On July 8, join me for a special Web Class where I’ll show you how to eliminate ALL staff excuses using ONE structured 30-minute meeting. Register here: https://trybta.com/CE-GSR-JL25

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP222

In ten years of working with contractors, Iweve noticed that a LOT of entrepreneurs have ADHD or other forms of neurodiversity. It’s both our biggest strength, and our biggest weakness.

And the data backs this up.

Studies show as much as 10% of adults have an ADHD diagnosis, and there’s some data suggesting that people with ADHD are statistically more likely to pursue entrepreneurship.

Chances are, you have or know someone who has ADHD. In your family, in your network or on your team.

That’s why we wanted to talk to Peter Shankman, entrepreneur, author, and advocate for neurodiversity. He’s best known for his book Faster Than Normal, where he reframes ADHD as a superpower.

Today, that’s exactly what we’re talking about. What ADHD actually is, how to manage it, and how to work with people who move a little faster than normal.

Episode Highlights:

• Understand what ADHD actually is, and what it is not when it comes to its symptoms and impacts on a person’s ability to function.
• Learn why Peter Shankman, author of Faster Than Normal believes ADHD is a superpower for business owners and entrepreneurs.
• Get tips on how to set yourself up for success as a business owner if you have ADHD, and how to set others on your team up for success if they have ADHD.

00:00 - Intro

01:26 - About Peter

07:56 - Why ADHD is a superpower

11:04 - ADHD and dopamine

14:47 - Positioning yourself to succeed in business with ADHD

18:05 - Recognizing tasks you are great at, and the ones you need help with

20:21 - How to avoid burnout

24:32 - Tackling imposter syndrome

28:17 - Use of medication

31:04 - How do you work with a team member who has ADHD?

33:38 - What are a few best practices a listener with ADHD should adopt?

36:29 - One thing to understand about people with ADHD

38:38 - Where can people connect with you?

On July 8, join me for a special Web Class where I’ll show you how to eliminate ALL staff excuses using ONE structured 30-minute meeting. Register here: https://trybta.com/CE-GSR-JL25

Get your free accountability resources from Jen here: https://trybta.com/DL221

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP221 

Is there someone on your team who is not performing the way you need them to?

Someone you know you need to do a better job of holding accountable?

Someone you need to have “the talk” with?

If you’re used to an accountability conversation turning into a finger-pointing exercise that goes nowhere, this episode is for you. 

In today’s conversation with Jen Long, author of Own Up! How to Hold People Accountable Without All the Drama, we’re breaking down the six steps to getting someone to own their responsibilities by having one simple conversation. 

Spoiler alert: this conversation isn’t about ruling with an iron fist. It’s not even about giving into all your peoples’ needs.

Danny even did a little role playing with her so you can hear what this sounds like in practice.

Episode Highlights:

• Learn the framework that accountability expert Jen Long has helped hundreds of businesses implement to create a culture of accountability within a team.
• Understand how to hold an effective accountability conversation with anyone on your team by following six steps.
• Hear Danny role play this conversation with Jen so you can actually hear what is sounds like in practice.

00:00-Intro

01:24-About Jen

05:04-Accountability misconceptions

07:50-What's unique about accountability in construction or contracting?

10:49-SOS Conversation Model (6 Steps)

11:38-Step 1: Identify Your Issue

14:24-Step 2: Analyze the Context

18:37-Step 3: Explore Impacts

20:08-Step 4: Rehearse

25:07-Step 5: Engage in Conversation

34:12-Step 6: Build Solutions

35:35-Role play

On July 8, join me for a special Web Class where I’ll show you how to eliminate ALL staff excuses using ONE structured 30-minute meeting. Register here: https://trybta.com/CE-GSR-JL25

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP220

Those of you who know us know that we're huge advocates for putting as much effort into your hiring funnel as you do to your sales funnel.

And that’s exactly why I’m excited for this week’s episode.

Brandon Vaughn is a long-time entrepreneur, business coach and CEO of HireBus, a recruitment automation software built specifically for contractors.

Using what’s called the RightSeat™ Assessment, HireBus helps contractors get the right people in the right roles so both the business and employees win.

In this episode, I ask Brandon to walk us through an ideal hiring funnel for contractors, drawing on everything he learned from building and optimizing the RightSeat™ Assessment.

How do you find qualified people? How do you get them to actually show up to an interview? And how do you know that they are ACTUALLY right for the role they applied for?

Brandon covers all this and more.

Episode Highlights:

• Get actionable recruitment tips from Brandon Vaughn, CEO of HireBus, a recruitment platform built for contractors.
• Learn what an ideal hiring funnel for contractors should look like, and what you can do right away to start attracting better people while weeding out the duds.
• Hear real examples of what good recruitment assets look like for contractors (if you want to steal some ideas, we won’t tell).

00:00-Intro

01:30-About Brandon and HireBus

07:51-Brandon's experience with Wise Coatings

19:40-Why focus on recruitment?

23:56-Learnings from HireBus for contractors

27:42-What makes the best job ads?

31:18-Importance of speed-to-lead in recruitment

34:40-How to qualify and prioritize candidates

37:31-How to get the right people in the right seats

44:26-How do you get people to actually show up for an interview?

50:45-Lightning round

53:46-Connect with Brandon

On July 8, join me for a special Web Class where I’ll show you how to eliminate ALL staff excuses using ONE structured 30-minute meeting. Register here: https://trybta.com/CE-GSR-JL25

Download Trent's Price Acceleration Provision and tariff-proof your contracts today: https://trybta.com/DL219

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP219

While the details have shifted over the past few months, there’s no doubt that all the talk about tariffs has caused uncertainty for the small business community. Especially contractors.

And, whether the USA’s plan remains the same or not, this whole situation got me thinking: what exactly should contractors DO to minimize the impact of new tariffs on their materials, supply chain and profit margins?

My guest today, Trent Cotney, is back on the show to help us answer that question.

Trent is a board-certified construction lawyer, author and co-host of the #1 construction law podcast, Law and Mortar.

Today, we cover:

• What tariffs actually are, and how they will impact on our industry
• What clauses you can put in your contracts to protect yourself from tariff shocks
• Trent’s predictions on what’s coming next based on his time spent in Washington DC.

And a whole lot more.

00:00-Intro

01:15-What's the current situation with US tariffs?

07:41-How tariffs actually work

10:40-Audit and rethink your supply chain

13:50-Best way to price jobs when costs are unpredictable

21:03-Tariff-proof contract clauses

25:40-Trent's predictions on the future

28:39-Planning for the good, the bad and the ugly

34:04-One action you can take tonight to become more tariff resistant.

On July 8, join me for a special Web Class where I’ll show you how to eliminate ALL staff excuses using ONE structured 30-minute meeting. Register here: https://trybta.com/CE-GSR-JL25

Grab a copy of your resource bundle: https://trybta.com/DL218

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP218

Growth can be intimidating.

More revenue, more staff and more work = more headaches.

Plus, there’s no way to predict what new problems you’ll face as you grow.

Except…there actually is.

See, when you coach over 1500 contractors, like we have at Breakthrough Academy, you notice some patterns.

Turns out, the journey to a highly profitable and systemized contracting business looks the same for pretty much everyone.

Four phases. Predictable barriers at each phase. Predictable solutions to get from one phase to the next.

Last year, Danny gave a keynote at a convention in Orlando that walked through this whole process. Today, we’re releasing it as a bonus episode so more contractors can benefit.

Episode Highlights:

• Understand the four phases of contractor growth and how to determine which phase you’re in.
• Learn the predictable problems contractors will face at each phase, and which systems to implement in order to overcome them.
• Get access to systems and templates that hundreds of contractors have used to make more money, hire A-players and promote themselves from operator to strategist.

00:00-Intro

02:48-Danny's story

06:42-About Breakthrough Academy

11:37-About the Contractor Growth Method

14:56-Phase 1: Operators

18:34-Phase 2: Managers

26:45-Phase 3: Leaders

32:30-Phase 4: Strategists

38:51-Summary

46:07-How to implement your learning

On July 8, join me for a special Web Class where I’ll show you how to eliminate ALL staff excuses using ONE structured 30-minute meeting. Register here: https://trybta.com/CE-GSR-JL25

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP217

You’ve heard it before: the riches are in the niches.

But, is that really always true?

Today, I’m talking to Ryan Lee, founder of Landscape Lighting Secrets and host of the Landscape Lighting Secrets podcast.

Before selling in 2019, Ryan grew his business to $200K a month. His service offering? Landscape lighting. Just landscape lighting.

Now, he coaches home service entrepreneurs who either want to run their own landscape lighting business or add landscape lighting to their service offerings.

This conversation is all about niche services:

Should you niche your business down further?

Should you expand into another niche to cover your off season?

What are the honest pros and cons of niche services?

Ryan’s got a wealth of experience that is gonna help us answer these questions.

Episode Highlights:

- Understand the power of niche service offerings from a contractor who grew a landscape lighting business to $200K per month.

- Learn what to consider before niching down or adding a niche to your existing services.

- Get tips on how to manage the impacts adding a new revenue stream has on your operations, branding, and org chart.

00:00-Intro

01:16-About Ryan

10:12-Why add a service?

13:22-Biggest operational impacts of adding a service

16:45-Why specialize?

21:10-Impact of specializing on profit margins

25:15-3 key focuses of niching: raise prices, close deals on the spot and generate high quality leads

32:04-When is a contractor ready to build out sub-brands/niches?

37:11-Wrap-Up & Final Advice

40:15-Connect with Ryan

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP216

To the outside world, the word “sales” has gotten a bad rap.

People think it’s all transactional. All about pushing something on the customer in order to get what’s best for the sales rep or the company.

And that can make the act of selling feel uncomfortable, awkward and transactional.

That’s why we wanted to talk to Joe Crisara.

Joe is a seasoned expert in contractor sales training, best known for creating the Pure Motive Service System that helps service businesses ethically boost revenue and closing rates all while doing what’s best for the customer.

In this episode, Joe walks us through five key principles that anyone in sales can adopt today, creating a win-win for the customer, for the sales rep and for the company.

Episode Highlights:

• Get a walkthrough of the Pure Motive Service System from its creator, Joe Crisara.
• Learn how offering three options to every customer will boost your revenue, closing rates and reputation.
• Understand how to use the five principles outlined in Joe’s book, What Should We Do? to connect with your customers, move away from transactional selling methods and maintain integrity in every sales interaction.

00:00-Intro

01:24-About Joe

05:14-About The Book: What Should We Do?

14:00-5 Principles of Pure Motive Service

14:18-Principle 1: Client-Centric Solutions

22:25-Principle 2: Integrity-Driven Sales

26:08-Principle 3: Customized Service Options

38:06-Principle 4: Effective Communication

45:42-Principle 5: Continuous Improvement

50:12-How Joe is Continuously Improving

55:32-Connect With Joe

Grab a free chapter of Beyond the Hammer here: https://trybta.com/DL215

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP215

Being a strong leader is an essential business skill.

We all know this.

If you listen to this podcast, you probably know most of the fundamentals already.

And yet so few of us actually take the time to work on them.

Today, we're talking to Brian Gottlieb. After a highly successful career building and exiting his $150MM remodeling business, Brian wrote the book, Beyond the Hammer to give contractors an easy to follow framework on the path to becoming better leaders.

In this episode, he breaks down the five foundational pillars that make up the mindset of a successful leader in the contracting space.

Episode Highlights:

• Understand the drivers behind the success of Brian Gottlieb, a 9-figure remodeler who grew his team from one (himself) to over 600 when he exited.
• Learn the five foundational pillars of leadership Brian outlines in his book, and go deeper on the impact each one can have on your business.
• Get tips on managing resistance from your team as your leadership and business evolve.

00:00-Intro

01:19-About Brian

05:57-Beyond the Hammer: why leadership?

08:47-Why do contractors struggle to become good leaders?

13:48-5 foundational pillars of leadership

14:08-Pillar 1: Belief is Transferrable

17:32-Pillar 2: Leaders Shape Culture Through Purpose & Direction

22:48-Pillar 3: Leaders Are Aware of The Echo of Their Voice

27:42-Pillar 4: Leaders Model Their Business as a Training Organization

31:01-Pillar 5: Managers Need a Checklist

40:09-How to start implementing these pillars TODAY

41:27-What would you say to young Brian?

Download Dr. J.J.'s one-liner template here: https://trybta.com/DL214

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP214

Today we're interviewing the one and only Dr. J.J. Peterson, Head of Storybrand and co-author of Marketing Made Simple, which sold over a million copies worldwide.

Dr. J.J. has helped thousands of businesses clarify their message by using a storytelling framework as old as time. 

Plus, we found out before we started recording that he actually has a contracting background. His family ran a concrete business when he was growing up, so he REALLY gets the challenges you’re all facing.

Today’s conversation is all about how to apply the seven-part Storybrand framework to a contracting business. How to position your customer as the hero of your story so you can become their trusted guide.

Episode Highlights:

• Get an overview of the Storybrand framework from someone who has implemented it into thousands of businesses.
• Learn how to apply each of the seven parts of a Storybrand to a roofing, painting, landscaping, construction, electrical, plumbing or home services business, with examples.
• Understand why it is so critical that you keep your message simple, and why so many businesses get this wrong.

00:00-Intro

01:43-About Dr. J.J.'s background in contracting and storytelling

06:46-Why is story so important to marketing?

17:17-The messaging sweet spot: too vague vs. too complex

19:03-The 7-Part StoryBrand Framework: Contracting Edition

24:20-Step 1: What does your customer want?

25:16-Step 2: What problem does your customer face?

32:57-Step 3: How do you position yourself as their guide?

35:47-Step 4: What’s the plan?

38:21-Step 5: The call to action

38:50-Step 6/7: What does success/failure look like for your customer?

41:12-Danny's example, Dr. J.J.'s feedback

49:12-How to get the info you need from your customer

53:39-Most common Storybrand mistakes

57:54-Signs your messaging is working

01:00:47-About Dr. J.J.'s one-liner template

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP213

Today’s the day.

The last official day of Benji's time on Contractor Evolution.

And the first official day of a new era.

In today’s episode, we're pumped to introduce Danny Kerr as your new host.

Danny is one of the co-founders of Breakthrough Academy. In fact, he’s the visionary behind the whole thing. 

He’s a lifelong entrepreneur, former painting contractor and a true expert in guiding contractors to more profitable and more fulfilling businesses.

In this episode, he leads his first official interview on the show—with Benji. They're diving into the history behind Contractor Evolution and everything Benji has learned about content marketing along the way.

Episode Highlights:

• Get an introduction to the new host of Contractor Evolution: Breakthrough Academy visionary and co-founder Danny Kerr.
• Reminisce with Benji as he walks us through the history of the show and what he learned along the way.
• Learn from Benji’s experience when it comes to content marketing, and understand how you might use it to benefit your business.

00:00-Intro

01:42-The history and evolution of Contractor Evolution

14:34-The case for content marketing

25:12-Content Marketing 101 for contractors

42:46-Value-add content vs. salesy content

47:41-Avoiding false starts

54:04-Lightning round