
Contractor Evolution
Breakthrough Academy presents Contractor Evolution.
In this show we unpack the systems, tactics, and skills you need to take your fast-growing contracting business to the next level.
If you’re here to learn what it takes to scale up, work less, and increase profitability, you’ve come to the right place.
Stay tuned to learn what separates the new breed of contractor from the old school, and welcome to your ultimate guide to the business of contracting.
Latest episodes

Oct 16, 2024 • 1h 9min
182. Matt Risinger’s Secrets to Team Building - Matt Risinger
Get a downloadable copy of Matt Risinger's Team Building Tactics here: https://trybta.com/DLEP182 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP182 Ever wonder how an industry titan recruits and retains top talent? Before creating his 1.1 million subscriber YouTube channel dedicated to building science, Matt Risinger worked as a recruiter for a national builder, where he learned the tactics and skills he would use to assemble his incredible teams at both Risingerbuild and The Build Show. And today, he’s back on the show to teach you how to do it, too. We talk about how to get great applicants in the door, tips for behavioral interviewing, the right questions to ask (and which ones to NOT), how to retain talent for the long haul, and how to know when and why to let someone go. This is a Masterclass in human resources for construction and trades with one of the most trusted names in the industry. Episode Highlights:- Learn the tactics and skills Matt Risinger used to build the exceptional teams that allowed RisingerBuild and The Build Show to grow into the industry titans they are today.- Hear about Matt’s experience working as a recruiter for a national builder earlier in his career and how the experience shaped his current recruitment practices.- Get Matt’s take on how to know when it’s time to let someone go, and how to approach the conversation professionally. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 9, 2024 • 51min
181. Marketing Through a Downturn - John Jantsch
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP181 To learn more about Duct Tape Marketing, click here: https://ducttapemarketing.com/ If you’ve ever cut your marketing budget when times were tough, this one’s for you. When you find yourself in the middle of a downturn, leadflow turning to a trickle, customer decision-making slowing to a crawl…something's gotta give. And if your marketing budget is just an expense you pay because you think you should, it’s a pretty easy decision. Cut the deadweight. But according to today’s guest John Jantsch, that might be the wrong approach. John is the author of Duct Tape Marketing, The Ultimate Marketing Machine, The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur, and more. And today, we’re talking about how to adapt your marketing strategy for economic headwinds. The market around you may be slowing down, but that doesn’t mean your business—or your marketing—has to.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 2, 2024 • 42min
180. Avoid These 10 QuickBooks Mistakes - Nate Flake
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP180 Grab a free copy of QuickBooks' Top 5 Profit Leaks for Contractors download here: https://www.btacademy.com/ce/download/ep180/ Grab your free Breakthrough Academy budgeting tool here: https://trybta.com/68v Have you ever wanted to better understand how to use QuickBooks effectively but haven’t had the time to really dive into it? Most contractors are probably in the same boat. Our anecdotal guess is that north of 85% of our Members use QuickBooks as their bookkeeping software. But there is so much the platform can do, it’s hard to know if you’re using it “right.” Or to its full potential. So… we thought it would be cool to have someone from QuickBooks come on and teach us how to get the most out of it. Nate Flake is the Senior Partner Development Manager at Intuit (the makers of Quickbooks) and he also hosts their Constructing Growth Podcast. Today, we’re going to unpack 10 crucial QuickBooks mistakes contractors often make and how to avoid them moving forward. 538d9f21ce1440514fe7d46194e8e85cbc8da07eSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 25, 2024 • 1h 1min
179. Negotiation Tactics for Contractors - Chris Voss
Get your free guide to Chris Voss' Top Negotiation Tips for Contractors here: https://trybta.com/DLEP179 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP179 Check out Chris Voss' new documentary, Tactical Empathy, here: https://www.amazon.com/Tactical-Empathy-Chris-Voss/dp/B0D83LHHZT Today’s episode frickin’ rocks. The one and only Chris Voss, world-renowned FBI negotiator and author of Never Split the Difference, is on the show to talk all things negotiation. We cover the mindset, the skills, and the systems you need to be a better negotiator in your contracting business. Whether you’re defending your price to a haggling client, driving a hard bargain with a supplier, or negotiating a comp package with a key employee, implementing the tips in this episode will help you get better results.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 18, 2024 • 59min
178. Make More Money with Less Marketing - Allan Dib
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP178 Get Allan Dib's new book, Lean Marketing, here: https://leanmarketing.com/books/leanmarketing “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted. The trouble is I don't know which half.” Ever heard that saying? That classic quote from John Wanamaker dates back over a hundred years ago. And, sadly, even with all the new technology, tracking mechanisms and data at our fingertips, it’s still kinda true. At least it is for many contractors. Our guest today is Allan Dib, author of The 1-Page Marketing Plan and, as of this year, a brand new book called Lean Marketing. The idea is pretty simple. Marketing creates A LOT of waste that provides zero value to you or your customer. So, today we’re going to talk about Allan’s 9 Lean Marketing principles that will help you get more leads, more profit, with LESS MARKETING. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 11, 2024 • 39min
177. Why Most Websites Suck (and How to Make Yours Better) - Bryce Choquer
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP177 Get a complimentary SEO audit from Choquer Creative here: https://cal.com/brycechoquer/seo-audit Did you get your website built because you knew you needed one? Or did you have it thoughtfully designed and optimized to get you leads? The truth is that 9/10 of your competition's websites are poorly designed and under-optimized. And if your website just exists to check a box on your marketing to-do list, yours probably is too. Our guest today, Bryce Choquer, is the founder of Choquer Creative, a web design and SEO Agency that specializes in building websites for trades and construction companies. In this episode, he breaks down the framework he uses to get contractors more leads from their websites.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 4, 2024 • 1h 4min
176. How to Stay Present in a Distracted World - Mike Lee
Get access to Benji and Mike's favorite mindfulness practices here: https://trybta.com/PCDLEP176 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP176 Did you know the average employee loses 600 hours a year due to distractions? That’s a lot of untapped potential. And a lot of anxious people. Our guest on the show today is Mike Lee, a best-selling author and globally recognized keynote speaker whose entire body of work is dedicated to helping leaders find focus, block out distractions, and get more done with a calmer mind. Mike and I talk about how to be more present in the way you work, live and lead. From separating yourself from the constant notifications, algorithms and open tabs to dealing with the anxiety that comes with owning a business, leading people and being a human in 2024. If you want to be more focused, more present and more mindful, this one’s for you. Get Mike's book, New Rules for the Future of Leadership here: https://mindshiftlabs.com/new-rules-for-the-future-of-leadership/ Episode highlights:- Learn about the real cost distractions have to our businesses and our personal lives.- Get tips on practicing focus, mindfulness and presence from best-selling author and globally recognized keynote speaker Mike Lee.- Find out what working with athletes like Steph Curry taught Mike about the power of mindset in achieving success on the court and in business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 28, 2024 • 50min
175. The Power of Purpose-Driven Leadership - Ryan Gill
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP175 To learn more about Ryan and Brush Strokes, click here: https://brushstrokesga.com/ Today’s episode is your daily dose of inspiration. Ryan Gill, Breakthrough Academy Member and owner of Brush Strokes Quality Painting in Georgia, has quite the story. He’s battled addiction, struggled with his mental health, and been on the brink of bankruptcy three times. And today, he runs a thriving painting company with a mission to give back. Through an unconventional hiring strategy, Ryan gives second chances to ex-inmates and individuals in addiction recovery programs while maintaining the highest standard of quality and world-class customer service. His story powerfully reminds us of the bigger role our businesses play in making the world a better place.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 21, 2024 • 47min
174. Turn Your LAGGING Indicators into LEADING Indicators - Brayden Russell
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP174 Get your free budget tool here: https://trybta.com/DLEP174 We all know the standard KPIs we need to track the success of a business. Dollars sold. Dollars produced. Gross profit. Net profit. The only problem with these all-important metrics is that they are LAGGING indicators. We find out about their performance AFTER the activity that drives them has already happened. They tell us whether we achieved the results we wanted, but say little about how to get those results in the future. This is where LEADING indicators can be instrumental in helping you lead your team. If you tell your project managers to raise gross profit next quarter, they won’t know how. But if you tell them to keep their materials expenses below 15% by following a more efficient ordering and purchasing process. They actually stand a pretty good chance. Today, Breakthrough Academy Coach Brayden Russell is on the show to break down how to turn your lagging indicators into leading indicators and orient your team towards success. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 14, 2024 • 57min
173. Buying/Selling a Contracting Business? Listen to This. - Morgan Tate
Get your free strategic planning tool here: https://trybta.com/DLEP173 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP173 Buying and selling contracting businesses is no easy feat. Compared to buying or selling a home, the whole system is needlessly confusing and incredibly dated. It involves pen-and-paper processes, uninformed sellers, and brokerage-owned listing sites that look like they were built in 2004. Our guest today, Morgan Tate, is on a mission to change this with a new platform called DealBuilder.co that centralizes and expedites the deal-making process for brokers, buyers and sellers. And he’s got a pretty interesting vantage point on how businesses change hands. In this episode, we cover: The difference between saleability and valuation and how to optimize for BOTH How to spot solid buying opportunities to help you grow through acquisition And lastly, the 3 most common deal killers - surprisingly obvious little mistakes that can squash a deal right before the finish line If you’ve ever considered selling your business or acquiring another one, this is a must-listen. Learn more about DealBuilder here: https://www.dealbuilder.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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