Built to Scale: Timely advice for scaling your construction biz!

Mason Brady

Built to Scale is THE podcast for construction business owners looking to not just grow, but scale their business! Listen in for timely financial management and business strategy advice geared specifically for the construction industry. Learn how to increase your revenues and produce strong margins in your business. Let’s scale!

  1. The Top Reasons Construction Business Owners Should Consider ESOPs

    7 MAY

    The Top Reasons Construction Business Owners Should Consider ESOPs

    What's the smartest exit strategy for construction business owners who don't want to sell to private equity? In this episode, Mason Brady and John Bencosme cover the tax advantages of ESOPs for construction business owners, including how a 100% S-Corp ESOP can eliminate federal income tax, how to defer capital gains through installment structures, the difference between seller financing and bank financing, partial vs. full ESOPs, and why some construction owners choose ESOPs over private equity to protect their employees and preserve company culture. Topics We Cover 00:00 — What is an ESOP and why is it gaining traction in construction 05:00 — The exit strategy problem: why construction businesses are hard to sell 08:30 — Tax advantages of ESOPs and how to defer capital gains 12:00 — S-Corp structure and entity design for maximum tax benefit 27:00 — Partial vs. full ESOPs and financing options 33:00 — Warrants, synthetic equity and how owners get paid back Links & Resources Brady CFO — Fractional CFO Services for Construction: https://bradycfo.com/ 🤝 Connect with John Bencosme: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-b-84a64b1b2/ 🎤️ Connect with Mason Brady: https://www.linkedin.com/in/masonbrady/?skipRedirect=true Built to Scale is the podcast for construction business owners who want to scale — not just grow. Every episode brings you real financial strategy and business advice built specifically for the construction industry. Follow, rate, review, and share. Questions or topic ideas? Reach out at marketing@bradycfo.com

    40 min
  2. State & Local Tax for Construction Business Owners: What You Need to Know Before You Go Multi-State

    23 ABR

    State & Local Tax for Construction Business Owners: What You Need to Know Before You Go Multi-State

    Is your construction business exposed to state and local tax liabilities you don’t even know about? Mason Brady sat down with Robin Klinghagen, Managing Director at Andersen, a 30-year state and local tax veteran, to break down exactly what construction business owners need to understand about tax compliance — especially if they’re operating in multiple states or thinking about expanding. Topics We Cover 00:00 - Meet Robin Klinghagen and what SALT actually covers  04:15 - What’s really at risk for construction business owners who aren’t compliant 05:13 - The one-week rule: how working in another state can create tax nexus 08:45 - Why your contracts determine your entire tax treatment 11:53 - Texas deep dive: lump sum vs. time and material, new construction vs. repair and maintenance 12:06 - Why subcontractors follow their own rules and what that means for GCs 15:59 - The real story: a rail yard in Louisiana that nearly cost a client millions 17:24 - Why your local CPA probably isn’t equipped for SALT 20:09 - How to set up your team and systems to stay compliant as you scale 23:45 - The upside: tax credits and incentives most contractors never find Links & Resources Andersen | State & Local Tax Services Brady CFO | Fractional CFO Services for Construction 🤝 Connect with Robin Klinghagen 🎤️ Connect with Mason Brady Built to Scale is the podcast for construction business owners who want to scale — not just grow. Every episode brings you real financial strategy and business advice built specifically for the construction industry. Follow, rate, review, and share. Questions or topic ideas? Reach out at marketing@bradycfo.com

    28 min
  3. AI, Automation and Systems for Construction Business Owners

    9 ABR

    AI, Automation and Systems for Construction Business Owners

    Are AI and automation the answer to your construction team challenges? Mason Brady sat down with Kendall Pouland, founder of Build Better Ways and construction operations consultant with over 20 years in the industry, to break down exactly how to build the systems, SOPs, and talent strategies that let your construction business execute at a high level without you being in the middle of everything. Topics We Cover 00:00 - Meet Kendall Pouland and what is Build Better Ways 04:33 - Training gaps, consistency and tribal knowledge in construction 10:36 - Why the owner is usually the bottleneck and how to fix it 14:43 - SOPs that work: the SOP vs. the training guide 22:07 - The top 4 processes to fix first: startup, change orders, closeout and scheduling 24:40 - The playbook strategy that makes your team actually use your SOPs 30:09 - AI and automation for construction: real use cases and data integrity 40:09 - Talent optimization: skills matrices and quarterly reviews Links & Resources • Build Better Ways: https://www.buildbetterways.com/ • Brady CFO — Fractional CFO Services for Construction Companies :https://bradycfo.com/ • 🤝 Connect with Kendall Pouland: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendall-pouland/ • 🎤️ Connect with Mason Brady: https://www.linkedin.com/in/masonbrady/ B Built to Scale is the podcast for construction business owners who want to scale — not just grow. Every episode brings you real financial strategy and business advice built specifically for the construction industry. Follow, rate, review, and share. Questions or topic ideas? Reach out at marketing@bradycfo.com #constructionbusiness #constructionchannel #constructionmanagement #constructionsystems #aiinconstruction

    46 min
  4. Wealth Management Planning Strategies for Contractors

    26 MAR

    Wealth Management Planning Strategies for Contractors

    You’re making money. But is your construction business actually building wealth? The truth is, most construction business owners have 70% to 80% of their wealth tied up in their business with no real plan for what happens when they can’t or don’t want to run it anymore. Mason Brady sat down with Jason Lee, vice president and wealth advisor at Exponent Prosperity Accelerator Advisors in Houston, to break down what true wealth planning actually looks like for construction business owners. This episode is for you if you’re a construction business owner who is making money but isn’t sure what to do with it, hasn’t thought seriously about exit planning, or wants to understand how to build real, lasting wealth, not just a business that pays the bills. Topics We Cover 00:00  - Why most contractors don’t have a real wealth manager 05:00  - Closing the wealth gap: the $7–10M number every owner needs to know 10:00 -  Lifestyle business vs. legacy business 15:00  - Frankenstein planning and why it backfires 20:00  - The J-curve and when to start planning 25:00  - The advisor board every construction owner needs 30:00  - Why your tax strategy might be costing you millions 35:00  - Construction as a wealth vehicle and the reality of GC margins Links & Resources Exponent Prosperity Advisors: https://exponentx.net/  Brady CFO: https://bradycfo.com/  🤝 Connect with Jason Lee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonleeexponent/  🎤️ Connect with Mason Brady: https://www.linkedin.com/in/masonbrady/

    40 min
  5. ERP Implementation Done Right: How to Scale Your Construction Business Without the Horror Stories

    12 MAR

    ERP Implementation Done Right: How to Scale Your Construction Business Without the Horror Stories

    Your software vendor promises a smooth implementation. So why do so many construction companies end up with a $70K mistake and a team ready to quit? In this episode of Built to Scale, Mason is joined by Bryan Burkholder, founder of Cadence and a specialist in ERP implementation and change management for construction and lower middle market businesses. Bryan breaks down why so many technology implementations go off the rails and what companies between $10M and $100M in revenue can do to make sure their next systems upgrade actually delivers the ROI they were promised. From the real cost of skipping change management, to the chicken-and-egg question of fixing your books before or after going live, to why AI is about to force every construction business to rethink their entire tech stack.    Topics We Cover 00:00 - Why SaaS implementation teams aren’t enough and what’s missing from every software rollout 05:34 - A real $70K Sage implementation nightmare and what Brady CFO walked into 11:07 - The ROI of systems upgrades: scalability, visibility, and revenue per FTE 17:29 - Chicken or egg: fix broken accounting first, or implement the ERP? •      22:26 - Why technology upgrades are a continuous evolution, not a one-time event •      24:56 - The role of a fractional CIO and why your “techie guy” isn’t the answer •      32:40 - AI, agentic tools, and why garbage in still means garbage out     Links & Resources •      Cadence — ERP Implementation & Change Management: https://cadenceconsultants.com/  •      Brady CFO — Fractional CFO Services for Construction: https://bradycfo.com/   •      🤝 Connect with Bryan Burkholder: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanburkholder1/  •      🎤️ Connect with Mason Brady: https://www.linkedin.com/in/masonbrady/    Built to Scale is the podcast for construction business owners who want to scale — not just grow. Every episode brings you real financial strategy and business advice built specifically for the construction industry. Follow, rate, review, and share. Questions or topic ideas? Reach out at marketing@bradycfo.com

    36 min
  6. Construction Government Contracts Explained: Federal, State & Local Opportunities

    26 FEB

    Construction Government Contracts Explained: Federal, State & Local Opportunities

    Should your construction company pursue government contracts or avoid them altogether? In this episode of Built to Scale, Mason Brady sits down with Karla Talisee, government contracting specialist and founder of So She Builds, to break down how construction companies can successfully enter public works without damaging cash flow, compliance, or profitability. Topics We Cover (0:00) – Why construction companies consider government contracts (6:07) – Should public work be diversified or your main focus? (9:03) – Federal vs state vs local contracts explained (13:42) – Mentor-protégé programs and how they actually help (17:36) – Certified payroll and prevailing wage realities (21:30) – Biggest government opportunities in 2026 (24:26) – What it takes to become GovCon ready (30:15) – The three steps to start bidding on public projects Links & Resources So She Builds: https://soshebuilds.com   Brady CFO: https://bradycfo.com/ – Fractional CFO services for construction companies 🤝 Connect with Karla: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlatalisse/  🎙️ Connect with Mason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/masonbrady/ If you’re a construction business owner looking to diversify revenue, strengthen compliance, and pursue public contracts the right way, be sure to follow, rate, review, and share Built to Scale so more contractors can scale smarter and grow sustainably. And if you have questions or topics you’d like us to cover, reach out to marketing@bradycfo.com

    36 min
  7. What Actually Breaks When Construction Companies Try to Scale And How to Prevent It

    12 FEB

    What Actually Breaks When Construction Companies Try to Scale And How to Prevent It

    What has to change before a construction business can scale without breaking? In this episode of Built to Scale, Mason Brady sits down with Jerry Aliberti, executive coach and operations consultant at Pro-Accel, to break down what actually fails when construction businesses try to grow. They explore why scaling exposes leadership gaps, weak planning, misaligned roles, and breakdowns between estimating and execution, and how owners often become the biggest constraint without realizing it. Topics We Cover (0:00) – Why growth exposes bottlenecks in construction companies (4:30) – The estimating-to-execution gap that erodes profit (8:30) – How owners unintentionally become the biggest constraint (12:25) – What construction companies must have in place before scaling (18:53) – Hiring for the next phase instead of today’s problems (29:30) – Why systems and SOPs fail without the right people (40:20) – The planning mistakes that break margins as companies grow Links & ResourcesPro-Accel: https://www.pro-sl.com Brady CFO: https://bradycfo.com/ Fractional CFO services for construction companies   🤝 Connect with Jerry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerry-aliberti/  🎙️ Connect with Mason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/masonbrady/ If you’re a construction owner and want clearer numbers and guidance on how to scale your business, be sure to follow, rate, review, and share Built to Scale so more contractors can learn to grow smarter and scale with confidence. And if you’ve got questions, ideas for future episodes, or topics you want us to dive into, reach out to us at marketing@bradycfo.com

    47 min
  8. Real Estate Development for Contractors: When Building a Real Estate Development Company Makes Sense

    29 ENE

    Real Estate Development for Contractors: When Building a Real Estate Development Company Makes Sense

    Should contractors expand into real estate development or can it put their core business at risk? In this episode of Built to Scale, Mason Brady and Rachel Glock break down when it actually makes sense for contractors looking to get their feet wet in real estate development. They explore the cash management, financing risks, and liquidity requirements that contractors often underestimate, along with the planning needed to ensure development strengthens, not jeopardizes, the core construction business. Topics We Cover 0:00 – Why contractors are drawn to real estate development 2:23 – The entrepreneurial mindset and leveraging construction expertise 5:33 – The biggest risks contractors underestimate as developers 9:08 – Why cash management is critical in real estate development 13:07 – How much liquidity a construction business needs before investing 18:05 – Financing risks, equity requirements, and stress testing assumptions 23:39 – How contractors can prepare now for future development projects Links & Resources HUD 221(d)(4) Program – Non-recourse financing option for new multifamily development: https://hud221d4.loan/ Brady CFO – Fractional CFO services for construction companies: https://bradycfo.com/ 🤝 Connect with Rachel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-glock-23090a74/  🎙️ Connect with Mason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/masonbrady/  If you’re a construction owner and want better clarity around your numbers and how to scale your business, be sure to follow, rate, review, and share Built to Scale so more contractors can learn how to grow smarter and scale with confidence. And if you’ve got questions, ideas for future episodes, or topics you want us to dive into, reach out to us at marketing@bradycfo.com

    34 min
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Información

Built to Scale is THE podcast for construction business owners looking to not just grow, but scale their business! Listen in for timely financial management and business strategy advice geared specifically for the construction industry. Learn how to increase your revenues and produce strong margins in your business. Let’s scale!

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