EPISODE SUMMARY

Most roofers think they need more leads.

In reality, most have a foundation problem.

In this episode, Dave Sullivan explains why missed calls, weak follow-up, messy books, and lack of planning are the real reasons roofing companies struggle — and why buying more leads only makes the problem worse.

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Roofers are obsessed with leads.

But more leads won’t fix a broken business.

If your roofing company feels busy but broke, the problem usually isn’t marketing — it’s systems, sales process, job costing, and financial clarity.

In this solo episode, Dave Sullivan walks through his Roofing Business Success Audit and One-Page Business Plan, and explains why every contractor must master the fundamentals before trying to scale.

Dave breaks down:

Why most roofing companies aren’t ready for growth

How to improve results by raising your close rate

Why missed calls and poor follow-up quietly kill profits

The Three-Legged Stool: Sell Work / Do Work / Keep Score

Why messy books force CPAs to file extensions

How bad job costing destroys pricing and margins

Why top-line revenue is vanity and profit is reality

If you want a business that actually makes money — not just looks busy — this episode is your reality check.

YOU’LL LEARN

Why more leads won’t solve your problems

How to close more deals without spending more on ads

Why sales process matters more than marketing

How job costing affects your pricing

Why QuickBooks out-of-the-box doesn’t work for contractors

How to use financial statements to make decisions

Why planning beats reacting

How to use the Roofing Business Audit as a diagnostic tool

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Sponsor: Ruby Receptionists

01:25 – Busy but broke: the real problem

04:16 – Why leads aren’t the issue

05:46 – Close rate and sales fundamentals

08:05 – Back to basics (golf analogy)

09:05 – The business checkup mindset

09:49 – Sponsor: ProLine CRM

11:00 – Sell Work: sales process and follow-up

14:20 – Do Work: production and job costing

15:23 – Keep Score: financials and reports

17:06 – Why QuickBooks isn’t set up for contractors

18:09 – Bookkeeping cleanup and Tisha

19:20 – Workers’ comp and miscategorized job costs

21:25 – Sponsor: SMA Support

22:19 – Why business plans matter

23:46 – Why scaling without profit fails

26:21 – Scott Tebay story on success

27:43 – John DeLorian and annual planning

29:36 – Mike Tyson quote: planning vs reacting

32:02 – Download the Audit and Plan

33:02 – Tax season warning: extensions

34:05 – Final takeaways and contact info

RESOURCES

The Roofer Coach

https://theroofercoach.com

Free 1-Page Business Plan

https://theroofercoach.com/plan

2026 Roofing Business Success Audit

https://theroofercoach.com/resources/

LINKS

Work with Dave / Mentoring

https://theroofercoach.com/mentoring/

Free Resources

https://theroofercoach.com/resources/

Text Dave

(510) 612-1450

Free Strategy Call

EPISODE SUMMARY

Most roofers chase leads. The best roofers build a brand.

In this episode, Dave and Crystal Williams explain why branding—not just ads—is what makes leads cheaper, customers more loyal, and businesses more valuable over time.

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Roofers are obsessed with leads.

But leads get more expensive every year — unless you build something that makes people remember you, trust you, and look for you by name.

That’s called branding.

In this episode, Dave Sullivan sits down with Crystal Williams of Lemon Seed Marketing to explain what branding actually means for roofing companies — and how to build it while still generating leads today.

They break down:

1. Why most roofers look the same
2. How differentiation keeps you out of price wars
3. How mascots, billboards, trucks, and storytelling really work
4. Why “direct search” is the real scorecard for branding
5. And why marketing cannot fix broken operations

Crystal also shares the real-world case study of Eminem Roofing and Rufus the Armadillo, showing how consistent branding helped turn a small roofing company into a dominant regional player.

If you want cheaper leads, better customers, and a business that’s worth more than its trucks — this is where it starts.

YOU’LL LEARN

1. What branding actually means (it’s not your logo)
2. Why differentiation lets you charge more
3. How branding and lead gen should run together
4. Why mascots work — if you commit
5. How to measure branding using direct search
6. Why marketing exposes bad operations
7. When it’s time to rebrand
8. How consistent branding lowers your cost per lead

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Why branding matters

01:16 – What branding really is

03:45 – Storytelling and emotional connection

06:45 – Differentiation vs being a commodity

09:02 – Brand personality and origin stories

13:29 – Eminem Roofing case study

17:16 – Rufus the Armadillo and mascots

23:24 – When mascots work (and when they don’t)

29:47 – Ideal customer avatars and audits

35:21 – How to measure brand ROI

41:14 – Branding is a long-term commitment

43:09 – Why marketing can’t fix bad operations

48:15 – When to rebrand

53:45 – Final takeaways

54:19 – How to reach Crystal

RESOURCES

Lemon Seed Marketing

https://lemonseedmarketing.com

Email: hello@lemonseedmarketing.com

Email: crystal@lemonseedmarketing.com

LINKS

Work with...

This episode was recorded during the roofing boom—when being busy hid bad numbers. Today, work is slower and margins are tighter. Dave explains why job costing is now the difference between surviving and disappearing, and why “gut feel” leaves contractors broke even even when they’re busy.

This interview was recorded a few years ago when the roofing market was on fire. Phones were ringing, jobs were everywhere, and being busy hid a lot of sins.

Today it’s different.

Jobs are harder to get. Margins are thinner. And the contractors who don’t truly understand their numbers—what jobs actually make money, what crews are profitable, what their real labor cost is—those companies won’t survive this market.

I hear it every week:

“Dave, we’re working like crazy… but there’s never any money in the bank.”

That’s not bad luck. That’s no job costing.

Successful contractors job cost every job. Unsuccessful ones run on gut feel—and in this market, gut feel will put you out of business.

In this conversation, Dave Sullivan sits down with construction finance expert Leslie Shiner to break down the simple job costing system profitable roofers use to protect margins and make real decisions.

You’ll Learn

1. Why “gut feel” lies—and cash proves it
2. The real reason busy roofers still have no money
3. How to calculate true labor cost (labor burden)
4. Paid hours vs billable hours = labor utilization
5. Why labor overruns destroy profit faster than materials
6. How estimate vs actual fixes bad pricing
7. How to see which crews and job types make money
8. Two KPIs every roofer must track

00:00 – Why this matters now

02:20 – Gut feel vs real profit

06:20 – What job costing actually means

10:15 – True labor cost & labor burden

17:30 – Labor utilization explained

24:15 – Estimate vs actual the right way

30:25 – Fixing downtime & productivity

36:40 – Sales to production handoff

40:35 – KPIs that matter

44:15 – Improving your system

Shiner Group: https://www.shinergroup.com

Free Labor Burden Calculator (on Leslie’s site)

Work with Dave / Mentoring: https://theroofercoach.com/mentoring/

Free resources: https://theroofercoach.com/resources/

Connect with Dave!

Text Dave: (510) 612-1450

Free Strategy Call

Want to grow a more profitable roofing business?

Book a free strategy call with Dave here → davesullivan.as.me/free-strategy-call

Free Resource

Download your FREE 1-Page Business Plan for Roofing Contractors → theroofercoach.com/plan

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