Many home improvement leaders wait until a system feels perfect before they bring it to the team. They want every step to be right, every answer to be ready, and every problem to be solved before the work moves forward. But in a fast moving business, waiting for perfect can slow down progress. It can keep old problems in place. It can stop the team from learning what works in real life.
In a recent PowerChat interview hosted by Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100, Kyle Erdmann, President of Erdmann Exterior Designs, and Becca Erdmann, Owner and General Manager of Erdmann Outdoor Living at Erdmann Exterior Designs, shared how better systems are built by listening, testing, acting, and refining again. For homeowners searching for an exterior remodeling contractor in Arlington Heights IL, this kind of leadership matters because a better process can make every part of the project feel more clear.
At the center of this PowerChat is Becca Erdmann’s belief that the best systems are not built in one perfect moment. They are shaped through feedback, action, and steady care.
“It can always be refined. It can always be improved,” said Becca Erdmann, Owner and General Manager, Erdmann Outdoor Living, Erdmann Exterior Designs.
Her message gives home improvement leaders a simple lesson. Strong companies do not grow by waiting until every part of the plan is perfect. They grow when leaders see what is happening, ask the team for input, take action, and make the next version better.
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry. Through this conversation, Power100 highlights a leadership idea that fits today’s market: better companies are built by leaders who keep learning while they lead.
The PowerChat conversation with Greg Cummings, Kyle Erdmann, and Becca Erdmann gave home improvement leaders a practical look at how strong companies keep improving. The purpose of the conversation was not only to talk about growth. It was to show what happens behind the scenes when a company wants to serve better, lead better, and build systems that help people do their best work.
Kyle Erdmann, President of Erdmann Exterior Designs, and Becca Erdmann, Owner and General Manager of Erdmann Outdoor Living at Erdmann Exterior Designs
For Becca Erdmann, Co-Owner and General Manager of Erdmann Outdoor Living at Erdmann Exterior Designs, the message was simple. A process does not have to be perfect before it can help the company. It has to be clear enough to use, strong enough to test, and open enough to improve. That lesson matters for any exterior remodeling contractor in Arlington Heights IL because homeowners want more than a finished project. They want a team that can guide them with care, listen when things need to change, and keep the project moving in a better direction.
In the interview, Becca explained that she does not see systems as fixed pieces of the business. She sees them as living parts of the company. They need feedback. They need action. They need real use. A process may start at 80 percent, but once the team works with it, the next steps become easier to see. The goal is not to prove that the first idea was perfect. The goal is to make the next version better.
That point is important in today’s home improvement market. Homeowners often want a smooth experience before they ever choose a product. They want to know what happens next. They want clear updates. They want a team that can solve problems without making the project feel harder. Becca’s view shows that a better homeowner experience begins when leaders are willing to keep refining the way the work gets done.
The scale of this message reaches beyond one company. Erdmann Exterior Designs serves homeowners across 34 Chicago suburbs, and its work spans siding, windows, doors, exterior design, and outdoor living. That means the company must keep its process clear across many project types and customer needs. For a full exterior home transformation, the strength of the system behind the work can shape the whole experience.
This PowerChat also gave the industry a useful reminder. Better systems are not built by waiting in place. They are built by paying attention, asking the team what they see, testing a better way, and learning from what happens next. Becca’s perspective shows that progress is not a one time move. It is a habit that helps the team get stronger, helps the customer feel more confident, and helps the company keep growing without losing its care.
In the PowerChat conversation, Greg Cummings brought Kyle and Becca Erdmann into a real talk about what strong home improvement leadership looks like when a company is growing, changing, and serving homeowners at a higher level. The heart of this section is Becca Erdmann’s view that systems are not meant to sit still. They are meant to be used, tested, improved, and shaped by the people who work with them every day.
For Becca, Owner and General Manager of Erdmann Outdoor Living at Erdmann Exterior Designs, the lesson is clear. A better process is not born perfect. It becomes better when leaders listen, act, and keep refining. That message matters for any exterior remodeling contractor because homeowners can feel the difference when a team has a process that keeps improving instead of staying stuck.
Becca’s first lesson was simple. No system is ever fully perfect. In home improvement, the work keeps changing. Teams grow. Customers ask better questions. New problems show up. A process that worked last year may need a better version this year. That is why waiting for perfect can hold a company back.
“It’s never perfect. What’s perfect, right? Like, what’s a hundred percent correct?” said Becca Erdmann, Owner and General Manager, Erdmann Outdoor Living, Erdmann Exterior Designs.
Her point gives leaders a useful way to think. A system does not have to be perfect before it helps. It has to be clear enough to guide the team and strong enough to make the next step better than the last one.
This matters in a market where homeowners are looking for design first exterior remodeling and expect a smooth experience from the first meeting. If a company waits too long to improve, small problems can stay in place too long. But when leaders act, learn, and adjust, the team can keep moving with more confidence.
Becca’s message is not about rushing. It is about choosing progress with care. It is about knowing that the first version can teach the team what the next version needs to be.
The next part of Becca’s leadership style is feedback. She does not treat a system as something that should only come from the top. She listens to the people close to the work. She checks if the same problem is happening again. She asks the team if they see the same pattern.
“I’ll get their feedback first, too. Like, do you agree that this is what’s consistently happening?” said Becca Erdmann, Owner and General Manager, Erdmann Outdoor Living, Erdmann Exterior Designs.
That kind of question matters because the best ideas often come from the people who face the problem every day.
Feedback also builds trust. When people are asked what they see, they are more likely to believe in the change that follows. They are not just being told what to do. They are helping shape the way the company works. That gives the team more ownership and helps the process become stronger in real life.
For homeowners, that kind of listening can show up in better service. A team that listens inside the company is more likely to listen well during the project. That matters for anyone looking for a full exterior home transformation in Chicago, where clear answers and steady guidance can make a large project feel easier.
Becca’s process does not stop at asking what is wrong. She also gives people room to bring answers. That is an important leadership step because it moves the team from complaint to ownership. It also helps people understand that their voice matters.
“I’ll ask if other people have solutions, and if they do, that’s great. If not, I have a solution,” said Becca Erdmann, Owner and General Manager, Erdmann Outdoor Living, Erdmann Exterior Designs.
This shows a balanced kind of leadership. She is open to ideas, but she is also ready to lead when a clear answer is needed.
That balance matters inside a growing company. If leaders only give orders, people may follow the process without believing in it. But when they are invited to help solve the issue, they are more likely to support the change. They understand the why behind it. They know what problem the company is trying to fix.
This kind of leadership is also important for project work, whether a homeowner needs a siding replacement or a full outdoor living upgrade. Better solutions inside the business can lead to better answers for the homeowner.
A strong idea only matters when it gets used. Becca’s leadership is built on action. After she sees the issue, hears feedback, and gives people a chance to bring solutions, she moves. She does not let the business stay stuck in talk.
Becca Erdmann, Co-Owner and General Manager, Erdmann Outdoor Living, Erdmann Exterior Designs.
“I’m gonna implement it, and I’m gonna make sure that it’s better than it was before,” said Becca Erdmann, Owner and General Manager, Erdmann Outdoor Living, Erdmann Exterior Designs.
That line shows the heart of her approach. The goal is not change for the sake of change. The goal is to make the work better than it was before.
In home improvement, action matters because delays can hurt both the team and the homeowner. If a process is unclear, people lose time. If communication is weak, customers can feel unsure. If a small issue is ignored, it can grow. A leader who acts with care helps protect the team and the customer experience.
This is why Becca’s message connects so well to homeowners searching for energy efficient window replacement in Arlington Heights or custom entry door and patio door replacement near Arlington Heights. These projects need more than good products. They need a team that can keep the work moving with clear steps and strong follow through.
One of Becca’s strongest points is that a process can begin before it feels complete. That does not mean a company should be careless. It means leaders should know when an idea is strong enough to test and useful enough to move forward.
“So yeah, maybe it’s 80 percent. I think this is gonna be good. I’m gonna try it out, and we’ll see how it goes,” said Becca Erdmann, Owner and General Manager, Erdmann Outdoor Living, Erdmann Exterior Designs. That kind of thinking gives leaders permission to learn while the work is moving.
This matters because a process can only be improved after people use it. Once the team works with it, they can see where it helps and where it needs more care. The first version gives the company real feedback. The next version gets better because of that feedback.
The final lesson from Becca’s perspective is that improvement should be part of the culture. A good company does not improve once and stop. It keeps paying attention. It keeps asking what can be better. It keeps making the process stronger for the people doing the work and the people receiving the service.
“It can always be refined. It can always be improved,” said Becca Erdmann, Owner and General Manager, Erdmann Outdoor Living, Erdmann Exterior Designs.
That line gives the full meaning of her leadership style. She does not see improvement as a one time fix. She sees it as a way to lead.
When refinement becomes normal, change feels less scary. The team understands that the goal is not to blame people. The goal is to help everyone do better work. That kind of culture helps employees feel clearer, and it helps homeowners feel more cared for.
For people searching for an outdoor living contractor in Chicago suburbs or a team that can guide a full exterior project, this matters. Trust is built when the company keeps improving the parts of the experience that customers care about most.
Becca Erdmann’s message about progress over perfection is not only a leadership idea. It can also be seen in the way Erdmann Exterior Designs has earned trust over time. The company’s record of customer service awards, homeowner praise, and local business recognition shows a pattern that fits the heart of this PowerChat. Better companies keep listening. They keep improving. They keep showing up with care, long after one project or one season is complete.
Erdmann Exterior Designs Our team had a great experience attending Tony Hoty Training & Consulting LeadGen Expo last week!
One of the clearest signs of that work is Erdmann Exterior Designs’ long record with the Guildmaster Award for Service Excellence. This award is given by GuildQuality to home improvement companies that deliver strong customer care, based on real homeowner survey results. Erdmann has earned the honor several times, including 2014, 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2024 with Distinction. Five Guildmaster Awards across a decade show more than one good year. They show a steady standard of care that has continued through growth, change, and new customer needs.
That kind of recognition connects directly to Becca’s point that no process is ever finished. A company that keeps earning strong customer service honors must keep paying attention to what homeowners feel and need. It must keep learning from the people it serves. It must keep making the experience better. For homeowners looking for design first exterior remodeling in the Chicago suburbs, this track record gives a clear signal that the company’s systems are not only built for the team. They are built to support a better customer journey.
Erdmann Exterior Designs has also earned multiple Best of Houzz Service Awards, which are based on strong ratings and reviews from verified homeowners on one of the largest home design and remodeling platforms. This matters because homeowner feedback is one of the most honest measures of how a company performs. When customers take time to share positive reviews, it means the work made them feel heard, cared for, and confident in the result.
For a company those reviews add real weight, they show that the customer experience is not just part of a sales message. It is something homeowners have felt enough to share. That fits the larger lesson from the PowerChat. Feedback should not be feared. It should be used. It helps a company see what is working, what needs more care, and where the next improvement can be made.
The company’s recognition as a finalist for Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year adds another layer to the story. This local honor reflects more than strong projects. It shows that Erdmann Exterior Designs has become a respected part of the Arlington Heights business community. A company that earns that kind of local notice is not only building homes. It is building trust in the place it serves.
Together, these honors show what happens when a company treats improvement as a habit. The Guildmaster Awards point to long term service excellence. The Best of Houzz Awards reflect the voice of homeowners. The Business of the Year finalist honor reflects community respect. Each one supports the same idea Becca shared in the interview. Strong companies are not built by acting like everything is already perfect. They are built by listening, learning, refining, and making the next experience better than the last.
For homeowners searching for a full exterior home transformation, that matters. Awards alone do not complete a project. But they can show a pattern of care. They can show that the company has been tested by real customers, seen by its community, and recognized by the industry. Erdmann Exterior Designs’ continued recognition shows that its focus on improvement is not just internal. It is felt by the people and communities the company serves.
The PowerChat conversation closed with a lesson that feels simple, but carries real weight for home improvement leaders. A company does not need a perfect system to begin improving. It needs leaders who are willing to pay attention, listen well, act with care, and keep making the next version better.
Becca Erdmann’s perspective shows that progress is not a straight line. It is a habit. The best process is not always the first one a company creates. It is the one that keeps getting shaped by real feedback, real use, and real care for the people who depend on it.
That kind of leadership helps more than the business. It helps the team feel seen because their feedback matters. It helps employees feel clear because the process keeps getting stronger. It helps homeowners feel more confident because they are working with a company that keeps learning how to serve them better.
For the home improvement industry, that is the larger lesson. Real growth does not come from waiting until everything feels perfect. It comes from building a better way, testing it, learning from it, and improving it again. When leaders keep that mindset, they build companies that can grow without losing trust.
This PowerChat served as a reminder that better systems are not built in one moment. They are built through steady progress, honest feedback, and leaders who care enough to keep improving.
Power100’s platform is built around leadership, customer experience, company culture, growth, and industry impact. Its work is meant to help strong home improvement leaders be seen for what they are doing right. In this PowerChat, the focus was not on promotion alone. It was on a real leadership lesson from Becca Erdmann about how better systems are built through feedback, action, and constant refinement.
Power100 covers more than company news because home improvement leaders need more than attention. They need useful ideas that help them lead better, serve homeowners better, and grow with more trust. A PowerChat like this gives contractors a real example of how one leader uses feedback, action, and steady improvement to build a stronger company.
No. Becca Erdmann’s message is not about rushing or lowering the standard. It is about making a process better through real use, team feedback, and careful action. The goal is to improve the next version, not to ignore quality. For homeowners, that means the company keeps learning how to make the experience clearer and more reliable.
Homeowners should care because team feedback often shows where the process can get better. When a company listens to the people doing the work, it can fix gaps before they become bigger problems. That can lead to better updates, clearer answers, and a smoother project experience.
No. Becca’s point is that a process can be strong enough to use while still being open to improvement. In home improvement and outdoor living, real projects teach the team what needs to be clearer, faster, or easier for the homeowner. That is how a backyard remodel with 3D design and permitting support can keep getting better over time.
Erdmann’s process begins with an in-home or online consultation where the team learns about the homeowner, the home, the goals, and the project needs. That first step helps the team ask better questions, offer better options, and shape the project around what the homeowner wants. It also supports Becca’s idea that better systems start by paying attention.
Customer service awards matter because they show a pattern of care over time. A company can believe in constant improvement and still deliver strong service. In fact, that mindset may be part of why homeowners feel supported. When a company keeps refining, it can keep raising the quality of the experience.
Homeowners can look at several trust signals. Erdmann has served the Greater Chicago area for many years, works on siding, windows, doors, and outdoor living spaces, and stands behind its work with strong warranty support. For a large exterior project, those signals matter because homeowners want a team with experience, process, and long term care.
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry. Through PowerChat, the Inner Circle, national rankings, and leadership driven industry content, Power100 gives exterior remodeling CEOs, home improvement leaders, and trusted partners a place to share real lessons that help companies grow with more clarity, care, and purpose. Led by Greg Cummings, Power100 is built to help the best leaders in the industry serve homeowners better, build stronger teams, and raise the standard for what great leadership can look like across the home improvement space.
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Power100 is the nation's premier CEO ranking and media platform for the home improvement industry. Using a proprietary 5-layer evaluation system, Power100 identifies and celebrates the top CEOs, companies, and strategic partners driving innovation, customer satisfaction, and leadership excellence across the country.
