Austin Killian’s PowerChat with Greg Cummings explores how Home Genius Exteriors continues winning through market headwinds by recruiting early, training with purpose, and using canvassing, timing, and field action to stay close to homeowners when the market becomes harder to reach...
In a Power100 PowerChat with Greg Cummings, Austin Killian of Home Genius Exteriors shares how a trusted exterior home improvement company can grow through slow seasons by recruiting the right people, training them the right way, and using canvassing, events, and field action to reach homeowners when the market gets harder.
Home Genius Exteriors is an award winning exterior home improvement company serving homeowners across the Northeastern and Mid Atlantic U.S. Known for roof replacement, siding installation, window replacement, exterior door installation, seamless gutters, insulation, and full home exterior renovation, the company has built its name around helping homeowners protect and improve the place that matters most. With strong industry certifications, trusted products, warranty coverage, and a stress free exterior remodeling process, Home Genius Exteriors continues to stand out as a trusted exterior home remodeler for families who want expert workmanship and a clear path from inspection to finished project.
In a recent PowerChat hosted by Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100, Austin Killian, co-founder and executive vice president of Home Genius Exteriors, shared a practical message for exterior remodeling leaders facing a harder market. He spoke to the reality many home improvement companies know well. The phones can get quiet. Homeowners can delay projects. Summer can pull families toward travel, kids, vacations, and busy schedules. For companies that depend only on inbound leads, those slow moments can create pressure fast. Austin’s answer was not to wait for the market to change. His answer was to build people before the pressure arrives, train them before the market slows, and send them into the field when customers are harder to reach.
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry. Through conversations like this, leaders gain a clearer look at the systems, habits, and field actions helping top companies stay ready in every season.
The PowerChat conversation between Greg Cummings and Austin Killian focused on a challenge many home improvement leaders quietly face every year. There are seasons when the market feels slower. Homeowners become harder to reach. Vacations, travel, kids being out of school, and busy summer schedules can push home projects further down the list. For roofing, siding, window replacement, exterior door installation, seamless gutters, and insulation companies, that shift can quickly create pressure on sales teams and lead flow.
Austin Killian approached that challenge from a different angle. Instead of speaking about fear, he spoke about preparation. Instead of focusing only on leads, he focused on the people behind the leads. His message throughout the conversation was that the companies that handle headwinds best are usually the ones that built their teams before the pressure arrived.
During the discussion, Austin explained that strong exterior remodeling companies need a system for recruiting the right people, training them at the right time, and putting them in position to succeed when homeowners become harder to reach. He made it clear that waiting for the market to improve is not a strategy. The better strategy is to stay active, sharpen the team, and keep showing up in the field when many competitors pull back.
That lesson carried strong weight because it came from real company experience. Home Genius Exteriors has continued growing in a season many leaders view as difficult. Austin shared that the company had reached $165 million so far that year, with nearly $56 million of that coming from canvassing and events. For a trusted exterior home remodeler serving homeowners across the Northeastern and Mid Atlantic U.S., those numbers showed the impact of people powered demand and direct homeowner engagement.
The conversation also highlighted something important about today’s home improvement market. Homeowners still care deeply about protecting their homes. They still need roof replacement, siding installation, windows, doors, gutters, insulation, and exterior remodeling work. But many families are more careful with their time, attention, and money than they were a few years ago. That means companies must do more than wait for inbound calls. They must build trained teams that can create conversations, build trust, and help homeowners feel ready to move forward.
Austin’s insight gave the discussion a practical and forward looking tone. His message was not built around shortcuts or temporary sales tricks. It was built around readiness. The companies that keep recruiting, keep training, and keep moving toward homeowners during harder seasons are often the ones that stay strongest when the market shifts again.
For leaders across the home improvement industry, the conversation served as both a warning and an opportunity. Tough seasons will always come. Market headwinds will always exist. But companies that prepare early, build the right people systems, and stay close to homeowners can still create momentum while others wait for conditions to improve.
During the conversation with Greg Cummings, Austin Killian spoke openly about something many home improvement leaders experience but do not always talk about. There are seasons when the phones slow down, homeowners delay projects, and the market feels harder to move through. Instead of acting like those challenges do not exist, Austin explained that difficult seasons are often the moments that reveal whether a company has built a real growth system or has simply been riding easy demand.
He explained that when headwinds arrive, companies need a way to recruit the right people, train them at the right time, and use them well when homeowners become harder to reach.
“Have a way to be able to recruit the right people, train them at the right time,” said Austin Killian, co-founder and vice president of Home Genius Exteriors. “When you have headwinds or you have challenges, one of the best ways to overcome those is to being able to have a way to be able to recruit the right people, train them at the right time, the right way, and then be able to utilize those individuals at this time of the year when people are on vacation and we’re going to them.”
That message gave the conversation a practical tone. Austin was not speaking in theory. He was describing what a trusted exterior home remodeler must do when the market becomes less predictable. He showed that strong companies prepare for hard moments before those moments arrive. They build systems, train teams, and stay active when other companies pull back.
For exterior remodeling leaders, that idea carries weight. Slow seasons are not only about sales numbers. They are moments that test leadership, discipline, and preparation. Austin’s insight shifted the conversation from reacting to market pressure toward preparing for it early.
As the conversation continued, Austin made it clear that recruiting is most powerful when it happens before the pressure hits. Many companies begin searching for people only after the market becomes difficult or after their teams begin to struggle. Austin’s approach is different. He believes recruiting should already be active long before the business reaches that point.
That timing matters because difficult markets reduce options. When leads slow down or homeowners become harder to reach, companies with weak recruiting systems often find themselves stretched thin. Sales teams burn out. Canvassing becomes inconsistent. Growth slows because there are not enough trained people ready to step in.
Austin’s perspective showed that recruiting is not only about filling jobs. It is about building readiness. The right people create flexibility. They give a company more ways to reach homeowners, serve communities, and stay active during slower periods.
This is one reason Home Genius Exteriors has continued expanding across the Northeastern and Mid Atlantic U.S. The company has built a system that focuses on finding people who can grow with the mission, not just people looking for a short term role. That approach creates stability when seasonal shifts hit the home improvement industry.
Austin also made training more specific during this part of the discussion. In many companies, training happens after problems begin. A slow season arrives, results weaken, and leaders suddenly try to sharpen the team. Austin’s message was different. He explained that training must happen before the pressure reaches the field.
That timing changes everything. Team members who are trained early enter difficult moments with more confidence. They know how to speak to homeowners. They know how to explain value. They know how to handle hesitation from families who may be more careful with money or timing.
Austin’s focus on training also showed that learning is not only about knowledge. It is about readiness. It is about helping people feel prepared before they knock on a door, attend an event, or sit down with a homeowner discussing roof replacement, siding installation, window replacement, exterior doors, gutters, or insulation.
This approach helps create consistency inside a growing exterior remodeling company. Instead of reacting emotionally when the market becomes harder, the team can fall back on preparation, structure, and repetition.
Austin’s message also pointed to a deeper leadership lesson. Strong leaders do not wait for fear to appear before they train their teams. They train before the challenge arrives because they understand preparation creates confidence.
One of the strongest moments in the interview came when Austin described what happens during certain times of the year. Families travel. Kids are home from school. Schedules become full. Homeowners may still need exterior remodeling work, but their attention becomes harder to capture.
Instead of waiting for homeowners to come searching for them, Home Genius Exteriors goes to the customer.
That idea helped separate this conversation from a normal sales discussion. Austin was not only talking about marketing. He was talking about movement. He was talking about staying close to homeowners even when life becomes busy.
Canvassing and events became a major part of that strategy. These efforts allow the company to stay present in neighborhoods, answer questions directly, and create real conversations with homeowners who may not have taken the first step on their own.
For an exterior home improvement company, that kind of field action matters because trust is often built face to face. Homeowners dealing with roofing, siding, windows, doors, gutters, or insulation projects may feel overwhelmed or unsure about where to begin. Meeting people directly creates a more personal experience and keeps the company connected to the communities it serves.
Austin’s insight showed that difficult seasons do not always mean demand disappears. Sometimes it simply means companies must work harder to stay visible and reachable while homeowners are focused on other parts of life.
As the discussion moved deeper into growth strategy, Austin shared one of the strongest proof points from the conversation. He explained that about 35 percent of the company’s $165 million so far that year came from canvassing and events. That is nearly $56 million generated through direct homeowner engagement.
That number changed the conversation from philosophy to proof.
For many exterior remodeling companies, uncertain markets create fear because they depend heavily on inbound leads. If the calls slow down, the business slows down. Austin’s message showed a different model. Home Genius Exteriors creates another layer of control by building people powered demand.
Canvassing and events become more powerful when they are supported by recruiting, training, leadership discipline, and field readiness. The company is not simply sending people into neighborhoods. It is sending trained individuals who understand the mission, know how to speak with homeowners, and are prepared to create meaningful conversations.
This approach also helps explain why Home Genius Exteriors has continued growing as an award winning home improvement company in the Northeastern and Mid Atlantic U.S. The company has built a system that keeps opportunity moving even during harder market conditions.
For leaders across the home improvement industry, Austin’s insight offered a strong reminder. Growth becomes more stable when companies learn how to create opportunities directly instead of depending only on waiting for opportunities to arrive.
Toward the end of the discussion, Austin used an important phrase that tied the full conversation together. He spoke about being able to “utilize those individuals” during difficult seasons.
That line shifted the focus from recruiting and training into deployment. Strong companies do not only hire people and teach them skills. They also know where to place those people and when to activate them.
In seasonal industries like exterior remodeling, timing matters. Some periods create more distractions for homeowners. Other periods create more urgency around projects. Leaders who understand timing can move their teams into the right conversations at the right moment.
Austin’s perspective showed that leadership is not only about building a large team. It is about using people wisely. It is about knowing when to push into the field, when to sharpen training, when to increase recruiting, and when to create more homeowner touchpoints.
That mindset helps transform people into a real market advantage. Instead of slowing down during headwinds, companies can stay active, visible, and connected to the communities they serve.
The ideas Austin Killian shared during the PowerChat become even stronger when looking at what Home Genius Exteriors is doing outside of sales meetings and canvassing routes. The company’s growth story is not only about revenue, recruiting, or field performance. It is also about the way the team chooses to serve communities, invest in people, and build a culture that reaches beyond the job site.
One of the clearest examples of that mission is Home Genius Cares, the company’s community initiative focused on giving back to the neighborhoods and families it serves. The program was created around a simple belief: put people first. Through Home Genius Cares, the team supports local communities through volunteering, charitable efforts, and direct action designed to help people in real moments of need.
That community focus connects naturally to the company’s identity as a trusted exterior home remodeler. Homeowners may first know Home Genius Exteriors through roof replacement, siding installation, windows, doors, gutters, insulation, or exterior remodeling services, but the company’s larger goal is to create a stronger connection with the communities behind those homes.
The Home Genius team believes local impact starts with local understanding. Because employees work closely inside the areas they serve, they are able to see where help is needed most. Through Home Genius Cares, those observations become action. Team members regularly volunteer their time and energy to support charities and organizations making a real difference for families and neighborhoods.
That people first approach reflects many of the leadership ideas Austin discussed during the interview. Throughout the PowerChat, he emphasized the importance of building strong teams before pressure arrives. Home Genius Cares shows that the company’s culture is not only designed to create stronger sales performance. It is also designed to create people who care about the communities around them.
The company’s rapid growth also adds another layer to this story. In just seven years, Home Genius Exteriors has grown from $3 million to $300 million, with a goal of becoming nationwide by 2030. But the company has made it clear that growth alone is not the final goal.
Home Genius Exteriors is actively looking for future sales leaders because it sees itself as more than a home improvement company. It is building a leadership pipeline. The company wants people who are ready to grow, learn, lead teams, and create long term careers inside the exterior remodeling industry.
That focus fits closely with Austin Killian’s message about preparation, timing, and people development. Strong companies do not wait until difficult seasons arrive before investing in talent. They build future leaders early. They create systems that help people grow into bigger opportunities. They stay active while continuing to strengthen the culture around them.
For many companies, fast growth can create distance between leadership and people. Home Genius Exteriors appears to be moving in the opposite direction. As the company expands, it continues investing in community involvement, team development, and people centered leadership.
That balance between growth and connection is part of what makes the company’s story stand out. Home Genius Exteriors is not only working to become a larger exterior home improvement company across the Northeastern and Mid Atlantic U.S. It is also working to build a culture where community, opportunity, and leadership grow together.
Through Home Genius Cares, community volunteering, leadership development, and a people first growth strategy, the company is showing that long term success in home improvement is not only measured by projects completed. It is also measured by the lives strengthened along the way.
Austin Killian’s message throughout the conversation offered something many home improvement leaders need during uncertain seasons: clarity. The market will always shift. Some months will feel slower than others. Homeowners will become harder to reach at different times of the year. But the companies that continue preparing, training, and staying active are often the ones that keep moving forward while others slow down.
What made this conversation stand out was how practical the message felt. Austin did not present growth as luck or timing alone. He showed that strong exterior remodeling companies create stability by preparing early. They recruit before pressure builds. They train before challenges arrive. They stay connected to homeowners even when attention becomes harder to capture.
That mindset changes the way leaders respond to difficult seasons. Instead of panicking when phones slow down, companies can sharpen their teams. Instead of waiting for the market to improve, they can create more conversations in the field. Instead of pulling back during uncertainty, they can stay visible, prepared, and close to the communities they serve.
For homeowners, this approach creates a stronger experience as well. Families looking for roofing, siding, windows, exterior doors, gutters, insulation, or full exterior remodeling projects want to work with teams that feel ready, confident, and consistent. They want to trust that the company standing at their door has the structure, training, and care needed to guide them through important decisions about their homes.
Austin’s insight also pointed toward a larger shift happening across the home improvement industry. The companies that continue growing will likely be the ones that treat people as their greatest advantage. Not only customers, but team members too. Leaders who know how to recruit well, train with purpose, and place people in the right moments will have more control over how they move through changing markets.
For Home Genius Exteriors, that people first approach has become part of how the company continues building momentum across the Northeastern and Mid Atlantic U.S. For the wider industry, the conversation offered a reassuring reminder that difficult markets do not remove opportunity. They simply reward the companies that prepare earlier, move smarter, and stay closer to homeowners when it matters most.
As the home improvement market continues to evolve, conversations like this help leaders see that growth is not only about surviving headwinds. It is about building teams strong enough to move through them with confidence, discipline, and action.
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