October 27, 2025 • 15 mins
Skip the tired script about success requiring a four-year degree. We sit down with Daniel and Jose Gonzalez of Preferred Flooring to explore how a hands-on trade can become a vehicle for purpose, community, and a resilient career. From weekend gigs as kids to leading complex healthcare installations, their path shows how craftsmanship, discipline, and training turn “just a job” into a calling.
We dig into what makes hospital flooring unforgiving and why that pressure builds better habits everywhere else: surface prep, adhesive science, infection control, and close coordination under strict timelines. The brothers explain how sports shaped their approach to leadership—earning your role, taking coaching, and competing with urgency—then connect that mindset to recruiting teens at career fairs. When students snap a plank together and feel the work, they see new possibilities. We also unpack the industry’s labor landscape: the pull of 1099 work, the challenge of offering benefits as a small contractor, and the long game of retention through respect, training, and clear growth paths.
Education runs through everything. Products change, specs evolve, and shortcuts fail under real-world conditions. As certifiers and instructors, Daniel and Jose champion ongoing training to prevent callbacks, protect margins, and elevate the craft. They share why they call subcontractors “partners,” how relationships drive repeat work, and where their own platform—The Huddle podcast—helps new tradespeople set up businesses, manage books, and avoid common pitfalls. If you care about skilled trades, small business realities, or the art of building something that lasts, this conversation delivers practical insights and a shot of motivation.
Listen now, then subscribe, share with a friend who needs a nudge toward the trades, and leave a review to help more people find the show. Want to connect with our guests? Check out pfmi.team for projects or careers, and find The Huddle at thehuddle.team.
If you have comments about this podcast, or ideas for future episodes, please email us at PODCAST@WALKER.CITY
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SPEAKER_00 (00:07):
Welcome to Maiden Walker, a podcast that connects
you to the people, the stories,and the ideas shaping our
community.
From local innovators toeveryday change makers, we're
diving deep into what makesWalker a great place to live,
work, and grow.
Here's your host, NicoleDiDonato.
SPEAKER_03 (00:26):
We're shining a light today on a topic that
deserves more attention, andthat is skilled trades.
For many high school students,success doesn't necessarily mean
a four-year degree.
So with me right now areBrothers of Preferred Flooring.
We have Daniel and JoseGonzalez.
It's a Walker-based companythat's not only creating success
here within the community, butalso showing high school
(00:49):
students that there'salternative ways to great
success.
Thank you both so much forjoining us.
Thank you for having us.
Yeah, thank you.
All right, so let's start at thebeginning.
How did you know or when did youknow that you wanted to get into
flooring specifically?
It's a very specific nichethere.
SPEAKER_02 (01:02):
So no one ever wants to get into flooring.
You kind of get thrown into itand then you get stuck and can
never leave.
SPEAKER_01 (01:12):
Okay.
That's really what it amountsto.
I you know, I started as atwo-week temporary and then it
kind of dragged him in.
SPEAKER_02 (01:18):
Uh yeah, I started like right after seventh or
eighth grade.
I don't even remember.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (01:24):
Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_02 (01:24):
I was like 12 years old and great.
You know, getting into it and wedidn't have much growing up, so
you got it kind of got offendfor yourself, and that's what we
did.
unknown (01:34):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (01:34):
Pull him into a hey, you wanna you want some nice
things?
All right, come and work, comework on the weekend.
Come and work when you get it.
SPEAKER_02 (01:40):
That's what it was.
I was just also helped for oneday, and they were like, oh, he
kind of works pretty good.
So it was an every summer thinguntil I graduated and then just
did full time.
SPEAKER_03 (01:48):
Yes, okay.
And you established your companyin Walker.
So grateful to have you and uhfor choosing Walker to set up
your business.
What has that been like over theyears?
SPEAKER_01 (01:56):
Uh so far it's it's it's been going pretty good.
Um, you know, we've been in thesame location uh since since we
moved to Walker and It's hard toget away from the district,
right?
So our kids are are uh Keno uhstudents and it's just the
atmosphere, the little league,the people keep us here.
SPEAKER_02 (02:17):
Being a small family business, that's what we kind of
you know are base everythingaround.
It's like, you know, let's let'sstay in the community, let's
help our community out, andyeah, and that way, you know,
when when when they see us doingit, they end up helping us out
too.
And we've done quite a fewhomes.
We it's residential is notsomething that we you know
(02:38):
advertise, but once they knowyou do it, they're like, hey, I
got a house over here you wantto come do, and it's like, yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (02:45):
Word of mouth is great.
That's the best.
Yeah, and you were touching onjust how involved you are in the
walker community, especiallywith sports, with uh, I mean,
assuming you guys grew up withbaseball, softball too.
You have a heart there as well.
SPEAKER_01 (02:55):
Yeah.
Um baseball was my first love,and we're kind of I don't want
to say we're passing it down tothe kids because we want them to
love whatever they they want tolove, right?
But they in our family, you haveto choose a sport.
Yeah, right?
You don't have to play it yourwhole life, but we have to try
to find something because uh,you know, a coachable kid
becomes a better employee, abetter employee becomes a better
(03:17):
entrepreneur, and we would justwe want to introduce our
children to the hierarchy ofsports.
Sports introduces a lot.
Um earn your earn your spot.
SPEAKER_02 (03:26):
Um we've been we've had a lot of people come through
and it's you can tell the kidsthat played sports in school
versus the ones that didn't,because they don't they don't
deal with authority the sameway, right?
Sure.
So when you put your kids in insports, especially I mean I my
son started playing baseballwhen he was like four years old.
He started travel when he wasseven, and it's just they have
(03:50):
that that different dynamic whenit's like I can they can look at
at an authority figure and belike, all right, they're telling
me what to do, not becausethey're just trying to boss me
around them, but we got thingsto get done.
SPEAKER_03 (04:01):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (04:02):
Let's face it, entrepreneurs um don't always
like the coaching they geteither.
That's why they start their ownthings.
Um and and maybe that maybe thathelps uh through sports because
hyper competitive people createopportunities.
SPEAKER_03 (04:17):
I love that connection.
That is great to bring in sportsand just how that builds
character and everything.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (04:22):
Because you you know, you started, you know,
saying about the high school,and we try and get in the career
days, you know, as early aselementary school just to show
people that you don't, it's notjust all, you know, office work
and stuff like that.
It's you can actually build apretty good career with working
with your hands.
SPEAKER_03 (04:41):
Yeah, and you we were talking off camera and you
were just mentioning what yousee in kids when they come up to
you during these youth careerfairs.
What is it that you you noticeright away from someone?
SPEAKER_02 (04:51):
Uh it's the kids that are actually like, oh, I
get to play with some of thesetools, right?
Like it's it's nothing that'sgonna hurt them or anything, but
hey, I could snap this floortogether.
I get to use a rubber mallet tomake sure that it's locked in
there.
And just the kids that actuallywant to do things with their
hands and actually like you cansee them light up.
unknown (05:13):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (05:14):
And then most people, uh children are very
hands-on, right?
Like you want to touch it, youwant, you know, don't touch the
stove, it's hot, you know.
But it's flooring, it goestogether, and some of it's
really easy, some of it's reallydifficult.
But to put it in front of um a achild and and have and watch
them discover something brandnew.
(05:35):
It's the same thing when you'rean adult, when you're when
you're in construction, whenyou're putting something
together and you accomplishthat, you are you're creating
art.
And that's what it is.
It's it's just uh another way tolook at it.
It's uh it doesn't have to beflooring, but construction is an
art form.
And some people have it, somepeople want it, some people do
not.
But there's room for everyone inthe construction industry.
SPEAKER_03 (05:57):
You can really tell the huge pride you have in your
work.
Where do you do a lot of yourprojects?
Who are your biggest clients?
Oh, that's kind of uh or whatindustry maybe do you do a lot
of that within?
I know some of the healthcare, Ithink you were mentioning.
SPEAKER_02 (06:12):
We do healthcare, and that's where we'd like to
get more back into that.
We've kind of fallen out of thatfor a little bit, and a lot of
that is price-driven, but um inyou know, in construction you
kind of get what you pay for.
And, you know, we've had the Idon't want to say privilege
because it's not a privilege tofix someone else's work, but it
(06:33):
needs to be done, right?
Because when you're working inclean rooms and surgery rooms,
things have to be done and yourinfection control is is over you
the entire time.
So, you know, hospitals is kindof what we built our name on,
and that's where um we'd like toget back to because I tell
people once you once you knowhow to do hospital work, that
translates to everything else,and you're actually a lot
(06:54):
cleaner everywhere else than ifyou don't work in hospitals at
all.
SPEAKER_03 (06:59):
That's a great point.
And those are big projects.
That's kind of you know, it'shard on your body too, and yeah,
it is.
SPEAKER_01 (07:05):
And and that's uh where the hyper competitive
comes from, right?
Like someone says, I can't doit, I don't want to do it.
It's like, oh, you only get oneshot to do that?
One chance.
I want to try it, let's do it.
Yeah.
And that's what that's whathappened.
Um but as far as the majority ofthe work, we've been fortunate
to start from a labor only andthen evolved into a full service
(07:26):
uh flooring contractor.
And um, you know, been buildingrelationships since 98.
So we get a lot of phone callsand we don't win everything.
I don't expect to, but um it'snice to to rekindle some of
those relationships that werebuilt years ago.
And you know, the gentleman whostarted as a labor laborer on a
(07:46):
project and now running crews oryou know moved up the ladder in
in the industry that they're in,and they remember us.
SPEAKER_02 (07:55):
Yeah, it's it's nice because I was just measuring a
project the other day and um itwas direct for a client and they
had you know a constructioncompany do their remodel.
And uh I was like, Oh, who youworking with?
They told me, I said, Oh, Iknow, I know them pretty well.
And then she comes back out andshe texts me, she was like,
Yeah, he said that how do youknow him?
He's one of the best in theindustry.
SPEAKER_03 (08:15):
Yeah, it is all about oh, you know, who you know
and those relationships too.
And speaking aboutrelationships, again, kind of
working with family.
I believe your sister is alsopart of the crew.
SPEAKER_02 (08:24):
Yeah, our sister, our brother-in-law, wow, people
that have been, you know, aroundour family for years.
I mean, one of the guys thatthat works for us actually we
worked with him um at adifferent company before we
started this one.
SPEAKER_03 (08:37):
A couple of them.
SPEAKER_02 (08:38):
Yeah.
A couple of the guys.
SPEAKER_03 (08:39):
And how is that working with family?
This could be a whole you knowwhat?
SPEAKER_01 (08:45):
Um the dynamic is hard at times, but you have the
same goal.
Right?
Like you, you and your yourfamily are are striving towards
the same goal.
So even if you don't agree um atin a moment, you do agree on on
the end plan.
So it's it's very comforting toknow that we're still striving,
(09:10):
taking strides to to help ourfamily get to a better place.
Um whether it's together all thetime or sometimes not seeing eye
to eye, um I guess you gottacatch us on on good weeks and
bad weeks.
Uh the good times are reallygood, the the bad times are
momentary.
SPEAKER_02 (09:26):
Yeah, day to day, minute to minute sometimes.
Sure, sure.
You just gotta you gotta knowwhen to just hold your breath
and all right.
Like I tell people, okay, we'llwe'll just do it your way.
Like we'll do it the dumbest waypossible, just to so you can
see.
Yeah, yeah.
And then sometimes, you know, itends up working out, and it's
like, oh, I guess it wasn't thatdumb after all.
SPEAKER_01 (09:46):
Amazing teaching each other.
That's the sibling thing, right?
SPEAKER_02 (09:48):
Like hands off, right?
Hands off.
I'm here to help.
SPEAKER_03 (09:55):
And switching gears kind of back to the flooring
industry.
What are some of the challengesthat you face um, you know, with
the with the that flooringindustry?
SPEAKER_02 (10:04):
I think if you look at any articles from probably
like 1990, you with the flooringindustry, they call it um the
installation crisis or the laborcrisis, right?
Sure.
We've been battling gettingpeople into the industry for
years.
Um, after the 80s, you know, youtalk to some of these old guys
(10:24):
and they're like, the 80s wereso great, I was making so much
money, and then they look at therates and they're like, I was
making the same rates that youguys are charging now back in
the 80s.
So it's just um not only labor,but getting the pricing to where
it needs to be because flooringis an industry where everyone is
not necessarily paid the rightway, right?
(10:47):
They hire us on a as a acontractor on a 1099, and then a
lot of the other people willhire someone to help them on a
1099, and then they'll hiresomeone to help them on a 1099,
and it's like a constant trickleeffect.
So it's actually um competingwith manufacturing and stuff
like that, or in justrestaurants, right?
(11:07):
Fast food even.
Um, you you start working at afast food restaurant or in on a
somewhere industrial, and youget health insurance right away,
and you get vacation, and it'slike, okay, you don't get that
kind of stuff on a 1099.
So what can we do to competewith these bigger guys, even
though we're kind of laggingbehind on the pay scale?
(11:29):
And it's it does, it takes it'sa lot of expense, but it's
something that you know wepulled the trigger on years ago
to try and pull in some of thethe talent that we have now,
even.
SPEAKER_01 (11:40):
Yeah, and it's the construction um all the way
around, right?
It's you can't get rid of the uhDBA or 1099 because it promotes
uh entrepreneurs to take thenext step.
Um and it's something like if itdidn't exist, we wouldn't be
here right now.
Um but on the other hand, it'stalent, uh retainage and then
(12:01):
also the cost of running abusiness nowadays.
If you want to um be attractiveto employees, um it gets very
tiresome to go over all thechanges and keep up with
everything.
Um because it's more money fromus that has to go back out to to
the city, the state, uh,federal.
But I understand it's for a goodcause.
(12:22):
It just makes it a little moredifficult when you're the
smaller guy on the block, butwe're figuring it out day by
day.
SPEAKER_03 (12:28):
Yeah, small business owners, you wear a lot of
different hats.
Uh, I know some of the things uhfrom uh speaking with you guys
is that continued education,very important, especially with
your trade too.
So for folks who are part ofyour uh crew, what does that
look like as far as growth andthat continued um continued
education?
SPEAKER_02 (12:45):
Yeah, we just try and tell them that, you know, um
in any industry you have to docontinued education, right?
Just look at, you know, wetalked about healthcare earlier
and you see the I know nursesand doctors and they're
constantly going to seminars andhaving to do different classes
because things change andflooring industry is the same
way.
I mean, when you take somethingout of an adhesive and put
(13:10):
something else in, that's adifferent adhesive now, right?
So it's always just um tellingthem that they need to be
proactive themselves and wantingto learn is is really the key.
Because there's too many guysout there that think I've been
doing this for 20, 30 years, Ijust gonna keep on doing it the
(13:30):
same way when you can't do that.
SPEAKER_01 (13:32):
Yeah.
And sometimes it's um it's amatter of you got lucky for 20
or 30 years.
But I think everything, uh nomatter what you choose to do in
life, requires you to continueyour education, right?
Um you mentioned fast foodearlier, and there's there's a a
scale of progression, right?
You start here at A and theywant to see you get to B, C and
(13:54):
D.
Um but you can't do that withouttaking some kind of test or or
educating yourself on what thenext steps are.
SPEAKER_02 (14:02):
And and we're you know, we're certifiers for a few
organizations too, so we try topull them over here.
It's just hard to get um them tocommit when not everyone in the
area sees the the education thesame way as we do, right?
So it's hard to fill up a classand you know we'll schedule
something and then they'll haveto cancel it.
(14:22):
So there's been a few timeswhere we're like, yeah, we'll
have the guys, you know, in hereand doing it.
And we call them the guys, butit doesn't mean the guys, I just
mean the the employees, right?
But yeah, and I'm we're we'reconstantly letting them know,
you know, if there's somethingthat you guys want to do, you
know, let us know and we'll tryand figure something out.
SPEAKER_01 (14:42):
Yeah, yeah.
If there's anything that anybodyout there wants to learn and and
they they have the requirements,we can help.
SPEAKER_02 (14:48):
Yeah.
Yeah, like uh in a couple weekshere, I'm going to Ohio to teach
a class.
And then have a meeting onMonday about going to Canada to
teach a class.
SPEAKER_03 (14:58):
So yeah, so you guys are everywhere, and and not only
just in person, but uh, youknow, really quickly, you guys
also have your own podcast.
Where can people find that andwhat kind of information is on
that?
SPEAKER_02 (15:08):
Yeah, so our podcast is called The Huddle.
Um, again, a lot we're reallysports-based, sports focused, so
everything is you know, bouncingoff of that.
And you know, the tagline forthat is forward progress, and
that's what we say is forwardprogress in your career.
And we just want to make surethat people, especially the the
(15:28):
people that are just startingout, don't have to go through
the same hurdles that we did,right?
Um, setting up business, stufflike that.
And um, we actually have awebinar series coming out that's
we're we're trying to push itfor quarter two of next year to
start it, but that's gonna beour first one is actually
setting up your business and youknow, getting your books in
(15:50):
order because there's too manypeople that don't know how to do
that.
And uh you can find us, our ourwebsite is thehuddle.team.
unknown (15:58):
Cool.
SPEAKER_03 (15:58):
All right, wonderful.
And if for folks are, you know,whether looking for um projects
or even if they're interested inexploring a career in uh
flooring, how can they get incontact with you?
SPEAKER_02 (16:08):
Yeah, we're all over all the social medias.
Um you can actually our websiteis pfmi.team.
Cool.
So you can go there and ifyou're looking for for a job or
if you you're a contractor nowand just looking for for more
work, um, at the bottom of ourpage is a couple links, you
(16:29):
know, for employment or topartner with us.
And that's what we we like tocall people our partners, right?
Because once you're once we'reworking together, we're
partnering.
You're not any lower than weare.
We're just we wouldn't have thatproject if you weren't there.
So that's that's how we look atthings.
SPEAKER_01 (16:45):
We got to build relationships and you got to use
uh everyone who's at yourdisposal to help create that
social capital.
SPEAKER_03 (16:52):
So I love your philosophies.
Thank you both so much forsharing that insight as well as
what folks can do if they areinterested in career and
flooring.
And we'll look for the Huddlepodcast as well.
So, Daniel and Jose, thank youso much.
SPEAKER_02 (17:05):
We appreciate it.
Thanks for having us on.
SPEAKER_03 (17:07):
And we appreciate you for tuning in.
SPEAKER_00 (17:09):
Thank you for joining us for this episode of
the Maiden Walker Podcast.
If you have comments orquestions about this podcast, or
if you have suggestions forfuture episodes, we'd love to
hear from you.
Please drop us an email atpodcast at walker.
Maiden Walker is the officialpodcast of the City of Walker,
Michigan.
(17:29):
You can find Maiden Walkerwherever you get your podcasts.
Welcome to Maiden Walker, a podcast that connects
you to the people, the stories,and the ideas shaping our
community.
From local innovators toeveryday change makers, we're
diving deep into what makesWalker a great place to live,
work, and grow.
Here's your host, NicoleDiDonato.
SPEAKER_03 (00:26):
We're shining a light today on a topic that
deserves more attention, andthat is skilled trades.
For many high school students,success doesn't necessarily mean
a four-year degree.
So with me right now areBrothers of Preferred Flooring.
We have Daniel and JoseGonzalez.
It's a Walker-based companythat's not only creating success
here within the community, butalso showing high school
(00:49):
students that there'salternative ways to great
success.
Thank you both so much forjoining us.
Thank you for having us.
Yeah, thank you.
All right, so let's start at thebeginning.
How did you know or when did youknow that you wanted to get into
flooring specifically?
It's a very specific nichethere.
SPEAKER_02 (01:02):
So no one ever wants to get into flooring.
You kind of get thrown into itand then you get stuck and can
never leave.
SPEAKER_01 (01:12):
Okay.
That's really what it amountsto.
I you know, I started as atwo-week temporary and then it
kind of dragged him in.
SPEAKER_02 (01:18):
Uh yeah, I started like right after seventh or
eighth grade.
I don't even remember.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (01:24):
Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_02 (01:24):
I was like 12 years old and great.
You know, getting into it and wedidn't have much growing up, so
you got it kind of got offendfor yourself, and that's what we
did.
unknown (01:34):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (01:34):
Pull him into a hey, you wanna you want some nice
things?
All right, come and work, comework on the weekend.
Come and work when you get it.
SPEAKER_02 (01:40):
That's what it was.
I was just also helped for oneday, and they were like, oh, he
kind of works pretty good.
So it was an every summer thinguntil I graduated and then just
did full time.
SPEAKER_03 (01:48):
Yes, okay.
And you established your companyin Walker.
So grateful to have you and uhfor choosing Walker to set up
your business.
What has that been like over theyears?
SPEAKER_01 (01:56):
Uh so far it's it's it's been going pretty good.
Um, you know, we've been in thesame location uh since since we
moved to Walker and It's hard toget away from the district,
right?
So our kids are are uh Keno uhstudents and it's just the
atmosphere, the little league,the people keep us here.
SPEAKER_02 (02:17):
Being a small family business, that's what we kind of
you know are base everythingaround.
It's like, you know, let's let'sstay in the community, let's
help our community out, andyeah, and that way, you know,
when when when they see us doingit, they end up helping us out
too.
And we've done quite a fewhomes.
We it's residential is notsomething that we you know
(02:38):
advertise, but once they knowyou do it, they're like, hey, I
got a house over here you wantto come do, and it's like, yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (02:45):
Word of mouth is great.
That's the best.
Yeah, and you were touching onjust how involved you are in the
walker community, especiallywith sports, with uh, I mean,
assuming you guys grew up withbaseball, softball too.
You have a heart there as well.
SPEAKER_01 (02:55):
Yeah.
Um baseball was my first love,and we're kind of I don't want
to say we're passing it down tothe kids because we want them to
love whatever they they want tolove, right?
But they in our family, you haveto choose a sport.
Yeah, right?
You don't have to play it yourwhole life, but we have to try
to find something because uh,you know, a coachable kid
becomes a better employee, abetter employee becomes a better
(03:17):
entrepreneur, and we would justwe want to introduce our
children to the hierarchy ofsports.
Sports introduces a lot.
Um earn your earn your spot.
SPEAKER_02 (03:26):
Um we've been we've had a lot of people come through
and it's you can tell the kidsthat played sports in school
versus the ones that didn't,because they don't they don't
deal with authority the sameway, right?
Sure.
So when you put your kids in insports, especially I mean I my
son started playing baseballwhen he was like four years old.
He started travel when he wasseven, and it's just they have
(03:50):
that that different dynamic whenit's like I can they can look at
at an authority figure and belike, all right, they're telling
me what to do, not becausethey're just trying to boss me
around them, but we got thingsto get done.
SPEAKER_03 (04:01):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (04:02):
Let's face it, entrepreneurs um don't always
like the coaching they geteither.
That's why they start their ownthings.
Um and and maybe that maybe thathelps uh through sports because
hyper competitive people createopportunities.
SPEAKER_03 (04:17):
I love that connection.
That is great to bring in sportsand just how that builds
character and everything.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (04:22):
Because you you know, you started, you know,
saying about the high school,and we try and get in the career
days, you know, as early aselementary school just to show
people that you don't, it's notjust all, you know, office work
and stuff like that.
It's you can actually build apretty good career with working
with your hands.
SPEAKER_03 (04:41):
Yeah, and you we were talking off camera and you
were just mentioning what yousee in kids when they come up to
you during these youth careerfairs.
What is it that you you noticeright away from someone?
SPEAKER_02 (04:51):
Uh it's the kids that are actually like, oh, I
get to play with some of thesetools, right?
Like it's it's nothing that'sgonna hurt them or anything, but
hey, I could snap this floortogether.
I get to use a rubber mallet tomake sure that it's locked in
there.
And just the kids that actuallywant to do things with their
hands and actually like you cansee them light up.
unknown (05:13):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (05:14):
And then most people, uh children are very
hands-on, right?
Like you want to touch it, youwant, you know, don't touch the
stove, it's hot, you know.
But it's flooring, it goestogether, and some of it's
really easy, some of it's reallydifficult.
But to put it in front of um a achild and and have and watch
them discover something brandnew.
(05:35):
It's the same thing when you'rean adult, when you're when
you're in construction, whenyou're putting something
together and you accomplishthat, you are you're creating
art.
And that's what it is.
It's it's just uh another way tolook at it.
It's uh it doesn't have to beflooring, but construction is an
art form.
And some people have it, somepeople want it, some people do
not.
But there's room for everyone inthe construction industry.
SPEAKER_03 (05:57):
You can really tell the huge pride you have in your
work.
Where do you do a lot of yourprojects?
Who are your biggest clients?
Oh, that's kind of uh or whatindustry maybe do you do a lot
of that within?
I know some of the healthcare, Ithink you were mentioning.
SPEAKER_02 (06:12):
We do healthcare, and that's where we'd like to
get more back into that.
We've kind of fallen out of thatfor a little bit, and a lot of
that is price-driven, but um inyou know, in construction you
kind of get what you pay for.
And, you know, we've had the Idon't want to say privilege
because it's not a privilege tofix someone else's work, but it
(06:33):
needs to be done, right?
Because when you're working inclean rooms and surgery rooms,
things have to be done and yourinfection control is is over you
the entire time.
So, you know, hospitals is kindof what we built our name on,
and that's where um we'd like toget back to because I tell
people once you once you knowhow to do hospital work, that
translates to everything else,and you're actually a lot
(06:54):
cleaner everywhere else than ifyou don't work in hospitals at
all.
SPEAKER_03 (06:59):
That's a great point.
And those are big projects.
That's kind of you know, it'shard on your body too, and yeah,
it is.
SPEAKER_01 (07:05):
And and that's uh where the hyper competitive
comes from, right?
Like someone says, I can't doit, I don't want to do it.
It's like, oh, you only get oneshot to do that?
One chance.
I want to try it, let's do it.
Yeah.
And that's what that's whathappened.
Um but as far as the majority ofthe work, we've been fortunate
to start from a labor only andthen evolved into a full service
(07:26):
uh flooring contractor.
And um, you know, been buildingrelationships since 98.
So we get a lot of phone callsand we don't win everything.
I don't expect to, but um it'snice to to rekindle some of
those relationships that werebuilt years ago.
And you know, the gentleman whostarted as a labor laborer on a
(07:46):
project and now running crews oryou know moved up the ladder in
in the industry that they're in,and they remember us.
SPEAKER_02 (07:55):
Yeah, it's it's nice because I was just measuring a
project the other day and um itwas direct for a client and they
had you know a constructioncompany do their remodel.
And uh I was like, Oh, who youworking with?
They told me, I said, Oh, Iknow, I know them pretty well.
And then she comes back out andshe texts me, she was like,
Yeah, he said that how do youknow him?
He's one of the best in theindustry.
SPEAKER_03 (08:15):
Yeah, it is all about oh, you know, who you know
and those relationships too.
And speaking aboutrelationships, again, kind of
working with family.
I believe your sister is alsopart of the crew.
SPEAKER_02 (08:24):
Yeah, our sister, our brother-in-law, wow, people
that have been, you know, aroundour family for years.
I mean, one of the guys thatthat works for us actually we
worked with him um at adifferent company before we
started this one.
SPEAKER_03 (08:37):
A couple of them.
SPEAKER_02 (08:38):
Yeah.
A couple of the guys.
SPEAKER_03 (08:39):
And how is that working with family?
This could be a whole you knowwhat?
SPEAKER_01 (08:45):
Um the dynamic is hard at times, but you have the
same goal.
Right?
Like you, you and your yourfamily are are striving towards
the same goal.
So even if you don't agree um atin a moment, you do agree on on
the end plan.
So it's it's very comforting toknow that we're still striving,
(09:10):
taking strides to to help ourfamily get to a better place.
Um whether it's together all thetime or sometimes not seeing eye
to eye, um I guess you gottacatch us on on good weeks and
bad weeks.
Uh the good times are reallygood, the the bad times are
momentary.
SPEAKER_02 (09:26):
Yeah, day to day, minute to minute sometimes.
Sure, sure.
You just gotta you gotta knowwhen to just hold your breath
and all right.
Like I tell people, okay, we'llwe'll just do it your way.
Like we'll do it the dumbest waypossible, just to so you can
see.
Yeah, yeah.
And then sometimes, you know, itends up working out, and it's
like, oh, I guess it wasn't thatdumb after all.
SPEAKER_01 (09:46):
Amazing teaching each other.
That's the sibling thing, right?
SPEAKER_02 (09:48):
Like hands off, right?
Hands off.
I'm here to help.
SPEAKER_03 (09:55):
And switching gears kind of back to the flooring
industry.
What are some of the challengesthat you face um, you know, with
the with the that flooringindustry?
SPEAKER_02 (10:04):
I think if you look at any articles from probably
like 1990, you with the flooringindustry, they call it um the
installation crisis or the laborcrisis, right?
Sure.
We've been battling gettingpeople into the industry for
years.
Um, after the 80s, you know, youtalk to some of these old guys
(10:24):
and they're like, the 80s wereso great, I was making so much
money, and then they look at therates and they're like, I was
making the same rates that youguys are charging now back in
the 80s.
So it's just um not only labor,but getting the pricing to where
it needs to be because flooringis an industry where everyone is
not necessarily paid the rightway, right?
(10:47):
They hire us on a as a acontractor on a 1099, and then a
lot of the other people willhire someone to help them on a
1099, and then they'll hiresomeone to help them on a 1099,
and it's like a constant trickleeffect.
So it's actually um competingwith manufacturing and stuff
like that, or in justrestaurants, right?
(11:07):
Fast food even.
Um, you you start working at afast food restaurant or in on a
somewhere industrial, and youget health insurance right away,
and you get vacation, and it'slike, okay, you don't get that
kind of stuff on a 1099.
So what can we do to competewith these bigger guys, even
though we're kind of laggingbehind on the pay scale?
(11:29):
And it's it does, it takes it'sa lot of expense, but it's
something that you know wepulled the trigger on years ago
to try and pull in some of thethe talent that we have now,
even.
SPEAKER_01 (11:40):
Yeah, and it's the construction um all the way
around, right?
It's you can't get rid of the uhDBA or 1099 because it promotes
uh entrepreneurs to take thenext step.
Um and it's something like if itdidn't exist, we wouldn't be
here right now.
Um but on the other hand, it'stalent, uh retainage and then
(12:01):
also the cost of running abusiness nowadays.
If you want to um be attractiveto employees, um it gets very
tiresome to go over all thechanges and keep up with
everything.
Um because it's more money fromus that has to go back out to to
the city, the state, uh,federal.
But I understand it's for a goodcause.
(12:22):
It just makes it a little moredifficult when you're the
smaller guy on the block, butwe're figuring it out day by
day.
SPEAKER_03 (12:28):
Yeah, small business owners, you wear a lot of
different hats.
Uh, I know some of the things uhfrom uh speaking with you guys
is that continued education,very important, especially with
your trade too.
So for folks who are part ofyour uh crew, what does that
look like as far as growth andthat continued um continued
education?
SPEAKER_02 (12:45):
Yeah, we just try and tell them that, you know, um
in any industry you have to docontinued education, right?
Just look at, you know, wetalked about healthcare earlier
and you see the I know nursesand doctors and they're
constantly going to seminars andhaving to do different classes
because things change andflooring industry is the same
way.
I mean, when you take somethingout of an adhesive and put
(13:10):
something else in, that's adifferent adhesive now, right?
So it's always just um tellingthem that they need to be
proactive themselves and wantingto learn is is really the key.
Because there's too many guysout there that think I've been
doing this for 20, 30 years, Ijust gonna keep on doing it the
(13:30):
same way when you can't do that.
SPEAKER_01 (13:32):
Yeah.
And sometimes it's um it's amatter of you got lucky for 20
or 30 years.
But I think everything, uh nomatter what you choose to do in
life, requires you to continueyour education, right?
Um you mentioned fast foodearlier, and there's there's a a
scale of progression, right?
You start here at A and theywant to see you get to B, C and
(13:54):
D.
Um but you can't do that withouttaking some kind of test or or
educating yourself on what thenext steps are.
SPEAKER_02 (14:02):
And and we're you know, we're certifiers for a few
organizations too, so we try topull them over here.
It's just hard to get um them tocommit when not everyone in the
area sees the the education thesame way as we do, right?
So it's hard to fill up a classand you know we'll schedule
something and then they'll haveto cancel it.
(14:22):
So there's been a few timeswhere we're like, yeah, we'll
have the guys, you know, in hereand doing it.
And we call them the guys, butit doesn't mean the guys, I just
mean the the employees, right?
But yeah, and I'm we're we'reconstantly letting them know,
you know, if there's somethingthat you guys want to do, you
know, let us know and we'll tryand figure something out.
SPEAKER_01 (14:42):
Yeah, yeah.
If there's anything that anybodyout there wants to learn and and
they they have the requirements,we can help.
SPEAKER_02 (14:48):
Yeah.
Yeah, like uh in a couple weekshere, I'm going to Ohio to teach
a class.
And then have a meeting onMonday about going to Canada to
teach a class.
SPEAKER_03 (14:58):
So yeah, so you guys are everywhere, and and not only
just in person, but uh, youknow, really quickly, you guys
also have your own podcast.
Where can people find that andwhat kind of information is on
that?
SPEAKER_02 (15:08):
Yeah, so our podcast is called The Huddle.
Um, again, a lot we're reallysports-based, sports focused, so
everything is you know, bouncingoff of that.
And you know, the tagline forthat is forward progress, and
that's what we say is forwardprogress in your career.
And we just want to make surethat people, especially the the
(15:28):
people that are just startingout, don't have to go through
the same hurdles that we did,right?
Um, setting up business, stufflike that.
And um, we actually have awebinar series coming out that's
we're we're trying to push itfor quarter two of next year to
start it, but that's gonna beour first one is actually
setting up your business and youknow, getting your books in
(15:50):
order because there's too manypeople that don't know how to do
that.
And uh you can find us, our ourwebsite is thehuddle.team.
unknown (15:58):
Cool.
SPEAKER_03 (15:58):
All right, wonderful.
And if for folks are, you know,whether looking for um projects
or even if they're interested inexploring a career in uh
flooring, how can they get incontact with you?
SPEAKER_02 (16:08):
Yeah, we're all over all the social medias.
Um you can actually our websiteis pfmi.team.
Cool.
So you can go there and ifyou're looking for for a job or
if you you're a contractor nowand just looking for for more
work, um, at the bottom of ourpage is a couple links, you
(16:29):
know, for employment or topartner with us.
And that's what we we like tocall people our partners, right?
Because once you're once we'reworking together, we're
partnering.
You're not any lower than weare.
We're just we wouldn't have thatproject if you weren't there.
So that's that's how we look atthings.
SPEAKER_01 (16:45):
We got to build relationships and you got to use
uh everyone who's at yourdisposal to help create that
social capital.
SPEAKER_03 (16:52):
So I love your philosophies.
Thank you both so much forsharing that insight as well as
what folks can do if they areinterested in career and
flooring.
And we'll look for the Huddlepodcast as well.
So, Daniel and Jose, thank youso much.
SPEAKER_02 (17:05):
We appreciate it.
Thanks for having us on.
SPEAKER_03 (17:07):
And we appreciate you for tuning in.
SPEAKER_00 (17:09):
Thank you for joining us for this episode of
the Maiden Walker Podcast.
If you have comments orquestions about this podcast, or
if you have suggestions forfuture episodes, we'd love to
hear from you.
Please drop us an email atpodcast at walker.
Maiden Walker is the officialpodcast of the City of Walker,
Michigan.
(17:29):
You can find Maiden Walkerwherever you get your podcasts.
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