From 2017 to 2018, Forward Design-Build Remodel grew from $3.8M in total remodeling revenue to $5.5M, a solid 69% rate of growth that Jef Forward, a finalist for the Fred Case Remodeling Entrepreneur of the Year Award, attributes to following a freshly minted strategic plan the company developed in 2017. At the root of that plan was Jef taking a fresh approach to leadership, asking himself, 'What would the company look like at twice the volume? How should my role change to make that happen?'
The impetus for the change started with a recognition of the company's mediocrity. "The company was doing pretty good, but we weren't doing great," Jef explains. "Our net income was mediocre. We hit a sales volume plateau and we couldn't move beyond it." In 2014, Jef got a push (perhaps even a gentle shove) from the members of his Remodelers Advantage Roundtable group, who made it apparent to him that he was not leading his team. "I accepted that if our results were going to change, it had to start with me," Jef says. "And that required a shift in understanding 'it's not about me.'" Jef devoured books on leadership and strategies for team building. He hired a business coach (via ActionCoach) and implemented a DISC assessment program for his entire staff so he could learn the best way to communicate with and inspire them. And he implemented a leadership team, taking the burden off himself for all company tasks except selling.
Since implementing these changes, Jef's company has grown year after year, with improved net profit each year. "We successfully transitioned into a Stage 3 company," he says, referencing Judith Miller's "five stages of growth" for every remodeling firm. Judith dubbed Stage 3 the "Sweet Spot," in which the owner's primary function is selling, and the right people and systems are in place to handle all other company tasks. Selling was the right place for Jef, because it allowed him to maintain a connection with design and clients.
And for the rest of the team (because it's not all about him), he says the company implemented the "Great Game of Business," referencing Jack Strack's open book management techniques that team employees to think and act like owners. "I expected change, but what I really found was a new state of satisfaction," Jef says.
