Empowering Elevator Business Owners & Entrepreneurs

NAEC President Sean Madden keeps the reader laughing and engaged as he shares Tools, Tips & Tricks for Growing a Profitable Elevator Service Business.

This year’s National Association of Elevator Contractors (NAEC) President Sean Madden is a straight shooter, a man who tells the (sometimes uncomfortable and hilarious) truth — all as part of an effort to help others learn from his mistakes and share the wisdom he has gained along the way. Perhaps some of you know Madden from his more than 12 years at the helm (with his wife, Susie) of Louisville, Kentucky-based Madden Elevator Co. But running Madden Elevator is only a small part of Sean Madden’s elevator story, which he shares in full detail in his book, Empowering Elevator Business Owners & Entrepreneurs; Tools, Tips & Tricks for Growing a Profitable Elevator Service Business, available from elevatorbooks.com. Illustrated throughout with photos from Madden’s family and business life, the 120-page softcover book is an enjoyable, breezy read that can easily be completed in one day. It is divided into parts I, II, III and IV, with parts I and II providing insight into Madden’s life and career trajectory and parts III and IV focusing more on how readers can benefit from what he’s learned. He shares valuable lessons learned from mentors, authors and impactful continuing-education courses. Humorous anecdotes are interspersed throughout (accidental vandalism and hot pink fuzzy handcuffs, anyone?) that will have the reader laughing out loud. The tone is conversational. LinkedIn personality Your Elevator Pal Ed Rivera said reading Madden’s book felt like “[Madden] and I were sitting down for a dinner to talk about careers and choices.”

With a family history filled with triumph and tragedy, the first half of the book gets the reader hooked and more than willing to hang on to learn how to better understand their business goals and hone their management styles. In the introduction, Madden says the book is “geared toward leaders and managers and/or anyone in the industry who wants to make a difference in their business.” A reader based in the NYC area said one key takeaway — among many — was to embrace “proactive management of repeat calls.” In addition to the introduction, author bio, and an epilogue that delves into a future characterized by AI and the Internet of Things, the book is divided into the following parts: Part I — The Elevator Men, with sections on both the author and his father, Ron Madden, who worked on the elevator system serving the original Twin Towers in NYC (a fact Madden realized only after his father had passed away); Part II — Adjusting, which gives a detailed and entertaining look at Madden’s at-times challenging journey through the elevator world with sections titled Moving Up, The Private Equity Effect, Balls to the Wall, Prospecting and The Private Equity Effect Redux; Part III — How to Start, Grow and Scale Your Elevator Business, which emphasizes that “tools are indispensable” and talks about those tools; and Part IV — Tools, Tips & Tricks for Growing a Profitable Elevator Service Business. Part IV, from which the book gets its name, is the meat of the matter and includes two detailed sections: Section 1: Developing a Strategic Elevator Plan; and Section 2: Monitoring and Maintaining Your “Biz Pulse.” Although the holidays have passed, this book would make an excellent gift for any elevator entrepreneur or up-and-comer.