Meet Kevin Thury | Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kevin Thury and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kevin, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
WashPros.US is a sister to company to another business I own, sidemovers.com. The moving company literally started from scratch. Overtime, we grew into bigger shoes with greater importance on trust and integrity. We developed wonderful relationships and implied trust over those years with customers (they became like family). Treating everyone’s belongings, property, as if it were our own. Over time, our college graduates moved into their new apartments. A year or two later, they found a better half in their boyfriend, girlfriend or partner and began moving into new homes. These same customers began to ask if we provided different types of cleaning services. I asked more specifically what they were looking for. Exterior house cleaning was one of them. I took one year to step away from the moving industry and began to learn, seek experience within the residential, exterior cleaning sector. By April 2017, WashPros.US was born. We have the same values, the same respect with some of the same customers. More importantly, we’ve earned their trust because of our integrity, thoroughness and care. In return, our customers continue to refer us within their network of friends and family (just as they did with the moving company). We are growing as a result. WashPros.US was a no brainer!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As kids, my brother and I had our weekly chores. Our parents felt a strong work ethic was imperative in life. The value of saving towards a goal, realizing the fruits of your labor. Around the 4th grade, my dad would get up in the mornings to help me prepare for my paper route (rolling papers to driving me around the route during the cooler, winter months). How many parents actually do this? Be this invested into your child, more importantly, leading by example? It’s something that imprinted my mind to this very day.

Playing team sports was an important aspect in our upbringing. It taught us how to work and collaborate towards a common goal. How to face adversity, to be flexible and persevere. At times, how to dig deep mentally to win a game when the odds were stacked against you. Our family pedigree is notorious for being late bloomers. I was always one of the smaller kids on these aforementioned teams. Working twice as hard to prove myself or to simply out work the person next to me. Recognizing some limitations while focusing on strengths/controllables.

In time, the growth spurt finally occurred, and the playing field became more level. The only difference now, is I had mental toughness paired with physical abilities. This became the inception of a “Don’t Quit” mantra I have in life.

After college, my professional career started in on-premise sales and account management with Anheuser-Busch, Denver. A little more than a year later, I was promoted to key account sales in downtown Denver. It was positive reviews by our customers, gaining market share in draft sales while staving off, declining package sales and customer relationships that ultimately led to the promotion. This journey repeated itself during my time as an international manufacturer representative as well. New York became my home. As part of our professional management training program, I was recognized by our Dale Carnegie instructor as someone who embodies being a natural leader. A year later, the housing bubble imploded. Sadly, many companies were faced with the difficult task of layoffs, salesforces included. Luckily, our company delayed many layoffs because of a customer contract in place. As business moved forward, my manager noted the strong relationships and bonds I had within my stores, including quality internal relationships with manufacturing plants and marketing. As a result, our company decided to create a first-of-kind position for me. It was a hybrid approach to leverage relationships and sales, selling all product lines to builders, contractors in conjunction with our customers’ regional sales representatives and managers.

To put this into perspective, out of 26,000 employees globally, I was one of three approved for promotion by our board of directors. It’s quite humbling that a company and your manager thought highly enough about your character, work ethic and customer relationships.

As we fast forward, I concluded my professional time in outside sales and project management. Project management offered keen insight into the benefits of customer service, open communication, planning and time management. All of which I use daily as a business owner. The one caveat as you build a brand, you are truly an owner/operator, wearing multiple hats. Your health is of upmost importance. If you do not begin to build a team while implementing processes to support your business, business will cease the moment you stop working. A little over a year ago, I enlisted the help of a proven, successful business owner & coach within our home service industry. It was the best decision I made. I’m continuing to implement several ideas; the coaching forced me to really get to know my numbers behind my business. Pricing as of today, is a direct reflection of my coaching.

Between 2015-2019, life threw a few health curveballs. Needless to say, I’m grateful to be alive. Recovery time, allowed for reflection as to what is important in life. A few promises were made, all of which I’ve honored ever since. People matter, relationships matter. “Never leave the way you feel, to ambiguity ever again.” Often people say you only live once. Not to be morbid, but I prefer, you only die once. This version alone speaks volumes to how precious life really is. In all careers or as a business owner, burn out is real. Never allow your professional life or business to alienate family, friendships and relationships. Those are the quality bonds, life’s rewards, as we strive to build financial and time freedom; to make memories with them respectively. Everything else, really doesn’t matter. No matter what hand life deals you or we created for ourselves via bad decisions, “Don’t Quit.” My parents never wavered with their integrity, character nor selfless nature. No matter how you do it, embrace the “Pay It Forward” mentality, always. Subtle acts of kindness can ripple through life, impacting so many around us without ever being made aware. The world could really use a little more kindness these days. Karma has a funny way of returning the generosity.

In summation, there is something to be said for grit, relationships matter in all facets of life, we are never guaranteed an easy life, attitude is everything and your name is your billboard. Our company growth isn’t by accident. More so, a tribute to a good business plan with an equally great team, earning our way, one customer referral at a time. Integrity is everything. Thank you, mom and dad, for your never-ending friendship, love, support and mentorship.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oooofff, there are so many places to speak to. Buckle up!! Food, sports, music, the outdoors, beer, seems to be the heart and soul of most everyone. The original Brewery Bar on Kalamath St. in Denver, sets your mind right as we settle in day 1 of your visit. Think of it as Cheers, tucked away in an industrial, part of town. The flavorful green chili with pork, atop your favorite burrito “Everyone knows your name!”

After a little social well-being, dependent upon the time of the year, we would whisk away to a football (Broncos) or hockey game (Ah’em, Stanley Cup Champs), to start your weekend right! Amped up after a victorious weekend, we are ready to take our new week by storm! Rest assured, we won’t have a case of the Mondays, as we jump onto I-70 westbound, for a little mountainous views and electric bike riding in the Dillion Reservoir and Breckenridge areas. A true opportunity to swerve around nature absorbing Mother Nature at her best.

If a little more time for travel is needed, continue west to visit the slopes of Steamboat (during ski season) or mountain bike to Fish Creek Falls (summer time) for a little cooling action, wading in the pools. Don’t forget your fly rod and fishing poles as we test the waters of the Yampa River. Hoping to catch the perfect Rainbow Trout.

As the body acclimates to the altitude, we will ascend one of Colorado’s 14er’s, like Mt. Evans, to recharge your soul. Feeling the cool breeze glide across your face, seeing a little slice of heaven with your own eyes. The leg burn, heavy breathing and dry mouth is worth the adventure. As we head southwest of Denver, it’s literally time to get our feet wet white-water rafting on the Arkansas River. It’s the perfect way to see Colorado’s hidden treasures, from below, including the Royal Gorge Bridge itself. All the while navigating class III rapids and above. This will be one excursion for the memory bank, full of adrenaline and camaraderie with your guide and friends. It’s one of my favorite rivers to this day.

Midweek is now upon us, and our mountainous adventure is coming to a close, our trip is not yet done. We will deviate from our path, for an outdoor, natural acoustic creation. Sliding into Red Rocks Amphitheatre for one last encore performance. Immersed in our favorite band, surrounded by picturesque Red Rocks, the Denver skyline as the backdrop. The music gods have listened, when they created the perfect and memorable, one-of-a-kind, concert venue.

After a quality night’s rest, we will bring the trip to a close with a mini, Denver area brewery tour.
Supporting small to well established brewers from the likes of Max Taps to Four Noses, Odell Brewing to the FarmHouse Restaurant at Breckenridge Brewery. Breckenridge Brewery is the perfect spot to sip on a light Agave Wheat beer while sitting around a firepit, even playing a little cornhole, as the sun dips beyond those beautiful Rocky Mountains. Drinking beer stirs up quite the appetite. It’s only appropriate, we meet up with mom and dad for a little quality family time at Abrusci’s Fire & Vine in Lakewood. Indulge your appetite with one of the many flavorful, traditional Italian and seafood dishes. It’s the perfect ambiance to chat with friends and family over a nice glass of red wine or an ice cold beer. Savoring every moment with family and friends.

Sunrise to sunset, your trip can now take a bow and come to a close. “There are no goodbyes, just see you later.”

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Hands down, I dedicate this Shoutout to mom and dad. They come from a resilient era, post The Great Depression and WWII. A time when poverty and uncertainty was real. Families pulling together, to navigate through those times. Times that created tough mindsets among the men and women. An attribute that spawned some of the greatest work ethics moving forward. Over the years, they maintained integrity, class and character with a selfless nature and compassion. Their life lessons, experiences and analytical minds remain invaluable. Every day, I replay former conversations or advice in my head with any decisions or ideas at hand. It’s the little things that really do matter. The only way to repay them, is to “Pay It Forward” in any way that I can. They are my best friends.

Website: Washpros.us

Instagram: washproswindows

Linkedin: Kevin WashPros

Facebook: WashPros Windows & Powerwashing

Image Credits
Headshot: A special thank you to Masha Lyons.