The SECRET to Business Success with Chris Lalomia from The Trusted Toolbox (Organization Conversation, Episode 62)
In this episode of Organization Conversation, host Richard Grove interviews Chris Lalomia, founder of The Trusted Toolbox. They talk about Chris’s journey from the corporate world to building a successful handyman business, as well as the importance of customer service and training. Chris also shares insights from his podcast, The Small Business Safari, and his book, From the Zoo to the Wild. They touch on topics like business growth, the importance of networking, and navigating economic challenges. Additionally, Chris talks about his involvement in syndicated radio shows and offers advice for small business owners.
Organization Conversation is sponsored by Wall Control. The show is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.
Chris Lalomia, Founder and CEO, The Trusted Toolbox
Chris Lalomia is the CEO of The Trusted Toolbox. He also hosts the Small Business Safari podcast and is the author of the book From the Zoo to the Wild: Your Guide to Entrepreneurial Freedom and Wealth.
Chris Lalomia is a successful entrepreneur and change leader who has built on his experience working with the largest companies in America to start his own business from scratch. He brings his unique style to leadership to build a culture of professionalism in the blue-collar world of home renovations. He left the corporate zoo, ventured into the entrepreneurial wild and started The Trusted Toolbox: Home Repair and Projects in 2008. YES, he started a business right before the Great Recession, so timing the market is not his strength. He survived through that time and has grown his business into a multimillion-dollar handyman and remodeling company which has won numerous awards in Atlanta, GA.
Chris is originally from Jackson, MI, and he uses his hand to show where he lives. He went to college and earned his Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Mechanical Engineering. His path to business ownership was similar to most people’s journey to their current position… spinning and winding… His first engineering job was at Curtiss-Wright Flight Systems making airplane parts, but soon realizing he needed to add some other business skills to his resume, he joined Accenture and began working with large banks to help them merge, which led him to SunTrust (now Truist), where he transformed the commercial loan operations department… That meandering path led him to leap into starting his own business, The Trusted Toolbox, in 2008.
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The Trusted Toolbox
The Trusted Toolbox is a leading provider of professional handyman services and home remodeling solutions in the Metro Atlanta area. With over 15 years of experience serving over 16,000 homeowners, the company specializes in a wide range of home repair and improvement projects, including kitchen and bathroom remodels, basement renovations, deck repairs, door replacements, and wood rot repair.
Committed to delivering exceptional results with a customer-centric approach, The Trusted Toolbox employs a team of skilled professionals who are fully insured, background checked, and dedicated to ensuring 100% customer satisfaction. The company’s local expertise, efficiency, and attention to detail have earned it numerous awards and accolades, solidifying its reputation as a trusted partner for homeowners in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Athens, and the surrounding areas.
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Topics Discussed in this Episode
00:00 Introduction
00:24 Meet Chris Lalomia: Founder of The Trusted Toolbox
00:39 Chris’s Journey and Achievements
02:28 The Trusted Toolbox: Services and Growth
07:04 Customer Experience and Service Philosophy
12:07 Challenges and Lessons Learned
15:46 Economic Insights and Future Outlook
18:28 Navigating Home Repairs: Who to Call?
18:59 A Real-Life HVAC Dilemma
20:42 Expanding Business Horizons
21:39 The Impact of COVID on Business
24:14 Networking: The Key to Success
27:22 The Reality of Business Growth
32:46 Final Thoughts and Contact Information
About Organization Conversation
Organization Conversation is hosted by Richard Grove and broadcast and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and others.
Richard Grove, Wall Control
Richard Grove‘s background is in engineering, but what he enjoys most is brand building through relationships and creative marketing. Richard began his career with the Department of Defense as an engineer on the C-5 Galaxy Engineering Team, based out of Warner Robins. While Richard found this experience both rewarding and fulfilling, he always knew deep down that he wanted to return to the small family business that originally triggered his interest in engineering.
Richard came to work for the family business, Dekalb Tool & Die, in 2008 as a Mechanical Engineer. At the time, Wall Control was little more than a small ‘side hustle’ for Dekalb Tool & Die to try to produce some incremental income. There were no “Wall Control” employees, just a small warehouse with a single tool and die maker that would double as an “order fulfillment associate” on the occasion that the original WallControl.com website, which Richard’s grandmother built, pulled in an order.
In 2008, it became apparent that for the family business to survive, they were going to have to produce their own branded product at scale to ensure jobs remained in-house and for the business to continue to move forward. Richard then turned his attention from tool and die to Wall Control to attempt this necessary pivot, and his story with Wall Control began. Since that time, Richard has led Wall Control to significant growth while navigating two recessions.
Outside of Richard’s work at Wall Control, he enjoys helping other business owners, operators, and entrepreneurs along their own paths to success by offering personal business coaching and advice through his website, ConsultantSmallBusiness.com. Richard has developed an expansive and unique skillset, growing and scaling Wall Control through a multitude of challenges to become the successful brand and company it is today. Richard is happy to share his knowledge and experience with others who are looking to do the same within their own businesses.
Connect with Richard: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Richard’s Website
About Wall Control
The Wall Control story began in 1968 in a small tool & die shop just outside Atlanta, Georgia. The first of three generations began their work in building a family-based US manufacturer with little more than hard work and the American Dream.
Over the past 50+ years, this family business has continued to grow and expand from what was once a small tool & die shop into an award-winning US manufacturer of products ranging from automobile components to satellite panels and now, the best wall-mounted tool storage system available today, Wall Control.
The Wall Control brand launched in 2003 and is a family-owned and operated business that not only produces a high-quality American Made product but sees the entire design, production, and distribution process happen under their own roof in Tucker, Georgia. Under that same roof, three generations of American Manufacturing are still hard at work creating the best tool storage products available today.
Connect with Wall Control:
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