The Contractor Systems Behind a 1-Day Workweek | Chris Carey (Ep. 257)

The Contractor Systems Behind a 1-Day Workweek | Chris Carey (Ep. 257)

From The Wealthy Contractor by Brian Kaskavalciyan

January 19, 2026 · 39 min

About this episode

Chris Carey discusses how he managed to run his home improvement businesses on just one day a week by implementing effective systems and leadership structures.

Our guest today built two home improvement businesses doing $18M combined. And for two years, he ran them on JUST 1 DAY per week. Not because he checked out. But because he stopped being the safety net. In this episode of The Wealthy Contractor podcast, I sit down with Chris Carey, owner of Windows Direct and Baths Direct. We break down the systems, leadership structure, and sales disciplines that replaced owner dependency and allowed his home improvement business to run without him. Chris didn’t work himself to exhaustion, hoping to earn the right to work less. He didn’t wait for “one more hire,” “after this busy season,” or “once things calm down.” Instead, he used fewer workdays to expose what was broken inside his contractor business. When he wasn’t there to jump in: 👉 Systems had to WORK 👉 Leaders had to LEAD 👉 Prices had to SUPPORT the business (not just close deals) 👉 Accountability became non-negotiable Inside this conversation, Chris and I reveal: 🔥 Why being “always available” is the fastest way to keep broken systems alive 🔥 The sales system shift that made a 30% price increase possible overnight 🔥 Why chasing growth without structure creates chaos at $10M+ 🔥…

People in this episode

Host: Brian Kaskavalciyan

Guest: Chris Carey

Topics covered

  • business systems
  • leadership
  • sales disciplines
  • work-life balance
  • contractor management

Keywords

  • contractor systems
  • 1-day workweek
  • business leadership
  • sales increase
  • owner dependency

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Windows Direct, Baths Direct

More episodes of The Wealthy Contractor

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Wealthy Contractor podcast page.