Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawn Derrick.
Hi Shawn, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m a first-generation high-school graduate who grew up counting on church pantries and secondhand clothes. My dad has been behind bars for as long as I can remember, so my mom carried the load alone. She clocked in at Walmart year after year, then, when I was in high school, scraped together a tiny residential-cleaning business on evenings and weekends. Watching her chase extra income while keeping the lights on showed me how determination can stretch past circumstances and it planted a seed I couldn’t ignore.
Sales watered that seed. I started my career sitting at kitchen tables with a sample water-softener tank between us, listening hard, answering questions, and learning how trust is earned one honest conversation at a time. Those kitchen-table lessons carried me into solar, roofing, windows, alarms, and full remodel projects. Over decades I moved from being the closer to building and mentoring teams that together have facilitated hundreds of millions in transactions. The numbers matter less to me than the certainty they gave thousands of families and the confidence they gave reps who once doubted themselves.
That journey became the foundation of Legacy Sales Engineering. I built the company to help owners craft a brand that feels true, create offers that resonate, and install systems that let them grow teams without missing bedtime stories. We tune automation, refine messaging, and celebrate every sale that lands while the owner is off enjoying life instead of glued to their phone.
My wife Emily and I carry that same heartbeat into Lifting Legacies, the nonprofit we founded. We run entrepreneurship classes inside Florida State Prison for men who want to start businesses, and we partner with local high schools to guide students toward business ownership and skilled trades. Whether I’m shaking hands with an inmate ready to start over or coaching a teenager through a first pitch, I say the same thing: your past is a chapter, not the closing line. Pick up the pen and write something worth passing down
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I was born in Florida on May 30, 1987. Twenty nine days later my father was arrested for murder, and he has been incarcerated ever since. My mother kept the lights on by working long shifts at Walmart, and when I was in high school she launched a small residential cleaning business after hours to stretch every dollar. Money was always tight, and college was never a realistic option; once I had a diploma the family needed another paycheck right away.
School itself was shaky. I was expelled twice, clawed my way back, and ultimately became the first person in my family to graduate from high school. With no path to college, I hunted for a skill I could own. Sales found me at a kitchen table explaining a water softener system to a homeowner. I devoured every book and training I could find, convinced that mastering sales could offer income limited only by effort and ethics.
That mindset carried me through solar panels, roofing, windows, security alarms, and full home remodels. Over time I moved from solo closer to leader of teams, writing scripts, building follow up systems, and guiding salespeople who together have closed transactions in the hundreds of millions. Lean months still came, especially when early clients paid late and I covered contractor invoices with credit cards, but those stretches taught me the value of clear processes and steady cash flow.
I founded Legacy Sales Engineering to share those lessons with trades and service companies that excel with tools but feel overwhelmed by marketing and lead management. Lot Patrols and Whole Home Pro operate as living case studies owners can watch and copy, proving that the right systems turn jobs into sustainable businesses. My wife Emily and I homeschool our six children, four adopted and two biological, so everything I build has to work in the real world of field trips, dinner time, and bedtime stories. The discipline that once turned rejection into revenue now helps me balance family and work while guiding other entrepreneurs to shape legacies of their own.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Legacy Sales Engineering helps trades and home service owners turn constant hustle into predictable, well run growth. We design and deploy complete sales ecosystems that capture every inquiry, book appointments on autopilot, follow up until the job is won, and track results in real time through our white label WeekendCRM platform. Clients call us when they are tired of juggling spreadsheets, sticky notes, and late night text messages yet still want to keep the craftsmanship that makes their work unique.
The proof behind our process is twenty five years of sitting at kitchen tables and leading sales teams that have closed hundreds of millions in residential projects. Every script, funnel, and automation we install has been battle tested first in my own service companies like Lot Patrols and Whole Home Pro. When we show a contractor how missed calls become booked jobs or how drip campaigns turn one time customers into repeat clients, we point to our own dashboards and crews using the exact same playbook.
We specialize in three areas. First is brand clarity so homeowners instantly understand why your company stands out. Second is process automation that keeps leads from slipping through the cracks and stabilizes cash flow. Third is team training that turns technicians into confident ambassadors who upsell with integrity. Together these pillars raise close rates and free owners to focus on quality work and family time.
To keep momentum high after systems are in place we invite clients into the Legacy Builders Mastermind. This community offers weekly strategy calls, open Q and A sessions, and a private board where members share wins and troubleshoot challenges. It is a place where service business owners learn from each other, gain accountability, and tap into ongoing training so their growth never stalls.
What sets us apart is the way we live our core values RISE: Respect, Integrity, Service, and Excellence. Those four words guide every email we write, every call script we craft, and every conversation we have with a client. I am most proud that customers feel that difference; they tell us we treat their goals like our own.
If you run a service business and feel trapped by feast or famine schedules and paperwork that follows you home, Legacy Sales Engineering offers a proven path out. We build the engine, teach you how to drive it, plug you into a mastermind community that keeps you sharp, and stay beside you until you are running smooth enough to pay success forward.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is leaving a legacy of strong families and honest opportunity, starting with my own household and expanding to everyone my work touches. I grew up seeing how quickly life can tilt when a family lacks stability or a clear path forward. Because of that, my highest priority is building systems, both at home and in business, that let people thrive without sacrificing integrity or time with the people they love.
That focus drives every decision. I teach sales so owners can provide for their families. I homeschool and stay present with my six kids so they see firsthand what commitment looks like. I launch ventures like Lot Patrols as blueprints others can copy, and I created Lifting Legacies to help inmates and high school students rewrite their futures. Each project is a practical way to prove that backgrounds do not dictate destinies.
In short, legacy matters most because it will outlive me. If the businesses, trainings, and relationships I build equip the next person to stand a little taller, then every late night and early morning is worth it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.legacysaleseng.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thatguyshawn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thatguyshawnd
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theshawnderrick/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thesalesprocesspodcast
- Other: https://www.jointhelb.com
