Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Reyes.
Scott, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
About 6 years ago, my co-founder and I would get together for lunch a couple of times a week. Our conversations naturally turned to work. Neither of us were particularly happy about where we were. He was bored. I was itching for a new environment. We both really wanted something more. This pattern went on for a couple months before we both kind of decided we should stop complaining and do something about it. It didn’t really matter what the business was. We just wanted to create a company people enjoyed working for. We say that all the time. It may not be the best job because work is work, but we are going to be treat people well, respect them, fulfill them, and give them a great company experience. And when we treat people well, they treat other people well. It compounds.
So anyway, I am from a facilities maintenance background. My co-founder is from a software development background. I saw a need to bring enterprise level facilities maintenance services to small and medium sized restaurant chains. We spent about 2 years developing the software we use, found some financial partners and mentors and launched our company in 2013.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No business ever goes the way you plan. Our original idea was to sell software only. We thought it was brilliant, but we spent 8 months failing at that before we transitioned to the service model we provide today. We spent most of our seed money with nothing to show for it. I was the only one working full time for the company at this point…running it from my basement. I remember one day I fell to my knees and lost it. I was so exhausted. So tired of the rejection. So tired of the rollercoaster of thinking we had a deal locked down only to find out we were passed on because the customer wanted a more established company. What’s funny is that I never wanted to run a facilities maintenance service company again. But in that moment on my knees in my basement, crying out to God, angry, that’s exactly what I felt guided to do. I talked to my co-founder. We prayed more about it. And once the decision was made, I picked up the phone, called an old contact, and let him know what we were planning to do. That was our first profitable month as a company. So yeah, it’s tough, but I believe God is ultimately in control of this whole thing, so that’s freeing.
I also believe that when there are obstacles, people tend to dwell on them. I have done this. But you have a choice. You can sit there and be upset that “it” happened to you which will just get you down. Or…you can make a list of every way you can move on, pick the best option, and get to working out the solution. It’s more about what you focus on when you run into a problem than the problem itself.
The final thing I believe is entrepreneurs cannot tell themselves the lie that their personal value comes from their business’s value. You have to know who you are and where your value comes from. A failing business does not make you a failure. It may feel like that, but it’s a lie.
Please tell us about Envoy Facilities Maintenance.
Large restaurant chains have facilities maintenance departments, thousands of repair vendors under contract, and technology to manage everything. We provide this same enterprise-level of service to small and medium sized restaurant chains by serving as their virtual facilities maintenance department.
When a restaurant has a repair issue, they call us. We manage the repair from start to finish. Plus we aggregate all of the data so their CFO’s, purchasing departments, etc. have better data to make decisions and manage the company.
Facilities maintenance is never thought about until something breaks, but the reality is maintenance plays a significant role in the experience a restaurant is trying to create for its customers. No one wants to eat at a place that is disrepair. No one wants to wait excessive times for their food because a cooktop is down. No one wants their favorite restaurant to close because expenses got out of hand. We help our customers make sure this stuff is being paid attention to.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Empathy. Our entire team understands in order to help someone and serve them, you have to be able to understand where they are coming from. If you seek to understand someone, you will care more about them. If you care about them, they will trust you. If they trust you, you can form a relationship. And forming relationships with people…serving and having community…is the what human being are created to do. When we hire a new team member, we look pay attention to how well they empathize.
If you treat people well, serve them well, that’s what success looks like.
Contact Info:
- Address: 250 East Main St
Suite 202
Canton, GA 30115 - Website: http://envoyfm.com
- Phone: 877-870-9208
- Email: service@envoyfm.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/teamenvoyfm
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/envoyfm
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/envoyfm
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