Topics of the Podcast: Leadership, Gratitude & Giving Back
Episode 151 of Behind the Toolbelt jumps right in with hosts Ty Backer and Chris Baker introducing the night’s special guest Tinos Kostas Marketis the CEO of Xpress Exterior Design.
Tinos has 4 locations at Xpress Exterior Design: Maryland, Delaware, Florida, and Texas. Xpress Exterior Design started in 2019 and has been pushing through and achieving success ever since. Tinos has been in the industry for as long as he can remember, since his father introduced him to construction at an early age. Starting out at 18 years old as a project manager for his fathers company quickly taught him some vital skills one can only learn from hands-on experience.
Our host Ty Backer first met Tinos physically at a roofing event called Roofing Ahead of the Curve in New Smyrna Florida a while back, however, they’ve been friends on facebook long before meeting in person. It all started with potentially working together on a metal job situation. Since then, the two have communicated regularly and stayed in touch and shared the same love and compassion for the roofing industry ever since.
One thing Tinos mentioned was that he doesn’t see other roofing companies as competitors. He understands the fact that it’s all about providing exceptional customer service and efficiently providing a solution to a homeowner in need. This is a mutual feeling between Xpress Exterior Design and TC Backer Construction. Ty had a great retort by bringing up something he once had heard mentioning the idea of “worthy rivals”. What he means by this is that instead of competing because you want to be “the best”, but competing on a level that creates an overall better experience for the customer or homeowner. The fact that in an industry companies feel strong enough to come to each other for help or assistance when typically they would be rivals is what makes the roofing industry unique in its own right.
Companies helping to brand each other and help one another makes the industry stronger and better together. Ultimately this trickles down to making “the experience for the customer the best” – Chris Baker, Co Host. Tinos replied that as business owners he finds it important to be completely transparent due to the amount of stress. He feels we should all be able to share in full transparency our downfalls, our wins, and our struggles. Ty remarks with the fact that Facebook simply posts wins, but never the losses that take place. It’s never mentioned how the wins end. What issues were caused due to what it took to get that win. How many shortcuts were taken in order for you to flex a check and not take care of your customer.
The roofing industry has become different due to the age we’re in today. Many who feel they’ve grinded for the last few years have conquered the roofing industry. but will need to learn to grind hard with a lot less. Tinos remarks the roofing industry is getting tougher by the day due to inflation and the economy as prices rise for materials, labor, and all additional overhead that is often not taken into account. Ty claims now is the time to come together. Get your team behind you, your distributors, and manufacturers to prepare for the future.
Overhead is something that every roofing company needs to truly understand and figure out the overhead of their roofing company. Look at the bigger picture. “Remember the day when everything was counted” – Ty Backer, Co host. Ty claims to go back to the basics and bring it back to where it was. Tinos replies that “If you stick with the basics, you can scale with the basics”. Getting blinded by success can create complacency and make everyone comfortable, until an economic downturn occurs and shakes everything up? Tinos replies that “Even during that time, you need to stick to the basics.”
Opportunities are still available in the future, so never give up. Even if we are heading towards a recession. From the pandemic, TC Backer Construction was able to grow, but that comes with a load of additional issues to deal with. The only solution is to remain resilient and continue to develop the ideas and solutions to move towards the future and stay focused on the day. Ty admits he could do better verbalizing to his entire team on what the vision change is and bringing in more structure for his own team to better the company and help grow!
These are the times we need to work as a team, and that may not happen until everyone buys into the process. This is where accountability can be used to help the team member grow through solid leadership and acting the way they expect their team to act. Integrity and accountability come into play big time, we want to hold each other accountable as leaders within the company. We all have flaws and need to help hold each other accountable. You never know what your team is going through unless you ask, and not everyone wants to talk about what they’re going through. As leadership teams develop they should be able to communicate on a personal and business level. Empowering our teams is a number one priority. Our team helps us create the amazing customer experience we all look to deliver. “The best leaders lead from the heart” – Ty Backer, Co host. Ty explains that he cares deeply about everything including his team, his business, and personal issues yet does his best to be a compassionate leader.
Even if you may be taken advantage of, leading with your heart will always bring upon good eventually. People notice those that are trying to be a better leader, company, family member, and friend. Being a trusted company in your area brings a feeling of safety to the homeowner because they realize the team is being led by a true leader. Sometimes we get caught up in our feelings about those who think poorly of us, but we need to let go of the resentment and keep doing the best we can so we can be the best we can.
Tinos discusses the idea of Xpress Exterior Design and TC Backer Construction starting some type of community event to give back charitably. Tinos brings up the idea that two companies within the same industry can do a lot to help those in need. TC Backer Construction is already a huge fan of performing charitable acts. We host the 21 Turkey Salute the day before Thanksgiving in an effort to feed as many of the homeless in the York area as possible. The conversation continues with future ideas of creating charitable events organized as two roofing companies together to help as many people as possible.
Chris Baker mentions a program called Roofers in Recovery which helps roofers across the country get the help they need. This goes to show how we can make a difference inside and outside of the industry. Ty explains at one time he was homeless and dealt with all of the issues that come from that situation. This becomes a huge factor as to why TC Backer Construction takes charity and helping others so seriously.
After this discussion, we get geared towards personal health and putting in the work to reach where you want to be physically, spiritually, and mentally. Consistency is key, and maintaining your progress is the most important part of keeping your healthy lifestyle up. Ty loves his Redbull and is ready for that sponsorship! He made a commitment to stop smoking cigarettes once that happens. Ty is working on it and we can definitely expect him to stop smoking soon! Even though we joke about stress, staying healthy is an important aspect of everyday life. One day at a time, we should all make a commitment to better ourselves either physically, spiritually, or mentally!
Core values are a vital part of every company. We plan to re-do them and include them in our hiring and firing process. This is because we want to attract employees that believe in being a part of our process and caring the same way we do about our customer: the property owner. Honesty, Integrity, Hard Work, Tenacity, whatever the core values may be, we must adhere to them. Standing behind your core values brings your team members up and raises the bar. It’s hard to find the right individuals without core values. At the end of the day we need to make sure those that we bring in our company and our lives align with our core values so we can all remain accountable. “Core Values are the fiber that hold the team together” explained Ty Backer. When times are rough, those core values are integral in the team stepping up and making sure all tasks are completed.
The episode wraps up with a conversation about relationships and how important they are. The group discusses how even negative relationships can hold us back, and the only way to break free is by completely letting go. Let’s all do our best this holiday season by letting go of our past resentments so we can move forward with our happiness, health, and life!