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. Jul 2

    The Truth About AI Contract Review (From a Construction Attorney)

    Your construction business runs on contracts. So what happens when you start reviewing them with AI — and cut your lawyer out of the loop? Mason Brady sits down with Skyler Stuckey, Chief Innovation Officer at Gray Reed, a 160-attorney Texas law firm. Skyler isn't a technologist — he's a 15-year practicing attorney who taught himself AI, made the business case to his board, and now leads their entire innovation strategy. Topics We Cover 00:00 — Why a lawyer, not a tech person 06:09 — The non-technologist advantage 11:19 — Driving AI adoption without the pushback 13:03 — Meet people where they are, not where you want them to be 15:29 — Which AI tools to use (and avoid) 16:56 — Why enterprise accounts are non-negotiable 20:53 — The hidden AI risk in your e-ink tablet 24:31 — Harvey AI for legal and professional services.  27:57 — AI as a thinking tool for construction owners 30:08 — Contract review with AI: what it can and can't do 39:53 — What AI will never replicate 43:54 — How AI is making legal bills more transparent Links & Resources Brady CFO | Fractional CFO Services for Construction:https://bradycfo.com/  Gray Reed Law Firm: https://www.grayreed.com/ Harvey AI (Legal AI Tool): https://www.harvey.ai Microsoft Copilot: https://copilot.microsoft.com Otter.ai (Voice Notes + Transcription): https://otter.ai 🤝 Connect with Skyler Stuckey on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/skylerystuckey/ 🎤 Connect with Mason Brady on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/masonbrady/  📧 Questions or topic ideas? Reach out at marketing@bradycfo.com   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.

    The Truth About AI Contract Review (From a Construction Attorney)
  2. May 21

    The Real Cons of ESOPs Construction Business Owners Need to Know

    What are the real downsides of ESOPs that construction business owners rarely hear about? In this episode, Mason Brady and John Bencosme flip the script from Part 1 and dive deep into the cons of ESOPs — covering upfront costs and administrative burden, the financial reporting and valuation requirements that catch owners off guard, the legal and integrity risks that come with having employee shareholders, how to think about ESOP debt and conservative valuations, and whether an ESOP makes sense when there's no other exit option available. Topics We Cover 00:00 — Intro and Part 1 recap 01:11 — John's background and why the cons matter 04:01 — Unavoidable costs: fees, complexity, and admin burden 08:26 — Financial reporting: audits, valuations, and forecasting 11:53 — Losing the personal guarantee 13:20 — Budgeting, forecasting, and valuation risk 16:54 — Employee shareholder lawsuits 19:43 — Integrity requirements and DOL accountability 22:36 — Should you ESOP if no other buyer exists? 27:14 — ESOP debt and conservative valuations 33:55 — Warrants as a risk management tool 37:41 — Final takeaways from John Links & Resources Brady CFO — Fractional CFO Services for Construction: https://bradycfo.com/ 🏢 ESOP One — ESOP Advisory Services: https://www.esopone.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 #constructionbusiness #constructionfinance #constructionwork #esop #wealthmanagement

    The Real Cons of ESOPs Construction Business Owners Need to Know
  3. May 7

    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

    The Top Reasons Construction Business Owners Should Consider ESOPs
  4. Apr 23

    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

    State & Local Tax for Construction Business Owners: What You Need to Know Before You Go Multi-State
  5. Apr 9

    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

    AI, Automation and Systems for Construction Business Owners

About

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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