Ep. 545 - A1 Roofing Co-Owner and Chief Culture Officer Vincent Malizia - How To Build a Company You’ll Never Want to Leave
Second in Command: The Chief Behind the Chief with Cameron Herold
Second in Command with Cameron Herold
4.9 • 225 Ratings
🗓️ 15 January 2026
⏱️ 49 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
What if building world-class company culture could slash turnover, ignite team loyalty, and make you love coming to work, even after 14 years in the trenches?
In this electrifying episode, guest host Sivana Brewer dives deep with Vincent Malizia, Co-Owner and Chief Culture Officer at A1 Roofing, to reveal how a "people first" mindset transformed his business. They unpack how working alongside family, delegating with trust, and prioritizing fulfillment (inside and outside work) create truly sustainable success. You'll hear raw stories, unconventional tactics, and hard-earned lessons on leadership, autonomy, and building a company that people actually brag about.
Listen now to discover proven strategies that will help you avoid endless burnout, break free from revolving team doors, and stand out with powerful emotional intelligence. This is an exclusive, story-rich episode, a must-hear for any operator or leader ready to love their business (and life).
Timestamped Highlights
[00:00] – Why most people who resist change eventually check out, and how Vincent attracts “let’s go” energy
[01:14] – The unexpected origins of A1 Roofing: family hustle, college lessons, and sharing everything
[08:04] – When company leaders choose team dignity over difficult clients—winning big by walking away
[09:08] – How investing in health benefits, retreats, and family flexibility created a magnetic culture
[12:32] – Unlimited PTO and summer Fridays: why radical time-off policies actually increased productivity
[13:01] – The surprising drop in turnover rate, and how Vincent’s approach crushed industry averages
[15:14] – Why giving up Saturday work fueled energy and fulfillment for tough field roles
[22:27] – How moving from “doing it all” to scalable systems unlocked Vincent’s passion (and his sleep)
[27:02] – Mentorship, leadership meetings, and a wild commitment to personal growth—all in the real world
[34:10] – Inside the rare, drama-free CEO/COO partnership—what makes “ego-free” collaboration last
[39:55] – How AI transformed operations and supported team members with real challenges
About the Guest
Vincent Malizia is the Co-Owner and Chief Culture Officer of A1 Roofing, a leading commercial roofing company serving the New York tri-state region. Known for his 14+ years of people-first leadership, Vincent rebuilt A1’s company culture from the ground up—cutting turnover by more than half and fostering a team of nearly 100 employees. He’s recognized for his advocacy of autonomy, meaningful recognition systems, family-friendly policies, and investing in mentorship at every level.
Mentioned Resources
- John Starks (guest speaker, leadership retreats)
- Join Assembly (employee recognition software)
- WhatsApp chat (team communication)
- ChatGPT (AI tool for job notes and operations)
- KFC – Colonel Sanders story
- Gary Vaynerchuk
About the Co-Host
Sivana Brewer is a Fractional COO for Remote Teams and former COO at Closers.io, where she helped scale the company to multiple eight figures and built over 500+ sales teams in just 2.5 years. She specializes in leadership development, remote operations, and systems that empower teams to grow sustainably.
🔗 Connect with Sivana on LinkedIn
Important Links
- Connect with Cameron: Website | LinkedIn
- Explore the COO Alliance - The World’s Leading Community for Seconds in Command
- Get Cameron’s book: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO Book
- Take Cameron’s leadership course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off)
- Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi
The Second in Command Podcast is an original production hosted by Cameron Herold and co-hosted by Sivana Brewer. Brought to you by COO Alliance. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | And typically, those people have checked out. Most of the people that don't want to learn and grow anymore will check out at some point. I feel pretty confident in saying, I think most of them have left. The majority of people that are at a year know who we are and what we're about, and they're here, they're alone for the ride. They're like, let's go. We got it. Like, it's not going to be easy, but this is our fifth software system in six years. we'll figure it out. |
| 0:23.9 | You know? |
| 0:24.2 | Let's do it. |
| 0:24.7 | Yeah. for the ride. They're like, let's go. We got it. Like, it's not going to be easy, but this is our fixed software system in six years. We'll figure it out. And I think it helps that |
| 0:26.6 | when we're launching in this system, we're not screaming and yelling at people. Like, you should |
| 0:31.1 | have been up and running six months ago. We pay for the trainings, the support. And as a team, |
| 0:37.4 | we work on it and we get it done. |
| 0:45.4 | Welcome to the Second in Command podcast, produced by the C.O. Alliance and brought to you by |
| 0:51.3 | its founder, Cameron Harold. In the Second In Command podcast, we talked to |
| 0:56.1 | top COOs who share the insights, strategies, and tactics that made them the chief behind the chief. |
| 1:02.3 | And now here's your co-host, former COO of a multi-eight-figure remote company and alumni member of the |
| 1:08.8 | COO Alliance, Savannah Brewer. |
| 1:14.2 | Today's guest is A1 Roofing Co-owner and Chief Culture Officer Vincent Melizia, |
| 1:19.6 | a man who has spent over a decade building not just roofs, but an incredible company culture. |
| 1:25.0 | Starting out as a kid cleaning job sites alongside his father and brother, |
| 1:29.2 | Vincent learned early that if you want nice things, you have to be willing to work for them. |
| 1:34.1 | That drive paired with a business degree from St. Joseph's College has helped him grow A1 roofing |
| 1:39.2 | into a thriving people-first organization. In our conversation, Vincent shares how they rebuilt their culture |
| 1:45.1 | to drastically reduce turnover. The role mentorship plays in developing leaders, and my delegating |
| 1:51.3 | with trust and autonomy is essential for long-term success. We also talk about his philosophy |
| 1:56.7 | on self-fulfillment and caring for yourself outside of work and how those values have allowed |
| 2:01.4 | him to love the business he's helped lead for over 14 years. |
... |
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