He was laid off on the cusp of the Great Recession.

His business was building houses.

It was the least hospitable environment for construction companies in decades.

But that's exactly what he started.

In 2008, Tim O'Brien launched Tim O'Brien Homes with a team consisting of himself, his sister, and a partner. They had no land and no customers. The housing industry was in shambles.

Ten years later, Tim is a top midwestern homebuilder.

We invited Tim on the Cannonball Mindsets podcast to learn how he go started, what made his company thrive, and what he believes entrepreneurs need to do to succeed in tough environments.