Networking, Marketing, Sales, Business Coach, Painting Contractor

EP42: Business Runs in the Family — Rick Holtz of HJ Holtz & Sons

SUMMARY:

In this episode of DYB, Steve shares the mic with Rick Holtz; Owner & Operator of HJ Holtz & Sons in Richmond, Virginia.

As a multi-generational family business, HJ Holtz & Sons started in the early 1900’s by Rick’s grandfather.

As Rick grew up, he eventually inherited the business and ran with it.

As HJ Holtz & Sons grew, however, there were multiple snags Rick ran into.

Enjoy this episode as both dissect ways to prevent others from tripping up while transitioning from small family business to a large business.

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WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

-How to start thinking bigger about your company

-How to keep a grip on your business as it continues to grow

-How to take the first steps toward finding reliable people to run your business for you.

-How Rick executed the transition from Family Business to “Real” Business

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LISTEN HERE:

QUOTES:

“2008 was when I decided I needed help. I needed somebody to be objective, to hold me accountable…somebody who wasn’t emotionally tied to this family business.”

“Something I didn’t realize was that this company was my dad’s model. I was trying to run a very large company as if it was a small company.”

“Being more deliberate with different parts of the company…finding people who could be owners of those parts of the company was a huge shift.”

“Once you get to a certain level, you can’t survive and lead a healthy lifestyle without learning how to rely on other people.”

“I’m a big proponent of hiring within. If you have a structure to progress people into higher leadership positions, then I think that’s a great thing.”

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HIGHLIGHTS:

[1:40] How was HJ Holtz & Sons started?

[9:40] At what point did the business expand once Rick increased his involvement?

[17:21] How has Rick’s culture shifted from 2008 to now?

[22:10] What KPIs are Rick measuring internally?

[25:38] What type of work does HJ Holtz & Sons take on?

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LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Join DYB

The E Myth Revisited — Michael Gerber

Built to Last — Jim Collins

Ownership Thinking — Brad Hams

Quickbooks Online

TSheets

Group.me

ADDITIONAL FREE RESOURCES:

Schedule Your Free Strategy Call With Steve

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Connect with Rick Holtz on Facebook here

Connect with Steve on Facebook here

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Thank you very much for joining us today! If you received value, would you take a quick few seconds and leave us a review on iTunes, please?

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About the Author

As many of you know, my journey has been one of grit, grace, and transformation. At 19, I was a high school dropout, single father, and struggling paint contractor in Michigan. I later moved to Florida, where I faced both personal and professional hardships. With nothing left to lose, I turned to prayer—and was blessed with a relentless hunger to learn. I devoured books, attended seminars, and discovered better ways to streamline and grow my business—even through the Great Recession (and yes, I did hit the wife lottery along the way!). In 2014, I published How To Double Your Business and later sold the painting business, launching a new chapter: coaching others to grow their businesses. For the past 10 years, I’ve dedicated myself to helping business owners scale through the DYB System, while also drawing from frameworks like EOS, Scaling Up, and The Four Disciplines of Execution. Yet something was still missing—something more adaptive, integrated, and complete. Then I found Pinnacle. After months of research and interviews with other Guides, I joined Pinnacle. Their tools and strategies have exceeded every expectation. Now, as a Pinnacle Business Guide, I help leadership teams implement a custom-tailored operating system that draws from the best in the industry—but flexes with your unique business. It’s a dynamic, proven approach to achieve clarity, momentum, and lasting growth. I’m no longer taking on any more 1:1 coaching clients… Instead, I now specialize in working with visionary business owners who are ready to get their leadership teams aligned—around a clear vision, a focused strategy, and an actionable execution plan. With the tools and process I now have as a Pinnacle Business Guide, I help turn alignment into momentum, and momentum into results. If your business is growing—but your leadership team isn’t fully rowing in the same direction—let’s talk.