Oct 24, 2023
Get to Know Adam Kaliner, Power’s Co-Founder
From a two-person team to 3,000+ employees nationwide, Adam Kaliner has created one of the leading companies in the remodeling industry — and he’s learned a lot along the way
Back in 1992, Adam Kaliner co-founded Power on the notion of wanting to create a business that put people first — an idea that we still honor 31 years later as our north star.
While Power’s founding principles have remained the same, a lot has changed. The company went from a two-person team working out of an apartment, to employing over 3,000 employees across 19 offices, offering six major product lines, building its own best-in-class proprietary technology, and winning countless employer awards — and the sky’s still the limit.
We sat down with Adam to hear more about Power’s journey, and what he’s learned along the way.
FAST FACTS
Hometown: Gladwyne, PA
Secret obsession: Binge watching — always with subtitles. The best show I’ve ever binged watched was Breaking Bad, which resulted in a lot of 3am nights.
Hobby: I actually love to garden. I dabble in landscaping and pruning, too. I should probably invest in some gardening gloves at this point… I’ve had a few bad runs with poison ivy.
Bucket list: Traveling. I have a very long list to hit — Greece, Alaska, Tahiti, Australia, Japan… I need to book a trip!
Favorite book: The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. I’ve liked it enough that I’ve read it twice. Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek is another good one.
Favorite sports team: The 76ers.
EXPERT INSIGHTS
The early days were… full of sacrifice, and really scrappy. I’ve done almost every job there is to do at Power at some point in time — it’s been the best education I could’ve ever had.
The biggest misconception about our industry is… a lack of professionalism, lack of integrity, and lack of service that homeowners can count on.
The most important thing Power can offer a homeowner is… good value, and to get the job done right. Sounds simple, but it’s really hard to do in this industry.
Hindsight is… 20/20. I’ve made a million mistakes, but that’s the reality of business. You learn from each and every one. We could have grown Power much bigger and much faster knowing what we know now, but our strategically slow, controlled growth is why we’re in such a good position today.
Being a great place to work means… Power must lead with a vision and purpose that our employees’ lives are more important than any business bottom line. That’s the obligation we as leaders have to our people.
My work days now are… much different than they used to be. I’m now mainly focused on real estate-specific endeavors for the business, financial oversight, risk mitigation, charitable endeavors and local community involvement, and mentoring as much as I can.
When starting a business… you can’t fake effort. The world is your oyster, but it also takes all you have — blood, sweat, tears, and a reinvestment of everything and anything back into what you’re trying to build. If you’re going to start your own, understand your risks, have an insatiable appetite to learn and ask questions, and identify ways to measure your success early on.
The leadership philosophy I live by is… to always put people first. Whenever you go to make a decision, stop and think: “will this help my people?”
WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS
One of my the most rewarding parts of my job is… the work I do with Alex’s. It’s humbling to see how many Power people have become so incredibility passionate about the fight against childhood cancer, and helping these kids and their families.
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF)… is one of the leading funders of pediatric cancer research, and has been our charitable partner for over 12 years. When I first met Liz Scott, Alex’s mom, I just knew that the organization was the perfect fit for Power to really invest in.
“Alex’s Month” is… Power’s chance to educate our employees about the cause, and bring joy to the lives of our Alex’s ‘Heroes’ and their families. We get to rally behind this effort every September; it makes our employees and our business that much better.
Community impact… is the ultimate pinnacle of importance. The needs of these kids never stop, which means we need to show up every year and figure out how else our Power community can help.
THE PERSON BEHIND THE TITLE
My mornings start at… 7:30 a.m. with coffee and Wordle. I have my starting words down to a science…but I obviously can’t share them, because that’s cheating! Let’s just say they cover all your vowels. “Power” was once the Wordle of the day; that was a fun one to play.
Being a dad… gave me more gray hair!
From watching me find entrepreneurial success, I hope my kids take away… to not be entitled, to not be jaded, to enjoy who you’re working with, enjoy what you’re doing, and understand that the work needed to be successful takes sacrifice and discipline.
The best part of my job is… watching our people find happiness here.
I’ve been inspired by… Warren Buffett, Barack Obama, and my partners — Asher, Corey, and Tim.
The funniest person in the C-Suite is… definitely me! But I guess it depends on the context, or how you define “funny.” It’s definitely not J.D. Diskin — he might have the best jokes…even though they aren’t original. Rob Borislow is the funniest in general. Tim Wenhold is a character. I’d say I’m the wittiest.
My dream ‘Quest’ lineup at Power’s annual holiday party would include… The Grateful Dead (with Jerry Garcia reincarnated), Dave Matthews Band, U2, and Dire Straits. Can you tell I was born in the 70s?
One word to describe Power’s culture is… real.
Sounds like a leader you want to work for? Check out Power’s open positions to join our community.
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