Reading “Floormula 6” triggered a change in my business mindset.
About three or four years ago, I stumbled across a book called “Floormula 6: The Definitive Guide to Marketing Your Hardwood Flooring Business” by Glenn Griffin. It changed my whole outlook and the trajectory of my business. Six years prior to that, I never really thought about my wood floor business as a business. I was just hoping for jobs, taking what I could get, and just being a laborer in general. Some months were good, but many months I was ready to throw in the towel!
In finding that book, and also finding some wood floor guys on a Facebook group for wood flooring pros, everything started changing. I started getting to be a better floor man, but also a better businessman. One thing I began enjoying was listening to audiobooks and podcasts. For the eight hours I was standing behind the big machine every day, I consumed every business and future growth audiobook I could get my hands on. The subjects included entrepreneurship, leadership, sales, networking, investing, systems, retirement, goal-setting and being a better human.
Between all of the books and podcasts, I have listened to well over 2,000 hours of headphone education behind the big machine. And I couldn’t be happier! Now I have a real sense of how I want my business to be. My business has healthy growth, and its income is way more stable. I am attracting technicians who are awesome at their jobs. I set up a store last year, and now, almost a year later, I’m looking to double its size. We have a real team atmosphere, and my crew are all on the same page.
It’s not easy to get off the job and do estimates and grow the business at first. But I think eventually you need to if you really want a good career that takes care of you, your family, your crew and their families.
And not just now, but into the future.I truly feel the education I created for myself is something better than a MBA—and for a much lower cost. You just have to start. You become what you consume, and if you really start reading/listening to great content—not just music—in your headphones, you can start mastering the business part of the trade. I also have a self-made solid retirement plan, whereas three years ago I had no idea where to start.
Here are my favorite books I would have anyone start with to get a handle on their business and future:
• “Floormula 6” by Glenn Griffin: this isn’t available in audio format, but I believe it’s the most important book, by far, for any wood floor business owner.
• “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter: the basics of building wealth.
• “The Secrets of Business Mastery” by Mike Agugliaro.
• “Be Obsessed or Be Average” by Grant Cardone.
• “Rich Dad’s Cashflow Quadrant” by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter.
• “The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy.
• “Set For Life” by Scott Trench: a good book to help develop a path to retirement and being smart with money.
• “The Millionaire Next Door” by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko.
• “The E-Myth” by Michael E. Gerber.
• “The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure” by Grant Cardone.
• “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” by Robert B. Cialdini.
• “The Pumpkin Plan” and “Profit First” by Mike Michalowicz.
• “Eat That Frog!” by Brian Tracy.
• “Never Split The Difference” by Christopher Voss and Tahl Raz.
And here are some podcasts I think are amazing:
• “The Contractor Fight” by Tom Reber.
• “The Wealthy Contractor” by Brian Kaskavalciyan.
• “BiggerPockets.”
• “CEO Warrior Podcast” by Mike Agugliaro.
• “Order of Man.”
What I have provided above are just my favorites. What they will do is help a business owner establish a path with tools to have a successful life and business.
The real trick is this: You have to start listening, and then you have to start implementing. I encourage everyone to just do it! A membership to Google’s Audible, which allows you to listen to audiobooks, is relatively cheap, and I believe it is priceless for the education you can get. And the podcasts are free, so there is no excuse.
My only problem now is I’m not really pushing the big machine around or on the job site as much anymore, so I don’t get to listen to podcasts and books as much as I used to. The knowledge is still with me, though, and is helping me craft a company I can be proud of! The best part is that if you have a wood floor business up and running, you are already so far ahead of everyone else. Most first-generation millionaires are small-business owners, not doctors or lawyers.
If anyone ever wants to talk business, marketing, investing or retirement planning, feel free to reach out to me; I love bouncing ideas off of others. You can find me on Instagram @coastalflooringobx, and email me.
