Contractor Evolution

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP278 Get a copy of Ryan’s Lead Follow Up Formula (The Revenue Engine) here: https://trybta.com/DL278Most contractors assume the sale is dead after two ignored messages. The data says otherwise, and the money you're leaving on the table is staggering.Ryan Fenn, founder of CHIIRP, has analyzed massive volumes of real customer conversations to find out what actually gets replies, what kills deals, and what the best follow-up systems do differently. In this episode, we break it all down into the three elements that matter most: words, cadence, and channel.You'll learn:  Why the words most contractors use in follow-up are silently killing deals — and what to say instead The data-backed timing and cadence that turns cold quotes into signed contracts Which channel (text, phone, email, video) actually converts — and when to use each one A simple dead quote reactivation system to bring stalled deals back to life Where AI is genuinely helping follow-up right now — and where it's hurtingIf you've ever wondered why your quotes go cold or how long you should really keep following up, this one's for you.00:00-Intro10:44-Follow-up in contracting 14:30-Effective sales language 29:57-Ideal follow-up cadence 44:13-Choosing communication channels 52:01-Risks of AI voice 56:05-Increasing lead conversion 

Register for Matt and Danny’s upcoming team accountability web class: https://trybta.com/DL276 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP276 If you're the only person on every jobsite who can catch a mistake, you don't have a team; you have a daycare. In this episode, Matt Risinger (from The Build Show) maps the exact path from babysitter to system-builder, so your business runs without you hovering over every decision. Most contractors don't even realize they're micromanaging. They just know they're exhausted, their PMs won't make a call without them, and nothing gets caught until they personally show up. This episode breaks down why smart owners get trapped as the answer guy, what it's costing them in profit and sanity, and the step-by-step framework to build a team that thinks, decides, and polices standards on its own.You'll learn:How to spot the line between managing and micromanaging, and why crossing it is a silent profit killerThe real cost of being the only person who catches mistakes (hint: it shows up in your margins, your turnover, and your ceiling)How to set non-negotiable standards your team can self-audit before you ever see the workThe exact roles and decisions a PM must own before you can truly step backA simple accountability meeting structure you can use to get real value out of every meetingHow to train independent thinking into your people without killing their ownership when they get it wrongWhat has to be true culturally before your team starts policing standards themselves00:00-Intro02:18-The Path to Effective Delegation10:22-Building Loyalty & Accountability with Subcontractors16:59-Communication & Standards for On-Site Teams25:19-Defining Roles & Learning from Mistakes31:55-Structuring Effective Accountability Meetings36:50-Training for Independence & Mentorship48:28-Philosophy on Leading & Treating People

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here:https://trybta.com/EP274 We’re actively working with ~600 contractors, and a LOT of them are struggling — and it's not the economy. Breakthrough Academy coach Jason Alcott reveals the hidden mindset trap keeping contractors stuck, and the one framework that changes everything.Most contractors are measuring their success the wrong way. They're locked in "the gap,” constantly chasing an ideal that keeps moving, instead of looking back at how far they've actually come. In this episode, Jason Alcott (BTA coach and former contractor who scaled Weatherguard Gutters to $6.5M with 25 staff) breaks down Dan Sullivan's Gap and the Gain framework and why fixing your mindset is the prerequisite to every system, every strategy, and every team decision you'll make this year.In this episode:Why 70% of the contractors Jason works with are having a rough year— and what's really behind itThe "Gap vs. Gain" framework that stops the overwhelm spiralHow your mindset as an owner trickles down and silently kills team moraleWhy tactics fail when mindset isn't addressed firstHow to set 90-day goals your team actually cares about (leading vs. lagging indicators)Gratitude as a stress management tool — and why it's more powerful than you thinkAbout Jason Alcott: Jason is a Breakthrough Academy coach and former BTA member who scaled a gutter contracting business to $6.5M before joining the coaching side. He currently coaches 25+ contractor businesses and is actively helping them navigate one of the toughest business climates in recent memory.00:00-Intro06:22-Why do we ignore mindset?10:44-Gap versus Gain15:29-Shifting your headspace27:27-Setting activity goals29:35-Implementing the Gain mindset

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/590f12c899Check out Megan’s Negotiation Style Quiz: https://meganshapiro.kit.com/81045b49f1If 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 marginsHow to spot red flags (before they cost you)A simple three part framework to review and negotiate contracts with confidenceWhere it’s appropriate to use AI in your negotiations (and where it can trigger a legal disaster)00:00-Intro05:49-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/EP258Download the accountability resources Nick used to scale from $4M to $12.5M here: https://trybta.com/DL258 If you’re working 70+ hours a week, micromanaging every detail, and acting as the bottleneck in your own business, you are doing it wrong.In this episode, Breakthrough Academy Member and owner of Willie C. & Sons Landscaping Nick Cloutier explains how to shift your mindset from "Boss" to "Coach" and implement the 3 essential tools—Job Descriptions, KPIs, and GSR Meetings—that allow you to delegate with confidence. In this episode, we cover:The "Warrior Mode" Trap: Why working 80 hours/week is a sign of a broken system, not a badge of honor.$4M to $12.5M Blueprint: The specific acquisition strategy and systems used to scale rapidly in 2025.The 3 Essential Accountability Tools: How to build Job Descriptions that "teach to win," Deliverables (KPIs), and clear Org Charts.The GSR Method: Why "Goal Setting & Review" meetings are the single best thing you can do for employee retention.Financial Mastery: How to reverse engineer a 20% Net Profit budget using LMN.Check out Nick’s business, Willie C. & Sons Landscaping: https://williecandsonslandscaping.com/00:00-Intro01:22-Trajectory of Business Growth and the Shift in the Owner's Mindset05:07-Implementing Job Descriptions and Deliverables (KPIs)10:58-Defining Deliverables and Setting Measurable Goals17:56-The Organizational Chart and Determining Capacity20:09-Leveraging Numbers and Data for Predictable Growth23:00-Goal Setting and Review (GSR) Meetings34:09-Prioritizing Work-Life Balance and Seasonal Employment39:09-Financial Planning, Budgeting, and Understanding the Numbers43:46-The Strategy and Confidence for Acquisition50:23-Final Advice on Building a Successful Team

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP256Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL256Men’s mental health is in crisis. We are three times more likely to develop addictions and four times more likely to turn to suicide. And yet, 40% of men won’t seek help.In this episode of Contractor Evolution, we are diving into the "silent struggle" with Connor Beaton, founder of ManTalks and author of Men’s Work. While we usually unpack business systems and profit margins, today we’re diving into the importance of men’s inner work.After overcoming his own struggles with infidelity, drugs, and alcohol, Connor’s mission is to help men become better leaders, spouses, dads, and humans.In this conversation, we cover:The Crisis: Why men are struggling today more than ever and why it’s so hard for us to get in touch with our inner selves.Shadow Work: How to identify and confront hidden parts of ourselves (what Connor calls Shadow Work) to stop self-sabotage.Leadership & Legacy: How doing your own inner work pays off for your team and family, and how to foster healthy masculinity and self-leadership on your job sites.We love to unpack business systems, but if this type of episode is useful for you, let us know in the comments.Check out ManTalks: https://www.youtube.com/@ManTalks🔥 Watch These Related Episodes Next:1. Business Therapist Destroys My Limiting Beliefs in Real Time:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU7m0Bk0Z9s2. How To Lead WITHOUT Ego (Keith Mercurio's Advice):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwDRgYHKzow3. How 8 Years in a Community Changed My Contracting Business:https://youtu.be/dL0oLzZLrUQ00:00-Intro02:02-Connor Beaton's Origin Story and Early Life05:07-The Impact of Fatherless Households on Young Men10:18-Shame-Based Motivation and the Entrepreneurial Identity15:40-Understanding Shadow Work and Confronting the Unconscious24:32-Step 1: The Process of Confession and Radical Honesty32:52-Step 2: Exploring the Origins of Dysfunctional Behavior41:51-Step 3: Confronting and Replacing Unhealthy Patterns57:17-Modeling Imperfection and the Importance of Presence as a Father

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP254Use code EVOLUTION (at check out) for 20% off both the Ideal Team Player and Working Genius Assessments:Ideal Team Player: https://www.tablegroup.com/idealteamplayer/ Working Genius: https://www.workinggenius.com/about/assessmentAre you sick of hiring the wrong people? Whether you got swindled by a smooth talker in an interview or hired a B-player in desperation, you know that recruiting top talent as a contractor is an uphill battle these days.So today, we invited one of the most well-known experts in the industry to teach us how to simplify our hiring standards by using two proven frameworks for assessing prospective and current employees.Our guest today is the one and only Patrick Lencioni.He is the bestselling author of 13 books selling over 9 million copies worldwide. He’s most well known for The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.Today, we’re focusing on two of Pat’s books that are especially relevant for our industry: The Ideal Team Player and The 6 Types of Working Genius.In this episode you’ll learn:How to attract and hire Ideal Team Players at all levels of your business by looking for three key virtues.The common archetypes that show up when someone is missing one of these virtuesAND how to identify the 6 types of working genius within your team so you can help everyone thrive in their rolesPat was a dream to have on the show. If you have other guests you think we should interview, leave a comment and let us know.More HEAVY HITTERS on Contractor Evolution:Chris Voss - Negotiation Tactics for Contractors: https://youtu.be/a4RDJRtkOBYGreg McKeown - Essentialism for Contractors: https://youtu.be/6J1qth84qwgGarrett Gunderson - Why Most Contractors Stay Broke: https://youtu.be/-Xx2LKkKEI8 00:00-Intro02:20-Why did you choose the construction industry to base your book, The Ideal Team Player, in?05:30-Defining the three virtues of an ideal team player: hungry, humble, and smart07:15-Defining "hungry"09:35-Defining "humble"11:33-Identifying "fake humble"17:36-Defining "smart" as emotional intelligence (EQ)23:05-How to spot these three virtues in the interview process28:23-"Scaring" people in the recruiting process30:55-How to look for "hunger"33:14-“Non-ideal archetypes": the accidental mess-maker (humble and hungry, but not smart)36:20-“Non-ideal archetypes": the lovable slacker (humble and smart, but not hungry)40:29-“Non-ideal archetypes": the skillful politician (hungry and smart, but not humble)44:35-About The 6 Types of Working Genius and getting people in the right seat on the bus