From Teacher to Trainer: One Garage Door Pro’s Journey — And the Industry Threat He’s Warning About
What happens when a PE teacher becomes a garage door business owner, nearly dies on the job, and ends up creating a free training platform for new techs?
In this Torsion Talk episode, Ryan interviews Robert, founder of Strongman Garage Doors. They cover real industry pain points—from safety and training to Google Business Profile abuse—and why better communication, systems, and ethics are the future of the trades.
“I Was a PE Teacher. Now I Teach Garage Doors.”
Robert spent eight years teaching elementary PE. When the cost of living outpaced his income, he looked for a better path.
“Our garage door spring broke. I watched the tech fix it in 15 minutes and charge $400. That’s when I realized: I can do this.”
He didn’t go all-in immediately. Instead, he offered free roller changes and lube jobs in local Houston Facebook groups. In exchange, he asked for honest reviews.
“I just posted: ‘I’m a teacher trying to start a garage door company. Who wants free work for a review?’ I got 10 to 15 jobs right away.”
Those reviews built momentum. He practiced every repair on his own garage—repeatedly changing springs, rollers, and cables until it became second nature. Within five months, his side income matched his teaching salary.
“I Rushed the Job. The Door Crushed Me.”
In May, he quit his teaching job to run Strongman full-time. Just 34 days later, he made a mistake that changed everything.
“It was a $2 million house. The 16×8 wood overlay door had come off track. I thought the opener was hooked up—it wasn’t.”
With no safety clamps set and the cables loose, the 500-lb door crashed onto Robert’s body.
- Pelvis broken in nine places
- Spinal injury
- Intestines cut—colostomy bag for six months
- $300,000+ in medical bills (covered by insurance)
That near-death moment forced him to stop doing physical work. He now runs the business by:
- Hiring subcontractors
- Answering phones and managing quotes
- Visiting job sites briefly to build trust and collect reviews
His story matches many lessons in Markinuity’s 11 Mistakes Garage Door Business Owners Regret. Chief among them: failing to build internal systems before scaling.
Free Garage Door Training — And Why He’ll Never Charge for Repairs
Robert built a training community on the School platform, where members can watch free videos on:
- Spring changes
- Roller replacement
- Off-track doors
- Cable resets
“I don’t charge for repairs. YouTube is full of that stuff. The hard part isn’t fixing doors—it’s building a business.”
His advanced training (weeks 2–5) is paid and covers:
- LLC setup
- Insurance
- Facebook & Google Ads
- Google LSA
- Hiring subs and managing jobs remotely
He’s even had students FaceTime him during a live job, including one who was unwinding springs backwards until Robert corrected him in real time.
Google Business Profile Abuse Is Out of Control
Robert and Ryan shift gears to discuss a deeper issue: Google Business Profile manipulation.
Ryan recounts a disturbing interaction with a marketer who claimed:
- He pays two Google employees $60K under the table.
- He can get fake listings approved or take down real ones.
- He has access that bypasses normal GBP verification steps.
Worse: this person recently bought major Facebook groups in the garage door industry and is being embraced by groups like IDA.
“This guy’s taking selfies with IDA board members. No one’s vetting him. He’s been in the industry a year.”
Ryan emphasizes how dangerous it is when one marketer can control both:
- Your Facebook group visibility
- Your Google search visibility
This directly relates to Markinuity’s article on GBP scams. If you’ve ever received a random ownership request, or had a competitor mysteriously outrank you, read that now.
Systems, Communication, and Why Robert Won’t Go Back
Since the accident, Robert hasn’t stopped. He’s hired three contractors, kept the company growing, and now runs operations from home.
“They do the work. I do the marketing, the social media, and I still shake hands with every customer.”
His process is clear:
- Techs text him 15 minutes before finishing a job.
- Robert shows up, collects payment, hands over a card with a QR code, and offers a free 6-month tune-up for a 5-star review.
- Nearly every job ends in a new review.
This level of consistency and clarity reflects what’s covered in Markinuity’s Ultimate Guide to Internal Communication. No guesswork. Everyone knows the plan.
The Bigger Message: Train, Communicate, Play Fair
Robert’s story is raw. It includes:
- Public backlash over his Facebook ads for the School group
- Skepticism from others in the trade
- His response: keep giving value, build trust over time
Ryan relates. That’s why he created a new private group for vetted business owners:
Garage Door Entrepreneurs – Owners Only
Final Takeaways
- Safety isn’t optional. Set clamps. Follow SOPs. Never rush.
- Start with free value. Earn trust before monetizing.
- Don’t wait for a crisis to systemize. Build internal tools now.
- Protect your GBP. Don’t fall for scams or shortcut offers.
