Mike BraunEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

Mike Braun is a successful entrepreneur with more than twenty years of experience in the construction industry. Mike started his first construction-related business while still in high school, and his passion for the industry has grown since. His first exposure to the exterior remodeling business was during the summer between high school and college when he worked for a local roofing contractor as a sales representative in Nebraska. Mike continued to work for this contractor throughout and immediately after college before deciding to pursue a more entrepreneurial environment. He joined a regional renovation and storm repair company as a sales representative in Columbus, Ohio. Mike received several promotions in rapid succession – ultimately to Regional General Manager where he oversaw nine locations around the country. In March 2006 at age 24, Mike formed his own exterior remodeling firm, 123 Exteriors Inc., serving the Chicagoland area. While Mike’s entrepreneurial mindset may have started him down the path of owning his own company it was his firm belief in customer service, adherence to sound business practices, and vision to provide unique customer solutions, that were the ultimate catalyst to his founding of 123. In an industry of fly by night, in business one year out the next, and sometimes flat out dishonest competitors Mike knew there had to be a better way. 123 Exteriors started in a 900 square foot office with one Production Manager and one Sales Representative. Through relentless effort and a unique business approach, the new venture generated $1.3 million in revenue in its first year. In January 2007, Mike opened a second location in Columbus Ohio. Over the years 123 has achieved its success by constantly working to be a beacon of professionalism in the exterior insurance restoration industry. The company now operates permanent locations in 6 states and averages $10+ million in annual revenue. As a result of Mike’s leadership and determination, the company has been listed in Inc. Magazine’s annual 5000 Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies in the United States four times. In 2020, Mike sold 123 Exteriors to Fred Grove, a long-time employee and the company’s COO since 2016. Mike is excited to see where the new ownership will take 123 Exteriors in the years to come while he focuses his efforts on continuing to build on the solid foundation of Elite Claim Solutions. In 2018 Mike founded Elite Claim Solutions (ECS) with help of another long-time 123 Exteriors team member. After a pilot test with a number of contractors around the country in 2018, Mike and the team learned ways to refine the company’s processes and deliver elite service and elite results. ECS fully launched in 2019 and began building what is today one of the top supplementing firms in the industry. With over $100 million in claim volume processed, Elite is already following in 123 Exteriors’ footsteps by expanding the team and rapidly growing throughout the country. Mike is a tough but fair leader who always strives for what is best for his companies, his team members, and his customers. He pushes himself to grow and learn each day and in turn pushes his people to be their best. Mike’s former and current team members describe him as a unique and candid leader who provides direction and high standards while allowing them the freedom to learn, grow, and forge their own path to success. Today Mike’s decisions and ambitions are driven by his ultimate goal; to change the exterior insurance restoration industry from the inside out. Allow good contractors to rise to the top while pushing those who game the system out. On this episode, we talk about how private equity companies value roofing companies and how you can build to sell your business. Links: https://eliteclaim

Today's guest, Mike Braun, has been in the gutter business, gutter cleaning business and now once again in the plumbing business. Joe Crisara discusses 'The 3 Keys To Plumbing Success' with Mike and how Mike is hitting a home run with his plumbing business! This episode of The Service MVP Podcast will not only educate you but motivate you as well to grow your service business. This is a must listen episode! Contact Joe Crisara Service MVP . Podcast Episode Transcription: So I'm 1.86 million the total sales numbers don't mean nothing to me the numbers you don't never really talk about Numbers it's all closing and I don't care if I close a $500 job or a $5000 job or a $25,000 job I wanna help a customer welcome to the service MVP podcast this is where you go to learn how to use pure motive service to create higher value to grow your results grow your results and now here is your host America's service sales coach Joe Crisara alright everybody well Welcome to the service MBB podcast and my name is Joe Coursera America's service sales coach and we are here today with one of my best friends in the plumbing industry today's subject is going to be called three keys to plumbing success and we brought with me again a dear friend somebody who has invested in his own success his name is Mike Braun he's from Minnesota he is a plumber he has had a license for 16 years Mike welcome to our podcast welcome Joe how are you my goodness I see you're a man of few words Mike but he's definitely a man of bigger action when he comes to using our system and taking it Mike why don't you go ahead and just share with the people who are listening just a little bit about kind of how you got started plumbing and then how many years you been doing this and what led you to the service part of plumbing go ahead and tell us about that absolutely Joel through high school I actually wanted to be an electrician got zapped a couple of times they said hell with this start looking at the plumbing world while I was looking at that I was doing rain gutters in the nights and weekend started when I was fifteen doing gutters and nobody ever heard of a gutter guy so I concentrated on plumbing and I started doing new construction graduated January 15th 2005 start plumbing January 17th 2005 doing new construction and remodels and then during this whole process I'm doing gutters on the nights and weekends and we just did new construction there's a lot of work it didn't matter how cold it was how hot it was you busted your balls and then the you know the economy crashed I sat on unemployment for one week and I said well this is silly I'm going to concentrate on my gutter business me and my wife really put the hammer down on that we grew to I think our Max we had 1213 guys going very fun industry to be honest I just got burnt out of dealing with drunks and drug addicts that's that industry and then after about eight years we decided to put that company on the market I was told that it's going to take a year to sell I think it was 90 days later we were close we sold the business I took a couple weeks off started I was going to go back plumbing again and then all of a sudden I end up buying a gutter cleaning company ran that for a couple of years and then I said to hell with it once I sold that I want to get back into plumbing and I didn't I was nervous to do what I was nervous of service so actually what I did is I went around the twin city metro here and interviewed with a bunch of different service shops around town and I started with one service shop I really liked the process the way they did everything I went interviewed a couple other companies and then all of a sudden I ended up committing to them that was two years and two months ago there's some things that I was fearful for but now it's fun and I'm constantly learning and educating myself and growing every da

Mike Braun is a successful entrepreneur with more than twenty years of experience in the construction industry. Mike started his first construction-related business while still in high school, and his passion for the industry has grown since. In March 2006 at age 24, Mike formed his own exterior remodeling firm, 123 Exteriors Inc., serving the Chicagoland area. 123 Exteriors started in a 900 square foot office with one Production Manager and one Sales Representative. The company now operates permanent locations in 6 states and averages $10+ million in annual revenue. As a result of Mike’s leadership and determination, the company has been listed in Inc. Magazine’s annual 5000 Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies in the United States four times. In 2020, Mike sold 123 Exteriors to Fred Grove, a long-time employee and the company’s COO since 2016. Mike is excited to see where the new ownership will take 123 Exteriors in the years to come while he focuses his efforts on continuing to build on the solid foundation of Elite Claim Solutions. In 2018 Mike founded Elite Claim Solutions (ECS) with help of another long-time 123 Exteriors team member. After a pilot test with a number of contractors around the country in 2018, Mike and the team learned ways to refine the company’s processes and deliver elite service and elite results. Today Mike’s decisions and ambitions are driven by his ultimate goal; to change the exterior insurance restoration industry from the inside out. Allow good contractors to rise to the top while pushing those who game the system out.On this episode we talk about how to increase your revenue per job through proper supplementing.Links:Elite Claim Solutions: https://www.eliteclaimsolutions.com/For Tips, Strategies, and Free Downloads visit our website:roofermarketers.comThe Roofing Success PodcastText Jim @ (612) 512-1812 – Say Hi!I would love to hear your feedback, pros & cons!Please leave us a review on iTunes!