Contractor Evolution

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.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP171 And don't forget to download your FREE Strategic Planning Tool here: https://trybta.com/DLEP171 To learn more about Matt's company, Five Points Roofing, click here: https://fivepointsroofing.com/ We talk a lot on the show about leadership. But today, we’re approaching it a bit differently. Our guest today is Matt Parks, VP of Business Development at Five Points Roofing and the winner of Breakthrough Academy’s Leader of the Year Award in 2023. He knows a lot about leadership. Not because he wrote a book on it—but because he has worked tirelessly over the years to develop and adopt a holistic, human-centered leadership philosophy. And it paid off. Matt is known in the Breakthrough Academy community as a strong implementer of systems and processes. In other words, he gets sh*t done. And he gets his team wanting to get sh*t done too. Listen to the full episode to learn how you can use Matt’s approach to become a leader who is both more effective and more compassionate. You’ll hear about how this approach influenced Five Points’ unconventional sales and marketing strategy, created a united team, and helped Matt overcome personal tragedy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP170 Download our FREE Interview Setup Call tool here: https://trybta.com/DLEP170 We’re back on the AI hype train again. Specifically, how can it help and/or hinder your hiring? According to today’s guest Jonathan Whistman, AI is completely changing the recruitment game, and not just because ChatGPT can write job descriptions. Jonathan is the author of The Sales Boss and the founder of WhoHire, a hiring solution for the service trades industry that uses AI prediction to help put the right people in the right roles. Pretty cool. But how does that impact the way you’re recruiting and hiring right now? What do you need to be aware of as AI becomes increasingly common in the HR landscape? Is there anything you can learn and apply from the data that’s been collected on job applicants today? Today, we're covering all that and more. Get in touch with Jonathan at [email protected] or connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanwhistman/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP169 To learn more about Dave and WCP Building Renewal, click here: https://wcpbuildingrenewal.com/ We talk a lot on the show about residential marketing and sales systems, but the requests from commercial contractors for content they can use are beginning to pile up. And that tracks. Landing commercial contracts comes with its own set of challenges. It’s a lot less catchy Facebook ads… And a lot more strategic relationship building 🤝 So today, we’re diving into business development and we’re lucky to have Dave Notte, Founder of WCP Building Renewal and Shack Shine, on the show today. Using an incredibly dialed-in customer acquisition strategy, WCP has partnered with countless commercial property groups, residential property management companies, HOAs, and stratas over the past 20 years. If you want to learn how sophisticated commercial contractors court, land, retain, and build trust with huge clients that continue to work with them for years or even decades, this episode is a must-listen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP168 And be sure to download your FREE Ideal Candidate Profile & Job Posting Tool here: https://trybta.com/DL168 To learn more about Logan and The Dream Clean Team, click here: https://www.thedreamcleanteam.net/ After wasting countless hours trying to hire good people the old fashioned way—vetting applications, interviewing, probing into skills—for cleaning positions with a shorter shelf life, Breakthrough Academy Member Logan Campbell redesigned his entire hiring and onboarding process using automation, thoughtful job descriptions and streamlined interview processes. An owner of an AirBnB cleaning company, Logan knows the feeling all too well. His business, The Dream Clean Team, requires a HUGE number of people to get a lot done in a very short time window. In this episode, he outlines how he set up his hiring process: attracting the right type of candidate, weeding out tire kickers, mass interview scheduling, onboarding, and even retaining A-players through gamification and performance pay. If you hire positions with higher turnover or seasonal workers, this one’s for you. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PC167 If you’re getting fewer leads than ever, you’re not alone. A shifting economy is changing the sales and marketing game for contractors. Gone are the days of accepting a 25% ratio as par for the course. Frankly, you can’t afford it. According to today’s guest, Kevin Donnelly from Webrunner, it's time to become obsessive about sales efficiency. Kevin walks us through four ways to increase your lead-to-sale ratio—basically, how you can sell more with less. Webrunner is a full-service digital marketing agency that only works with contractors. We’ve had them on the show before and, seriously, they know their stuff. Let’s dive in with Kevin.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP166 To download our FREE Strategic Planning Tool, click here: https://trybta.com/DLEP166 Private equity buying up contracting companies is a popular subject lately. You may have seen Instagram posts and articles about entrepreneurs who’ve struck it rich by selling their businesses to mysterious private equity investors. But, what does that actually mean? Today, we’re going to learn what it's ACTUALLY like to sell to private equity investors, from someone who's done it. Over the course of 30 years, Steve Wheatcroft grew his humble landscaping business called Urban Life Solutions into a 30MM behemoth that - no surprise - caught the eye of private equity. After the deal was done in late 2019, Steve remained the CEO for another three years and helped the new ownership scale through more acquisitions to 100 MM. And in today’s episode, he shares the unfiltered truth about what selling to private equity is really like. The good. The bad. And the ugly. And there is plenty of all three. Enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP165 A changing market can mean fewer leads, slower decision-making, and lower average job size. While punchy Facebook ads, a decent website, and a Google Business profile may have been enough to get the phones ringing in the past, passive marketing is just not cutting it for contractors in 2024. According to today’s guest Sam Taggart, now is the time to try one of the most tried and tested methods of “getting in front of your customer” — meeting them where they live. Literally. As the founder and CEO of The D2D Experts, Sam helps hundreds of companies build successful and cost-efficient Door-to-Door Sales teams every year, and today, he’s going to teach us how to: Hire enthusiastic door knockers Build your own script using a proven framework Design a compensation plan for your D2D team …and more. If you’re door-to-door curious or looking for a more active marketing channel to add this year, this episode is a must-listen. To learn more about Sam and his door-to-door sales coaching, check out The D2D Experts: https://thed2dexperts.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP164 To access Ken’s path to a successful life course click here: https://courses.kenrusk.com/a/2147833006/FaqKwmD9 For the past few decades, we’ve been steering kids towards university and away from the trades, but why? The average North American college grad is underskilled and in debt, especially compared to their blue-collar friends who skipped the college experience and got on the job site. Today, I’m talking with Ken Rusk, a lifelong contractor and author of Blue-Collar Cash: Love Your Work, Secure Your Future, and Find Happiness for Life. He’s got some insights on the benefits of choosing a blue-collar career and shares some fascinating statistics that kids are definitely not learning in school. Learn from Ken how to paint a bright picture of a future in trades and construction and use that narrative to recruit the young talent you need. So…is blue-collar work making a comeback? Tune in to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP161 Small Average Job-size businesses (or small AJS for short) have a unique set of obstacles to growth that most other contractors never have to confront. If you’re a junk removal business, do landscape maintenance, window cleaning, pressure washing, gutter cleaning, Christmas lights, or are a service plumber or electrician, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Scaling to a million a year, $500 a time, is no small feat. Basic napkin math reveals a lot of jobs for a lot of clients. Barry Hartman is the co-founder of 505 Junk, a pay-by-weight junk removal business here in Vancouver. Since 2011, he’s worked relentlessly to crack the code on small AJS growth. In the last few years, he has. This year, they’ll do 6 million dollars with an AJS of about $866. Do the math on that. If you’re a Small Average Job Size contractor or home service business, there are 4 things you need to master in order to scale. Listen to this week's episode to learn them all. To learn more about Barry and 505-Junk, check them out here: https://505junk.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP160 Growing your construction, trades, or home services business is no easy task. You’ve got: Tricky customers Shrinking labor market Cash flow crunches Fly-by nighters who constantly underbid you …It's brutal. So it helps to know which stage of growth you are at, which comes next, and how to get there faster. This is why, after working with over 1,500 businesses, we’ve studied and developed the 4 Contractor Growth Phases. Curious about which phase you’re in? Listen to the full episode to find out! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP158 Do you ever feel misunderstood by employees, partners, vendors, and stakeholders when discussing the future—the vision, the strategy? That “mental image,” to you at least, feels unbelievably clear, precise, detailed, and exciting. How could anyone NOT get this? How could you NOT be fired up about this? Cameron Herold is back on the show to lay out the solution to your visionary woes. His 2018 book, Vivid Vision, became an instant classic in the small business community because it completely transforms how you approach strategy and visioning in your business through the painted-picture exercise. And today, I get to pick his brain. Expect to learn: What most of the traditional planning tools like mission statements and one-page plans get wrong How to create a painted picture step by step - a super fun and rewarding exercise How to roll out your painted picture with your team, turn it into your rallying cry, and reverse engineer the steps to execution. Cameron’s a great podcast guest; that’s why we had him back; you’re gonna love this one. To know more about Cameron visit: https://cooalliance.com/ And get 10% off on the Invest in your Leaders course https://investinyourleaders.com/ using the promo code cameronh10 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP156My guest on the show today is Luke Hansen - Founder and CEO of Company Cam, the industry-leading job site photo tool that allows you to manage work from anywhere. Today’s episode is a Tech CEO’s 4 Business Lessons for Contractors. We talk about brand building, strategy, social media, and more.To get a deal on CompanyCam click here: https://companycam.com/ceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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.

To get the resource bundle we talk about in the episode, click here: https://trybta.com/SOP No one sets out to run a dumpster fire of a business. And yet… we can all admit that, at least occasionally, it feels that way. Things tend towards chaos. Entropy is a real thing. This phenomenon is literally baked into the fabric of the universe. But that doesn’t mean through smart systems, we can’t overcome it and create organizational order. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are arguably the most critical weapon in this battle, and my friend Tom Hughes is back on the show to enlighten us. Tom’s a lean manufacturing guru, owner of Lumen Electronincs, and the author of Improvement Starts With I and GREAT Processes - two amazing books devoted to organizational change through SOPs. Expect to learn: Why “pulling” SOPs out of your team is more effective than “pushing” SOPs onto them How using a multimedia approach to SOPs ensures they actually get followed Leadership tactics to create a Kaizen culture that continuously improves itself To know more about Tom and GembaDocs visit: https://gembadocs.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP150 Do you shove off your social media strategy to already busy employees who half-ass it or just don’t have the time? Because I certainly have. When you’re slammed running a business, making Instagram posts can feel a little beneath you. And so the default move is to pawn it off to a junior who inevitably does very little with it. This is exactly why a fully formed strategy is so important. It gives you something tangible to hand off so that someone else on your team can find success with it. Jonathan Cor is the founder of Customer Growth - A contractor-focused social media agency. He advises and consults with 7-figure and 8-figure businesses dialing in their social media strategies to deliver actual business results you can measure. Today we answer a few questions: With so many content creators and distractions, is social media still worth investing in? What are the ingredients that go into a simple and easy-to-execute strategy? What should your posts even be about? Who should be capturing and posting them? To know more about Jon and Customer Growth visit: https://www.customergrowth.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP148 Do you thrive on chaos? Or does it thrive on you? Is there something about the entrepreneurial journey that attracts the tormented soul? Or is it the journey of small business itself that causes the discord inside us? I’m not sure I know the answer, but one thing that seems abundantly clear to me is that if we don’t tame the chaos within, it amplifies itself on the outside. Our frantic and reactive energy rubs off on the people we lead. Our scarcity mindset causes us to push, drive, and sell at a rate that seemingly no one can keep up with. Our incredibly high standards for ourselves and our team exhaust us, as nothing is ever good enough. My point is this: Chaotic leadership doesn’t scale. If you’re in a chapter of your growth journey where you’re: tired (like… REALLY tired 😫) wondering why you started this thing in the first place 🤷‍♂️ dealing with ambient anxiety you can’t quite put your finger on 👀 or your personal relationships are suffering due to the demands of your business… … then this episode is for you Jon DeWaal is the founder of Liminal Space, an organization dedicated to helping leaders thrive as they navigate the intensity of organizational, professional, and personal change. He’s also the personal coach to one of our co-founders, Danny Kerr, who insisted we have him on, and you’ll see why… To find more about Jon and Liminal Space visit: https://www.inaliminalspace.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP146 I’m a month late getting my predictions for the year together. But better late than never. Am I right? I’ve got 11 spicy takes on what’s going down in our North American blue-collar business universe this year, including: Private equity will _________. Early adopters of_____ will destroy ______ . The Canadian economy will _____ while the American will ____. Don't miss out on these valuable insights, and prepare for the future with us! Watch Mike Van Capelle's case study here: https://youtu.be/mShu3DXhTlU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP145 Last time on the Wealth Builder series, Matt Wood talked about value investing in relatively low-cost stocks that pay dividends. Companies that cashflow, just like your own. The other approach, known as growth investing, while more alluring, is also way higher risk. Not better or worse. Just different. For every friend or acquaintance who struck it rich on Apple, Nvidia, Tesla, or even Bitcoin, there are 10 more quietly sulking and licking their wounds because they bought at the wrong time, didn’t understand the asset, or underestimated the downside. Value investing is buying for stability and cash flow. Growth investing is buying for the major upside. They both can work, but the approaches are very different. In this episode, we will show that when it comes to growth investing, there is a standard of excellence to analyzing companies and how well they’re run that real professionals hold to before taking any investment position. It’s not roulette… it's a careful selection based on real data and rigorous research. To help demystify the world of growth investing, we’re joined by Anthony Scilipoti. He is the President and CEO of Veritas Investment Research. A CPA in Canada and the US for the last 30 years, his team of 28 conducts and publishes rigorous research and analysis on publicly traded companies to help investors understand which ones accurately represent what's happening inside their companies and which ones are hiding behind smoke and mirrors. Highlights: Anthony’s methodology for analyzing companies from the inside out He illustrates that accounting is very subjective, and there is a lot more to understanding a company and its potential value than what you see on it’s stock ticker As a bonus, Anthony also gives us some perspective on growth stocks and why people invest in expensive companies that don’t push out cash dividends. Your hard-earned money should be invested in great companies, not just the latest trends. To find more about Anthony and Veritas Investment Research go to: https://www.veritascorp.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

For a free copy of Kyle’s book, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP139 It’s time for episode 2 of our Wealth-Builder Series! For the growth-minded contractor investing in real estate is an obvious, lucrative, and fun place to put their hard-earned profits. Making money in trades and construction and investing said money into real estate of some shape or form seem to go together like peanut butter and jam. This makes sense... You already have the skills, the tools, the know-how, and the contacts to elbow grease your way to wealth. One of the core components to success here is financing - most real estate transactions involve a lender in some capacity, but getting continuous financing isn’t always easy, especially as an entrepreneur. To have a long and successful career as a real estate investor, you need to “be lendable” - and this is a skill worth learning. Kyle Green is the founder of the Green Mortgage Team and is our guest on the show today. Throughout his career, he has funded over a billion dollars in mortgages, almost entirely to entrepreneurs. In today’s conversation with Kyle, we talk about: How entrepreneurs can find the balance between being tax efficient with what you pull out of your business while still remaining lendable in the eyes of a bank The most common ways contractors majorly screw it up with real estate And lastly, we talk about how rising interest rates are changing the investment landscape and what you can do about it See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP137 To learn more about Darcie Crowe visit: https://croweprivatewealth.com/ Today’s episode is the first of a multi-part Wealth Builder Series Here is why we’re making it. We are blessed to get to work with over 600 contracting companies all over North America helping them systemize for growth. Having been at this for 8 years, we are getting to a point where many of our members are asking us an interesting question: “My business has become a well-oiled machine and is now making enough money that my family’s needs are met…. What should I do with the rest?” To answer this question, we’ll be bringing on world-class experts in real estate, equities, portfolio management, lending, and economics. The focus is simple. How does the entrepreneur behind an efficient and successful blue-collar business become truly wealthy? What should we do with our hard-earned profits to maximize our returns, limit our downside, and design a life we truly love? Today is episode 1, and we’re lucky to be joined by Darcie Crowe of Crowe Private Wealth at Canaccord Genuity. She’s a senior portfolio manager and has been in the industry for the last 18 years, but she comes from the investment banking and equity capital markets world. To set up the rest of the series, this first episode is going to be focused on: The investor's mindset and how it helps you succeed over time When and why you need to start investing outside of your own operating business How a well-balanced portfolio is structured and the various asset classes within See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

To get Free SOP resource bundle click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP130 Writing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs for short) is sorta like flossing your teeth. It's one of those things you know you need to do… but somehow never find the time for. Five things become damn near impossible for your business without them, though: You can’t deliver a consistent product or service (because everyone does everything their own unique way) You can’t develop talent (because you have no structure to grade them against) You can’t scale profitably (because nothing is repeatable) You can’t attract or retain A players (because they’re looking for an employer with SOPs to follow) You can’t build a company of value (because written processes are one of the first things a buyer is going to look for) So why go another day with all your business SOPs inside your head? Listen to this episode to learn how Blaise McDonald of MAC Reno and Brett Bernard of ProCor Group tamed the chaos in their business using SOPs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Check out our easy-to-share list of AI tools: https://trybta.com/PCEP129 Let’s cut right to the chase. There are a gazillion AI tools out there, and new ones arriving every day. How many of them are ACTUALLY helpful to YOU? Not that many. That’s why Morgan Knox and I put together a short list of AI tools your contracting business might actually use.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP127 Austin’s Google Local Services Ads SOP: https://www.basecoatmarketing.com/learn/local-services-ads-for-painters/ Google Local Service Ads are a newish feature from Google that not enough business owners are taking advantage of. Search ads have become insanely expensive as the algorithm has begun catering to the highest bidders. Google Local Services Ads (or LSA’s for short) are Google’s answer for the small business owner who simply can’t compete, at least on the pay-per-click front, with national brands or massive lead aggregators. While you’re not going to scale your entire business on this one lead source, they’re a super easy-to-deploy marketing channel that more or less acts as an extension of your Google Business Profile. Leads that convert at around a 50% close rate for $20 to $50 a pop sounds like a pretty good deal to me. And this can be easily layered on top of pretty much any marketing strategy you’ve got going. Austin Houser is the owner of Base Coat Marketing, a Digital Marketing Firm for Painters. If you’re not a painter, don’t worry LSAs still apply to you. Austin has been doing Digital Marketing since 2008, and his team of 25 in-house employees have become known for delivering exceptional results. Today, we talk about: why lead aggregators kinda suck, and how Google Local Service Ads can be your antidote to effective lead gen online Austin gives us a super detailed walkthrough of how to get started with LSAs and a whole bunch of best practices to help optimize them over time. This lead source is a no-brainer! Get going on them now, and beat your competition to the punch. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP126 To buy David’s Book, click here: https://trybta.com/WisdomforFamilyEnterpriseSuccessors Our guest on the show today is David C. Bentall. During his tenure as President & CEO of Dominion Construction, the business doubled in size to just under $300 million in sales. He played a leading role in the development and construction of landmark projects across Canada, including GM Place (now Rogers Arena, where the Canucks play 🏒), the TD Centre Office Complex in downtown Winnipeg, plus many other notable buildings in the Vancouver skyline. David just authored his third book, Dear Younger Me: Wisdom for Family Enterprise Successors, and in today’s conversation, we focus on 9 transformational leadership traits that anyone can learn. Expect to learn: Why the AI revolution will put an even greater premium on critical thinking skills How curiosity can drive innovation inside your business Why being impatient with your organizational growth always backfires If you want to level up your leadership, listen to this episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP123 Check Out LMN here: https://golmn.com/ My guest on the show today is Mark Bradley, Founder and CEO of Landscape Management Network (or LMN for short). Since its inception in 2007, LMN has become the most trusted software in the world for landscape professionals, with over 250K users on the platform. What makes Mark different from most tech CEOs (who've spent most of their career on a laptop) is he’s actually rolled up his sleeves and done the work too. Prior to launching LMN, he built one of the biggest landscaping companies in Canada, TBG Environmental. Through some highly strategic vertical integration and a penchant for taking on the hard jobs many other shops shied away from, he grew his company up to 50MM and 300 employees before selling off a few of its divisions and diving into the software world full time. This guy is a serious player. Today’s conversation is about: How your leadership needs to evolve as you scale from 0 to 5MM and then from 5MM to 10MM Why revenue per employee hour is the most profit-inducing KPI and how lean manufacturing principles can help you drive it How to use visible scoreboards in your office to gamify production and keep your crews pushing the tempo on projects And his take on how AI will shape the future of the construction and trades space Listen to the full episode to hear about Mark Bradley’s incredible journey.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.