The Craft & Calling

Because the best businesses aren’t built for profit - they’re built for people.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling Podcast, host Christene Marie sits down with Mike Stevens, co-founder of American Metal Roofing Supply, to talk about what it really takes to build a business that lasts: grit, systems, relationships, and the courage to chase value over money.
From starting a company in the height of COVID, to surviving hurricanes, navigating B2B growth, and leading with humility, Michael shares the habits, mindsets, and lessons that define the top 1% of leaders in the trades.
Whether you’re a contractor, small business owner, or someone ready to take your next big risk, this conversation will remind you that what you build matters, but who you become while building it matters more.
🔍WHAT WE TALK ABOUT
How Michael built American Metal Roofing Supply during COVID - and scaled it through chaos
Why chasing value over money leads to long-term business growth
The systems and habits that separate the top 1% of leaders in the trades
How resilience, responsiveness, and relationships shape lasting success
🕒 CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
2:30 The Reality of Entrepreneurship: Loneliness, Grit & Growth
3:47 Starting a Roofing Supply Business During COVID
8:38 Chasing Value Over Money (and Why That Changes Everything)
11:08 Lessons from Failed Startups & Finding Mentorship
13:59 The Role of Mission & Vision in Sustainable Growth
18:12 The Top 1% and Building Consistency
20:34 Systems, and Tools for Efficiency
25:21 Why You Lose Money by Saving Cash
29:05 Adapting to Change: Leveraging AI
 
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https://thecraftandcalling.com/linktr/
👤 GUEST BIO: MICHAEL STEVENS Mike Stevens is the co-founder of American Metal Roofing Supply, a Florida-based roofing supply company built during the height of COVID-19. With a background in service, construction, and B2B leadership, Mike has grown his company into one of the most trusted suppliers in the region - known for reliability, fast turnaround, and genuine customer care.
Beyond his company, Mike is a licensed real estate professional, investor, and limited partner in a private equity firm. He’s passionate about helping others chase value over money, build systems that last, and stay adaptable through change.
🔗CONNECT WITH MIKE
Mike's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-stevens-7982223b/Company's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-metal-roofing-supply/Company Website: https://amroofingsupply.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/americanmetalroofing/
💡THANK YOU FOR WATCHING
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Don’t be the system. Build what lasts.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling Podcast, host Christene Marie sits down with Seth Wixtrom, a tradesman turned business builder who grew up in construction, learned problem-solving on job sites, and now helps home service businesses leverage systems and automation to scale with integrity.
From swinging a hammer at age 11 to leading with GoHighLevel AI tools, Seth shares timeless lessons.
This conversation dives deep into balancing grit with growth, and why protecting your culture is just as important as protecting your bottom line.
🔍WHAT WE TALK ABOUT
The character the trades build in us
Why creativity thrives under constraints
How to raise the next generation for resilience, not just success
Why businesses fail at exit, and how to avoid being the system yourself
⏱ CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
2:04 Growing Up in the Trades
4:04 Self-Directed Education & Problem-Solving
9:04 Blending Blue Collar Grit with Entrepreneurial Freedom
16:50 Shaking Things up: Leaving a Job and Building Memories that Last
23:01 Viktor Frankl & Meaning through Experiences
25:44 The Rise of AI in Home Services: Balancing Automation with Connection
31:58 Customer Experience & Predictability in the Trades
36:05 GoHighLevel as “Salesforce for Small Business”
46:10 Building Processes for Legacy and Exit
48:40 Don’t be the System: Why Venture Capitalists Undervalue Family Businesses
50:56 Closing Remarks
 
⭐RESOURCES
📚Books Recommended in this Episode:
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
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👤 GUEST BIO: SETH WIXTROM
Seth Wixtrom is a Digital Solutions Architect and founder of Excelsior Digital Consulting, where he helps small businesses grow by solving the tech challenges that hold them back. More than just a systems expert, Seth is deeply passionate about empowering business owners to focus on what they love: by creating seamless, scalable solutions that align with their vision. His work is grounded in empathy, clarity, and a genuine desire to help others make confident leaps forward.
GoHighLevel Automation Expert
🔗CONNECT WITH SETH
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwixtromWebsite: https://www.excelsiordc.com
💡THANK YOU FOR WATCHING
Subscribe to The Craft & Calling Podcast so you don’t miss weekly conversations with trades leaders
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps other builders find the show
Share this episode with a fellow trades leader who cares about building what lasts
#CraftAndCalling #TradesLeadership #LegacyBuilders #BuildWhatLasts #FromTheField #ConstructionLife #HomeServiceBusiness #EntrepreneurshipInTrades #LeadershipGrowth #FamilyBusiness

Customer Care That Creates Referrals: Fans First in the Trades.
In this episode on The Craft & Calling, host Christene Marie sits down with Gregg Boomer, who recently exited his decorative concrete coatings business after 11 years. Gregg shares how he built a thriving trades company around values, systems, and customer care that turned clients into raving fans.
From handwritten thank-you cards and custom gifts to building automated yet personal communication, Gregg explains how small touches created nearly 50% of business through referrals. He also discusses the importance of designing businesses that support your life - not the other way around - and how leaders can create systems that make exit possible.
Whether you’re just starting in the trades or scaling toward succession, Gregg’s story is full of practical wisdom and inspiring perspective.
🔍WHAT WE TALK ABOUT
How Gregg turned customers into “raving fans” with small, personal touches
The systems and CRMs that helped his business scale consistently
Why referrals became his most powerful marketing tool
The importance of designing a business that supports your life — not the other way around
⏱️ CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro2:10 Balancing Business with Raising Young Kids4:10 Lessons from Athletics and Leadership Communication8:10 Learning to Truly Care for People, Not just Customers9:54 The “Raving Fans” Philosophy11:26 Small Touches that Leave a Lasting Impact13:50 CRM Systems and Automation18:00 Referrals as the Strongest form of Marketing24:25 Emotional Touches vs. Transactional Service26:47 Systems, Scaling, and Preparing for Exit30:21 Building Business Around your Values31:44 Closing Remarks
⭐RESOURCES
📚Books Recommended in this Episode:
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Good To Great by Jim Collins
⚒️JOIN THE CRAFT & CALLING COMMUNITY
https://thecraftandcalling.com/linktr/
👤 GUEST BIO: GREGG BOOMER
Gregg Boomer is an entrepreneur and former owner of a successful decorative concrete coatings business, which he ran for over 11 years before exiting. Known for turning customers into “raving fans” through values-driven service, Gregg built his company around personalized touches, strong systems, and a deep commitment to relationships.
Today, Gregg and his wife continue to support business owners through new ventures, helping leaders design businesses that align with life and values.
🔗CONNECT WITH GREGGLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greggboomer/Website: https://www.bestofthemidlands.com/homeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/greggboomer
💡THANK YOU FOR WATCHING
If this episode resonated, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify - it helps more trades leaders find the show
Subscribe to THE Craft & Calling for weekly conversations on building legacy in the trades
Want to be part of the conversation? Join The Craft & Calling community for real-time strategies and support
#CraftAndCalling #TradesLeadership #HomeServices #LegacyBuilding #Entrepreneurship #SystemsAndScaling #CustomerExperience #ReferralsMatter #LeadershipInTrades #BusinessThatLasts
 

Fix the foundation. Build what lasts.
In this first episode of The Craft & Calling Podcast, host Christene Marie shares in her solo episode the heart and vision behind The Craft & Calling: a community built for tradespeople, designed for legacy.
From her family’s 100-year-old painting business to her work with multi-million-dollar construction companies, Christene has seen firsthand what’s missing when owners go it alone,  and what becomes possible when leaders share what works, build what lasts, and invest in their own growth.
This episode lays the foundation for everything ahead: why The Craft & Calling exists, what it means to balance your craft with your calling, and how we can co-create businesses and lives that endure for generations.
🔍WHAT WE TALK ABOUT
The story behind The Craft & Calling and why legacy matters in the trades
Lessons from a 100-year-old family painting business about culture, succession, and scaling
How to balance your craft (skills, business, operations) with your calling (purpose, leadership, legacy)
Why building a member-led community creates stronger, lasting businesses
⏱ CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
1:29 Lessons from a 100-year Old Family Business
7:04 Legacy: The Craft & Calling Mission
10:46 The Bridge Between The Craft & Calling: Creation
14:58 The Masculine & Feminine within Business
16:43 Building a Member-Led Community 
18:30 The Four C’s: Connection, Collaboration, Celebration, Contribution
27:20 The Goal: Create a Legacy
 
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https://thecraftandcalling.com/linktr/
 
👤 A NOTE FROM OUR HOST: CHRISTENE MARIE
Rooted in Legacy, Built for You
I started this community for a number of reasons — and primarily with my dad in mind.For 30 years, he carried our family’s 100+ year painting business on his own. None of the men in my family wanted to take it into the fourth generation, which left him without a succession plan. And because the business was so tied to him, there wasn’t much to sell. Scaling wasn’t really an option either — not without the right community and support.So I raised my hand.Within two years of stepping in with my brother, we doubled the business. Not because we worked harder, but because we worked together.
And I know there are countless other trades businesses in the same spot: no one to hand the business to, no path to scale, and no way to sell because everything is tied to the owner.And when that happens, the very thing they’ve dedicated their lives to is left without a plan and without protection. Family-owned businesses are being swallowed up by private equity. Culture and companies built over decades are being eaten alive from the inside out - and the next generation hardly wants anything to do with them.
That’s why I built The Craft & Calling:To make sure no one has to go it alone.To preserve legacies from being lost.Our brand is our greatest asset, especially in a world of AI. Trades leaders deserve resources, systems, principles, practices — and the people to back them up. Because it’s not just about survival; it’s about building businesses that can scale, sell, or succeed. It’s about brand equity appreciation and stories that incite interest from the next generation.We can do that – together.And there’s one more thing. The part nobody talks about.I’ve worked with entrepreneurs who hit financial freedom only to realize their relationships were falling apart. Leaders who built everything they thought they wanted, only to lose their family in the process. No one talks about what it takes to preserve not only the company but also the very relationships we’re doing all this for in the first place.I’ve seen what happens when we go at it alone. When we forget to keep calling at the center of the craft. When we keep our heads down, pushing through the pipeline and losing sight of our Why. When we avoid the hard conversations and don’t have the community to sharpen us through them.Without vision, the people perish.Like my dad, you deserve a legacy — one that boasts both a strong company and a strong family. And that’s what we’re building here, together.— Christene Marie
💡THANK YOU FOR WATCHING
Subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes
Leave a review to help more trades leaders find the show
Share this episode with someone building their own legacy.
#CraftAndCalling #TradesLeadership #LegacyBuilders #BlueCollarStrong #TradesPodcast #BuildWhatLasts #FromTheField #ConstructionLeadership #EntrepreneurshipInTrades #CraftAndCallingPodcast #ChristeneMarie