Behind the Toolbelt

Ty Backer
  • 5.0 (8)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Behind the ToolBelt is a live, raw, and uncut podcast that brings real, unfiltered conversations about business, leadership, and the entrepreneurial mindset. Hosted by Ty Cobb Backer, CEO of TC Backer Construction, this live show features  leaders, innovators, and experts sharing their experiences, strategies, and insights. From building successful companies to overcoming professional and personal challenges, each episode offers valuable perspectives for entrepreneurs and business owners and leaders looking to grow, and make an impact.

  1. 21h ago

    How A Golf Outing Funds Roofers In Recovery

    Send us Fan Mail A golf tournament doesn’t fix addiction, but it can do something powerful: pull an industry into the open and put real money behind real help. I’m joined by my brother and friend Stephen Spence from Project Map It, the founder of Swing for Recovery, a golf outing that raises funds for Roofers in Recovery while building awareness for alcohol and drug addiction in the roofing and construction world. We talk about why this year carries extra weight as we honor Mike Ippolitti’s story, and we’re honest about the parts people don’t like to say out loud. Addiction is a disease that thrives in secrecy, and recovery only works when someone truly wants it. We share how these events create a safer path to support, why there’s no place for stigma on a crew, and how a company culture can become a true safe haven where people can ask for help without fear. Then we zoom out to what modern leadership looks like in contracting. Roofing is changing fast, and marketing, technology, and search visibility now matter as much as field execution. We get into how AI is already starting to book appointments, why local SEO and customer experience are becoming non-negotiable, and what it means to run a professional roofing business in the new era. If you care about mental health in construction, workplace culture, Roofers in Recovery, or the future of contractor marketing, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with someone in the trades, and leave a review so more people find the message. Behind The ToolBelt has merged with the TC Backer YouTube Channel. Everything BTTB and TCB is now in one place. Go to the channel and subscribe. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrj7GjAGEsAjOXEYKhh6FLQ/ Follow us on the TC Backer Facebook page as well as instagram https://www.facebook.com/tcbackerconstruction https://www.instagram.com/tcbacker/ Check out our podcast website to find your favorite app to listen to the Behind The ToolBelt episodes streaming now! https://podcast.behindthetoolbelt.com

  2. Sep 2

    Are You Protecting The Mission Or Your Pride

    Send us Fan Mail The fastest way to break trust as a leader isn’t changing your mind. It’s watching something fail in plain sight and defending it anyway. Today we get brutally practical about the thin line between persistence and stubbornness, and why that line is usually drawn by ego, fear, and quiet pride not by logic. We walk through how hard decisions really work when you’re leading a business, a team, or a family: you make a call without perfect information, you commit, and then you verify. We talk KPIs and “what success looks like” before you launch a new hire, system, role, or strategy so you’re not stuck arguing with feelings later. We also unpack why leaders resist new information, how curiosity beats blame, and the difference between a bad decision and a good decision executed poorly (because those require completely different fixes). Then we get into the part most people skip: how to communicate a pivot without looking unstable. Ownership, clarity, and purpose beat long apologies. We also share the warning signs that you’ve crossed into stubbornness, plus the questions that cut through embarrassment and get you back to reality fast. If you’re wrestling with a decision right now, hit play, share this with a leader who needs it, and subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next. After you listen, drop a review and tell us: what’s the hardest part of changing a decision you already made? Behind The ToolBelt has merged with the TC Backer YouTube Channel. Everything BTTB and TCB is now in one place. Go to the channel and subscribe. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrj7GjAGEsAjOXEYKhh6FLQ/ Follow us on the TC Backer Facebook page as well as instagram https://www.facebook.com/tcbackerconstruction https://www.instagram.com/tcbacker/ Check out our podcast website to find your favorite app to listen to the Behind The ToolBelt episodes streaming now! https://podcast.behindthetoolbelt.com

  3. Aug 26

    If Nobody Challenges You, You Are Leading Blind

    Send us Fan Mail Nobody plans to build an echo chamber, but it happens fast. The more authority we carry as owners, managers, foremen, coaches, and parents, the more people start filtering what they say around us. They hear our opinions as decisions, our casual comments as direction, and they quietly ask themselves: Is it safe to disagree? When that truth stops showing up in the room, it doesn’t vanish, it goes underground and comes back as frustration, sloppy execution, side conversations, and turnover. We walk through why this dynamic is a leadership issue more than a team issue, and how to spot the difference between respect and insulation. You’ll hear a clear breakdown of disrespect versus healthy disagreement, plus practical language that keeps pushback productive. We also dig into how culture is built in small moments, especially the moment right after someone challenges you. An open door means nothing if people get punished when they walk through it. We share simple questions that change the atmosphere instantly: “Tell me what you’re seeing,” “What am I missing?” and “Where do you think this could go wrong?” We also talk about what to do when you still move forward after hearing concerns, how to separate emotion from information, and why saying “I missed that” builds trust. To close, we leave you with a hard question worth sitting with: who in your life or organization truly has permission to tell you what you don’t want to hear? If this hit home, subscribe, share the episode with a leader you respect, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Behind The ToolBelt has merged with the TC Backer YouTube Channel. Everything BTTB and TCB is now in one place. Go to the channel and subscribe. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrj7GjAGEsAjOXEYKhh6FLQ/ Follow us on the TC Backer Facebook page as well as instagram https://www.facebook.com/tcbackerconstruction https://www.instagram.com/tcbacker/ Check out our podcast website to find your favorite app to listen to the Behind The ToolBelt episodes streaming now! https://podcast.behindthetoolbelt.com

  4. Aug 19

    Being Great At The Work Does Not Mean You Can Lead

    Send us Fan Mail You can be the best roofer, tech, estimator, or salesperson in the building and still feel lost the first day you lead people. That’s not a character flaw. It’s a job change. We dig into one of the biggest leadership myths in small business and the trades: that skill at the work naturally becomes skill at leading the work.  We talk about the painful mindset shift from producing to multiplying and why “what got you here won’t get you there” is more than a catchy line. When your role changes, relationships change too, especially when you’re leading former co-workers. We unpack the tension between wanting to be liked and needing to be respected, and why courage beats popularity when standards, performance, and culture are on the line.  Then we get practical: how stepping in to fix everything trains your team to depend on you, how that turns you into the bottleneck, and the exact kinds of questions that develop independent thinkers. We also cover the “highest paid salesperson” problem, what real delegation looks like (outcomes and ownership, not just tasks), and how leadership must evolve as your company grows from five people to 50. We wrap with five reminders for new leaders and one gut-check question about the strength that might be holding you back now.  If this hits home, subscribe, share it with a new manager, and leave a review so more contractors and business owners can build the greatest project of all: their people. Behind The ToolBelt has merged with the TC Backer YouTube Channel. Everything BTTB and TCB is now in one place. Go to the channel and subscribe. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrj7GjAGEsAjOXEYKhh6FLQ/ Follow us on the TC Backer Facebook page as well as instagram https://www.facebook.com/tcbackerconstruction https://www.instagram.com/tcbacker/ Check out our podcast website to find your favorite app to listen to the Behind The ToolBelt episodes streaming now! https://podcast.behindthetoolbelt.com

  5. Aug 12

    When The Old Way Still Works

    Send us Fan Mail The fastest way to wreck a solid business isn’t failure. It’s success that turns into comfort, then complacency, then “don’t touch that, it’s always worked.” We get real about the hard leadership call behind every process, tool, and system: when does the old way still work, and when is it quietly holding you back? We talk about why our culture worships “new” and how shiny-object syndrome shows up as new software, new dashboards, new trends, and even AI tools that promise speed but can add friction if you don’t have a clear reason to change. We break down the difference between experience and resistance, how pride stops leaders from listening, and why the best teams stay curious even when a process has “worked for years.” You’ll hear the questions we use to evaluate whether a system still serves the customer, supports the team, or just protects what’s familiar. We also share a practical example from our own growth: moving from a single-person day planner that bottlenecked scheduling, ordering, billing, and production to a transparent shared calendar system that the whole team can see in real time. To make this actionable, we end with a simple three-part walk-through you can do this week at your job or in your company: what should you preserve, what should you improve, and what should you eliminate? If this hits a nerve, share it with a leader who needs it, subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next, and leave a review so more builders can find the show. What’s one “old way” you’re still doing because it’s always worked? Behind The ToolBelt has merged with the TC Backer YouTube Channel. Everything BTTB and TCB is now in one place. Go to the channel and subscribe. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrj7GjAGEsAjOXEYKhh6FLQ/ Follow us on the TC Backer Facebook page as well as instagram https://www.facebook.com/tcbackerconstruction https://www.instagram.com/tcbacker/ Check out our podcast website to find your favorite app to listen to the Behind The ToolBelt episodes streaming now! https://podcast.behindthetoolbelt.com

  6. Aug 5

    Trust Grows When Your Actions Repeat

    Send us Fan Mail Trust can make you fast, dangerous, or unstoppable, and most of us don’t realize which one we are until something breaks. We’re coming off a huge milestone, 345 consecutive weeks, and heading into a community celebration for our 18th anniversary, so we wanted to talk about the thing that quietly decides every outcome in leadership and relationships: trust. We get specific about why trust has levels and why it isn’t binary. We share the mistake we’ve made more than once, confusing liking someone with trusting them, and how that shows up when you hand out responsibility too early. We also lay out a simple mental model you can use right away: the trust bank. Every promise kept is a deposit. Every hard conversation handled with honesty is a deposit. Excuses, half-truths, missed commitments, and blame are withdrawals, and one careless choice can drain an account faster than you think. We also answer a question leaders ask all the time: how do you know when someone is ready for a promotion? Our take is blunt and practical: they’re already doing the job before they have the title. They solve problems, protect customers, live the culture when no one is watching, and make values-based decisions. We close with three legacy-level questions that hit home, whether you lead a company, a crew, or a family. If this lands with you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more leaders can build trust the right way. Behind The ToolBelt has merged with the TC Backer YouTube Channel. Everything BTTB and TCB is now in one place. Go to the channel and subscribe. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrj7GjAGEsAjOXEYKhh6FLQ/ Follow us on the TC Backer Facebook page as well as instagram https://www.facebook.com/tcbackerconstruction https://www.instagram.com/tcbacker/ Check out our podcast website to find your favorite app to listen to the Behind The ToolBelt episodes streaming now! https://podcast.behindthetoolbelt.com

  7. Aug 5

    How To Spot Limiting Beliefs And Rewrite Them

    Send us Fan Mail The hardest battles in business are not always fought in the marketplace. Sometimes they are fought between your own ears, in the quiet story you repeat when you are stressed, tired, or trying to lead through uncertainty. We talk about the self limiting beliefs that sound harmless but quietly cap your growth: “I’m too busy,” “I don’t have the right people,” “I’m too old,” “I’m too young,” or the most dangerous one, “I’ve always been this way.”  I share why this topic is personal, including seasons when life got heavy and doubts got loud, and how easy it is to turn a single event into an identity. “I failed” is an experience. “I’m a failure” is a label. That label shapes your decisions, your risk tolerance, and the way you lead your team and your family. We also draw a clear line between real constraints and excuses, because cash flow, interest rates, and labor shortages are real, but using reality as permission to stop growing is a choice.  Then we get practical: how beliefs spread through leadership language, how cultures form around repeated phrases, and why motion creates momentum. If you keep waiting for perfect timing or total certainty, you may be blocking your own clarity. We close with a simple writing exercise to identify one story, question where it came from, test it against evidence, and replace it with a better script, often by adding one word: yet.  If this hit home, subscribe to Behind the Tool Belt, share it with a leader or parent who needs a reset, and leave a review so more people can find the conversation. What is one story you are ready to let go of? Behind The ToolBelt has merged with the TC Backer YouTube Channel. Everything BTTB and TCB is now in one place. Go to the channel and subscribe. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrj7GjAGEsAjOXEYKhh6FLQ/ Follow us on the TC Backer Facebook page as well as instagram https://www.facebook.com/tcbackerconstruction https://www.instagram.com/tcbacker/ Check out our podcast website to find your favorite app to listen to the Behind The ToolBelt episodes streaming now! https://podcast.behindthetoolbelt.com

  8. Aug 5

    Protect The Standard

    Send us Fan Mail We wrestle with one hard leadership truth: the standard we walk past becomes the standard we accept, whether we mean to or not. We unpack how culture is shaped in small moments, why we avoid tough talks, and how clear accountability protects the people who are trying to do it right.  • culture built through what we tolerate, confront, and model  • small behaviors shaping norms around respect, quality, safety, and follow-through  • avoiding hard conversations turning minor issues into lasting habits  • top performers noticing inconsistency and losing trust in the standard  • accountability framed as clarity with follow through, not punishment  • a practical approach: name the standard, describe behavior, explain impact, invite ownership, set expectations, follow through  • leading by example and owning our part as leaders  • weekly poll on what impacts culture most: consistent accountability, leading by example, clear communication, or hiring the right people  Subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook.  Behind The ToolBelt has merged with the TC Backer YouTube Channel. Everything BTTB and TCB is now in one place. Go to the channel and subscribe. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrj7GjAGEsAjOXEYKhh6FLQ/ Follow us on the TC Backer Facebook page as well as instagram https://www.facebook.com/tcbackerconstruction https://www.instagram.com/tcbacker/ Check out our podcast website to find your favorite app to listen to the Behind The ToolBelt episodes streaming now! https://podcast.behindthetoolbelt.com

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Behind the ToolBelt is a live, raw, and uncut podcast that brings real, unfiltered conversations about business, leadership, and the entrepreneurial mindset. Hosted by Ty Cobb Backer, CEO of TC Backer Construction, this live show features  leaders, innovators, and experts sharing their experiences, strategies, and insights. From building successful companies to overcoming professional and personal challenges, each episode offers valuable perspectives for entrepreneurs and business owners and leaders looking to grow, and make an impact.

Information

  • Creator
    Ty Backer
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    159
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Behind the Toolbelt
  • Show Website
    Behind the Toolbelt