EP54 Sebastian Nawrot: The Immigrant Who Cracked the Stone Industry | Acadia On Air

Sebastian, a stone and countertop installer who stumbled into the trades by accident shares hard-won lessons on building a business from the ground up, from botched installs and difficult GCs to navigating partnerships, growth, and the unpredictable world of construction in Ontario. Find Sebastian: https://sebstonecountertops.com/   / sebstonecountertops     / sebstonecountertops   00:00 — Start 01:29 — Welcome & Guest Introduction 02:25 — Sebastian's Background: From England to Canada 05:10 — Building the Business: First Jobs and Partnership 08:37 — Going Independent: Stealing Clients and Starting Sebstone 12:09 — Ideal Clients and Quality vs. Price Philosophy 14:23 — Stone Materials 101: Quartz, Porcelain, Marble, and Exotics 20:27 — Countertop Failures, Cracks, and Creative Problem-Solving 24:05 — Porcelain for Bathrooms, Walls, and Feature Projects 25:27 — Marble: The Ferrari of Countertops 26:09 — Integrated Sinks and Custom Fabrication Trends 30:46 — The Installation Process and Working Downtown 35:34 — Condo Jobs: Parking, Elevators, and Logistics 39:30 — Running the Business Solo: Growth, COVID, and Time Management 41:27 — Setting Boundaries with Clients and After-Hours Culture 44:12 — Supplying Sinks and the Textured Stainless Steel Trend 47:15 — Industrial vs. Residential Kitchen Design 49:07 — Custom Homes, Two-Kitchen Design, and Podcast Studio Backdrop 51:07 — Off-Topic: F1 Racing Tangent 56:35 — Back to Business: Sebastian's Client Intake Process 58:31 — Social Media, Instagram Strategy, and Content Creation 01:02:07 — Videography, On-Site Safety, and Shop Ventilation 01:08:06 — Time Management: Waking at 3 AM and Buying Back Your Hours 01:12:43 — Working with Designers and Contractor Relationships 01:14:23 — Scheduling, Lead Times, and Measuring Remote Jobs 01:17:29 — Pen & Paper vs. Laser Templating Debate 01:21:19 — Templates, Tools, and Measuring Complex Spaces 01:27:11 — Backlit Onyx and Translucent Stone Lighting 01:31:05 — On-Site Damage, Accountability, and Handling Mistakes 01:37:19 — Breaking a High-End Slab: Insurance, GCs, and Lessons Learned 01:43:24 — Business Insurance and a Personal Onyx Shower Dream 01:44:25 — LED Lighting in Showers and Translucent Quartz Products 01:47:54 — Wrap-Up, Where to Find Sebastian, and Guest Recommendations 🎧 Please subscribe and hit the bell for more episodes! 📍 www.acadiadc.ca | Also available on Spotify If you are a designer or contractor and would like to join our podcast. Please feel free to email me below: [email protected] Follow us on social media:   / acadiadc     / acadia_dc     / acadia-drafting     / acadia_dc   Spotify - @Acadia On Air X - https://x.com/Acadiadcca Our Website: https://www.acadiadc.ca/ Email Us: [email protected] Phone: +1 (647) 478-9292