Contractor Evolution

Breakthrough Academy
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Breakthrough Academy presents Contractor Evolution. In this show we unpack the systems, tactics, and skills you need to take your fast-growing contracting business to the next level. If you’re here to learn what it takes to scale up, work less, and increase profitability, you’ve come to the right place. Stay tuned to learn what separates the new breed of contractor from the old school, and welcome to your ultimate guide to the business of contracting.

  1. 13 hrs ago

    288. The REAL Impact Of AI in Construction [And How To Prepare] - DJ Carroll

    To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP288 When ChatGPT released in 2022, we all knew the start of a new era in tech was coming.  But we couldn't possibly comprehend just how much our industry was about to change. Although robotics are a few years away from replacing field labor, pretty much every other area of a contracting business has been totally disrupted. Today, I've brought on DJ Carroll, a former contractor known for scaling home service companies through disciplined AI and automation, to share his opinions on where the industry is now, where it's headed, and the skills and concepts we HAVE to understand if we want our businesses to survive what he calls the next industrial revolution. This is not a philosophical conversation. DJ gives some real, actionable advice any contractor can implement in the next week. – Learn more about DJ Carroll: https://carroll.media/about/ 00:00-Intro 04:12-Hype Versus Reality  08:28-AI Adoption & Memory Capacity  19:43-Marketing Use Cases  28:32-Building AI Ads 34:50-Adopting Voice Services  40:17-Creating Company SOPs  45:23-Upcoming AI Advancements

  2. 26 Aug

    287. How To Run Projects Like a $34M Contractor - Caleb George, Scott Kelley, Jordan Coolidge

    To get the Project Management resource bundle, click here: https://trybta.com/DL287 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP287 Caleb George produces $34M in projects with just three project managers. Scott Kelley’s team can run a million dollar project without asking him a single question. What do these two builders have in common? Exceptional project management systems. In this roundtable discussion, I sat down with Caleb George of Chris George Custom Homes, Scott Kelley of Evolution Design Build, and Jordan Coolidge from Buildertrend to break down the difference between projects that run profitably without owner involvement and projects that require constant firefighting to cross the finish line. – Caleb and Scott are Breakthrough Academy Members who have worked with their coaches and contractor community group to achieve exceptional results. To learn more about becoming a Breakthrough Academy Member, click here: https://trybta.com/EP287 Check out Buildertrend: https://buildertrend.com/ Learn more about Chris George Custom Homes: https://www.chrisgeorgecustomhomes.com/ Learn more about Evolution Design Build: https://evobuildgroup.com/ 00:00-Intro 07:37-Biggest Contractor Issues  09:59-Broken Process Signs  15:38-Defining PM Roles  26:18-Implementing Balanced Accountability  35:49-Optimizing Project Communication  57:51-Streamlining Planning Capacity  1:12:11-Advice for Contractors

  3. 19 Aug

    286. $7M Playbook: Build A Profitable Landscaping Company - Riley Rivers

    To learn more about becoming a Member, click here: https://trybta.com/EP286  Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL286 At just 30 years old, Riley Rivers owns a $7M dollar landscaping business, pulling in $120K in profit every month. Multiple divisions. Massive contracts. Complex operations. And he does it all in less than 40 hours a week. In this episode, I'm talking to Riley to find out how he built his company, including the key decisions he made as he scaled. If you're ready to step out of the day-to-day and become a real CEO, Riley's story is a must listen. — Riley is a Breakthrough Academy Member who has worked with his coach and contractor community to build a business he loves running. To learn more about becoming a Member, click here: https://trybta.com/EP286  Learn more about Rivers Landscaping: https://www.riverslandscapingmt.com/ Episode highlights: Learn which systems enabled Riley to more than double his revenue without sacrificing profitability.Get insight into Riley’s hiring strategies when it comes to adding high-impact leaders into his organization.Discover how Riley built his team culture… by letting his team build his culture. Find out how he stepped back and let his people establish the company’s core values and the tactics used to live them out. 00:00-Intro 01:55-Journey to $3 Million  07:12-Evolution of Roles  09:41-Strategy for Growth  11:49-Identifying Core Gaps  21:01-Org Structure Strategy  30:18-Cultivating Company Culture  40:22-Leadership and Management

  4. 12 Aug

    285. The Formula For Consistent Cash Flow In 7-Figure Contracting Businesses - Bob Gauvreau

    Grab a copy of Bob's Top 10 Tax Tips For Self-Employed Contractors: https://trybta.com/DL285 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP285  Ever run out of money despite making millions of dollars? This is the situation Bob Gauvreau has seen hundreds of contractors fall into. Revenue is up, profit may even be up. But they run out of cash unexpectedly and when they get hit with an unexpected bill or expense… …they crumple.  In today’s episode, Bob walks us through a foolproof system for managing your cash flow so financial stress becomes a thing of the past. Episode Highlights: Learn why your P&L might be lying to you, and which metrics actually matter when it comes to the health of your businessUnderstand where cash gets “stuck” and how to avoid accidentally spending the cash you need to pay the bills.Discover the foolproof system for managing your cash flow and forecasting potential issues 90 days in advance (no more being jump-scared by your bank balance) Get in touch with Bob: https://gauvreaucpa.ca/ 00:00-Intro 02:18-Cash Flow vs Profit  08:32-Tight Cash Impact  15:36-Optimizing Cash Inflows  23:04-Accounts Receivable Systems  29:38-Managing Cash Outflows  43:57-Owner Compensation Rhythm  47:24-Financial Process Organization

  5. 5 Aug

    284. How Hiring ONE PERSON Doubled This Contractor's Business - Joel Retherford

    To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP284 Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL284 Joel Retherford made an extra $1.6 MILLION in the first four months of this year.  How? By hiring for one simple role.  In today’s episode, I’m talking to Joel to understand: How hiring a project manager helped him produce an entire year’s worth of revenue, in 4 monthsThe hiring process he used to find a rockstar capable of driving all that valueAnd why so many contractors completely botch their project management, and how to stop killing your profit as you grow. If you’re struggling to scale and want to stop bottlenecking your operations, this episode is for you. 00:00-Intro 01:25-Overcoming Personal Operational Bottlenecks  09:20-Hiring An External Candidate  12:19-Managing Internal Staff Friction  21:02-Presenting A United Front  26:44-Unlocking Strategic Owner Advantages  31:19-Timing The Project Manager  36:41-Structuring Tangible ROI Goals

  6. 29 July

    283. How This Contractor Made $200K From Change Orders - Eric Olson

    To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP283 Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL283 Eric Olson found a way to squeeze an extra 200 thousand dollars of profit out of work he was already doing. His secret weapon? Change orders. In today’s episode, Eric is going to talk us through: - The exact strategy he used to 4X his profits on all change orders - Why getting this wrong can leave you with angry clients, a frustrated team and zero dollars in the bank - And how to get your team stoked about maximizing profit at all levels of the organization. Eric Olson is a Breakthrough Academy Member and Owner of Olson Defendorf Custom Homes in Texas. He has worked Breakthrough Academy coaches and community members over the years to create bulletproof systems in his business that have significantly improved his profit, cash flow and personal life. Learn more about Olson Defendorf Custom Homes: https://www.odcustomhomes.com/ 00:00-Intro 06:17-Incentivizing Project Managers 12:18-Pricing Logic 16:55-Profit Sharing Expansion 24:06-Collection Process Timing 28:48-Tracking Change Orders 34:14-Schedule Management Updates 40:58-Systems Optimization Change

  7. 22 July

    282. She Sold 600 Homes In A Year. Here's How $100M Contractors Scale. - Charlene Barrett

    To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP282 Ready to build smarter? Meet Breakthrough Academy at Build Show Live in San Antonio, Sept 10–12. Use code BTA26 for 25% off. Click the link to register: https://www.buildshowlive.com/ Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL282 Most contractors struggle to build four to ten homes a year. Today’s guest, Charlene Barrett sold six hundred. That's hundreds of millions in sales. Today we're going to go through: - What contractors get wrong about scaling from 1 to 10 million, - How to use referrals and reviews to supercharge sales, - And how to deliver world-class services that customers love, at scale. Charlene is a Breakthrough Academy coach and former Director of Sales and Marketing for a top North American builder, where she worked for over 12 years. She is a true expert in customer experience and sales, so don’t miss this episode if this is something you’re interested in improving. 00:00-Intro 04:59-Service vs experience 06:25-Creating wow moments 11:57-Negative customer experiences 15:00-Systemizing customer experience 23:02-Driving five-star reviews 32:55-Generating customer referrals 40:37-Insights on coaching

  8. 15 July

    281. Systems (Literally) Saved This 8-Figure Spray Foam Business - Curt Janzen & Kevin Boschee

    To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP281 Ready to build smarter? Meet Breakthrough Academy at Build Show Live in San Antonio, Sept 10–12. Use code BTA26 for 25% off. Click the link to register: https://www.buildshowlive.com/ Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL281 When most contractors think about disaster planning, they picture insurance policies, backup equipment, and emergency contacts. But what if the real question is this: Would your team know what to do if you weren't there? BTA Members Curt Janzen and Kevin Boschee from Beyond Foam got an answer to that question when they found themselves in the worst case scenario: Their shop burned down. While they were on a business trip. Hundreds of miles away. In a matter of hours, their team had to make decisions, communicate with customers, protect equipment, coordinate next steps, and keep the business moving forward—all without waiting for the owners to swoop in and save the day. The result wasn't luck. It was the outcome of years spent building a business that didn't depend on them for every decision. 00:00-Intro 02:03-Operational Impact of a Fire 09:27-Initial Team Response 13:08-Enabling Structural Systems 18:45-Supporting Team Emotionally 24:21-Insurance Process Lessons 30:08-Overall Key Takeaways

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About

Breakthrough Academy presents Contractor Evolution. In this show we unpack the systems, tactics, and skills you need to take your fast-growing contracting business to the next level. If you’re here to learn what it takes to scale up, work less, and increase profitability, you’ve come to the right place. Stay tuned to learn what separates the new breed of contractor from the old school, and welcome to your ultimate guide to the business of contracting.

Information

  • Creator
    Breakthrough Academy
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    288
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025
  • Show Website
    Contractor Evolution

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