Like many, Elizabeth Imlach didn’t mean to end up in the wood flooring industry—but after getting laid off during the Great Recession, she did, and now she runs her own one-woman wood flooring business in Northern California. Hear about how she got into the industry, her favorite parts of her business, the weirdest floor she’s ever done, and more.  

When Genia Smith started in the wood flooring business, she wasn’t just the only woman working in wood flooring, she was the only woman in her area in construction. Along the way, she left her father’s business, moved to a different state, started her own company and a family, and found a way to balance them both before selling her business and retiring early. 

At Fame Hardwood in Los Angeles, Page Nazarian set out to work with the nation's top architects and designers, and he did that—but he treats every client like a celebrity. Hear how Fame finds the right product for every project, from the homes of Hollywood A-listers to huge commercial installations.

From simple beginnings in Terre Haute, Ind., Legendary Hardwood Floor’s Chuck Crispin launched a wood flooring career that’s taken him across the country into some of the nation’s most beautiful homes, and along the way he’s earned a reputation as a pro with impeccable taste. Hear from Chuck about what he learned working with wood flooring legends like Allan Pyne and Birger Juell, what he considers to be the the rules of good wood flooring design, what it's like to handle luxury projects and potential pitfalls of those projects, too.

Family business Woodchuck Flooring has evolved over the years, going through changes in generations and business models, most recently as it transformed its business to adapt because of the pandemic. Hear from Woodchuck’s Tim Nassis about how they’ve found success and continue to adapt for today’s business environment.

When Paul Nelson transitioned his business from residential to sports flooring, he found it was a completely different way of doing business, from handling bids to getting paid to needing different equipment to do jobs on a large scale. Hear his insights about all of these aspects and more from his headquarters in Montana.

Sprigg Lynn of Universal Floors in Washington, D.C., has worked in the wood flooring business since as long as he can remember, and along the way he’s become a specialist in historic restorations, working everywhere from the White House to the U.S. Supreme Court, with some good humor and wacky situations along the way.

Canadian pro Ken Petersen has done it all in the wood flooring industry, from contracting to manufacturing, and he’s got the stories to show for it. Hear about the crazy mistake he made when he started, how getting kicked out of school launched his successful career, why most wood floor pros fail when they try to grow their business, how a quick edging mistake ended in disaster, why contractors need to charge more … and more.

Wood floor pro and sports court artist Luis Perez found his niche in the wood flooring industry: a passion for creating cutting edge basketball court designs. Perez, who at 30 has already racked up numerous accolades and two Wood Floor Business Design Awards, talks with Stephen about the “basketball renaissance” happening around the country, how his background influences his designs and how the positive impact his partnership with Project Backboard has inspires the boundary-pushing work he does. 

Roy Akirov lives in Los Angeles and focuses his wood floor retail business on the luxury market—the area’s ultra-wealthy. Hear about how he stands out in that market, how he finds products, how he communicates with clients, why he doesn’t pay attention to trends … and who his famous neighbor was growing up in England.