--- title: Why Ethical Trades Businesses Still Need to Charge More feat. Chris' Garage Doors | S1E13 description: Discover why ethical trades businesses must charge more and the lessons learned by Chris' Garage Doors owner, Chris Tyrrell, in this insightful podcast episode. --- [The Builders, Makers, Doers Podcast ](https://www.ellerbrock-norris.com/podcast) # [Why Ethical Trades Businesses Still Need to Charge More feat. Chris' Garage Doors | S1E13](https://www.ellerbrock-norris.com/podcast/why-ethical-trades-businesses-still-need-to-charge-more-feat.-chris-garage-doors-s1e13) Written by [Cameron Carlow](https://www.ellerbrock-norris.com/podcast/author/cameron-carlow) | Mar 9, 2026 7:46:30 PM     On a scale of private equity giant to "Chuck in a truck," where does your business stand? That's the balance we discussed this week on Builders, Makers, Doers. Andy and Elliot sit down with [Chris Tyrrell](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cityrrell/), owner of [Chris’ Garage Doors](https://www.chrisgaragedoors.com/) in Denver, Colorado. Most trades businesses do not get into trouble because they lack skill. They get into trouble because they chase work they should not take. This is not just about garage doors. It is about discipline. Chris did not build his business by trying to be everything to everyone. He learned the hard way what happens when you take on work outside your lane. He underbid a job. Got into work he should not have taken. And came out of it with a lesson a lot of owners learn too late: Not every dollar is the right dollar. But this conversation goes deeper than operations. It gets into ethics. Pricing. Community impact. Culture. And the tension every owner feels when they are trying to build a real business without losing themselves in the process. This is what you’ll discover: - Why early growth can create problems if you chase the wrong jobs - The hard lesson Chris learned from underbidding commercial work - Why ethical pricing is more complicated than most customers realize - The difference between charging for time and charging for expertise - Why doing the right thing does not always scale the fastest - How Chris measures success by impact, not just income - Why giving back can become part of a company’s operating system - How community involvement can strengthen team culture and loyalty - Why grassroots networking still works for trades businesses - Why purpose is a stronger foundation than passion in business Chris also shares a perspective more owners need to hear: Doing the right thing matters. But that does not mean it always wins on a spreadsheet. This episode is not about feel-good business advice. It is about building a company with clarity. It is about knowing what kind of work you should take. What kind of leader you want to be. And what success actually means when you are the one carrying the weight of the business. If you are an owner, operator, or builder trying to grow without drifting away from your values, this conversation will feel honest. And useful.     ## Chapters 00:00 – Intro to Chris Tyrrell and Chris’s Garage Doors 01:15 – How Chris got into the garage door business 02:45 – Starting a business with no overhead 05:10 – The job that taught him to stay in his lane 06:40 – Underbidding, complications, and making it right 10:40 – Why ethics matters in the trades 11:35 – The real challenge of fair pricing 17:05 – Why doing the right thing does not always scale fastest 18:55 – Measuring success by impact 19:05 – The 3% give-back model 23:20 – Building culture through shared vision and service 26:15 – Why garage doors can transform curb appeal 29:50 – Honesty with customers and real ROI 31:10 – How Chris generates new business 33:15 – Why networking still works in the trades 35:25 – Purpose over passion 37:25 – Family, priorities, and staying grounded     ## Follow the Show 🔗 [Stay Connected & Join the Community](https://www.ellerbrock-norris.com/the-shield) 🎧 Subscribe - [YouTube](https://youtu.be/dh3PMkL22zU) - [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0Lru75KTKQqnmFqvi5Y6mu?si=5beae84a2f8c418f) - [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s1e2-80-of-a-trades-owners-wealth-is-trapped-in/id1861626498?i=1000742326931) 📲 [Follow Builders, Makers, Doers on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ellerbrock-norris/) 📘 [Grab a copy of Andy's book](https://www.ellerbrock-norris.com/book) 🎤 Connect with the Hosts: - [Andy Bassett](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-bassett-cpcu-cic-7711853/) - [Elliot Bassett](https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-bassett-aip-cpcu-84499515/) [View full post](https://www.ellerbrock-norris.com/podcast/why-ethical-trades-businesses-still-need-to-charge-more-feat.-chris-garage-doors-s1e13) ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Cameron Carlow" }, "dateModified" : "2026-03-16T14:05:20.910Z", "datePublished" : "2026-03-09T19:46:30Z", "headline" : "Why Ethical Trades Businesses Still Need to Charge More feat. 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