In 2020, Nina Barbero at SWFL Inc. reached out to me and asked if I would be willing to share any insights that I could share with our membership with respect to conceptualizing and building a business and then continuing to grow that business.

While I am very humbled to be asked this, I thought that this could be very beneficial for both start-up and existing businesses and I could show what we have learned over the past 30 years in the glass industry with MY Shower Door and D3 Glass. So here goes…

1. Core People

The first one on my list is the core people in your organization (or potential organization). While I have been blessed with a supportive and energetic wife, we have two, very dependable sons who can now take on the day-to-day roles of management. Even if you don’t have family involved, it is important to assemble a great core team who each have separate skills and are committed or financially invested in the operation.

2. Marketing

No matter what business you are in, you must get your name out to the public. Even if you think that you have saturated the market… you haven’t. These days with Social Media and the Internet, people are constantly searching for their goods and services. Be a “trusted” source so that consumers will have confidence in purchasing from you. Build a great website and contribute as an “authority” on other blogs and group pages within your expertise.

3. New Opportunities

Always be looking for new opportunities. This could mean growing geographically or vertically by selling more products to your existing customer base or by manufacturing your product and distributing it to your own companies or, even, competitive companies.

4. Good Accounting Staff

Get a good accounting staff or outsource to a very reputable firm that can help you with financial decision-making. Watching your cash and managing your decisions in investments is a big reason how some businesses survive recessions or make acquisitions. We chose to grow organically but there are many other options for growth.

5. Build Relationships

Build relationships… this is critical. Every relationship is vital in business as every interaction with someone could lead to another great relationship. This could be with customers, the media, vendors and social groups, etc.

6. Treat Staff Like Family

As important as your customers are, your staff is as important, if not more important. Richard Branson once said, “If you look after your staff, they’ll look after your customers, it’s that simple. He also said, “Train your employees so they can leave, treat them so they don’t want to.”

7. Community Giving

Be involved in community giving, either your time or financially as consumers want to do business with genuine people who care about the community that they serve. Create a culture where people want to come to work and be part of your growth.

If you would like more insights, follow our MY Shower Door YouTube Channel. You can also follow Keith or myself on LinkedIn or MY Shower Door on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. I hope that this helps you grow, expand and retain both customers and employees.

For the sixth time in seven years, MY Shower Door has been recognized among Inc. magazine’s Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing and most successful independent businesses in the country. MY Shower Door ranks 4,878 on the 2021 list, thanks in large part to the company’s tremendous growth in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area. This is the sixth time MY Shower Door was placed on the Inc. 5000 list.

“We are dedicated to creating beautiful glass enclosures and showers that turn bathrooms into elegant spas, and we’re honored that our success continues to be recognized,” said MY Shower Door / D3 Glass co-owner Bill Daubmann.

The Inc. magazine list is a distinguished editorial award that ranks 5,000 of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the nation by overall revenue growth over a three-year period. For the 2021 Inc. 5000, winners were ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2018 to 2020. MY Shower Door’s Tampa/St. Petersburg location alone showed 60.77% revenue growth over that three-year period.

The 2021 regional rankings were announced this spring. For a second year, the Fort Myers-based K.D.D., doing business as MY Shower Door ranked No. 236 on Inc.’s 2021 Florida list. Its three-year revenue grew by 35%. MY Shower Door, Orlando, earned the No. 124 spot in its first appearance on Inc.’s Florida rankings with 97% two-year growth.

A family-run company, MY Shower Door makes and installs frameless shower doors from nine locations: North Naples, South Naples, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Sarasota, Tampa, Pinellas Park,  Orlando, and Boca Raton. The company started in 2003 as a small showroom and assembly operation in Naples, later delving into manufacturing by founding D3 Glass in 2013. The Daubmanns have grown nationally, establishing six affiliate stores in Oklahoma City and Edmond, Oklahoma; Grand Rapids, Michigan; St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, and York, Pennsylvania.

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Bill Daubmann, president of My Shower Door and D3 Glass, sat down with Max Perilstein, founder of Sole Source Consultants, to discuss the glass manufacturing industry and some exciting upcoming events, such as GlassBuild 2021.

In this interview, Mr. Daubmann talks about how he started in the industry and offers advice for entrepreneurs wanting to start their own manufacturing business. Known within the industry as a maverick, Mr. Daubmann has never played by the book but rather forged his own path. Intuition… that’s the key.

First and foremost, making the customer our #1 priority and catering to their individual needs. Secondly, ensuring that the products we manufacture and design are top quality. Lastly, by crafting a message that appeals to everyone. Mr. Daubmann believes in trusting his intuition and forging relationships are the key to success in business, whether it’s community involvement, advertising about a new career and job opportunities, or simply educating potential customers.

One of Florida’s fastest-growing companies, MY Shower Door, is proud to announce that it has officially signed the University of Michigan rising freshman football player Peter Simmons III to represent the MY Shower Door brand.

Simmons III is the son of the former mayor of Bonita Springs, Peter Eric Simmons, and a proud Bishop Verot alumnus. MY Shower Door may be the first to sign a college athlete since the NCAA announced its new rule that went into effect as of July 1, 2021, allowing college athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness.

“We are proud to partner with Peter Simmons III to promote our brand and more importantly to continue our mission of supporting youth entrepreneurism and sports. Our team at MY Shower Door is excited to follow Peter’s college football career with the Wolverines and proud to have him representing our company.” ~ Bill Daubmann, MY Shower Door Co-owner

A local hometown football star, Peter Simmons III was an Offensive Lineman for the Bishop Verot Vikings and a 2021 graduate of Bishop Verot High School located in Fort Myers, FL. After receiving numerous college offers, the 6-3, 305-pound Simmons III committed to the University of Michigan Wolverines on November 26, 2020. Now a freshman with the Wolverines, Simmons III looks forward to a stellar career in the Big 10.

“This is such an exciting time for college athletes, and I am honored to represent MY Shower Door during my college football career with the Wolverines. I think it is great that the NCAA now allows college athletes to be rewarded and compensated for our name and likeness. It is very exciting to have our hard work and dedication over the years recognized. As the fourth consecutive generation to attend the University of Michigan, and having my great grandfather being part of the team that dug the hole for the BIG HOUSE in the 1920s, this truly is a dream come true.” ~ Peter Simmons III, University of Michigan football rising freshman, Bishop Verot alumni

This may be the first time a Florida-owned company has signed a college athlete, but it’s not the first time MY Shower Door has stepped up to support local youth and entrepreneurism. The Daubmann family who owns MY Shower Door/D3 Glass has been instrumental in developing and supporting high school mentorship and internship programs in Southwest Florida. The company recently hosted the region’s inaugural Workforce Signing Day celebrating several dozen high school graduates who officially signed on to work with top companies in the area after graduating and completing internships.

South Fort Myers High School puts its spin on the hit TV Show Shark Tank! Our POWERFUL Wolfpack students from the Jobs for Florida Graduates program pitched their business ideas to real investors from Southwest Florida!

Bill Daubmann, president of MY Shower Door and D3 Glass, is one of six business owners & entrepreneurs, who will hear pitches from the students about their own business ventures and possibly invest to make their ideas a reality. Mr. Daubmann will be the Wolf Den’s “Mr. Wonderful,” sitting in the center of the other investors, as does Shark Tank’s own Mr. Wonderful, Kevin O’Leary.

“It was a great experience working with both the school district as well as the students. We invested in two of the start-ups and are planning to roll them out this fall.” ~ Bill Daubmann, President of My Shower Door & D3 Glass

The judges heard from five students of the Fort Myers school on April 29, with an opportunity to invest in any presentation. Mr. Daubmann says the intention is to make it as similar to the actual show as possible, with lawyers assisting with the legalities of such partnerships were to develop. The primary interest in the Den is to mentor students and to offer them guidance. There is plenty of enthusiasm around the production and Mr. Daubmann anticipates it being an annual occurrence.

Every student who participated in Wolf Den will remain in contact with each of the “wolves,” not just those who received an investment offer. If the judges know of another contact or business owner who would align with the idea or vision, they will help create that relationship and allow for more mentors to offer help.

Bill Daubmann, president of My Shower Door and D3 Glass, was honored to be on a panel with previous “Distinguished Entrepreneurs” Ryan Carter of Scot-Lynn and Norman Love of Norman Love Confections.

All three of us have been named as SWFL “Distinguished Entrepreneurs” by the SBDC (Small Business Development Center).

The Above Board Chamber put this event together and everyone in attendance enjoyed the stories and growth of all three local companies. Thank you to Jeanne Sweeney and Connie Ramos Williams for being the incredible moderators that you are.

In September 2003, the Daubmann family opened their first frameless shower door showroom in Southwest Florida. Since then, MY Shower Door has grown to 109 employees. MY Shower Door is the only provider of Frameless Glass Shower enclosures to manufacture, design, install, and warranty their proprietary products. With nine locations through Florida, and new store locations expected in 2021, My Shower Door is poised to be an industry leader. For the last nine consecutive years, readers of the Naples Daily News and The News-Press voted My Shower Door as “the best place to purchase shower doors.”

The “Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year” is a business owner who demonstrates “innovative and cutting edge approaches to corporate culture, employee programs, and integrated new technologies.”

Florida Small Business Development Center (FSBDC) at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) announced the winners of the 2021 Distinguished Entrepreneur of Southwest Florida Awards during a live-streamed virtual awards ceremony on Tuesday, May 4, 2021.

Bill Daubmann, 20-21 Distinguished Entrepreneur of SW Florida Award winner is the president of My Shower Door and D3 Glass. In September 2003, the Daubmann family opened their first frameless shower door showroom in Southwest Florida.

Since then, MY Shower Door has grown to 109 employees. MY Shower Door is the only provider of Frameless Glass Shower enclosures to manufacture, design, install, and warranty their proprietary products. With nine locations through Florida, and new store locations expected in 2021, My Shower Door is poised to be an industry leader. For the last nine consecutive years, readers of the Naples Daily News and The News-Press voted My Shower Door as “the best place to purchase shower doors.”

About the Florida SBDC at FGCU:

The FSBDC at FGCU offers one-on-one, confidential, no-cost consulting and low-cost workshops for businesses throughout Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. The state designates the Florida SBDC Network as Florida’s principal provider of business assistance. The FSBDC at FGCU is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide service funded in part through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida and other private and public partners, and is hosted by Florida Gulf Coast University and nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs. For more information, please visit www.fsbdcswfl.org

South Fort Myers High School, in Lee County, Fla., is putting its own spin on ABC’s hit show Shark Tank. The school’s production of “Wolf Den” is based on its mascot, the wolfpack. Bill Daubmann, president of My Shower Door and D3 Glass, is one of six business owners who will hear pitches from the students about their own business ventures and possibly invest to make their ideas a reality.

MY Shower Door Exec, Bill Daubmann, is now part of the Wolfpack

MY Shower Door is the only provider of Frameless Glass Shower enclosures to manufacture, design, install, and warranty their proprietary products. With nine locations through Florida, and new store locations expected in 2021, My Shower Door is poised to be an industry leader. For the last nine consecutive years, readers of the Naples Daily News and The News-Press voted My Shower Door as “the best place to purchase shower doors.”

Daubmann will be the Wolf Den’s “Mr. Wonderful,” sitting in the center of the other investors, as does Shark Tank’s own Mr. Wonderful, Kevin O’Leary.

The judges heard from five South Fort Myers High School students on April 29, with an opportunity to invest in any presentation. Daubmann says the intention is to make it as similar to the actual show as possible, with lawyers assisting with the legalities of such partnerships were to develop. The entire show will be posted to the Lee County School Department’s website, with a half-hour segment intended to broadcast on the local NBC affiliate station, NBC2, according to Daubmann. He says the primary interest in the Wolf Den is to mentor students and to offer them guidance. He also says there is plenty of enthusiasm around the production and anticipates it being an annual occurrence.

“It’s going to be part of the teacher’s curriculum to have it every year, and we’re going to want to grow it. Some more students want to get involved in it, now that they see how it went.”

The possibility of this class becoming a reality is due to the state grant “Jobs for Florida Graduates,” a program organized by the state-funded to pay for the teacher to have these business classes, according to Daubmann. Every student who participated in Wolf Den will remain in contact with each of the “wolves,” not just those who received an investment offer. If the judges know of another contact or business owner who would align with the idea or vision, they will help create that relationship and allow for more mentors to offer help, he said.

The MY Shower Door and D3 Glass owner recognizes that going straight to university from high school is not everyone’s path, but everyone should have a chance to reach their potential, regardless of the steps they take. This mentality has allowed him to do more than just participate in the Wolf Den production. Daubmann is spearheading an Inaugural “Workforce Signing Day.” In the world of high school and college athletics, there is a ceremony where graduating student-athletes sign a binding letter of intent, committing to continuing their career at the university of their choosing. The students are greeted by university representatives and usually are gifted with gear to represent their future school. This is the model for what Daubmann wants to do for the inaugural “Workforce Signing Day.”

The event is scheduled to be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 13, 2021, at the My Shower Door / D3 Glass headquarters in Fort Myers.

At this live and in-person event, graduating students who will be immediately entering the workforce will be celebrated alongside their future employers and will participate in a ceremonial “signing,” where both parties will be recognized and honored, according to Daubmann.

“We want to help them be entrepreneurs and be into business for themselves,” he said.

As a central figure in both events, Mr. Daubmann exemplifies how the glass industry can contribute to helping the next generation workforce.

In September 2003, the Daubmann family opened their first frameless shower door showroom in Southwest Florida. Since then, MY Shower Door has grown to 109 employees and today, maintains showrooms in Naples, Ft. Myers, Cape Coral, Sarasota, Tampa, and Orlando. Additionally, we maintain affiliate stores in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and York, Pennsylvania.

Our family has been involved in the frameless shower door industry since the mid-’80s. We’re proud to have revolutionized the design, installation, and marketing of shower door products and services with our hard work and commitment to innovation.

For the last eight consecutive years, readers of the Naples Daily News and The News-Press voted our company as “the best place to purchase shower doors.” In 2007, we built and installed the “Best Shower Door in the United States,” as awarded by “Glass Magazine,” the glass industry’s top trade publication. Discover the difference our shower door company can make in your approach to renovation and remodeling.

Distinguished Entrepreneur 2021 will be streaming live on May 4th, register to make sure you receive up-to-date information, visit the Florida SBDC at FGCU website.

MY Shower Door recently opened two brand new frameless shower door showrooms, bringing their total to NINE in the State of Florida.

MY Shower Door, Cape Coral, is conveniently located in the Tower Shopping Center on Santa Barbara Blvd near Veterans, next to Five Guys and Firehouse Subs. Also, the company expanded to the East coast of Florida with the November opening in Boca Raton.

Additionally, MY Shower Door recently moved into its new Orlando Location at 6236 Kingspointe Pkwy, Orlando in the Crownpointe Commerce Park.

MY Shower Door has won Local, Regional, and National awards for its products and service in the Glass Industry, including being listed on the prestigious “INC 5,000 Fastest-Growing Businesses in the United States” on five, separate occasions.

After starting the business in Naples, FL in September of 2003, with the original family members, the Daubmann family has grown this business to 9 showrooms and a corporate manufacturing and distribution facility with a staff of 120 associates.

Since that time they have manufactured, sold, and installed nearly 80,000 frameless shower doors and have been rated as the “Best Place to Buy a Shower Door”, by readers of the Naples News AND the News-Press for the last 17 consecutive years. They also have the most 5 Star Ratings on Google of any glass shop in Florida. They are the current “Manufacturer of the Year” in Lee County and they also have the highest ratings on Angie’s List and Home Advisor.

“We feel that both our product line and superior customer service will bring value to the residents and builders in the State of Florida,” Co-owner Doug Daubmann stated.

Doug, as well as his brother Keith and father, Bill, hold State Certified Glass and Glazing Licenses, the highest license available in Florida.

“Our ‘MY’ brand of doors are unlike any others on the market and give the consumer unparalleled quality and longevity while offering the highest safety standard available,” Bill Daubmann added.

This is why MY Shower Door is chosen for high-end homes, hotel, and spa applications. The fact that we can provide the individual homeowner the same quality frameless shower doors as 5-star hotels is a testament to both our product and service”. MY Shower Door stores are located in North Naples, South Naples. Ft Myers, Cape Coral, Sarasota, St Petersburg, Tampa, Orlando, and Boca Raton.