John Voigt

This transcript has been edited for readability: Henry Harrison Today we’re welcoming John Voigt to the show. John is a friend of mine, and as you know our show is called Entrepreneurs, Business and Finance. John is an entrepreneur, and I thought he would be a great guest to talk about the remodeling business, design, and running a family company. Good afternoon, John. How are you? John Voigt Hey, good afternoon. How are you doing, Henry? Henry Harrison Doing well. John and I met because he’s a remodeler. He runs a family business, and his company actually remodeled our home. We were very pleased with the results and the experience. So I thought he would be an interesting person to have on the show to talk about design, the remodeling business, and how his family company operates. Let me start with a basic question: How did you become a remodeler? John Voigt Wow, that’s a loaded question. It’s funny because I always had an interest in doing things around the house. I grew up in a family where you were required to participate in whatever project my dad decided to tackle — fixing things, building things, remodeling things around the house. If my dad was working on something, I was required to assist. But that’s actually not where my career started. I became a commercial artist, and I worked in that field for 27 years. One day I was walking through Home Depot and saw a young woman designing a kitchen using a software program. I thought that looked really interesting. I asked her if I could sit down and watch what she was doing, and she said sure. After about 30 minutes of watching, I thought, “I think I could do that.” So I decided to teach myself how to become a kitchen and bathroom designer, and that eventually led me into the remodeling business. Henry Harrison That’s interesting that you mentioned teaching yourself. The last guest we had on the show talked about a similar experience. He works in oil and gas analysis and had a background in AutoCAD design, but the key point was that he taught himself how to apply those skills in a new industry. That’s something you see with a lot of entrepreneurs. They have an interest in something, and they pursue it. My father used to say: “Find something you like to do.” John Voigt It’s funny how that works. We all go to school thinking we’ve found our path and decided what we’re going to pursue. But as we get older, things change. Sometimes necessity pushes us in a different direction, and sometimes it’s simply a matter of discovering a new interest. That’s really what happened to me. I enjoyed being a commercial artist, but after many years I was ready for something different. Fortunately, my computer graphics skills transferred nicely into the kitchen and bath business because most design today is done with software. Henry Harrison I know part of your story as well. You didn’t immediately start your own company. You worked for another remodeling firm for a number of years, and in many ways you were helping run part of that business before you eventually decided to step out on your own. John Voigt That’s right. I really felt that I needed to cut my teeth learning from other professionals before starting my own company. I think that’s a very good path for most people. It’s difficult to launch yourself into a business without mentors or teachers. The people I worked for initially were very skilled and respected professionals in the industry, and I learned a lot from them. I spent about eight to ten years working in the field before starting my own business. Henry Harrison You often refer to your company as a family business, and I know members of your family are involved. How does that work? John Voigt When I started the business, I was working by myself. A few years later my wife came to me and said, “You know, that’s a pretty interesting business. I’d like to do that too.” I told her that if she could figure out how to replace her salary and prove it to me over six months, she could join the firm. She did exactly that, and we’ve never looked back. Later on, my adult son — who is also an entrepreneur — decided to focus on internet marketing. He taught himself digital marketing and eventually joined the company. Now he handles our lead generation and marketing programs. Those leads are passed to my wife, who contacts them, qualifies them, and sets appointments. If the project qualifies, I meet with the client, measure the space, design the kitchen or bathroom, and then my wife and I go back together to present the design and proposal. Henry Harrison When I first met you, one thing that impressed me was that you had the ability to design and build. That combination is actually pretty rare. I’ve worked with remodelers who expect you to hire your own architect or designer separately. In my previous homebuilding business, we sometimes ran into problems because something that looks good on paper doesn’t always translate easily into construction. Having someone who both designs the project and understands how to build it makes a big difference. I also remember an example at our house. We had a complicated sink and faucet installation, and the plumber had trouble getting everything just right. You came over, sat down under the sink yourself, and about fifteen minutes later everything was working perfectly. That’s when it really helps to understand construction details. John Voigt Yes, sometimes things like that happen. You really have to be able to analyze situations on the job site. Sometimes two heads are better than one. I often consult with plumbers, framers, and other contractors to talk through a solution. As the owner of the business, I feel it’s my responsibility to be the creative problem solver — whether that means designing the project or finding the right solution during construction. Henry Harrison You’re in a good market as well. The Dallas–Fort Worth area is growing, and that certainly helps. Remodeling is always competitive, but you’ve built a steady business. How long have you been on your own now? Six years? John Voigt Actually it’s been closer to ten years. Henry Harrison Ten years — wow. That means you’ve probably completed well over a hundred remodeling projects by now. John Voigt Yes, I’d say we’ve probably completed around 200 projects over that time. Some projects are quite large — even approaching a million dollars — while others are smaller bathroom remodels that may cost less than $100,000. There’s a wide range depending on the scope of the home and the homeowner’s goals. Henry Harrison That’s true, although the interesting thing is that most remodeling projects involve many of the same elements — materials, design, construction — just at different scales. John Voigt Exactly. Most projects involve the same ingredients. When the price goes up, it usually just means more of those ingredients are involved. Henry Harrison I remember you helping us pick everything — the colors, finishes, and design details — and my wife and I absolutely love the result. We’ve even had neighbors who were considering their own remodeling projects come by to look at the work you did in our home. I can’t recommend you highly enough. And from what I can see, you genuinely enjoy your work. I know construction can be frustrating sometimes, but you seem to enjoy the design process and seeing the finished results. John Voigt I really do enjoy it. It’s a fun industry, and you get to meet great people. That’s actually how you and I became friends over the years. At the end of the day, I enjoy designing spaces and helping people transform their homes. Henry Harrison I’ve also seen you hit a golf drive well over 300 yards, and I think once it even rolled close to 350 yards on a downhill fairway. John Voigt That might have been the wind helping a little! Henry Harrison I remember that shot. We thought the ball went in the lake, but when we walked down the fairway it was about 50 yards past mine. Well John, thank you for sharing your story. You’re passionate about your business and your family, and I appreciate you joining us today. Happy New Year, and I look forward to talking with you again soon. John Voigt Thanks, Henry. I appreciate the call anytime.