Building a Business on Service, Integrity, and Hard Work with Mike Lerch

In this episode of Spilling the Title Tea, Ashley sits down with Mike Lerch, owner of Building Maintenance Specialists of Kentucky, to talk about hard work, entrepreneurship, family, and the importance of serving people well.

Mike shares how growing up on a 3,000-acre farm shaped his work ethic, how encouragement from his wife Karie pushed him to leave his job at the University of Kentucky and start his own company, and how the business quickly grew through word of mouth and loyal customers.

They also talk about the wide range of projects Mike and his team take on, from drywall, painting, plumbing, electrical, flooring, masonry, and remodeling to larger repair projects. Mike also introduces a new scheduled home maintenance service designed especially for elderly homeowners, widows, busy families, and anyone who wants help staying ahead of routine home maintenance.

Throughout the conversation, Mike explains why integrity is at the center of the company, why doing a job correctly matters even when it costs more, and how he hopes to continue growing the business alongside the next generation of his family.

Highlights

Mike shares how growing up working on a 3,000-acre farm taught him the value of hard work from an early age.
How one conversation with his wife Karie gave Mike the push he needed to leave his longtime job and start his own business.
Why Building Maintenance Specialists of Kentucky was busy with jobs almost immediately after Mike left the University of Kentucky.
The wide variety of services Mike and his team provide, including drywall, painting, plumbing, electrical repairs, flooring, masonry, remodeling, and more.
The customer request that sent Mike to YouTube to start learning how to build an in-ground swimming pool.
Why Mike enjoys smaller handyman projects but also takes on major repairs and complete remodeling jobs.
Mike introduces a new scheduled home maintenance service designed to help elderly homeowners, widows, busy professionals, and families keep up with routine household needs.
How simple maintenance like furnace filters, smoke detector batteries, light bulbs, plumbing checks, and hard-to-reach cleaning can prevent bigger problems later.
Why Mike believes service should be mutually beneficial and centered on genuinely helping the customer.
The importance of integrity in the company and why Mike teaches his team that every job needs to be done correctly, even when fixing it costs the business additional time or money.