The business podcast for contractors

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.

A few weeks ago, Danny cohosted a web class with Matt Risinger (Host of The BUILD Show) on one of the most important topics in business: finances.

On top of teaching the hundreds of attendees our approachable financial management systems, I had a chance to pick Matt’s brain about his experience managing cash flow as he grew his company into the monster it is today.

So we’re releasing the web class on the podcast to give you everything you need to run your finances like a 7-figure contractor.

We’re covering budgets, forecasting, cash flow, and how to drive results with your team.

If the thought of financial management gives you a migraine, this webinar replay is for you.

Chances are, you’re familiar with at least one personality test. Myers Briggs, Enneagram or, the focus of this episode, DISC profiles.

Are these tools actually helpful? In my opinion, they have a time and place. But the truth is they’re kinda useless if you don’t actually apply the information you get from them.

Otherwise, people just use them as an excuse to behave a certain way.

That’s why today’s guest has become so popular in the world of small business and leadership. Thomas Erikson’s bestselling book Surrounded By Idiots is less about labeling yourself and others as red, yellow, green or blue and more about bringing awareness to your behavioral tendencies to more effectively lead and interact with others.

Instead of saying “I’m a red, so I can’t help being brash,” the book encourages you to say “My tendency to be brash may be pushing people away—what can I do to change that?”

In other words, how to stop feeling like you’re surrounded by idiots just because the people around you don’t act the same way you do.

In contracting, your people are your business. They determine how customers experience your brand, the productivity of your job sites, the profitability of your business and your own enjoyment of life as an entrepreneur.

So understanding how to manage them as a strong leader is essential.

Today, we’re going to break down one of my favorite frameworks that will give you the tools to bring out the best in your team, maximize productivity, and build a workplace people actually want to be a part of.

It’s called the skill/will matrix.

The idea is that whenever productivity is down or someone isn’t meeting your expectations, ask yourself this one question:

Is this a skill issue? Or a will issue?

Listen to the full episode to learn how to handle each situation.

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Our guest on the show today is our very own coach, Ian Ouwerkerk.

Ian coaches the highest number of businesses here at Breakthrough Academy. He has a massive sample size and a unique perspective on what works and what doesn't when it comes to growing your construction or trades business.

He is particularly well-versed in implementing what we call the Contractor Growth Method with his coaching Members. It’s a six-part business system designed to help contractors set their businesses up for success—whether that means scaling, stabilizing or just making the whole thing less painful and more fun.

Today, Ian is going to walk us through that system, just like he’s done hundreds of times for Members.

This episode is the high-level answer to the question: “how do I systemize my entire contracting business from start to finish?”

In 2025, there is one issue contractors talk to me about more than any other:

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Hiring.

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Getting good people to agree to—and show up to—an interview suddenly seems impossible.

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You book five interviews and three no-show, one thinks they’re applying to be CEO and the other shows up drunk.

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After conducting over 2,400 interviews for trades positions myself, I know the struggle.

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That’s why I hosted a web class last month where I taught hundreds of contractors my system for attracting A-players and replacing time-wasters during the recruitment process.

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We decided to release it on the podcast as a BONUS episode so more contractors can benefit.

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Enjoy.

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