Contractor Evolution

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.

Ashley Ennis, a Breakthrough Academy coach since 2017, shares her expertise on performance reviews as powerful tools for team development. She challenges common misconceptions, urging ongoing feedback over annual surprises. The conversation highlights the value of data-driven insights and separating compensation discussions from performance reviews to foster a supportive work environment. Listeners gain practical tips for creating clear, productive evaluations, while learning how effective reviews can transform organizational culture and enhance leadership development.

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.