Podcast · Business

Contractor Evolution

by Breakthrough Academy · English · Business

Breakthrough Academy presents Contractor Evolution. In this show we unpack the systems, tactics, and skills you need to take your fast-growing contracting business to the next level. If you’re here to learn what it takes to scale up, work less, and increase profitability, you’ve come to the ri

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 57 min
Latest: 14 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026 · 40 minNew

294. Subcontractors or Employees: What’s The Better Model? - Jacob Toler

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP294 Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL294 On the surface, a subcontractor model seems like a good idea. That’s what Red Branch Construction business owner Jacob Toler thought. Higher margin, lower overhead. It worked great for him, until it didn’t. His reputation was unremarkable. His margins were thinning out. Lack of accountability almost toppled the business. And so, Jacob made a massive change that took him from negative profit to a healthy 8.5% net…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S6 · E293 · 7 Oct 2026 · 59 min
293. Why Do So Many Contractors Hate Their Business? - Spencer Sheinin
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP293 Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL293 Learn more about Spencer and Entreprenutcases: https://entreprenutcases.com/ Talk to enough contractors and you hear the same sentence. "This isn't fun anymore." Sometimes it comes from the guy who is grinding to make payroll. But just as often it comes from the guy whose business is finally working, who has the trucks and the team and the margin, and who feels absolutely nothing about any of it. Spencer Sheinin…
S6 · E292 · 30 Sep 2026 · 44 min
292. How To Build A Company Brain With NotebookLM - Grant Fuellenbach
Get a copy of our AI Guide For Contractors and learn the 4 highest leverage AI workflows for trades businesses: https://trybta.com/DL292 Get Grant’s free Claude skills for your business here: https://skillmatch.zite.so/ Most contractors are drowning in AI options. New tools every week. New features buried inside the tools you already pay for. No clear answer on which ones are worth your time. Grant Fuellenbach implements project management systems for contracting companies at GoFirst Consulting, and he uses AI to do it faster. He also hosts the Beyond the Bid podcast. So we asked him a…
S6 · E291 · 23 Sep 2026 · 59 min
291. How To Implement AI Without Losing Your Mind [For Contractors] - Tyler Folkman
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP291 Get a copy of our AI Guide For Contractors and learn the 4 highest leverage AI workflows for trades businesses: https://trybta.com/DL291 Tyler Folkman has been working in the AI space for nearly twenty years. You read that right. While most of us were just getting used to having a website, Tyler was working on next level technology. Today, he’s the Chief AI Officer at JobNimbus. He helps provide roofers with the tech they need to make operations quicker, easier and more profitable. Here’s why we wanted him on the…
S6 · E290 · 16 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 3 min
290. What Happens When You Sell To Private Equity? - Tyler Goodhue
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP290 Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL290 There's a lot of noise about selling to private equity in the trades right now. Some of you may even be considering this as your exit strategy. But how much do you REALLY understand what’s involved in arguably one of the biggest decisions of your life? Our guest today Tyler Goodhue has been involved in the acquisition of over 200 businesses, primarily in the trades, and he's here to discuss the part nobody talks about…
S6 · E289 · 9 Sep 2026 · 49 min
289. How To Dominate AI Search Results (For Home Services) - Phil Risher
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP289 Get a free contractor Lead Source Attribution template and example here: https://trybta.com/DL289 While contractors and construction business owners are busy scrambling to get our websites ready for AI search, Phil Risher is asking a much bigger question: Will your website even matter in 3 years? Phil is a digital marketing specialist who works exclusively with contractors. He's been watching in real time as AI search puts an end to everything we thought we knew about modern marketing. Traffic is dwindling. SEO is…
S6 · E288 · 2 Sep 2026 · 56 min
288. The REAL Impact Of AI in Construction [And How To Prepare] - DJ Carroll
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP288 When ChatGPT released in 2022, we all knew the start of a new era in tech was coming. But we couldn't possibly comprehend just how much our industry was about to change. Although robotics are a few years away from replacing field labor, pretty much every other area of a contracting business has been totally disrupted. Today, I've brought on DJ Carroll, a former contractor known for scaling home service companies through disciplined AI and automation, to share his opinions on where the industry is now, where it's…
S6 · E287 · 26 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 18 min
287. How To Run Projects Like a $34M Contractor - Caleb George, Scott Kelley, Jordan Coolidge
To get the Project Management resource bundle, click here: https://trybta.com/DL287 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP287 Caleb George produces $34M in projects with just three project managers. Scott Kelley’s team can run a million dollar project without asking him a single question. What do these two builders have in common? Exceptional project management systems. In this roundtable discussion, I sat down with Caleb George of Chris George Custom Homes, Scott Kelley of Evolution Design Build, and Jordan Coolidge from Buildertrend to break down the…
S6 · E286 · 19 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
286. $7M Playbook: Build A Profitable Landscaping Company - Riley Rivers
To learn more about becoming a Member, click here: https://trybta.com/EP286 Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL286 At just 30 years old, Riley Rivers owns a $7M dollar landscaping business, pulling in $120K in profit every month. Multiple divisions. Massive contracts. Complex operations. And he does it all in less than 40 hours a week. In this episode, I'm talking to Riley to find out how he built his company, including the key decisions he made as he scaled. If you're ready to step out of the day-to-day and become a real CEO,…
S6 · E285 · 12 Aug 2026 · 57 min
285. The Formula For Consistent Cash Flow In 7-Figure Contracting Businesses - Bob Gauvreau
Grab a copy of Bob's Top 10 Tax Tips For Self-Employed Contractors: https://trybta.com/DL285 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP285 Ever run out of money despite making millions of dollars? This is the situation Bob Gauvreau has seen hundreds of contractors fall into. Revenue is up, profit may even be up. But they run out of cash unexpectedly and when they get hit with an unexpected bill or expense… …they crumple. In today’s episode, Bob walks us through a foolproof system for managing your cash flow so financial stress becomes a thing of the past.…
S6 · E284 · 5 Aug 2026 · 43 min
284. How Hiring ONE PERSON Doubled This Contractor's Business - Joel Retherford
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP284 Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL284 Joel Retherford made an extra $1.6 MILLION in the first four months of this year. How? By hiring for one simple role. In today’s episode, I’m talking to Joel to understand: How hiring a project manager helped him produce an entire year’s worth of revenue, in 4 months The hiring process he used to find a rockstar capable of driving all that value And why so many contractors completely botch their project management, and…
S6 · E283 · 29 Jul 2026 · 50 min
283. How This Contractor Made $200K From Change Orders - Eric Olson
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP283 Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL283 Eric Olson found a way to squeeze an extra 200 thousand dollars of profit out of work he was already doing. His secret weapon? Change orders. In today’s episode, Eric is going to talk us through: - The exact strategy he used to 4X his profits on all change orders - Why getting this wrong can leave you with angry clients, a frustrated team and zero dollars in the bank - And how to get your team stoked about maximizing…
S6 · E282 · 22 Jul 2026 · 49 min
282. She Sold 600 Homes In A Year. Here's How $100M Contractors Scale. - Charlene Barrett
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP282 Ready to build smarter? Meet Breakthrough Academy at Build Show Live in San Antonio, Sept 10–12. Use code BTA26 for 25% off . Click the link to register: https://www.buildshowlive.com/ Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL282 Most contractors struggle to build four to ten homes a year. Today’s guest, Charlene Barrett sold six hundred. That's hundreds of millions in sales. Today we're going to go through: - What contractors get wrong about scaling from 1 to 10…
S6 · E281 · 15 Jul 2026 · 37 min
281. Systems (Literally) Saved This 8-Figure Spray Foam Business - Curt Janzen & Kevin Boschee
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP281 Ready to build smarter? Meet Breakthrough Academy at Build Show Live in San Antonio, Sept 10–12. Use code BTA26 for 25% off . Click the link to register: https://www.buildshowlive.com/ Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL281 When most contractors think about disaster planning, they picture insurance policies, backup equipment, and emergency contacts. But what if the real question is this: Would your team know what to do if you weren't there? BTA Members Curt…
S6 · E280 · 8 Jul 2026 · 57 min
280. Why Your Leadership Skills Are Killing Your Growth (And What to Do Instead) - Dr. J.J. Peterson
Ready to build smarter? Meet Breakthrough Academy at Build Show Live in San Antonio, Sept 10–12. Use code BTA26 for 25% off . Click the link to register: https://www.buildshowlive.com/ To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP280 Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL280 Most contractors become leaders by accident. You start a business because you're great at your trade. Then suddenly you're managing crews, handling conflict, giving feedback, and trying to keep good people from walking out the door. And…
S6 · E279 · 1 Jul 2026 · 58 min
279. The Only AI Guide You'll Ever Need As A Contractor - Rob Cupello
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP279 Download Rob’s AI Opportunity Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL279 AI is exposing everything that's broken in your contracting business… …before it fixes anything. Everyone's racing to adopt AI right now. But here's what nobody's saying: if your workflows are messy, AI doesn't clean them up. It accelerates the chaos. This episode is your filter; a practical, no-hype walkthrough of where AI for contractors actually fits, where it makes things worse, and how to know if your business is even ready. If you're running a…
S6 · E278 · 24 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 7 min
278. He Analyzed Over 4,000 Sales: Here’s What Kills Revenue - Ryan Fenn
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP278 Get a copy of Ryan’s Lead Follow Up Formula (The Revenue Engine) here: https://trybta.com/DL278 Most contractors assume the sale is dead after two ignored messages. The data says otherwise, and the money you're leaving on the table is staggering. Ryan Fenn, founder of CHIIRP, has analyzed massive volumes of real customer conversations to find out what actually gets replies, what kills deals, and what the best follow-up systems do differently. In this episode, we break it all down into the three elements that…
S6 · E277 · 17 Jun 2026 · 59 min
277. How To Plan And Structure Your SOPs To Delegate Literally Anything - Moustafa Moursy
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP277 Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL277 Your crew isn't lazy. Your processes are broken. In this episode of Contractor Evolution, process strategist Moustafa Moursy breaks down why most business systems collect dust, and introduces the OPTIMIZE Framework: a step-by-step method for building SOPs that your team actually uses, so you can stop running every decision through yourself. If you've ever written a process doc that nobody followed, this episode…
S6 · E276 · 10 Jun 2026 · 52 min
276. Micromanaging Is Costing You THOUSANDS - Matt Risinger
Register for Matt and Danny’s team accountability web class: https://trybta.com/DL276 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP276 If you're the only person on every jobsite who can catch a mistake, you don't have a team; you have a daycare. In this episode, Matt Risinger (from The Build Show) maps the exact path from babysitter to system-builder, so your business runs without you hovering over every decision. Most contractors don't even realize they're micromanaging. They just know they're exhausted, their PMs won't make a call without them, and…
S6 · E275 · 3 Jun 2026 · 1 hr
275. Stop Scrambling for Payroll: The 90-Day Cash Flow System for Contractors - Danny Kerr
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP275 Download your free Cash Flow Resource Bundle here: https://trybta.com/DL275 You're winning jobs, billing strong — and still sweating payroll every two weeks. Cash timing slips. Payroll doesn't. Here's how to fix it. In this episode, Danny Kerr breaks down the exact cash flow management system BTA has used with 1,900+ contractors to stop the financial panic and start projecting 90 days ahead, so you can make growth decisions with intention, not desperation. What you'll learn: The 5 cash flow killers quietly…
S6 · E274 · 27 May 2026 · 36 min
274. He Grew a Gutter Company to $6.5M Using This Mindset - Jason Alcott
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP274 We’re actively working with ~600 contractors, and a LOT of them are struggling — and it's not the economy. Breakthrough Academy coach Jason Alcott reveals the hidden mindset trap keeping contractors stuck, and the one framework that changes everything. Most contractors are measuring their success the wrong way. They're locked in "the gap,” constantly chasing an ideal that keeps moving, instead of looking back at how far they've actually come. In this episode, Jason Alcott (BTA coach and former contractor who…
S6 · E273 · 20 May 2026 · 54 min
273. He Worked 90 Hours In A Week. Here’s What Happened - Chris Bailey
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP273 Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL273 Have you ever pulled a 60-hour work week and felt like you got nothing done? Productivity researcher Chris Bailey ran a radical experiment—working 90 hours one week, 20 the next—just to see what would happen to his output. The results challenge everything contractors believe about grinding longer to get ahead. In this episode of Contractor Evolution, Chris Bailey (author of Intentional ) breaks down what his 90-hour vs…
S6 · E272 · 13 May 2026 · 57 min
272. Negotiating Contracts With AI Can Cost You Millions - Megan Shapiro
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP272 Grab a copy of Megan’s OWN Your Contracts QuickStart Guide: https://meganshapiro.kit.com/590f12c899 Check out Megan’s Negotiation Style Quiz: https://meganshapiro.kit.com/81045b49f1 If you’ve thought about using AI to make the process of drafting, reading, and negotiating contracts easier, you’re not alone. But according to today’s guest, relying on AI for your contracts could be a costly mistake. Because the reality is: AI is only as good as the knowledge of the user. In this week’s episode of Contractor…
S6 · E271 · 6 May 2026 · 47 min
271. How To Land $100K+ Projects Without Bidding Against Competitors - John Malanchuk
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP271 Get a copy of John’s slide deck here: https://trybta.com/DL271 If you’re relying on leads coming in… you’re already behind. In this episode, Breakthrough Academy Member John Malanchuk breaks down a proven approach to business development for contractors ; one that goes beyond marketing and sales, and focuses on building real relationships that generate consistent, high-value work. Drawing from nearly 20 years in the commercial painting space and five years in the Breakthrough Academy contractor coaching program,…
S6 · E270 · 29 Apr 2026 · 49 min
270. AI for Contractors: Eliminate Admin Bloat & Scale Faster - Mark Wong
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP270 What’s slowing down your contracting or construction business isn’t always obvious. In this episode of Contractor Evolution, Danny Kerr sits down with Mark Wong to break down the hidden inefficiencies that quietly drain profit, capacity, and momentum inside a growing company. From admin bloat and paperwork to wasted field time and poor workflows, this conversation dives into how smarter systems can improve construction management without adding more chaos. If you’ve been trying to grow but feel like your team is…
S6 · E269 · 22 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 6 min
269. Scale From $1M to $10M (The Easy Way) - Cameron Herold
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP269 Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL269 Most contractors didn't start a business to be trapped inside of it. Cameron Herold, the operational mind behind 1-800-GOT-JUNK's explosive scale from $2M to $106M, reveals the exact blueprint to turn your contracting company from a daily grind into a sellable, scalable asset. In this episode of Contractor Evolution, Cameron breaks down why most contractors get stuck between $1M and $10M, what systems need to be in…
S6 · E268 · 15 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
268. Open the Books, Change the Game: Ellen Rohr's Accountability Blueprint
Download a copy of Ellen's Weekly Financial Quick Check Templates here: https://trybta.com/DL268-2 Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL268 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP268 What if the fastest way to build an accountable team was to show them the numbers you've been hiding? Ellen Rohr (Zoom Drain, Business Uncomplicated) has helped hundreds of contractors implement open book management — and the results are transformational. In this episode, she breaks down exactly how to share your…
S6 · E267 · 8 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 27 min
267. How To Hire When No One’s Applying (Builder Roundtable) - Matt Risinger, Jacob Toler, Matt Balfe
To get your free Hiring Resource Bundle, click here: https://trybta.com/DL267 To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP267 Most contractors post a job ad, get zero qualified applicants, and wonder why they can't find good people. The problem isn't the labor market — it's your hiring system. In this roundtable, Matt Risinger (founder of The Build Show Network), Jacob Toler ($2.8M contractor running a 35% gross profit), and BTA coach Matt Balfe break down exactly how top contractors recruit, hire, and retain A-players — even when no one's applying. In this…
S6 · E266 · 1 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 8 min
266. How to Run a Contracting Business With Your Spouse (Without Killing Each Other) - Caleb Auman
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP266 Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL266 Can you actually run a contracting business with your spouse … …and still like each other at the end of the day? Caleb Auman (host of the Kid Contractor Podcast) and his wife Brittany have been through bankruptcy, business failure, and the kind of fights that almost ended everything. In this episode, they share the hard-won rules for how they rebuilt — together — and turned their marriage into their biggest competitive…
S6 · E265 · 25 Mar 2026 · 45 min
265. How To Get Crews To Track Their Time (Without Babysitting) - Derrik Shakespear
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP265 Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL265 Your biggest expense is labor. If you aren’t tracking it accurately, your job costing is a lie. In this episode, Derrik Shakespear (CRO of AlignOps) reveals why most contractors bleed profit through inaccurate time tracking—and how to fix it without micromanaging your crew. If you’re still using paper timesheets or trusting the "honor system," you’re likely losing thousands in unbilled hours and slip-ups every single…

About Contractor Evolution

Contractor Evolution is a English business podcast from Breakthrough Academy. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Breakthrough Academy
Language: English
Category: Business
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 57 min
Latest episode: 14 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1541384174

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