Contractor Evolution (Breakthrough Academy)

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	Pub. Date	Title	Duration
	27 Dec 2023	140. A Chief Economist's Forecast For 2024 - Pierre Cleroux	00:53:07
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP140 Today's guest on the show is Pierre Cleroux, Chief Economist of the BDC, Canada’s bank for entrepreneurs. He’s been an economist for 30 years and has led the research team at the BDC for the last 12. On top of lending to entrepreneurs for their various business needs, the BDC also conducts and publishes a vast amount of research and literature on the ever-changing landscape of small to medium-sized businesses. Today’s conversation is hyper-focused on 3 macro trends that absolutely impact your business and where they’re headed. We talk about: Where inflation is at, where it is headed, and HOW you can thrive in spite of it We discuss how climbing interest rates are affecting the monthly cash flow of both homeowners and businesses and whether or not your contracting business is headed for a slowdown Lastly, he shares with us the research their team has done on the current labor shortage, how we ended up here, and whether or not it's going to get better (I’ll give you a hint: it’s not looking great ;) Pierre was a great guest and gave us a highly insightful economic overview of the year 2023 and what's in store for you in 2024. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	13 May 2021	02. A Proven Method To Build A High Performance Culture - Nestor Tarango-	01:15:15
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP02 With a diverse workforce ranging from field workers to office staff, is it possible to have a company culture in contracting where all your team is on the same page? Nestor Tarango runs a multi-million-dollar solar energy company. He has successfully onboarded more than 150 people over the past 12 months alone . . . and his company culture is exemplary. How? After working in a hostile environment, Tarango decided enough was enough. He stepped outside of the “traditional” contracting mould and built a company that has a performance culture others would kill for. Tarango sits down with Breakthrough Academy hosts Igor Trninic and Benji Carlson to talk about the mistakes contractors make that result in a toxic culture, recruitment challenges, and takes us through the steps he took to build a culture of uber high-performers. Can you see the sunshine after the rain? (Admit it, that song is stuck in your head now) Join us here for real tips from those who speak your language. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	07 Aug 2024	172. Build a Killer Brand in Three Steps - Ron Tite	00:55:13
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP172 To learn more about the Think. Do. Say. framework and buy Ron's book, click here: https://thinkdosay.com/ Branding: everyone knows they need to do it, but very few know how to do it. Or at least, how to do it well. I’m joined today by Ron Tite, bestselling author, speaker, producer and entrepreneur, to talk about his new book: Think. Do. Say. How to Seize Attention and Build Trust in a Busy, Busy World. According to Ron, branding doesn’t have to be so complicated. You can actually boil it down to three steps: think about what you’re promising as a brand, do things that align with those promises, and say things that communicate your promises in an interesting and relevant way. Today, Ron walks us through how to use the framework to clarify your brand beliefs, align your team around them, and market yourself to your broader audience without losing authenticity. He even gives specific fill-in-the-blank prompts you can use to start thinking about your brand right now. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	26 Oct 2022	79. Project MGMT Secrets Behind 2 Rapid Growth Contractors - Iain Kent, Greg Hasler, Zack Wojtowicz	01:33:43
To apply for a Breakthrough Academy Business Assessment click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP79 Download your free resources for Project Management Secrets for Rapid Growth here: https://trybta.com/PCDLEP79 A couple months ago we did a Project Management Roundtable with some of our highest performing members in the construction space. It was so popular and well received we thought we would release it as a Contractor Evolution episode. As you no doubt have experienced, most (but not all) Project Managers in construction and trades are professional firefighters. This is a problem. Under equipped PM’s burn themselves out and eventually hurt morale, but more importantly mismanaged jobs can make or break our year end P&L’s. So we put together a live roundtable with Greg Hasler of Hasler Homes and Iain Kent of Eagleview Construction where we discuss their evolution story from chaotic to dialled in. We dove into the systems that have made the biggest difference, and the personality profile of a rockstar PM as well as where you might find one. Episode Highlights: 3 PM 'Red Flags' that will tell you things can be improved on What makes a great PM (from the perspective of highly effective contractors) How to hold PMs accountable to the results they were hired to achieve in your business (including which KPI’s you should be tracking) The number of jobs should your PM's be able to manage at one time The PM qualifications you should you look for and where to send PMs to learn proper PM systems for your business The best way to keep your field crews (and your subs) engaged with the PM systems and actually filling out daily logs (spoiler - yes, it is possible) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	11 May 2022	55. How to Implement a CRM Without Giving Yourself a Migraine - Ben Hodson	00:51:23
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP55 You can find the Building Business Youtube Channel From Job Nimbus here: https://youtu.be/dg25mpaz7eM If you took a survey of contractors right after the implementation of their first CRM or Project Management tool, many of the responses you’d get would sound something like: That was awful My head nearly exploded Truly the worst 6 months of my life for me and my team I never want to go through that again Technology and software are supposed to make your business life simpler and more efficient. So why do most entrepreneurs talk about the adoption period like veterans talk about the war or mothers talk about childbirth? This whole “tech overwhelm” thing, especially for contractors, is something we’ve been wanting to get some answers on for a while now, which is why we are so excited to have Ben Hodson on the show today. Ben is the Co-Founder and CEO of JobNimbus which is one of our favorite pieces of contractor software, and we thought who would be better to teach us how to implement technology headache-free, than the guy who builds it. We’re fans of Ben and JobNimbus for a couple of reasons. It's super customizable and integrates easily with everything. It's relatively simple to implement compared to other CRM’s and they have a dynamite customer support team that is super hands on. So if you’ve purchased a CRM and barely used it, if you’ve been frustrated by your tech stack or lack thereof, or if you’re still managing your business on a spreadsheet but you’re ready to take the leap… this episode is a must listen. By the end of this episode you’ll know: The difference between contractors that struggle to implement new systems vs those that find it pretty easy How to use an “I.C.E.” decision making matrix to ensure you select the right CRM to begin with How to avoid the common “employee pushback” scenario and foster adoption of any new tech system How to identify all of the problems you face in business as one of two factors which then become easier to solve The elements of the trades and contracting sectors are ripe for disruption and what you need to be getting ready for The things that a serial CEO Ben Hodson wished he had learned earlier when running businesses See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	25 Dec 2024	192. The Private Equity Playbook: What Contractors Can Learn From Big Business - Adam Coffey	00:54:53
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP192 Have you ever wondered how the masters of big business scale up to nine-figures and beyond? Today’s guest is Adam E. Coffey, author of 3 bestsellers: The Private Equity Playbook, The Exit Strategy Playbook, and Empire Builder: The Road to a Billion. After 10 years as an executive at General Electric, he was hired as the president of three private equity-backed service companies where he completed 58 acquisitions and facilitated billions of dollars in successful exits. In this episode, we pick his brain about how small-to-medium sized contractors like you can apply the concepts of The Private Equity Playbook to their business systems and operations. And trust us, there is a ton to be learned from our conversation. Episode highlights: - Get a breakdown of the concepts in Adam E.Coffey’s bestselling books, The Private Equity Playbook, The Exit Strategy Playbook, and Empire Builder: The Road to a Billion. - Learn the three stages of business growth on the road to a billion, and what tactics and areas of focus are most important at each point in the journey. - Understand how to apply the mindset and tactics used in the world of private equity to your own strategic plan. 00:00-Intro 01:23-About Adam Coffey 06:22-Stage 1 : $0 to $1MM 16:26-Stage 2: $1 M to $10MM 32:17-Stage 3: $10MM to $100MM 42:40-Four Powerful Organic Levers to Bend Your Growth Curve Upward 50:27-The 2 Most Essential Business Skills for Growth 53:39-Connect With Adam See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	13 Dec 2023	138. What Would Happen To My Business If I Died? - Sarah Cronin	00:40:01
To download Sarah’s Succession Planner and Personal Records Organizer click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP138 What would actually happen to your business if, tragically, you died tomorrow? “Hit by a bus” as they say. Would it unravel rather quickly without you at the helm? What financial condition would your family be left in? Morbid questions… For sure… But ones worth asking. My guest on the show today is Sarah Cronin, managing partner of OBEO Planning Group. She works directly with our Breakthrough Academy businesses on their financial and succession planning, giving her a tonne of first-hand experience helping small business owners wealth plan for the future and protect themselves and their families should the worst happen. We discuss: What can and will happen to your business and family in the case of your untimely death (warning, it's grim) Why, for co-founders, dialing in a partnership agreement is the easiest way to limit your downside in the case of death, disability, or disagreement How to draft a succession plan so that your wishes are captured and executed properly and not left up to chance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	01 Sep 2021	19. Leading Through Themes - Coach's Corner with Ashley Ennis	00:40:49
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP19 Have you ever been frustrated by the fact that your team JUST DOESN’T GET IT? It’s so clear to you what needs to happen within your organization - what problems need to be solved, what priorities should be front of mind, where the effort of your organization needs to be, but most if not all of this is totally lost on your employees. Owners frequently overestimate how clearly they are communicating the standards that they have in their mind to the people who need to hear it most. This is why themes are such a powerful leadership tool for contractors to know about. Themes are a super process-driven way to make sure your team's action is aligned with that vision that's so crystal clear in your head. This is why we're really excited to have Ashley Ennis on this episode of Contractor Evolution. Ashley has previously run a highly successful window cleaning franchise system spanning seven states and provinces with 45 franchisees. Since then Ashley has spent the last four years as a business coach for Breakthrough Academy actively training and coaching 40 contracting home service companies and achieving the controlled growth that they want and they need. She uses themes with her Breakthrough Academy members to over-communicate business priorities and make sure that what needs to get done does. In this episode we dive into a bunch of really cool stuff including: How it’s possible to transform your team’s weakest point into its strength Why the most effective teams are not the ones that do the most The reason it can be dangerous to be the ‘ideas guy’, especially if you are the leader How to ‘layer’ themes in the right order so their results compound What common mistakes owners often make when they implement their first theme If you are are growing, but working like a dog to make it all happen, take our 10 day, Evolved Contractor Challenge to free yourself - http://www.btacademy.com/evolvedcontractorchallenge See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	29 Dec 2022	88. Strategic Planning Roundtable: How 2 Elite Contractors Plan For Growth - Matt Hambrick & Dave Fraser	01:31:51
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP88 Download your free 2023 Strategic Plan Templates for Rapid Growth here: https://trybta.com/PCDLEP88 We did a Strategic Planning Roundtable with some Breakthrough Academy Members a couple weeks back. We had over 300 live attendees and tons of positive feedback so we thought we’d release it as a Contractor Evolution episode. Given that you are probably doing some much needed year end reflection and beginning to chart your course for 2023, we thought this would be a timely conversation as well. Moving from one year to the next without evaluating what in your business went well, what did not, and what needs to change is a recipe for exhaustion, frustration and stagnation. One of the coolest things about being an entrepreneur is the opportunity you have to choose where your business goes, what it becomes and why. This is like… the fun part. So if you're not creating space every year to reflect and strategize, not only are you hindering your businesses growth, you're also just missing out on one of the richest aspects of entrepreneurship. If you’re wanting to learn first hand how the best in the business take the vision in their mind and turn that into a reality, listen to this episode. Note - This was originally delivered as a web class with video and slides, so if you want to see the slides, move on over to YouTube. If you’re in the car though, this will still totally makes sense with just audio only. Episode Highlights: What business looks like before you have a plan, and what it can look like after How to build a detailed annual plan, and what data should drive your decision making How to get team buy-in AND accountability A deep dive into REAL Annual Strategic Plans, both before a year starts and after a year in review Where to find the time to set an annual plan when you’re super busy How to evaluate key drivers and restrainers to adjust targets See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	22 Mar 2023	100. 10 Commandments Of Contractor Success: 100th Episode Special - Benji & Igor	00:52:38
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP100 To download Benji & Igor's 10 Commandments of Contractor Success, click here: https://trybta.com/PCDLEP100 We want to hear your feedback after 100 episodes, click this link to complete the survey (3 min): https://trybta.com/100 Yeehaw! That’s 100 episodes down (and goodness knows how many more to go!) We’re blessed and humbled to have spoken to some incredibly smart people over the past two years and have noticed some fundamental commonalities among them. Belief systems, habits, and tactics the best of the best all seem to share. Today’s episode is an amalgamation of the 10 things we’ve observed about success in the contracting and home service space after 100 episodes of Contractor Evolution. Huge thanks to both our guests and you listeners. We couldn’t do it without you! Tune in to find out why: No one at the top of their game is a ___________. The labor market is a challenge, but___________. ___________ matters more than working hard. Listen to this episode to fill in the blanks on these three and the remaining seven! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	12 Apr 2023	103. Listener Q&A: 5 Questions, 5 Answers - Igor Trninic & Benji Carlson	00:42:30
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, Click Here If you’ve ever wondered: How do I set up performance based pay for my Production Managers? Is it possible to effectively interview for “coachability”? (cuz saying “I’m great with feedback” and actually taking it are two different things) Or, how do I make my field staff accountable for quality without my direct supervision? In Today’s episode of Contractor Evolution Igor and I tackle five tricky listener questions head on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	09 Jun 2021	07. Become A Master Implementer, Step Out Of The Day-To-Day -Jason Hoke	01:16:55
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP07 How do you turn a one-man mowing business into a $1.5 million landscaping company? Just ask Jason Hoke, owner of A Cut Above Landscape in Colorado. When he took over the business, he bought himself a job. He was sleeping on a friend's sofa to make ends meet and spending 24/7 onsite or in the office. “I was more like an employee than a leader.” Fast forward five years and he has a team of 20 who service more than 10,000 jobs a year. Last year alone he saw a 50 percent growth in revenue, and he is about to smash those targets for 2021. He now works on the business, rather than in it (40 hours a week, max). How? He became a Master Implementer (yup, he was the winner of our 2020 BTA Implementer of The Year Award). In this episode of Contractor Evolution, hosts Igor Trninic and Benji Carlson sit down with Jason to discuss what it takes to turn a business around and why the traditional way of running a contracting company will no longer cut it. They ask the awkward questions and give exact examples of how systems and strategies will change your life as a leader. Oh, this is good. Trust us. To take the Free 10 Day, 'Evolved Contractor' Challenge to step out of the day-to-day of your business, got to https://www.btacademy.com/evolvedcontractorchallenge See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	08 Mar 2023	98. Problem Solvers Are Better Than Problem Finders - Benji Carlson	00:11:27
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP98 I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but employees tend to be much better at pointing out problems than fixing them. “Hey Boss, just wanted to let you know that [insert business issue you’re already abundantly aware of here]. We should really do something about that, hey?” Staff drop problems in your lap as consistently as a golden retriever drops a tennis ball at your feet. But what if you could instill a culture of problem-solving within your team? How much easier would your life be if, instead of you being the single source of critical thinking, your entire team was encouraged and even rewarded for making problems go away on their own? In today’s episode of Contractor Evolution, I talk about why problem-solving is one of the most critical traits to look for in new hires and even how you can develop it with the team you already have. Listen to this episode to find out why problem solvers are infinitely more valuable than problem finders. Highlights: Why finding problems is easy How to interview to find problem solvers How to spot Problem Solvers How to instill a culture of problem solving into your current team See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	18 Nov 2021	30. Part 2: Where Did All The Good Talent Go? - Recruiting Roundtable with the BTA Coaches	00:31:09
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP30 To download the Employer Brand Quick Action Guide click here: https://trybta.com/PCDLEP30 Last week was the first part of our Contractor Roundtable on the topic, “Where Did All The Good Talent Go?” In that first episode we reverse engineered the 7 patterns that top Employer Brands seemed to share. An Employer Brand, in case you are wondering, is a contracting business that attracts the best talent in the industry, regardless of what is going on economically. If you haven’t listened to that episode yet, I suggest you add it to your playlist. This week we broke down 6 quick actions that any contractor could implement that makes them more attractive to potential applicants. In this episode we cover: The imagery and messaging to use on your job ads and landing page that attracts top talent How to leverage your Instagram account to peak the interest of potential applicants An easy way to add fun into your team culture so you can showcase it to the world The way to add style to your team that gets them and prospects excited An ‘outside the box’ referral program that you won’t find in most contracting businesses What’s at stake in the next decade if you don’t implement some of these things See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	04 Apr 2025	208. How to Attract Reliable Staff in a Labor Shortage - Danny Kerr	01:22:00
On May 6, attend our free web class to learn the proven hiring framework top contractors use to attract and retain A players during a labor shortage. Register here: https://trybta.com/CE-HIRING-M25 Grab your FREE hiring resource bundle here: https://trybta.com/DL208 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP208 In 2025, there is one issue contractors talk to me about more than any other: Hiring. Getting good people to agree to—and show up to—an interview suddenly seems impossible. You book five interviews and three no-show, one thinks they’re applying to be CEO and the other shows up drunk. After conducting over 2,400 interviews for trades positions myself, I know the struggle. That’s why I hosted a web class last month where I taught hundreds of contractors my system for attracting A-players and replacing time-wasters during the recruitment process. We decided to release it on the podcast as a BONUS episode so more contractors can benefit. Enjoy. Episode Highlights: Learn why creating a hiring funnel is just as important as creating a sales funnel. Understand how to write job ads that actually attract the people you WANT. Get the winning interview strategy Danny refined while interviewing over 2,400 people for trades positions. 00:00-Intro 08:15-What part of hiring frustrates you the most? 09:28-Unpacking the hiring crisis 15:00-The lost opportunity cost of not having a solid hiring system 17:06-What a good hiring funnel looks like 19:26-Hiring tool 1: Ideal Candidate Profile 25:26-Hiring tool 2: Job Postings and Applicant Generation 34:08-Hiring tool 3: Interview Setup Call 42:52-Hiring tool 4: Behavioral Interviewing 47:44-Recap 50:57-Get more help systemizing your business 59:37-Q&A
	13 May 2021	03. Little Known Red Flags To Look Out For In Your Partnership - Scott Foran & Barry Hartman	00:57:11
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP03 Is your contracting business partner pissing you off? With 50% of business partnerships failing in the first 2-3 years, how do you ensure you don't become another statistic (or punch their lights out)? Early on 505-Junk founders Scott Foran and Barry Hartman had a major blowout and realized that they did not think the same. They divided up the responsibilities of the business based on what they thought they’d be good at, only to realize they were unhappy in their roles. However they weren’t communicating their challenges and it was now threatening to bury them. What they did next not only repaired their business partnership (and friendship), but resulted in their business growing 100 percent in one year alone. Welcome to the third Contracting Entrepreneur podcast, where Breakthrough Academy hosts Igor Trninic and Benji Carlson and their guests pull no punches on what it takes to co-run a successful contracting business. Warning: These conversations may make you feel uncomfortable, but hey, that’s what comes with looking in the mirror. There’s no lipstick on this pig! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	21 Jul 2021	13. Contractors: 3 Key Traits Of High Performers vs 3 Key Traits Of Low Performers - James Dale	00:50:38
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here:https://trybta.com/PCEP13 Have you ever wondered what makes an elite contractor in your space ‘elite’? Or, to put it differently, have you ever wondered what keeps the chuck in the trucks stuck? Why, when two business leaders, with similar companies, in a similar space, with amazing services, does one succeed and the other, get caught in the growth plateau? The answer may surprise you (and no, it isn't luck). James Dale, Breakthrough Academy’s director of training and development, has a voracious appetite for helping entrepreneurs reach their utmost potential. Having worked with 100s of contracting entrepreneurs during his career, he has witnessed first-hand what it is that truly differentiates the elite contractor. James sits down with BTA's Benji and Igor to talk about the 3 common traits of elite contractors, and, conversely, the 3 destructive habits that hold contractors back from success. His insights will truly open your eyes. You’ll feel like your windshield has finally been cleaned. If you are are growing, but working like a dog to make it all happen, take our 10 day, Evolved Contractor Challenge to free yourself - http://www.btacademy.com/evolvedcontractorchallenge See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	15 Jan 2025	195. Tersh Blissett’s Automation Pro Tips - Tersh Blissett	01:00:21
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP195 How are you using AI and automation in your business? Maybe you use ChatGPT for idea generation or have some automated reminders going out through your bookkeeping software or CRM. If so, that’s great. But the reality is there is a lot more you could be doing. And it doesn't all require in-depth programming knowledge or tech skills. Today’s conversation is with Tersh Blissett. He’s an AI and automations expert for trades and construction, Host of the Service Business Mastery Podcast, owner of two HVAC companies, and founder of Trade Automation Pros. We discuss the five types of automations all contractors need and three of the most clever ways he’s seeing AI deployed in the trades today. If you’re tired of monotonous and repetitive tasks but aren’t sure where to start with automations, this episode is a must-listen. Episode Highlights: 00:00-Intro 01:16-Defining automations 02:04-Background on Tersh's passion for AI and automation 06:42-About Tersh 11:55-Five automations every contractor needs 12:23-Automated appointment scheduling and reminders 19:36-Streamlined customer support ticket handling 24:10-Automated lead management 25:23-Social media content curation and posting 30:54-Automated onboarding for new clients 40:49-Three clever ways contractors can use AI in their business 54:10-Advice for the not so tech-savvy contractor 56:52-Connect with Tersh See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	29 May 2024	162. Tommy Mello' Secrets For Team Accountability	01:04:16
To download your accountability resources and to book a call with Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP162 How does your team function when you’re not watching? Do they get stuff done on time, as good as if you did it yourself? Or do they miss deadlines, point fingers and leave clients underwhelmed? If you’re feeling less like an owner and more like a babysitter, you may have an accountability problem. Your team’s performance is inconsistent, their focus is all over the map, and no one really knows who’s supposed to do what, when. Back in April, we co-hosted a webinar on staff accountability with the one and only Tommy Mello. His staff accountability secrets were so good, we decided to replay the session on Contractor Evolution. In this episode, he gives away his tried and tested methods of holding people accountable without micromanaging or pointing fingers. Listen in to learn how you can steal Tommy’s accountability system to create a solid performance culture for your team. To learn more about Tommy Mello, check out https://homeserviceexpert.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	17 Jan 2024	143. Boring Companies & High Dividends: Value Investing 101 (Wealth Builder 4) - Matt Wood	01:09:12
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP143 Welcome back to Contractor Evolution and episode 4 of our Wealth Builder series! So far in this series, we’ve talked about: The investor's mindset Diversification Staying “lendable” And real estate investment strategies It’s time now to turn our attention to the stock market investment and look specifically at a style generally called “Value Investing.” Owning shares in companies that methodically turn a profit for their shareholders is a fundamentally different approach than looking for the next Apple or Microsoft and betting big. The thrill of buying shares in a moonshot might be tantalizing, but owning shares of a workhorse enterprise that consistently makes money and distributes it ain’t a bad idea either. These companies often have their hand in your wallet already. Telecommunications. Banks. Utilities. Manufacturers. To explain the fundamentals of how this works, we’re excited to have Matt Wood on the show with us today. Matt’s been an investment fund manager for 30 years, including two decades owning an asset management company that managed over $2B in assets in its heyday. Matt understands what makes a company, and sometimes an entire industry, an excellent investment, and today, he explains his core principles to us in simple, down-to-earth terms that any business owner can understand. Our hope with today’s episode is NOT that you become a professional investor where you manage your portfolio yourself; rather that you know some baseline fundamentals about the concept of Value Investing so that you can have an intelligent conversation about it with a capable advisor by your side. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	03 Apr 2024	154. 7 Archetypes Of Effective Project Managers - Kyle Nitchen	00:58:38
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP154 My guest on the show today is Kyle Nitchen. I found Kyle through his substack and newsletter called “The Influential Project Manager” - which is worth a follow, btw. As a senior project manager for Layton Construction, Kyle has built over 350 million dollars worth of hospital wings, Surgery rooms, and urgent care centers all over Los Angeles. He writes about all things construction, leadership project management on his substack and today we talk about: Why Project Management in the construction industry is as big of a dumpster fire as it is How many of the modern tools and methods, from Gantt charts to critical paths, while useful, are incomplete in today's construction environment - and what to do instead Lastly, he takes us through the 7 archetypes of effective project managers - a simple but powerful framework to develop your PMs with. To learn more about Kyle Nitchen: https://kylenitchen.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	28 Feb 2024	149. 4 Financial Health Hacks For Contractors - Robert Gauvreau	01:22:09
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP149 For many contractors, financial clarity can be elusive. None of us got into business for ourselves to stare at QuickBooks, spreadsheets, or P&Ls. That said, the dangers of ignoring this indispensable side of our business are no laughing matter. Does laying good people off because you can’t afford them anymore sound fun to you? Or funneling personal dollars into a business account to run payroll? Or filing for bankruptcy? Don’t be a financial freewheeler. That’s one of our mantras here at Breakthrough Academy. On that note, I am extremely excited to welcome Bob Gauvreau to the show today. Bob is the founder and CEO of Gauvreau Accounting Tax Law Advisory, a 100+ professional services firm that specializes in the contracting niche. In a world of lame financial gurus and quasi-experts, it is actually very hard to find a master of the craft, and Bob is exactly that. Today’s conversation is about how the 4 easiest ways to improve the financial health of your business headed what could be a rocky year. To know more about Bob and Gauvreau Accounting Tax Law Advisory visit: https://gauvreaucpa.ca/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	25 Oct 2023	131. How To Build A Business Where Everyone Wins - Tommy Mello & Al Levi	01:14:52
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP131 Attend Tommy and Al’s Freedom Event in Orlando: https://freedomevent.com USE THE DISCOUNT CODE BTA40 for 40% off My guests on the show today are Tommy Mello and Al Levi. Tommy’s company, A1 Garage Door Service, now operates in 37 markets across 19 states. They’re on pace to do north of 200M in revenue this year with an EBITDA of 17%. Al Levi is the author of The 7 Power Contractor and one of Tommy’s most trusted mentors. He helped Tommy develop the SOPs, create the org chart, write the operations manuals, and define the vision for what A1 would become. In today’s conversation, we talk about Tommy’s new book Elevate: Build a business where everyone wins. Al shares his perspective on Tommy’s long and arduous journey to success (nearly broke, living in a small apartment in Phoenix, and writing payroll cheques out of his personal account) We also talk a lot about A1’s current geographic expansion strategy, how they analyze and select markets, and the roll-up process when they decide to green light one. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	07 Jun 2023	111. Optimize Your Business’s Instagram For Lead Flow - Sean Walford	00:49:03
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP111 Check out Priority Builders on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prioritybuildersyeg/ Love it or hate it, Instagram can deliver impressive results for your construction business. If you’ve become disenfranchised (as so many have) with this platform, this week's episode is the antidote. For many contractors, Instagram is a time-sucking vanity project with no ROI, but for our guest Sean Walford, it’s a hyper-efficient lead-generating machine. Get this… Sean’s Edmonton-based renovations company gets 70% of its sales directly from ‘the gram’ - and he hasn’t even been at it that long! Two short years ago, he decided to pour some focus into this platform and has since built up a super-engaged following of 12,000 that BUY. Today his gonna peel back the curtain and tell us exactly how he did it. We discuss posting strategy, comment management, and how to embed CTA’s that convert followers into leads. So if you’re tired of mediocre Instagram results, listen to the full episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	04 May 2022	54. Breed Infectious Performance Culture With Better Team Events - Benji & Igor	00:38:01
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP54 To get the Team Event Planning Checklist click here: https://trybta.com/PCDLEP54 The interconnectivity of the individuals on your team is a huge predictor of success. When people know and trust each other they’re more likely to collaborate together on important work, they’re more likely to be honest with each other when it counts, and your business will be better for it. Your employees need to form deeper relationships than simply “someone I work with” in order maximize productivity and truly love their work; and part of your job as a leader is to foster this. In this episode of Contractor Evolution Igor and I discuss how to breed infectious team culture through better team events. We talk about how to plan and execute gatherings and get-togethers that your staff will rave about and thank you for. By the end of this episode you’ll learn: Why quality time off site with your team is so important to the quality of work getting done Things you as the leader should consider before planning a team event to get the most out of it Dozens of ideas that you can use to create team events that are fun, unique, and have a positive impact on your team, the business and the community How often you should be running team events depending on the size of your company How much you should budget for team events and what can you expect for ROI Some of the positive signs you will notice if you run team events for a year or more that go beyond profit See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	23 Jun 2021	09. The Military Secret That Turned My Contracting Business Into A Production Machine - Will Brown	00:40:51
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP09 When Will Brown took over Brown Boys Roofing of Bentonville, Arkansas from his father four years ago, it was micromanaged to within an inch of its life. Will's father could never escape the business...no bathroom break for you! Fast forward to 2021 and by making one small yet significant change (which he learned from our friend Jocko Willink, thanks Jocko) he has turned his business around. He increased profits from $2 million to $10 million, has a team of high-performing problem solvers, AND he has cut the number of hours he works in half (his wife is a happy camper). What did Will do to score the ultimate contractor dream of work/life balance? In this episode of Contractor Evolution, Will talks about his journey and proves that getting your life back after starting a business isn't just a pipe dream. Always read the fineprint: Warning, listening to this episode could result in you running a highly profitable contracting business while you're out having fun on your skidoo or dirt bike. If you are are growing, but working like a dog to make it all happen, take our 10 day, Evolved Contractor Challenge to free yourself - http://www.btacademy.com/evolvedcontractorchallenge See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	25 Nov 2021	31. Is Your Bookkeeper Competent? - Morgan Ray	01:02:18
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP31 You, more than likely, didn’t start your business to stare at quickbooks, reconcile receipts, or painstakingly track every expense down to the penny. You started your business because you had a vision, you wanted to lead, and you wanted to create. Being an entrepreneur was the best vehicle for that. And while your big picture thinking is critical to success, let’s not forget at the end of the day your business needs to make money. This part of the equation can be extremely difficult without solid bookkeeping and accounting systems. You can build teams and process all you want, but if your business doesn’t reliably generate profit, you won’t be playing this game very long. While this concept is simple enough to understand... it's a lot harder to implement. Let’s not kid ourselves... tracking financial data really well and using it to make the right decisions requires great accounting infrastructure and the right person to do it diligently. The good news is that person doesn’t need to be you. Your responsibility is to assemble the right people around you to get this done successfully. The bad news is that a lot of bookkeepers can often be incompetent, unreliable, or straight up shady. And as a busy business owner it can be hard to find the true pros that ARE out there. To shed some light on this thorny issue we brought Morgan Ray onto the show. Morgan is Managing Partner at Bookkeeping for Trades - a professional bookkeeping firm built exclusively for entrepreneurs in the Trades and Construction space. Morgan’s firm has managed the accounting cycle for over 200 trades businesses helping them gain true financial clarity and increased margins. When it comes to bookkeeping for trades, she understands the needs of the market. In this episode we unpack: Why bookkeeping is so frustrating for contractors and why you aren’t alone in thinking it is The 2 kinds of bookkeeping and why 1 sucks and the other is pretty fun, but few contractors use it What a good bookkeeper SHOULD be doing, and also what they SHOULDN’t be doing The crucial security pieces every contractor needs to have in place to avoid fraud, embezzlement, or a nasty call from the tax man What good bookkeeping FEELS like to you the business owner, and how to know when you’ve nailed it The 3 traits you should be looking for when you hire a bookkeeper If you are are growing, but working like a dog to make it all happen, take our 10 day, Evolved Contractor Challenge to free yourself - http://www.btacademy.com/evolvedcontractorchallenge See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	22 Jun 2022	61. Supercharge Your Business By Buying Another: A Strategy Worth Exploring - Jason Paris	01:03:56
To apply for a Breakthrough Academy Business Assessment click: https://trybta.com/PCEP61 Aleph Holdings: https://www.alephholdings.com/ This painter crushes it by buying into his competition You may have, at some point, pondered the idea of supercharging your growth by buying another business. Entrepreneurs naturally see opportunity all around them - owners that don’t know what they’re doing, older guys trying to get out, young untapped potential rising up. And to be clear, your intuition isn’t wrong, the opportunity is out there. What we want to do is make sure you don’t get blown up by the hundreds of proverbial landmines that can lay hidden under the surface of those businesses. Learn from our guest Jason Paris, who’s built a 10M+ painting empire and shares many of the red flags to watch out for, by clicking the icons below. Highlights: The pro's and con's of buying out other businesses within your industry The types of businesses and people you should be looking looking to partner with and the red flags that mark the ones you should avoid How to value businesses when you're looking to buy them out The internal systems in the seller's business that matter when you are the purchaser The buying process from start to finish The first goals/systems/structures that you should implement in a business once you've purchased it See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	09 Feb 2023	94. Bryan Baeumler: Balancing a 60M Business With TV Stardom	01:16:40
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP94 To find out more about Baeumler Approved click here: https://www.baeumlerapproved.ca/ Our guest on this episode of Contractor Evolution is Bryan Baeumler. Star of HGTV’s hit shows Disaster DIY, Leave it to Bryan, Island of Bryan among others. Behind the TV Persona is a pretty sophisticated yet down-to-earth businessman with a super diverse portfolio of companies, the largest being his actual construction company, Baeumler Quality Construction, which is on trend to 60 Million plus next year. We talk about How and why our education system is under serving mechanically minded youth The best and worst parts of being a TV star Why hiring a CFO was one of the smartest business decisions he’s made and the growth it unlocked And I get his honest and unpolished take on what effects (both positive and negative) HGTV shows like his have had on the construction industry. To find out what really goes on behind the scenes of a celebrity contractor listen to this episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	06 Nov 2024	185. Is Your Sales to Production Handoff Killing You? - Charlie Bethell	00:48:45
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP185 How did Plus Construction owner and Breakthrough Academy Member Charlie Bethell go from endless callbacks, cash crunches and frustration to selling and building 500 decks a year? Systemizing and optimizing. And a lot of it. Today, Charlie’s on the show to talk about his digital marketing strategies, which bring in 60% of the businesses annual leads, and the massive changes he made to his sales-to-production handoff. In other words, we’re diving into the secrets of a high-volume contractor. Episode highlights: - Learn the strategies and tactics Charlie Bethell uses to get 60% of his leads from digital marketing initiatives. - Find out which implementation items Charlie used to vastly improve his sales-to-production handoff, resulting in higher customer satisfaction, better team morale and more profitable jobs. - Hear how Charlie hit his BHAG five years early and what he learned in the process. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	04 Dec 2024	189. Turn Your Ideas Into Fully Implemented Systems - Benji Carlson	00:19:23
Grab your copy of our IMPLEMENT framework here: https://trybta.com/DLEP189 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP189 The end of the year is approaching, and that means it’s “hope season” for a lot of contractors. Your implementation goals are big. You’ve got tech stack upgrades, brand refreshes, and shiny new internal processes on the brain. But, let’s be real: If you look back at past years—and all the projects you had planned—how many of them did you actually get across the finish line? The graveyard of good ideas not implemented for most entrepreneurs is vast. So how do you break the cycle and actually get sh*t done in 2025? This episode is a 9-part roadmap that will help you sharpen your implementation skills and turn your great ideas into fully implemented systems. Episode highlights: - Learn Benji’s nine part framework for successfully implementing projects—from tech stack upgrades to business systems to SOPs. - Understand why implementation is so difficult, and how to sharpen your skills as a business owner to get more done in 2025. - Get fired up and ready to crush your implementation goals next year. 00:00-Intro 02:15-Pick The Right Things To Implement 04:33-Define Your Outcomes 06:34-Don’t Reinvent the Wheel 07:34-Make Foolproof Project Plans 09:04-Delegate, Don’t Dump 12:29-Find Your Milestones and Celebrate Them 13:29-Don't Forget the Change Management Part 15:57-Audit (is what we implemented working?) 17:12-Give People Breaks See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	04 Oct 2023	128. A Field Report From The Frontlines Of Work - Seth Mattison	01:05:55
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP128 Check out FutureSight Labs and all of Seth’s work here: https://www.sethmattison.com/ My guest on the show today is Seth Mattison, CEO of FutureSight Labs, a research institute, organizational design, and transformation partner helping category-leading brands and peak-performing leadership teams prepare for the future. He’s also a world-renowned keynote speaker and expert on the future of work. In today's conversation, he shares his field report from the front lines of work, and we explore 5 emerging trends he’s writing about and speaking about with some of the biggest brands in the world, including Caterpillar, Adidas, Master Card, and Thomson Reuters. He did a great job distilling this down and speaking to how these trends will affect YOUR contracting business! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	29 Jan 2025	197. Keeping Faith During Tragic Times: Coach Ian’s Story - Ian Ouwerkerk	01:12:39
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP197 When times get tough, tragedy strikes or things take a turn for the worst, how do you keep faith that everything will turn out ok? Today, that’s what our very own Breakthrough Academy coach Ian Ouwerkerk is joining me to discuss. On August 29th, 2008 on their way to a wedding, Ian, his mum and his dad were T-boned by a car going 70 miles an hour. The accident left Ian with a severed carotid artery plus 11 ribs and both his collar bones broken. And the list of injuries goes on. He died and came back multiple times through this harrowing event. Today, he’s generously opening up about his accident, miraculous recovery and the life lessons he learned from the tragic experience. We talk about how to cultivate resilience, perspective, and faith in life’s most challenging seasons. Episode Highlights: 00:00-Intro 01:31-About Coach Ian 08:17-Ian's accident and out of body experience 17:58-The injuries Ian had to overcome 28:27-What got Ian through the recovery process 30:32-Getting back on his feet 39:05-Enduring more bad news 49:07-Core lessons and takeaways from that difficult period 50:56-It's all about faith 01:06:57-The power of impacting others through entrepreneurship See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	10 May 2023	107. Skill Up New Crews Faster With DORAGI - Benji Carlson	00:15:12
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here, Click Here To download our printable DORAGI framework for your job sites, Click Here Download the BTA Training Checklist Contractor Quick Tool, Click Here Don’t know if you’ve noticed… but new employees often come with more skill gaps than advertised. How many times have you hired someone you thought had certain skills only to find out on-site that they, in fact, do not have said skills? The reality is when it comes to the talent pool, almost no one is truly “plug and play.” There are hundreds if not thousands of intricacies and nuances about how YOU do things, and that doesn’t always line up with how your new recruits have been trained via their previous employers, experience, or education. See… transferring skill is a SKILL in and of itself, and it’s one we see contractors struggle with. Today’s episode is about DORAGI, a framework for skill transfer that dramatically compresses learning curves. If you want better-equipped crews in less time, listen to this episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	07 Sep 2022	72. The End Of Resumes And Job Boards - Jody Underhill	00:57:33
To apply for a Breakthrough Academy Business Assessment click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP72 Download The Rapid Hire Hiring Funnel Here: https://trybta.com/PCDLEP72 Check out Rapid Hire Here: https://rapidhirepro.com/ As a millennial myself, I take a small amount of personal offense whenever I hear frustrated contractors verbally bash my entire generation (or young people broadly speaking) for their supposed lack of work ethic, chronic ADD, and apparent disinterest in construction and trades. I admittedly roll my eyes a little anytime I hear someone throw their hands up in frustration and declare: “These young people I tell ya, no one wants to work these days”. If you listen to this podcast, you know this is a recurring theme on the show. Having said all that, I also deeply empathise with the business owner whose phone is ringing off the hook with potential customers but can’t seem to hire enough good people. Which is why this episode is so monumental. Our guest today, Jody Underhill, has figured out how to deliver a literal flood of qualified applicants to almost any contractor. Don’t believe me? Listen to the full episode to learn more about all the genius ways Jody has sailed past traditional hiring methods to deliver as many applicants as he needs. Episode Highlights: Why young people aren't responding to trades ads, and what you can do to attract them. The statistical results between marketing on social media vs traditional digital job boards The exact formula for ad copy that gets high #'s of applicants and sets you apart from the competition How to structure your application page and what you need include in your employer brand promo video to get a high level of applicants (hint, it’s not you talking about the company) How to run hundreds of video interviews without the interviewer actually being involved The statistical difference between using email vs text and which medium brings in stacks of applications See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	27 Mar 2024	153. 6 Revenue Driving Videos Every Contractor Needs - Marcus Sheridan	00:57:41
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP153 Marcus Sheridan is back! As if writing one of the most celebrated marketing books (They Ask, You Answer) of the last 10 years wasn’t enough, he’s co-authored a new book all about how to CRUSH IT with video content. It’s called The Visual Sale. Kinda catchy 😉 Two out of every three adults already choose video as their primary information source, and one recent study showed that 96% of consumers look for videos about products and services before buying them. So the question is… is your business geared for this? Because this is one mega trend you want to be on the right side of. In today’s episode, you can expect to learn: The exact word-for-word Chat GPT prompt to give you your first 50 video ideas. The 6 core videos every modern contractor needs to have and why (and how to go make them.) And, whether hiring an agency/freelancer or building out the capacity for video in-house is better. To know more about Marcus visit: https://marcussheridan.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	09 Aug 2023	120. Strong Leadership In The Face Of Tragedy: Turnaround Of Year Winner - Stephen Osborne	00:49:33
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP120 Breakthrough Academy’s annual “Turnaround of the Year” award is given to the entrepreneur who has achieved extraordinary growth despite facing great adversity. That's a fancy way of saying it goes to the man or woman who's been through some seriously heavy stuff and come out the other side. This year's winner was Stephen Osborne of The Osborne Company. And 2021 was not kind to Stephen. His father, David, the founder of the company, passed away very suddenly and unexpectedly. Infighting amongst siblings ensued, everyone wanting their cut. Adding insult to injury, a group of non-construction consultants hired by family members, unbeknownst to him, forced him to step down as president. As grief and conflict ripped through the family, the business suffered too: their Net Profit dropped down to 1.7%, and the business was hanging on by a thread. Fast forward two years, and the Osborne company is on trend to do north of 15MM, with a super healthy 15% net. The team is the happiest and most functional it’s ever been, and they’ve become of the largest EV charging station installers in the US. The conversation that follows is about HOW Stephen got through the darkest time in his life, steered his father's company and legacy away from financial ruin, and won the Turnaround Of The Year Award. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	31 May 2023	110. 16 Signs You've Hired The Wrong Person - Benji Carlson	00:17:57
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, Click Here Download Breakthrough Academy’s Interview Guide, Click Here Let me know if this situation sounds familiar… You hired someone a month back. When you called to tell this person they got the job, you were excited, and so were they. But now the glimmer is gone. The excitement you felt is slowly turning into doubt. There are a couple of things about this new hire you didn’t see before: They don’t have the skills their resume led you to believe they did. They aren’t the team player you hoped they were. Their reliability is hit-and-miss. They need an attitude adjustment. [insert behavior you’re not loving] The reality is even great team builders don’t shoot 100%. Look at professional sports, and you’ll see first-round draft picks that end up being busts. Major contracts awarded that only a year later seem totally boneheaded. If the most sophisticated and well-resourced team builders in the world get it wrong from time to time, it seems probable that you in your business are going to as well. No sweat. Part of the journey. The question is, how do you deal with it? Do you exit quickly, learn and bounce back? Or do you let this mistake linger and fester? Today’s episode is 16 Signs You've Hired The Wrong Person. To hear them all, listen to this episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	26 Apr 2023	105. The Matt Risinger Story - Matt Risinger	01:31:58
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, Click Here Matt’s Build Show Network: https://buildshownetwork.com/ Risinger Build: https://risingerbuild.com/ The Build Show Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-build-show-podcast/id1560010348 My guest on the show today is Matt Risinger. Matt is one of the most recognizable thought leaders in the construction space. His Youtube channel, which has over a million subscribers, is dedicated to all things building science, and he’s parlayed that into the creation of an entirely new platform called Build Show Network - Picture Netflix, but all the content is for construction nerds. Pretty awesome! His actual construction company, Risinger Build, is one of the most sought-after in Austin, Texas, where he lives with his family. Today’s conversation is about his entrepreneurial journey… Why he chose this industry, how he built his construction empire, and became the household name he is today. He shares some of the life-altering mistakes he made along the way, plus I get his take on the future of residential construction in North America. I really look up to Matt and deeply admire everything he’s built but, more importantly, the values he embodies. For all his success, he’s one of the most down-to-earth people I’ve ever met. We need guys like Matt, and I consider myself blessed to have gotten to know him a bit over the last year. Listen to this episode to hear the full Matt Risinger story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	06 Sep 2023	124. Critical Communication Cadences For Contractors - Brody Funk	00:43:54
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP124 Rhythmical and ritualistic meetings function like the war drums of your business by providing your team with a tempo and a beat to stay in sync with. Without them, things become chaotic, disjointed, and you find yourself repeating the same conversations over and over. Brody Funk is one of our amazing Breakthrough Academy coaches and used communication cadences to scale and exit his two businesses, Super Plumber and 360 Comfort. Today, we dive into five levels of ritualistic meetings: Annual strategic planning sessions Quarterly reviews Monthly town hall meetings Weekly L10s And Daily Huddles (that must include a “win-the-day” number) Listen to the full episode to learn how to get your meeting schedule on track and keep your team paddling in the same direction. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	24 Aug 2022	70. Stop Sabotaging Your Performance - Fyfe Barraclough	00:46:51
To apply for a Breakthrough Academy Business Assessment click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP70 Download the Mental Fitness Framework and Quiz Here: https://trybta.com/PCDLEP70 Connect with Fyfe here: https://www.uplifementalfitness.com/ If you roll into a multi-day hike with tons of vertical and a 50-pound pack after 6 months on the couch eating Doritos, chances are you’re probably not going to have the best time. But what about if you're asking a lot of your mind? How many stressful situations do you encounter in your business in a single day? How often is intense focus demanded of you even though your batteries are drained? In its simplest form, mental fitness is your capacity to handle life's challenges with a positive rather than negative mindset. We, as humans, have all formed negative self-sabotaging characteristics that protected us while we were young. However, these same saboteurs can ultimately lead to downfall if we don’t recognize them. In this episode, we have Fyfe Barraclough on to explain the 10 saboteurs that exist, which ones are most common in entrepreneurs, and what we can all do to turn self-sabotage into opportunity. Listen to the full episode to learn how you can transform your metal liabilities into tangible assets. Episode Highlights: The definition of mental fitness and when a contractor would need to be concerned about it The neuroscience science behind mental fitness and why large organisations are starting to pay attention to the training The 10 saboteurs that we form to protect ourselves when we’re young but can hold us back as adults The common saboteurs that plague entrepreneurs specifically and examples of what they look like in the workplace How to play "mental judo" and turn your stress induced self sabotage into an opportunity instead The observable benefits of someone who actively works on their mental fitness vs someone who doesn’t See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	20 Oct 2021	26. 10 Books Every Contractor Should Read - Benji Carlson	00:17:00
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP26 One of our mantras here at Contractor Evolution - LEADERS ARE READERS!!! Lemme unpack that…. As a great leader, you know you don’t know everything. More importantly, you’re totally okay with that, and you’re actively working to shrink those knowledge gaps and timeframes by tapping into the wisdom and experience of people smarter than you. Whatever challenge you're facing right now, someone’s already solved it and captured their learnings for you in a book you can read or listen to. Thinking that you should have all the answers already is insane. So today’s episode is Contractor Evolution’s “Must Read” List I know you don’t have an abundance of time to sit in a lounge chair, sip chamomile tea and leisurely work through a list of books. But the fact that your listening to this podcast means you don’t use your busy life as an excuse to not be constantly improving. So if you can find a spare minute or two, here is what we recommend you dive into. Now to keep things organized, we’ve structured this list in a particular way After working with thousands of Contractors, we’ve observed a pretty clear pattern… There are 6 key areas in a contracting business that are often under-systemized. Think of these as 6 areas that are super important but very difficult to master. Budgeting & Financial Tracking Organizational Structure Recruiting and Hiring Training & Onboarding Sales & Marketing Goal Setting & Execution To help you along your own pursuit of excellence we’ve collected our favourite books in these areas. Some key highlights from this short episode are: 1 (not boring) book on budgeting that has you taking out profit before expenses A book that shows you how to structure your team when everything seems chaotic Which book to pick up when you want to hire the right people to replace you Where you can find information about a top tier interviewing system 2 Marketing and sales books that give you gamechangers to implement into your customer journey The undisputed most effective book on leadership as voted by Breakthrough Academy members See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	25 May 2022	57. Listener Q&A: Recruiting & Hiring - Benji & Igor	00:35:11
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP57 To download the Hiring & Recruiting Tactics, click here: https://trybta.com/PCDLEP57 About 2 months ago we put on our first digital Contractor Evolution Summit where we focused on recruiting and hiring. We had so many questions during the live event that we couldn’t get to them all so here are an additional 9 questions that were too good not to respond to. By the end of this episode you’ll know: Whether you should focus on recruiting "lifers' or also consider people you know will stay only a few years? If it’s a good idea to hire someone that aspires to run their own business The percentage of annual revenue that you should allocate to recruiting How do you get a high volume of applicants from your job ads and drive traffic to your ‘Work With Us’ page How to market to people that are already employed but not steal employees from your competitors When we recommend personality testing to determine culture/role fit in your company and how it can save you a huge amount of headaches See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	11 Apr 2025	210. Understanding the Skill/Will Matrix - Danny Kerr	00:14:07
On May 6, attend our free web class to learn the proven hiring framework top contractors use to attract and retain A players during a labor shortage. Register here: https://trybta.com/CE-HIRING-M25 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP210 To grab a copy of the Skill/Will Matrix, DORAGI framework, and Conflict Resolution Guide, click here: https://trybta.com/DL210 In contracting, your people are your business. They determine how customers experience your brand, the productivity of your job sites, the profitability of your business and your own enjoyment of life as an entrepreneur. So understanding how to manage them as a strong leader is essential. Today, we’re going to break down one of my favorite frameworks that will give you the tools to bring out the best in your team, maximize productivity, and build a workplace people actually want to be a part of. It’s called the skill/will matrix. The idea is that whenever productivity is down or someone isn’t meeting your expectations, ask yourself this one question: Is this a skill issue? Or a will issue? Listen to the full episode to learn how to handle each situation. Episode Highlights: Get a summary of the skill/will matrix and how to use it to identify and address productivity issues on your team. Learn how to use the DORAGI training framework to help team members struggling with skill. Learn how to have a healthy conflict to improve the performance of team members struggling with will. 00:00-Intro 01:28-About the Skill/Will Matrix 02:00-High Will, Low Skill 05:56-Low Will, High Skill 09:46-High Will, High Skill 10:43-Low Will, Low Skill 12:07-Recap
	01 Nov 2023	132. The 5 Levels Of Leadership - Perry Holley	01:01:06
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP132 John Maxwell’s book The 5 Levels of Leadership is one of the most popular and highly rated leadership books ever. The fundamental premise is simple. No one cares that you are the boss, foreman, site supervisor, or business owner. Sure, a title gives you a small amount of clout, but the leverage it gives you is limited and certainly doesn’t last long. To gain the sphere of influence you want and need, you need to progress through the 5 Levels of Leadership. Position Permission Production People Development Pinnacle I’m excited to have Perry Holley guesting on the show today. He hosts the Maxwell Leadership Executive Podcast, is a certified Maxwell Leadership coach, and is the author of Repeat the Remarkable. Listen to this episode to learn how you can ascend through the 5 levels of leadership. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	29 Sep 2021	23. Have You Built A Powerful Contracting Brand That Works For You? - Noel Fox	00:48:39
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP23 Brand has never mattered more than it does right now. People, the public, your customers, are busier than ever. Not only that, but the competition for their eyeballs, their attention, has never been fiercer. Between social media algorithms, shrinking attention spans, and an ever-expanding marketplace it can feel daunting for you, the small business owner, to stand out and be remembered. There is a reason why 1-800-GOT-JUNK can charge $1,000 to haul a load of junk when no one else can. It’s the same reason why you’ll happily spend $90 for a t-shirt at Lululemon, or why people will line up to spend $4,000 on a simple laptop at Apple. People know, like and trust the brand. Of course, being the next Lululemon may not be your goal, but if you look around within your industry (whether you’re a Landscaper, Painter, Builder, Roofer, or Sub Trade), there are numerous brands that carry mass influence. And if they’ve created it, you can too. If you’re serious about creating a lasting business, you must. It’s important to look at your brand as a foundation that you build your organization on top of. It’s an investment worth adding to, as a great brand will pay back in dividends over the course of your career. To explain the importance of branding, and the process of creating great brands in the contracting industry, we’re joined today by the best that we know of - Noel Fox from FreeBird agency. Having worked with Noel for years, both on creating the Breakthrough Academy brand, as well as your favorite podcast, Contractor Evolution, I can promise you that he is the real deal. Brian Scudamore, the founder of 1-800-GOT-JUNK will also tell you that Noel is his #1 go to when it comes to bringing an impactful brand to life. Noel Fox and FreeBird agency have created industry-leading brands for companies such as You Move Me, Wow 1 Day Painting, Shack Shine and have been a massive part of the brand development of 1-800-GOT-JUNK as well as those famous lululemon bags you see on every street across the world. A few key pieces from this episode on brand include: What separates a great brand from an average brand? The thing contractors often get wrong with their own brand. How to leverage your brand for recruiting and hiring How to evaluate your brand the way a world class branding agency would The signs you’ll see when you have a brand that’s working for you A step-by-step walkthrough on how to build a powerful brand on a budget To watch the full episode and access free resources go to www.contractorevolution.com If you are are growing, but working like a dog to make it all happen, take our 10 day, Evolved Contractor Challenge to free yourself - http://www.btacademy.com/evolvedcontractorchallenge See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	20 Mar 2024	152. Unleash The Power Of Your COO - Cameron Herold	00:55:41
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP152 My guest on the show today is Cameron Herold, best-selling author of 6 books, many of which you’ll know and love: The Miracle Morning, Meetings Suck, and arguably his most popular Vivid Vision. But today’s conversation is about his latest book, The Second In Command: Unleash The Power Of Your COO, which I am immediately putting on the must-read list for all of you. Cameron was the COO of 1-800-Got Junk and helped Brian Scudamore grow from just $2 million a year to over $100 million a year. He hosts a podcast called The Second in Command Podcast, where he interviews COOs of some of the biggest brands in the world. Shopify, Zendesk, Asana, MailChimp, and the list goes on. He’s even built a mastermind group for COOs called the COO Alliance, which is like a breakthrough academy but just for COOs. Super cool. The book and today’s episode amalgamate Cameron’s wisdom gained through decades of filling, studying, coaching, and writing about the all-important COO role. To know more about Cameron and his courses visit: https://cameronherold.com/ and https://investinyourleaders.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	20 Jul 2022	65. The Antidote For Imposter Syndrome And Self Doubt - Benji Carlson	00:13:22
To apply for a Business Assessment with Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP65 Do you ever feel like a fraud? In certain situations do you ever feel like you are one minor mistake, one missed detail away from being found out by everyone as a phony? Do you sometimes feel totally under qualified to occupy the position that you do? Flawed, imperfect, error-prone, human? If you do, that CAN be healthy. Or, it can ruin you. Either way, you aren’t alone. Click the links below to get my take on Imposter Syndrome and why it affects so many contractors. Episode Highlights A definition of imposter syndrome and some of the key signs to look out for in yourself of others An anecdotal observation about imposter syndrome after speaking with over 1000 contractors and diving deep into their mental and emotional challenges The surprising reason that an unusually high number of contractors are prone to feeling imposter syndrome and why it might be a sign you’re on the right track Why you shouldn't block out your negative emotions and how to listen and act on them in a healthy way 3 Practical steps to manage imposter syndrome if you think you have it The dangers of trying to mask a lack of confidence by being overly confident See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	26 Mar 2025	205. The Alter Ego Effect: Perform Better Any Time, Anywhere - Todd Herman	00:53:10
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP205 To learn more about Todd, check out https://toddherman.me/ Whether we realize it or not, we all play characters in our lives. The idea that we should unashamedly show up as the “best” version of ourselves in all settings sounds good, but in reality, it is a gross oversimplification of the truth. Think about it…. There’s: You the CEO You the friend You the salesperson You the mum or you the dad There’s you the amateur train collector or video game enthusiast We have different versions of ourselves. Does that make you disingenuous or inauthentic? Not at all. We’re all multifaceted beings, and if you can’t see that, you’re not paying attention. Our guest today is Todd Herman. His book The Alter Ego Effect explains WHY understanding and investing in these different archetypes of the self is one of the most powerful performance cheat codes available to us. Today’s conversation is about how to harness it. Episode Highlights: Understand the Alter Ego Effect and how it can be used to exponentially improve your performance in every aspect of your life. Learn how to identify the different versions of you, their strengths, and how to harness them at the right time to achieve the right results. Get tips from Todd Herman, performance coach to billionaires and elite athletes, on creating your own alter ego, designed to help you succeed in whichever area of your life is lacking. 00:00-Intro 01:48-Clark Kent vs. Superman: Understanding the Alter Ego 05:14-Where does the term "Alter Ego" come from? 07:40-Using the Alter Ego to improve performance 10:19-Why everything is a performance 19:42-How to create an Alter Ego 30:36-Alter Ego examples 34:15-How to get started on your Alter Ego(s) 41:17-Activating your Alter Ego 47:18-What business people can learn from athletes 51:42-Connect with Todd
	21 Sep 2022	74. Build A Long Client Waitlist Using These 4 Sales Documents - Jamie Overley	00:50:51
To apply for a Breakthrough Academy Business Assessment click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP74 Build A Long Client Waitlist Using These 4 Sales Documents: https://trybta.com/PCDLEP74 When selling to your prospects and customers, do you ever get tired of answering the same exact questions over and over again? Are you ever bored by the sound of your own voice, endlessly running through the same talking points, addressing the same concerns, constantly explaining the same process sometime multiple times a day? What if you could replicate yourself for those conversations? You’d both save yourself some time AND you could talk to all the potential clients you’re struggling to get to right now. Well, guess what. You can. Kind of. We live in an age where you can create a piece of sales collateral and it will continue to sell long after you’ve created it. Yet, there’s a lot of testing that goes into WHAT to create. In this episode, Jamie Overley of Boulder Land Design shares the 4 pieces of sales collateral that she has found are the most effective in getting the sale, and then driving reviews and referrals after the project is complete. Oh, and she has been booked out over a year for the last 3 years PLUS continued to raise her prices, so something is working. Learn how this former marketing exec is sailing past the competition with her easy to replicate 4 part process. Episode Highlights: What consumer habits have evolved into and how to play to the change in behaviour in 2022 How to make sure that the customer gets the right sales message every time no matter who they talked to The red flags that tell you you are doing a poor job communicating your brand 4 examples of easy sales collateral that you can create and the details that go into each piece Why you should build a 'post project' package and what goes into it to drive referrals and reviews Tips for managing a huge backlog of inquires when your sales collateral works too well See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	25 Sep 2024	179. Negotiation Tactics for Contractors - Chris Voss	01:01:28
Get your free guide to Chris Voss' Top Negotiation Tips for Contractors here: https://trybta.com/DLEP179 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP179 Check out Chris Voss' new documentary, Tactical Empathy, here: https://www.amazon.com/Tactical-Empathy-Chris-Voss/dp/B0D83LHHZT Today’s episode frickin’ rocks. The one and only Chris Voss, world-renowned FBI negotiator and author of Never Split the Difference, is on the show to talk all things negotiation. We cover the mindset, the skills, and the systems you need to be a better negotiator in your contracting business. Whether you’re defending your price to a haggling client, driving a hard bargain with a supplier, or negotiating a comp package with a key employee, implementing the tips in this episode will help you get better results. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	19 Jul 2023	117. How To Squeeze “Lost Revenue” Out Of Your CRM - Alan Michael McKenna	00:53:59
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP117 Check out Alan’s work here: https://ultimaterainmaker.com/ Have you ever crunched the numbers to figure out: how many leads your business generates that go unestimated? How many leads get estimated but remain unsold? How much lost revenue that all adds up to? Most small businesses are wildly inefficient with their lead flow. You wouldn’t dream of buying twice the materials you need for a project only to abandon the leftovers in a pile. So why do we do this with our marketing spend and our lead flow? Why do we recklessly burn and turn leads like they grow on trees? A solid “rehash” system can help you maximize the revenue off of the leads you already generate, and I’m excited to speak to Alan Michael McKenna, founder of The Ultimate Rainmaker, about it. Alan’s system has recaptured north of $100MM dollars of lost revenue for many of the biggest brands in the home service and remodeling industry, including Renewal by Anderson, Kohler, and One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning. If you want to know how to add 10% to 20% to your top without spending a dollar more on marketing, listen to this episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	22 Jan 2025	196. The Financial Secrets of $10MM Contractors - Bob Gauvreau	01:24:12
Grab your free "goodie bag" of financial management templates here: https://trybta.com/DL196 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP196 If you’ve made it this far in business, I probably don’t need to tell you that need to budget, track your overhead, and do job costing. The problem is: nobody ever shows you HOW. A few weeks back, we co-hosted a webinar with our friend Bob Gauvreau from Gauvreau Accounting Tax Law Advisory to teach 7-figure contractors everything they need to know about managing their finances. We talked about budgeting, job costing, avoiding cash crunches and more. And today, we’re replaying it here on the podcast so more contractors can benefit from the insights. This is a must-listen for anyone whose New Year’s Resolution is to get better at financial management. Episode Highlights: 00:00-Intro02:34-About the session03:47-About our free templates (link in description)05:24-Why talk cash flow and budgeting?06:50-About Benji & Bob08:05-Purpose, Outcomes & Agenda10:59-Why is staying on top of your numbers so hard?13:41-Common challenges with financial management21:41-3 Core Systems of Financial Management36:23-Industry Benchmarks - Profit Margins41:20-Margins as you evolve46:21-Signs you should be worried about your cash flow51:04-Five Cash Flow Destroyers59:33-How to implement change01:07:18-Q&A See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	05 Feb 2025	198. How SOPs Changed the Game For Matt Risinger - Matt Risinger	01:25:26
Get your free SOP starter kit here: https://trybta.com/DL198 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP198 Ever wonder why some contractors scale smoothly to 7-figures and beyond while others constantly get stuck in an operational hellhole? Clients constantly badgering you… Crews relying on you to answer every single question… Margins so depressing they could make a grown man cry… The good news is, there’s a relatively simple tool that can help you solve most of your operational challenges. SOPs (standard operating procedures). A while back, I co-hosted a comprehensive SOP web class with the one and only Matt Risinger, CEO of Risinger Build and founder of the Build Show Network. We covered everything you need to know about SOPs, based on Breakthrough Academy’s work with over 1500 contractors and Matt Risinger’s own experience scaling two massive companies. Today, we’re releasing that class as a podcast episode so more contractors can benefit from Matt’s insights. Episode Highlights: 00:00-Intro02:13-About the web class06:50-What part of your operations frustrates you the most?15:11-SOP Red Flags25:52-Where to start with SOPs35:34-How to build SOPs50:04-Change management58:54-Why SOPs fail01:00:49-The evolution of the entrepreneur01:02:09-Implement SOPs faster with the Contractor Growth Method01:04:53-Q&A See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	03 Aug 2022	67. The Case for Content Marketing (Even If You Have Too Many Leads) - Matt Jones	01:10:35
To apply for a Business Assessment with Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP67 Tradie Web Guys - https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/BTA “Create Content” is such an easy thing for some marketing guru to tell you to do. But those people are the same A-holes that sit in front of a screen all day and have no realistic clue what goes into running the average contracting company. On top of that, why on God’s green earth would you take the time you don’t have to bring in leads when you’re flooded with work already? I’ll tell you why. Demand. Creating a list of 1000’s of people that want to work with you allows you to raise your prices SIGNIFICANTLY. Demand is the reason some contractors are able to charge 3 to 4 times more than average. In order to show you how to create that kind of demand (without eating up your entire work day filming selfies) we have plumber turned marketing expert Matt Jones on the show. Listen to the full episode to learn some stupidly simple things you can do to dial in your content strategy and build your brand presence. Episode Highlights: What it means for a contractor to have a "Content Strategy" in 2022 and what you can expect for results if you get it right An easy way to tell your story in a way that leads to sales (even if you think you’ll be terrible at it) How much work it (really) is to produce content as a contractor and the easy incentive to get your team to produce content for the business so you don’t have to The communication mediums you should use in 2022 to target an upper-middle-class demographic Why it’s a huge advantage to produce content even if you have more than enough work The obvious “RED FLAG” mistakes on contractor websites that actively push ideal clients away See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	09 Apr 2025	209. A Six Part System For Systemizing Your Contracting Business - Ian Ouwerkerk	01:18:24
On May 6, attend our free web class to learn the proven hiring framework top contractors use to attract and retain A players during a labor shortage. Register here: https://trybta.com/CE-HIRING-M25 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP209 Our guest on the show today is our very own coach, Ian Ouwerkerk. Ian coaches the highest number of businesses here at Breakthrough Academy. He has a massive sample size and a unique perspective on what works and what doesn't when it comes to growing your construction or trades business. He is particularly well-versed in implementing what we call the Contractor Growth Method with his coaching Members. It’s a six-part business system designed to help contractors set their businesses up for success—whether that means scaling, stabilizing or just making the whole thing less painful and more fun. Today, Ian is going to walk us through that system, just like he’s done hundreds of times for Members. This episode is the high-level answer to the question: “how do I systemize my entire contracting business from start to finish?” Episode Highlights: Get a step-by-step walkthrough of a six-part business system designed to help contractors scale or stabilize their operations. Learn how Ian priorities certain areas of business over others when coaching his many Members. 00:00-Intro 00:10-About the Contractor Growth Method 05:14-Ian's philosophy on business systems 16:02-Contractor Growth Method Step 1: Goal Setting & Execution 26:56-Contractor Growth Method Step 2: Financial Controls 38:41-Contractor Growth Method Part 3: Optimized Sales & Marketing 51:08-Contractor Growth Method Part 4: Hiring & Training 59:15-Contractor Growth Method Part 5: Defined Roles 01:07:11-Contractor Growth Method Part 6: Project Delivery 01:13:24-Recap
	08 Sep 2021	20. Built To Sell: The 7 Commonalities of Contracting Companies With High Valuations - Kevin Shaw	00:48:50
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP20 Here’s a common scenario: Two contractors have worked equally hard over 20 years in their businesses. At the end of the 20 years, one sells off their assets for $200K, while the other sells their business for $10M. What’s the difference? Planning. If you want to build a business of tremendous value that can thrive without you and allow you to cash out and move on, then Kevin Shaw, our guest on this episode of Contractor Evolution, has some invaluable insights to get you there. Kevin is the President and Managing Director of Canada Corporate Finance Baker Tilly, which specializes in mergers and acquisitions. Kevin has been involved in hundreds of business deals over the years. With all his experience, he gives us the 7 core areas he’s looking at when he values a business for sale. Unfortunately, these 7 areas can’t be built into your business overnight. Most take years to develop and integrate into your company, so it pays to understand them well in advance. If you have a vision for your business that involves you ‘Cashing Out’ one day, this episode is a must listen. If you are are growing, but working like a dog to make it all happen, take our 10 day, Evolved Contractor Challenge to free yourself - http://www.btacademy.com/evolvedcontractorchallenge See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	28 Aug 2024	175. The Power of Purpose-Driven Leadership - Ryan Gill	00:49:32
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP175 To learn more about Ryan and Brush Strokes, click here: https://brushstrokesga.com/ Today’s episode is your daily dose of inspiration. Ryan Gill, Breakthrough Academy Member and owner of Brush Strokes Quality Painting in Georgia, has quite the story. He’s battled addiction, struggled with his mental health, and been on the brink of bankruptcy three times. And today, he runs a thriving painting company with a mission to give back. Through an unconventional hiring strategy, Ryan gives second chances to ex-inmates and individuals in addiction recovery programs while maintaining the highest standard of quality and world-class customer service. His story powerfully reminds us of the bigger role our businesses play in making the world a better place. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	11 Sep 2024	177. Why Most Websites Suck (and How to Make Yours Better) - Bryce Choquer	00:39:01
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP177 Get a complimentary SEO audit from Choquer Creative here: https://cal.com/brycechoquer/seo-audit Did you get your website built because you knew you needed one? Or did you have it thoughtfully designed and optimized to get you leads? The truth is that 9/10 of your competition's websites are poorly designed and under-optimized. And if your website just exists to check a box on your marketing to-do list, yours probably is too. Our guest today, Bryce Choquer, is the founder of Choquer Creative, a web design and SEO Agency that specializes in building websites for trades and construction companies. In this episode, he breaks down the framework he uses to get contractors more leads from their websites. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	10 Aug 2022	68. Three Profit Killers And How To Avoid Them - Benji & Igor	00:37:59
To apply for a Business Assessment with Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP68 Your business is a “For-Profit Entity”. Profits are a slippery business though. Sometimes it can feel like what you made on paper and what is in your bank account don’t quite line up. Sometimes top-line growth doesn’t translate to bottom-line growth. And sometimes it's only a few expense categories on our P&L that are giving us all the headache. Listen to the full episode and we’ll show you where and how contractors most commonly destroy their year-end profits Episode Highlights: Why it’s so easy for your overhead efficiency to spiral out of control and the best way to track your overhead deliverables The difference between managing expectations in your "Ditch Diggers" vs managing expectations with your more abstract roles Managing increasing material costs and why you NEED to take action in your business to mitigate them and not just accept tightening margins The two kinds of companies when it comes to addressing inflation and why one thrives while the other fails Why writing off big expenses at the end of the year to offset your tax bracket is a bad move How your ego can tank your financials if you aren’t very careful See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	26 Jan 2023	92. 4 Tactics To Put Your Referrals On Steroids - Brian Kaskavalciyan	01:21:33
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP92 To learn more about Brian’s company gfour marketing go to https://www.gfourmarketing.com/ This episode of Contractor Evolution is with Brian Kaskavalciyan, Author of The 7 Secrets to becoming a Wealthy Contractor, Host of the Wealthy Contractor Podcast, and Co Founder of gFour Marketing Group: A relationship marketing firm that helps contractors unleash the power of their customers by installing the industry leading framework for driving referrals. Before becoming the well known figure he is today, Brian founded Handyman Network which he developed into a national franchise. It was there he began to realize the power of not just referrals, but having a customer base that truly promotes you and reps the brand. So he began to develop a wholistic approach to Relationship Marketing which makes up the framework that he now implements with clients through gFour. I wanted to go deep with Brian on how to put a referral program on steroids and become a company where our raving customers do a lot of the marketing for us. If you do good work and take care of your clients you're obviously going to get some referrals organically, but if you're a growing company and want to become more intentional with this all important lead source, there’s actually a ton of stuff you can implement. Our conversation is anchored in four core areas: How to drive google reviews which boost searchability and position you as the customer service leader Customer Appreciation and how automated post job gifts and notes of gratitude build crazy goodwill in the marketplace We talk about Referral Rewards programs which incentivize clients to actually bring you hot leads And lastly we talk about the all important long term nurture sequence which keeps your brand front of mind and makes you a repeat business magnet. To learn more about how to put your referrals on steroids, listen to this episode. Highlights: How to drive Google reviews which boost searchability and position you as the customer service leader Customer Appreciation and how automated, post job gifts and notes of gratitude build crazy goodwill in the marketplace Referral Rewards programs which incentivize clients to actually bring you hot leads Long term nurture sequence which keeps your brand front of mind and makes you a repeat business magnet See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	06 Jul 2022	63. Master Your Sales To Production Hand Off: Less Finger Pointing, More Referrals - Paul Atherton	00:27:35
To apply for a Business Assessment with Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP63 To download the Sales Handoff Project Charter and DECA analysis click here: https://trybta.com/PCDLEP63 Misaligned expectations between contractor and client are the route of all evil when it comes to: Hitting or missing budget Finishing the project on time or way behind schedule And creating a happy customer who will refer you for years or not. Sales handoff is one of the most critical links in the overall chain that is your business’s workflow. Get this right and producing the job you sold can, believe it or not, go off without a hitch. Get it wrong though and your production team can be stuck in a hellish nightmare for way longer than planned, hurting the project’s profitability and team unity. Your sales handoff can seem more straightforward than it actually is though, which is why we’ve got Paul Atherton, one of BTA’s most senior coaches on for this episode. Click the icons below to learn the 6 things Paul tells us your sales team needs to share with your production team for a headache free job. How to prevent "I thought you guys would do this too" from the customer (and end death by 1000 requests) What it looks like to set “bumper guards” on the job so things like deadline and expenditures don’t get out of hand The common assumptions that will kill your project The best way to avoid false promises during the quoting process from being made in the first place How to use a Project Charter to insure everything is communicated properly at key points along the project Using a DECA Analysis to be able to ask the right questions at the start of the job See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	20 Apr 2022	52. Are you a Dreamer with Ideas or a Visionary with Traction? - Luke Hansen	00:45:12
Free Trial for CompanyCam: https://app.companycam.com/signup?email= If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP52 In this week’s episode of Contractor Evolution I sat down with a guest we’ve been trying to pin down for awhile, Luke Hansen. Luke is the founder and CEO of a CompanyCam, our favourite photo storage and site management app. Company Cam is purpose-built for contractors - it’s an intuitive platform to help you snap, store, sync and share photos of your jobs so that you, the owner, can better understand what's happening on site. No, I’m not getting paid to say this, I just really believe in what Luke and his team are doing. It’s so much easier to empower your crews to make decisions and drive production without having to get in your truck and go out and see them if you have great photo management. Plus, it covers your butt if anything goes to the lawyers. Luke in particular is one of my favourite CEOs in the contracting space. Not only because his product rocks but because he has a really unique perspective on life and business It's important to mention that before building a software and pitching venture capitalists, Luke was a roofer working for his family business White Castle Roofing so he understands the lived experience of the contractor because that was him not that long ago. In this episode with Luke Hansen we unpack: The problem Luke saw in his own business that led to the creation of CompanyCam How photo sharing empowers your staff and requires far less of the owner's time The 3 traits that separate a dreamer from a visionary with traction When it’s ok to look stupid in front of your peers How to know when it's time to delegate and elevate tasks as a leader Why perfection can easily be an enemy of something good See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	23 Dec 2021	35. How To Evolve From 'Boss' To 'Coach' - James Dale	00:36:58
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP35 To download the 3 stages coaching pdf click here: https://trybta.com/PCDLEP35 What are you working so hard for? Money for you and your family. And the time to enjoy it. Most evolving contractors want both. The finer details of the picture may change from entrepreneur to entrepreneur, we are all unique. But for a lot of us, our dream life and business is centered around more money and more time. You can’t really savour one without the other. Now, as you’ve definitely realized already, this dream is impossible without competent staff who can independently solve problems, make decisions, and drive the business forward. Developing leaders within is essential because if everyone and everything needs us, we’ll never feel the freedom that motivated us to start our company in the first place. Do you want empowered teams and leaders that execute well without you? Or a bunch of worker bees who need constant babysitting? The choice is yours. This is why “coaching” will always be more effective than “bossing”. To help us move from boss and coach, we’re joined by James Dale, one of our favourite recurring guests. As you’ve heard in other episodes James is Director of Training and Development for Breakthrough Academy. Today’s conversation is about situational leadership and how to coach your employees as they go through the 3 developmental stages associated with taking on a new role or learning a new skill. If you can’t develop talent your business will always run you! To avoid this, here are a few key points we go over: How to tackle the very common scenario of moving a skilled employee into a management role What happens to contractors that don’t see themselves as a coach in their business How to work with someone when they have low skill but high commitment The coaching style most contractors skip when their employees are doing OK that holds back big opportunities for growth How NOT to lead employees that have high competency and high commitment What to do when you are too busy to properly coach each employee that reports to you See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	14 Sep 2022	73. Is Better Financial Tracking The Secret To Scaling? Case Study - Cooper and Janelle Leary	00:46:41
To apply for a Breakthrough Academy Business Assessment click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP73 If you’ve ever felt like your profit should be increasing with your revenue, you’re not alone. If revenue goes up…profit goes up. Right? It’s simple math. It should work like that. You think if you just work a little harder, push a little more…POOF… you’ll magically crest revenue hill. Economies of scale will kick in and all of the sudden you’ll have the kind profit you’ve always wanted. But it doesn’t work like that. If your revenues have been growing, but your profits aren’t matching the same growth rates (or exceeding), then you, my friend, have a very simple problem. One that is pretty easy to fix if you know what to look for. Listen to what this husband and wife team did when they found they had the same problem in their $4M landscaping company and how they fully controlled profits from that point out: The reason why profits didn't change even though revenue was seriously increasing 1 file that CLS implemented which made the biggest difference in their business growth and profit margins. The mental struggle with being a contractor vs working in a white collar industry and how to shift your mindset How to install a strong leadership team to manage multiple locations PLUS the roles you need to hire and in what priority order What advice would Cooper and Janelle have given themselves back when they started What it's like to find balance between 60 staff, 3 kids and themselves See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	22 Nov 2023	135. Performance Reviews That Don't Suck - Ashley Ennis	00:56:46
To download the Supervisor and Employee Performance Review Documents, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP135 Performance Reviews are a misunderstood facet of a company’s performance management cycle. You may have already implemented them and love how they help grow and develop the talent on your team. You might think they’re an unnecessary formality from the corporate HR world. Or (and I suspect this is a lot of you) you might be somewhere in the middle, doing a quasi-formal year-end meeting where some feedback is given, but it quickly devolves into a compensation negotiation or a bitch and moan fest (not ideal 😬.) Wherever you sit on this spectrum, I promise you’ll get a tonne from this episode, where we outline exactly why you need to start doing them (if you’re not already) and how to get started. To help me, I’m joined by one of our amazing Breakthrough Academy coaches, Ashley Ennis. Ashley’s been with BTA since 2017 and has helped hundreds of our members implement performance reviews that their teams are pumped for. So if you want to develop your people faster, create leaders within your business, and foster a culture of transparency and data-driven feedback, listen to this episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	15 Nov 2023	134. Brian Scudamore: How A Visionary Found His Integrator - Brian Scudamore	00:55:45
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP134 Our guest on the show this week is Brian Scudamore, the visionary behind 1-800-GOT-JUNK—the largest junk removal company in the world. Brian’s story is a fascinating one, but the part we zoom in on in this episode is how he found his Integrator and COO, Erik Church, and here is why… Most of you are visionaries who will, at some point, need an integrator. Your brain is naturally tilted toward the future and teaming with bright (and some not-so-bright) ideas. As your business grows, it will become necessary to hand off the day-to-day execution of your business strategy to someone who is even better at it than you. A right-hand man/woman. A strong #2. The yin to your yang. Why not learn from someone who has done precisely that to the tune of $500MM a year in sales? Listen to this episode to learn how Scudamore became one of the most successful home service entrepreneurs in the world by hiring out his weaknesses and tripling down on his strengths. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	10 Apr 2024	155. Does Open Book Management Really Work? - Ryan Markewich	00:53:13
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP155 If you’ve ever wondered how an Open Book Management business operates and whether or not this model might work for you. You’re in luck! Open Book Management, or OBM for short, is a business philosophy and system that communicates the entire financial picture of the business all the way down to the laborer in the field. The fundamental idea is that every set of hands comes from with a free brain, and people generally play better when your keeping score. Our guest today is Ryan Markewich, founder of Creative Roots Landscaping in Kelowna, BC, and a certified Great Game of Business Coach. For the last twenty years, he’s run Creative Roots fully “Open Book” and is here today to tell us about it. I ask him: Does OBM really work? Or is this just another hyped-up business framework? How much extra work is it to train employees on the financial reports and KPIs in order for them to truly be “in the game”? How do they select future partners from their employee pool? How do they groom them? And what does it actually mean when an employee purchases a tranche of the company? Open Book Management isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve ever been curious about it, this is a great jumping-off point. To know more about Ryan visit https://rmark.ca/ and https://www.greatgame.com/about/our-coaches/ryan-markewich See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	16 Jun 2021	08. Unicorn Hunting: Secrets To Attracting And Building A Powerhouse Sales Team with Mason Marquis and Jesse Kreisman	00:58:31
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP08 Does the perfect high-performing sales team really exist? C'mon?! According to Mason Marquis, owner of Spray-Tex and Jesse Kreisman, owner of Alco Products Inc., it does...and once you've found the secret elixir, your business will finally be free to level up. Marquis had a hard time stepping away from sales. He loved it. And, more importantly, he didn't trust someone enough to release those reins. Kreisman in contrast understood that his business had hit a ceiling, and it would require a certain kind of salesperson (and not the kind we would expect) to break through the roof. What did these two incredibly successful entrepreneurs do to attract and hire sales superstars and what steps do they take so they don't lose those unicorns? (They also managed to step away from their business and they don't have to deal with any sales drama.) Breakthrough Academy hosts Benji Carlson and Danny Kerr sit down with Marquis and Kreisman in our latest Contractor Evolution podcast to ask the questions people are often too scared to ask. We've got you covered...no worries. If you are are growing, but working like a dog to make it all happen, take our 10 day, Evolved Contractor Challenge to free yourself - http://www.btacademy.com/evolvedcontractorchallenge See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	13 Jan 2022	38. Proposals That Sell Themselves; The Easiest Way To Boost Your Closing Ratio - Ryan Shantz (Sumo Quote)	00:58:11
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP38 To download Ryan Shantz' sample quote, click here: https://trybta.com/PCDLEP38 When you add up all the quotes, estimates, proposals (whatever you call them) that you do in a year and consider the sheer volume of sales opportunities your business has every season, you realize that even a slight boost in efficiency has a massive impact on how much revenue you sell. If you could land one more deal out of every 10 quotes you give. How many dollars would that add up to? How much more profit would your business generate with no extra effort. Do the math… Seriously… the number might surprise you because it’s a lot. One of the easiest ways to maximize your closing ratio is by leaving your customer with a beautiful and informative proposal that does a bunch of the selling for you. Something that not only articulates the scope of work in precise detail, but also showcases your brand as the obvious solution to your customer’s problems. It turns out there is actually a formula to building such a perfect proposal, and to walk us through it we have Ryan Shantz on the show today. Ryan is the Founder of SumoQuote. For years, Ryan has obsessed over how to craft the perfect proposal that will stand for itself and drive more sales. Why is he qualified to be a subject matter expert on this topic? Well, for years prior to SumoQuote, he has owned (and still owns) a massive 8 figure roofing company in Calgary, Alberta. When he implemented these high level proposals into the company their closing ratios shot up from 27 to 44 percent. On today’s show he breaks down the ingredients that go into a proposal that sells itself. In this week’s episode we discuss: The 5 core items that exist in proposals that sell themselves The simple key image that is most likely to impact the homeowners decision (that most quotes leave out) The psychology behind strategically placed visuals and graphic design Where to include social proof in your design to increase SR New ways to make it super easy for the customer to say yes How a better proposal allows you to scale your sales team while protecting you from liability So if you want to close more, charge more, and save time, this episode is a must listen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	16 Dec 2021	34. How Tech Will Change The Contracting Game Over The Next Ten Years - Piers Dormeyer	01:10:28
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP34 If you’ve been a contractor for even a short period of time you’ve no doubt noticed that technology is changing the game…..and fast. There are technologies and softwares purpose-built to help you with nearly every aspect of your business. From lead gen to estimating, Bookkeeping to HR, inventory management to time tracking. No matter what the task is, there is some platform out there to help you with it. And if there isn’t yet there will be soon. Now, to be clear, I’m not saying randomly buying software subscriptions is going to fix everything. In fact, if you don't know how to navigate this world you can actually do more harm than good - and we’ll talk about how to avoid that mistake in the episode. But for evolved contractors planning to play this game for a while yet, the slow and methodical implementation of your tech stack is no longer optional. This is why we brought Piers Dormeyer to the show today. Piers is the president of Construction and Utilities at EagleView. If you’ve not heard of EagleView yet, let me give a great example of how tech is changing the game. They’re a geospatial software designed to help take estimating and project planning to another level. Let me explain: Eagleview owns and operates a fleet of over 100 aircraft that are constantly flying over the towns and cities of North America, taking high-resolution aerial photos of buildings and properties. These photos then get turned into hyper-precise diagrams accurate to a 10th of a foot. Think about it… you could drive to the customer’s house with a tape measure and a ladder, to spend an hour painstakingly measuring and estimating. Or you could order an EagleView Report and have all that data (images, 3d models, measurements) in seconds. No human error, no drive time, and way better information to build your pricing and project plan around. That’s probably why over 54,000 contractors ordered an EV report last year. Anyway, Piers’ background, before joining EagleView, which we’ll let him explain in a second gives him a super unique perspective on technology's influence on the contracting industry. In this episode with Piers we unpack: How the contracting tech space has changed in the last 15 years The specific tech stack that Piers would recommend if he were starting a contracting company from scratch The difference in mindset between ‘early’ adopters and ‘late’ adopters and where each path leads The process you should be using to both select and integrate new software into your business How Covid has permanently altered the way contractors use technology Where Piers sees technology evolving in the contracting space in the next 10 years To watch the full episode and access free resources go to www.contractorevolution.com If you are growing, but working like a dog to make it all happen, take our 10 day, Evolved Contractor Challenge to free yourself - http://www.btacademy.com/evolvedcontractorchallenge See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	14 Feb 2024	147. 5 Risk Mitigation Strategies: Protect Your Future (Wealth Builder 6) - Danielle Slavin	01:00:46
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP147 One part of the wealth-building story for contractors that doesn’t get a whole lot of coverage in our modern thought-o-sphere is risk mitigation. The affluent business person you want to become doesn’t get there SIMPLY by always making successful bets. The part you don’t see is the huge losses they avoided. S*** happens. So protecting the downside is actually more important than the pursuit of growth. We’re excited to have Danielle Slavin on the show today. She is a CFA and a Senior Portfolio Manager at RBC Dominion Securities. For the last 16 years, she and her team of 6 help have helped contractors just like you preserve and prudently grow the wealth they extract from their businesses. Today we’re going to talk about the morbid but oh-so-important ways to protect your wealth from: Deaths Divorces Serious Illnesses and a whole host of other threats See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	04 Sep 2024	176. How to Stay Present in a Distracted World - Mike Lee	01:03:49
Get access to Benji and Mike's favorite mindfulness practices here: https://trybta.com/PCDLEP176 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP176 Did you know the average employee loses 600 hours a year due to distractions? That’s a lot of untapped potential. And a lot of anxious people. Our guest on the show today is Mike Lee, a best-selling author and globally recognized keynote speaker whose entire body of work is dedicated to helping leaders find focus, block out distractions, and get more done with a calmer mind. Mike and I talk about how to be more present in the way you work, live and lead. From separating yourself from the constant notifications, algorithms and open tabs to dealing with the anxiety that comes with owning a business, leading people and being a human in 2024. If you want to be more focused, more present and more mindful, this one’s for you. Get Mike's book, New Rules for the Future of Leadership here: https://mindshiftlabs.com/new-rules-for-the-future-of-leadership/ Episode highlights: - Learn about the real cost distractions have to our businesses and our personal lives. - Get tips on practicing focus, mindfulness and presence from best-selling author and globally recognized keynote speaker Mike Lee. - Find out what working with athletes like Steph Curry taught Mike about the power of mindset in achieving success on the court and in business. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	13 Sep 2023	125. Which Fire Should I Put Out Next? - Mike Michalowicz	00:29:04
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP125 Register for Breakthough Academy’s 2024 Winter Summit: https://www.btacademy.com/wintersummit/register/ Order one of Mike’s books: https://mikemichalowicz.com/books/ My Guest on the Show today is Best Selling Business Author Mike Michalowicz. Mike has written some classics: Profit First, The Pumpkin Plan, Fix This Next, and Get Different, just to name a few. Mike's body of work is beloved for one simple reason: they work. Today, we zoom in and hash out one of the fundamental ideas in his book Fix This Next, which he calls The Business Priority Pyramid. Mike believes that the biggest problem facing most entrepreneurs is that they don’t actually know what their biggest problem is. And I would tend to agree. Think about it… How much time have you invested solving the wrong problems? How many hours and dollars have you wasted on stuff that seemed important but really wasn’t in the grand scheme of things? Prioritization is arguably the most vital of entrepreneurial skills, and the Business Priority Pyramid is the most no-nonsense framework I’ve found to help us get better at it. To figure out the right fire for you to put out next, listen to this episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	31 Aug 2022	71. 19 Hilariously Accurate Client Red Flags - Benji Carlson	00:19:20
To apply for a Breakthrough Academy Business Assessment click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP71 Nothing in the world of contracting sucks the life out of you or your team like a miserable client. A sorry SOB whose apparent mission in life is to ruin yours. It almost seems they take pleasure in the process. What I’m saying is I think we can all agree that avoiding the crazies is in your best interest. And the sooner the better. After running my own painting company and talking to over 1000 contractors, I’ve noticed there are a few client patterns that have emerged in our collective experience. I should mention, this list is by no means exhaustive and if you have your own red flags I’d love you to leave them in the comments of this episode's Youtube video. I read all the comments you guys put in there. Episode Highlights (6 Key Phrases That Should Raise A Red Flag): “Can I help out? And what kind of discount will I get if I do?” “We bought the materials already, just charge us for labor.” “I could do this myself, I’m just so busy” “I’m a realtor and I’ve flipped many houses so I know what things cost.” “I have a brother-in-law who does some flooring. Can he be involved?” “I’m super busy, do we have to meet?” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	05 Jun 2024	163. Get Your Sales Team's Butt In Gear - Adam Bensman	01:18:57
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP163 Download our Ideal Candidate Profile + Job Posting Tool for FREE here: https://trybta.com/DLEP163 Over the last year, the tone has changed with salespeople. The deals aren’t closing the way they were, and entrepreneurs are (understandably) frustrated. You need rockstar closers, but instead, you’re stuck with a bunch of order-takers. A decade of low interest rates, strong economies, plus MEGA improvements in digital marketing has created a whole cohort of (frankly) average sales professionals who are not exactly thriving in this tighter, more competitive environment. Adam Bensman is the author of the Roofing Sales Survival Guide, the creator of the Roof Strategist Sales System, and the founder of the Roofing and Solar Reform Alliance (that’s a lotta stuff!). His sales education videos have a massive following on YouTube, and if you go check it out, you’ll see why. This guy’s legit. Today’s conversation has everything you need to fix a lethargic salesperson or sales team and get them firing on all cylinders as we head into a new economy. As Adam says: A “feeling” economy. To learn more about Adam Bensman, check out his YouTube channel, The Roofing Strategist: https://www.youtube.com/ @TheRoofStrategist To learn more about the Roofing & Solar Reform Alliance click here: https://www.rsra.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	14 Jul 2021	12. Sell More Jobs In Less Time By Making These 3 Shifts - Ryan Groth	00:51:06
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP12 Sales is, and always will be the lifeblood of your business. But if you're a business leader doing the lion's share of the selling and your team's closing rate is piss-poor (or even if it's, well, meh), you could be heading for a business blood clot. It's time for a sales blood transfusion! Otherwise known as the wise words from this episode's guest, Ryan Groth, CEO of Sales Transformation Group – a man on a mission to change the industry by working specifically with contractors to help them achieve explosive sales growth. Let's face it. As a business leader you really shouldn't be carrying the majority weight of the sales load – so how can you step aside, safe in the knowledge that your business won't go down the can? And another question: How is it your competitor manages to close virtually all their deals, when your team only manages <30%? In this episode, Ryan and BTA's Benji and Igor shed light on these questions by explaining three habits that separate the above average sales team from the elite. Mind...blown. It will be! To get in touch with Ryan and the Sales Transformation Group go to https://www.salestransformationgroup.com/ If you are are growing, but working like a dog to make it all happen, take our 10 day, Evolved Contractor Challenge to free yourself - http://www.btacademy.com/evolvedcontractorchallenge See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	15 Dec 2022	86. Financial 'Reality Check' For a Changing Market - Leeroy Beeby	00:57:15
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP86 To visit Check The Level accounting click here: https://www.checkthelevel.com/ To Join the ‘Job Costing and Bookkeeping for Contractors Only’ Facebook Group click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/jobcostingandbookkeepingfocontractorsonly Have you ever wondered why the bookkeeping and accounting for your contracting or trades business is so challenging? Well, there is a very real reason, and no it's not because you hated math in high school. A lot of it has to do with the fact that your project lifecycles and the cash inflows and outflows that happen therein don’t follow the gridded and calendarized rhythms of accounting cycles. They march to the beat of a different drummer (so to speak) and this can create all sorts of headaches and confusion when it comes to both your books and your bank account. Our guest on this episode of Contractor Evolution is Leeroy Beeby, Co-Founder of Check the Level - an accounting, bookkeeping and software provider. Check The Level was created for general and specialty contractors to master their pricing, profits, and cashflow. They do this through both managerial accounting as well as their proprietary reporting software. What’s unique about Leeroy’s perspective is he has back-end access to the budgets, P&Ls, cash positions and pricing systems of hundreds of contractors all over North America and is able to see large-scale patterns in a way almost no one can. To dive into the common practices that are shared by the top 10% of contractors (as well as the common mistakes made by the bottom segment of contractors) listen to this episode. Episode Highlights: The difference between Financial Accounting vs. Managerial Accounting and why most firms won't do the latter for you (even though you really need it) The patterns that become evident when you look at 100's of contractors' financials, and what the top 10% are doing differently than the rest How the top 10% of contractors set up their sales contracts uniquely to protect their cash flow Why you need to be charging a higher markup on your change orders than your standard rates How to get your team involved in the financial performance of each job The typical profile for a financially 'at risk' contracting company See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	03 Jan 2024	141. Real Estate Investment Strategies For Contractors (Wealth Builder 3) - Justin Bontkes	01:01:19
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP141 Welcome back to Contractor Evolution! This is episode 3 of the Wealth Builder series. Justin Bontkes is the founder and principal of Caliber Projects, a construction management and general contracting firm working on some of the most exciting real estate developments in BC. In many ways, Justin is the perfect case study for how contractors can build wealth through real estate investment alongside their core operating business. In 14 years, Justin has gone from a bags-on framer flipping houses on the side to leading Caliber’s team of 85 and building over $150 million in low-rise and high-rise projects. Through a dedication to constant learning and an eye for undervalued real estate, Justin has grown an award-winning company and amassed personal wealth, security, and freedom for himself and his family. In today’s conversation, Justin breaks down the following: Why, for contractors at least, the concept of “diversification” might actually be a bit overrated How to avoid “killing the golden goose” by taking your eye off the ball with your core business as you endeavor into real estate Lastly, he takes us through his personal investment strategy, how he analyzes land deals, and where he seeks to ADD value to properties and force their appreciation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	05 Jul 2023	115. 8 Ways To Turn Your Team Into Master Call Handlers - Zac Garside	00:55:13
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP1115 To Download Power SellingPros CSR Training Resources, click here: powersellingpros.com/free Do you ever listen to your office manager or salesperson speak to a lead on the phone and think to yourself: “You’re doing it WRONG!” ? The way calls get handled has a direct impact on how much revenue you do, how efficient your marketing spend is, how easygoing the customer is when the crew arrives, and how your brand is perceived in the marketplace. It's the first impression a customer has of your business, and if done poorly, it will be their last. We’re very fortunate to have Zac Garside, CEO of Power Selling Pros, on the show today. Power Selling Pros helps customer services representatives, and entire call centers boost their booking percentage and create amazing customer experiences from the very first interaction: Expect to learn: Why rigid call scripts don’t work and what you should be using instead How to train your call handers to build value, use strategic empathy, and ASK for the business And the 6 KPIs you need to measure call handling success objectively Whether you’re still doing all the calls yourself or you run 25 person call center, you’re going to get a tonne from this conversation with Zac Garside See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	29 Nov 2023	136. Listen To This If You've Ever Considered Franchising - Blair Rebane	01:00:03
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP136 The number of contractors who speak aspirationally about franchising their business one day compared to the number who actually do is astounding. People talk the talk but rarely walk the walk. And I’ve always wondered why that is. Are people smoking hope dope? Is franchising way more complicated than people realize? Some combination of the two? Our guest on the show today is Blair Rebane. He is a franchise lawyer and strategic advisor to many home service franchises, including the world's largest junk removal company. Over the last 30 years, he has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs franchise their businesses and, perhaps more importantly, talked hundreds more out of it. We literally can’t think of anyone better to give us a sobering walkthrough of what it actually takes to franchise your business. (hint: it’s way more complicated than most people think) If you’ve ever considered growing your business using the franchise model this episode is a must listen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	02 Nov 2022	80. The Rise Of Cyber Attacks On Contracting Companies - Omer Segoly	00:49:08
To apply for a Breakthrough Academy Business Assessment click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP80 Download the 5 tips for keeping your trades and contracting business secure https://trybta.com/PCDLEP80. Cyber security is something for tech companies, banks and nerds to worry about right? Yeah, in 2010 maybe, but not anymore. There has been a STEEP rise in the number of attacks on small businesses the last few years and contractors are a prime target for hackers. Why? Because in the trades we work with big chunks of cash AND most of us haven’t made the time to put cyber security as a top priority. To a hacker, we’re the prime target. Listen to the full episode to learn more about why you might be vulnerable, what hackers are after, and how to protect yourself. Episode Highlights: What is going on high level that is leading to an increase in cyber security breaches in the contracting community The assets of value that hackers are looking for in a typical contracting company and how to protect them The most common threats and attacks you’ll be targeted for as a contractor What it costs you to buy security vs pay for damages The 4 stupid things most business owners do that leave themselves open to hacking How to tell if a software has legitimate security measures in place See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	30 Oct 2024	184. The Profitability Mindset of Wealthy Contractors - Brian Kaskavalciyan	00:55:31
Grab your free copy of the Four Numbers Exercise to help you 10x your wealth attraction: https://trybta.com/DLEP184 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP184 Learn more about Brian here: https://www.thewealthycontractor.com/ Running a highly profitable contracting business has two sides of the coin. You need the profitability skill sets: budgeting, job costing, pricing strategies, accounting best practices, and so on. We’ve discussed these plenty on the show. The other thing you need is the “profitability mindset.” This has very little to do with spreadsheets and bookkeeping and everything to do with your attitude towards money, your belief and self-worth, and your ability to practice what our guest on the show today calls wealth attraction. Brian Kaskavalciyan, aka The Wealthy Contractor, is back on the show for the second time to talk about how to clarify your why, get control of your mind and develop the sense of deserving that so many contractors are missing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	11 Nov 2021	29. Part 1: Where Did All The Good Talent Go? - Recruiting Roundtable with the BTA Coaches	01:07:17
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP29 To get the 7 Traits Of An Employer Brand PDF you can download that here: https://trybta.com/PCDLEP29 This conversation is a big one. If you’ve been following along and listening to our episodes each week you know we’re deeply committed to empower you, the evolving contractor, to build the business you dream of. We’ve talked about tactics and systems, habits and best practices, but we feel like there is this elephant in the room - which is none of this matters if you feel like your labour pool is evaporating before your eyes. And no, you’re not crazy, or alone. Millennials and Gen Zers aren’t as gritty as Gen Xers or Boomers. COVID has simultaneously increased demand for your services while shrinking the workforce you have to deliver them. If you're feeling the pinch in your hiring efforts right now, pay attention. On this episode of the show we are joined by three amazing Breakthrough Academy coaches - Danny Kerr, Thomas Cobleigh, and Ryan Gabel. FYI Breakthrough Academy Is the parent company to this Contractor Evolution Podcast and its where Igor and I work the rest of the time. Breakthrough Academy is a coaching and development program purpose built for fast growing trades and construction companies. Because we actively coach over 400 companies right now, and have coached hundreds more over the years, we have a very broad and powerful perspective on these bigger trends in the industry. We thought it would be fun to get some of our brightest minds together to discuss this labour shortage, where it came from, and what to do about it. In this episode we cover: The major trends we are seeing right now in the contractor labour market A simple solution you can implement today if you can’t afford top talent How to attract top talent and what it means to be an ‘employer brand’ The culture that attracts great people, how to build it, and how to measure it. The 7 Fundamentals you can leverage to become a top employer brand The characteristics of a present leader that a team chooses to follow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	08 May 2024	159. James Williams' Near Death Experience - Brady Williams	01:09:20
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP159 We spend a lot of time on this show on systems, best practices, and tactics. But Today’s conversation is a human one. Our very own BTA Member, Brady Williams of Ox Glass, went through one of the most terrifying and harrowing experiences you will ever hear about. On June 8th, 2023, while Brady was at a business retreat thousands of miles away, his son James (back home in Utah) fell backward off a third-story balcony straight onto his head. Shattering his skull, puncturing his lung, and damaging a number of other vital organs. He was given minimal chances of survival. Even if that did happen, James's normal life was completely off the table. If you want systems or tactics, come back next week. Today’s conversation is about James' miraculous battle for survival, Brady’s experience as a father, and how the OX Glass Team rallied around to support a family in their time of need. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	02 Apr 2025	207. How to Systemize Your Contracting Business - David Jenyns	00:59:20
On May 6, attend our free web class to learn the proven hiring framework top contractors use to attract and retain A players during a labor shortage. Register here: https://trybta.com/CE-HIRING-M25 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP207 To learn more about David, check out https://www.systemology.com/ If you know me, you know I strongly believe that business systems = owner freedom. That’s why it made sense to get today’s guest David Jenyns on the show. David is the author of SYSTEMology: Create Time, Reduce Errors and Scale Your Profits with Proven Business Systems. It’s literally a system for building systems. I took this opportunity to ask David for his perspective on systemizing a blue-collar business in a predictable, repeatable way. We talk about the stages of business systemization (and how to know which one you’re in), how to prioritize which systems to build first and how to involve your team in the systemization of your business. This conversation offers a great, high-level perspective on systemizing a contracting business. Episode Highlights: Get a breakdown of the “system for building systems” David Jenyns outlines in his book, SYSTEMology: Create Time, Reduce Errors and Scale Your Profits with Proven Business Systems. Learn how to prioritize which systems you build, in what order. Gain insights into how to involve your team in business systemization, including the idea of designating a “systems champion” to help with adoption and implementation. 00:00-Intro 02:04-What is a system? 02:47-The vast majority of businesses we look at are dramatically undersystemized. Why? 04:29-3 common excuses for not systemizing 07:42-Is being a good systemizer god given or learned? 12:57-What's more important: Vision or Systems? 17:24-4 stages of business systemization 25:03-How should business owners decide what systems to build first? 33:03-System Building 48:11-Fostering adoption 55:30-Unexpected Benefits/Pleasant Surprises 57:15-Where can people connect with you?
	03 Feb 2022	41. (UHF Series 1/6) Ideal Candidate Profiles: Begin With The End In Mind - Josianne Gaudette	00:44:51
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP41 To get the Ideal Candidate Template and Examples click here: https://trybta.com/PCDLEP41 You can get in touch with Josianne by contacting her company https://crewhr.co Welcome to the first part of our Ultimate Hiring Funnel Series, today is episode 1. I'm going to talk quickly about what this entire series is about and then I'll get to today's episode. So look - it is no secret that hiring is hard. Like really hard. Especially in our construction and trade Industries. Labour shortages are a real thing, and yes, perhaps Millennials and Gen Z’ers aren't as gritty as older Generations may have been. And also yes, the government has paid a bunch of people to stay at home for over a year-and-a-half leading to a super lethargic Workforce. We get it. But look, it is what it is and can’t do much about the above factors. What you can do though is build the best hiring funnel in your market…and that is exactly what the next six episodes are going to be all about. Over the coming weeks we're going to explain in plain English how you can think like a marketer and start building an Employer Brand that attracts top talent. It doesn't matter whether you are a seasoned pro, or you just started your business this year. It also doesn’t matter what trade you are in. If you’re in home services and you want to build your dream team this series is for you. Today is episode 1 and we couldn't be more excited to launch the series with our favourite recruiter Josianne Gaudette. Josianne runs Crew HR here in Vancouver. She has a master's in HR and over her extensive 18-year career she's been involved in the hiring of over 600 roles for her huge book of clients. We here at breakthrough Academy have also worked with her a ton over the years and she is a true expert in all things recruitment. In today's episode she teaches us how to make an Ideal Candidate Profile which is the primary building block for any hiring funnel. Think about it - you can't hire the right person if you don't know exactly what you're looking for in the first place. While that might seem kind of obvious a lot of people mess this up. Josianne explains in no uncertain terms how you can gain tremendous clarity about who you want, and then how to leverage that Clarity throughout the rest of your hiring funnel. In this episode we cover: What an Ideal Candidate Profile is and why you don't want to post a job ad without one How to systematically establish deliverables and accountabilities on an Ideal Candidate Profile Where personality traits fit in, and how to establish the the traits that will fit the role How to identify what a good job candidate looks like if you haven’t hired the position before What will likely happen if you don't create an Ideal Candidate Profile Examples from a real contractor’s Ideal Candidate Profile See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	27 Nov 2024	188. Does Time-Tracking Really Boost Staff Productivity? - Isaac Barlow	00:50:40
Connect time tracking to your job costing with this free white paper from busybusy: https://trybta.com/DLEP188 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP188 Have you ever wondered whether getting your field staff to track their time is worthwhile? Sure, it’d be great to hold them accountable. But you can already hear their grumbles and groans about having to add another thing to their to-do list. The thing is, in other businesses (think accounting, law, marketing agencies), time tracking is standard practice. The whole goal in those industries is to make as much time billable to the client as possible. So why is it different in the trades? Our guest on the show today is Isaac Barlow. He’s the Founder of busybusy. The industry-leading time-tracking app for construction and trades. Today’s conversation is about leveraging time-tracking technology to increase productivity and profitability without hurting your company culture. Episode highlights: Learn how time tracking can be used to create a performance culture built on business intelligence. Understand why field staff often resist adopting modern tech and how to change their attitudes and get them on board with time tracking. Find out how to create a modern data-obsessed organization in an old school industry. 00:00-Intro 01:48-The story behind busybusy 08:42-Why contractors need to be more time obsessed 16:42-The benefits of busybusy and other time tracking apps 22:08-How to deal with pushback from the team 28:56-Business Intelligence: helpful or hurtful to culture? 31:57-Gamification: does it work? 34:04-3 tips to get your team thinking more like owners 38:19-Downloadable handout and busybusy promotion 39:08-Business intelligence: what is it and how do you use it? 44:46-Too much data vs. too little data: what is the balance? 46:36-How to become data-obsessed (even if you're not wired that way) 49:13-Connect with Isaac and learn more about busybusy See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	08 Nov 2023	133. Are Service Trips The Ultimate Team-Building Activity? - Mike Sherbakov	00:42:51
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP133 To learn if a house-build trip is right for your team, click here: https://bajabound.org/ A team that is tightly knit and cohesive is going to outperform one that is loosely assembled. 10 times out of 10. Team building is about more than selecting the right people for the right roles. We, as leaders, also need to bring people together intentionally, facilitate rapport building, and play a role in helping develop the connections between staff from “just coworkers” to “someone they’d go to bat for.” One of the quickest shortcuts we’ve found in the Breakthrough Academy universe to boost TEAM COHESION is service-based activities and trips. Go carts and wing nights are awesome, but if you want to put team bonding on steroids, doing something good for a person, a family, or a community is the fastest way to do it. We all have an innately human need to serve others, and these experiences' emotional intensity can help bring down people's walls. Mike Sherbakov, our guest today, is the founder of the Greatness Foundation a non-profit that leads impact initiatives and community projects aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. He’s also a partner in The Veteran Fund venture capital firm that invests in high-growth technology startups led by ex-military founders (how cool is that?) Through the lens of his military background, Mike explains WHY team cohesion is fundamental to success, what happens to units without it, and how to bring your team closer while doing some good in the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	24 Mar 2022	48. Personal Life Planning that Drives Business Strategy - Blaise McDonald	00:45:02
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP48 While business tactics, skills and systems make up a big part of our discussions on the show, we’d be remiss to not also talk about the importance of having a balanced life outside the walls of your business. A lot of you are husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, community members, fitness enthusiasts and adventurers. Balance is a virtue worth striving for and that means spending our time in a way that allows us to express our core values, be with the people we love, and do things that we enjoy. Yes crushing goals and making money is great, but if your life outside of that is empty, what are you really achieving with your time here on earth? So today on the show we’re going to explore how one super successful 8 figure contractor has implemented a life planning process to drive his business strategy and truly show up for the myriad other components of his life. Blaise McDonald owns Mac Renovations. Before MAC, Blaise was an industrial electrician working in a very hands-on capacity. Since entering the business 10 years ago, which was founded by his dad has gone from about 2 Million a year in revenue to close to 15 today. In that time, he’s grown his team from 12 employees to over 40 exceptional project managers, carpenters, sales people and administrators and he is one of the highest performing entrepreneurs we work with at Breakthrough Academy. In this episode you’ll learn: How a deeper and more meaningful “why” improves his clarity of thought, motivation levels, and entrepreneurial enjoyment The way to think about planning your business vs planning your life The detailed personal planning system he and his wife use to chart the trajectory of their shared life and how that drives his approach to business When you add life goals to your list of already existing business goals, does it make it easier or harder to achieve everything? How life balance is actually (almost) possible for a busy entrepreneur How to incorporate accountability into your personal goals See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	01 Dec 2022	84. How and Where to Find Your Integrator: Mark C. Winters Pt. 2	00:55:34
To apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP84 To assess where you lay on the visionary/integrator spectrum, click here: https://rocketfueluniversity.com/assessments/ This episode is Part 2 of a 2 part conversation with Mark C. Winters, co-author of Rocket Fuel and the foremost expert and Visionary/Integrator relationship. If you haven’t listened to part 1 of this episode, go do that now. In part 1 of this 2 part conversation Mark and I focused on the dynamics between a Visionary and an Integrator. What wasn’t shared in that episode is that great Integrators are RARE. Mark and his team at Rocket Fuel University™ discovered there are 4 Visionaries for every 1 Integrator. Which means really good Integrators are hard to find…and even harder to keep. If you want to learn where to look for your integrator, and more importantly, the principles for keeping them happy and effective, listen to this podcast. Episode Highlights: Where to find great Integrators both inside and outside your organization The necessary 3 part process for successfully onboarding an integrator so they quickly earn team respect and don’t burn out. 5 Rules to follow to ensure a long term relationship thrives between the Visionary and the Integrator The way to maintain equality in the relationship even when it's not equal ownership The difference between Visionaries and “Idea People” and how the latter is not actually very beneficial to a company What happens when either the Visionary or the Integrator outgrow the role? How do you responsibly exit the relationship See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	08 Jun 2022	59. Prepping For a Downturn: 4 Things to Do If This Market Makes You Nervous - Benji & Igor	00:28:11
To apply for a Breakthrough Academy Business Assessment click: https://trybta.com/PCEP59 As we say all the time on the Contractor Evolution show, business is a game you have to play for the long run. One situation you are inevitably going to face at some point, or many points, is an economic downturn. Or Recession. Or Meltdown. Whatever you (or the media) wants to call it. You get what I’m saying though. Business isn’t just about winning when the times are good and everyone is fat and happy. You also need to know how to play the game when things aren't so flush. Now I want to be clear. We are not economists. We don’t have a crystal ball. We’re not in any way trying to guess what the market is going to do. However, we do try to stay current and provide value to our listeners, and lately this conversation, around the market, what's ahead, and what to do, seems to be coming up a lot with our contractors. While we’ll be the first to tell you we have NO IDEA what’s going to happen, I think we can all agree there are a lot of flags on the field right now. There are a lot of scary headlines, and that's making people nervous. Fair enough. In this episode Igor and I are going to go over: Why a downturn isn't a bad thing and how to look at it from a new perspective How to identify true revenue drivers vs 'nice to haves' Why you need to create 2 business plans and 2 budgets when times are unstable, and what the 2 plans should look like The true costs of laying people off (which is beyond the loss of ROI) What reserves should you keep in place to make it through a rough period? What percentage of monthly revenue should you put away for a rainy day? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	16 Oct 2024	182. Matt Risinger’s Secrets to Team Building - Matt Risinger	01:08:30
Get a downloadable copy of Matt Risinger's Team Building Tactics here: https://trybta.com/DLEP182 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP182 Ever wonder how an industry titan recruits and retains top talent? Before creating his 1.1 million subscriber YouTube channel dedicated to building science, Matt Risinger worked as a recruiter for a national builder, where he learned the tactics and skills he would use to assemble his incredible teams at both Risingerbuild and The Build Show. And today, he’s back on the show to teach you how to do it, too. We talk about how to get great applicants in the door, tips for behavioral interviewing, the right questions to ask (and which ones to NOT), how to retain talent for the long haul, and how to know when and why to let someone go. This is a Masterclass in human resources for construction and trades with one of the most trusted names in the industry. Episode Highlights: - Learn the tactics and skills Matt Risinger used to build the exceptional teams that allowed RisingerBuild and The Build Show to grow into the industry titans they are today. - Hear about Matt’s experience working as a recruiter for a national builder earlier in his career and how the experience shaped his current recruitment practices. - Get Matt’s take on how to know when it’s time to let someone go, and how to approach the conversation professionally. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	30 Dec 2021	36. Debunking The Generation Gap - Eric Termuende	01:07:58
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP36 To learn more about Eric visit his website at https://www.erictermuende.com/ or purchase his book RETHINK WORK here https://www.erictermuende.com/rethink-work/ What’s up with the new generation? People have been complaining about “kids these days” since before the dawn of time. This whole “young people are entitled and don’t know how good they have it” thing isn’t new, and it seems to be an especially well used trope in trades and construction. When you have young 20-somethings demanding a higher hourly wage than you ever made and the quality of their work is suspect, it's tough NOT to be a little cynical. This puts you in a tough spot because as infuriating as some of the Gen-Zers and Millennials are to you, the physically demanding nature of your business means you need to find a way to connect, attract and lead young people. The other pitfall of cynical thinking is that you paint a huge population with too broad a brush. Writing off 70 million people as “lazy” is, ironically, a form of laziness in and of itself. For every blue-haired tick tocker that makes your eyes roll, there is a quiet mechanically minded kid who wants to work with their hands... and it's your job to find these youngsters and showcase what an amazing lifestyle and career IS possible through trades and construction. Our education system definitely ain’t doin it, so like it or not, this responsibility lies squarely with you… the evolving contractor. To bridge this gap and debunk some myths, we’ve brought in Eric Termuende, a leadership author, speaker, and entrepreneur. Eric specializes in working with organizations to build incredible teams and attract the next generation. Eric delivers north of 75 keynote speeches a year to large organizations like John Deere, Zoom, Amazon, Toyota and various Trade Associations. He is the author of the book, RETHINK WORK and has been unpacking the generational challenge for the last 7 years. In this episode we cover: How the changing world ends up shaping each generation in a unique way Why approaching the conversation in terms of this generation vs that generation is ass backwards How to leverage the story you already have to catch the attention of ambitious, driven and loyal young people. How the physically demanding hands-on nature of your business may actually be its most attractive feature rather than a detractor. How you need to conduct yourself as the owner and leader of the company to bring in young talent The super simple method any leader can use to quickly build trust in their teams See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	24 Jan 2024	144. How To Buy Back Your Time - Dan Martell	00:52:46
Order Dan’s book here: https://trybta.com/BBYT To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP144 My guest on the show today is Dan Martell. Award-winning Entrepreneur. Investor. Author. Since his new book Buy Back Your Time was released last year, I’ve had at least 10 Breakthrough Academy members ask me to have him on. And when I read it, I understood why. Buy Back Your Time is an antidote to the time-sucking and stress-inducing nature of entrepreneurship. Through clean diagrams, personal stories, and sage wisdom, he offers a pragmatic and deeply intuitive path to avoid building a business you grow to hate. A scenario many entrepreneurs sadly find themselves in. Dan’s life story is wild, and we start the interview there, so I won’t spoil it. But the meat of the interview is focused on the core framework of his book called: The Buyback Principle. This was an absolute banger episode, guys. I hope you enjoy it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	15 Mar 2023	99. How To Not Get Screwed By SEO Agencies - Devon Hayes	00:57:53
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP99 To download Devon's 7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Marketing Agency, click here: https://trybta.com/PCDLEP99 Search Engine Optimization for your business can be a thorny rat’s nest full of technical jargon, disappointing results, and shifty marketers who’ll not only underdeliver but hold your website hostage if you ever try to leave. This is why going into a relationship with a 3rd party without at least a baseline understanding of how it works and what questions to ask is a recipe for disaster. We’re super lucky to have Devon Hayes of Elevation Marketing on the show today. Her Denver-based digital marketing agency is niched to serve contractors almost exclusively. Over 80% of their client base are businesses like yours, and they do phenomenal work. I learned a tonne from her, but my highlights were: The seven questions you need to ask your SEO person or agency before engaging. No joke, these could save you thousands of dollars and dozens of headaches. Easy “SEO Layups” - simple things you can do for little to no money time that provide an immediate boost to your findability online. And lastly, Devon drops a truth bomb about the risks of overusing Chat GPT for your website’s content; listen right until the end for that nugget! Whether you're a total SEO newb or already know a thing or two, listen to this episode for a beginner’s guide to SEO with Devon Hayes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	01 Mar 2023	97. Are Blue Collar Businesses Under-Appreciated? - Tom Reber	00:47:30
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP97 To learn more about Tom and The Contractor Fight, click here: https://thecontractorfight.com/ My guest on the show today is Tom Reber. You may have heard of him. He hosts the Contractor Fight Podcast, speaks at many conferences, and has become a pretty well known guy in our space. Tom runs a program not unlike our beloved Breakthrough Academy, but for slightly smaller businesses. In fact, you could even call him our competitor (Ahh, the horror 😱). Here’s the thing though. We tell our contractors to collaborate with the competition and raise the entire industry on a daily basis, and the same rule applies to us. Practice what you preach. Tom is a phenomenal guy with a message you all should hear loud and clear, and we were lucky to have him. You can expect to learn the following from my conversation with Tom: Why trades and construction play one of the most essential roles in a functioning western society but get almost no credit for it How we overestimate how much we can accomplish in a year but underestimate what's possible in a decade And how to make trades cool again in the eyes of our young people, our clients, and ourselves See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	24 Apr 2024	157. How To Build A Strong Employer Brand - Andrew Hansen	01:08:44
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP157 The labor shortage is not improving anytime soon. This is why smart contractors invest in their employer brands. Many businesses competing over a small supply of talent drives up its price and gives your would-be employee a sea of options. Ensure your business is the best choice for them by building a world-class employer brand. How you package and communicate your place of work to potential employees matters more now than ever. Our guest on the show today is Andrew Hansen, founder and CEO of Site Partners, A specialized marketing agency that works exclusively with the industrial sector. Over the last 5 years, he’s shifted from helping businesses get customers to helping them find talent. Buckle up for an employer brand deep dive…. To know more about Andrew and SitePartners visit: linkedin.com/in/andrew-hansen- and sitepartners.ca See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	13 Apr 2022	51. Get Things To Go Your Way With Active Listening - Benji Carlson	00:18:28
If you'd like to apply for Breakthrough Academy click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP51 To download the Active Listening Framework, click here: https://trybta.com/PCDLEP51 There is one skill out there that very few people engage in, but when executed well leads to stronger social connections, increases your ability to problem solve, makes you a more interesting person, builds trust, and increases your effectiveness as a leader. That skill is active listening. I realize that listening seems like a no brainer, and you might feel the desire to skip over this topic, but if that’s what you’re feeling then this episode is probably exactly what you need right now. Active listening isn’t as easy as you think. In fact it’s one of those skills that can take YEARS to perfect. Which is why I want to run through a bit of a ‘Crash Course’ on how to improve your ability to get more out of your conversations simply by being a better listener. In today’s episode we’ll cover: How to maintain intense attention during a conversation, especially when you are naturally distractible The kind of body language, eye contact, and verbal cues you need to display to show you are open to listening to what a person has to say The best way to empathize with the person you are talking to so they feel comfortable opening up What you need to say after they’ve completed their statement so they feel they’ve been heard and understood The kind of detailed follow up questions you SHOULD be asking to keep the conversation interesting and yourself well informed The exact cues you need to be looking for that tell you you’re doing a good job See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
	10 Jan 2024	142. How To Stop Getting Screwed On Your Contracts - Cian Brennan	00:40:32
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP141 It's funny we’ve done almost 150 episodes of contractor evolution, and this is the first conversation we’ve had about the CONTRACT part. Better late than never I guess. Today’s conversation is with Cian Brennan, Founder and CEO of Quantum Contract Solutions, and it’s all about how to DRAMATICALLY reduce your risk by learning the game of contracts. We talk about: How to use the termination clause to set some boundaries with the GC and dictate the terms in which YOU can fire THEM! Why most contractors make the colossal mistake of believing that can’t negotiate their contracts (guess what, you can and SHOULD) Lastly, we talk about tweaking what's called the limit of liability to avoid those business-ending lawsuits This conversation was SUPER eye-opening and could save you some unimaginable headaches in the future. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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