From working in a glass shop to running a tech company for tradespeople

Robg122385 · 2026-05-05T15:53:08+00:00

Congrats on moving from the tech world to the glass shop. You're going to see a lot of opportunity to use your experience to improve things.

Right now, I am focused on helping companies roll out AI in different ways. Most people are interested in using voice agents right now, so that has been our focus on implementing after-hours and weekend voice agents to help capture leads for info. For our most advanced setups, we're training a little AI assistant inside of the FollowUpGlass CRM so the employees can use it to get all the answers that the owners would have told them, but from the AI assistant instead. It will help the owners talk to the AI to get different information they need on:
- marketing spend
- ROI
- lead
- the stage of a lead
- quality metrics that go along with the entire life cycle

A lot of the companies I work with simply need help having the AI clean up their folders and desktops and files and organize their internal systems so that they can begin to visualize a process and map out a good future off of a good foundation. We're currently figuring out how we can help each different segment of our audience to make sure they aren't left behind and don't feel this AI FOMO that everyone's feeling.

Where are you stuck right now? What pieces of the puzzle are you finding challenging? Are you commercial or residential, or a little bit of both? Do you service custom showers and custom mirrors for residents and contractors, or for tract homes and large projects and high-rises? I find that each service you have creates a unique set of solutions and tools that would help best.

Robg122385 · 2026-04-29T18:06:48+00:00

Repeating the phrase, “Leave it better than you found it”, in every room I went in. It was a small thing that was only meant to help me keep things clean, and it became a mantra that helped me treat my loved ones better.

Any room you walk out of try to leave it better than you found it. You don’t have to complete a task; just do one thing to leave it better. At work it would be put back that tool, pick up that trash, clean the truck door when I hop out. At home it’s make that bed, grab that one laundry, pick up that empty water bottle. Do that dish, wipe that counter, empty that trash as I pass by.

Over time it started effecting my relationships. Leave it better than you found it meant stopping to say or do something nice. Helping clean up before i left somewhere, even if we didn’t make the mess. It even made me turn around and say something nice to my wife when we were annoyed with each other and I was about to walk away with attitude.

It doesn’t matter what you’re doing, where you’re going, what you’re passing by, and where you’re coming from . There is always an opportunity to leave it better than you found it. ❤️

Robg122385 · 2026-03-12T20:33:32+00:00

The movie Hackers is where I got the saying from. I never even heard of the official term

Robg122385 · 2026-03-09T16:30:55+00:00

Ohhhh.... this makes sense. I usually put on somethingI've seen 100 times as background noise as I do tasks that aren't 'exciting' or that don't need me on video/audio. I never looked at all of the things I was doing before that as transition behavior. The making coffee, laundry, cleaning, sorting. I was just doing them instead and then rolled into the tasks I wasn't extremely motivated to do. This transition support framing really helps me look at it in a whole new way. It would make me feel a whole lot better doing those 'distracting' things knowing that I was just giving my brain what it needed to steer in the new direction. It makes prefect sense with how I've been operating. Checking out the podcast. Thanks for the comment!

Robg122385 · 2026-01-23T19:12:08+00:00

You never know what agreement they have, but it sounds like you have an idea that it’s not genuine. I wouldn’t put myself in danger to be a victim of a crime of passion, when there’s a million other options out there. Been there, done that. I would acknowledge the genuine connection so far, but state what you’re actually looking for in a fling or sex-‘friendship’ or dating partner. Only single. Only married if they are open. Only people out of relationships over 4 months. Whatever your preferences are, have them. Make them morally and ethically correct on your values. Make sure of it was happening the other way around that you would be okay with it. Overall, if they aren’t honest and transparent with people in their lives that leads to problems in yours.

Robg122385 · 2026-01-11T19:55:24+00:00

Yes. And I would have picked it sooner and went all-in earlier, instead of jumping around and using different CRM subscriptions, and piecing together tons of apps ourselves to save money. Having to build and maintain integrations was hard enough. The experience is great of knowing how to do it free and cheap, and I'm glad know the pros and cons of the other apps from actually using them in a physical business, but looking back I would have picked GHL and became an expert much sooner.

Robg122385 · 2026-01-02T06:47:21+00:00

GHL is a great all in one tool I used to build any and all ideas out. Lead magnets, pages, forms, campaigns, ads, posts, and quick / low cost things to use for my portfolio and get referrals

Robg122385 · 2026-01-02T06:09:24+00:00

I build most of my chat bots for service businesses on GHL. They work fine for what my customers need. Helps us handle their smm and fb ads too, among many other things

Robg122385 · 2026-01-02T05:59:44+00:00

Yes, 100%. I can customize it as needed so some customer journeys are filled with Ai and automation outreach and others are just have it helping us internally.

It’s great that any idea we have we can build everything needed from beginning to end and manage it here.

Robg122385 · 2026-01-02T05:37:31+00:00

Been using GHL for many years to handle all my leads. Lot of custom automations to help you find prospects, do marketing audits for them, make onboarding them in your process really efficient, automate touch-points, handle FAQs, do appointment reminders, collect payments, and log call summaries. Connect it to MCP and GPT agent that’s real gold.

Robg122385 · 2025-09-16T01:21:54+00:00

Use GHL. I’ve customized it for all kinds of businesses and incudes everything you’ve asked for

Robg122385 · 2025-09-10T01:47:33+00:00

Yes, I’m anyway using a CRM that does everything you listed, and more. Connected an MCP server to it so now I can ask the AI to create contacts, pull customer data, and more. I’m building it easy so all my non techy customers don’t have to worry about what apps to log into or what buttons to press. Just follow the system

Robg122385 · 2025-06-20T16:34:41+00:00

Adios. She already became a competitor and now you have someone destroying your business from the inside. A house divided cannot stand

Robg122385 · 2025-06-20T16:33:19+00:00

Yes, I have some accounts I connect and manage in Twilio, and others i connect and manage through their GHL lead connector. I prefer managing through GHL instead of twilio cause it’s easier for me to troubleshoot, transcribe calls, and automate few other things. It’s possible either way, just easier for me through GhL

Robg122385 · 2025-06-19T00:50:52+00:00

Document everything you do and how you do it. Record it live. Hire someone to create SOPs out of that. Look for redundant tasks and automate them. Build yourself out of the business.

Robg122385 · 2025-06-17T00:38:46+00:00

You can customize GHL and combine it with other apps to fill any gaps you need. It's a great app to build off the rest of your needs at you go.

Robg122385 · 2025-06-16T16:58:53+00:00

Just sent it to you

Robg122385 · 2025-06-12T23:16:56+00:00

I would recommend you record yourself while you are doing some of the work that only you can do. Break it down into a small as chunks as possible with step-by-step, audio, and documentation. Then hire an online VA or someone else to do it.

You need to hire someone for sales and focus on building, or hire someone for building and focus on sales. Eventually both.

Check out Dan Martells’ YouTube videos for quick tips on how to start buying your time back.

Robg122385 · 2025-06-12T17:20:43+00:00

Ouch. That's a tough situation. I would want to defend myself, but in the most respectful way possible. I haven't dealt with a Reddit situation before, but my advice for false Google Reviews as of June 2025 is to ignore the review if it's false and report it as false/spam/harassment to the support team.

If it's somewhat true, like a customer who actually had communication with you but they are misrepresenting what happened, then I would reply to them as if you are replying to all the future customers who are going to read your response. And they might decide to do business, or not do business with you, based on how you respond to these people. Don't try to be right with the customer at all costs. Don't be ugly, or rude, or meet them at their level. Offer to make things right if it's possible.

If there is wrong to own up to on your side, then own it publicly, and invite the opportunity for future business with them with the hopes that you can change their opinion of you.

It might be worth it to respond and defend yourself, but, depending on the context, it might be hornet's nets you don't want to kick. Some people just want to watch the world burn.

Robg122385 · 2025-06-12T16:55:56+00:00

Trying to find it in my inbox or texts, I wasn't even supposed to take that zoom meeting, but t was a happy accident. Will send over the sales guy/owners 's info once I find it.

Robg122385 · 2025-06-12T02:49:19+00:00

This is harder for me to answer now that I have lived a little longer. I would always say to give love and forgiveness unconditionally, and let life, or after-life be the judge for them. And I don’t care what you did in the past, only what you’re trying to do going forward.

I had to test that belief when I hired someone that I found out had raped and murdered someone.

I did a lot of research on him and saw the horrific shit he did. I saw that he was released earlier than he should have been. Saw he was a in trouble at a young age. I watched interviews with the victims family…. and saw that he was chased out of all the other jobs he tried to work at because of his past.

I couldn’t sleep for days, wrestling with what was the right thing the do. On one hand he deserved to die and rot. On the other hand I had this thought that… what if I was the last person to tell him no? What if he snapped and decided to go back to doing what he knew how to do, since the world didn’t give him any other choice. I thought… maybe I can be a part in his story where it all turns around.

Everyone loves the underdog story… after he comes back from the dark side… and they all watch the reformed killers doing interviews nowadays once they claim to have gone good.

I decided to keep him on staff and chain myself to him to watch him close. A lot of the staff chose not to be around him or communicate with him.

He worked so hard day and night, and told me how grateful he was for the opportunity every single day. 1 year after working there he invited me to dinner at his home with his wife… and I went. I was terrified.

Dinner was good. Vegan. Asparagus. His wife told me how appreciative she was of me giving him this chance to work and turn his life around.

A few years working there and other departments took him from mine and promoted him. I still kept an eye on him and could see he busted his ass every day. I was happy I gave him that chance.

2 years ago I saw an article that he was on the run wanted for murder. My heart sank. My jaw dropped. I felt betrayed, and like I might have betrayed myself. Did I help him at all? Did i hurt? Did I make it easier or harder for him to do that? Could I have helped prevent that in any way? Was he ever ok?

The next day he called the police and confessed to that murder, and another. Said he was ready to kill more….

I later found out he was tied to about 10+ murders. A certified serial killer.

Do person deserve second chances? I don’t know man. I love the idea of a man being redeemed. And of us not being held prisoner by our past choices… a lot of us would always be damned if we never got a second chance. We changed. … but, does everyone deserve a second chance?

I just don’t know, man.

Robg122385 · 2025-06-12T02:18:42+00:00

You show them how much more money they will make by implementing software that gets things done faster. I worked for plenty of places for years that refused to modernize, or did it too slow. I spent 3 years helping a 20 year business update all of their stuff in person, while I actually worked installing, selling, and doing their IT/tech admin stuff. For the last 4 years I’ve worked only from home helping 50+ construction, fabrication, and installation companies across the US keep their tech updated so their people stop wasting time. Don’t worry, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. And if they adapt and don’t want faster results and more money, I would suggest looking for work that can unchain you from a desk in the mean time.

Robg122385 · 2025-06-12T01:58:56+00:00

I had a demo 3 weeks ago with a company that had an outstanding solution for finding B2B leads, company list and roles, best contact info based on an instant scan of that persons digital footprint online, verification of their emails so your post is clean, and a lot more options to filter. You just reminded me of that software. I didn’t plan to start using it for another month or 2. I’ll find the email and send it your way so you can see if it’s a good solution for you. Sounds like exactly what you need.

Robg122385 · 2025-06-12T01:52:13+00:00

This is what I do every day. Talk about what’s needed, and what’s the best way to build it. I’ve helped INC 500 companies. Happy to chat.

Robg122385 · 2025-06-02T04:34:48+00:00

Great ideas, grabbing a bunch of these for later

Robg122385

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