Mark Latham worked as a roofer in high school before becoming a firefighter for 22 years. Being a fireman taught him major life lessons, and how to lead others effectively. Latham would later start Firehouse Roofing Incorporated in 1997, earning the award of Best Roofer in DFW (Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex). They now specialize in all areas of exterior home services — roofing, siding, gutters, windows, and painting. He built his business the hard way, passing out flyers door to door. As a roofer in high school, he was making more money than any of his buddies which led to getting in some trouble and spending his money on “stupid stuff.” In fact, the paychecks were so good, he ended up quitting football and all other sports to focus on the trade. But it wasn’t easy. He tried several other side-businesses trying to find a way out of roofing. However, nothing could match the revenue or the pride he found as a roofer. His parents didn’t have the money to send him to college. So he tried his hand at the local junior college just so he could get into the fire academy. His mom was a teacher, and his dad was a small business owner doing insurance adjusting. Mark is still shocked his dad introduced him to the roofing industry because it is a wild bunch of guys operating in what are sometimes rough neighborhoods. But what hooked him was the grind, the hard labor. He developed a sense of pride and accomplishment. His sense of craftsmanship and pride came from his first boss.

To Mark, leaders are more important than ever when it comes to developing young tradesmen who will eventually go on to solve residential problems. Once Firehouse Roofing started taking off, Mark realized he couldn’t do it on his own. In fact, in the beginning, he didn’t even have money to spend on marketing — which is an entirely different beast these days. He also explains the differences between a roof repair and a roof install. As opposed to being familiar with an existing customer, a roof install is a brand-new venture on its own. And with roofs, customers don’t realize if it’s done well or not, all they really know is if there’s a leak. And Mark stresses the importance of doing the job with respect and care.

According to Mark, one of the major issues most business owners need to face are their systems and processes. If the operator isn’t good at it, then it would benefit them to hire someone who enjoys it. For young men and women who can’t get a job in their college major or choice, Mark recommends checking out your options in the skilled trades and labor market. Want to make thousands of dollars this summer? Try roofing, or any of the skilled trades. But as Mark stresses, there is no magic bullet. To build wealth, to grow your bank account and your status, it takes constant hard work.

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