#95: Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners)

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:00:00]:

Why did you pick patio enclosures? Why did you select a static window? And what were the things that you looked at or touched that led you to us? And this is actually a bit of the Holy Grail in the direct to consumer business is to understand what's the source of people's interests and how do you feed that interest? And in most cases, you know, what the data will tell you is it's not any one particular thing. It wasn't I didn't go to the website? I didn't hear an ad. I don't this I I it it's typically, on average, there's 12 touch points before somebody actually will get to the point where they'll pick up the phone?

Jeffrey Stern [00:00:36]:

Let's discover the Cleveland entrepreneurial ecosystem. We are telling the stories of its entrepreneurs and those supporting them. Welcome to the Lay of the Land podcast where we are exploring what people are building in Cleveland. I am your host, Jeffrey Stern. And today, I had the pleasure of speaking with Ed Weinfertner, who is the executive chairman of Great Day Improvements and cofounder at Blue Olive Partners. Ed is an entrepreneur at heart and has been an investor, operator, and board member in a of privately held businesses over the past 40 years, developing specific expertise in direct to consumer home improvement, distribution, and manufacturing businesses. Most recently at the helm of Great Day Improvements, he's grown the company by an order of magnitude from 44,000,000 to 922,000,000 in sales In just 7 years. In the last year alone, the company grew its remodeling jobs from 9,000 the year prior to nearly 68,000 this year.

Jeffrey Stern [00:01:37]:

As one of the largest Northeast Ohio companies employing more than 2,100 people, Great Day Improvements is a vertically integrated Direct to consumer provider of home remodeling and premium building products, which includes patio enclosures, brand sunrooms and screen rooms, STANIC Brand Windows and Doors, Apex Energy Solutions Energy Efficient Windows and Doors, and Hartshorn Custom Contracting Pool Enclosures Since Ed had acquired the business in 2014, it has quadrupled in size and is now ranked as the 11th largest residential remodeling company In the whole US by Qualified Remodeler, it was recently named among the fastest growing private companies in America by Inc. Magazine And by Crain's Cleveland Business as the fastest growing privately held business in Northeast Ohio. I really enjoyed Ed's reflection on his own career and learning how he has navigated the business through the pandemic and the deluge of downstream headwinds to his business from labor shortages to inflated material costs To double down on the company's core competency and find success through it. Please enjoy my conversation with Ed Weinfertner. Looking forward today, Ed, to

Jeffrey Stern [00:02:51]:

to talking with you, really about a variety of topics, and kinda the the breadth of your your kind of professional journey and experience, you know, in in route to to Great Day Improvements where I think we'll spend, you know, a good portion of the conversation here today. I I love to just get a sense for, you know, what drew you to the world of of entrepreneurship, you know, particularly in the industries that that you have Interest and experience in from manufacturing to to electronics. You know, where where did the impetus for that actually come from?

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:03:20]:

Yeah. Well well, the first, Jeffrey, let let me just say I'm honored that you are humbled that you would even be interested in in me and my background and and all that. I grew up in a in a family of entrepreneurs. My father, when he was maybe 40 ish? He had 4 little kids at home. He quit his job and started selling at the time electrical control panel products out of the basement of our house. And so that led to there being always projects, product modifications, boxes to be packed? So when I was was little, I I I I earn a a penny a piece or whatever to do some sort of project for him to to to get things going. So I and I mean like really little like you know 10 years old kind of little and

Jeffrey Stern [00:04:13]:

so

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:04:14]:

I grew with that up with that and a lot of conversation around the dinner table about business and the challenges and everything that comes with that and and so it's not only me, I I have 2 brothers and a sister, and my brothers are they're they're entrepreneurs as well. So to this day, we've done some things together and so on, so it's born and and raised into the practice of being an entrepreneur.

Jeffrey Stern [00:04:39]:

You have kind of a breadth of of experience in serial entrepreneurship at this point? Maybe take us through some of, you know, those experiences with with Maverick, electronics and mega and, you know, just kinda working your way through through your career, where where the inspiration for those came from, how you found yourself thinking through those opportunities? What questions were you asking? How did those come to be?

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:05:04]:

Many times in a family business so my dad was an entrepreneur, right? And many times that is, well, do the do the kids get involved and you're the son of the boss and and all the dynamics are kinda weird. And or maybe the dad retires and looks over the shoulder because he still is a financial agent? And my my dad was was different in that he hit a point he was ready to retire and so I was coming out of school and basically it was the shooter that that I could help him and get up to speed so he could retire? That would that he that was it.

Jeffrey Stern [00:05:40]:

And he had a a the the business

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:05:42]:

that he started when we were kids was a small business? There was 10 people, little less than $3,000,000 in revenue, selling in in Northeastern Ohio, electrical control panel parts? Right? And, yeah, nobody grows up to say, hey. Someday, I'm gonna sell electrical control panel pieces parts, but the opportunity presented itself? He he needed help to get into retirement. And so my my 2 brothers and myself came in, and we bought the business so it wasn't that he was there looking over our shoulder, the financialist interest, we found ourselves having a small business to run And I I I don't know. I was 24 years old or something like that. I mean so so and and we sold parts that there was opportunity this was a long time ago. This was in in, you know, early 1980s and really with the advent of the printed circuit board imprinted circuit board controls and we saw opportunity to shift from the more heavy electrical control stuff to more printed circuit board control? And we were we got them involved in in some product lines that were involved in the interconnection of printed circuit boards, the wire cable, you know, kept connecting wire to board, board to board, this kind of thing and we were selling as a distributor to original equipment manufacturing companies. So our our deal was trying to get our products designed into theirs and every time they make 1 they buy buy parts from us and that was right place at right time electronics and printed circuit board control obviously kinda took off and so Tracing.

Jeffrey Stern [00:07:25]:

We went from being

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:07:26]:

a very small little business in Northeastern Ohio over the course of the next, I guess was 13, 14 years to becoming a multi regional distributor covering the Midwest and and Southeast United States. We expanded in? We had, I think, 12 locations and 250 people and 50 some 1,000,000 revenue, and so we had a very good run. And through that we also got involved in the assembly of the some of these electronic parts and cable assemblies and we we founded a a business called Maverick Electronics which makes, electronic cable assemblies which are a natural sort of associated selling product and that was all good. It was fun. It was what with my brothers. Being being in a family business, you hear horror stories and that. We were we were the success story where we got along, business was good. I think that helped.

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:08:23]:

My older brother, Carl, he was a CFO and a finance guy. My younger brother, Jim, was the sales and marketing guy. And so neither one of them wanted to do what the other was doing and I was the the one in between and was always thinking of ways to try and make the business grow and move and and and so we had a really good run. We ended up getting the proverbial offer we couldn't refuse, by a company that was in the same business. They had the East Coast and the West Coast. And so by combining with us, it made them a national company and we sold the business in 1998. So that early success then sort of propelled me on a path to having more resources to do more entrepreneurial things. So I got back involved in electronics for a little bit.

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:09:11]:

Through the course of things met up with a couple of other people here in Cleveland that were, you know, successful people your business operator, so they had some some, capital to invest and they had operating expertise and so together we formed what we called Blue Olive Partners, a not so formal group, you know, in in the private equity world we would have what they call an independent sponsor model, which is a fancy way for saying, you know, if we find an investment we'd like, we we'd work with with people that we knew to raise money to pursue it? And so that that led me on a path to get involved in a couple of different things. And then we'll fast forward to 2014, opportunity came up with, patio enclosures? And I know you're from New York, but if you grew up in Cleveland, you know, patio closures and the patio closures commercials, they were endless everybody knows the patio closer shingle, the product brand, you know, sunrooms and and porch enclosures and that been around at that time was 40 years now it's over 50 years. Because of the experience I had had a pellet with a direct consumer model, this is what that enclosure was running and the opportunity presented itself to, make an investment and and help to lead the business? I I I would say being as respectful as I can, you know, the company had lost its way a little bit in terms of its focus shifting away from just the the pet enclosures product? You know they were doing a lot of things in the backyard so it was, hey you want a sunroom and then there's a deck and then there's a patio and you want to do backyard barbecue and, you know, were cutting into your house to put the sunroom on, and that means interior or a lot you know, so they and they would say they were doing they were doing lots of things that were outside of the scope? And so I I saw opportunity to narrow the scope to what it was that the company was good at, which was sunrooms and porch enclosures, and and and they had they had the the static window product line as well. So, you know, replacing windows, sunrobes, and enclosures. So saw the opportunity there? The other piece of this is because the business is direct to consumer, and this is what I learned, you know, through the the previous experience was, you know, the the the there is an ownership of the relationship with the the customer in terms of, you know, what the the the customer sees our materials and that engages with us. And in the case for the sunroom, there's people that have, you know, that they've seen them, they'll I would love to have a sunroom, but never thought I could afford it or, you know, I've always whatever. So part of it was us engaging with them, helping to create a vision, helping to figure out if what they wanted to do with their home could be designed, could it be achieved and so on? So you you the relation starts with those kind of thoughts, and and getting people to the point where they then will contact us and have a design consultant come out and sit down with them and figure out the feasibility of a project and let them know the range of options that's there and so on and and and and then paint enclosure is also the the the manufacturer, and the the stuffs all manufacture here in in Macedonia, and the installer, and we provide service and support, the full customer experience is directly with us. There is, you know, it's a proverbial, there's no middleman.

Jeffrey Stern [00:12:47]:

Right, you've got the full vertical integration- Yes. Approach to this model.

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:12:53]:

So the good news and the bad news is there's nobody else but us? And so if something's not right, we've gotta make it right because we're it's us, we're responsible. And if it goes well, then we're responsible for that too. But one of the things that we began to do was one advantage of having direct interaction with customers and control the relationship is you can then survey people to gauge how are things going. So for example if if you invite, a patio closures person to your home, the design consultant comes in and he it will go through things and so on. You you know, with within I don't know. I think it's 48 hours, you're gonna get a survey and said, how did things go? Right? So we we do a lot of in process surveys and they have plenty of feedback to give. Sure. Good, bad, indifferent, right? And so it was, well, we boy, we we we really ought to listen to that feedback, right? And so it was a matter of instituting a lot of things to collect data, collect information, build metrics, and performance indicators, you know, KPIs on how we're doing.

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:14:08]:

And and and then driving the what, you know, what what I learned through all those years in manufacturing, you're driving for continuous improvement? Right? So we we get it back, and let's say the surveys were only, say, 80% satisfied, it's like, okay, the goal is we're not gonna be a 100% satisfied tomorrow, but the goal is to let's get to 81, you know, and then it's 82. And and so we then developed the metrics, the scoreboard if you will, and this is how we're keeping track of ourselves based upon direct unfiltered feedback from the people that we're trying to serve, and then further getting information about trying to understand how did a consumer engage with us in the 1st place? Why did you pick patio enclosures? Why did you select a static window? And what were the things that you looked at or touched that led you to us? And this is actually a bit of the holy grail in the direct consumer business is to understand what's the source of people's interests and how do you feed that interest? And in most cases, you know, what the data will tell you is it's not any one particular thing? It wasn't I didn't go to the website. I didn't hear an ad. I this it's typically, on average, there's 12 touch points before somebody actually will get to

Jeffrey Stern [00:15:27]:

the point where they'll pick up the phone?

Jeffrey Stern [00:15:29]:

Right. I imagine particularly for a purchase, a consideration of this Magnitude in in people's lives.

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:15:36]:

Yeah absolutely. So we we then started collecting data to understand that, and then it was the things that were helping people to find us, helping people to understand what we could do for them? It was like, well, these things are were bringing people to us? We need to do more of those things. This, again, this continuous improvement thing, like Right. Right.

Jeffrey Stern [00:15:57]:

Do do more of the things that work.

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:15:59]:

Yeah. Yeah. So we we we launched a really sophisticated strategy which was, you know, if we spend money in advertising or or in a certain venue And it had a lot of people indicating that that was something that mattered to them, bringing them to us was do more of that and if it didn't do that, then do less of that? But so we started building the analytics, you know, the the the the the database, if you will, for that, started collecting that over the course of time, and and what we learned was that, you're feeding the things that worked, broaden the interest in the product, and ended up with us having more satisfied customers. So we we we then thought, well, gee, we if we accelerated the investment in the business into these areas, we could get more of the same? More consumer interest, higher levels of satisfaction with those that that interact with us. And so the business started between that and and and a strike product focus, the business started to accelerate.

Jeffrey Stern [00:17:06]:

I know there's a a few layers to this, but how how do you kind of balance that intentionality on focus with some of the maybe parallel approach To to growth strategy via acquisitions, right? Yeah. How do you kind of align those those 2 to ensure that, you know, you can build a cohesion around, you know, those pieces while maintaining, a specific focus on the things you know are working?

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:17:36]:

So I I would say, Jeffrey, at that time, our our focus was very heavy on these pieces I was just rambling about? You know, it's the business model and the the customer you read Good to Great, you know, the flywheel of success. What is the fly the flywheel was reaching out in effective ways to consumers to to educate them on things that we could do that would help them improve how they live in their homes, right? And and then sort of bring them into the the process and us going through and and doing that process in a way that you left a a high percentage of people feeling very satisfied? It's construction things are messy, not everybody's a 100% satisfied, we try really hard, but you know it's always about trying to wherever that or and so it's that and understanding that business model and that, I don't know, feeding that flywheel. And the business was also developing? One of the things that I did in 2015 was recruited in a guy that I had met through the Pella network, as our CEO? And and he had worked with Pella. And in between the time that I had met him at Pella, he also, ran a good portion of the Anderson renewal business? So another direct to consumer business in the the window space. So between the the his experience and mine, we both had been operating with the top tier brands in the industry and and so he brought some additional knowledge and expertise, and so we really got things going. So to your to your question as far as acquisition in that, at that time so, you know, 2015, 16, 17, we were, more focused on, I would say, building and validating the model and refining the model, the business model? And then the the as the the story goes, once we became confident in it? We invested in it a bit more so we we we put decent amount of money in in in 17 to really drive the things that we thought we believed in. We thought that that, you know, that that that that would be effective and and that worked really well. And so then it it put us in a place where we thought, boy, we could we could start to expand the model.

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:20:04]:

Now patio closures when when I got there had 12 locations all in the sort of the Midwest, Northeast, and Mid Atlantic United States, and we sold, the stannock window products in 3 markets, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Milwaukee. And so we thought that the right strategy would be to see if we could open new locations and put the model in place and grow it? So that's what we did. So in in 19 excuse me. 2018, we opened 4 locations, all relatively close to locations we had? So in existing rough geographies so for example we went to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and we were in Baltimore and Philly, right? So we were able to support these expansion moves with locations that were nearby and we had gone we had evolved into a sort of a more regional structure, so each region was opening a new location. So we opened 4 locations, and that went phenomenal. Right? It it it exceeded all the plans and expectations that we had. And so then in 2019, I think it was we opened 9 locations. And so that was you know, we're we're starting to to excel things are starting to accelerate.

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:21:19]:

And that's then when the the topic of acquisition and going to more strategic transactions in addition to the sort of greenfield location strategy started to take

Jeffrey Stern [00:21:30]:

hold? And that comes nearing on a time where, you know, obviously over the past few years we've gone through this pandemic, but I'd love to,

Jeffrey Stern [00:21:38]:

you know, hear the the recent story of how, you know, you mentioned, you know, construction, it

Jeffrey Stern [00:21:43]:

it can be a messy business, particularly in In in light of the the labor shortages of the last few years and the simultaneous skyrocketing demand for for home improvement projects and just, you know, how how going into that, with the work you had done over the previous few years as the the company's growing, what did that look like?

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:22:06]:

You're right. Right? I mean, it's so we're we're running our our playbook. We're opening new locations. We did an acquisition of a company down in Florida that made enclosures that were more appropriate for the southern markets? So we're, you know, we're things are going good. We we're rolling into 2020 with plans to open. I think it was 15 locations and, you know, we were starting out gangbusters, then, of course, COVID hits. Like everybody in the beginning, we were shocked and and all that, but we fairly quickly realized that the the the this was not a bad thing for businesses in the home improvement says because people were home a lot. Right? Right.

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:22:48]:

So at the bit what, you know, the 1st 2, 3 weeks, 1st month or so, a lot of people pulled way back. We've pulled pulled in and then quickly realized that we need to do the opposite and we need to double down and be aggressive. And so we took the the the location expansion plan and we put plans in place. So in 20, we opened 15 locations, and we opened 21 locations in in 21. You know, the the the view was it's an entrepreneurial thing. Right? There the the market the market opportunity and and we have all these sort of metrics and we're close to the customer, we're getting feedback and the level of interest is, you know, all of the dials so to speak are indicating that we can keep go on, we can go faster. And

Jeffrey Stern [00:23:40]:

Right.

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:23:40]:

If you're an entrepreneur you run. It's like, all right, let's go.

Jeffrey Stern [00:23:44]:

How challenging of a decision was that to make In this context where everyone else is doing the exact opposite? Like knowing that this is the right opportunity To double down on?

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:23:58]:

You're gonna think I'm making this up, but it it was it was it was The decision was easy. And it was easy because we we we had the model and we had the the the the data, right? And and the data said, if we do these things, these are the the this is the kind of outcomes that we could achieve. And and it also said that and if we stop, you you know, you're then guaranteeing that your business is gonna flatline or go down? And so it was the the only decision was to double down and and sprint. And and and it approved to be the right the right call, but but I can't say it was it wasn't an in to intuition thing, it was a belief in the model and the and the the the the the analytics and the and the the the information that we had and and the systems that went what it was telling us. Right? And and and and in our one of the beautiful things about this model is, the cost structure that it everything is is is variable. And so if you're managing it right, the the expenses, and so on, varies with whatever the volume is? The volume picks up, you've now when the volume picked up and we're trying to to to to run with the the the the uptake? It gets to the the heart of the question you asked a couple minutes ago which is how did you staff and how did you manage that? And the answer to that was we ran hard and fast and fortunately we had, I'd

Jeffrey Stern [00:25:31]:

I'd I'd like to thank,

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:25:32]:

you know, culture where people understood the objectives and they had a have an ownership attitude and they're incentivized to drive for growth and and and all that. And the team, for the most part, you you you embraced the challenge and and and stepped up in it in a big way to, you know, and and it was it was the most challenging time I I've been through as a as a business operator? Because it's it's it's it's hard. I mean, all the things going but at the same time you're worried about people's health and their safety? And and you don't wanna do anything to put people into an environment or situation where it's it's puts them in in harm's way. And every individual had their own individual take on the the situation and and their views on it and and all deeply personal, but highly emotional? And so we I had to spend a lot more time listening and trying to be sensitive to what people are thinking or what they're feeling and, you know, we we we we adopted a couple of couple of strategies that have actually served us well as we got into some of the acquisitions later on here that I'm sure we'll talk about but it's you know as leaders it's the Ted Lasso, you know, the quote, you know, be be curious not judgmental. Right? So our our our mission was to just be curious, try and understand what's going on or what, right? Don't make any judgments, just be try and understand it. So it's be curious, not judgmental. It's, you know, seek to understand? Right. And it and once you understand, then good things flow from there?

Jeffrey Stern [00:27:16]:

At least I'd like to think

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:27:17]:

or or more good things than bad things. I don't know. But that that was so part of that was what carried us through. Part of it was trying just you just keep trying stuff

Jeffrey Stern [00:27:28]:

you know so on that

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:27:30]:

how do we find people how do we find good people? How do we find people that are willing to sort of step into the environment that we've got where it was fast paced, high pressure, lot, you know, a lot going on? And and, you know, and then you got the supply chain problems on top of that. So we're

Jeffrey Stern [00:27:46]:

Right.

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:27:46]:

You know, we're we're making commitments to customers we thought we could keep, and then next thing you know, you something blew up in that behind the scenes and and we our lead times are slipping out. So the communication, the challenges of communicating were just huge? I think the collective grade on on how we did with all that, I guess it would depend on who you talk to, but you know, I I kinda view it like you you you customers vote with their their dollars and that, and, you know, the business grew a ton? So the the organic business growth through that stretch with all these locations and that was was phenomenal. Even the company grew, not counting acquisitions, it grew 84% in 21, you know, the core business. Wow. It was a lot of work by by a lot of people at people that just trying to keep the right mindset, the right attitude?

Jeffrey Stern [00:28:40]:

How do you then take that kind of Exponential growth that you've experienced and charted as a company over the last few years and and kinda turn your lens towards the future where, You know, you you have to kinda manage the cyclical nature of this business. I I I don't have the numbers here, but my intuition would be that, you know, perhaps people are not, You know, gonna have that same desire or interest, like the demand necessarily for home improvement at the Scale that they were over the pandemic. So, like,

Jeffrey Stern [00:29:11]:

how how do you think about, you know, going forward, you know, where are the opportunities you're excited about,

Jeffrey Stern [00:29:17]:

and and just kind of, you know, managing those more, I don't know, macroeconomic trends.

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:29:23]:

Well, you know, Jeffrey, it's really it's fascinating. Right? So as we look at sort of the environment that we're in now, interest rates are going up. The price of a of of a home has existing home, new home, it it's gone. They're they're up at record levels. So if you're building homes or you're selling homes and and mortgage rates now are north of what, 7% that people have people have existing fixed rate loans that they locked in when the rate was, you know, 2.8%. There's a lot of people that aren't gonna be moving? Price of homes are too expensive, and they're not leaving behind their their they can't afford to redo a mortgage. Right? And and a lot of people even, you know, refinanced their mortgages and all that and locked it the low at low rates? So, you you know, the the so so the the lens is, yeah, that boy, new construction housing is is gonna be is in for a rough stretch? Okay. But there there's a different perspective here, which is a perspective that we have, which is so what that means is and by the way, you're talking about the shortage of homes that relative to the number of people that are looking for them.

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:30:38]:

Right? So what does that mean? That means it it it people that are in their homes that want more, they want more they need more they're around the home. They're working from home. They got more kids, whatever. They need more space. They want they they wanna take care of their homes. What's gonna happen? People are are are gonna continue to remodel. If anything, the the the need and desire for a remodeling is gonna increase during this stretch? And if you take that along with some of the the the other, you know, trends that COVID really accelerated, which is people spending more time in their home, a lot lot lot more people work from home, so the desire for high quality space in their home is higher? People doing stuff that connects their home to their backyard, outdoor backyard living, you know, backyard patios and and all that. And and that's a great concept except if you live in Cleveland, and it's nice to have a a room that you could set up outside by the fire pit but come inside into your sunroom and right? All that.

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:31:42]:

And the other side of it is one of the things we didn't talk about was at the end of 21 we did get aggressive. There were a couple of businesses in our space that became available for sale and the the the combination? We thought that the combination of the Petting Enclosures brand with some of these top rated window companies would be a great combination? So we partnered up with the guys from Universal Windows Direct. Until we acquired Universal Windows Direct November 21. And on the heels of that, we acquired, Champion Windows and Home Exteriors December of 21. And so that took us from a company that had 60 locations to a company that is essentially national now, the 135 locations in 77 markets? Mhmm. And and so part of that move, Jeffrey, sort of it it it it diversified our product offering. It it this time of year, people, you know, it starts to get cold and people realize, you know, I gotta do something with these windows that they're drafting, they don't pull it right, and, you know, so replacing Windows often is more of a need. So we we we we we strategically wanted a better balance of needs versus wants and and so that that is is proven to be a really

Jeffrey Stern [00:33:01]:

good move for the company.

Jeffrey Stern [00:33:02]:

So so what what it's really a fascinating story. I'd love to to maybe bookend it with some, you know, reflections that you have on, you know, the whole journey, you know, perhaps like what Through through your time and focus and kind of the the the spaces you've been operating in, you know, what has surprised you? What do people not understand about it that Maybe you would like them to. What what are some of the things you've taken with you?

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:33:28]:

You know, there's this myth that it's about the entrepreneur. Right? It's like, oh, there's this guy, Ed, and he did and the truth is it it it it it's not it's not about me at all. Right? It's about a team of people coming together with common goals and a mission and getting things done? Especially at this point, you know, I I'm like the spokesman. I I I don't install windows and build I mean, it's it's about teams and people and being respectful and showing appreciation. And so I, you know, I was I started off by saying, you know, I had this belief that what made us successful in electronics could translate to other businesses. You know, you've gotta build trust. People need to be able to believe you and what it is that you say, whether you're selling them window replacement job or you're trying to determine who you're gonna work with? Right? It's you you it's about building trust, credibility, rapport, and getting with people that are like minded and people that, you know, wanna win? And then you could define how you win and you're making sure that everybody shares in the game. It it's those kind of things I think are the fundamentals? It's all the businesses in that I've been involved with.

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:34:42]:

I mean, that's you know? And and and in those couple scenarios I described that things were bad. Mean there were the the trust components, they they they totally broken down. Right? And people worried about themselves. And So it it it it sounds trite and obvious and all that, but it's true as you look to the sort of fundamentals as to what what works and why it works? And and people can see through you know, a guy that sits in my chair, if if if they're BS or people, they pick it up right away? Right?

Jeffrey Stern [00:35:15]:

If you if you don't really live it

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:35:16]:

and you don't give a damn and you don't really care about them, people know. And so I find that the the key is you're trying to just talk to people and listen to people and I I I do. I think this mantra I was talking about before about, you know, be curious, not judgmental, and seeking to understand, and and and then finding ways to create everybody wins kind of scenarios and and communicate a lot? That's what works.

Jeffrey Stern [00:35:44]:

I think it is often the The the trite but true things that hold. Perhaps because they are so simple and and, you know, it's you gotta treat people How you would like to be treated and take care of them, and those carry a lot of weight.

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:36:00]:

Yeah. It it it's it's it's funny. I I I'm not sure where exactly I picked

Jeffrey Stern [00:36:04]:

it up along the way, but I I we we have a

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:36:07]:

thing that we put together. It's called the the the team commandments. And at this point well, it's interesting. So I I don't know where I picked them up. This was probably 25 years ago, I'd sent it out because it just sort of resonated with me. And, you know, and the things like, you know, number 1 is help each other to be right, not wrong. 2, it looked for ways to make new ideas work, not reasons they won't. Number 3, if in doubt, check it out.

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:36:32]:

Don't make negative assumptions about each other. Right, and and and help each other win, take pride in each other's victories. And I'll I'll I'll go down to the you know, last 1 is is have fun. Righted? I I it's just sort of basic stuff. But what what I noticed was I I I'd go to visit a location whenever and and and somebody would have printed out and pinned the thing up on the on their cubicle or on on the in the office or on the in in the lunchroom, you know, it's like, wow. And so this has become a staple of of of ever everywhere that I've gone and it's it's gotten enough traction at at a great day. At this point it'd be like, hey, you gotta find new ways to make the idea work? So it it you know, in some ways it's it's really, really uncomplicated but it's not simple.

Jeffrey Stern [00:37:22]:

Well, we'll close it out with the traditional closing question that I have for everyone on the show which is, really tied to to to just Cleveland and and less about, business but, for your favorite hidden gem in the city?

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:37:36]:

Oh well there there's a a, Napoleon style pizza place in Chagrin Falls, it's right on the Chagrin River overlooking the falls. It's called Italian and they have the the best pizza at at all of Cleveland. Naples, Italy style, so it's made with this the Caputo dough, so it's it's it, you know, American pizza is really cheesy and doughy and that and this is not, it's So Italian and it's your green falls.

Jeffrey Stern [00:38:06]:

Excellent. Well Ed, I really appreciate you coming on and for sharing your story and the work you're doing.

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:38:13]:

I appreciate the interest and it's been a lot of fun.

Jeffrey Stern [00:38:17]:

If folks had anything they wanted to follow-up with you about, questions, thoughts, what would be the best way for them to

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:38:25]:

So I'm pretty easy to find. You know, Weinfurtner is not a common name. So, you know, a a quick a quick Google will get you to? The links, my contact information's out there for the world to see. Awesome.

Jeffrey Stern [00:38:37]:

Well, thank you again, Ed.

Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners) [00:38:39]:

Alright, bud. Thank you.

Jeffrey Stern [00:38:42]:

That's all for this week. Thank you for listening. We'd love to hear your Thoughts on today's show. So if you have any feedback, please send over an email to jeffrey@layoftheland.fm or find us on Twitter at Podlay of the land or at sternjefe, j e f e. If you or someone you know would make a good guest for our show, please reach out as well and let us know. And if you enjoy cast. Please subscribe and leave a review on iTunes or on your preferred podcast player. Your support goes a long way to help us spread the word and continue to bring the Cleveland founders and builders we love having on the show.

Jeffrey Stern [00:39:16]:

We'll be back here next week at the same time to map more of The Land. The Lay The Land podcast