Building a Legacy: Inside NADRA with Founder Michael Beaudry | F&D Mastery Podcast #36

Michael 'Pops' Beaudry came to decking after losing a 65-year family ski-retail business (160 employees, nine shops) to three snowless winters — a painful decline he credits as his real education in leadership and handling adversity.

He fell for decking because, like skiing, you sell an experience and a lifestyle, not a product: turning a $7,500 pressure-treated deck into a $40K–$100K outdoor-living space by selling the beer fridge, outdoor kitchen, lighting and family gatherings.

NADRA was born in 2004 when 19 people each put $100 in a hat at a trade show, sparked by the industry-wide confusion when CCA lumber treatment switched to ACQ; it's a nonprofit 501(c)(6) built by members for members across the entire value chain.

A core mission is credentialing a trade that has none — programs like Deck Done Right and the deck-evaluation certification aim to distinguish full-time professional builders from occasional remodelers and raise industry safety.

NADRA's code committee (25 members) tracks ICC hearings and distilled the thick IRC code book into an accessible deck-construction guide, giving builders and local inspectors a common standard and answering member code questions within ~48 hours.

The NADRA Awards work as a marketing engine more than a trophy: builders download ready-made promo pieces, and Beaudry cites one winner who generated $275,000 in sales from a single local newspaper story about his award.

Deck for a Soldier (and now Deck for Heroes) grew from one Iraq veteran's request into a nationwide 100%-volunteer program where vendors donate materials, labor and design — a labor of love Beaudry and his wife run personally.

His repeated advice: 'work yourself out of a job' — love building but hire out marketing, finance and hiring — and use deck-safety education (the 72-point inspection, safety month materials) to differentiate, justify higher prices, and win work; membership has stayed $350 since 2004.