Corey Johnston Delivers Tips and Tricks to Roofers - Stories from the Roof Podcast

By Lauren White, RCS Reporter.

From roofing at age 15 to Contractor Support Specialist, Corey has come a long way.

Having been a roofer his entire life, Corey Johnston has a wealth of knowledge to share with other roofers.  In his interview with Vickie Sharples, RoofersCoffeeShop® Partner, he explains how he got started in roofing, the most valuable lessons he learned from working with his stepfather, and how to differentiate yourself in the roofing world.  

In need of spare money for school, Corey began roofing when he was 15.  Corey’s stepfather Lou was a shingler. He’s since retired, but taught Corey to “work smart, not hard.”  And he made it very clear from the beginning of their time together that Corey was going to be a teammate and, “work with him, not for him.”  Lou instilled in Corey that it was important to find a smart way to do things instead of a back-breaking way.  

Taking what he gained from Lou, Corey continued to work in roofing full-time.  Eventually he began training contractors and they noticed he could deliver tips and tricks to make roofers’ lives easier.  He wanted the information to be easily accessible to roofers even when they’re working, which is what inspired him to use the YouTube platform, thus beginning his video series Contractor Corner by Corey.  And now, he works as a Contractor Support Specialist for Tremco Commercial Sealants and Waterproofing.

Through his interactions with others, he has some advice for fellow roofers.  He comments that the roofing industry is shrinking due to the difficulty in finding good workers.  Corey explains that the more training a person has, the more valuable of an employee they become. Additionally, continuously learning and growing keeps the job interesting.  He encourages people to challenge themselves and to learn new techniques and about new systems.

Listen to the podcast to hear more advice from Corey.  Check out the RoofersCoffeeShop® podcast page for even more.

Read the entire transcript here.