Good Neighbor Podcast Northport
Bringing Together Local Businesses and Neighbors of Tuscaloosa and Northport!
Good Neighbor Podcast Northport
Extreme Roofing and Construction: Jody Jones' Blueprint for Building Trust in Business
From scaling the dizzying heights of insurance investigation to hammering out success in the world of roofing entrepreneurship, Jody Jones of Extreme Roofing and Construction joins us to unravel the fibers of a business built on trust and integrity. With a knack for fostering lasting customer connections that transcend the transactional, Jody's tale is one of true craftsmanship—not just in roofing but in the art of cultivating relationships. His insider knowledge of insurance claims sheds light on the murky waters homeowners often find themselves in, and his commitment to transparency and honest advice makes this conversation a must-listen for anyone seeking a blueprint for integrity in the roofing business.
As the shingles settle on an enlightening discussion, we also turn our focus to the local heroes that energize our communities. Your spirited nominations are the lifeblood of the Good Neighbor Podcast, and we welcome you to put forward those standout local businesses like Extreme Roofing and Construction. Each episode is an ode to those who nail down the values of service and community, and with Jody's insights brightening our latest offering, we celebrate the spirit of connection that keeps our neighborhoods thriving. So grab your headphones and join us on this rooftop rendezvous—we guarantee you'll walk away with more than just a lesson in roofing. #GNPBirmingham #ExtremeRoofingandConstruction #Birmingham #Roofing #roof #construction #roofingcontractor #roofer #roofingcompany #roofers #roofinglife #contractor #homeimprovement #roofrepair #roofersofinstagram #rooftop #renovation #gutters #newroof #roofingcontractors #home #roofreplacement #roofs #siding #architecture #building #shingles #residentialroofing #flatroof #commercialroofing #carpentry #metalroofing #roofingexperts
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Patricia Blondheim.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. I'm your host, Patricia Blondheim, and today we have good neighbor Jody Jones. Jody is the owner of Extreme Roofing and Construction, which serves Central and North Alabama. Jody, how are you this morning?
Speaker 3:Oh, fantastic, fantastic. How are you?
Speaker 2:I'm doing fine. I love seeing your bright, smiling face. I wish our listeners could see it. This is an audio recording, but Jody obviously looks really happy to be doing what he's doing and being where he's at right now, which sounds like a windy roof.
Speaker 3:Well, yeah, that's what I'm always on a windy roof.
Speaker 2:Tell us about extreme roofing and construction. Tell us what makes it special.
Speaker 3:Well, it makes us special. What makes us special is the fact that we're real. I've said that to some people in the past and they're like what do you even mean? You're real? Well, what we mean is, if you ask us a question and we don't know the answer, we're going to tell you we don't know it and we're going to find out who has the answer and we're going to get it for you. We're going to give you the real deal as far as if your roof is in good condition or bad condition. For instance, if you have me come out and inspect your roof and it's got another 10 to 15 years left on it, that's exactly what you're going to hear, because we are excited to give good news. And good news is hey, you don't need anything done with it.
Speaker 3:And we take that approach because all we're really trying to do is build relationships. Relationships will turn into business and we view it this way. Roofing and construction is like haircuts Everybody's always going to need one. So we're not having to really scrape for business. We're just looking to connect with folks and let them know hey, we're here for you, we're here to make you laugh, we're here to even pray with you if you need a prayer and then that way it's going to turn into business in the future. So I think that's one of the things that sets us aside is just we're really focused on relationships and then we bring excellent workmanship with it.
Speaker 2:That sounds like everything anyone would need. Tell our listeners about your journey, about how you ended up being on a windy rooftop.
Speaker 3:I was an insurance producer. I ended up becoming an investigator in insurance and also I had carried my adjuster's license. But I did a lot of investigating, more than anything, and it took me through anything you'd have to do with insurance, from your houses to your cars to any other kind of insurance. But I spent a lot of time in the Department of Insurance and learned all about it. But it also put me in the position to where you know. Once I got to where I am now, I can tell people whether they have a claim or not and we'll get to that. And so from there there was a turn of events. I ended up opening also and it was called Extreme Technology also, and it was called Extreme Technology and we did alarm systems and security cameras and we did it for a bunch of builders.
Speaker 3:Now, back whenever the housing market crashed 2008, 2007, 2008,. That's whenever that business kind of went downhill, because whenever I was doing work for the builders, five of them, three of them went out of business immediately. Two of them one was building one house a month, the other one was building the builders. Five of them, three of them went out of business immediately. Two of them one was building one house a month. The other one was building the house every every couple of months and it really made it to where I couldn't survive with the pay that I was getting just from the work we were doing.
Speaker 3:And then I got hooked up with a roofing company out of Georgia and they had me start a roofing company here in in Alabama, and from there I didn't feel like they were doing the things I would, the way I would do it, and so I said you know what, guys, I'm going to move off and do this on my own. So in 2010, I opened up my own roofing company and and from there just has morphed into into what you see today. So I'm 14 years into roofing now but have a lot of background in many different areas. But I mean, I'll tell you I don't know how long your podcast is. We could talk hours for the things that I've done and been a part of.
Speaker 2:Well, it sounds like you're a squiggly line, which I love because it makes you very interesting and possibly a really great guy to hang out with. You seem to have a real handle on the insurance part of roofing and possibly construction. I'm imagining that you run into a lot of misconceptions when you're speaking to people.
Speaker 3:Back in 2009,. There was a really influx of people filing claims and getting their roofs paid for, and the word spread and that's where a lot of your roofing companies had started, I guess, coming onto the scene. And one of the misconceptions is that if you need a new roof, your insurance will pay for it. No, if you need a new roof, they won't always pay for it. They'll only pay for it if you have damage.
Speaker 3:If you have storm damage, whether it be wind or hail, maybe a tree limbs, high velocity projectiles going into your roof so that's one of the things that you have. Just because somebody comes and knocks on your door and says that you have damage in an insurance claim does not mean that's the case. And that's what we try to do as a company to say, hey, listen, if somebody's knocked on your door, they haven't really looked at your roof and they're just out of the blue. Have us come and you can still use them if you have the damage, but let us at least verify that it's really there, because we're more than willing just to come out and give a helping hand, say, hey, you really do have it, they were right, you can use them, that's fine, but if not, then we've saved you some heartache, some frustration, and saved you from filing a claim that was unnecessary.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, when you're not on a roof, Jody, what are you doing for fun?
Speaker 3:a roof. Jody, what are you doing for fun? Well, I have three children, and they range from 19 to 16, all the way down to 12 years old, and they're involved in all different kind of activities and it's always been fun. I grew up playing sports and so my daughter played soccer. She played at college. She's now going in for her nursing degree now and she played one year of college and realized, hey, I'm ready to just focus on studies. And then my son he plays tennis, my 16-year-old, and we're always doing that. We actually have a it's called the sectionals today, so if they do well today in the sectionals, they'll be heading to state for tennis. And then my younger son he wrestles and plays baseball and also plays football. So we do that for fun. But then, on the side notes, maybe during the summer, on the weekends, we like to go up and visit my uncle on the lake and spend some time on the water. That's one of our most fun things to do.
Speaker 2:Gosh, that sounds like fun and your life sounds full and wonderful and you look like a happy guy. And you sound like a happy guy, but maybe there was a challenge somewhere or a hurdle that you vaulted over that has, you know, brought you to this place where you're extra satisfied.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know, back in 2009. And I won't go into heavy details just because, but I'm going to give you the gist of it. And I won't go into heavy details just because, but I'm going to give you the gist of it. There were some things where you realize you know people that you love and that's close to you.
Speaker 3:There was a falling out. There was a. You realize that and I'm trying to not be too specific but they lied and they'd been lying for years and you realized you'd been betrayed and people that you had trusted you couldn't trust anymore. And I went through about four years it was 2009,. About 2013,. Almost into 2014 and realized that it was, it was.
Speaker 3:It was difficult to trust anybody and, uh, you know, for those of you, you know, if you, if you're a Christian, you know, you know the Lord, I was. I was trying to seek the know. If you, if you're a Christian, you know you know the Lord, I was. I was trying to seek the Lord on how to even just function and deal with people in general, because I've always been a people person. And you know, I said, I said out loud to the Lord, I was like you know, god, how can I ever trust anybody, ever again? How can I do that? Now? He did not talk to me audibly, but it was almost like he put inside of me. He asked me a question. He says Jody, when did I ever tell you to trust anybody? And it made me think and I said well, what do you mean? So at that point.
Speaker 3:I went to the Bible, started reading, I got my concordance out. I was looking at all the different things that had to do with trust in the Bible and realized that the Bible was telling me that you can't trust your mother, you can't trust your brother, your sister, your spouse. You're only supposed to put your trust in the Lord. And I was like huh so? And then I heard him basically put my spirit again. He said the only thing I ever told you to do is to love people, and to love them unconditionally. And that's how you're going to be able to deal with not trusting anybody, because if you approach them out of just unconditional love, you don't have to trust them. You're just going to treat them with love.
Speaker 3:So I'm going to give you an example of when there was somebody in my life at the time and they would ask me for some money to help feed their family and before then I had given them money, but they would never go feed their family.
Speaker 3:They'd actually use it and spend it on drugs and do different things. That wasn't right. And so what God had shown me, he says now you're going to treat them out of love. So this is the way you're going to do it. When they come ask you for money to go feed their family, you're going to take them to the grocery store, you're going to buy that food, you're going to take the food to the house with them and you're going to put the food in the refrigerator and in the pantries with them. And so that's what I started doing, realizing that you know I don't have to trust people, but what I am going to do is I'm going to love them, and that makes my life a whole lot easier. And then I was able to start having more peace in my because now I just have a different perspective on life.
Speaker 2:Well, it sounds like people who use extreme roofing and construction might end up with an angel on their roof, wouldn't they be lucky? So what's something that you would like our listeners to take away about extreme roofing and construction?
Speaker 3:Well, there's a couple of things. Number one is you're going to have the honesty and integrity come and tell you what's going to be best for you, because what's best for you is also best for us, because when you have somebody come and truly love you and take care of you, you're going to tell people about us. And the other thing is is you don't have a lot of companies do what we do. Whenever it comes to the work itself, we do not accept any money upfront. When we come do work for you, we do the work, we provide the material, we provide the labor Once we're finished and then you pay us when we're done, because you know that way it just just helps you to be more comfortable and at ease when we're coming and you're not out any money. We're just coming and doing the work and then, once we're done and you're excited about what we've done, then you can pay us and then you can refer us after that.
Speaker 2:Well, how can our listeners learn more?
Speaker 3:I mean, how can they get a hold of you? And extreme roofing, jody, extreme roofing and construction. I would love to be able to meet them. I'd love to be able to have a phone call. You know my phone number is 205-601-0105. Any questions you have I would love to be able to answer and, like I said earlier, if I don't know the answer, I'm going to make a phone call. We'll get somebody on three-way or, if I'm in person with you, we'll get somebody on the phone with us while we're standing there and I'll answer any questions that you have, and that's one way. You can also visit our Facebook. It's Extreme Roofing and Construction and it is with an E-E-X-T-R-E-M-E Roofing and Construction. Look for this logo. We've really branded ourselves. If you see my hat here. Well, I don't know if they can see it, but oh, they can't see the hat, okay.
Speaker 3:But the Extreme is really big. You know, we have the main colors it's like a bright green and you can find us on Facebook. We do have a webpage that we're actually retooling right now because we want to keep up with the times. It's extremeroofingusacom, but within the next several weeks she's going to look totally different than what it looks like now.
Speaker 3:But we'd love to just talk to you because I feel like sometimes the internet and email is more of a disconnect. I would love to be able to hear your vocal inflection, talk with you and even meet with you, because whenever I go to the bank, I don't go through the drive-thru, I walk in there and I talk to the tellers. I don't want to have that disconnect with that window in between us. That's just who we are. We want to connect with you and form a relationship and take care of whatever you need, and if we don't do the work we know people with integrity that do the type of work that we do that we can send somebody else. If we don't do it, we can send them your way and have them take care of you as well.
Speaker 2:Well, jody, when you were nominated for this podcast, it was with this recommendation you need to do a podcast with him. He's a great guy and you are. Thank you so much for coming by and doing this with me, and I love speaking to you and your breath of fresh air. Thanks for uh, thanks for doing the good neighbor podcast well, I appreciate the invite.
Speaker 3:I'd love to do it again sometime if you'd add me absolutely thank you for listening to the good Neighbor Podcast.
Speaker 1:To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpbirminghamcom. That's gnpbirminghamcom, or call 205-952-0148. You.