If I’m being honest, I wasn’t planning on learning anything new this year. I’ve been in a rhythm lately — recruiting by day, family at night, trying to make life work without too many surprises. But bills don’t care about your comfort zone, and recently, I found myself saying yes to something totally unexpected: selling roofs.
It’s storm season in North Dallas, and I had a friend mention the opportunity. I could work evenings from 5 to 8 and weekends, and there was even training pay. It wasn’t glamorous — no corner office or team meetings over cold brew — but I’d be out talking to people, helping homeowners solve real problems. Plus, the company felt solid. The people are good. That matters.
It’s been humbling, honestly. I’ve had to dig into a totally different industry and relearn the basics — the pitch, the walk-up, reading the body language, handling the objections. But weirdly, it’s also familiar. I used to sell for Defender, a company that was a dealer for ADT. Appointments were pre-set. We’d roll up with our little sales tablets and talk about security. The biggest hurdle was usually explaining why that $26.99 landline system they saw in an ad wasn’t actually the one we recommended. That system was outdated and not very secure — you could bypass it by messing with the terminal box outside the house. The better option was the cellular panel, which was around $50+ per month, and much harder to tamper with.
Even though it made sense, I always felt weird about that part of the job. The ad felt like a setup — bait-and-switchy — and it stuck with me. I remember thinking, Why not just lead with the truth? That discomfort ended up being the reason I moved into recruiting, where I could lean into transparency and connection. And I’ve genuinely loved that work. Still do. But the truth is, doing what you love doesn’t always mean you’re making what you need.
So here I am. Rooftop hustling.
And listen — roofs are wild. Did you know:
- A single square (100 sq. ft.) of shingles can weigh between 150–240 pounds?
- The color of your shingles can actually affect your home’s energy efficiency — lighter shingles reflect heat, darker ones absorb it.
- Most asphalt roofs are designed to last 20–30 years, but here in Texas? A good hailstorm can turn that into eight real quick.
- Ventilation systems in roofs are critical — too little ventilation and your attic can trap heat and moisture, leading to mold, warping, and even higher utility bills.
- Impact-resistant shingles (Class 4) are specifically rated to handle golf ball-sized hail — a must in North Dallas.
- Your roof’s pitch — its slope — affects not only how water drains, but what type of roofing material you can use. Steep slopes look great but are harder to install and maintain.
- The average roof replacement can cost anywhere from $7,000 to $15,000+, depending on size and material. Insurance can help, but you’ve got to know how to navigate that process.
The list goes on.
I live in Frisco but work all over North Dallas — Plano, McKinney, Little Elm, Carrollton — and what I’ve learned is that nearly every homeowner has some issue with their roof they don’t even know about. Maybe it’s a missing shingle from a storm last spring. Maybe it’s granule loss, or soft decking underneath. Half the time, I’m not selling anything — I’m just giving people information. Letting them decide what they want to do with it.
That’s where this job and recruiting weirdly intersect. It’s about building trust, giving people options, helping them navigate stuff they don’t fully understand but really matters.
I didn’t expect to enjoy this. I thought it would just be a money play. But it’s growing on me — because when you’re working with the right people and providing something real, even selling roofs can feel like meaningful work.
The point of all this? Don’t be afraid to pivot, especially when the need shows up before the opportunity. You don’t have to abandon the thing you love — sometimes you just add a few shingles on top of it to weather the storm.
Pictures of hail damage
