Bryan Park is the founder and CEO of Footprints Floors in Lone Tree, Colorado. Formed in 2008, Footprints Floors is a national residential hardwood floor and tile installation company with franchises in 155 locations across 34 states. He serves on the NWFA’s Contractor Steering Committee, is an NWFA Certified Installation Professional and Certified Sand & Finish Professional, and was on Hardwood Floors magazine’s 40 Under 40 list in 2018.
Park recently was featured on the NWFA Wood Talk podcast, so Hardwood Floors caught up with him to ask a few more questions.
Tell us something interesting about yourself. I went to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and served on active duty.
How did you get started in the industry? I was trying to figure out what to do with my life after the military and got into flooring because my puppies ate my carpet. True story. My wife and I had gone out to dinner one night, and when we came home, our puppies had shredded our carpet. We ended up hiring a flooring company to install hardwood floors. I watched the company put in the floors, asked them a bunch of questions, and thought, “I can do this.” I asked the company if I could come work for them. They said yes, and I started installing, sanding, and finishing, as well as doing stains and custom stairs.
Who has influenced your career the most and why? My wife, Kelli. I am kind of a “head in the clouds” person, and she keeps me grounded. Kelli is co-owner of the company and has been such an amazing soundboard all these years for any ideas or growth we’ve had; it all passes through her.
What is your favorite wood floor project that you’ve participated in? We just donated a large stage to a local church. They had a carpeted stage from the 1970s they were using. We tore it all apart and made it more than twice as big and put five-inch #2 red oak on top, and stained it ebony. Part of the fun was that I got to put in a joist system, which is not something we normally do, building out all of the boxes and wrapping it all.
What energizes you to stay in the wood flooring industry? Almost all of our new franchise owners come from corporate America and have zero flooring experience. We teach them about floors and how to be business owners, watching the spark and passion for it develop. Many of these men and women were in corporate America, traveling regularly for work. Being away from their families is their reason for leaving those jobs. I tell them there’s a different way; you can be home and available for your kids and your spouse. My new passion in life is mentoring them, and seeing their success is a joy and a privilege for me.
Do you have a morning routine that sets you up for success? I wake up early, and then I spend the first hour of my day drinking coffee and talking to my wife.
What keeps you busy outside of work? About two years ago, my wife and I started a non-profit youth theater. About 260 kids participate (including my three daughters), and we put on about 12 shows every four or five months. We have volunteers who help me build sets on the weekends and paint. It’s quite a production, and it’s very fun.
You can listen to a technical-focused discussion between Bryan Park and NWFA’s Brett Miller, as well as other hardwood flooring experts by visiting hardwoodfloorsmag.com/nwfa-wood-talk-podcast.