We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Madison Heller. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Madison below.
Madison, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.
It is no surprise to people that the way they are raised affects the person they will one day become. My parents were very strict growing up, and they held me to the highest expectations. I remember, as a kid asking my mom to go hang out with my friends, to which she would respond, “No.” Then, when I complained that everyone else was going, she would tell me, “Well, you are not like everyone else.” It was hard to understand why my parents held me to such a high standard as a kid. Now, as a business executive, I know. The people who create monumental waves in the world are not the ones that go with the flow but, instead, those that question what is happening around them. I am not scared to take a chance and try something out of the box because I know I am not like everyone else. What was a hard lesson to learn as a kid is ultimately what I attribute most of my success to.
Madison, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Yes of course! From a young age, I always imagined myself doing something great and finding a way to help others, but I never knew exactly how that would play out. At the age of 16, I had brain surgery, and doctors diagnosed me with four rare health conditions that ultimately changed the trajectory of my life. I was diagnosed with Chiari Malformation, POTS, Lupus, and Ehlers-Danlos. Instead of letting my conditions hinder my life, I used them to empower me and prove that our circumstances do not have to define us. I wanted to inspire others that our dreams can still be our realities, even with obstacles. I began competing in pageants and won the title of Miss New Mexico Teen USA, which gave me a larger platform to share my story. Since then, I have learned that you do not need a title to make a difference. I began focusing on my education and moved to Texas, where I attended Texas Christian University. At the time, I did not know what my future had in store but ultimately led to where I am today with CrewMaster. Within the first few weeks of class, my professor had us pick a partner we would have for the entirety of the semester. My partners’ name was Eric, and we worked together on projects, then I later found out that he owned a company. Eventually, he hired me to work for his company, where I became his assistant. After three years of working closely, he asked me to become his business partner, which is how CrewMaster started.
Eric had a vision of connecting the entire roofing industry in one platform. He recognized how much time roofing contractors spent trying to find reliable labor crews. On the flip side, roofing crews and subcontractors were trying to get connected with contractors that were good to work for. Shockingly, there was no good way to connect, and most people in the industry were trying to connect on Facebook groups. The issue still stood, how can you know you are connecting with the right person?
CrewMaster is an all-in-one platform. Simply put, CrewMaster allows roofing contractors, subcontractors, crew leaders, and crew members to connect in one place. You can search for the connection you need by filtering based on roof type, city, state, rating, licenses, etc. Once you have worked with someone on the platform, you can share your experience and rate them. We wanted a way to keep everyone in the roofing industry booked and busy, but in a simple way. Once users are in the software, we are out of the picture. We do not connect people; we provide the opportunity for them to freely connect. Ultimately this saves people time and money, which in return makes them more profit. The best part is that signing up is free, allowing users to see what CrewMaster is all about and how it can help them succeed. The roofing industry is booming, and we want to help those within the industry to continue seeing long-term success.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
Ultimately, I think you keep high company morale by including your team in everything and being an active leader. I have learned there is a big difference between managing and leading, and I always focus on leading our team. Managing is ensuring that everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing and that all tasks are being done. Yes, you have to manage people; however, management is much easier when you are an active leader. We encourage open communication as a company, as the best ideas often come from collaboration. We are always looking for new ways to improve, which means questioning why we do things a certain way. We ensure that everyone within the company understands the company vision and why specific metrics and structures are in place. When someone understands and believes in the vision, not as much managing has to be done. If you manage things on the back end by meeting with your department leaders and collaboratively creating goals and expectations, they can lead the rest of the company in the right direction. We like to focus on inspiring our team through leadership and inclusion.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
I have always laughed at how my business partner and I met because it always surprises people. Many times in life you meet people who flow in and out of your life, and some end up sticking; that is exactly what happened with Eric and me. I met my business partner, Eric, in college. One semester, we were in a study group together, and the next semester we ended up being class partners for the entirety of the semester. He would always be stepping out of class to take a phone call or answer a call right as he walked out of class at the end of the lecture. I always noticed how busy he was. Eventually, I asked him what he was always doing, and he would say, “working.” Being young and in college, I did not think much of it. As we became friends, he told me that he owned a business, which was the end of the conversation. Months later, he asked me to edit some paperwork for his company, which I was happy to do. Then, when he asked me for help again, I jokingly told him to hire me. We both laughed, then he asked if I was serious. Not long after, he brought me into his company as a part-time executive assistant, and I began learning more about his company. After graduating college, I decided to become a full-time employee and was ready to make a change in the company. Eric being Eric, he found a need in the roofing industry and wanted to create a solution, so he began creating CrewMaster. That is when he asked if I would be the CEO. We make a great team, and I am excited to see how we can grow this company together. The story of how Eric and I went from college classmates to business partners is one of my favorite stories to tell people. You never know how much impact the people who come into your life can have until it happens.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.crewmaster.us
- Instagram: crewmaster.us
- Facebook: CrewMaster – Roofing Directory
- Linkedin: CrewMaster – Roofing Directory
- Youtube: crewmaster
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crewmaster.us?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc