Demo Diva: How Simone Bruni Built a Brand That Beats the Old Boys' Club

0:00 · Introduction to Deconstructing Growth and guest Simone Bruni

Simone Bruni:0:00
said, you know, hey, I own Demo Diva. And I said, I know that y'all are the biggest company in town for demolition. I said, I'd really love to get any kind of little work from you. If I could do bobcat work, I said, crumbs from your table, anything. I said, I have a bobcat, you know, we also had an excavator at the time. And I remember him like slapping me on the shoulder. He just went, you know, and the famous words were, Good luck, kid with a name like that. And I remember just kind of like Bristling and I thought to myself, you know, I'm gonna get you. I'm gonna g I'm gonna show you.

Perryn Olson:0:34
All right, welcome to episode three of deconstructing growth. Thank you, Simone, for joining me today.

0:40 · The origin story of Demo Diva after Hurricane Katrina

Simone Bruni:0:40
Good morning. Happy Friday.

Perryn Olson:0:42
Yeah. Happy Friday. Yes. You and I've known each other for a while. We've worked together. We've collaborated. We've been friends for a while. You're here in New Orleans with me. And you are the founder and owner of Demo Diva, one of the catchiest names in the industry. And one of the reasons I th thought of you instantly when I was th thinking about doing this podcast of our conversations and just honestly the the awesome name. You're one of these people that have a very distinct brand that we'll d dive into very soon. But you kind of share us little bit your origin story and tell us a little bit about Demo Diva.

Simone Bruni:1:12
Yes. you know, there's very few people in this industry. I can probably count on three fingers and you're number one. Of when I get kind of manic in marketing, and you have been my go to person for that. Like you understand my creativity, you allow me that space and then that really blossomed into a friendship because you knew how to read the room. But yeah.

Better yet read me. so I I appreciate you dearly. congratulations on launching out. this is well overdue and l well deserved too. But yeah, so Jemo Diva, how it how it all happened, and as you know, you know, necessity is the mother of all invention. trials are the mother of all invention. It you know, when we get to that pain point in life where we're like, I'm done on whatever it is you're doing.

That you pivot. Well, that that was where Demo Diva started. It was post Hurricane Katrina, twenty one years ago. And you know, I was flooded in this storm. I had just bought my first little home. I needless to say, I was in the hospitality industry and there was no more hospitality industry. so I was laid off from a very wonderful boss who really did did good to her staff and helped us, but she didn't have the the work. And so I started by just sort of helping out in my community, leading the volunteers to go gut houses. The Baptists came in like an army. And so I would lead them to to gut houses and in the community. While I was trying to figure out what what am I gonna do, I was offered a great job in New York. with the safari company, it would have really been a game changer from for the direction of my life. But I did not want to leave the pain of my city. I I I I had this innate feeling of like, these are my people, this is my pain. I c I can't leave. Yeah. And so through that you know, exercise of what how what's my place in helping,

Simone Bruni:3:41
was birth demo diva and I started so it was ten months after the storm and I had been gutting houses with volunteers and leading groups out. But I knew that it was time for me to make an income for myself. So with a box of business cards, twenty let's see, it was two hundred fifty dollars, it was thirty dollar business cards, a fifty dollar pair of magnets on my car to, you know, like slap on and make me look legit.

And then yard signs. I just went out ahead and and and started putting yard signs out on nice demolished lots done by some other man, not me. But it it was like the catapult into the industry, my phone started ringing, and suddenly it was like learn learn this industry quick or sink. And that that was pretty much the out the gate story.

Perryn Olson:4:35
Yeah. No, it's I I love the t the tenacity of it, the boldness, but also just I mean, just the practicality of it too. I mean that Yeah. You just went out and did it. And then I know when you and I met, we weren't think we didn't meet early on, but I mean you built a name for yourself very quickly in the industry and you and I met a couple of years after that. And I remember you telling me, like, I'm just faking it 'til I make it. And you know, now you're twenty one years later, you've done you've I've seen you take down water towers, you've worked in industrial sector and commercial. So like You know, any of the faking is obviously done. so it's you know, let's let me do a couple of rapid fire questions and let's get back to the this this origin story because I the early days is what some people are potentially going through as they're hearing this. So since this is a construction com podcast, I wanna know what's your favorite piece of construction equipment?

5:26 · Favorite construction equipment and brand loyalty with Volvo

Simone Bruni:5:26
My excavator, my Volvo excavator, t the the three hundred. We've we've graduated for a coup from a couple we started with the one sixty, that we have a couple two hundred, two tens, but my three hundred is like a s it's she's a sweet right in the middle spot. She can do the industrial and she can actually so show up on some houses. She's been our workhorse.

Perryn Olson:5:49
Nice. And for anyone who's listening, what color is your excavator?

Simone Bruni:5:54
Yeah.

Perryn Olson:5:55
Yeah, so if if you haven't been to New Orleans area, you'd see if you're in New Orleans, but Simone has hot pink excavators and a a couple of hundred hot pink dumpsters that you can't miss going around the city. So yeah. well you kinda alluded to this. I think I know your answer to this one. What's your favorite equipment construction equipment brand?

Simone Bruni:6:15
I've been loyal to Volvo. Volvo has been you know, I've they've they've stood by me. They've really helped me grow over the years. They when I started, when I had to make the decision, this is how the decision came about. I was told I asked, Who has the best mechanic shop? Who has the least well the best fuel consumption? Like that was those were the two things that I did know.

Because these hands. I was not I I mean, as much as I wanted to get into d demolition, I was not gonna like turn wrenches. I don't I didn't know how. So I needed someone to do that for me. And so Volvo this the Volvo dealership here in New Orleans, which is Scott Equipment, was just known to have the best service department. And and I have to tell you, that's pretty much still true. and so I I went with Volvo and then Volvo as a company has really been good to me. They've helped me grow. They've introduced me to the big players in the demolition industry, not just nationally but globally. So I've been brand loyal. However, however I got a call yesterday from Komatsu and that they They're gonna show up on my site on Monday. So we have a really big demolition going on in downtown New Orleans. for the where the new Omni is gonna be. I'm not sure. I think I've told you, K Perrin, we got that top.

Perryn Olson:7:55
I've been following you on Facebook too, so I see the post.

Simone Bruni:7:58
Yep. So the old sugar mill, which is where I mean, it's it's amazing how life is making circles because the old sugar mill was a venue, a party venue that we would rent out. And I had rented the sugar mill for a huge client. It was that client the commission off that job helped me buy my first house. I remember that. We had earth, wind, and fire there. It was a blast. And that was three months before.

Hurricane Katrina hit. And so it's just interesting how life is making full circle. So on my 20th business anniversary, here I am about to tear down the sugar mill. I got a phone call a couple of days ago from come the komatsu dealer locally, and he said, Hey, we would love to put you in one of our pieces of equipment to try our shear for three days for free.

And I said, Free. Come on down.

Perryn Olson:9:02
So sometimes you do need to try it before you buy it. And well, let me ask a little bit harder question, than our rapid fire. What's the best piece of advice you got from another construction leader?

9:15 · The best piece of construction advice Simone ever received

Simone Bruni:9:15
The shadow of the farmer is the best fertilizer. And I'm gonna say it again. The shadow of the farmer is the best fertilizer. In other words, show up. Let your shadow grow the business. Like I and I do. I'm I'm on I'm I'm not an office person. I'm more of a field person. I'm on site. I'm supervise, you know, checking on my guys. I've been hands on. yes, I do get my hands dirty.

I'm out there shoveling or sweeping with the guys. But that's been the best the best advice.

Perryn Olson:9:52
No, it's what I I've been in this industry for basically the same time as you have, maybe a couple of months prior, but I've run across a lot of women owned companies and there's essentially two flavors. There's those that are the token woman owned, and they have a desk in the office that's full of dust, and then you have your hands on one and the hands on ones are rock stars and you're definitely the latter. You are involved, you're engaged, you you are the company in many cases. So so let's go back a little bit more to the the early days of like so You're putting yard signs out, you start getting calls, like I mean, when you started this, you your plan wasn't it was to be more of a broker, right? Like you'd just get the deals 'cause you were a salesperson and th then you went into actually owning your equipment, right?

10:35 · Transitioning from a startup concept to a hands-on operator

Simone Bruni:10:35
Yeah. You know, I'm not a diva. I'm I'm really not.

Perryn Olson:10:40
We should address that, yes. That's definitely your not.

Simone Bruni:10:44
I mean, I like I mean, I try to show off like nice clean hands, but I I'm really not. I think that when I I know when I started the business, I had every intention to go back to my career, which was in corporate event planning. I mean, that is my passion. That is my bit. I love being hospitable. I love people. when I got into this, it was emotional. And I was bringing an emotional component into a very into a community that we were all broken. We this was this was devastating to us. So I really didn't think that Demo Diva would really be I I thought it would be a flash in the pan business. You know, it's kind of kitschy. Give me a couple dollars, let me pay the bills to get myself going. I was single. I didn't have anyone to lean on. no my parents did not put up any money. it was like do or die. So You know, the the early days was but once I got into this and I realized like it I really wanted to be a hands on a woman in there working alongside I like I didn't use any other kind of appeal other than truly just the girl next door. I mean, it wasn't sex appeal, it wasn't bitch on campus, it was I'm your neighbor.

I'm here to help you. What can I do? Don't pay me until this job is done right. so I sear I came I came into this not selling demolition, but selling trust and sincerity. Like I'm here to help you.

Perryn Olson:12:26
And that I definitely want to buy 'cause when you and I are working on the the website, which anyone definitely needs to go check out demodiva.com. There's a there's an empathetic quality to this and like tell us about your philosophy of demolition. Like what does demolition do for people that because most people, you know, most demolition companies are focused on I'll take down that building, I'll remove that tree, I'll rip up that slab. And it's a very transactional relationship. But you take it much rudder, and I think it is because you're coming off the wake of Katrina and You were you were essentially your first customer. You know, so tell a little bit more your th your your philosophy of demolition and how that impacts people.

Simone Bruni:13:03
Well, I wanna I wanna bring you into this too, because Paren, this this is where your EQ comes in. And I can't brag on you enough. you know, you have been firm. Like you're definitely a girl dad. Let's let's throw that in there. You know how to read you know how to read feminine energy. And so as I when I first met I can c vaguely remember when I first met you.

And you were just like kinda young, you know, like like well, you were young. And I remember thinking Yes, it's been we won't talk about But but you were you were you're well, number one, you're younger than me, but then you were like really, really young. And I'm like, I'm about to trust in my my marketing and my branding to this boy. I'm gonna do it myself. But that's where life comes in and everybody needs to recalibrate. Yours truly here. And

Perryn Olson:13:39
Yeah, it's been a while.

Simone Bruni:14:03
And so when I came out the gate, it was like I ha I I had a cartoon made. here it is. Wait, let me well, I can't pull it over. But I had a little cartoon girl. Yeah, I'm gonna pull it. Let me s look. Here we go. This is the old logo. You see the the girl and the banana trees and all that. Right. So so it was that. And then I realized I was like, it's time it's time for change and I want a real clean look. I just want a clean look.

14:14 · Evolving the brand and managing emotions behind demolition

Perryn Olson:14:21
On the dump side.

Simone Bruni:14:34
So I went with it with I went with like a sort of a slick white look. And along the way w like we're now transitioning and when you and I started to work on the website, it was like, you know, our clientele is not like the homeowner necessarily. we're now going into factories, we're going on to jobs industrial job sites. So, you know, I can't have like a girl that looks like a cartoon on there.

And you and I but I didn't want to lose the authenticness of where this started. You know, I didn't want to get so slick that it lost that this really is run by it's a it's a woman-owned, founder owned run business. Like I'm I'm in there. So you and I I think that we try to do a good balance of trying to show what demolition is so Behind every demolition, and I mean every demolition, there is an emotion. There's something going on. The community's either real happy or mad. It's either blighted property going away. It's either architectural salvage that needs to be cut in half and the facade saved, or it's industry plowing in, and I mean plowing in. Yeah. so you know, being a woman in this business has been Really fun because you have to balance the emotion. Like you can't just plow through someone's memories and not pause to say, let me tell me about it. Tell me what your future is, tell me about the past. so that was that was that's what you've helped me with.

Perryn Olson:16:27
I mean, you've taught me essentially is demolition is the first step of rebirth. You know, to when you recreate something, like we have to get rid of the the bad, the old, and to then start over. And it's just kind of this idea of a phoenix, but putting your spin to it. So it's like if you go to the website, like and just you see our marketing materials and things like that, your billboards, you know, they talk more about rebirth and starting over and the is more of that emotional connection. I think ninety nine point nine percent of the demolition industry doesn't even understand, let alone talk about. And one of the big things I talk here about at AUC CMOs is this idea of magnetic brands. And you're like the epitome of a magnetic brand. It's one that just attracts people in and then repels the bad fits. Cause there there's definitely people like, I don't want to work at DemoDebo. But there's way more people that want to work with you. One of the things I've said for, you know, two decades now is like it's much better to have a thousand people that love you and will and be your brand ambassador and talk about you than have like A hundred thousand people were like, nah, I don't really care. Like, you want that. And like you've been able to really evangelize that. There's a story I've actually I haven't told you. You know, I coached my daughter's swim team, and a couple of the teenage like tween girls were stalling one day and they're like, Hey coach, what do you do for you know for work and all that? I do construction marketing. They're like, What does that mean? So I'm explaining something like, you like demo Diva? And I'm Yes, I know Simone. She's like, you know Simone? And it was like this.

I like got all these kudos points for all these, you know, twelve, thirteen year old girls that were just stalling. But like they had no idea they couldn't name another construction company in town, but they know you. They not only not only know Demo Diva, but it's like they kn they knew and they also knew it was you, Simone. Like they knew, Demo D. Va. And I'm like, Yes, I know Demo D. I actually was there was a day you and I were like texting each other. I've been texting her, like, Simone, you met Simone? And it was like, you know, it it's just but I mean They're obviously not your buyers yet, but like you've been impacted on them. Like, and this is great. I mean, a while ago you were on TV a lot, you had rated commerce, but you ha you haven't been doing that. So you're still building this reputation. And a lot of it is going back to that hot pink excavators and dumpsters and just you're in the press and you know, you've built this very magnetic brand, which you know, I think it shows that it works, you know.

Simone Bruni:18:43
You you wanna hear something funny? My truck driver, my new truck driver, he's he's like, I can't believe I'm working for Demo Diva. He said, I saw those commercials when I was twelve years old And he said I wanna I could not believe it And so a a young man and he said, I remember those commercials and and he anyway, he said, I n I've been wanting to work with you for a long time. I knew I wanted to go into construction and then I always thought of you and I thought, Well, for me to have an impact on a young man is even is pretty good. It's good, you know, even better. But I I appreciate the story about the girls 'cause that makes me happy, you know.

Perryn Olson:19:21
I I I've been meaning to tell you and just you know what I you and I jump into other conversations when we chat and so it's one that was I just I was like, wait, I should tell her this one. So I mean let's talk a little bit more is like one of the current challenges I know you and I talk about a lot that I think you know is key for people that are listening is your work can be residential, commercial, and r industrial and you've gotta kinda span that. And sometimes it is hard because you're very well known in residential and as we talked at the beginning, you know, this kind of kitschy name and stuff really worked well in residential, but it almost hurt you on the commercial side for a while. You know, so why don't you talk about how how you've how you wrestled with that and I think even just kind of taking on this idea of woman owned head on. Like you didn't hide it. You didn't try to butch up like and try to pretend like you weren't woman owned. Like the name like Demo Diva and you know hot pink excavators. It's hard to fake it. but like let how do you talk about how did you balance that, especially the industrial side that's a little bit more the extreme of it. you know, how did how did you balance that?

19:46 · Overcoming industry skepticism and expanding into dumpsters

Simone Bruni:20:25
Well, the the first few years was the first three, four years was really flooded houses. Yes. I was like get a a little job here and there, a commercial job, like I got a Burger King or I got a l I got a strip mall. And I didn't realize w really where this was gonna go. But I had an an experience with one of the big general contractors and I I went up to him, I saw him at an event, and I you know, I held him in this high esteem, like like you know, I was I mean, I was much younger. And and so I went up to him and I said, you know, hey, I I own Demo Diva and I said, I know that y'all are the biggest company in town for demolition. I said, I'd really love to get any kind of little work from you if you if I could do bobcat work. I said, crumbs from your table, anything. I said, I have a bobcat.

You know, I we also had an excavator at the time. And I remember him like slapping me on the shoulder. He just went, you know, and the famous words were, Good luck, kid, with a name like that. And I remember just kind of like bristling, like and I thought to myself, you know, I'm gonna get you. I'm I'm gonna get I'm gonna show you. And so He was within a few years he was ceremoniously let go from his company. He was he was not the owner, he was the president. And I remember thinking like I need to get in front of other people. Like I can't just be so desperate at the at the hands. So I that's when I got into the dumpster business. That's literally why I got into dumpsters. I said, if I can't join I'll beat And so I started over the years started to acquire over almost two hundred dumpsters. And really, our dumpst everybody knows this because of the dumpster business. The dumpsters is what I mean, I I only own six excavators. You don't you're not gonna see six excavators every day rolling.

Perryn Olson:22:35
I but Yeah, I might see one a quarter, but I see a dumpster every time I drive in the city. Like it's

Simone Bruni:22:42
Exactly. And that's why those kids know me, you know? It's because of the dumpsters. So you know, that was really like I and so so what happened was the dumpsters just started to be its own line of business w our dumpster rental business because the and the G Cs slowly the sa smaller G C started to, you know, call me. But I'm gonna tell ya t Perrin, I mean I just last week I had a and now I'm a I'm you know a well seasoned woman who doesn't who doesn't hold her tongue to a man. and I had to like we made him I'll tell you the story. So we were training a young we were training a young estimator and he he did a really fine job on on on on a particular proposal and then the next phase came out and he made a mistake on that.

We got busy internally and we did not check his numbers thoroughly. we had the square footage, la la la. We were extremely low. That young man's had was only here with well, he was an attorney not with us permanently, so he left. And then that contractor who I have known and dog and done my dog and pony show, tap dance in front of them, brought them donuts, literally, done all that to get their business for the last fifteen years.

They call and they're like, Hey, we want to use you in this project. And I thought, okay, well, did you why are you using us for only for phase two when we really like sharpen our pencil for phase one? And I and no answer. Okay. We I go out there and I'm I've got a pin in my pin in my stomach. I'm like, this this doesn't this stinks. Like they haven't used me in fifteen years and now suddenly they're hot to trot. So sure enough, we were under bed and Our fault. So I walked the project and I said very sternly, I said, Let me tell you something. There's two people wrong on this right now. I said, for 15 years I've tried to get your business. And I said, Let me tell you what a good G C does. A good G C says, you know, your number's extraordinarily low. And I I did use some explanatives and I said, But I'm not going to screw myself. I said, I made a mistake and you've made a mistake.

24:00 · Handling an underbid project with a major general contractor

Simone Bruni:25:06
Your people did not call out my low number. And I said, but you're hoping that I'm going to eat this? I'm not. I'm going to walk. And so they they agreed. The guy on site said, Yeah, I actually asked my I asked the higher ups, who prepared this number? And I said, Okay, you see? I said, Where's your trusted and true sub that y'all been fattening up like the Christmas goose? And they're like, he's on another plot one of our projects. Sorry. Ha. I thought I turned it off.

He's on one another one of our projects. And this is my point. I said, this is I said, guys, this is what I want to point out. This is where relationships come into play. I said, you know, you have to use other subs and other trades. And you've got to give everybody a chance. I said, you know, you've used the same guy for 15 years, and now you need me. And guess what? I've made a living without y'all.

I've asked for your business. And so, you know, it goes it the relationship with with going with with general contractors is you you gotta re like and then the men and being a woman in this business, they've not wanted to use me because they go fishing with each other. They go f to the rodeos with each other. And now they're they're up shit's great. They need me. 'Cause then They need me. And so I made my little error, but they made their big ol' error. So anyway, we can't the so I have to applaud them. They had their, you know, vice president call and say, what can we do to make this right? And I said, Well, I will give you my number and I will come off of my number, but you're gonna come up on your number. And so we all came to a happy agreement and we'll move forward on this. But you know, it goes to show you it it twenty years later. seasoned business in the community and the still you know, I'm still fighting and I and I don't wanna say it, but I am gonna say that I'm still fighting the good old boys' club, you know?

Perryn Olson:27:15
You always will, but it I I have male clients that are dealing with the same issues too, though. It's that I've got a client right now that's constantly fighting a like a competitor that's essentially working at cost. And we've been waiting for them to fold because how can you survive? It's like wha what what is going on? and it's every Tommy G C has told them like, Look, your number's like fifteen percent higher. Like I I have to present the lower number to the client. And a year later they call, Hey, this isn't working out.

And guess what happens? They fire the the other contractor. My client comes in, charges them more, because now have to redo stuff the other one did. And it's it continued to happen. Now find the GCs in the area are kind of like, we're not allowed to use them anymore, or we don't want to use them anymore. And it's now kind of a fair fight. but I remember a lot of conversations with them of like, do we come down to their level? And like, no, we'd rather, you know, take a little beating for a while. We know this will happen. We you know doing the right thing. So some of it is You need to kind of just stay, you know, fight for yourself. And one of the key things you said though was I will walk. You weren't desperate and just said, or I had to. Like, you know, that was one of the key things. And look, I love the fact that you challenged the relationship. So look, we're trying to have a relationship here. Let's have a relationship. Like Yeah. So that's huge. And I mean, think about it too. Like you're talking about the sugar mail project. I mean, you're working with one of the biggest GCs in the country on that job. Like that that says a lot.

Simone Bruni:28:44
Day three, yeah, one of their, you know project managers decided to to say something really ugly. Like our my crew, I'm gonna just brag. We came out, we showed out and showed up. Like we looked good and we looked badass. So, you know, I call I call him like, you know, the Ivory Tower quarterback and he comes by in like the golf cart. And I'm like, yeah, well, I haven't seen you sweating out here with us.

So he said that he saw two of my guys sitting on the job and he literally said with their thumb up there and I'm like Yeah I went nuts. I went nuts. Like you don't go nuts on your like ten billion dollar new client that you're, you know, apple polish. I'm like and Robert was on three way with me and Robert's like, Simone, you know, get a grip. And I was I mean, I was ready to fight the man. I was like, You are not gonna talk about my crew this way. And so, you know, it's it Sometimes the female side also comes out as like, Mama Bear, I'm gonna scratch your eyes out. So I don't know, men may say, I'm gonna punch you and I'm gonna I'm gonna claw you

Perryn Olson:29:55
I've I've met many your team members too. They are very loyal to you 'cause you do protect them and do you have a relationship with them. It's not just a transactional I pay you, you're my employee, you know, go do that. Yeah. You know, they they bend over backwards to you and they love working with you. So

Simone Bruni:30:11
They are sweating in a hundred and one degree weather on a roof and they're and they came down off the roof because they're about to melt and and he happens to do one drive by and I told them to sit in the shade. Like but you know, it th that's we're digressing. I think that with all of these whether you're a really, really big client like that one, or you are a homeowner, or you know I've dealt with widows who've had to just take down a shed. Like I said, every demolition has an emotion. And you've got to manage there's a there's a movement of structure. There's there's a move, there it's it's you know, call it frequency, call it energy, call it demolition. You are getting rid of the old and everything's getting disturbed, and people just kind of get wonky. And I Sometimes, you know, you have to be calm and diffuse it and sometimes you have to bow up and protect your pe you know, your crew. Yeah. So it's just it's been an interesting exercise in reading Yeah, you know, the atmosphere.

31:22 · Winning industrial clients through customer service and care

Perryn Olson:31:24
One thing that's interesting is on the industrial side, you're often working with the end client, not a through a G C. You know, you're 'cause they kind of the industrial client is their own G C in many cases. And I remember talking to one of them a couple of years ago with you, and I was like, Why'd you pick Demo Diva? And he said, We're really excited about this project, but she kind of paused of like, How do we phase in this project? 'Cause we're an existing facility. Like, how do we do this? Where do we put the dump like and you took the time to coordinate how do you safely take down a building? Where do you put the dumpsters? How do you rotate the dumpsters? And like This idea that in you and I have talked about that this customer service aspect that you guys have, you know, on the residential side, but it was really nice to see like that's what won you an industrial job, a big industrial job, you know? And there's this that extra touch point of like even a couple years ago when we were talking dumpsters and her promote that, I had my wife secret shop all the companies, dumpster companies. And like I remember getting off the phone and we're and the goal was a little bit more price shopping and just kind of understanding capabilities and like she's just like Talking to Demo Diva was night and day compared to everyone else. Everyone else was just I got this. Where do you want it? What a and the you know, the demo diva person, you know, was, you know, asked about what you're doing, where you're trying to put it, like went the extra step to make sure you could put the dumpster in the right spot. And like just all those little things that someone who gives a shit, you know, does. Yeah. Versus just take the order, put it down, feel it, you know. So it just that's one of the things I think is a very much a calling card for you as well, is like.

And the reason you've been around for so isn't this the memorable brand I think gets you in the door, but the reputation that you've built the last twenty years is what's kept you in business. 'Cause people enjoy working with you. Even when you you're tough love with them, they respect you, but they still come back to you. Yeah.

Simone Bruni:33:07
You know, I I mean business at the end of the day is people. And you know, you're gonna see at a birthday party, you're gonna see him and you know, parent, like we only have one life, you know? And we only have one we only have like only X amount of years to just make your mark. And it's not even about making a mark, it's just about, you know, being sweet and kind and I mean, that's the legacy that I'd like to leave is just say it those were f those were fun years. I mean, they're the last three years for me have been extremely stressful. it it's been growth. and with growth comes like a lot of stretching, but you know, what at the end of the day, we want to be I think I think everybody here in the company is Wants to have a good reputation, we really care. We really, really care. We care. So you've been an extension of that. You've captured that for us. You've helped us really translate that how when we did our photo shoot, when we, you know, actually that we did do some photo shoots with the drone, the drones, but all of the landing page pictures that you selected, those were pictures out of my iPhone.

Those were like a awful lot. That that's r that like that was nothing staged. That was just every day like hugging the crew, playing in, you know, fist bumping.

Perryn Olson:34:42
Yeah. But that's who you guys are. I mean, you you capture that and the I think that's one of the biggest things we've done with this brand is capture the humanity, you know, the people working it. And it's it's one of the kind of my gripes in construction is you go to these websites and all you see is finished buildings, finished roads, and it's like, what about the action? Like what about people building? What about people demol do doing demolition and like Yeah. That's the part, especially even on like, you know, so a lot of these bigger GCs on their career page, there's no pictures of people, and it's like You you're trying to recruit a hundred people this year to work with you and you have no people and it's just here's our job posts and it's like, guys, let's have a soul and I think you're a great example of having personality, having a soul and still thriving.

Simone Bruni:35:24
You know, I think the background of of the hospitality industry and the and the convention business, like that foundation really that was a foundation that helped me launch into telling the construction story. I think the construction story is the humanity. I mean, it's our roads, it's our it's our community that we're living in. You know, we wanna know where the data centers are going. We want to know where the new McDonald's is going. We wanna we we want to see the progress of all of it. you know, I drove by on North Claiborne, which when you when you go up North Claiborne it that it still's like, you know, needs some help. And right in the center of it is a big theater. Like we tore down the theater and then they rebuilt it's not a theater now it's a community center. And I remember thinking, there's the old theaters now the community center.

So, you know, we get to drive by places around town and think, we touched that, you know. so it's been fun.

36:30 · The future vision for Demo Diva and potential national expansion

Perryn Olson:36:30
Yeah. So I mean, what's next for Demodiva? What's the future hold?

Simone Bruni:36:36
Well, let's see. We have we well, we have one that we're working on that we we're waiting for a signed contract, so we can't we can't say, but it's it would be a doozy if we got it. A a really big doozy. I think that we're you know, what's the n we got a big church coming up in in the new year. Just big buildings, but we And when I say we, I mean like my core team. You know, Alyssa, who's been with me for almost twelve years, Robert Wutherington, who has come on with us the last few years, and he's really brought tool organization to us. So and Tank. So we are the four. We huddle. Tank's been with me for 18 years, my operator, that demolition operator. So the four of us huddle a lot and we say, you know, what where do we want to keep going? And just yesterday, Robert said, you know, I'm r I personally want to go nationally. I want to take this. I think that there's a there's a franchise opportunity here or a licensing agreement. so that that's my create creative spin. Yes. Robert is more.

On the he wants to grow and he wants to grow with b bigger equipment. he is an equipment guy. He all he all he does is watch equipment videos and you know. Yeah. he he really wants to get a a high reach Sun of Ogan. That's all he talks about, which is fun, you know, to hear different men. R tank tanks dreaming of attachments. So where does the company go? you know, it's It's a playing field right now. It's just

Perryn Olson:38:36
We don't know. You bit you built that foundation that it can go a few different directions. Something as simple as adding an attachment as a service line or, you know, a different piece of equipment that adds a you know, you get the right project, you know, it makes sense. And or something I mean, most companies would never consider licensing or franchising as much as you and I have talked about it. And I think because of the name, because of the reputation you've built, it's totally doable. And that's not a case in most construction companies. So So I I I'm definitely excited to see you grow and

Simone Bruni:39:06
Well, I'm I I love you. You know that. And I I you're you're part of wherever I'm going, so don't d I won't I've told you this a thousand times. But you also know and I'll share you know that you and I have spent endless hours of me just like ruminating. I mean, I I want Demo Diva to be a lifestyle brand in construction. You know, this is really one of my deep dreams, like 'cause

Perryn Olson:39:14
I know. I know.

Simone Bruni:39:34
I mean, just like what you said about those those girls on the swim team. And it kind of makes me a little i it it almost brings tears to my eyes because I remember in the very first days when I started Demo Diva and I had magnets on my car. And I was in a drive-thru. It was in in the McDonald's drive-thru. And it was like the first year, maybe two. I'm I it Demo Diva hadn't been a long girl been and This girl, I was getting the bag and the the young girl in the window was handing me the food and she said, Are you the demo Diva? And it was the first time that I kind of thought of it was like a persona. And she goes, You go, girl. And I think like this that that girl just was the first one to launch it. Now your daughters' friends and and different people along the over the years. I've seen it. I've seen the reaction in the people.

And I want to bottle that. And, you know, whether it's in a tool kit, whether it's in clothing, whether it's in you know, household goods of for cleaning up, I think that demo diva embodies like a resilience and it's a it's a real you go girl attitude. Like I can do this, I can, I can overcome. So that's where I want to take Demo Diva.

Now Robert and Alyssa are like, Look, we're just here to work like

Perryn Olson:41:03
Well that's their that's look, you you were the classic EOS visionary, and they are the ones that are holding your feet to the ground, which is great, and you need those people. and I think just when the when the right partner comes along, I I think it's all gonna click and make sense. So we just we can't force it and we've talked about that plenty of times. So we gotta wrap up here just for the sake of time and I know you and I will continue talking, but Thank you all for listening and stuff and definitely check out demodiva.com and f I highly suggest if not in Orans, you can just follow on Facebook and just see the work they do, see what it's like to have a personality come out of this. And Simon's is a great person, very authentic. So thank you all for listening and we'll see you guys next time.

Simone Bruni:41:47
Thank you, Farron. Whoop whoop.

Perryn Olson:41:49
Yeah.