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This is the Contractor Evolution Podcast. We unpack the systems, tactics, and skills you need to take your fast-growing contracting business to the next level. If you’re here to learn what it takes to scale up, work less, and increase profits, you’ve come to the right place.
Join 40,000+ contractors that learn from Contractor Evolution. New episodes drop every Wednesday.
Trending Episode
Accountability: Are Your People Doing What You Pay Them To Do?
So if you listen to this show with any regularity, it’s pretty safe to say the organism that is your business is evolving. And while that’s an exciting feeling, it also brings about a feeling of uncertainty you’re probably familiar with… are my people doing what I hired them to do? Are they an ROI-generating asset for my business? Or are they just an expense? Are they executing at the level that I was back when I was doing their job (and a million others)? Or are they a costly piece of dead weight?
Learn how Dave runs a tight ship of 24, and how he uses one on one Goal Setting and Review meetings (or GSR for short) to lead his 5 project managers.
So if you listen to this show with any regularity, it’s pretty safe to say the organism that is your business is evolving. And while that’s an exciting feeling, it also brings about a feeling of uncertainty you’re probably familiar with…. Are my people doing what I hired them to do? Are they an ROI-generating asset for my business? Or are they just an expense? Are they executing at the level that I was back when I was doing their job (and a million others)? Or are they a costly piece of dead weight?
I realize that might sound a little cynical. Or like we’re assuming the worst. But I’m sure most of you have had this thought cross your mind at least once or twice.
When your business was small and simple. This question was pretty easy to answer. If you hired a laborer to work alongside you, you could see with your own two eyes that they’re completely effing the D. There’s the door. Bye!
But as your company evolves, roles become more complex and nuanced, layers get added to the organizational chart, truly knowing how people are performing becomes less clear.
So the question becomes…. How do we, as leaders, manage at scale? How do we make sure our individual team members are executing on their individual goals, so that we as a company hit ours?
To answer this question we brought Dave Stephens on the show. Dave’s company, Lida Homes is an 8 figure custom home builder and high end renovation contractor. He runs a tight ship of 24, and specifically in this show we’re going to learn how he uses one on one Goal Setting and Review meetings (or GSR for short) to lead his 5 project managers to create award winning homes and customer experience.
Over the last 3 years, he’s won the Canadian Home Builders Association builder of the year award, and over the last two has received the highest level customer satisfaction award in his Vancouver Island region. Dave directly attributes this success and recognition to the way he leads his team through GSR.
His people do their jobs. Extremely well.
In today’s Episode:
- What a GSR is and why it is important to both quality and growth in your business
- How to use a point system in your GSRs to create black and white accountability
- What a contracting business looks like before implementing GSRs vs after implementing GSRs
- How you can expect your team (especially your PM’s) to respond when you introduce GSRs
- What a great GSR with a project manager specifically looks like
- How to have a hard conversation with an employee who is underperforming
To get your free GSR template (for a Project Manager) go to https://trybta.com/PCDLEP28
Accountability: Are Your People Doing What You Pay Them To Do? - with Dave Stephens
So if you listen to this show with any regularity, it’s pretty safe to say the organism that is your business is evolving. And while that’s an exciting feeling, it also brings about a feeling of uncertainty you’re probably familiar with…. Are my people doing what I hired them to do? Are they an ROI-generating asset for my business? Or are they just an expense? Are they executing at the level that I was back when I was doing their job (and a million others)? Or are they a costly piece of dead weight?
So if you listen to this show with any regularity, it’s pretty safe to say the organism that is your business is evolving. And while that’s an exciting feeling, it also brings about a feeling of uncertainty you’re probably familiar with…. Are my people doing what I hired them to do? Are they an ROI-generating asset for my business? Or are they just an expense? Are they executing at the level that I was back when I was doing their job (and a million others)? Or are they a costly piece of dead weight?
I realize that might sound a little cynical. Or like we’re assuming the worst. But I’m sure most of you have had this thought cross your mind at least once or twice.
When your business was small and simple. This question was pretty easy to answer. If you hired a laborer to work alongside you, you could see with your own two eyes that they’re completely effing the D. There’s the door. Bye!
But as your company evolves, roles become more complex and nuanced, layers get added to the organizational chart, truly knowing how people are performing becomes less clear.
So the question becomes…. How do we, as leaders, manage at scale? How do we make sure our individual team members are executing on their individual goals, so that we as a company hit ours?
To answer this question we brought Dave Stephens on the show. Dave’s company, Lida Homes is an 8 figure custom home builder and high end renovation contractor. He runs a tight ship of 24, and specifically in this show we’re going to learn how he uses one on one Goal Setting and Review meetings (or GSR for short) to lead his 5 project managers to create award winning homes and customer experience.
Over the last 3 years, he’s won the Canadian Home Builders Association builder of the year award, and over the last two has received the highest level customer satisfaction award in his Vancouver Island region. Dave directly attributes this success and recognition to the way he leads his team through GSR.
His people do their jobs. Extremely well.
In today’s Episode:
- What a GSR is and why it is important to both quality and growth in your business
- How to use a point system in your GSRs to create black and white accountability
- What a contracting business looks like before implementing GSRs vs after implementing GSRs
- How you can expect your team (especially your PM’s) to respond when you introduce GSRs
- What a great GSR with a project manager specifically looks like
- How to have a hard conversation with an employee who is underperforming
To get your free GSR template (for a Project Manager) go to https://trybta.com/PCDLEP28
Master Class: Ultimate Hiring Funnel Series
So look - it is no secret that hiring is hard. Like really hard. Especially in our construction and trade industries. Labor shortages are a real thing, and yes, perhaps Millennials and Gen Z’ers aren't as gritty as older Generations may have been. And also yes, the government has paid a bunch of people to stay at home for over a year-and-a-half leading to a super lethargic Workforce. We get it. But look, it is what it is and can’t do much about the above factors. What you can do though is build the best hiring funnel in your market. Over a 6-part series, we explain in plain English how you can think like a marketer and start building an Employer Brand that attracts top talent. Whether you are a seasoned pro or just starting your business if you want to build your dream team, this series is for you.
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Categories
How Much Should Contractors Charge? - Ellen Rohr
How do you decide what to charge for your services? If you’re basing your price off your competitors and what you think the market will pay, you’re missing a key part of the equation. Today, Ellen Rohr is on the show to teach you a better way.
Today, we’re welcoming industry legend Ellen Rohr to the show.
She’s built and sold two companies. Written a slew of unbelievably helpful books including Where Did the Money Go? and How Much Should I Charge? She’s the founder and owner of Zoom Drain which now has over 50 locations.
This episode is all about pricing. AKA how much you should charge and why.
We cover:
- Why price is the EASIEST and FIRST lever you should always pull when you’re trying to grow your top AND bottom line.
- How to use psychology to help you or your sales team gain the confidence needed to own your value and charge what you need.
- A simple equation for calculating your own selling price based on your own financial goals (spoiler alert: what your competition charges has nothing to do with it).
Be Coachable: Advice For New Breakthrough Academy Members - Ashley Ennis, Harold Frederiks, Brayden Russell, Shane Bannerman
Starting as a Breakthrough Academy Member can be daunting. Thankfully, four of our Breakthrough Academy coaches are here to share their thoughts on how contractors can get the most out of the Breakthrough Academy Program.
Today’s episode has a very specific purpose. We’ve gathered four of our world-class business coaches to give advice to contractors who are just beginning to systemize their business with Breakthrough Academy.
If you chose this episode, you are either:
- A new Breakthrough Academy Member looking for advice on how to get the most out of your time in the program. In that case, welcome and congratulations.
- Not a Breakthrough Academy Member yet, but are kinda curious about what exactly we do. In that case, listen closely, and if the conversation that follows resonates with you, you can book a discovery call with us using the link in the description.
Through conversations with Coach Harold, Coach Ashley, Coach Brayden and Coach Shane, you’ll learn:
- The mindset you need to succeed in the program.
- What makes some contractors exceptional implementers while others struggle to bring projects across the finish line.
- What kind of progress you can expect when you invest your time and effort into the BTA Program.
Celebrating 200 Episodes: Benji Reacts to His Favorite Moments - Benji Carlson
After making 200 podcast episodes, we’re excited to show off Benji’s favorite moments from the past four years of interviews.
Today is a very special day for the team here at Contractor Evolution.
Today, we’re releasing our 200th episode.
We’ve spoken to some incredible guests, and that has helped us build a following of the coolest listeners in the world.
So… if you’ve been on the show or just listen to it, we want to express profound gratitude to you.
To say we are humbled and proud would be to say nothing at all.
For this milestone episode, we’re going back through some of Benji’s favorite episodes and talking through the lessons we took away from the conversations.
Five Languages of Appreciation – Contractor Edition - Dr. Paul White
What really makes people feel appreciated at work? In this episode, Dr. Paul White, author of The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, discusses how contractors can use appreciation to make a meaningful impact on their team culture.
Ever wonder why your staff feel “under-appreciated?”
Like—you tell them they’re doing a good job, you take them for lunch every now and then, and you pay them fairly.
And yet there’s always someone who feels like you don’t value their contributions.
Our guest today, Dr. Paul White, has some possible answers.
He coauthored The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace alongside Gary Chapman, the man who coined the five love languages many of us are familiar with.
The idea is simple: not everyone experiences appreciation the same way. Some like verbal praise, some find meaning in gifts, others need quality time with their manager or team.
This conversation is about how to recognize the best way to appreciate your team, and the tangible impact appreciation can have on your business.
How SOPs Changed the Game For Matt Risinger - Matt Risinger
If business growth has you feeling like you’re stuck in an operational hellhole, you’re not alone. You can’t outwork a dysfunctional business (although many contractors have died trying). In this webinar replay, Matt Risinger walks us through the one tool you need to turn growing pains into smooth scaling: SOPs.
Ever wonder why some contractors scale smoothly to 7-figures and beyond while others constantly get stuck in an operational hellhole?
Clients constantly badgering you…
Crews relying on you to answer every single question…
Margins so depressing they could make a grown man cry…
The good news is, there’s a relatively simple tool that can help you solve most of your operational challenges.
SOPs (standard operating procedures).
A while back, I co-hosted a comprehensive SOP web class with the one and only Matt Risinger, CEO of Risinger Build and founder of the Build Show Network. We covered everything you need to know about SOPs, based on Breakthrough Academy’s work with over 1500 contractors and Matt Risinger’s own experience scaling two massive companies.
Today, we’re releasing that class as a podcast episode so more contractors can benefit from Matt’s insights.
IT’S TIME TO GET OUT OF THE DAY-TO-DAY
If you are a 7 figure contractor who has the vision to scale to 8 figures without adding more stress, then learn how to replace yourself with this proven management system. Take the 10-day ‘Evolved Contractor’ challenge and identify the methods that will scale your business.
MEET THE HOSTS
BENJI CARLSON
Benji gained insights into the trades as a 4-year franchisee with College Pro Painters, earning accolades for having the most productive staff in the franchise network. Since then, Benji has run in-depth business assessments with over 1000 contractors and now uses that information to represent the interests of contractors on the show 'Contractor Evolution’ whose goal is to arm smart contractors with the skills they need to grow.
IGOR TRNINIC
Igor has an impressive track record running trade businesses. He started by building up to a GM with College Pro Painters, running a $2.5MM business. He then co-started the franchise SHACK SHINE, which was acquired within 18 months. Igor is a co-founder of Breakthrough Academy, which coaches over 500 contractors (with a combined $1.6B in revenue) on how to systemize their businesses for growth.
HOW DOES A $20M CONTRACTING BUSINESS RUN? WOULD YOU LIKE TO FIND OUT?
Take the 10-day ‘Evolved Contractor’ challenge and identify the methods that will scale your business past 8-figures.
TAKE THE CHALLENGEGET FREE TOOLS & RESOURCES
You don’t need to create everything yourself. Use our FREE tools and templates to crush everything from your hiring process to budgeting.
RECLAIM 5 HOURS PER WEEK TOOL
- Use this tool to redistribute high-time/low-skill tasks that eat up your entire workday
- Reclaim time in your week to focus on the business, not in the business
- Understand where you make the company money so you can double down on what is best for the business (and usually what you’d rather be doing anyway)
- Potentially open up free time for things outside of work, like friends and family
STRATEGIC PLANNING TOOL
- This one-page strategic planning tool is quick to build with our pre-populated template
- Easy to understand and share so you can get your whole organization aligned and pulling in the same direction
- Makes you look like a strategic planning genius, and gives your team confidence that the company is heading in a positive direction
IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE + JOB POSTING
- Use this tool to stop hiring employees that street you out and cost you time, money and your sanity
- Figure out who you’re actually trying to recruit that will bring a solid ROI for the position (#IdealCandidate)
- Build sexy job posts that appeal to competent candidates and repel the rest
- Lay clear expectations so you won’t have to fight fires because of future confusion about responsibilities