The Roofer’s Son (page 3 of 3)

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The customer, not money, should be the motivator in any business venture.

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One thing we’ve done differently from most companies is to always keep the people in place.

Getting Ahead with Ken Hendricks

What’s the most overrated secret to success?
Intelligence. Success is about how you take care of your employees and customers, and how sincere you are about that. You don’t have to be smart to treat people well. Swallow the ego and hire somebody who’s good at what you don’t have the knowledge to do.

What’s the most overlooked secret to success?
Having a calculated vision. Let’s say you go into a store and say, “Boy, this would be a great place if …” That’s the vision, okay? Then do your homework to make sure your vision makes sense.

Do you still ask your employees what’s working and what isn’t?
All the time.

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned in business?
That people have the right to fail. Otherwise, they stop thinking, and then you need more management to manage them because you have to think for them. But if they figure out why they failed, and if they correct it, then the failure has real value.

What are you looking for in a potential hire?
Energy. And if somebody says to me, “I just want a chance.”

You dropped out of high school. Any regrets?
What do you think!? Actually, I do need to address this. We’re in trouble with our education system. That’s because a family today is considered a failure unless their kid goes to college. But not every kid has the aptitude to go to college. We need more service- and tradespeople—electricians, plumbers. There’s nothing in school anymore that trains you for a job. When I dropped out of 11th grade, I could build a house with my own hands. I knew what I wanted to do.

What are the rules you live by?
One, have the patience to train others to do your job so you can build your business. Two, take care of your customer. Three, reward people. Four, look ahead at the big picture, not just the job in front of you.

If you had to choose between good luck and good instincts, which would it be?
That’s tough. Even with the best instincts, you need luck. And to live on luck alone—well, luck always runs out. Go to Vegas and you’ll find that out. Combined, though, good luck and good instincts are powerful.

From Reader's Digest - September 2007

• Michael Dell: Staying Number One
• Michael Dell built a successful computer business. What will it take to remain on top?
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• Steve Wozniak of Apple Computers: He Had a Hunch
• ...that ordinary people would want their own computer one day. Revolutionary!
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• Gary Heavin of Curves: Fit to Lead
• He's learned from his mistakes. Good thing, 'cause he's made some doozies.
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• The Creator of Subway: No Experience Needed
• How a 17-year-old built a multimillion-dollar business one sandwich at a time.
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• Chris Gardner: From Jail to Wall Street
• His life may not be a rags-to-riches fairy tale, but it's pretty darn close.
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