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, owner of Chris’ Garage Doors 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.
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