welcome to the extra this is your host Tony XU to be able to be talkin about a subject that is a family business has worked in my own family business since the age of five that may or may not have been okay but you know what I was grazed Chinese on the Chinese parents and that's just the way they did and today I have with me a special guest to be interviewed can you please introduce yourself. My wife and I own a commercial roofing company that we established we've been doing this for about 30 plus years
it match your panties company
the second company of the Tea open at about 14 years ago and we've been working together all the time and this is a family business absolutely family involved in your business right now my wife is a Brains Brains and that we make a great team and
we have also a Tucson's working with us and I'm very thankful for that because I just give you the sense of safety that is needed where is needed
when is David and so why is it that you chose to make this to happen to involve your son's in the business a compared to them trying to seek employment elsewhere
well they they've developed than themselves they grew up in the business or they learned the business of they were growing up and one is a nuclear engineer and the other one it's a Psychology major so they can learn everything in there seems there been growing since kids and they see what we do my wife and I so it was easier for them in the natural process of getting into the business thank God because he make things easier for for everybody spacer for my wife and I name your business USA Inc
great and you what what layer is the primary so do you do to strictly Commercial Roofing or do you do anything else series pretty much something almost non-private I say so can you tell us a little bit more about the both of us at your son's play with in the family business sure my wife is by President and my son the eldest one he is the Director of Finance in a world that has to do with finance and the youngest one he's also in the whole accounting
page of bowls and receivables and also putting the bits together a lot of paperwork nowadays that involves to to beat a job that's all we do beat drops and since his government's they require a lot of paperwork and a lot of computers have it and that's what they're both of them are very good so it takes what are used to take me of complete day or two days to put something together they can do it in 30 minutes
wow that's definitely a huge Improvement Association it makes life a lot easier
I said so looking at what the future of the roofing industry is how have you been to that thing to do what kind of trans have you been seeing and how have you been adapting the latest texted the technology in the liver to process while you visit dates will the tree has made a lot about energy-related on Roofing before it was a lot of our bill Cobb roof Bravo surfaces
a black surfaces with the some EPDM the roads are black and nowadays is a lot of about Energy savings so a lot of the rules now are trending to go into the White
surface if it's a modified and at least would be any you start if it is used to keep you out with PVCs then they're Wild by nature and now their energy starts so that where they have the reflective material that is needed to be rated as an energy start as well as insulation down before nobody thought about it but nowadays the summer minimum rating coefficient that is needed or requested by the series to be able to meet those as well as our programs government programs that help schools when they meet a certain minimum R-value of insulation and they get some funds back
I see that's like I kind of like a cost-savings approach absolutely that sounds great so let's go into the family business that's that's the topic of the day working together as a family affected your business
well it doesn't affect it helps working with my wife communicated with her we work together we make the decisions together and working with with the kids it just like all the kids were there 30 plus years it's
it's just a unique environment that helps in the work needs to be done
and they get it done and they're so quick that sometimes something that it took for me you know long long time they do it in the day so it's just a very unique is the environment Dynamic that it works and he has work for years and and floss the safety that the well at the end you're not going to have anything stolen money wise you're not going to have anyting surprisingly disappear from your bank account and since they're in the modern days they learned they were they were born with that and then they must have rice it so everything is computer control to the point that
baby everybody directly from the bank and they have all the information available in a click of a button and it's it's the really helps a lot
I say so one of the big really selling points of having a family of balls that trust because they mean they're your family so that you really trust them more than you would just somebody that you would employ especially when it comes to anything finance-related absolutely
understood looking at that and how do you balance
the professional side with walking in the walking in the business along with the family Dynamics
because I think a lot of a lot of people who have family who have experience in fact has an ID and well speak for my personal experience with that is that it's can sometimes be pretty difficult to draw that battery between your work life and your personal life family life especially when they all happen to be the same people
will my wife did in a decent that we work together as a team it'll Kate which will know that their 90% 95% of the work and I gave her credit for educating our sons all of them out of the three of them you know fantastic family-orientated put in the values cheap with values from them since they were little
the family values law of the trust the respect for each other and respect for the work and and the respect for nothing take anything that is not yours so we go to Old Landing hand it's just fantastic it really is because they
MIA says as the head of the family / say truly I give the credit to her because she has to get a fantastic job and continue to do a fantastic job at Family wise as well as in the business because she's just truly truly gifted and I cannot be more blessed than that
that's left that's definitely amazing I mean definitely have going up a strong family values helps out the business
so looking at that how do you how do you manage how do you manage how how does this impact the know the person of relationships that you have with your family with your son's if your son's when you're working together a lot of people out there who haven't looked in it that business before they you know they go to work and then they come home and he spend the people that they see it wasn't people that come at then they come home to two different sets of people on family business
value as so what what how do you how do you separate out that family relationship with the business relationship respecting the time
you know when when we're together as a family over the weekends we don't talk about work
very very minimum very minimum or Sarah I don't like to bring it up it's a process of learning more from me than from them because they're the new generation of the older generation in yes I grew up with my dad mom and house on the time of the business which was farming with a hard work
very it was a very difficult process growing up in that environment and the way that my mom was and both of them anyway so learning my wife teach me a lot to separate the business from the family and that has to be beginning from me respecting the time of them so when we're family we get together as a family it's a family reunions
and not be talking about business while we do a family reunions that has to wait until the time of the work it someplace and so when you were growing up you well in the family business if you own it sounds like you're what you worked on a farm and possibly your family's Farm where you were going up that way of life respecting if he reigns does rain so you can Farm or the cattle business it was it was it was different they were stopped on since I was a kid well I'm about 12 13 years old
on June and July the time of Education to school vacation we all of us will be which were one year apart anyway but all of us will be sending either to a ranch to stay there the two months or to a family portion of the family business like warehouses where will buy and sell corn or Milo or things of that nature and not it was we were pretty much leaving in the office for 2 months
that was my case and I enjoyed it but it was a tough tough tough tough he was pretty much 24-hour open Warehouse receiving and in embarking in Milo and nobody else but me cool cool enter a truck or let a truck go out so it what's it worth
it teaches you something yeah hardship it is always a silver lining to something to hardship and the lessons you get from them and sometimes with the effort at least you get something out of a bad situation so what was it like so going up what was it like talking what was it like working in the house should I say when you when you were going up how old are the walking in that family business altogether affect your family Dynamics
like how your family treat each other do they have that separation when you were going up or was it all just kind of in a mingle with each other my with my Dad or Mom and my brothers who was not like
like we're doing it today we were kids
this is a little somehow more respectful for their time and their head when they do as well where the money that was not my case do I was judge of what I would do that this case I is the opposite of what they have their freedoms nowadays course with my son is so we respect I respect what they do with their time and their and their money because that's that's where they need to be done in and held them when it's needed to the dump so having grown up with that kind of family business that sounds like you didn't like it whole lot like if there was some pretty mix many mixed feelings about growing up in that family business environment so what kind of gave you the
what what gave you the drive to try to do this again with your own family
I have the D in the advantage that I have my wife and she's pure heart but also choose wisdom is very very intelligent and cheese really teaches me through the years to to do what I'm saying now respecting our son's daughter to do what they want to do and give them that freedom it was a process because that's how he grew up just doing the family relationship. Now I understand that it was not the best for my kcse teaching me a lot of stuff good and bad so it teaches me why we can't be do and what cannot be done so it when I was growing up I didn't see
that mechanic of things that were happening until later in life I say so your wife the insights that she was able to provide as well as being the co-founder of this company with you knowing knowing with her going with her support her insights you felt comfortable making the the culture of this family business separate from the culture that you had before that's why you were so that's why you were willing to go ahead and give it another shot absolutely cheat I mean if I were if I were not to have her I would press probably not have this company
in the not do what I do now and see the things that I see now that it has to be the respect respect for the family respect for the time respect for what they do with their things should not be judging them and then bracing them that's what it needs to happen but I am honored I am fortunate to really really have her guide me and correct me on my mistakes how grew up in some items and in and fix them and then see you in a different way so please mechanic now
hope this company can work got to be the respect it sounds like it took some time for you to finally developed this a good healthy meal family business to personal personal life boundary what kind of challenges do you experience on the way to achieving this could vouch you have now it was really me
do the that you were salt challenge is and all and all areas but it was really me because growing up in Mexico and with the family top business and I would have different
we're doing things it was normal for me if I can do Tuesdays but it is there were things to do than have to have to change
and now
I'm really thankful for her abilities saw me to teaches me I'm sorry so I saw the the things that was wrong but it took me awhile I wish I had done it sooner and listen to her shoulder because it would it create
I'm so stubborn so it took me awhile really to to listen and to be thankful for the fantastic and great ideas and how great of a team to use a team player she's just don't tell me she is the team player and it took me awhile so I really I really wish I had listened sooner years years back so I would have saved a lot of pain into the
mechanism how did things work in which now I see
but and you you grew up in the in the Mexican cultural in a cultural milieu a Mexican cultural attitudes correct right and in Mexico family family structure is a very
a much more rigid than they are here and then they all for the standard American here in the US has a strict hierarchy of like parent respect your elders and those and those are more powerful in a sense than they are huge in the oil in the USA
well I'm going to say that but I believe that they also have it here also and great value within families in the US as well if I have different related to have met a beautiful people that they their family they work they they have a lot of values in them so I think they can both sides of the river
I agree that's definitely strong good family values on both sides of the river by the question that I'm leaving up to you is considering the fact that structure the family structure in Spanish I grew up with which I understand is fairly similar to like the Mexican have structures that the the older generation is the one to be respected and it goes up to age and that young and goes the younger respect the older and so on and so forth and so how do you feel like that so that of cultural perspective has influenced the way that you meant to influence the way to your family has made decisions about the business
well
the decisions in the business
has always and in more after I really learn to respect the family those decisions has be always was the best for the family number one and number two has to be of course great for the business but if he's going to affect your family then you have to to
think about it talk to your family before you make that decision so communication with them because of the end it is a family business and it brings peace if you say this is a decision that we all need to make together that we want to get into this portion of work that we want to buy this the way we want to sell this the one to make tea change that he's going to fix it this way I believe so all of us are on the same page and we'll make and he makes it easier for me to make a decision at the same time but if it helps all being on the on the boat together because at the end we are and as a family business will we my wife and I wish that our sons all three can benefit from it as well not just my wife and I this is a hole
family that we all can benefit from it and and make a living make people happy be professional and and have a happy owners that we work with that respect everybody but that's he has
it's not just one person making all the decisions know it really makes even for me it's make it easier when I talked to them this is going to happen that we want to get into it or not and sometimes I say no and I bet I don't because it's just it's just easier it makes you makes things easier for me when all of us are on the same page rather than just me making a decision because I'm the eldest one or or something like that you know it's it's it's important to communicate to to let them know that way we all make a decision
that's that sounds that sounds fantastic I just to clarify for you listen to he does have free kids but two only two of them are his sons and he has one daughter who is and not involve the business correct SNES daughter happens to be my wife also co-hosts.
it sounds to me like you've really is sounds to me like looking at having value business and some there's a lot of strength involved with the trust and the nature of looking closer as a family but it sounds like I'm also hearing of couple of few limitations because any food business any business decision will end up affecting the whole family in the not just do Family Life Doll stuff that professional life and so you will have to strike that strike a careful balance and make sure that everyone's to get taken the consideration respect respect respect them because of the end we have this business my wife and I would like to pass it to them healthy business and it's more than involved it's easier for them rather than just making two seasons with nobody knows
they need to know and be part of it
give beginning with my wife because we work together and then from then leave the kids not calling the kids with their dolls everybody so it's it's it's just benefits Everett
no it's out that sounds that sounds great I mean that's it sounds like a truly wonderful wonderful way that you have your business fun and that's fantastic
I said considering that you said that's the way that they cool the way that they grew up with like good strong values as we could swing by if you got to your wife how do you think your family's history and the values of influence the way they want your business and how you approach your clientele
okay when you said my family meaning my family here this one that I have now versus the one that I grew up fast is the one that you grew up in but if you want to talk about that I think a great I think that would be a great point of comparison the old family in Mexico who basically may make me a workaholic
because that's all we did seven days a week I work
once once I finish my career in the college mechanical electrical engineer then I work in the farm which I was doing it before anyway and then continue on that and I did work for a while at the chemical plant
wish they didn't pay good so I went back into the family business because they were not really
paint good is we like to a certain extent game that job at a chemical plant sounded like you wanted to get out of your family business
no not really when I finish I am I got an offer because they're always looking for four people those places they went to colleges in and find people in in make me an offer it's okay please give it a try so I did and they happen to be in my in my where I was born this give me coplan Dupont which is a big big girl American Plant upon his huge yes and a floor that's the name of my two point and they have a similar or identical plants in the u.s. which I came
to see those plants in US
and the difference was that in Mexico it was five hundred of us in the same plant in u.s. with 20 people but that's back on the family business and business side of it so how do you think that you know the way that you do your history with your own family as well as the history and values that you have with your new with your family now because that way with your wife and your sons and your thought of how do you think Dad's influence the way that you've done that you've LED this current family businesses roofing company and have that's how you approach a client tell the what I learned from the old one what I kept from the old one is really the only workaholic workaholic ethic
what I learned from this one and it took me awhile but if I cuz I finally dated these really with making a team with my wife and listening to her
that controls control myself to behave and respect everybody
so I will not be making decisions that I will impact their lives but in a good way so with that in mind is to really communicate better with them and in ask for their inputs and things so that's what really I am now that there is someone has a family business
they need to respect everybody respect their time respect your opinions do not make a decision
that is going to affect their lives without first involving them in that position so it's not your decision is everybody this is
no money is worth losing your family
I agree
looking at that I mean when you when when the company first started your sons were involved at the beginning is that correct but I think we're growing up there start kicking in I'm in at the age of Alsace 1819 when he the first the eldest one when he came in college chapter a year before stepping into the business he was doing College as well as he was working in the company and he paid himself to college and how long ago was that
oh man that sucks about 13 years ago 13 years ago so what kind of influence in the business as a result of as a result of your son's doing it like the fresh perspectives that they able to bring his part of the newest generation of a sides from what you've talked about early about making some some passive more efficient just thinking of the paperwork that goes from reports on payroll reports payments to the IRS and everything on the legal portion of it it's fantastic because they do everything to be a computer and the reports the generator out of Matic so it's a lot lot easier than the old-fashioned way of making writing handshakes manage the checks making it by hand and deducting everything has to be the doctor say was you're so thankful so now
it's seamless they make it look easy but it took me a lot to to accomplish you know 15 16 years ago 20 years ago so they really make things look easy when they're not
I was at whether the fresh perspective of how else do you think that impacted the business is doing it a lot easier and having a better quality of life
on the personal side as well as well as any professional be able to make better reports for the owners better-looking reports more professional so all of that it's just helped a lot it sounds like they're mostly involved in the administration can you show me stories about how do you fat how about how working together as a family has helped you overcome look different business decision of business different business situations for example when when when you get a job you have to turn into something else
so the architect when you meet a job you mean you mean what what can you clarify what you mean by job
and now you're the you're the successful bidder so you got to turn in a lot of paperwork that goes through the beating and then after the beating and that's cool once they say okay you are the successful bidder you're going to turn in submittals so they they is requirement and so they know what materials were manufactured you're bringing into the project and they have to prove it so I'll before I used to swim later just copies
and black and white and they just look simple but nowadays they do everything in the computer professional with a cover letter that has the emblem of the school district so they look at with index and they just look very more professional
very professional that's then they are going to like it and they know me from twenty-five years ago those hard to date so they see and they may become as meant this looks a lot better than where you used to get so this is a big Improvement so it's looking more and more professional just just make an example from picking them submittal case as governments of governments are districts like a prep school district of Sealy questing that they need some kind of project done though we pay for the roof done and you'll see and that's where your phone to when you're saying that you're submitting in a bit that's a bit in the bed but after you get the babe that's that's a lot of paperwork that which they make it a lot easier
because I'm not a computer sound right now it's just the basics but they they they really know how to play for say it with the world that in that it looks a lot more professional and now days after the corona even better because everything out nobody wants to touch papers anymore they want an electronic form it so they prefer fantastic reports very professional very good and he's just better presentation for the company as well
that sounds great it sounds like they really made an impact so how has how has running the family business have you noticed any changes to the relationship that you have with your family with your son's of your wife when that family business together
any changes
well like I said it's it make things easier so we can get more time free
cool things can be done faster better
in this business either you you got to be faster you going to be professional you got to be able to produce the information that they needed paperwork
what's required
I'm going to taste 30 40% of the work doing the job is hard because it's a physical job at the at the building at the roof to remove the old roof and put the new one but the the the paperwork is a lot of work and it takes a lot of effort to put everything together so they make it look easy if they do it faster better easier
in that so he just helped to have more time in in free where we can all be together and enjoy the family it doesn't make any sense just working working hard hard hard hard 7 days a week when you don't that's that's no good idea you got to respect the workers time as well so they can have free time as well as a family
so looking at that how do you think
but let me rephrase this
you've talked a lot about how maintaining that healthy boundary of when work is done when the hours are over we stop talking with work and we treat each other like a family again this is a regular family as if not as as if the work wasn't existing almost
Dodge Dakota V8 use
do you struggle with maintaining that battery now especially especially I don't look too much about the roofing business pacifically but I imagine that sometimes and maybe emergencies that we require some after-hours work
so if you struggle with maintaining that the maintaining the battery now there's of the moments when it's it's 10 moments when business needs to come so pressing that you feel at the need to the cross that boundary sometimes where the emergency of course there's some other people that work for the company and that's our job
so they're the first the first one that they the architect or the owners will call and they take care of it and then again I do my best to do not bring that into the family reunions because the dynamic will change in that family reunions so it may be one that has to say or make the decision in my head I'm not going to bring this up because I sent a text to someone in the company that is going to take care of this so I'm not going to bring it up because she's been taking care of penny weigh
has it ever been a situation where you feel like you really had to struggle with with maintain that Valerie
it's easy for me but if I keep hitting me then the rest of the family don't have to know
until the time is right
so but once I'm learning better and better every day 2
control that and I don't bring it up in a moment that is going to change that that family reunions is no it's not worth it so he'll officially be spin taken care of then
I think I can handle myself better now
in in the
don't change that Dynamic family Dynamic but I mean in a family it's not just it's not just you anymore so I'm curious if this is something that you do you think of the suffering that your son's have struggled with before maintaining this kind of battery cuz they have their own ways and it sounds like they have their own responsibilities with responsibilities and you give them a lot of leeway in deciding how to uniform different business functions so is the times when they have struggled with maintaining that remain Tain that found in the workplace open to them teachers for them because they call who they need to call and don't bring it up if that's easier for them me because I'm an old fashioned way
but that for them it's a lot easier to to do that and keep the family reunions a family reunions
I say so you really look at this you really look at this is all as a top-down approach it's all coming from you and you're the one who sets the mood for how for how different family use a how the company culture looks out
well I don't I don't want to be the one that said in the mouth for the family reunions I think it's more my wife has a heart with a family Unity someplace to keep that a beautiful family reunions another brother to change that I will not be the one change it that I must ferric for Union to keep it in that so I don't set the pace I want to want to be in the family unit enjoy it and they if they receive a phone call they receive a text my songs that will make the decisions I need to make the decision for them then that way we used to be for me
like what you feel a sense of responsibility
it's that sounds like you feel a sense of responsibility but keeping that to yourself and to maintain and to manage it yourself so it doesn't affect the rest of the family.
Is that a horse for you sweetheart
I definitely the way you grew up it sounds like it's a huge change from what you what what you were used to have one how long will you when was the time that you left you your your family visit the first was when you were growing up as a kid I was 24 years old or 25 when I start doing this roofing business in so but those twenty-five years when you're growing release talking to you because that's how you grew up it said your pays your mode your patients he sets everything so but when when you're married
you have to listen to your wife that's the best thing I can say listen to your wife's because they're so intelligent way more than us men and respect in this sooner as you listen to that the happier you going to be both of you and also the better is going to be in your business without a
that sounds that sounds
like a definite that sounds like you've definitely made a lot of great you've definitely had a full as yourself for a lot of personal growth in order to make this family business successful in any better yes
how did it feel when you were going through that kind of change because you've lived that way at that point you have been living you you've been living like that but it sounds like more or less your entire life and suddenly have to make this change do you struggle with making that change still sorry for the people that I offended in that process
it's the struggle during that struggle time which it is trouble I offended some people I hurt some people
and that
that I'm sorry for that I really am because it's it shouldn't be but it was me more the person that I have to adopt change respect and it took me a while to do that I wish I have done this 30 plus years ago
it sounds like you really put this all this on you all this on yourself on your own shoulders because I hurt I know I heard people in the process now I'm saying what I do that doesn't mean that I did 30 plus years I wish I had on it and make the decision family decisions and do the family first cuz you put your family first You're Going To Succeed In Business Without a doubt if you want to only Associated business dragging your family through
you have it doesn't help it really doesn't help
looking at that how do you plan for the future of the business what's your future plan about this
are you getting close to your getting close to a retirement age are you planning on retiring anytime soon
you may be okay is that what I see in the future it's like to continue parallel space so the kids no longer kids can keep working making a living and I don't plan to the things for all my life absolutely not they will be a time but I'm going to tell him okay guys I'm going to I'm going to keep traveling making trips see you in a month I'll see you in two months I've behaved the good you know what to do when you've been doing it for years so I'll see you guys at so how you planning on maginn to transition to that stage because honestly now this you with your handling a lot of responsibilities with a business for yourself and which I imagine
a lot of that is stuff that they may not necessarily they may not necessarily know all of it or they may not necessarily been trained to it to level that you feel comfortable with how you planning to majan that kind of transition from now until that point that you hit well see you later I'll see you in two months it's been doing it now and they're been doing it that's why I'm being passing to them more and more and more every time every week a little more every time so they'll be a point where I kind of feel that I won't be necessary which is what I will be the point where I'll tell guys see you is Teresa is is broaching soon may be in 5 years
do you how do you think that you'll know when that moment has happened that you feel that
there that you're capable of handling of passing on this business which is something that's taken up so much of your life it's something that something that you're very proud of having built up this business
how do you know when it's ready to make that Trenton to hand them the reins and say
this is your job now
I'm going to find that out when the moment comes but it's it's it's just basically went when they start doing that the entire process from 0 feet weren't going to the free beds putting to be together
getting the job doing all the paperwork after the contract is in place running the guys and closing the job that's pretty much a full circle so when that's happening
and they and they continue doing it like that then it's moment to say okay guys I'm going to disappear for a month or two months
that's it she's coming this, everything looks okay nothing that you keep manual keep living out your life, do you want to live out your life so they're doing fantastic awesome that sounds good you so much for coming on interviewing here are the X show last question do you have any other advice that you would give to someone Stein's it who families who are considering starting a business together a Pap someone who's in your situation and wants to and the sons or their daughters want to join that big thank you what you're calling it a family business so by that
the it means a family business yes he has to be one person making the decision that's the decision to the public but really that decision has to be made with the family involved so I mean to the architect go to the owner he only the face that I've person is making that decision but really he's all the people behind him and talked with him that matters and do not get up get or make a decision that is going to hurt your family is not worth it for all the money in the world is not worth it
because if you're going to make the decisions that he's going to affect your family Dynamics to lower your family then why are you having a family business to hurt your family don't do it
are you sure it's together how everybody on the same boat everybody push it on the same direction respect thank you wife make it team with her make it part of it as sooner as better
and it will go fantastic
that's what that's that's beautiful that's beautiful I really appreciate you coming on just one last question that just occurred to me in my head
when you when you when your kids were growing up did you expect them to be a part of the business at some point or were you expecting this to always be something else more you and your wife's project no one that was hoping that they will step in
I really was when they were kids I was hoping that they will step in and and getting in and and it worked like they doing now and more and more every time I was hoping and I'm glad that they did
but as you know your daughter my wife right did the end up following your footsteps did end up following that those footsteps and now she's got it all now she's got her own private practice in therapy how did you feel about how did you feel about the fact that you sounds like you were hoping that she would join in but ultimately she chose against it how do you feel about that against it's just it's everybody has
and What needs to open their wings in the direction that they want to do it and we are my wife and I and I'm going to give more credit to my wife because she used more in the
helping them to embrace their own future 20 so as you will know so we are as parents we do it happily
as you will know to to help her or daughter or son to do something that you want to do aside from the business family business not no problem to the contrary the business is going to help that song or daughter to accomplish what they want because they're part departed family and the family owns a business fantastic it is to help each and every one of the members
can I have said it could have said it better myself well thank you so much for coming out here mr. Galvan really appreciate really appreciate your time thanks for listening and we'll see you next time on the X show but curiosity meets insights about the world