We had the good fortune of connecting with Scott Sellers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Scott, how do you think about risk?
Almost everything we enjoy in life today we enjoy because someone somewhere took a risk. The Wright Brothers, Andrew Carnegie, Neil Armstrong, Steve Jobs are great examples of risk takers. Risk can be scary, but it is 100% necessary in order for anything to move forward. Starting a business can be both risky & scary and I’ve experienced both when starting my companies. I’ve learned over the years that there are two things that help in mitigating risk. Those two things are 1) educating yourself about the risk you are about to take and 2) building a solid team around you to help you navigate through that risk. I can say with a great degree of certainty that had I not succeeded in those two areas failure would have almost been a certainty.

What should our readers know about your business?
Specialty Spray Systems is a specialty construction firm that specializes in spray applied fireproofing, insulation, intumescent coatings and firestopping applications. Past projects have included K-12, colleges, aviation, office buildings, and industrial. Specialty Industrial Services is an abrasive blasting, coatings, linings, painting and fireproofing company that services the oil and gas, wastewater, food & beverage and nuclear power markets throughout the United States. As much as we like to focus on these markets and services focusing on our people is what has made the biggest difference not just for our company culture but with our relationships with customers as well. I’m a firm believer that you can’t build a great company unless you help its people become great. Because of our company book club, our people read books on business & leadership. Because we have events that challenge us physically & mentally (running up and down a mountain for 5 hours) our people do hard things outside their comfort zones. Because of our reward trips, our people challenge and push each other to reach the goals that we set for ourselves. As a leader It makes me extremely proud to see others in the company becoming leaders too.
The path to where we are now was not an easy one. I wasn’t expecting it to be, nor would I have wanted it to be. Doing easy things does not make us stronger. The hard things do. I am grateful for them all.
I realize that the objective for any business is to make money so that you can fulfill the first rule in business and that is to STAY IN BUSINESS! That’s a given. As the years have gone by and we have grown these organizations I realize that I don’t stay in business for the money. I stay in business for them. Our employees & their families. Seeing the improvement in them as people & as leaders fulfills me in a way that I can’t describe. My role as the C.E O. of these two companies is to not only grow the bottom line year over year but to grow the people within them. One day someone will step up, assume the risk and take my spot. It is that day that success, to me will have come full circle.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Atlanta and the surrounding area is booming. As the “gateway to the south”, Atlanta has something for everybody. A great weekend getaway to Atlanta might include dinner at Two Urban Licks in Midtown or Milton’s in Milton just north of the city. Outdoor activities in Atlanta are plentiful with something for everyone. Golfcourses like St. Marlow Country Club, Bridge Mill Athletic Club are standouts for public courses while Eastlake Golf Club & Hawks Ridge are my favorite private courses. Hiking at Kennesaw Mountain & Stone Mountain provide a great workout and beautiful views. For sporting fans Atlanta has three of the best sporting venues around. Lastly, if relaxing outside is more your style Lake Allatoona & Lake Lanier are perfect for boating, fishing or just cooling off from the hot Georgia sun.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Let’s be honest, there are examples both good & bad all around us. I was blessed with a great family life growing up. My parents taught my sister and I the difference from right & wrong, do what you say you’ll do, treat others the way that you yourself would want to be treated and that anything was possible. My Grandfather was my first investor both financially and as a mentor in business. He too was a CEO of a large corporation. That was my foundation. My moral compass if you will. Truth be told, I was not a very good student. I had a very bad stuttering problem & it caused issues with my teachers & classmates. Bullying was very much a thing for me in the 70’s & 80’s. I did not like to read at all. That was until I was laid off from my job in late 2006. While at a friend’s house I found a copy of Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. That book changed the entire trajectory of my life. Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie soon followed. Those books helped make me a reader and led to hundreds of others and counting. There is never a day or week that goes by that I’m not in the middle of a book or audiobook.

Website: specialtyspraysystems.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/specialtyspraysystems

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/specialty-spray-systems/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/specialtyspraysystems

Yelp: https://www.yelp.to/sV9Du7wYnsb

Other: Personal Instagram – instagram.com/scottysellers

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