When I first met Gina Schaefer, I knew she was one of the more interesting people in our industry, and this conversation proves exactly why. Gina is the founder of A Few Cool Hardware Stores, and she built a $55 million independent hardware store business after getting laid off three times in four years. She walked into a rundown Washington, D.C., neighborhood that no one believed in, opened her first store in 2003 with zero hardware experience, and turned it into 14 locations across DC, Baltimore, and Northern Virginia, with the fifteenth on the way.

In this episode, we talk about what it really takes to start a hardware store and keep growing it when the timing, the building, and the neighborhood are all imperfect. Gina shares how she made tiny urban spaces work, why she thinks of her business as a general store more than a hardware store, and how retail product sourcing turned pottery and SodaStream refills into millions of dollars in annual sales. She also opens up about being a woman in the hardware industry, how she handled being underestimated, and why she never backed down.

Some of my favorite moments come from Gina's story of culture. She built a team of more than 300 people, many from the recovery community, and that second chance hiring became the heart of her book, Recovery Hardware. A few years ago, she sold the company to her employees through an ESOP, and today 130 of them are owners. If you are building something in the building industry and want proof that resilience, community, and the right systems can win, this one is for you.

What you'll take away today:

Starting a hardware store with no experience is possible when you solve a real need in your community and refuse to back down.

Employee ownership through an ESOP can turn your team into invested owners who protect and grow the business.

Second chance hiring can build a remarkable, loyal culture when you level the playing field and lead by shared values.

Retail product sourcing is where independents win, so chase the unique items your specific customers actually want.

Build Authority. Gain Visibility. Drive Growth.

You do great work. The right people should know it.

Grit Blueprint helps building industry companies and leaders build authority, increase visibility, earn trust, and turn that trust into revenue.

📅 Book a Strategy Call

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🚀 About Stefanie Couch

Stefanie Couch is the founder of Grit Blueprint and a third-generation building industry professional.

Grit Blueprint helps manufacturers, distributors, dealers, service providers, and industry leaders build authority, grow visibility, and become unmistakable in their market.

🔗Learn more: https://gritblueprint.com
Instagram: @StefanieCouchOfficial
LinkedIn: Stefanie Couch

Sales is not about pressure. It is about people. In this Grit Blueprint Podcast conversation, recorded on the floor of the Do it Best True Value Spring Market in Denver, I sit down with Sarah Krey of Do it Best Corp to talk about the human side of winning in the hardware industry. With 25 years in home improvement and a shelf full of honors, Sarah brings a rare mix of competitiveness and warmth that makes people want to work with her.

We start with building trust with customers, and Sarah’s simple rule: never lie, and never bash your competitors, because every time you say a competitor’s name you are advertising them. From there we get tactical on building relationships in sales, thriving in high-pressure market seasons through planning, and why she credits her college basketball years for teaching her to know her role and show up every day.

If you have ever wanted to know how to handle rejection in sales, Sarah’s mindset will stick with you: a “no” is rarely permanent, so you follow up, stay connected, and keep helping. We also spotlight women in the hardware industry, mentorship across generations, and her boss’s advice to “make yourself big” without ever bragging.

Along the way you will collect sales career advice you can use tomorrow: take initiative, stay curious about AI and new products, and be gracious with yourself when you make a mistake. Whether you grow with the Do it Best co-op or run your own shop, this episode will help you stop being the best-kept secret.

What you'll take away today:

Building relationships in sales starts with honesty and heart, not pressure. Sarah has never lied to a customer, and that trust is exactly why people want to work with her year after year.

How to handle rejection in sales gets easier when you treat every “no” as a “not now.” Follow up, stay connected, and keep leading with “how can I help you?” instead of a pitch.

Building trust with customers means staying in your own lane and never bashing competitors, because every time you say their name, you are giving them free advertising.

Women in the hardware industry are rising fast, and mentorship is the multiplier. Sarah refuses to shrink her personality, and shows how to “make yourself big” without ever bragging.

Sales career advice that lasts: take initiative, stay curious about new products and AI, and be gracious with yourself, because almost every business decision is reversible.

Build Authority. Gain Visibility. Drive Growth.

You do great work. The right people should know it.

Grit Blueprint helps building industry companies and leaders build authority, increase visibility, earn trust, and turn that trust into revenue.

📅 Book a Strategy Call

Ready to become more visible, more trusted, and easier to choose?

https://meetings-na2.hubspot.com/stefanie-couch

📧 Join the Newsletter

Get practical strategies and tools to build your authority, grow your visibility, and strengthen your business.

https://421r60.share-na2.hsforms.com/2RMwQMXe2QLyk3sl9dv2gXQ

🎥 Watch More Grit Blueprint

Subscribe for honest conversations and growth strategies for the building industry.

https://www.youtube.com/@stefaniecouch

🚀 About Stefanie Couch

Stefanie Couch is the founder of Grit Blueprint and a third-generation building industry professional.

Grit Blueprint helps manufacturers, distributors, dealers, service providers, and industry leaders build authority, grow visibility, and become unmistakable in their market.

🔗Learn more: https://gritblueprint.com
Instagram: @StefanieCouchOfficial
LinkedIn: Stefanie Couch

Inside Luxury Real Estate in the Appalachian Mountains | Burton at Lake Burton

I'm Stefanie Couch, Founder of Grit Blueprint, and in this episode of Behind the Build, I'm taking you deep into the Appalachian Mountains to the shores of Lake Burton, where a remarkable luxury real estate project is coming to life. Welcome to the Burton, a brand-new community in Clarkesville, Georgia, where master planner Lew Oliver has designed stunning luxury houses that prove thoughtful architecture can blend seamlessly with nature.

This community connects Laprade's Marina to the Appalachian Trail with mountain living on the lake.

Lew still hand-draws every plan, and that artistry shows in every room we tour. He shares his vision for a community built around connection first, the lake and mountains second, all of it revived from the lost town of Burton that has sat underwater for a hundred years. We walk through two very different show homes, one rich and dramatic, one light and airy, each packed with custom details. These include thermally modified Solarwood siding, a nine-foot custom door from Magbee Contractors Supply, marble countertops with hidden pop-up power, and a rooftop deck floored in black locust. We also dig into the Lew Oliver Millwork Collection, created in partnership with Magbee Contractors Supply to bring powerful, historically accurate moldings back to the market. The collection is featured throughout the custom homes in the Burton community.

If you love custom homes, beautiful design, or are simply dreaming about living in the mountains, this is your chance to see how a community like this comes together from the very first sketch.

Surrounded by Lake Burton, nearby creeks, the Appalachian Trail, stocked fishing ponds, and the quiet of the wooded mountains, Burton offers something rare: serenity you can actually live in. North Georgia real estate offers a rare mix of lake, mountains, and community, and you’ll understand why Burton may be one of the most special places to call home.

The featured homes are available for purchase now.

The first home we toured:
140 Cove View Lane - Homesite 3
List price at $3,999,000
Living Area 4,942 square feet
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 5 & 1 Half
Builder: McKinney Builders

The second home we toured:
90 Cove View Lane - Homesite 8
List price at $2,450,000
Living Area 3,333 square feet
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 4 & 1 Half
Builder: McKinney Builders

Learn more: https://www.burtoncommunity.com/

Build Authority. Gain Visibility. Drive Growth.

You do great work. The right people should know it.

Grit Blueprint helps building industry companies and leaders build authority, increase visibility, earn trust, and turn that trust into revenue.

📅 Book a Strategy Call

Ready to become more visible, more trusted, and easier to choose?

https://meetings-na2.hubspot.com/stefanie-couch

📧 Join the Newsletter

Get practical strategies and tools to build your authority, grow your visibility, and strengthen your business.

https://421r60.share-na2.hsforms.com/2RMwQMXe2QLyk3sl9dv2gXQ

🎥 Watch More Grit Blueprint

Subscribe for honest conversations and growth strategies for the building industry.

https://www.youtube.com/@stefaniecouch

🚀 About Stefanie Couch

Stefanie Couch is the founder of Grit Blueprint and a third-generation building industry professional.

Grit Blueprint helps manufacturers, distributors, dealers, service providers, and industry leaders build authority, grow visibility, and become unmistakable in their market.

🔗Learn more: https://gritblueprint.com
Instagram: @StefanieCouchOfficial
LinkedIn: Stefanie Couch