Built a company doing $2.5 million+ in revenue | F&D Mastery Podcast #70

Bobby Parks started as a subcontractor and framer before founding Peachtree Decks and Porches in 2007, deliberately abandoning pressure-treated decking to specialize in higher-end projects that build the business through margin rather than sheer production volume.

By establishing himself as the specialist for high-end jobs, Bobby lowered the homeowner's perceived risk, so he could quote 10% or more above a competitor and still win because his delivery history, photo galleries, videos, and reviews created a foundation of credibility.

He launched Peachtree into the 2008-2009 recession and couldn't legally reuse 19 years of prior project photos, so he fast-tracked brand recognition by pouring marketing into a website managed by an expert friend who got him ranking across roughly 10 local jurisdictions.

Once leads exceeded what he could handle, Bobby started charging a $75 consultation fee in 2010, which cut roughly a third of his leads by eliminating tire-kickers while keeping the serious buyers, one of the best moves he ever made.

He dominated early digital marketing by tagging every image and filming featured-job videos (even getting suppliers to sponsor them at $1,000 each), so he owned web, image, and video search results for deck searches in Atlanta.

Bobby sold Peachtree in a largely unplanned deal that started as a half-joke to a friend; the buyer valued the established brand, reputation, crews, and market position rather than a business specifically groomed for sale.

After exiting, he spent 2016-2023 running manufacturer road shows (110-120 lumber yards a year for Fortress, TimberTech, and Versatex) and now chairs the NADRA deck awards committee, urging builders to enter and attend because being 'in the room' fast-tracks growth, and to relentlessly collect reviews since review count correlates strongly with business success.