Stories From the Roof - Chris Coryell - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Chris Coryell. You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast.

Intro: Welcome to Stories from the Roof, the podcast that brings you tales from the most unexpected vantage point, rooftops. I'm your host, Megan Ellsworth and on this show, we'll ascend to the top and explore the world through the eyes of those who live and work above. Join us on this unique journey as we uncover the stories, perspectives and histories of roofing contractors. Let's begin our ascent onto the roof. 

Hello everyone, my name's Megan Ellsworth and welcome to the CoffeeShop Soundstage, brought to you by SRS Distribution here at IRE. I'm so excited to have Chris Coryell here. Hello. 

Chris Coryell: Hi. 

Megan Ellsworth: We're doing a live podcast. 

Chris Coryell: Love it. 

Megan Ellsworth: Stories from the Roof. So we're here to learn about you and your story. So let's just start with having you tell us a little bit about you. 

Chris Coryell: A little bit about me, I'm from Oklahoma. I actually live in Norman, Oklahoma. I have a ranch just a couple miles south of Norman. And you can actually see the University of Oklahoma football stadium from my house. That's kind of cool. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, that's convenient. 

Chris Coryell: Yeah, it's very convenient. I'm married, been married 27 years to my wife and business partner and I have three sons. 

Megan Ellsworth: Hi family. 

Chris Coryell: Hi. And one beautiful little granddaughter, so. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, congratulations. 

Chris Coryell: Thank you. 

Megan Ellsworth: That's awesome. 

Chris Coryell: Thank you. 

Megan Ellsworth: Okay, so what inspired you to enter the roofing industry? How'd you get here? 

Chris Coryell: Well, living in Oklahoma, we're surrounded by catastrophic weather and disastrous storms. So you're constantly immersed in people that are trying to find solutions, better solutions for solving problems. So because of living in Oklahoma and being exposed to the elements all the time and other states are like that as well, Oklahoma, just it's right in your face all the time. So back in 2010, we had a tornado that came up I-44 into the Newcastle area of Oklahoma and that's where we lived and that tornado actually affected us. And I watched the process of restoration after the storm and I was fascinated by it, but also discouraged in it. 

I felt like there was a lot of room for improvement between insurance carriers and adjusters and contractors. And so I started investigating the process and I started trying to understand how does insurance work with contractors? How do you properly select a contractor and how do you make sure that you're getting what you're supposed to get? And so I dug deep into it and then realize there's an opportunity to do things better, a better way. And so that's how I got into it. 

Megan Ellsworth: That's awesome. What a great origin story. That's really humble roots and being able to just start from wanting to help people is great. I love that. 

Chris Coryell: Thank you. 

Megan Ellsworth: Okay, so can you describe your entrepreneurial journey into roofing and the roles that you've held in all the different spots you've been in? 

Chris Coryell: Sure. It's kind of an exciting journey. It's not traditional or typical. I dropped out of college after one semester. 

Megan Ellsworth: Nice. 

Chris Coryell: I was there on a Vocal scholarship- 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, cool. 

Chris Coryell: ... in Oklahoma City and people thought I was crazy. And I probably was, I should have stuck with college. But I dropped out because I had this entrepreneur spirit. I was ready to go. I wanted to explore. I wanted to experience it and touch it and feel it. So I quickly got into the workforce and I ended up at Coca-Cola. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, cool. 

Chris Coryell: And Coca-Cola honestly became my university. I learned so much in branding and marketing and service and product delivery and oh, it was fascinating. For five years, I got the absolute number one trademark in the world. I got to see firsthand how you market that, how you build that and how you satisfy customers. That's the best thing I learned from them. 

Megan Ellsworth: Wow. 

Chris Coryell: I took that and basically leaped into other opportunities and in 2004, I went out on my own as far as an entrepreneur goes. I had several businesses. And I love entrepreneurship. I love building, I love growing. I love finding solutions and I love helping people. So that took me through a path of companies. And then obviously 2010, I said, "This is where I'm meant to be. This is the field that I need to help people in." 

Megan Ellsworth: And you've been there ever since. 

Chris Coryell: I have. 

Megan Ellsworth: Incredible. 

Chris Coryell: Yeah. 

Megan Ellsworth: Okay, so who are some people along the way, I know you mentioned Coca-Cola, which is so cool, by the way. I mean, who doesn't know Coca-Cola? 

Chris Coryell: I know. 

Megan Ellsworth: Everybody knows them. 

Chris Coryell: You want to know an interesting fact? 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh my gosh, please. 

Chris Coryell: The Coca-Cola logo is seen an average of seven times per day for every human. 

Megan Ellsworth: For every human? 

Chris Coryell: Seven times a day. 

Megan Ellsworth: I believe it. Just thinking about it- 

Chris Coryell: That is power in branding. 

Megan Ellsworth: That is and I could draw it myself just from top of dome. That's crazy. 

Chris Coryell: Absolutely. Yeah. 

Megan Ellsworth: Wow. Seven times a day for billions of people. 

Chris Coryell: Right. 

Megan Ellsworth: Wow. Wow. That's powerful. 

Chris Coryell: That's market saturation. That's good. 

Megan Ellsworth: That really is. They have the market on lock. 

Chris Coryell: That's right. 

Megan Ellsworth: So who are some of your key mentors that have helped you on your entrepreneurial journey throughout your life? 

Chris Coryell: It's sad to say I really have never had a true mentor. My papa, Ted Hardwick was a very, very smart businessman. I learned a lot from him growing up, but that didn't really... later in my life, I didn't have a lot of interaction with him. So I can't say that I truly had a mentor. But I'll say this, my wife is my absolute rock, my number one partner. She and I are literally so good together in business. And so I think in terms of mentorship, she's mentored me and I've mentored her and we've helped each other. She's so much different than me. Her personality. I'm a high-flying visionary and she's a duty-fulfiller and we basically work perfectly together. And she's been a mentor to me in so many ways that I don't understand and she helps me with. 

Megan Ellsworth: Good answer. 

Chris Coryell: So I think this makes us a great, great team. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, that's beautiful. I love that. 

Chris Coryell: Thank you. 

Megan Ellsworth: The yin and the yang. Love it. 

Chris Coryell: Yep. We are. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yes and good answer. 

Chris Coryell: She's at home right now in the absolute freezing cold, -14, iced over in Oklahoma. She's sitting at home taking care of our cattle. She's an amazing woman. 

Megan Ellsworth: Wow, that is amazing. And that's cold. That is really cold. 

Chris Coryell: It's cold. 

Megan Ellsworth: And I'm sure that's even without windchill. Throw the wind in there, it's even worse. 

Chris Coryell: I think that's with windchill, it's two degrees and then windchill was -14, but that's cold. I don't care how- 

Megan Ellsworth: That's really... Yeah, that's cold. 

Chris Coryell: Once you're below 32, it's cold. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. Oh my gosh. Okay. Okay. I love your answer about your wife. Maybe you can talk about some lessons you've learned throughout your career and I bet some of them probably come from your wife too. 

Chris Coryell: Oh, I've learned a lot of lessons throughout my career. I've been in the entertainment industry as far as home entertainment. I literally owned a company that I designed home theater systems and whole house automation and audio and video and lighting. 

Megan Ellsworth: Cool. 

Chris Coryell: So I learned a tremendous amount there. I learned a ton... I actually had some trucks in the oil field for hotshotting. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, wow. 

Chris Coryell: I did that for a while and it was powerful. But I think the best lesson I learned is what not to do. I think those are the things that stick out the most. I've been exposed to people in the roofing industry that were less than honorable and didn't carry integrity. And I got to see firsthand, "This is what I don't want to do. I don't want to be that person." And so that's made me so focused on the core values of our company, which are a commitment to excellence, a commitment to integrity and a commitment to growth. 

And so those core values hold dear to me because I've seen what it looks like when you're not that in the roofing industry or any industry for that matter. 

Megan Ellsworth: That is such a valuable lesson to learn, especially early on in your life. That's something I remember my mom telling me in high school when I was teaching music lessons to little kids and I was like, "I don't think I like teaching. I don't think I like this." And she said, "It's almost more important to learn what you don't like to do than what you do like to do, because what you know don't want to go this direction. You have so many other directions to try and go from there." So I love that. That's such a good lesson. 

Chris Coryell: That's a great point. I mean, understanding what you don't want to be. I was going to be an accountant. 

Megan Ellsworth: Look at you now. 

Chris Coryell: I quickly realized, don't put me in a room. Don't put me in a box. I got to get out and move around. 

Megan Ellsworth: I should definitely never be an accountant also. 

Chris Coryell: Also, here's an interesting thing, I also wanted to be a country music singer. That was my passion. 

Megan Ellsworth: Well, you have the look. 

Chris Coryell: Oh well, I think that's good. 

Megan Ellsworth: That is a good thing. 

Chris Coryell: And I actually had the opportunity with Garth Brooks in Oklahoma. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, cool. 

Chris Coryell: Here's a quick, quick story. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. 

Chris Coryell: I was doing a home theater project for Garth and Trisha in Oklahoma. 

Megan Ellsworth: No way. Wow. 

Chris Coryell: Yeah. And I got to talk to him. I was 30 years old, obviously married, successful, kids, the whole thing. And I'm helping him. And literally I told him, I said, "I've wanted what you do for my entire life. This is my passion." And he said, "All right, well, can you sing?" And I said, "Yeah." "And can you play?" "Yeah." And he said, "Are you married to Oklahoma?" And I said, "No, I'm married to her." My wife was standing next to me and I said, "If she'll go with me, I'll go anywhere." And he said, "You got to go to Nashville and I'll help you. I'll send you." And then my wife asked the most pivotal question of my life. She looked at Garth and said, "If you could do it over again, would you do it?" And he said, "No, not with kids." 

Megan Ellsworth: Wow. 

Chris Coryell: The minute he said that my idol growing up, the minute he said that, it literally made me realize my three sons are so much more valuable than my dream of being on the stage in Nashville. 

Megan Ellsworth: Wow. 

Chris Coryell: That's when I realized that's something that I didn't need to be doing. Valuable lesson. 

Megan Ellsworth: That is a huge lesson and especially coming from Garth Brooks, of course you're going to pay attention to that. 

Chris Coryell: That's ultimate closure. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. You're like, "Okay, okay, I made the right choice. Garth said so." 

Chris Coryell: That's right. I know, right. And the cool thing is that my wife is the one that got to lead me to that. I wouldn't have asked that question. 

Megan Ellsworth: Right. Because that is a really poignant question to ask, especially as someone you look up to, you idolize and you want to follow in their footsteps in any industry. Write that down, people. That's good. 

Chris Coryell: I really believe God was guiding her that day and helped her understand the perfect question to ask to give me what I needed. And then I've never looked back. Yeah. I'll see the CMAs or the ACMs and I get a little sad and I get my guitar out and I'm like, "I wish I could do that." But honestly, I love exactly where I'm at in life. And I love the roofing industry too. It's so fun. It's so exciting to help people and everybody needs it. 

Megan Ellsworth: I know. Everybody needs a roof. 

Chris Coryell: Yeah. 

Megan Ellsworth: Everybody needs a roof. Okay. Okay. So Duro-.Last, you work with them very closely. Why? What's so special about Duro-Last and why do you choose to constantly work with their product? 

Chris Coryell: Well, I say this very cautiously towards all manufacturers and distributors and vendors here at this show. But I think a mistake a lot of contractors make is they don't pick a horse and ride it. And 13 years ago we did that with Duro-Last. I said, "This is our partner and we're going to stay this horse and we're not getting off." 

And that has been one of the most beneficial things for us as a contractor. Duro-Last is so contractor-focused, they don't even consider distribution. They work directly with the contractor. Their contractor support is unparalleled. Their marketing team and rea Fisher, she's amazing. 

Megan Ellsworth: Shout out. 

Chris Coryell: And she helps us in ways that... I'm a visionary, I have ideas all the time. We're doing something in Tennessee right now that will blow people's mind. 

Megan Ellsworth: Awesome. 

Chris Coryell: Andrea came down and helped me with that. And Aaron Kisser, the QA director and the entire team. I mean, I've got a personal relationship with them. I was at dinner with them last night. They are family and we love Duro-Last. And the reason they're that is because they pour into us and it gives us the ability to pour into them. I have confidence in telling every one of my clients, "Our relationship with Duro-Last protects you. We will always be there for you, but even if something were to happen to us, Duro-Last is... they've got us, they've got your back." 

Megan Ellsworth: And there's nothing more important than that. 

Chris Coryell: Oh, it's so powerful. They have been such a partner to us and our success is on their back. It truly is. 

Megan Ellsworth: That's awesome. 

Chris Coryell: Because even during the COVID era when supply chain issues were going on, we literally worked with Duro-Last to create some opportunities to stay in the game and keep material going by elevating the type of system that we were offering. And then we would have to tell customers, "It's going to cost more, but I can get it for you." And you know what? There's a lot of customers that time is worth a lot more than money. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, yeah. 

Chris Coryell: And so if they have to wait nine months on a builder grade product and Duro-Last has the higher end of their product line available, because the masses typically go for the lower quality systems, we go for the high quality systems. We put the best on the roofs and we follow standards to do that. And we promote standards. We're going state to state, talking with all educators and municipalities, entities that need help. They need guidance. We're using standards throughout all of those states. The reason we're doing that is because we have confidence in the fact that Duro-Last has sent their products to FM Approvals and have them certified their systems. And we have a robust offering to our customers that fit no matter where they're at, Duro-Last did that. They've poured into us and we pour into them and that relationship is as strong as it could possibly be. 

Megan Ellsworth: That is so amazing. And when we spoke with Andrea about this podcast series, Stories from the Roof, you were the first that came to her mind too. She said, "You have to talk to Chris." And so I've been really looking forward to this. So thank you for your time today. 

Chris Coryell: Oh, thank you. 

Megan Ellsworth: And sharing your story. We still have more to come, don't worry. So you've received some awards from Duro-Last over the years. Can you tell us a little bit about them and which maybe is the most significant to you? 

Chris Coryell: It has been a fun climb. I can tell you that. I remember when we first started with Duro-Last, we didn't even go to the awards banquets or the sales seminar because we were just a smaller contractor. We started off doing residential and we blew residential up in the Oklahoma market. And then we made a switch to all commercial because we saw the opportunity. There was more help needed there. There's a lot of residential contractors and we could make a difference, but I felt like we could make a bigger difference on the commercial side. But that progression... And I'm sorry, I forgot the question you had. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, your favorite award that you've gotten. 

Chris Coryell: Okay, I get... chase rabbits a lot. 

Megan Ellsworth: I know. Me too. 

Chris Coryell: So my favorite award would just simply be as we've gone through those years we climbed in rank and Duro-Last started recognizing us based on our sales volume and based on the things that we've done. I would say Tampa, Florida, January 2024, being named Duro-Last Contractor of the Year- 

Megan Ellsworth: Special. 

Chris Coryell: ... getting a Platinum Eagle, setting the record for the most material ever purchased from Duro-Last to that point. 

Megan Ellsworth: Whoa. 

Chris Coryell: We broke records. And on top of that, we got some serious recognition from it and thank you to Duro-Last for that. But our quality assurance scores were also at the top with Duro-Last. 

Megan Ellsworth: Wow. 

Chris Coryell: That's what I'm proud of. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. 

Chris Coryell: We were literally in the high 99 percentile or 98 percentile of quality assurance scores on all the millions of square feet that we installed. So that's a pretty prestigious award. 

Megan Ellsworth: That's huge. I mean, 98 percentile. I mean, I don't even know if you can get better than that. That's crazy. 

Chris Coryell: It's pretty impressive. 

Megan Ellsworth: Wow. 

Chris Coryell: We've got an amazing team and we have all these checks and balances to make sure that it's precise. There's precision and excellence in everything that we do. So by the time a customer takes the keys to their new roof, we know exactly what they're going to experience. And the peace of mind with Duro-Last and us, that's why they recognize it. That's why they give an award. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. Well and obviously your customers know what they're going to get too, whether they hear it through word of mouth or your website or just working with you on a previous project or whatever, they obviously know what they're going to get from you and Duro-Last as well. That's amazing. Congratulations. That's really exciting. 

Chris Coryell: Thank you. 

Megan Ellsworth: That's cool. 

Chris Coryell: I think the other thing I look at with the Duro-Last Awards, what it does for our team. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh yeah. 

Chris Coryell: We have such an amazing team, a special, special culture. 

Megan Ellsworth: That's awesome. 

Chris Coryell: We're family, we take care of each other. We're spread throughout six states right now, but literally everybody understands the heartbeat of each other. And so for years, I mean years, I have used the Duro-Last Sales Seminar as a way to motivate and inspire our team. It's our Superbowl trophy, if you will. 

Megan Ellsworth: That's awesome. 

Chris Coryell: And we constantly worked to climb the ranks. So I remember in 2020, we had Vision 2020 or 2020 Vision, flip it around and it was all about being top three with Duro-Last. 

Megan Ellsworth: That's awesome. 

Chris Coryell: We've done that throughout the years. We went from being number 21 in the country to number 10, then number seven, then number five, then number three. And we got to number one. And we were in the top three again this year. 

Megan Ellsworth: Wow. 

Chris Coryell: Yeah. 

Megan Ellsworth: Wow. And what a morale boost for the team as well. And I mean, winning awards is just, it gives you a new sense of urgency and what matters and just confidence. And what a great way to start a year off too. Like you said, January 2024, you're like, "Oh, I can take on this year." 

Chris Coryell: Yeah. Here's a really cool thing about that, we are a very inclusive company, so we win together, we lose together as a team. Nobody gets left behind. 

Megan Ellsworth: Love. 

Chris Coryell: We're all in and we love each other. And so when we get awards, we all go. 

Megan Ellsworth: That's awesome. 

Chris Coryell: I remember four years ago, I called Tom Saeli, the CEO of Duro-Last at the time. He's since retired. But I called him and I said, "Tom, we're growing and we're doing great things, but we're going to become a stress on Duro-Last at this seminar for the awards banquet. But I don't feel right about not letting everybody who pulled on the same rope all year long, I don't feel right about leaving anybody home. They all deserve to stand on stage and receive an award. We all do." And unfortunately at the time, I had to say, "Tom, it's either all of us or none of us." And Tom said, "Chris, don't worry. We've got you. Bring the people you need to bring." 

Megan Ellsworth: That's awesome. 

Chris Coryell: And I think that year we had something like 45, yes, in the banquet hall. This year we had a hundred. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, wow. 

Chris Coryell: Duro-Last accommodated us. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh my, they're so great. 

Chris Coryell: I feel like maybe we're reaching our limit, but it is amazing to see everybody get to go to... We were in Tampa in '24, we were in San Antonio in '25. Our entire team and all their spouses and their kids got to go and celebrate together. Isn't that cool? 

Megan Ellsworth: That's so cool. And what a fun team bonding moment too, you're all together in person. Like you said, sometimes you're spread out between six states, so you all get to chat and enjoy the time together and experience such a special event. 

Speaker 3: Customer service with an emphasis on custom. Duro-Last specializes in building roofs and relationships. For more than 45 years Duro-Last has been 100 committed to forming personal relationships with contractors. They are here, there or anywhere to help with the tools you need to succeed. Duro-Last's dedicated quality assurance department and technical support staff are always available to provide support and answer questions because you deserve one-on-one service for one of a kind roofs. Call 800-248-0280 or visit duro-last.com to learn more today. 

So in one word or I'll take a small sentence, describe the quality that is most important in a co-worker, in one word or small sentence? 

Chris Coryell: Integrity. No question. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yep. Agreed. 

Chris Coryell: Our culture is so valuable to us. There's not been one person in our company that's been brought in without me meeting them first, interviewing them, understanding who they are. We protect our culture. We protect our team. We protect our values, our core values and one of those is integrity. So when I see that people have integrity... For example, the viewers can't see this, but sitting behind this set is our new director of marketing. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, incredible. 

Chris Coryell: He's literally been with us less than two weeks. His name is Jim Vidmar from Oklahoma City, actually, Norman, Oklahoma. And Jim was a teacher, professor at the University of Oklahoma for 18 years in the marketing department. 

Megan Ellsworth: Wow. 

Chris Coryell: He was then the director of marketing for the marketing department at the University of Oklahoma. Now, if you can market a marketing department, you're good. 

Megan Ellsworth: You're good. 

Chris Coryell: But what really drew us to Jim, as we were seeking to fill that position, I wanted a mentor for the people that were working underneath him. I wanted somebody that was a seasoned veteran and knew how to teach and mentor and help these people. So we got that. And the thing that Jim showed me right off the bat is his core values lined up with ours, his commitment to excellence, commitment to integrity and his commitment to growth. 

Megan Ellsworth: Love it. 

Chris Coryell: So that's how we've built our team. People that are customer-focused, that care. I want servant leaders, that's who we want. And if we can do that, we serve each other and we serve our clients and then nobody ever, ever has to deal with, "What am I going to do?" 

Megan Ellsworth: Yep. And I mean, you said that you were looking for someone that could mentor the next generation. You literally got that, a literal professor in what he's doing, a absolute... knows exactly what he's doing. That's amazing. And he can share that. That's awesome. 

Chris Coryell: And I think that's one of the things that we had before this interview we had talked about is what are you most proud of? And I'm not trying to lead your question, it just made me think about as we discussed that I think I'm most proud of the fact that we change lives. 

Megan Ellsworth: As you should be. 

Chris Coryell: Roofing is very, very important. And we're changing that industry. We are doing it. It's happening right now. We're raising standards, we're raising expectations. High tide raises all ships. We are truly working hard to bring every contractor out there to a higher level of excellence and standards for the customers. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. 

Chris Coryell: That's powerful. 

Megan Ellsworth: That is. 

Chris Coryell: But I'm proud of that. I'm proud of what we've accomplished. I'm proud of the trophies that we received. I'm proud of the Roofing Contractor Magazine, Roofing Contractor of the Year. I'm proud of all of those things. But the thing I'm most proud of is to see the people inside of our company. The way that they've grown and developed, it is phenomenal. 

Megan Ellsworth: Awesome. 

Chris Coryell: Financially, professionally, spiritually, we're literally building something that is changing lives everywhere we touch. And that is special to me. 

Megan Ellsworth: That is special and it's truly, it's awe-inspiring. It's the actual definition of awesome. That is really, really cool. So besides what you just said, what aspects of the work you're doing at Coryell Roofing bring you the most satisfaction? 

Chris Coryell: I am a visionary, so I think I get most satisfaction out of... We're going through the EOS model right now. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, we use EOS. 

Chris Coryell: Oh, good. Isn't it great? 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. 

Chris Coryell: It's amazing. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, it's great. It's so helpful. 

Chris Coryell: Great coach, Dawn Clarke in Fort Worth, Texas. Little promo for her. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, hi, Dawn. 

Chris Coryell: She's amazing. Dawn Clarke, Fort Worth, Texas. But going through that EOS model has been unbelievable. And I lost track of the question again. What did you ask me? 

Megan Ellsworth: What brings you the most satisfaction at work? 

Chris Coryell: Thank you. But going through the EOS model has helped me to understand that being a visionary, I need a supporting cast around me. I need an integrator. I need directors. Because as they point out in EOS, a visionary can have 20 ideas before breakfast. And I do, a lot. And I'm constantly thinking about how do we make things better? How do we help more people? How do we reach more people? And so that's probably the most satisfying thing to me, is when I share a vision with our team and then I get to watch it executed. That's fun. 

Megan Ellsworth: And you get to start this idea bubble and then you see it grow and grow and grow and then grow into its own thing that you have really no fingers in. 

Chris Coryell: Exactly. 

Megan Ellsworth: That's awesome. 

Chris Coryell: Exactly. And then to watch the growth that comes from that. It's one thing to implement something and you say, "Well, that improved the process." Or, "That helped here or there," from a visionary standpoint. But when you can create something which we've done several times that's never been done before and innovate and bring technology and unbelievable features to what our product offerings and our service offerings. When you can do that and you see an immediate impact in growth, that's rewarding. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, that is. That is. And with that growth, seeing something like the Duro-Last Award coming from that growth and you started that, that's awesome. 

Chris Coryell: It's fun. 

Megan Ellsworth: That is fun. Okay, so we have two more questions left. What advice would you give newcomers to the roofing industry? Maybe someone wants to start their own company or they're just joining a team at a manufacturer. What advice would you have for newbies? 

Chris Coryell: Number one, focus on being the best. And that's not... Too many contractors want to be all things for all customers. And you can't do that. You just absolutely can't. You have to pick a niche, you have to pick a specialty. There are contractors that are great at being residential and commercial. When you get to a certain point. I think as you grow and evolve as a company, you can have multiple divisions in your company, but that's very difficult to be great at one or the other. And I think a lot of times contractors are so eager for business that they're willing to compromise who they really should be. Find the area that you can help people, find the area that you can actually make a difference in this industry and focus there. 

And then provide loyalty to the people who help get you there, the Duro-Lasts of the world. Partner with people, be an ally, be a resource, no matter who you're working with. It might be an insurance adjuster, it might be a vendor, it might be the customer, no matter who you are working with, be a resource. Because if you're combative, if you're difficult, if you're constantly trying to get your way... I just finished... Our entire team read at High Road Leadership by John Maxwell. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, okay. 

Chris Coryell: And I want so desperately for contractors to be high road leaders. And I think if anybody could pick up that book, High Road Leadership by John Maxwell and focus on being a high road leader. Not middle Road, not low road, be high road in everything you do, that would be my advice to people getting into the roofing industry. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. Oh, that's great advice. And I'm going to write down that book title after this- 

Chris Coryell: Please do. 

Megan Ellsworth: ... because I want to read that. Okay. So is this your first interaction with RoofersCoffeeShop? Had you heard of us before? 

Chris Coryell: Yes. I've heard of you for years and years. I've seen you at IRE. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, good. 

Chris Coryell: I've listened to your podcasts. So I know RoofersCoffeeShop. And actually our director of operations and national accounts, Anthony Velez, you guys actually did an interview with him in our office. I think it was about a year and a half, two years ago. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, incredible. Oh my gosh. Wow. That's awesome. 

Chris Coryell: Yeah. 

Megan Ellsworth: In your office. Wow. Okay, great. 

Chris Coryell: Well, through video, but- 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, through- 

Chris Coryell: ... he was in the office. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yes, yes, yes. Okay. Well, last question is what do you enjoy most about being a part of the RoofersCoffeeShop community? 

Chris Coryell: Just the exposure to information, the collaboration between other contractors and vendors and manufacturers. I think it just brings the community together and you guys give people a destination to go for anything that you'd need to know. And that's a powerful thing. 

Megan Ellsworth: Hey, well thank you so much. 

Chris Coryell: You bet. Megan Ellsworth: 

This has been so fun, Chris, really getting to know you. And I hope everyone at home has enjoyed this podcast. This will all be up on podcast streaming platforms, wherever you listen to podcasts, Spotify, Apple, Google, wherever in the next couple days. And you can listen to it back and back and back. And it'll also be up on YouTube. Thank you so much, again. 

Chris Coryell: Thank you. 

Megan Ellsworth: This has been so fun. 

Chris Coryell: It's been a pleasure. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yes. Everyone check out Coryell Roofing if you're in the Oklahoma City area and... Where are your other locations? 

Chris Coryell: We're in six states. We are Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and the great state of Tennessee. 

Megan Ellsworth: Perfect. Okay. So if you're in any of those states and you have a problem with your roof, you know who to call. And thank you Duro-Last for saying that we need to do this podcast with Chris. I'm so, so thankful. And thank you, Duro-Last for everything you do for the industry. So this has been Stories from the Roof. I'm so glad we got to hear Chris's story and we'll see you next time. 

Chris Coryell: Thank you. 

Outro: Thank you so much. All right, thank you so much. And we'll see you on the next Stories from the Roof later, whenever. 

If you've enjoyed these unique rooftop stories, be sure to hit that subscribe button so you don't miss a single episode. Go to rooferscoffeeshop.com to learn more. Thanks for soaring with us on Stories from the Roof. We'll catch you on the next one.