Levello Construction - PODCAST TRANSCRIPTION

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of an live interview with Levello's founder and CEO, Lee Lipniskis. You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast.

Megan Ellsworth: Hi everyone, this is Megan Ellsworth here at rooferscoffeeshop.com back again for a Roofer of The Month Podcast, whoop whoop. And this is for the June Roofer of The Month, and I'm here with Lee Lipniskis, owner, operator of Levello Construction. Hi Lee.

Lee Lipniskis: Hi Megan. How are you?

Megan Ellsworth: Good.

Lee Lipniskis: Super excited to be here today.

Megan Ellsworth: Yay. We're so glad to have you a part of the Art Club and that you're the Roofer of The Month, so congrats.

Lee Lipniskis: Thank you. Do I get a centerfold?

Megan Ellsworth: No.

Lee Lipniskis: Bummer.

Megan Ellsworth: Sadly, no.

Lee Lipniskis: Okay.

Megan Ellsworth: Why don't we just dive right in and have you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about Levello?

Lee Lipniskis: Yeah. Hi everyone. My name is Lee Lipniskis and I started Levello Construction a little over a year ago. And we are a general contractor in Denver, Colorado, focusing mainly on residential exterior systems. So roofing, gutters, siding, and paint are kind of the four trades that we focus on.

Megan Ellsworth: That's awesome. Great.

Lee Lipniskis: Thank you.

Megan Ellsworth: So would you say that Levello has a specialty?

Lee Lipniskis: I would say probably roofing is definitely our specialty. I've been in the industry for so long and done mostly roofing. So I would say definitely residential asphalt shingles is our specialty. But as a GC, I'm kind of broadening my horizons and incorporating some more siding. I've been doing a few LP smart side jobs, which I really, really love. And then painting too, which is a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, I mean, who doesn't love paint? I love paint. It's great.

Lee Lipniskis: I do too. I like seeing homes change, not only renovating them, but also seeing the fad of the grays and gray color, different shades of gray with white trim is now really shifting to more warmer colors, like beige and light tan with darker trim. We're shifting, which is super cool to watch.

Megan Ellsworth: I like that. So what is something that Levello celebrates, that can be like company culture, actual birthdays or holidays you're celebrating, or it could be anything? What do you celebrate?

Lee Lipniskis: I mean, I feel like we celebrate every day, which is great, but I think the main thing that we celebrate is just being woman-owned and standing out in that regard within a male dominated industry. And it really plays a part into how we talk to our customers and they celebrate that along with us.

Megan Ellsworth: Love that. Yes, we love women owned companies.

Lee Lipniskis: We do. It's super fun.

Megan Ellsworth: So how would you define superior customer service?

Lee Lipniskis: So for us, whether you want to call it motto or tagline or guarantee, we haven't really defined what aspect I'm about to tell you is, but kind of our guarantee is production at a higher level. And that to me and to us is really going above and beyond having a catered customer service system to each client. Because some people think a roof is a roof and they do this every day, but for a client, this is normally the biggest project that they have. And so we really cater our system and our process to homeowners and provide what we call a concierge customer service aspect, which incorporates production at a higher level.

Megan Ellsworth: Oh yeah, that's great. I love that tagline.

Lee Lipniskis: Thank you.

Megan Ellsworth: Even when you started the company, I thought that was brilliant.

Lee Lipniskis: Thank you.

Megan Ellsworth: Lee and I have known each other for a long time.

Lee Lipniskis: Very long time.

Megan Ellsworth: So why should homeowners work with Levello?

Lee Lipniskis: I mean, why not? I feel like we can offer customers, kind of like I said before, that concierge customer service where everybody is not just a number or a roof, they're a human being, and we really cater to that aspect. Being in the industry for so long, we've seen a lot of different things and we're very, very good at pivoting and solving problems because in construction, when you're tearing off a roof or siding, you never know what's underneath it. So you have to be able to ... You can plan as much as you want, but you have to be able to pivot as well on the spot. And so having a team that can problem solve those kind of unique situations is fantastic. I think that's why a homeowner should work with us as well as me specifically, my background is technically in insurance and risk management.

And so I was an adjuster for a really long time before I came to the contractor side. So specifically in Denver now after the storm hit, I've seen both sides of the industry. And so I can help people navigate that insurance process because I've worked for them for years and years. And I also know the construction side of things. So I would like to think that I'm an expert in both.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, best of both worlds.

Lee Lipniskis: Absolutely.

Megan Ellsworth: Yes. So two questions left. What are your favorite things about being an Art Club member and about RoofersCoffeeShop?

Lee Lipniskis: RoofersCoffeeShop, the people. I love every single one of your team members. I feel like you guys are like my family. I have known you for a very long time. You're like a sister to me. James is my bigger younger brother, whether he wants to admit it or not. Definitely the people and the opportunity within RoofersCoffeeShop to network and be involved in the industry. You guys are so cutting edge on not only the technology you use, but the content that you produce. And if I ever talk to somebody who is looking for a job, the first thing I say, "Hey, go to RoofersCoffeeShop, see what's available there." You guys are so plugged in to what's going on in the industry and probably know faster than we all do. So I would say a huge benefit is the information that you give contractors and the opportunity that we have to talk to the distributors and manufacturers and things like that through RoofersCoffeeShop is huge.

Megan Ellsworth: Aw, thank you.

Lee Lipniskis: You're welcome.

Megan Ellsworth: I love that. So lastly, what would your walkup song be?

Lee Lipniskis: Okay, so for years, I tell people that my personality is like I'm the human form of a mullet. So business in the front and party in the back, which goes into, because I'm a business owner, but I also like to have fun and enjoy life. And if I had a walkup song where I was going to hit a home run, the mullet plays into this, it would be Kid Rock, Bawitdaba, hands down. That would be my walkup song.

Megan Ellsworth: I love that. I was not expecting that all. Well, congrats on being Roofer of The Month.

Lee Lipniskis: I'm so excited. Thank you so much. What an honor.

Megan Ellsworth: Yes, it is an honor.

Lee Lipniskis: It is.

Megan Ellsworth: I'm so glad that we got to chat and thank you for your time and congratulations.

Lee Lipniskis: Thank you. Thank you to everybody at RoofersCoffeeShop for the support. I love it.

Megan Ellsworth: Yay. Awesome. Well, everyone listening, we will be back with the July Roofer of The Month in a few short weeks.

Lee Lipniskis: Thank you.

Megan Ellsworth: Bye.