How Kenny Ritter Won 3 NADRA Awards with One Project | F&D Mastery Podcast #59

Kenny Ritter won three NADRA awards from a single project — first place in open porch, plus third place in both railings and wood deck — and believes it stood out as the only historic entry in a field dominated by luxury modern builds.

Restoring a 120-year-old coastal porch under a historic commission meant matching the original architectural details while swapping rotting wood for composite railings, PVC trim and an eBay deck engineered to last another century in waterfront elements.

Kenny rejects the popular 'hire slow, fire quick' mantra, treating employment as a serious commitment to workers and their families; he now hires for character and values because skills can be taught but ethics cannot.

He argues the trades lack the clear apprentice-to-foreman pathway found in licensed trades and in Europe, and that retaining employees — through career-progression outlines, profit sharing, 401ks and health benefits — matters as much as recruiting them.

Roughly 50% growth in 2024 outran his systems, hurting customer service and crew morale, leading him to conclude that a well-run one-to-two-million-dollar business beats chasing bigger revenue, with customer experience as the guiding metric.

Google reviews are his single biggest growth driver: he advises reaching 30-35 five-star reviews to make the phone ring and insists on asking for them face-to-face rather than through impersonal automated text services.

His parting advice is to use free resources like YouTube to prep the night before unfamiliar work, stay humble about your own expertise, and keep a high tolerance for failure since no success comes without it.