Matt Kuehlhorn, founder of Kooler Garage Doors and host of the Craft Your Life podcast, joins us on this episode. From painting walls for $20 an hour to building a multi–eight figure exit business, Matt shares his journey of resilience, reinvention, and relentless growth. We dive into his background in education and nonprofit work, the leap into entrepreneurship, and the culture-driven leadership style that fuels his team today. Matt also opens up about personal development, comparison, systems, and what it really takes to build a business worth selling.

🎯 What You'll Learn:

• How Matt went from living out of his car to building a thriving trades business

• Why culture and vision are the backbone of any growing company

• The role of discomfort and “agitation” in fueling entrepreneurial growth

• How to recognize when you’re getting too comfortable—and what to do about it

• Key systems and people strategies that make a business scalable and sellable

• Why comparison can either rob you of joy or become your biggest motivator

• The mindset shifts required to build a company with a multi–eight figure exit potential

🔑 Key Topics Covered:
✅ Entrepreneurial Reinvention & Resilience
✅ Building Culture & Vision-Driven Leadership
✅ Systems Thinking & Process Design
✅ Hiring, Team Building & Predictive Index Tools
✅ Scaling Trades Businesses (Painting → Garage Doors)
✅ Personal Growth, Comparison & Gratitude
✅ Exit Strategy & Multi–Eight Figure Potential

👤 Featured Guest:
Matt Kuehlhorn – Founder, Kooler Garage Doors | Entrepreneur | Podcast Host (Craft Your Life)

🎙️ About The Open Concept:
Your go-to podcast for construction industry insights, trade business strategies, and leadership advice that actually works.

📱 Connect With Us:
🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes
👍 Like if this inspired you
💬 Comment your biggest takeaway about culture or systems
🔄 Share with someone building a trades business

Les Wikiriwhi, an entrepreneur and ultra-marathon runner from New Zealand, joins us on this episode. Les shares his remarkable journey from a turbulent past of alcohol abuse to building a disciplined life fueled by resilience and purpose. We dive into how small habits create massive change, the power of pushing through resistance, and how Les helps New Zealanders transition to new opportunities in Australia. We also discuss recruitment, culture, and building a legacy that reshapes the trajectory for future generations.

🎯 What You'll Learn:

• How self-discipline can completely transform your life and business

• Why pushing through resistance is the key to growth

• The power of small, consistent habits to create big results

• Insights into recruitment and aligning hires with company culture

• Challenges and opportunities of moving countries for work

• The importance of legacy: building a better future for your children

• How creating supportive environments helps teams thrive

🔑 Key Topics Covered:
✅ Self-Discipline & Habit Formation
✅ Overcoming Adversity & Addiction
✅ Pushing Through Resistance & Building Resilience
✅ Recruitment Process & Cultural Fit
✅ Moving Countries: Challenges & Opportunities
✅ Legacy Building & Long-Term Motivation
✅ Leadership & Employee Retention

👤 Featured Guest:
Les Wikiriwhi – Entrepreneur | Ultra-Marathon Runner | Recruitment Specialist

🎙️ About The Open Concept:
Your go-to podcast for construction industry insights, trade business strategies, and leadership advice that actually works.

📱 Connect With Us:
🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes
👍 Like if this inspired you
💬 Comment your biggest takeaway about building discipline
🔄 Share with someone who needs a reminder to push through resistance

Justin Lund, a nine figure entrepreneur, joins us on this episode. We explore his incredible journey from battling drug addiction to building thriving businesses, unpacking the lessons he’s learned along the way. Justin opens up about resilience, facing hard truths in business, and the role mentorship and personal development have played in his success. We also dive into leadership, financial management, and how to turn crisis moments into opportunities for growth.

Find him on insta @itsjustinlund

🎯 What You'll Learn:

• How Justin overcame addiction and rebuilt his life through entrepreneurship

• The lessons learned from failures, setbacks, and starting over

• Why coaching and mentorship are essential for long-term success

• How to navigate team dynamics and resolve conflicts effectively

• Turning crisis into opportunity: strategies for thriving in tough times

• The critical role of personal development in scaling a business

• Practical financial management insights to avoid costly mistakes

🔑 Key Topics Covered:
✅ Overcoming Adversity & Addiction
✅ Building & Scaling Businesses from Scratch
✅ Coaching, Mentorship & Personal Growth
✅ Leadership & Team Conflict Resolution
✅ Financial Management for Entrepreneurs
✅ Crisis Management & Opportunity Creation

👤 Featured Guest:
Justin Lund – Multi-Nine Figure Entrepreneur | Mentor | Speaker

🎙️ About The Open Concept:
Your go-to podcast for construction industry insights, trade business strategies, and leadership advice that actually works.

📱 Connect With Us:
🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes
👍 Like if this inspired you
💬 Comment your biggest takeaway from Justin’s journey
🔄 Share with someone who needs to hear this story

Tony Hoong, widely known as The CPA Dude, joins us on this episode. We dive into his journey from corporate accounting to launching his own firm, uncovering the tax strategies every business owner and individual should know. We explore proactive tax planning, common pitfalls to avoid, and how relocation can impact your tax obligations. Tony also shares his insights on building a thriving remote accounting practice and managing a high-performance team from anywhere.

🎯 What You'll Learn:

• The most common tax mistakes (and how to avoid them)

• How proactive tax planning can save you thousands

• Income-shifting strategies to legally reduce your tax bill

• How relocation can drastically change your tax situation

• Proven methods for building and managing a successful remote accounting firm

• The must-have documentation for claiming deductions with confidence

🔑 Key Topics Covered:
✅ Financial Literacy & Tax Fundamentals
✅ Proactive Tax Planning Strategies
✅ Income Shifting & Relocation Tax Impacts
✅ Building & Scaling an Accounting Firm
✅ Remote Team Management
✅ Tax Deduction Essentials & Compliance

👤 Featured Guest:
Tony Hoong – CPA | Tax Strategist | Founder of The CPA Dude

🎙️ About The Open Concept:
Your go-to podcast for construction industry insights, trade business strategies, and leadership advice that actually works.

📱 Connect With Us:
🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes
👍 Like if this helped you
💬 Comment your biggest tax question below
🔄 Share with someone who needs to save on taxes this year

Vince Perri joins us on this episode. We discuss what investors are looking for when buying a business and how to set up your business to sell. We cover critical conversations with staff and the importance of reading the play and deploying future business initiatives with confidence.

🎯 What You'll Learn:

• The exact criteria investors use to evaluate businesses before buying
• How to structure your company to maximize sale value and attract buyers
• Critical conversations every business owner must have with their team
• How to read market signals and deploy winning business strategies with confidence
• Insider secrets to positioning your business as an irresistible investment opportunity

🔑 Key Topics Covered: ✅ Business Valuation & Exit Planning ✅ Investor Due Diligence Process ✅ Team Management & Communication Strategies ✅ Strategic Business Planning ✅ Market Analysis & Timing ✅ Mergers & Acquisitions Insights

👤 Featured Guest: Vince Perri - Business Investor | M&A Expert | Strategic Advisor

🎙️ About The Open Concept: Your go-to podcast for construction industry insights, trade business strategies, and leadership advice that actually works.

📱 Connect With Us: 🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes 👍 Like if this helped you 💬 Comment your biggest business exit question below 🔄 Share with someone planning their exit strategy

Connect with Vince:

Insta: @vinceperriofficial

Ashley Ashton, president of Raven Supply joins on this episode. We discuss supply chain challenges, what employers are looking for in their staff, A.I in trades and the importance of companies contributing to their community and giving back to larger causes.

🎯 What You'll Learn:

• How to overcome today's biggest supply chain challenges and disruptions
• The #1 skills employers are desperately seeking in trade workers right now
• How artificial intelligence is transforming the construction and trades industry
• Why community involvement is crucial for business success and brand reputation
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🔑 Key Topics Covered: ✅ Supply Chain Management Strategies ✅ Trade Industry Employment Trends 2025 ✅ AI In Construction & Trades ✅ Corporate Social Responsibility ✅ Workforce Development ✅ Business Leadership Insights

👤 Featured Guest: Ashley Ashton - President, Raven Supply | Supply Chain Expert | Industry Leader

🎙️ About The Open Concept: Your go-to podcast for construction industry insights, trade business strategies, and leadership advice you can deploy.

📱 Connect With Us: 🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes 👍 Like if this helped you 💬 Comment your biggest supply chain challenge below 🔄 Share with someone in the trades

David Aurbeck is a high performance home builder who's passion for building healthy homes was driven by a powerfulstory that he shares in this episode.

The reality of mould and poor airquality in your home can really have some serious consequences.

Listen to his story and if you'reconsidering building a home, make sure you make the health of the home a priority.

Insta @davidaurbeck

DM him "sanctuary" and David will send you a list of questions you should be asking your builder if you're considering building a home and your health is a priority.

Ryan Anthony, CEO and Founder of Outcomes Not Ideas, joins us to talk about how to build a world class and recognizable brand and how staying true to who you are, is going to get you the customers you want and find the tribe you want to build with.

Find him on insta @outcomesnotideas

Loren Wernette, CEO and Founder of REI Double Close and REI Transactional joins us to talk House Flipping, Wholesaling and Creative Financing. We go into a journey of how many successful investors are building wealth through real-estate.

Find him on insta @investwithloren

Austin McMillan of flywheel financial walks us through his journey of blue collar business acquisitions, what to consider if you're looking at acquisitions, and what a lot of business owners get wrong when it comes to generating wealth.

Find him on inst @austindmcmillan and DM him "profit" for his playbook if you'd like to learn more.