December 19, 2025 • 56 mins
A massive heart attack at 2 a.m., a choice to stay, and a vow to be useful—John Stewart Hill turned a brush with death into a movement that protects homeowners and celebrates great tradespeople. I sat down with John, founder and chief ambassador of The Good Contractors List, to unpack how a third-party guarantee and serious vetting can transform an anxious, two-way agreement into a safer, more respectful partnership.
John walks us through the early days—selling coupons, carrying a yellow legal pad, and pitching a radical promise: we’ll separate the good from the bad, and if the job goes wrong, we’ll pay up to $25,000 to make it right. That pledge forced rigor: FBI-level background checks, pattern-spotting across business entities, and zero tolerance for rudeness or bait-and-switch tactics. We get real about why “buck in a truck” shops often lack resources to fix issues, how mega contractors can over-incentivize upsells, and why the competency-rich middle is where value, safety, and honesty meet.
What makes this model stick is community. Contractors refer fellow pros they trust, hold each other accountable, and create local “safe contractor communities” that homeowners return to for roofing, plumbing, HVAC, and beyond. The result is collective authority: a network built on behavior, not hype, where the guarantee and mediation keep projects on track when delays or surprises appear. In a post-COVID, AI-noise world, verifiable action beats loud claims—and this platform’s small out-of-pocket history across billions in backed work speaks for itself.
If you’re a homeowner who wants peace of mind or a contractor who runs on integrity, this conversation shows how to raise the bar and rebuild trust where it matters most: at home. Explore the network, refer a contractor, or join the community at thegoodcontractorslist.com. Enjoyed the story? Follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review to help more people find trustworthy help.
Thanks for listening. Please check out our website at www.forsauk.com to hear great conversations on topics that need to be talked about. In these times of intense polarization we all need to find time to expand our Frame of Reference.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_02 (00:00):
Well, welcome everyone to another edition of
Frame of Reference Profiles andLiter Leadership.
I'm your host, Raul Rush, and uhI have with me across the screen
from me one of these days I'mgonna get to do this live with
people, you know.
We'll just call them, say, yeah,I'll fly you in at 2 p.m.
and we'll talk for an hour, thenI'll fly you back to wherever
you want to go.
That would be wonderful to havethat kind of funding, wouldn't
(00:22):
it?
So but uh my guest today issomeone that I, you know, I've
just been rocking with these uhguests lately of people that are
fascinating to talk to, and I amfascinated to have the
opportunity to introduce you tothem if you don't know them
already.
And if you do know them, well,then you're gonna be more
excited to hear more about them,right?
So, and today's guest is uhnothing short of that and more.
(00:44):
John Stewart Hill is across thescreen from me.
And uh, John is the uh founderand chief ambassador for a
company called Good Contractors,um, the Good Contractors List.
And I'm gonna let him tell youmore about it in a bit.
But um, John, welcome to theshow.
Thank you so much for joiningme.
Um it's really a pleasure tohave you here.
(01:05):
Thank you so much.
An honor to be here.
So, John, I'm I'm gonna startwith our our uh infamous uh my
favorite things um portion ofthe show.
We like to uh go through andjust kind of do a Rorschachtian
kind of thing where I saysomething and ask you what it
is, what your favorite thing is,and you blurt out with the first
(01:26):
thing that comes to your mind.
So if you blurred out the wrongthing, sorry.
Uh if you blurred out goodthings, great.
If you blurred out a thing thatyou wish you could retract, eh,
that's okay.
SPEAKER_00 (01:37):
Do I have to be on the show now?
I'm getting ready to do it.
SPEAKER_02 (01:41):
Right.
What's your favorite podcastever?
Yeah, ding, ding, ding.
He wins telling what he's onetime I'm part of.
So, okay.
Well, here we go.
We're gonna start really easywith something that's pretty
benign, right?
Your favorite color.
Black.
Black reason I really likeblack.
Really?
You're a basic black kind ofguy, huh?
SPEAKER_00 (02:01):
I am a black and white guy.
SPEAKER_02 (02:02):
Well, well, you know, that there's lots of room
for that in today's world, Ithink, actually.
Um I'm uh thankfully not wearinggray.
I'm but I'm kind of a colorfulguy.
You can probably tell that frommy flannel shirt here in
Wisconsin.
How about a favorite place to gowhen you need to de-stress?
SPEAKER_00 (02:21):
Outside.
I mean, I I live on a 25-acreranch, so I like to walk out and
I'll just walk out with myhorses and just love on those
guys.
And man, uh for some reason,horses just it, they they just
take all that angst out of you.
Sure.
So that's why I really myfavorite thing is really just to
walk outside my door and go uhout there with my animals.
SPEAKER_02 (02:41):
Boy.
Isn't that you know, and horses?
I I've not had horses in mylife, and I've been around them
somewhat, but um, you know, Iwatch a lot of videos of uh dogs
and horses and cats and stuff.
And horses, uh, you know, I'veknown people that are huge horse
lovers.
I mean, they raise horses,they've, you know, have loved
horses since they were little,um, and you have that special
(03:02):
dynamic relationship that Ithink people only have with
horses.
So dogs are similar, but a horseis a kind of a different thing
altogether.
Um, and then I watch thesevideos of like horses with dogs
and horses with their people andeven mules with their people.
And it's uh it's reallyfascinating to me how that bond
is really strong.
Um, and the our our two specieshave learned to just depend on
(03:27):
each other so much.
Um, it's really kind of cool,cool thing.
SPEAKER_00 (03:30):
It's awesome.
Yeah, I have a couple ofminiature donkeys as well.
I like to play around with theirnames are Bubba and Forest, Jump
Brothers there.
SPEAKER_02 (03:40):
Bubba and Forest.
I'm liking that a lot.
Someday I hope to get down thereand meet Bubba and Forrest.
That would be that would beawesome.
That would be something.
So how about do you have afavorite scene as we're talking
about dogs?
Do you have a favorite kind ofdog or a species of dog breed?
SPEAKER_00 (03:53):
I've been really drawn toward the the blue healer
lately.
I uh I'm really drawn towardthose.
I I don't know why.
I think it's just their loyaltyand um the the fact that they
can be very trainable and uh youknow just can't sit still.
I guess I'm trying to picksomething that's like me.
I don't know.
SPEAKER_02 (04:12):
Well, that's not a bad thing.
So I've always appreciated thatdogs are really one of the
purest forms of unconditionallove that we probably get to
experience here in this plane.
Um it's uh I tell friends ofmine, you know, there's a reason
why dogs spelled backwards isGod, because they're supposed to
kind of teaching us some thingsabout what we need to be like.
So in our approach to Him.
(04:33):
So uh how about uh do you have afavorite book?
SPEAKER_00 (04:39):
A favorite book, the Bible, of course.
That's the one thing I'veactually been able to read more.
I'm not much of a reader, I kindof like audiobooks a lot better,
but um, when I do read, I meanit's usually uh stuff that
that's uh dealing with theBible.
SPEAKER_02 (04:54):
Okay.
Do you think there's oneparticular author, like um say
devotional series?
Is there one particular you knowauthor or um person that you you
think has got uh speaks to you,I guess ultimately I would say
because I think that all thedevotional you know different
kinds of approaches to things,and I I think like Charles
Swindahl, you know, the uh ChuckSwindle.
SPEAKER_00 (05:13):
I used to love Chuck Swindahl a lot.
He had uh this book called GraceAwakenings.
I don't know if you've ever readthat book, but it played a big
factor in my life, that book, umGrace Awakenings.
Chuck Swindl is actually one ofmy favorites, yes.
He nailed it there.
SPEAKER_02 (05:29):
He had one called uh Seasons of Life that I read
years and years ago, and I Iloved that because he Chuck just
has a really kind of a commonsense way to approach things,
and yet there's a lot of youknow, very profound theology in
what he talks about as well.
So um I was really reallyimpressed by you know, here's
someone who's walking the linebetween what's that old thing,
(05:49):
um, you know, don't be so umheavenly minded that you're no
earthly good.
He was kind of he walks thatline really nicely, I think, or
does.
Um, how about you have afavorite um movie?
Nice and easy.
SPEAKER_00 (06:03):
Believe it or not, Forrest Gump.
That's why I name my donkeyBubba and Forrest.
Uh, Forrest Gump is probably uhI I've a lot of people have
asked me over the years if I wasa minister or anything, and I'm
I always say I'm more likeForrest Gump than I am Billy
Graham.
Yeah, you know, yeah in that Ijust kind of feel like I move at
the pace of what leads me.
(06:24):
And um, and that and that sothat movie probably encapsulates
everything that I uh I loveabout life, and that's it could
change on a dime and you don'tknow who you're touching.
SPEAKER_02 (06:36):
Yeah, yeah.
Boy, that yeah, that that moviehas uh that's one of those that
I every time I go back to it,it's like I know exactly what's
gonna happen, but it just sortof like, yep, yep, yep.
Which that I don't think you canhave enough of that kind of
reminding of that's he's got it.
Boy, he understands it, boy, hedoes.
(06:57):
Um, how about uh do you have afavorite food?
SPEAKER_00 (07:00):
Oh gosh, well, right now I'm on the carnivore diet,
so uh uh eating steak is isactually been fantastic in
sticking with meats.
Oh man, um yeah, I was I haddiabetes, and so uh because I
like pizza, I like hamburgers,you know, I like all the pasta
and all that stuff, and so myblood sugar was pretty bad.
(07:22):
So I I switched over to thatcarnivore diet, and man, I mean
it went from uh A1C of nine downto 5.6.
Wow.
So so it's working.
I mean, okay, yeah, it's so Ireally love it because it makes
me healthy.
It may not be my favorite toeat, but right, right.
SPEAKER_02 (07:38):
I've always thought I'm gonna write a diet book that
says you want a diet, get readyto be hungry.
So because there should alwaysbe some of that.
No pain, no gain, right?
So how about what one lastquestion?
Um, is there a favorite memory,John, that you have from from
childhood?
Usually, I mean, we go back thatfar.
Some people, it's like I don'twant to remember my childhood.
Um, but that you it I and I'mlooking for those things that we
(08:02):
have that we grow up in, youknow, at the time it maybe
doesn't seem like much, but thenas our lives go on, we go, you
know, that was really animportant thing, or you know,
that was really importantconversation I had with my dad,
or boy, I didn't realize howmuch I was gonna miss.
Uh for me, I I think about breadand my grandma LaBresh baking
bread in her kitchen up in youknow, Menominee, Michigan, and
(08:25):
how smelling bread being bakedwill make me go back to that
moment.
And it's always just a goodthing to remember, to recall.
So, do you have something likethat that you could share that
just you find is a a comfortingplace to relive?
SPEAKER_00 (08:40):
You know what's what was so uh impactful to me when I
was really young is I really didfeel like I uh I remember that
feeling of innocence and andtruly believing that Jesus loved
me and and how I was just onewith nature.
It was like I was an only child,so I spent a lot of time alone,
(09:02):
but those times outside I neverfelt alone.
And so I I've I recall back tothose times, you know, when I
get so busy that I I wondersometimes if I'm doing the right
thing or you know, if if Godreally does still consider me.
And I I look at that and go,that's really when I was
probably the closest to God thatI ever been, was whenever I just
(09:23):
truly just let him love me and Iloved him back out there by
myself.
SPEAKER_01 (09:28):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (09:29):
Um, and so those are the memories that that uh lately
I've been clinging to a lot morebecause that he we had it right
when we were innocent, you know.
SPEAKER_02 (09:37):
Yeah, well, you know, and and we complicate
things so much, right?
We we let we let all kinds ofsystems get put on top of this
the simple being with God, youknow.
It's uh yeah, you know, thatthat whole uh Emmanuel we try to
perform a lot, right?
Right, or we're or we're tryingto earn it somehow, or um you
(09:58):
know, instead of just saying bestill and know that I am God,
right?
I mean there's it's supersimple, but you know, just like
a lot of things in life, thosethings that look simple are
really difficult.
And I don't know why, but it'syou know great mystery.
So well, let's talk a little bitabout good contractors list.
(10:20):
So, what led to that?
Because that's a fascinatingstory.
I think people need to hearthat.
Um, that you were at one placein your life, and then this
happens as an idea.
Tell me about that journey,where you were, how you got to
that place, and then uh, youknow what what brought about the
good contractor list?
SPEAKER_00 (10:38):
Well, I sure wish I could say it was because I was
super smart and I really had allthis business acumen.
And I I just thought one day ofthis great thing that I could do
for the world and make a lot ofmoney, but that's not really
where it came from.
I was I was down and out, man.
Um, I was 42 years old, beendivorced three times, um, didn't
(11:00):
did not have uh anything that Icould say I was proud about,
other than my children beingborn.
And uh so I was at a place whereI was just praying, God, I don't
want to be here anymore.
I was depressed, I didn't seeany value uh that I would ever
bring to the earth.
And so um in February of 2011,um, God gave me that chance and
(11:23):
I I had a massive heart attack.
Um, and uh and so I ended up inthe hospital, and it was during
a big freeze that happened inthe Dallas Fort Worth area.
There was a Super Bowl that yearin 2011, and uh big old freeze
hit here, and uh went to thehospital.
Uh first they said it waspneumonia, and then uh because
(11:43):
they saw that my lungs were fullof fluid, and they didn't find
that it was a heart attack untilmuch later in the night.
And it was probably about 2 a.m.
Um, when the doctor came back inand said, This just doesn't
resemble pneumonia.
I don't understand what's goingon here.
We need to do some more bloodwork.
And when she came back in, andthis is the doctor that's on,
(12:04):
you know, there at midnight andtill and beyond, um, she's like,
Well, uh, John, I think you needto call your family and have
them come back up here.
And I'm like, Uh, why?
Uh, you know, it's it's late,it's freezing, and you know, I
don't want them getting out onthat street.
And they're she's like, Well,it's not pneumonia, uh, it's
your heart.
(12:24):
And I was like, Oh, okay.
And and so we're gonna do somemore tests, just have them come
up here.
And so uh I was laying there inthe bed, and the I heard could
overhear the conversation thatwas happening out in the hall.
And there was a uh a nursetalking to the doctor, and she
goes, Don't you have to havepermission from the director to
move him to ICU?
And her response was, not inthis case, he's tombstone.
(12:47):
And I was like, Tombstone.
I mean, I was like, I I didn't II didn't figure she was talking
about pizza.
So I was like, um likely notsomething serious is happening.
You know, well, I'd been prayingfor two months that God would
take me, you know, and uh uh Ithought, wow, this is my
opportunity.
Like if if this is really gonnabe death for me, it's really not
(13:09):
that bad.
I was thinking this, you know,I've got oxygen pumping in me,
I'll probably just fade off.
And and I was thinking, youknow, I can repent right now,
and you know, there won't beanother chance for me to sin
before I die.
You know what I mean?
It's like it's like I'm gonnaskid through there, you know,
like the uh the thief on thecross, you know, uh last minute
make it in.
But uh uh they as they wererolling me to ICU, uh I really
(13:35):
felt this strong impression,like God, you know, it's not it
wasn't an audible voice, but itwas so loud and kind of out of
nowhere.
Um, and it was just, well, John,do you want to stay or do you
want to go?
And so I uh took it very soberlybecause no, I really didn't want
to be here.
But in in my heart of hearts, Iheard God saying, and is is as
(14:00):
clear as I could have it heard,is that if you decide to stay,
I'll be with you and I'll giveyou a purpose.
And I was like, okay.
So it took about an hour for thecardiologist and his team to get
in there, even after all thisstuff had happened.
Uh so they had me uh up in theup in the room and and all the
(14:20):
staff uh that were there in themiddle of the night were all
behind the glass watching me.
I could just see the concern ontheir faces.
Nobody figured I was gonna makeit at this point.
Uh it was a massive heartattack.
Um, but the the uh while I wasthere, I was just considering
all the things that where I wasin my life, you know, and I was
like, I don't know what I'd beremembered for.
(14:41):
Like I know my kids wouldremember me.
Then there might be a few peoplethat go, Oh, yeah, he was a nice
guy.
It's too bad he died too early,you know, or whatever.
But I really didn't do anythingthat I felt like, you know, had
any real value on this planet,you know, and so that's where I
was, and so I I thought aboutit.
And since I really did believethat God was involved in this, I
(15:03):
I came to him with apresentation.
SPEAKER_02 (15:07):
Yeah, I said, God if you'll jump to your attention to
the screen here, I'd like toshow you.
SPEAKER_00 (15:12):
Yeah, okay.
And so I um I said, All right,God, I'd like to stay if it's
okay with you.
But I don't want to be the sameguy I've been.
And here's the things that Iwant if I do stay.
One, I wanted to be rememberedfor doing something good.
That was because I just uh thatwhole time I was thinking about
(15:33):
how I really hadn't doneanything.
I want to be remembered fordoing something good, and then I
want to be alive every day, notjust live.
You know, I I wanted to liveevery day, not just be alive.
I'm sorry, that just oppositethat.
I wanted to live every day, notjust be alive, and I wanted to
touch as many people as I coulduh while I was uh remaining here
(15:56):
on earth.
And all I can say is that theenergy that I felt in that room,
uh if I if I actually did hear avoice, a voice before, this one
was 10 times louder, and it wasso be it, and it was so strong,
and I knew that I was gonnalive.
And so if I could see into thespirit realm, I would think the
(16:17):
way it felt was like he wasdancing around that hospital bed
saying, That's my boy, you madea good choice.
I'm gonna be with you, I'm gonnagive you a purpose.
And so, you know, I clung tothat, and so um I uh he the
doctor got there, there was ahundred percent blockage in one
artery, 95% in the other.
(16:38):
I'd had a massive heart attack,and over 40% of my heart was
scar tissue at this point.
Um, he's like, I'm not reallysure if I can uh if I can do
this with stents, but I'm I mayhave to crack you open.
And that's what he said.
SPEAKER_01 (16:52):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (16:52):
And I'm awake for this because you know, he
they're not gonna put me tosleep with it as dangerous as it
was.
And so I said, Go ahead, dowhatever you need to do.
I'm gonna be here.
I I I knew it.
And so he went in, put in threestents, uh, pumped the die back
through, and it showed that itwas going through and pumping
through the rest of my heart,you know, and so the everybody
(17:15):
behind the glass was holleringand clapping and doing all kinds
of whooping, you know, it's likethat.
I can't believe this guy's stillon this earth, you know.
Um, and so that's where I was.
And and um my heart was damagedseverely, uh had congestive
heart failure and a pacemaker.
Um, so I left the hospital inworse condition than I went in
(17:39):
as far as physically goes.
Um nothing changed.
I I was still selling coupons,is what I was doing for a job.
But I left there knowing I had apurpose and that God was gonna
show me what I needed to do.
And that's what I that's what Imy absolute faith was in when I
left there not knowing where itwas gonna take me.
SPEAKER_02 (18:00):
Well, you know, and that what's amazing to me about
that is you essentially got intoa bargain with God.
You know, it was uh, you know,let's make a deal with God,
right?
And and he not only loves youenough to spare you, but he
loves you enough to honor thatyour your desires, your your
wishes that you had were allgood and honoring to him
(18:24):
ultimately, because you weren'tgonna just go do those, you
weren't saying, I want to bereally famous, God.
You know, you're saying, no, Iwant to touch people's lives,
God.
You know, I want to make adifference for people's lives.
Well, what is that except God'slove being transmitted to those
around us, right?
So it's it's it's an amazingstory of the faithfulness of God
(18:45):
and the faithfulness of hispeople, and how the two of those
together just move incrediblemountains.
And you know, if we could justget a hold of that and say,
stop, stop, stop, and just say,God, I want to do these
important things and I want todo them for you, period.
So think of how much differentthe world would be with, you
(19:06):
know, just a small group ofpeople doing that, right?
So I'm sorry, so then you'reyou're at this point, you're
still selling coupons, but andyou're in horrible shape healthy
wise, but you're alive.
You're alive.
Okay, we got that going for you.
SPEAKER_00 (19:20):
Like I said, I've already been divorced three
times, but I was living with mygirlfriend at the time, and she
and she gave me the uh thequestion that I uh never been
asked.
Um, well, John, you need medicalinsurance.
Why don't we get married?
So it wasn't uh it was kind of awhy not wasn't the most romantic
task, but you know, it was thegreatest thing.
(19:40):
I love, I mean, my you know, atthat time I had two girls and uh
you know we a marriage ofconvenience.
SPEAKER_02 (19:47):
What are you gonna do?
SPEAKER_00 (19:47):
Yeah, so it seemed seemed so like like but I know
God brought us together, youknow, and it's it's it's really
cool to to look now, and we havewe have five kids all together.
We have seven grandkids.
Oh my life back then where Ithought I was gonna have
nothing, is is just uh God haskept every promise, every
(20:10):
promise that He gave me thatday.
Um, to include that I believethat the good contractors list
is the is the platform that isgoing to be able to tell get
this story out there and thatit'll be it'll be something
where I can actually inspire andtouch the world now.
I mean, as many people as canhear this, I'm hoping that they
understand their value, thateven when you think you're the
(20:32):
absolute bottom of the barrel,um, no use, God knows how to use
the unusable.
And that's where I was.
And so I'm just I I I'm a livingtestament to that.
And so when I got out of the outof out of the hospital, we got
married right away.
Um, and I left going, I have apurpose, and that's all I knew.
(20:55):
I I didn't have any kind ofcontracting background or
anything like that.
Like I said, I was sellingcoupons, and what I did front
prior to that was selling yellowpages.
And back then, when I wasselling yellow pages, uh, I
there was a few times that I wasselling to contractors, and I
remember the bigger the ad, thethe more I would find about the
(21:16):
contracting company that I didnot like.
And and in those ads, you couldsay anything about yourself.
And so I remembered thinking, ohmy gosh, there is nobody
protecting anybody out there,you know, um, from these guys.
And so uh when I I was I was outthere selling coupons, like and
(21:37):
uh I had a contractor that was alocal guy that was well uh loved
and and known.
And he said, you know, John, Idon't think I I want to uh I
don't have the money to do thiswhole thing by myself, but I
know a couple of othercontractors that that do other
things, like I have a roofer andelectrician that I think uh I
would uh could is it okay if weshare an ad?
(21:58):
And I started thinking aboutthat.
And I was like, you know, reallythe pro it'd probably be better
to have a website where you knowy'all could be on there and we
just we just advertise that onething.
And it was just like like alight bulb came on, is like,
this is what I want you to do.
And so I couldn't stop thinkingabout it.
(22:19):
And I had a chance, you know,because I was getting paid a
salary to go out and sell thesecoupons, I had a chance to to
see if someone would even buyinto this idea that I had um
while I was out there and had alittle salary.
I I was making$35,000 a year,and um, you know, I mean, and
but I was like, there's no wayI'm gonna do something on
(22:42):
company time that I'm notstealing from this company to
see if my ideal work because Ireally truly felt like this came
from God.
So I went in it and marched intothe office and said, I've got
this idea, and I I had no money.
I'm telling you, I had onepaycheck left.
And I said, I can't, I'm gonna,I'm gonna have to quit because I
(23:04):
want to really see if this ideaworks.
Never built a business before.
I mean, no sign that I wouldever even have uh any luck, you
know, at all in this.
And I stepped away from thereand went out and started talking
to contractors, brought myyellow legal pad, and I said,
This is what I imagine thewebsite will do one of these
days.
Give me some money, you know.
(23:25):
I mean, it was just like, whatin the world?
I mean, it's like the mostridiculous thing you've ever
heard, right?
Um but right from the beginning,I said, you know, we're gonna
separate the good guys from thebad guys, and we're gonna
guarantee that uh that they'regonna that they're gonna do a
good job, or we'll pay to fixit.
I didn't have any money, right?
It was just like it was likethat's that's the model.
(23:47):
It was just the right thing.
Went out there and just starteduh sharing it, and people just
it was like the favor was allaround me.
And the contractors was like,God, if you can imagine to do
something like that, I want tobe a part of it.
Yeah, and that was back in 2011.
We just had our fourth annual 1010-year dinner, and I still have
(24:09):
and we have a lot of contractorswho are who have been here more
than 10 years who who startedwith me when I when I drove up
in my little Pontiac G5,carrying my legal pad around
with me.
SPEAKER_02 (24:23):
Don't lose those humble routes, routes, John.
Don't lose those.
So uh well, now you could rideup on horse.
That would be kind of you know,with a white hat and everything
and really have the deal, right?
SPEAKER_00 (24:33):
Well, yeah, I think they'd run from me at that
point.
SPEAKER_02 (24:35):
Boy, I don't even know where to begin to ask
questions about that.
It it does hit me though, andI've thought about this before,
as I looked into some of theinformation on your your project
and you know your business.
And it it I don't know how toreconcile this, but it does
prove to me or show to me thatpeople, enough people really
(24:57):
want to do the right thing andbe associated with people that
do the right thing.
And that one of the the thingsthat you know, as I say, we live
in pretty dark times right now.
You know, there there's been somuch polarization and so much,
you know, anti whatever going onthat we we've lost the the
(25:17):
fabric, the continuity that weused to have when we all
listened to the same newsbroadcast, at least back in the
60s when I was a kid.
And you know, so we all had atleast sort of a single concept
of the world, you know, and nowwe don't.
Now we have like, you know, 14million different uh conceptions
of the world and what's realityand what is and and who to
(25:38):
believe and who not to.
But this strike this strikes tome uh as something at the core
of human beings, which is wewant, most of us, we want to do
good.
We want to be associated withpeople that do good things.
And we know the difference.
We do know the difference, youknow, that God-given ability
(25:58):
where we can recognize all truthis God's truth, all beauty is
God's beauty, all love is God'slove.
That, you know, somehow you'reyou're cutting through all that
with this project in a reallytangible way, which is
fantastic.
And you're putting some moneywhere your mouth is, right?
The$25,000 guarantee speaksvolumes to people that don't,
(26:21):
and that's God thing, that'sgreat, but if he's gonna do a
good job, that's what I careabout.
You know, the New Yorkers arehappy with it, as well as the
you know, the people from Kansasare happy with it, right?
So, but um so what's your takeon that?
Do you think there is there alonging?
Is that been part of thisprocess?
Is realizing how much people arelonging for the breath of fresh
(26:41):
air of somebody saying, I willguarantee that these are good
people you're gonna work with.
You know, like my uncle Joewould say, you know, you yeah,
you want to work with Carl here.
He's a great guy.
Great.
Uncle Clem says, I'm going withCarl.
SPEAKER_00 (26:55):
So well, you know, I think I think that I stumbled on
something that really nobodyever thought about before.
It's just the way it's alwaysbeen.
But if you think about uh thecontractor-homeowner
relationship, homeowners uh theonly option they have is a
two-way agreement them and thecontractor.
That's the way it's always been.
(27:16):
But every horror story you everhear about started with a
two-way agreement.
And at the end of thatagreement, if there was a if
there was a uh an issue, it waseither it was just the
contractor's word against thehomeowner's word.
And that's the way it is withevery contractor on the planet.
There's not, there hasn't been athird party that says, you know
(27:38):
what, I'll not only vouch vouchfor these guys, but if they
don't do what they're supposedto do, you're not gonna have to
pay for that, Mr.
Homeowner, Mrs.
Homeowner.
You know, so we've been in areally unique position, but I I
tend to believe that there aremore good contractors out there
than there are bad contractors.
SPEAKER_01 (27:56):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (27:56):
Um, but because of all the bad contractors, there's
a lot of broken relationshipsout there.
What we're finding is thathomeowners, because they don't
want to be made a fool of, theydon't want to feel like they've
been taken advantage of, thatand when when incidents happen,
and we're talking about a realworld here, I mean anything
could happen, deaths in thefamily, lose a crew, and they're
(28:17):
trying to start uh with a newone, there's a lot of moving
parts when it comes to toworking with contractors.
But because of the fear that'sin the uh that surrounds
contracting, homeowners willjump to conclusions.
And so if if they feel like thecontractor might be taking them
down a wrong road, they I mean,some of these guys get really
(28:39):
mean with a contractor, they'lltear up the relationship, they
say you're not allowed back inmy house.
And you know, uh they'll they'llgo out and start badmouthing
them on reviews and everythingelse.
They don't because it's likeit's just like once I feel like
I'm uh made a fool of, I'm goingto tear you up.
And that's that's the way a lotof homeowners look at this.
(29:00):
So, what I found is by having athird party involved, when
little incidents like thathappen, we're able to keep that
from escalating by just saying,we're gonna be here through this
whole thing.
We know this contractor, we putour money on him, and just let
them get to the end of this job.
And if you're not happy, we'llmake sure that you are.
And so 99% of the issues arehandled by just having somebody
(29:25):
else that they can talk to.
SPEAKER_02 (29:26):
Yeah.
What's that?
I keep thinking the scripture, acourt, uh, a court of three
strands is not easily broken,you know, that we have that uh
that sense going into it, right?
So it's a great scripture.
Are you are you um do you whatare what are the stumbling
blocks?
Where where do things get youknow tricky, I guess I'll say,
in the process?
Do you do you find anything inparticular that either the
(29:47):
contractor or the homeowner goesinto uh the situation with a
preconceived notion, maybe, oruh, you know, kind of not
putting all their cards on thetable and what that ends up
doing to the dynamic?
Um Because there's a I I findthat you know that kind of
project, I've done a lot oftheater work in my in my
background, and you know, youhave to always understand that
(30:08):
something's gonna come up thatyou didn't anticipate, right?
And the real test is how do yourespond to that?
Do you go, you know, throwing ahissy fit and you know, a big
histrionyx, you know, you don'tyou realize what this is gonna
do to my art or in my time orwhatever?
And you know, just saying, whoa,whoa, whoa, whoa, we all care
about the same thing here, youknow, we're all in this together
(30:30):
to do a thing.
Let's get back focused.
So are there things like that inyour world?
SPEAKER_00 (30:35):
Well, that's that's the typical uh response that we
have is like, this is a realworld.
The contractor wants to get tothe end of this job.
He didn't get into contractingso that he could get a bad name.
Most of the time, uh thecontractors are there because of
how great it feels when they getto the end of the project and
they know that they really madethis homeowner happy or uh was
(30:57):
able to do something that thatmade their life more comfortable
or whatever the case may be.
These contractors have a heart,but but you have to realize that
there's a lot of moving partsand nothing is perfect.
So sometimes it does take longerthan than what was expected.
Sometimes there's there's thingsthat get in the way.
And when you're working with acontractor, just know that if
(31:19):
they have integrity enough tofix the problem, enough to uh at
least communicate with youwhat's going on, that you just
need to give them a chance.
Yeah, and um, and so I I thinkby just us being there kind of
as a counselor, a mediator, uh,it it takes away a lot of that
fear.
And so, you know, in in in 14years, we've backed over five
(31:42):
billion dollars in jobs becausewe don't just back the job that
comes from us through ourwebsite, we back every job that
contractor does.
Okay, so they can go into a homeand present that uh that I'm a
part of an organization thatdoes things right.
And matter of fact, they theyguarantee it, and all you have
(32:02):
to do is go register for free.
And that's it's simple.
The homeowner doesn't payanything for it.
SPEAKER_01 (32:08):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (32:08):
Um, and then our contractors, we matter of fact,
we uh now that we've expandednationwide, our uh our goal is
not necessarily to just uh getas many contractors as we can to
pay us.
We want to build safe contractorcommunities um in every city.
And what that looks like here inDallas Fort Worth is we have
(32:30):
every type of contractor.
Many of the contractors thatcome on are referred by other
good contractors.
So it's it's an organization andan entity where everyone feels
confident in in referring eachother and and uh bringing about
business.
So let's say uh where do youlive?
SPEAKER_02 (32:50):
I'm in Wisconsin, outside of Madison, Wisconsin.
SPEAKER_00 (32:53):
So somewhere there in Madison, Wisconsin, um we we
start with a roofer, and thatroofer knows a plumber.
And so they start bringing theirall all the people that they
trust into the organization.
And while we're kind ofoverseeing things, they are the
ones actually policing andmaking sure that everybody's
doing what's right.
Okay.
(33:14):
They act as a network.
And what's so cool about that isthat you know, I I'd been in, I
told you I sold yellow pages,and I never once heard if so and
so is in your yellow pages, Idon't want to be there.
And that was one of the firstthings that I heard when I were
I was sharing this goodcontractor's list is is the
people who are on here want tohold me accountable to who's on
(33:36):
that list.
So if I if I uh just take moneyfrom everybody and they know
that guy's a crook, then then Ijust lost the whole everything
I'm trying to do here.
Right.
So it's really a communitybuilding a community.
And what's happening on uh forthe homeowner now is that as
that plumber goes in there andgets them registered and says,
(33:58):
hey, listen, go there to lookfor your your flooring guys, go
there to look for your roofers,and and it becomes a it's called
a collective authority.
I'll call I call it collectiveauthority marketing, okay.
In that as a collective who whokeep each other honest and doing
a good job and and and raisingthe standard, homeowners will
(34:19):
start going to that websitebecause of the referrals coming
from all the contractors.
And now they're getting they'regetting leads coming in that
were developed by the group, youknow, and so instead of having
to market and spend a bunch ofadvertising money and it's
actual referrals coming fromgood contractors.
(34:41):
And uh, if you've ever had agood contractor, almost everyone
gets asked, well, do you know agood whatever?
Right.
Because I like you, if you knowmore people like you, do you
know somebody who can do myplumbing?
Do you know somebody who can dosure you know uh the air
conditioning or whatever theirneed is?
So this is a good chance tooperate as a collective.
SPEAKER_02 (35:02):
So what do you do about the unfortunately?
I think there are um Lucifersout there, you know, angels that
appear and uh to be what theyare not.
I mean, those people get foundout eventually.
I mean, ultimately.
Is there a process that you goto a vetting process of sorts
(35:24):
that at least makes it lesslikely to happen?
Because I mean, you're right.
What's what's the old thingabout all it takes is one bad
apple to uh to spoil a barrel,but there's also something about
one one bad uh egg to spoil thepotato salad.
And again, that's probably morelike what really happens.
There's one egg that gets inthere and just wrecks that
potato salad, and all of asudden the picnic is ruined.
(35:45):
So, right?
SPEAKER_00 (35:47):
Yeah, well, I can tell you this is a funny thing
because when you use the wordturn, you use the term bad
apple.
If you Google bad apple and goodcontractors list, you'll find an
ad, not an ad, a news story fromway back when I first started.
So we used to uh do backgroundchecks through a third party.
SPEAKER_01 (36:06):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (36:07):
Um, you know, and uh we had a guy that had one of his
employees pose as the owner.
And so they they gave theirinformation.
We ran the background check,everything was clear.
We looked at their BBB, he hadan A plus.
Okay, so we're okay, I thinkwe're good here.
And um, the guy ended up justbeing a ripoff artist.
(36:29):
I mean, and and he it was ittook us about six weeks before
we realized that other peoplewere saying, hey man, he keeps
pushing that date back on whenhe's supposed to get started.
Or he just got started, he washere for a day, and I haven't
been able to get a hold of him.
And so uh we we uh we followedup on this.
It had nine jobs that we had togo back on.
(36:52):
We we gave some of those peopletheir money back, uh the down
payments that they did.
We gave, and then some of themwe brought our contractors in
that was able to help finish thejob, and it didn't cost them any
more than what they had beenbid, right?
But um I was like, he's notgetting away with this one.
I called channel 11 and I said,I said, Hey, uh, this is John
(37:13):
with the good contractors list.
We had a contractor that hasbeen uh is ripping off people.
We took him off our list, but Ineed I need the the people in
DFW to know that who this guyis.
And so they did a news story,and we went to a homeowner's uh
house there where uh it and hewas a veteran who was uh losing
his mobility, and and he hadhired these guys to to redo the
(37:35):
bathroom so that they could getin and out easily.
And uh he that guy uh had tookhis money and never came to do
any of it.
So we we wrote them a check,brought the newscast there, did
a story on it, and then outedthis guy on public television,
which kind of outed us, right?
Right but um and and that wasbut I mean, at least the
(37:56):
newscaster was like, you know,you could have swept this under
the rug.
Why would you go about, youknow, saying something bad about
your own company?
And I was like, well, becausethat was my purpose.
My purpose is to protect people,not sweep things under the rug
when I know that there'ssomething wrong.
And so uh it really actuallyworked uh to our benefit greatly
(38:18):
to do what we say we're gonnado.
And we have for 14 years, um outof five billion dollars backed,
we've had to come out of pocket$127,000.
Wow.
In 14 years.
Wow.
Um that's a testament to ourprocess.
And you know, when you putsomething out there and say, I'm
good, if you put that good witha halo on it and you say I
(38:39):
guarantee it by it with$25,000.
Um, if there's somebody notdoing what they're supposed to
do, the flags come up veryquickly.
And so uh we've taken people offour list for just being rude
people.
And uh that that's there's noroom for that.
We don't need we don't needsomebody out there that's
(39:01):
belittling people.
Um and uh I like to put I liketo put contractors really into
three different kind of boxes.
Um there's buck in a truck, andyou know, these guys are
smaller.
Uh a lot of times they don'thave the resources they need
that if something does go wrong,that they can have the money to
(39:22):
fix it.
And so what ends up happening,and th those guys take forever
to get something done becausethey're small.
Um, and if something goes wrong,they don't have resources.
Now, on the opposite side ofthat is mega contractor, and
those guys have million-dollaradvertising budgets, they have
fleets of trucks, and the onlyplace that they're gonna get
(39:46):
those paint payments made isthrough homeowners.
So a lot of those guys, theirtheir mission is to upsell,
upsell, upsell, and you know,and and so most of the time they
don't have technicians cominginto your house, they have sales
technicians coming into yourhouse.
So, so I like to really focus onthat honest guy in the middle,
(40:12):
you know, the one that runs hisbusiness well, that has
insurance.
Uh, he's not the cheapest guy,he's not gonna be.
Um and I say he, but he, she,whoever the that the contractor
is, they're they're probably notgonna be the cheapest, but they
will save you more money thanyou know.
(40:34):
Ultimately, it's the safe placeto go.
So that's the kind ofcontractors I'm looking for, is
is the guys that's been arounduh long enough to know how to
run a business so they're notrobbing Peter and to pay Paul,
right?
Who have a good onlinereputation and who has for who's
forward thinking and how do Iattract the the best talent and
(40:56):
and really take care ofhomeowners?
And so we've managed to put thissystem together to really really
point that out and that isreally, really, really
wonderful.
SPEAKER_02 (41:09):
What are some of the markers along the line?
Like I mean, from from 2015 or2011.
Okay, from 2011 to today, whatif you look back at that, what
are kind of the major milemarkers you think that uh you
accomplished or that you went,oh, we we hit a new level here.
We just it's like you know,board gaming up, right?
Oh, I'm at level six.
SPEAKER_00 (41:29):
So so well, you know, there's there's different
markers.
Uh one, I I loved it whenever Iwas out in public or whatever,
and somebody saw me because inDFW I do TV ads and some radio
ads and stuff.
And uh I had a guy come up withhis uh three daughters and and
say, Oh, you're the goodcontractors list guy.
(41:51):
And and I was like, Yeah, and hehe goes, Oh, we hear you all the
time on the radio.
And then he goes, he calls hisgirls over, his three little
girls, and goes, Sing them thejingle.
And those little girls sang myjingle.
SPEAKER_02 (42:05):
It made my oh totally.
That made my week, so maybe amonth even.
So goodness gracious.
SPEAKER_00 (42:11):
It was so sweet, and I was just like, Oh, well,
that's so cool.
And then uh then to hearhomeowners say, I don't use a
contractor if they're not on thegood contractors list.
Yeah, you know, uh, so and andwe really appeal to the to the
older generation, you know,because they get taken advantage
of a lot.
Yeah, and uh, and so uh theyreally appreciate us.
(42:34):
So um that that particulardemographic is is is loyal here
in Dallas Fort Worth.
And I think it's gonna be likethat pretty much anywhere you
go.
SPEAKER_02 (42:42):
Uh I would think so.
I mean, people do, you know,we're kind of talking about a
little bit before, right?
The whole factor of who do youtrust anymore?
Um, you know, it used to be thatyou know you could trust close
friends or whatnot, you know,and I hope most people can, but
now so many people have justsaid, well, I don't talk to you
anymore because he voted forTrump or he voted for Biden.
And what's like, really?
(43:03):
We're gonna destroy the entirefabric of our world because of
politicians?
Really?
Yeah, you know, that that to meis has been horrible.
And then COVID, you know,whether you believed in it or
not, COVID did an awful lot todestroy our groups, you know,
and and in fact, I up in ourarea, there was a veterinarian
in uh lacrosse who wrote that umearly on in the process that the
(43:25):
thing that is most was mostconcerning to him as a
veterinarian and as a medicalprofessional in general was that
it was it was the first diseasethat literally attacked our
groups.
It just didn't just attack ourviral systems or whatever, it
attacked our groups.
So all the things that peopleidentified with and identify
with in general, or they definedthemselves as, oh, my crochet
(43:47):
club or my bridge club or myhorse riding club, whatever, all
those things that defined themwere gone.
And what did you have left todefine yourself?
You know, so it's it I thinkit's it's really wonderful that
you're you're finding a way torestore that fabric.
And, you know, what better waythan around people's homes?
Because a lot of who we arecomes from the home we grew up
(44:08):
in, right?
So are you are you concerned?
Are there are are things futurechallenges that you see that you
think will really have to be methead on in order for this to
continue growing, continueworking?
SPEAKER_00 (44:23):
Uh I I don't know.
I actually I can I kind of feelthe opposite way about it.
Uh with AI and everything elsethat's out there, um, I've heard
from so many people howfrustrated they are to not know
what's real anymore.
And what I feel like the goodcontractors list brings is an
ability to say, okay, thatgroup's real.
(44:44):
You know, there's there's beenuh more people looking at this.
And and I mean, after that oneincident that we had, we
invested in FBI level backgroundchecks uh software.
We're we pay$2,800 a month forjust our background software
because we want to know who thatperson is.
SPEAKER_01 (45:03):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (45:04):
Is that a guy that shut down a business two years
ago because he ran into theground and now he's saying he's
been in business 15 years withthis new name?
I mean, how often does thathappen?
Right, you know, so we're we'reable to look and see
associations, people they dealtwith, people they work for.
And so we we're able todetermine, you know, okay, this
guy seems solid.
(45:25):
Um, and like I said, becausethere's I believe there's more
good out there than there isbad, it's not hard pickings.
SPEAKER_01 (45:30):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (45:30):
You know, it's it's really about if they really feel
like they want to be a part of acommunity.
And I think that is gonna beeven more important going
forward, is I don't want to be alone ranger out here trying my
hardest to stand out above therest when I'm still gonna be
labeled a bad contractor out ofbecause of how people feel about
(45:52):
contractors in general.
SPEAKER_01 (45:53):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (45:53):
So if I could be on the good contractors list, you
know, um, that will remove a lotof that, you know.
And uh to know that I'm betting$25,000 on every job, and I
there's a third party that theycan call at any time to start
the uh resolution process, man,it's been a great thing here,
and I'm so proud to be able tooffer it across the nation now.
SPEAKER_02 (46:17):
Well, and you have a pretty small team, what Aaron
Bush is your CEO.
Um, and then I saw someone elsewith the last name Hill.
Any relationship to you?
SPEAKER_00 (46:26):
My wife.
Oh yeah.
My wife's here.
It's been a small company.
We've been a small company outin the D DFW area, and it's
really funny because you know,everything that has happened has
moved at the pace that of Godopening the doors.
SPEAKER_01 (46:39):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (46:40):
Um, I did not go out looking to go nationwide.
I always matter of fact, what'sfunny, uh mentioning Aaron, um,
I I would tell people for a longtime when they'd say, What are
you doing with the goodcontractors list?
Why aren't you doing thisnational?
And I'm like, I don't even knowwhat that looks like.
I don't know what to do.
I don't think it's time.
Uh, you know, I I would don'thave the energy for it.
(47:01):
Um, but I had a heart transplantin uh 2022.
So I find uh so I actually havea new heart um and new lease on
life, and so a lot of energy.
And this last year, um, I reallyfelt like something was gonna
change.
There was gonna be something.
But I but what what what I'dtell people whenever they'd ask
(47:22):
me those questions is I youknow, I feel a lot like Moses
out in the desert.
I'm just tending these sheep,you know, and I'm I'm doing what
I can right now.
And you know, if it's supposedto happen, God'll let me know.
And out in that, out in thedesert, um, there were two
things that moved Moses out ofthat desert.
It was a burning bush that hesaw.
(47:42):
And then when he went out there,he's like, God, I don't know how
to talk.
He goes, Okay, well, I'll giveyou your brother Aaron.
And so God sends me a CEO, aJewish CEO, by the way.
Cool.
Uh, by the name of Aaron Bush.
You know, so um he he doesn'teven try to hide.
SPEAKER_02 (48:00):
Could I spell it out for you, John?
Or are you getting it now?
SPEAKER_00 (48:04):
Come on, it's not me, you know.
I I didn't have the brains to doany of this stuff.
SPEAKER_02 (48:11):
It's like the Evelyn Woodhead Spen Redden course,
right?
So I'm John Hill and God had tospell it out for me with the
name Aaron Bush.
Yes, he's quite seeing you go.
SPEAKER_00 (48:22):
But now we have three different gentlemen who
are who have decided they wantedto join.
Um, and look, I I could neverafford these three guys.
They came in knowing this isgonna be humongous, you know.
And they're they were like,John, we just want to be here.
And so a lot they're workingright now um at a very, very
(48:45):
minute amount of money thatthey're used to making.
Okay.
And and so the structures beingput together, um, the
foundations are all there.
We're able to keep ourintegrity.
And I mean, we just mentioned uhit was probably two months ago
that we decided that we weregonna absolutely that we were
gonna go nationwide.
SPEAKER_01 (49:04):
Sure.
SPEAKER_00 (49:04):
And we are in 18 different states right now.
We have contractors who arejoining us from all over the
place, and we make it reallysuper easy.
We don't uh we don't charge alot to be a part of it, we just
ask a lot, you know.
Um for a$500 setup fee and$250 amonth, every one of your jobs
(49:25):
will be backed by a$25,000guarantee.
But we don't want just someonewho wants to use this as a
closing tool, right?
We want we want contractors whoare gonna help us build
communities of contractors.
And so we're gonna just give allthe tools that we can.
Uh we'll get the we'll give themthe tools that they can register
homeowners and tell theirhomeowners about it.
(49:45):
And as they grow their groups,they themselves will uh will
initiate more homeowners comingto the website because of the
referrals, right?
Which would which will mean thatthey're gonna now start getting
phone calls and emails from agood contractors list website
because people are starting totrust the group.
So I'm looking for people whowant to create safe contractor
(50:09):
communities everywhere acrossthe nation.
SPEAKER_02 (50:12):
Yeah.
Which is I I love that you youuse that word regularly because
communities, you know, back inthe day, that's how homes were
built in communities bycommunities.
You know, you bring the I inWisconsin, there's an awful lot
of German communities, you know,in Milwaukee where I grew up.
Holy cow! You know, and that wasGermans coming over to America
(50:33):
and you know, getting in aparticular area of Milwaukee.
And then because they wereGermans, they were a lot of them
were good bricklayers becausethat's the kind of home they
were used.
So there's all kinds of brickhomes all over Milwaukee because
the Germans were there buildingthose as a community, you know.
It's so it's it's uh it's not anew model.
I mean, you're not winninganything for originality, but
you are winning it for comingback to home with uh things that
(50:56):
become.
SPEAKER_00 (50:59):
I mean, when when we together are so much stronger,
yeah, um, we have a voice thatgets louder and louder as uh
that collective authority growsin a market.
Yeah, you know, it and andpretty soon you're well known.
Yeah, and uh and it doesn't takeuh TV ads and radio ads to do
it.
SPEAKER_02 (51:17):
Exactly.
Well, it you've got to resonatewith something real, and the
minute you start resonating withthat, you've got all kinds of
resonance going on.
So yeah, I'm I'm a musician atheart too.
I know you hit a G, and there'senough of the right kind of
things around, everything willstart resonating the G.
You know, it's uh it's a funthing to watch in nature for me.
So yeah, exactly.
So gentlemen, we're running outof time, and I I there is
(51:39):
another topic I want to talkabout.
Maybe you and I can link upagain.
Um I'd love to talk about yourchurch uh work that you're doing
too, the Find a House Church umministry that you've got going.
That to me is another wholething to get into.
Um, but it'd be fascinating tohear that story and how that
works because I I think I sensethat there maybe would be places
up here in Wisconsin and maybeacross the world that would be
(52:01):
very interested in that thatapproach to forming a different
kind of community, right?
A spiritual community inaddition to a home building
community.
SPEAKER_00 (52:08):
Yeah, you know, it's it's a free website that uh
anyone can go to and and startutilizing right away.
And that I kind of built it inthe same way.
It's that um uh the more peopleget the word out about the
website, the more people gothere.
SPEAKER_01 (52:22):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (52:23):
And um, and so yeah, we'll talk more about that.
That sounds great.
SPEAKER_02 (52:27):
So any how else can people get a hold of you?
So they go togoodcroncontractorslist.com,
right?
SPEAKER_00 (52:33):
It's the yeah, thegoodcontractorslist.com.
Okay.
Now, if you're a homeowner andyou know uh a good contractor
that you think should be backedby this guarantee and that could
help build that community thatI'm talking about, um go to the
goodcontractorslist.com and lookunder refer a contractor.
And if you refer a contractor tous that becomes part of our
(52:55):
community, then uh we will givea$125 uh bonus finders fee to
the people who are referring thecontractors that are gonna be
good.
Um, so yeah, this is a very thisis very symbiotic.
I I I want it to be win-win foreveryone.
Homeowners need to know thatthey can find contractors they
can trust.
(53:15):
So I need homeowners to help usbuild these communities.
I need contractors who know thatthey will do the right thing
every time.
That's not gonna cost us money,you know, and time trying to fix
stuff all the time.
And uh the more that we f wework together to build those
communities, the better it'llbe.
And so go to if you go tothegoodcontractorslist.com,
become a good contractor forcontractors, and refer a
(53:38):
contractor for homeowners.
SPEAKER_02 (53:40):
Right.
Yeah, I I thought of a story apastor of mine told me years
ago.
Uh, it seems to me to apply tothis situation that Alexander
the Great, years and years andyears ago, or of course, uh a
thief was brought in before himin his in his throne room, and
uh threw him down on the groundin front of him.
And Alexander looked down at theman and said, I understand that
(54:01):
you're a thief.
And the guy kind of quivering infront of him, yes, yes, your
majesty, I am.
And I understand that your nameis Alexander.
Yes, my lord, it is.
Then either change your ways orchange your name.
(54:23):
So, you know, that's kind ofwhat's going on here, right?
Good contractors, you want to bea good contractor, be a good
contractor.
You know, and if you don't, thenstay away.
We we don't, you know, we willYou'll be found out quickly.
Yeah.
Yeah, exactly.
There's more of us than thereare of you, okay?
So let's get it straight rightnow.
(54:43):
Folks, my guest today has beenJohn Stewart Hill.
John is the founder and chiefambassador for the good con the
good contractor list.
Goodness gracious, you think Icould remember that better by
now, John.
But the good contractors list,which if you are in build in the
point of where you and your wifeor husband or whatever are
getting ready to do some work onyour home or you're gonna build
(55:05):
a new home or whatever you'regonna do that would be homeowner
related, you want to check outthe good contractors list and
see what kinds of contacts mightbe out there, right?
Anything else I could show couldshould share, John, to make sure
they get out there and get thatthing done?
Anything?
SPEAKER_00 (55:20):
No, you know, I I think we said it all.
Uh, just need everyone's help,but I I really consider this
more of a movement than abusiness.
Yeah.
So it in a movement, it takes alot of people doing the right
thing, pulling the right peoplein uh for us to be able to do
this right.
And I think that we're gonnaraise the standard.
I really do.
I think that when when we becomea household name across the
(55:42):
nation and the people on thelist are trusted, then it's just
gonna raise the bar for all theother contractors to say, how do
I become a business that can beon this list?
SPEAKER_02 (55:52):
There you go.
Field of dreams, build it andthey will come, right?
Yes, here we go, folks.
Thanks for listening this weekto uh frame of reference
profiles and leadership.
My guest has been John SewardHill.
Uh, John, pleasure meeting you,pleasure talking with you, and I
look forward to the next time weget to do that again.
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (56:08):
Same here.
Thank you so much.
Take care.
Take care.
Well, welcome everyone to another edition of
Frame of Reference Profiles andLiter Leadership.
I'm your host, Raul Rush, and uhI have with me across the screen
from me one of these days I'mgonna get to do this live with
people, you know.
We'll just call them, say, yeah,I'll fly you in at 2 p.m.
and we'll talk for an hour, thenI'll fly you back to wherever
you want to go.
That would be wonderful to havethat kind of funding, wouldn't
(00:22):
it?
So but uh my guest today issomeone that I, you know, I've
just been rocking with these uhguests lately of people that are
fascinating to talk to, and I amfascinated to have the
opportunity to introduce you tothem if you don't know them
already.
And if you do know them, well,then you're gonna be more
excited to hear more about them,right?
So, and today's guest is uhnothing short of that and more.
(00:44):
John Stewart Hill is across thescreen from me.
And uh, John is the uh founderand chief ambassador for a
company called Good Contractors,um, the Good Contractors List.
And I'm gonna let him tell youmore about it in a bit.
But um, John, welcome to theshow.
Thank you so much for joiningme.
Um it's really a pleasure tohave you here.
(01:05):
Thank you so much.
An honor to be here.
So, John, I'm I'm gonna startwith our our uh infamous uh my
favorite things um portion ofthe show.
We like to uh go through andjust kind of do a Rorschachtian
kind of thing where I saysomething and ask you what it
is, what your favorite thing is,and you blurt out with the first
(01:26):
thing that comes to your mind.
So if you blurred out the wrongthing, sorry.
Uh if you blurred out goodthings, great.
If you blurred out a thing thatyou wish you could retract, eh,
that's okay.
SPEAKER_00 (01:37):
Do I have to be on the show now?
I'm getting ready to do it.
SPEAKER_02 (01:41):
Right.
What's your favorite podcastever?
Yeah, ding, ding, ding.
He wins telling what he's onetime I'm part of.
So, okay.
Well, here we go.
We're gonna start really easywith something that's pretty
benign, right?
Your favorite color.
Black.
Black reason I really likeblack.
Really?
You're a basic black kind ofguy, huh?
SPEAKER_00 (02:01):
I am a black and white guy.
SPEAKER_02 (02:02):
Well, well, you know, that there's lots of room
for that in today's world, Ithink, actually.
Um I'm uh thankfully not wearinggray.
I'm but I'm kind of a colorfulguy.
You can probably tell that frommy flannel shirt here in
Wisconsin.
How about a favorite place to gowhen you need to de-stress?
SPEAKER_00 (02:21):
Outside.
I mean, I I live on a 25-acreranch, so I like to walk out and
I'll just walk out with myhorses and just love on those
guys.
And man, uh for some reason,horses just it, they they just
take all that angst out of you.
Sure.
So that's why I really myfavorite thing is really just to
walk outside my door and go uhout there with my animals.
SPEAKER_02 (02:41):
Boy.
Isn't that you know, and horses?
I I've not had horses in mylife, and I've been around them
somewhat, but um, you know, Iwatch a lot of videos of uh dogs
and horses and cats and stuff.
And horses, uh, you know, I'veknown people that are huge horse
lovers.
I mean, they raise horses,they've, you know, have loved
horses since they were little,um, and you have that special
(03:02):
dynamic relationship that Ithink people only have with
horses.
So dogs are similar, but a horseis a kind of a different thing
altogether.
Um, and then I watch thesevideos of like horses with dogs
and horses with their people andeven mules with their people.
And it's uh it's reallyfascinating to me how that bond
is really strong.
Um, and the our our two specieshave learned to just depend on
(03:27):
each other so much.
Um, it's really kind of cool,cool thing.
SPEAKER_00 (03:30):
It's awesome.
Yeah, I have a couple ofminiature donkeys as well.
I like to play around with theirnames are Bubba and Forest, Jump
Brothers there.
SPEAKER_02 (03:40):
Bubba and Forest.
I'm liking that a lot.
Someday I hope to get down thereand meet Bubba and Forrest.
That would be that would beawesome.
That would be something.
So how about do you have afavorite scene as we're talking
about dogs?
Do you have a favorite kind ofdog or a species of dog breed?
SPEAKER_00 (03:53):
I've been really drawn toward the the blue healer
lately.
I uh I'm really drawn towardthose.
I I don't know why.
I think it's just their loyaltyand um the the fact that they
can be very trainable and uh youknow just can't sit still.
I guess I'm trying to picksomething that's like me.
I don't know.
SPEAKER_02 (04:12):
Well, that's not a bad thing.
So I've always appreciated thatdogs are really one of the
purest forms of unconditionallove that we probably get to
experience here in this plane.
Um it's uh I tell friends ofmine, you know, there's a reason
why dogs spelled backwards isGod, because they're supposed to
kind of teaching us some thingsabout what we need to be like.
So in our approach to Him.
(04:33):
So uh how about uh do you have afavorite book?
SPEAKER_00 (04:39):
A favorite book, the Bible, of course.
That's the one thing I'veactually been able to read more.
I'm not much of a reader, I kindof like audiobooks a lot better,
but um, when I do read, I meanit's usually uh stuff that
that's uh dealing with theBible.
SPEAKER_02 (04:54):
Okay.
Do you think there's oneparticular author, like um say
devotional series?
Is there one particular you knowauthor or um person that you you
think has got uh speaks to you,I guess ultimately I would say
because I think that all thedevotional you know different
kinds of approaches to things,and I I think like Charles
Swindahl, you know, the uh ChuckSwindle.
SPEAKER_00 (05:13):
I used to love Chuck Swindahl a lot.
He had uh this book called GraceAwakenings.
I don't know if you've ever readthat book, but it played a big
factor in my life, that book, umGrace Awakenings.
Chuck Swindl is actually one ofmy favorites, yes.
He nailed it there.
SPEAKER_02 (05:29):
He had one called uh Seasons of Life that I read
years and years ago, and I Iloved that because he Chuck just
has a really kind of a commonsense way to approach things,
and yet there's a lot of youknow, very profound theology in
what he talks about as well.
So um I was really reallyimpressed by you know, here's
someone who's walking the linebetween what's that old thing,
(05:49):
um, you know, don't be so umheavenly minded that you're no
earthly good.
He was kind of he walks thatline really nicely, I think, or
does.
Um, how about you have afavorite um movie?
Nice and easy.
SPEAKER_00 (06:03):
Believe it or not, Forrest Gump.
That's why I name my donkeyBubba and Forrest.
Uh, Forrest Gump is probably uhI I've a lot of people have
asked me over the years if I wasa minister or anything, and I'm
I always say I'm more likeForrest Gump than I am Billy
Graham.
Yeah, you know, yeah in that Ijust kind of feel like I move at
the pace of what leads me.
(06:24):
And um, and that and that sothat movie probably encapsulates
everything that I uh I loveabout life, and that's it could
change on a dime and you don'tknow who you're touching.
SPEAKER_02 (06:36):
Yeah, yeah.
Boy, that yeah, that that moviehas uh that's one of those that
I every time I go back to it,it's like I know exactly what's
gonna happen, but it just sortof like, yep, yep, yep.
Which that I don't think you canhave enough of that kind of
reminding of that's he's got it.
Boy, he understands it, boy, hedoes.
(06:57):
Um, how about uh do you have afavorite food?
SPEAKER_00 (07:00):
Oh gosh, well, right now I'm on the carnivore diet,
so uh uh eating steak is isactually been fantastic in
sticking with meats.
Oh man, um yeah, I was I haddiabetes, and so uh because I
like pizza, I like hamburgers,you know, I like all the pasta
and all that stuff, and so myblood sugar was pretty bad.
(07:22):
So I I switched over to thatcarnivore diet, and man, I mean
it went from uh A1C of nine downto 5.6.
Wow.
So so it's working.
I mean, okay, yeah, it's so Ireally love it because it makes
me healthy.
It may not be my favorite toeat, but right, right.
SPEAKER_02 (07:38):
I've always thought I'm gonna write a diet book that
says you want a diet, get readyto be hungry.
So because there should alwaysbe some of that.
No pain, no gain, right?
So how about what one lastquestion?
Um, is there a favorite memory,John, that you have from from
childhood?
Usually, I mean, we go back thatfar.
Some people, it's like I don'twant to remember my childhood.
Um, but that you it I and I'mlooking for those things that we
(08:02):
have that we grow up in, youknow, at the time it maybe
doesn't seem like much, but thenas our lives go on, we go, you
know, that was really animportant thing, or you know,
that was really importantconversation I had with my dad,
or boy, I didn't realize howmuch I was gonna miss.
Uh for me, I I think about breadand my grandma LaBresh baking
bread in her kitchen up in youknow, Menominee, Michigan, and
(08:25):
how smelling bread being bakedwill make me go back to that
moment.
And it's always just a goodthing to remember, to recall.
So, do you have something likethat that you could share that
just you find is a a comfortingplace to relive?
SPEAKER_00 (08:40):
You know what's what was so uh impactful to me when I
was really young is I really didfeel like I uh I remember that
feeling of innocence and andtruly believing that Jesus loved
me and and how I was just onewith nature.
It was like I was an only child,so I spent a lot of time alone,
(09:02):
but those times outside I neverfelt alone.
And so I I've I recall back tothose times, you know, when I
get so busy that I I wondersometimes if I'm doing the right
thing or you know, if if Godreally does still consider me.
And I I look at that and go,that's really when I was
probably the closest to God thatI ever been, was whenever I just
(09:23):
truly just let him love me and Iloved him back out there by
myself.
SPEAKER_01 (09:28):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (09:29):
Um, and so those are the memories that that uh lately
I've been clinging to a lot morebecause that he we had it right
when we were innocent, you know.
SPEAKER_02 (09:37):
Yeah, well, you know, and and we complicate
things so much, right?
We we let we let all kinds ofsystems get put on top of this
the simple being with God, youknow.
It's uh yeah, you know, thatthat whole uh Emmanuel we try to
perform a lot, right?
Right, or we're or we're tryingto earn it somehow, or um you
(09:58):
know, instead of just saying bestill and know that I am God,
right?
I mean there's it's supersimple, but you know, just like
a lot of things in life, thosethings that look simple are
really difficult.
And I don't know why, but it'syou know great mystery.
So well, let's talk a little bitabout good contractors list.
(10:20):
So, what led to that?
Because that's a fascinatingstory.
I think people need to hearthat.
Um, that you were at one placein your life, and then this
happens as an idea.
Tell me about that journey,where you were, how you got to
that place, and then uh, youknow what what brought about the
good contractor list?
SPEAKER_00 (10:38):
Well, I sure wish I could say it was because I was
super smart and I really had allthis business acumen.
And I I just thought one day ofthis great thing that I could do
for the world and make a lot ofmoney, but that's not really
where it came from.
I was I was down and out, man.
Um, I was 42 years old, beendivorced three times, um, didn't
(11:00):
did not have uh anything that Icould say I was proud about,
other than my children beingborn.
And uh so I was at a place whereI was just praying, God, I don't
want to be here anymore.
I was depressed, I didn't seeany value uh that I would ever
bring to the earth.
And so um in February of 2011,um, God gave me that chance and
(11:23):
I I had a massive heart attack.
Um, and uh and so I ended up inthe hospital, and it was during
a big freeze that happened inthe Dallas Fort Worth area.
There was a Super Bowl that yearin 2011, and uh big old freeze
hit here, and uh went to thehospital.
Uh first they said it waspneumonia, and then uh because
(11:43):
they saw that my lungs were fullof fluid, and they didn't find
that it was a heart attack untilmuch later in the night.
And it was probably about 2 a.m.
Um, when the doctor came back inand said, This just doesn't
resemble pneumonia.
I don't understand what's goingon here.
We need to do some more bloodwork.
And when she came back in, andthis is the doctor that's on,
(12:04):
you know, there at midnight andtill and beyond, um, she's like,
Well, uh, John, I think you needto call your family and have
them come back up here.
And I'm like, Uh, why?
Uh, you know, it's it's late,it's freezing, and you know, I
don't want them getting out onthat street.
And they're she's like, Well,it's not pneumonia, uh, it's
your heart.
(12:24):
And I was like, Oh, okay.
And and so we're gonna do somemore tests, just have them come
up here.
And so uh I was laying there inthe bed, and the I heard could
overhear the conversation thatwas happening out in the hall.
And there was a uh a nursetalking to the doctor, and she
goes, Don't you have to havepermission from the director to
move him to ICU?
And her response was, not inthis case, he's tombstone.
(12:47):
And I was like, Tombstone.
I mean, I was like, I I didn't II didn't figure she was talking
about pizza.
So I was like, um likely notsomething serious is happening.
You know, well, I'd been prayingfor two months that God would
take me, you know, and uh uh Ithought, wow, this is my
opportunity.
Like if if this is really gonnabe death for me, it's really not
(13:09):
that bad.
I was thinking this, you know,I've got oxygen pumping in me,
I'll probably just fade off.
And and I was thinking, youknow, I can repent right now,
and you know, there won't beanother chance for me to sin
before I die.
You know what I mean?
It's like it's like I'm gonnaskid through there, you know,
like the uh the thief on thecross, you know, uh last minute
make it in.
But uh uh they as they wererolling me to ICU, uh I really
(13:35):
felt this strong impression,like God, you know, it's not it
wasn't an audible voice, but itwas so loud and kind of out of
nowhere.
Um, and it was just, well, John,do you want to stay or do you
want to go?
And so I uh took it very soberlybecause no, I really didn't want
to be here.
But in in my heart of hearts, Iheard God saying, and is is as
(14:00):
clear as I could have it heard,is that if you decide to stay,
I'll be with you and I'll giveyou a purpose.
And I was like, okay.
So it took about an hour for thecardiologist and his team to get
in there, even after all thisstuff had happened.
Uh so they had me uh up in theup in the room and and all the
(14:20):
staff uh that were there in themiddle of the night were all
behind the glass watching me.
I could just see the concern ontheir faces.
Nobody figured I was gonna makeit at this point.
Uh it was a massive heartattack.
Um, but the the uh while I wasthere, I was just considering
all the things that where I wasin my life, you know, and I was
like, I don't know what I'd beremembered for.
(14:41):
Like I know my kids wouldremember me.
Then there might be a few peoplethat go, Oh, yeah, he was a nice
guy.
It's too bad he died too early,you know, or whatever.
But I really didn't do anythingthat I felt like, you know, had
any real value on this planet,you know, and so that's where I
was, and so I I thought aboutit.
And since I really did believethat God was involved in this, I
(15:03):
I came to him with apresentation.
SPEAKER_02 (15:07):
Yeah, I said, God if you'll jump to your attention to
the screen here, I'd like toshow you.
SPEAKER_00 (15:12):
Yeah, okay.
And so I um I said, All right,God, I'd like to stay if it's
okay with you.
But I don't want to be the sameguy I've been.
And here's the things that Iwant if I do stay.
One, I wanted to be rememberedfor doing something good.
That was because I just uh thatwhole time I was thinking about
(15:33):
how I really hadn't doneanything.
I want to be remembered fordoing something good, and then I
want to be alive every day, notjust live.
You know, I I wanted to liveevery day, not just be alive.
I'm sorry, that just oppositethat.
I wanted to live every day, notjust be alive, and I wanted to
touch as many people as I coulduh while I was uh remaining here
(15:56):
on earth.
And all I can say is that theenergy that I felt in that room,
uh if I if I actually did hear avoice, a voice before, this one
was 10 times louder, and it wasso be it, and it was so strong,
and I knew that I was gonnalive.
And so if I could see into thespirit realm, I would think the
(16:17):
way it felt was like he wasdancing around that hospital bed
saying, That's my boy, you madea good choice.
I'm gonna be with you, I'm gonnagive you a purpose.
And so, you know, I clung tothat, and so um I uh he the
doctor got there, there was ahundred percent blockage in one
artery, 95% in the other.
(16:38):
I'd had a massive heart attack,and over 40% of my heart was
scar tissue at this point.
Um, he's like, I'm not reallysure if I can uh if I can do
this with stents, but I'm I mayhave to crack you open.
And that's what he said.
SPEAKER_01 (16:52):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (16:52):
And I'm awake for this because you know, he
they're not gonna put me tosleep with it as dangerous as it
was.
And so I said, Go ahead, dowhatever you need to do.
I'm gonna be here.
I I I knew it.
And so he went in, put in threestents, uh, pumped the die back
through, and it showed that itwas going through and pumping
through the rest of my heart,you know, and so the everybody
(17:15):
behind the glass was holleringand clapping and doing all kinds
of whooping, you know, it's likethat.
I can't believe this guy's stillon this earth, you know.
Um, and so that's where I was.
And and um my heart was damagedseverely, uh had congestive
heart failure and a pacemaker.
Um, so I left the hospital inworse condition than I went in
(17:39):
as far as physically goes.
Um nothing changed.
I I was still selling coupons,is what I was doing for a job.
But I left there knowing I had apurpose and that God was gonna
show me what I needed to do.
And that's what I that's what Imy absolute faith was in when I
left there not knowing where itwas gonna take me.
SPEAKER_02 (18:00):
Well, you know, and that what's amazing to me about
that is you essentially got intoa bargain with God.
You know, it was uh, you know,let's make a deal with God,
right?
And and he not only loves youenough to spare you, but he
loves you enough to honor thatyour your desires, your your
wishes that you had were allgood and honoring to him
(18:24):
ultimately, because you weren'tgonna just go do those, you
weren't saying, I want to bereally famous, God.
You know, you're saying, no, Iwant to touch people's lives,
God.
You know, I want to make adifference for people's lives.
Well, what is that except God'slove being transmitted to those
around us, right?
So it's it's it's an amazingstory of the faithfulness of God
(18:45):
and the faithfulness of hispeople, and how the two of those
together just move incrediblemountains.
And you know, if we could justget a hold of that and say,
stop, stop, stop, and just say,God, I want to do these
important things and I want todo them for you, period.
So think of how much differentthe world would be with, you
(19:06):
know, just a small group ofpeople doing that, right?
So I'm sorry, so then you'reyou're at this point, you're
still selling coupons, but andyou're in horrible shape healthy
wise, but you're alive.
You're alive.
Okay, we got that going for you.
SPEAKER_00 (19:20):
Like I said, I've already been divorced three
times, but I was living with mygirlfriend at the time, and she
and she gave me the uh thequestion that I uh never been
asked.
Um, well, John, you need medicalinsurance.
Why don't we get married?
So it wasn't uh it was kind of awhy not wasn't the most romantic
task, but you know, it was thegreatest thing.
(19:40):
I love, I mean, my you know, atthat time I had two girls and uh
you know we a marriage ofconvenience.
SPEAKER_02 (19:47):
What are you gonna do?
SPEAKER_00 (19:47):
Yeah, so it seemed seemed so like like but I know
God brought us together, youknow, and it's it's it's really
cool to to look now, and we havewe have five kids all together.
We have seven grandkids.
Oh my life back then where Ithought I was gonna have
nothing, is is just uh God haskept every promise, every
(20:10):
promise that He gave me thatday.
Um, to include that I believethat the good contractors list
is the is the platform that isgoing to be able to tell get
this story out there and thatit'll be it'll be something
where I can actually inspire andtouch the world now.
I mean, as many people as canhear this, I'm hoping that they
understand their value, thateven when you think you're the
(20:32):
absolute bottom of the barrel,um, no use, God knows how to use
the unusable.
And that's where I was.
And so I'm just I I I'm a livingtestament to that.
And so when I got out of the outof out of the hospital, we got
married right away.
Um, and I left going, I have apurpose, and that's all I knew.
(20:55):
I I didn't have any kind ofcontracting background or
anything like that.
Like I said, I was sellingcoupons, and what I did front
prior to that was selling yellowpages.
And back then, when I wasselling yellow pages, uh, I
there was a few times that I wasselling to contractors, and I
remember the bigger the ad, thethe more I would find about the
(21:16):
contracting company that I didnot like.
And and in those ads, you couldsay anything about yourself.
And so I remembered thinking, ohmy gosh, there is nobody
protecting anybody out there,you know, um, from these guys.
And so uh when I I was I was outthere selling coupons, like and
(21:37):
uh I had a contractor that was alocal guy that was well uh loved
and and known.
And he said, you know, John, Idon't think I I want to uh I
don't have the money to do thiswhole thing by myself, but I
know a couple of othercontractors that that do other
things, like I have a roofer andelectrician that I think uh I
would uh could is it okay if weshare an ad?
(21:58):
And I started thinking aboutthat.
And I was like, you know, reallythe pro it'd probably be better
to have a website where you knowy'all could be on there and we
just we just advertise that onething.
And it was just like like alight bulb came on, is like,
this is what I want you to do.
And so I couldn't stop thinkingabout it.
(22:19):
And I had a chance, you know,because I was getting paid a
salary to go out and sell thesecoupons, I had a chance to to
see if someone would even buyinto this idea that I had um
while I was out there and had alittle salary.
I I was making$35,000 a year,and um, you know, I mean, and
but I was like, there's no wayI'm gonna do something on
(22:42):
company time that I'm notstealing from this company to
see if my ideal work because Ireally truly felt like this came
from God.
So I went in it and marched intothe office and said, I've got
this idea, and I I had no money.
I'm telling you, I had onepaycheck left.
And I said, I can't, I'm gonna,I'm gonna have to quit because I
(23:04):
want to really see if this ideaworks.
Never built a business before.
I mean, no sign that I wouldever even have uh any luck, you
know, at all in this.
And I stepped away from thereand went out and started talking
to contractors, brought myyellow legal pad, and I said,
This is what I imagine thewebsite will do one of these
days.
Give me some money, you know.
(23:25):
I mean, it was just like, whatin the world?
I mean, it's like the mostridiculous thing you've ever
heard, right?
Um but right from the beginning,I said, you know, we're gonna
separate the good guys from thebad guys, and we're gonna
guarantee that uh that they'regonna that they're gonna do a
good job, or we'll pay to fixit.
I didn't have any money, right?
It was just like it was likethat's that's the model.
(23:47):
It was just the right thing.
Went out there and just starteduh sharing it, and people just
it was like the favor was allaround me.
And the contractors was like,God, if you can imagine to do
something like that, I want tobe a part of it.
Yeah, and that was back in 2011.
We just had our fourth annual 1010-year dinner, and I still have
(24:09):
and we have a lot of contractorswho are who have been here more
than 10 years who who startedwith me when I when I drove up
in my little Pontiac G5,carrying my legal pad around
with me.
SPEAKER_02 (24:23):
Don't lose those humble routes, routes, John.
Don't lose those.
So uh well, now you could rideup on horse.
That would be kind of you know,with a white hat and everything
and really have the deal, right?
SPEAKER_00 (24:33):
Well, yeah, I think they'd run from me at that
point.
SPEAKER_02 (24:35):
Boy, I don't even know where to begin to ask
questions about that.
It it does hit me though, andI've thought about this before,
as I looked into some of theinformation on your your project
and you know your business.
And it it I don't know how toreconcile this, but it does
prove to me or show to me thatpeople, enough people really
(24:57):
want to do the right thing andbe associated with people that
do the right thing.
And that one of the the thingsthat you know, as I say, we live
in pretty dark times right now.
You know, there there's been somuch polarization and so much,
you know, anti whatever going onthat we we've lost the the
(25:17):
fabric, the continuity that weused to have when we all
listened to the same newsbroadcast, at least back in the
60s when I was a kid.
And you know, so we all had atleast sort of a single concept
of the world, you know, and nowwe don't.
Now we have like, you know, 14million different uh conceptions
of the world and what's realityand what is and and who to
(25:38):
believe and who not to.
But this strike this strikes tome uh as something at the core
of human beings, which is wewant, most of us, we want to do
good.
We want to be associated withpeople that do good things.
And we know the difference.
We do know the difference, youknow, that God-given ability
(25:58):
where we can recognize all truthis God's truth, all beauty is
God's beauty, all love is God'slove.
That, you know, somehow you'reyou're cutting through all that
with this project in a reallytangible way, which is
fantastic.
And you're putting some moneywhere your mouth is, right?
The$25,000 guarantee speaksvolumes to people that don't,
(26:21):
and that's God thing, that'sgreat, but if he's gonna do a
good job, that's what I careabout.
You know, the New Yorkers arehappy with it, as well as the
you know, the people from Kansasare happy with it, right?
So, but um so what's your takeon that?
Do you think there is there alonging?
Is that been part of thisprocess?
Is realizing how much people arelonging for the breath of fresh
(26:41):
air of somebody saying, I willguarantee that these are good
people you're gonna work with.
You know, like my uncle Joewould say, you know, you yeah,
you want to work with Carl here.
He's a great guy.
Great.
Uncle Clem says, I'm going withCarl.
SPEAKER_00 (26:55):
So well, you know, I think I think that I stumbled on
something that really nobodyever thought about before.
It's just the way it's alwaysbeen.
But if you think about uh thecontractor-homeowner
relationship, homeowners uh theonly option they have is a
two-way agreement them and thecontractor.
That's the way it's always been.
(27:16):
But every horror story you everhear about started with a
two-way agreement.
And at the end of thatagreement, if there was a if
there was a uh an issue, it waseither it was just the
contractor's word against thehomeowner's word.
And that's the way it is withevery contractor on the planet.
There's not, there hasn't been athird party that says, you know
(27:38):
what, I'll not only vouch vouchfor these guys, but if they
don't do what they're supposedto do, you're not gonna have to
pay for that, Mr.
Homeowner, Mrs.
Homeowner.
You know, so we've been in areally unique position, but I I
tend to believe that there aremore good contractors out there
than there are bad contractors.
SPEAKER_01 (27:56):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (27:56):
Um, but because of all the bad contractors, there's
a lot of broken relationshipsout there.
What we're finding is thathomeowners, because they don't
want to be made a fool of, theydon't want to feel like they've
been taken advantage of, thatand when when incidents happen,
and we're talking about a realworld here, I mean anything
could happen, deaths in thefamily, lose a crew, and they're
(28:17):
trying to start uh with a newone, there's a lot of moving
parts when it comes to toworking with contractors.
But because of the fear that'sin the uh that surrounds
contracting, homeowners willjump to conclusions.
And so if if they feel like thecontractor might be taking them
down a wrong road, they I mean,some of these guys get really
(28:39):
mean with a contractor, they'lltear up the relationship, they
say you're not allowed back inmy house.
And you know, uh they'll they'llgo out and start badmouthing
them on reviews and everythingelse.
They don't because it's likeit's just like once I feel like
I'm uh made a fool of, I'm goingto tear you up.
And that's that's the way a lotof homeowners look at this.
(29:00):
So, what I found is by having athird party involved, when
little incidents like thathappen, we're able to keep that
from escalating by just saying,we're gonna be here through this
whole thing.
We know this contractor, we putour money on him, and just let
them get to the end of this job.
And if you're not happy, we'llmake sure that you are.
And so 99% of the issues arehandled by just having somebody
(29:25):
else that they can talk to.
SPEAKER_02 (29:26):
Yeah.
What's that?
I keep thinking the scripture, acourt, uh, a court of three
strands is not easily broken,you know, that we have that uh
that sense going into it, right?
So it's a great scripture.
Are you are you um do you whatare what are the stumbling
blocks?
Where where do things get youknow tricky, I guess I'll say,
in the process?
Do you do you find anything inparticular that either the
(29:47):
contractor or the homeowner goesinto uh the situation with a
preconceived notion, maybe, oruh, you know, kind of not
putting all their cards on thetable and what that ends up
doing to the dynamic?
Um Because there's a I I findthat you know that kind of
project, I've done a lot oftheater work in my in my
background, and you know, youhave to always understand that
(30:08):
something's gonna come up thatyou didn't anticipate, right?
And the real test is how do yourespond to that?
Do you go, you know, throwing ahissy fit and you know, a big
histrionyx, you know, you don'tyou realize what this is gonna
do to my art or in my time orwhatever?
And you know, just saying, whoa,whoa, whoa, whoa, we all care
about the same thing here, youknow, we're all in this together
(30:30):
to do a thing.
Let's get back focused.
So are there things like that inyour world?
SPEAKER_00 (30:35):
Well, that's that's the typical uh response that we
have is like, this is a realworld.
The contractor wants to get tothe end of this job.
He didn't get into contractingso that he could get a bad name.
Most of the time, uh thecontractors are there because of
how great it feels when they getto the end of the project and
they know that they really madethis homeowner happy or uh was
(30:57):
able to do something that thatmade their life more comfortable
or whatever the case may be.
These contractors have a heart,but but you have to realize that
there's a lot of moving partsand nothing is perfect.
So sometimes it does take longerthan than what was expected.
Sometimes there's there's thingsthat get in the way.
And when you're working with acontractor, just know that if
(31:19):
they have integrity enough tofix the problem, enough to uh at
least communicate with youwhat's going on, that you just
need to give them a chance.
Yeah, and um, and so I I thinkby just us being there kind of
as a counselor, a mediator, uh,it it takes away a lot of that
fear.
And so, you know, in in in 14years, we've backed over five
(31:42):
billion dollars in jobs becausewe don't just back the job that
comes from us through ourwebsite, we back every job that
contractor does.
Okay, so they can go into a homeand present that uh that I'm a
part of an organization thatdoes things right.
And matter of fact, they theyguarantee it, and all you have
(32:02):
to do is go register for free.
And that's it's simple.
The homeowner doesn't payanything for it.
SPEAKER_01 (32:08):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (32:08):
Um, and then our contractors, we matter of fact,
we uh now that we've expandednationwide, our uh our goal is
not necessarily to just uh getas many contractors as we can to
pay us.
We want to build safe contractorcommunities um in every city.
And what that looks like here inDallas Fort Worth is we have
(32:30):
every type of contractor.
Many of the contractors thatcome on are referred by other
good contractors.
So it's it's an organization andan entity where everyone feels
confident in in referring eachother and and uh bringing about
business.
So let's say uh where do youlive?
SPEAKER_02 (32:50):
I'm in Wisconsin, outside of Madison, Wisconsin.
SPEAKER_00 (32:53):
So somewhere there in Madison, Wisconsin, um we we
start with a roofer, and thatroofer knows a plumber.
And so they start bringing theirall all the people that they
trust into the organization.
And while we're kind ofoverseeing things, they are the
ones actually policing andmaking sure that everybody's
doing what's right.
Okay.
(33:14):
They act as a network.
And what's so cool about that isthat you know, I I'd been in, I
told you I sold yellow pages,and I never once heard if so and
so is in your yellow pages, Idon't want to be there.
And that was one of the firstthings that I heard when I were
I was sharing this goodcontractor's list is is the
people who are on here want tohold me accountable to who's on
(33:36):
that list.
So if I if I uh just take moneyfrom everybody and they know
that guy's a crook, then then Ijust lost the whole everything
I'm trying to do here.
Right.
So it's really a communitybuilding a community.
And what's happening on uh forthe homeowner now is that as
that plumber goes in there andgets them registered and says,
(33:58):
hey, listen, go there to lookfor your your flooring guys, go
there to look for your roofers,and and it becomes a it's called
a collective authority.
I'll call I call it collectiveauthority marketing, okay.
In that as a collective who whokeep each other honest and doing
a good job and and and raisingthe standard, homeowners will
(34:19):
start going to that websitebecause of the referrals coming
from all the contractors.
And now they're getting they'regetting leads coming in that
were developed by the group, youknow, and so instead of having
to market and spend a bunch ofadvertising money and it's
actual referrals coming fromgood contractors.
(34:41):
And uh, if you've ever had agood contractor, almost everyone
gets asked, well, do you know agood whatever?
Right.
Because I like you, if you knowmore people like you, do you
know somebody who can do myplumbing?
Do you know somebody who can dosure you know uh the air
conditioning or whatever theirneed is?
So this is a good chance tooperate as a collective.
SPEAKER_02 (35:02):
So what do you do about the unfortunately?
I think there are um Lucifersout there, you know, angels that
appear and uh to be what theyare not.
I mean, those people get foundout eventually.
I mean, ultimately.
Is there a process that you goto a vetting process of sorts
(35:24):
that at least makes it lesslikely to happen?
Because I mean, you're right.
What's what's the old thingabout all it takes is one bad
apple to uh to spoil a barrel,but there's also something about
one one bad uh egg to spoil thepotato salad.
And again, that's probably morelike what really happens.
There's one egg that gets inthere and just wrecks that
potato salad, and all of asudden the picnic is ruined.
(35:45):
So, right?
SPEAKER_00 (35:47):
Yeah, well, I can tell you this is a funny thing
because when you use the wordturn, you use the term bad
apple.
If you Google bad apple and goodcontractors list, you'll find an
ad, not an ad, a news story fromway back when I first started.
So we used to uh do backgroundchecks through a third party.
SPEAKER_01 (36:06):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (36:07):
Um, you know, and uh we had a guy that had one of his
employees pose as the owner.
And so they they gave theirinformation.
We ran the background check,everything was clear.
We looked at their BBB, he hadan A plus.
Okay, so we're okay, I thinkwe're good here.
And um, the guy ended up justbeing a ripoff artist.
(36:29):
I mean, and and he it was ittook us about six weeks before
we realized that other peoplewere saying, hey man, he keeps
pushing that date back on whenhe's supposed to get started.
Or he just got started, he washere for a day, and I haven't
been able to get a hold of him.
And so uh we we uh we followedup on this.
It had nine jobs that we had togo back on.
(36:52):
We we gave some of those peopletheir money back, uh the down
payments that they did.
We gave, and then some of themwe brought our contractors in
that was able to help finish thejob, and it didn't cost them any
more than what they had beenbid, right?
But um I was like, he's notgetting away with this one.
I called channel 11 and I said,I said, Hey, uh, this is John
(37:13):
with the good contractors list.
We had a contractor that hasbeen uh is ripping off people.
We took him off our list, but Ineed I need the the people in
DFW to know that who this guyis.
And so they did a news story,and we went to a homeowner's uh
house there where uh it and hewas a veteran who was uh losing
his mobility, and and he hadhired these guys to to redo the
(37:35):
bathroom so that they could getin and out easily.
And uh he that guy uh had tookhis money and never came to do
any of it.
So we we wrote them a check,brought the newscast there, did
a story on it, and then outedthis guy on public television,
which kind of outed us, right?
Right but um and and that wasbut I mean, at least the
(37:56):
newscaster was like, you know,you could have swept this under
the rug.
Why would you go about, youknow, saying something bad about
your own company?
And I was like, well, becausethat was my purpose.
My purpose is to protect people,not sweep things under the rug
when I know that there'ssomething wrong.
And so uh it really actuallyworked uh to our benefit greatly
(38:18):
to do what we say we're gonnado.
And we have for 14 years, um outof five billion dollars backed,
we've had to come out of pocket$127,000.
Wow.
In 14 years.
Wow.
Um that's a testament to ourprocess.
And you know, when you putsomething out there and say, I'm
good, if you put that good witha halo on it and you say I
(38:39):
guarantee it by it with$25,000.
Um, if there's somebody notdoing what they're supposed to
do, the flags come up veryquickly.
And so uh we've taken people offour list for just being rude
people.
And uh that that's there's noroom for that.
We don't need we don't needsomebody out there that's
(39:01):
belittling people.
Um and uh I like to put I liketo put contractors really into
three different kind of boxes.
Um there's buck in a truck, andyou know, these guys are
smaller.
Uh a lot of times they don'thave the resources they need
that if something does go wrong,that they can have the money to
(39:22):
fix it.
And so what ends up happening,and th those guys take forever
to get something done becausethey're small.
Um, and if something goes wrong,they don't have resources.
Now, on the opposite side ofthat is mega contractor, and
those guys have million-dollaradvertising budgets, they have
fleets of trucks, and the onlyplace that they're gonna get
(39:46):
those paint payments made isthrough homeowners.
So a lot of those guys, theirtheir mission is to upsell,
upsell, upsell, and you know,and and so most of the time they
don't have technicians cominginto your house, they have sales
technicians coming into yourhouse.
So, so I like to really focus onthat honest guy in the middle,
(40:12):
you know, the one that runs hisbusiness well, that has
insurance.
Uh, he's not the cheapest guy,he's not gonna be.
Um and I say he, but he, she,whoever the that the contractor
is, they're they're probably notgonna be the cheapest, but they
will save you more money thanyou know.
(40:34):
Ultimately, it's the safe placeto go.
So that's the kind ofcontractors I'm looking for, is
is the guys that's been arounduh long enough to know how to
run a business so they're notrobbing Peter and to pay Paul,
right?
Who have a good onlinereputation and who has for who's
forward thinking and how do Iattract the the best talent and
(40:56):
and really take care ofhomeowners?
And so we've managed to put thissystem together to really really
point that out and that isreally, really, really
wonderful.
SPEAKER_02 (41:09):
What are some of the markers along the line?
Like I mean, from from 2015 or2011.
Okay, from 2011 to today, whatif you look back at that, what
are kind of the major milemarkers you think that uh you
accomplished or that you went,oh, we we hit a new level here.
We just it's like you know,board gaming up, right?
Oh, I'm at level six.
SPEAKER_00 (41:29):
So so well, you know, there's there's different
markers.
Uh one, I I loved it whenever Iwas out in public or whatever,
and somebody saw me because inDFW I do TV ads and some radio
ads and stuff.
And uh I had a guy come up withhis uh three daughters and and
say, Oh, you're the goodcontractors list guy.
(41:51):
And and I was like, Yeah, and hehe goes, Oh, we hear you all the
time on the radio.
And then he goes, he calls hisgirls over, his three little
girls, and goes, Sing them thejingle.
And those little girls sang myjingle.
SPEAKER_02 (42:05):
It made my oh totally.
That made my week, so maybe amonth even.
So goodness gracious.
SPEAKER_00 (42:11):
It was so sweet, and I was just like, Oh, well,
that's so cool.
And then uh then to hearhomeowners say, I don't use a
contractor if they're not on thegood contractors list.
Yeah, you know, uh, so and andwe really appeal to the to the
older generation, you know,because they get taken advantage
of a lot.
Yeah, and uh, and so uh theyreally appreciate us.
(42:34):
So um that that particulardemographic is is is loyal here
in Dallas Fort Worth.
And I think it's gonna be likethat pretty much anywhere you
go.
SPEAKER_02 (42:42):
Uh I would think so.
I mean, people do, you know,we're kind of talking about a
little bit before, right?
The whole factor of who do youtrust anymore?
Um, you know, it used to be thatyou know you could trust close
friends or whatnot, you know,and I hope most people can, but
now so many people have justsaid, well, I don't talk to you
anymore because he voted forTrump or he voted for Biden.
And what's like, really?
(43:03):
We're gonna destroy the entirefabric of our world because of
politicians?
Really?
Yeah, you know, that that to meis has been horrible.
And then COVID, you know,whether you believed in it or
not, COVID did an awful lot todestroy our groups, you know,
and and in fact, I up in ourarea, there was a veterinarian
in uh lacrosse who wrote that umearly on in the process that the
(43:25):
thing that is most was mostconcerning to him as a
veterinarian and as a medicalprofessional in general was that
it was it was the first diseasethat literally attacked our
groups.
It just didn't just attack ourviral systems or whatever, it
attacked our groups.
So all the things that peopleidentified with and identify
with in general, or they definedthemselves as, oh, my crochet
(43:47):
club or my bridge club or myhorse riding club, whatever, all
those things that defined themwere gone.
And what did you have left todefine yourself?
You know, so it's it I thinkit's it's really wonderful that
you're you're finding a way torestore that fabric.
And, you know, what better waythan around people's homes?
Because a lot of who we arecomes from the home we grew up
(44:08):
in, right?
So are you are you concerned?
Are there are are things futurechallenges that you see that you
think will really have to be methead on in order for this to
continue growing, continueworking?
SPEAKER_00 (44:23):
Uh I I don't know.
I actually I can I kind of feelthe opposite way about it.
Uh with AI and everything elsethat's out there, um, I've heard
from so many people howfrustrated they are to not know
what's real anymore.
And what I feel like the goodcontractors list brings is an
ability to say, okay, thatgroup's real.
(44:44):
You know, there's there's beenuh more people looking at this.
And and I mean, after that oneincident that we had, we
invested in FBI level backgroundchecks uh software.
We're we pay$2,800 a month forjust our background software
because we want to know who thatperson is.
SPEAKER_01 (45:03):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (45:04):
Is that a guy that shut down a business two years
ago because he ran into theground and now he's saying he's
been in business 15 years withthis new name?
I mean, how often does thathappen?
Right, you know, so we're we'reable to look and see
associations, people they dealtwith, people they work for.
And so we we're able todetermine, you know, okay, this
guy seems solid.
(45:25):
Um, and like I said, becausethere's I believe there's more
good out there than there isbad, it's not hard pickings.
SPEAKER_01 (45:30):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (45:30):
You know, it's it's really about if they really feel
like they want to be a part of acommunity.
And I think that is gonna beeven more important going
forward, is I don't want to be alone ranger out here trying my
hardest to stand out above therest when I'm still gonna be
labeled a bad contractor out ofbecause of how people feel about
(45:52):
contractors in general.
SPEAKER_01 (45:53):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (45:53):
So if I could be on the good contractors list, you
know, um, that will remove a lotof that, you know.
And uh to know that I'm betting$25,000 on every job, and I
there's a third party that theycan call at any time to start
the uh resolution process, man,it's been a great thing here,
and I'm so proud to be able tooffer it across the nation now.
SPEAKER_02 (46:17):
Well, and you have a pretty small team, what Aaron
Bush is your CEO.
Um, and then I saw someone elsewith the last name Hill.
Any relationship to you?
SPEAKER_00 (46:26):
My wife.
Oh yeah.
My wife's here.
It's been a small company.
We've been a small company outin the D DFW area, and it's
really funny because you know,everything that has happened has
moved at the pace that of Godopening the doors.
SPEAKER_01 (46:39):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (46:40):
Um, I did not go out looking to go nationwide.
I always matter of fact, what'sfunny, uh mentioning Aaron, um,
I I would tell people for a longtime when they'd say, What are
you doing with the goodcontractors list?
Why aren't you doing thisnational?
And I'm like, I don't even knowwhat that looks like.
I don't know what to do.
I don't think it's time.
Uh, you know, I I would don'thave the energy for it.
(47:01):
Um, but I had a heart transplantin uh 2022.
So I find uh so I actually havea new heart um and new lease on
life, and so a lot of energy.
And this last year, um, I reallyfelt like something was gonna
change.
There was gonna be something.
But I but what what what I'dtell people whenever they'd ask
(47:22):
me those questions is I youknow, I feel a lot like Moses
out in the desert.
I'm just tending these sheep,you know, and I'm I'm doing what
I can right now.
And you know, if it's supposedto happen, God'll let me know.
And out in that, out in thedesert, um, there were two
things that moved Moses out ofthat desert.
It was a burning bush that hesaw.
(47:42):
And then when he went out there,he's like, God, I don't know how
to talk.
He goes, Okay, well, I'll giveyou your brother Aaron.
And so God sends me a CEO, aJewish CEO, by the way.
Cool.
Uh, by the name of Aaron Bush.
You know, so um he he doesn'teven try to hide.
SPEAKER_02 (48:00):
Could I spell it out for you, John?
Or are you getting it now?
SPEAKER_00 (48:04):
Come on, it's not me, you know.
I I didn't have the brains to doany of this stuff.
SPEAKER_02 (48:11):
It's like the Evelyn Woodhead Spen Redden course,
right?
So I'm John Hill and God had tospell it out for me with the
name Aaron Bush.
Yes, he's quite seeing you go.
SPEAKER_00 (48:22):
But now we have three different gentlemen who
are who have decided they wantedto join.
Um, and look, I I could neverafford these three guys.
They came in knowing this isgonna be humongous, you know.
And they're they were like,John, we just want to be here.
And so a lot they're workingright now um at a very, very
(48:45):
minute amount of money thatthey're used to making.
Okay.
And and so the structures beingput together, um, the
foundations are all there.
We're able to keep ourintegrity.
And I mean, we just mentioned uhit was probably two months ago
that we decided that we weregonna absolutely that we were
gonna go nationwide.
SPEAKER_01 (49:04):
Sure.
SPEAKER_00 (49:04):
And we are in 18 different states right now.
We have contractors who arejoining us from all over the
place, and we make it reallysuper easy.
We don't uh we don't charge alot to be a part of it, we just
ask a lot, you know.
Um for a$500 setup fee and$250 amonth, every one of your jobs
(49:25):
will be backed by a$25,000guarantee.
But we don't want just someonewho wants to use this as a
closing tool, right?
We want we want contractors whoare gonna help us build
communities of contractors.
And so we're gonna just give allthe tools that we can.
Uh we'll get the we'll give themthe tools that they can register
homeowners and tell theirhomeowners about it.
(49:45):
And as they grow their groups,they themselves will uh will
initiate more homeowners comingto the website because of the
referrals, right?
Which would which will mean thatthey're gonna now start getting
phone calls and emails from agood contractors list website
because people are starting totrust the group.
So I'm looking for people whowant to create safe contractor
(50:09):
communities everywhere acrossthe nation.
SPEAKER_02 (50:12):
Yeah.
Which is I I love that you youuse that word regularly because
communities, you know, back inthe day, that's how homes were
built in communities bycommunities.
You know, you bring the I inWisconsin, there's an awful lot
of German communities, you know,in Milwaukee where I grew up.
Holy cow! You know, and that wasGermans coming over to America
(50:33):
and you know, getting in aparticular area of Milwaukee.
And then because they wereGermans, they were a lot of them
were good bricklayers becausethat's the kind of home they
were used.
So there's all kinds of brickhomes all over Milwaukee because
the Germans were there buildingthose as a community, you know.
It's so it's it's uh it's not anew model.
I mean, you're not winninganything for originality, but
you are winning it for comingback to home with uh things that
(50:56):
become.
SPEAKER_00 (50:59):
I mean, when when we together are so much stronger,
yeah, um, we have a voice thatgets louder and louder as uh
that collective authority growsin a market.
Yeah, you know, it and andpretty soon you're well known.
Yeah, and uh and it doesn't takeuh TV ads and radio ads to do
it.
SPEAKER_02 (51:17):
Exactly.
Well, it you've got to resonatewith something real, and the
minute you start resonating withthat, you've got all kinds of
resonance going on.
So yeah, I'm I'm a musician atheart too.
I know you hit a G, and there'senough of the right kind of
things around, everything willstart resonating the G.
You know, it's uh it's a funthing to watch in nature for me.
So yeah, exactly.
So gentlemen, we're running outof time, and I I there is
(51:39):
another topic I want to talkabout.
Maybe you and I can link upagain.
Um I'd love to talk about yourchurch uh work that you're doing
too, the Find a House Church umministry that you've got going.
That to me is another wholething to get into.
Um, but it'd be fascinating tohear that story and how that
works because I I think I sensethat there maybe would be places
up here in Wisconsin and maybeacross the world that would be
(52:01):
very interested in that thatapproach to forming a different
kind of community, right?
A spiritual community inaddition to a home building
community.
SPEAKER_00 (52:08):
Yeah, you know, it's it's a free website that uh
anyone can go to and and startutilizing right away.
And that I kind of built it inthe same way.
It's that um uh the more peopleget the word out about the
website, the more people gothere.
SPEAKER_01 (52:22):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (52:23):
And um, and so yeah, we'll talk more about that.
That sounds great.
SPEAKER_02 (52:27):
So any how else can people get a hold of you?
So they go togoodcroncontractorslist.com,
right?
SPEAKER_00 (52:33):
It's the yeah, thegoodcontractorslist.com.
Okay.
Now, if you're a homeowner andyou know uh a good contractor
that you think should be backedby this guarantee and that could
help build that community thatI'm talking about, um go to the
goodcontractorslist.com and lookunder refer a contractor.
And if you refer a contractor tous that becomes part of our
(52:55):
community, then uh we will givea$125 uh bonus finders fee to
the people who are referring thecontractors that are gonna be
good.
Um, so yeah, this is a very thisis very symbiotic.
I I I want it to be win-win foreveryone.
Homeowners need to know thatthey can find contractors they
can trust.
(53:15):
So I need homeowners to help usbuild these communities.
I need contractors who know thatthey will do the right thing
every time.
That's not gonna cost us money,you know, and time trying to fix
stuff all the time.
And uh the more that we f wework together to build those
communities, the better it'llbe.
And so go to if you go tothegoodcontractorslist.com,
become a good contractor forcontractors, and refer a
(53:38):
contractor for homeowners.
SPEAKER_02 (53:40):
Right.
Yeah, I I thought of a story apastor of mine told me years
ago.
Uh, it seems to me to apply tothis situation that Alexander
the Great, years and years andyears ago, or of course, uh a
thief was brought in before himin his in his throne room, and
uh threw him down on the groundin front of him.
And Alexander looked down at theman and said, I understand that
(54:01):
you're a thief.
And the guy kind of quivering infront of him, yes, yes, your
majesty, I am.
And I understand that your nameis Alexander.
Yes, my lord, it is.
Then either change your ways orchange your name.
(54:23):
So, you know, that's kind ofwhat's going on here, right?
Good contractors, you want to bea good contractor, be a good
contractor.
You know, and if you don't, thenstay away.
We we don't, you know, we willYou'll be found out quickly.
Yeah.
Yeah, exactly.
There's more of us than thereare of you, okay?
So let's get it straight rightnow.
(54:43):
Folks, my guest today has beenJohn Stewart Hill.
John is the founder and chiefambassador for the good con the
good contractor list.
Goodness gracious, you think Icould remember that better by
now, John.
But the good contractors list,which if you are in build in the
point of where you and your wifeor husband or whatever are
getting ready to do some work onyour home or you're gonna build
(55:05):
a new home or whatever you'regonna do that would be homeowner
related, you want to check outthe good contractors list and
see what kinds of contacts mightbe out there, right?
Anything else I could show couldshould share, John, to make sure
they get out there and get thatthing done?
Anything?
SPEAKER_00 (55:20):
No, you know, I I think we said it all.
Uh, just need everyone's help,but I I really consider this
more of a movement than abusiness.
Yeah.
So it in a movement, it takes alot of people doing the right
thing, pulling the right peoplein uh for us to be able to do
this right.
And I think that we're gonnaraise the standard.
I really do.
I think that when when we becomea household name across the
(55:42):
nation and the people on thelist are trusted, then it's just
gonna raise the bar for all theother contractors to say, how do
I become a business that can beon this list?
SPEAKER_02 (55:52):
There you go.
Field of dreams, build it andthey will come, right?
Yes, here we go, folks.
Thanks for listening this weekto uh frame of reference
profiles and leadership.
My guest has been John SewardHill.
Uh, John, pleasure meeting you,pleasure talking with you, and I
look forward to the next time weget to do that again.
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (56:08):
Same here.
Thank you so much.
Take care.
Take care.
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