Announcer: 0:00

The following programming is sponsored by Marc J Bernstein. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of this station, its management or Beasley Media Group. Entrepreneur, author and financial consultant, Marc Bernstein helps high-performing entrepreneurial business owners create a vision for the future and follow through on their goals and intentions. Ang Onorato is a business growth strategist who blends psychology and business together to create conscious leaders and business owners who impact the world. Founders Forum is a radio show podcast sharing the real stories behind entrepreneurship as founders discover more about themselves, while providing valuable lessons and some fun and entertainment for you. Now here's Marc and Ang.

Marc Bernstein: 0:42

Good morning America. How are you Today? Ang Onorato has a day pass, so Ang is not with us today. I'm here in the studio with our guest, dennis, who I will introduce formally in a minute. But, dennis, I was thinking about this, so I've been for our listeners.

Marc Bernstein: 0:58

I've not been on the air a lot recently. We've been on the air but we have shows that are a backlog of shows have been playing and I had some vacation time and I had some business travel time and during the course of this it seems like it's a real rough patch of health issues. There's new strains of COVID going around and different viral infections and I seem to have gotten some of those along the way and I get them and then they're gone. Then I get them again and they're gone. And I'm to have gotten some of those along the way and I get them and then they're gone, and I get them again and they're gone. And I'm now dealing with it in a real good health way where it's going to be gone and I think it's going to be gone for a while. As much as that can be controlled. But on the show recently, dennis, we've been talking about thoughts and how thoughts control your actions and how thoughts control really everything in your life.

Marc Bernstein: 1:46

And there's this great book that I've mentioned before, called Don't Believe Everything you Think, by Joseph Nguyen, and for those of you who want to look it up, his last name is spelled N-G-Y-U-E-N. Joseph Nguyen, and it's it's a short, easy to understand book. It's repetitive, purposely so, because it's hard to get the concept. But he talks about the idea that thoughts that come into your mind most of them, are not yours. They're just there, they exist in the universe and they're there and it's what you do with them that counts. So if, when you start thinking about those thoughts the way he puts it that's where this is partly Eastern kind of spiritual philosophy, that that's where the suffering begins you know these thoughts come into your mind and it's what you do with them. And if you can see them for what they are, there's a lot less suffering and it's a lot easier to be happier and go about your day. And he gives several examples, like when you know you're really in love, you're happy and no other thoughts exist in your mind, everything disappears.

Marc Bernstein: 2:53

But when that feeling isn't there and thoughts start coming through, that's when the suffering, the agony, the anxiety, whatever it is you have comes in, so what I was thinking about. So I've been doing pretty good since I read that book, because I observe thoughts for what they are and most of them come and go and I'm a happy-go-lucky guy a lot of the time. But when I'm not feeling well, a whole different story. And you know, dennis, you and I are roughly the same age group and I don't tell my listeners how I don't advertise my age, but I've been around a bit and it's and I'm thinking is this, is this because I'm getting older? Maybe the thoughts are different because I'm getting older, but I don't think what's really happening is any different.

Marc Bernstein: 3:34

But I find it a lot harder to observe those thoughts. You know, then when you don't feel well, start start. You start feeling like, oh boy, this is the beginning of the end, or this is like you know, this isn't going to go away so easily, or this is dominating my life. I can't really think straight. Have you experienced that, dennis?

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 3:54

It's certainly harder to stay positive when you aren't feeling well and you know the reality is, when one part of our body hurts, the whole body is affected and sometimes that's an illness which you know, especially if it's a COVID kind of thing. Maybe your whole body is aching or whatever. So that is harder to certainly.

Marc Bernstein: 4:16

That was part of it. I was playing golf and it was like my body never hurt so much in my life from golf and I finally realized it wasn't from golf, it was from whatever is in my body. Yeah, so, yeah, so, so, yeah, I don't. I don't know if you have any advice for anyone on that. I don't really other than read this book because I did keep that in mind and it did help a lot. It still did, but it still didn't make it go away, but it did help.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 4:39

Well, I, I'm a Christian and you know so I always start my day with Bible reading and a book about in the middle of the Bible called Proverbs. It's just all kind of little one liners one, two liners that for the most part are positive thinking, and, it's interesting, there's 31 chapters, so I know a lot of people that they read a chapter each day.

Marc Bernstein: 5:00

I'd be interested to hear more about that. I'm not as tuned in. One of the things I do do and we might talk about this on our subsequent show is I do something called I Am Statements that sort of recondition your mind and did them this morning and I always feel great when I do them.

Marc Bernstein: 5:17

Somehow, when I wasn't feeling well, I forgot to do them, you know, because part of what happens, it gets you under. But anyway, thanks for sharing that. So let me tell you who we're talking to. Dennis D Gehman, mcr, mckbr CLC and CRPM, is president and co-founder, along with his wife Glenda, of Gehman Design Remodeling in you're in the town of Harleysville Harleysville Couldn't remember if it was Harleysville or Hatfield and Dennis is married to his wife, glenda. I love how he starts out his bio, because you understand his priorities. Dennis Gehman is married to his wife, glenda, the father of two grown sons and two daughters, grandpa to 10 grandchildren, with number 11 due in August. So I guess she's here.

Marc Bernstein: 6:02

She's here. What's her name? Yanae Hope, yanae Hope, that's great, I haven't heard that name. That's a nice name. And Dennis is a carpenter who in 1990 scratched an entrepreneurial itch, becoming the owner of Game and Design Remodeling, a national award-winning residential design build and remodeling business. So welcome.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 6:23

Thank you, it's good to be here.

Marc Bernstein: 6:25

Great to have you here. So let's talk about your story. I know you've shared it with me. Let's share it with our listeners in terms of you know how you got into this business, your story, how you got there and sort of how you became an entrepreneur.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 6:38

So as far as the carpentry, I think it was following my dad around the house. He never worked as a professional tradesman but he always did things and I enjoyed working with him. So pretty much as far back as I can remember, I thought I wanted to be a carpenter.

Marc Bernstein: 6:55

Right, so you didn't go right into that though.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 6:58

Out of high school? I did, but I thought I was going to go to the tech school for carpentry and for whatever reason I didn't get into that program. So I took architectural drafting, but at that point wasn't ready to sit behind a desk, and so I was fortunate enough to start off as a labor on a framing crew which is really putting up the skeleton of a house, which I think was a wonderful introduction to carpentry, and then found my way into another company doing kitchens and bathrooms more the finish end of things and picked up a master plumber's registration along the way and an electrical license. So now we do design-build, which we pretty well have from the beginning of our business, but now we have designers on staff and we're using the 3D CAD software so people can really visualize what their new kitchen, the addition on their house, whatever project it is is going to look like before we get the tools out. It's amazing.

Marc Bernstein: 8:02

So you have all those designations before we get the tools out. It's amazing, so you have all those designations and certifications. So you're like a real general contractor that knows the various ends of your business, in a sense Correct yeah, that's really interesting. So you were working. I know you were working and doing finishing work and I think it was there that you started thinking about going out on your own. Am I right?

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 8:22

Yeah, I can't recall anymore just when I had that idea. I knew there was some at that point I didn't necessarily think of them as mentors but older men in my life who were business people and I always enjoyed talking with them and some of them were certainly an encouragement Once I had this idea of starting a business. I did seek counsel from them. I got some really good advice and I'm grateful and most of them I'm still in contact with today in one way or another. Nice, what do you?

Marc Bernstein: 8:59

think you heard from them that appealed to you about becoming a business owner.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 9:03

I'm always interested in that aspect of it Because you know it's not all a bed of roses, it's not always a bed of roses it Well, because you know it's not all a bed of roses, it's not always a bed of roses. One of them was a man who had been in a partnership that soured, and so his advice was business is like another marriage you already have one wife and now you're going to get married a second time. You don't need a partner, and so I've appreciated that I haven't gone that way. I do know some people in partnerships, and I know you're in a partnership, but hopefully that's going well and the friendships remain solid.

Marc Bernstein: 9:42

It is, although I was in one early on and I said I'll never do it again.

Marc Bernstein: 9:47

And I could have given you that same advice but I ended up doing it again. I did it for different reasons later in my career because it's part of my succession plan, and that wasn't always a bed of roses either, but we've worked out a lot of things and it's a good partnership and we do have good personal relationships. But it's hard, it's not easy. It's certainly easier to go it alone, but it's hard, it's not easy. It's certainly easier to go it alone, and you?

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 10:12

have a partner, because I know your wife is involved. Yes, glenda does her bookkeeping from day one.

Marc Bernstein: 10:17

And you also have your sons involved.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 10:23

Two sons and a son-in-law are involved. The thinking is that our sons will continue the business as far as ownership and management. The son-in-law has said no thanks to that. He heads up our marketing and he's doing fine with that Interesting. But so then I have these conversations with myself and with Glenda and sometimes with my sons. I never wanted a partnership. Why do I want to put my sons into that? And I mean that was going to be my next question. Each Monday afternoon we have blocked off on our calendars and it just says family business meeting. We've been doing that for January will be two years. You know meeting pretty faithfully and having conversations. Some of it's still day-to-day things, others is trying. I wish I could just plug a USB cord into my body and, you know, download my brain to them. But you know, trying to figure out how does dad think, how does he make these decisions, and so that you know they can have a framework with that. But on Monday there was some tension between our sons over some things.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 11:35

And you know, one of them's like I don't think I want to be in business with the other one.

Marc Bernstein: 11:39

Really yeah.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 11:41

And you know we're okay with that either way and we've always said you don't have to take over this business. Yeah, yeah, we'll be fine. But if you have interest it's been a good leaving living for glenda and I and you know I think you could do it. But you know, if you get other plans, if we have to have a liquidation auction, we'd be okay well, the, the um, I mean the.

Marc Bernstein: 12:06

The thing you can't download you from your brain is how to be a partner with somebody who's not your spouse, right, right. So that's new territory for you guys, and I was going to ask you what kind of challenges you have, because, in essence, you do have partners that are family members, right? So that presents its own set of challenges, of challenges, and so it sounds like the way you're resolving that is to just keep talking, which is great, because many family businesses, as you know, don't do that.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 12:44

Yeah, and we are working with an outside coach and typically that's every other week for an hour on a Monday afternoon. That it's a Zoom call, but that's been helpful.

Marc Bernstein: 12:52

That's great. I know some people up in your area who do that, so I was wondering about that. That's great that you're doing that. What kind of challenges did you face early on, when you first started the business?

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 13:07

I was Dennis the carpenter.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 13:09

I didn't know business and I soon realized that and thankfully I learned about NARI, n-a-r-i, which is an acronym for National Association of the Remodeling Industry, and there's a local chapter books, month chapter and typically monthly meetings. But the certification letters that you read off are all from NARI. There are courses that I've taken. Then early on I took one that was to become a certified remodeler. A little bit of that, I think. If I recall right, it was a 16-week course followed by like a 500-question test that you got to pass at the end, by like a 500 question test that you got to pass at the end. Maybe a third of that was to do with the trade. Most of it was learning how to read a balance sheet and a profit loss statement and how you do hiring. You know the best business practices, so I'm grateful for that, the friends that I've made there and continue to be involved with so you learned through your trade group.

Marc Bernstein: 14:14

You also mentioned to me that you're part of a mastermind group as well within the industry.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 14:20

I have been a part of various ones over the years. This one is only a year old group of us, we call ourselves Freedom Brothers and it's 15 people all connected to construction. Somehow. We meet on Zoom for an hour and a half every Wednesday afternoon. Did you meet?

Marc Bernstein: 14:42

all through NARI.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 14:45

It wasn't through NARI, this one wasn't. We're using a project management estimating software called JobTread, based out of Dallas, texas, and they had a conference last January and I went there and met some other people and we stayed in touch and said, hey, let's start getting together, and it's been good.

Marc Bernstein: 15:08

And you told me that they're from all over the country, including Alaska and Hawaii, which is pretty interesting. Well, with that, let's take a quick break and actually hear a little bit more about Gehman the business, and we'll be right back.

Announcer: 15:23

Are you a discerning homeowner in southeastern Pennsylvania looking to transform your house to suit your family and lifestyle? Check out Gehman Design Remodeling. Since 1990, Gehman Design Remodeling has been the go-to choice for exceptional home transformations. Led by Dennis Gehman and his talented sons, master-certified kitchen and bath remodelers, we bring expertise and passion to every project. Our in-house team of designers and tradesmen treat your home like it's our own, ensuring a personal touch from design through construction. With 3D design software, we'll show you the final look of your home before we even start. Experience the game and design remodeling difference. Call 215-513-0300 today to schedule your consultation. 215-513-0300 today to schedule your consultation. That's 215-513-0300. Or online at gehmannremodeling. com. Let us turn your vision into reality.

Marc Bernstein: 16:28

We are back on Founders Forum with our guest today, dennis Gehman and Dennis. We were talking about challenges early on in the business. We've also alluded a little bit to challenges today because you're thinking about turning the business over to your sons and grooming them for that. What kind of other business challenges do you have today? Because there's always things like the economy and and um external forces.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 16:52

Yeah, there there are. Uh, thankfully, god has blessed us and God's always provided. You know, october 1st will be 34 years in business. That's amazing. And uh, we've had certainly the ups and downs. Uh, I tell people that I feel more pressure and stress when we're super busy than when we're slow. When we're slow it's a different kind of stress, but when we're super busy, all the balls that we have in the air that we don't want to drop to disappoint any of our clients and it can be a lot. We have a good team. Glenda and I, just last week ago today, got back from three weeks in Egypt. That's where our 11th grandchild was born.

Marc Bernstein: 17:36

Oh, wow, hence the name. Is that an Egyptian name?

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 17:40

It's not. This is the fifth child for our daughter and all their names are unique. It's plays on other names. It's like, yeah, it kind of sounds familiar, but I didn't hear it that way before.

Marc Bernstein: 17:51

Interesting, and why was the baby born in Egypt?

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 17:54

They've lived there for three years. Our son-in-law's an architect and that's where he's working, so that's what his visa is there for. But they are there with a focus to hopefully share the gospel of Christ with children, people who don't know.

Marc Bernstein: 18:10

Interesting. So we were. My daughter was working in Morocco for a few years, so we got not this year. Last year we were in Morocco to visit her. So similar part of the world. And it was very, very, very interesting to get to do that, and so so you really haven't had a lot of ups and downs in terms of external forces in the business. It sounds like it's just been somewhat constant, which is great.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 18:36

There are times that the phone's not ringing as much, but thankfully, I'd like to feel, because we do a good job and a good reputation. We get enough calls from people who want to work with us because they want their projects done right and done well, and I'm not saying we're the only ones that can do that. There's a lot of good competitors, but there's a lot of people in this area, so there's enough work to go around. Right, right, right.

Marc Bernstein: 19:05

It's a mentality of abundance and prosperity. I love that and I know I was going to say I know your reputation is good because I do my homework and I'm sure a lot of it's just word of mouth, because people are happy and it's hard to find great contractors that show up on time and do the work they say they're going to do, and do a great job and leave a clean home and all that kind of thing. So I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. Looking forward because that's one of the things we love to do on the show is look forward in your three-year vision. We've talked about it before but it's been some months, so I'm interested to hear what. So if this were September of 2027, and we're looking back on the last three years, dennis what would have to happen for you to feel that that was a successful three-year period?

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 19:56

Glenda and I would both be fully retired. I'd like to think that maybe whoever's running the business, if it's still going, would have room for me to maybe do some sales and design. I enjoy that, but how that could look as far as part-time Travel is certainly part of it, as long as our daughters live in Egypt, probably at least once a year to head over there. But we recently bought a motor home so we're hoping to do a bunch of traveling in the United States and Canada with that. We do have 11 grandchildren, but number 12 was on the way, due in March Nice, and we're enjoying that stage of life a lot and spend time with them. Very nice. We'd like to give back. Thankfully my health is good. I still enjoy carpentry, so I'm on the board for our church camp up in the Poconos one of the elders at our church, but there's always those kinds of places that have projects to do and I'd like to help out.

Marc Bernstein: 21:18

Yeah, it stuck out with me that you'd like to get back to more carpentry.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 21:20

I think you had said yeah, and you also mentioned a warmer place for spending some of the time. We would like that. We did a little moving around when we were first married. Our oldest son was born in Florida and then, two years later, when the second one was on the way, we moved back to be closer to family, but we got sand between our toes. So we do enjoy the warmer weather and the winter especially. Are you thinking Florida? That's what we're most familiar with. Actually, coming up the first week of November, we have a trip to Tucson, arizona, for a week. So yeah, there's places in between down there along the Gulf Coast that we haven't been to, but I'd like to think the motorhome can find its way there.

Marc Bernstein: 21:59

My best friend lives in Tucson, Arizona, and last night I got an invite I'm banking on the fact that he's not listening to this podcast for his surprise birthday party.

Announcer: 22:10

Cool.

Marc Bernstein: 22:11

So I'll be out there in January, I believe Great and Florida. I'll just give there in January, I believe Great and Florida. I'll just give you a little plug for Babcock Ranch to check out because right as we speak there's a hurricane coming through.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 22:21

Yes.

Marc Bernstein: 22:22

Southwest Florida and I like Southwest because it's always warm there. But the problem are the hurricanes. And this is the first quote hurricane-proof community in America. Oh, and this is the first quote hurricane-proof community in America. It was built to be hurricane-proof and it's also first solar-powered. So as a contractor you might be interested. They have over 700,000 solar panels totally powered by the sun. The whole community, which is currently about 10,000 people, growing to about 50,000, a town of 50,000.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 22:53

So check it out, yeah.

Marc Bernstein: 22:55

Babcock Ranch. You said Babcock Ranch, the hometown of tomorrow, is how?

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 22:59

it's characterized.

Marc Bernstein: 23:01

That's our winter home, now starting this year, so I know you like to read. What books are you reading right now? Dennis, I know you like to read what books are you reading right now, dennis?

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 23:15

I just actually on the plane over to Egypt beginning or the end of August, I read Traction by Gino Wickham. Ah, great subject to talk about, traction. Yeah, we've heard and probably implemented various aspects of EOS, but never fully. So my sons knew that I was going to read that one over there and I enjoyed the book. But it's really a book that you should do, I think, as a team, and then get you know, because there's lots of to-dos in there to start implementation.

Marc Bernstein: 23:52

Traction is hard work. For listeners who don't know, you can read the book by Gino Wickman. Traction and EOS is the Entrepreneurial Operating System, and how would you describe it? What benefits do you see from Traction as you read the book, because you've implemented some of it already?

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 24:16

It's really about putting systems and processes in place and getting them well documented. So you got a playbook so that, as new people come on, you can incorporate, get them up to speed a whole lot quicker, and it should assure that everybody's doing things the same way.

Marc Bernstein: 24:36

Right To me, it's a lot about alignment yeah, processes that help you with your alignment, so everybody's heading in the same direction, towards the same goals, correct? Yeah, so you've done a lot, you've seen a lot. What advice would you give Dennis to your younger self if you were sitting with him today?

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 24:58

Read more, seek counsel more, but you got to take action. You can learn all this stuff. If it just stays in your head, it doesn't much matter. Yeah, you need to take steps and yeah, you're going to step one step forward and two steps back sometimes, but in the long run, keep moving forward.

Marc Bernstein: 25:21

So I know you're religious and we've talked about that and God will provide, which. I think there's some truth to that, but I do think there's like a qualifier to that. God will provide, but you also need to take action. That's right, right, yeah, you know so anything else you would add, but you also need to take action. That's right, right, yeah? So anything else you would add, anything you would like your almost 12 grandchildren to know, any advice you would have for them.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 25:44

Well, for me it's to keep God first in your life. You know he's blessed us with this business and we really view it as his business that he's allowed us to be stewards of.

Marc Bernstein: 25:56

Yep, do we have any other closing thoughts? We have a couple minutes left. Anything else you'd like to share with the audience about anything? That's the hardest question I've asked you.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 26:09

It probably is. You know I enjoy people and I know that's why I gravitated toward remodeling rather than new construction. We're working in people's homes. Most of the time when people have us there it's because they've decided they're going to stay put. They want to make it work better for themselves, for their family, for their lifestyle, for their family, for their lifestyle, and we have the opportunity to help people achieve that that. Hopefully it really can make their life better. And we often get the question well, what about my return on investment If you're doing things for yourself? Not that you shouldn't think about your ROI, but you can't count the ROI on 15 years of having a better space for your family to gather.

Marc Bernstein: 27:01

So you really led to my last question, which I think will sum up the show really well. So remodeling your home, because I'm going through it in two homes right now, in the Florida one and the new one. I mean, that's the new one and also our existing home, and I believe there's an emotional and a spiritual element to that.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 27:20

Yeah.

Marc Bernstein: 27:20

And then you kind of just alluded to it. So sum that up real quickly, and I think that's our show.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 27:28

Home is where the heart is. I mean, we've all heard that and a lot of our work is kitchens, and most homes center around the kitchen. It's food, that's what we gather. You always have food.

Marc Bernstein: 27:43

Food, family and your heart, that's it.

Dennis D. Gehman, MCR, MCKBR, CLC, CRPM: 27:45

Yep totally.

Marc Bernstein: 27:46

Dennis, it's been a pleasure having you here today. Likewise, You've been a great guest. I've really enjoyed it and thank you all for listening.