good tennis player, right, but then you go and actually get a game with a professional tennis player.
Speaker 1:It is completely different, like it's not the same, but you may feel like, man, I got this great high school player on my team. They're good, but they're only good compared to who they're around, right, when that pro shows up, they don't look as good anymore. Have you seen that in companies where, like, somebody rises to the top and they're like they're really committed to it, to their craft and they're mastering their craft and they're, they're going, you know, and all of a sudden, all of a sudden, they create a gap. Have you seen that happen?
Speaker 2:I've actually seen it pretty consistently. But the way I've seen it isn't in the same company, actually it's. I'll go to a company they got a top performer and I'm like, okay, this dude's pretty good, you know what I mean. Like he's doing, like you know, let's say 1.3, 1.55 a minute, 1.5 a year, yeah. And then I'll go to another company and I'll see another guy and this guy doing like 2.53 million and I'm like, okay, no, this guy, like this guy like a pro, like this guy is like legit and I'm like the other guy was only good due to his environment.
Speaker 2:He's just the best in his company. He had the most leads, he get the most opportunities. But I'm this guy. He has a system.
Speaker 1:I'm going to insult people, deshaun. I'm going to insult some people. Right now, your million dollar producers are good high school athletes.
Speaker 2:It's the truth, doug, it's the truth, especially depending on the market you're in.
Speaker 1:Now you're $2 million, $3 million producer man. Maybe they're playing Division. I college no, seriously, because people thought it was unbearable. But then there are those out there that are hitting four, five, eight plus. I've seen it, you've seen it, yeah, and you go wait a second. You did what last year? No, seriously.
Speaker 2:And that's a professional. It blows my mind because so at Roofcon, like my talk was on going from amateur to pro, right, and every company that I meet I say people love to tell me that my industry is oversaturated and I say, yeah, with a bunch of amateurs Like you're not competing against no high level salespeople, you compete in a bunch. I always tell cats, this is your competition. The guy that got took out for two days and they told him he got it. Those are the people you're competing against. So what I've seen, like you said, you're a million dollar producers. You like high school athletes. Why? Because one of the principles of going from amateur to pro is the amateurs, his feelings, determine his decision making. So he do things based off how he feels right. If I feel good, I knock. If I don't feel good, I go home. If I feel like doing paperwork, I will. If I feel like doing follow-up calls, I will, right. If I don't feel like it, I don't right. Oh, today I didn. I feel like doing paperwork, I will. If I feel like doing follow-up calls, I will. If I don't feel like it, I don't. Oh, today I didn't feel like performing at a high level. Or today I didn't feel like making that drive, Whatever it may be. And I've noticed those four, five, six million dollars producers. They do it even when they don't feel like it, even when it's nine o'clock and they're like I really don't want to go to this appointment. They're like I need to take care of my home. Right, it's in the house when they got to ask that one more uncomfortable clothes and it don't feel good. They still do it. Right, I learned the pros are principle driven Right. They follow the laws and the principles of this universe that governs their behaviors or they create their own principles that govern their behavior either way. So I believe four things run our universe right Systems, formulas, principles and feelings right. As I've been reading all these books over the last nine years, I'm like man, what's the biggest difference that I've been seeing? As I continue to like partake on this information, I'm like, oh, you got people who are principle driven greatest salesman in the world right. Ten principles that the greatest salesperson lived by. I will live every day like it's my last day. Right, I will become a master of my emotions. Those are principles Right. And then you got systems like. I've noticed all of the top companies that I've studied, got phenomenal systems Right, whether it's personally or as an organization Right, they got great systems.
Speaker 2:Then I've noticed high performers use formulas to get to success. Right. They got certain formulas that they use, like it's a formula to build confidence. People just think like, oh, I'm just a confident person, no, no, no, it's a formula that you can follow that will increase your confidence. Right. It's for E plus R equals O. That's a formula Event plus response equals outcome right. So it's like all of these formulas that you can follow that leads to success.
Speaker 2:And then you got fillings Systems, formulas, principles, and then you got fillings.
Speaker 2:So, as I've been studying over these last seven years, I'm like, oh, these are the four things that really govern our universe and if you abide by three of them, which is systems, formulas and principles, you have a lot of success. But most people operate in that fourth one, which is feelings. So those pros, man, I've noticed that they operate out of those three quadrants Right. And I need to coin this, jim, because I've yet to see this. I want to be very clear. I haven't seen nobody teach these four things that I picked up on, but most successful people operate out of those three quadrants in the roller coaster salesperson operate at that filling quadrant Right. So the pros many are just doing it based off principle. Right Systems formulas. That that amateur. I didn't see sales guys literally say all my million, I'm going to chill out. And I'm like I've never seen a pro say I got 30 points, I'm going to chill out the rest of the game. You know what I mean. I'm trying to drop 40 on your head.
Speaker 1:We still got a quarter to go.
Speaker 2:Still got a quarter and it just started.
Speaker 1:Right, we still got a half. We still have half the game.
Speaker 2:I seen Jacob Fuchs man Love that guy. Tornado hit Georgia. He's the epitome of a pro. I want to give him a shout out. This guy booked a hotel down in wherever the storm hit at, stayed away from his family for like five to six days just to go out there and take care of homeowners. I'm like that's a pro mindset. Tom Brady used to move out of his house during football season so he can get locked in. I'm like that's a pro. The amateur like well, I need to get home early to my wife, and I'm not saying that you shouldn't prioritize your family, but I am saying when it's football season, the pro is locked in, baby Right. So yeah, you're right. That mean dollar producer, it's like you're a good high school player man.
Speaker 1:Yeah you're a good player like you're. You're an athlete. We could call you an athlete like you're, you know yeah, you have.
Speaker 1:You have developed a good skill set, right, like with not to take anything away from you, but there are levels. It's levels. There are other levels to this. Meek Mill says this. So, systems, principles, formulas, feelings last we talked about earlier, kind of to frame this're the greatest, believe they're the greatest. Yeah, muhammad Ali did. They have, like it's at times early in their careers, feels delusional, delusional, but they have such a clear vision and such a determinative mindset that they see something that others don't. And I think that leads to a little bit in people who are very competitive. That leads to people a little chip on your shoulder. That leads to the reason to go to the gym an extra hour. That leads to studying a specific roofing sales system and taking some ideas out of it. That gets to reading the next book or listening to an audio book while you're going from appointment to appointment versus the radio. That mindset shift. How do you, how can you go from an amateur to a pro mindset? Amen, right.
Speaker 2:So Joe Paterno said it best you have to perform at a consistently higher level than others. That's the mark of a true professional. Being a professional has nothing to do with getting paid for your services, right, right, you have to perform at a consistently higher level than others. That's the mark of a true professional. Being a professional has nothing to do with getting paid for your services, and that's what really shifted my mindset. I'm like, oh, just because I dress nice and I collect the check and I answer my phone when people call me, that don't make me a professional. What makes me a professional is I consistently outperform the competition, right, no matter who it is. I gonna murder you, right, I'm gonna make sure that you start so.
Speaker 2:Like you said, one thing that the pros do is they claim their greatness before other people acknowledge it, right, so everybody called themselves the goat. I call myself the boat, right, I got a tattoo that say the boat. And they say what's the boat? I'm like I'm the best of all time. Right, I don't want to be. I'm like I'm. I'm just. I'm just claiming it, right, whether before anybody else believe it or not.
Speaker 2:But one of the shifts where you go from this amateur to the pro mindset is the amateur listens to himself. The pro talks to himself. Right, so the amateur. The amateur spends more time listening to himself. The pro spend more time talking to himself, right. So the amateur believes the doubt. It believes the second guessing Believes I'm not that good, believes people don't want to buy from me. It believes those things. Right, that's what the amateur do.
Speaker 2:That pro mindset shift is I'm going to speak myself into my success. I'm going to claim my greatness before anybody else claim it. Right. I'm going to speak myself into my success. I'm going to claim my greatness before anybody else claim it. Right. I'm going to say I'm the greatest of all time. Muhammad Ali Right, you know Michael Jordan. He will win a championship. He just won the third championship. He in the picture with four fingers up. Why you got four fingers up? He's like because we focused on the next one. Right, it's like you are already focused on that next thing because you've already visualized yourself doing so many great things.
Speaker 2:But you also have to learn to talk yourself into your success, right? Spend more time talking to yourself. I'm the best at what I do. Everybody I talk to, they buy from me, right. Any neighborhood I go into. I dominate, right. Anytime I get on stage, I get to stand Like you, talk yourself into those things versus listening to that doubt, listening to that little voice in your head that don't always play in your favor, no matter how positive you are, no matter how much work you do.
Speaker 2:Even me, man, I've been doing this for seven years, not working on myself and studying and growing, and instead that little voice in my head is like man, but if we put on an event, nobody might not come, like it happens. And I got to remind myself like no, no, no. You've had a packed crowd every time you've ever done an event and they're not coming because of the event, they're coming because of you, right? So it's even me. I gotta remind myself like no, no, no, bro, we gotta talk ourselves into our greatness. But I've learned the pros they start talking to themselves versus the amateur. They spend more time listening to themselves, right? But the first thing you got to do to shift from that amateur mindset to a pro mindset is you got to make a decision to go pro, right? You got to make a decision. You got to say, okay, okay, I'm giving up all of my amateur desires. I'm doing an inventory check, right. How often do I allow my feelings to make decisions for me? Okay, pretty often. Okay, from this day moving forward, I'm getting up off of that.
Speaker 2:So, like year two or three, in the game I read, read Relentless, changed my mindset, right, changed my whole mindset. And I used to tell myself every day I was on the doors I would say, if the average person will do it, I won't. If the average person's going to skip that door, I won't. If the average person's going to go home at six o'clock, I'm staying until 730. If the average person will knock that million dollar house, I will right. If the average person will knock the million dollar house, I will Right. The average person's going to stop at three, I'm going to go to five, right, when it comes to handling objections.
Speaker 2:So, first thing first you got to become aware of what the amateurs do. Once you become aware of what the amateurs do, now you can eliminate the behavior. So I did my talk at RoofCon and then I did it for a few of my coaching groups. I got emails from guys that said, wow, I didn't realize how much of an amateur mindset that I actually had. So the first thing is awareness, right. Realizing that, okay, you might have some amateur tricks that you need to get rid of, but first you got to do the inventory to see when are you operating out of your feelings, right?
Speaker 2:Another thing I always tell them the pros show up, no matter what. The pros show up, no matter what. Bro, like like you just told me you got over sickness, bro, you here you know what I'm saying Like things going to happen in your life. You still got to show up Athletes their parents died. You still got to show up. The homie that played for the San Francisco 49ers, bro, got shot. He showed up. Brian Robinson Jr played for the Washington Redskins he got shot. He a top rusher this year, one of the top 10, I think.
Speaker 2:But it's like you got to continue to show up, even in this roof and sales things. You just can't make excuses because something happened in your life that you're not going to show up and do your job. But you expect these pros on your fantasy football team to show up and play every week and you'd be pissed off when they don't play. Because you're like man, it ain't that big of a deal, man, you can go play and I tell guys all the time. Well, you mad that he didn't show up for that game. How many times you show up for the games in your life, right? How many times you show up for yourself but you expecting a grown man that you don't know? So the pros show up, no matter what right.
Speaker 2:Another one, before we move on, is um, the amateur believes he must have everything right before he take action. The pros, they prepared to just take a few steps and keep learning as they go. Right. The pros prepared to play injured, right, the healthiest day you're gonna be is at the beginning of training camp. So I tell cats, the healthiest day you're going to be is January 1st. Dog, january 1st is the healthiest day you're going to have when you take off on your roofing career, like to start that new year.
Speaker 2:January 1st is the healthiest day. Everything after that, bro, you're going to get battered, You're going to get bruised, you're going to have life coming, but you still got to show up and play, hurt man Like you just can't take days off. So you still got to do a little bit of work, learn as you go. You can't, you don't got to have everything figured out before you take that next step. But, like you always say what's that next best thing right, like the next.
Speaker 2:I love it when you say that, okay, what's the next best thing, right? So you got to be prepared to pay hurt, you got to be prepared to take risks, you got to be prepared to show up no matter what and, most importantly, you got to learn to talk yourself into your success, versus listening to your doubt and listening to your second guessing and that's something I've noticed from all the pros is, and they also don't take themselves too serious. All right, like they understand, winning is a part of the game, losing is a part of the game, but you just take your wins and losses with a smile on your face and then we on to the next one, right, we on to the next one. So this mindset, I've been obsessing about it for the last two, three years, man, and I've just made a decision like, I'm going to be a pro at whatever I do and I want to be the best of the best.
Speaker 1:And I've this is not just for the sales reps, but from an owner's perspective too, it's the same thing you got amateur teams or you got pro teams.
Speaker 1:But but it's. It's a different skill set that you're building, right Like. You may not be refining your sales skill set. You may be refining your recruiting skill set. You may be refining your management skill set. You may be refining other skill sets and I think that that's kind of the next level of it. Once you have the mindset, now you need the skill set to match it.
Speaker 1:The way that I always frame it and framed it for years for my own personal self is I want to keep my knowledge level above my income level. That's what I look at. Let's put a chart together, right Like. I want to know when I have a conversation with someone, they're like my goodness, how do you know all of this stuff? And you can look at my bank account and it may not reflect my knowledge level. I don't want my bank account to reflect my knowledge level. I like that. That's good, right. I want my knowledge level to be the next level of income that comes my way and I believe, from a mindset perspective, is it's, it's, it's the.
Speaker 1:I was told this young right Like do the job that you want, not the job that you have. Right, so you contribute, if you contribute to an organization on a higher level. It's going to. You're going to get pulled up right Like you're going to be noticed, and so that's how I've always looked at it is keep my knowledge level above my income level. That's my mindset. But then now I need the skill set right. So, from a skill set perspective, how can a roofing owner, roofing salesperson, level up their skill set from amateur to pro?
Speaker 2:That's great, right. So the amateur relies on his talent, right? Talent so everybody, naturally. Well, some people got better talents than others. But it's like you said, you got that high school athlete that was just talented, so he dominated his division. Then he got to college and that talent leveled out, right. And that same thing with sales reps.
Speaker 2:It's like you can survive off talent for about two years in this industry. For about two years you can survive off talent because you don't know enough, that you know you don't know enough. But also, your talent is just. Talent comes with a certain level of confidence. Confidence is just a memory of success, right, so you're living in that talent.
Speaker 2:But the thing that separates you, that help you go from amateur to pro, is you go away from your talent. Now you start developing the skill sets, right. So now, once again, it all starts with awareness. Now you got to become aware of the skill sets that you aren't the best at. So when I say not the best, I don't mean like I'm not a detailed person, I don't need to go learn the skill set of being more detailed. So I want to clear that up, because cats be like oh, my weaknesses I need to know.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, I mean the skill set of your communication, right? And what do I mean by communicating? Communicating is what somebody hear, not what you say, right? So how do I improve my communication to make sure that my messages come across clear and there's no gray area, right? How do I eliminate words out of my vocabulary so I'm concise, precise, directional and destinational in my communication when I'm talking to homeowners, right? So now we develop that skill set communication.
Speaker 2:Then we go to the skill set of people. Right Now I'm learning reading, studying any book that allows me to learn how to deal with humans better, because that is a skill set to deal with humans. You know how many people I have conversations with that don't know how to share a conversation? Because that's a skill set. It's a skill set to meet somebody and to only say five to 10 words, and they've said a hundred. That's a skill set where you get in front of somebody and you get them to talk about themselves more than you talk about you, and they just on a high. And people ask me all the time, man, how you do that? I say, oh, it's a skill set, bro, I've learned how to get people to open up and get them to connect Then. Then you got the skill set of like closing right, you got the skill set of. You got tied. It's just so many aspects and so many levels to the skill set. So, even as a leader, it's like, okay, I got a team, but am I a good leader? Right? So how do you become a better leader? You go learn from the best leaders in the world, right?
Speaker 2:One thing that our industry isn't too savvy on is they so fixated on learning from people in our industry, and I think that's one of the biggest crutches and that's why people in our industry, I feel like, get bored. Right, because you learn from the same people. I'm like no, no, no, go outside of this industry. Go learn from the people. That's the best in the world. I'm a certified mental performance coach. Go learn from the people that's the best in the world.
Speaker 2:I'm a certified mental performance coach. That's a skill set that I went and developed so I can teach practical strategies and tactics on how to be mentally tough and control your thoughts and always be in control of yourself. Right, that's a skill set that I went and learned. Why? Because I kept paying attention, jim. I'm like nobody in our industry teach like the mental toughness. They just say you got to be mentally tough, but I'm like, what is mental toughness? So I went and paid a coach and I learned how to develop the skills of mental toughness Right. So it's like once you get the mindset of I'm about to become a pro, now you go put in the work to develop the skill sets that aligns with that pro mindset, because you can't be a pro right mentally with amateur skill sets how do you determine what skill to work on next?
Speaker 2:so for me personally, I I look at it as like, almost like a, like a, like a branch, like like a tree. So it's like, you know, it's me, the mind at the top right. And then, as a sales rep, I go through. As a sales professional, right, coach and trainer don't matter. I go through and I look at what is every skill set required for me to do this job at the highest level. So, even as a coach, I look at it. What's the skill set? I need to learn how to read sales people right. So I want to learn the disc assessment. I pay for 20 weeks of coaching to learn how to actually sit down with somebody, communicate with them, be able to identify their personality type, shift my communication to give them information the way they prefer to receive it, so I can make sure it just don't fall on deaf ears, right. So I'm looking at it as like, ok, I spend more time talking to people. Or let's say I'm in as a sales rep and, um, my closing has dropped, like my closing ratio dropped.
Speaker 1:I'm doing a lot of inspections, but I'm not closing.
Speaker 2:So what skill set is I'm lacking? I'm lacking the skill set of influence and persuasion. So now I need to go study influence. I need to go study persuasion. So now I need to go study influence. I need to go study persuasion and I might throw some negotiation in there, because clearly I'm losing the negotiation at the kitchen table Right. So that's how I'm determining what skill sets I need to develop.
Speaker 2:So in the beginning, when I first started knocking doors, the skill set that I lacked was discipline, and a lot of people overlook discipline as a skill set. They think discipline is just like you just force yourself to do things. I'm like, no, no, no, I was lacking discipline. How do you create bulletproof discipline principles? And I didn't know that until I started studying. I thought you just wake up and do shit every day and you just no, no, no. I read the Greatest Husband in the World. I'm like, oh shit, this dude got 10 principles that he abide by every single day. That governs his behavior, which, in return, creates a better discipline.
Speaker 2:So I went out there and learned principles. And how can I stay more disciplined in doing certain things? So you got to figure out that area of your life. That isn't that polished up. And then you go dive deep into that arena, like you go dive deep Two, three, four books deep, two, three, four podcasts, deep right, sitting down with people and fixating a month only on this skill set. He did continuous polish up. So, like Kobe, when he was a rookie it's towards the end of the game he shot a mean air ball and it Well, yeah, because my legs was tired. It was like it's just a part of the game. He spent that whole next year improving his stamina. He wasn't trying to don't get me wrong, he's shooting and stuff. But the main thing was can I make shots late in the game when I'm exhausted? That was the skill set.
Speaker 1:He worked on his stamina and that's why Kobe always was able to make those late-in-the-game shots, because it happened to him his rookie year he was and that's why Kobe's always was able to make those late in the game shots because it happened to him as rookie year and he was like that ain't going to ever happen to me again. But that was a, that was a an example of talent getting you so far and then the realization that, oh, there's another. There are levels to this. I also feel like you know you have the mindset, you're set, you're building the skill set.
Speaker 1:To me, speed to execution is the other determining factor. I don't know if you feel the same way, but if you go and spend too much time learning and not implementing that into your day-to-day, you don't go anywhere and I think that a lot of people get caught up in it. I have to know all of this before I do the next thing. I have seen time and time again with entrepreneurs and salespeople that it's speed to execution and then the lessons that get learned from that execution and the reiteration of going back to your all right, I need a new skill set. I'm missing this. I see the gap here, that speed to execution. What are your thoughts on that?
Speaker 2:I agree with you 1000%, because one of the traits of the pros is they listen, they learn and then they implement. Listen, learn and implement. They don't listen and learn. They listen, learn and then they implement, right. So the sooner you learn something new well, once you learn something new, the sooner you go implement it, the faster you can master it, because the purpose of learning anything is mastery, right. What is mastery? The effortless execution to results. That's, that's all. The mastery is I execute effortlessly, like most of us have become masters of tying our shoes, right. That's why nobody thinks about tying their shoe. So once you've mastered this skill set, now you've stored it into the subconscious or into your conscious brain, right, and now your brain uses no mental energy to execute this task. So, as soon as you learn something, go apply it, go mess up, go look stupid, go look incompetent. Use that closing phase, use that closing term, use that transitional phase, use that tie-down question and allow it to not work a few times, but, what's most important, you're implementing it so you can polish up this skill set.
Speaker 2:So I had a homie, maybe once I started reading, so it had to be 2017 and beyond, and it's probably one of the best compliments I've ever gotten in my life. He said, deshaun, I've never met somebody who implement things as fast as they learn them as you do. He's like I've read as many books as you have. But, man, the way you read something, learn it and then go do it is crazy. And I'm like, well, what's the purpose of reading? Like, well, I read the book, I read the book. I read the book to implement the things that I learned, right. So once you learn it, go condense the window that you go apply it. So that's why, when I train, I like to teach practical stuff. I don't like to teach a theory, I like to teach very practical. That way, you can go apply it that day, get some results. Now, you love this new action. You've added to your game. Now you double down the action. Now we get new results right. Now we're going to keep compounding on top of those things. So I'm a firm believer.
Speaker 2:The same thing, man as soon as you learn something, you got to go implement it immediately. Don't sit on knowledge. Right, because knowledge is just so. Ignorance is the absence of truth. Right, knowledge is accumulation of the truth. Understanding is no. What is it? I think it's? Understanding is comprehension of the truth. Understanding is comprehend. No, what it is, I think it's understanding is comprehension of the truth, or comprehension is understanding of the truth, and then wisdom is application of the truth. Right, so, as soon as you learn something, you go apply it. Now it becomes wisdom and it's no longer just knowledge, which is understand like knowledge. Okay, accumulation, you got some knowledge, you've accumulated some truth. Right Now, you got some comprehension, you understand that truth. But then, if it stops there, nothing comes from it. You got to go apply the knowledge to get the wisdom. Now, once you operate out of wisdom, that's when you become the GOAT, because that's what everybody loves to say man, he's so wise, but you're not wise from knowledge.
Speaker 2:you're wise from action Right. You're wise from implementation. So the sooner you learn it, the sooner you apply it. Implement it Now you become wise. That's when these grades started coming in, man.
Speaker 1:But I agree with you.
Speaker 2:I got plenty. You got to go apply it immediately, don't, don't sit on it. I got plenty.
Speaker 1:You got to go apply it immediately. Don't, don't sit on it. Yeah, that that's the big thing. So, all right, let's give them a summary. How do you go from amateur to pro?
Speaker 2:Amen. So to summarize this thing right, first thing first, you shift your mindset. So, inventory, well, awareness, do I have amateur traits? Yes, ok, I want to go pro. Boom, that's first thing. First, make a decision Right. So you've made a decision to go pro.
Speaker 2:Once you make a decision to go pro, we do an inventory on our skill sets. What skill sets do I possess that I need to improve, polish up and enhance to operate at the highest level of a pro? Right Now, once you figure out the skill sets that you want to develop, you go learn those skill sets. The next step is you go implement it or execute on these skill sets immediately. So it's mindset, skill set, execution. And I always tell people effort is praised, execution is worship. Right, effort is praised, execution is worship. So I tell people all the time you're a grown man, you don't get credit for trying in my book, I don't care about what you try. Did you do it or you didn't Right, did you execute on it? So, mindset, skill set, execution. I feel like those are the practical steps to go from a amateur to a pro.
Speaker 1:Awesome. If anybody wants to, you know, get more of this. Reach out to Deshaun. He does coaching for teams and for companies. Or join us in the Roofing and Solar.
Speaker 2:Reform Alliance.
Speaker 1:You just get us on an ongoing basis.
Speaker 2:Come get this knowledge consistently this energy and we teach exclusive stuff in my academy, the Best Hustler Academy in the RSRA form that we don't give to the public, so that's kind of exciting.
Speaker 1:Can I give?
Speaker 2:one more thing before we get ready to wrap up out of here, yeah man.
Speaker 2:Do it. One of the coolest things that the pros get to enjoy is they get a double salary Right, and what do I mean by that? They get a double salary Right, and what do I mean by that? You get the salary of, you know, monetary salary. You get the compensation You're killing the game. You're making $100,000, $200,000, $300,000, like you're getting paid. So that's the first salary that you get.
Speaker 2:And the second one you get to enjoy the mental salary. What is that? It's equivalent to the Marine that's down in the bunkers and bombs going over their head. And you know they had to. You know putting a new clip in and they lived in the trenches and they experienced something that nobody else gets to experience but him and his brothers. And they get that second mental tax of knowing we, the only people out here willing to put in this work, and nobody else don't experience the same experience that we experienced. So you get the salary of knowing that I do, I put in work and I do things that other people not willing to do, and only another pro can understand this feeling, that I'm feeling Right. So that's another thing the pros get to enjoy. They get to enjoy those two salaries the monetary salary, which is you make money. And then the second one is you get to enjoy the mental salary of knowing that most people not willing or committed or determined to put in the work that you put in to get to where you at.
Speaker 1:That's awesome man. This has been another episode of the Roofing Success Podcast. Thank you for tuning into the Roofing Success Podcast. For more valuable content, visit roofingsuccesspodcastcom While there, check out our sponsors for exclusive offers, shop for merchandise and sign up for our newsletter for industry updates and tips. Also join the Roofing Success Facebook group to connect with other professionals and stay updated on the latest trends. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, like, share and leave a comment. Your support helps us continue to bring you top industry insights. The website link is in the description. Thanks for listening.
