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In a world obsessed with digital marketing, cold emails, and automation, Kevin Wiley has built a multi-million dollar consulting business the old-fashioned way: by showing up in person, shaking hands, and delivering donuts.
As the founder of Demolition Group of America, Kevin is a true relationship broker. He connects contractors, vendors, and clients across the country, leveraging 35 years of industry experience and a network built one face-to-face meeting at a time. His legendary “donut strategy,” passed down from his father, the original “donut man”, has opened doors to deals worth millions, from Chicago to Baltimore and beyond.
In this episode of Marketing Without Rules, Kevin shares the practical tactics and timeless values that have made him a powerhouse in the demolition and construction world. Whether you’re in demolition, junk removal, plumbing, or any service business, Kevin’s approach to networking, follow-up, and collaboration offers a blueprint for building relationships that last and that pay.
This show is sponsored by Blue Crocus Solutions, a web design and SEO agency focused on helping home service companies grow.
• Face-to-face beats digital every time: Showing up in person with a thoughtful gift opens doors that emails and calls never will
• Consistency is king: Monthly emails, regular check-ins, and memorable swag keep you top-of-mind with decision makers
• Collaboration over competition: There’s money to be made by connecting jobs outside your scope to the right partners
• Personal touches matter: Custom sports jerseys, sticky notes, and handwritten cards create lasting impressions
• Old-school values win: Honesty, transparency, and a handshake still go further than any digital hack
Kevin’s father, known as “the donut man,” never made appointments. He simply showed up at client offices with a box of donuts, building relationships that led to decades of business.
“He never, ever, ever made an appointment. He just delivered donuts to all of his clients. And they loved him because that’s all he did, and that’s how he built his relationships.”
Kevin and his brothers have carried on the tradition, walking into offices unannounced with premium donuts from the best local bakeries. The result? Instant rapport, introductions to decision makers, and deals that would never have happened otherwise.
“I never make an appointment. I’ve never made an appointment. I go straight out, I go into their offices with donuts. Next thing I know is I’m meeting the top officers of the company and we’re sitting down and doing deals just over donuts.”
The lesson is simple: people still crave real human connection. In an age of endless digital noise, a personal visit and a thoughtful gift stand out more than ever.
“Just little things like that is what people need to go back to do today.” – Kevin Wiley
When COVID hit, Kevin was working in business development for demolition companies, traveling and building relationships. The pandemic brought everything to a halt, but Kevin saw an opportunity.
“I thought outside of the box, why don’t I go ahead and open up my own company with the 35 years of relationships from the East coast to the West Coast, along with our vendors and formed teams to take care of all of our private clients, all of our general contractors, and all the whole public sector, the people that I know.”
He launched Demolition Group of America, assembling a team of top consultants and leveraging his vast network to connect clients with the best demolition companies nationwide. The business quickly expanded, now operating globally and handling everything from power plants and bridges to heavy industrial strip-outs and equipment auctions.
“We’re like a one stop shop with our company and now we have seven consultants and now we just went global, so we’re global too.”
“We take care of all the needs of all of our contractors and everybody in the private sector, and it’s a beautiful thing.” – Kevin Wiley
Kevin’s approach isn’t just about grand gestures. It’s about relentless consistency. Every month, Demolition Group of America sends out 2,000 emails to clients and prospects worldwide, reminding them of their services and keeping the company top-of-mind.
“Every month Demoing Group of America sends out 2000 emails to everybody to remind them if they have any projects for us to look at. And that goes all over the country and it goes also to Europe. So we’re constantly reminding people and getting our face out there in front of everybody.”
He also keeps detailed notes on client preferences, from favorite sports teams to restaurants, ensuring every interaction is personal and memorable.
“I keep notes on everything. I have a book, I keep notes on everybody and what they like. Also their favorite restaurants or favorite food. I keep all that, so I know.”
This systematic approach turns consistency into a process that can be scaled and delegated, ensuring that every client feels valued and remembered.
“It’s all consistency. Showing up every day.” – Kevin Wiley
Kevin goes beyond donuts. He’s built a custom sports jersey business, creating unique, co-branded jerseys for clients as thank-you gifts after major projects.
“Once we do a project with them, we’ll do a custom jersey, we’ll put their logo and our logo on there, frame it and put it in their office. So they get to see us every day.”
He also uses sticky notes with his company logo, hats, hoodies, and handwritten cards to keep his brand visible in client offices.
“Get sticky notes with your company’s logo on there, along with cookies or donuts or whatever it is that you’re gonna deliver, make sure that you get the sticky notes to all the people in the office, because every day when they write their notes, they’re gonna see you on top of their laptop, computer, whatever it might be.”
These small, thoughtful touches create daily reminders of the relationship, making it far more likely that clients will call when new projects arise.
“Little things go a long way. They turn into big things, but you gotta be consistent.” – Kevin Wiley
Kevin’s philosophy is all about collaboration, not competition. When a job comes in that’s outside his company’s scope or region, he connects the client with a trusted partner, ensuring everyone profits and relationships are strengthened.
“We’re gonna help them out, whether it be out of their region or out of their zone with one of our clients that works for us. We’re gonna see if we can connect them and collaborate together because we don’t like saying no to any of our clients or even saying no to any new work.”
He encourages smaller companies to do the same, turning potential dead ends into referral fees and new partnerships.
“There’s always someone you can collaborate with, or at the very least, you can send the job to them for a referral fee. You make some pretty much free money through a job that came in off your website or ads or whatever. And you’re happy. They’re happy. You formed an awesome relationship.”
“We want to try to build that relationship ’cause it could lead to something else.” – Kevin Wiley
Kevin is a firm believer that nothing beats in-person connection. He regularly flies across the country for dinner meetings, organizes lunch-and-learns, and hosts clients at sporting events and skyboxes.
“I get on a plane, I fly out and go meet ’em. I’ll just show up at their office. I won’t even let ’em know I’m coming. Once I get into their office, next thing I know we’re talking business and we’re doing deals.”
He calls it “belly-to-belly time”—the kind of personal interaction that builds trust, rapport, and long-term loyalty.
“There’s something that happens energetically in our bodies, whatever you want to call it, woo woo, or the electronic matching or whatever you want to call it. There’s just something that changes, you know, you can feel the vibe. There’s a vibe and you can feel it, and you know if it’s a match or if it’s not.”
“Face-to-face is the way to go. Face-to-face is, it’s so… there’s beauty in being able to connect asynchronously, but there’s nothing quite like it.” – Kevin Wiley
Kevin’s relationship-building isn’t just instinct… it’s a process. He maintains a growing list of clients, sends regular updates, and always follows up, even when he’s busy.
“We have a list and then we grow this list of all of our clients and all of our private clients, and we make sure that they’re getting our monthly letter about our company and where we’re going, make sure that they have leads for us to look at, and that we can make sure we can cover all their opportunities that they have.”
He’s transparent when he can’t take on new work, always aiming to help clients find solutions, even if it means referring them elsewhere.
“You never wanna let ’em down, give it to somebody else if need be. Always try to help out your clients and you have the best relationships and the best success.”
“It’s just following up every single week. It’s hard work, but hard work pays off.” – Kevin Wiley
Most underrated business skill: Communication and follow-up. “Nobody’s ever too busy. I make time. You make time, you make it happen.”
Biggest mistake in bidding: Going too cheap and forgetting key scope items. “You wanna make sure you’re bidding the job correctly and safely. Safety is the key too.”
Best advice from his dad: Be honest, be transparent, look people in the eye, and do what you say.
First thing to do when starting over: Make sure you have the capital and a good relationship with your banker.
Why partner with Demolition Group of America: “You’re gonna get the best service probably that you ever have in your life, and you’re gonna have integrity, honesty, and we’re not looking for the one time, we’re looking for a relationship for the next 10 to 20 years.”
Demolition Group of America is now operating globally, tackling projects in Europe, disaster relief areas, and emerging sectors like data centers and renewable energy infrastructure.
“We’re looking at Europe, we’re looking at the Gaza Strip to help with that. Ukraine is another one we’re looking at. Germany right now on, they’re having problems with all the windmills. We want to go in there and help them with all the windmills that they’re having problems with.”
Kevin is also passionate about giving back, organizing annual fundraisers for Tunnel to Towers to support veterans and first responders.
“It’s putting good people together again to help people that need to be helped. And we’re just proud to be, we’re honored to be a part of Tunnel to Towers and to help everybody out across the country.”
Safety remains a top priority, with daily safety plans, monthly meetings, and a commitment to sending every worker home safe.
“Safety is the key to everything, to your success. We want everybody to go home to their families every single day. So we stress safety every single day, every hour, every second.”
Kevin believes the next generation needs to rediscover old-school fundamentals: politeness, respect, and face-to-face networking.
“If we can get back to old school fundamentals for these kids, get ’em back into the sports, back into the going to church, back into respecting everything and get ’em off their phones, get ’em out into the public and networking and meeting people and talking to people, that’s what I do with all my kids.”
He sees plenty of room for newcomers in demolition and construction, but warns that hard work, safety, and relationship-building are non-negotiable.
“If you love what you do and you love people, this is what you wanna do. Definitely love what you do. I just say, be happy every day and love what you do.” – Kevin Wiley
Want to learn more or connect with Kevin for mentorship, collaboration, or project opportunities? Reach out to him directly on LinkedIn.
This Podcast is sponsored by Blue Crocus Solutions, a marketing agency offering website design, branding, AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services for Home Service businesses.
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