In this episode, Tom sits down with Hunter Ballew, a Marine Corps veteran and roofing industry leader who built and sold a business for $48 million in just three years. Hunter shares his journey, key marketing and sales strategies, and hard-earned lessons in scaling a contracting business. Whether you're looking to improve lead generation, build strong relationships, or create a business that thrives, this episode is packed with valuable insights.
In this episode, we discuss:
- [00:00] Introduction: Hunter’s $48M exit and roofing success
- [00:29] Common ground: Marines, firefighting, and entrepreneurship
- [02:21] The power of authenticity in business
- [03:18] The importance of prioritizing yourself, your home, and then your business
- [04:43] Hunter’s massive business growth and struggles with self-doubt
- [06:10] The impact of pressure and mindset in entrepreneurship
- [07:38] Using business challenges as opportunities for growth
- [09:04] The Great Recession and learning to reframe business hardships
- [10:53] Maintaining optimism and controlling what you can in tough economies
- [12:44] The power of going all-in on marketing and building your brand
- [13:13] Hunter’s business journey: From firefighter to multi-million-dollar exit
- [17:32] Rapid scaling: How Hunter’s company hit $10M+ in revenue
- [19:19] Lessons from selling a business: Doing due diligence on buyers
- [22:12] The impact of core values and leadership in business sales
- [24:29] Mental and financial challenges of exiting a business
- [26:25] The importance of having a strong personal foundation
- [27:20] The biggest marketing mistakes contractors make
- [29:14] Relationship-building as the key to long-term business success
- [30:36] Understanding customer acquisition cost (CAC) and lead tracking
- [32:53] Facebook Ads vs. Google Ads: Choosing the right marketing strategy
- [34:19] The power of follow-ups and customer engagement
- [36:09] Scaling quickly: Hiring sales reps and building a dream team
- [38:02] The importance of personal development for business owners
- [41:15] The roadmap to scaling from $3M to $10M+ in revenue
- [42:43] Hiring strategies for long-term business success
- [44:09] Final thoughts and where to connect with Hunter
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The Contractor Fight with Tom Reber