Sometimes entrepreneurship starts with an idea. Other times, life gives you no choice but to find a new path.
In this episode of Around the Diamond Powered by American Diamond Logistics, Kevin, Steve, and Elise sit down with Bill Daubmann, founder of My Shower Door, for a conversation about family, adversity, entrepreneurship, leadership, and building a business with a purpose bigger than yourself.
Bill Daubmann's entrepreneurial journey began after his 11-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer. With treatment requiring frequent travel and medical expenses piling up, Bill made the decision to step away from his career and hockey officiating so he could be there for his family. What started as a home-based closet organization business eventually led Bill into shower doors—and an opportunity that would change the trajectory of his family's life.
After relocating from Massachusetts to Florida, Bill and his family doubled down on the shower door business. Today, My Shower Door has nearly 200 employees, multiple locations across Florida and the Carolinas, its own manufacturing operation, and plans for national franchise expansion.
Bill shares what he's learned going from a true mom-and-pop operation where he did everything himself to leading an organization with hundreds of employees. The conversation dives into the difficult stages of scaling, why profits can actually fall during periods of growth, the importance of middle management, and one of the biggest lessons Bill learned as a leader: people are your most valuable asset.
The episode also explores the Daubmann family's commitment to philanthropy. What began with Make-A-Wish after Bill's son's battle with cancer expanded into supporting veterans and organizations connected to wounded and amputee athletes.
From family and cancer to hockey, entrepreneurship, leadership, company culture, philanthropy, and national expansion, Bill Daubmann's story is a powerful reminder that sometimes the hardest moments in life can completely redefine where you're headed.
Around the Diamond Powered by American Diamond Logistics explores the intersection of sports, business, leadership, entrepreneurship, and the people behind the success stories.
Chapters
00:00 – Welcome to Around the Diamond
00:33 – Meet My Shower Door Founder Bill Daubmann
01:38 – Meeting Bill Through Baseball & Philanthropy
02:49 – How His Son's Cancer Diagnosis Changed Everything
03:44 – From Baseball to Professional Hockey Officiating
05:33 – Taking a Slap Shot to the Head
06:59 – The Decision to Leave Hockey and Become an Entrepreneur
07:42 – Why Cancer Changed the Daubmann Family's Future
09:02 – Building His First Business From Home
09:47 – Entrepreneurship, Medical Bills & Doing Whatever It Takes
10:25 – Moving to Florida and Starting Over
11:08 – Growing to Nearly 200 Employees
11:35 – Taking My Shower Door Nationwide
13:13 – How Bill Found the Shower Door Business
14:34 – Inside the Custom Frameless Shower Door Business
15:51 – Why Tempered Shower Glass Shatters Into Tiny Pieces
17:09 – Developing Safer Shower Glass Technology
18:09 – Innovation & What's Next for My Shower Door
19:20 – The Hardest Stages of Scaling a Company
20:21 – From Mom-and-Pop to a Real Organization
21:42 – Why Management Becomes Critical as You Grow
22:01 – Building—and Fixing—Company Culture
22:48 – Why People Are Your Most Valuable Asset
22:56 – When Leaders Have to Look in the Mirror
24:49 – Constantly Evaluating Your People & Processes
25:57 – Building a Business Around Family
27:07 – Why Entrepreneurs Have to Learn to Disconnect
28:28 – How Travel Can Make You a Better Business Owner
29:26 – Bill's Son, Cancer Survival & Giving Back
30:06 – What's Next for Bill Daubmann and My Shower Door
31:01 – Closing Thoughts
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