The Kitchen Table

From Chick-fil-A to $10M: Zach Sasser's Roofing Empire

Episode Summary

Ken Baden sits down with Zach Sasser, co-owner of Lone Star Exteriors, to talk about his path from a 17-year-old roofing salesman in Texas to running an 8-figure insurance restoration and roofing company. They cover the value of mastermind networks like APEX, the regional differences in insurance deductibles and ACV policies, financing strategies like "keep the check," and the mindset shifts — including NLP and positive self-talk — that have helped Zach's team grow even when others in the industry claim the market is down.

Episode Notes

Zach grew up in a roofing family in DFW; his dad transitioned from mortgages into roofing after the 2008 crash.
Zach sold his first roofs at 17 after a hometown storm, earning around $10K in one summer — more than a full summer at Chick-fil-A.
He studied marketing in college, believing that knowing how to get customers translates across any industry.
Interned with the APEX mastermind under Stuman, surrounded by established roofing/home-service leaders; became top sales producer within 18 months and stayed about 5 years.
About 4 years ago, Zach began helping his brother Brett grow Lone Star Exteriors — from roughly $1.2M to $9.5M last year, on pace for just over $10M this year.
Discussion of regional insurance differences: DFW average deductible ~$7,000 vs. as low as $500 in parts of Oklahoma; ACV-only policies and roof payment schedules are increasingly common in Texas.
State-level insurance regulation varies significantly (e.g., Delaware vs. Maryland) and impacts deductible/depreciation rules.
The "Keep the Check" program: financing full job costs when insurance underpays (e.g., 40–50% coverage), helping homeowners avoid dipping into savings or high-interest credit card debt.
Zach's company is roughly 95%+ insurance restoration and a small retail percentage, but expects retail/financing hybrid models to grow as ACV-only policies increase.
Mindset segment: the impact of NLP techniques, daily positive affirmations with his team, and the "red car theory" (you see what you look for).
Zach invested $50K in recruiting this year and brought on a team of commercial roofing reps from a company that did $140M the prior year.
Long-term goals: hit 8 figures this year, with sights on $25–30M as the company scales systems and processes.
Discussion on goal-setting flexibility — learning when to adjust targets rather than rigidly chasing a number, informed by a past overexpansion lesson.
Where to find Zach: primarily active on Facebook and Instagram; company is Lone Star Exteriors, founded by his brother in 2018.