Carlo Cruz

Husband, father, Austinite. Built from $0 in 2015... and still building. Follow for the field notes.

[Carlo Cruz @carlocruz]

It’s October 21, 2015.

A few days earlier, we had just learned how to use a strap to pull debris off our trailer.

Yep, we watched another man dump his debris with ease by himself while we [the 2 of us] spent an hour unloading ours by hand.

Notice we’re using a brand-spanking-new yellow strap and new N95 masks.

Heck, even the pallet we used was brand new!

Unbelievable! 🤣

We AND the dude we were imitating were all amateurs.

The unwritten rule at the yard was that the PROS used chains.

Chains were more reliable and durable for this kind of work.

We didn’t know that, either.

I didn’t even know what to search for on Google!

The yard rules were all implied.

It wasn’t as professionalized as it is today.

The veterans normally showed the newbies how it was done.

We didn’t have a mentor.

It was just us.

And you know how the old-timers roll:

Hand gestures.

Nods.

All non-verbal communication.

You can actually see me imitating some of that, hoping to act tough like them. 😅

I was oblivious.

What’s actually so hilarious about this video is that we were dumping unpainted fence debris at the county landfill!

If that didn’t make you laugh, it’s because you also don’t know what I’m alluding to!

The county landfill was almost infinitely more costly than taking it to a wood recycling facility.

Why?

Because unbeknownst to us, dumping unpainted wood debris similar to what we were carrying was FREE in 2015! 😂😂😂

I can’t make this stuff up.

Could you imagine that we became today’s PROS?

Have you ever spent hours doing something the hard way when an easier way existed all along? 😆

[Carlo Cruz @carlocruz]

My guess is I just had to regain X's trust again. I still don't know what exactly happened.

Maybe it had something to do with my 11-month social media detox.

I came back only fairly recently, a little over a month ago.

- - - -
Hello to all our new followers!

If you're just scrolling, you can say Hi here. 😍 💘

[Carlo Cruz @carlocruz]

@grok, does a "shadowban" look like this? 🤷‍♂️😂

[Carlo Cruz @carlocruz]

We added a dedicated social media manager to help me push across all our social media accounts.

For a long time, we relied on VAs for this, with a smaller part handled by me.

Our goal is to make our messaging reflect what we actually accomplish in the field.

We have 10,000+ comparison photos and 1,000+ videos in our media gallery.

Only a few hundred have been fully processed so far.

Years of backlog.

That’s on me.

I was too busy in the field.

My hope is that the two of us can work through that backlog faster.

And get our social proof plastered everywhere we have a presence.

It feels like a VERY LOW-HANGING FRUIT.

The work is already there. We just haven’t shown enough of it.

And so, I added the position.

I’ll give my input, let the manager develop the messaging, and give feedback so we can refine it.

Then roll the dice.

This move is still in line with our goal of reaching $1 million in annual revenue over the next 12 months, targeting a 30% NET profit margin.

If this sounds interesting to you, stick around for the field notes.

First draft sample 👇. I think we can still do better. But I’d really appreciate your feedback (any feedback for that matter).

Thanks everyone! 💘

[Carlo Cruz @carlocruz]

@Jacob_Naviaux @Bradfordslong @BrazosR You have to be careful. I'd chitchat with neighbors and maybe share a pizza next time.

There are other ways around issues like this. Things can escalate quickly, and you have a profit margin to protect.

Just giving you a mirror because I care.

[Carlo Cruz @carlocruz]

@DannyMagazu Are you a wood recycling facility that's now offering mulch installs? First time I've heard of a purely mulch install service setup.

Mulch install is very labor intensive unless you're blowing with a 1 man crew truck.

[Carlo Cruz @carlocruz]

@shaguncrypto Home prices had also gone down, though. That also mean property tax assessments would also go down.

[Carlo Cruz @carlocruz]

@ItzFrenchy Toyota/Lexus for life!

[Carlo Cruz @carlocruz]

@jasonlewris He wanted out! 😅

[Carlo Cruz @carlocruz]

@StumpGuyTy Is that a stump grinder?

[Carlo Cruz @carlocruz]

@GrantCardone They'll increase prices when they reach capacity. Price is low because they're still learning.

[Carlo Cruz @carlocruz]

@TheAlphaThought I'd play with $20k to start a cashflowing business and be profitable on day 1. Seems pretty low risk for a ten-year horizon. But that's just me. 😅

[Carlo Cruz @carlocruz]

@LazarStojkovic @jonathanmaze Downtown Austin. 😅 I didn't know there's another one.

[Carlo Cruz @carlocruz]

@sweatystartup @d0maininvest0r Is the $4k twice as better as the $2k?

[Carlo Cruz @carlocruz]

It’s the whispers around the table that you really have to listen to.

We’re implementing systemic changes based on off-the-cuff, ear-to-ear discussions I had with other entrepreneurs.

For years, we improved our business incrementally, largely based on what I could see and what our partners have shared with us.

Little did I know I could move past some of those trial-and-error steps, start from a higher base, then continue improving from there.

Recently, we had a costly blunder.

I was furious for about four hours.

Then I revisited my map...

and put the loss in perspective.

I refocused on breaking $100K/month, targeting a 30% NET profit margin.

See, the past decade had plenty of blunders similar to that and frustration stemming from the same origins that really slowed our progress.

We’re all susceptible to getting stuck somewhere in this game.

But I’m telling the world right now: I’m very grateful for the whispers, the side chats, and the $100 gentlemen’s wagers!

I’d never had an experience like that. Ever.

These people were there to help.

For me, putting a little money on the line was part of committing to actually doing the work.

Being the baby business in your new circle is an absolute beast of a game changer.

It was worth the time and every dollar just to be in the same room with y’all.

Many thanks for pulling me up.

Those side chats helped me find pieces of the puzzle I hadn’t figured out on my own.

Now we’re putting them to work.

And I’m seeing the possibility of a new venture growing out of what we’re implementing.

I believe this can change my life and many other people’s lives in a very positive way. 🥰

It's still unfolding.

If this sounds interesting to you, stick around for the field notes.

[Carlo Cruz @carlocruz]

@exteriorsale101 @BoomerDivvies It was an effin joke! Chill the F out. My business partner used to be a server at iHop. I know what it's like.

[Carlo Cruz @carlocruz]

These numbers are real or close to real.

Turning around the low lows is very challenging.

Making 2× topline since the last run?

Amazing.

And it looks like once they identified the pressure point,

they started hammering that specific nail to scale.

Can we do the same?

Well, stick around for the field notes.

I think I understand or at least have a good grasp of what's going on here.