Why This Custom Gym Remodeler Won JobTread Specialty Contractor of the Year
When Kali Sudbrook was named Specialty Contractor of the Year at JobTread Connect, the award placed her among the top contractors in her field.
For Sudbrook, the founder of Beachside Custom Gyms, the honor marked a powerful recognition in a career that started “by mistake.” She spent more than a decade working in higher education as a fitness director and kinesiology instructor before deciding to leave the academic world behind.
“I loved it until I didn’t,” Sudbrook says. “I would be sitting in these soul-sucking meetings thinking, ‘I wonder what tile I’m going to use for our bathroom remodel?’…I was doing the work myself and it was so fun.”
Soon, she started taking on small projects for friends. At the time, Sudbrook had little experience in construction pricing or project management. “I was basically covering materials and not making a dime,” she says.
The business took a clearer direction when colleagues from her fitness network began asking for help designing home gyms. It was then that Sudbrook saw the chance to focus on a single niche combining a great business opportunity with the fitness world she loved.
How niching into custom gym remodeling changed business positioning
Beachside Custom Gyms projects range from garage gyms to fully integrated wellness rooms in luxury homes across Orange County. Sudbrook believes specialization has been the company’s defining advantage.
“In fitness, a powerlifting coach isn’t teaching Pilates,” she says. “Construction is the same. There’s so much nuance.”
The narrow focus has allowed her to clearly define her clients and projects. “It can be hard to be great at a lot of things, versus niching down and being great at one thing.”
How contractors learn to price for overhead profit and sustainability
One of the most significant changes in the business came when Sudbrook learned how to budget for overhead and profit. Early jobs were priced instinctively but today, Beachside Custom Gyms uses JobTread for its entire workflow. Every quote, update, and invoice lives in one place, so clients always know exactly where their project stands. This has reduced admin time and “dramatically” improved accuracy.
How construction software improves estimating proposals and client trust
Sudbrook uses JobTread for estimating, proposals, cost catalogs, scheduling, and client communication. She credits the software with reducing the mental strain of running a growing business.
“When I switched to JobTread, I didn’t realize how much mental energy I was spending before,” she said. “It was like closing background programs on a computer.”
JobTread has also elevated Sudbrook’s estimating process. She has standardized templates for gym layouts, materials, and equipment, allowing the company to build customized budgets quickly and confidently.
On the back end, JobTread helps her track costs, forecast workload, and scale the business responsibly. “It’s how we maintain high-touch service while taking on larger and more complex builds,” Sudbrook says.
That approach reflects the standards emphasized by the JobTread Contractor of the Year Award, which recognizes companies that raise expectations within their industry.
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