An entrepreneur at heart, Katie previously owned a local restaurant in the Minneapolis community after graduating with a degree in business. After several years of growth—and eventually gaining a reputation as a leading local event venue—Katie was able to sell her business to move into a new career.

Listen in as Katie announces the launch of her new vanity collection and the complexities of putting together a product line not just from the logistical standpoint, but also in terms of establishing their ecommerce platform.

Katie discusses Jkath’s evolution from custom cabinetry to design, build, and renovation firm, as well as their plans for the future of the business. She talks about Jkath’s approach to culture-building and employee retention, and the value of making short-term sacrifices during market downturns for the benefit of clients.

Sponsors:

• Visit https://buildertrend.com/aft/ to get a 60-day money-back guarantee on your Buildertrend account!
• Pella Windows & Doors - https://www.pella.com/

Events:

• Learn More/Register for Contractor Coalition Summit November 06-09 https://www.eventcreate.com/e/contractorcoalitionsummit

Topics Discussed: 

• [03:10] Katie on the launch of her vanity collection and Jkath’s custom cabinetry roots
• [10:17] Jkath’s design, cabinetry, and renovation services
• [11:22] The challenges of starting a vanity line
• [17:32] Finding a mentor in the industry and managing the backend of the business
• [21:19] Plans for the near future of Jkath
• [26:28] Retaining the right team members and settling on a process for the build side
• [38:08] Setting expectations with clients
• [43:00] Employee retention
• [48:57] Standardizing your processes
• [51:53] From F&B to construction
• [57:49] The value of going above and beyond for your clients
• [01:01:02] What Katie likes to do for fun

Connect with Guest:

• Website - https://jkath.com/
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jkath_designbuild/
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jkathdesignbuild/?fref=ts
• Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/jkathdesign/_created/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/jkath-design-build-reinvent/
• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU8blFBRkOo6CuPqBaZKSTQ

Connect with Brad Leavitt:

• Website - https://www.aftconstructionpodcast.com/
• Instagram - https://instagram.com/aft_construction
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aftconstruction
• Houzz - https://www.houzz.com/pro/aft-construction/aft-construction
• Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.ph/AFT_CONSTRUCTION/
• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzB4R_DHPVV1SPh7RUfR5jg

Key Quotes by Katie:

• As much as I love what I’m doing, I want everybody on my team to be able to do what I’m doing, and then some. I don’t want to be the only person in the house that knows how to sell a client, meet a client, and do all the preconstruction and design work.