The Startup Story

Barry Stiles, founder of TRUEGRID Pavers

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About this episode

This week’s featured founder is Barry Stiles, Founder and CEO of TRUEGRID Pavers. Yes, a paving company. My hope in exploring stories like Barry’s is that you will process his challenges and triumphs to see the commonality within your own journey, too. And yes, when most people think of a startup they immediately think of technology. But every single business you interact with was a startup at some point. That is why I love exploring the startup stories of a diverse collective of founders, like Barry and TRUEGRID Pavers.

When I think about Barry’s journey, it is apparent to me that the first 35 - 40 years of his life was simply preparing him for the really hard challenges that he was going to face. In this episode, you will hear just how critical personal commitment is to your ideas and vision. Plus, you will hear firsthand how important a support system can be when life throws you some of the most heart-wrenching challenges. Leadership and courage are not about traversing this entrepreneurial journey alone. It’s about charting a path that most wouldn’t. This is Barry's start-up story.

In this episode you’ll hear
  • Barry’s early life growing up in New England, early lessons learned, and some of his influences
  • His dedication to the plastics industry and how hard work provided him with the experience he needed working in factories
  • How he rose up through the ranks early in his career
  • His decision to begin a business with a partner and how a tragic event didn’t stop him
  • Overcoming obstacles and sticking with the business plan
  • How integrity was his main focus and the need to change things when situations beyond his control prevented him from being able to provide customers with the service he wanted to provide
  • About starting his next business which had to do with toy bricks and how special a time it was in his life when he worked with charities to raise money
  • The critical importance of admitting to a mistake and correcting it
  • The key ingredient for any entrepreneur: being mentally tough no matter what comes your way; knowing you can get through it if you keep moving forward
  • How Barry eventually found his passion in TRUEGRID; plus, how a life-changing family medical event influenced him to use his skill set as an entrepreneur and as an engineer to provide an environmental solution through recycling
    • Resources from this episode

    Our Sponsor, MovoCash: https://www.thestartupstory.co/MovoCash

    Connect with Barry Stiles on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-stiles-b9791512/
    TRUEGRID Paver: https://www.truegridpaver.com/
    David Goggins: https://www.instagram.com/davidgoggins/

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    Full Episode Transcript

    Special Guest: Barry Stiles.

    Sponsored By:

    • Movocash: Download the Movocash app today!
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    The Startup StoryBy James McKinney