When Mack Chrisman, Operations Manager of 1stChoice Services, saw revenue increase 60% year-over-year, he knew he needed a system that could support their rapid growth.
With Knowify, Mack was able to shore-up his data-driven approach to business with a full suite of project management tools and real-time financial reporting.
By combining entrepreneurial drive, industry know-how, and purpose-built software, Mack and his team turned a humble handy-man service into a full-scale remodeling business.
on reporting & invoicing
accounting & financial data
guiding project operations
Hear Mack’s inspiring journey through the remodeling industry and how he navigates its unique challenges through a mix of creative problem solving, determination, and intuitive software. Watch the full interview below.
Like many others in the trades, Mack is proud to follow in the footsteps of family members who came before him. His grandfather, a German immigrant, moved to Canada after World War II and started his own construction company in his early thirties.
While Mack grew up on job sites with his dad and grandfather, his journey into the trades really started with a stint in the world of coffee. According to Mack, he was working on designing, building, and managing coffee shops, creating new programs for businesses looking to enter the world of coffee, when his family’s entrepreneurial spirit started calling to him. He found himself wanting to venture into business on his own. He put that into action by opening his own coffee shop.
Mack took pride in doing the build-out himself and loved working with all his trade partners, right down to the local building authority. However, after the lease for the shop ended and the industry took a hit due to the pandemic, Mack knew he needed to make a change.
With his childhood at the front of his mind, Mack realized that the trades were calling to him, and he now had the business experience to make the most of it. He made his comeback by landing a role as Operations Manager at 1stChoice, an opportunity that would allow him to utilize his unique skill set.
Most importantly, it was work that was meaningful and fulfilling. Not to mention he no longer had to wake up at 5 a.m. every morning to make fresh pastries. For Mack, this new role was the best of both worlds, combining his passion for the trades with his desire for entrepreneurial pursuits.
When asked what he learned in the coffee industry that applies to the trades, he made it clear:
Mack believes that a successful tradesperson must embrace challenges and break them down as a series of problems that requires enthusiasm as a key step towards finding solutions:
In his eyes, the entire industry revolves around finding solutions. Reflecting on his past experiences, Mack recounted a project where he and his team were tasked with remodeling an old bicentennial farm.
The project involved tripling the square footage of the building while also preserving some of its original features, such as plaster walls and stairs. As expected, many challenges arose, including dealing with uneven floors and refinishing century-old doors For Mack, this project perfectly encapsulated the nature of the trades industry—a continuous stream of issues that require innovative solutions.
While he acknowledges that it may sound daunting to some, he sees it as an exciting and rewarding aspect of his job. He states that successful tradesmen thrive in this environment, constantly seeking out challenges and coming up with practical solutions.
He summed up his thoughts on the remodeling industry, describing it as “a system of issues” that tradesmen are responsible for solving. But for those who genuinely love what they do, like himself, it’s deeply fulfilling.
For Mack this starts before you hit the job site:
“People don’t understand how important it is to stay on time and on budget. And what does that mean for us? That means just ensuring that everybody has exactly what they need to be efficient before they even recognize that they need it.”
This is where having the right software in place comes into play. In his opinion, software keeps everyone accountable. But more importantly, it helps him ask the right questions about the business:
