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. 1d ago

    If Your Company Vanished Tomorrow Would Anyone Care

    Send us Fan Mail If you run a business long enough, you eventually face a question that cuts through revenue, growth, and the daily grind: what do we owe the community that believed in us first? We take that head-on with a raw look at stewardship, responsibility, and what it means to use the platform of a company for something bigger than transactions. The goal isn’t to guilt anyone into giving. It’s to think clearly about how local business leadership can create real community impact. We talk about why “we’ll give back when we’re bigger” is a trap, and how generosity has to be part of your identity long before you feel ready. We also get practical about business giving back without writing huge checks: volunteering time, mobilizing employees, using equipment and vehicles, sharing expertise, lending space, promoting causes, and creating opportunity through jobs, training, and mentorship. That’s corporate social responsibility that actually fits small businesses, contractors, and trade companies. Then we step into the gray area that makes a lot of owners uncomfortable: the difference between community involvement and marketing. We unpack intention, storytelling, and why it matters who the hero is when you share what you’re doing. We also make the case for picking just a few causes and showing up consistently, because trust is built over time, not with one-off posts. Stick around for the closing challenge: if your company disappeared tomorrow, would the community notice anything besides losing another vendor? Listen, share this with a leader who needs it, and if it hits home, subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what you’re going to do first. 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 23

    Betting On Yourself Starts With Raising Your Hand

    Send us Fan Mail “Bet on yourself” sounds bold, but most people hear it and think it only counts if you quit your job and start a company. We don’t buy that. Ty Cobb Backer breaks down what it looks like in real life for team members, technicians, salespeople, foremen, and managers: raising your hand for responsibility, volunteering to lead, speaking up when it would be easier to stay quiet, and building skills before anyone gives you permission. That’s where career growth in the trades actually happens.  We also get honest about the gap between belief and readiness. Confidence matters, but it doesn’t replace preparation. We talk through the daily actions that turn “I want more” into “I’m ready for more” training, reading, asking questions, taking feedback, improving communication, and owning mistakes. You’ll hear why the fastest-growing people stay confident enough to try and humble enough to learn, and how calculated risk beats waiting for perfect certainty every time.  Then we flip it to leadership development from the other side. If we want people to take ownership, we have to create an environment where they can grow without getting punished for every misstep or having the work taken back the moment it’s done differently. We also name the biggest obstacles that stop people cold: fear of failure, financial risk, self-doubt, and the false comfort of “security.”  If you’re ready to move from thinking about the next step to taking it, press play, share this with someone who needs a nudge, and subscribe. If you got value, leave a review and tell us what you’d pursue if you were willing to bet on yourself. 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. Sep 16

    The Courage To Be Bored

    Send us Fan Mail Your calendar is packed, your phone is buzzing, and somehow you still feel scattered. We’re asking a blunt question that hits leaders and high performers right in the chest: when did we become so afraid to be bored? Because if you can’t stand 15 quiet minutes without reaching for a screen, that’s not just a habit, it’s a signal. We talk about the reflex to fill every gap with podcasts, music, email, and doom scrolling, and what that constant stimulation does to focus, presence, and relationships. We also get honest about the deeper reason silence feels uncomfortable: when the noise stops, the real questions get louder. Am I happy? Am I leading my team well? Am I avoiding a decision or a conversation I know I need to have? For entrepreneurs, contractors, and anyone trying to build a business and a life, stillness isn’t laziness, it’s a leadership skill. You’ll hear a practical challenge you can try this week: 15 minutes of no input. No phone, no audio, no TV, no computer, no book, and no pressure to produce. Just enough space for reflection, better decisions, and the kind of creativity you can’t force when you’re trapped in constant notifications. If you’ve been looking for a simple reset for attention and mental clarity, start here. Subscribe, share this with someone who never disconnects, and leave a review with your poll answer: A, B, C, or D? 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. Sep 9

    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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

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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
    162
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Behind the Toolbelt
  • Show Website
    Behind the Toolbelt