The Unshakeables – “Service as the Foundation: Moore United Construction”

Podcast: The Unshakeables (Chase for Business & iHeartMedia/Ruby Studio)
Air Date: January 27, 2026
Host: Ben Walter
Guests: Ron Moore & Kelly Moore (Co-Founders, Moore United Construction)
Cohost: Kathleen

Episode Overview

This episode tells the remarkable story of sibling entrepreneurs Ron and Kelly Moore, who rebuilt their lives and careers after losing their family business to an unexpected will change. It explores themes of resilience, the power of family partnership, business integrity, and service to community—especially for military veterans. Their journey underscores both the challenges and rewards of small business ownership, and how dedication to service can become the bedrock of lasting success.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Backstory – Lessons from Family, Foundations of Service

• Working Under Their Father

  • Ron and Kelly grew up working in their father's business, Moore Flooring, a commercial flooring company in California.
    • "I started working for my father in 1989." – Kelly Moore [00:25]
    • "I started as the warehouse kid, and 22 years later, I worked my way up to the president of the company." – Ron Moore [04:02]
  • Their father insisted they start from the bottom, instilling humility and a deep understanding of each job.

• Family Dynamics

  • Bonded tightly with both their biological father and stepmother, who was “kind and loving” and part of family traditions.
  • Fond memories: spontaneous “meetings” for The Price is Right-style lunch bets.
    • "Whoever guesses the price is right showdown pays for lunch. The other one doesn't." – Kelly Moore [04:44]

2. Crisis Point – Betrayal Through the Family Trust

• Loss of Inheritance
  • Upon their father’s death from pancreatic cancer, Ron and Kelly discovered the trust had been changed under questionable circumstances, leaving everything to their stepmother.
    • "He passed away in 2014." – Kelly Moore [00:55]
    • "He changed it a couple months when he was terminal, when he was taking chemo, she had him sign the trust differently... She gets everything." – Ron Moore [01:11]
  • Profound “double loss”—their parents and their business legacy.
    • "It was hard losing a mother and father that day. And her grandkids lost their grandmother and grandfather... To this day, we haven’t received one thing." – Kelly Moore [05:40]
  • After a period of grief, they chose to move forward and build their own futures.

3. Rebirth – Divergent Paths to Redemption

• Initial Careers Post-Betrayal
  • Kelly: Excelled at a large construction firm, managing hundreds but missing family.
    • "I'm at the peak of my career, making a lot of money... But I missed my family." – Kelly Moore [07:30]
  • Ron: Partnered with friends in another construction company, grew it exponentially, but felt unfulfilled.
    • "Great guys, great company... but it’s not for me. My ultimate direction was to start my own company again and make our company legacy, how it’s supposed to be." – Ron Moore [08:35]

4. Moore United Construction – Reuniting as Siblings in Business

• Taking the Risk

  • Ron called Kelly to help start Moore United Construction; she took the leap despite financial security and career standing.
    • "He told me, ‘Well, I need you.’ ... I gave my two weeks." – Kelly Moore [09:03]
  • Ron funded the launch with a home equity line of credit, taking on personal risk.
    • "If I don't succeed, I'm going to lose the house, everything I've worked so many years for." – Ron Moore [10:25]

• First Steps and Focus on Sustainability

  • Operated from temporary spaces, managing early operations out of their living rooms before securing a warehouse.
    • "We did not have a physical location... Meetings in parking lots, meetings in my living room." – Kelly Moore [10:51]
  • Emphasis on expanding beyond flooring to multiple divisions: construction, lighting, and eventually solar.
    • "If you don't diversify, you're going to die on the vine." – Ron Moore [11:39]

• Smart Early Growth

  • Targeted clients who paid fast, ensuring strong cash flow.
    • "I focused on them so I can get that 10-day money in quick so we can start building." – Ron Moore [12:18]
  • Surpassed first-year goals by tripling projected revenue, with an eye on slow, steady growth.

5. Business Wisdom – Cash Flow, Roles, and Partnership

• Practical Money Management

  • Kelly, as CFO, stressed the importance of cash flow and selecting clients accordingly.
    • "We really keep the money in house and have it in the bank... old school and been around a long time—rainy day." – Kelly Moore [13:22]
  • Both hosts and guests underscored the challenge and necessity of negotiating payment terms, even at the cost of forgoing work.
    • "Imagine the courage it takes... to say no to something because you don't like the payment terms." – Ben Walter [18:34]

• Sibling Dynamic and Clear Roles

  • Ron and Kelly’s partnership thrives on distinct roles: Ron as visionary and client-relationship lead; Kelly as the execution-focused administrator and CFO.
    • "He's the idea guy and he's the values guy and he's the sales guy and she's the deliberate lady." – Ben Walter [17:30]

• Trust and Written Agreements

  • The hosts emphasize that clear roles and decision rights are vital, particularly in family businesses.

6. Adversity Inside the Business – Managing Betrayal Again

• Employee Betrayal
  • A trusted project manager started a rival company while still on the Moore United payroll, taking clients.
    • "He was quoting stuff for his new company... I felt that he betrayed us. That’s one thing that has changed in my personality is trust." – Kelly Moore [20:58/21:43]
  • Rather than retaliating, Ron chose to move on, reinforcing their positive and future-focused philosophy.
    • "I'm not going to have a heart attack or stress over— good luck, I wish you well, and we go on." – Ron Moore [22:08]

7. Legacy and Service – Giving Back to Veterans and the Community

• Veteran Support as Core Mission

  • Ron is a disabled Army veteran, and their company’s legacy is defined by veteran support—not company size or money.
    • "Our legacy is helping veterans... I'm not going to let that happen to veterans. Not on my watch." – Ron Moore [23:33]
  • Initiatives include:
    • Hiring and upskilling veterans with living wages.
      • "You want to be an electrician? Come on. I'm going to pay you $35 an hour. They're not worth $35 an hour, but it’s a living wage..." – Ron Moore [23:39]
    • Providing “go bags” for homeless veterans.
      • "Everybody deserves to eat off a plate with utensils. So that's in our go bag." – Kelly Moore [24:29]
    • Giving scholarships for veterans' living expenses.
    • Participating in Habitat for Humanity veteran housing projects.

• Broader Vision of Business

  • Hosts reflect on the impact: small businesses like Moore United are often the most generous in their communities, going above and beyond purely financial metrics.

8. Mentorship and Community Impact

• Mentoring Other Businesses
  • Moore United Construction participates in Chase’s “Coaching for Impact” program and offers guidance to other small business owners.
    • "They've been terrific partners for us, they were part of our Coaching for Impact program... and coach other businesses. The multiplier effect on that is enormous." – Ben Walter [28:03]

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Growing from Adversity:
  • "You gonna sit and dwell on this nonsense and have stomach acid and heartache? ... Let’s drive on to make more work. Have your legacy be better than that." – Ron Moore [22:41]
• On Service:
  • "Our legacy is helping veterans... We sit down and talk to veterans that are homeless." – Ron Moore [23:33]
  • "I see you. What do you need? I'm here. I see you." – Kelly Moore [24:29]
• On Business Integrity:
  • "Be honorable. You’ve only got your name." – Ron Moore [29:01]
• On Passion as a Business Foundation:
  • "If you love baking and you want to start your own business, make it your life. Don’t go after, oh, this is a great way to make money, but I hate doing this... Be steady. The steady person will win the race and money will come. As long as you’re honest and you take care of your clients, it’ll come." – Kelly Moore [29:26]
• On Cash Flow:
  • "Businesses rarely die because they run out of sales. They die because they run out of cash. No one wants to talk about that, but it’s true." – Ben Walter [19:19]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:07 - 04:44: Early days at Moore Flooring and family legacy
• 05:01 - 07:20: Discovering the changed trust; family and business lost
• 07:30 - 08:55: Ron and Kelly’s separate career paths post-betrayal
• 08:55 - 10:51: Founding Moore United Construction; biggest risks
• 10:51 - 12:09: Early days—no office, diversified services, operational strategies
• 13:00 - 13:22: Cash flow management insights
• 19:48 - 21:43: On employee betrayal and trust
• 23:33 - 26:09: Giving back to veterans and defining a legacy
• 28:03 - 28:33: Mentorship and Coaching for Impact involvement
• 29:01 - 30:20: Final advice to entrepreneurs

Final Reflections and Takeaways

Business isn’t just about the bottom line—it's about people, relationships, and living true to your values. Ron and Kelly Moore’s story embodies unwavering integrity, resilience after profound loss, disciplined financial stewardship, and a passionate commitment to community service, especially for veterans.

Their advice for future entrepreneurs:

• "Be honorable. You’ve only got your name." – Ron
• "Be true. Make it your life. The steady person will win the race and money will come." – Kelly

For listeners:
Whether you’re building a new business, facing unexpected hardship, or trying to find your “why,” this episode’s narrative and practical lessons are a reminder that resilience, service, and character are the true pillars of an “Unshakeable” legacy.