The SEO Guy Who Opened a Flooring Store

I’ve spent the last two decades living and breathing digital marketing. SEO is my domain — fast-moving, low overhead, recurring revenue, and always scalable. For most of my career, I’ve built businesses that lived entirely online. I knew the ROI of every campaign, tracked clicks like currency, and optimized my way into countless top rankings across Google.

So naturally, it makes perfect sense that I’d open a brick-and-mortar flooring showroom filled with massive displays, physical inventory, and a million moving parts… right?

Yeah. It surprised me too.

But here’s the thing — I’ve been around flooring for a long time. I worked at Carpet Mill Outlet Stores over 20 years ago, and I’ve had flooring companies as clients. I understood the sales cycle, the margin potential, and the logistics. But running a showroom? That’s an entirely different beast — and it pushed me in ways I didn’t see coming.

From Search to Showroom: What I Learned Opening a Modern Flooring Business

Section 1: The SEO Guy Who Opened a Flooring Store

I’ve spent the last two decades living and breathing digital marketing. SEO is my domain — fast-moving, low overhead, recurring revenue, and always scalable. For most of my career, I’ve built businesses that lived entirely online. I knew the ROI of every campaign, tracked clicks like currency, and optimized my way into countless top rankings across Google.

So naturally, it makes perfect sense that I’d open a brick-and-mortar flooring showroom filled with massive displays, physical inventory, and a million moving parts… right?

Yeah. It surprised me too.

But here’s the thing — I’ve been around flooring for a long time. I worked at Carpet Mill Outlet Stores over 20 years ago, and I’ve had flooring companies as clients. I understood the sales cycle, the margin potential, and the logistics. But running a showroom? That’s an entirely different beast — and it pushed me in ways I didn’t see coming.

Section 2: From Lean Models to Heavy Overhead

Most of my businesses have been built around lean, scalable models — small teams, high-margin services, recurring revenue, and minimal physical overhead. A computer, a campaign, and a well-optimized landing page? That’s my comfort zone.

Opening a flooring store flipped that on its head. Suddenly, I had freight shipments to manage, product displays to assemble, and a showroom that needed to be visually perfect every time someone walked in the door. Lease payments, inventory planning, delivery timelines — it’s a completely different playbook from the digital world.

In the digital space, scale is mostly a matter of systems. But with brick-and-mortar, scale is physical. It’s inventory. It’s logistics. It’s people. That shift forced me to rethink my approach and appreciate the sheer complexity of retail flooring — and respect the people who’ve done this the traditional way for decades.

Section 3: Injecting Marketing Into the Model

Traditional flooring stores live and die by walk-ins and word-of-mouth. But for me, that wasn’t enough. I’ve spent my career building engines — marketing systems that generate leads, nurture trust, and convert at scale. So when we opened the doors to Dream Home Innovations, I knew the model had to have marketing baked right in.

That’s when the idea clicked: what if contractors could earn co-op marketing dollars just for bringing clients through our doors? We launched a program that rewards trusted local pros when they use our design center — and the best part? Those marketing funds go right back to 72 Hour Web Design and Sympler.

It’s a match made in heaven. Contractors get free marketing. Our store stays busy. And we fuel a sustainable ecosystem where every partner wins. It’s not just lead gen — it’s loyalty. And it’s one of the most effective growth loops I’ve ever built.

Section 4: Affiliate Program & Community Referrals

One of the best decisions we made was launching a simple, powerful affiliate program. While co-op marketing was built for contractors, the affiliate side opened the doors for anyone to get involved — designers, influencers, past customers, even other businesses in our community.

If someone refers a client who buys through us, they get rewarded. No strings, no gimmicks — just real dollars for real referrals. It’s amazing what happens when you make it easy for people to champion your brand.

The best part? This isn’t just about driving sales. It’s about building a local ecosystem that thrives on trust and shared success. We’re not just growing a business — we’re fueling a network of legit people who care about quality, service, and results.

Section 5: Building a Legit Community, Not Just a Customer Base

We didn’t want to be just another flooring store. From day one, our goal was to create something deeper — a true hub for homeowners, designers, and contractors to connect. That’s where our contractor directory came in.

It’s simple: we connect our buyers and potential buyers with trusted, complimentary service providers for free. The only catch? You have to be local, legit, and dedicated to your trade. This isn’t a pay-to-play directory — it’s earned through trust, reputation, and results.

This approach builds confidence with our customers and strengthens the community we serve. Instead of hoarding leads, we share them — because we believe in doing right by the people who do things right.

Section 6: A Shoutout to My Partner in Crime – Brian Hassell

If I’m being honest, I don’t think Dream Home Innovations would even exist without Brian Hassell. He’s the founder of Discount Flooring Solutions and the guy who knows this industry inside and out — from negotiating with manufacturers to making sure installation crews show up on time and deliver quality.

While I was mapping digital funnels and co-op incentives, Brian was laying the foundation (literally and figuratively). His experience, relationships, and no-BS mindset helped turn this idea into something real — something that works.

This business takes more than just vision — it takes grind, relationships, and daily operational excellence. I’m lucky to have a partner who brings that to the table every single day.