Zinger Key Points
- From naught to a millionaire — this is the inspiring story of a retiree who struggled to make ends meet.
- His "anger about wanting more control of his destiny" motivated him to take up a particular challenge.
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Inspirational stories always serve as reminders that the brave in spirit have fought against the odds and overcome several stumbling blocks en route to success, health, wealth and happiness.
One such story shared by Entrepreneur is a good reminder that one can put on their entrepreneurial cap even when they are past their prime — and become hugely successful doing it too.
Meet Lanier The Roofing Specialist: Don Lanier and his wife moved from California to Indiana when the former retired in 2017. Tired of living in a cramped recreational vehicle, the couple thought it was best to build a house for themselves.
Left with no money to foot the construction cost, Lanier showed up at a bank to secure a loan and was asked to show some source of income, according to Entrepreneur. This, however, put him in a bind as he had to return to the job market, which he had quit not long ago.
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A Turning Point: Lanier applied for a sales job at Honest Abe Roofing, and the hiring executive realized he had work experience in sales and home improvement, the publication noted.
The prescient executive reportedly saw promise in Lanier and brought up his candidacy with Honest Abe's founder and CEO Kevin Newton.
According to Entrepreneur, Newton had a proposition for Lanier, telling him, "You can roof and make a living, or you can have roofers working for you and make a living."
Lanier took up the challenge and became Honest Abe’s first franchisee.
Making It Big: Lanier's first location in Evansville, Indiana generated sales of $10.2 million by the end of 2022, Entrepreneur reported. He now has a second shop located in Louisville, Kentucky, which his son runs.
Between the two locations, Lanier told Entrepreneur he expects to generate sales of about $18 million by the end of 2023.
In Lanier, Honest Abe's Newton saw a person "struggling with retirement and angry about wanting more control of his destiny," Entrepreneur reported.
“This isn’t about Don being good at looking at KPIs,” Newton said. “That crap can all be learned.”
Photo: Shutterstock
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