Tile Talk With Tommy

Welcome to a riveting episode of PandaVision, where we dive into the world of roofing with Tommy Hall, our VP of Operations and self-proclaimed “GOAT.” Ever wondered what it’s really like to build a roofing empire from the ground up? Tommy’s journey—from working on a naval base cafeteria for SEAL Team 6 to leading a new commercial division—will inspire you to rethink the roofing industry! Discover the secrets behind the trade, including the surprising myths that homeowners often believe about their roofs and why trusting the right professionals is crucial.

In this episode, Tommy shares invaluable insights on the differences between residential and commercial roofing, emphasizing the importance of quality and expertise. You’ll hear eye-opening stories about the pitfalls of budget roofers and learn how to spot a scam before it’s too late. Plus, he reflects on the personal fulfillment that comes from pursuing a career in roofing, proving that passion can lead to incredible success. Ready to unravel the mysteries of roofing? Tune in now and equip yourself with the knowledge that could save you thousands down the line!

Rob Winters: [00:00:00] Thanks for tuning in to another episode of PandaVision. I am your host, Rob Winters, Director of Digital Marketing. And today I'm joined by Tommy Hall. He is our VP of Operations. Tommy, thanks so much for joining us today.

Tommy Hall: [00:00:30] You're welcome. So you have probably been in the roofing industry longer than a lot of people here, or at least more so than a small handful, but give us a little background. Like, how did you get into not just Panda Exteriors, but roofing in general?

Tommy Hall: [00:01:00] I needed a job. And I took a job on a naval base at Virginia Beach for the SEAL Team 6 after, I think they went after Osama. Oh, damn. And we built a very nice cafeteria, roofing in sheet metal. It was a summer project, and the project was over, and I needed a job again. About three or four months went by, the owner of the company reached out to me to see if I wanted to come on full-time. I've been roofing ever since.

Rob Winters: [00:01:45] So is it safe to say you enjoy it? Or is it the people?

Tommy Hall: [00:01:55] I love roofing. Roofing really also gave me a why in life, something to go after, to learn, to excel in. And over the years, a lot of the younger guys, they call me the GOAT. I just have a lot of experience, a lot of knowledge from all aspects of... Some people say roofing, I consider it waterproofing. There's nothing I can't roof, there's nothing I can't keep the water out of.

Rob Winters: [00:02:30] I like that. So I mean, here at Panda, you are starting a whole new division. You're creating the commercial division, more or less, which is amazing. So building it from the ground up, what kind of pushed you, or what's pushing the company that way instead of just sticking with residential?

Tommy Hall: [00:03:00] I started in roofing in a commercial space. I never did residential roofing up till me coming to Panda, and maybe a position I ended up coming prior. But I have an extensive background in roofing in the inner cities, working on the high-rises and just knowing what all goes into those projects. Commercial jobs is a much longer life cycle than a typical residential project. Residential, we could be there a day, a week, or two. Commercial projects, we can be there six to eight months to two to three years, depending on the project. So it's a bigger beast. There's a lot more pre-construction things that go on before we even get to boots on the ground. Then there's just a lot of work that goes into while we're on boots on the ground getting the work done. So it's night and day of our typical business here. And I just believe, because of my experience, I'm the best suited person to help us get this off the ground.

Rob Winters: [00:04:30] And I've only been here six months, and I would have no doubt in that you have a huge amount of knowledge, which we, just from the digital marketing side, we're trying to pull that even into our own content. But VP, people hear that, they think executive, you're in an office, but you are very different in that sense of like, yes, you lead, but you definitely are hands-on, you are out there with your team. Is that necessary or is that just an important piece to you to be out there with them?

Tommy Hall: [00:05:10] We have to constantly grow, elevate, and stay on top of our mechanics, stay on top of our laborers and our processes, and ensure that we're really sticking to them. Growing a commercial department is another vertical here for us. We have to make sure that we're showing up and getting the job done the way that we are selling ourselves to our customers, for them to trust us. As we begin this new journey into the commercial industry, we just want to ensure that we're doing things properly. Things have changed. Things are constantly changing. And a part of me just being in the field is giving that hands-on support. I've been in the field and lived it. And sometimes just being a good leader is leading by example. And if I'm asking someone to travel for an opportunity, and it involves them being in the field, then I want to make that commitment and travel and be in the field with them.

Rob Winters: [00:06:30] Fair point. I mean, Ryan, who is the producer of this podcast and behind the camera, he's had the opportunity to travel at least to one of the commercial sites, so he can respect that. And I know you've been hands-on with helping him as well. But let me ask, so residential, commercial, very different. But if you were talking to maybe myself or a homeowner, what's a misconception or maybe a myth that people commonly think about a new roof?

Tommy Hall: [00:07:15] A myth or a concept? And that might be something about like, I don't need a new roof. Like it can wait or, you know, it's going to last another 10 years or. A misconception is, you know, changing a roof doesn't stop your windows from leaking, you know, when it comes to like a residential aspect, you know. I think I'm so different. If we change the roof, it's not going to prevent your windows from leaking. Trust the professionals. If we're recommending for a roof to be replaced, we have good reasoning. Delaying these processes can cause further damage, which causes a much larger expense when you are ready to make the commitment to the replacement. But a common myth, I don't know, roofing is not easy. Some people make it out to seem like it is easy. Really pay attention to the scope and the products that are going down and the phases of which they are going down. I've always said there are a lot of roofers in the industry. Not all of them are great. So do your research, go online, check reviews. I don't really have a common myth about roofing.

Rob Winters: [00:09:00] Actually, you just kind of made me think of something there. I was doom scrolling this weekend, you know, as one does on Instagram, and I came across, not specifically a roof, but somebody who got a new driveway and it was like I was quoted, we'll say $10,000 by the professional company, paid $100 to somebody I found and it shows somebody dumping concrete on grass, you know, obviously a huge fail. If somebody's, you know, they meet with Pan and they're like, oh, it's too expensive. I'm just going to hire so and so. What are the things that they should be watching out for that it's like this is too good to be true? This is a scam. You're, you know, go with the professional versus the too good to be true type of deal.

Tommy Hall: [00:10:00] It kind of answers sometimes when things are too good to be true. They are. In this decade of roofing. I've been involved in various projects where I was not the awarded roofer. I'm always told my scope is just so on point, but my price is just a little bit out of the budget. And for every one of those projects, I've received a call to go back and to fix the mistake of the other contractor. And it's always more costly. We always try to show up for it, not just our customers, but for the roofing industry is as well. But you got to pay attention to the task at hand and really what it takes. And sometimes that's just you have to have trust in your contractor and you got to do your research on them. And sometimes it's just the small things. If they're not answering your phone calls, if they're not responding to you, they're really pushing you to or rushing you shows they have a little bit more urgency. Could be a financial scenario, might be a budget they want to hit. You know, I don't feel we try to rush anyone to a project. We make sure expectations are 110 percent clear before we start anything. And that really builds our trust and our value into what we do here.

Rob Winters: [00:11:45] I can appreciate that. I think that's kind of the, I know we don't say it this way, but the Panda Promise or the Panda Guarantee.

Tommy Hall: [00:12:00] Yeah. We really try to, we cross all the t's and dot all of our I's. We have multiple, multiple reviews of projects before we really hit the ground going. And this is construction. We are not perfect, but we strive to be. And in construction, it's not always just about how you start, but it's also how you finish. There's things that can happen in between the alphabet of construction. And it's about the way that you respond. You pick that ball back up and we finish the project strong for our customers.

Rob Winters: [00:13:00] So thinking of somebody who might be listening to this or watching this and thinking maybe this is a career for me. How does somebody get into this? Aside from just, you know, going on the website and looking if there's a job opportunity, how do they determine if roofing is a career trajectory for them?

Tommy Hall: [00:13:30] You got to, you got to start. You just have to start. I started as the broom pusher working on the crew installing roofs. And I've risen from the broom pusher to a director of operations to a VP of operations here at Panda Exteriors. So I've really walked the life cycle of roofing and you won't really know if it's for you until you start and try. There's so many different avenues in this industry, whether it's in marketing, digital marketing, canvassing, being a project manager, working on a service crew, being in sales. There's so many different avenues you can take in this industry that you can really find great success in. But it's always about, you know, we talk about it here is, you know, you got to want it. Right. And what that personal one is, what that personal give to your personal self is so you don't feel like you're waking up and going to a job, you're waking up and doing something you love every day. And it can be roofing. I have guys that just love, they don't want to do anything else. They just want to climb roofs and sell deals all day. I'm getting old. My knees hurt.

Rob Winters: [00:15:00] Yeah, can relate to that. As much as I don't enjoy my desk job, it's what's needed. And the more comfortable I get with it now, when I'm 60 or 70, I probably really appreciate what I'm putting in at the desk today.

Tommy Hall: [00:15:30] Yeah, agreed. Fair.

Rob Winters: [00:15:35] OK, so before I let you go, my last question, and this is completely off topic from roofing, but we are we are building a desert island out of our employees. We have been shipwrecked or plane wrecked. You can pick your poison there. Todd has decided he will be our scout because he's an enormous giant of a person and he will be looking for, well, he's going to look for a resort. But we're on a deserted island. So if he finds anything, it's going to be abandoned, most likely. But what would be your skill or your superpower that you bring to the 190 plus Panda employees stuck on this island? Think Gilligan's Island alone. And how would you help us survive?

Tommy Hall: [00:16:30] Being a voice of reason and a voice of execution. Stranded on a desert island, it sounds like we need to move fast and we need to break some things. We need to figure out where we're going. And sometimes when lots of people are stranded, it takes a leader to make decisions to move the team forward. That's something I tend to and anything I do in life, just grab a hold of and just make the decision and go to try to lead us, hopefully, to the resort that Todd's looking for.

Rob Winters: [00:17:15] Yeah, me too. I'm like, I need a cocktail after that plane crash, right? I might need a mojito. Good answer. I like that. Well, I appreciate you taking the time out of your very busy schedule and sitting down with us. It's been really great catching up. And for those of you who are tuning in, be sure to tune in next week. We will be sitting down with Tony, who is one of the gateways to Panda Exteriors here. He is our selection specialist and you'll get a peek behind the curtain of what it actually takes to get through that process and get a job here at Panda.