The Wealthy Contractor

EPISODE 237: You’ve poured everything you have into your home improvement business. You’re overwhelmed, stuck doing everything yourself... unable to grow beyond a certain point because you cannot find or attract the A-players you need.Here’s the truth: true growth and freedom only come once you hire the right second-in-command. A trusted right-hand who can execute your vision and systematize what you’ve built.I know, letting go isn’t easy—trusting someone else with your business is terrifying, and finding the right person who understands your vision (and is invested in it) is tough. But if you want a business that thrives without you, it’s a challenge you need to face head-on.That's why I've invited Cameron Herold, the founder of the COO Alliance, to join us on the show this week!Cameron is the author of Double Double and The Second in Command as well as the man behind the explosive growth of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?In this episode, Cameron pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to build a business that runs without you—and why most contractors are sabotaging themselves with one simple mistake: they don’t have the right “Number 2” in place to help make their vision a reality.Listen in now and learn all about:The yin and yang between a leader and their number two The Ones and the Threes—Which roles should be your second-in-command throughout your various stages of growthHow our school system screwed up the type of thinking we need as business ownersHow to communicate the vision of your future company—not the chaos of today—to attract actual A-playersThat one time Cameron and his team “accidentally” faxed their own price list to competitors (and why)How your R&D should be less “research & development" and more "rip off and duplicate"Why you as a leader should spend more time on the "that's no big deal" stuffWhen Simon Sinek used to sleep on Cameron’s couch (AND helped him discover his “why”)… and so much more!If you want to build a business that works for you— and not BECAUSE of you—then tune in now.Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00)The most important relationship in your business (03:24)When can you move to the next level? (08:10)You need to learn to let go (11:24)How to attract A-players (16:28)The ONE question you need to answer (22:36)What’s your “why”? (26:42)What happens when you find the right second-in-command? (34:21)Why you need to delegate more (41:14)Additional Resources:⚡ Get Cameron’s book, The Second in Command: http://amazon.com/Second-Command-Unleash-Power-Your/dp/1544537603 ⚡ Get Cameron’s book, Double Double: https://www.amazon.com/Double-Your-Revenue-Profit-Years/dp/1608320995 ⚡ Learn more about Cameron’s work: https://cameronherold.com/ -- ⚡ Learn more about The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/SuccessSociety⚡ Learn more about The Profit Masters: https://www.TheProfitMasters.com/⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).⚡ Follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/--The Wealthy Contractor is a podcast for home improvement professionals who want to grow their business, work less, and make more money. Follow us for more!

EPISODE 236: When you look at incredibly successful 9-figure home improvement businesses—the kind that have absolutely exploded and are raking in gobs of cash (and notoriety), you may wonder how what THEY do applies to what YOU could do in your own businessWell, if you think your business is too small and their methods won’t apply, then I strongly encourage you to catch this week’s episode of The Wealthy Contractor podcast.In it, I sit down with Tommy Mello, the founder and CEO of A1 Garage Door Service, the largest non-franchise residential garage door company in the US, operating in 43 markets across the country. Tommy is also the author of Home Service Millionaire and Elevate, and host of The Home Service Expert podcast.Tommy isn’t just running a $250 million business—he’s doing it with nearly 25% net profit! In this powerful episode, he unpacks the exact systems, compensation methods, and mental frameworks that helped him create his behemoth.Together, he and I talk about why it's actually not hard to double, triple, or quadruple your business when you're still small.We also share how to hire smarter, the best ways to manage your time as an owner, and how to create equity incentives that drive next-level loyalty.Additionally, we discuss:Why most contractors lose money without realizing itThe equation that predicts revenue, capacity, and ROIWhat holds owners back from “just doing it” when they finally get the advice they needWhy the phrase "I buy how I want to be bought from" might reveal a lot about youWhy MC Hammer went brokeIf you’re ready to leave the grind behind, then don’t miss this episode.Tune in now for more!Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00)Meet Tommy (00:48)Why you need to plan for the end (06:10)Why some people work fast and some don’t (12:43)Why you need to fail forward (19:38)The five Fs (27:03)How to be a people’s leader (35:44)How to make $10 million (43:31)The numbers don’t matter, the strategy does (55:52)Additional Resources:⚡ Learn more about Tommy’s work: https://www.tommymello.com/⚡ Get your copy of Tommy’s book, Elevate: https://angels.homeservicemillionaire.com/order-537068861647523872885 -- ⚡ Learn more about The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/SuccessSociety⚡ Learn more about The Profit Masters: https://www.TheProfitMasters.com/⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).⚡ Follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/--The Wealthy Contractor is a podcast for home improvement professionals who want to grow their business, work less, and make more money. Follow us for more!

EPISODE 235: Most people, entrepreneurs and home improvement business owners included, believe that success is the secret to happiness.But what if it was the other way around? What if cultivating a positive mindset and a happy outlook is the key to achieving everything you want in life?This is exactly what I discuss in this week’s episode of The Wealthy Contractor alongside my guest Briana Hetherington.Briana is the founder of Altruistic Advisory and a mindset and business consultant who specializes in home improvement companies. She is a certified life coach and an Orange Frog workshop trainer, helping entrepreneurs develop positive psychology principles in business and leadership.In this episode, Briana and I delve into the psychology of success and the Orange Frog concept, which teaches how positivity and mindset shape business outcomes in very pragmatic ways.Together, we’ll be discussing:The key psychological factors that determine success (and how)Harvard studies on the advantages of positive mindset and its effects on performanceThe role gratitude actually plays in financial growthShifting through different phases of leadership as your business growsPractical ways business owners can reprogram their brains… and so much more!If you’ve ever felt stuck or unhappy in your business, struggled with self-doubt, or been crippled by stress, this is THE episode for you, so make sure not to miss it.Are you ready?Let’s dive in.Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00)Meet Briana (01:48)Orange Frog theory? (02:52)The power of perspective (07:04)How our belief systems shape our world (16:08)A quick exercise for you (19:42)How happiness fuels success (23:10)Five healthy habits for happiness (26:56)The importance of social investment (37:53)Additional Resources:⚡ Connect with Briana on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briana-hetherington-b417077b/⚡ Learn more about Altruistic Advisory: https://www.altruisticadvisory.com/ --⚡ Learn more about The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/SuccessSociety⚡ Learn more about The Profit Masters: https://www.TheProfitMasters.com/⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).⚡ Follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/--The Wealthy Contractor is a podcast for home improvement professionals who want to grow their business, work less, and make more money. Follow us for more!

Bill Burkhardt Jr., co-owner of Four Seasons Kanga Roof, shares insights from his family's roofing business in Detroit. He reveals how implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) drastically improved their operations and profitability. Bill discusses the importance of creating maintenance programs to ensure steady business, even during tough times. He also emphasizes emotionally detaching from pricing decisions and the unique 'penny game' to engage the team. His experiences highlight valuable lessons on customer trust and resilience in the contracting industry.

EPISODE 233: Being willing to learn and adapt to emerging trends isn’t just a great way to differentiate yourself from your competition today—it's necessary to avoid the slow death of being left behind as customers and the market change.It’s time to consider the new strategies that are shaping the future of the industry! But don’t take my word for it; hear it straight from my guest this week, Benji Carlson.Benji is the Director of Content Marketing at Breakthrough Academy and the host of the Contractor Evolution podcast. He has worked with hundreds of trades and home service businesses and has a unique insight into new trends that are starting to propel some companies way ahead of the pack.In this episode, Benji and I will be diving into THREE emerging trends for home improvement businesses in 2025 and beyond. We look at:The emergence of the self-serve sales processes and its impact on our industry Clever performance-based pay structures for your entire team that motivate employees and control costs What modern brand building really means and whether Benji and I agree on its importance for contractorsWe also touch on the changes in customer behavior we’ve been seeing lately, why some customers hate talking on the phone (and how they want to communicate instead), and why someone who is "team human" still uses AI.Are you ready to position your company for success over the next decade and take it to the next level TODAY?Then tune in now!Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00)Why modern brand building matters (05:47)Self-serve sales processes explained (07:09)Customer experience as a competitive advantage (18:50)Why you need performance pay (22:55)How technology can help grow your business (47:47)Additional Resources:⚡ Stop wasting time on tire kickers and start attracting A-players today with our HIRING RESOURCES, free to listeners of The Wealthy Contractor Podcast: https://trybta.com/wealthy-contractor/ ⚡ Learn more about The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/SuccessSociety⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).⚡ Follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/--The Wealthy Contractor is a podcast for home improvement professionals who want to grow their business, work less, and make more money. Follow us for more!

EPISODE 232: 2024 was a tough market for the home improvement industry. Economic uncertainties and rising costs threw a wrench in many contractors' plans, but not for my guest today, Kirk Koskiniemi.Kirk took his roofing business from $10.4M to $16.7M over the past year AND raised profits at the same time. He and his team achieved this with a single mantra: "Do fewer things better".In this episode, Kirk lays out the areas they worked on to achieve this amazing feat during a year other home improvement companies were stumbling.We talk about how he optimized his sales funnel’s various conversion points, increasing average ticket size to drive down marketing costs (even on small repair jobs), what a typical week looks like for his sales reps, and the magic behind “handing out leads like they are diamonds”.You’ll also find out why their average NSLI (Net Sales Per Lead Issued) went from $5,600 to $10,500 in December when they were low on leads—and why they are thinking of switching sales goals from overall revenue to the highest NSLI.We finally chatted about how our Accelerate LIVE! event played a major role in his growth with its big learning and networking opportunities.Hit play now to hear how Kirk simplified his way to success and how you can too.Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00)Kirk’s 2024 business performance (00:20)Challenges and benefits of remote management (14:52)Business growth and sales team focus (15:10)Sales funnel optimization and marketing strategies (15:52)Sales rep performance and training (21:12)Rehash and lead management (30:39)Accelerate LIVE! event and networking (34:42) Additional Resources:⚡ Save your seats for Accelerate LIVE! 2025: https://www.AccelerateEvent.com/ ⚡ Learn more about The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/SuccessSociety⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).⚡ Follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/--The Wealthy Contractor is a podcast for home improvement professionals who want to grow their business, work less, and make more money. Follow us for more!

Lee Diamond, a former Fortune 200 executive, shares his unique journey of transitioning to home improvement entrepreneurship alongside his son. They discuss modernizing business practices and the art of change management. Lee emphasizes the importance of team culture to retain top talent and explores strategies for enhancing profitability in a post-COVID landscape. He also highlights the value of corporate strategies in small business settings, illustrating how to build a sustainable operation that aligns personal aspirations with business success.

EPISODE 230: To be a great business owner, you need to understand yourself. Why is that so important?Once you truly know what kind of leader you are, you’ll be able to understand what it takes to do these three things: manage your time efficiently, delegate, and implement. I discuss all of this (and more) in this week’s episode of The Wealthy Contractor podcast with my guest John Anglis.John is a seasoned leader who built a highly profitable home improvement business that operated independently of him before selling it to a private equity firm. Today, John is a consultant who specializes in sales training and organizational growth.John and I will be discussing his journey building a multimillion-dollar business and selling it. We’ll also be talking about what typically gets in the way of efficient implementation, how he uses his DISC to understand how people see him and be a better leader, how business owners sometimes abdicate instead of delegate, and the importance of networking as an entrepreneur. John will also preview his upcoming talk at our Accelerate LIVE! 2025 event, which will be focusing on creating impactful organizational structures through the various “break points” of company growth.Are you ready to scale your business to the next level with John’s insights?Then tune in now.Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00)Meet John (01:01)Why DISC profiles matter (07:34)Time management for entrepreneurs (10:03)Delegation vs abdication (12:34)The key to success is implementation (20:07)Breaking growth plateaus (24:02)The platinum rule (29:02)Additional Resources:⚡ Save your seats for Accelerate LIVE! 2025: https://www.AccelerateEvent.com/ ⚡ Learn more about The Profit Masters: https://www.TheProfitMasters.com/ ⚡ Learn more about The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/SuccessSociety⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).⚡ Follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/--The Wealthy Contractor is a podcast for home improvement professionals who want to grow their business, work less, and make more money. Follow us for more!

EPISODE 229: Lead volume is down. Cost per issued appointment is skyrocketing. Marketing to homeowners is getting harder and more competitive.So what do you do?In this episode, we dive into this with my guest, Justin Bartley, the founder and president of Next Door & Window.With over two decades of experience in the home improvement industry, Justin has mastered the art of squeezing more out of your marketing dollars, so much so that this year his business grew 15% with very little change to how many sales appointments they ran.In this episode, he shares many hard-won secrets behind his company’s consistent growth in the face of a changing market. He discusses the power of direct mail marketing, reaching a 0.6% marketing cost with repeat customers, and fighting rising marketing costs with sales processes. He and I also touch on what CRM data they think is critical at Next Door & Windows, how business owners can free themselves from day-to-day operations to focus on what they’re really good at, and much more.Are you ready to take the first step towards a more successful business?Then tune in now!Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00)Lead generation after the pandemic (02:31)Repeat customers are the answer (06:11)Direct mail marketing for customer retention (11:23)You need sales training to drive growth (19:13)Lessons from 2024 (34:25)Additional Resources:⚡ Save your seats for Accelerate LIVE! 2025: https://www.AccelerateEvent.com/ ⚡ Learn more about The Profit Masters: https://www.TheProfitMasters.com/ ⚡ Learn more about The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/SuccessSociety⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).⚡ Follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/--The Wealthy Contractor is a podcast for home improvement professionals who want to grow their business, work less, and make more money. Follow us for more!

EPISODE 228: Are you struggling to bridge the gap between ideas and execution in your home improvement business?Knowing how to turn your plans into actions is a quintessential skill every business owner struggles with but should hone into one of their primary competencies .After all, success in business comes from unrelenting action and knowing how to EXECUTE ideas systematically.To discuss this in more detail, I’ve invited Jon Graboyes to sit down with me in this week’s episode of The Wealthy Contractor podcast.Jon is the 3rd generation owner of Graboyes Windows and Doors, a 75-year-old family-owned business specializing in replacement windows and doors in suburban Philadelphia. In this episode, Jon and I discuss how he brought transformative change to his company. We cover “the list” of things he tackled coming out of COVID that kept the business moving in the right direction, what changes in marketing had to happen in order to double revenue, and where they get the data that keeps their marketing costs low. We also talk about how Jon’s company more than tripled its profit, the hard act of replacing all the people that no longer serve your company, what a P&L should NOT look like, what being part of a mastermind group does for your business, and much more.Are you ready?Let’s dive in.Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00)Meet Jon (03:06)People management in a family business (09:12)Dealing with internal conflict (11:54)Let’s talk about marketing (19:02)You need to know your numbers (27:47)Working with EOS (35:38)The importance of working on yourself (38:11)Jon’s life after work (43:42)Additional Resources:⚡ Save your seats for Accelerate LIVE! 2025: https://www.AccelerateEvent.com/ ⚡ Learn more about The Profit Masters: https://www.TheProfitMasters.com/ ⚡ Learn more about The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/SuccessSociety⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).⚡ Follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/--The Wealthy Contractor is a podcast for home improvement professionals who want to grow their business, work less, and make more money. Follow us for more!