Rise Through the Hard Things — Nick Zavala

Nick Zavala did not take a straight line into leadership. Before he became the leader of American Home Contractors, he was a young man searching for purpose, stumbling through adversity, and learning the trades one job at a time. His path is a story of discipline, resilience, and choosing to grow through the challenges rather than running from them.In this episode, Nick sits down with Josh to talk about the journey from production manager to leading a forty million dollar multi-state brand, and the setbacks that shaped him into the leader he is today. Nick opens up about the tough years that forced him to develop character, direction, and a mindset built around service and responsibility.Josh and Nick explore:How adversity becomes the foundation for strong leadershipWhat it takes to scale from a local shop to a multi-state operationLeading through change and keeping culture strong as a company growsThe rise of Tesla Solar and how AHC became a national leaderThe habits and philosophies that keep leaders groundedTactical advice for operators on how to understand their business at every levelNick’s story is a reminder of one of the core Stoic ideas: the obstacle is the way. Strength is built by doing the hard things, showing up for your people, and staying committed to growth even when the path is not clear.The Long Game is hosted by Josh Sparks, Founder and CEO of Infinity Home Services, a platform built to elevate what it means to be a contractor in North America. Each episode features real conversations with leaders who build their companies by building their people first.Subscribe for new episodes and more conversations like this one.