Before Phil Fries founded Flow Roofing, he did multiple jobs that always involved customer interaction—and he prides himself on always being able to find at least one thing through which to connect with a customer.

 

“I worked as a pharmaceutical rep for several years,” he described, “and then my neighbor recruited me to become an in-home sales contractor/consultant. I went into people’s homes to sell things like roofing. Later I worked for a couple different roofers, and ultimately, I just felt I could do it better, so I started my own roofing business.”

 

Having worked tirelessly to build his company’s good reputation, Phil is committed to always doing the things he says he’s going to do—and he understands the emotional part of what he does.

 

“My job as a roofer isn’t selling people a luxury item,” he remarked. “There’s no satisfaction in getting a new roof like there is in getting a new kitchen, for example. People are probably having to sacrifice to get a new roof, so there’s a big emotional component. I try to get on their level to tell them what’s happening and explain the appropriate way to fix it.”

 

Phil sees sales as the transfer of confidence, and he has the confidence in what he’s doing and the confidence to be able to accurately describe to the customer what needs to be done. He connects with people and develops a level of friendship with his customers that leads to their trust.

 

“I have a genuine desire to help people, whatever that requires,” he explained. “I’m not just there to sell them a product so I can make money; I’m really there to help them. Many times I can help by saying they don’t have to spend the thousands of dollars the last roofing company told them they need to spend; I can propose a less expensive solution.”

 

The most influential person in Phil’s life is his fiancé, Renee. “She’s the one who shoots me the straightest and keeps me in line the most. She’ll tell me exactly how it is and does not sugar-coat things with me. I’m marrying the smartest person I know—which is intimidating, but also awesome.”

 

One life lesson Phil has learned the hard way is that in business, you just have to face the hard things and get them done. “The toughest phone calls are only made tougher by ignoring them,” he said, “and the things you don’t want to do are best just done so you can get them out of the way instead of letting them fester.”

 

His biggest struggle since going into business has been learning to let go of certain tasks that he’s used to doing, like answering the company phone, running leads, or meeting with customers. “Those are all things I think I do very well,” he said, “but I have to let other people do them now.”

 

In five years, Phil sees himself opening the third location of Flow Roofing in East Tennessee. “My glass is not half full, my glass overflows,” he insisted. “I am Mr. Optimism. You can’t win ’em all every time, but you win ’em all over time.”

 

Phil is most proud of the relationships he’s building with his kids and his future wife and step-daughter, and he wants to be remembered for being helpful to other people. If he could have dinner with anyone, he’d choose his twin brother who lives in Tampa. “We’ve never lived near each other as adults,” he commented, “but we talk every day between 6:30 and 7:00am.”

 

On Phil’s bucket list is to drive the Pacific Coast Highway from southern to northern California. If he had time, he’s love to learn Spanish—which he believes would be a big advantage in the roofing industry! The last book he read was Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALS Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin.

 

At the end of the day, Phil loves giving. Last year he gave away a roof by nomination. Recently, he gave away a roof based on a recommendation from a REALTOR. “It was a single mom whose roof was in very bad shape, covered in tarps,” he described. “We surprised her with a knock on her door on a Friday, and the next day, we replaced her roof, fixed up her yard, built her a new fence, and helped her out. A lot of people volunteered, including people from the Women’s Council of REALTORS. That wouldn’t have been possible without a relationship with an agent who educated us about someone who was worthy of that sort of investment.”

 

“That’s the type of relationship I’m ultimately looking for with REALTORS,” he concluded. “It isn’t just about making money. Because of a relationship with a REALTOR, I was able to help this person who is so deserving of help. Our hope is that we can do more of that!”