Meet Kris Talalt | General Contractor

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

Hi Kris, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
Owning a residential remodel company is not what I thought it was going to be when I took ownership over the company I used to work for. The image of being a business owner from the outside looking in is far different than the inside looking out. When I was an employee, there was a bit of ‘glam’ looking at guys who owned the company. They always seem to be busy, organized, stress-free when in fact, now that Im in the driver seat, is far from the truth. As I speak with other business owners, Ive found that its the exact same in any industry. Everyone appears to have it all together when in reality, its a constant whirlwind of ups and downs. This all being said, as a business owner in the construction industry, there are times of the year (mostly around the holidays) that the phone slows down. Ive been a business owner going on 6yrs now. Every year the same thing happens and every year I have to hide the stress/panic and continue to be a strong leader and push forward. There has not been a year where work has slowed down, that I dont feel like selling the company and going back to working for someone. What keeps me going, is that it happens every year. We slow down. I panic. Every year the same thing happens, the phone will start ringing again and I am booked out for the entire year again. This has been my reason for not giving up. The uncomfortable feeling is always temporary. The fear I have as a business owner…is giving up on myself and my guys so that I can avoid the uncomfortable feeling. Thats unacceptable.

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.
(Copied from my Facebook):

I dont know where to start this post so I think I’ll just go for it. Ill try to keep it short but well see. Thanks for everything. Next chapter.

Approximately 3 years ago I had a meeting with my boss at ExpoLogic. I enjoyed the travel but I needed more out of the job. I needed a higher position, I needed more pay for more responsibilities. My boss of 4yrs basically told me that unless my direct boss moved from his position, his hands were tied. I respectfully thanked him for the 4yrs I spent with them and explained that I needed more out of the life I had been given. I came home and immediately started on making the biggest move of my life. Colorado. Its been my dream since I was a kid and came out here at a young age. The fact is, I was too much of a sissy to make the leap. I am beyond grateful to have Brittany at my side. She is CONSTANTLY pushing me to 1 up myself. We are an incredible team. Without her, I wouldn’t be typing this from Colorado. I promise you that.
So we skipped town. Britt is her own boss of multiple companies, so she is able to work from home. I had some side cash stashed to keep us floating. I skipped town with no job. Nothing even remotely lined up. Scared out of my mind! Leap of faith. We scooped up a tiny 1br apartment with two 50-70lb dogs. 👍🏻🙃. I found this quick grab job at a mom & pop hardware store for basically nothing. Enough for literally the bare minimum needs.
…let’s fast forward. I quit that bogus job the second I could. I applied to a local construction company and they offered me a position on the spot. Not to gloat, but it was the best pay I’ve had in my life. I cried on my way home from the interview. Full blown. Like a bitch. Ive NEVER been so happy in my life. Ever. All this while I’m driving west, with a full backdrop of the rocky mountains.
I started with the company in July 2019. In less than 4 months, I was able to chip away at YEARS of destroying my credit. I went HARD into fixing it all and in January of 2020, at the age of 30, we purchased our first house.
I’ve been working for these guys a little over a year now and I REALLY dig my job. Its fun to work with my hands and help build other peoples dream projects. I dont work. I go and create and come home. I just happened to get paid.
Back in September 2020, I had a meeting with my boss. I was told that they were looking to retire after 30yrs and they were curious if I had any interest in purchasing the company. 😳 Speechless.
I’m going to just say it.
Britt and I purchased the company!
I am CEO of Blue Ribbon Builders Inc. I am finally my own boss.
Britt will be taking CFO (as she owns her own accounting business already) as well as helping me take this company to a whole new level.
I am so happy for this life.
I am so grateful for the people along this ride that have shaped me into exactly who I want to be and shown me who I never want to be.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading and being a part of this.

Lessons learned: I am still learning everyday but with every mistake made in business is a lesson learned. Sort of like touching a hot stove. You learn what works with clients and what doesn’t work. There is a big difference between the guy I was when I first started and the person I am now. Ive come to find that in the beginning, I would speak with customers and try to sell myself and my work. This doesn’t work very well because back then, I didn’t have enough experience to speak on so in all reality, I probably sounded like i was full of crap. Jumping to today, I have so many more projects and experience under my belt that speaking construction now comes as a second language and instead of trying to sell myself to my clients, I just speak from experience and share that knowledge with them. This builds a massive sense of trust that they have someone who is well equipped to take on their project no matter the size.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is a tough one coming from the east coast (Philly area).

The food here sucks. Nobody takes pride in what they present and its bland. I am an absolute critic. Sure there are a few between places that are better but the vast majority is not even remotely worth the cost of what you get.

That being said, when out of town guests come to visit I always take them for a spin up to Estes Park. Sure its touristy, but in my opinion, one of the most beautiful spots to visit here. EVERYONE goes to Garden of the Gods when they visit and although its pretty……its an overplayed tourist spot and doesn’t quite share colorado the way that my wife and I see colorado.

What we do enjoy doing is going off-roading out towards A-Basin/Keystone area. I take our guests deep into the mountains/woods and then we climb the sides of the mountains to give a breathtaking panoramic view (above 12,000ft) that the general public doesn’t get to share. We normally pack a picnic/grill/drinks and just take it all in.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My wife gets more credit in my story than I will ever deserve. She is the driving force behind why I became a business owner. She is the reason that we left PA together to move to Colorado. I had no job when we arrived here and she floated the both of us and two dogs while I was able to get myself established with a decent company to make ends meet. She is the one who pushed me to say ‘yes’ when I was offered the opportunity to purchase the company from the old owner. As an registered EA with the IRS, she showed me how the numbers worked in purchasing the business and helps me handle the ongoing finances of the company. I don’t believe this small blurb will ever get her the credit that she deserves.

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