The Collapse of Chasewood Homes
After launching Chasewood Homes, I quickly realized that being a great marketer didn’t make me a great home builder. Despite early success—generating $120K in sales in year one—the business lacked operational efficiency.
A critical mistake in ordering lumber and trusses led to construction delays, financial instability, and ultimately, the company’s downfall. Customers were left with unfinished homes, and I faced the difficult decision of closing the business and filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy.
Facing the Consequences & Building Smarter
Instead of walking away, I took responsibility. I personally met with customers, helped them navigate completion plans, and made every effort to mitigate the damage—even reaching out years later to make amends.
But I wasn’t done with home building. Learning from my mistakes, I co-founded Stanbrooke Custom Homes with a business partner, a CPA who handled finance and operations while I focused on marketing and sales. This time, we structured the business to ensure cash flow stability, operational efficiency, and strategic decision-making.
With the right partnership and a clear division of strengths, Stanbrooke Custom Homes flourished—generating between $600K and $700K in monthly revenue. The business ran smoothly because we had the right financial controls, supply chain management, and team alignment. The ultimate testament to our success?
Stanbrooke was ranked #6 Washington State’s Fastest Growing Companies!
✔ Get the Right Team in Place: Know your strengths and partner with experts to fill the gaps.
✔ Take Responsibility: Own your failures, face the consequences, and do right by your customers.
✔ Master Cash Flow: A profitable business can still fail without proper financial oversight.
✔ Learn & Adapt: Failures can be stepping stones if you extract lessons and apply them wisely.