Kid Contractor Podcast with Caleb Auman

Caleb Auman
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  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

A show focusing on a wide range of contractors from the Green Industry to General Contractors and beyond. Your host Caleb, runs a successful 7 figure business with his wife Brittany, and has over 20 years in the industry. "The Kid" has learned some valuable lessons he wants to share with you. The principles discussed will energize and empower you to crush your goals.

  1. 4d ago

    Ep 740. $3 Million + Series | Carla Policastro Co-Founder Cycle CPA

    Bookkeeper, CPA, or Fractional CFO: Who You Actually Need at $3M+ Caleb and Carla discuss the complexities of scaling a service business beyond the $3 million revenue mark. They emphasize that transitioning from a hands-on owner to a leader requires robust financial infrastructure, delegation, and the implementation of accountability systems. Carla highlights critical financial practices, such as capacity planning, divisional reporting, and monitoring gross profit margins to identify hidden waste. A significant portion of the conversation focuses on the value of sharing financial data with team members to foster a sense of ownership and align employee incentives with company goals. Key Takeaways: Shift from pure hustle to systems and leadership to build the operational infrastructure required to scale beyond initial growth limits. Track monthly production capacity by calculating revenue per labor hour so you can spot and eliminate hidden waste early. Share project numbers with your team to foster crew buy-in, boost accountability, and align incentive structures with actual job margins. Replace bank balance accounting with dedicated ownership over cash management, accounts receivable, and accounts payable. Invest in personal self-development so that your leadership capacity grows in tandem with the demands of scaling the business. Connect with Auman Landscape 📺 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@AumanLandscape 🌐 All Links https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aumanlandscapellc/ 👷 👷‍♂️ 👷‍♀️ The Hardsacpe Academy https://www.thehardscapeacademy.com/  👫 👩‍❤️‍👨 Together In The Trades https://www.togetherinthetrades.com/  Episode Sponsors 📸 CompanyCam – Get 50% off for 2 months https://companycam.com/auman 💰 Cycle CPA – Save $200 https://cyclecpa.com Use code: AUMAN 🛠 LMN Software – Save on onboarding https://golmn.com Use code: AUMAN 🚜⚙️🛠️ Steelwrist https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 🛠 Leanscaper https://leanscaper.com/ 🚜 Equip  https://www.equipexposition.com/ Use code: AUMAN 💰 John Pajak https://johnpajak.com 🧠 🎯 💡 FRWRD Coaching https://www.frwrdcoaching.com/

  2. Sep 10

    E739. Why Man-Hour Rates and Budgeted Hours Are Your Key to Profit w/ Naylor Taliaferro

    Naylor Taliaferro is a prominent figure in the green industry known as the Lawn Care Rookie. Taliaferro details his transition from retail management to owning a successful lawn maintenance business and founding LCR Media, a platform dedicated to community growth and industry events. He emphasizes the importance of route density, leadership, and specialized services as the primary drivers of profitability and time management. The discussion highlights his "brick by brick" philosophy, advocating for disciplined business growth and the use of budgeted hours to ensure financial success. Key Takeaways: Build your goals one brick at a time instead of letting the massive scale of a project overwhelm and intimidate you. Let your pricing filter your clients so that your rates automatically turn away bargain-hunters and attract premium customers who value quality. Maximize schedule and route density to eliminate wasted travel time, protect your profit margins, and reclaim your personal life. Master a single, scalable specialty that you genuinely enjoy rather than spreading yourself thin and wasting money as a jack of all trades. Discipline yourself to say no to the wrong opportunities so that you always have the time, space, and energy to say yes to the ideal ones. Connect with Auman Landscape 📺 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@AumanLandscape 🌐 All Links https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aumanlandscapellc/ 👷 👷‍♂️ 👷‍♀️ The Hardsacpe Academy https://www.thehardscapeacademy.com/  👫 👩‍❤️‍👨 Together In The Trades https://www.togetherinthetrades.com/  Episode Sponsors 📸 CompanyCam – Get 50% off for 2 months https://companycam.com/auman 💰 Cycle CPA – Save $200 https://cyclecpa.com Use code: AUMAN 🛠 LMN Software – Save on onboarding https://golmn.com Use code: AUMAN 🚜⚙️🛠️ Steelwrist https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 🛠 Leanscaper https://leanscaper.com/ 🚜 Equip  https://www.equipexposition.com/ Use code: AUMAN 💰 John Pajak https://johnpajak.com 🧠 🎯 💡 FRWRD Coaching https://www.frwrdcoaching.com/

  3. Sep 8

    E738. $3 Million + Series | Kevin Scott President at Muskoka Landscapers

    Stop Buying Trucks, Start Hiring Office Staff: The "Easy Hard" Choice for Contractors. Caleb talks with Kevin Scott, the founder of Muskoka Landscapers and The Wealthy Landscaper. The conversation centers on the professional evolution required to scale a landscaping business past the $3 million revenue mark. Scott emphasizes that business growth is primarily driven by shifting leadership mindsets, transitioning from a hands-on operator to a visionary leader who prioritizes team development over micromanagement. He details how implementing standard systems and nurturing strategic partnerships allowed his company to manage high-end, large-scale projects more efficiently. Key Takeaways: Flip your business priorities to focus on your team first, which will naturally drive better customer care and higher net profitability. Hire administrative or office support to take over routine tasks like invoicing and scheduling, freeing up your time to focus on high-level vision and client relationships. Transform your site visits into positive check-ins to build rapport with your crew, while saving critical, corrective feedback to deliver privately to your managers. Create standard operating procedures and use software templates so your team has clear targets, knows exactly what is expected, and can execute jobs without you. Get yourself into the right rooms by attending industry conferences, joining mastermind groups, and actively seeking mentors who have already successfully scaled past your current revenue ceiling. Connect with Auman Landscape 📺 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@AumanLandscape 🌐 All Links https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aumanlandscapellc/ 👷 👷‍♂️ 👷‍♀️ The Hardsacpe Academy https://www.thehardscapeacademy.com/  👫 👩‍❤️‍👨 Together In The Trades https://www.togetherinthetrades.com/  Episode Sponsors 📸 CompanyCam – Get 50% off for 2 months https://companycam.com/auman 💰 Cycle CPA – Save $200 https://cyclecpa.com Use code: AUMAN 🛠 LMN Software – Save on onboarding https://golmn.com Use code: AUMAN 🚜⚙️🛠️ Steelwrist https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 🛠 Leanscaper https://leanscaper.com/ 🚜 Equip  https://www.equipexposition.com/ Use code: AUMAN 💰 John Pajak https://johnpajak.com 🧠 🎯 💡 FRWRD Coaching https://www.frwrdcoaching.com/

  4. Sep 3

    E737. If Someone Won't Buy Your Company, Why Do You Own It?

    Challenging business owners to shift their mindset from running a daily job to building a valuable, sellable asset is covered in today's episode. Caleb and Brittney discuss the evolution of their landscaping and hardscaping business. They reflect on their twelve-year journey, highlighting how software automation and AI tools have streamlined operations and reduced their daily workloads. Much of the conversation focuses on the personal challenges of working with a spouse, specifically the struggle to feel valued as roles shift from manual labor to executive oversight.  Key Takeaways: Build your business with the ultimate goal of making it sellable, ensuring you are creating a valuable, independent asset rather than just working a stressful daily job. Stop letting stubbornness block your efficiency and immediately invest in the proper tools, software, or equipment that will save you from grueling, manual trial-and-error. Use AI and modern automation to offboard daily tasks, allowing you to step away from operational chaos and focus on higher-level strategy and relationships. Embrace constructive disagreement in your partnerships, understanding that if two business partners agree on absolutely everything, one of them is unnecessary. Anticipate that growth will not make your life easier, but will instead simply change the nature of the challenges and struggles you must face as you evolve. Connect with Auman Landscape 📺 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@AumanLandscape 🌐 All Links https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aumanlandscapellc/ 👷 👷‍♂️ 👷‍♀️ The Hardsacpe Academy https://www.thehardscapeacademy.com/  👫 👩‍❤️‍👨 Together In The Trades https://www.togetherinthetrades.com/  Episode Sponsors 📸 CompanyCam – Get 50% off for 2 months https://companycam.com/auman 💰 Cycle CPA – Save $200 https://cyclecpa.com Use code: AUMAN 🛠 LMN Software – Save on onboarding https://golmn.com Use code: AUMAN 🚜⚙️🛠️ Steelwrist https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 🛠 Leanscaper https://leanscaper.com/ 🚜 Equip  https://www.equipexposition.com/ Use code: AUMAN 💰 John Pajak https://johnpajak.com 🧠 🎯 💡 FRWRD Coaching https://www.frwrdcoaching.com/

  5. Sep 1

    E736. $3 Million + Series | Cooper Leary Founder CLS Landscape Construction

    Cooper Leary is a Canadian entrepreneur who manages a multimillion-dollar enterprise encompassing landscape supply, construction, and snow removal companny. Based in Calgary, Leary shares his journey from starting the business during university to overseeing nearly 90 employees and generating $16 million in annual revenue. The discussion with Caleb highlights the transition from an owner-operator mindset to an enterprise-level leadership style, emphasizing the importance of systemization, data-driven decision-making, and high-level delegation. Leary attributes his success to being customer-obsessed, maintaining a growth mindset, and fostering a team culture defined by grit and lifelong learning. Key Takeaways: Optimize your crew sizes by keeping teams to a lean three-person setup and using equipment to maintain high productivity. Delegate key responsibilities early to competent people so you can step away from daily tasks and focus on strategic growth. Have ongoing conversations about performance with your team members so that a final, difficult talk never comes as a surprise. Establish core guiding principles and rely on solid business data to make your largest, most impactful decisions. Prioritize weekly one-on-one meetings to genuinely show up for your employees and help them develop professionally. Connect with Auman Landscape 📺 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@AumanLandscape 🌐 All Links https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aumanlandscapellc/ 👷 👷‍♂️ 👷‍♀️ The Hardsacpe Academy https://www.thehardscapeacademy.com/  👫 👩‍❤️‍👨 Together In The Trades https://www.togetherinthetrades.com/  Episode Sponsors 📸 CompanyCam – Get 50% off for 2 months https://companycam.com/auman 💰 Cycle CPA – Save $200 https://cyclecpa.com Use code: AUMAN 🛠 LMN Software – Save on onboarding https://golmn.com Use code: AUMAN 🚜⚙️🛠️ Steelwrist https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 🛠 Leanscaper https://leanscaper.com/ 🚜 Equip  https://www.equipexposition.com/ Use code: AUMAN 💰 John Pajak https://johnpajak.com 🧠 🎯 💡 FRWRD Coaching https://www.frwrdcoaching.com/

  6. Aug 27

    E735. Slow Growth, High Quality: Retention Secrets of a 20-Year Legacy Contractor

    Adam Coupe, owner of a New York-based landscaping company discusses the operational philosophies of running a high-volume service business, including how his single crew manages 150 weekly mowing properties through route density. Coupe shares his preference for staying in the field rather than focusing on administrative tasks, emphasizing that owners should build a business structure that aligns with their personal happiness. The conversation also covers the importance of client screening, using specific equipment for finished property work, and maintaining a debt-free financial model. Additionally, Coupe reflects on the economic lessons learned during the 2008 recession and the value of professional CRM systems for growth.  Key Takeaways: Focus on accumulating small, consistent wins to build your overall success instead of constantly chasing high-stress, high-risk projects. Learn to comfortably say "no" to opportunities that do not align with your geographic boundaries or target audience to keep your daily schedule highly efficient. Build your career or business around the day-to-day work you actually enjoy rather than forcing yourself into administrative roles just to follow standard industry advice. Adopt a rainy-day financial mindset by actively saving for future replacement costs and avoiding debt so you can start every workday with a completely clear mind. Recognize that running an organization and managing people are two completely different jobs that require entirely separate skill sets and mindsets to master. Connect with Auman Landscape 📺 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@AumanLandscape 🌐 All Links https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aumanlandscapellc/ 👷 👷‍♂️ 👷‍♀️ The Hardsacpe Academy https://www.thehardscapeacademy.com/  👫 👩‍❤️‍👨 Together In The Trades https://www.togetherinthetrades.com/  Episode Sponsors 📸 CompanyCam – Get 50% off for 2 months https://companycam.com/auman 💰 Cycle CPA – Save $200 https://cyclecpa.com Use code: AUMAN 🛠 LMN Software – Save on onboarding https://golmn.com Use code: AUMAN 🚜⚙️🛠️ Steelwrist https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 🛠 Leanscaper https://leanscaper.com/ 🚜 Equip  https://www.equipexposition.com/ Use code: AUMAN 💰 John Pajak https://johnpajak.com 🧠 🎯 💡 FRWRD Coaching https://www.frwrdcoaching.com/

  7. Aug 25

    E734. $3 Million + Series | Bob Scott CEO of Lowe's Greenhouse

    Bob shares his blueprint for breaking past the $3 million mark and scaling a landscape business to nearly $9 million in total revenue. Scott explains that his business journey involved transitioning from a small-scale operation to a large-scale enterprise by purchasing a local garden center and integrating his landscape services. A major theme of the discussion is the evolution of leadership, specifically the necessity of delegating tasks to specialists who possess more talent than the owner in specific areas. Bob emphasizes that maintaining high organizational standards and having difficult conversations are essential for cultivating a professional culture and high-quality staff.  Key Takeaways: Hire people who are smarter and more skilled than you in specific areas to unlock higher-quality results and free up your time to focus on high-level growth. Lean into uncomfortable conversations early by framing them around your professional responsibilities rather than making them feel like a personal attack. Enforce strict, consistent standards daily because the behaviors you permit in your life or organization are ultimately the behaviors you promote. Prune the bottom five percent of your clients or projects to eliminate unnecessary time drains and redirect your energy toward high-value opportunities. Prioritize progress over perfection by trusting your gut, making timely decisions, and keeping yourself moving forward even if the path isn't perfectly straight. Lowes Greenhouse: https://lowesgreenhouse.com/  Connect with Auman Landscape 📺 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@AumanLandscape 🌐 All Links https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aumanlandscapellc/ 👷 👷‍♂️ 👷‍♀️ The Hardsacpe Academy https://www.thehardscapeacademy.com/  👫 👩‍❤️‍👨 Together In The Trades https://www.togetherinthetrades.com/  Episode Sponsors 📸 CompanyCam – Get 50% off for 2 months https://companycam.com/auman 💰 Cycle CPA – Save $200 https://cyclecpa.com Use code: AUMAN 🛠 LMN Software – Save on onboarding https://golmn.com Use code: AUMAN 🚜⚙️🛠️ Steelwrist https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 🛠 Leanscaper https://leanscaper.com/ 🚜 Equip  https://www.equipexposition.com/ Use code: AUMAN 💰 John Pajak https://johnpajak.com 🧠 🎯 💡 FRWRD Coaching https://www.frwrdcoaching.com/

  8. Aug 20

    E733. Instagram Mailbag: Your Hardscape Hiring & Contract Questions Answered

    Your hardscape business will only grow as fast as your worst contract clause, your weakest hire, or the client you should have turned down. Caleb tackles these operational landmines head-on, answering a series of rapid-fire Instagram DM questions sent in by listener Jesse Zimmerman. The result is a practical blueprint for building the strict operational, financial, and legal guardrails required to run a highly profitable, protected seven-figure contracting company. Key Takeaways: Hire team members who possess a growth mindset and a willingness to learn, rather than those who believe they already know everything. Protect your business cash flow by heavily frontloading payment schedules so you are never left chasing a massive final check over minor details. Document every job site thoroughly with daily photos from day one to eliminate "he-said, she-said" liability disputes with clients or crews. Practice polite and immediate rejection of wrong-fit clients because providing fast clarity is far kinder than making them wait for an estimate you do not want to write. Apply the "ghost project" rule to your marketing by never posting or sharing work that you do not want to repeat in the future. Connect with Auman Landscape 📺 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@AumanLandscape 🌐 All Links https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aumanlandscapellc/ 👷 👷‍♂️ 👷‍♀️ The Hardsacpe Academy https://www.thehardscapeacademy.com/  👫 👩‍❤️‍👨 Together In The Trades https://www.togetherinthetrades.com/  Episode Sponsors 📸 CompanyCam – Get 50% off for 2 months https://companycam.com/auman 💰 Cycle CPA – Save $200 https://cyclecpa.com Use code: AUMAN 🛠 LMN Software – Save on onboarding https://golmn.com Use code: AUMAN 🚜⚙️🛠️ Steelwrist https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 🛠 Leanscaper https://leanscaper.com/ 🚜 Equip  https://www.equipexposition.com/ Use code: AUMAN 💰 John Pajak https://johnpajak.com 🧠 🎯 💡 FRWRD Coaching https://www.frwrdcoaching.com/

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About

A show focusing on a wide range of contractors from the Green Industry to General Contractors and beyond. Your host Caleb, runs a successful 7 figure business with his wife Brittany, and has over 20 years in the industry. "The Kid" has learned some valuable lessons he wants to share with you. The principles discussed will energize and empower you to crush your goals.

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