Heart of the Entrepreneur | Golden Rule Design & Build

Photos by Jackie Vincent
Sara & Matt Vincent | Owners

In a world that too often prizes style over substance, profits over people and quick wins over sustainable growth, a company that stays true to its values and mission while achieving long-term success is both a treasure to its local community and an example for all in the business world to emulate. '

Becoming a shining example to other entrepreneurs may not have been at the forefront of Matt and Sara Vincent’s minds when they started their company, but twenty years later, that’s what they’ve done. Early on, however, simply finding enough work to fill the schedule and to keep the lights on was a full-time job in and of itself. To fully appreciate the couple’s success, though, one must start at the beginning.

“We were young and newly married when we started the company,” said Sara Vincent, co-owner of Golden Rule Design & Build—a residential remodeling company based out of Topeka. “I think I was still in college, and our second daughter was on the way, so I was going to school and staying home with our oldest.”

“Both of us were raised in families that were somewhat entrepreneurial, so I think starting our own company was in our blood,” Matt Vincent added.

LEAP OF FAITH

Matt and Sara took that leap in early 2002, and it was a life change they did not take lightly. It was the couple’s youth and relative inexperience, however, that may have ultimately tipped the scales toward taking the leap.

“I’m sure that we had a lot of conversations during that period of time,” Matt said. “One of the nice things about being young is that you may not know exactly what you’re jumping into and may not know the risk. We were both attracted to the idea of doing something on our own, as well as the challenge of building the business, but I don’t think we had any idea what a grind it would be.”

BLESSING IN DISGUISE

Fortunately, the naivety turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

“At this end of it, I’m glad we took the risk and that we were able to learn the lessons that those first years taught us,” said Matt. “Honestly, when we look back at those times, they were some of the most fun times we’ve had, even though the hours were just off the charts and we weren’t making any money. Those are when we learned all the lessons that the company still operates on.”

One of the earliest challenges the company faced—when it was but a team of four in total—was simply finding enough work to keep them busy.

“I do remember, starting out, we had no backlog,” Matt shared. “Sara and I are people of faith, and I distinctly remember it being a Friday

evening and us not having work lined up for Monday, and praying God would provide work, week
after week after week. It’s because of those lessons that we learned about God’s faithfulness, and also about the incredible community that we live in and the moxie it takes to continue pushing forward in hard times.”

By leaning on their peers, their fellow Topekans, and their faith, the couple continued to overcome obstacle after obstacle. It was around their fifth year in business, Matt recalled, that the company hit an inflection point and really gained some momentum.

“We love being a part of a great community of builders in Topeka, seeing our customers lives improved with their homes being more functional and looking better,” Matt said. “Some of the more rewarding

times have just been the time we get to spend with our team here. We consider all of them friends.”

“In addition to having such a great team of people, one of the most rewarding aspects is being able to give back to the community—whether it’s international projects or local projects that we’ve been able to participate in,” added Sara.

GROWING EFFECTIVELY

Today, Golden Rule Design & Build boasts a staff of about thirty—a nearly eight-fold increase from its humble beginnings. Just in the past couple of years, the business was able to build out its own in-house design department, which is helmed by their head of design, Rachel Everhart, and serves as a cornerstone of the company’s ability to offer turnkey services and solutions.

“We brought Rachel Everhart and a team of designers on board, who make the ever-increasingly difficult job of picking out design selections and getting the end result that the customer wants a lot easier,” Matt said.

Suffice it to say, business is booming. And while there is enough demand in the market for Golden
Rule’s services to support its continued growth—including a larger staff—Matt and Sara have found that their philosophy of growing slowly by finding good people of strong character and training them on the Golden Rule way, has been a prudent and effective strategy. All that to say, while there is opportunity and perhaps plans to continue growing, there is no rush. The focus right now, as it has always been, is on continuing to deliver excellent service to customers and to make an impact when and where it matters most.

“From the beginning, Sara and I have had the perspective that this company needs to be a part of something bigger than us,” Matt said. “One of our main purposes in continuing and pushing forward is so that the causes we are passionate about can be supported financially.”

Sara echoed that sentiment.

“It’s been a big growing experience over the years, both personally and professionally, but it’s been worth it,” she said.