Hi! My name is Devon Bullard. First off, Im a Husband, Father and Friend and second I own and operate a company here in Buford called Bullard Exteriors. I ended up moving to Buford after meeting my amazing wife Ashley in a college algebra class at UNG oakwood campus. I was living in Athens at the time but decided to pickup and move over here and haven’t looked back! Now we have 2 kids, 2 dogs, and a small business and stay crazy busy spinning those plates.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
Ashley and I have been married for almost 6 years now and we have 2 amazing little girls, Scarlett, who will be 4 in July and Adeline who is 6 months old now. We also have 2 dogs, Max and Leia who have been amazing parts of our family for the last 8 years.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
So I have the best job in the world. Not to brag, but I get the opportunity to help people solve problems they may be having on the exteriors of their homes and businesses all while getting too spend a ton of time outside. I love being outdoors, working with my hands and meeting new people! There is nothing like seeing someones face when we do a renovation project and give them the home of their dreams. Knowing we can have a positive impact on the families of our community means a lot to me.
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
Ashley and I love to go to Bare Bones, Ricos or Aqua Terra for date nights! The burritos and Tacos at Lolas are a weekly stop for lunch for me and a few of our guys. Taking the kids to Over the Top Burger for the absolutely INSANE milkshakes is a blast too. I do have to add in that as an avid coffee drinker I have thoroughly enjoyed having T’chin T’chin here in Buford! I love their coffee and the owners and staff are amazing.
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
I moved to Buford in 2014 and have been working here since about 6 months before moving here. I started my company in 2014 and serviced this area before moving here. Since moving here we have done over 2000 jobs total in Buford between Roofing, painting, pressure washing and siding jobs.
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
Wow! I’ve been very fortunate to have met a ton of incredible people here in Buford. We have such a great and thriving community here its hard to narrow it down. I have had some really insightful conversations with people like Clint Dixon our State Rep, Patrick from Tchin Tchin, Brian from this Faces Of Buford project, Emma from Best of Buford and tons of others. I love speaking to people who are trying to make a difference in where they live and work and each of these amazing people are doing that.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
Barcelona hands down. It is my favorite city in the world. Ive been a few times now and fell in love with the city the first time I went. The food, people, lifestyle and atmosphere of the city is incredible. I love walking through the streets with so much history around me and being in a place that preserves and respects it. The city is absolutely gorgeous and you can find the most incredible food on nearly any street you are on.
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
I have to admit that Im a bit of an action movie junkie… I know the plot lines may not alway be good and the acting may not be the best but whatever! As far as some of my favorites, I love the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Knives Out, The Gentleman, and The Godfather. For TV shows I like shows like Billions, Succession, The Wire, and Sharktank.
Q: What advice would you give to people?
Learn to have discipline and consistency and you will be able to have anything you want. That lesson is something that I don’t feel like I actually learned until recently. Once you have decided on where you want to go, whether in life or for a season, start taking the small steps and stay consistent with it. Nearly everyone I meet ends up giving up way short of what they actually want because they don’t have the discipline to stay consistent in their daily actions. Remember, getting really really good at all of the small, boring tasks, lays the foundation for success. Last piece of advice I’ll give here is- learn to do the things you don’t like doing at a high level. If you do the things you hate doing with a smile and do them really well, you will be able to go anywhere. I know people tell you to only do what you love but I think that comes when you’re in a position to do so. For most people if they don’t learn to do the things they dislike, they’ll never be in a position to choose to do something they do like.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
I want to see the Monaco Grand Prix. That has been on my bucket list for about 10 years now.
Q: What is your go to band when you can’t decide what to listen to?
The National. I can listen to just about anything but if I cant decide, I usually end up with The National on.
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
T’chin T’chin definitely has a nostalgic feel for me. The church I attended when I was growing up was based in a coffee shop in Macon GA that roasted their own coffee as well so the smells and feeling of the shop brings back a ton of great memories.
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
I would love to have lunch at Ricos with Joe Rogan and Grant Cardone. I’ve learned a ton from both of these individuals and having the opportunity to sit down and chat over lunch would be incredible. From Joe I’ve learned an incredible amount about communicating with others who may not have the same viewpoint as I do and how to open up and try to consider things from other points of view. I’m also extremely impressed with how many topics Joe is able to discuss in an educated manor and the way he asks questions to advance understanding rather than ego. From Grant I’ve learned an immense amount about sales and how to put overdelivering to our customers first. I also admire the fact that he promotes not only doing well in business but in all areas of life- physical, spiritual, relational, and financial. He was the first person I ever heard say that you don’t have success if you have a ton of money and no relationships with your family.
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
I think my favorite thing about Buford is that as I get to know more people here, I see how much of a community there really is. Almost everyone I’ve met here that is involved in the community is working to make things better. That is something really special to see!
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
My goal is to be really active in the community and involved with helping it grow. My kids will be in elementary/ middle school then so we will be learning how to thrive in that season. Business wise I hope that we are a household name in our area for all of the services we offer and that we have helped another 2-3 thousand people!
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I’m a bit more introverted than most people would think. I really love being out and meeting new people but I enjoy solitude just as much.
Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
Riding through southern Thailand on a motorcycle. I lived in Thailand for 2 years and as a country it has a dream of a landscape. From the most incredible beaches and Islands to gorgeous mountain ranges with tiered farms on the mountainside it is stunning. One of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen are the towers of rock that appear to just shoot up from the ground as you get close to the southern tip of mainland Thailand on the way to Phuket. I did a motorcycle trip across the whole country once and was just blown away by the beauty.
Q: Favorite month? favorite holiday? and best single day on the calendar?
My favorite month of the year is September-not only because of my birthday. September is a great time of the year here in GA as it is still warm enough to swim and do everything outdoors but some mornings begin to start out cooler and the leaves begin to change at the very end of the month. My favorite Holiday is Thanksgiving. I like thanksgiving because its a forceful reminder for all of us to take a moment and consider the things we are actually thankful for. We get so busy throughout the year with life and kids and work that it is so easy to forget to be grateful for those we love and where we are.
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
I would rate a sunny day on the golf course with friends and a cookout at the house with my family, friends, kids and dogs a 10/10.
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
My daughters. Seeing them grow and learn inspires me to be better in nearly every way. It is my responsibility to set the example for them not only as a father but as a husband, with how I treat my wife, a leader, with how I run my business, a friend, with how I support and love my friends, and a student, with how I show them that I am continually learning. I want them to see me grow, learn and develop into a better version of me.
Q: What is one or two of your favorite smells?
I love the smell of Cedar and Apple Cider. Not together but separately. There is nothing like either of these smells based on the season.
Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Joy, Love, Peace
