Latest / Epic Entrepreneurs / From Small Excavator to Booked Solid: How Craft, Focus, and Integrity Built a Local Powerhouse with Ryan Wooten

Transcript

From Small Excavator to Booked Solid: How Craft, Focus, and Integrity Built a Local Powerhouse with Ryan Wooten · Epic Entrepreneurs

• 0:28
  SPEAKER_01: Hi there.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to this week's episode of Epic Entrepreneurs.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_01: I am your host, Bill Gillilan.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_01: I am the principal at Action Coach Business Growth Partners here in Western North Carolina and also in the triad.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_01: I'm also one of the founders of the Actual Business Summit, which we just finished a couple of weeks ago, and we're plugging plans for next year.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_01: So we're super pumped up about that.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_01: But I am more pumped up because today I've got our guest is Ryan Wooten.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's Ryan Wooten grading and retaining walls.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_01: So Ryan, uh, tell us a little bit about yourself and a little bit about your business and uh what you're doing out here in our community.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, like you said, I'm Ryan Wooten.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: I've been in business for 13 years, a little over 13 years.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I'm a husband and father of seven kids.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: And uh we've we've been happy to be in this area for for that long.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: I mean we've we've uh we've done a whole lot of different things between grading and um for house seats or or tree removal, a lot of that after the hurricane, uh land clearing and retaining walls, uh any excavating.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: We we started off small part-time kind of thing with a little excavator, and and now we've got several machines and several trucks and several guys, and and it's just God has blessed us.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_01: Love that, love that, love that.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_01: So let me ask you some business questions.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_01: So, what if you had to start over in business from square one, what would you do differently?
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I might not have tried to grow so quickly.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: I I I wouldn't have got uh got the bigger machines as fast, maybe, and just stuck with the smaller machines longer.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um but uh I mean you we've caught up to them now, so so it it worked out in the long run.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, anything else that you would have done differently?
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um, really though we're we're covered up, we're booking springtime at the moment, and I I can't say I can complain about any of it.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, I love that.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_01: So, what have been some of your learnings?
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_01: What are some of your biggest learnings as an owner and an employer since you started 13 years ago?
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: Well, uh we've we've uh went through we I went took classes to do septic systems to to install those and and realized that just wasn't wasn't our thing.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: I we uh I don't I don't enjoy any aspect of that.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: It it seems to slow us down from what we what we normally do.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: And uh I I'm happy to uh abandon those.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: We're still licensed to do it, still can do it.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: If we're if we're digging the basement and and and uh the footers for the house and doing the clearing, we will set in and do the septic also.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: But it's it's something I I've learned that I I haven't I don't I don't enjoy doing it.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's tedious and it's slow and and it's just not not our thing.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I guess so.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_01: I guess the learning is the you know find your lane and stay in it as opposed to yeah, no, I love that.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, that's great.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: Pick what you're pick what you're really good at and and run with that.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so what are some of the common misconceptions about running a business?
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, that you're gonna that you got piles of dollars.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, you you're the owner, you must you must have lots of money.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, uh that's that doesn't necessarily work like that.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's a I think lots of lots of bills.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I don't think they think about they a lot of people see the top line and think, well, they must have money, but there's you gotta look at the expenses as well.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's probably that's probably the one I hear most on the podcast.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, what do you attribute your growth to doing a really good job?
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: Uh we don't r really advertise at all, and it's all word of mouth.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I mean, I'm I'm high highly uh attentive to detail details and and will go out of my way to do a to do a good job.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: I'm kind of a perfectionist.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: So so really it's it's making those customers happy.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: If I have to if I have to lose money to to make the customer happy, I've I have done that.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: You can't do that too many times and stay in business, but that's if whatever it takes to make the customer happy, you learn to to to to do that uh I mean before anything else.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, that makes that makes complete sense.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_01: So I mean, yeah, I mean you can't stay in business if you don't get the referrals, and the only way you're gonna get the referrals is by making the customer happy.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_01: So um, so how about I mean you've got a family, it's uh seven kids, holy cow.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um do you how do you balance personal life with the demands of running a business?
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I we get it we get started early.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: I cut out at five o'clock every day, no matter what we have going on, and and run home to to them, really.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: I've gotta spend as much time with my kids as I can.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: They're growing up so fast, and and business, business is one thing, but I I mean the the most important thing is the family.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: Gotta gotta gotta.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I take off, take off early to go to volleyball games and basketball games, and and really that's that's that's number one there.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so what I'm hearing is you've you've prioritized the family over the business.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_01: You just don't let the business get in the way.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_01: You're gonna make sure you make it to your kids' stuff.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_01: You're gonna make it sure that you get there.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_01: So you're very disciplined in your approach to your time.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's it's very important.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: They're not they're not gonna remember anything but but you being there.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, that they're not gonna, oh daddy had to had to leave work or at least, so he he lost all that money.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: That they're not going to see that side of it.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: All they're gonna remember is you you being there when when they're they're doing their thing.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I agree with you.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_01: And they and you get one shot at that stuff, right?
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: I mean they grow up to understand that.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: Understand that they they they think better of me because of it.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: So they're not they're they're I'm not losing anything.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_01: Zero uh doing that.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think you're I think you're dead right on that.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_01: So when it comes to hiring employees, what do you look for in a great employee and how do you foster a positive and productive work environment?
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: Well, showing up is a big thing, uh, willing to learn, even if you know nothing, just just willing to to learn and and not not act like you know everything from the get-go.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: And uh we we're not real, I mean we we work, we get the jobs done.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: They they I've got some good help now, and they they they work their butts off, and and I'm I don't rush them, I don't hassle them or nag them.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: We just we just I have some guys that's been with me for a long time, so they know what needs to get done.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: So I don't I don't have to direct they can the new people can just fall in and and and just work like we do.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: I don't I don't have to hassle anybody.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I I've worked for people before that that nagged and hassled and and I I refuse to be that kind of boss.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: And and it it works out good.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, well, I mean, seems like sometimes when you're I mean, one of the advantages of in being an employee is you get paid to learn, and seems like you learn some stuff not to do, as well as some stuff to do.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_01: So well done on on that education.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_01: What uh this is a quick fire round.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_01: We I have a acronym called B EPIC, which I which I think is sort of one of our mantras for success.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm gonna give you the letters of the acronym, and I just want to get your thoughts on the on it.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_01: So the in the B EPIC acronym, B stands for bring the energy.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_01: So what are your thoughts around bringing energy to everything you do?
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: Well, it's all about all about your mindset.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you've got to you gotta end not not worrying about it.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: It's gonna it's gonna get done.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna get it done.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: If the if the rain is slowing us down, that's that's all part of it.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: And and and nothing is a big deal.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: Nothing nothing is.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: And and that that helps us help us keep the right mindset from the I mean from the beginning of the job to the end of the job.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, my having the correct having the right mindset.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_01: So the the E and B epic is stands for education.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_01: Give me a couple of thoughts about education.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: Well, there's there's some classes here and there you could take for like running machines and stuff, but but really getting out there and doing it is is about the best way to learn this stuff.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: I I've I've had close relationships with engineers and stuff on several job sites and and land planners and that kind of stuff.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: People that's went to school for for a long time for this stuff.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but they all they learned was how to put on paper what I do in in actual life.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um I guess math, we we use that on a daily basis.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sh sure there's science involved with the lay of the land and and and like land management.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: And but besides that, what and what I do, you you you kind of learn on the fly.
• 11:48
  unknown: Yeah.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: Or from from other people that's done it all their life.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_01: No, no, no substitute for experience.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_01: That's what I'm hearing.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_01: You gotta experience it, you gotta be able to do it.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I I like it.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I've got it.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_01: Uh yeah, P stands for planning.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_01: So, what are what are your thoughts around planning?
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_00: That's very important.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you gotta start the job knowing where it's ending, or or you'll never get there.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you you you walk into to like our retain walls, you gotta know exactly where they're going, exactly how tall tall they're gonna be.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, because there's no room for guesswork.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, I love that.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you gotta plan out the jobs.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_01: I love it.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_01: I stands for inspiration.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_01: Where do you find inspiration?
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I guess that goes goes back to seven kids.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_01: I of course it does.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: I have to get this job done.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_01: No, that's cool.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_01: That's exciting.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_01: What's the age range on your kids?
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, they're from from a year and a half to 19.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_01: That's exciting.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's that's not boring.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, that's cool.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_01: Never, I love never boring.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_01: That's not boring.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's that's that's that's cool.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um C stands for commitment.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_01: What are your thoughts around commitment?
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I mean, that's that's keeping the keeping the job rolling.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: You gotta you gotta you won't get those referrals if they don't know that you're going to stick with it and get it done.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: If you've got a whole bunch of half-finished projects out there, that nobody is gonna recommend you.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: So so you you start a job, you or us specifically, we start a job, we work on it till it's done before we go start another job.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we don't have a bunch of half-fish finished products or started projects.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, that's something a little different than a lot of people that do does the same thing with us, that same thing as us, is we will work on one job till it's totally finished and before we jump to another.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_00: We none of nobody likes people starting and then pulling off and going do something else while while that job's just just sitting there.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: So so we we're committed to getting the job done.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, as soon as we start it, that's I mean, we're there till it's done.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I've never actually heard of that.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_01: I work with a lot of graders.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_01: That's interesting.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_01: That's interesting.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um so what words of advice would you offer other business owners who are looking to grow?
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: Well, we we uh again, we just try to do do the best job we can.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_00: We we uh we we we uh pr promise we're gonna do something and we do it.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: And and that right there has gotten us the most work out of anything.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, do what you say you're gonna do.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_01: And do it when you say you're gonna do it.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's a pretty good uh thing for success.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_01: So just I don't we probably probably should have dug into it a little bit on the beginning, but um what kinds of work do you do?
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_01: Just for people listening.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_00: We do we do grading and like driveway work, and we do retaining walls, we build them out of boulders or block, uh tree removal, land clearing, excavating, uh some hauling.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_00: We got a couple dump trucks.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_00: Nice.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, is it uh is it mostly residential construction, agriculture, or what?
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's mostly residential.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_01: Got it.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, got it.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's awesome.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_01: So what's the next big thing for your business and you?
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: Well, we we've got a whole lot of retaining walls lined up in the Wolflow area, and winter time shuts us down up there pretty good.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_00: So we're in we're in uh hurry up and get it done mode, trying to get everything done up there uh before wintertime sets in.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_00: So we've we've got we've got uh eight to ten retaining walls up there.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: We've got to get done before wintertime sets in, and and we're running out of time.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_01: No, I love it.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_01: I love it, I love it.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_01: So if someone is interested, it sounds like it'll be next year sometime before you could get those retaining walls or those excavation projects done or those driveways.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_01: What how would what's the best way for someone to get in touch with you, Ryan?
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_00: Uh they can they can find me on Facebook, uh Ryan Wooten grading and and retaining walls is one way they can and they can check out all my work there.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_00: I I try to post pretty consistently on on my my business page there.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_01: And they can just reach out there to if they wanted some work done or what's it absolutely yeah.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_00: So just kind of my phone number and my emails on on that.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um and that they can check out what I what I do, and and if they they like any of it, they can they can reach out to me.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_01: Perfect.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_01: No, I love that.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_01: I love that and get in touch with you.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_01: So hey, this has been fantastic.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_01: I've enjoyed hearing the story and learning about you.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_01: We appreciate what you're doing in our you know, in our Western North Carolina community.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_01: I'm sure you played a you're playing or still probably still playing a big role in the cleanup uh from Hurricane.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, certainly wish you continued success.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you very much.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, and until next time, all the best.