500: I Sold My Roofing Company and Didn't Like the View

After 30 years in roofing and 500 podcast episodes, Dave Sullivan shares how a one-page roofing business plan gave him the freedom to travel and enjoy his family, and what he didn't plan for when he finally sold his company. Plus, get his free 2027 One-Page Roofing Business Plan.

In this episode about building a roofing business plan around the life you want, Dave Sullivan celebrates 500 episodes of The Roofer Show by telling his own story.

It started with a reel from Tommy Mello of A1 Garage Door Service, standing in front of his bucket list map, asking people to share their favorite spot in the world.

Watch it here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dc1NVylEhX7/

Tommy's got a bucket list. Dave's got a been-there list.

Growing up in the family roofing business, Dave watched his father stay chained to the business and never get to enjoy the retirement he'd dreamed about. Dave was determined to do things differently.

With help from a business coach, a One-Page Business Plan, and the right people and systems, he built a profitable roofing company that ran without him. He spent a month or two at a time in Maui with his family, checking his "Maui Report" of KPIs each morning over coffee.

Then life threw him a punch in the mouth. Health problems meant he could never get on a roof again, family circumstances changed, and an opportunity to sell came sooner than expected.

After selling the company, he discovered something he hadn't planned for: he missed the people, the culture, and the sense of purpose the business gave him. That led to The Roofer Show, coaching roofing contractors, and 500 episodes.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why every roofing contractor needs a One-Page Business Plan, and why the planning matters more than the planWhy Dave never wanted to be the biggest roofer in town, just the most profitableThe Three-Legged Stool: Sell Work, Do Work, Keep ScoreThe Two-Week Vacation Test, and how it turned into months awayHow the "Maui Report" let Dave run his company from the beachAlways be recruiting, always be training, always be retainingHow a spring carnival for employees' families became his best recruiting toolWhat Dave learned from selling his roofing companyWhy having a purpose matters just as much as financial success

CHAPTERS00:00 Tommy Mello's bucket list map