In Part 2 of this episode, João and Susy Dias of Fino Oficio continue their conversation with Stephen Diggins and explain why they only hire people with no experience in the wood flooring industry, how they manage to charge so much more money than other wood flooring companies, how they work together as husband and wife, how they handle client relations so that customers realize they don’t have to worry about their wood floors, the mindset common to all elite wood flooring pros, and much more.

In Part 1 of this episode, listeners will discover the origin story of how couple João and Susy Dias of Fino Oficio in Lisbon, Portugal, went from no experience in wood flooring to being one of the best-known wood flooring contracting companies in the world, why they are always willing to help other wood flooring pros, what it has been like to participate in the Workcamp Parkett gatherings in Europe, and the inside stories from some of their most out-of-the-box and award-winning wood floors—including why João decided to add fire to the lacewood in their 2024 WFB Design Award-winning floor.

Occupational therapist Jennifer Hale spends all day every day helping people do their jobs without pain, and in this episode, she's concentrating on hardworking wood flooring pros. Jennifer and host Stephen Diggins talk about how pros are really "industrial athletes," and how they need to train just like any other athlete to perform their jobs without injuries or pain. She explains why nutrition and hydration are so important for preventing pain, as well as her top tips for helping wood floor pros age well. She and Stephen also go through examples of real-life wood floor pros and her feedback for them as they try to preserve their bodies and work well without pain.

When Adam Bissey was a wood flooring contractor, he saw how so many retailers were missing opportunities, and so he made the leap to open a retail location of his own—one that is now a thriving staple on the Jersey Shore. In this wide-ranging conversation, host Stephen Diggins and Adam discuss the challenges of starting as a retailer; how Floors by the Shore succeeds by focusing on excellence in every way, from subfloors to customer service; why he’s so focused on healthy products; why profitability is so critical; and much more.

Lifelong wood flooring pro David Ford of Stauf USA is back to talk with Stephen about some important issues in the wood flooring industry, including reverence for the previous generations of pros and the importance of training and work ethic. They also discuss ideas for other value-added things wood flooring pros can do to increase margins on every job, the incredible potential there is in the wood flooring industry to make a lucrative living, and some sound financial advice about planning for retirement (something many pros don’t do). As a bonus, David, a native to the Memphis area, has some insider knowledge to share about none other than Elvis Presley!

When Kent Rogerson and Jamie Lambert of South Carolina’s Low Country Flooring got their first wood flooring job, they had never even seen the tools required to do the trade. But they learned quickly and grew the business—and then realized they had to down-size the company as they pursued their obsession with quality. In this episode, they detail the hilarious details of their first install, sanding and finishing jobs; what they look for (and don't look for!) in employees; and some of their practices and philosophies that put them among the wood floor industry’s sanding and finishing elite—and allow them to charge accordingly for their wood floors.

Steve James transitioned from a career at General Motors to the lumber industry when he became CEO of Frank Miller Lumber in Indiana, transforming the company culture there to create a motivated long-term workforce. James and host Stephen Diggins discuss the challenges of a lumber business focused on quartersawn lumber, as well as James’ insights as a member of the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team.

Matt Garcia was a typical wood flooring pro with a small company of craftsmen when he moved to Texas and realized he had a huge opportunity to grow his business—but after trial and error, he also realized that in order to grow his business AND be profitable, he had to work on his business, not just in his business. Hear his advice about what he learned and the key changes he made that have transformed his company, improved quality and motivated his employees.

When the U.S. government needed the massive chevron floor replaced in the Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C., Universal Floors tackled the job with the help of some friends, including Kent Rogerson and Jamie Lambert from Low Country Flooring. Hear Universal Floor’s Sprigg Lynn, along with Kent and Jamie, discuss the intricacies and complications of handling this job. In Part 2 they reveal more about the installation, sanding and finishing, and how when it comes to jobs of this magnitude, you need to lean on fellow pros to make it all happen.

When the U.S. government needed the massive chevron floor replaced in the Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C., Universal Floors tackled the job with the help of some friends, including Kent Rogerson and Jamie Lambert from Low Country Flooring. Hear Universal Floor’s Sprigg Lynn, along with Kent and Jamie, discuss the intricacies and complications of handling this job. In Part 1 they discuss demo, subfloor prep, installation and more.

Angelo DeSanto is one of Wood Floor Business’s most popular authors and bloggers—in addition to running his own wood flooring business in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. He and Stephen talk about how he stands up to contractors to get paid on time, the seemingly simple details that make a skilled wood flooring pro, and the accident that almost took his life—and how he managed to recover his health and his business.

Loba-Wakol’s Tyler Myatt and Cash Pyle both grew up in the wood flooring industry before they began their careers working for wood floor industry leader Loba-Wakol. Now they use their knowledge to not only help contractors learn how to use the latest cutting-edge products in the industry but also improve everything from their sanding techniques to their pricing for jobs. Hear what they see out in the field and advice they have for wood flooring contractors to improve their businesses.

Although still in his early thirties, Chicago wood floor pro Matthew Szyszka of Floor Master Company has made a name for himself and won awards for his intricate custom wood floors. In this episode, he discusses the details on some of his award-winning jobs, how he promotes custom work to his clients, thoughts about getting more young people into the trades and more.

John Stern’s experience in the industry goes back to before Brazilian species were imported into the U.S. and when the Oval Office still had a wood-look vinyl floor. As the founder of industry stalwart Kentucky Wood Floors, he worked for multiple presidents, traveled to foreign wood flooring mills, sold his flooring to be used in prestigious locales around the world and partnered with famous people to market his products. Today he’s still involved in the industry with his company Louisville Wood Floors; hear his insights about the industry’s past and where it’s at today.

Tom Ourada combines wood flooring craftsmanship with sheer artistry to do wood floors like no one else does wood floors. His months-long projects can result in intricate hand-cut wildlife scenes or out-of-the-box modern designs, but they all stem from a passion for looking at a tree and imagining the possibilities. Hear Tom explain his inspiration and his process.

Wood floor Matt Garcia is a third-generation pro who started from scratch after moving from his native California to Texas. Matt talks with host Stephen Diggins about how, even though he’s far from a major population center, he’s built a high-end business and also opened a thriving showroom. They also discuss how Matt has focused on creating the right company culture that attracts employees and on networking in the wood flooring industry to build his skills both as a craftsman and a business person.

Courtney Lee carved out a unique business in Georgia when he branched out from carpet cleaning to doing wood floor cleaning and recoats many pros wouldn’t tackle. Lee talks with host Stephen Diggins about how his business developed, what life is like as a Black man in an industry where Black people are typically under-represented, how YouTube has had a huge impact on his business, the philosophies that make his company a leading example of customer service, and much more.

Married couple Beth and Steve Stalker have been in the sports flooring business together since high school. In this episode, they discuss topics including how they keep their loyal employees, unique sports floor subfloor systems, health hazards particular to the sports flooring business (and why they can shut down a school), why they prefer to install 1 ½-inch flooring, and how they keep GCs honest, among many other interesting aspects of the sports flooring world.

Bob Goldstein grew up in the wood flooring industry in Florida, from hand-nailing a floor with his dad to working at all levels of the industry, including his own contracting business. Along the way he saw his sons enter the industry and, more recently, had to come with grips with the physical toll his career has taken on his body. Hear some fascinating wood flooring history, as well as Bob’s thought-provoking perspective on the safe way to do this trade today.

When David Williams and Steve Garner took over struggling fledgling distributor Horizon Forest Products, they had a formidable challenge, but they persevered and expanded the company to cover a large swath of the U.S. Hear the business philosophies that guided them, how they remained profitable even through the Great Recession and the COVID pandemic, and what makes them most proud in their thriving company today.