He Left a 15-Year Corporate Career at 49 to Bet on Roofing | John Malko

John Malko spent 15 years selling for a printer manufacturer, grew their Amazon account from fourth place to number one — and still couldn't shake the feeling he was missing something. Then COVID grounded him, a franchise consultant called, and he took out an SBA loan on an industry he admits he never properly vetted. Three years later, Mighty Dog Roofing of the Southeast Valley has seven employees, more than 160 five-star reviews, and a business that runs for four days without him. He also never finished the eighth grade. He'll explain. In this conversation we dig into: Why he was let into high school without an 8th-grade diploma — and what Father Paul at St. Augustine Prep did about it The moment his girlfriend (now wife of 20+ years) said "I'm not dating a detailer" Why he picked roofing over every other franchise on the list: "everybody needs a roof" The uncomfortable truth about roofing — you never see the work, and in Arizona the contractor is only on the hook for two years Why he sends customers hundreds of photos of a job they'll never climb up to see The Predictive Index, his first "right" hire, and learning to manage humans after 25 years in sales The $8,000 lesson he learned guessing at a roof price on the third fairway What he hopes his 16-year-old triplets take from watching him do this The legacy he wants: "He did it right the first time" CHAPTERS 00:00 Jersey roots, green flies and Philly football 01:50 Meet John Malko — Mighty Dog Roofing of the Southeast Valley 03:00 Doing the right thing when nobody's watching 03:40 The eighth grade he never finished 05:00 Fifteen years in corporate sales — and taking over the Amazon account 14:00 St. Augustine Prep, Father Paul, and needing guardrails 22:00 Rowan University, flunking out, and detailing cars 27:00 Meeting Lauren: "I'm not dating a detailer" 31:00 Leaving New Jersey for Arizona — and landing in the housing crash 34:00 Why COVID finally pushed him over the edge 35:00 Choosing roofing: necessity beats disposable income 39:00 The problem with a roof: you never see the work 43:00 Learning to lead — the Predictive Index and his first right hire 49:00 "What am I doing?" — surviving the first two years 57:00 Warranties, underlayment, and the $1,500 difference 1:08:00 The hardest hire in the business: a salesperson 1:16:00 The $8,000 guess on the third fairway 1:17:00 What he hopes his triplets learn: perseverance 1:21:00 Earning a homeowner's trust in the first 20 minutes 1:36:00 Legacy: "He did it right the first time" ABOUT THE GUEST John Malko is the owner of Mighty Dog Roofing of the Southeast Valley, serving Ahwatukee through Queen Creek from his office in Mesa. He opened in May 2023 after 25 years in sales, and lives in Gilbert with his wife Lauren and their triplet daughters. CONNECT Above & Beyond Podcast — abovebeyondpodcast.com Hosted by Jän Simon, Foundation Insurance Services — found-ins.com Subscribe and leave a review if this one hit home. #AboveAndBeyondPodcast #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #Roofing #GilbertAZ #MesaAZ #Franchise #BusinessOwner #ArizonaBusiness #CareerChange