Page 31 - BusinessWest September 2, 2024

of processes being put in place,” she noted, from bring- ing in customer relationship management software in the spring to hiring a general manager with 15 years of experience in the field.
“I have pretty ambitious plans to grow the business,” she added. “But, most importantly, I don’t want to lose touch with our mission and our core values. We’re also always looking to hire — we’re bringing on a new sales- person in a few weeks who will specialize in siding and windows and really help build out our services in that way. So we have ambitious plans to grow, but we want to stay local and family-owned and community-focused.”
In doing so, she also wants to continue to invest in employees as one key to the company’s collective suc- cess and continuous improvement, through efforts like training programs, access to educational resources, and support for career-advancement initiatives.
Meanwhile, Sexton Roofing & Siding continues to obtain new certifications, recently becoming an IKO roofing craftsmen premier contractor, a certified Velux skylight installer, and WeatherBond certified.
Steady Slope
Sasha said it’s gratifying to work with many different types of customers.
“We work with real people solving real problems. It’s rewarding to see the transformation from what they had to what they have now,” she said, adding that another motivating factor for stepping into the world of entrepre- neurship was to set an example for their two sons.
“When we bought the business, we just wanted to show our boys that there are many paths to choose in life, and you don’t necessarily have to go the W-2 route. You can do entrepreneurship. We just wanted to show them there are many paths, and to take risks and not be
afraid of failure, because you learn so much in failure.” Tim credits Sasha for easing some of the initial
anxiety.
“When we finally decided on this business, I think
some of the fear was taken away because she had done so much homework and seen how much potential there was,” he said, adding that, like any entrepreneurial ven- ture, “it felt ... not safe, but at least it wasn’t terrifying.”
Sasha agreed. “With my background in operations, I can understand, if we make this amount of money, I can see where it’s coming from, where it’s going to, and we’ll have this amount of money at the end. Now, does it always go to plan? Not so much, but I at least have a guiding force to push us through this. So I would say it was a calculated risk. And rewarding, challenging, and stressful.”
She also gave Tim plenty of credit for getting the business off the ground — literally and figuratively.
“When we started, he was running all of our projects. He was actually out there stripping roofs with our crew. He was doing the hard work, meeting the homeowners, getting educated on exactly what goes into every single project that we have. And now that we’ve brought on a GM, we’ve been able to move Tim over into sales. And he really knows what he’s talking about now. He’s a very, very good speaker.”
Tim, for his part, has enjoyed the career change. “Our life is so different now. I mean, it’s been quite drastically changed from the corporate world to being your own boss. The difference between talking to a high-level phar- ma client versus a homeowner is just so much different, and this is more enjoyable.
“I like talking to people,” he added. “I like meeting people every single day, helping them solve their prob- lems.” BW
“Our life is so different now. I mean, it’s been quite drastically changed from the corporate world to being your own boss. The difference between talking to a high-
level pharma client versus a homeowner is just so much different, and this is more enjoyable.”
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