Why Construction Leaders Must Build a Bench

What if recruiting for your construction business was as strategic as landing your next big client? In this episode of Titans of the Trades, host Ryan Englin sits down with seasoned business coach John Nieuwenburg of W5 Coaching. Together, they dive into one of the most overlooked but critical strategies in blue collar leadership: treating recruiting like marketing.

John brings two decades of coaching experience, much of it with contractors and tradespeople, and delivers hard-hitting insights on how mindset, culture, and transformational leadership are the true game-changers in solving the trades’ labor crisis.

From building a bench to exiting your business on your terms, this conversation is packed with real talk and practical strategies construction leaders can’t afford to miss.

Episode Takeaways with Timestamps

• [02:24] The Real Definition of Coaching. John breaks down why coaching isn’t about giving advice but helping you own your solutions.
• [03:30] What W5 Really Means. Learn how the Socratic method shapes John’s coaching model.
• [05:49] Business Coaching is Personal Coaching. The deeper issues behind business problems (hint: it’s not the spreadsheet).
• [07:15] Recruiting Like You Sell. Why you must treat recruiting with the same urgency as sales.
• [08:35] Build a Bench Before You Need It. John’s retail story shows how to always be recruiting the right way.
• [11:04] Job Ads That Actually Work. A better way to write job postings that speak to real human pain points.
• [14:26] Transformational vs. Transactional Coaching. How to get the culture you deserve, not just the one you tolerate.
• [18:07] Leverage in Hiring. Why the person with more options always wins, and how to make sure it’s you.
• [20:16] Building a Self-Managing Business. What’s your business worth if you step away for 3 months?
• [25:48] Identity After the Exit. Why selling your business is as emotional as it is financial.

Connect With John:

Website: https://w5coaching.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/business-coach-canada/

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