Asphalt Pioneers: Rodney Hilton's No-Fear Strategy Ep. #20

Summary

Podcast Summary: Asphalt Pioneers – Rodney Hilton’s No-Fear Strategy

In The Mix with Marvin Joles, Ep. #20 — February 16, 2026
Guest: Rodney Hilton, Owner/Operator, Express Asphalt
Host: Marvin Joles

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Episode Overview

In this episode, host Marvin Joles sits down with Rodney Hilton, owner of Express Asphalt, to discuss Rodney's bold and inspiring journey from car dealership owner to successful asphalt contractor. The conversation dives into how Rodney entered the industry in his late 40s, rapidly scaled his company despite steep learning curves, and adopted a fearless approach to entrepreneurship. He details the challenges of expanding from sealcoating to full paving services, balancing work and life, hiring and retaining quality talent, and the real sacrifices required to build something from the ground up.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Rodney’s Start in Asphalt

• Chance Discovery: Rodney discovered the asphalt business in Jan 2021 after watching Judd Burton’s Asphalt Kingdom videos on YouTube. He credits both Judd and Marvin as critical mentors.
  • “I call you and Judd the learning trees…knowledge is so much time, and knowledge is so much money.” — Rodney (04:03)
• Past Business Experience: Previously owned a car lot and sports bar but wanted something more stable with room to grow.
• All-In Attitude: Instead of testing the waters, Rodney jumped in with both feet after evaluating competition and opportunity in his local area (Lorain, OH).

Building Express Asphalt

• DIY Approach: Constructed his first sealcoating truck in three months, hit the ground running in June 2021, and landed his first $5k job right away.
• Early Marketing: Leveraged social media ads, a Google My Business page, and conspicuous truck logos. Drove the truck everywhere and parked in high-visibility locations like Walmart and Home Depot.
  • “That is one of the best marketing things there is…get a big truck like that and just let, you know, letter it up, drive it around, park it somewhere.” — Rodney (07:36)
• Networking: Went business-to-business locally, distributing cards, which proved effective for local lead generation.

The Leap from Maintenance to Paving (09:21)

• Deliberate Progression: Rodney’s goal, from the start, was to be a full-scope asphalt company, not just maintenance.
  • “My number one goal is to be a full blown asphalt company.” — Rodney (09:21)
• Challenges of Transition: Transitioning into paving posed major operational differences, equipment needs, and skill set gaps.
  • “People don’t think that. They think, oh, I’ll just use the same crew and be able to jump over and do this. It’s a different skill set, a lot more overhead, a lot more red tape.” — Marvin (09:28)

Early Wins and Learning Curves

• Team Building: Fortunate to find a seasoned paver with 40 years’ experience to lead first paving jobs, which helped avoid early costly mistakes.
  • “I got lucky. I’ve got a guy that’s got about 40 years experience.” — Rodney (10:32)
• Ongoing Recruitment: Staffing remains a continual challenge — consistently recruiting for a 5-6 person crew, often running lean with three or four.
  • “You never really overcome it. It’s just something you have to deal with all the time.” — Marvin (16:44)

Biggest Operational Challenges

• Supply Logistics: Early on, Rodney faced high fuel and logistics costs due to sourcing sealer from distant suppliers—trucks making long daily runs with risk of expensive breakdowns.
  • “I was literally just wasting so much fuel back and forth…if my truck breaks down, it’s going to be a minimum fifteen-hundred dollar tow.” — Rodney (11:49)
• Fearless Investments: To solve this, Rodney invested in a 6,000-gallon storage tank for on-site supply—no hesitation making big operational purchases.
  • “[There’s] zero fear. You’re always just like, what’s the solution to this? Oh, you got to spend, you know, 15 to 20k on this. Okay, cool. Where do I get it? And like, next day I’ll get it.” — Marvin (12:45)

Personal Struggles & Sacrifices

• Work-Life Sacrifice: Rodney candidly acknowledges the personal toll—long hours, sacrificing personal life, and even admitting he couldn’t have managed this build if not single:
  • “To literally build it from the ground up, you’re going to have to give up a lot of your personal time, personal life.” — Rodney (17:40)
  • “I wouldn’t be where I’m at right now if I was [married], because it literally takes to build and create something.” — Rodney (18:34)
• Physical Toll: Both discuss the physical challenges of hands-on labor, especially starting later in life.

Rodney’s Advice for Entrepreneurs (22:21)

• Preparation & Mindset:
  • “Before you get into anything, do your homework.”
  • “Don’t be afraid to take that leap. Believe in yourself because you are the only one that can make yourself.”
• Results: In less than 4 years, Rodney grew Express Asphalt, bought a new 200,000 sq. ft. shop with 5 acres, and now controls his own equipment and materials.

Host’s Reflection

• Inspiration: Marvin closes by emphasizing how Rodney’s example and “no fear” mentality set a standard and inspiration for others in and out of the industry:
  • “We’re able to point to you and be like, hey, this is what you can do if you really are singularly focused and put your resources to it—it inspires a lot of people.” — Marvin (24:24)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Knowledge and Mentorship
  • “I call you and Judd the learning trees…knowledge is so much time, and knowledge is so much money.” (04:03) — Rodney
• On Taking Risks
  • “There’s zero fear. You’re always just like, what’s the solution to this? …next day I’ll get it.” (12:45) — Marvin
• On Work-Life Balance
  • “To build it from the ground up, you’re going to have to give up a lot of your personal time, personal life.” (17:40) — Rodney
• On Entrepreneurship
  • “Don’t be afraid to take that leap. Believe in yourself because you are the only one that can make yourself.” (22:33) — Rodney
• On Growth
  • “We literally outgrew [our shop] the first year and a half.” (23:27) — Rodney
• On Inspiration
  • “It inspires a lot of people too…I really appreciate what you've contributed to the asphalt industry and community.” (24:24) — Marvin

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Important Timestamps

| Time | Topic/Quote | |---------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:15 | Rodney’s discovery of asphalt industry & mentorship | | 05:41 | Landing first job, early marketing strategies | | 07:36 | On the impact of branded trucks for marketing | | 09:21 | Rodney’s ambition for Express Asphalt to be “full blown” asphalt company | | 10:32 | Recruiting an experienced foreman—“I got lucky…I got a guy with 40 years’ experience.” | | 11:49 | Early operational challenges: logistics, supply, truck breakdowns | | 12:45 | Marvin on Rodney’s “zero fear” investment approach | | 17:40 | On personal sacrifice: “You’re going to have to give up a lot of your personal time…” | | 22:21 | Rodney’s advice: “Do your homework…don’t be afraid to take that leap…” | | 23:27 | Major company growth—new facility, expansion | | 24:24 | Marvin on Rodney’s inspirational example |

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Final Thoughts

This episode offers an unfiltered look at the realities of building an asphalt business from scratch, with Rodney Hilton’s relentless, “no fear” strategy serving as a blueprint for perseverance, smart risk-taking, and self-belief. Listeners gain actionable insights on marketing, operations, growth challenges, hiring, and the work ethic needed to succeed, all delivered in Rodney and Marvin’s real, approachable style.

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For anyone considering a leap into a new business or aiming to scale their operation, Rodney’s journey serves as living proof: Do your homework. Don’t wait. Bet on yourself—and just get started.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Welcome to in the Mix, paving the way to insight, education and entertainment in the asphalt industry. Your host, Marvin Joel's a best of Web Pavement award winner, knows the blacktop community and what it takes to win in this industry. Each episode you'll hear real stories, expert insights, and road tested strategies from the people who make up the asphalt world and beyond. Whether you're paving parking lots, ceiling driveways, striping lines, or innovating asphalt tech, this is the podcast for pros who keep the industry rolling. Now here's Marvin.

[A]

Hey everybody. Welcome back to another episode. I'm really excited for today's episode. I got a longtime friend here and, you know, we've kind of been in proximity for a while and I've been fortunate enough to see this fellow win some awards and whatnot. So I really wanted to bring you this story just because there's a lot of people who wonder like, hey, how can I get started? Where can I get going? When's too late, when it's too early, what do I need? How's it going? And I've just been fortunate enough to stand on the sidelines and watch Rodney Hilton do his thing. Ronnie Hilton is owner and operator at Express Asphalt. How you doing, man?

[C]

I'm great, buddy. How are you doing?

[A]

Good, man. Can you tell people like, where are you from, where you all located out there and what you provide?

[C]

Absolutely. From Lorraine, Ohio. What we do is we started off with seal coating, patch repair, line striping, stuff like that. Then we processed over to do paving also last year.

[A]

Yeah, I seen some pictures and it was like, you're like, no, I remember the post vividly. It's another piece of the puzzle.

[C]

Yeah, exactly.

[A]

Yeah. So people think that I don't pay attention because I got so much going on. But dude, I remember I just have where like this is my thing and I can remember the post. I seen it one time, and I remembered it. I was like, dude, I got to get Rodney back on.

[C]

We.

[A]

You and I spoke early on as you were starting to build your business, and I'm like, hey, I'm not the guy to, like, give you the advice to take you to the moon, but I can get you. I can get you in orbit, because that's where I hang out at, and that's kind of where our conversation kind of got started. So tell us a little bit about how you got into this. Like, how did you get into the asphalt industry? What? Like, tell me, like, the timeline, because obviously you knew and I both aren't spring chickens anymore, but a few years ago, man, you're like, hey, I want to get into this. I want to learn how. What attracted you to it, and how did you get into it?

[C]

Absolutely. So January 2021, I was just surfing YouTube, and of course, Judd Burton from Asphalt Kingdom was on.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And everywhere you go, you just see his. His videos, you know? So went ahead. I didn't do nothing the first day. Second day came along, I seen him again. So the third day came along, I said, let me click on this guy and see what's going on here. You know what I mean? So once I. I clicked on that, I. I referenced to what he was, what he was about, what he was doing, and I said, you know, let me. Let me look further into this. So I looked further into it. I made contact with Judd.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

He got with me. We discussed several things, and then it just literally took off from there, man. And then I got introduced to you, and, you know, back and forth. You know, I call you and Judd the learning trees.

[A]

I appreciate that.

[C]

I mean, because you have so much knowledge. You know what I mean? And. And knowledge is so. So much time, and knowledge is so much money.

[A]

Yeah. It shortcuts you, man. It saves you. Like, I tell everybody that, like, it took me, like, 10 to 12 years to learn what I can, like, help people learn in a year.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

You carve all that time off and give yourself a good springboard.

[C]

I mean, it just catapults you.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Really does. So what'd you do beforehand?

[A]

What'd you do before we decided to get into this game?

[C]

Well, I've always had a business. I've had a car lot in a sports car, but, you know, them businesses are. Are here or there. You know what I mean? So, yeah, I wanted something that could catapult me. You know what I mean? Yeah. So that's what I did. So that was probably mid January when I spoke with him. And then I just started doing here.

[A]

Rodney, what year?

[C]

2021.

[A]

Yeah. It's crazy as crazy to think that. And that you were just like, I'm jumping in. Like they. There wasn't like dipping toes in the water with you. It was just like, let me.

[C]

No, I did. I actually jumped in with. With both feet in my area. There's only one other pretty good sized company.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

In my. In my area. So I did all my research, my homework, and I said, okay, I'm gonna do this. Fast forward at about four or five months, six months. I was. I built my first sealer truck because I didn't want to go in with the totes.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

To start off with. So I did my research and. And got online and looked at everybody's setups and this and that. So I actually built my first truck in three months and hit the road running. It was June of 2021.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Is when we got our first job. Our first job was 5,000.

[A]

Wow. Nice. So. So what was your like, how'd you get work right away? Because that's usually when people are like, well, how do we do this? Like, how do we get leads coming in?

[C]

So what I did was I went ahead and got on social media and had a. Made me a Google page.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

Google. My business. And then I went ahead and ran some ads on social media.

[A]

On Facebook or on Google or.

[C]

How'd you do it on Facebook? Yeah. Instagram. Yeah. Things like that.

[A]

Yeah, that's correct.

[C]

I had my truck, I had it logoed up and beforehand I was driving my truck everywhere I went. Yeah, the advertisement. Yeah. So people can see, you know. Wow. Okay, that's express asphalt. Express asphalt. You know what I mean? So, yeah, so that's pretty much how I got started with that. And then I also went from business to business and dropped off cards, you know.

[A]

Okay, how effective was that for you?

[C]

That was. That was pretty effective for the local area. Yeah. Stay within, you know, the 10 mile radius.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

That it was. It was pretty effective at that time.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

You know, so. But at that time I didn't really know because I was just jumping into it. You know what I mean? Because it was a totally different. It's a totally different beast coming from a car lot to an asphalt company.

[A]

Oh, for sure.

[C]

Yeah. So there's so many marketing strategies that are different than what it is with the car lot.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And so. So yeah. So then. And after that I. We made our first job and then our second job and our third job. And I just kept reinvesting into that, you know. So then I bought another. A big bread truck, painted it, logoed it up, and it's like a.

[A]

That's the one I remember. That's exactly remember.

[C]

Yeah. So, I mean, you can't miss that. So that is one of the best marketing things there is. Right? There is to get a big truck like that and just let, you know,

[A]

letter it up, drive it around, park it somewhere.

[C]

Oh, yeah, that's what I did. I parked it at the Walmart. I parked it at the home Depots. You know, I would park it there all day and come back and get it that night.

[A]

Yeah, well, the. The jump like that that you like. There's a point in every asphalt maintenance contractor's career where either they. They hit, hey, you know, there's a few paths you can take. You get to a point and you're like, all right, could do I get more crews? Do I try to spread out with asphalt maintenance and get to a point? Or am I okay? Like, you know, I'm the notorious one for being, like, cool. I've hit where I want to hit. I'm comfortable. I get to do what I want to do. This is how the size I want the business to be and cover it, and I'm happy there. Then there's other guys like, dude, I want to get into paving. I want to be able to do this. I want to be able to do that, and they take that tier and whatnot. To see you jump from asphalt maintenance to paving, was that right? Was that in your mindset early on of like, hey, I want to get. I want to get that settled, and then we want to get into paving. If 2026 is the year you want to make more money in your business, it starts with two things. Staying busy and getting paid faster. That's why I use Jobber. Jobber is software built for blue collar businesses, and it's designed to help you book work ahead of the busy season and keep your cash flow strong all year long. Their marketing tools help you get found, look professional, and stay booked, not just when the phone's ringing, but before the rush even hits. And once the work's booked, Jobber Payments helps you collect deposits up front and get paid faster so you're not chasing checks or waiting weeks for the money that you've already earned. Bottom line, Jobber helps you stay busy and stay paid. If you want to make more money in 2026 with software built for blue collar, try Jobber for free today. The link's in the description that was

[C]

my number one goal is to be a full blown asphalt company.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

Absolutely. So, I mean, you can still be an asphalt maintenance.

[A]

How hard was that, Rodney? Like, how hard was that for you to be, like. Because those are two different beasts. Right, Right. So people don't think that. They think, oh, I'll just use the same crew and be able to jump over and do this. It's a different skill set. It's a lot more overhead. There's a lot more red tape. Like, how hard was that jump?

[C]

I mean, it is very hard. I wouldn't say it was very hard for me, but it is very hard because I pick up stuff naturally really, really super quick.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So it was hard because, like you said, it is a different beast.

[A]

You.

[C]

You really can't. Unless you have, you know, your, your cross guys from your coding crew, and then you're gonna have to teach them how to do the screw man and the loop man, and, and, you know what I mean? In the roller guy and, and, you know, the operator. So. But really you need to. Your paving crews and your seal coating crews.

[A]

Yeah. What was that first job like when you guys put it in with the paver?

[C]

It was, it was gratifying.

[A]

Yeah. Really?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

How'd it turn out?

[C]

It turned out good.

[A]

Really? That's good.

[C]

Actually turned out good. I, I have a. I, I got lucky. I've got a guy that's got about 40 years experience.

[A]

Oh. So he knew, hey, you got to do.

[C]

Oh, yeah, I do this. Yeah, absolutely.

[A]

Yeah. That's lucky.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

There's a lot of guys where, like, they don't have that. They take the. No, they do it to learn. And that's 10 or 12 jobs before they kind of look okay. And it's a good year before people get really dialed in.

[C]

It is very hard because you got to really know what you're doing, you know, I mean, like I said on the screws or anything, you know, So, I mean, if, if you don't really pay attention, there's so much to learn, you know what I mean? So much.

[A]

What was so in the stretch that you've been doing this? I know you. You're a grinder. You usually working every day, you know, and you got your mind in the business. What has been the biggest challenge so far for you in this industry or this game? As far as you miss go, what was the biggest challenge so far?

[C]

Well, there's a couple.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

I would say, and they go with the seal coating and they go with the paving.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

The biggest challenge for the first one was when I started off for the first year and a half to two years, was just spending so much money because there was nobody close to me that has sealer.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

Yeah. So I was literally, because my, my trucks are big and I was literally just wasting so much fuel back and forth because we did, we did large projects, but it was back and forth every single day. You know what I mean? And then on top of that, you had to worry about, okay, this is a challenge. If my truck breaks down, it's going to be a minimum fifteen hundred dollar tow. Oh, so that can really get into your, your, your, your pocket really quick.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Oh, you got to be, you got

[A]

to be, you're, you got to be tactful with your spending.

[C]

Oh my gosh.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. So that was a, that, learn that,

[A]

learning that, like learning that was your biggest challenge.

[C]

My biggest challenge was, was trying to figure out how I can better the company by not wasting so much money on stuff like that. So what I did is I went out and just bought a. I bet I bought a block tank. 6,000 gallon.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And you know, I have it at my shop.

[A]

I love that about you. There's zero fear. You're always just like, what's the solution to this? Oh, you got to spend, you know, 15 to 20k on this. Okay. Okay, cool. Where do I get it? And like next day I'll get it.

[C]

I'll see a post.

[A]

Rodney's got what he was asking about in a post the day before.

[C]

So I actually bought it from Wisconsin.

[A]

Yeah, of course you did.

[C]

Yeah. And I had it delivered. So. But, but you know that it's that part and then on the paving side, just getting good guys, you know what I mean? Because it's a different, different beast on the pavement. What it is seal coating.

[A]

So I was driving down the interstate on my way to Tennessee and went through Indiana and I seen some night paving. I seen these big balloon lights on the back of the paver that were illuminating the whole area where everybody was working. Guess where those came from? Portable Lighting Solutions. They're the only balloon light manufacturer offering the consumer a replaceable screw in LED bulb that is field serviceable in minutes. They have a patented slide in assembly and they have a push to rapidly deploy mechanism. So you know, you push down on the top, it pops up, it lights the whole area up. You push down, it shuts off. They're manufactured right here in the usa. There's no patch kits, there's no blower motors, there's no set screws and they're UL certified. So whether you're seal coating at night, I'm going to get one and put it on the seal coat rig so I can seal coat at night and see everything, see the area. Or whether you're paving at night, you can put it right on your paver. We got a paver now, so I'll probably build a mount and just swap that thing back and forth or buy two. You might need this device. So hop over to portable lightingsolutions.net and put an order in and find yours today. They are ARA members, APWA members and Women of Asphalt members as well. Once again, that's portable lighting solutions.net yeah, I got a guest coming on right after you and that's literally, that's his advice. He's a doctor in clinical, clinical and industrial psychology. And literally it's about how do we attract these people, how do we find the right ones and then how do we retain them to keep them there? Right. Because that's the biggest, it's the biggest struggle. And you, you're very fortunate to have somebody with that experience because it's not all that easy.

[C]

Oh, no.

[A]

Somebody that has a lot of paving experience and is really good and is available especially in rural areas. Yes, it's super hard. So the fact that you got that. I've all, I've noticed that that's a key thing. The, the companies that I see succeed quick and succeed well usually have key players like that that they've been able to instill and they keep them happy, they keep them moving, they keep them doing things. And it's really a vital thing to see success in companies is to have those key players. The fact you got one's been great. How do you. So that's been the second challenge. How did you overcome that challenge in the paving side? Or have you?

[C]

So I, I wouldn't say that we've overcame that challenge yet. Yeah, because I mean, you got to have a, you know, five, six person crew. So I mean, in any good day we've got three to four. You know what I mean? So to overcome that challenge, I'd have to have, you know, at least one or two backups. Yeah, it's true. I mean, so I mean, you guys

[A]

truck your own asphalt or do you have it trucked in?

[C]

Oh, no. Yeah, we truck our own.

[A]

Yeah, I thought I seen a picture of a nice truck.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Dry axles. Yeah. In a single axle.

[A]

It's crazy because on seal, coating and asphalt maintenance side, you can it might take a lot longer, but you can do it. Two people, and that's an asphalt game. You can't. It's going to cool off. You're not going to get compaction. You're gonna be stuck. Yeah. So that's what I'm trying to tell everybody. Like, it's not like this stuff is just like. It's not like it's an easy jump, it's the obvious jump, but it's a. It's a long high jump. Like, you better be prepared and be trained to be ready to go most of the time.

[C]

Do it.

[A]

So do you just keep. Do you got. Are you guys always recruiting then? Is that okay? That's how you keep your pressure on. As far as overcoming that, yes. You never really overcome it. It's just something that you have to deal with all the time. Right.

[C]

Daily basis.

[A]

Yeah, a daily basis. So like I said, I know you're heavily involved. Like you eat, sleep and breathe the asphalt game, especially with express asphalt it. I was looking at this question that I wrote down for you because it's really something that I'm curious about because I never really get to see it because you're always in the business side of the game and whatnot. But I would love to know, like you personally, what has been a big challenge like for you. Because I don't know, like a lot of people it's like, man, I got lack of sleep and some people it's like, well, I'm trying to make sure I don't get in front of myself or whatever. I deal with anxiety or stress or I dealt with a stressful clients or whatever it is. What about you personally, like, what has been a big challenge for you when it comes to balancing your asphalt company and your life in that amount of time?

[C]

The biggest challenge is the hours that you have to put in to make it to be successful. You know what I mean? That. That's, that's the biggest part because you're actually giving up your. If you want to successful to get it, to literally build it from the ground up, you're going to have to give up a lot of your personal time. Personal life.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. And that affects people, numbers.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So was that part of your motivation? Like, I was going to ask you how you overcome that as well, but is that part of your motivation of like going all out and get it to where it's a sustainable thing so you can get that part over with quicker?

[C]

So. So yes and no. So yes it was. But I'm. I'm Fortunate to be single. Yeah. So I don't have a timeline. I don't have to be home for this certain reason or this certain time or this or that. You know what I mean? So now, if I was married, that would probably be a bit different story.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[C]

I wouldn't be where I'm at right now if I was, because it literally takes to build and create something.

[A]

Yeah. Remind me of Kyle. Shown or. Hey. Shown. That's how. That's how he always tells me. He's like, dude, I. I couldn't do what I do if I was tied up. Right. He's like, with what he's trying to do and what he's trying to build. So, like I've said before, we're not spring chickens. A few eggs short of that. Did you anticipate it taking that much time out of your schedule in order to build something? Because I think about it now, obviously, with my transition to splitting time between Nashville and here in Wisconsin and whatnot, and I'm like, dude, if I was to do this again, I. I like to think that in my mind, I'm still in my early 20s. Last year, on parking lot, I was reminded that I'm not physically right. So I'm like, dude, I don't know that I could go through it again or that I would want to. I'm sure I would if I had to, but I know it's not going to be an easier run for me this time. So elaborate with me a little bit on that, if you would.

[C]

Yeah, absolutely. So, I mean, of course, when we're. When we're sitting behind a computer and we're watching things online and. And everything else, and you're trying to do some research and like, oh, yeah, that's good. That's good. Yeah, that's easy. That's easy. That's easy. Easy. While you're watching, get behind the broom to get behind the squeegee, to get behind the. The blowers, to get behind the. The. The wands. I mean, it's a totally different situation. So everything looks easy until you get behind it.

[A]

I think that was one of our early conversations, right? You were like, I want to know if it's worth it. And I'm like, dude, it's totally worth it.

[C]

Right?

[A]

But it is not. It's not for the faint of heart. You're not just gonna put a sealcoat rig together and think your life is going to change now. You could put your steel coat rig together, and there is a point where your life and change will change. But in between that is, is some grinding and some heavy burnt. But I fully believe that anybody who gets into this business and really puts the effort and time and energy into it can get to that point, right? So I think with other businesses that's not always, it's not always as optimistic because I just, I've seen people. You see so many businesses fail, right? There's a percentage of restaurants and small businesses and whatever fail. The ones that I have seen that put forth the effort and a path similar to what you've put together and I've put together and a lot of our constituents have put together, they that's a high percentage of people that succeed if they'll put in the work and stay consistent and persistent. So I want to ask you the, the last question here is as far as your grand scheme of life, not necessarily Express asphalt. I know you're one of the guys that's like, this is my life at this point with Express, but you've had a long chain of life with different business experiences and whatnot. What would be a general piece of advice that you would give to anybody, right? Like whether it was a younger version of yourself, for example, and you knew, hey, you got another 20, 30 years in front of yourself here. What would be a general piece of advice? You'd be like, hey, let me tell you something, right? What would that be? Even before I had a discount code partnership with Brunt Workwear, which you can find in the description of this podcast, I was wearing their boots when patching or paving and their shirts and hats when I was out on date night when with Nikki. I'm actually wearing one right now. Seriously though, half my closet is Brunt workwear at this point. I have three sets of boots, two marins and a pair of the Omans, as well as a green shovel and hoodie that I love. It's got a snake on it. It actually has a pocket where it keeps my cell phone there in the front. I love that about it. And it took the place of my winter jacket last season. To check out their full line, go to bruntworkwear.com and use code MJOLS10 to save 10. $10 off your first order of $60 or more.

[C]

Before you get into anything, do your homework. Do your homework on whatever you're you're looking into. And then the next one would be, don't be afraid to take that leap.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Because a lot of people are afraid to take that leap. Believe in yourself because you are the only one that can make yourself yeah, Yeah. I believed in myself to do this, you know what I mean? So in three and a half years, four years, I mean, I built it from the ground up, and I just purchased another. Another shop facility. Now we've got 200, 000 square foot building that we keep all of our equipment in and 5 acres where we can, you know, we're gonna start, you know, having our own. Our own gravel and, you know, all of our.

[A]

You can keep all your materials and stuff, huh?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

It never. He never ceased to amaze me with.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

You pressing forward.

[C]

Yeah. So, I mean, and you just got to keep pressing forward, you know? I mean, I mean, because you never know what could happen, you know, Like. I mean, like, this building that came available, you know, we just went ahead and bought it, so.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And we needed it because we all grew ours literally the first year and a half or the shop, we literally outgrew it.

[A]

Well, when you buy every piece of equipment or every type of thing that you could ever buy for the asphalt world, of course you're going to outgrow it quick. You got a new moniker. It's Rodney no Fear Hilton. Because, like, and with a last name like that, why would you not be purchasing more real estate?

[C]

You have to. Right?

[A]

Rodney, I really appreciate you joining us, man. It's been fantastic, kind of to. To witness your journey, as always. I know we got some conferences and stuff coming up this winter and whatnot, and I know we'll see some next winter whatnot. It's always a pleasure to get to hang out with you and witness your journey here in the asphalt industry. I think, you know, for a lot of people, including myself and even some younger people, right, we're able to point to you and be like, hey, this is. This is what you can do. If you really are singularly focused and put your resources to it, it inspires a lot of people, too. So I really appreciate what you not only been able to do, but what you've contributed to the asphalt industry and community as well.

[C]

Thank you. Yeah.

[A]

All right, man. I'm gonna let you get to your doctor's appointment. What are they doing? Are they pulling blood to see, like, if you got into the fountain of youth or whatever?

[C]

Yeah, no, I just gotta get a checkup done.

[A]

Yeah, I got you. I got you. I figured that they were probably gonna pull blood and be like, how does this person have such high levels of testosterone and gall?

[C]

Yeah, he just.

[A]

Yeah, he just. Yeah, because he just jumps into it. So I appreciate it, man. I hope you stay warm and we'll catch you again real soon.

[C]

Absolutely.

[A]

All right. All right. So for myself and for Rodney, we're here with a good conversation that we really hope you enjoy. And as always, we hope you stay in the mix. Peace.

[B]

Thanks for hanging out with us on in the Mix. For more on the world of Blacktop, head over to marvinjols.com and don't forget to follow Marvin on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube for extra content, behind the scenes looks and industry insights. Be sure to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. And if you got value from today's show, leave us a well word worded five star review. It really helps more asphalt pros find us. Catch you next time on in the Mix.

[A]

I used to be £300. 297 to be exact. And if you're around me at asphalt or construction expos or in my circle, you remember that. Marvin. I'm not him anymore. I've all but eliminated the choices that got me there in the first place and I'm down about £100 over the last few years. Years. All from making better choices. I know it's hard in our industry to find time and that those gas station stops are way too convenient, but we in our industry aren't getting enough of what we need to live healthy and stay productive, with those choices being our constant Besides prepping my own food, I choose foods and supplements from first form to help me get to where I need to be, along with a regular exercise routine. You've seen my posts over the last few years about using first form products to get what I need into my body on the road and keeping out excess of what I don't need or want. I use at least one first form product every day to ensure I stay on track. I've worked way too hard to let this slip. If you use the link in the episode description, you'll get free shipping on orders over $75 from first form today. If you reach out to me personally via DM or email, I would love to tell you about what I use and my experiences using First Forms products.