The Grit Blueprint

Raise The Bar, Earn Trust, Build Legacy | Bob Taylor, President Emeritus at Do it Best Corp

• Grit Blueprint

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What if your store didn’t try to be the biggest in town and became the most unforgettable instead? We sit down with Bob Taylor, President Emeritus at Do it Best Corp, a fourth-generation retailer and former Do it Best CEO, to unpack how independents outmaneuver giants by pairing co-op scale with local soul. From a family business nearing 100 years to leading a national organization through major integrations, Bob shares the decisions, data, and culture that turn customers into raving fans.

We trace his family’s path from early True Value growth to a pivotal jump to Do it Best in the 1980's for better costs, rebates, and fill rates, then explore the recent True Value combination that’s already rebuilding confidence for retailers and vendors. You’ll hear why co-ops work: pooled buying power, deep talent, and tech that help small players “play big” without losing identity. More important, we dig into what scale can’t replace: the second-mile habits that make a local brand unmistakable.

Expect practical plays you can implement this week: greet and guide every shopper, cut wait friction, escort pros to exactly what they need, and follow up after major purchases. We talk about “Unreasonable Hospitality” as a competitive lens. Don’t copy what rivals do well, find what they do fine and make it unforgettable. Add community moments like a Santa event or the best Christmas tree lot in town. Use peer groups to share financials and steal proven ideas. Let technology extend your personal touch across email, checkout, and curbside so consistency becomes your signature.

If you lead an independent hardware store, lumber yard, or building supply brand, this is your playbook to raise the bar, earn trust, and win long-term.

Topics we covered:
• Co-op advantages that keep independents competitive
• Lessons from switching banners based on metrics and culture
• Executing integrations that restore retailer and vendor confidence
• Peer groups and benchmarking for real accountability
• Second-mile service as a daily operating system
• Unreasonable Hospitality and finding gaps competitors miss
• Small, personal gestures that become unforgettable stories
• Niche focus plus events that build community loyalty
• Using technology to play big while staying local

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Stefanie Couch:

Create raving fans. You don't need 10 million people that love you if you're a local business, but you need a thousand raving fans.

Bob Taylor:

When your name's on the door, you care a little more. You're not gonna talk to the president and CEO of the big box store when you go in. In our member stores, likely you can and will. You just gotta raise a bar.

Stefanie Couch:

Always go the second mile because you create raving fans. And when you do stuff like that, it's hard to go back to someone else. The future of independent business has been tested a lot.

Bob Taylor:

The landscape continues to change, and we're gonna see more change. But that's just that's part of it.

Stefanie Couch:

Yeah.

Bob Taylor:

I still think there's a great future for independence out there. It absolutely is.

Stefanie Couch:

That's why I name my company Grit Blueprint, is because what it takes to be successful in this industry, it always starts with a grit.

Bob Taylor:

I think you're making some really good connections with folks, and um I like the energy about it and appreciate the grit.

Stefanie Couch:

Welcome to the Grit Blueprint Podcast, the playbook for building unmistakable brands that grow, lead, and last in the built world. I'm Stephanie Couch, the founder of Grit Blueprint, and I'm a lifelong building industry insider. I was raised here, built my career here, and now my team and I help others win here. The truth is, you can be the best option in your space and still lose to someone else who simply shows up better and more consistently. Each week on the Grit Blueprint, I'm going to show you how to stand out, earn trust, and turn your brand into a competitive advantage that lasts. If you're ready to be seen, known, chosen, and become unmistakable, you're in the right place. Let's get started. Welcome to the Grit Blueprint Podcast. I am your host, Stephanie Couch, and I'm here today with a very special guest on the market floor. Bob, welcome to the show.

Bob Taylor:

Thanks, Stephanie. Happy to be here.

Stefanie Couch:

And we actually had the pleasure of meeting last night at dinner. So we're fast friends.

Bob Taylor:

Yeah.

Stefanie Couch:

But you have been around Do It Best for a while, and you are the president emeritus. You were the CEO formally, and you are also the chairman of your family's 21 store chain in Virginia.

Bob Taylor:

Yeah.

Stefanie Couch:

So I want you to tell me a little bit about you and your family and how'd you get here? Because it's been a cool journey. You told me last night. I was like, wow.

Bob Taylor:

We're sitting here today with kind of really the first big combination market between good best and true value. And I look back on my history and it's it's kind of surreal to look around and see is this really all come together this way. And you know, because I I grew up in the family business, um, uh worked elsewhere, but then kind of came back to the business, worked, had other jobs during college and all. But you know, when you have a chance to work with your uh your parents and in growing a family business, and and ours will be two more years will be a hundred, you know, and your dad and so is 102? 102. Now he wasn't there for all those hundred years, but you know, pretty close. But uh he grew up in the small town of Virginia Beach back then, which is now grown to be the largest city in the state. And you know, we grew up in the hardware business, and then my my dad, when he came into the business, you know, you're always looking to kind of raise the bar of what you're doing. He said, you know, this co-op model looks really interesting. It looks like an opportunity to really help independence. And that really the leading one at the time, you know, he saw was True Value out there. And so he joined True Value back in 1965. And they were such a big part of our growth as a family company from in the 60s and the 70s and into the early 80s, and um just uh made a heck of a difference for our company. And we found ourselves, however, you know, late 80s, starting to look and said, you know, are there some different options out there? The performance, to be honest, at True Value had had slipped a bit, and we were looking for somebody who really might partner with us a little bit better in our business. And so we found HWI then, do it best today, and said, Boy, this just really looks like something different, looks like a good fit for us. And so we made the change which co-ops went from true value to do it best in 1990, and it uh kind of re-energized our business, helped us continue to grow and expand and add locations. And I had the chance to serve on the Do It Best board as a member uh for about six years, including a couple years as their chairman. And during my time as chairman, the CEO at the time uh was a gentleman by the name of Mike McClellan. He'd been with the company about um almost 25 years, including about nine or ten as as CEO, and done a great job in helping the company grow. But he was looking to kind of retire. And and so we as a board started the search process. And we were looking nationally, we had the the board of directors involved in that, and unbeknownst to me, Mike talked to a number of the board members and said, I really like you to consider Bob for the position. And you know, it was an interesting time, and I was fortunate in the family business to have two younger brothers, both very capable, very engaged in the business, who could step up and and do some things in my absence. And so, long story short, I ended up taking, you know, 25 years on the retail side and move it over to the co-op and distribution side, and then spent, you know, 16 years at do it best, you know, 15 as uh CEO. Moved to Fort Wayne, moved to Fort Wayne, which was uh, you know, my my son Roby was about 11 or 12 at the time, and and um he had just gotten a new surfboard for Christmas. So we tell him we're moving him to Indiana, he goes, Dad, we're moving up with a bunch of farmers.

Stefanie Couch:

Can't surf in a cornfield.

Bob Taylor:

But they made such great friends in in Fort Wayne that they still connect with today. And um but uh and then so when I retired, I it's hard to believe it's it's 10 years ago. Time just just flies, but uh it'll be 10 years in in January and moved back home and now I serve as as uh chair of our family company, and my brothers are still doing a great job running the business, and we've got five members of the fourth generation involved in the business too.

Stefanie Couch:

Well, and I just spoke with your amazing daughter, Meg. She's incredible. And she's in the business, and and you have fourth generation, is that correct? Yeah, and she's got two daughters, so I said we got to get those girls in there for the fifth generation.

Bob Taylor:

So both hers who are still very young, uh, two and three and a half, they all they both have their first market badges already. So they've been up to the market and been here and that's awesome.

Stefanie Couch:

I loved hardware shows when I was a little girl. It was literally the thing I looked forward to my entire year. We had we had two or three we'd go to. It was our only vacations, you know. My dad couldn't get off work, but obviously this was a work thing. Yeah. And I've seen so many amazing families walk by today. Uh, there's so much going on on the floor. With the true value acquisition, the United Hardware Acquisition, there's been a lot of action happening the last year or so here at Do It Best Group. What excites you the most about the future and the changes that you see happening right now?

Bob Taylor:

It was um a really unique opportunity for Do It Best. And uh I think there there are a lot of things that came into play with them being able to execute on that. You know, having a strong financial foundation that that you can springboard from so you you don't have that as a hindrance. But also you're dependent so much on the team to execute that. And I think we've really enjoyed for a number of years having a a strong and a deep talent level at do it best, and that deep talent level helped them really spread that force out, manage through a very difficult combination uh and executed on it in a way that you know you just say, gosh, it was we're we're barely, you know, seven, eight months into this thing. And already the performance at True Value has gone back to what people are really happy with now. Yeah. And we've restored confidence in the their retailers, we've restored confidence in the vendor community and really supported that independent network of businesses across the country that depend on that kind of support and relationship. So it's so now to come into this is really you know, we had the groups together for the spring market, but to come in here now in in India at the October market and see it taking up every square inch of off of floor space here.

Stefanie Couch:

We're out of room.

Bob Taylor:

And you know, obviously there are vendors who um um took a haircut. Yeah. And um maybe not feeling so good about that. I understand that. But I hope they're encouraged and and um by seeing the activity here at the market and the response of the members and seeing good things about the opportunities ahead. So I think that's exciting, and and the member comment and the vendor comment that I've had uh has been outstanding.

Stefanie Couch:

Absolutely, me too. I've talked to a lot of true value members, they're excited about what's to come, excited about the leverage that they've got. Yeah, and then they want to see what's next for them because before they didn't have options, but now they do. One question I want to ask you is what did your dad say about this true value acquisition? And and I feel like this is such a cool story because I didn't realize that your store was true value, and your dad in the 60s had chosen that. Yeah, and then you ended up moving to do it best, you were the obviously the CEO for a long time. Such a really circle moment to come back. What did dad say about that?

Bob Taylor:

You know, it was more about the memories than than anything else. And looking back, you know, the everybody jokes if you've been with True Value for a long time, you'd go back to when their markets used to be right at their offices on Clivern Avenue in Chicago. And we'd have these metal rolling carts that we'd push around the market, and there were peanut shells on the floor every everywhere. I don't know how people with peanut allergies work the market, but you know, it's uh it would never be okay.

Stefanie Couch:

No, you wouldn't do that today.

Bob Taylor:

You just say no, that's not happening. But but uh and peanut shells on the floor, apple juice, it was just all these things that were just and and so when I was later at do it best, and we would have prospects come over and come to a market here to kind of kick the tires at at do it best from true value. And I would hear them say, you know, do it best kind of feels like true value did when they were on Clivern Avenue. And I said, Well, I know exactly what you mean because it did have a a culture about it that was that was special. And I think, you know, I hope that we've continued to build one here at Do It Best for that that does set us apart. And and so I think you know, I go back to when um we were considering talking about my dad, considering the the switch to do it best, and we we we had just been loyal true value members. We we weren't really looking that hard. And we had talked about it and hemmed and hot a bit, and we got a one-page sheet in the mail in August after Do It Best wrapped up its fiscal year. And my office and my dad's office were in two separate locations. And I got that and opened it up, and I said, you know, gosh, I mean, looking at the cost of low cost of operations, the high year-end rebate, the return on investment, the high fill rates. This is just we gotta take, I gotta talk to dad about this again. And I swear to you, 15 minutes later, my phone rings. It's my dad. He says, Bob, I got this thing in the mail today from do it best from HWI do it best. I said, Well, I think we need to take a closer look. I said, Yep, we're on the same page. Wow. Um, so when he sees this, you know, I I think he um it it's the memories of what we went through together, you know, and and working with your parent, I mean, you know, yeah, is uh is a pretty special opportunity. It is, and so you reminisce on some of those things that you went through.

Stefanie Couch:

Absolutely. My dad and I talk a lot about uh him working with with my granddad, and um my granddad lived to be 101, and we'd we'd all sit around and laugh about things. And my granddad liked to laugh about things that he did to my dad, like with a lumber truck making him do horrible things that were just, you know, and he'd just laugh when he was 100 about it. Like that was a great memory. And my dad's like, yeah, it still burns as much as it did 40 years ago when you sent me out on that load.

Bob Taylor:

But it's I had to under unload those hundred-pound bags or whatever it was all by myself with no.

Stefanie Couch:

What what's it to throw a hundred squares of roofing by hand in the July heat in Georgia?

Bob Taylor:

We can handle that. Yeah, yeah.

Stefanie Couch:

It did make him tough though. Yeah. And uh, and my dad made me tough. And I think that that's one of the things about our industry is we have a lot of grit. That's why I named my company Grit Blueprint, is because what it takes to be successful in this industry, it always usually starts with a grit.

Bob Taylor:

Yeah.

Stefanie Couch:

And I think that's an endearing thing about our industry. This episode of the Grit Blueprint Podcast was sponsored by Do It Best Group. Do It Best Group is the largest co-op in the world, and they help independent hardware and lumber yards all over North America win. Do It Best offers services, products, and people that can help you win long term. They are the champion of independence. The future of independent business has been tested a lot. I mean, there's a lot of big giants out there that are competing for the pro contractor business. They're competing for the consumer business. And I believe partnerships are the way to win in life. Co-ops are a great opportunity for that partnership. What do you think the future of independent business looks like? And what do you see that people are doing that are innovating to win at a major level? What are you doing at your stores to win?

Bob Taylor:

I still think there's a great future for independence out there. Absolutely is. If you're not gonna share financials, you're not in the group. Yeah. You know, you gotta be able to use the tools that we have to benchmark against one another to really grow and expand.

Stefanie Couch:

That's a great point. I do love how open people are to sharing because they know, hey, you're not my enemy. We're not even most of the time, we're not even competitors because you're not even in the same market. But I've even seen competitors share information because they believe there's enough market share and they want to kind of bind together to go up against the bigger dogs. And I think it's one of the greatest things in our industry is how much people help each other. It really is that spirit of community with independent businesses. And I see that a lot when I'm here. I'm always invigorated by these events. I think it's seeing the the young, hungry people coming into our industry as well. You know, like your daughter, we have a family history, so we do have a tie here, but we both went out and did something different.

Bob Taylor:

Yeah.

Stefanie Couch:

And now we've come back and we're doing, I'm doing my own thing. She's working in the family business. It's really fun to use that leverage we had from what we came from to build what we want it to be in the future.

Bob Taylor:

Yeah. Yeah. And she's, you know, um, she's not on Capitol Hill anymore, you know, carrying two cell phones and on call 24-7. But when you're in a family business, you're gonna be wearing a lot of hats. Yeah. And it's not, you know, may not be 24-7, but it's pretty close to it. And, you know, I think the folks that do it best, you know, have a work to have an appreciation of that, that you know, their time is very valuable. And so when you're connecting with those members, keep that in mind because the same guy who is the CEO, he's also the truck driver sometimes and the janitor other times, and he's got a lot of stuff to do.

Stefanie Couch:

There's a lot of days my dad ended his day in a lumber truck. Yeah, you know, if that driver calls in, that load's gonna go. Yeah. I also think though, that spirit is what makes them so successful because that person, that builder or that homeowner that came in that needed that help, they realize that that person will go the extra mile. You know, Chick-fil-A is a company from I'm from the Georgia area. So go the second mile. Yeah, always go the second mile and give a customer experience that people will want to replicate again and again in their lives because you create raving fans. And when you do stuff like that, it's hard to go back to someone else.

Bob Taylor:

You know, Chick-fil-A is a a great example of folks who really work to um connect with our customer. And one of their, I love um one of their onboarding videos that they have about if you've seen it, it's called Every Person Has a Story. And you're putting yourself in the um in the customer's place.

Stefanie Couch:

Yeah.

Bob Taylor:

And, you know, I can't have a bad day because I don't know how bad their day is.

Stefanie Couch:

That's so true.

Bob Taylor:

And so um, they've got an issue, may not have hit you at a good time, but we got we gotta take care of that. Yeah, we gotta make what make the steps necessary to make that happen.

Stefanie Couch:

Talking about branding and culture being strong, I've been going to Chick-fil-A my whole life, and I can't imagine what would happen if I pulled into the drive-thru, Bob, and someone said, You're welcome.

Bob Taylor:

You're about to freak out. Yeah, I would be like, What'd you just say?

Stefanie Couch:

Yeah, yeah, um, because it's my pleasure is all there. And so it's just the little things that end up being the big things. And I think that is what resonates deeply with me is that we gotta keep hitting all the base hits, and we gotta keep remembering that we gotta change and and and have new things happening. But these little things are really what adds up to winning.

Bob Taylor:

Yeah, and you know, we were talking about it last night and and talking about uh the technology element and all of that. And and you know, I made the comment about you know, it yeah it helps it you know, smaller retailers play big, but it also helps big ones play small. And so you you have to understand that. And a lot of times you hear folks talk about service. Well, if you don't really understand what that means, um, because there's there's a higher expectation on independence.

Stefanie Couch:

I agree.

Bob Taylor:

You know, if if you go in a big box and you're able to park within half a mile of the front door and you don't get hit by somebody going in and the forklift doesn't run over you in the aisle and you found what you needed in 35, 40 minutes, and it's a good day. You know, it's a good day. I went to tell everybody. If you come in my store and heaven forbid you gotta wait behind more than two or three people at the checkout, yeah, and you didn't park right up front and somebody didn't greet you at the door and take you to where you wanted, it you know you you just gotta raise a bar.

Stefanie Couch:

I agree. There's a book I love. It's called Unreasonable Hospitality, such a good book.

Bob Taylor:

I'm listening to it right now.

Stefanie Couch:

Oh, we did not plan this.

Bob Taylor:

No, I'm listening to it right now.

Stefanie Couch:

It's probably one of the best books I've ever read.

Bob Taylor:

It's awesome.

Stefanie Couch:

I don't want to spoil it, but one thing that I will tell you that uh Will, the author of that book, he had he had a great restaurant. It became the number one restaurant in the world. And that's on the back cover, so I didn't spoil the story for you. But what if I'm a little ways in, you're okay. Okay, one of the things that I he says that I really love is you can go to another restaurant and you can have the best meal in the world. Don't pay attention to what they're doing right. Don't pay attention to how amazing the steak is or how beautifully the appetizers are displayed, or maybe the china that they're serving on. Pay attention to the little things that they don't do well. Pay attention to where people are actually falling short that you could shine. And I believe that independents who niche and choose to have that amazing service plus a niche that they choose to really do well in. He chose coffee service and craft beer because he went to a few of the other restaurants with his team in the area and everything was exquisite. And so they sat down and they said, Oh, these things were amazing. And then he flipped the script and said, What wasn't amazing? It wasn't terrible. Yeah, it just wasn't amazing.

Bob Taylor:

Yeah.

Stefanie Couch:

And how do we surprise and delight our customers? And if you could go out and do something for one person, one kid, one wife or spouse on an anniversary or whatever it is, surprise and delight people. I think we lose that whimsy. We need to bring some of that back.

Bob Taylor:

How do you touch people? You know, and um when we were in Fort Wayne, uh we had a um a cat that showed up at our doorstep in Virginia Beach when Meg was one. I think, and and maybe she was talking, so but all she could say was bright eyes. So that became the name of the cat. So the cat followed us to Fort Wayne. Well, the cat comes to the end of cat life. And um so we have to take her to the vet and have her put down, and and Meg's with us, and and she's in tears and everything. But the cat was so good that um just um best bedside met her and everything. So we get through the trauma, bury the cat, all that. About um three or four weeks later, we get a um card from Purdue University, and he has made a donation in the name of Bright Eyes to the animal health department at Purdue. Wow. Do you think I'm going to another vet? No. Never. And so how do you find ways to to really connect with people uh at a personal level?

Stefanie Couch:

I agree. And you don't have to do it, everything is not scalable. That's something that I think is really important in business that you get wrapped up in it, oh, I gotta get bigger and I gotta do this. Sometimes the things that mean the most to people, you could only do for 10 people or you could only do for one person, but that might make such a difference and create raving fans. You don't need 10 million people that love you if you're a local business, but you need a thousand raving fans. You need those people to then teach their kids to come to. I heard about your Santa event that you do at your store. I did ask if you were Santa, I was told that no.

Bob Taylor:

No.

Stefanie Couch:

But I think it's amazing not yet, not yet.

Bob Taylor:

Not yet.

Stefanie Couch:

That Meg had that experience as a child, and now her girls are gonna have it. And you have customers, I'm sure, for generations that can say they've been coming to these events at your store. Those are things that they aren't really scalable. You can't do that worldwide.

Bob Taylor:

So, and you know, and and you think about those family kind of event things, and um I think we have some folks who do some amazing stuff on those. You know, what was kind of neat this year on uh just the you know, fresh-cut Christmas trees that we sell. They do a best of for Tidewater, and and so you've got Virginia Beach and Norfolk and Chesapeake, and then and and in all those cities, they had a category that was best place to buy a Christmas tree. We got best place to buy a Christmas tree.

Stefanie Couch:

That's cool.

Bob Taylor:

So, you know, there are a lot of stories behind each one of those Christmas tree purchases when they show up at a lot with the kids in tow.

Stefanie Couch:

Absolutely.

Bob Taylor:

So, you know, if we're getting that already, what can we do to make it even better?

Stefanie Couch:

Hot cocoa with marshmallows?

Bob Taylor:

Absolutely.

Stefanie Couch:

I have ideas, Bob. I have ideas. You know, but I think that is the thing, is a lot of times it is something that costs almost nothing. I mean, a cup of hot cocoa with some marshmallows might be 75 cents or something. I don't know. I'm not a mathematician. I just do things that I think people like, and then I let my husband figure out the PL. But at the end of the day, there's a lot you can do for a very little amount, and sometimes it's just something you say or a phone call. So I think that's what I want the heart of independence to continue to grow, and I think that's how they do it.

Bob Taylor:

We had a at a member a while back at who right on the front of the store when your name's on the door, you care a little more. So true. And it's um, I mean, you're you're not gonna talk to the president CEO of the big box store when you go in. No. At our member stores, likely you can.

Stefanie Couch:

That's right.

Bob Taylor:

And will.

Stefanie Couch:

They may be the one checking you out or loading your mulch in your truck.

Bob Taylor:

Yeah. Yeah.

Stefanie Couch:

I love that. Well, I'm really excited that we got to sit down. I'm so glad we met last night at dinner, and you've got an amazing family business. You've had a great history here, and I know a lot more to come. We got to get you in that Santa suit.

Bob Taylor:

Yeah, there you go.

Stefanie Couch:

I mean, that's I feel like that's something you probably need to check off your mind. You know what? I actually, Bob, now that you mention it, I think I might have a pink hat. Ben, can you make this happen? I want to make this man's dream come true here.

Bob Taylor:

I had a couple people dare me to do that. Dare you to do it.

Stefanie Couch:

So well, I am here to make things happen. I'm here to give unreasonable hospitality, Bob.

Bob Taylor:

That's right. Perfect.

Stefanie Couch:

That is that is what I'm here to do. So we're gonna we're gonna make this happen.

Bob Taylor:

Uh-oh, here we go.

Stefanie Couch:

I think this is your color, and you're wearing blue.

Bob Taylor:

This might be a photo op here. I love it.

Stefanie Couch:

Well, he has a camera and we are filming. I love this. All right, let's uh let's do a photo. You look great. It's like it was meant to be. I think so. I think you should wear that to 80s night.

Bob Taylor:

Good guys wear pink hats.

Stefanie Couch:

I think so. I love it.

Bob Taylor:

Good.

Stefanie Couch:

Well, thank you for joining me on the grit blueprint.

Bob Taylor:

This was fun. This was fun. Um enjoy catching up. And you know, you've only been with do it best now a short time, but uh, think you're making some really good connections with folks. And um, I like the energy about it. And I appreciate the grit.

Stefanie Couch:

Well, thank you so much, and thank you for joining me on the grit blueprint podcast. Yeah, and let's go celebrate the 80th anniversary of do it best tonight. Party time. Party time. Let's go. We'll see you on the next episode. Thank you for listening to the Grit Blueprint podcast. If this episode helped you think a little differently about how to show up, share it with someone in your building world who needs it. If you're ready to turn visibility into growth, then head to gritblueprint.com to learn more and book a call to talk to us about your growth strategy. Until next time, stay unmistakable.

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Stefanie Couch

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