To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP272

Grab a copy of Megan’s OWN Your Contracts QuickStart Guide: https://meganshapiro.kit.com/590f12c899

Check out Megan’s Negotiation Style Quiz: https://meganshapiro.kit.com/81045b49f1

If you’ve thought about using AI to make the process of drafting, reading, and negotiating contracts easier, you’re not alone.

But according to today’s guest, relying on AI for your contracts could be a costly mistake. Because the reality is: AI is only as good as the knowledge of the user.

In this week’s episode of Contractor Evolution, we sit down with construction lawyer Megan Shapiro to break down what’s actually happening inside the agreements you’re signing, and how to negotiate them in a way that makes you more profit, keeps you out of legal trouble and empowers you to safely incorporate AI where appropriate.

You’ll learn:

• The biggest contract clauses that quietly kill your margins
• How to spot red flags (before they cost you)
• A simple three part framework to review and negotiate contracts with confidence
• Where it’s appropriate to use AI in your negotiations (and where it can trigger a legal disaster)

00:00-Intro

05:49-Trade Contractor Contract Rights

07:22-Risks and Common Pitfalls

10:16-Introducing The OWN Framework

17:13-Weighing Specific Contract Provisions

29:29-Change Orders And Delays

39:27-Healthy Professional Negotiation Strategies

47:53-AI In Contract Management

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP271

Get a copy of John’s slide deck here: https://trybta.com/DL271

If you’re relying on leads coming in… you’re already behind.

In this episode, Breakthrough Academy Member John Malanchuk breaks down a proven approach to business development for contractors; one that goes beyond marketing and sales, and focuses on building real relationships that generate consistent, high-value work.

Drawing from nearly 20 years in the commercial painting space and five years in the Breakthrough Academy contractor coaching program, John shares exactly how he:

• Builds long-term relationships with decision-makers (not just bids against competitors)
• Lands $100K+ projects through simple, repeatable outreach
• Uses networking, presentations, and follow-ups to create predictable revenue
• Turns one meeting into multiple project opportunities
• Structures his CRM and pipeline to stay organized and consistent

This isn’t theory—it’s a boots-on-the-ground system you can start using immediately, whether you're in commercial or residential contracting.

Key Takeaways:

• Business development is proactive relationship building, not reactive selling
• The goal is to get in before projects go to bid and become the trusted go-to
• Consistency beats intensity—just a few hours per week can transform your pipeline
• Your network is your biggest asset—leverage suppliers, GCs, and existing contacts
• Follow-up is everything (and most contractors fail here)

00:00-Intro

03:10-Target Diverse Commercial Verticals

11:40-Residential Business Development Strategies

16:36-Effective Practical Networking Tactics

20:28-Key Success Tracking Metrics

23:30-Avoiding Common Followup Mistakes

28:19-Real World Project Examples

38:46-Implementing CRM Pipeline Systems

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP270

What’s slowing down your contracting or construction business isn’t always obvious.

In this episode of Contractor Evolution, Danny Kerr sits down with Mark Wong to break down the hidden inefficiencies that quietly drain profit, capacity, and momentum inside a growing company. From admin bloat and paperwork to wasted field time and poor workflows, this conversation dives into how smarter systems can improve construction management without adding more chaos.

If you’ve been trying to grow but feel like your team is stuck in reactive mode, this episode will show you where to look first.

Mark shares practical insights on business automation, how to identify repeatable tasks worth fixing, and where AI for contractors can actually create leverage. Instead of replacing people, the best tools help your team move faster, reduce non-billable work, and improve the customer experience.

You’ll learn how to use ride-alongs to find wasted time, how to tell the difference between a people problem and a process problem, and why the best contractor automation opportunities often come from fixing one repeatable task at a time.

In this episode, we cover:

- how unbillable labor eats away at profit

- where waste hides in the average job

- how to spot automation opportunities in the field

- the right way to approach business automation

- where ai for contractors works best today

- how better systems improve your construction business

- why stronger construction management starts with visibility

- how to use contractor automation without overcomplicating your workflow

Whether you run a construction, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, or other trades company, this episode will help you think differently about systems, efficiency, and scale.

00:00-Intro

04:19-Identifying Unbillable Labor Wastage

07:05-Analyzing Contractor Production Systems

08:47-Practical Field Observation Steps

11:54-People Versus Workflow Problems

13:50-Integrating Effective Software Tools

16:30-Balancing AI and Accountability

29:56-Effective Team Adoption Strategies

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP269

Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL269

Most contractors didn't start a business to be trapped inside of it.

Cameron Herold, the operational mind behind 1-800-GOT-JUNK's explosive scale from $2M to $106M, reveals the exact blueprint to turn your contracting company from a daily grind into a sellable, scalable asset.

In this episode of Contractor Evolution, Cameron breaks down why most contractors get stuck between $1M and $10M, what systems need to be in place before you can step out of the day-to-day, and the key hires that actually add enterprise value to your business.

Whether you plan to sell someday or never, building like an owner (not an operator) changes everything.

🔗 Grab Cameron's book "Vivid Vision": https://www.amazon.ca/Vivid-Vision-Remarkable-Aligning-Business/dp/161961877X

🔗 Learn more about Cameron Herold’s program for COOs: https://cooalliance.com/

In this episode, you'll learn:

– Why most contractors build a job, not an asset

– The mindset shift required to scale past $1M

– How clear does your vision really need to be?

– The first systems to get you out of the day-to-day

– Key hires that add enterprise value (and when to make them)

– How the owner's role must evolve as the company scales

– Grounded expectations + frameworks to take action

🎧 Listen to Contractor Evolution on your favorite platform:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/contractor-evolution/id1541384174

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/72kRn2i2oRcqAx77DqkM7K?si=y0Uy-aPYRs6VmijQpioXKw&nd=1

Breakthrough Academy is the home of the Contractor Growth Method™ — a business coaching program purpose-built for contractors who want to scale sustainably, build real systems, and get their time back.

🌐 Website: https://btacademy.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/btacademy/

#contractor #constructionbusiness #cameronherold #scaling #businessgrowth #contractorevolution #leadership

00:00-Intro

02:07-Enjoying the Entrepreneurial Journey

09:20-Building Business as an Asset

11:31-Overcoming Plateaus and Limiting Beliefs

25:56-Implementing a Vivid Vision

34:14-Strategic Leadership and Genius

42:32-Building the Right Team

56:32-Successful Entrepreneurial Patterns

Download a copy of Ellen's Weekly Financial Quick Check Templates here: https://trybta.com/DL268-2

Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL268

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP268

What if the fastest way to build an accountable team was to show them the numbers you've been hiding? Ellen Rohr (Zoom Drain, Business Uncomplicated) has helped hundreds of contractors implement open book management — and the results are transformational.

In this episode, she breaks down exactly how to share your financials with your team, what to share (and what NOT to), and how to turn transparency into a game your crew actually wants to win.

If you've ever thought "My employees just don't care about profit" — this episode will show you why that's your fault, and how to fix it.

🔥 What You'll Learn in This Episode

By the end of this conversation, you'll know how to:

• Implement open-book management without exposing what you take home
• Decide exactly which numbers to share with which roles on your team
• Handle the #1 objection: "Won't my team resent what I make?"
• Use gamification to turn financial targets into a competition your crew cares about
• Build a team that thinks like owners — not just clock-punchers
• Shift from "my team doesn't care" to "my team is obsessed with hitting the number"
• Structure incentives tied to the metrics your team can actually influence
• Avoid the biggest pitfalls Ellen sees contractors make with open books

Learn more about Ellen: https://www.youtube.com/ellenrohr

00:00-Intro

02:08-Defining open book management

07:21-Financial transparency and strategic pricing

22:08-Prerequisites for rolling out financial reports

29:13-Departmentalization and relevant KPIs

37:22-The importance of manual tracking and gamification

50:59-Cultural yield and future technology

To get your free Hiring Resource Bundle, click here: https://trybta.com/DL267

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP267

Most contractors post a job ad, get zero qualified applicants, and wonder why they can't find good people. The problem isn't the labor market — it's your hiring system.

In this roundtable, Matt Risinger (founder of The Build Show Network), Jacob Toler ($2.8M contractor running a 35% gross profit), and BTA coach Matt Balfe break down exactly how top contractors recruit, hire, and retain A-players — even when no one's applying.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why your job postings aren't attracting qualified candidates (and what to do instead)
• Hiring systems that build your bench so you're always staffed for busy season
• Creative recruitment strategies the best contractors use to find A-players
• The difference between hiring out of desperation vs. hiring from a position of strength

Whether you're a general contractor, remodeler, or specialty trade, if you're struggling to find good employees for your construction business, this conversation is your blueprint.

00:00-Intro & speaker backgrounds

08:21-Identifying hiring pain points & root causes

09:58-Candidate screening & interview process

30:08-Out-of-the-box recruiting & social media tactics

43:18-Leveraging AI and automation in recruitment

48:37-Key hiring lessons: ability over reactivity

01:14:53-Q&A: references & quality growth

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP266

Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL266

Can you actually run a contracting business with your spouse…

…and still like each other at the end of the day?

Caleb Auman (host of the Kid Contractor Podcast) and his wife Brittany have been through bankruptcy, business failure, and the kind of fights that almost ended everything. In this episode, they share the hard-won rules for how they rebuilt — together — and turned their marriage into their biggest competitive advantage.

If you and your partner are building a business side by side (or thinking about it), this one's for you.

🔥 What You'll Learn in This Episode

By the end of this conversation, you'll know how to:

• Navigate the real tension between being business partners and life partners
• Define clear roles so you stop stepping on each other's toes
• Fight productively — without letting business stress destroy your relationship
• Rebuild trust and alignment after a major failure (including bankruptcy)
• Parent effectively while running a demanding contracting business
• Set boundaries between "work mode" and "marriage mode"
• Turn your partnership into a system that makes your business stronger

Check out The Kid Contractor Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8UxQJ9VFnDk4B2f7vMZzJLoWikTD_08k

00:00-Intro

03:37-Defining Missions and Shared Why

06:46-Navigating Bankruptcy and Partnership Roles

18:42-Dividing Spouse-Run Business Role

27:08-Self-Realization, Humility, and Leadership

40:07-Tools for Healthy Communication

50:17-Parenting and Instilling Values

59:28-Final Thoughts on Life Perspective

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP265

Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL265

Your biggest expense is labor. If you aren’t tracking it accurately, your job costing is a lie. In this episode, Derrik Shakespear (CRO of AlignOps) reveals why most contractors bleed profit through inaccurate time tracking—and how to fix it without micromanaging your crew.

If you’re still using paper timesheets or trusting the "honor system," you’re likely losing thousands in unbilled hours and slip-ups every single year.

🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

By the end of this episode, you’ll know how to:

• Stop "managing blind" and get accurate data on your biggest expense (Labor)
• Compare Estimates vs. Actuals to see which jobs actually made money
• Implement digital time tracking without your crew feeling "Big Brothered"
• Spot the "Silent Killers" in your workflow that paper timesheets hide
• Use construction time tracking data to bid more accurately next time
• Turn time data into a competitive advantage for safety and liability
• Move from "guessing" productivity to measuring it like a manufacturer

00:00-Intro

02:24-The importance of time tracking in construction

08:59-Productivity comparisons: Manufacturing vs. construction

14:26-Essential components of a healthy time tracking system

20:14-Frequency and best practices for reviewing project data

26:02-Strategies and pitfalls for owner adoption of technology

31:47-Incentivizing field crews and gamification

34:43-The future of AI in the construction industry