The Critical Path Podcast

From earning $12 an hour at a bait shop to closing millions in construction sales—Evan Friend shares how he built his career, what happened when he walked away, and why he returned.

In this episode of the Critical Path Podcast, Brad sits down with Evan, who leads sales and marketing at Home Love Construction, for an honest conversation about learning the construction industry, building referral relationships, and turning individual success into a stronger team. They discuss the costly lessons of starting a business, how owners can bring back a top performer, and their expansion into dumpster rentals through Dumpzilla.

Whether you’re a contractor growing your company, a homeowner curious about the people behind your project, or a future homebuyer considering renovations, this episode offers a look inside the business side of construction.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in construction or business? Share it in the comments, and subscribe for more conversations with people in the industry.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Meet Evan Friend of Home Love Construction

01:04 What Did Evan Do Before Construction?

02:50 DoorDash, College, and Making Ends Meet

04:44 Landing a $12-an-Hour Bait Shop Job

07:18 Learning to Help Customers When You’re New

08:44 Fishing Stories and the Half-Inch Circle Hook

10:44 How Brad and Evan First Connected

12:00 Finding a Career After College

13:35 The Construction Sales Interview That Went Wrong

16:55 Taking the Job—and Almost Giving Up

19:00 Committing to Construction Sales

20:26 How Did He Earn More While Working Less?

21:34 Building Relationships That Bring Referrals

23:44 Why Leave a Successful Construction Career?

24:40 Giving Back: Donating $200,000 at 24

25:22 Leaving the Job—and Money on the Table

26:58 Starting a Business With a Three-Month Runway

28:28 The Cost of Launching a Bottled Water Brand

29:47 Getting Into Stores and Facing Family Responsibilities

31:40 Chasing Investors and Knowing When to Stop

33:18 Finding His Way Back to Construction

34:10 Salesperson vs. Sales Manager: What Changes?

35:12 Passing Successful Sales Methods to the Team

37:40 Bringing a Top Performer Back to Your Company

40:44 Sharing Your Knowledge Before Moving On

41:13 Why Start a Dumpster Business?

43:47 Buying Into a Supplier and Finding an Anchor Client

44:54 Making the Deal and Growing Dumpzilla

46:32 What Makes a Dumpster Business Scalable?

47:16 Custom Construction vs. a Repeatable Service

47:54 How Much Does It Cost to Start?

48:28 Repeat Customers and the Headache of Switching

49:24 Final Thoughts #Business #Sales #podcast #businessowner