This episode's guest: Sal Lodhi of Service All-Stars Heating & Air Comfort. You can reach them at (888) 299-2387.

 

Mike and Brian are joined by Sal Lodhi, CEO of Service All-Stars. Sal, like many in the trades, grew up with his dad as a contractor and started early - but his story took a dramatic turn as a young man. His experience ranged from a truck broker, to owning a restaurant until he hit rock bottom and became homeless "without a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of." In that time, just 8 years ago, he decided he wasn't going to stay at rock bottom any longer and dedicated himself to self improvement - that every day would be a new day and an improving day from the one prior and that he would focus on doing one thing and do that one thing really, really well. Blessed with certain people that were able to help him start Service All-Stars, Sal, with his strong work ethic and creativity was able to take it to the next level with 26 employees!! Talk about inspiring, we highly encourage you to take some time and listen to this one.

This episode's guest: Jef McCurdy of Castagra Products, Coo Roo Co, and San Diego Roofing, Inc.

Mike and Brian are joined by Jef McCurdy, Quality and Support Manager at Castagra Products, Owner of Coo Roo Co, and Commercial Roofing Solutions Specialist at San Diego Roofing, Inc. His intro has been described as "Some people think he's cool!" But in all honesty, all people should think he is - with an exceptional emphasis on quality and pride in roofing craftsmanship, and with a love of training, Jef has made a huge impact on the industry. With crazy stories of aggressive sea gulls while on job walks, but more importantly of knowing and honing your craft, Jef's story is really quite inspirational.

This episode’s guest: Brian Morales of Pro-Cal Lighting, Inc.

Mike and Brian are joined by Brian Morales, President, Founder, and CEO of Pro-Cal Lighting, Inc.  Not the typical path into the world of contractors; Brian left his position as a Pastor and decided to step into the trades where he fell in love with electrical work.  Brian took a small investment from his then-retired father and turned it into a company with more than 85 employees!  Brian is a great example of making the most out of every certification possible to get work like the LAUSD and BART.

This episode's guest: Mike Webb of MW Construction, Inc.

Mike and Brian are joined by Mike Webb, President of MW Construction, Inc. Considering himself lucky, Mike knew since he was 4 years old that he wanted to be in construction. With a father in the trades, he grew up at different job sites regardless of the fact that his dad told him to do something differently for a career. Mike has literally done every aspect of construction, from pushing the broom, to digging ditches, to framing - you name it, he's done it. Mike started MW Construction in 2019 after working some time at a handful of companies and is quickly making a name for himself. If you want to talk about a grinder and someone that knows every aspect of the trades, give Mike a listen!

This episode's guest: David Suter of CBSI and the Lead with Coffee Podcast. You can also find them on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Flickr.

Mike and Brian are joined by David Suter, President of Consolidated Building Systems, Inc. In 1997, David worked for a company as a facilities manager and was approached by his father to come work for the family business at CBSI - a construction management, project management, and relocation planning company. A few years ago, Sara Suter, David's wife, came on board and they made the very intentional decision to build a company culture that embraces leadership over straight management. In David's words, "we want to be leaders that people want to follow." As a result, everyone within the company is like family and their employee retention rate is high. If you're struggling as a business owner and need help with leading a team effectively and empowering those that work with you, then you'll want to take the time to learn from David!

This episode's guest: Alexi Cortez of Diverse Technology Industrial, Inc.

You can check out Diverse Technology Industrial on YouTube to view their Liquid Gold webisode series and check out Liquid Gold Energy Drink's website, Alexi's Instagram @officialkinglex, Diverse Technology Industrial's Instagram @diversetechnologyindustrial, and check out Lex Talks on Spotify and anywhere in the Podcast Universe.

Mike and Brian are joined by Alexi Cortez, President of Diverse Technology Industrial, Inc. as well as James Lee Hardman, Vice President of Marketing. In 2001, Alexi, a US Marine, was deployed to Afghanistan on an aircraft carrier. On that carrier, there were subcontractors installing epoxy flooring, and while on the ship, Alexi's job was to maintain the area they were working on to ensure they have a clean space to work in. That subcontractor offered Alexi a job on the spot that would be waiting for him when he returned from deployment, and the rest is history. You'll hear how he's grown multiple companies to annual revenues in the tens of millions and currently is on track to hit $100 million and then will give the company away to the people who helped him get there.  Alexi is now a multi-millionaire and has created a culture of growth and excitement where his employees are handsomely rewarded. We say this a lot, but Alexi's for real. You're gonna want to check him out - for your own good!

This episode's guest: Nicole Miller of Koury Engineering, MB Pro Services, the Fortrez Group, and the Bella Foundation

Mike and Brian are joined by Nicole Miller, Vice President of Koury Engineering, CEO of both MB Pro Services and the Fortrez Group, and President and Founder of the Bella Foundation. From Minnesota and working for Wells Fargo, Nicole moved to Newport Beach, California, and went to work in construction with Koury Engineering. She quickly moved into a leadership position at Koury which then dovetailed into an opportunity to become CEO of MB Pro Services as well. Nicole details with Mike and Brian the specifics of working as a woman in leadership in construction in this episode. You'll want to take the time to listen to this episode!

This episode's guests: Gabrielle & Octavio Lucatero of Accurate Firestop & Insulation. Check them out on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn!

Mike and Brian are joined by Gabrielle and Octavio Lucatero, General Manager and Sales Manager, respectively, of Accurate Firestop & Insulation. Gabrielle's father, Javier, joined the company in 2001, six years after it was formed, and bought the company outright in 2011. At that time, it was at $2 million in revenue. Today, they're at $50 million in revenue! Javier quickly realized that the key to growth was finding strong talent to complement his strengths and weaknesses as well as systems and processes to keep each other accountable. Take a listen to Gabrielle and Octavio if you're interested in learning how to grow your company significantly, efficiently, and quickly!

This episode's guest: Steven Dolan of WICR Waterproofing & Construction

Mike and Brian are joined by Steven Dolan, Vice President of WICR Waterproofing & Construction. Steven realized quickly that he had a gifting in sales while on a life sabbatical in Kaanapali, Maui working at Sunglass Hut. Consistently ranking in the top 1% in sales for the company, Steven eventually made the move back home to San Diego and started in sales for WICR Waterproofing & Construction. The company was at $1.5 million in revenue when he arrived. By his 3rd year, they were at $7 million and by his 5th year they were at $12 million. Quickly realizing the value he brought to the company, they offered him ownership within the company. If you're looking for creative ways to grow the bottom line of your company, Steven's your man.

This episode's guests: Michael Plyley & Lindsey Paige Lannan of Sandbar Mechanical. Check them out on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn as well!

Mike and Brian are joined by Michael Plyley and Lindsey Paige Lannan, President and Office Manager, respectively, of Sandbar Mechanical. Starting his career working for a general contractor and then in air conditioning, Michael made the move and started Sandbar Mechanical, an HVAC and Refrigeration company in 2004. Michael details the difficulties that have come as a small business owner, specifically the shortage of labor that has been brought about by the additional $600 per week of unemployment continuing through the end of July. Also, great lessons in this one on the importance of bringing about the right office and management staff to catch things like $150,000 worth of billable work. Michael and Lindsey really open up on the lessons they've learned owning and running a construction company. Check it out!!