Podcast Summary

Second in Command with Cameron Herold

Episode 545: A1 Roofing Co-Owner and Chief Culture Officer Vincent Melizzia – How To Build a Company You’ll Never Want to Leave
Date: January 15, 2026
Host: Savannah Brewer (filling in for Cameron Herold)
Guest: Vincent Melizzia, Co-Owner and Chief Culture Officer, A1 Roofing

Episode Overview

This episode explores the remarkable story of Vincent Melizzia, who took a traditional, family-owned roofing business and transformed it into a thriving, people-centric organization. Through candid discussion, Vincent shares his philosophy and actionable strategies for building and maintaining passionate teams, drastically reducing turnover, developing leadership through mentorship, and crafting a culture where employees—and leaders—want to stay for the long haul.

Main Themes & Purpose

• Company Culture Transformation:
  Building a workplace that prioritizes respect, fulfillment, and personal growth.
• Leadership & Delegation:
  Leading by example, fostering trust and autonomy in the team.
• Personal Fulfillment:
  Integrating self-care, family, and work to achieve long-term satisfaction.
• Operational Excellence:
  Implementing systems and technology (including AI), investing in mentorship, and sustaining growth in a demanding industry.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. From Family Business to Modern Company

[02:50–04:40]

• Vincent and his brother grew up working every job together, learning from their father who founded A1 Roofing in 1981.
• The brothers used their education and industry insights to expand the business from a small, residential-focused company to a 100-employee commercial operation.

"Before we knew it, we were 28, 29 years old, and we were still stuck on a roof. And we’re like, what did we do here? This is not why we went to college." – Vincent Melizzia [03:24]

2. Leadership Philosophy: Respect, Empathy, and the "Do the Right Thing" Rule

[05:43–08:20]

• Vincent’s father instilled a “do the right thing” mentality: always follow through with commitments even at cost.
• The Melizzias rejected the industry’s toxic culture of yelling and blame. Instead, mistakes are met with learning conversations, not anger.
• They’ve even fired clients who mistreated staff.

"We would actually terminate contracts and relationships with clients because we just, we didn’t feel that anybody should have to put up with that regardless of how much business they’re giving us.” – Vincent Melizzia [07:50]

3. Building an Employer Brand Worth Bragging About

[08:53–11:26]

• Aimed to be as attractive as big names (Apple, Starbucks) through progressive benefits: health care, 401k match, PTO, team building, guest speakers, retreats, and social events.
• Intentionally fostered cross-departmental relationships and a family-centric policy, encouraging employees to invest in their out-of-work lives.

“We encourage all of our staff to attend their kids’ events, to go on field trips with the kids, take vacations with your family.” – Vincent Melizzia [10:28]

4. Innovative Policies & Turnover Reduction

[11:32–13:58]

• Office staff receive unlimited PTO, resulting in less overall time taken and reduced pressure to “use it or lose it.”
• Leadership encourages time off when needed for both personal and family reasons.
• Turnover decreased dramatically post-COVID: from ~75% to ~22% (industry average ~50%).

5. Supporting Physical & Mental Health in a Grueling Industry

[13:58–15:42]

• Made the bold decision to end six-day work weeks, instituting weekends off for field staff despite potential lost revenue.
• Found productivity improved and morale increased.

“We want you to have time to rest your body, rest your mind, spend time with your wife, your kids, maybe go do a day trip somewhere... our employees are well rested, they’re well energized.” – Vincent Melizzia [14:38]

6. Integrating Life and Work: Personal Fulfillment

[15:42–17:59]

• Vincent protects personal time for self-care and family, e.g., waking at 4am to hit the gym, coaching kids’ sports, and taking regular vacations.
• Emphasizes importance of recharging outside work to perform well at work.

“It’s important not to forget about yourself. And it’s not selfish because it’s basically giving you the energy and mindset that you need to fulfill the rest the other areas of your life, like your family and your business.” – Vincent Melizzia [16:29]

7. Facing and Overcoming Challenges

[20:14–21:12]

• Transitioning from residential to commercial roofing was fraught with stress, mistakes, and a steep learning curve—especially before Vincent had kids and work-life balance.
• Repeatedly pushed comfort zones with constant innovation in systems and processes.

8. Staying Passionate & Committed

[21:12–24:27]

• Progress motivated him: seeing the business evolve from hard manual work to a well-oiled company.
• Getting to a point where the business operates smoothly (“everything just runs itself”) brought enormous satisfaction.

“It happens so fast. I mean, when you’re in the weeds or when you’re in the day to day, maybe not so fast, but when you’re actually out of it and you look back, you’re like, wow, we did it.” – Vincent Melizzia [22:37]

9. Delegation, Autonomy, and Performance

[24:37–27:17]

• Letting go was hard—Vincent had to learn to delegate and empower staff to make decisions, with the philosophy “If you’re not going to cost the company $50,000, make a decision. And if it’s the wrong one, we’ll learn from it.” [25:46]
• Productivity perks like “Summer Fridays” fostered accountability instead of surveillance: leave at 3pm when work is done; those not finishing work self-select to stay.

10. Mentorship and Continual Growth

[28:08–32:11]

• Leadership team gets coaching and mentorship, with investment into personal growth for all employees (e.g., guest speakers, lunch & learns).
• Vincent attributes growth to regular mentorship—formal and informal—and focuses on gaining at least one lesson from every event or relationship.

“The best golfers, the best players in the world have their own coaches... If we want to be our best, we need to focus on... learning from others who have been down this road.” – Vincent Melizzia [30:20]

11. The COO–CEO (“Yin and Yang”) Sibling Partnership

[33:49–35:56]

• The brothers have dramatically different personalities but share values and mutual respect, rarely disagreeing, and always prioritizing the business over ego or comparison.

“We meet, we discuss certain issues, certain topics. We respect each other. We’ve never gotten into spring matches or fights… We just always had a good relationship… since we were young kids.” – Vincent Melizzia [34:41]

12. Recognition, Communication, and Tech

[38:03–39:58]

• Used reward systems for peer recognition (points, awards, retreats); now favor big annual “core value” awards with meaningful prizes.
• Team communication is handled by group chats (WhatsApp), emails, and custom software for job notes.
• AI implementation (e.g. ChatGPT for field workers) saves time and enables more equitable workplace participation.

“Now he uses ChatGPT. He’ll speak into the phone of what he did at this job. It types it all up and then he emails it over to my office...” – Vincent Melizzia [40:02]

13. Embracing Change; Addressing Resistance

[41:14–42:02]

• Resistance to new tech or systems comes from employees who are “checked out”; most invested employees adapt and buy in.
• Key: Approach new systems as a team, provide training, and avoid a blame culture.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "We actually terminated contracts and relationships with clients because we just didn’t feel that anybody should have to put up with that regardless of how much business they’re giving us." – Vincent Melizzia [07:50]

• “We want you to have time to rest your body, rest your mind, spend time with your wife, your kids, maybe go do a day trip somewhere…our employees are well rested, they’re well energized.” – Vincent Melizzia [14:38]

• “If you’re not going to cost the company $50,000, make a decision. And if it’s the wrong one, we’ll learn from it.” – Vincent Melizzia [25:46]

• “As long as they’re helping you grow, that’s the most important…little steps.” – Vincent Melizzia [32:06]

• “What gets a lot of people in trouble is their ego…You’re running your own race. Like, I try to stay in my own lane.” – Vincent Melizzia [35:16]

• “Most of the people that don’t want to learn or grow anymore will check out at some point. The majority of people that are here know who we are and what we’re about, and they’re here, they’re along for the ride, they’re like, ‘let’s go.'” – Vincent Melizzia [41:14]

• “If I can go back and give myself some advice, I guess I would say, you know, cheer up, it’s going to get better…Don’t give up. Keep pushing forward. Keep working hard. Put your head down, one foot in front of the other. It’s going to get better, I promise you.” – Vincent Melizzia [43:21]

Important Segment Timestamps

• Background and Family Origins: [02:50–04:40]
• Foundational Leadership Values: [05:43–08:20]
• Culture Transformation & Perks: [08:53–11:26]
• Unlimited PTO and Turnover Reduction: [11:32–13:58]
• Field Worker Support & Ending Six-Day Weeks: [13:58–15:42]
• Personal Fulfillment & Routine: [16:22–17:59]
• Challenges in Growth: [20:14–21:12]
• Consistent Passion & Looking Back: [21:12–24:27]
• Delegation, Autonomy, Accountability: [24:37–27:17]
• Mentorship (External/Internal): [28:08–32:11]
• COO–CEO Sibling Relationship: [33:49–35:56]
• Team Rewards, AI/Tech Implementations: [38:03–41:14]
• Advice to Younger Self and Mindset: [43:21–44:41]
• Social Media & Comparison: [45:41–46:34]
• Looking Forward: [47:03–47:36]

Conclusion

Vincent Melizzia’s story provides a compelling blueprint for COOs, owners, and company leaders seeking to build organizations that “you’ll never want to leave.” By prioritizing respect and support, embracing change, fostering autonomy, and viewing the company as an extension of family, Vincent and his brother turned a traditional, tough industry on its head—and proved that loyalty, trust, and passion are the foundations for lasting success.

Connect with Vincent:
LinkedIn: [Vincent Melizzia]
Email: vincent1roofingny.com

This summary is designed to capture the depth, tone, and actionable advice shared during the episode for listeners and non-listeners alike.