From Chick-fil-A to $10M: Zach Sasser's Roofing Empire

Episode Notes Zach grew up in a roofing family in DFW; his dad transitioned from mortgages into roofing after the 2008 crash. Zach sold his first roofs at 17 after a hometown storm, earning around $10K in one summer — more than a full summer at Chick-fil-A. He studied marketing in college, believing that knowing how to get customers translates across any industry. Interned with the APEX mastermind under Stuman, surrounded by established roofing/home-service leaders; became top sales producer within 18 months and stayed about 5 years. About 4 years ago, Zach began helping his brother Brett grow Lone Star Exteriors — from roughly $1.2M to $9.5M last year, on pace for just over $10M this year. Discussion of regional insurance differences: DFW average deductible ~$7,000 vs. as low as $500 in parts of Oklahoma; ACV-only policies and roof payment schedules are increasingly common in Texas. State-level insurance regulation varies significantly (e.g., Delaware vs. Maryland) and impacts deductible/depreciation rules. The "Keep the Check" program: financing full job costs when insurance underpays (e.g., 40–50% coverage), helping homeowners avoid dipping into savings or high-interest credit card debt. Zach's company is roughly 95%+ insurance restoration and a small retail percentage, but expects retail/financing hybrid models to grow as ACV-only policies increase. Mindset segment: the impact of NLP techniques, daily positive affirmations with his team, and the "red car theory" (you see what you look for). Zach invested $50K in recruiting this year and brought on a team of commercial roofing reps from a company that did $140M the prior year. Long-term goals: hit 8 figures this year, with sights on $25–30M as the company scales systems and processes. Discussion on goal-setting flexibility — learning when to adjust targets rather than rigidly chasing a number, informed by a past overexpansion lesson. Where to find Zach: primarily active on Facebook and Instagram; company is Lone Star Exteriors, founded by his brother in 2018.