10/17/2025
Theyād Already Looked Me Up
We didnāt bring a pitch. We brought a level, a schedule, and the truth.
I didnāt know how they found me. But there they were, standing with me in a home under constructionā¦.one of our builds.
Turns out, theyād already done the recon. They knew who I was. Knew about Treo. Knew I served on a Governor Abbott board. Some might call that stalkingā¦ I call it doing your due diligence.
I didnāt realize it at the time, but I was walking into an interview I didnāt know I was taking.
So, I did what I always do.
I walked them through the job from framing to finishes. Not a sales pitch. Just a real look at how we build. How we frame. How we waterproof. Whoās swinging the hammer. Whoās laying the stone. These are the trusted trades whoāve been with us for years.
We talked schedule. Budgets. Allowances. āThis is what this costs.ā āThis is the cabinet allowance. Hereās the countertop line item.ā You get the picture. We pulled back the curtain and showed the real thing.
I didnāt hand them a brochure, instead I gave them the truth.
Thatās when their real story came out.
Theyād been burned. Their last builder? A referral from someone they trusted. The guy came off smooth-like a used car salesman with a tape measure. But behind the scenes, he was playing the old Rob Peter to pay Paul trick.
Took draws he hadnāt earned. Dodged calls. Stretched timelines. Left them wondering who they could trust again.
And I hate that. I really do.
Because for every one of those guys cutting corners, there are good builders out here doing it the right way. Builders with integrity. Builders who care.
But now we have to work twice as hard to rebuild the trust he broke. And honestly, building the house is the easy part. Rebuilding trust- that's the hard part.
People arenāt just shopping for a floor plan. Theyāre looking for someone they can trust not to screw them over.
So I looked them in the eye and told them how we do things differently:
We show our work
We use trusted trades and vendorsāfolks who pay their bills and do it right
We hold regular budget meetingsāand raise the flag early if somethingās pushing too far
We use software so clients can see every dollar, every job log, every photo
We walk the job with our clientsānot because we have to, but because they deserve to know whatās going on behind the walls
I told them Iām not perfect, but I try to do the right thing every single day.
I go to church. I serve our community. Iāve been asked to sit on governing boards and even appointed to one by the Governor. Not because Iām special, but because I try to do what I say Iāll do.
I was trying to help them see: Iām not that guy.
Thatās when she looked at me and said: āI know. I saw that. I looked you up.ā
That moment stuck with me.
Long story shortāwe got the project. And yeah, they had some of the usual stress that comes with any custom home build:
Does that paint go with the floor?
Do I have enough can lights in the closet?
Does this fireplace put out enough heat?
But not onceānot onceādid they question the money.
Because when you open the books, pull back the curtain, and just tell the truth, people breathe easier.
And so do we.
