Every once in a while, I sit down with someone whose story reminds me why I started this podcast in the first place. Talking with Tanner Johnson — a seventh-generation Coloradoan and the owner of Seventh Generation Roofing — was one of those moments.
From the very beginning of our conversation, it was clear that Tanner’s approach to work, money, and leadership is grounded in something deeper than business strategy. His story starts with a moment years ago when he was driving a beat-up Dodge to a job he didn’t love and heard something from God that he says he’ll never forget:
“I’ve got your work situation.”
Within an hour, that reassurance became real when a superintendent called him out of nowhere to offer him the cleaning job he had casually asked about months earlier. Days later, his wife was offered her dream PE teaching position. And right on top of that, they found out they were expecting their first child.
What hit Tanner hardest was remembering something a friend once told him after sending money to help during a difficult season:
“It’s not my money. It’s God’s. He’s just letting me use it.”
That line became an anchor for Tanner. He and his wife started tithing off the top — not whatever was left over — and he watched provision show up again and again, including during a six-month stretch with no paycheck when he first entered roofing. He told me, despite the numbers not adding up, the mortgage was paid, the bills were covered, and they never missed a meal.
“Money’s not the problem,” Tanner told me. “There’s money everywhere. You just have to be willing to go get it. If you’re faithful with it, it’s going to be taken care of.”
A Seventh-Generation Colorado Story
I asked Tanner to share more about his background, and what he told me honestly felt like a slice of Colorado history.
His family homesteaded east of Colorado Springs back in 1872 — four years before Colorado became a state. Just a few years ago, Tanner reroofed the old cowboy bunkhouse still standing on that original homestead. His family lived and breathed rodeo and ranch life. His dad competed for years and only recently had both knees replaced after a lifetime of physical wear. His grandfather, Tanner’s hero, passed away on horseback.
But Tanner eventually found a different path. When his dad stepped out of rodeo and took a job at a school in town, Tanner and his sister transferred to Colorado Springs Christian School. That’s where he fell in love with basketball.
Basketball became a major part of his identity. He played in college, tried to walk on at another school, and then lost that opportunity overnight when a new coach cut all walk-on slots on the first day of school. He described that moment as one of the ways God has taught him about identity — that tying your worth to something that can disappear is a recipe for pain.
From Banking to Roofing: Finding His Lane
After graduating in 2008, Tanner bounced around jobs: running skating rinks, landscaping, then banking. Banking didn’t fit him — and as an entrepreneur myself, I knew exactly what he meant when he said, “I’m a terrible employee unless I’m fully bought in.”
His mom was a big influence. She always had a good job, but she also always had a side hustle. She showed him what it looked like to build something outside the box.
So he started a cleaning company. But with a newborn, nights and weekends weren’t what he wanted for his family.
Through a connection in a networking group, he was introduced to the roofing industry. His interview lasted five minutes. When he told them he had no idea what he was doing, they told him, “You’ll figure it out.”
Thirteen years later, he has.
After moving through different roofing companies — residential and commercial — Tanner eventually hit a point where the spiritual heaviness of one workplace just wore him down. He would come home drained, frustrated, and tired. Finally, his wife looked at him and said, “You should just start your own.”
He saved enough to survive six months without a paycheck. That was his personal “go/no go” line. If it didn’t work by then, he’d go get a job.
That was five years ago. Seventh Generation Roofing has been growing ever since.
Hearts of Servants: What Seventh Generation Roofing Really Is
When I asked Tanner to share the identity of his company, he didn’t start with quality, or branding, or sales. He said simply:
“Hearts of servants.”
His team is small and close-knit:
- His dad, recently retired
- His cousins Tara and Kelly
- Chris (who happens to be one of my old YMCA team members from 15 years ago)
- Richard, the only one with previous roofing experience
- The roofing crew Tanner’s worked with for more than 13 years
Every single one of them arrived in Tanner’s life in ways he didn’t orchestrate. He didn’t run hiring campaigns. He didn’t poach talent. They simply showed up at the right time.
And every one of them shares the same trait: a genuine desire to take care of people.
Tanner told me something about his dad that stuck with me. Growing up, his dad would pick up trash on the way into Walmart, which embarrassed Tanner as a kid. Now, as a business owner, he sees it differently — it was simply evidence of a servant’s heart.
That same heart shows up in how Tanner runs his business. He even writes handwritten thank-you notes after each roofing job. He says if he can’t remember something personal about the homeowner — their pet, their kid, something meaningful — that’s a sign he treated the job like a transaction instead of a relationship.
My Own Story: Building a House and Learning to Let Go
As Tanner shared his story about money and God’s provision, it brought me straight back to my own experience with our house here in Colorado Springs.
Five years ago, Tara and I moved to the Springs and couldn’t find a home. We ended up building one, and I felt like it was the right thing to do. But the contractor made major mistakes — about a quarter of a million dollars’ worth. We didn’t have the money. Our attorney told us the contractor might walk away.
At the same time, our permit stalled. Every day we were burning money.
I went for a run in Palmer Park at lunch one day and prayed, “If You want this house built, You’re going to have to step in. We’ve done everything we can.”
That afternoon — the same afternoon — the permitting office called me without me reaching out. “We’re approving your permit,” they said.
Later, even after we installed a brand new metal roof, we discovered a big leak. I was frustrated — we’d done everything right. But then I remembered what I’d told my family the day we started building: this house belongs to God. If that’s true, then the problems are his too.
It doesn’t mean I stop stewarding it. But it does mean I stop pretending I control everything.
Coaching Young Entrepreneurs: Purpose Before Profit
A big part of what we do at Exceptional Companies is coaching business owners — and future business owners — through the real purpose behind entrepreneurship.
A lot of young people tell me they want to own a business because they want more money or more freedom. And every time I hear that, I start asking the seven why’s.
Why do you want more money?
Why do you want more freedom?
And why that?
And why that?
By the time we get to the seventh “why,” we usually uncover the real reason — and sometimes we realize their motivations aren’t strong enough to sustain the grind of business ownership.
Tanner sees the same thing in the trades. Some roofers hit a sales milestone and assume they should immediately start their own company, without understanding everything that comes with being the owner: the pressure, the responsibility, the weight of other people’s families depending on you.
Social media makes it worse. It only shows the highlight reels — never the mundane grind, the mistakes, or the quiet years.
Tanner’s advice is simple:
Show up, do the work, and learn the trade before you try to run the whole business.
He learned roofing by showing up on job sites, hauling trash, watching the crews, and studying on his own time. He didn’t talk about working hard — he actually worked hard.
Encouragement, Friendship, and the Verse Tanner Is Leaning On
I closed by asking Tanner what’s been encouraging him lately.
He told me he’s been spending a lot of time in Galatians 5:13:
“For you are called to freedom brothers, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for flesh, but through love serve one another.”
That verse keeps him grounded when his pride flares up in interactions with insurance companies and reminds him to choose service over self.
He also shared how meaningful it was to reconnect with his college friends — guys he hadn’t seen in 14 or 15 years. A dairy farmer, a utilities worker, a dentist. Nothing in common on paper, but all believers, all asking deeper questions, and all quick to encourage. He said it felt like no time had passed.
That hit home for me too. Surrounding yourself with people who build you up is one of the greatest advantages you can have.
Where You Can Find Tanner
Tanner will be the first to say he’s not a big marketer — but you can find Seventh Generation Roofing here:
7thgenroofing.com
Facebook (though he admits he doesn’t post often)
Almost all of his work comes through referrals and relationships he’s built over the past 13 years — which tells you everything you need to know about the way he treats people.
AND MORE TOPICS COVERED IN THE FULL INTERVIEW!!! You can check that out and subscribe to YouTube.
If you want to know more about Tanner Johnson, you may reach out to him at:
- Website: https://7thgenroofing.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/7thGenRoofing
Connect with Chris Seegers:
- Website: https://exceptionalcos.com/
- Email: Ch***@************OS.com
Other Resources:
- Books: Selling Main Street by Chris Seegers
