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The conversation Episode 02

Episode sponsored byOwens Corning

From Selling Roses to Building a $56M Roofing Company: The Derek Janney Story

Disciplined growth, people-first leadership, and the story behind Above the Roofline.

Derek Janney / Janney Roofing2026-10-2629 min listen

Meet Our Guest: Derek Janney

Derek Janney

Derek Janney

Host of Above the Roofline / Janney Roofing

Derek Janney is the host of Above the Roofline and a roofing business leader at Janney Roofing. In this episode, interviewed by Marti Ruiz, he shares the story behind the company, his approach to disciplined growth, and why he created the podcast.

From the conversation

Before hosting Above the Roofline, Derek Janney built his own roofing business. In this conversation with Marti Ruiz, he traces the journey from selling roses at gas stations to growing Janney Roofing through financial discipline, relationships, and high standards.

Derek explains why he prioritized character in his early hires, how generosity became part of the company culture, and why he describes the business as a customer-service company that happens to do roofing. He shares how consistent customer touchpoints, peer recognition, and small daily improvements can make those values practical.

The conversation also introduces the purpose of Above the Roofline: making the experience of established roofing leaders more accessible to the next generation. The accompanying field notes turn six lessons into small, owner-led actions to try with your team.

What to take away.

Grow at a pace your business can sustain. Evaluate the cash required, risks, and financial criteria before committing to the next growth investment.
Hire for character and develop the skills. Define the traits that matter for one role, how you will assess them, and how you will teach the technical work.
Give your team something bigger to build. Choose a community need together and organize a manageable service activity with a clear owner and date.
Make five-star service a repeatable process. Map the customer journey and document three touchpoints that reduce uncertainty, each with an owner and a standard.
Celebrate the behaviors you want repeated. Make specific examples of teamwork, service, and company values part of your regular team meetings.
Small improvements create major results. Test one manageable change for two weeks, observe the outcome, and decide what to keep, adjust, or stop.

Take Aways & Action Items

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Go to the good part.

The Derek Janney storyLearning from established roofing leadersBuilding a first-class companyDisciplined, debt-free growthHiring for characterGenerosity and team purposeThe Janney Difference: customer experienceRecognition and celebrating winsWhy Above the Roofline existsGetting one percent better

Books mentioned.

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