What happens when a corporate lawyer helps a plumber recover $60K in missed revenue—and stumbles into a broken industry?

He builds a business to fix it.

In this episode of Blue Collar Ballers, I sit down with Marc Visent, founder and CEO of Knowify, a construction management platform now used by over 2,000 contractors. We unpack Marc’s journey from the legal world into construction tech—and the costly mistakes most contractors don’t even realize they’re making.

You’ll learn:

• The one insight that sparked Knowify—and revealed how much money contractors leave on the table

• Why job-level profitability visibility is non-negotiable for scaling trades businesses

• The silent killers: missed change orders, committed costs, and unmanaged estimating time

• How Marc translated contractor complaints into software that actually works

• His playbook for building a trades business today—from acquisition strategy to operational structure

Whether you’re a contractor, operator, or investor in the home services space, this episode is a masterclass in identifying hidden margin leaks and building smarter systems from day one.

🎧 Listen now to hear how a lawyer with no trades background built a platform contractors actually love—and what you can do to avoid the profit-killers he sees every day.

Host: Faiez Rana

Guest: Marc Visent

Anna Pavlack went from Marine Corps intelligence to Main Street CEO—buying a 78-year-old HVAC business in small-town Pennsylvania with just 5% down.

In this episode, Anna breaks down how she structured the deal using SBA financing and seller notes, why buying the building gave her better terms, and what she wishes she’d known before her first year of ownership.

Whether you're thinking about buying a business, entering the trades, or stepping away from the 9–5, this conversation is packed with tactical advice and real talk about leadership, legacy, and learning fast.

We cover:

• How Anna found the deal through her lawyer

• The exact financing stack she used to close it

• Why she pivoted from 9-5 life to HVAC ownership

• Her biggest mistakes (and how she fixed them)

• What it’s like leading a team in a business you didn’t grow up in

If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a blue-collar business, don’t miss this one.

Host: Faiez Rana

Guest: Anna Pavlack

At just 25 years old, Joel Bell is running a $12.5M roofing business with a lean team and a rock-solid mindset. But just four years ago, he was earning $14/hr at a gas station, flipping furniture on Facebook, and catering crawfish boils to cover rent.

In this episode of Blue Collar Ballers, host Faiez Rana sits down with Joel to unpack his journey from scrappy hustler to 8-figure operator. You’ll hear how a chance meeting with a roofing exec changed everything, how Joel scaled from $700K in year one to over $12M, and why he believes in building systems, developing people, and protecting his "four rooms"—faith, family, home, and business.

Whether you’re in roofing, construction, or just building something from the ground up, this episode is a masterclass in mindset, leadership, and turning problems into process.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why every job is an audition—and how to show up with intent

• How Joel built scalable systems that now power Birdcreek’s operations

• The truth about integrity (and bad actors) in the roofing industry

• How a Filipino Virtual Assistant helped transform his team—and why culture doesn’t stop at borders

• Joel’s framework for balancing faith, family, and business growth

Listen now and share this with someone building their own empire.

Host: Faiez Rana

Guest: Joel Bell

How Ashley Stroud Built a $5M+ Plumbing Business While Raising 5 Kids

What does it take to build a plumbing company from scratch—while raising five kids and running it with your spouse?

In this episode of Blue Collar Ballers, we sit down with Ashley Stroud, co-owner of Plumbing Outfitters, to unpack how she and her husband Warren scaled their family business to 26 employees, 9 service vans, and $6M in projected revenue—all while creating a leadership-driven culture that develops talent from within.

We dive deep into:

✅ How Ashley transitioned from ER nurse to Owner
✅ The moment on a road trip that sparked the business idea
✅ Why leadership development is the true ceiling on growth
✅ How they went from door-knocking to building a referral flywheel
✅ The power of rebranding and building a culture customers can feel
✅ How transparency with P&Ls and pricing turned employees into owners
✅ Lessons on business, marriage, and parenting under pressure

Whether you're a home service entrepreneur, trades business owner, or just curious how real families are building empires from the ground up—this conversation will leave you fired up.

🔗 Watch or listen now and subscribe for more episodes that celebrate the real stories behind America’s blue collar ballers.

Host: Faiez Rana

Guest: Ashley Stroud

How Jacob Vanhorn Built a $50M Roofing Empire with Systems, Service, and Second Chances

In this powerful episode of Blue Collar Ballers, Faiez Rana sits down with Jacob, the CEO and co-owner of Bird Creek Roofing & Construction—a Texas-based roofing company that grew from humble beginnings to over $50 million in annual revenue. But Jacob’s story isn’t just about sales and scaling—it’s about redemption, resilience, and radically ethical leadership.

We explore:

• How Bird Creek grew from $28M to $50M in one year without chasing storms

• Why “the system is the star” is the mantra driving their scalable sales engine

• Jacob’s journey from federal prison to pastor to high-performing sales leader and CEO

• How to build a high-integrity sales culture in a cutthroat industry

• The power of core values (Generous, Optimistic, Driven) and how they shape hiring, firing, and leadership

• A practical blueprint for entrepreneurs doing $1–3M and feeling overwhelmed

• Why drive, not talent, is the difference between average and elite performers

• Real talk on avoiding predatory industry tactics and prioritizing customer trust

Whether you’re building a blue-collar business or leading a sales team, this episode is packed with gritty wisdom, operational insight, and a reminder that your past doesn't define your future—your systems and your values do.

🔨 If you want to learn how to build a blue-collar business with heart, hustle, and high-performance systems, this one’s for you.

Host: Faiez Rana

Guest: Jacob Vanhorn