People Make Roofing - Charles Antis - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Charles Antis founder and CEO of Antis Roofing & Waterproofing. You can read the interview below, listen to the podcast or watch the recording.

Intro: Welcome to People Make Roofing, a call to action led by McCormick Partners and Roofers Coffee Shop. We're tackling the industry's biggest challenges, from outdated misconceptions to the widening skills gap. Our mission, to show the next generation the true potential of roofing, including the diverse opportunities, endless growth possibilities and a chance to make a lasting impact. Join us as we share unfiltered stories from industry professionals across North America, inspiring and guiding the future of roofing. This is, People Make Roofing.

Luke McCormack: Hello, everybody. I am Luke McCormack, CEO of Roofing Talent America and co-host of People Make Roofing.

Heidi J Ellsworth: And I'm Heidi Ellsworth, President of Roofers Coffee Shop and co-host of People Make Roofing. And we are so proud to be here today, because this is all about bringing thought leaders, just the most amazing people who are in roofing to talk about why. And we have one of the best here today, that is Charles Antis. Charles, welcome.

Charles Antis: Thank you, Heidi. We get to do this again, and Luke's here. I'm excited.

Heidi J Ellsworth: So good. Can you introduce yourself for those few people who don't know you? Tell us about you and your company.

Charles Antis: Yes. I'm Charles Antis, and I'm the founder and some people call me CEO, but I call myself the Chief People Awakener, here at Antis Roofing. And we're a roofing company here in Irvine, California, serving all of Southern California in the HOAs. If you live in a homeowners association and you boat on your roofing as a whole, then you've seen our trucks there. But we know why we exist and you'll see it in our marketing. We exist to keep families safe and dry. And when you know why you exist, you're able to really perform in this beautiful trade as old as time. When there's 200,000 parts on the average roof we install, there's this beautiful thing that happens when purpose is there and we've got it here at Antis and I know we're going to talk about that and I'm excited.

Luke McCormack: Well, Charles, thank you for joining People Make Roofing for a second time. Special one for me, because you were one of the first people in the industry, Charles, that had put your arm around me and gave me a step up, which started as a friendship. Antis has became a client of Roofing Talent America, and we love working with Antis and I love spending time here. So, very excited to get into it.

Charles Antis: I'm excited as well. And I know look at Heidi, she looks like a tree flowing light and goodness.

Heidi J Ellsworth: That's it. I just came from the trees out in the forest and it just kind of flows with you no matter where you go. You know what, Luke? Before we get started, I mean, because we have so many questions for you Charles, but you know what I just have to say and we have to send our love to you. You've been and your company have been doing so much with the fires in LA and everything that's been going on. I would just love to hear from you how you all are doing and just sending heartfelt from the industry to everything, all of our contractors throughout Southern California and what everybody's been going through.

Charles Antis: Wow. Well, thank you for starting with that. I think that's an appropriate thing to start with. I can tell you right now, at one point in time how I'm feeling about that and it might... I love that you brought that up because this weekend my family had planned a trip and it was the first weekend over the last three that I didn't go up to LA like I did the weekend before on Friday and Sunday, bringing food to the families and all the first responders. And instead, we went to a planned trip to San Francisco to take the twins, Charlie and Gracie, to see San Francisco the first time and also to go to the Lakers game. The Lakers were playing the Warriors Saturday night. And so, I'm really aware that there's, my team's going out on Sunday again and I'm not with them, but there's that balance that you hold it and my intention was with them.

And again, I'm feeling a little bit bad I'm not there, because these families, when you see them inside the shelters, there's this stress and this dishevelment and the fathers where not only do they not know where their next meal is coming from, they don't know where they're going to sleep at night. And you see it over and over again. You hear their stories. And so, I feel bad that I'm not there. And I walk inside this arena and all of a sudden the usher started handing everybody these placards, because the Warriors were playing the Lakers who were coming from Los Angeles. They gave every, 50,000 people inside that stadium in the Chase arena, they gave him a chance to write down the family of the fire victim that they know that lost their home. And it was so touching to see the Jumbotron in that moment when we lifted up our placards, and I couldn't wait to do it because that was the moment I was giving back something.

And I know a lot of families, but I wrote down the LA Ronald McDonald House families that are trying to be close to their kids that are sick in the hospital. I wrote down them because they were transplanted, they had to move to our Ronald McDonald House in Orange County. So I wrote down them. And then I was up there and I did it, and then the next thing you know, my Dawn's nudging me, she says, "Honey, look, you're on the Jumbotron," and there I was holding up the placard for Ronald McDonald House families. And even though I wasn't there, I almost felt like my big intention, it does, the way our big intentions to lift roofing, that roofers stop hiding their hands in their pockets. That roofers go, wow, look at me, I'm a provider of shelter. I am a badass. I mean, that's what's happening. And so I'm sorry, I got excited telling you that story. Let's get back to the podcast.

Heidi J Ellsworth: Thank you, good.

Luke McCormack: It's a very important story, Charles, thank you for sharing. When I first heard about who Charles Antis is, and Steve Little, who was our last interview, Heidi, he said this as well. And I told Jay this, so this goes back to how humble you are because you didn't even tell Jay this.

Charles Antis: Jay Golden, the storytelling master. Is that who you're talking about?

Luke McCormack: Jay Golden, re-tellable, the man. Steve had said to me that you single-handedly had got the roofing industry to adopt the Ronald McDonald charity, and in turn provided hundreds of places to keep underprivileged families safe and dry and it was all you that done it. And when I came into the industry channels, I thought this was, I know it's an alliance led initiative, but I thought it was a big group of people that got together, we need to do something. But it was one man, and it was you. From everything I've ever known about you, it's all about giving back, it's about the community. It's about so much more than just yourself. And when I think of Charles Antis, that's what I think. So, from the industry, thank you.

Charles Antis: Well, thank you. That's so nice of you to say it that way. But it was, there's a lot of people that heard, Charles single-handedly did this, I was the one that called through. Like Bill Good, what's he saying? What's Alice in the Valley saying? But I did present the concept and I was all-in, and I was willing to tell the stories, but there was something really unique about Steve's perspective, why he would say that.

Steve met me right after Heidi met me. Heidi met me at a build on a Rebuilding Orlando build eight years ago when I decided I wanted to get involved in the industry. She was there at this day before the thing started even and I met her. And that's when she said, "Get involved, go to the clients, join the committees," and I did. And the next six months later, here I am in Chicago and we're having my first ever committee meetings. And of course, I signed up for the Give Back Committee, I think it was called. The, I don't know, community committee. I don't remember what it was called. Social Responsibility Committee. Of course, I joined that. Yeah, the Philanthropy Committee and I joined that committee and Steve was in the first meeting I walk into.

And I walk into this meeting and I don't know the cadence. You know how you go into any new organization, there's a certain cadence, you better know who's in charge. You better know how often you should open your mouth. But I had this big passion. We were trying to get this Ronald McDonald House. No, we didn't have the Ronald McDonald House yet. No. I wanted to show the industry what we could do together. And I walk in this meeting and I said something like that, and the committee chair at that time and I'm not going to out this person because she was an incredible committee chair. She was trying to be helpful, but she looked at me and she said, "Mr. Antis, you're new here and if you think there's going to be any major change in the short period of time, that's not what happens in this committee. We just might help get the word out a little better."

And I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to, looking back, I didn't know where I was, I didn't know the room yet. But I stood up and I said, "Ma'am, I want to tell you something. I joined this committee because I believe we can lift how we all see ourselves. I believe that my company, your company, we can create an initiative that will lift us all like a culture." And I sat down and there wasn't another word said in the room and I thought I'd lost everybody. I thought they were going to ask me not to come back. I thought this woman wouldn't love me, but let me tell you, she does. We became close.

But it was Steve Little who after the meeting came up to me and he said, "Charles, you're a disrupter," and I didn't know what this man who I didn't know the first words he ever said to me, "Charles, you're a disrupter." And I was like, "I'm sorry." I didn't know what he meant by it. And I said, "I shouldn't have raised my voice up with this person," and he goes, "No, you open your mouth every time you have an intention like this because you are a disrupter and it's a good thing and it's exactly what the industry needs." So, Steve's point of view, I see why he said it because I opened my mouth.

It was just six months later, I called Bill Good and said, "I got it. Let's provide the roofing services for all of the Ronald McDonald Houses for fun and for free from coast to coast. So all those families can be safe, dry and close to their sick kids when they need it the most." And Bill was the one after a long pause that said, "Charles, I think this may work," and he's the one who made it work. Bill Good is the engine. I am the idea and the cheerleader. He is the engine. And so many Roofing Alliance members and Roofing National Roofing Association contractors in the RCA say that. National Roofing Contractors Association members across the country, it's an amazing united thing. And because we as roofers are really exposed to this craftsmanship and providing shelter, the beauty of everything above overlapping everything, below and water flowing off a roof is beautiful to us. It's almost sacred and we can't help but sometimes providing it for free.

And like Heidi and I have talked about, every roofing company does this. And so if you have some stingy owner that never does it, I guarantee your foreman are doing it. They're doing it on their own time for their friends and they're doing it on your time sometimes for people they see in route of their days because it's a human dignity thing. If we don't try to patch that roof when we know somebody's living in a moldy condition, how do we look in the mirror if we are a provider of shelter? And I often compare that, I'm not going to go into the story of a doctor on an airplane. I've been in that situation twice, and I've seen after a long pause when a doctor says, "Is there a doctor on board?" I've seen the most competent mental professional in that plane, takes a while to find out who he is. He stands up in the moment, he always does.

And as roofing professionals have that same dignity, honor, almost a noble tradesmanship that I wear these Lederhosen like they do in Germany, we don't have that. But I wear this in Antis, this logo patch on my arm. I wear this logo in these words saying, "Keeping families safe and dry," as a code of honor. And if I end up donating a little bit of my time and a little company's treasure, then what we've learned is, it's only a wave of blessings to everyone, the community, the family, us, the industry. And that's why again, us three get along so well, is we all believe that. I just say it in sometimes weird ways.

Luke McCormack: So Charles, something that's been on my mind recently and I've done a lot of speaking engagements recently, just back from one in Florida. I've done quite a few, I was in Austria, Dallas, all over the place. And the sort of information gap that I'm trying to fill is on recruitment in roofing because for 10 years that's all I've been doing, recruiting for roofing companies. And when I started to get some stats together to bolster my argument as to why people need to focus on this, they're pretty devastating stats. So, I want to share these stats with you, Charles and just see what your take is on it. And if you were speaking to the people at the short end of the stick, what advice would you give them? I'm really interested to hear it.
So, let me just get the window open. So here's the stats here, Charles. So, 80% of roofing companies in America report finding qualified staff was their biggest challenge or one of their biggest challenges last year. You've got almost 50% of owners who are heading for retirement. The 50% of roofing contract and business owners are baby boomers, and by 2029, half of the industry will be at retirement age. You've then got retention. So, within all industries, retaining staff is a problem, is a much bigger problem in construction than other industries. And it's much more prevalent in roofing than construction. And then we've got the aging workforce as well, we've got 30% which are due to retire and the competition is going up. So there's more private equity, there's more growing companies, there's more opportunity, there's more jobs than there is people.
So, what do companies actually do? Because this is telling a story that we don't know how to recruit, we don't know how to retain and we're on a ticking time bomb, so to speak. And I know at Antis when it comes to marketing, culture, retention, being an authority in the industry, being authentic, I've got my views and why you guys are on the good end. But just from the offset, Charles, when you see those types of stats, what's your take on that?

Charles Antis: Well, I guess my aha-moment is like, wow, some things never change. Because when I entered the industry, I discovered I couldn't hire talent away from other companies. Now, I didn't have a brand yet, I didn't have a name yet. Some of that makes sense, but I discovered, I was told this by recruiters eventually when I got a little bigger, "Charles, you'll never be able to hire production people. You can only grow on them within." And it was a troubled look for me because I needed to hire production people that had a bigger view because I had never worked in a company as big as ours was getting. But what I found is that was true.

When I reached out to, when I finally got sophisticated enough to use a headhunter, which took a few years, everybody they sent was just, I mean, great people, but not in any way remotely qualified. In fact, I would just roll my eyes, I can't believe they even sent them. They just had a pulse so they sent them, and that sounds really critical, but that's all we ever experienced. And so everything that I was told tended to be true, we couldn't hire within. So, there's two things that a company really needs that a young roofing company doesn't have and one of the things you can do right now, one of them is going to take a lot of time.

One is to actually realize there is a qualified company, and I know I'm building up an endorsement for you. But even when we first talked to you and you told me what you were doing, Luke, I liked you but I didn't know that you could do it, especially with your thick accent. I thought, there's no way this guy not being an American could come in here and actually get us to believe he can buy us, find us talent and then go out and recruit it. How is that going to happen? Especially if he's going to have to pick off from each other, it just didn't make any sense. But that's the thing that everybody needs that I want to tell you is available today, is we actually have been hiring people on the front end, on the back end, in production and we've been hiring on the front end supporting sales. And it's critically important for us to know that we can do this.

But the other thing that it's worth mentioning to young companies is, also you need to grow your talent within. Your young people today should be VPs in your company someday. That is HR, that is spending money on your people, being generous, erring on the side of generosity and all things they need socially, even mental health things that they need, looking at their families. That is the other thing that you have to get. And if you can build both sides with good recruitment, which you can do here with Luke and you can build HR, that is the critical component to building a roofing company that will last in an industry where three out of five will fail in the next three years. That, the industry stats are critical, man. Yeah, over a 50% attrition rate. If you get those two components right, you can have a 90% retention rate, which is where we've been tracking the last six, seven years.

And so, there's a lot of importance in realizing it's all about the people. And you're right, if you haven't seen it yet, how are you going to know it, whether it's safety, whether it's HR? You're going to be able to hire for your roofing company from an expert who knows about that trade and who is really intentional about how he talks and tells the stories.

Luke McCormack: Thank you, Charles. I really appreciate that. Thank you. So, one of the things that I see when I look at your business is one, the employer brand and two, the company brand. I remember when Susan actually first sent me the job description for, I think it was territory sales in LA. And it was such a breath of fresh air because it wasn't just a list of duties and responsibilities that a salesperson does, they already know that. There was a story within it, you were speaking to them, it was benefits-led, it was candidate led. And when it comes to market and branding in the industry, everyone knows who you guys are.

Where was the tipping point where using the commercial benefit to putting all your marketing out there, giving back to the community, being active in the Alliance and the NRCA? Because I don't think a lot of people are aware of the commercial benefit, they think it's just giving back. And I know that you get a lot of personal fulfillment from that, but I'm really interested to hear that sort of tipping point for you when you realized that this is worthwhile and will continue to do it. And I mean, everything from employer brand, company brand, to giving back and particularly the Alliance and the NRC as well. So, it'd be great to hear you speak on that, Charles.

Charles Antis: [inaudible 00:20:11].

Heidi J Ellsworth: When you look at that, Charles and you look at, going back to what Luke was saying, on recruitment of people wanting to come work. And you said something a little while ago about having the schools come and getting off the yellow buses and finding out what Antis is. And I know, I mean, I'm just going to say, Vickie Sharples with the RCA of Southern Cal is working with Susan right now and they are working on SkillsUSA and they are working on these young people coming in. I just think, again, here's one more thing to all the things that you guys do that is just taking off.

Charles Antis: Well, let me point to, when you said that, my brain's scrambling. What's the most important part of that? I mean, it's so important for the community, for these kids, but let me tell you another beautiful part that occurs there, is we teach service. Susan's on the national board, so is Cory. Cory's actually replaced me as a Ronald McDonald House board, but it's not always easy to build the bridge of service opportunity to people born in foreign countries. Your immigrant employees, sometimes first-generation and you have to work harder. And I think that's where we've had success, but that's the exciting part, is it's lifting the kids. It's lifting the brand, it's lifting the ability to do this in school, but it's lifting my foreign-born immigrant employees in a way that nothing else does.

I mean, I get all this joy living, serving on the National Roofing Contractors Association Board. Oh my God, you should see Jesus, you should see Narciso, you should see Joaquin. All of them, when they're up on and they have those students up on the roof and they're teaching them the trade and that student says, "Man, can I join today? I want to work in roofing." Do you know how it makes them feel? I mean, they are passing on their greatness, the nobleness of keeping families safe and dry. And so, there's a beautiful servitude that I didn't know it was going to feel that hits our VPs, it hits our office culture and it hits all of the men in the field, whether they're immigrant employees or first-gen, it hits the same way and it's powerful and that's what I love about it.

Heidi J Ellsworth: That's cool. I have not heard it that way before. That is cool, because just being at the IFD with the mentors at the Young Roofers Competition in Austria, that was what I saw there too, Charles, was just that the mentors mentoring the young men who were competing. There was just, yeah, there was this energy that was so awesome. And I hadn't kind of put that to what we're doing in the schools, the vocational schools, SkillsUSA, all of that. But you're right, it all goes together.

Charles Antis: Do you remember, you saying the same thing when Jesus, one of the same guys went to Washington and he came back and then all of the men were so proud that he stopped a congressman and it lifted our entire culture and how we held ourselves, how he sees himself, whether... I mean, we don't always realize, but oh my God, we're seeing ourselves higher. And that, those two plugins I didn't know, our men are hugely important for our own self-image. Some of us, especially who immigrated to this country.

Heidi J Ellsworth: So, I just have a question because we're kind of getting towards, I'm not even sure exactly where we are in our 30 minutes, but.

Luke McCormack: No, it's all right.

Heidi J Ellsworth: So, but I'd kind of like to wrap this a little bit, Charles, with your advice. So, you were a young man, started your own roofing company. We've heard your stories and we know how powerful that was to you and how you got started. But also, there's a lot of young men and women out there and parents, who are maybe thinking that the roofing trades are not for them or that it's just not as cool as we're all making it sound. Because it is, it is such an amazing trade. Some of your advice to young people who are joining the trades or young people who want to start their own roofing businesses, who really are great entrepreneurs and see how great this industry is. What's some of your advice?

Charles Antis: Oh, wow. That's a great question. I mean, you learn a lot when you've found a company and then watch it survive barely for the first few years. And so, it's a great question. I mean, there's two sides of advice that are both critically important and one is those things that you're the father figure in your life, the parent, the parental figure in your life told you, "Always do the right thing." That is a critical component. Show up on time, always show up. I mean, the number one rule of awesomeness is show up no matter what, you never know what's going to happen. You don't not show up, you show up. I think that's critical.

And you're honorable and you do the right thing, even when no one's looking. All of those things are critically important because if you don't see yourself with honor, when you look in the mirror, you're not going to be able to really hold it and people subconsciously will pick that up. So, do the right thing. I think, and there's hard work involved, but there's a balance and that that's the important, important part. If you want to be successful and be happy, those two things are intertwined.

So if you're in roofing, you better love it because it's... and if you don't love it, I'll help you love it. Follow me on LinkedIn, I will help you love it. Follow these people because we hold it so, we are proud to be providers of this beautiful trade of shelter. The basic need of shelter, it's as old as time and we are masters and I think that's something that people need to have. And when you have that, you need to know that there's a responsibility to it.

My dad's the one who was in my head that day when that little girl pulled me into her house when I thought I was going to sell roofing. Instead, I smelled mold. I wanted to flee. When that little girl pulled me into her house by the hand to show me My Little Pony poster on her wall. But when I looked down and saw the moldy mattress she slept on, it was my dad's words in my head that said, "Do the right thing." Well, I intended to patch that roof. And then I ended up giving a new roof because my intention that my dad set in.

So when you do the right thing and then you are willing to give it away, then something magic happens. And we've seen it, Heidi and I have seen it in the roofing industry through countless companies. But Heidi's very astute and recently said to me, "Charles, you aren't the one who made it happen. You're the one who was willing to tell the story." And so I appreciated that compliment. Yeah, there's a lot of generous people, but when you figure it out, what you're doing, tell your people why and you'll help them not to see this as work, but to see it as, I am a master of shelter. I can discern the movement of water by letting go of knowing and find leaks to help a family stay safe and dry.

When you give that to your people and nothing gives it away better than saying, "I'm going to donate that patch for that lady because she doesn't have a safe room. I'm going to donate that roof for Habitat for Humanity. And in our case, I'm going to donate the last 99 rows for Habitat for Humanity for the last 15 years, 2.5 million in roofing. That's what we've done, and I'm telling you, we have a better bottom line. How does that make sense?

So, that's the thing, give it away. Get involved in the cause that's near and dear to your heart, that cause that fulfills you. It may not be Habitat, it could be American Red Cross, it could be Ronald McDonald House. It could be homemade, it could be whatever that thing that fulfills you. But show up to the committee meetings, get involved in the board. You will become who you sit next to. You'll become like I am able to be today like Heidi and I. Heidi said, "Come to the Roofing Alliance," and I saw those people, I wanted to be them. I'm them, they're me, we're one. We know why we exist.

Heidi J Ellsworth: We are all Roofing Alliance members on here, and there is just nothing better, as far as I'm concerned. It was a goal and a highlight in my life and for our company to becoming a member. So yeah, I'm with you, Charles.

Luke McCormack: Yeah, I'm with you as well, Charles. Writing that check was scary at the time but it's paid for itself 10 times over.

Charles Antis: I think I awkwardly even said something to me when you said you joined the Alliance. I think I was like, "You wrote the check?" I mean, first met you, like Dude, everyone else wrote the check. They were testing it for a while. I just met you. You're from somewhere over the sea and you just wrote a check. I was impressed. I had to listen. And then thank God we got along, but even more important, we gave you a shot, even though I was skeptical as much as I liked you because it's just not something we found success in. And I get why the industry says you can't find talent, but we have found talent through you. So, that's why we're telling the story so proudly because you know why we exist.

Luke McCormack: Amen, amen. The biggest thing for me is that to be able to say that those roofs that were provided to those underprivileged families, that bit of money that I put into that pot was part of that. The Ronald McDonald, like the money that's gone in, that's where it's going. It's claims and it's new buildings, it's aligning roofing and academia and it's bringing people together. And I take a lot of pride in that.

And this campaign, we've been doing this since 2021 because I never wanted to be seen as just a recruiter, Charles. I wanted, I knew there was this trust issue with recruitment companies that are unscrupulous and there isn't really an association that governs them and anyone can set up one. And because of that, I knew that you're already kind of being judged a little bit. And when I get into the industry and I set up People Make Roofing, it was actually the young kids that I grew up alongside that they didn't have the father figure. They were close to poverty but not fully in it, but they were within that vicious cycle of the poverty mindset and the cycle that tears through generations.

And when I got into roofing, I was like, oh my God, the amount of people that have went from roofers to business owners or they've went from roofers to managers, leaders, directors in a very short period of time. And then you look at the money that they're making and then look at the impact and that has on their family, I was like, wow, why does everyone not know about this? I wish I could go back to 16-year-old Luke and grab some of my friends by the shoulders and be like, "Get a trade. Get into roofing. Your older self will thank you from it." And that's where People Make Roofing grew from. It was bring everything that I know in roofing and take it to these underprivileged, underrepresented young guys in Glasgow.

But then when the campaign started taking off in all over UK and Europe and now America, that is the culture of who we are. We're not just someone that puts bombs on seats, we want to be part of the bigger picture. Bringing new blood in, professionalizing in the industry, getting the stories out. And like you said, giving back to an industry that has given us so much. And it's amazing, even this conversation right now, there's obviously a commercial string to it, but what we're talking about, what we're creating, what we're part of, it's bigger than ourselves. It's bigger than the bottom line. And it's not just the industry, it's the community and the world that we touch around it. So, I think it's a beautiful thing and I'm very proud to be part of it and to say that I was a little bit to do with these tremendous things happening.

Charles Antis: I feel the same way.

Heidi J Ellsworth: Yeah, yeah.

Luke McCormack: Before we finish up, I just want to take it to another stage. A lot of the stuff that you put out, Charles, your videos, your stories, you're larger than life character. I want to shine a light a bit on Charles, the businessman, because Antis Roofing is 35 years in. You've got second tier management, you've got systems, you've got processes, you're donating, you're a very good businessman and we don't speak about that enough. And I'd just like to, from your strategic mind, you told me this, that three out of five roofing businesses will fail in the next five years. Based on everything that you know as a businessman and a strategic leader, what advice, if you had three pieces of advice to give to roofing contractors in America that don't want to become a statistic. They do want to succeed, they want to get to the next level. What advice would you give to those business owners?

Charles Antis: Okay, I think that's a great question. What advice I would give new business owners was the first two things I started with, which we discussed earlier, do the right thing like your dad. Did you show up, do the right thing? The second thing, be willing to give it away. And your real stories to give it away.

And there was a third thing, and it's going to come to me and again and we're going to have to maybe pause this until it does or not, because there was something unique when you asked that that came up and I want to grab it. Just give me an awkward moment. And my heart's beating faster, but I know you guys are patient. So, if you're just starting a business, what's that one thing? Okay, this is it.

So the three things. I'm going to get to me uniquely, because I don't know this fits for everybody, but the first two, I always show up. I do the right thing like dad taught me to do. The second thing that I recommend is to be willing to give it away and give it away to all these nonprofits because it all works out. But the third thing that works for me, and I can't say that it works for everybody, is I really let go. I really let go of knowing anything. As a business owner, I really give away that ability to manage. All those things that I used to know how to do, I really give it away. And I stop telling people they're doing it wrong, because when I did that, I always had to own it and it kept me from growing. But I started to treat people almost like kids, like, what's going to help them learn? And they have to make mistakes. There's something about letting go of running it and managing it that has been my secret to success.

So I literally hold the Antis empire, whatever, that sounds very braggadocio. The Antis holdings, whether it's the Antis marketing, Antis Roofing, our donor advise fund, I hold it like it's not mine. I literally believe we as a people are intended to share everything we have. So it's a certain responsibility, I have to hold it so it doesn't crumble, but then beyond that is to share it with all of my family in a healthy way and my company in a healthy way and the community in a healthy way, because that's how business is built. So that's my third piece of advice. It's real big. It's like giving way more than you possibly could imagine giving and make that your most important thing, whether it's to your people, to your community, to your trade.

That is the number one advice I give all people who see themselves like me, at least a visionary who imagine sometimes and almost have to say, there's this big intention, I'm risking it all every time I open my mouth. And I say things sometimes that get me in trouble because I want to say it in a new way that will really inspire and build bridges. That is the most important thing for me that makes me successful, is risking everything every time I open my mouth.

Luke McCormack: That's amazing.

Heidi J Ellsworth: That is the perfect ending because you just gave me something for my business that I've been working on. Exact same thing, letting go, letting go. And I love that, I love that.

Luke McCormack: Delegate to elevate, as [inaudible 00:43:33] would say.

Charles Antis: It's just like letting go of all that stuff that we hang on to that we think matters is like, it's not like I'm looking to go to prison today. It's not like I don't have a meal. It's not like I'm not have a bed. I mean, I have no reason to hold anything with any weight, I can just flow and be happy. And the way to do that is to stay connected to giving. And I have a hard time but I do it, I show up and something happens. I have a magical moment at a basketball game, holding a plaque for LA fire victims up Saturday night in San Francisco. I mean, I get to have that moment because I've showed up and felt it. And that, you bring meaning to work, you make everything magic.

Luke McCormack: Wow. Well, Charles, you're an inspiration. Thank you so much for your second appearance on People Make Roofing. I don't think it'll be the last, somehow.

Heidi J Ellsworth: No, no, not at all.

Luke McCormack: But we very much appreciate you, Charles, thank you.

Charles Antis: I appreciate you. You guys are amazing.

Heidi J Ellsworth: Thank you, Charles, so much. And thank you all for listening. You can find this podcast and all the People Make Roofing podcasts on Roofers Coffee Shop. You can also find them with great excerpts and lots of comments and engagement on Luke McCormack's LinkedIn, and of course you can find it at Roofing Talent America. This is what we're hoping, so I hope everyone is inspired to join roofing because I sure am. I would join all over again after today's podcast. So, thank you so much and thank you all for having a great day. Thank you, Charles.

Luke McCormack: [inaudible 00:45:08].

Charles Antis: It's all about the shelter, baby. We got it.

Outro: Thanks for listening to People Make Roofing. Together with Roofing Talent America and Roofers Coffee Shop, we hope to shape the future of our industry. Share this episode and keep the conversation going, because people truly make roofing. Find more at Rooferscoffeeshop.com.