Tag

entrepreneur

Jun 11
Love21

Dustin Gutkowski

By Business, Music, Personal Growth, Podcast No Comments

This week on Here’s What We Know, be ready for a deeply inspiring conversation as we sit down with Dustin Gutkowski, entrepreneur, family man, and host of The DG Show, who went from being homeless at 14 to building a $100 million business. With a heart as big as Texas and a love for 90s country music, Dustin opens up about what fuels him: storytelling, fatherhood, resilience, and relationships. Give it a listen today!

This episode is sponsored by:

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In this Episode:

  • Dustin’s rise from hardship to hope
  • Dive into discussions about love for 90s country and artists like Midland, The Cadillac Three, and Post Malone
  • Understand how Dustin’s personal struggles inform his parenting philosophy
  • Building a people-first business in the roofing industry
  • What it means to be your child’s hero

Quotations:

“I’d probably fight someone over Midland, and I’m not proud of that but I would go there, like I will defend them.“ ~ Dustin Gutkowski

“No matter how famous, no matter how successful, no matter where everybody’s at in their life, they all have a story. And you just, you figure out that, like, although all of our stories are different per se, they’re all the same.”  ~ Dustin Gutkowski

“You being unique and you being you is what makes you special. But when you really peel back the layers, it’s like, we’ve all been through this stuff. We’ve all been through something, and it’s really unique to hear people’s stories and how they got there. And it almost gives you a different perspective from your story.”  ~ Dustin Gutkowski

“​​When it got hard for me, I was going to double down. And I was just going to keep going because I was like, what do I have to lose? Man, I’m just a white trash kid from the trailer park that was homeless at 14. Like, what do I have to lose? Like, what’s the worst thing that’s going to happen to me? It’s already happened to me. And I just had that mindset of, I’m one day going to get there and I’m going to keep going, keep going, keep going.”  ~ Dustin Gutkowski

“Winning is more fun than fun is fun.”  ~ Dustin Gutkowski

“I really had a complex of thinking I was better than everyone from a standpoint. I thought there was no one out there that could compete with me, but I also had a high insecurity that everybody was outworking me, everybody was better than me. And so I had to constantly try to get better at things. And so I just had such a competitive nature that I competed at everything I did. And as I got older, I realized this could be a real difference maker for me because most people are scared to compete, and most people are afraid to because they’d rather be friends and fail than go out there and have people hate them to be great. And I’m like, look, not everybody’s got to like me. I’m not here. This isn’t a popularity contest.”  ~ Dustin Gutkowski

“I’m not worried about everybody liking me. When I go home, I worry about what my wife thinks of me and my three children. And that’s it. And I fundamentally ground myself in everything I do is predicated on being a good father. That’s like, that’s my legacy. Like, what do my kids say about me? How do my kids turn out? If I’m not my kid’s hero, I have bigger things to worry about. And so every single thing I do is predicated on being a good father.”  ~ Dustin Gutkowski

“I’m just trying to be my kid’s hero. And when it’s all said and done and my clock strikes zero, like, what are my kids going to say about me? That’s all I care about.”  ~ Dustin Gutkowski

“I watch how other people treat their kids. Because to me, it’s like the one person that counted on you the most was the person you decided to bring into this world. And if you can’t be there for them, well, you’re not going to be there for me and you’re not going be there for anyone else.”  ~ Dustin Gutkowski

“I want to be the person I was supposed to be. And how I do that is look, when the door is closed and the lights are off and no one sees what you’re doing, what kind of decisions do you make? If no one would ever find out, what do you make?”  ~ Dustin Gutkowski

“Whose story is bigger? It doesn’t matter. Have some empathy towards other people.”  ~ Dustin Gutkowski

Bio:

Dustin Gutkowski is the founder of Results Roofing, a DFW-based company serving residential, commercial, and multi-family clients. Built on the belief that relationships matter more than transactions, Dustin created a culture rooted in gratitude, service, and kindness—shaped by his own journey from homelessness at 14 to business leadership. A champion for both customers and employees, he ensures every client receives above-and-beyond care, including a complimentary 360° inspection with photo documentation. Dustin is also the host of The DG Show podcast, where he shares real stories of resilience, business, and personal growth.

Guest Contact Info:

Website: https://resultsroofing.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dustingutkowskirr/

YouTube: @Dustingutkowski

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dustin.gutkowski/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustin-gutkowski-9a8474177/

Mar 20
Love14

Johnny Sirpilla

By Author, Faith, Grief, Leadership, Mental Health, Personal Growth No Comments

This week on the Here’s What We Know Podcast, our host Gary Scott Thomas welcomes our special guest, Johnny Sirpilla, an entrepreneur, founder and chief encourager of Encourage LLC, and the best-selling author of Life Is Hard but I’ll Be OK. Johnny opens up about how he inherited not only a successful RV business from his father but also an ethos of hard work and integrity. He discusses how these values have shaped him into who he is today—driven, and perfectionistic, yet always striving to honor his family name. We also delve into the respective childhoods and parental expectations, highlighting both differences in upbringing and common threads such as love, support, and setting standards. This episode is filled with insights on personal growth and dedication towards family values. Tune in now!

This episode is sponsored by:

(Be sure to tell them Gary sent you so you can save 20%!)

In this Episode:

  • Gary and Johnny share amusing anecdotes about their distinctive hairstyles during their younger years. 
  • Discover Johnny’s impressively long bio and wealth of experiences.
  • Discussions on full-blooded Italian traits lead to light-hearted banter about food preferences between Italy vs America.
  • Insights into how family expectations shaped and influenced Johnny’s decision to continue his father’s legacy while creating new avenues within the RV industry.
  • Hear about reflections on parental expectations, love, and support while also setting standards around honor, integrity, and a hard work ethic without spoiling children materially.
  • As a board member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Johnny shares his passion for football and his favorite player.

Quotations:

“The simplicity is what makes it so amazing.” ~ Johnny Sirpilla

“I kind of wanted to make my imprint in the industry the way that my dad did in the fifties as a pioneer dealer.” ~ Johnny Sirpilla

“(RV) It’s taking the comforts of home with you on the road, right? Why sleep in a hotel bed and a stranger’s bed that other people have been in when you can have your own? So it’s a great way to see the country for sure. And great family time.” ~ Johnny Sirpilla

“I was driven at 15 and had some pretty high expectations of what I could achieve. So I always put a lot of pressure on myself, too much.” ~ Johnny Sirpilla

“What was awesome about my parents is there is no boundaries to the love that they would give and the support.” ~ Johnny Sirpilla

“I can truly say that I never felt spoiled by my parents because while there might be nice things, the expectation of how we acted in our character in representing our family name. you know, you had to be, you know, at your best.” ~ Johnny Sirpilla

“They wanted me to have and I bet your mom was the same way. They wanted me to have the life experiences that they didn’t.” ~ Johnny Sirpilla

“I bet our parents were similar in terms of, you know, where they came from and then maybe hopes and dreams bigger for us. Maybe my parents, because they’re full-blooded Italian each that they just talk so damn much that they verbalized it more.” ~ Johnny Sirpilla

“It’s been an amazing experience to volunteer for the great sport of football and the Hall is such a place of excellence that, you know, any service that I can give to honor the heroes of the game.” ~ Johnny Sirpilla

“I wrote the book to really help people when life is hard because I do believe that life is hard. Even if you have a good life, there’s plenty of things that go wrong in a good life and life is hard.” ~ Johnny Sirpilla

“There’s gotta be some blessings and graces that come out of this experience that makes me a better man, a better husband, a better business leader, and hopefully someday a better father.” ~ Johnny Sirpilla

“Practicing gratitude could make a great day really bright and sunny.” ~ Johnny Sirpilla

“We were able to experience something that God gave us this gift of parenting. even though it was short, it doesn’t mean it was insignificant. It was incredibly significant. And so their lives were incredibly significant.” ~ Johnny Sirpilla

“I can reframe anything that happens in my life with my anxiety. I can reframe it to something that’s really a gift and a blessing.” ~ Johnny Sirpilla

“The gift of being a father, you know, it’s the greatest gift of my life.” ~ Johnny Sirpilla

“The empathy and the mindfulness that I had for situations, that’s actually one of the beauties and maybe superpowers of anxiety. Anxiety makes you extremely mindful and extremely intentional because my mind has to work and think.” ~ Johnny Sirpilla

“It becomes a really mindful way of living that produces a lot of joy.” ~ Johnny Sirpilla

Bio:

John A. Sirpilla is a 1988 graduate of Miami University with a degree in Accounting and a special interest in Psychology and Finance, a 2000 graduate of the University of Phoenix with a master’s degree in Organizational Management, and holds a certification in Executive Presence and Influence: Persuasive Leadership Development from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business.

In 1992, Johnny became President of Sirpilla R.V. Center, Inc. Within a few years, he was recognized out of more than 3,000 dealers as the National RV Dealer of the Year for the best overall-run dealership in the country. In 2003, Johnny was one of the initial acquisitions by Camping World and sold his family business to become part of the executive team to attempt the first RV dealership roll-up plan in the industry’s history.

Johnny served as President of Camping World, a 140-store nationwide retail chain serving the RV industry, and was promoted in 2012 to Chief Business Development Officer for the parent company, Camping World and Good Sam with annual sales of nearly $4 billion. Johnny retired from Camping World in 2017 after a successful IPO.

His company, Encourage LLC, has various holdings in industries including leadership development, population health management, employee benefits, medical device innovation, e-commerce roll-up, executive leadership and consulting, fashion and interior design, and senior living communities, and has become an international best-selling author with his book, Life Is Hard but I’ll Be OK.

Johnny has been married to his college sweetheart, Susan, for over 30 years, and they reside in Canton, Ohio, and Naples, Florida.  They have three grown children, Beau, Bella, and Stone, who all reside in downtown Chicago, Illinois.

Guest Contact Info:

Website: https://johnnysirpilla.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnnySirpilla/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnnysirpilla/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnny-sirpilla/