Blacktop Banter

With the 'in-person' event of NPE getting cancelled this year, Russ and his team have presented what will be the virtual version of the conference called National Pavement Conference Live! Russ goes over all the valuable information regarding the website, schedule, speakers, registration and cost to attendees (hint: Its free). -Marvin

When I went dow the "Slap Fight" rabbit hole, it was by pure accident. I was watching some UFC Highlights, clicked some Russian videos in the suggested column to the right, watched those and seen these guys slapping each other so hard they were KOing each other. Next thing I know, I seen some suggested video that were Americans doing it. One person dominated the highlights of these videos. The Crazy Hawaiian. This guy was taking some shots, and delivering some colossal ones. I knew, in my typical fashion, I wanted to ask him 1000 questions. I did some research and found him on instagram, the rest is DM history. It wasn't until we first connected that I found out Koa, The Crazy Hawaiian, was in the Asphalt and Asphalt maintenance industry. He has a really motivational and inspirational story that I think any listener will find very interesting and will make you believe you should follow your hunch on where your heart is telling you that you should go, because something awesome can happen. -Marvin

If 2020 showed me anything, it was were my weaknesses were as a business owner. One that was glaring to me at the end of the season was just how unorganized I was, especially in my role as the leader. I always preach efficiency to my team, but realized, I was incredibly inefficient with my tasks. One person I know, that juggles a lot of tasks and hats in this world, is my buddy Brian Hess of The Pavement Group. As the President/CEO of The Pavement Group, a national Pavement company. Brian's family is his greatest source of pride and motivation. He carves out time for them regularly, if you follow him on Social Media, you know that. Brian also runs Top Contractor School, which garners a lot of his attention. He also hosts a podcast, does speaking and coaching. So, how does he stay organized and efficient? I pick his brain and ask some questions that I think you as a listener may wonder, but also... I was asking for myself. I came away with some great takeaways from this conversation and I hope you will too. Thanks for listening and here's to 2021 being productive. -Marvin

I knew of Florida Sealcoating before I first met Jason last year at NPE. I knew of his company beforehand because of their instagram presence. Florida was always a curious state in my mind when I came to sealcoating, mainly because they are on the opposite side of the country from WI and their pavement can't need protected like ours does up here....does it? After meeting and talking to Jason (who is very approachable btw), I realized there is some differences but the need for asphalt maintenance in his climate still exists, sometimes for different reasons than everywhere else, but it exists. This podcast has been a longtime coming, as Jason is a busy guy, but that business is a good thing...it means he is doing something right. During this conversation Jason goes over the differences, how he started and drops some really good lessons that all contractors can take away. Give their instagram a follow at @floridasealcoating . -Marvin

I first stumbled upon Carlos on instagram a couple years ago. I seen a suggested video of a beautiful drone shot on a beach, and realized it was actually part of a marketing video being created. I then seen a video of a "floating breakfast" in Bali, and realized it was the same creator of the first video... I clicked the follow button. Fast forward to this year and I have now followed our guest, Carlos Zatch, for the last two years. He has traveled all over the world creating content for luxury brands and resorts. Im talking places like, Japan, Bali, France, Italy, Mexico, The USA and Dubai. Heres the catch...Carlos is 21. Just turned actually. He has harnessed the use of social media, and its crazy advantages, to create a business that has allowed him to live the life of his dreams. Kind of crazy to see all the places he has went and the opportunities he has capitalized on through the use of social media marketing. Carlos goes over his journey and some tips in this conversation that can't be missed. Whether he is petting an elephant in Indonesia or skiing the slopes in Colorado, Carlos is always working and building his portfolio in aims towards his next client and business venture. Please enjoy this conversation with our friend from Cabo, Mexico. -Marvin

If you have been to NPE at all over the last decade, you have seen Tom Eosso. The guy is just as, if not more, hyped to be there than I am. That's because we both love seeing and communicating with our peers. We both have a passion for our industry. I learn something from Tom every time I speak with him, or just so happen to sit in on one of his courses at the National Pavement Expo. Tom and his brothers own Eosso Brothers Paving in New Jersey, and have had steady growth and success through the years. Tom shares with us how adapting to changing times, and having the right team to help with adaptation allows for long-term success as your company grows. I look up to Tom in many ways, and I'm sure after this conversation you will too. -Marvin

Had a great time talking with my longtime friend and Manager of the Minnesota SealMaster, Jack Pakalski. Jack and his family have owned and operated the Wisconsin Franchise for many years and recently took over the Minnesota area as well within the last couple years. The Pakalski family have always created a great product for us here in Wisconsin and have delivered on customer service that seems to be a high standard for our industry. Jack talks about how he aims to keep that same standard coming from the Minnesota operation, and about the struggles he has overcome right out the gates, in taking on a new area that already has a sideways view of the brand in that area. Its no secret that 2020 delivered its own struggles as well. Jack also goes over the struggles that 2020 brought to him and his team, and what the future goals are for SealMaster of MN as well. This man is always a delight to be around and always makes me smile when he meet. I know he will deliver in MN, he has the chops and integrity to keep the success coming. True heart of Gold. Ladies and Gentleman, ...Skipper Jack. -Marvin

"The Modern Asphalt Aesthetic", Thats the Motto of my friend Braden's company in Kelowna, BC, Canada. When you look and the style and brand of ORCA Asphalt Maintenance, it shows through. From everything looking clean smooth and crisp, from the equipment to the jobs, everything transitions smoothly and you can tell its all with Porpoise (see what I did there?). Seriously though, the quantity and quality of Bradens Social Media content is one that I myself envy. Great camera shots, picturesque photos, upbeat TikToks, and always a full Insta story it seems. All of these things make ORCA's Social something I tune into everyday. Braden talks with us about that clean image, and filthy tank cleaning jobs, and why both are needed by the Contractor who is building his business, especially in this day and age. It was a pleasure to talk with Braden, I can tell he is excited about our industry and wants nothing in return for our friendship, that's how kindred spirits are supposed to be. Hoping you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. -Marvin

Ryan Behan and I have known each other for a few years now, albeit only digitally. He is very active in many online Facebook groups every since he started his business. Thats the magic of it, we have been able to witness him grow Ginger cat Sealcoating from start until now. Hailing from Greenfield, Mass, Ryan is a unique guy, who embraces it and uses it to his advantage. We go over his gameplay, marketing and goals for the future. We also get to but it up near the end about his skills on a drum set. Hope y'all enjoy. -Marvin

Mike Nawa has been in the Asphalt Maintenance industry for 44 years, Mainly sweeping, but doing all aspects over the years.  Based in Pennsylvania, Mike goes over how to start and run a sweeping business, including how to land those lucrative commercial clients. The conversation goes into how to "add" to your top line as being the parking lot contractor that is there more than anybody else. We also get a glimpse into what Mike is up to now and what he hopes to see in the future. Hope you enjoy! -Marvin

SYSTEMS!!! BRO YOU NEED SYSTEMS! That was a text I got one morning this summer from my friend Kris Love from Loves Asphalt Solutions. We both were making moves to grow and expand this summer and Kris wanted to talk systems. After a phone call, I said we needed to talk about this topic on the podcast once our seasons slowed down, so here it is. Thanks for Listening. -Marvin

My guest Hal Davis and I both purchased Clean Sealcoat rigs for our company this year, and made a bet on who can keep it the cleanest by the end of the sealcoat season....winner gives the other their company hat. Hal was wearing my hat for this podcast. Thats right, I lost. Hal owns HD Seal & Stripe, LLC out of New Hampshire, and we talk about a myriad of topics such as: how the season went, what he is up to now, winterizing tips, cleaning tips and what is next in the future of his business. Hope you enjoy this conversation from my New England friend. -Marvin

Been a couple months since the Last podcast. The time off gets explained, what we've been up to, what products/equipment we tried and what is going on in the future. -Marvin

Caught some news about a Sealmaster/GemSeal buyout or merger or something, so dug around a little on it and only caught a little info, but sharing what I know. Also, I go into our experience with SealMaster here in WI and why we have stuck with them through the years at Wis-Coat. -Marvin

Quick Podcast here on Fathers Day Morning. Talking Products, Comparisons, Covid, Adjustments and what we are up to for Father's Day. Been a crazy busy season so far, and we are really stoking the fire to try to keep caught up around here and one way we aim to do it is by adding more equipment and products to help us out...Mid-Season, which I hate to do. How has Covid effected us so far this season at Wis-Coat? Also touch on that a bit. Hope everyone out there is ding great this season and enjoy Father's Day with your family. Peace. -Marvin

Russ Turner is the Associate Show Director of NPE and has been for the last 4ish years. He has became a good friend of mine and we quickly realized that we have the same goals for our community and industry. We talk about the show last year, what to expect with the show this year and the all-time asked question, "When can we get a venue with outdoor demos?!"  Russ gives us the rundown on it all, and we talk about the favorite times of ours of this past years show. Hope you enjoy and are looking forward to the next Show! -Marvin

Recently had a comment underneath my comment in a Facebook group where I said "trying to keep up with the Madness", and the comment said "what Madness?". I figured I'd give some insight into what I/We deal with here in WI during our season at Wis-Coat. Im sure everybody else's seasons and businesses look different, but our main theme here to fight back the initial tidal Wave of our season is KEEP GOING! I also touch on some of the things going on in the world right now and what can be expected from the podcast coming up here in the near future. -Marvin

Kolby Parks, is the 2018 World Street Luge Champion hailing from Picton....somewhere in Canada. He first fell in love with the sport at age 12 watching the X Games on television. Following the show he immediately went outside to build his first luge out of an old skateboard he received for Christmas. Growing up on a farm, Parks had materials he needed to build a homemade plywood track he and his friends could ride on. At age 21, Parks bought a Rogers Bros brand street luge on eBay. Fast forward and he becomes world champion at a sport that takes place on Asphalt all around the world. Kolby Gives us the breakdown on how different pavement types and conditions effect his sport and gives us a peek into the exciting sport itself, of which he has held the world speed record.  -Marvin

First solo run in a bit. Had a brief moment this AM before we headed toward a big project to get some thoughts and ideas out there. I discuss how we are transitioning some roles in Wis-Coat to get ready for growth, among other things. Talk about what is going on here lately at Wis-Coat and how we stay in contact as a team before the workday starts and after, via our Snapchat group...and how it helps us out. Also, I ask you the listeners if there are any topics you would like to see discussed, or anybody specifically you would like to see on the podcast coming up. Hope everybody has kicked off their season well and wishing us all nothing but Success. Talk to y'all again soon. -Marvin

Chant Singvongsa is a 35 Year old Serial Entrepreneur. He came over from Laos when he was 5 years old. Grew up poor and broke. Living in state housing and was on welfare. Growing up he always felt like he never fit in any where in life.  Was a Troubled young kid in high school and Dropped out of high school so he could work. Years later he quit everything that was not good nor healthy and focused on his DREAMS...  He now has multiple Businesses including  Singvongsa Landscaping and The Daily Hustle Store. Join Chant and I as we talk about his rise, and he dishes out some tips for guys/gals wanting to do the same. -Marvin

If you know NASCAR then you know my friend Spencer. Spencer  Boyd is professional stock car driver. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, driving the No. 20 Chevy Silverado. Boyd has previously competed  in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Spencer has even won at Talladega. Besides being a down to earth dude, with connections to the asphalt industry, he is now competing in online racing as well. We talk everything racing and Spencer gives us an inside look at how different pavements, and pavement conditions, effect Raceday. Really hope you enjoy this one as much as I did. We gotta have him back on the show once they get back to burning rubber. -Marvin

David came from outside the industry, to starting his own business within it. He has a great start-up story along with some insight, tips and downright funny bits. They have made the leap to become a full service, including making their own RAP, and all around Name Brand in their area. Their Instagram presence is growing and getting noticed, as they are tackling some large projects and showing off their work while doing so. David's sons Josh and Matt are now taking the reigns on some key areas in the business as well and we get a peek into what they have going on as well. We could have spoke for hours, as there was plenty of content there, but we wanted to save some for another episode down the line. Really hope y'all enjoy this one as much as I did. -Marvin

Jason Vaughan and his brothers went from a Seal Tank bought from some random dude in a trailer court, to being a Standout name (Vaughan Sealcoating & Paving) in the Pavement industry and in the NJ/East Coast game. We did in on how they went from workers to business owners, and went from sealcoating to paving their own projects. Jason is a friend of mine and allows me to ask some decent questions, as well as take some good natured jabs here and there. Please enjoy the story, some great value and a few good laughs in this one.  -Marvin

With a big family to support and a nonstop work ethic, Keith has made a business that has stood the test of time and navigated the ups and downs through many years. In this episode, we go over what it takes to make it on this quest, and how to keep the faith...and find it, while building a successful Company and Brand, in the Asphalt industry. -Marvin

Friend of the podcast Kodey, asked me to cover this topic and it actually came up in a recent zoom call I was in on TCS, so I figured it might be the right time of the year to talk about it. I cover what it says in the title, but also talk about my "Manilla Envelope Tactic", which I hope helps some of y'all out. Be Safe. -Marvin

Remember that video of a giant crack getting filled from up close from last summer, the one that you still see pop up on you Instagram feed? How about the one of what looks like a Super Thick Sealer getting spread down through a machine from up close? Both of those video have millions of views combined now. #Viral. Well that thick sealer, is actually Slurry, in case you didn't know that, and is one of the Specialties of Boswell Paving out in Idaho. Henry Boswell joins me to tell us what all goes into making a slurry, and making it right, as well as what goes into making a video of our work, go viral. Hope you enjoy this one and be sure to follow Henry on Insta at @boswellpaving. -Marvin

If you are in our industry, and on Instagram, and you don't know who American Pavement is, you either just got your account or only get on to look at Tiger King memes...because they are easily the most recognizable "Brand" when it comes to their Paving Company, American Pavement Specialists out of Connecticut. Brothers Jack, Matt and Josh have been instilled with quality values from their father, and are now showing the world just what his Legacy is and will forever be. With each person knowing their role and task, and doing it exceptionally well, APS has become something that nobody can take away from them now,... they have even been sponsors for NASCAR racers at this point. Join us for this podcast to find out how being Raised on Blacktop, can create a drive and passion to set your business up for future success and growth, in more ways than you would think. Enjoy. -Marvin

Cameron Hogate owns Susitna Sealing out of Alaska, and recently had crazy success with an Ad he placed, when Mike Rowe (yes the Dirty Jobs guy) shared it and it got over 1 million views. But honestly, Cameron has been killing it with Facebook ads for the last couple years, way before that ad, so I really wanted to get him on the podcast so we could talk about this topic a little more in depth. Hope you gather some insight from the Polar Pineapple himself. Peace, be Safe. -Marvin

So Jon Freeman tagged me in a post, in a Facebook group recently, and the Facebook post was a video of a young lady explaining all she does to keep a Landscaping business organized and moving. In the comments of the post, I was asked to get her on the show, people said they would die to have somebody do this for them, pay $1M (hypothetically) for an office person like her and would send people to her to be trained. So, I reached out and found that Garrett and his sister Marlena actually own the business, G&M Outdoor services, and were more than happy to do the podcast. After dealing with the logistics, Thanks Covid, we decided Skype may be our best bet and we got it recorded. Please enjoy and follow them on Social Media! -Marvin

Roland and I started to continue a conversation via text, that we had started a night previous, but I made him stop and join me on recording so we could get this on the podcast library and on the YouTube library. I get asked this main question a lot and figured we better just get it down, and Roland comes at me with some more questions, that really lead us to a good conversation. Hope you enjoy. -Marvin

Kris love, of Love's Asphalt Solutions, and I have been trying to get together for the podcast ever since I started it, and we were able to connect for a brief moment in the midst of all the chaos to get a breakdown of how they got started, where they are going, winning awards and when we are going to get together for real, to drink some whiskey. Be safe. -Marvin

My good friend Mark Estrada, aka Captn Striper, of Marathon Solutions Group, joins me on the podcast to talk about how they got into the game. He takes us on a couple really good stories, gives advice to beginners and talks about Legacy. If you want a peek into what goes into making Mark, his business partner, and their whole team tick...this is a good one for you to send into your ear. Thanks as always. -Marvin

Proud to announce some new sponsors, and a new Giveaway.  Simply Share the podcast, or the Giveaway post, and tag somebody...anybody, and you are entered to win. You should probably tag Marvin or the podcast as well, so we know you posted. I also go over what we do in the springtime once the leads start coming in, how to set up the estimate, what we do once the customer gives us the greenlight and how we proceed once the season get rolling. Hope you enjoy, please share the podcast if you do, and we really appreciate your support. -Marvin

I have had many messages over the past few days asking me what I am going to do, and what others should do, about the Corona Virus and how it is going to affect the asphalt and Asphalt Maintenance Industry. My guest Brian Hess and I go over 10 Strategies that we can implement during these times, and any situation like this. Hoping you find this helpful. -Marvin

I'm not sure if Chris Smith knew, when he asked to be on the podcast, that I would jump at the opportunity. He may have been watching me on YouTube for awhile, but i've been watching their Instagram for awhile and these guys are the real deal. You will love Chris's story about working with family and how they make it all work. Be sure to check them out on Instagram and thanks for listening. -Marvin

This episode we draw the first Giveaway winners name, I give a Wis-Coat rundown and I go over Networking in our industry. Networking for my business, and myself, has been a major "Level-Up" for me and I believe it can be for you too, if it hasn't already. I talk about places that networking can take place and does, no matter what level you are at, and the benefits of it. Hope you Enjoy, looking forward to bigger and better giveaways as well. -Marvin

Spurred from a question asked by @persythepianist on Instagram, Owner of Local Sealcoating, Dom Manzo and I talk about how we get on track and stay on track. We talk about Local Sealcoating and how Dom got his start in the game... from Firefighter to Entreprenuer, it's a good one. Then we transition to our personal techniques to get on track and stay on track, especially once we get a lead. Hope you enjoy the value Dom brought to the podcast and thanks for tuning in. -Marvin

This episode I discuss Whats up with my business, Wis-Coat, do some shout outs and talk a little in depth about people who try to bring us, as people and entrepreneurs, down. I talk about my own run in with a "Fake Account" this last week online, and how they are trying to stop momentum of what success the podcast is having. Hopefully you find it interesting and helpful, PEACE! -Marvin

We go over a question posed by a listener in Canada eh... "What kind of Sealer is the best in your expertise?" I'm far from an expert and that simple question is full of complexities. Therefore, I had no other choice but to ring up Kevin Allford from the Facebook Group, Asphalt Sealcoating Coalition (ASC) and we talk about our experiences with products we have used and how we prefer to apply them, with the pros and cons to both methods. Had a great time having Kevin on the show, and doing our first test run with a guest, realized a few kinks in the BB Podcast hose that we need to work out but prevailed with some decent content none-the-less. -Marvin

This episode I go over the lowest point in WisCoat History, why I decided to jumpstart the Asphalt Industry Social Media Community and the Wis-Coat Gear Giveaway! Hope you enjoy. Go out there and Kill it! -Marvin

First episode, officially. Give a shoutout to a few people, talk about the Asphalt Sealcoating Coalition, what we have been up to in our business, the National Pavement Expo and what you can expect from the BB, Blacktop Banter Podcast in the future. Thanks for the support, glad to get this thing rolling for y'all. -Marvin

This Podcast will cover the Asphalt and Asphalt Maintenance industry, mainly from the perspective of a small business owner, but hopefully with some different perspectives as well. It will cover old things about the industry, New things, Outside things and future topics. The topics hopefully will include techniques, tools, material and insight.  Not to be taken too seriously though, I image the only people on the podcast who claim to be experts are the ones the audience chooses to be and your host, Marvin, chooses not to be in that category because he would rather spend his time cracking jokes and making memes....but the guy also has to work, and it just so happens to be that he works in the Asphalt industry. Lucky you.