Reece sits down with Russ Stephens, co-founder of the Association of Professional Builders, to talk about why so many builders look successful on paper but still miss the profit sitting inside their business. Russ breaks down work in progress, pricing, overhead, owner pay, and the danger of chasing bigger jobs without understanding what they actually cost.

This episode covers how builders can stop guessing at margins, price from true break even, stay focused on the right type of work, and build a company that is worth something beyond the owner’s daily grind.

To get a free business valuation report from Russ Stephens and APB visit:
https://hubs.ly/Q04jQvzl0

Register for the webinar here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/2517803406883/WN_i02wixcGTJSDljlo4uCRsQ#/registration

Show Notes:
00:00 Show Intro
01:10 Meet Russ Stephens
04:14 Know Your Numbers
05:42 Revenue Versus Profit
08:08 Profit Starts Early
10:54 Understanding WIP
16:44 Front Loading Jobs
19:33 Pricing For Net
23:40 Net Profit Webinar
25:42 Owner Versus Employer
28:02 Stay In Your Lane
31:20 Remodeling To New Homes
34:56 Business Valuations
39:17 Build Value Now

Find Our Hosts:
Reece Barnes
Matt Calvano

Podcast  Produced By:
Motif Media

Reece sits down with Scott Franchini of RedHammer to talk about why contractors often blame their software when the real issue is messy job costing, unclear WIP, and financial reports they cannot trust.

They cover indirect costs, overhead allocation, budgeting gaps, chart of accounts cleanup, and why bigger software does not automatically create better visibility. This episode is a practical reminder to slow down, understand what you actually need to measure, and build a system your team can use consistently.

https://www.redhammer.io

Register for the webinar here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/2517803406883/WN_i02wixcGTJSDljlo4uCRsQ#/registration

Show Notes:
00:12 Show Intro
00:46 Meet Scott
02:12 Red Hammer Overview
03:06 WIP Foundations
06:23 Budgeting Gaps
09:37 Indirect Costs
13:30 False Profit
16:29 Software Gaps
20:22 Webinar Break
21:35 Setup Before Software
25:38 Reporting First
29:06 Cleanup Timeline
33:34 Smarter Tech Stacks
41:35 Slow Down First

Find Our Hosts:
Reece Barnes
Matt Calvano

Podcast  Produced By:
Motif Media

Reece sits down with Brad Stokes of Highspire to talk about the shift from owner operator to strategic owner, and why top-line revenue alone does not mean a construction business is healthy.

They get into real estate development, market timing, KPIs, org charts, gross profit tracking, and the systems that give owners more time to think clearly instead of constantly reacting. This episode is about building a tighter business first, so bigger opportunities do not break what you already built.

https://www.highspire.com

Register for the webinar here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/2517803406883/WN_i02wixcGTJSDljlo4uCRsQ#/registration

Show Notes:
00:00 Show Intro
01:40 Brad’s Wild Backstory
04:39 Learning Real Estate
08:58 What HighSpire Does
12:08 Finding The Right Market
16:47 Keep The Model Simple
21:10 Revenue Versus Health
27:14 Track The Right Work
32:25 Buying Back Time
38:57 The Owner’s Brain
43:51 Choose Better Tools
45:52 Strategic Owner Shift

Find Our Hosts:
Reece Barnes
Matt Calvano

Podcast  Produced By:
Motif Media

Reece sits down with Sam Myers of Retrotech to talk about why comfort issues, humidity problems, and buckled floors often turn into expensive callbacks for builders. They cover how air tightness, HVAC design, ventilation, and testing all work together, and why code minimum is not always enough to protect the homeowner or the contractor.

If you build homes and want fewer surprises after move-in, this conversation is a practical reminder that measuring the house matters.

https://retrotec.com

Show Notes:
00:00 Show Intro
00:47 Meet Sam Myers
04:34 Who Retrotech Helps
05:53 Building Or Mechanical?
07:41 Why Code Falls Short
10:05 Smarter Homeowners
13:44 Commercial Testing Uses
15:54 Missing Residential Commissioning
19:25 Moisture Creates Costs
23:40 Testing Prevents Callbacks
25:34 Old Habits Pushback
30:15 Where Builders Learn
33:01 Building Science Answers

Find Our Hosts:
Reece Barnes
Matt Calvano

Podcast  Produced By:
Motif Media

Reece is joined by Ryan Rademann from Wipfli to talk about why contractors cannot treat technology, AI, and systems as random tools anymore. As builders grow, weak integrations, messy data, and outdated processes can quietly limit cash flow, reporting, and scale.

They get into AI agents, cloud systems, process mapping, accounting workflows, and why the right tech stack has to support the way a construction business actually runs. This conversation is about using technology with intention so contractors can make better decisions, protect their team, and grow without creating more chaos.

https://ryanrademann.com

Show Notes:
00:49 Show Intro
05:04 Ryan’s Background
07:25 Wipfli’s Tech Evolution
11:12 Contractor Tech Adoption
13:23 Systems And Handoffs
18:38 Structured Data
21:21 AI Agent Opportunity
24:16 Contractor Pain Points
28:44 Process Before AI
34:13 Technology Company Mindset
41:01 Scaling With Systems
47:13 Robotics And AI
50:03 Finding Ryan

Find Our Hosts:
Reece Barnes
Matt Calvano

Podcast  Produced By:
Motif Media

Reece sits down with Dustin Stephens, CEO of Alliance Solutions Group, to talk about why contractors cannot treat AI like a shortcut around broken systems. As labor gets tighter and construction businesses get more complex, the companies that understand their tech stack, data, and back office will be in a better position to compete.

Dustin shares what he is seeing across construction ERP, cloud accounting, project management, preconstruction, AP workflows, and AI adoption. The big takeaway: start with the business problem, understand the process, then use technology to make the work faster, clearer, and more human.

https://www.alliancesg.com
email: [email protected]

Show Notes:
00:48 Meet Dustin
02:23 Field To Tech
06:21 Innovation Pressure
09:20 Where Contractors Invest
11:38 Building The Stack
13:12 Cloud Resistance
16:22 Operational Tools
17:39 Where To Start
21:36 Strategic Operations
24:26 Back Office Triggers
27:55 Faster Business Insight
30:39 AI And Critical Thinking
37:02 Contractor Advice

Find Our Hosts:
Reece Barnes
Matt Calvano

Podcast  Produced By:
Motif Media

Reece sits down with Deepti Yenireddy, founder and CEO of Boon AI, to talk about the real business case for AI in estimating: tighter bid timelines, thin margins, and why speed matters when builders are chasing more work. They get into how Boone handles preconstruction from plan review to takeoff, why specialized AI beats generic tools in construction, and why the best estimators are becoming better reviewers and decision-makers, not obsolete. If you want to understand where AI actually helps builders today and how to stay competitive without buying the hype, this episode gives you a practical place to start.

https://www.getboon.ai

Show Notes:
00:45 Meet Deepti
02:35 Physical World Data
05:03 Boone Workflow
07:37 GC vs Trades
09:30 Data And Benchmarks
14:27 Estimating Bottlenecks
18:54 AI And Jobs
28:54 Estimator Skill Shift
31:42 Why Trust Lags
35:47 AI Partners
39:12 Keep Learning

Find Our Hosts:
Reece Barnes
Matt Calvano

Podcast  Produced By:
Motif Media

Reece sits down with Chris Murphy of Breakaway CAAS to talk about why so many contractors struggle with bookkeeping, payroll, and job costing, and what better financial systems can unlock for a growing business. It matters because weak accounting processes do not just create messy books, they create bad decisions, wasted time, and unnecessary risk for builders.

They go over the warning signs of broken back office workflows, why day to day tracking matters more than only thinking about taxes, and how construction specific tools can reduce duplicate work and clean up reporting. Chris also shares a brutal real world payroll example and explains what builders should look for if they know their current process is holding them back.

https://www.breakawaycaas.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-j-murphy-cpa-498547123

Show Notes:
00:00 Show Intro
00:44 Meet Chris
02:59 Why Construction
05:55 The Opportunity
07:24 Wrong People
16:24 Taxes Vs Tracking
20:56 Discovery Questions
22:26 Worst Payroll Process
30:03 Best Software Stack
46:49 Signs You Need Help
47:56 Where To Find Chris

Find Our Hosts:
Reece Barnes
Matt Calvano

Podcast  Produced By:
Motif Media

Reece sits down with Andrea and Brian Seymour of Springdale Custom Builders to talk about the systems, pricing discipline, and process thinking it takes to build a company that is actually worth something. For builders, this matters because bad estimating, weak operations, and owner dependence can quietly kill profit long before the work dries up.

They go over why the old three-bid mindset creates bad relationships, how Springdale qualifies clients and estimates more accurately, and what retained earnings and real financial visibility make possible. They also unpack the bigger play here: building repeatable systems, hiring the right people, and creating a business that can scale, sell, or survive without the owner pushing every button.

https://springdalecharlotte.com

Show Notes:
00:00 Show Intro
00:54 Meet Springdale
02:09 Starting On Honeymoon
05:09 Fixing The Bid Process
08:49 Sell As Advisor
10:07 Their Sales Process
15:12 Pivoting Project Types
17:03 Knowing Your Numbers
21:16 Lessons And Grit
26:12 Software For Builders
33:48 Build To Exit
37:27 Hiring The Right People
40:29 Peers Over Competitors

Find Our Hosts:
Reece Barnes
Matt Calvano

Podcast  Produced By:
Motif Media

Reece sits down with Archibald McLellan of CBIS to talk about why weak process can quietly hold a construction business back long before the owner realizes it. For builders trying to grow without losing control, this episode gets into why better systems, cleaner numbers, and stronger communication matter more than ever.

Arch shares the hard lesson of losing leverage on a project because the paperwork, documentation, and financial visibility were not where they needed to be. Reece and Arch also break down job costing, cash flow planning, transparent communication, and why knowing your numbers early is what keeps growth from turning into chaos.

https://construction-integrators.com

Show Notes:
00:00 Show Intro
00:42 Meet Arch
04:05 From Marines To Construction
08:05 Private Equity Lessons
11:42 Proving His Value
16:00 Starting CBIS
18:21 Early Hard Lessons
22:02 Why Pain Matters
23:55 Strategic Partnerships
34:50 Process Starts With Numbers
41:17 Transparent Communication
43:55 Closing Thoughts

Find Our Hosts:
Reece Barnes
Matt Calvano

Podcast  Produced By:
Motif Media