The Violent Action Podcast

Blue Collar Business Accelerator
  • 5.0 (10)
  • Entrepreneurship

Welcome to The Violent Action Podcast where real stories meet real results. Each episode features driven entrepreneurs, contractors, and business owners who are taking action and building something bigger than themselves. We dive into their journeys—the wins, the setbacks, and the lessons learned along the way. If you're serious about growth, business, and making things happen, this podcast is for you.

  1. 14h ago

    How a COVID-Era House Flip Launched a $550K Remodeling Business

    Apply to join the Accelerator ➡️ https://bluecollarbusinessaccelerator.info/apply-336997 Check out our website ➡️ https://bluecollarbusinessaccelerator.com At 27 years old, Sam from Gatz Home Renovations is on track to do roughly $550K in revenue this year after starting his business almost by accident. With a degree in law enforcement and no real plan to become a remodeler, Sam’s path into the trades started during COVID when he and his wife bought a house to flip after getting inspired by HGTV. That first project turned into a much bigger journey. Sam realized he needed his GC license, passed the test on his second attempt, and began learning the trades through a three-and-a-half-year stretch working alongside an experienced contractor. He learned how to build houses, decks, basements, and structural projects before eventually stepping away to take on his own jobs. Sam went from relying almost entirely on friends, family, and community connections to landing projects in the $50K–$100K range, including a roughly $325K–$350K renovation and addition for his parents. But when those community leads started drying up, he found himself stuck without a clear plan for how to consistently generate business. After discovering the Blue Collar Business Accelerator, Sam finally started building the business side of his company. His online presence improved, Google began generating leads, his confidence grew, and he started feeling like a legitimate business owner instead of someone simply waiting for the next referral. You’ll discover: How a law enforcement degree eventually led Sam into the remodeling industryWhy an HGTV-inspired house flip completely changed the direction of his careerHow Sam passed his GC test after failing his first attemptWhat he learned from spending three and a half years working under another contractorHow he went from friends-and-family jobs to $50K–$100K remodeling projectsHow he landed and completed a roughly $325K–$350K renovation and additionWhy relying on community and family referrals eventually left him feeling stuckHow improving his online presence started generating leads from GoogleWhy confidence can be just as important as lead generation when growing a businessHow Sam went from not knowing what to do next to finally having a clear trajectory for his companyWhy being a great remodeler isn't enough anymore — you also need to understand businessHow Sam is building a remodeling company around a better client experience Today, Sam runs a true general contracting business with no employees, managing subcontractors, schedules, finances, and entire remodeling projects himself. His goal isn't simply to do more jobs — it's to create an experience where clients finish a project thinking, “Wow, that was easy.” His story is a great example of what happens when someone stops waiting for things to happen and starts learning the business side of the trades. From a law enforcement degree to flipping a house, learning the trades for three and a half years, and eventually building a remodeling company on pace for $550K, Sam's journey proves you don't have to start with a perfect plan to build something real. You just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

  2. 1d ago

    $100K Loan, $1K in Work & No Experience — Now His Concrete Curbing Business Does $600K

    Apply to join the Accelerator ➡️ https://bluecollarbusinessaccelerator.info/apply-336997 Check out our website ➡️ https://bluecollarbusinessaccelerator.com At just 20 years old, Jadon from Elevated Curb Appeal is on track to do over $600K in revenue with a concrete curbing business he started with almost no experience. At 19, Jadon quit his asphalt job, took out a $100,000 SBA loan, and bought a curbing operation with only about $1,000 in work lined up. He barely knew how to operate the equipment, had no real marketing system, and had no idea what he was getting himself into. His first year was filled with mistakes. He underbid jobs, struggled with concrete mixes, dealt with cracked projects, and had almost no leads. He tried Facebook Marketplace, Google Ads, billboards, and yard signs just to keep the business moving. Then things started to snowball. After joining the Blue Collar Business Accelerator, Jadon went from roughly 1–2 leads per week to 3–4 leads per day. His close rate went from around 20–30% to roughly 75%, and he stopped competing on being the cheapest contractor. Today, most of his leads come from Google and referrals, he has a full-time employee he trusts, and he's built a business on pace for over $600K. You’ll discover: How Jadon went from dropping out of high school to building a $600K concrete curbing business at 20Why he took out a $100K SBA loan with almost no experience and only $1,000 in work bookedHow Facebook Marketplace generated roughly 90% of his leads during his first yearHow a simple Marketplace lead eventually turned into a $60K HOA projectWhy one damaged mailbox led to a landscaping job and multiple referralsHow he went from closing only 20–30% of jobs to roughly 75%Why being the cheapest contractor isn't always the best way to win workHow reviews, professional presentation, and fast follow-up transformed his lead flowWhy your customers are worth far more than just the check they give youHow learning to delegate and trust employees is helping him scale Jadon's story is a perfect example of what can happen when you stop waiting until you're ready and simply take action. He didn't have the experience. He didn't have the perfect plan. He made plenty of mistakes and had plenty of people question his decision. But he kept moving forward. Now he's 20 years old with a $600K business and a goal of reaching $3–5 million. As Jadon puts it: dedicate everything to what you want to do, put your head down, and make it happen.

  3. 2d ago

    He Built an $800K Landscaping Business Handing Out Flyers on Rollerblades

    Apply to join the Accelerator ➡️ https://bluecollarbusinessaccelerator.info/apply-336997 Check out our website ➡️ https://bluecollarbusinessaccelerator.com At just 23 years old, Daniel from Two Rivers Lawn & Landscape has gone from mowing $15 lawns on rollerblades to building a company on pace for roughly $750K–$800K this year. Daniel started mowing lawns at 12 years old and eventually began rollerblading around his neighborhood handing out flyers to get customers. At 16, he hired his younger brother, bought a small trailer, and grew the business to roughly $20K in revenue. For years, the business stayed relatively small while Daniel played junior hockey. At 21, he decided to take the business seriously. His first year going all in brought in roughly $115K, but he was still learning how to price jobs, generate leads, and actually grow a profitable business. Last year, the company passed $300K. After attending a Blue Collar Business Accelerator event, Daniel's entire mindset around growth changed. Instead of thinking growth meant buying more trucks and equipment, he focused on branding, reviews, community involvement, and generating consistent leads. Now, Two Rivers has four employees, handles roughly 100 residential lawns a week, takes on $10K–$20K landscape projects, and is on pace for $750K–$800K this year. You’ll discover: How Daniel went from $15 lawns and rollerblades to an $800K landscaping companyWhy handing out thousands of flyers became the foundation of his businessHow he went from roughly 3–10 leads a month to 25–50+ landscape leadsWhat changed when he stopped believing growth meant buying more trucks and equipmentHow the Blue Collar Business Accelerator changed his mindset around business growthWhy branding, reviews, and getting involved in his community created a massive increase in leadsHow more leads allowed him to become more selective with customers and projectsHow he transitioned from being in the field constantly to running a hybrid role between the field and the businessWhy becoming a better leader and communicator is his next step toward building multiple crewsWhy you should never compare your business to what you see on social mediaWhy dropping your ego, asking questions, and connecting with other contractors can change your trajectory Today, Daniel has a lean, profitable operation and a company on pace for nearly $800K. But his story is proof that you don't need a massive fleet, a huge marketing budget, or years of experience to build a successful business. Sometimes you just need a push mower, a pair of rollerblades, and the willingness to hustle. And Daniel's biggest piece of advice? Watch your own bobber. Don't compare your business to the guy next to you or the contractor you see on Instagram. You have no idea what's actually happening behind the scenes. If you're building a landscaping business and feel like you're behind, this is an episode you don't want to miss.

  4. 3d ago

    From $800 Rock Jobs to Running a $1.5M Landscaping Company at Just 20 Years Old

    Apply to join the Accelerator ➡️ https://bluecollarbusinessaccelerator.info/apply-336997 Check out our website ➡️ https://bluecollarbusinessaccelerator.com At just 20 years old, Matthew from Brothers Landscaping Services is on track to do roughly $1.3M–$1.5M this year after doing just $20K his first year. In only a few years, he went from shoveling rock into an F-150 for an $800 job to running multiple crews, managing roughly 18 employees across two companies, and completing six-figure landscaping projects. Matthew shares how he and his brother started as teenagers with almost no money, experience, or idea how to price jobs. Their first major project was an $800 rock removal job that took three days and left them with almost nothing after dump fees. Instead of quitting, they kept knocking doors, posting online, taking jobs, and figuring things out as they went. By year two, the company had reached roughly $674K in revenue. The following year they hit around $1.2M, and now Matthew is expanding into excavation, utilities, lawn maintenance, and snow removal. You’ll discover: How Matthew went from an $800 rock job at 16 to building a business on pace for $1.5MHow the company went from roughly $20K to $674K and then $1.2M in just a few yearsWhy doing the things other contractors won't do can create a massive competitive advantageHow subcontracting for larger companies helped them get experience and scaleThe biggest mistake Matthew made on a major project by building without proper plansWhy detailed plans and SOPs can completely change how your crews performHow he successfully completed a nearly $100K retaining wall after learning from an earlier projectWhy asking questions and learning from experienced contractors has helped him take on projects he didn't initially know how to doHow he built a team of hungry employees who actually want to work and growWhy repetition is one of the biggest factors in building confidence in salesHow branding, clean job sites, wrapped trucks, and professional crews have directly generated new leadsWhy maintenance contracts could become a $1M revenue stream and a lead source for larger projects Today, Matthew is running a rapidly growing landscaping company while building a second excavation and utilities business. But the biggest lesson from his story isn't just the revenue. It's the mindset. He didn't start with years of experience or everything figured out. He asked questions, took action, made mistakes, surrounded himself with the right people, and kept executing. If you're young, inexperienced, or waiting until you feel "ready" to take your business to the next level, this episode is for you. As always, violent action towards the goal.

  5. 4d ago

    Stuck at $500K for Years — How This Concrete Company Finally Broke Through

    Apply to join the Accelerator ➡️ https://bluecollarbusinessaccelerator.info/apply-336997 Check out our website ➡️ https://bluecollarbusinessaccelerator.com At 32 years old, Alex and Kelsey from Amundson Concrete are on track to do roughly $800K this year — profitably. But for the first six years, they were stuck between $300K–$500K in revenue while struggling with margins, inconsistent work, hiring, and the stress of keeping the business afloat. Amundson Concrete started in March 2020 during COVID. Alex had spent his entire life in the concrete industry, but knowing how to pour concrete didn't mean he knew how to run a profitable business. For years, they struggled to turn their hard work into real money. Everything started changing when they joined the Blue Collar Business Accelerator. They completely changed how they approached pricing, branding, sales, customer communication, and their overall business strategy. They went from guessing at square-foot pricing to understanding their numbers, from struggling to find work to booking into the following spring, and from constantly worrying about money to finally bringing home real profit. You’ll discover: Why doing $300K–$500K a year doesn't necessarily mean you're running a profitable businessHow underpricing concrete jobs kept them stuck for yearsWhy square-foot pricing was costing them moneyHow one concrete mistake cost them more than $10KHow better branding helped them attract higher-quality customersHow they went from struggling to find work to being booked into springWhy standing behind your work and actually answering the phone can separate you from the competitionHow buying their own mini skid is saving them roughly $4K–$6K every monthHow working together as a husband-and-wife team helped transform the businessWhy trade knowledge alone isn't enough to build a profitable company Today, Amundson Concrete has a five-person team, their own equipment, a growing pipeline of work, and is on pace for roughly $800K. Their story is proof that sometimes the thing holding your business back isn't your trade — it's the way you're running the business. If you've been stuck at the same revenue level for years and feel like you're working harder without making more money, this episode is for you.

  6. 5d ago

    How 2 Young Landscapers Built a $1M Business in Just 3 Years

    Apply to join the Accelerator ➡️ https://bluecollarbusinessaccelerator.info/apply-336997 Check out our website ➡️ https://bluecollarbusinessaccelerator.com At just 20 and 21 years old, Austin and Ryan from RNA Lawn & Landscape are on track to do nearly $1 million this year across lawn maintenance, snow, landscaping, and hardscaping. But their story started in high school with two teenagers, a couple snow blowers, and a willingness to knock on doors. After a snowstorm helped them land 30–35 clients, a single Facebook post from a happy customer caused their phones to blow up. They began reinvesting everything they made, eventually buying their first zero-turn mower and trailer before they even had lawn-care clients lined up. Then a customer asked if they built patios. They had never built one before. They said yes. That roughly $9,500 patio took far longer than expected and they essentially broke even, but it showed them what was possible. After graduating, they skipped college and went all in on the business. Their revenue exploded: $110K → $225K → $540K → Nearly $1M Today, they have five full-time employees, multiple crews, and have gone from mowing lawns to completing projects worth tens of thousands of dollars—including a six-figure project. In this episode, you’ll learn: How two teenagers built a nearly $1M landscaping businessHow they went from $110K to nearly $1M in just a few yearsWhy they skipped college and went all in on the tradesHow a single Facebook post generated a massive wave of leadsHow they went from small lawn jobs to six-figure projectsThe expensive change-order mistake that cost them thousandsWhy every change order needs to be priced and approved in writingHow they built a team of young employees through their local networkWhy hiring friends can become a major problem without clear expectationsHow becoming a fixture in their community helped transform their brand Austin and Ryan didn't start with experience, money, or a perfect plan. They started small, made mistakes, learned expensive lessons, and kept taking action. Now they're building a nearly $1 million landscaping and hardscaping company before they’re even old enough to rent a car. Essential listening for anyone in the trades who wants to see what's possible when you stop worrying about what everyone else thinks and go all in.

  7. 6d ago

    How This Young Roofer Turned One $16K Job Into an $800K Business

    Apply to join the Accelerator ➡️ https://bluecollarbusinessaccelerator.info/apply-336997 Check out our website ➡️ https://bluecollarbusinessaccelerator.com At 20 years old, Jack from Waters Landscape Design is on track to do roughly $600K this year after starting with just $40K in revenue. But his story is far from a straight line. Before building a successful hardscape, landscape, and concrete business, Jack dropped out of high school, struggled with alcohol at a young age, and spent time rebuilding his life before finding his way back into the trades. Jack shares how his first-ever patio was a complete disaster: a roughly 400-square-foot job sold for just $2,000, built with reused pavers, and based with river rock. He and a buddy spent four days figuring it out as they went, and after another early patio job, he found himself roughly $10,000 underwater. But instead of quitting, he kept learning, kept selling, and kept taking on bigger opportunities. After making around $40K his first year on small jobs, Jack joined the Blue Collar Business Accelerator, quit his factory job, and went all in on building a real business. He went from having virtually no online presence to building a brand, knocking doors, collecting reviews, generating leads, and eventually having 50K months. In his second year, the business jumped to roughly $350K in revenue. You’ll discover: * How Jack went from skipping school to work landscaping jobs to running a business on pace for $600K * Why his first $2,000 patio was one of the most expensive lessons of his career * How he lost roughly $10K on another patio because he didn’t know how to price the work * What changed when he stopped treating landscaping like a side hustle and started building a real business * Why quitting his job and betting on himself completely changed his mindset * How door knocking and free reviews helped him build a brand and generate his first major wave of leads * How his average project size grew from around $500–$2,000 to roughly $30K * Why you don’t need massive six-figure projects to build a highly profitable company * How he entered this season with nearly $100K already booked before the season started * Why taking action matters more than knowing everything before you start Today, Jack has employees, equipment, money in the bank, and a growing business that is already on pace for around $600K. But the biggest takeaway from his story is that he didn’t start with the knowledge, experience, or perfect circumstances most people think they need. He made mistakes. He underbid jobs. He lost money. He second-guessed himself. But he kept moving forward and eventually turned a side hustle into a real business. Essential listening if you’ve ever felt like your past mistakes, lack of education, or lack of experience disqualify you from building something bigger." but based off this transcript

  8. Aug 26

    The $20,000 Mistake That Changed His Landscaping Business

    Apply to join the Accelerator ➡️ https://bluecollarbusinessaccelerator.info/apply-336997 Check out our website ➡️ https://bluecollarbusinessaccelerator.com Nate from Tommy Johnny Landscape started his business doing just $80K in revenue his first year. Now, only a few years later, he’s on pace to do roughly $750K–$800K while landing $50K, $60K, and even $100K landscape installs. But his growth didn’t come from simply buying more trucks, adding crews, or spending more money on ads. In year two, Nate spent over $20,000 on a marketing agency—a decision he says was one of the worst he ever made. He went on more than 100 estimates from the campaigns and only landed five jobs, ultimately wasting money and valuable time. Instead of quitting, he learned from it. Nate went from doing $2K–$3K landscaping jobs and posting in Facebook groups to averaging roughly $20K–$40K projects, building a stronger local brand, getting involved in his community, and growing the business from roughly $240K to nearly $590K in one year. Now, despite being on pace for nearly $800K, Nate still runs one crew by choice. Rather than rushing to add more employees, trucks, and overhead, he’s focused on building cash reserves, raising prices, landing better projects, and strengthening the business before making his next move. You’ll discover: How Nate went from $80K in year one to nearly $800K in just a few yearsWhy spending over $20K on paid ads became one of his biggest business lessonsHow he went on more than 100 estimates and only landed five jobs from those campaignsWhy doing more revenue doesn’t automatically mean you should add more crewsHow staying with one crew could actually make him more profitable than expandingWhy renting equipment instead of buying everything has helped him build a stronger businessHow his average project size grew from roughly $2K–$3K to $20K–$40KWhy he’s now competing for $50K, $60K, and $100K landscape installsHow being responsive and showing customers you care can win jobs over larger competitorsWhy Nate believes paid ads are a waste of money for many small, local contractorsHow getting involved in the community can create more valuable opportunities than paid advertisingWhy your first big job should never be the first time you try something you’ve never done beforeWhy growing too aggressively can create more problems instead of more profit Today, Nate is building a business with better projects, a stronger brand, more cash, and the ability to choose the type of work he wants to take on. The biggest takeaway from his story? Real growth isn’t always about looking bigger. Sometimes the smartest move is to slow down, stay profitable, build the right foundation, and prepare before attacking the next level. Essential listening for any contractor who wants to grow without ending up with more trucks, more employees, more revenue—and more problems.

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5
out of 5
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About

Welcome to The Violent Action Podcast where real stories meet real results. Each episode features driven entrepreneurs, contractors, and business owners who are taking action and building something bigger than themselves. We dive into their journeys—the wins, the setbacks, and the lessons learned along the way. If you're serious about growth, business, and making things happen, this podcast is for you.

Information

  • Creator
    Blue Collar Business Accelerator
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Blue Collar Business Accelerator
  • Show Website
    The Violent Action Podcast