Bred To Build - Construction Podcast

Victor Sella from United Contractors joins us for a candid conversation on one of the most overlooked parts of running a construction business: payroll, certified payroll, compliance, and back office infrastructure.

We dig into why so many contractors invest heavily in the field while ignoring the systems behind the scenes that directly affect profitability, employee trust, and long term growth. 

Victor shares what he has learned from working with more than 500 contractors, including the common payroll mistakes that quietly cost companies real money every year.

We also get into: 

• Union payroll complexity
• Outdated software
• AI hype

And why the best operators are not just better builders, but better system thinkers. Keith brings a real world operator perspective on what it takes to scale, compete above your weight class, and build a business that treats people well without losing control of the numbers.

This episode is for contractors who know the back office is not just overhead...it is infrastructure. And when your back-office runs a tight ship, payroll and compliance can become your biggest competitive advantage.

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The Bred to Build Podcast is built for construction professionals looking to learn, grow, and level up — subscribe now for fresh episodes and industry conversations from the best of the best.

Liking The Podcast? Subscribe. Drop a review. 

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Hammr: Built for specialty contractors who want to simplify Construction Payroll & HR.

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Connect on Social
Podcast on Instagram @bredtobuildpodcast
Hammr's Instagram @wearehammr   
LinkedIn @hammr
YouTube

👷‍♂️ Victor Sella (Guest)
LinkedIn
United Contractors

👷‍♂️ Brek (Co-Host)
LinkedIn
Hammr.com

👷‍♂️ Keith Callaway Jr. (Co-Host)
Instagram
LinkedIn

Every contractor hits that moment... a big job lands in front of them, and they have to decide: is this rocket fuel or a grenade? Scott Peper has seen both play out hundreds of times. As founder and CEO of Mobilization Funding, Scott has spent over a decade working inside the cash flow crisis that quietly drives contractors out of business - and he knows exactly where the wheels come off.

In this episode, Brek & Keith sit down with Scott to break down the real math behind growth: why bigger jobs aren't always better jobs, what most contractors don't account for before they sign on the dotted line, and how to use capital as a tool to build smarter - not just faster.

Scott also gets candid about something most lenders would never say out loud: 
sometimes the best thing they can do for a contractor is tell them no.

In this episode:

• The "rocket fuel vs. grenade" framework for evaluating job opportunities outside your normal scope
• Why your first government contract might be the most dangerous job you ever take
• What disciplined, healthy growth actually looks like - and why flat years can be wins
• How Mobilization Funding underwrites jobs the way a partner would, not just a bank
• Free tools and resources Scott's team offers whether you're a customer or not

Resources mentioned:

• MobilizationFunding.com — free cash flow tool, no strings attached
• Mobilization Mindset Podcast — construction banking, surety, insurance, and more

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The Bred to Build Podcast is built for construction professionals looking to learn, grow, and level up — subscribe now for fresh episodes and industry conversations from the best of the best.

Liking The Podcast? Subscribe. Drop a review. 

--

Podcast Powered by Hammr 🔨

Hammr: Built for specialty contractors who want to simplify Construction Payroll & HR.

--
Connect on Social
Podcast on Instagram @bredtobuildpodcast
Hammr's Instagram @wearehammr   
LinkedIn @hammr
YouTube

👷‍♂️ Scott Peper (Guest)
LinkedIn
YouTube
MobilizationFunding.com
Mobilization Mindset Podcast

👷‍♂️ Brek (Co-Host)
LinkedIn
Hammr.com
@wearehammr

👷‍♂️ Keith Callaway Jr. (Co-Host)
Instagram
LinkedIn

Summary: Tara Cristel explains why subcontractors are built to work but forced to finance. After taking on a $700K project and now sitting 150+ days into a payment delay (with 200 days closing in fast) she started speaking publicly about the cash flow traps, predatory contract terms, and broken systems that keep subs acting like unwilling banks.

You can run a lean business, support your crew, do the work, and still get crushed by a payment structure that was never designed to protect subcontractors. Tara Cristel knows that firsthand. She co-owns a commercial glass and glazing company with her husband, and after getting trapped in a massive payment delay, she started saying out loud what a lot of subs only talk about in private: the system is broken.

Tara shares the story of a project that grew to roughly $700K, with nearly $500K in material exposure, where the GC expected her company to front the cost, keep performing, and wait indefinitely to get paid. 150+ days in and the damage has spread far beyond one invoice. Attorney fees have erased the project margin, the bank has tightened access to cash, and the business has been forced into survival mode - with 200 days on the horizon and still no check in sight.

But this episode is bigger than one bad job. Tara walks through the mindset shift that came out of the crisis: vetting GCs before bidding, reading contracts differently, negotiating terms without apology, and using better tools to spot predatory language before it becomes a disaster. She also explains why she launched The Subcontractor Project and why she believes real reform is possible if more subcontractors start speaking up.

This is a conversation about cash flow, leverage, risk, and the brutal reality of what happens when the companies building the jobsite are the last ones protected. If you're a subcontractor, this one will feel painfully familiar.

Topics covered:

• What a near 200-Day pay app delay actually does to a small subcontractor business
• Why "paid when paid" and vague contract language can become a death sentence
• How subcontractors get pushed into acting like banks for general contractors
• Why Tara changed how she thinks about contracts, collections, and customer fit
• The tools now helping her vet GCs, flag risk, and negotiate smarter
• Why she believes industry reform may be closer than people think

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The Bred to Build Podcast is built for construction professionals looking to learn, grow, and level up — subscribe now for fresh episodes and industry conversations from the best of the best. Liking The Podcast? Drop a review. Share with friend.

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Podcast Powered by Hammr 🔨

Hammr: Payroll, HR, Field Ops & Compliance - built for specialty contractors. 

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Connect on Social
Follow our Podcast on Instagram @bredtobuildpodcast
Follow Hammr's Instagram @wearehammr   

👷‍♂️ Tara Cristel (Guest)
LinkedIn

👷‍♂️ Brek (Co-Host)
LinkedIn
Hammr.com
@wearehammr

👷‍♂️ Keith Callaway Jr. (Co-Host)
Instagram
LinkedIn

You can run a tight crew, win good work, and still watch your subcontracting business bleed out. Chris Doyle has seen it happen more times than he can count - and he built Billd to stop it.

Chris has been in construction since he was 16. He's framed houses, worked disaster recovery, built renewable energy projects, and eventually found himself fluent in two languages most people can't speak at the same time: construction and finance. That intersection became Billd - a specialty lender in the country built specifically for subcontractors.

In this episode, Chris breaks down why cash flow problems aren't a sign of a bad business - they're actually a sign your business is working. He explains why your net profit is silently funding your growth instead of going in your pocket, why "we don't borrow money" is often the most expensive philosophy a sub can have, and what a daily cash report can do for a business that no amount of hustle can replace.

He also gets into Billd's new Predictable Pay program - and how partnering with GCs to release payments faster ends up being the most pro-sub move they've made yet.

Topics covered:

• The cash flow problem hiding inside every profitable subcontracting business
• Why retained earnings aren't a safety net - they're a trap
• How to think about your capital stack (and what "adequate leverage" actually means)
• What Billd evaluates before extending working capital - and what they don't care about
• Why GCs and subs fundamentally misunderstand each other's timeline
• The one daily habit that separates businesses that survive from those that don't

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The Bred to Build Podcast is built for construction professionals looking to learn, grow, and level up — subscribe now for fresh episodes and industry conversations from the best of the best.

Liking The Podcast? Drop a review. Share with friend.

--

Podcast Powered by Hammr 🔨

Hammr: Built for specialty contractors who want to simplify Construction Payroll & HR.

--
Connect on Social
Follow our Podcast on Instagram @bredtobuildpodcast
Follow Hammr's Instagram @wearehammr   

👷‍♂️ Chris Doyle (Guest)
LinkedIn
Billd.com

👷‍♂️ Brek (Co-Host)
LinkedIn
Hammr.com
@wearehammr

👷‍♂️ Keith Callaway Jr. (Co-Host)
Instagram
LinkedIn

Public work is booming. Infrastructure, data centers, CHIPS Act money. But most contractors still avoid it because of fear, paperwork, and compliance headaches.

In this episode, we sit down with Jason Sperfslage from Beneco (part of FuturePlan by Ascensus) to break down how to stop treating fringe as “just compliance” and start using it as a competitive weapon.

You’ll learn:

• Why paying fringe in cash quietly crushes your margins
• How to turn fringe into six-figure savings on payroll taxes
• The basics of fringe benefits: what’s allowed, what’s not, and who decides
• How to structure benefits so your bids are sharper and more competitive
• Real numbers from a paving contractor who grew public work to ~50% of revenue
• Why financial literacy and retirement planning matter so much in construction
• The simple math to estimate how much cash you’re wasting today

If you’re doing (or thinking about doing) prevailing wage work and feel buried in contracts, certified payroll, and confusion about fringe — this episode will show you how to punch above your weight class without ending up in “spreadsheet hell” or on the front page for the wrong reasons.
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The Bred to Build Podcast is built for construction professionals looking to learn, grow, and level up — subscribe now for fresh episodes and industry conversations from the best of the best.

Liking The Podcast? Share a review. 

--

Podcast Powered by Hammr 🔨

Hammr: Built for specialty contractors who want to simplify Construction Payroll & HR.

--
Connect on Social
Follow our Podcast on Instagram @bredtobuildpodcast
Follow Hammr's Instagram @wearehammr   

👷‍♂️ Jason Sperfslage (Guest)
Beneco.com

👷‍♂️ Brek (Co-Host)
LinkedIn
Hammr.com
@wearehammr

👷‍♂️ Keith Callaway Jr. (Co-Host)
Instagram
LinkedIn

We sit down with Aaron Witt of BuildWitt to unpack what it really takes to build the next generation of the dirt world - from personal reinvention, workforce transformation, and evolving BuildWitt into a modern Learning Management platform built for infrastructure contractors. 

Topics:

• Aaron’s Journey: From Bulldozer-Obsessed Kid to Dirt World Leader
• Why the Dirt World Workforce Crisis Threatens Our Future
• BuildWitt’s Shift: From Media Company to Daily Training Platform
• Second-Chance Employment: Rebuilding Lives, Not Just Resumés
• Teaching Money, Marriage, and Life Skills on the Job
• Innovation in Construction: Killing Bad Ideas and Iterating Fast
• Culture That Sticks: Radical Honesty, Loyalty, and Going First as a Leader

The Bred to Build Podcast is built for construction professionals looking to learn, grow, and level up — subscribe now for fresh episodes and more raw, unfiltered industry conversations from the best of the best.

Liking The Podcast? Share a review. 

--

Podcast Powered by Hammr 🔨

Hammr: Built for specialty contractors who want to simplify Construction Payroll & HR.

--
Connect on Social
Follow our Podcast on Instagram @bredtobuildpodcast
Follow Hammr's Instagram @wearehammr   

👷‍♂️ Aaron Witt (Guest)
LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
Website: BuildWitt
Podcast: Dirt Talk
Dirt Talk Episode 380 w/ Brek Goin & Aaron Witt 

👷‍♂️ Brek (Co-Host)
LinkedIn
Hammr.com
@wearehammr

👷‍♂️ Keith Callaway Jr. (Co-Host)
Instagram
LinkedIn
Website

We sit down with Benjamin Holmgren of Ground Crew to uncover his journey from a blue-collar upbringing to building a community that supports contractors for long-term success.

Topics:

• From Mini Excavators to Ground Crew: Benjamin’s Unique Path  
• Life-Altering Moments: Resilience and a Shift in Perspective  
• The Ground Crew Model: Connecting Contractors for Growth  
• Leadership Lessons: Humility, Hunger, and Building Trust  
• Industry Insights: Challenges and Opportunities in Construction  
• The Balance of Chaos and Improvement in Business  
• Applying Ultra-Marathon Mindset to Business Goals  

The Bred to Build Podcast is built for construction professionals looking to learn, grow, and level up — subscribe now for fresh episodes and more raw, unfiltered industry conversations from the best of the best.

Liking The Podcast? Leave a review. 

--

Podcast Powered by Hammr 🔨

Hammr: Built for specialty contractors who want to simplify Construction Payroll & HR.

--
Connect on Social
Follow our Podcast on Instagram @bredtobuildpodcast
Follow Hammr's Instagram @wearehammr   

👷‍♂️ Benjamin Holmgren (Guest)
LinkedIn
Ground Crew

👷‍♂️ Brek (Co-Host)
LinkedIn
Hammr.com
@wearehammr

👷‍♂️ Keith Callaway Jr. (Co-Host)
Instagram
LinkedIn
Website

We sit down with Landon Morel of Southern Sun Paving to explore the journey of transforming a family paving business through modern leadership and strategic growth.

Topics:

• Taking Over the Family Business: Navigating the Father-Son Dynamic
• Building & Leading High-Performance Crews
• The Southern Sun Tempo: Setting the Pace
• Social Media's Impact on Construction Business Growth
• Modernizing Operations: From Paper to Digital
• Finding & Developing the Next Generation
• Balancing Quality with Growth
• Creating Sustainable Systems for Scale
• 
  

The Bred to Build Podcast is built for construction professionals looking to learn, grow, and level up — subscribe now for fresh episodes and more raw, unfiltered industry conversations from the best of the best.

Liking The Podcast? Leave a review. 

--

Podcast Powered by Hammr 🔨

Hammr: Built for specialty contractors who want to simplify Construction Payroll & HR.

"We couldn't do this without Hammr." 
- Landon, Southern Sun

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Connect on Social
Follow our Podcast on Instagram @bredtobuildpodcast
Follow Hammr's Instagram @wearehammr   

👷‍♂️ Landon Morel (Guest)
@southernsunpaving

👷‍♂️ Brek (Co-Host)
LinkedIn
Hammr.com
@wearehammr

👷‍♂️ Keith Callaway Jr. (Co-Host)
Instagram
LinkedIn
Website

We talk show with Gloria Marie, a construction business owner and passionate advocate for women in trades and all folks in trades. 

Topics

• Industry Perspectives on Women in Construction
• Leadership & Communication
• Next Generation Development
• Next Generation Salary 
• Personal Development
• Industry Trends & AI

The Bred to Build Podcast is built for everyone looking to learn, grow, and level up — subscribe now for fresh episodes and more raw, unfiltered industry conversations.

Liking The Podcast? Leave an awesome review

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Podcast Powered by Hammr 🔨

Hammr: Construction Payroll, HR & Operations.
Built for specialty contractors who want to simplify Payroll & HR. 

--

Connect on Social
Follow our Podcast on Instagram @bredtobuildpodcast
Follow Hammr's Instagram @wearehammr   

👷‍♂️ Gloria Marie
LinkedIn
Website

👷‍♂️ Brek (Co-Host)
LinkedIn
Hammr.com
@wearehammr

👷‍♂️ Keith Callaway Jr. (Co-Host)
Instagram
LinkedIn
Website

We talk show with Angelo Suntres, a passionate advocate for construction workforce transformation, to dive deep into the biggest challenges and opportunities shaping the industry today.

Topics

• The Hard Truths (Expectations & Realities)
• Generational Divide: Old School & New School Collide
• Mental Health & Construction Culture 
• Leadership That Actually Works
• Smashing The Class System
• The Crossroads (Technology, Modern Leadership, Mental Health)
• Retention & Training 
• Building Community 

The Bred to Build Podcast is built for everyone looking to learn, grow, and level up — subscribe now for fresh episodes and more raw, unfiltered industry conversations. 

Liking The Podcast? Leave an awesome review

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Podcast Powered by Hammr 🔨
Hammr: Construction Payroll, HR & Operations — in one place

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Connect on Social
Follow our Podcast on Instagram @bredtobuildpodcast
Follow Hammr's Instagram @wearehammr   

👷‍♂️ Angelo Suntres
LinkedIn
Website

👷‍♂️ Brek (Co-Host)
LinkedIn
Hammr.com
@wearehammr

👷‍♂️ Keith Callaway Jr. (Co-Host)
Instagram
LinkedIn
Website