A show about business, sales, goals, and the pursuit of personal greatness, all where business gets done. The Kitchen Table.
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October 24, 202628 min
From Pro Racer to Million-Dollar Roofing Rep: Ryan Wells’ Story
Guest: Ryan Wells, sales rep, Potomac Custom Remodeling. Former pro flat track racer who competed in the X Games twice. Originally from between Buffalo and Rochester, New York; now based in Salisbury, Delaware. Key takeaways Hire for traits, not résumés. Athletic backgrounds signal competitiveness and discipline, and good attitude and work ethic can be trained into the rest. Poaching isn’t a strategy. Recruiting only from competitors imports other companies’ subcultures, so you never build your own identity, and those reps tend to leave for the next offer. Self-driven reps do their own homework. Ryan’s examples include watching YouTube videos, asking to see installs, and role-playing sales pitches to his dog. Stay sharp between leads. Two weeks without a lead means a long gap between paychecks, so be ready when the next one comes. Use a post-loss checklist. Review what you did and what you could do better, and don’t carry a lost sale home. Selling systems build on themselves. One missed step can throw off the whole presentation, especially for system-dependent reps. More tools in the toolbox. Learning to knock doors adds income options in slow seasons. Retail and insurance restoration are being combined. Running them as two separate companies made it hard to focus on one main thing. The new hybrid, options-close format is still a beta. Mentioned in the episode Ken’s best closing percentage: 79% in a quarter Ryan’s closing rate without declines: estimated at 80%+ Roughly $250K in financial declines in September Indeed reportedly listing the company as the second-biggest provider of sales jobs in Delaware Adam Larson, another rep Ken is mentoring, who is not yet on camera Connect Ryan Wells on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanwells94_/ Ken Baden: CEO/Owner of Diversified Roofer (DiversifiedRoofer.com) and Potomac Custom Remodeling ( www.PotomacCustomRemodeling.com ) Podcast: thekitchentablepodcast.net
October 10, 202647 min
How a 26-Year-Old Roofer Stopped Knocking Doors and Built a Referral Machine with Donovan Davis
Key takeaways DTE hasn’t knocked doors in about two years. Leads come from brokered relationships with insurance agents, tree companies, real estate agents, home inspectors and handymen. Anyone who is inside customers’ homes is a potential partner. Cold emails to agents ask for a lunch meeting and aren’t a pitch for preferred-roofer status. Donovan’s estimate is that 100 emails get roughly 20 takers. Pitching agents: you make their customers happier and make them look better. Donovan says DTE has never compensated agents for referrals. State Farm agents are DTE’s biggest referral source. Offering to review stalled, difficult claims is the quickest way in. After a roof sale, ask for the customer’s insurance agent and hand-deliver paperwork for any shingle-class premium discount. New reps shadow agent meetings instead of learning door knocking. DTE’s evidence package, paired with lump-sum pricing, gets approved about 60% of the time up front. When a carrier “requests” something, ask whether it’s a request or a requirement. Donovan’s expected ramp-up for the agent model is about a month to see consistent leads. Ken’s view: the better you get at retail, the better you get at claims. Mentioned in the episode Chris Zimmerman and John (board of advisors and mentors) Exactimate, Roofle-style instant quote tools, Eagle View, SRS and ABC State Farm and Allstate GAF and the Power Roofing model Fair Labor Standards Act and 1099 considerations (Donovan notes he isn’t an attorney) Find the guest: DTE Roofing ( https://www.dteroofingllc.com/ ), Facebook DTE Roofing, Donovan Davis and Mitchell Davis on Facebook. Note: the transcript spells Roofle as “ruffle” in places, so double-check the product name before publishing. Search Keywords roofing podcast, Kitchen Table podcast, Ken Baden, Donovan Davis, DTE Roofing, roofing sales, insurance restoration, roofing insurance claims, evidence package, Exactimate alternative, roofing referrals, State Farm agents, insurance agent referrals, stop door knocking, roofing lead generation, roofing business growth, retail roofing, instant quote roofing, Roofle, roofing supplements, Diversified Roofer, Potomac Custom Remodeling, Columbus Ohio roofer, roof claim approval Timestamps 00:00:18 – Intro and welcome to Donovan Davis of DTE Roofing 00:00:55 – Chris Zimmerman as mentor, and the evidence package’s impact on approvals 00:01:57 – Ohio market, retail vs. insurance mix, and the Columbus storm 00:02:53 – How Donovan and his brother got into roofing 00:03:57 – The low barrier to entry and why it hurts the industry 00:05:00 – Hiring lessons and a rep filing claims on his own 00:06:36 – Pop-up storms, running a clean business, and the 1099/FLSA lesson 00:08:59 – Contractor licensing in Ohio and Pennsylvania 00:10:40 – Treating insurance work like retail and moving off Exactimate 00:11:40 – Lump-sum pricing and instant quote tools 00:14:30 – Retail options and good-better-best packages 00:15:50 – GAF/Power Roofing model and ventilation 00:17:15 – Referrals and finding the “dance partner” in a neighborhood 00:19:00 – Professional referral partnerships and the cold email to agents 00:21:29 – State Farm agents as the biggest referral source 00:22:50 – Building the agent network and post-roof insurance paperwork 00:25:30 – No door knocking: training new reps on agent meetings 00:28:30 – State Farm focus and selling agents on making them look better 00:29:30 – Frivolous claims and honest inspections 00:31:45 – Ramp-up timeline and winning agents with stalled claims 00:33:00 – No compensation to agents, and keeping the model clean 00:33:37 – Exactimate writers and supplementing in-house 00:34:40 – The two-step evidence package 00:35:45 – Request vs. requirement, and the Allstate call story 00:38:15 – Reasonable pricing and local price verification 00:40:00 – Wrap-up: ages, three years in business, and community 00:41:35 – Exit strategy and EBITDA mindset 00:42:25 – Retail vs. insurance focus and plans for spring 00:43:55 – Where to find Donovan and DTE Roofing 00:44:50 – Chris’s plane, Diversified Roofer and closing
September 26, 202628 min
How Rick Lowe Built a Licensing Empire With Disney, Star Wars & AC/DC
🗒️ Episode Notes Rick's unconventional path: engineering degree → corporate tech job → sales → laid off in the dot-com bust The origin story: selling Space Invaders T-shirts at Portobello Market in Notting Hill Building an international business licensing Disney, Warner Bros., Netflix, Star Wars, and Marvel IP The difference between corporate licensing (Disney/Netflix) and relationship-driven music licensing What "merchandising" actually covers: apparel, accessories, headwear, nightwear, and more Evergreen licenses (Disney) vs. fleeting pop-culture moments (Stranger Things) vs. touring bands Why merchandising is a high-volume, lower-margin business — "license to print money" Rick's biggest music license ever: AC/DC, and why the Rolling Stones' logo is untouchable Writing The Maverick Entrepreneur: turning life lessons and failures into a book The role of tenacity, resilience, and refusing to quit in entrepreneurship Rick's motivation for public speaking and pursuing personal development Working smarter, not harder Rick's closing piece of wisdom: "grab life by the throat" and take full personal responsibility Trusting your instincts and learning from (not repeating) your mistakes Where to find Rick Lowe and his upcoming book
September 19, 202636 min
From Insurance Restoration to Retail: How Jake Huotari Hit Nearly $4M in Year One
EPISODE NOTES Guest: Jake Huotari, Co-Owner, Aspire Home Services (Maple Grove, MN) Host: Ken Baden, CEO/Owner of Baden Consulting and Potomac Custom Remodeling Key takeaways Flexibility and a good attitude are core to Jake's leadership philosophy: "Blessed are the flexible, for they will not be bent out of shape." Jake and Josh started at Aspire as a small insurance restoration team. After the 90-day program with Ken, they ended 2025 just under $4M. Jake says retail runs about a 60% margin after commissions, and that insurance claims can move from about 45% to 75% margin using financing and upgrade tie-downs. Retail is a value-based proposition. Your ability to articulate value determines your ability to charge a premium. Retail businesses are worth roughly 4 to 5 points more to private equity and investors, according to Ken. Starting retail doesn't take a huge budget. Begin with one or two canvassers and add as profit allows. Hiring with a personality and temperament profile takes the mystery out of finding reps who will actually close. Jake says that when his team deviated from the scripting in July, their close rate dropped from 34% to 18%. It recovered as soon as they went back to it. Aspire's team now includes 7 sales reps, 8 canvassers, 2 phone staff, a job site coordinator, and a production specialist, which Jake says is a framework for a $15M business. Jake sees insurance carriers squeezing contractors through slow pay and scope disputes. He says fewer than half of last year's roughly 4,000 Minnesota contractors remain. About 3 in 10 roof replacements are insurance-driven and 7 in 10 are for other reasons, according to Ken. Very few roofers go after that 70%. Jake's advice on what made it work: follow directions, and put in the work. Jake's caution: "This is not get rich quick, this is get rich slow." Mentioned in the episode: Blue Collar Baller event (Dallas, 2023), one-sit close, canvassing, DISC-style hiring profile, CRM and cost-per-lead tracking, financing on insurance claims, private equity interest, NLP-based scripting. Connect with Jake: https://www.facebook.com/jakehuotari Connect with Ken: thekitchentablepodcast.net | Badenconsulting.net | DiversifiedRoofer.com | PotomacCustomRemodeling.com
September 12, 202642 min
Baltimore Rapper Menace Monroe on Turning Struggle Into Success
🗒️ EPISODE NOTES Menace Monroe joins the show for the third time, discussing his life, music, and business ventures. He details his history in and out of incarceration starting at age 14, including a recent 6-year prison term. Discusses how a drug habit drove much of his past legal trouble, and how he's been sober and focused since coming home. Explains why he sees the music industry as "a business" — artists need consistency and traction before labels will invest. Talks through his growth strategy: he calls it "multiplication" — steadily increasing followers, streams, and income rather than expecting overnight success. Shares the emotional story of losing custody of his younger son during his last incarceration due to an interstate custody case, and how that experience continues to affect him. Credits family — including his brother, who was incarcerated alongside him — as a major source of motivation and change. Talks about his current single "Still My Boo," dedicated to women who've been mistreated in relationships. Discusses his long-term goal of eventually creating music with a positive message, citing Bob Marley as inspiration. Explains the origin of his clothing brand Trap Rob, which began as sketches in a notebook while incarcerated and has since grown into a full merch line (shirts, hats, bags, car accessories, and more) — now trademarked. Gives a shoutout to his brother's brand, Black Heart Garments, known for tactical, concealment-friendly sweatsuits. Wraps up with where to find his music and merchandise, and future goals: 1 million followers and 10x growth within a year.
September 5, 202647 min
The Truth About Call Centers & Cold Calling for Roofers with Peter Roth
🗒️ EPISODE NOTES Peter Roth returns for his second appearance on The Kitchen Table Podcast, this time bringing detailed numbers and frameworks. Scalify specializes exclusively in human-driven outbound cold calling (AI cold calling is illegal) for booking home service estimates — no inbound, no lead reselling as a primary offering. Scalify builds fully-managed, client-owned call centers: the client owns everything, pays agents directly, and can cancel the management contract month-to-month. The "funnel" framework: bottom-of-funnel leads (people actively shopping) are few and expensive to fight over; top-of-funnel prospects (not yet problem-aware) are a much larger, less-contested pool — which is where cold calling and canvassing ("digital door knocking") come in. About two-thirds of Scalify's clients are insurance restoration roofers, one-third retail. Private equity buyers favor companies with proprietary lead generation because it reduces "de-risking" concerns tied to weather-dependent insurance work. Standard agent ratios: roughly 3 call center agents per 1 closer (assuming an empty calendar); similar to the 2-3:1 canvasser-to-closer ratio in door knocking. Cold callers speak to ~250 people/day with a sub-1% booking rate (1-2 appointments/day); door knockers speak to ~8-10 homeowners/day with higher lead quality but far lower volume. Average show rate on cold-call-booked appointments is around 40%. Typical roofing cost-per-acquisition via traditional marketing is ~$25 (on a great day); Scalify's clients typically see cost-per-acquisition around $900-1,000 — but with a call center, one deal's profit usually pays for the entire build-out (~$8-10K to build, ~$8-9K/month to run). Real client case study: a door-knocking-only operator spending $25K/month saw 1.5x ROI; switching to a call center model produced 6x ROI. The "secret sauce" of a call center isn't the agents, script, or dialer — it's the management team (a 4-person management team is often needed to run just 3 agents). Hiring "green" (untrained) reps and training them from scratch tends to outperform hiring "seasoned" reps with bad inbound-lead habits, because outbound sales requires creating urgency the prospect didn't have before the call. Case study: Victor Rencore, a well-known HVAC operator with 17 companies, deliberately avoids "replacement call" leads (price-shopping, bottom-of-funnel) in favor of top-of-funnel outbound leads. Power Home Remodeling's business model is built almost entirely on canvassing, allowing them to charge premium prices because their leads aren't price-shopping. Live transfers explained: the cold-calling agent does all the qualifying and rapport-building, then transfers the live call to a rotating pool of sales reps' cell phones (random or ring-all), rewarding "speed to lead." Live transfers can increase appointment volume by 25-60% because agents get back on the phone faster, and pre-built rapport improves show rates and close rates. Scalify stays a specialist in outbound cold calling only — Peter refers clients elsewhere for inbound, live transfer add-ons from other sources, canvassing, and SEO rather than trying to do it all.
August 29, 202624 min
I Learned This the Hard Way: Scaling Past $10M in Insurance Restoration | Ken Baden
Episode Notes Why Ken loves doing solo episodes — using the platform for pure value, no guest filter The "lean and mean" strategy that worked great... until it didn't The complacency factor: why sales reps unconsciously coast once they hit a comfortable income The fix: going all-in on recruiting, scaling from 5-7 reps to 15-20 across two offices Why team leads need to be physically in the field with new reps, not managing from afar Ken's decision to personally handle Day 1 onboarding and training for every new hire The "zone of genius" concept (credit to his coach Brandon) and why some things can't be delegated The math behind the growth goal: 15 reps per office, 4 contracts/week at $20K = $1.2M/week Two biggest lessons of the year: never forget the complacency factor, and live in your zone of genius Insurance restoration sales: why too many reps avoid confrontation and big-ticket conversations Setting proper expectations with homeowners at every step (ACV checks, timelines, next steps) Who's actually responsible for what: the insurance carrier's job vs. the contractor's job Why avoiding potential problems creates bigger problems down the line Office revamp, personal branding, and the morning mantra that's shifted team energy What's coming up next: guests including a musician/entrepreneur and Ken's recruiting team
August 22, 202634 min
Taming Your Money Monster: The Real Cost of Entrepreneurship with Nancy Benet
Episode Notes Nancy's background: raised by parents with limited means, inspired by a family friend who was a CPA Left a traditional accounting career path after realizing she disliked tax, audit, and corporate work Became a stay-at-home mom while helping her husband start businesses — five failed along the way Hit rock bottom at 45: divorced, four kids, $100/week child support, $650,000 in debt Bought a tax prep firm that fell through the day after signing a 3-year office lease Built her firm by marketing to people with public federal tax liens during the recession Learned those clients weren't ideal long-term and repositioned toward recurring revenue (monthly tax/CFO services) Founded Success Your Way to teach entrepreneurial mindset and business basics to newer founders Discusses LLC vs. S-corp election and why a sole-member LLC is often the right starting entity The "set your new zero" lesson from a friend that reshaped her relationship with cash reserves Wrote Tame Your Money Monster (releasing January 20th) as a result of her own financial mismanagement Candid discussion on lifestyle inflation, especially in insurance restoration roofing/solar businesses Tax strategy talk: why spending to "save on taxes" often costs more than it saves Real estate as a legitimate long-term tax strategy — but only after building a real income base Closing advice: "Manage your money well — that is what leads to peace in your life" Ken plugs Baden Consulting's retail roofing consultation for storm/insurance restoration roofers
August 15, 202627 min
From Cleaning Gutters to Running a Roofing Empire: Shane Michael's Story
Episode Notes Shane got his start in construction in 2013 doing gutter cleaning and repairs before moving into general contracting, flooring, and eventually car sales. He launched his own business about 8-9 years ago and later transitioned fully into roofing roughly five years ago. A standout early sale: a homeowner with 50-60 solar panels closed in under three minutes for a $12K job. Shane and Ken discuss learning from sales trainers (referencing Adam and the "SLAP" sales framework vs. Ken's "3 W's"). Recruiting struggles this summer left both companies short-staffed heading into peak storm season. Storm activity has been unusually high this year in the DMV compared to the last several years. Two unusual insurance claim situations: carriers asking for pre-purchase home inspections before releasing funds, and a homeowner discovering a $23,000 deductible that left him covering 52% of an ~$80K roof. Discussion on where premiums, deductibles, and claim requirements might be heading next year. Why aggressive, professional closers consistently outperform sloppy canvassing teams — and why sending canvassers into a competitive area can backfire. Zeus Contracting is expanding into Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, with plans to grow paid advertising (Google/Facebook) heading into winter. Zeus Contracting posted a record month: 55 signed deals worth over $900,000. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Intro & catching up with Shane Michael 01:09 – Shane's start in construction (2013): gutters, repairs & general contracting 02:30 – Transitioning into sales, including a stint in car sales 04:45 – Starting his own business ~8-9 years ago 05:25 – Going full-time into roofing & the fast solar panel sale 06:33 – Sales training, mentors, and the "SLAP" vs. "3 W's" methods 08:04 – Recruiting struggles and rebuilding the sales team 10:39 – This year's storm activity and market response 12:15 – Odd insurance claim: pre-purchase inspection required for payout 13:37 – Digging into how that requirement can even be legal 14:35 – Deductible shock: 48% out-of-pocket on an $80K+ roof 15:31 – Where deductibles and policies are headed next year 20:15 – Finding opportunity in a "down" market 22:08 – Why the industry is thinning out — and why that's a good thing 22:27 – Canvassers vs. closers: professionalism and close rates 25:39 – Company culture, integrity, and core values 25:53 – What's next for Zeus Contracting 26:26 – Expansion plans into Delaware, PA & Virginia 26:46 – Record month: 55 deals, $900K+ in signed work 27:32 – Where to find Shane Michael & Zeus Contracting online
August 8, 202632 min
Solo Episode: Mindset, Hiring, and the Stronghouse Rumors | The Kitchen Table Podcast w/ Ken Baden
Episode Notes Ken explains why this is a solo episode and gives a quick update on upcoming guest scheduling The story behind his Audi R8's third blown motor and the lesson learned about modifying performance cars How a Warren Buffett-inspired gratitude mindset helped him reframe a costly setback Setting the record straight on rumors that Stronghouse Roofing was insolvent Why Ken sees "blood in the water" opportunity as competitors cut staff and salaries Behind the scenes of his company's mass hiring and training push, including working with an outside recruiting firm Why Ken and his business partner Justin are personally training every recruit Advice for contractors considering adding a retail division to their insurance restoration business Why fall and spring are the money-making seasons for retail roofing What Ken looks for before taking on a new consulting client The daily 8:30 AM morning mantra his team recites, and the psychology behind it (including the "red car theory") Why belief and mindset matter as much as strategy when market conditions shift Personal update: family, an upcoming trip, and staying grounded amid rapid company growth Timestamps 00:00 – Solo episode intro and guest scheduling update 01:11 – Ken's Audi R8 blows its third motor 04:26 – Reframing setbacks with gratitude (the Warren Buffett flat tire story) 06:14 – Why Ken's been posting more about his wife lately 07:38 – Setting the record straight: Stronghouse insolvency rumors debunked 09:53 – "Blood in the water": why Ken is going all-in on growth this year 12:49 – Inside the company's mass hiring and training push 14:39 – Why Ken and Justin are personally training every recruit 15:33 – Advice for contractors considering a retail roofing division 19:00 – What to look for (and avoid) when vetting a coach or consultant 20:59 – Team hits goal — pizza party moment 23:00 – The origin of the daily morning mantra 26:39 – Breaking down the mantra: the "red car theory" and unconscious opportunity 28:19 – The full morning mantra, word for word 30:59 – Personal update, family plans, and closing thoughts
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