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The conversation Episode 01

Episode sponsored byOwens Corning
ABC Supply

He Built, Sold & Bought Back His Roofing Company | Ken Kelly

The story behind building, selling, and buying back Kelly Roofing.

Ken Kelly / Kelly Roofing

Meet Our Guest: Ken Kelly

Ken Kelly

Ken Kelly

Kelly Roofing
From the conversation

Ken Kelly joins Derek Janney to share the story of building, selling, and buying back Kelly Roofing—and the lessons learned along the way. From taking over the family business at 17 to navigating a painful downturn, Ken explains why clear standards, trusted relationships, and empowered employees matter. The conversation offers practical insights on delegation, customer service, and building a team that thinks like owners.

What to take away.

Learn the work before you delegate it. Define the expected result and quality checks so you can evaluate the work you hand off.
Make the customer promise concrete. Give the team a shared purpose and observable standards for customer satisfaction.
Evaluate suppliers on execution. Product availability, dependable deliveries, delivery photos, and accurate invoices all matter.
Put the operating essentials on one page. Short, clear steps help people execute and decide when the owner is not on the job site.
Teach a balanced way to resolve problems. Consider the crew, company, and customer when setting decision boundaries.
Turn learning into an operating change. Test useful ideas, observe the results, and decide what to keep or adjust.

Take Aways & Action Items

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Books mentioned.

BOOKThe E-Myth Revisited / Michael E. GerberBOOKGood to Great / Jim CollinsBOOKThe Toyota Way / Jeffrey K. LikerBOOKThe Dichotomy of Leadership / Jocko Willink & Leif BabinBOOKExcellence Wins / Horst Schulze

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