Podcast Summary: Digital Social Hour

Episode: Brevan McAlpin: The Hustle Behind His $30M Roofing Empire | DSH #1428
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Brevan McAlpin
Date: July 2, 2025

Main Theme

This episode delves into the meteoric rise of Brevan McAlpin, a 22-year-old entrepreneur from North Carolina who built a $30 million roofing business. Host Sean Kelly unpacks Brevan’s journey from humble beginnings, his unique business model, the grit required to survive industry challenges, thoughts on family and loyalty, and his bold approaches to business and marketing, all while exploring the mental shifts necessary for extreme success.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Fast-Paced Hustle in a Slow State

• Cultural Pace in North Carolina:
  Brevan reminisces about the slow pace back home compared to high-energy environments like Las Vegas and how that contrast inspired his hustle-driven company culture.
  • “Everywhere else is fast paced. So that’s what we’ve been trying to implement and I mean, we’re doing a good job.” [00:42]
• Hiring Young Talent:
  The business thrives on onboarding energetic young people. An 18-year-old new hire made over $10K in his first day, underscoring both the opportunity and effectiveness of their sales-first approach.
  • "Our model was hire young people...just today alone he's made over 10k in sales easily today on his first day." [00:41]

The Roofing Business Model & Weather Events

• ‘First Responder’ Approach:
  When storms hit, the business steps in as a sort of first responder, working with insurance to repair and upgrade homes, benefitting homeowners and leveraging insurance funds.
  • “We show up almost as a first responder and we come out, we get the insurance companies to come out there, and we get the insurance companies to pay for all the damage.” [01:41]
• Tactics in Claim Filing:
  McAlpin explains the nuance between “flood” and “water intrusion” in insurance language—a single word that can decide whether a family gets compensated.
  • “One slight word can make a world of a difference for somebody’s family in their home.” [03:40]

Personal Journey: From Shoveling to Empire

• Humble Roots and Grit:
  Brevan started shoveling manure on a farm—an experience that built discipline and humility, which he credits for later successes.
  • “I started shoveling shit...Literally cried every day going to work. And then over time, I kind of got into construction” [04:03]
• Extreme Adversity:
  Brevan faced betrayal, lawsuits, and even threats to his life when leaving a former company, yet managed to persevere and build his own.
  • “...the guy almost, he tried having us killed. We were on the run, our vehicles got vandalized, destroyed...Then we got hit with a lawsuit, went to court, we beat the lawsuit...the rest is history.” [04:41]

Team Culture & Business Model Innovation

• Selecting the Right People:
  Brevan equates choosing the right business partners and team to survival and prosperity—removing “snakes” is essential.
  • "Sometimes you gotta get rid of the snakes in order to harvest the actual crop." [07:45]
• Unique Profit-Sharing Model:
  Brevan’s business, All of Us, ensures everyone gets an equal commission split—owners included—fostering a unified, committed culture.
  • “Every employee makes 50% commission of the profit of each job. And...we’re not taking any money from this business. We’re going to make the same as everybody else does.” [15:25]

Door-to-Door Hustle & Honoring the Grind

• Sales Strategy:
  The success is built on relentless door-to-door sales, often skipped by modern companies.
  • “We do everything door to doors. Our lead service is going out and knocking the doors.” [10:29]
• Staying Grounded:
  Despite his wealth, Brevan still hustles on the streets with his team.
  • “Still hitting doors is crazy. Still hitting doors. I love it, dude.” [16:03]

Personal Life

• Relationships and Trust:
  Success makes genuine relationships harder. Brevan values loyalty and separates family and workplace to prevent complications.
  • “You never truly...know if someone is 100% there for you as a person or what you come with.” [13:09]
• Fatherhood Story:
  Unexpectedly becoming a father after financial and personal struggles, Brevan’s approach is candid and accepting.
  • “[After] I got out of jail, get a text from a girl...saying, hey, the guy I thought was the dad’s not the dad....it was my child. Which everything works out for a reason.” [13:35]

Material Success & Mindset

• Celebrating Wins:
  Brevan unapologetically enjoys his success, buying an impressive car collection, as a testament to the work invested rather than the material itself.
  • “It’s not a fact of having the actual object. It’s the hustle, the work it took to get it...It’s the journey it took to get there.” [11:13]

Expanding Horizons: The Gym & Real Estate

• Diverse Business Ventures:
  McAlpin is also moving into luxury gyms and commercial real estate, with a massive 73,000 sq ft facility (the equivalent of 28 McDonald's locations), fighting legal hurdles to open.
  • “We have a 73,000 square foot warehouse which is where our gym’s at...it’s a big, big place. It’s not just a gym. We have...a barber shop...indoor car garage...the largest sauna in North Carolina.” [18:33]
• Commercial Real Estate Approach:
  They buy real estate and have their businesses as tenants, thus collecting both rent and business revenue.
  • “Let’s buy commercial real estate and let’s put businesses inside the real estate. So then we lease back the spaces from our main business...” [19:06]

Marketing Tactics & Controversy

• Bold Billboards:
  Brevan’s gym advertised with a controversial billboard—“Being fat is a choice”—to spark attention (and backlash) outside a McDonald’s, resulting in major coverage.
  • “We made a billboard...[it said] ‘being fat is a choice’...we were on every news channel in North Carolina possible. All the fat people are mad.” [19:50]

Reflections on Insurance & the Industry

• Increasing Consumer Barriers:
  Insurance companies create more hoops to jump through, making it harder—and more important—to have advocates like Brevan’s company.
  • “Insurance almost doesn’t exist.” [16:48]
  • “You’re deductible...that’s where they get you...you gotta meet this deductible in order to get any money from them.” [17:08]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On starting at the bottom:
  “I started shoveling shit...Literally cried every day going to work.” — Brevan [04:03]
• On the insurance tactics:
  “One slight word can make a world of a difference for somebody’s family in their home.” — Brevan [03:40]
• On overcoming betrayal:
  “The guy almost, he tried having us killed. We were on the run, our vehicles got vandalized…” — Brevan [04:41]
• About their unique commission model:
  “Every employee makes 50% commission of the profit...we’re not taking any money...we’re going to make the same as everybody else.” — Brevan [15:25]
• About leadership and keeping ego in check:
  “Still hitting doors is crazy. Still hitting doors. I love it, dude.” — Brevan [16:03]
• On relationships at the top:
  “You never truly...know if someone is 100% there for you as a person or what you come with.” — Brevan [13:09]
• On controversial gyms marketing:
  “We put on the billboard...‘being fat is a choice’ and we put it in the McDonald’s parking lot...All the fat people are mad. But it’s the best marketing, though.” — Brevan [19:50]

Important Timestamps & Segments

• 00:42 – Brevan describes the company culture shift and hiring strategy
• 01:41 – Explains business model and relationship with insurance after a storm
• 03:38 – Subtle language differences in insurance claims (“flood” vs “water intrusion”)
• 04:03 – Brevan’s journey from farm labor to entrepreneur
• 04:41 – Stories of betrayal and surviving lawsuits
• 10:29 – Door-to-door sales as the cornerstone of business
• 13:35 – Story of unexpected fatherhood and personal growth
• 15:25 – Introduction of All of Us and their egalitarian commission structure
• 16:03 – Brevan still doing door-to-door sales
• 18:33 – Details about the new gym, marketing, and legal hurdles
• 19:50 – Controversial billboard marketing campaign

Episode Tone & Language

The tone throughout is casual, direct, and unvarnished—reflecting the working-class grit, candor, and ambition that drive Brevan’s narrative. The conversation is peppered with humor and real talk about business, loyalty, risk, and the sacrifices behind entrepreneurial success.

In Summary

This episode of Digital Social Hour serves as a blueprint for relentless hustle, calculated risk, and unfiltered business advice. Brevan McAlpin’s practical wisdom—grounded in firsthand adversity—offers unique insights for anyone aiming to disrupt an industry or build an empire from the ground up. For those seeking real tactics, raw stories, and proof that ‘the grind’ is the difference-maker, this episode is a must-listen.