Founder's Story - Competitive Advantage: Rob Lombardi’s Tactical Blueprint for Decades of Business Success | S2 Ep. 173

Episode Date: February 11, 2025

In this episode of Founder's Story, Rob Lombardi shares his remarkable journey from elite athlete to successful entrepreneur. As the CEO of Lombardi Interiors, Rob explains how the discipline, mental toughness, and self-reliance he developed on the tennis court seamlessly translated into building a business that has thrived for decades. He discusses the challenges of transitioning from an individual sport to the demanding world of entrepreneurship and offers insights into how his competitive mindset helped him overcome obstacles and continuously push the limits.Key Topics DiscussedFrom Athlete to Entrepreneur:Rob’s early experiences in competitive tennis and the inherent lessons of discipline, focus, and self-coaching set the foundation for his business journey.The Mental Game:How mastering emotional control and resilience on the court prepared him for the solitude and challenges of launching and scaling a business.Building a Lasting Brand:Insights into how personalized service, quality, and a relentless pursuit of excellence helped Lombardi Interiors stand out in a competitive market.Navigating Change and Disruption:Strategies for staying ahead in an evolving industry, emphasizing the importance of continuous self-improvement and adaptability.Leadership Lessons:Rob’s reflections on what it takes to lead a company, maintain a strong company culture, and keep pushing the boundaries despite market challenges.Notable Quotes“In both tennis and business, when you face a tough challenge, it all comes down to your mindset.”“The discipline I learned on the court taught me that every loss is a lesson, and every setback is an opportunity to grow.”“Building Lombardi Interiors wasn’t just about business—it was about creating a legacy through relentless passion and perseverance.”Resources & LinksConnect with Rob Lombardi:LinkedIn Profilehttps://www.lombardiinteriors.com/Our Sponsors:* Check out CoinFlip and use my code FOUNDERS for a great deal: https://coinflip.tech* Check out Indeed: https://indeed.com/FOUNDERSSTORY* Check out Kinsta: https://kinsta.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

America's energy future begins now. We have the opportunity to strengthen our economy and reduce inflation. And with this opportunity comes great responsibility. Working together, we can harness our energy advantage and improve the lives of every American. More American energy means more jobs, more security and more innovation. That's the promise of America's oil and natural gas. America's moment is now.

Learn more at Lights on Energy.org paid for by the American Petroleum Institute. Hey, everyone, welcome back to Founders Story. Today we have Rob Lombardi and Rob, you have a very interesting story going from athlete to entrepreneur and I can't wait to dive into exactly what translated from your time in sports to your time in business because I've heard there's a lot of correlations. I also personally know a lot of athletes who are retiring or they got injured and now they're out of the game and they have no idea what they're going to do with their life but you are the CEO of Lombardi interiors,

which I can't believe has been around since 1964. Like that is insane. Like I don't think people are thinking about, you know, hopefully they can make it to two or three years in business, but not, you know, multiple decades. Well, let's start off Rob with, how was that transition when you were an athlete and then you said, OK, I want to go into business. Yeah, I mean, it was it wasn't like a moment. It was it was kind of a, you know, a step process. I I think being an athlete, you know, gave me I just always was competitive.

So I wanted to challenge myself. You know, I wanted to always strive to be better. I had a growth mindset. You know, with tennis, it's a one-on-one sport. And, you know, in college, it was, you know, you're out on the court, you're calling your lines, you're coaching yourself, you're keeping score. So when I got out of college and made that transition,

I knew I kind of wanted to rely on myself more. I didn't want to work for a big company. Although I did start in the corporate world, I always knew I wanted to work for myself. And just because it was more challenging, it was lonely. And the tennis world is lonely too. You're out there by yourself.

But that's kind of what I wanted. And I really, it was tough in the beginning. I think that was the biggest challenge. Just being on your own. You don't have human resources. You don't have a tech department. You're doing that all yourself. And that's my personality.

I've always been like that. So for somebody making that transition, I think it's something you have to want. You have to be comfortable with being on your own, you know, challenging yourself every day, working hard, you know, grinding it out. And anybody that's been an athlete at a high level understands that part, the training every day,

you know, getting up early, doing things that people don't see. But in the business world, it's the same. And being a CEO, running a business, that's definitely what it takes to be successful. So I think that's kind of my background a little bit. I never thought about how tennis specifically translate because it's not really a little bit. I never thought about how that how tennis specifically translate because it's not really a team sport. It's an individual sport. That's a great point. What other things did you learn being that you are in this individual sport besides the

obvious like you had said, you know, waking up early and showingi other things that you fel Definitely. I mean, I thin of the game in tennis trans I played soccer too and i different, completely diff with tennis, you know, yo yourself, you have to control your emotions you have to you know keep that momentum that positive momentum in

a match and that translates into the business world you you know you you lose a project or you maybe lose a client and you know you you have to just let it go and kind of move on. Otherwise you're gonna fail. So I mean, it definitely, that tennis part, it's kind of like a, think of it as like a chess match, but you're also, there's a physical aspect of it. The strategy in tennis translates well into business. All my kids played and I think it's an advantage

for young person to take that, you know, at least have experience in that realm, in that sport. Let's dive into the mental game. I have always been one to say, yes, anyone can start a business, right? You can create an LLC, it's really easy to say, yes, anyone can start a business, right? You can create an LLC, it's really easy to do, but it doesn't mean you can be successful and continue because the mental game is very, very hard.

I think out of the hundreds of people we've interviewed, that is the thing that always comes up is, do you have the mental fortitude to have what it takes? How did you do that? Maybe when you know while you were playing tennis or what did you learn that you were able to really control your emotions and your mind and not just want to give up? Definitely I mean that was the biggest challenge for me. You know I'm half Italian so my emotions run a little hot sometimes. So I remember in high school, sitting in study hall, reading Jim Lehrer's, the book on mental

toughness, just because it's like, I know this is my weak point. I was always a pretty good athlete, but I never had that control, that emotional control when you're in the heat of a battle on the court, you can lose it very quickly. And you've seen it in professional tennis. That momentum can change in a minute. And then all of a sudden, you're losing a match. But for me, it was definitely the biggest aspect. I mean

that was I played with with world-class players and I think that when I when I started training with them I realized I wasn't working hard enough. I wasn't putting in the time. I just you know I was at a good level, but I wasn't nearly the level they were at. So, I mean, that was eye-opening too. Playing, you know, playing at a high level, realizing the dedication and the work ethic that they put in. It changed me as a person and, you know, that translates into how I ran a business too. I definitely carried that over and realized that if I get upset or if I get angry, you're not gonna make the best decision for your employees and for your company.

So it definitely correlates, that's for sure. So you've been in business for multiple decades. What has been for you maybe a specific thing that you've done in order to continue? Because I think we know competition changes, technology changes, the ability to market and sell changes, people changes. So many things happen, I'm sure, over the last few decades. So what's been something for you that's been really consistent? I mean making, probably

challenging myself, realizing that that I can do more, you know, having that confidence to raise the bar, you know, go after certain accounts that maybe I'm not set up to go after. Kind of putting those goals out there and working towards them. I think that's, for me, that's what I've tried to do for my company to grow. Although we're a small company, it's, you know, we're still growing. And I try to always kind of push the bar, push the limit. COVID was definitely a challenge for my company. We had some shutdowns, we do a lot of assisted living facilities, and that was a challenge. And I had to kind of pivot, figure out how to make it. And it definitely shakes you to the core

when you have everything riding on your company. And you also have a responsibility to your employees to keep things moving and growing. So does that answer your question? I mean, I think there are many, many other instances with employees and with certain accounts where I thought, oh, I'm gonna lose this account. So I gotta really be on top of it.

I've gotta be on my game. And I always go back to the competitive side of myself to like rise up to that challenge and dig deep And I always go back to the competitive side of myself to like rise up to that challenge and dig deep. And it always comes down to yourself in the end, I think. I mean, I have great employees, I have a great staff, I have good resources, but at the end of the day, when you meet a tough challenge,

it comes down to yourself and, you know, making the right decision. And maybe, for me, I try to simplify things and maybe not make them too complicated, pick one or two things that really, you know, I can go after and, you know, that kind of simplify that decision-making process. I think a lot of people are afraid of disruption, whether that be technology or maybe a competitor who can get cheaper products or, you know, labor in being outsourced to different parts of the world.

There's a lot of reasons, I think, that people are nervous right now. And I think specifically when it comes to AI and technology, which might not necessarily impact you so much, but over the years, how do you look at disruption and staying ahead of the curve? Yeah, I mean, it all comes down to, does that customer want your service? Does that customer want your service?

Does that customer want your product? Are you providing a service to them? And I, like I said, I try to simplify things and really, I can't necessarily be the cheapest guy in town but I know I can out-service a lot of my competition. Make it personal. Make it the best quality that I can give and really offer solutions to their problems. Think strategically.

Put myself in their shoes. And I don't think as maybe, you know, you look at some brands and you have luxury brands and you know, maybe it's a luxury purse or a luxury car and what makes them different? You know, it's a car, you know, but what makes that car different? It's a brand of clothing. Why are you going to pay more for that brand of clothing, as opposed to the other one? And there's, I think, a branding side of it.

People want to associate with quality, they wanna associate with service. I mean, that's a, you know, you mentioned the technology world now. I mean, how many times have you made a phone call and you can't even talk to somebody on the other line? It's very frustrating. So there is a niche there, you know, and you have that's my job to figure out what that niche is. And it's, you know, the difference of nowadays, it's changes so quickly, you have to really be on top of it. And, you know, really understand the

market and understand what your business is and it changes so fast. So I mean for me it's draining but I think you kind of become accustomed to waking up in the morning and saying what's this day going to bring and I'm ready for it. Yeah, it sounds like what I'm gathering here is Lombardi interiors really continues to create that personalized touch and individual to the client, to the customer, which I love that. I think you're right. I think there's so many companies that are just you realize you needed to hire someone yesterday. How do you find quality candidates fast? Use Indeed because when it comes to hiring Indeed is all you need. Sponsored jobs stand out and bring you 45% more applicants according to Indeed data. One thing I love about Indeed is how it frees up my time.

No subscriptions or contracts only pay for results. In the last minute 23 hires were made on Indeed. There's no need to wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed. And listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at indeed.com slash founders story. Just go to indeed.com slash founders story right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast.

Indeed.com slash founders story terms and conditions apply hiring Indeed is all you need. Between juggling client meetings, managing your website, and keeping up with everyday tasks, who has time to stress about website security? With Kinsta, they take care of the technical stuff so you can focus on what you do best. Kinsta provides managed hosting for WordPress, offering lightning fast load times, top tier security and unmatched human only customer support. Whether you're a business owner, web developer running a digital agency, Kinsta gives you complete peace of mind by keeping your site online secure and performing at its best. They even have a user friendly dashboard called MyKinsta that simplifies the site management with tools for cache control,

debugging, redirects, and CDN setup. And thanks to their unlimited free expert-led migrations, you won't experience any downtime when switching to Kinsta. Plus, their 24-7, 365 human-only support is available in multiple languages to help with any inquiries no matter how complex. Ready to experience Kinsta's hosting for yourself? Get your first month free when you sign up at Kinsta.com today. It's the perfect opportunity to see why Kinsta is trusted by thousands of businesses worldwide to power their website. Visit kinsta.com to get this limited time offer for new customers on select plans. Don't miss out.

Get started for free today. You just realized your business needed to hire someone yesterday. How can you find amazing candidates fast? Easy, just use Indeed. Stop struggling to get your job posts seen on other job sites. With Indeed Sponsored Jobs, your post jumps to the top of the page for your relevant candidates, so you can reach the people you want faster. According to Indeed data, Sponsored Jobs posted directly on Indeed

have 45% more applications than non-sponsored jobs. Don't wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed. And listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at indeed.com slash podkatz12 right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply.

Hiring Indeed is all you need. Focus on mass sales and it's not personalized enough anymore. You can't ever get ahold of anybody. It's quite frustrating. I'm like you, I like to pick up the phone and call somebody and I can barely ever get a hold of anyone with any company. I'm even going through right now with a large company and it's really frustrating. So I'm glad that you've continued to maintain this for your customers, which makes sense as to why that you've continued with the company for so long. So if, if you want to get in touch with the Robert,

they want to find out more information about the company. They want to maybe get in touch with you personally. How can they do so? They could go to my LinkedIn page and look me up there. That would be probably the first step and, and you know, feel free to contact me and touch base through there. And I'd be happy to answer any questions and help anybody I can. Well Rob, this has been amazing.

I super appreciate your time today and all that you've been doing. I learned a lot and I hope in 20, 30 years from now I could say my business has survived. I mean, that is incredible. And all the people that you're impacting from the employees to the customers, I'm sure they also are super appreciative

of everything you do. And I'm very, very interested to talk to more people who are in tennis and how that's transitioned over as a solo sport into business. I'm super interested in that, but thank you so much for joining us today on Founder's Story. Thank you, I appreciate it, Daniel.

Have a good day. There are some things you wouldn't mind being stuck with, like a large unexpected inheritance. An always on the verge of death phone that has to be plugged in just right so it charges is not one of those things. Switch to Verizon and we'll pay off your old phone. Up to $800 via prepaid MasterCard so you can get a new one. Just trade in any phone from our top brands on any unlimited plan. With new line on MyPlan, additional terms apply for trade in and pay off your phone offer. See Verizon.com for details. You just realized your business needed to hire someone...yesterday.

How can you find amazing candidates fast? You just realized your business needed to hire someone yesterday. How can you find amazing candidates fast? Easy. Just use Indeed. Stop struggling to get your job post seen on other job sites. With Indeed Sponsored Jobs, your post jumps to the top of the page for your relevant candidates, so you can reach the people you want faster. According to Indeed data, sponsored jobs posted directly on Indeed

have 45% more applications than non-sponsored jobs. Don't wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed. And listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at indeed.com slash PODKATZ12. Just go to indeed.com slash podkatz12 right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed

on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need.