S2E376 Revenue is Vanity, Profit is Sanity - an Interview with Tommy Mello

The Brian Buffini Show

Brian Buffini

Entrepreneur, Brian Buffini, Business, Entrepreneurship, Coaching, Good, Life

4.8 • 2.4K Ratings

🗓️ 24 February 2026

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode, Tommy Mello shares with Brian the story of how sheer grit, hard work, and strong relationships helped him build a company valued at $2B, A1 Garage Door Service. Tommy discusses his humble, blue-collar background, where he worked on a series of jobs including busing tables, lifeguarding, bartending, and flipping cars —until a roommate introduced him to the garage door industry. Tommy started there first as a painter, before becoming the “go-to guy” for multiple companies, and eventually launching his own business. He also shares how the relationships he developed with mentors and other important people in his life informed how he treats the employees at his own company.

Tommy also discussed the strategies he has learned and used along the way, including the key performance indicators (KPIs) that help him to continue to create business success.

YOU WILL LEARN:

How to move from hustle to leadership by building systems, processes, and accountability.
A simple KPI framework to reverse-engineer your budget and start the year with momentum.
The four questions he uses to help create a superior, client-service experience every time, no matter the customer’s budget.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

NOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE:

“Profitability is the lifeblood of a company.” — Tommy Mello

“If I could help you get to your goals, can you help me in return? But I'll make sure I show up first. And man, that worked wonders.” — Tommy Mello

“We never say the word ‘expensive’. We say ‘top of the line.’ We never say ‘cheapest’. We say ‘builder grade.” — Tommy Mello

"I’m the best I’ve ever been, but the worst I’ll ever be—because tomorrow I’m going to be 1% better.” — Tommy Mello

“If I were to talk to my younger self, I would say, ‘Don't worry about what everyone else says. Don't be afraid of someone saying no. Don't be afraid of rejection. Don't worry. The only person you've got to worry about is yourself.’” — Tommy Mello

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to It's a Good Life, the podcast for entrepreneurs, where it's all about growing yourself and your business.
0:09.6	Here's your host, founder of America's largest business coaching company, Brian the Feeney.
0:16.9	Well, the top of the morning to you and welcome to Itits of Good Life. I have a treat for you today.
0:21.9	A self-made man, a man after my own heart, the way he treats his staff, the way he treats his customers. And he started as a painter, which of course, Buffanis have five generations of painting underneath their belts, so we love that. he has a great story.
0:35.8	Now it's going to be a hard interview in some regards
0:37.5	because there's one word I can't get me voice around as an Irishman.
0:41.0	I can never say the American version. It's always garage to me. Garage. So he's the founder of the CEO of A1 Garage Door Services, Tommy Mello. He's a businessman's businessperson. He's an entrepreneur's entrepreneur, and we are delighted to have you. Tommy, thanks for making the time for us today. I appreciate it, Brian. Thank you very much. So you have a great story, a great story. And I think this time of year people are getting their year off to a great start. It'd be great to hear your story. I think people could relate to it. And still to this day,
1:11.8	you still got the fire in your belly, the zip on your fastball. And I think it'd be super inspirational.
1:17.4	So take us back to all the way back to where it started for you. Well, it started in Sterling Heights,
1:23.6	Michigan. My dad owned an automotive shop, transmissions. And he did really good. I learned a lot
1:32.0	about business as a kid, except he didn't pay the IRS. And that doesn't go well for business.
1:37.5	So you learned that you learned that one lesson, yeah?
1:39.8	Pay your taxes. Yeah. Uncle Sam needs to get paid. So at that point, he lost the business. He and my mother broke up and divorced. And we'll never forget. My mom decided she was going to work. We weren't moving out of our house. My dad went through some trials back then. Still, he's going to be the best man of my wedding here coming up. So I love the hell out of both my parents and my sister.
2:02.2	I wouldn't have changed much, but mom decided she was going to work and do whatever
2:05.9	she had to do. And so I relied a lot on coaches and just being around the right people back
2:11.8	then, but mom worked three jobs. And so I started mowing lawns and shoveling snow in Michigan
2:16.9	because that's what you do when
2:18.3	you're a kid and you know you don't need at least I didn't think we needed a business license I didn't
2:22.5	get in any trouble I can make uh make decent money I can buy my own stuff pay for my own lunches
2:28.3	back then and uh that's where it all began is just my mom taught me how to love and how to work hard.
2:36.1	My dad taught me how to be competitive and we don't get participation trophies.
2:40.0	So that type of pedigree, I just learned to be self-reliant at an early age.
	...

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