Built. Trusted. Chosen.

Wes Towers
  • 5.0 (1)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Featuring proven leaders and marketers in trades and construction Real, unscripted, unedited and raw lessons from trades and construction founders, leaders and marketers. We dig into growth, scaling, hiring, margins, and how to be built, trusted and chosen. 

Episodes

  1. The 3 Pillars That Take Trades and Contractors From 7 Figures to 8 | Dan Bamper

    4D AGO

    The 3 Pillars That Take Trades and Contractors From 7 Figures to 8 | Dan Bamper

    Most trades and construction businesses don’t fail because they’re bad at the work. They fail because they take the wrong jobs, price from scarcity, and don’t have the numbers to see what’s really happening until it’s too late. In this episode of Built. Trusted. Chosen., I sat down with Dan Bamper, a fractional CFO who works specifically with contractors and trades businesses. We got practical about what actually moves the needle when you’re trying to grow past seven figures: choosing the right work, tracking the right metrics, building a team that can run without you, and positioning your business so customers trust you and choose you. You’ll take away: How to stop taking “any job” and start pricing with margin, overhead, and profit baked inWhy “not knowing your numbers” is the silent killer, and what to track beyond the P<he shift from one truck to a scalable operation with a central hub, team targets, and systemsHow your revenue mix can lift margins with small, smart tweaksWhy you should market to your best clients and actively repel the worst onesHow to position with standards, data, and risk reversal so trust is built fasterGuest: Dan Bamper is a fractional CFO for contractors and trades businesses based in Oklahoma City, USA. He’s the founder of Black Belt Ledgers and helps seven-figure contractors build data-driven systems so they can scale with clarity, protect margins, and make decisions with confidence instead of guesswork. Website: https://blackbeltledgers.com/ Host: Wes Towers, Founder of Uplift 360. I help trades and construction companies grow by making sure they show up as the obvious choice online. Uplift 360 builds high-performing websites and content systems that turn attention into trust, and trust into better enquiries. That includes clearer positioning, stronger proof (projects, process, people), and Search Everywhere Optimisation so the right customers can find you across Google, maps, social, and AI-driven search. The goal is straightforward: attract better-fit work, lift conversion, and support sustainable growth without relying on discounting or constant quoting. Website: https://uplift360.com.au/ CTA: Want to be a guest on Built. Trusted. Chosen.? Book here: https://uplift360.com.au/built-trusted-chosen-podcast-guest-booking/

    38 min
  2. Stop Hiring “Warm Bodies” in Construction and Start Hiring for Fit | Traci Austin

    FEB 1

    Stop Hiring “Warm Bodies” in Construction and Start Hiring for Fit | Traci Austin

    Most trades and construction businesses aren’t struggling because the work is hard. They’re struggling because hiring turns into “whoever shows up”, expectations stay fuzzy, and trust gets chipped away in a hundred small moments. In this episode of Built. Trusted. Chosen., I sat down with Traci Austin to talk about what actually creates retention in construction. We unpack how to hire for genuine fit (not just experience), how culture is built through the behaviours you tolerate, and why clarity on outcomes beats busywork every time. Traci also shares simple leadership questions you can use immediately to understand what people want and how to keep the right ones. You’ll take away: How to avoid hiring “warm bodies” using a fit-to-role scorecard (skills, culture, behaviour)Why culture is simply the behaviours you allow (and what that means on a job site)How reputation and a real pathway drive retention more than perksA “work bucket list” question that upgrades one-on-ones fastHow to lead teams around outcomes (quality, results), not just outputs (activity)Why trust is won or lost in micro-promises, and how to rebuild it through communicationGuest: Traci Austin is the Founder and CEO of Elevated Talent Consulting. She helps construction and blue-collar organisations build stronger leaders, reduce turnover, and create cultures people genuinely want to stay in. Her work sits at the intersection of leadership development, practical hiring systems, and day-to-day jobsite behaviours, with a focus on clear expectations and higher standards without burning people out. Website: https://elevatedtalentconsulting.com/ Free Tough Talk Blueprint: https://elevatedtalentconsulting.com/the-tough-talk-blueprint/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traci-austin/ Host: Wes Towers, Founder of Uplift 360. I help trades and construction companies be found, trusted, and chosen online by turning their websites into their best salesperson. Uplift 360 builds high-performing websites and content systems designed around how people actually choose contractors and construction partners: clearer positioning, stronger proof (projects, process, people), and Search Everywhere Optimisation so your business shows up where decisions get made (Google, maps, social, and increasingly AI-driven search). The goal is simple: more qualified enquiries, better-fit clients, and a brand that looks as professional as the work you deliver. https://uplift360.com.au Want to be a guest on Built. Trusted. Chosen.? Book here: https://uplift360.com.au/built-trusted-chosen-podcast-guest-booking/

    33 min
  3. How AI Cuts Noncompliance and Cost Blowouts in Construction Projects | Dennis Dixon

    JAN 25

    How AI Cuts Noncompliance and Cost Blowouts in Construction Projects | Dennis Dixon

    Most trades and construction businesses don’t lose money from one big mistake. They lose it from a hundred small “interpretation” mistakes that turn into RFIs, rework, delays, and budget blowouts. In this episode, I sat down with Dennis Dixon to unpack why noncompliance is the thread tying together so many project failures, and how AI is already being used on-site in practical ways (often by the people you’d least expect).  Dennis also breaks down why many industries skipped the basics of automation and jumped straight to AI, and what leaders can do to get the upside without losing the human edge that makes great work… great. You’ll take away: Why trades were early adopters of AI on-site (and what they used it for)Why AI works best as an assistant, not a replacementHow noncompliance quietly drives cost and schedule blowoutsWhy hundreds of project handoffs create “interpretation risk” and RFIsHow missing automation fundamentals is holding teams back with AIWhy trust is dropping, and how leaders build it back through reputation and clarity Guest: Dennis Dixon is the Co-founder & CEO of OQULi (Canada) and the creator of CODiii, a platform focused on helping AECO teams navigate compliance and reduce project friction. Guest links: https://codiii.com/ https://www.oquli.ca/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennisod/ Wes Towers - Uplift 360: I help trades and construction companies be found, trusted, and chosen online through high-performing websites and Search Everywhere Optimisation. https://uplift360.com.au Want to be a guest on Built. Trusted. Chosen.? Book here: https://uplift360.com.au/built-trusted-chosen-podcast-guest-booking/

    35 min
  4. From change orders to clarity: de-risking construction projects | Eugene Gershman

    JAN 18

    From change orders to clarity: de-risking construction projects | Eugene Gershman

    Trust in construction is getting hammered, and when clients shop like it’s online retail, everyone loses. Lowest bid wins, corners get cut, change orders explode, and reputations get dragged. In this episode, I’m joined by Eugene Gershman from GIS Companies. Eugene’s come up through a construction family, ran contractor operations, and now focuses fully on development management. We get into what actually protects projects when the market’s tight: real relationships, clear fees, and refusing to build off “cheap” design that isn’t truly buildable. You’ll take away: Why “permit-only” drawings can be a financial grenade once you hit siteHow low-bid wins often turns into change-order pain (for both owner and contractor)A better way to compare contractors: fee, margin, and how they value themselvesWhy you can’t build trust, or buildings, from behind a computer screenHow simple “old school” touches can help contractors stand out in an AI-noisy worldEugene Gershman is a real estate developer and the lead at GIS Companies, helping property owners structure, finance, and execute development projects from feasibility through delivery. Guest links: https://giscompanies.co/ Feasibility Study Checklist: https://giscompanies.co/development/feasibility-study/ Eugene’s podcast (Real Estate Development: Land to Legacy): https://giscompanies.co/podcast/ Wes Towers - Uplift 360 I help trades and construction companies be found, trusted, and chosen online through high-performing websites and Search Everywhere Optimisation. Visit: https://uplift360.com.au Want to be a guest on Built. Trusted. Chosen.? Book here: https://uplift360.com.au/built-trusted-chosen-podcast-guest-booking/

    31 min
  5. From Tools to Team: Scaling Trades & Construction Leadership | Dr Andy Neillie

    JAN 11

    From Tools to Team: Scaling Trades & Construction Leadership | Dr Andy Neillie

    Most trades and construction businesses don’t stall because of a lack of work. They stall when the owner becomes the bottleneck due to a lack of leadership. In this episode, Dr Andy Neillie breaks down the real-world leadership shifts that help construction business owners and leaders scale: clearer expectations, better conversations, stronger trust, and a culture that doesn’t rely on you being everywhere at once. You’ll take away: • The “tools to team” mindset shift that separates operators from leaders • How to build trust with your crew (and stop losing it through small slip-ups) • Why hard conversations are a leadership skill, not a personality trait • Simple structure that supports scale: clarity, roles, and follow-through • How to lead with standards and care (without becoming the bottleneck) Dr Andy Neillie is a leadership speaker and leadership development specialist who helps businesses turn managers into effective leaders. Neillie Leadership Group: https://neillieleadershipgroup.com/ Free ebook: https://leadershipmaterials.com Host: Wes Towers - Uplift 360 I help trades and construction companies be found, trusted, and chosen online through high-performing websites and Search Everywhere Optimisation (SEO). Want to be a guest on the podcast? Book here: https://uplift360.com.au/built-trusted-chosen-podcast-guest-booking/

    32 min
  6. Escape the Owner Prison and Build a Sellable Trades Business | Richard Walsh

    JAN 4

    Escape the Owner Prison and Build a Sellable Trades Business | Richard Walsh

    If you’re in trades or construction and the business can’t run without you, you’re not “busy”… you’re boxed in. In this conversation with Richard Walsh, we unpack what really keeps contractors stuck on the hamster wheel, and how to rebuild a business that creates time, profit, and options (including a real exit). Richard’s story includes massive wins, losing everything, and the hard reset that forced him to design a different kind of business and life. You’ll take away: Making money is rarely the hard part, it’s the systems, compliance, and leadership that keep it aliveWhen your business becomes your identity, you’ll defend it with bad decisionsThe non-negotiables that protect your family and stop the business taking overA simple exit strategy framework: “how long and how much”, then reverse engineer the planThe “5%” founders should focus on (and how to delegate the rest properly)Why delegation fails when it’s just “do this”, and how to build guardrails so your team can win daily Guest: Richard Walsh Richard Walsh is the CEO of Sharpen the Spear Coaching and the author of Escape the Owner Prison, focused on helping business owners (especially contractors) regain control and scale with less chaos. Website: https://sharpenthespearcoaching.com Email (free audiobook request): richard@sharpenthespearcoaching.com Host: Wes Towers (Uplift 360) I help trades and construction companies be found, trusted, and chosen online through high-performing websites and Search Everywhere Optimisation. https://uplift360.com.au/ Want to be a guest on Built. Trusted. Chosen.? Book here: https://uplift360.com.au/built-trusted-chosen-podcast-guest-booking/

    43 min
  • 6 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

About

Featuring proven leaders and marketers in trades and construction Real, unscripted, unedited and raw lessons from trades and construction founders, leaders and marketers. We dig into growth, scaling, hiring, margins, and how to be built, trusted and chosen. 

Information

  • Creator
    Wes Towers
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Uplift 360
  • Show Website
    Built. Trusted. Chosen.