EP108: Corrie Leister of Inspired By U
Introduction:
Listen to Corrie’s remarkable story from startup to success and all the trials along the way.
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TRANSCRIPTION:
00:00.00
dybsteve
What happened.
00:00.81
Corrie
Well seriously like we were telling this guy you know about our our kitchens and and he wanted a specialty finish and we’re like are you sure you don’t want to check with your wife and he’s like no no, she does whatever I say and so we completed the entire kitchen.
00:16.43
dybsteve
Um.
00:19.20
Corrie
With this beautiful powder glaze. It was gorgeous I asked him 3 times if he wanted to check with his wife throughout the process. Nope nope all good. We get a call back a week later his wife doesn’t like it and I’m like okay well we can come in and paint it again. But you’re gonna have to pay for it and he’s like okay.
00:29.38
dybsteve
E.
00:37.89
Corrie
And so they paid for an entire new kitchen after we had never again, we will never let a guy sign off without his wife’s approval. But oh my gosh It was ridiculous. But.
00:41.50
dybsteve
Yeah, yeah.
00:49.50
dybsteve
Ah, if you pull signature. Ah no, it reminds you I think I’ve seen a sign in a paint store 1 time saying you must have your wife’s sign off before they make. Ah.
01:02.35
Corrie
Yes, yes oh my gosh we were like are you are you serious and yeah, hard lesson learned I would not have wanted to be be in that house when his wife came home. Ah.
01:05.43
dybsteve
Wow! Well yeah, ah, ah, ah, ah, that’s my so that’s awesome. Well ah and welcome to the doyb podcast today’s guest started out in her garage as a means to send her kids to private school. But god had bigger things in store for her based out of Mechanicsburg Pennsylvania president of inspired by you Cory Leister welcome to the show my pleasure. How did.
01:36.75
Corrie
Thanks so much for having me Steve.
01:43.24
dybsteve
You get started take us back to the beginning.
01:45.90
Corrie
So um, my life has been one crazy story I actually have a degree in health and physical education. So I was a teacher for 5 years and I loved that my husband and I started a business on the side of teaching and coaching and it took off for us so I was able to leave my teaching and coaching job.
01:52.51
dybsteve
Um, oh really? yeah.
02:01.99
dybsteve
Me.
02:03.80
Corrie
At the age of 27 to pursue our business full time and I just I have a heart for entrepreneurship I’m a visionary through and through and and so it was quite a journey and then in 2013 life hit my.
02:19.63
dybsteve
Me.
02:19.73
Corrie
World got flipped upside down and I had kids that were one 3 and 4 at the time and ah, you know, ah my husband was unfaithful in our marriage and so we we lost our team because when you have people that are looking to you as leaders and looking to you for.
02:28.95
dybsteve
Me.
02:38.53
Corrie
For guidance and for help in their own marriages and you’re not living with that kind of integrity then you know life life is gonna take its toll and sure enough it did um and in 2015 I think it was.
02:46.79
dybsteve
Me.
02:55.84
Corrie
Yeah, it was 2015 I was at probably my lowest point where um, you know I just I lacked passion I lacked purpose I was pouring into people every day when my husband and I were building our business and then you know to be at home with 3 small kids just waking up every day for them. Um, it was I mean I love my kids and I would do anything for them. But I just wasn’t feeling full and I feel like I wasn’t doing them justice either because I was just kind of trudging through life and I went out to visit my sister Megan because I just needed some time away. She lives in Oklahoma.
03:33.46
Corrie
And so the whole time I was there she was pregnant with our first baby and needed help with our nursery so I was painting furniture and home decor and murals and all kinds of stuff to help her get her nursery ready for for Kinley and by the time I left her nursery was beautiful and she said you have a gift you need to go into business.
03:51.34
dybsteve
In.
03:53.29
Corrie
And for the first time in a long time I felt that passion come back and and I felt like just joy in doing that kind of stuff and the day that I got home I got a call from one of my mom’s friends saying hey Cory I know you love to paint what you consider painting my kitchen cabinets and. From there. It was like door after door after door kept opening and it was no coincidence that this was the path that god wanted me to go on and so I just started walking through those doors and I have a family of entrepreneurs and so within a week I had an yeah ein number a website.
04:17.18
dybsteve
M.
04:28.70
dybsteve
He here.
04:29.66
Corrie
Business cards like everything that I that I needed to get my business up and rolling and word of mouth started to spread so I really when I took that first cabinet job I was like sure I can compete in your kitchen. How hard could it be I’ve learned along the way that you know it’s it’s a lot more challenging than I had thought.
04:41.37
dybsteve
1
04:49.51
Corrie
But it’s also very rewarding.
04:53.26
dybsteve
If ah is it okay to discuss the the the the challenges with with the marriage and what you did to work through that.
05:03.29
Corrie
Of course yeah I’m pretty transparent. So um, you know my husband he had trouble adjusting I think because we were building our business seven nights a week for 6 years straight we decided to wait to have our first.
05:15.30
dybsteve
A.
05:20.80
Corrie
Until you know we were in a good spot financially and we wanted to do it right? And after we had Haley um I wasn’t able to be with him 7 nights a week anymore you know I had different priorities because now I had a little one who was looking to me. And ten days after I had Haley I hemorrhaged and I had to go through 2 surgeries and they didn’t think I’d be able to have any more kids and so three months after Haley was born I got pregnant with Lexi and while it was insanely crazy. Um.
05:39.66
dybsteve
9
05:53.83
dybsteve
Um, a.
05:54.41
Corrie
At the same time I just counted it all joy because they told me I wouldn’t be able to have any more kids and now I was pregnant and so we had 2 kids under one. You know they’re a year and ten days apart so they’re very close. Um.
06:03.21
dybsteve
Yeah, move.
06:11.37
Corrie
And like I said life was a little crazy. They they needed all my time and attention and Chad was outbuilding the business by himself and he just thought that I finally had everything that I’ve ever wanted you know because I waited so long to have kids.
06:11.71
dybsteve
No. Me. No.
06:26.31
Corrie
And he didn’t think I needed them anymore I think those were some of the lies that he was telling himself. Um and so he started to see his worth in other areas and you know it was It was challenging because I thought we had an incredible life like we had children like.
06:28.90
dybsteve
M.
06:44.97
Corrie
I loved him so much and um and it just felt like I was completely blind sighted and so it was a toll like it was just this this roller coaster of emotions and it was I found out three weeks before christmas. And we had a team of people who were looking to us so I couldn’t tell anybody on our team. We had a leadership team who had left another team because of infidelity. So I couldn’t tell them because I knew that they were gonna you know, just kick us out and so I was alone.
07:06.61
dybsteve
Mm. And.
07:15.68
dybsteve
Together.
07:20.64
Corrie
And it was the loneliest place I’ve ever been I lost £30 in three weeks and nobody I mean people knew that something was wrong, but nobody wanted to talk about it and so it wasn’t until after the new year that I I opened up and I started sharing some things that we were going through and.
07:25.44
dybsteve
Um.
07:39.85
Corrie
You know with 3 small kids at home I was just kind of like I was just I was questioning god I was questioning my faith the crazy thing Steve is um the from August to December of that year in 2013
07:45.66
dybsteve
And.
07:57.29
Corrie
For some reason I had been just drawn to scripture and I was listening to like 3 sermons a day and I don’t know why I’ve never experienced it again. But looking back I’m like oh my gosh that was god preparing me for what I was about to go through and.
08:05.54
dybsteve
Um.
08:14.30
dybsteve
No.
08:17.22
Corrie
It was so crazy because during that time it was so intense but I just kind of leaned into everything that had been intilled in me over those over that period of of several months and it was just it was an insane time. Were separated I couldn’t legally kick chat out of my house because his name was on the house and so we were separated for eight months living under the same roof. He started to attend a marriage matters class by himself and started to make some changes and.
08:40.43
dybsteve
Um.
08:53.86
Corrie
And I found like um after that time I just felt God saying you know he’s fighting for your family and I want you to fight alongside of him and it was one of those feelings like really really good because I don’t want to ah you know he’s lied. You know.
09:00.90
dybsteve
Button.
09:09.16
dybsteve
Yeah.
09:11.49
Corrie
But um, but we we decided to reconcile and and I I feel like everybody was telling me. Yeah, you need to stay with them because the bible says this or and yeah, you need to like the bible has reasons for divorce and this is one of them and you know like everybody was trying to give me.
09:15.50
dybsteve
Habit of.
09:30.74
Corrie
Their view of what I should do and I just had to tune out all of the noise and just rely on what I knew like just seek God’s wisdom and just look to him and turn to him and that’s that’s kind of how I I heard his voice and and I’m so thankful I did because chat is and.
09:49.75
dybsteve
M.
09:50.63
Corrie
Incredibleible partner and he is like the most amazing man for our household and for our kids he’s a wonderful father and I’m just so thankful that we stuck it out and did the hard work to reconcile and to become the couple that we are today because. I mean I know that god would have been with me whether I stayed with him or whether I went like there I know that god would have been with me either way but I feel like because of my obedience. He’s blessed that and he’s given us the family we have today.
10:23.98
dybsteve
Amen right on so all things work together for those I Love Lord according to his purpose right? Thank you for sharing what encouragement would you have for others who may be going through this storm right now.
10:25.50
Corrie
Yes, absolutely yeah.
10:35.98
Corrie
You know I like I said it was a lonely place I didn’t think anybody else was going through the same things that I was going through and then once I started to open up I realized how many people were in the same situation or who had been through the same situation and. Really opened my eyes to all of the hurt that’s out there and first off my heart breaks for you because you know it’s tough to be in that position. Um, but I would just encourage you that there is so much hope and and joy and restoration.
10:56.12
dybsteve
Here me.
11:13.76
Corrie
And reconciliation and whether you know no matter what is in store for your life I would just say just remain faithful and and just keep walking I felt like I couldn’t see past. The next minute at sometimes you know it was just like I just got to get through this minute you know and and I would pray for divine connections I would pray for you know, just god to answer my prayers and and. You know without a doubt every time like there was just days where I would be in my closet crying because I had three little kids and I didn’t want them to see me crying and every single time that would happen Lexi. She’s my middle child out of nowhere. She would just be like mom mom. And’d be like yeah alexi she’d be like I love you mom and it was every time I was in that closet crying and it was always lexixi and it was always those words and I will never forget it because she was the one who got me through those darkest those darkest times and um.
12:20.10
dybsteve
Um.
12:21.73
Corrie
And I would just say just keep keep keep walking. Um, even if it’s just a mill a step just keep moving forward and eventually you you will get through this and there is joy on the other side and there is um, you know peace and reconciliation and I look back and I’m like.
12:23.80
dybsteve
Me.
12:28.71
dybsteve
Okay.
12:41.68
Corrie
You know what? um had I not gone through that situation. We wouldn’t have ah inspired by you wouldn’t exist. You know I wouldn’t have the business that I do today I wouldn’t have the marriage that I do today I feel I truly feel looking back.
12:51.30
dybsteve
Um.
12:59.68
Corrie
Like that marriage that we had. It was great and I loved it. But it wasn’t God’s best for my life and I feel like it’s so much stronger now we respect each other more. Um, we are very intentional about doing date nights and about just.
13:07.10
dybsteve
Um.
13:18.38
Corrie
Being on the same page and and I feel like things are so much stronger and so much better on the other side of those challenges when you work through them. Yeah.
13:30.67
dybsteve
Amen right on. Thank you, thank you for sharing appreciate that back to business your family entrepreneurs. They helped you get your yeah ein number and and and get rolling this was was this 201314
13:46.90
Corrie
Um, this was twenty fifteen this was June of 2015
13:48.24
dybsteve
15 Okay, so 2015 it’s like what eight ish years ago and how how did you get started. How did you generate your leads and how did you find your painters getting going.
14:00.89
Corrie
Yeah, um I just was kind of I was just kind of throwing things up against the wall at the beginning I didn’t know what I was doing I didn’t really start focusing on cabinets until 2017 I would say um I was just trying to find joy.
14:05.53
dybsteve
And.
14:18.43
Corrie
And something and it was really oh I’m so sorry I’m so sorry about that um I was just trying to find joy and in my work and so I would work all day and then I would spend time with my kids all day put them to bed and then.
14:18.96
dybsteve
Um.
14:23.11
dybsteve
Um, no problem.
14:37.17
Corrie
Work all night and so I was trying to make it work with 3 small kids at home working out of my garage and um it was just it was um, it was a time where I wasn’t really focused on growing the financial part of the business I was doing a lot on social media and Facebook. Um.
14:54.74
dybsteve
Um.
14:56.62
Corrie
And I was you know it was just a time where I was I guess um, trying to figure out which path I wanted to take and ah and it was um I guess there was really no method to my madness at the time.
15:07.18
dybsteve
Um.
15:11.50
dybsteve
Yeah, yeah gotcha in your husband works with you in the business. Currently yeah.
15:14.62
Corrie
Is where what I’m trying to get at so he does now. Um, he started working with me in October of Twenty Twenty um I had a lady who was helping me with all of my sales and doing all of the estimating and her husband was in a tragic accident. Ah, where he was hit while riding his bicycle and so she needed to leave and spend time with him and Chad just stepped up to the plate and it was a transition time because he had never he doesn’t know anything about kitchen and cabinets. He doesn’t know anything about painting anything along those lines but he can sell.
15:36.95
dybsteve
Um.
15:50.54
dybsteve
Um, yeah.
15:52.80
Corrie
And so he stepped in and he started learning and he is an incredible incredible asset to our company He’s been here since October 2020 and has helped to grow our business has helped to just get us new leads. He’s helping me with. You know, just all aspects of the business. He’s an entrepreneur as well. So it’s just been incredible to have him by my side.
16:19.48
dybsteve
Right? on ah about how many painters you have on your team currently.
16:24.55
Corrie
So now we have we have 15 employees. Um, they are all with the exception of 2 um moms and they work 1 to two days a week um and they’re all part time employees. It’s.
16:28.61
dybsteve
Um.
16:41.76
Corrie
It’s kind of interesting to me as not that wasn’t my intention when starting a business is to have a team of moms but it’s just kind of the way that it worked out and I wouldn’t trade it for the world I Love our team and they bless me on daily basis I mean just.
16:47.29
dybsteve
Um.
16:50.50
dybsteve
Um, yeah.
16:58.69
dybsteve
Um.
16:59.47
Corrie
Their their work ethic their high standards the way that they’re able to multitask I think Moms bring something special to the table. Um, as far as multitasking and their attention to detail and just their standard of excellence. Um, it’s so great to have a group of people who.
17:04.21
dybsteve
You.
17:11.36
dybsteve
Um.
17:18.65
Corrie
Treat my business like their own. They have ownership of it. They want to serve our customers at a really high level. It’s pretty. It’s pretty incredible.
17:25.82
dybsteve
Where does your drive come from.
17:31.44
Corrie
I think I’m so driven and it’s funny because I was just out in and Minnesota last week and I talked about this a little bit I think um, a lot of my drive comes out of fear. Um that I would ever put. Myself in a position where I wasn’t able to provide for my family again I think that um it’s I I think in 2013 when life hit and I was left with nothing. Um I was like what do what do I do now like.
17:51.70
dybsteve
M.
18:07.72
Corrie
You know I had lost everything and my whole world got flipped upside down and I think that what drives me is that I never want to be put in that position or put my family in that position again? Um, but I also learned that um I need to learn to forgive myself too.
18:07.89
dybsteve
Um, we.
18:27.35
dybsteve
Um, yeah.
18:27.59
Corrie
So I mean I think that that’s that’s where a lot of that fear comes from is I’m just not um I haven’t forgiven myself for for putting my family in that position yet and so I think I’m working through a lot of that stuff and processing it. Um, but we’re getting there.
18:36.42
dybsteve
You can.
18:46.90
Corrie
I think I was driven to before that that time framed as well like I’ve always been driven I’ve always been an athlete in a coach and and I’ve always been driven to succeed. Um, but I think that that kind of intensified it a lot. Yeah.
18:46.97
dybsteve
Um, me here are back.
19:00.91
dybsteve
Yeah, yeah, okay, it’s understandable. The implementation of what would you say has made the biggest change or impact in your business.
19:13.50
Corrie
The implementation of reading books. Ah I was never a good student. Um and and high school and college like I was there to play sports and.
19:14.66
dybsteve
Yeah, all right.
19:21.58
dybsteve
Same yeah.
19:29.10
Corrie
And I loved like I was a volleyball basketball player and I loved Sports and I never really had a desire to read I didn’t develop a love of learning until we started our business when I was 24 I think I read more books when I was 24 Then I read my entire high school and collegiate career which is pretty insane. Um, but now I have a I have a love for learning I have a passion for learning and yeah.
19:49.52
dybsteve
Um, yeah, there you go hidden.
19:56.30
dybsteve
Yeah, so my story similar fact I disliked learning so much that I dropped out of high school and I struggled and and I lost everything in my first business and then but I remember the story solomon and I was down out and I thought well what’s.
20:03.24
Corrie
Okay.
20:08.95
Corrie
Um, yeah.
20:13.73
dybsteve
Can it hurt So I start praying for wisdom now I’m still waiting for the wisdom to come. But what did come was an insatiable desire to learn and to read as so yeah, been pounded through books ever. So I always looking for opportunities to hear about other books. What? what are some that have stood out to you that you’ve really enjoyed.
20:21.52
Corrie
Um.
20:27.67
Corrie
Um, yeah, well I I Love people’s skill books and because I think that a lot of people lack people’s skills and and I think that that’s helped me a lot. Um.
20:33.93
dybsteve
Yeah.
20:43.54
Corrie
As a leader so you know skill with people bringing out the best in people. Um, you know Dale Carnegie’s you know like I mean he’s great. Ah, this week I actually read a book called do more better. Have you read that one yet that is oh gosh.
20:50.94
dybsteve
Carnegie here.
20:57.46
dybsteve
No, who’s the author.
21:02.94
Corrie
Um, I’ll have to look that up. Yeah I usually have it right? Beside me, it’s just a real small book. Um, but it’s a Christian author and it was so good. It was actually recommended to me by mica at olif and it was just about.
21:04.72
dybsteve
No problem two more better. Yeah, he will.
21:22.50
Corrie
Um, being able to be task-oriented and have a plan of action throughout your day and just getting organized with your schedule with your tasks and with your your information and so it just it was really good for me this week we’ve been on vacation.
21:34.80
dybsteve
M.
21:41.30
Corrie
So it’s been really good for me to just kind of get organized heading into next week and into this month and and so that was really good. Um, oh my gosh the slight edge I think that’s yeah, that’s a great one. Um, the go getter.
21:45.75
dybsteve
Me.
21:52.61
dybsteve
Oh yeah, Jeff Olson
22:00.94
Corrie
Love all of these kind of books like I love storybooks that kind of teach through parables anything by John Gordon my husband is a John Gordon speaker and John Maxwell speaker as well. So you know we love. We love all those leadership type books and especially John Gordon with the sports twist.
22:03.90
dybsteve
We have.
22:19.92
Corrie
Thing. So oh gosh I’m so sorry these these pop ups keep coming up Steve so sorry that anybody is listening. Okay.
22:21.45
dybsteve
Um, okay, it’s all right.
22:28.55
dybsteve
Ah, no problem. No problem. Ah so you had mentioned um minnesota and a do you mind sharing a little bit more about that. So ah, let me let me I’ll start here. Why were you in Minnesota.
22:39.48
Corrie
Sure. Okay, so I was in Minnesota because I’ve recently partnered with olive. Um, and. Olaf is just an organization that is helping other painters grow and scale their businesses the way that Paris painting has and I’m friends with Jason Perris that’s kind of how I knew about olive and we had talked.
22:55.72
dybsteve
M.
23:05.63
Corrie
Probably last year it was probably early last year Jason and I had talked about you know what he was doing and um and at the time it just didn’t seem like the right fit for either him or I um, my business was you know it’s a small cabinet refinishing business and. And so at the time it just wasn’t it wasn’t right for either 1 of us and then this year at the pca event down in New Mexico I talked to hokan who is 1 of their recruiters and I didn’t know what that he was a recruiter when I was talking to him. He was just asking me. You know.
23:42.86
dybsteve
That’s a good recruiter.
23:44.22
Corrie
Right? right? He was just asking me about myself and my story and our business and all of that stuff and we got to talking and so I shared my story and um and to be honest I just fell in love with him like a brother. You know he’s like a brother to us. He’s like part of the family.
23:46.83
dybsteve
Meeting.
23:57.60
dybsteve
A.
24:03.50
Corrie
And um, it was just that instant connection that you know oh my gosh. He’s such good people and for me I love getting around to other good people who stretch me and help me grow and so anyway we parted ways said Goodbye and I was like he’s He’s just a really cool guy.
24:14.94
dybsteve
Um, man my.
24:22.56
Corrie
Keep in touch and then um it was about two weeks later he called me and he was like hey I I really enjoyed talking to you I love your story would you consider taking another look at olive and I was like wow.
24:35.56
dybsteve
1 of the.
24:36.28
Corrie
I’m open to it you know and then we we kind of went through some meetings together and he shared some of the some of the stuff that they’re doing and the first meeting it intrigued me and I was like okay well this sounds pretty good. The second meeting I was like yours. You’re somebody who speaks my language like he speaks like you know I guess like some of us. We just kind of have that certain like like you’re one of them Steve like I can tell like you’re just like there’s there’s people who speak the same language who you know are constant in that growth phase they’re we’re constantly learning.
25:10.81
dybsteve
Who.
25:12.88
Corrie
Um, we just kind of keep our head down. We’re humble about it. We just move forward and do it with the right reasons and that second meeting I was like I definitely need to know more and then um. Started talking to well of course I had chat in on the meetings but I started talking to my dad and some of my other trusted mentors about it and then I took a trip out to Minnesota and when I was out in Minnesota I was um I kind of went in with the. Idea that um, I’m really open to what they have to say I’m curious I want to meet everybody and make sure it’s the right fit I left thinking if I don’t do this I will regret it simply for for the reason that.
26:04.40
dybsteve
Now.
26:04.45
Corrie
They were all great people and being in a room with the 5 partners of olive like it was they took my ideas and they kind of put them on steroids with action plans back behind it and I was like oh my gosh this is amazing and just being around like-minded people I was.
26:17.90
dybsteve
Random.
26:24.14
Corrie
I just was really drawn into the mindset and the camaraderie. Um and the way that they all kind of leaned into one another which was something beautiful because as a business owner I think a lot of times we tend to. Want to do everything on our own and so we’re for maybe for control reasons or just for lack of help some of those other areas. Ah, and so I was sitting in all of those 5 seats you know the visionary the integrator I was.
26:51.29
dybsteve
Yeah.
27:00.91
Corrie
You know, still doing all of the marketing. Even though Chav was doing the sales I was working the finances I was trying to do all of the operations I was even part of the production crew. So just my time was spent everywhere and.
27:13.42
dybsteve
Um.
27:15.88
Corrie
Seeing how beautiful it was when they were all they all had their roles and they were working together as 1 unit kind of like the body. You know it’s just each part needs each other to function optimally and it was just really neat to see and.
27:25.11
dybsteve
Um.
27:31.45
Corrie
It made me leave with that desire to be able to build something like that. Um I partnered with them in and may first and it has been a complete whirlwind like it is a lot of work like. But I came in with my eyes wide open. You know, just talking to some of the other partners and seeing how they were doing it and it’s been.. It’s been pretty incredible. Um, just the network of other painters that we’re working with and.
27:47.20
dybsteve
Um, really.
28:03.71
Corrie
But it’s not all sunshine and roses like yeah I would never want people to be like oh I need to be a part of that because then it will blow up my business and it’ll be amazing and everything will be. You know all happy. It’s a lot of you know it’s It’s a lot of work and it is you know I worked hard before.
28:04.39
dybsteve
There.
28:12.30
dybsteve
Yeah, there’s still work involved. Yeah.
28:21.15
dybsteve
And.
28:21.42
Corrie
Um, even even harder now. Um, but the great thing is I have a great support system. Um, it’s a ton of information and you can kind of go at at it at your own pace. They keep me on track with things they have fractional services. Um, that they offer which is really helpful, especially like with finances and I have a fractional integrator who’s helping with the operations side of things and it’s It’s just pretty neat. The what they’ve created I guess to help elevate other business owners.
28:43.00
dybsteve
No, and.
28:51.16
dybsteve
Move.
28:55.95
Corrie
To new standards. So it’s been. It has been not all great like I don’t want to mislead anybody like it has been overwhelming at times it has been crazy at times but the people are amazing and I’ve grown.
29:12.50
dybsteve
Um.
29:13.33
Corrie
I was actually just talking to somebody last night who’s thinking about partnering with them and I said and he asked me what what I have seen the most and to be honest, what I’ve seen the most isn’t anything that olaf has done for me particularly it’s. The fact that I feel empowered to do more of my best I guess is ah what I guess a way to put it but like I think that just having their support there like we just hired 5 employees I wouldn’t have done that probably for at least another year to 2 years
29:40.85
dybsteve
And.
29:49.32
dybsteve
And.
29:51.42
Corrie
Only because I love the culture that we have and I love the people that we have and I thought in my mind if we grow and if we scale then we’re going to lose our culture and what I found. Was. We’ve just created more of the same like we’re attracting more like people and we’re growing and expanding with more great people which is Amazing. So I Just kind of felt empowered in that sense and just um, having that confidence to lean in and. Stretch myself even more I think is something that has been one of the biggest takeaways from it all.
30:28.52
dybsteve
Right on now you so hiring on 5 and being concerned of your culture is that’s that’s a valid concern any tips out there for others who have their culture just right, but they need to staff up and you know you bring on 5 That’s that’s a crew or 2 That’s that’s.
30:47.26
Corrie
Yeah, yeah, um, well for us. We do a lot of social media media posting but we do it like we’re very authentic with our posts and we I actually.
30:47.65
dybsteve
You know.
30:52.30
dybsteve
E.
31:01.20
Corrie
We took team photos of just us of who we are and they were very um, like our personalities came through like you could tell like we’re a crew that loves each other. We have a ton of fun and so I put up those pictures and then I put an ad that we were hiring.
31:07.10
dybsteve
M.
31:19.40
Corrie
And I think that the combination of the 2 of those really helped us to attract the right people and just being involved in our community helps too because some of the people who we attracted like my son’s best. Friend’s mom who is a mom of 6
31:27.99
dybsteve
M.
31:34.69
dybsteve
Day. Yeah.
31:37.83
Corrie
You know who is her youngest son is going to school in the fall. Her dad was a handyman like she’s looking to to get back into doing stuff with her hands. She’s amazing. My daughter’s best friend who I also coach and her mom is a nurse currently we have. She’ll be the second nurse working with us. Um, you know so that they’re just they’re very meticulous nurses are very meticulous. They’re very attention to detail. They’re great with people but they’re very high stressed and so they’re looking for a way to alleviate stress and.
32:01.29
dybsteve
Thanks.
32:08.27
dybsteve
9
32:14.75
Corrie
You know the good thing is both of them were were friends and so they’ve both joined our team now which is awesome because it’s just a way that they can get around other people who are of like mind and just do stuff that doesn’t like a life doesn’t depend on their work. You know what I mean.
32:26.76
dybsteve
In the. Yeah, you know.
32:34.42
Corrie
And so it’s a good stress of Reliever but just drawing in people and just being authentic I’m a big believer in you attract who you are and so I think if you’re if you’re attracting good people or if you are good people then you’ll attract more good people.
32:45.69
dybsteve
Um.
32:52.70
Corrie
Or having a culture like Patricia was my first employee and I feel like she’s the heart of our culture like she’s somebody that I wanted to build the culture around and she’s helped us to attract that type of person.
32:58.81
dybsteve
- Right On. So The actionable here would be to share the employee experience right? and social and in your ads there with those transparent photos of what is what? what it feels like working on your team.
33:11.40
Corrie
And.
33:19.15
Corrie
Yeah, yeah I think just sharing their experience and and I think that people um they love recognition. They love feeling valued. They love feeling appreciated like we’re constantly posting our team knows like. They send me pictures all day long and we have a photographer on our team too. Who’s a business owner and so she’s always on social media and looking up fun things for the crew to do to send to me to post and and so anytime they’re sending me pictures I’ll post it and I’ll and I’ll talk about our employees and I feel like just that helps.
33:34.11
dybsteve
You know.
33:53.36
Corrie
To not only show our customers who we are but it also attracts other people as employees.
33:57.17
dybsteve
Um, right on what’s ah so what’s the vision. What’s the big vision for the future for the company you know, moving forward in the future.
34:07.27
Corrie
Yeah, well we we’ve been focusing on cabinet refinishing for the past several years we’re expanding into interior and exterior. Ah residential repaints with the help of olives processes and systems.
34:09.39
dybsteve
1
34:20.39
Corrie
Um, and so the immediate goal is to grow the cabinet refinishing end to one point five M the interior exterior residential repaints to one point five mil so we’ll be a $3000000 company and then we’re gonna stabilize that and then we’re gonna grow to 5000000 and then. At that point we’re going to I’m going to start looking probably for some other things to do in addition to running inspired by you. You know I think that there’s just I feel like god’s called me to lead and so anyways that I can.
34:44.33
dybsteve
Oh.
34:53.52
dybsteve
In.
34:58.29
Corrie
Lead and empower especially other women I’m always looking for for ways to grow that um you know for me the financial goals are great. But for me, it’s more like the impact that those finances can create like I’m very impact driven and so.
35:02.11
dybsteve
M.
35:14.12
dybsteve
Me.
35:16.93
Corrie
I Believe we need more good people making good money so that we can do good things with it and so that’s kind of my drive. That’s my why I’m excited for the future just to um, you know to generate wealth for.
35:20.17
dybsteve
No, right on. Okay.
35:32.76
Corrie
Ah, for our family to be. You know, stress free and for my kids to be taken care of and provided for but also to be impact players in our community and and just to spread joy and do good for those around us. Think that that’s really important for me.
35:50.38
dybsteve
Right? Ah fantastic I Really appreciate you taking time out to to come on and to share what an awesome story you have and all the wonderful things that you’re doing is there a question I should have asked or a final point. You’d like to make before we roll out.
36:06.12
Corrie
Um, let me think Steve ah um I don’t think so I think we’ve had on a lot of stuff like um, my I’m pretty transparent. With with who I am like I try to be as open and honest because I think that that’s one of the traits that I value most in other people when people are open and honest with me I think that um.
36:26.77
dybsteve
I.
36:34.74
Corrie
1 of the biggest things too. We do I do classes which I love that? um you know I love with my teaching background I love to add value to others in the professional refinishing community. So we.
36:41.30
dybsteve
Um.
36:48.75
Corrie
We’re gonna be doing a class out with the pca in California in August which is gonna be amazing I run classes and at my shop as well. We call it inspired by university so we can educate other people so outside of that I think that that’s um.
36:59.17
dybsteve
A.
37:08.20
Corrie
That’s kind of who we are what we’ve been doing and and looking forward to the future.
37:10.78
dybsteve
If somebody like to reach out to you follow up? What’s the best way they could contact you.
37:16.70
Corrie
Um, email is always the best way to get in touch with me just because I’m always running around but I do check it pretty frequently and it’s just Corey C O R R I E at inspired by you.com and it’s the letter u.
37:27.60
dybsteve
You Fantastic! Thank you very much cory.
37:31.20
Corrie
Thank you Steve.