Meet Dan Dowdy, a second-generation master plumber and serial entrepreneur who has navigated the complex landscape of trades businesses. With firsthand experience in overcoming stagnant growth and low team morale, Dan realized that sustainable business success relies on strong leadership at all levels. This insight led him to create his own leadership coaching program, Built for the Trades.
Certified through the renowned John Maxwell Leadership program, Dan developed “The 4 Stages of Leadership,” a transformative framework aimed at unlocking the full potential of individuals and teams. By focusing on leadership development, Dan helps businesses break through barriers, achieve growth, and cultivate a culture of excellence.
Beyond his professional achievements, Dan is a man of faith, a devoted family man, and an avid outdoor adventurer. He believes that life begins outside one’s comfort zone. His pursuit of excellence is evident not just in his business endeavors but also in his personal accomplishments, including completing two Ironman races, multiple marathons and ultra-marathons, a run of the Grand Canyon, and his latest feat, a 100-mile trail run.
Let’s take a detailed look at Dan’s journey.
It All Started with the Family Plumbing Business
Dan Dowdy started in the plumbing industry at a young age through his family’s plumbing business. It was all he knew and what he did from high school on. His experience is well established in the ups and downs of running a mom-and-pop family business. Dan explains, “We did what we knew how to do, but it wasn’t until I hired my first business coach in 2010 that I realized there was a clear path to building a self-operating home service plumbing business. The family business grew from 10 to 40 team members over the next 10 years. I was successful by all measures, but I felt there had to be more.”
Then, Dan’s breakthrough happened. Dan attended a John Maxwell conference and learned about business coaching certification. He thought, “Why couldn’t I do that!” This was the MORE that Dan was longing for because he realized that, as a successful business owner, he could help others grow their businesses. Dan spent the next six months training up leaders in his plumbing business so that the business would thrive after he left.
Then he went out on his own and launched Built for the Trades. Reflecting back, Dan states, “If I didn’t leave my comfort zone – running the family business and my trade which was all I had known – and launched out on my own, then I never would be fulfilled.”
Built for the Trades Is Born
Built for the Trades officially launched in January 2020. “It was a huge leap of faith which would have never happened without trusting God and the belief from my wife, who is my biggest fan and support system,” Dan recalls. The Dowdy family sold their nice house on five acres, along with all their furniture in an estate sale. “It was crazy,” Dan says, “As a family of six, we spent six months in a small camper before settling into a small house where I had a 10×12 shed in the backyard for my office.”
Every day, Dan would go out to his office shed and some days, he had no idea what he should do next. He spent time building out the framework to grow a business that he knew would work, but he didn’t have a client to test it on. He knew if he didn’t get revenue coming in soon, this business was going to fail.
Then Dan joined a mastermind group and the leader said, “Dan, you don’t need to build out every process perfectly or have it all figured out. You need to get out there and get your first client and simply start coaching them.”
So, he did! He began reaching out to business owners he knew and believed he could help. Dan got on a plane to Colorado and met with the owner. Dan says, “After a couple days of getting to know him and his business better – and a really fun pheasant hunt – we made a handshake agreement, and I landed one of my first clients.”
What Inspires Dan Dowdy?
Although mentors in Dan Dowdy’s life, like John Maxwell, have inspired him on his journey, Dan Dowdy’s coaching inspiration is found in his mission in life: “To help people better their lives through leadership development, which in return helps them achieve their dreams.” He finds fulfillment in seeing the people he coaches find success!
Dan leads as an example of faith in God, family and then business. Dan says, “Jesus Christ and the Bible are where I find most of my leadership guidance.“
At Built for the Trades, he says they believe the opposite of what the world says. Rather than elevating business and money as the highest priority, Dan lives by a different value system. Dan states, “Fifty percent of your leadership weighs on the quality of your support system at home, and a good name is better than great riches.” As a business coach, Dan understands, “A handshake means everything, and you are only as good as your word.”
Dan’s Biggest Challenge
The biggest challenge that Dan Dowdy faces is getting people to truly grow within themselves. According to Dan and Built for the Trades, when the business stops growing, it’s because the leader at the top has stopped growing.
“It is easy to implement systems in business and watch the business grow, but at a certain point everyone has a ceiling in their own leadership growth that they have to want to work through,” Dan says. “You can’t make anyone ‘want to’ do something. They have to truly be willing to get out of their comfort zone, fail forward and grow.”
What’s New at Built for the Trades?
Built for the Trades has launched an exciting new coaching program called the Elevate Group Coaching Program. This program is designed with the small trades business owner in mind. Participants receive a weekly hour of coaching and access to a community of small business owners to continue conversations and create best practices. The weekly hour of coaching is in the morning so that, afterwards, participants can start immediately implementing what they have learned while they are out in the field making money.
Other exciting news is that Built for the Trades is growing as a team! All coaches brought onboard through Built for the Trades are vetted prior business owners or managers that have been coached through Built for the Trades at some point in their career. As Dan describes the team, “We are coaches who have been there and done what we teach!”
Unlocking Potential
As Built for the Trades continues to grow and evolve, Dan Dowdy remains steadfast in his mission to empower home service business owners through leadership development. His journey, from mastering the family plumbing business to founding a successful coaching program, serves as an inspiring testament to the power of faith, perseverance, and a commitment to lifelong learning. By sharing his knowledge and experiences, Dan helps others unlock their potential, fostering a culture of excellence that transcends the trades industry. Whether through the transformative “4 Stages of Leadership” or the new Elevate Group Coaching Program, Dan’s dedication to personal and professional growth ensures that Built for the Trades will continue to make a lasting impact on businesses and lives alike.
Connect with Dan and Built for the Trades
Want to get in touch with Dan and the team at Built for the Trades? They’d love to meet you! Check out his website and podcast; follow his YouTube channel; and connect with him on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
Ready to take your business to the next level? Request access to free leadership tools from Built for the Trades to help you grow your business.
