Anchored Tiny Homes CEO and Andy Elliott On Pain and Growth

Colton Paulhus, CEO of Anchored Tiny Homes, joined Andy Elliott on his “1%er Podcast,” where the pair discussed their journeys and respective transformations.

Paulhus shared his current goals — including an aim to shed 150 pounds — and emphasized his holistic journey toward personal growth. The motivation for such drastic changes is fueled by his past; Paulhus faced many traumas, including childhood sexual abuse and excessive drinking habits, which eventually led to his expulsion from college. However, it wasn’t until a DUI landed him in jail that Paulhus hit rock bottom and had the epiphany that he needed to change.

“In jail, the Lord met me,” Paulhus said. “I was in jail. I looked around and I saw all these people that were happy to be in jail and I'm like, ‘How did this happen?’ I wanted to make it to the

NFL, I wanted to change my life and I actually started crying in jail … That was the moment my life changed; that was eight years ago now and that was the moment I just said I'm not drinking anymore, I'm not partying anymore, and I'm done with this life.”

With a newfound motivation and outlook, Paulhus got to work. He launched multiple businesses, experiencing numerous failures that ultimately fueled his growth. After several entrepreneurial attempts, Paulhus came up with Anchored Tiny Homes, a tiny home franchise concept that focuses on building accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The brand has emerged as a national franchise, achieving over $200 million in sales since its inception in 2019.

Elliott, who also faced hardships while growing up, including poverty, was able to relate to Paulhus’ mentality of overcoming adversity and continually learning from mistakes. Both agreed that there had to be a reason for the challenges they overcame, and they both put it down to spirituality.

“How did God let you learn just enough but still keep you in the game?” Elliott asked.

“There has to be a reason for that, so I want to honor that,” Paulhus replied.

The pair discussed the importance of staying motivated and always chasing after the next goal, both in entrepreneurship and in personal growth.

“I try to find holes in my own game every day and fix it,” Elliott said.

And through constant reflection and determination to improve, both have found success while staying hungry for more. Elliott and Paulhus were committed to escaping their past situations and circumstances in pursuit of something better. But without the hardships and so many people betting against them, their success would not have been as rewarding as it is now.

“I'm grateful. I honestly think if I didn't have so many people bet against me that I'd be where I'm at,” Elliott said.