Skid Steer Nation

Try TULBOXX Free — AI estimating & invoicing for contractors. First 5 estimates free, no credit card: www.tulboxx.comGraduated dead last…Now he’s paid by the same school…And built a business off word of mouth.Christian Lefley finished 77th out of 77 in his class—and now does paid work for that same school district. This episode isn’t about motivation—it’s about what actually matters when you’re running a skid steer, answering nonstop calls, and figuring things out the hard way. From burying a rented excavator to turning down big jobs, this is real contractor life.Takeaways:✅ Dead last doesn’t mean dead end: School didn’t click—but business did✅ Your punishment can turn into profit: What got him in trouble now pays him every year✅ You don’t need perfect systems to start: Most of it is learned under pressure✅ Missed calls = missed money: If you can’t respond, you’re losing jobs—simple✅ Good work builds everything: Word of mouth still beats chasing leadsWhy it Matters:If you’re in excavation, skid steer work, or property maintenance, this shows you don’t need a perfect start—you need to execute and stick with it.LINKS:Try TULBOXX Free — First 5 estimates free, no credit card: www.tulboxx.com➡️ Reach out to Christtian — Windwood Property Services: https://www.instagram.com/christian_lefley/➡️ Shop Attachments — Skid Steer Nation: https://skidsteernation.com/➡️ Contractor Marketing — Throttled Up: https://www.getthrottledup.com

He lost $4K over one line of missing wording. Not bad work. Not bad equipment. Just one mistake in a contract.Daniel jumped into excavation young with “$10K and a dream”… but commercial work hit him hard. One missed detail in a bid cost him thousands—and that was just the start. This episode is about what actually happens when you move into commercial site work: slow pay, tight margins, and contracts that can bury you if you’re not careful.Takeaways:✅ You’re not losing money on dirt, you’re losing it on wording. One missing “budgetary” note cost him $4,000. Contracts matter more than the machine.✅ Commercial jobs don’t pay fast, plan for it. 45-day waits with $50K–$80K floating out there will choke you if you’re not ready.✅ Your reputation gets you in, your paperwork keeps you alive. Word of mouth got him commercial jobs. Contracts almost took him out.✅ Give customers 3 options and stop getting shopped. Good / Better / Best pricing helped him close more residential jobs without competing on price.✅ Being a great operator won’t scale your business. The real test = can your company run without you? He calls it the “2-week test.”Why it Matters: If you’re moving into commercial excavation or site work, this is the stuff that decides if you stay in business.Links:➡️ Visit DMS Excavation’s Facebook Page – Follow Daniel Snell’s excavation journey. https://www.facebook.com/dmsexcavation➡️ Build your business with the right attachments. Shop Attachments at Skid Steer Nation: https://skidsteernation.com/➡️ Marketing built for contractors. Marketing Help at Throttled Up: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://getthrottledup.com/

Most contractors complain about employees.John Seaman fired his entire crew in one day.What he built after that changed how his excavation company runs forever.Running excavation crews in the mountains of North Carolina means steep slopes, landslides, and million-dollar homes sitting on unstable ground. John Seaman built his company around solving the jobs nobody else wants to touch.But the real turning point in his business wasn’t a project — it was the day he fired his entire crew and rebuilt the culture from scratch.In this episode, John breaks down how transparency with numbers, accountability in the field, and smarter scaling helped him grow a site development company that now handles complex projects across multiple states.Takeaways:✅ The Day He Fired EveryoneAfter coming back from a trip and realizing his crew had shut down work on their own, John fired the entire team and rebuilt the company culture from the ground up.✅ Why Most Contractors Scale Too FastAdding a second crew before the first one runs independently can lose money on both crews.✅ Saving Million-Dollar Homes on LandslidesJohn’s team is known for emergency slope stabilization projects — including saving a $23M home with a million-dollar retaining wall.✅ Transparency With Numbers Changes EverythingEvery employee in his company knows what a job sells for, what it costs, and whether the company made money.✅ The System Most Contractors IgnoreTracking time and knowing your real daily overhead can make or break an excavation company.Why It Matters:If you run an excavation, land clearing, or site work business, this episode shows how culture, systems, and financial discipline determine whether your company scales—or collapses.Links:➡️ Visit JC Property Professionals’ website – Follow John Seamans excavation journey. www.jcpropertyprofessionals.com➡️ Shop Attachments at Skid Steer Nation: ⁠https://skidsteernation.com/ – “Build your business with the right attachments.”➡️ Marketing Help at Throttled Up: ⁠⁠https://www.getthrottledup.com⁠⁠ – “Marketing built for contractors.

He walked away from a VP position with 208 employees.Bought one excavator. No real plan.Then learned the hard way that “booked out” doesn’t mean profitable.Jeremy Whitson left a 21-year career in the automotive industry to build Whitson Farms Excavation from scratch. What he didn’t expect? That cash flow—not equipment—would be the real battle. In this episode, Jeremy breaks down commercial work, stormwater systems, estimating discipline, and why too much work nearly wrecked his company.This one is about growth pressure, schedule chaos, retention checks, and building a team the right way.Takeaways:✅ Too Much Work Is Worse Than Not Enough – Overbooking commercial projects nearly cost him his reputation when rain delays stacked jobs on top of each other.✅ Commercial = Cash Flow Discipline – 45–90 day pay cycles and 5–10% retention mean subs are often funding the project.✅ Bid Like You’ll Win Every Job – Don’t throw numbers out hoping to land one. If you bid it, plan to execute it.✅ Know Your Daily Break-Even – Insurance, fuel, moving equipment, bidding time—it all counts.✅ Focus on What You’re Great At – He stopped doing septic installs himself and partnered instead. Efficiency beats ego.Why It Matters:If you’re running excavation, utilities, or site work, this episode will sharpen how you think about growth, estimating, and protecting your reputation in commercial projects.Links:➡️ Connect with Jeremy Whitson – Follow his excavation journey. https://www.facebook.com/wfexcavationco➡️ Shop Attachments at Skid Steer Nation: https://www.skidsteernation.com – “Build your business with the right attachments.”➡️ Marketing Help at Throttled Up: https://www.getthrottledup.com – “Marketing built for blue-collar contractors.”

Most excavation and heavy civil contractors don’t fail because of bad work—they fail because of poor cash flow, bad equipment decisions, and overcomplicated growth. In this episode, Nate Morello breaks down how he’s built a lean excavation business by focusing on payment schedules, job rhythm, and technology that replaces labor instead of adding overhead. If you’re running municipal, commercial, or excavation work and feel like the business is starting to control you, this episode will hit close to home.Key Takeaways:✅ Cash flow beats contract size: Nate explains why payment schedules, retainage, and holdbacks matter more than landing “big” municipal jobs.✅ Technology should replace labor, not add stress: Grade control, rotators, and attachments only work if they fit your operation—not because someone else has them.✅ Don’t buy gear for ego: Nate breaks down how screener buckets, rotators, and attachments paid off only because they matched his workflow.✅ Rhythm over perfection: Over-perfecting jobs kills momentum—focus effort where the customer actually sees value.✅ Time is the real cost: Renting, hauling, waiting, and delays quietly eat profit faster than most operators realize.Why It Matters:If you’re trying to grow without losing control—or wondering why the work feels harder even though you’re “busy”—this episode shows how experienced operators think long-term.Links:➡️ Check out Nate Morello’s MC Build Facebook Page:⁠ https://www.facebook.com/mcbuildnh➡️ Shop Attachments: Build your business with the right attachments. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.skidsteernation.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠➡️ Marketing Help: Marketing built for blue-collar contractors. ⁠⁠⁠ https://getthrottledup.com/

You’ve probably underbid a job, got halfway through, and realized you’re working for free. Caley Stecker from C & C Land Management (Holden, Missouri) lays out exactly how he stopped doing that — and why most contractors stay stuck because they’re scared to price like a real business.This episode isn’t a “feel-good” story. It’s a straight-up playbook on pricing, scope control, customer expectations, and running your schedule without chaos owning you.Takeaways:✅ If you’re not a little nervous about your price, you’re probably too cheap. Caley explains why contractors leave money on the table trying to “stay competitive.”✅ Hourly work punishes you for getting good. He breaks down why day-rate pricing protects your profit even when you get faster and more efficient.✅ Your quote should include what you won’t do. Caley started adding “not included” items (seed, straw, sod, etc.) after getting burned by customers assuming extras.✅ Add clauses for reality (rock, soil conditions, water table, etc.). He even built a “suitable soil conditions” clause so the job stops until a real conversation happens.✅ Stop calling yourself a “small business.” Caley explains how the words you use shape how customers treat you — and how you treat yourself.Why it Matters:Because in excavation and land work, profit disappears fast when you guess pricing, stay vague on scope, or let scheduling chaos run your week.Links:➡️ Check out and follow C & C Land Maintenance LLC’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086860041430➡️ Shop Attachments: Build your business with the right attachments. ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.skidsteernation.com⁠⁠⁠⁠➡️ Marketing Help: Marketing built for blue-collar contractors. ⁠⁠https://getthrottledup.com/

As we head into a new year, this episode hits on something most contractors feel but rarely say out loud. Mike Johnson runs a snow removal crew, a hardscape operation, and a growing team—but the real shift came when he realized success didn’t matter if he carried stress everywhere he went. Mike breaks down how he reclaimed peace, rebuilt trust in his team, and stopped letting work steal from his home life.Takeaways: ✅ If you can’t shut your brain off at night, you don’t have a work problem—you have a peace problem. ✅ Letting go of control isn’t a mindset—it’s a hiring move. ✅ One mistake can cost a contract… but how you handle it can win loyalty forever.✅ Social media doesn’t reward perfect… it rewards real. ✅ Marketing isn’t about making the phone ring—it’s about who’s calling. Why it Matters :If you’re stepping into the new year determined to build a better business and a better life, this episode gives you a grounded place to start.Links:➡️ Visit & Follow Mike’s Facebook Page (Pro Snow Removal): https://www.facebook.com/GoProSnow➡️ Shop Attachments: Build your business with the right attachments. ⁠⁠https://www.skidsteernation.com⁠⁠➡️ Marketing Help: Marketing built for blue-collar contractors. ⁠⁠https://getthrottledup.com/

This episode is a break from the usual dirt-business guest… and that’s the point. The Unhinged Rancher runs a ranch with 1,100–1,200 cows and somehow turned yelling at cows, turtles, and skid-steer projects into a real income stream. The best part: he lays out simple content rules that contractors can copy—how to hook people fast, deal with hate comments, and pivot platforms when the algorithm changes.Takeaways:✅ Humor is a tool, not a gimmick: he uses it to keep people watching, then keeps them with consistency and real-life work.✅ Balance is a battle: ranch work doesn’t pause for “content day,” so he built a system to film while working—not instead of working.✅ Monetization isn’t magic: the money came after attention—merch, platform payouts, partnerships—built off repeatable posting habits.✅ Your circle matters: he’s intentional about being around people who are doing more, thinking bigger, and pushing forward.✅ Ignore the comment section when a video pops: bigger reach brings more random hate—don’t let people who don’t pay your bills steer the wheel.Why it Matters:If you’re an operator or contractor trying to get leads, hires, or attention online, Kyle’s approach shows how to turn everyday work into content that actually moves the needle.Links:➡️ Subscribe to The Unhinged Rancher’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheUnhingedRancher➡️ Shop Attachments: Build your business with the right attachments. https://www.skidsteernation.com⁠➡️ Marketing Help: Marketing built for blue-collar contractors. https://getthrottledup.com/

Sometimes the hardest part of running a business isn’t the long hours or tough calls — it’s figuring out what comes next. In this episode, Ryan opens up about his own season of reflection: what it means to step back, redefine the vision, and start building with purpose again. No guest this week — just a raw, real talk between Ryan and you about leadership, growth, and the next evolution of Skid Steer Nation.Takeaways:✅ How creating space to think — even just 20 minutes a day — can completely change the direction of your business.✅ The mindset shift from “being the boss” to serving your team and why that’s where real growth happens.✅ Why Ryan is rebranding the Skid Steer Nation Podcast and what his upcoming book Out of the Weeds means for contractors everywhere.✅ A behind-the-scenes look at the new software project, Toolbox, built to help small business owners simplify operations with AI-powered tools.✅ The most powerful lesson Ryan’s learned lately: learning to say no — and how it protects your time, clarity, and vision.Why It Matters:Because owning a business isn’t just about grinding — it’s about building something that actually gives you freedom, not another job.Links:➡️ Shop Attachments: Build your business with the right attachments. ⁠https://www.skidsteernation.com⁠➡️ Marketing Help: Marketing built for blue-collar contractors. ⁠https://www.throttleupmarketing.com

Most guys don’t talk about the bad deals they’ve made. But Ryan Haar does, and his story will sound familiar to anyone who’s bought a “great deal” machine that turned into a money pit. Injectors failed, the drive motor quit, and what should have been a win nearly sank him before he got started. But instead of bailing, Ryan stuck with that skid steer, learned the hard lessons, and built Elite Excavation in Olin, Iowa.In this episode, Ryan opens up about what that experience taught him about persistence, referrals, and marketing in a crowded market. His journey proves that sometimes the worst machine can teach you the best lessons.Takeaways:✅The nightmare skid steer purchase that nearly stopped him—and why he still runs it today✅How one driveway job turned into five more through simple word-of-mouth✅Why old-school flyers plus creative videos helped him stand out in a saturated Iowa market✅His personal motto: “Cost to floss—strap in and hold tight” and what it means for businessWhy it Matters:Every contractor knows the sting of bad equipment—but Ryan’s story shows how grit and consistency can turn setbacks into stepping stones.Links:🔹 Visit Elite Excavation’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555780441041🔹 Shop American-Made Attachments: ⁠www.skidsteernation.com🔹 Need More Leads for Your Excavation Business? Visit Throttled Up Marketing: ⁠⁠https://www.getthrottledup.com/

When Andrew Michael left his job as a diesel tech during the chaos of COVID, he didn’t chase scale—he chased control, family, and purpose. What started as renting equipment and testing the waters led to buying his first skid steer and embracing a solo operator model. But what really makes this episode stand out? Andrew’s mindset. This isn't just about clearing land—it’s about clearing mental clutter, owning your story, and showing up for your family and clients in a way most business owners never figure out.If you’ve ever battled imposter syndrome, wrestled with niching down, or wondered if staying small is actually smart, Andrew’s story hits hard.Takeaways:✅Renting vs. Owning: Andrew rented equipment for three years before finally buying his own skid steer—and the confidence that came with it was the real game changer.✅Niching Is a Strength: Early on, he tried to do “anything brown or green,” but narrowing his focus helped build a reputation and reduce burnout.✅Mindset over Machines: Success in this business isn’t about horsepower—it’s about what’s happening between your ears.✅Solo by Design: Andrew doesn’t want 30 employees or a fleet—he wants to be known as a specialist, and it’s working.✅Pressure Creates Performance: From family life to business decisions, Andrew uses pressure to fuel growth, not fear.Why it MattersThis episode hits home for blue-collar business owners trying to balance growth, purpose, and peace of mind—without selling their soul or sacrificing their family.Links:🔹 Visit Michael Way Acre’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/michaelwayacres🔹 Shop American-Made Attachments: https://skidsteernation.com/🔹 Need More Leads for Your Excavation Business? Visit Throttled Up Marketing: https://www.getthrottledup.com/

Austin Gurney didn’t just quit his job—he quit the idea that being a great operator was enough. After moving to a new state with no contacts, he grew his excavation business fast by focusing on systems, showing up when others wouldn’t, and thinking like a business owner from day one.He didn’t build this to stay busy. He’s building it to last.Takeaways:✅Built a steady business from scratch in a brand-new area with zero connections.✅Used daily Facebook group posts (at 5AM) to keep leads coming in before going full time.✅Realized he was spending too much time being a technician—not a leader.✅Wants his business to leave a legacy—not just cover the bills.Why it Matters:If you’re growing a blue-collar business and want to scale without being stuck in the machine, this episode gives you the playbook.Links:🔹 Visit Gurney Excavation’s’ website: https://gurneyexcavationllc.com/🔹 Shop American-Made Attachments: https://skidsteernation.com/🔹 Need More Leads for Your Excavation Business? Visit Throttle Up Marketing: https://www.getthrottledup.com/

Cason Rawson didn’t just build Apex Excavating & Underground overnight — he did it while keeping a cool head through 90-day payment delays and the pressure of feeding twelve families every week.In this episode, Cason opens up about:✅How he bootstrapped from weekend septic jobs to multi-million-dollar bids.✅The hard truth about government work: you’d better have four months of payroll in the bank.✅Why loyal relationships with banks and insurers matter more than a cheaper quote.✅Letting go of control — and why getting a good right-hand man and an accountant changed everything.Takeaways: ✔️ Always have at least 120 days of cash flow ready. ✔️ Payroll comes first, profit second — crews keep you in business. ✔️ Stick with the people who stuck with you.✔️ Get out of the paperwork and back into the field.Why listen? If you run equipment and carry the weight of a crew, these lessons will save you money, stress, and a few sleepless nights.Links:🔹 Connect with Apex Excavating & Underground: https://www.facebook.com/ApexExcUnd 🔹 Shop American-Made Attachments: https://skidsteernation.com/🔹 Need More Leads for Your Excavation Business? Visit Throttle Up Marketing: https://www.getthrottledup.com/👉 Hit play and learn what most guys wish they’d known before bidding big.