Mike Malkin spent 15 years installing doors for his parents' Home Depot contract; 35 stores, 15 crews, thousands of installations. In 2020, that all ended with a phone call. The corporate rep told him walking away would be the biggest mistake of his life. Instead, it became his best decision.

In this conversation, Mike shares his journey from a skateboarding dropout to deck building business owner. You'll hear about skating with guys who became Olympians, dropping out in 11th grade before his dad convinced him to finish, and making $200 a day at 17 years old installing storm doors.

The episode takes an unexpected turn when Mike reveals he met his wife in Mexico, proposed there, and actually lived in the country twice before settling back in Massachusetts. His company name, Malkin and Daughters, is a nod to his parents' Malkin and Sons ...