The Contractor Fight with Tom Reber

TCF999: Essential Lessons in Contractor Business and Marketing

Mar 11, 2025

Hunter Ballew, a Marine Corps veteran and roofing industry leader, shares his incredible journey of building and selling a business for $48 million in just three years. He discusses the importance of authenticity in business and how personal stories enhance marketing. Hunter emphasizes nurturing existing leads, developing strong relationships, and recognizing challenges as growth opportunities. His insights on strategic hiring and maintaining a resilient mindset in tough times will inspire contractors looking to scale their businesses.

44:17

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Episode guests

Hunter Ballew

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Prioritizing personal health and family over work fosters a balanced life, ultimately leading to greater business success and sustainability.

Building strong relationships through personalized marketing strategies enhances customer loyalty and transforms one-time clients into long-term revenue sources.

Deep dives

The Journey of Entrepreneurship

Starting a business can be a daunting task, but many entrepreneurs find success through strategic planning and perseverance. One example shared involved a roof company that went from modest beginnings to achieving an impressive $48 million sale in just three years. The entrepreneur highlighted the importance of relentless dedication, learning from mistakes, and not allowing initial setbacks to deter one's goals. Ultimately, the journey underscores that mindset and adaptability are crucial for sustaining growth and overcoming challenges in the business landscape.

Intro

2min

Authenticity and Resilience in Business

24min

Building Relationships for Business Success

10min

Maximizing Existing Leads and Scaling Business Foundations

4min

Empowering Sales Teams through Strategic Videos and Training

2min

Maximizing Profit Through Strategic Hiring in the Contracting Business

3min

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

Links from this episode:

Lead Tracking Spreadsheet: https://thecontractorfight.com/leads
Hunter’s Website: https://roofing.com
Hunter on Instagram: @redwhiteballew

Resources:

⚔️ WAR ROOM

Ready to scale your business to $5,000,000 or more? No theory. No fluff. Pure action. Join nine other battle-tested contracting companies from across the country to tackle your biggest challenges head-on.

https://thecontractorfight.com/war-room

🧰 CONTRACTOR BUSINESS SCHOOL

If you’re serious about building a profitable, structured contracting business without the chaos, this is your shot. Get the tools, insights, and mentorship you need to level up—on YOUR time, at YOUR pace.

https://contractorbusinessschool.com/

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Grab our NEW course to grow your business

5 Steps to 5 Stars: How to Charge Premium Prices and Never Run Out of Leads

https://thecontractorfight.com/5-stars/

🛡️ Join us in BATTLEGROUND

Everything your contracting business needs in one comprehensive program. Three main focus areas: Leadership, Communication, and Numbers. For more info visit:

https://thecontractorfight.com/battleground

💰 You didn’t become a contractor to struggle financially.

Download our worksheet and start calculating a 50% gross profit on every job. It’s time to get your shit together!

https://thecontractorfight.com/50/

🎧 Get on the podcast!

https://thecontractorfight.com/intervention

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https://thecontractorfight.com/book/

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https://www.youtube.com/c/TomReber

🎙️ Listen to the podcast archives:

The Contractor Fight podcast now features nearly 1,000 episodes.