Contractor Evolution

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here:  https://trybta.com/EP197 When times get tough, tragedy strikes or things take a turn for the worst, how do you keep faith that everything will turn out ok? Today, that’s what our very own Breakthrough Academy coach Ian Ouwerkerk is joining me to discuss. On August 29th, 2008 on their way to a wedding, Ian, his mum and his dad were T-boned by a car going 70 miles an hour. The accident left Ian with a severed carotid artery plus 11 ribs and both his collar bones broken. And the list of injuries goes on.  He died and came back multiple times through this harrowing event. Today, he’s generously opening up about his accident, miraculous recovery and the life lessons he learned from the tragic experience. We talk about how to cultivate resilience, perspective, and faith in life’s most challenging seasons. Episode Highlights: 00:00-Intro 01:31-About Coach Ian 08:17-Ian's accident and out of body experience 17:58-The injuries Ian had to overcome 28:27-What got Ian through the recovery process 30:32-Getting back on his feet 39:05-Enduring more bad news 49:07-Core lessons and takeaways from that difficult period 50:56-It's all about faith 01:06:57-The power of impacting others through entrepreneurshipSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grab your free "goodie bag" of financial management templates here: https://trybta.com/DL196  To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP196  If you’ve made it this far in business, I probably don’t need to tell you that need to budget, track your overhead, and do job costing. The problem is: nobody ever shows you HOW. A few weeks back, we co-hosted a webinar with our friend Bob Gauvreau from Gauvreau Accounting Tax Law Advisory to teach 7-figure contractors everything they need to know about managing their finances. We talked about budgeting, job costing, avoiding cash crunches and more. And today, we’re replaying it here on the podcast so more contractors can benefit from the insights. This is a must-listen for anyone whose New Year’s Resolution is to get better at financial management. Episode Highlights: 00:00-Intro02:34-About the session03:47-About our free templates (link in description)05:24-Why talk cash flow and budgeting?06:50-About Benji & Bob08:05-Purpose, Outcomes & Agenda10:59-Why is staying on top of your numbers so hard?13:41-Common challenges with financial management21:41-3 Core Systems of Financial Management36:23-Industry Benchmarks - Profit Margins41:20-Margins as you evolve46:21-Signs you should be worried about your cash flow51:04-Five Cash Flow Destroyers59:33-How to implement change01:07:18-Q&ASee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP195 How are you using AI and automation in your business? Maybe you use ChatGPT for idea generation or have some automated reminders going out through your bookkeeping software or CRM. If so, that’s great. But the reality is there is a lot more you could be doing. And it doesn't all require in-depth programming knowledge or tech skills. Today’s conversation is with Tersh Blissett. He’s an AI and automations expert for trades and construction, Host of the Service Business Mastery Podcast, owner of two HVAC companies, and founder of Trade Automation Pros.  We discuss the five types of automations all contractors need and three of the most clever ways he’s seeing AI deployed in the trades today.  If you’re tired of monotonous and repetitive tasks but aren’t sure where to start with automations, this episode is a must-listen. Episode Highlights: 00:00-Intro  01:16-Defining automations  02:04-Background on Tersh's passion for AI and automation  06:42-About Tersh  11:55-Five automations every contractor needs  12:23-Automated appointment scheduling and reminders  19:36-Streamlined customer support ticket handling  24:10-Automated lead management  25:23-Social media content curation and posting  30:54-Automated onboarding for new clients  40:49-Three clever ways contractors can use AI in their business  54:10-Advice for the not so tech-savvy contractor  56:52-Connect with Tersh  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP194  Get your copy of Greg McKeown's new Essentialism Planner here: https://gregmckeown.com/books/the-essentialism-planner/  Do you know what you want this year? Or next year? Or in five years? In this distracted world we’re living in, it can be pretty hard to drown out the noise, algorithms and influencers and figure out what it is that you want. And how to go get it. Our guest on the show today is Greg McKeown, author of one of the most beloved books in the small business world: Essentialism: the Disciplined Pursuit of Less. He’s here to teach us how to define and achieve what’s truly most important to you by narrowing your focus and aligning your actions with the highest priority—the most essential—goals in business and life. Late last year, Greg released a new workbook to help readers work through the concepts of an essentialist lifestyle, and we’re lucky enough to get a preview into what the process looks like on the show. Episode highlights: Learn how to apply the concepts of Greg McKeown's book, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less to your business and life. Get tips from Benji and Greg on how to figure out what it is you actually want in life, and how to go after it with laser focus. Gain a new perspective on your 2025 strategic plan and vision, just in time to go out and crush your goals. 00:00-Intro 01:44-Essentialism: A 2024 Update 04:19-About the Essentialism Planner 07:43-How to discern the "trivial many" from the "vital few" 30:39-How to figure out what you actually want 55:25-The power of a graceful no 01:01:40-The importance of rest, play, and escape 01:10:40-Advice for contractors as they enter 2025See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stop telling yourself the lies in this episode and start telling yourself the 7 TRUTHS in this free download instead: https://trybta.com/DL193 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here:  https://trybta.com/PCEP193  For the first episode of 2025, Benji is speaking from the heart. Today, he's calling out seven lies to stop telling yourself in 2025. And, really, seven lies we all need to stop telling ourselves. We hope this episode helps you break unhealthy thought patterns. About your business. About your family. And most importantly, about yourself. New year, new you. And new us, too.  Episode Highlights:- Understand whether seven unhealthy thought patterns are impacting your business and life, and how to let them go as you enter the new year.- Reflect on the limiting beliefs that held you back in the past, and start to shift your thinking as you move into the future. 00:00-Intro02:09-It’s “just a [insert industry] business”04:32-Another business/industry would have been easier08:39-It HAS to be hard10:39-I need to be good at everything.11:45-I’m not worthy of the abundance my business is creating14:32-A+ Talent doesn't want to work for my business16:32-I’m behind; everyone else is so far aheadSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP192  Have you ever wondered how the masters of big business scale up to nine-figures and beyond? Today’s guest is Adam E. Coffey, author of 3 bestsellers: The Private Equity Playbook, The Exit Strategy Playbook, and Empire Builder: The Road to a Billion. After 10 years as an executive at General Electric, he was hired as the president of three private equity-backed service companies where he completed 58 acquisitions and facilitated billions of dollars in successful exits.  In this episode, we pick his brain about how small-to-medium sized contractors like you can apply the concepts of The Private Equity Playbook to their business systems and operations. And trust us, there is a ton to be learned from our conversation. Episode highlights:- Get a breakdown of the concepts in Adam E.Coffey’s bestselling books, The Private Equity Playbook, The Exit Strategy Playbook, and Empire Builder: The Road to a Billion.- Learn the three stages of business growth on the road to a billion, and what tactics and areas of focus are most important at each point in the journey.- Understand how to apply the mindset and tactics used in the world of private equity to your own strategic plan. 00:00-Intro01:23-About Adam Coffey06:22-Stage 1 : $0 to $1MM16:26-Stage 2: $1 M to $10MM32:17-Stage 3: $10MM to $100MM42:40-Four Powerful Organic Levers to Bend Your Growth Curve Upward50:27-The 2 Most Essential Business Skills for Growth53:39-Connect With AdamSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn how to hire for profit growth with this free download: https://trybta.com/DLEP191  To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP191  Learn more about Greg and Simple Numbers here: https://www.simplenumberscri.com/  We're gonna make an educated guess and say you didn’t get into business because you love accounting. So when it comes to financial management—budgeting, forecasting, and tracking the right metrics for success—you’d be forgiven for getting a little lost in the jargon and differing opinions on the “right” way to do things. Our guest on the show today is Greg Crabtree, author of Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits! Greg's approach to financial controls and profitability is refreshingly simple and easy to understand. He distills the confusing world of accounting into incredibly simple metrics and lays out the core areas of business you need to focus on. If you’re looking for a simple explanation of which numbers you should care about and how to optimize them for business growth, consider this episode your starting point. Episode highlights: Understand why gross margin is your TRUE top line and why revenue is one of the most meaningless metrics to care about in business, according to Greg Crabtree, author of Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits! Hear Greg’s thoughts on why your income tax paid is actually one of the best KPIs to optimize Learn the only two ways to boost labor productivity and get out of the profitability black hole between $1MM and $5MM 00:00-Intro 01:52-Why are finances so hard to understand? 14:49-About the Four Keys 21:30-How should people use and think about the Four Keys? 28:44-Owner's Salary 36:56-Profit 50:52-Labor Productivity 1:02:23-Habits and mindsets      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grab a free summary of Joey's book, Never Lose an Employee Again, here: https://trybta.com/DLEP190  To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP190   Learn more about Joey and his work here: https://joeycoleman.com/  It sucks to lose good people.  Especially when it feels like you did everything you could to keep them, short of a 7-figure salary and 6 months vacation. 🤦 But, according to my guest today, world-renowned speaker, consultant, and bestselling author of Never Lose an Employee Again Joey Coleman, there’s probably a lot of crucial onboarding steps you’re missing with your new team members. Today’s conversation is about more than employee retention. We’re diving into the world of employee experience, and how getting it right can save you tons of time, money and headaches by lowering turnover and building a killer culture. Episode highlights:- Get an inside look at Joey Coleman’s framework for building killer employee experiences, as outlined in his bestselling book Never Lose an Employee Again.- Learn about the importance of the first 100 days of an employee’s time with your company, and how to optimize their experience for long-term retention.- Get tips on designing organizations that allow high performers to grow into careers, rather than feel like they’re in a “dead end job.” 00:00-Intro01:29-The true cost of turnover04:45-Why people quit after just a few months13:51-Why proper onboarding is essential (even though it's a lot of work)21:25-The goal of an onboarding system: The 4 R's32:57-How to optimize the first day on the job43:24-The importance of the First 100 Days47:23-How to create career paths that keep A-players around58:42-Connect with JoeySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grab your copy of our IMPLEMENT framework here: https://trybta.com/DLEP189   To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/PCEP189     The end of the year is approaching, and that means it’s “hope season” for a lot of contractors.   Your implementation goals are big. You’ve got tech stack upgrades, brand refreshes, and shiny new internal processes on the brain.   But, let’s be real:   If you look back at past years—and all the projects you had planned—how many of them did you actually get across the finish line?   The graveyard of good ideas not implemented for most entrepreneurs is vast.   So how do you break the cycle and actually get sh*t done in 2025?   This episode is a 9-part roadmap that will help you sharpen your implementation skills and turn your great ideas into fully implemented systems.   Episode highlights:- Learn Benji’s nine part framework for successfully implementing projects—from tech stack upgrades to business systems to SOPs.- Understand why implementation is so difficult, and how to sharpen your skills as a business owner to get more done in 2025.- Get fired up and ready to crush your implementation goals next year.   00:00-Intro02:15-Pick The Right Things To Implement04:33-Define Your Outcomes06:34-Don’t Reinvent the Wheel07:34-Make Foolproof Project Plans09:04-Delegate, Don’t Dump12:29-Find Your Milestones and Celebrate Them13:29-Don't Forget the Change Management Part15:57-Audit (is what we implemented working?)17:12-Give People BreaksSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Connect time tracking to your job costing with this free white paper from busybusy: https://trybta.com/DLEP188    To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here:  https://trybta.com/PCEP188    Have you ever wondered whether getting your field staff to track their time is worthwhile?   Sure, it’d be great to hold them accountable. But you can already hear their grumbles and groans about having to add another thing to their to-do list.   The thing is, in other businesses (think accounting, law, marketing agencies), time tracking is standard practice. The whole goal in those industries is to make as much time billable to the client as possible. So why is it different in the trades?   Our guest on the show today is Isaac Barlow. He’s the Founder of busybusy. The industry-leading time-tracking app for construction and trades.    Today’s conversation is about leveraging time-tracking technology to increase productivity and profitability without hurting your company culture.   Episode highlights: Learn how time tracking can be used to create a performance culture built on business intelligence. Understand why field staff often resist adopting modern tech and how to change their attitudes and get them on board with time tracking. Find out how to create a modern data-obsessed organization in an old school industry.   00:00-Intro01:48-The story behind busybusy08:42-Why contractors need to be more time obsessed16:42-The benefits of busybusy and other time tracking apps22:08-How to deal with pushback from the team28:56-Business Intelligence: helpful or hurtful to culture?31:57-Gamification: does it work?34:04-3 tips to get your team thinking more like owners38:19-Downloadable handout and busybusy promotion39:08-Business intelligence: what is it and how do you use it?44:46-Too much data vs. too little data: what is the balance?46:36-How to become data-obsessed (even if you're not wired that way)49:13-Connect with Isaac and learn more about busybusySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.