How A Refinishing Business Delivers Affordable Home Restoration with Armando Garcia

0:00Welcome to Epic Entrepreneurs. I am Cliff McRae with Action Coach Business Growth Partners. Every week, we sit down with business owners, founders, and leaders to uncover the real stories behind building a successful business. The wins, the setbacks, the lessons learned, and the strategies that help them grow. No scripts, no fluff, just honest conversations with entrepreneurs who are in the trenches every single day. Whether you are a business owner yourself, thinking about starting a business, or simply enjoy hearing how successful people think and operate, you are in the right place. Let's jump into today's episode, shall we?

0:39Hello everyone, I hope everyone's having a great day. So welcome to this week's episode of Epic Entrepreneurs. I am Cliff McRae with Action Coach Business Growth Partners, where we work with local business owners to turn big ideas into real, scalable growth. Today I'm excited to be joined by Armando Garcia with Miracle Method. Armando, thanks for being here. How are you doing today? I'm doing great, sir. Thank you for having me. Yeah, yeah, we're excited to have you. So let's go ahead and jump right into things. For those of you who may not know it yet, who are you? Who is Armando Garcia and what is Miracle Method?

1:14Well, Armando Garcia is an actual past technician for Miracle Method, believe it or not. And during my time with Miracle Method as a technician, I was offered the opportunity to purchase it and continue the business. So I took the challenge on and here we are. Now, as far as Miracle Method, what Miracle Method is, we are basically a budget-friendly option to replacement. anything from countertops bathtubs tile garage floors anything that can take a coating we can pretty much apply it hello can you hear me armando yes sir i can now it went oh okay oh wow that was weird i was i'm over here talking having a whole conversation with myself i'm sorry about that oh man yeah you didn't hear anything i just said yeah i'm sorry i was muted i'm sorry about that.

2:15Yeah, because I was pouring me some water. I'm sorry about that. But yeah, yeah. So what I was saying was, you know, take me back to the very beginning. You know, I know you kind of said you purchased the company. Well, what made you go from that transition to being a worker to purchasing a company? Well, it was basically being able to take something that was damaged and being able to restore it and make it new again. So that was one of my main focuses. It was more of taking pride in, you know, restoring something and making it look nice. Making it look nice. Okay. Okay. Yes. So let's say you had to start again from absolute scratch.

2:59You know, you had no brand, no clients, no safety net. What would you do differently the second time around with owning your business? In the same business without having a safety net or training per se. Of course, there would be a lot of time invested in learning this trade because we do such a wide range of restoration in what we do. So that's a very difficult question because I didn't come into this until after I was already trained and prepared for this. But how would I start this business again? And one of the key things of this business was the simple fact of you have the support. It's basically a family-type support system with Miracle Method because it is a franchise.

3:51That is the one thing that I did not include. It is a nationwide company, and they offer a lot of support. They have their home office in Colorado Springs, and they have a training facility there. They prepare you with everything that you need to be able to support the business and also represent the brand correctly. So me as coming from the actual technical side and not as a business owner, that was exactly what I needed to be able to start teaching me the actual business side of it versus just the technical side. Okay. Okay. Okay. So, you know, and obviously this is, you know, you can let me know if this is true or not, but are you more of an entrepreneur or an employee at heart?

4:39Well, at the beginning, I will say I started off as an employee at heart, but now due to their help and support, I've been able to start transitioning over to the entrepreneurial side. So it's taught me, it's taken me from basically rock bottom to where I currently am now. And it's all business growth at the end. And it's opened my mind to other opportunities that could in the close future happen for us as well, whether it be real estate or some other ventures that my other members here in our company are seeking. So it definitely has groomed me to be more of an entrepreneur versus just an employee.

5:32Okay, okay. So what would you say is a lesson you learned the hard way as a business owner that no one really prepares you for? There are certain trainings that I think you should take part of prior to starting a business. management of the finances, for example, bookkeeping, having some type of certification in accounting, a business type education would be extremely helpful at the start of the business. That way you know how to manage everything. But that would be the only thing I would change from the very beginning. That would have been something I would have pursued to get a little more of a clear understanding of business.

6:26Understood. Understood. So what would you say is one common myth people believe about running a business that makes you laugh now when you hear it? The thing I hear very often, you own a business, you're swimming in money. Yeah. Where's the Lamborghini? Where's the Bugatti? Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. And you're saying that's not the case? Well, I have no complaints. I'm well off. I'm thankful for what I have. God's been good to me. But in the sense of swimming and wealth and, you know, and stuff of that nature, no, that is incorrect. It takes time. It takes a lot of effort to build that type of lifestyle.

7:14And at the end of the day, it takes money to make money. Yeah, that's true. That is very true. It's kind of hard to make money if you're not putting anything into it. That's right. But Miracle Method, that's the one key thing about it. They're constantly innovating, bringing new products into the mix. And helping us to be able to try to get to those other – to be able to reach your goal, I guess, is the better way of putting it. Financially, but also in the whole process, teaching you how to expand, how to grow. So, you know, how do you personally handle stepping away from the business, like taking a vacation?

8:04or is that even a thing? It is a thing, but it is, you do have to strategize, of course. I mean, because I do at this point in time, I'm not at my exit strategy. So I do, I am participant of the day-to-days with the business, but I have key people in place that we all basically help each other out. Not only vacations. I mean, illness can come about, you know, spur of the moment and you're not, you don't necessarily plan for it. So that's what our team members do. We all pitch in and we help and pick up everybody in the office or on the field when things are required. So if I need a vacation, I plan it ahead of time, of course, give them plenty of heads up and then they cover my position while I'm gone.

8:56But they also keep me informed on the day-to-days if something happens or if I'm needed for something, they will communicate with me as well. So how do you personally handle stepping away at night? Are you 7 p.m., you're hard shut off, I'm not taking any more calls, not answering any more emails? Are you working around the clock seven days a week? I think as a business owner, I don't think it ever stops mentally. but I can shut it off. I mean, the business is priority in the sense that I have multiple people that are, you know, relying on me to provide, but I can shut it off as well because I have a, I have a family.

9:43I have a wife and kids and of course my parents. So I do shut it off to be able to also spend time with them and, you know, have the quality family time as well. I've learned that the hard way. It's taken me a while to be able to get to that stage. At the beginning, it wasn't. But now, thankfully, so we've been able to organize everything a little bit better and be able to separate home life, business, you know, and personal time. Yeah, everything else between. Yeah, that was actually going to be my next question. Any tips for small business owners as far as how to shut down and spend time with family?

10:27well and i don't know if this is something nowadays it seems to be frowned on but my thing is you know church finding the peace finding the peace in in in my beliefs has been able to help me also be able to separate and not dwell and stress but instead focus on what's in front of you and deal with what is in your capabilities of dealing with and whatever is out of it. Search for guidance. I love that. Love that. So looking back, what do you attribute most of your growth to your business so far? Anything in particular? There's multiple things. Once again, I go back to my beliefs, which is the main area I'm going to give thanks to.

11:20But I also have my key people in my daily life. I mean, I have my spouse, I have my children. I have actually one of the gentlemen I bought the business from. We are in communication daily. He's not only the person that sold me the business, but also the person that's been there with me as a friend. So I have backing in all areas of my life, which I'm very thankful for. So that I attribute, I attribute my success to being able to have a good foundation behind me. I love that. So when you're building a team, you know, what traits, let's say you're getting ready to hire an employee to work for you, what traits matter more to you than what's on someone's resume?

12:12that is a very tricky question because a resume is words on paper we like the evaluation we like to actually see a person in action of course the presentation when they first come in and and greet us and we you know give our questions to them that's important but when you actually put them on a job and watching them implement what we're teaching them, that is the important thing to us that lets us know relatively quickly, is this a person that's going to be able to fit into this role or not? Because work ethic is something that you cannot teach. And that is what we require because you need to have pride in what you do and have a positive work ethic.

13:05the professionalism of a person is also very important because we deal with customers on a day-to-day basis you know and they are they're our lifeline they are the ones that keep us keep us afloat so we need to make sure that everything that we do from the first day of the job to the last, that it's a professional, cordial, and top quality product that we give to the customer. I love that. I love that. So what would you say is one thing you do intentionally to keep your workplace positive, motivated, and productive, you know, especially during like a stressful time or stressful season? Well, I think that's just me.

14:01In general, I try to always present and promote a positive atmosphere. Regardless if something goes wrong, if a mistake is made, things of that nature, anything that we do can be repaired. So I always try to back them up and let them know that it's not critical. It's not life ending. And we always try to treat the employees like family. They are a support team. So we are basically a family unit. Even though it's a business, everybody that comes in that participates with Miracle Method is considered a family because we're all helping each other grow and improve. Okay. No, I love that. I love that.

14:51All right, perfect. So yeah, we're going to head into what's called the quick fire round. And basically how this works is I'm going to give you one word, and then I want you to give me the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear each word in regards to running your business and then expand upon it, get into a little bit more detail on why you said what you said. Does that make sense? It does, but remember, I'm old, so be patient with me. Okay. All right, perfect. I won't go too fast. All right. All right, first word is education. Education. The world we live in, we're constantly learning.

15:27So expanding our wisdom and our knowledge in everything that we do. Next is planning. Planning.

15:39patience, understanding, and taking everybody into consideration. Inspiration. God. Okay. Expand upon that a little bit. Well, you've talked about it a little bit, but your faith, yeah. Expanding on God is basically, he's my energy. He's the one that guides me through the positive and the negatives. And he's also the one there when I feel I'm against the wall. He's the one that brings peace to my heart and my mind to be able to continue forward. Commitment. Commitment. Well, it's like I told you earlier. Commitment is basically it's a 24-7. Even though I can separate when it is needed, it is something business is always going to be in your mind.

16:39It's something that you're always going to be thinking of how to improve, how to make it a better workplace for the employees and everybody else. So it's something that's constantly in me. Discipline. Discipline. Focused. Being focused on everything that everybody brings to the table, each individual person in our workforce family, you could say. Discipline to be a positive light for them. Also, be able to teach accordingly. So the time management, all of that are things that kind of fall into the discipline area. Risk. Life is a risk. And I took it by the horns, and thankfully, we are successful.

17:44And the last word is execution. Execution. And say, do what you say and say what you're going to do. I love that. It's true. It's true. If you wake up, you say you're going to do something, do it and, you know, put your word behind it. Yes, sir. Yeah. All right. Perfect. Perfect. All right. So I appreciate you getting through that quickfire round. So last couple of questions here. So, you know, and I want you to be as candid and as honest as you can be with this answer to this next question. But, you know, let's say somebody is listening to the podcast. episode today, listening to you speak, Armando.

18:21And let's say small business owners listening, let's say they're having, you know, they're feeling stuck or overwhelmed. They're not really having a great start to 2026, although we're only a couple of months in, you know, we're still getting to the meat of the year and they're not having a great year so far. What's a piece of advice you would give to them today? Never give up. Life was never meant to be easy. There's going to be times of struggle, times of distress, but keep your focus. Keep working. If you work hard and you're disciplined, and once again, if you have a good spiritual backing, you will be fine.

19:03And it's always people that are successful are because they're constantly working towards their goal. They're not giving up. They're not quitting. So don't give up. Continue moving forward. Today may be gloomy, but tomorrow the sunshine will come. I love that. Love that. I think that's really good words of advice. any wise words of advice for you know other business owners who are looking to grow yes definitely focus on what what got you where you are because growth can be attributed to let's just say as an example your body your body's going to grow and it's going to perform according to how you take care of it how you feed it so business is no different So if you want growth, tap into the resources that are available that will positively impact your business.

20:15being, you know, word of mouth advertising. I mean, that to me, if your quality is there, your customers love what you, the product you provide or the services you provide, they're going to gladly speak of you. What better growth is having your neighbor tell you, Oh, this guy came and did this for me and they were awesome and everything else. I mean, focus on the feedback from the people that got you where you are now. Yeah, no, I like that. I like that a lot. So what's next for Miracle Method? What should people be excited about coming up in the near future for your business? Well, Miracle Method, what's next?

21:04Growth. Constant growth. But we are focusing on several products right now. One of them we've been implementing for a while, which is bath safety for like handicapped or elderly people. That is one of our big focuses for us because we all have parents. We all have grandparents. And their safety, especially when they want to maintain their independence. you know and we want to be a part of that we want to be able to keep you know everybody's parents grandparents as independent and safe as possible so that is one great thing that we're looking towards and in that aspect i'll i'll kind of give you a little explanation on that so we can actually focus on reducing heights of bathtubs to give them a lower threshold to be able to get in and out safely, but we also install grab bars so that they can hold on to them and stabilize themselves in the process of entering and exiting.

22:08And we also have applications that we apply on bottoms that are slick surfaces that can give them a slip resistance to keep them safe as well. But our new product line that we're venturing into now is actually refacing cabinets as well, because our focus has always been trying to keep a budget-friendly option for our customers. Life is expensive as it is, so if we can save them money on replacement costs and restore what they have, then it's a win-win for all of us. I totally agree with that. But nowadays, since we have the focus of being green and protecting the environment and everything else, there's another added benefit the miracle method gives instead of throwing all of these products into the land fields and creating more waste you restore what you currently have okay okay all right and finally what's the best way for someone to connect with you or learn more about what you do well of course our website which is miracle method forward slash charlotte.com or you can call the office directly at our number of 704-676-4976.

23:33Perfect. Are you currently hiring right now? We are. Perfect. Can you let the folks know a little bit about what you're looking for? You never know, you might actually find someone who might be interested. Oh, that would be awesome. So what we're looking for is somebody that takes pride in what they do, that they are good with their hands, that they are dependable, and they have a good work ethic. We will teach everything that they need to know. If they have skills in the refinishing realm, that would be an added plus, of course. But we are looking for refinishing technicians. That would be the actual position name.

24:14Refinishing technicians, okay. Yes, sir. All right. Perfect. Perfect. And they can send applications to you or at the office, a number that you gave, maybe call and get the email or how people get a resume to you? Yes, sir. You can send, you can send the, the, you can call the office and the ladies in the office will give them all their information of where to send their resumes and everything else. Perfect. Any social media? Yes, you have Facebook and Instagram. Facebook, Instagram. Is it Miracle Method, just regular, spelled out? Forward slash Charlotte, yes. Miracle Method forward slash Charlotte.

24:56All right, perfect. Perfect, yeah, Armando. Yeah, thank you so much for coming on today. This has been fantastic. Thank you for sharing your story, your perspective, and your real behind the scenes with building your business. Really was an honor talking to you today. Well, thank you very much. I really appreciate you having me, and I wish you the best in your future. Yeah, you as well.

25:18Armando Garcia:Hey, thanks for listening to the Epic Entrepreneurs Podcast. Here's three things that you can do. Number one, remember to subscribe to the podcast. It takes very little effort on your part. It's going to help you and your fellow entrepreneurs. Plus, you guys know how it works. the more subscribers we get, the more cool things we can offer to you. Second, to learn more about growing your business, just download my book, The Coach Approach. It's free for you at giftfrombill.com. That's giftfrombill.com. Hey, and if you'd like more info about growing your business and what we can do to help you grow your business, send me an email directly just send it to williamgilliland at actioncoach.com that's my personal email that i read no one else reads it first there's it's not screened it's my real email just send it to me i can't wait to talk to you hey and until then all the best