What does it take to turn a blue-collar business into a billion-dollar empire?

For Tommy Mello, the answer is simple: relentless competition, strategic investing, and an unwavering commitment to winning. From painting garage doors to building A1 Garage Doors into a massive industry leader, Tommy has played the long game—and he’s not slowing down anytime soon.

Tommy’s story is one of grit, sacrifice, and scale. He didn’t just grow a company; he mastered the art of exiting, reinvesting, and building wealth. Along the way, he’s made millionaires out of his employees, leveraged private equity deals to scale faster, and learned how to play the financial game at the highest level. Now, with multiple future exits planned, he’s focused on securing generational wealth and creating massive impact.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How Tommy scaled A1 Garage Doors into a billion-dollar business
The sacrifices he made to reach extreme wealth—and why most people won’t do it
Why he believes every business should be built with an exit in mind
How he’s creating millionaires inside his company and giving back at scale

If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to go from small business to billionaire status, Tommy’s playbook is one you don’t want to miss.

This is Moneywise, a podcast where hosts Harry Morton and Sam Parr are joined by high-net-worth guests to explore exclusive insights into personal finance and lifestyle tailored for other high-net-worth people, or those on their way. They'll get radically transparent about the numbers, revealing things like their burn rates, portfolios, and spending habits.

Who is Harry Morton?

Harry Morton is the CEO of Lower Street (https://lowerstreet.co/authority) a company specializing in premium podcast production that he founded to transform brand narratives through audio storytelling. His expertise has made Lower Street a leader in the podcast industry, working with diverse clients from startups to Fortune 500 companies to enhance their market presence and audience engagement.

Who is Sam Parr?

Sam is a serial entrepreneur and the co-founder of The Hustle, which he sold to HubSpot in 2021. He's also the co-host of one of the world's top podcasts for entrepreneurs, My First Million. Known for his insightful business acumen and candid communication style, Sam Parr continues to be a prominent figure in the world of media and entrepreneurship. Sam's newest and biggest venture yet is Hampton, which he co-founded in 2022.

Check out Sam’s Companies:

Hampton

Sam’s List

This podcast was made for the Hampton community, a private, highly-vetted, peer membership community for founders and CEOs of fast-growing, tech-enabled startups.

Chapters:

Tommy's Early Career and Rise to Success (00:33)

The Billionaire Lifestyle: Investments and Real Estate (01:15)

Building and Exiting A1: The Journey (08:06)

Creating Millionaires: Tommy's Philosophy (17:26)

The Importance of Discipline and Time Management (22:06)

Future Goals and Giving Back (25:04)

Conclusion and Final Thoughts (25:29)

This podcast was produced in partnership with Lower Street.

196. Time to cut your losses and become more ruthless