The Fence Game

The Fence Game
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  • Entrepreneurship

2 guys who came up from nothing and learned business the hard way. Join Matthew and Marty for The Fence Game, where we talk fences, business, family, and everything that comes with building something of your own. We share the wins, the expensive mistakes, and the lessons we're still learning. Real conversations for contractors, business owners, and anyone trying to make something happen. Pull up a chair. Let's talk game.

  1. 2d ago

    Ep. 13 Lessons on Relationships, Accountability & Mindset

    The conversation revolves around the experiences of Matthew and Marty as they discuss their lives, business challenges, and the lessons learned from sports and coaching. They emphasize the importance of relationships in business, the realities of working with clients, and the parallels between sports and entrepreneurship. The conversation explores the intertwining of personal relationships and professional accountability, emphasizing the importance of maintaining standards while fostering a positive work environment. It highlights the challenges of balancing friendship and leadership, the impact of energy on team morale, and the necessity of a gratitude mindset in both personal and professional settings. In this conversation, Matthew and Marty discuss the importance of emotional control, personal growth, and the lessons learned from life's challenges. They emphasize the significance of maintaining a positive mindset and the impact of one's reactions to problems on overall well-being. Takeaways Importance of relationships in businessLessons from sports apply to life Balancing friendship and accountabilityEnergy impacts team morale Emotional control is crucialPositive mindset fosters growth Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Engagement02:58 Football Insights and Community05:49 Business Challenges and Expectations09:08 Preparing for Success11:54 Client Management and Expectations14:46 Understanding Product Limitations18:10 Building Relationships in Business21:04 Lessons from Coaching and Parenting29:33 The Cheerleader and the Critic30:58 Setting Standards in Relationships32:21 Navigating Friendships in Business33:20 The Power of Positive Energy35:39 Coaching and Personal Growth37:31 Transformative Coaching Experiences39:29 The Reality of Business Ownership41:49 Maintaining Team Morale43:47 Fostering a Positive Culture45:30 Mindset and Perception in Leadership47:54 The Importance of Gratitude50:40 Finding Internal Happiness52:54 The Impact of Positive Thinking59:37 The Journey of Self-Improvement01:02:57 Problem-Solving and Emotional Control01:09:01 Lessons from Life's Challenges01:17:09 The Importance of Intentional Living01:25:45 Embracing Change and Growth

  2. Oct 23

    Ep. 12: Control The Controllables

    Winning can hide problems you still need to fix. In football, business, and life, a good result doesn’t mean you did everything right. In Episode 12 of The Fence Game Podcast, Matthew Munson and Marty Persich recap Morris football’s win over Cahokia and a 9 and 0 regular season. Bad weather, a long road trip, and a halftime deficit tested the team. The way they responded brings us straight into this week’s conversation: taking ownership, making adjustments, and staying hungry when things are going well. We share a concrete subcontractor experience that turned a profitable project into a loss, the details we failed to verify, and what that experience changed about how we operate MAP Quality Fencing & Decks. We also get into leadership on the job site, protecting the customer experience, and catching small problems before they become expensive ones. From there, we talk about the preparation behind winning, raising our kids, making time for the people closest to us, and surrounding ourselves with people who will hold us accountable. We finish with conversations about contractor content, consultative selling, faith, gratitude, and learning to respect a different perspective. DROP A COMMENT: What’s one mistake that changed how you run your business? What did you put in place to keep it from happening again? Like the episode, leave a comment, and share it with another business owner who could use the conversation. Subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode. Questions, topic requests, and constructive feedback are always welcome. THE FENCE GAME PODCAST Real conversations about fencing, construction, sales, business, mistakes, growth, and everything we’re learning while building MAP Quality Fencing & Decks. Hosted by Matthew Munson and Marty Persich. Learn more about MAP Quality Fencing & Decks: https://www.mapqualityfencing.com IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Welcome to Episode 12 and a shoutout to Promotive Marketing 01:08 Morris vs. Cahokia: responding to adversity 06:20 An undefeated season and playoff talk 08:07 Control what you can in your business 10:43 A subcontractor experience that cost us money 15:59 Taking ownership and protecting the customer experience 18:20 How winning can hide your problems 22:03 Leadership, accountability, and changing your behavior 23:27 Gratitude and expecting a better outcome 24:48 Being intentional with your relationships and your team 27:41 Catch the small problems before they grow 31:56 Surround yourself with people who tell you the truth 35:12 Don’t let a winning season stop you from improving 38:11 Everybody wants to win. Who wants to prepare? 41:01 Fatherhood, sacrifice, and raising good people 44:32 The work behind the scenes 47:09 How content builds familiarity and trust 50:08 Asking for help and finding the right people 51:10 Listen first and solve the customer’s problem 54:16 Faith, gratitude, and how we show up 58:03 Hard work, luck, and the middle of the journey 1:00:54 AI, small business marketing, and respecting different opinions 1:05:13 Final thoughts and signing off Same hustle. Different product. Welcome to The Fence Game. #TheFenceGame #FenceGamePodcast #ContractorLife #ConstructionBusiness #FenceContractor #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #BusinessMindset #Leadership #FridayNightLights #MorrisIllinois

  3. Oct 20

    Ep. 11: You Can't Fake A Good Reputation

    You Can’t Fake a Good Reputation | The Fence Game Podcast Ep. 11 Your reputation gets tested when keeping your word costs you something. In Episode 11 of The Fence Game Podcast, Matthew and Marty talk about earning trust, standing behind your work, and building a name that people feel good recommending. What happens when a customer calls with a problem? Are you answering as fast as you did when you were trying to get the job? Are you fixing it, or finding somebody else to blame? They share real stories from the contracting world, including a homeowner facing a massive deck rebuild just five years after the original installation, a business owner who redid a floor that already looked good because it did not meet his standards, and the small things that turn customers into people who recommend you for years. The conversation also gets personal. Matthew and Marty open up about their pasts, changing the way people see them, becoming better fathers, and doing the daily work to become men their families can count on. Plus, a recap of Morris’ 56–0 win over LP, the conference championship celebration, predictions for Cahokia, and live questions about pricing, packed schedules, discipline, and personal growth. A good reputation takes time to earn. Every promise you keep, every mistake you own, and every person you take care of adds to it. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Welcome to Episode 11 00:18 Morris vs. LP and the conference championship celebration 05:01 Preparing for Cahokia and tougher competition 07:13 Game predictions, outside support, and wanting others to win 12:42 Building a different reputation in business and life 15:43 How to earn a customer’s trust 17:56 A costly deck problem and the responsibility to make things right 24:37 Overcoming your past and breaking family patterns 32:26 Building trust before the crew arrives 35:35 Job updates, final walkthroughs, and standing behind your work 39:44 Customers are watching before they ever hire you 41:06 How you handle mistakes matters 43:08 Keeping your standards when it costs you money 46:29 Taking accountability and protecting the customer 50:30 The little things customers remember 53:48 Working on yourself to become a better business owner 57:15 Fatherhood, confidence, and changing old habits 1:04:40 Live questions and lessons from building a business 1:08:05 Betting on yourself and letting go of Plan B 1:09:22 Raising prices when your schedule fills up 1:13:21 Turning drive time into time to learn 1:18:38 Finding your why and choosing discipline 1:21:58 Gratitude and starting your morning with purpose 1:27:19 Football, fatherhood, and watching your kids succeed 1:35:30 Changing what you put your name on 1:37:44 Outgrowing old environments 1:39:12 Integrity, coaching, and helping others grow 1:41:50 Moving the live podcast to Thursday nights 1:43:18 Becoming a better father and continuing to work on yourself If you own a fencing company, work in the trades, or are building something better for your family, this conversation is for you. What is one thing you refuse to compromise your reputation for? Drop it in the comments, along with any questions or topics you want us to cover next. Subscribe to The Fence Game Podcast and share this episode with somebody who could use it. Listen on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. #TheFenceGame #ContractorPodcast #FenceContractor #SmallBusiness #Reputation

  4. Oct 12

    Ep. 10: Your Comfort Zone Is Costing You!

    What if it fails? What if people judge you? What if you lose? But what if it works? In Episode 10 of The Fence Game Podcast, Matthew Munson and Marty Persich talk about the fear that keeps people sitting on ideas, doubting their abilities, and staying in situations they have outgrown. We kick things off with Friday Night Lights, recapping Morris’ win over Sycamore and previewing the trip back to LaSalle Peru. That leads into a bigger conversation about moving our families, expanding MAP Quality Fencing & Decks, and choosing a new environment even when the old one was comfortable. From there, we get into starting a business, handling rejection, building confidence through small wins, and why worrying about other people’s opinions can cost you opportunities. We also share mistakes from our own journey, including lowering our prices before customers ever saw the quote, assuming people were against us, and learning to put our egos aside. Whether you own a business, work in the trades, or have something you keep putting off, this episode asks a question worth answering: What is staying comfortable costing you? IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Welcome and live chat 01:40 Friday Night Lights: Sycamore recap and LP predictions 07:32 Comfort, change, and the fear of taking risks 12:42 Starting a business: What if it works? 20:37 How showing your work builds customer trust 22:21 Letting assumptions and ego get in your way 26:25 Rejection, sales, and lowering prices too soon 29:01 Building confidence through small wins and repetition 34:10 Changing your environment and earning your spot 37:49 Your circle, mentors, and the power of proximity 41:00 Moving to Morris and leading by example 44:30 Gratitude, perspective, and choosing your hard 48:04 Final takeaways: Get comfortable being uncomfortable 52:33 Shout out to Ernie and the MAP crew What is one change you know you need to make but keep putting off? Drop it in the comments. Subscribe to The Fence Game Podcast for honest conversations about business, fencing, family, and the lessons we are learning along the way. Share this episode with someone who has been talking about taking that first step. #TheFenceGame #Entrepreneurship #ContractorLife

  5. Oct 3

    Ep. 9: Success Leaves Clues

    The people ahead of you have already made mistakes you don’t have to make. In Episode 9 of The Fence Game Podcast, Matthew and Marty talk about adapting in business, learning from people who are already winning, and why being willing to change your mind can save you years of figuring shit out the hard way. They break down MAP Quality Fencing & Decks’ move toward no-dig fencing, why they were skeptical at first, and what changed after seeing successful contractors across the country using driven-post systems at a high level. That leads into a bigger conversation about collaboration over competition. Matthew and Marty talk about fence conventions, getting into better rooms, building relationships with successful contractors, sharing information, asking for help, and why some of the biggest operators in the industry are often the most willing to give away what they know. They also give a huge shoutout to Dan Wheeler and the River City Fencing crew for opening their shop and jobsite to the MAP crew and showing them firsthand how they run their no-dig operation. Success leaves clues. You don’t have to reinvent everything yourself. Pay attention to the people doing it right, take what works, put your own spin on it, and keep growing. And as always, they wrap it up with Friday Night Lights, Morris football, gratitude, staying positive through the valleys, and remembering that sometimes asking somebody for help is exactly what gets you to the next level. IN THIS EPISODE: * 00:00 – Friday Night Lights & Morris Football 02:10 – Changing with the times 03:03 – Why MAP is moving toward no-dig fencing 05:20 – How MAP improved efficiency with ready-mix concrete 06:26 – Shoutout to Dan Wheeler & River City Fencing 07:26 – How fence conventions changed our thinking 09:11 – Why contractors need to get into industry events 11:41 – Building relationships with successful contractors 12:03 – Collaboration over competition 12:45 – Contractors who have helped us along the way 14:18 – Why fence podcasts help elevate the industry 15:14 – Raising the standard of the fence industry 16:41 – Where do you draw the line with competitors? 17:40 – Fence podcasts are a cheat code 18:45 – Success leaves clues 19:24 – Our favorite convention stories 22:36 – Why we changed our minds about no-dig 23:13 – Dan Wheeler opened his doors to our entire crew 25:08 – You have to collaborate if you want to win 25:36 – Don’t be afraid to ask successful people for help 27:10 – You can provide value at ANY level 28:05 – Friday Night Lights & playoff talk 31:15 – Staying grateful through the valleys 31:59 – Get uncomfortable, ask for help & keep growing🎙️ THE FENCE GAME PODCAST Real conversations about fencing, construction, sales, business, mistakes, growth, and everything we’re learning while building MAP Quality Fencing & Decks. #TheFenceGame #FenceBusiness #ConstructionBusiness #FenceContractor #ContractorLife #NoDigFence #SmallBusiness

  6. Oct 2

    Ep. 8: More Leads Won’t Fix a Broken Sales Process

    More leads won’t fix a broken sales process. In Episode 8 of The Fence Game Podcast, Matthew sits down with Peyton Roop of Promotive Marketing to talk about how much money contractors are leaving on the table with leads they already paid to get. They break down speed-to-lead, missed calls, follow-up, Google reviews, marketing budgets, sales conversations, financing, and why simply answering the phone can already put you ahead of a huge portion of your competition. Matthew and Peyton also get into the difference between trying to “sell” somebody and actually helping them make the right decision. Ask better questions. Listen. Understand what they actually need. Then solve the problem. And if they don’t buy today? Follow up. Peyton shares the “pullback method” his team uses to re-engage leads that have gone quiet, plus some of the systems Promotive has implemented at MAP Quality Fencing & Decks to make sure opportunities stop slipping through the cracks. If you own a fencing company, construction company, or home service business and you keep thinking you need more leads, this episode might make you look at your pipeline a little differently. **IN THIS EPISODE:** 00:00 – Welcome to Episode 8 with Peyton Roop 01:20 – Friday Night Lights 04:39 – Why more leads won’t solve a sales problem 07:20 – How much money is sitting in your pipeline? 12:00 – The missed-call system every contractor should have 15:27 – Why answering the phone matters more than ever 20:13 – Stop pouring money into broken systems 22:48 – Why Google reviews matter 27:36 – The bar is LOW for contractors 30:10 – Systems, automation & missed opportunities 31:37 – How much should you spend on marketing? 34:06 – Referrals vs. building a marketing system 36:36 – Trust, visibility & pipeline 38:42 – Stop trying to “sell” people 41:38 – Ask better questions and find the real WHY 44:26 – Peyton’s experience hiring MAP Quality Fencing & Decks 50:39 – Stop being an order taker 51:58 – Why contractors should offer financing 53:50 – Why follow-up matters 54:18 – 500 leads and ZERO sales 57:32 – Building a 14-day follow-up system 58:18 – The “Pullback Method” 1:02:33 – Stop blaming your marketing 1:04:30 – Red flags when hiring a marketing company 1:10:18 – How Promotive Marketing helps contractors 1:14:54 – Live Q&A 1:19:42 – Choosing the right marketing partner 1:22:55 – Friday Night Lights predictions & closing 🎙️ THE FENCE GAME PODCAST Real conversations about fencing, construction, sales, business, mistakes, growth, and everything we’re learning while building MAP Quality Fencing & Decks. Featuring Peyton Roop of Promotive Marketing #TheFenceGame #ContractorMarketing #ContractorSales #FenceBusiness #ConstructionBusiness #HomeServiceBusiness #Sales #Marketing

  7. Sep 18

    Ep. 7: Gratitude & Growth | Our First LIVE

    GRATITUDE & GROWTH | OUR FIRST LIVE Episode 7 of The Fence Game Podcast is officially our first LIVE episode. This week, Matthew and Marty talk about gratitude, growth, and taking a minute to recognize how far you've come while you're still chasing where you want to go. We look back at some of the people and opportunities that helped us get here, tell the story of one of the biggest jobs we took on early in our business, and get into what success actually means to us today. We also talk mentorship, burnout, delegation, learning from mistakes, breaking generational cycles, and why sometimes the problems you go through end up becoming the lessons you needed most. And, of course, it's Friday, so we're talking Friday Night Lights, Morris football, and tonight's matchup with Rochelle. We're not here pretending we have everything figured out. We're sharing the wins, losses, mistakes, lessons, and game we've picked up along the way. WATCH & LISTEN Find The Fence Game Podcast on: - YouTube - Facebook - Apple Podcasts - Spotify Follow or subscribe on your favorite platform, download your favorite episodes, and take The Fence Game with you. If you're getting something from the podcast, help us keep growing it. LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE & SUBSCRIBE. Send an episode to somebody who could use it, and let us know what topics or questions you want us to cover next. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Our First LIVE 01:45 – Friday Night Lights 04:03 – Morris vs. Rochelle 05:25 – Gratitude & Growth 11:07 – Remembering Where We Started 15:20 – One of Our Biggest Early Jobs 20:41 – What Does Success Mean? 27:31 – When Does Chasing Money Become Too Much? 29:55 – Mistakes, Growth & Mentorship 34:45 – Breaking Generational Cycles 35:45 – LIVE Q&A 38:15 – Burnout & Delegation 47:59 – Lessons From Our First LIVE 49:00 – The 7-Day Gratitude Challenge Stay grateful. Keep growing and Keep playing The Fence Game. #TheFenceGame #FenceGamePodcast #GratitudeAndGrowth #ContractorPodcast #ConstructionBusiness #Entrepreneurship #SmallBusiness #BusinessGrowth #ContractorLife #Mentorship #FridayNightLights

  8. Sep 16

    Ep. 6: The Hidden Cost Of Growing Too Fast!

    What happens when your contracting business grows faster than your systems can handle it?In Episode 6 of The Fence Game Podcast, Matthew and Marty get into the side of scaling a construction business that nobody likes posting about: more crews, more jobs and more money can also mean MORE PROBLEMS.We've tried scaling multiple times. We've added crews thinking we could double production, shorten lead times and make more money. Sometimes it worked. Other times it exposed every weakness we had.We break down what we've learned about managing multiple crews, subcontractors, protecting quality, building systems and knowing when growth is actually hurting the customer experience.We also talk about why contractors need to stop being order takers. You're the professional. Ask better questions, listen to the customer and help them make the right decision, even when that means telling them NOT to spend money with you.We get into referral relationships, solving problems instead of "selling," handling unhappy customers and why taking care of people will always come back around.Then the conversation gets personal.We talk about controlling your emotions when things go wrong, gratitude, staying level through the highs and lows of business, fatherhood, raising athletes and breaking generational cycles.One of the biggest gems from this episode:DOING BETTER THAN YOUR PARENTS DID IS THE FLOOR, NOT THE CEILING.If you're a contractor, business owner, father or somebody trying to build a better life for your family, there's something in this one for you.👇 DROP A COMMENT:Have you ever tried scaling your business too fast? What did it expose?👍 Like the episode💬 Leave us a comment📲 Share it with another contractor🔔 Subscribe so you don't miss Episode 7THE FENCE GAME PODCASTReal conversations about contracting, business, money, family, mistakes, lessons learned and everything that comes with building a business in the trades. #TheFenceGame #FenceGamePodcast #ContractorPodcast #ContractorLife #FenceContractor #ConstructionBusiness #Trades #Entrepreneurship #SmallBusiness #BusinessGrowth #ContractorTips #Fatherhood #Mindset

    Ep. 6: The Hidden Cost Of Growing Too Fast!
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About

2 guys who came up from nothing and learned business the hard way. Join Matthew and Marty for The Fence Game, where we talk fences, business, family, and everything that comes with building something of your own. We share the wins, the expensive mistakes, and the lessons we're still learning. Real conversations for contractors, business owners, and anyone trying to make something happen. Pull up a chair. Let's talk game.

Information

  • Creator
    The Fence Game
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Fence Game
  • Show Website
    The Fence Game