THE HOME SERVICE INSTITUTE - Key Persons
Chris Lalomia is a successful entrepreneur and change leader that has built on his experience working with the largest companies in America to start his own business from scratch. He brings his unique style to leadership to build a culture of professionalism to the blue collar world of home renovations. He left the corporate zoo and ventured into the entrepreneurial wild and started The Trusted Toolbox: Home Repair and Projects in 2008. YES, he started a business right before the Great Recession, so timing the market is not his strength. He survived through that time and has grown his business into a multimillion dollar handyman and remodeling company which has won numerous awards in Atlanta, GA.
Chris is originally from Jackson, MI, and he does use his hand to show where he lived. He went to college and earned his Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Mechanical Engineering. His path to business ownership was similar to most people's journey to their current position… spinning and winding… His first engineering job was at Curtiss-Wright Flight systems making airplane parts, but soon realized he needed to add some other business skills to his resume, he joined Accenture and began working with large banks to help them merge, which led him to SunTrust(now Truist) where he transformed the commercial loan operations department… That meandering path led him to make the leap into starting his own business, The Trusted Toolbox in 2008. His company is focused on processes and training to deliver home renovations and earning customers trust each day. The culture in the company is on continuous improvement and allowing the "artists" in the company to show off their talents as they are set up for success. Chris appears regularly as a guest on WSB95.5's Home FixIt Show and TrustDaleTV providing advice on home projects for consumers and answering their questions.
Chris resides in Johns Creek, GA and when not working on his business, he enjoys cooking, good wine and escaping with his wife, son and daughter to their mountain getaway.
I graduated from Appalachian State University with degrees in both Finance and Management, and entered the corporate banking world right after graduation. But like many graduates, while college was well worth the life-shaping experience, my career path since has very little to do with what my degrees imply. My favorite advice about changing paths came when I "jumped ship" from NCNB to BB&T just 2-1/2 yrs after college. The City Executive at BB&T told me "Look, I'll be straight with you… if you come to work with us, and I want you to, you're still gonna be a little fish. But I will tell you that the pond is a whole lot smaller".
I left corporate America soon after as I had a need for more creativity, detail and autonomy. I owned a Tavern and Music Hall for a few years and started to get more of what I needed, but late nights and late mornings just didn't fit my lifestyle. And since I've been in construction since I was old enough to pass my father the hammer or the screwdriver, I opened my own Tile business. My "A-ha!" moment came when I first explained to one of my customers that the trick to a good tile job is to be able to see the finished product in my mind's eye before I laid the first tile. By telling my customers this little "secret", it was like I had opened a door they could walk through and share my passion. And while the quality of my work had to always be the best, I came to realize that saying this enhanced the customer's experience and it became more to them than just new tile on the floor or wall.