"You know more when you learn more" — that's Paul Kowalski's philosophy, and it shows in everything he's built. A former medical devices professional turned self-taught, CTI-certified tile installer, Paul runs Do It Right Remodels as a one-man show powered by curiosity, precision, and a genuinely positive outlook.

In this conversation, he shares how continuous learning shaped his path into high-end bathroom remodels, why he leans on trusted subs instead of employees, and how tools like BidCraft and strong manufacturer relationships help him stay profitable even in a slow market.

A genuinely encouraging conversation about growth, craftsmanship, and never being done learning. I know you're going to enjoy this one!

Follow Paul on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/pakowalski12/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paul.kowalski.588451

Check his website out here: https://www.doitrightremodels.com

Andy Morrison — founder of BidCraft and the marketing and mastermind services behind it — joins the show for an in-depth look at the tool he built to solve one of the biggest headaches in the tile business: writing proposals fast enough to actually win the job.

Andy walks through how BidCraft turns a five-minute voice note on the job site into a polished, ready-to-send proposal, how it tracks job costs and receipts automatically, and how the built-in community and weekly mastermind calls help contractors grow together.

We also talk about the two and a half years Andy has spent working exclusively with tile and bathroom remodel contractors, why he built BidCraft as the next evolution of that work, and where he sees it going over the next two years.

Learn more at bidcrafttile.com

In this episode of Tile Money Podcast, I sit down with James Yoder of Custom Tile Solutions, a family-run tile business out of Central Ohio that James operates with his two brothers. About 60% of their work comes from one major builder relationship, with the remaining 40% split between private clients, other builders, remodelers, and referrals from local tile shops.

We talk about what it took to get the business off the ground — the cash flow challenges in the early years, the learning curve on the tools of the trade, and why James has settled on Wedi as his go-to shower system. We also get into how he handles payment: on smaller, direct-to-client jobs, he doesn't collect any money until the work is fully complete, while larger custom builder projects are billed in stages as sections finish. I share why I take a different approach — collecting 50% up front — and we compare notes on the trade-offs of each.

Pricing comes up too. James hasn't raised his rates in a couple of years, and we talk through why small, steady annual increases (even 2.5–5%) beat waiting and then having to hit clients with a much bigger jump all at once. We close out talking about job efficiency, working reasonable hours, and knowing when to step back from the long-hours grind that defines the early years of running a trade business.

Whether you're running your own tile business, working in the trades, or just curious what it takes to build a family company on referrals and reputation, this conversation is full of practical, real-world insight.

Connect with James Yoder / Custom Tile Solutions: https://www.instagram.com/customtilejames/