

023: From $30k/Month to $42M/Year Selling Cabinets Online with Gary Nealon (Inc 500 #237)
Gary Nealon took an existing cabinet business online, flipping an antiquated industry on its head by selling direct-to-consumer.
Before exiting, RTA Cabinet Store went from $30k/month to $42M/year and became an Inc 500 company due to its 1,504% growth over 3 years. It also made the Inc 5000 list 7 years in a row.
It's worth noting that Gary’s first business failed miserably, he was swimming in debt, and was told that selling cabinets online wasn't possible.
With no plan and no budget, he needed to convince people that there was a better way to buy cabinets.
I sat down with Gary to find out how reinvented an entire industry. You'll learn his scrappy approach to building online traffic, his framework for developing a relationship with customers well before they're ready to buy, and the marketing strategy he used to cut customer acquisition costs and boost conversions.
We also dig into the tech solutions he created that removed logistical problems for vendors, ultimately leading to a much bigger acquisition deal.
Key Takeaways with Gary Nealon
- Using Craigslist to build awareness and drive sales for a direct-to-consumer cabinet company that nobody knew about.
- How Gary built tech to remove logistic inefficiencies for his vendors so he could ultimately maximize profits and get acquired for much more.
- How to reduce customer acquisition costs by selling products around data you own.
- Tools and tactics for creating SEO-driven content at scale.
- Landing a deal with HGTV and leveraging it to target new customers.
- How to use online forums and groups to quickly establish trust with prospects.
- How to fast-track your business success by knowing your strengths/weaknesses as a company.
- Why your ads are bombing on certain platforms but performing well on others.
- How to get in the minds of your consumers well before they're even thinking of buying.
- Gary's strategy for acquiring small companies that he can add value to and scale. Don't miss how he incentivizes brokers to bring him deals before anyone else.
- How to effectively use personality tests to make better hiring decisions, identify team strengths, and improve overall communication.
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BAM! 💥