The Huddle - OVERTIME The Power of Partnerships
This bonus episode, live from The SUMMIT 2024, features the guys speak to many guests about the power of partnerships, and the importance of the industry joining together to be successful.
Guests :
Sonny Callaham - Co Founder and Chairman of NAFCT https://nafct.com
Paul Pleshek - Co Founder and Executive Director of NAFCT https://nafct.com
Robert Varden - Founder of UNITE https://uniteflooring.org
Beth Miller - Managing Editor Floor Trends & Installation Magazine https://www.floortrendsmag.com
Scott Bohaker - Owner of Bomont Flooring https://bomontflooring.com
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The Huddle was created by Paul Stuart of Stuart & Associates and Go Carrera, alongside Jose and Daniel Gonzalez from Preferred Flooring. Aimed at helping you maintain forward progress in your flooring career, they cover topics from personal and business growth, to installation tips & tricks and everything in-between.
Want to be a guest on The Huddle? Email ashlynn@gocarrera.com today!
Create your FREE Installer profile at https://gocarrera.com and become part of the future of the industry TODAY!
GET TRAINED! Find a list of training dates here: https://gocarrera.com/resources/training/
https://www.preferredflooringmi.com
https://www.stuartandassociates.com
all right what's up huddle
crew all right we're here at The Summit
in Dalton Georgia and got Sunny callaham
Robert Varden Paul pesek with us we're
just uh you know hanging out a little
bit wanted to get the guys together and
ask you a few questions first off like
how did the summit Comey talked about
the power of Partnerships I want you
guys to just kind of tell us what your
vision for this first you know inoc roll
uh Summit is but then what's your vision
for this thing going forward sure um
first thanks for coming appreciate you
coming but kind of the way it came to be
was Robert had asked me to be a board
member on unite so we started meeting
with unite and obviously meeting with na
afct we started saying yeah we're we're
going for the same goal so why not team
up together and do something together um
we're both fairly new associations right
so work working together I think you
know who I don't know he knows and vice
versa so we had a pretty good contact uh
to have people come and we've had a
great turnout we had 98 people
registered for this so um two days of
education trade show and um a panel
tomorrow so worked out well well so you
know some people may say what with
another convention right but it is
somewhat unique we've already had you
know we're most of the way du uh through
day one and it is a different kind of
setting and it does feel like unite and
that whole concept about getting
together we're all in the same industry
got a lot of the same goals why not come
together and and and work together to
you know increase the industry stance do
everything we're talking about with
labor shortage all this stuff so sure
Robert you well and and and sunny said
it correctly and and I think one thing
that is very different about this this
Gathering let's call it is you mentioned
it seems like another convention or you
know why would anybody have another
convention you know I think our whole
purpose of doing this you know it
started out we wanted to start a better
dialogue between the manufacturer and
the contractor you know again as a tech
guy running around you know how many
times would we get to the job site
you're you've been there and it's like
oh my gosh I wish you have called me
before you know and the installer don't
even realize that's was an option so
where it started out to that and it
built into what it became and this was
in a three-month time
frame but we wanted to get that dialogue
started he said do it so I did it yeah I
heard the other way he did a phenomenal
job I tell you um him and his whole team
Paul and Sarah we gotta give those guys
Kudos but but more
so in me and I think Sun agrees with me
that we don't want to look like a
convention we want it to look like more
of a gathering because we want this
right we want this to be as much yours
as it is ours as much theirs as it ours
because we want it something they can
look forward to and again just getting
the dialogue started between these
groups of Manufacturers and contractors
installers because let's face it who
knows our products better than the
manufacturer and these guys installing
them they need a better communication
yeah who needs to know it the most and
who has the most knowledge let's get
them together that's it so but we do
want that feel of it's as much yours as
it is ours well you guys have that in my
opinion and the the whole concept of
Bridging the Gap from the manufacturer
to the installer being an installer back
in the day myself you just didn't know
like you could call them I think you
mentioned that earlier I was like yeah
damn that's true I didn't know I could
call you mean I can call that guy I
didn't know what moisture was when I
installed didn't know what it was yeah
you know Paul you're not off the hook
dude you're over there trying to get out
of the I know what you're
try
I know what you're trying to do yeah
know stage exactly I was trying to avoid
being here to begin with in this area
well We snuck you in yes so so tell us
you know a little bit from your
perspective how's the day going you know
I'm sitting there thinking of the uh the
noise Factor right where uh it's not
quiet in here when we're sitting here
there's a lot of rumbling of people
visiting I think that's a big part
there's some conversations going on and
conversations you can take some time
with right you're not rushed not trying
to cover 17 Acres of a of a show you're
not uh rushed off when you've got 15
people standing in line waiting to talk
to the same people it's more of an
intimate setting where we can sit here
and we can actually just take the
afternoon and really go and have longer
conversations about things that that
that concern everybody and and we can
see that everybody's really sticking
around here and and taking advantage of
that I think you get that opportunity
very often where you can you don't have
anywhere to rush off to you don't have
you know thousand people to see you can
just take advantage of people that are
in front of you and and slow down and
and have some fun well I want to say you
know on the Huddle every week we're
constantly trying to encourage
installers to get to some of these shows
to get to network like the reason that
companies in the flooring industry we
tend to to find some success that
success starts really when you start
connecting with other companies
my my my flooring company got better
when I became a member of fuse it wasn't
because fuse all of a sudden a rebate or
whatever it was because I got around
other flooring contractors who had
different business practices maybe
better maybe just different that
actually worked better flooring
installers can do the same thing if we
can just get them to come and
participate uh you know I I threw a
couple things out in one of the groups
and I was like hey is anybody going to
be in Georgia and they're like didn't
get an invite I'm like
guys right it's all it's all over uh
really what it boils down to is I think
what you guys have started can be this
Open Arms kind of welcoming thing for
installers to come and actually do
installer sorry sorry about the s
word uh but you know get together and
not feel like you feel like a a fish out
of water a little bit say a a a much
bigger show this is your show get to the
summit uh I want to say I appreciate you
guys putting this together we are
excited to be a part of it as well so
thanks for com next years's next year's
going to be in April right here at the
convention center um 26 we're looking at
Dalton to move it a little bit but this
is not a one-time deal we're going to
keep this going awesome any final
words where where else can you go for a
show for this kind of cost and get the
food we've got no doubt nowhere I mean
I'm telling you you know I've had to do
with putting together a few conventions
and that's one thing when we looked at
this venue and you know I've used this
before as well for a couple of meetings
and it's a great venue I mean and again
I mean you go to Orlando or these places
and and believe me just to feed an
attendee you 500 bucks right same Great
Mills were 100 and a half I mean hope
the convention center don't hear this
and up our price next year but no it's a
it's a phenomenal venue it's right here
in the heart of you know the flooring
capital of the world and so no I think
it was a great
start money for the food they that's why
was $150 yeah guys it's
fortable come come see us next year in
April if you're not here we promis to
bring you live and give you a taste so
thanks guys again I appreciate it thanks
good see you
again appreciate it Paul thank you
gentlemen appreciate everything you guys
do everything Budd appreciate you yeah I
hope this
it
will go talk to another
inster
many
didn't do anything yeah
you
that what are you talking about I'm not
talking how you guys H how how we all
got together with the power of
Partnerships with the Huddle oh we're
still on live you're still live all
right guys oh we are so live the power
of live and the uh fear of live is that
you say something wrong on live no um so
everybody knows the Huddle yes
so when we're talking about the power of
Partnerships we just got through kind of
describing you know with s uh Sunny Paul
and and
Robert them uniting and coming together
and and that power of that partnership
is the same thing with PF floring and
steing Associates and go Carrera that
all started from a partnership we just
it's the well it started with a
relationship that turned into a
partnership 100% And so so we partnered
up on the Huddle it's very quickly
becoming the number one watched uh
podcast in flooring if not already the
number one I'd like to say appreciate
you guys apprciate so thank you guys for
always joining us I got multiple
comments here this week uh already or
today already about uh people who watch
us religiously so we appreciate you guys
100% so thank you for that but the power
of Partnerships is kind of what we're
talking about yeah and it's been
I want to tell you the power it's
absolutely rewarding to get to know
other people and make a deal and really
what we did is make a a handshake deal
to start a podcast together and start
like talking about flooring stuff and
you got it resided with you guys so how
how's it been for I mean what's your
take you know what it's um it's just one
of those deals
where you create a a relationship that
you think is going to be opport
opportunity right it's opportunistic
because that's how that's how everything
starts you go look for opportunities and
then you end up finding common ground
and then instead of an opportunity it
becomes a relationship and a friendship
and then things just kind of spiral from
there and that's what happened with us
both decided to sit down in the same
area at the same time at the same place
and say at a show yeah at a show at a
show fcica event I believe and um it
just kind of turned into to what you see
now like uh
we I met him as a software guy I didn't
know that he was a flooring guy and then
we took the time to talk to one another
and realize that we were actually on the
same page on a lot of beliefs and then
he's like yeah I'm in flooring too this
is you know Stewart Associates that's me
this is just a byproduct of a need that
that that we found and um and and who we
are I mean the podcast came up in an
organic conversation like hey wouldn't
that be cool to have a podcast yeah yeah
it probably would be try to help
everyone out and then 86 yeah 86 episod
and then here we are here we are and
it's um you know it's been fun you know
like I'm not saying that like it's
stopping but it's been a good ride so
far a fun ride and
uh I forget that we do this yeah I
forget that that we take time out of our
day to sit and and rap with one another
and have guests on and because I'm just
hanging with my brother and my boy yeah
and you forget what you're you forget
what you're doing in in a sense of we're
trying to get a word out andang out it
started off a little scary and it
started off a little bit like work like
if it was a little bit like you had to
get geared up for it now it's very
natural
because just to say the tag line again
the power Partnerships yeah it created
the Huddle the bottom line is the
partnership between us and your brother
Ben and everybody at go Carrera
Kevin Daniel my partner you know all of
us getting together at these shows
turned into what you get to watch every
week and we hope we bring you guys value
uh again we always encourage you to you
know comment like subscribe you know
interact with us uh you know help us out
help us get this into more hands and uh
you know more people's fingertips there
watching the Huddle but that's the power
of the partnership the people that we
talk
to really appreciate uh our approach and
again it was because we came together
and decided to try something cool yeah
and um you know we don't go out there
pretending that we know everything we
might know a little bit about a lot but
we're not Professionals in every aspect
of the industry and that's why it's
important for us to to get topic
suggestions from you guys and to get
guests on who we view as leaders in that
that that topic of the
industry yeah yeah we should talk to
Beth and she's here right now Beth come
on
down come on
down so so Beth is generally the one
asking the questions yes uh but I I'll
I'll I'll bring it in on and put you on
the other side so how first
off you've been in this you know
industry on the media
side when we say power of
Partnerships does that what is that like
I'm not going to ask you what does that
mean to you what I'm trying to dig out
of you is what's it look like when
successful Partnerships happen because
people come together you know what I
mean like
um shows can be very redundant yes but
it's the after it's all that after stuff
all these Partnerships that happen
afterwards all the deals that get made
afterwards I mean I met you at a show
like so uh and we encourage our audience
every week to get out and and get
involved and I I particularly want
people to get involved with shows that
are really focused on the uh installer
and that's also near and dear to your
heart so right well let's just use us as
an example so we actually met at the CFI
convention 22 I think it was 2022 I
believe so 21 or2 I believe so and we
did a video but I learned that day what
you're doing learned what go career was
and what it had to offer and so there
was another resource for installers that
now I'm aware of and now I can take that
back with me and I can share with others
so that's the same thing that has to
happen anytime there is an event where
everyone comes together we go home we
share ideas we learn from each other and
then you figure out from what you've
learned how to share that with others to
benefit everyone to benefit the industry
as a whole um and really for me I'm a I
I'm a big picture thinker and I love to
really just pull all these little pieces
together and and go oh man you know what
this this is missing over here who can
who can solve this problem I know yeah
go Carrera or whoever you know Ardex mé
Roberts whoever it is you know and and
connect those people and that's so it's
that power of connection really I think
that comes from events like this yeah
and you get friends I
mean at the end of the day each I'm
moving next week you think you come I'd
love just kidding just kidding
I don't think you're moving off the hill
no no I'm not no all right well really
this whole thing this this uh part of
the uh live event here from the Summit
is all about the power of Partnerships
and as you know I'm a broken record when
I talk about getting together coming
together networking you know getting to
know other people's best business
practices but then you're going to meet
people you never know what you're going
to run across if you just put yourself
out there a bit and and uh you know try
to form some relationship so we'll catch
you guys soon we'll probably go live
again where can they find you Beth oh
where can they find me go to floor
trends.com and you can find all of the
content that we put out videos podcast
articles and if you've contributed
that's where you can find your things if
you don't know who we are go there find
us and if you want to contribute she's
always taking articles always taking
articles yes yes that's right yeah
awesome I think thank you who we got I
think we got Scott over here to talk
about some power Partnerships as well
why don't you step in
here do man's it going so this is Scott
booh haacker he was actually um one of
my certifiers for uh CFI in forny yeah
and at the same time you were the first
certification I ever did for CFI oh I
did not know that yes so I we know
talking to you and your relationship
with with mohawk and other CFI guys and
how you bring them on different job
sites you know you you deal with large
scale commercial we just did a podcast
about large scale commercial and
how kind of difficult it is um H how are
those Partnerships beneficial to you
well it's all about learning because
none of us know everything so at some
point in time we have to get involved in
a in a game that we're not exactly
comfortable with
so building relationships with different
installers different manufacturers field
service technicians for different
companies we can just learn about
products what can go wrong so we can
kind of fix problems before they
actually
happen yeah I mean even here earlier um
the presentations about concrete stuff
like that it's amazing the amount of
information you can learn that you don't
already know
just sitting through a one hour
presentation like that definitely we've
been sitting over here for a half hour
talking to TRX testing moisture and
concrete just how important it is I'm a
carpet guy I've never thought before
that moisture and concrete wasn't was a
problem but it affects adhesives in
different ways right and it's you know
things like that and then bringing other
installers on I think our industry is
kind of fueled by that competitive
nature right someone is always better
than you or you're always better than
someone and you're always chasing or
you're always falling behind when we're
all there for the same information if I
need something I can definitely call you
to get those answers or if and you know
vice versa I think that's really the
power of the Partnerships that we're
looking
at it's knowing that you have a network
of people to call and call to come help
you or you to go help them when you need
it we're not in competition with each
other at all we're here even if we live
in the city succeed right there's room
for everybody to succeed there's
absolutely room for everyone and that
that's the power of Partnerships it's
just building that Network so that way
you have someone to call and
sometimes we've talked occasionally
sometimes you just need a sounding board
right to discuss frustrations that you
have and you need somebody to talk to
that's been through the same experiences
before and then just the the commercial
industry in general right it's I can
always call you and say how's it going
in your Market you know are you seeing
the same things are you seeing something
before I am stuff like that definitely
and sometimes some of us who work very
closely with some of the manufacturers
may see or hear
something before right and getting to
events like this is huge with that right
because you have the the benefit of
going up to one of the manufacturers and
asking them questions and then I also
look at the manufacturers as partners
too so if I'm using Ardex um ardx is a
great partner they have a great support
system and I appreciate everything that
they do I mean I got I can give Seth a
call because I've networked with him and
asked him questions directly and that's
that's
crazy because he's the he's that Top Dog
over there right that's right and and
different glue manufacturers that we
have here if you have a high moisture
content in your slab you don't know what
to do there's usually a solution for
everything it's just not one person
knows it all yeah and the same thing
right everything is a different tool in
the toolbox everything is a partnership
and we're all in this uh industry to
succeed together and the more that
people can look at it that way the
better off the industry will be I think
we need that more now than ever more now
than ever so I mean I I appreciate your
time time today I think we're going to
get ready to wrap this one up we've been
at it for a few minutes now and thanks
for for coming over here and talking to
me even though I just went and grabbed
you real quick of course hey it's all
good good talking to you yeah I
appreciate it thanks thanks SC no
problem so thanks everyone uh we're
going to wrap it up make sure you like
subscribe all that good stuff all over
all the I mean look at these cool
microphones I mean this is the power of
Partnerships right here right because I
seen these on Amazon and I had to get
them and I part he partnered with Amazon
to get these it doesn't mean you didn't
pay for him but anyway just kidding any
no yeah so uh it's been fun man yeah um
if if you're watching this and you're
here come grab some stickers that's what
we're here
for these are the new ones I don't know
if you got any other new ones yeah we
got plenty of them hey the the key is if
if you're not here come next time come
check it out come hang out like I heard
you over saying you can call Seth with I
know that may not be a big ordeal if you
don't know who Seth is and I'm not
saying that he's like the president of
ardx but the guy knows his stuff and
he's the top top guy for Technical and
you as an installer can have the same
ability you run into a problem with some
selflevel or you're run into a technical
issue you can get these phone numbers
and these Conta to contact them directly
and save yourself a hell of a lot of
headache right even if he doesn't have
time he can point me to someone that
does have time yeah so come hang out
we're at the Su we'll be here tomorrow
too yep thanks brother until next time
break