Patrick Cochran - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Patrick Cochran of Red Dog’s Roofing You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast!

Megan Ellsworth: 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. All right. Hello everyone. My name is Megan Ellsworth here at Rooferscoffeeshop.com, and I am back for a Stories from the Roof podcast and I'm so excited to have Patrick Cochran here. Hi Patrick, how are you?

Patrick Cochran: Great, Megan. How you doing?

Megan Ellsworth: I'm doing so good. I'm excited to hear your history and your story from the roof. So let's dive right in and I'll just have you introduce yourself and your company.

Patrick Cochran: Great. Yeah. My name's Patrick Cochran, company's Red Dog's Roofing out of Fitchburg, Massachusetts. We're in the north central part of Massachusetts. I have a second office in Sarasota, Florida and a third office down in Waterford, Connecticut. And we focus primarily on residential, but we also do some commercial. Most of our business is asphalt shingles, but we do install and repair all types of roofing systems from TPO to EPDM, also slate metal roofing as well. So we take on all types of roofing and repairs and yeah.

Megan Ellsworth: Awesome. That's very cool. I would love to hear, because I remember at the NERCA show a couple weeks ago, you were telling me the story of why your company is called Red Dog's Roofing. Can you give us a little bit of background? I just think that's really fun.

Patrick Cochran: Yeah, absolutely. So when I started the company, I was trying to think of a name and I came up with Red Dog's Roofing because my grandfather's nickname was Red. My dad said he worked like a dog. So I combined the two and it was a way for me to personify my grandfather. So there's an apostrophe in the name, which obviously isn't common in a business name, but it was a way for me to show ownership of the roofing because a lot of the time you hear people are passing the buck and stuff like that. So I really wanted to make sure that people understood. We took ownership of the roofing and the projects that we took on, but really it was a way for me to name it after my grandfather and I really looked up to him because he embodied honesty, hardworking, trustworthiness, all those things that I wanted the business to be and that's why really why I named it after him.

Megan Ellsworth: That's cool. I think that's really sweet.

Patrick Cochran: Thank you. I appreciate it.

Megan Ellsworth: And he had red hair. Yes?

Patrick Cochran: Yeah, that's where the nickname came from. Yep.

Megan Ellsworth: That's why I'm partial to the name also. So how did you get into roofing? What made you start the business?

Patrick Cochran: Yeah, so I grew up in the industry. My father, grandfather, tons of people in the family, they all worked in the trade. So growing up around roofing was definitely there, but I really didn't see myself getting involved at first. I was always told, you want to go to school, you want to get an education. So I definitely took that route. But then later on down the road, the opportunity came up for me to do some repairs and maintenance for a couple realty companies and that's what started the journey for Red Dog's Roofing.

Megan Ellsworth: That's awesome. Very cool. So what year was that that you started Red Dog's? How long have you guys been in business?

Patrick Cochran: Yep. So 2012 I opened-

Megan Ellsworth: Amazing.

Patrick Cochran: ... the Fitchburg office, and then 2017 is when I opened the Florida office, and then last year is when we opened the Connecticut office.

Megan Ellsworth: Wow, that's so exciting.

Patrick Cochran: Yeah.

Megan Ellsworth: So who would you say taught you about roofing?

Patrick Cochran: So as far as roofing and the trade itself, I learned it from my father and he learned it from his father. So it was definitely something that was passed down. And as I mentioned earlier, everybody around us really was in the trade. So-

Megan Ellsworth: Mm-hmm.

Patrick Cochran: ... a lot of different things from different people. I think when I think about business and really growing that professional brand and coming into that, I think really looking back, Roofing Contractor Magazine was huge. I read a ton of articles and I used to just take notes when I started my company and it really allowed me to build a professional image and I took a lot of what I read there and just applied it every day.

Megan Ellsworth: That's amazing. Yeah, I love when you can find something like a publication or a book or a textbook that just lights you up and you feel seen and you're learning and that's exciting. It's an exciting feeling.

Patrick Cochran: And I think Roofing Contractor Magazine was definitely that for me. I think-

Megan Ellsworth: That's awesome.

Patrick Cochran: ... I'd seen a lot of guys have businesses, but this really gave me a different perspective, which was awesome, and it allowed me to really make some good, positive, strong changes that helped me grow throughout the years.

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, that's great. Okay, so what is one of the most valuable lessons you've learned about roofing? Whether it's the actual putting on of the roof or more about business? What's something, a lesson that you've learned?

Patrick Cochran: So I think a lesson for me, the one that sticks out the most is I was always taught to do a good job. And you would think that that would be across the board, but I was really taught to just do a good job. But more importantly, I remember very specifically my father saying, if you're going to get into roofing, you got to do a good job where you ain't got no business taking people's hard-earned money. And I really, really just follow that and I made sure my team understands that too. At the end of the day, people are putting their trust and their money into our company and when the harsh weather comes, that roof has to perform, it's not just a job and then you leave for them and then it's done.

That roof has to perform when the heavy rain and the wind and all these things come. So I think for me, it's really important that we do a good job. And my father used to always say, "Do it as if you were doing your own home." And those are just lessons that I think are invaluable, and I really try to instill that in my team.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. That is so, as a homeowner, as someone that's actually looking to buy a home, you put so much time and effort and love and care into this building and so much money into it, and you want someone to see it the same way you do. So I think that's so true, and what a great lesson because I think homes are really special. That's what they are. They're homes,

Patrick Cochran: They are, and somebody's like, it's usually their biggest investment that they'll make in their life. They spend a lot of time there, and it's sacred to them. So we have to keep that in mind as roofing contractors when we're there to be respectful and make sure that we do a good job. And if things come up, which they will from time to time, you just have to make it right. You have to do the right thing and make sure you get past that and take the lesson and be able to move on.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, absolutely. Okay, so if you were to be able to go back to the start of your career, what would you do differently, if anything?

Patrick Cochran: That's a good question. I think what I would do differently would be delegate sooner. I wore a lot of hats for a very long time. I think at first it was really just, I didn't know any different, so I was just wearing all the hats. I was doing the repairs to the accounting, to the permitting, to selling jobs, overseeing jobs and I was pretty much doing it all for a while and I held onto it, and then you make a couple hires and they don't go the way you thought, so you get jaded and then you're like, no, I'm definitely holding on to everything. And then it causes a little burnout, and then you get burnt out and you're like, all right, something's got to change. So I think from there, really what I learned after that is when you delegate, you have to make sure that you're developing people, because as a business owner, we learn lessons as we go, but we're the only one that we're responsible to for it.

So if something happens, we learn a lesson from it. And I think a lot of the time we hire people in the beginning thinking they're going to know exactly what we know, and we seem to forget that it took us a while to learn those lessons. So if it took us a little bit of time, they're going to make some mistakes and we have to be able to give them grace. And I think that that was something that, one, I would change differently, and two, I would hopefully have that outlook on it. Obviously that came over time, but I think it's really important to understand people have to be developed and they have to make mistakes and learn from that.

Megan Ellsworth: That is so true and a really nice reminder.

Patrick Cochran: Yeah.

Megan Ellsworth: And I think, yeah, I needed to hear that. I think everyone needs to hear that, give people grace. That's all that matters really at the end of the day.

Patrick Cochran: Absolutely. Yeah, it's important.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, so important. What is one of the best things you've done for your business or for your career?

Patrick Cochran: So I think the best thing that I did for my career to start there is really going out on my own and taking a leap of faith, starting the company and taking that journey. But I think the best thing I did for my business is get a business coach and really learn from somebody who's been ahead of where I was at that current point. Having the business coach allowed us to make some changes to be able to help continue to grow the business. It's also helps give me insight. I'm a big firm believer in seeking counsel, so I don't know all the answers and I don't have to know them, but I need to know where to be able to find them. And having a good coach, it allows you to bounce ideas off of somebody who's probably already been where you are. And I think for the business itself, I think that's probably one of the most important things that I've done for the business.

Megan Ellsworth: That's huge. And that's a great piece of advice too, is to seek counsel and not be afraid to hire a business coach and say, Hey, I need some help and some guidance here.

Patrick Cochran: Absolutely. Yeah, no, it definitely helps. And I think a lot of the time too is we go back to earlier, they've learned lessons, they've taken the bumps and the bruises and if we're able to follow and listen to what they say, we may be able to avoid some of the stuff that they weren't unfortunately.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, absolutely. So I love this question, because no one can ever really do it in one word, but in one word or small sentence, describe the most important trait in an employee or a coworker.

Patrick Cochran: Okay. So I think the most important trait for me is coachable. If I can find somebody who's coachable, I can teach them the skillset. I can even help them develop personally, but they really have to have an open mind. And if somebody shows up to our office, whether they have a certain skillset or not, if they're close-minded and they're not coachable, there's nothing I can really give them, they're not willing to receive. So there's nothing really to hand them. And if somebody's coachable and they show up, then they can get into our system, they can learn who we are as a company and really just embrace the company culture and stuff. But if they're closed off or closed-minded, eventually they're just going to feel like they don't fit in here because there's a lot of changes going on and everybody really works together. So being coachable is extremely important for us.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, that's huge. I think also, like you said, open-minded, same deal, just being ready for anything. I think that's such a good trait.

Patrick Cochran: Yeah, it's important. I think if I had to pick a second one, because I had to think it too, for some reason, one really jumped out at me. And I think being trustworthy. In my personal life and in work life, I have to be able to trust somebody. And when you have somebody dealing with other people's money, other people's homes like we talked about earlier, you want to make sure that you trust them. You want to make sure that they're honest. You don't want them out there misrepresenting you in any way. So I think that would definitely be a very close second, being trustworthy, that's really important to me.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Okay. So who's the best boss you've ever had and what did they teach you?

Patrick Cochran: So I think I've got to give that award to my dad always. My dad's always-

Megan Ellsworth: Aww.

Patrick Cochran: ... teacher. Absolutely. And I think, he used to always say to me, he said, "Patrick, if you do enough of the right thing, the money will take care of itself. Never follow the money. Never chase money," because that's when you start making tough decisions. And I've always just focused on serving other people. If I think about I need to make money or I need to do this and that, it's just like I just need to help more people. And I try to equate that as a value exchange for what it is. And for me, I think that's probably the best thing I've ever been taught by somebody who would be considered a boss to me and just a leader in general. It's really important to me that I make sure that I'm more of service than of, oh, I have to have this or every little penny's got to go to me. I've just never been built that way.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, absolutely. I think that's so right on with your message already and just go where people need the help and go with an open mind, an open heart and everything else will follow. Exactly.

Patrick Cochran: Yep. Definitely.

Megan Ellsworth: For sure. Love that. Okay, so what is something that makes you smile when you think about your job, not your dog, but also maybe your dog?

Patrick Cochran: Well, I'll probably stick to the job thing, but so when I think about my job and my business and that, I think what really makes me smile is possibilities. There's a next generation coming up that like every generation before them, they get a bad rap. And I think there's a big opportunity here. We can sit there and we can say, they don't want to do this, they don't want to do that. And to some degree that might be true, but at the end of the day, we're the adults, so what are we leaving them with? Are we giving them that opportunity? And at my business, we're working on building a training program and really focusing on career paths, not only on the sales side, but really more importantly on the installer side, which I feel sometimes gets overlooked a lot in this industry.

And for me, I want to be able to put together something where the next generation has that ability to grow both personally and professionally. And our goal is to really meet these kids in the next generation where they're at and just give them skills that whether they progress through our company or move on to a different opportunity, they've got the skills that they need to create a positive and productive life. And I think when I think about that, I can't help smile and just get excited about that.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, that's so cool. And I can't remember, are you involved in SkillsUSA?

Patrick Cochran: I am. So yeah, so I sit on the committee for-

Megan Ellsworth: That's right.

Patrick Cochran: ... the new and technical ed for the NRCA, National Roofers Association.

Megan Ellsworth: That's so cool.

Patrick Cochran: Yep-

Megan Ellsworth: That's so cool. I think I love that you said this new generation coming up, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, that a lot of people say, ah, they don't know, they don't like to work, whatever. I love that you aren't feeding into that. That's so exciting to me. And I think having a skill and knowing a trade is so important and honestly so cool, because it was forgotten for a little while there because college was so important and it still is. But I just love that you said that and I really appreciate it. So I'm sure all the listeners out there appreciate it too. I think that's really cool.

Patrick Cochran: Yeah, I think it is. I think every generation comes up and the generation before them looks at them, but they're growing up in a world that didn't exist when we grew up, and we all made poor choices when we were young. God forbid-

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah.

Patrick Cochran: ... videotape and what we were doing when we were young, we'd probably be laughed at just as much. So I think it's important to put it in perspective and more so than anything, I always think about it and I'm like, well, we're the adults, so what does that say about us? We can say kids are different since COVID, but to be fair, adults are different since COVOD too. There's a lot-

Megan Ellsworth: We're all different. Yeah.

Patrick Cochran: Yeah. There's a lot of things that have changed. And imagine being a young kid that really doesn't have all this life experiences and goes through something like COVID. It was a lot for people who are adults that lived a life. So I really try to keep that in perspective and know whatever we don't change, they're going to inherit. So I need to look at it in that perspective and just make sure that I can contribute as best I can through my company.

Megan Ellsworth: That's awesome. I love that. Okay, so going off of that, what are some tips you have for people starting out in this great industry of ours?

Patrick Cochran: So some tips I would have is focus on getting to learn the industry, really make good connections. There's some great people in the industry, both locally and on a national level. And I think keeping up with trends and changes and stuff is very important because this industry is forever evolving. So I think those are really important things, but I think just as important or even more important, make sure you maintain a healthy lifestyle because there's so many people that get into this industry and they start to chase a bottle or they get caught up in chasing pills and then they end up in a situation where they almost resent the industry or they feel like this industry is a joke. And I think a lot of the time people get into this industry not knowing what else they could do or they get in because of family. And if you stay on a good path, there's a lot of good that can come from it, like anything in life.

And I think probably the last piece of advice, especially on the installer side, but even for the sales side, have a plan. Make sure that you know how to move your way up either through a company or gain skills so you can market yourself at a different company, because I think what happens is guys get into the industry, especially on the installer side and they think that it's going to last forever and their body's going to last forever and then all of a sudden it starts shutting down and they're really having a hard time getting around, but they didn't learn anything else. So they're stuck there or they feel stuck. And I think if they address that earlier, I think that's also another way that we can help the next generation on board into the industry and really embrace the fact that, hey, if you learn a skill set and you work on leadership, you continue to grow and move forward in this industry.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, that's so true. Really great advice, especially with substances. It tends to be rampant in construction, and I think it's just really important for people coming in to have that, be aware of that. So that's good job.

Patrick Cochran: Yeah.

Megan Ellsworth: Okay, so last question. How long have you been following RoofersCoffeeShop and what's your favorite thing about RCS?

Patrick Cochran: Great question.

Megan Ellsworth: Shameless plug.

Patrick Cochran: Yeah, no, that's a great question. So I don't know the exact time, but I have been following it for quite some time. I really enjoy RoofersCoffeeShop, the webinars. I love that it's a voice for the industry and for contractors to be able to talk and share ideas like we're doing right now. I think stuff like those webinars and listening to other contractors is really what helps other people grow their businesses. And I talked about Roofing Contractor Magazine earlier, and I think places like Roofing Contractor Magazine and RoofersCoffeeShop are really a way for ideas to be shared and for people to be able to grow and continue to make this industry really everything that it can be and grow that professional image. So that's what I like about RoofersCoffeeShop.

Megan Ellsworth: Yay. I'm glad. Well, we love doing podcasts like this and getting to share people's stories and Red Dog's Roofing is so cool. And congratulations on the new location and office, and thank you so much for sharing your story. This has been a great podcast.

Patrick Cochran: Yeah, no, I appreciate you having me on, and thank you so much. Definitely appreciate that.

Megan Ellsworth: Absolutely. For everyone out there listening, go check out the Red Dog's Roofing directory on Rooferscoffeeshop.com. You can also find them on, what's your website, Patrick?

Patrick Cochran: It's reddogsroofing.com. So it's R-E-D-D-O-G-S Roofing, spelled out, .com. And then we're also on all social media, Facebook, LinkedIn, all that.

Megan Ellsworth: Amazing. Perfect. You heard the man, go find them, follow them. And if you need a roof, you know where to go. So Patrick, thanks again and I'll see you next time.

Patrick Cochran: Megan, thank you. Appreciate it.

Megan Ellsworth: 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.