Wilhelm Fritzel
Owner of Fritzel Flooring
Age: 27
Location: Fort Collins
Tell us about yourself, your history and how you came to be where you are now.
My parents did everything they could to make sure my brothers and I had the same clothes as everyone else and were always signed up for sports. I know how difficult it was for a divorced family to escape the hardships of the town I was born in, which gave me my “why” at a young age. I knew I wanted to make something of myself and take care of my family. That propelled me from dropping out of college and starting a business at age 20 to now employing my family members.
Explain your career, achievements and professional highlights.
Fritzel Flooring is one of the highest-rated flooring companies in Fort Collins and one of the only companies that has employees do the work rather than subcontracting everything out. I worked hard to scale the business from myself and one employee to a team of more than nine people. Because of that success, we were able to open our first showroom last year and continue donating to causes that are important to us.
In what ways do you give back to the community?
I am the quarterbacks coach at Fossil Ridge High School and their No. 1 sponsor. With over $10,000 in sponsorships and donations to youth football, I have enjoyed giving my time and resources to support, mentor and employ kids in the community. Coaching is my passion: I love helping young men grow to their fullest potential and instilling in them the power to achieve anything they want in life.
What do you consider your biggest accomplishment or challenge you’ve overcome, either professionally or personally?
Going from working a minimum-wage job and dropping out of college to taking a risk and starting my own business. I am proud to be my own boss, give back to those around me and support the incredible team that makes Fritzel Flooring what it is.
Where do you see yourself in five years? In 10 years?
I see myself still coaching football and expanding my business by opening a few more showrooms in Colorado. I’d also love nothing more than to become a husband and father.
What piece(s) of advice would you give to your younger self?
Don’t be in such a rush to grow up and figure things out. Your faith will guide you there, and you won’t ever be without a paddle.
Tell us something unique about you.
My real name is Wilhelm, but professionally and in sports I mostly go by Will. Growing up, my family called me Billy, so if you knew me before I turned 21, it was Billy. Older than that, it’s Will or Wilhelm. Thanks, Dad, for the identity crisis.
Why did you decide to go into the flooring business?
I chose to pursue the flooring industry after figuring out how dreadful the corporate ladder of construction could be. I left my construction management program and fell back on what I know best: my own hands and determination to succeed. I was familiar with flooring because of my dad and uncle, and I knew that I could build a business out of it.
How has coaching football influenced the way you run your business?
By understanding that everyone is different. In every home I walk into to give an estimate, there is a family, or maybe a lack of family, from every walk of life. Football has taught me that leading comes from the front and that you should always have compassion for everyone you interact with, as you have no clue what their story is.
