Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors: Recent Episodes
Estimate Rocket
The Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors podcast brings you off-the-cuff conversations from business growth and tech experts to help you grow your trade business. Whether you just started your own business or are a veteran with an expanding team, this show will keep bringing you useful ideas, interviews, tools, and tips each week to help you grow.
Today’s guest is a trusted voice in the painting industry and a true educator at heart. Mike Kremsreiter, founder of Home Painting Advice, has spent over 25 years helping homeowners and contractors elevate their craft through practical knowledge, honest insights, and real-world experience.
From running a successful residential painting business to building one of the fastest-growing online resources for DIYers and professionals alike, Mike has mastered the art of bridging hands-on expertise with digital education. His approachable style and deep technical know-how have helped thousands of homeowners avoid costly mistakes and empowered new contractors to grow with confidence.
If you’ve ever wondered how to balance craftsmanship with content creation—or how to turn years of trade experience into lasting impact—this episode is for you.
In this conversation, we dive into Mike’s journey from the job site to the digital stage. He shares:
- The story behind Home Painting Advice and how it grew into a trusted online brand
- The most common mistakes homeowners make (and how to avoid them)
- Why communication and transparency are game changers for contractors
- The truth behind “one-coat coverage” paints and other industry myths
- How to educate, connect, and grow your audience through authentic content
Whether you’re a painting contractor, DIY enthusiast, or business owner looking to modernize your approach, this episode delivers inspiration and actionable advice straight from one of the industry’s most genuine voices.
Contact Mike Kremsreiter:
Email: mike@homepaintingadvice.com
Phone: (720) 295-4950
Website: homepaintingadvice.com
YouTube: @HomePaintingAdvice
Instagram: @homepaintingadvice
X : @homepaintadvice
Watch, or read the full podcast here:
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZQAEW7nquY
Transcript: https://www.estimaterocket.com/whats_new/bridging-hands-on-experience-and-digital-education-with-mike-kremsreiter
🚀 Connect with us:
Official Website: https://www.estimaterocket.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/estimaterocket/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/estimate.rocket
X: https://x.com/estimaterocket
About Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors:
The Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors podcast brings you off-the-cuff conversations from business growth and tech experts to help you grow your trade business. Whether you just started your own business or are a veteran with an expanding team, this show will keep bringing you useful ideas, interviews, tools, and tips to help you grow.
About Estimate Rocket:
Estimate Rocket is an all-in-one software platform built for contractors and service businesses to streamline their workflow from estimate to payment. With tools for estimating, scheduling, invoicing, reporting, and client communication, Estimate Rocket helps teams stay organized, profitable, and professional. Whether you’re managing field crews, tracking sales, or monitoring profitability, Estimate Rocket gives you the clarity and control you need to grow your business with confidence.
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In this episode of Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors, Kathy and Tom sit down with Ron Nezat, a seasoned entrepreneur who transformed his hands-on start in decorative concrete into a thriving multi-business empire.
Ron shares how his journey began with a simple home project and evolved into a network of successful ventures — including his dealership with CTI, Decorative Concrete Engine, and his coaching programs for contractors. He dives deep into what it takes to grow fast in a competitive market: starting marketing early, understanding client needs, and leveraging technology like Estimate Rocket to streamline operations and boost profits.
Listeners will hear candid insights about balancing family, business, and faith, plus real-world lessons on salesmanship, accountability, and sustainable growth. Whether you’re a trade contractor, small business owner, or just love a good success story, this episode is full of takeaways you can apply today.
🎥 Watch The Podcast Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjVviu8NvM0
📖 Read The Podcast Transcript: https://www.estimaterocket.com/whats_new/concrete-growth-turning-challenges-into-business-wins-with-ron-nezat
🚀 Connect with us:
🌐 Official Website: https://www.estimaterocket.com
👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/estimaterocket/
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstimateRocket
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/estimate.rocket
About Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors:
The Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors podcast brings you off-the-cuff conversations from business growth and tech experts to help you grow your trade business. Whether you just started your own business or are a veteran with an expanding team, this show will keep bringing you useful ideas, interviews, tools, and tips to help you grow.
About Estimate Rocket:
Estimate Rocket is an all-in-one software platform built for contractors and service businesses to streamline their workflow from estimate to payment. With tools for estimating, scheduling, invoicing, reporting, and client communication, Estimate Rocket helps teams stay organized, profitable, and professional. Whether you’re managing field crews, tracking sales, or monitoring profitability, Estimate Rocket gives you the clarity and control you need to grow your business with confidence.
In this episode of Rocket Your Business For Trade Contractors, we welcome David Jenyns, founder and CEO at SYSTEMology.com, author of Systemology and The Systems Champion. David has helped countless business owners build scalable systems that free them from key-person dependency and allow their businesses to grow sustainably.
Our guest shares why the systems champion is often the unsung hero in business growth, what qualities make someone a great fit for the role, and the most common mistakes companies make when assigning it. David also provides practical strategies for leaders to support their systems champion, avoid hidden bottlenecks, and ensure processes become repeatable and transferable across the entire organization.
Whether you’re just beginning to systemize your business or are scaling rapidly and looking for sustainable ways to grow, this episode is packed with insights to help you free up time, reduce risk, and unlock the next level of performance.
🎥 Video: https://youtu.be/pjZ8TftTamk
📖 Transcript: https://www.estimaterocket.com/whats_new/from-chaos-to-clarity-how-systems-champions-drive-growth
🚀 Connect with us:
🌐 Official Website: https://www.estimaterocket.com
👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/estimaterocket/
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstimateRocket
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/estimate.rocket
About Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors:
The Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors podcast brings you off-the-cuff conversations from business growth and tech experts to help you grow your trade business. Whether you just started your own business or are a veteran with an expanding team, this show will keep bringing you useful ideas, interviews, tools, and tips to help you grow.
About Estimate Rocket:
Estimate Rocket is an all-in-one software platform built for contractors and service businesses to streamline their workflow from estimate to payment. With tools for estimating, scheduling, invoicing, reporting, and client communication, Estimate Rocket helps teams stay organized, profitable, and professional. Whether you’re managing field crews, tracking sales, or monitoring profitability, Estimate Rocket gives you the clarity and control you need to grow your business with confidence.
In this episode of Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors, we sit down with Juan Vasquez, founder of Illusions Painting and board member of the Painting Contractors Association (PCA). Juan shares his inspiring journey from immigrant painter to industry leader, highlighting how his bicultural background and commitment to education are helping to elevate the Hispanic contractor community.
Juan opens up about the challenges he faced launching his business, the lessons he learned from PCA, and how he’s now using that experience to mentor others through outreach initiatives and leadership roles. He discusses the value of business education, the power of collaboration, and the growing need for resources tailored to Spanish-speaking professionals.
Whether you're a new entrepreneur or a seasoned contractor looking to scale, this episode is packed with insights on leadership, growth, and giving back to your community.
🚀 Connect with us:
🌐 Official Website: https://www.estimaterocket.com
👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/estimaterocket/
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstimateRocket
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/estimate.rocket
About Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors:
The Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors podcast brings you off-the-cuff conversations from business growth and tech experts to help you grow your trade business. Whether you just started your own business or are a veteran with an expanding team, this show will keep bringing you useful ideas, interviews, tools, and tips to help you grow.
About Estimate Rocket:
Estimate Rocket is an all-in-one software platform built for contractors and service businesses to streamline their workflow from estimate to payment. With tools for estimating, scheduling, invoicing, reporting, and client communication, Estimate Rocket helps teams stay organized, profitable, and professional. Whether you’re managing field crews, tracking sales, or monitoring profitability, Estimate Rocket gives you the clarity and control you need to grow your business with confidence.
In this episode, we sit down with Alexander Donev to explore how service contractors can use social media to strengthen their brand and attract more customers. Alex, a marketing and design professional as well as a new dad, shares practical advice on building a strong online presence without feeling overwhelmed.
He explains how to choose the right platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn, and why before-and-after photos, client testimonials, and project highlights can be some of the most powerful content for showcasing your work. Alex also covers the importance of a simple content calendar, the value of consistency over quantity, and how engagement and Google reviews can dramatically improve your online reputation. You’ll also hear about common pitfalls to avoid, the benefits of outsourcing social media management, and the key performance indicators that truly matter when measuring success.
This episode is full of practical steps to help contractors connect with their audience, build trust, and use social media as a tool for long-term brand growth.
🚀 Connect with us:
🌐 Official Website: https://www.estimaterocket.com
👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/estimaterocket/
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstimateRocket
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/estimate.rocket
About Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors:
The Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors podcast brings you off-the-cuff conversations from business growth and tech experts to help you grow your trade business. Whether you just started your own business or are a veteran with an expanding team, this show will keep bringing you useful ideas, interviews, tools, and tips to help you grow.
About Estimate Rocket:
Estimate Rocket is an all-in-one software platform built for contractors and service businesses to streamline their workflow from estimate to payment. With tools for estimating, scheduling, invoicing, reporting, and client communication, Estimate Rocket helps teams stay organized, profitable, and professional. Whether you’re managing field crews, tracking sales, or monitoring profitability, Estimate Rocket gives you the clarity and control you need to grow your business with confidence.
In this episode of Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors, we dive into the power of professional online presence and effective marketing strategies with Alexander Donev of Firemind Studios. Alex, a creative marketing expert with years of experience, has helped contractors and service businesses transform their brands, boost their customer engagement, and drive impressive business growth.
Our guest shares his success story of working with a local painting company to increase their online leads from $200,000 in 2019 to over $900,000 in 2020. He explains the importance of building a strong digital presence through modern web design, compelling visual content, and consistent social media engagement. Alex also offers practical tips on leveraging tools like Google reviews, social media, and simple website builders for smaller businesses.
Whether you're just starting out or want to refine your marketing efforts, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you build credibility, stand out in a crowded market, and ultimately grow your business.
In this episode of Rocket Your Business For Trade Contractors, we explore the essential strategies that help contractors grow their businesses with Mike Gore Hickman. Our guest shares his journey from running a successful painting company to building a business that helps contractors streamline their operations, improve their sales processes, and generate consistent leads. He discusses the importance of building strong business fundamentals before diving into marketing, and how understanding the difference between sales and marketing is crucial for long-term success. Whether you're new to the trade or looking to scale, this episode offers valuable insights and practical advice for growing your business effectively.
🚀 Connect with us:
🌐 Official Website: https://www.estimaterocket.com
👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/estimaterocket/
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstimateRocket
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/estimate.rocket
About Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors:
The Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors podcast brings you off-the-cuff conversations from business growth and tech experts to help you grow your trade business. Whether you just started your own business or are a veteran with an expanding team, this show will keep bringing you useful ideas, interviews, tools, and tips to help you grow.
About Estimate Rocket:
Estimate Rocket is an all-in-one software platform built for contractors and service businesses to streamline their workflow from estimate to payment. With tools for estimating, scheduling, invoicing, reporting, and client communication, Estimate Rocket helps teams stay organized, profitable, and professional. Whether you’re managing field crews, tracking sales, or monitoring profitability, Estimate Rocket gives you the clarity and control you need to grow your business with confidence.
In this episode of Rocket Your Business For Trade Contractors, we're thrilled to welcome Luke Hansen, the founder of CompanyCam, joins us to discuss the intersection of technology and team communication, focusing on the role of AI in simplifying workflows for contractors. Luke shares insights on the exciting AI developments happening at CompanyCam, including how voice interaction and visual documentation are reshaping how field teams operate. We explore the challenges of tech integration, the future of AR and smart glasses, and how technology can save time, reduce errors, and ultimately drive business growth. Tune in for a fun, thought-provoking conversation on the future of tech in the construction industry, with plenty of laughs and ideas to take away!
In this episode of Rocket Your Business For Trade Contractors, we're thrilled to welcome David, the founder of Protiv, a software company revolutionizing the construction industry. David shares his journey from contractor to tech entrepreneur, developing a platform that helps contractors incentivize their hourly workers to increase productivity while maintaining high-quality standards. Learn how Protiv’s boosts profits by aligning team performance with financial rewards, creating a win-win environment for both owners and employees. Discover how this innovative tool helps foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, and improved company efficiency. Tune in for practical insights on managing labor, motivating teams, and scaling business operations with ease. Whether you're a service contractor or a software entrepreneur, this episode is packed with valuable lessons on driving growth and success in your business.
In this episode of Rocket Your Business For Trade Contractors, we welcome Will Sublett, a geoengineer at HMI, a company specializing in concrete lifting and ground improvement. Celebrating 50 years in business, HMI is renowned for its commitment to customer education and long-term support. The conversation highlights HMI's dedication to advancing technologies, including new polyurethane products for ground stabilization and innovative concrete lifting techniques. Will shares insights into his role, HMI’s customer support, and the company’s philosophy of continuous improvement and training, aligning with Estimate Rocket's values.
In this episode of Rocket Your Business For Trade Contractors, we welcome Brandon Lewis, founder of the Academy for Professional Painters and Contractors and publisher of Painters Weekly, to discuss the vital importance of production rates, charge rates, and pricing. Gain insights from Brandon's extensive experience in coaching service contractors to success. Whether you’re a solopreneur or leading a large team, this podcast offers valuable strategies to improve your business efficiency and profitability. Tune in for actionable advice and start rocketing your business today!
In this episode of Rocket Your Business For Trade Contractors, join us as we explore the entrepreneurial journey with Jason Paris, the brain behind Paris Painting and Partnership Developer at Aleph Holdings. Delving into the crucial aspects of growing a painting business, Jason shares invaluable insights on profit reinvestment, strategic decision-making for business expansion, schedule management during peak seasons, and the power of strategic partnerships. This conversation is packed with actionable advice and seasoned wisdom for trade contractors aiming to elevate their business, making it a must-listen for anyone looking to thrive in the competitive contracting landscape.
Our apologies, this was a duplicate upload. Check out our latest episode with Jason Paris. On this episode of Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors we are joined by Daniel Honan of Bookkeeping For Painters about being prepared for the taxman, managing overhead, pricing, pricing, pricing and finally profitability. Learn how not to get surprised by the taxman and rock solid advice on Pricing for profits.
Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/ccosJ0zhazo
On this episode of Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors we are joined by Will Reyes of Battleborn Painting to talk about adding services to your company's repertoire of offerings. Learning what services will be profitable and aligned with your core skills is essential when considering adding something new on the menu for your customers. Will discusses how he added roofing coatings, gutters, and other services to his painting company, and he shares lessons he learned along the way to save you the pain of misaligned services and misdirected efforts.
On this episode of Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors we are joined by Brandon Pierpont of Painter Marketing Pros to talk about how trades businesses often go off track in their marketing, spending large amounts of money but getting very little in return. Brandon discusses simple steps businesses can take to get marketing back on track and pointed in the right direction. There is no easy button in marketing, but there are processes that can help ensure you're not spending your budget on empty promises.
Learn more about Painter Marketing Pros here.
On this episode of Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors we are joined by the Customer Success lead at Estimate Rocket, Fred Kulik, who talks with us about the kind of investment that training ought to be in every company. It takes time, money, and intention to carve out time for the proper amount of training in a company, but that investment multiplies the efficiency and profitability of teams. If this is true, why don't more companies spend more time bringing their team members up to speed on methods and technology? We chat about the reasons many companies lose sight of the importance and power of proper training, and we discuss ways to get back on track!
Click here to learn more about Estimate Rocket's User Conference: Accelerated Team Training!
On this episode of Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors we are joined by Jim McBrayer of McBrayer and Associates to discuss strategies for keeping the winter backlog full and flowing! We discuss ways to creatively plan for slow seasons, and we spend time analyzing sales processes that keep people engaged. "VBR" is a term you should know by the end of this podcast so you can get more business and keep solving customers' problems no matter what time of the year it is.
On this episode of Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors, Tom Droste of Estimate Rocket share a presentation in two parts on the fundamentals of proper estimating that every trade contractor should understand to stay efficient and profitable. In this part 2 of the presentation, Tom discusses sales strategies, pricing models, production rates, best practices, and more. This is part 2 of a 2-part series. If you haven't listened to part 1, you might want to go back an episode and get caught up!
Check out the full video here.
Get the Estimating Best Practices Checklist here.
Get the What If Planning Tool here.
On this episode of Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors, Tom Droste of Estimate Rocket share a presentation in two parts on the fundamentals of proper estimating that every trade contractor should understand to stay efficient and profitable. Tom discusses production rates, accurate measurements, labor and material tracking, job costing, pricing, training new estimators, software applications, and more. This is part 1 of a 2-part series.
Check out the full video here.
Get the Estimating Best Practices Checklist here.
Get the What If Planning Tool here.
On this episode of Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors, Corwin Smith of Culture To Cash joins us to talk about why business leaders find delegating so difficult, and why efforts to start delegating often wind up ineffective. If you can't let go of what you're not good at and learn to delegate, you inevitably limit your team's growth, and frustration will negatively impact bottom line revenue and company culture. Corwin discusses barriers to understanding the need for delegation, and practical ways leadership can start developing criteria to rate their readiness to delegate specific tasks to qualified employees.
Learn more about Culture To Cash!
On this episode of Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors, we are joined by Nick May of Walls By Design and Stacia Newton of Paper Moon Painting. Nick and Stacia are champion sales and job management process creators and we discuss pro tips that empower efficiency and profitability in business, covering topics like client communication, sales funnels, work order distribution, virtual assistants, team coordination, sales seasonality...and more!
Nick and Stacia will both be presenting at the Accelerated Team Training Conference for Estimate Rocket software users on January 18-19. Register here.
Also, check out the link for Virtual Assistants Nick May referred to in the podcast.
On this episode of Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors, we re-share a conversation by Nick Slavik, host of Ask A Painter LIVE, and Tom Droste, Founder/CEO of Estimate Rocket. Nick and Tom's conversation originally aired on Ask A Painter LIVE and they covered topics ranging from job management technology and future economic challenges, to sales process, customer service, and more. These two big brains sift through some of the hottest subjects being discussed in contractor circles, and they offer their perspective on how trade contractors can continue to improve efficiency and increase profitability in any economic environment.
You can find Ask A Painter on Facebook and Instagram every week!
On this episode of Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors we chat with Tony Margani from Nubilis about the ability of trade contractors to innovate within their company while simultaneously elevating their trade with products and services that make the world a better place. Not everyone is able to create world-changing products while staying profitable in their business, but Tony suggests that passion for one's trade will lead to the discovery of adjacent passions and opportunities that allows one to expand into new interests that could have a more global impact. The product Tony's team created connects innovation to sustainability through controlling Tio2 by using 66% less Tio2 than traditional products. We chat about the progress Tony and his team has made in paint chemistry that pairs efficiency with eco-friendliness, and we discuss the bandwidth needed to balance innovation and elevation.
See Tony's article in the December issue of In Paint magazine!
Learn more about Nubilis here.
On this episode of Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors we are joined by Logan Shinholser of the Contractor Growth Network to talk about what trade businesses can do to build a more cohesive and compelling marketing plan. Many companies want to jump straight to the "attraction" phase of marketing strategy, but Logan discusses reasons why service quality and powerful branding form the foundation for any successful marketing strategy. Getting the Be-Look-Attract sequence out-of-order can have disastrous consequences for your company and can waste a LOT of time and money. Learn how to give the right attention to the right phase of marketing and you'll super-charge your strategy!
Learn more about the Contractor Growth Network here!
On this episode of Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors, David Lord from Nexa joins us to talk about how phone calls can be the most important step--and the first!--to a positive customer experience. We talk about why some businesses don't value call services, how affordable call companies have become, and how call services can help a company improve customer reviews. Every company learning to capture leads and create raving fans from the first interaction needs to listen and take notes!
Learn more about Nexa call services at www.nexa.com
On this episode of Rocket Your Business, Nick Slavik from Ask A Painter joins us to talk about the types of project and performance reviews that reveal trends and improvement opportunities. Every project review is inevitably impacted by employee performance, and Nick talks about how his company, Nick Slavik Painting and Restoration, schedules project performance AND personell performance reviews. We also talk about the 'above-the-line' and 'below-the-line' method of identifying work attitudes that impact performance and team culture.
Check out Nick's Ask A Painter show!
We are celebrating the launch of our new podcast name and logo, Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors! New name, same great business growth education!
On this episode of Rocket Your Business we are joined by Splash from Blue Collar Tribe to talk about how businesses can scale without alienating their employees, dipping in customer service, or losing profit margin. Complexity is a great thing, but when it gets complicated it's time for leadership to decide to slow down hyper-expansion or...the dreaded idea...scale down.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio--soon to be Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors!--Tom Droste, CEO/Founder of Estimate Rocket, joins us to talk about the importance of professional phone answering services. How your company answers the phone--or doesn't!--can reveal a lot about your sales process efficiency and growth potential. This seemingly small part of sales and customer service is the foundation for everything that happens after that first call. Learn how other companies are planning their call answering to remain efficient AND effective.
Download the free What If planning tool here!
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio (soon to be rebranded as Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors!) we are joined by Nick May of Walls By Design to talk about industry influence on every trade contractor to scale their business at all costs. But is this the right way to grow your company? Nick discusses ways business owners can target new growth without sacrificing the integrity of positive team culture, healthy profit margins, or ....time! Don't grow your business into a time and money prison. Keep your customers happy and grow sustainably without sacrificing quality by focus on the right criteria.
Use this checklist to assess your level of project success and customer satisfaction!
Did you start the project on time?
Was the project completed without the owner being on-site painting?
Was the project completed without any problems?
Did the project end when you expected it in the hours that you expected it?
Did you receive a sign off on the project before your team left?
Did your customer hear about you from a referral?
Did you get paid at the end of the project the same day you finished?
Did you get a five-star review on Google?
Did you do job costing?
Did you achieve 50% gross profit or better?
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Jason Paris of Paris Painting and Aleph Holdings joins us to talk about business growth and leveraging leadership skills to realize new expansion. Trade businesses can experience accelerated change in the current economy, and long-range goals that used to take 10 years to actualize can now often be reached in 5 years! We discuss why some business leaders bump their heads on skill ceilings where further growth requires new specialists with new skills. Being a generalist is great for starting a company, but it can be an impediment if specialists aren't brought it to advance the systems. You can't do everything on your own, but you can build the right team who can do everything you need to reach your goals!
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Scott Lollar of Consulting 4 Contractors talks with us about how businesses can start taking on more commercial work to get bigger projects and to even out the peaks and valleys of cash flow. Thinking about getting into commercial but you're not sure of the steps you need to take to get your feet wet? Scott is a guide to the world of commercial for contractors in any growth stage.
Check out this free self-assessment that will help you gauge your company's readiness to break into commercial work!
Learn more about Consulting 4 Contractors.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio (soon to be Rocket Your Business for Trade Contractors!), we are joined by the CEO and Founder of Estimate Rocket, Tom Droste who shares ways a sign-on-the-spot option can help sales people close more sales. This may not be an option for every business, but if your company has the tools and opportunity for sign-on-the-spot offering, you'll want to explore it's application in your sales process. Tom discusses tools that power this option, as well as sales techniques that go hand-in-hand with the ability to close deals fast.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, David Reed from Sales Transformation Group (STG) joins us to talk about the systems that the best professionals use to generate more leads and to train their team on sales processes that close more deals. We discuss generate more qualified leads, challenges contractors face the sales process, standards leaders need to set for their organization, and metrics owners/leaders be training on.
Estimate Rocket is sponsoring the Transform Conference coming up soon, and we'd love to see you there! Learn more here.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we talk with Zach Kenney of ZK Painting to talk about how he hired an Operations Director at his company so he could get out of the business and work ON the business as the president. We discuss how business owners can know when it's the right time to hand operations over to someone else, and methods to hire and train that speed up the stabilizing process that soon follows. Zach reveals the ONE THING that contractors can do to help get your business to the next level of strategic growth.
Learn more about ZK Finishing School!
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Tom Droste joins us to discuss how company team meetings can be structure in a way that supports great accountability without killing motivation. Are your team meetings viewed by your team as helpful, efficient, and empowering? It may take some time to get there, but your meetings can positively define your company culture! We chat about meeting type, meeting frequency, content, follow-ups, and more.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we are joined by Ryan Groth of Sales Transformation Group (STG) to talk about hiring and training sales teams. We discuss the type of company culture that is designed to attract and retain the best sales people, and incentives that keep everyone achieving their best and staying sharp.
We are excited to be a part of STG's Transform Conference in September. We'd love to see you there. Check it out here!
On this episode of Estimate Rocket radio we talk with Brandon Lewis of The Painters Academy about what contractors should be doing during challenging economic times that will not only save their business, but also bring them profitable growth. Hint: it does NOT involve lowering your prices! Brandon gives tips on how to find more leads, how to close more leads, how to make those leads more profitable, and most importantly...how to nurture the leads and clients you already have! If you want better business, Brandon Lewis can show you the way!
Learn more about The Painters Academy and the soon to be announced Painting Profit Summit at paintersacademy.com.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we are joined by Tom Reber and Neil Kristianson of The Contractor Fight to discuss how contractors in any trade can break through the barriers of making $5MM in revenue. We learn that the questions of "how can I get to $5MM" is often premature and could even be destructive if your business has not mastered the basics and become truly profitable already. We discuss ways that contractors can safely plan to scale their business by increasing net profit, improving customer service, building up high-performing teams, and doing less of the wrong things while doing more of the right things.
Learn more about The Contractor Fight and the Mile High Profit Summit. We'd love to see you there!
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Tom Droste--CEO of Estimate Rocket--joins us to talk about that stage in the life of a business that everyone dreads: The Slog. Every business journey reaches plateaus that are long and tiring to cross. These are times when growth is slow, work is tedious, and company goals still seem miles away even after big team pushes. What should businesses be doing to navigate these slogs and how can leaders keep their teams motivated? Tom's answer: paddle! Good planning can help avoid prolonged struggle, but there are keys to helping everyone stay positive while progress is continually made...one step at a time!
Estimate Rocket is celebrating 100 podcasts! For June, we're replaying some of our top episodes from the last 100...in case you missed them.
Here's #4.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we talk with the always thought-provoking Brandon Lewis of the Painters Academy. Brandon helps his clients build sales and marketing systems that plug in the right numbers to set the right goals in planning. He doesn't pull any punches when he exposes weak strategies that cause contractors to waste their time! Brandon always shoots straight with people about the kind of consistency, hard work, and simple calculations that can set their business on the right track and get the kind of results that make business worthwhile. It's also a plus that he helps his clients understand the value of using a sales enablement system like Estimate Rocket to execute on big yearly goals in sales and profit planning.
Learn more about The Academy for Professional Painting Contractors at https://www.paintersacademy.com/.
Estimate Rocket is celebrating 100 podcasts! For June, we're replaying some of our top episodes from the last 100...in case you missed them.
Here's #3.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we talk with Mike Stanley and Aaron Moore about the state of Commercial Painting and how commercial contractors are pushing the industry forward. Mike and Aaron discuss barriers to entering into commercial work, opportunities for contractors crossing over from the residential sector, and new growth potential in the current economic landscape.
The CPIA Leadership Conference is almost here! If you're a commercial contractor you'll want to register asap. Estimate Rocket will be one of the proud sponsors of the event! To learn more visit TheCPIA.com
Estimate Rocket is celebrating 100 podcasts! For June, we're replaying some of our top episodes from the last 100...in case you missed them.
Here's #2.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we are joined by Torlando "The Economist" Hakes and we discuss a point system that he developed to help contractors estimate accurately and quickly without waste. Torlando makes the case that too often contractors are charging by labor hours which signal to the customer the value of the project is in the time and work of painters instead of in the final product of a wonderful, beautiful home. Learn to sell wonder over work!
Learn more about Torlando and get his point system here!
Estimate Rocket is celebrating 100 podcasts! For June, we're replaying some of our top episodes from the last 100...in case you missed them.
Here's #1.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Nick Slavik of Ask A Painter and Nick Slavik Painting and Restoration joins us to talk about new revelations about estimating and job costing that can help launch contractors into next-level growth. Owners and estimators are in need of quick and easy estimating that makes for a super-simple process for both customer and contractor that correctly assesses work, plans profitable margins, and delivers high quality. Nick discusses new methods that can help get business owners out of the dreaded 96% of businesses that never get past $1M in revenue and have less than 10 employees.
Find Ask A Painter at facebook.com/askapainter
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we are joined by Fred Kulik, the head of Customer Success at ER, to talk about technology changes that every company must navigate, and best practices for fast team adoption and adaptation. As AI moves in to almost every sphere of business, it is becoming more and more imperative that teams learn to adopt and adapt efficiently. A lot of time and money is wasted on not being prepared. We talk about the best ways to carve out time and prepare for upcoming Change with minimal fear and stress. Becoming a smart, tech-powered company is the only way to stay ahead of the competition and to stay on the evolving edge of operational efficiency.
Celebrate 100 episodes of Estimate Rocket Radio with us! On this episode we discuss insights gathered from 100 episodes of discussion on business management and growth. We look back on some of the most profound moments of podcasting and chat about the BIG FOUR themes that kept emerging: Backlog, Knowing Your Numbers, Managing Uncertainty, and Managing Chaos.
Let us know what you want to hear in the future! We're always open to suggestions for new guests.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we are joined by CEO and Founder of Estimate Rocket, Tom Droste, to talk about a subject every good contractor wrestles with at some stage in their business growth--advanced project management. With more money and more people come more problems, but problem-solving tools and processes should also evolve to balanced out complex project management. Knowing it's "okay to grow" is the confidence that your backlog, technology, communication, documentation, and reporting is right where it needs to be to tackle the next challenge and move into the future.
On this episdode of Estimate Rocket we are joined by Jim McBrayer of McBrayer and Associates to discuss the importance of backlog in business business. Jim says that backlog is the best predictor of the near future in profit and sales, and that backlog should be 70% of a company's annual volume! We chat about the differences between backlog and pipeline, and identify predictors that help you plan hiring and expansion more confidently into the future. Jim is an EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) expert and regularly helps business engineer more healthy backlogs with low risk and high return.
Learn more about Jim McBrayer and McBrayer and Associates at mcbrayerandassociates.com.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we talk with Tom Droste about the necessity of good communication and documentation in growing companies. Tom gives insight into a process that makes documentation easier and a daily activity that doesn't become a mountain of "task debt" to be accomplished at the end of weeks and months. The first step to good documentation is saving your communication! Learn about the tools available to help you improve.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, we talk with Manny Navarrete of Priority Painting Services about the mind-body connection that influences confidence, and can ultimately impact sales and management. New research in fat burning and weight loss may help contractors stay healthy, even for those on a very busy schedule that little time for the gym. We discuss ways business owners can increase their confidence in the sales process and personell management while improving health that ensures long-term energy and business success. Oh...and diets are off the table!
Notes to Obesity Code.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we are joined by Tom Droste, Founder and CEO of Estimate Rocket, to discuss the type of scheduling that doesn't cause neurological pain! How is it that scheduling is such a nightmare for contractors as they grow their business, and why does seem to haunt businesses at every new stage of growth? We chat about where scheduling actually starts in the life of a project, where it goes wrong, and a few keys to getting it right.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we are joined by Torlando "The Economist" Hakes and we discuss a point system that he developed to help contractors estimate accurately and quickly without waste. Torlando makes the case that too often contractors are charging by labor hours which signal to the customer the value of the project is in the time and work of painters instead of in the final product of a wonderful, beautiful home. Learn to sell wonder over work!
Learn more about Torlando and get his point system here!
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Nick Slavik of Ask A Painter and Nick Slavik Painting and Restoration joins us to talk about new revelations about estimating and job costing that can help launch contractors into next-level growth. Owners and estimators are in need of quick and easy estimating that makes for a super-simple process for both customer and contractor that correctly assesses work, plans profitable margins, and delivers high quality. Nick discusses new methods that can help get business owners out of the dreaded 96% of businesses that never get past $1M in revenue and have less than 10 employees.
Find Ask A Painter at facebook.com/askapainter
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we are joined by Tom Droste, founder and CEO of Estimate Rocket software, to discuss the benefits of to-do tasks and checklists for employees. Supervisors and employees have too much to keep in their heads at any given time, and the problem of retention is only amplified by complexity. Once details start slipping, projects run over in time or expenses, or suffer in quality of work. The chaos that mounts as a result of basic forgetfulness or lack of organization can overwhelm even the most competent production manager. So much chaos is master by simple lists.
Learn more about Estimate Rocket's new To-Do task lists in it's job management software!
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we are joined by Splash of The Blue Collar Tribe podcast to continue our series of talks about the type of leadership that is both empathetic AND effective for managing in the trades. The tightrope between "bud" and "boss" can often be difficult to walk, especially in light of popular leadership gurus that sometimes confuse niceness with goodness, but there is a way to treat your team like family while also holding people accountable to complete tasks and increase in skill level. Splash isn't here to "should" on you, but he does drop some truth bombs about leading with care and integrity that should become canon for effective management principles.
Find Splash and his podcast, Blue Collar Tribe Podcast, on any podcast app, or here.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, we are joined by Lacie and Austin Ilsley from Ai Painting Plus to talk about Team Training and Individual Improvement Plans that actually work. Lacie and Austin pride themselves in aligning their company goals to account for and include the individual goals of their employees--this is the only way to keep everyone moving in the same direction. We talk about performance reviews, individual improvement plans, and cognitive flow maps that help teams develop new skills together and form common goals to keep everyone on the same page.
Learn more about Nolan Consulting Group and Situational Leadership!
Check out the free Besting For Leaders and Besting For Teams.
In this second part of a two part episode series on Estimate Rocket Radio, we are joined by Tom Reber of The Contractor Fight to talk about the type of team communication that gets results. Tom says that the Mission of your company doesn't care how you feel, but managers do! If managers are to speak in a way that drives results, they need to show employees what's "in it for them" and they need to model the type of discipline they are requiring. Check out Part 1 to get caught up!
To get Tom's book for free, go to TheContractorFight.com
In this first part of a two part episode series on Estimate Rocket Radio, we are joined by Tom Reber of The Contractor Fight to talk about the type of team communication that gets results. Tom believes that everyone walks around with an invisible sign that reads, "Make me feel important." If managers are to speak in a way that drives results, they need to show employees what's "in it for them" and they need to model the type of discipline they are requiring. Part 2 will be posted next week!
To get Tom's book for free, go to TheContractorFight.com
On this episode of Estimate Rocket we are joined by Jeff Wraley of Groundwork to talk about a major pain-point of contractors that we don't talk enough about: pre-qualifying leads. Tire-kickers are the bane of every sales process, and reducing wasted time on dead-end leads can drastically increase your bottom line. Jeff talks with us about how a strong pre-qualification process can not only help bring in the right customers, but can also create a great foundation for more efficient project management and smooth customer relationships long after the sale.
Learn more about Groundwork at hellogroundwork.com
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio Jason Phillips of Phillips Home Improvements joins us to talk about Contractor Prison: how do contractors get in it, and how do contractors get out? Jason discusses the type of leadership development and team training that allows companies to create teams with systems that allow "average people to achieve extraordinary results." Jason is a trusted thought leader in the contractor community, and his ideas are starting to turn heads across industries and businesses grapple with the labor shortage and search for ways to create company culture that supercharges team effectiveness.
Learn more about Jason Phillips at jasonwphillips.bio
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Ryan Groth and Jamie Schmidt join us from STG—Sales Transformation Group—to talk about how sales teams develop and what they need to communicate effectively. A sales team needs sophisticated people that use sophisticated tools, and this is achieved when training is focused on developing right behaviors before the proper skills and tools. Ryan and Jamie talk about the type of coaching STG uses to create a culture of trust and growth for sales teams that often are missed in rapid business growth.
Learn more about STG at salestransformationgroup.com
Learn more about Estimate Rocket's new team communication tools here.
Join us for our annual recap of what is new and what's coming at Estimate Rocket! Learn about new power-up features, our evolving customer base, and resources available to help your team get better and your profits get bigger!
Check out the full Estimate Rocket Evolution webinar on Thursday, January 19, 2 pm ET. Bring your questions and learn what's new that you may have missed!
Register for Evolution here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8102684243069364055
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Doug Yeager of Wonderwall Painting joins us to talk about how he was able to build his team, delegate tasks, and walk away. We also dive into how owners can balance delegation with presence in the company so that training practices and systems increase, while micromanagement decreases. We also discuss logistics that help facilitate the trust that becomes the very foundation for delegation.
Learn more about Wonderwall Painting at https://www.wonderwallpaint.com/
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Corwin Smith of Transcend Growth joins us to talk about tools you can use to help hold your team accountable for big accomplishments in 2023. Metrics and KPIs don't have to be scary subjects, and teams can build a healthy sense of collaboration along with a little friendly competition while reaching towards lofty goals. With the right tools in place, team accountability can be a positive glimpse into where you are as a company, and what you need to improve to get to where we want to go...all in bite-sized pieces. Learn about how tools like Metronome can help simplify the already-complex problem of business management and performance reviews.
Learn about Transcend Growth.
Learn about Metronome.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we are joined by Brandon Lewis of the Academy of Professional Painting Contractors to talk about building the type of business that has the long term potential to sell. But here's the trick: you can only sell the business you love. When you are building a business that is worthy of a good ticket price at the end, it inevitably becomes the type of business that you don't always WANT to sell. Why? Because the only businesses that sell with a profit are those that can still make you money. The conflict of whether or not to sell has to be real if you are to expect any serious offers on the business. Whether you choose to sell or not, building to this 'conflict of choice' is the way to build a truly profitable business in any economy.
Learn more about Brandon Lewis and the Academy for Professional Painting Contractors here.
Learn more about joining Estimate Rocket at the Annual Painting Profits Summit here!
In this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Tom Droste--CEO of Estimate Rocket--joins us to talk about the fifth and final strategy in our series, Managing Uncertain Times: Forward-Thinking Teams. Relationships form the core of a good business, whether it's relationships to your customers, relationships with your team members, or even your relationship with your family--and no one is more impacted by your company, or invested in it, than your own family. Tom discusses how important it is for business leaders to develop teams that are forward-thinking and collaborative. Unsinkable teams make your business journey not only successful, but also meaningful; and these are the teams that you will be able to ask a lot from in a way that honors their ability and determination to achieve greatness along with the right leaders.
Check out the other 4 episodes in this series, Managing Uncertain Times.
Find the What If Planning Tool here.
In this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Tom Droste--CEO of Estimate Rocket--joins us to talk about the fourth strategy in managing uncertain times: building sustainable business practices. What are sustainable practices, how do you build them, and how do you know when your businesses is veering off-course? We discuss practical tips that help prepare businesses for changes in the economic landscape, as well as tactics for adaptation during tough times that keep their business in great shape for whatever comes next.
Stay tuned for the continuation of this limited series of episodes as we close out 2022 and line up more intelligent strategies for 2023.
In this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Tom Droste--CEO of Estimate Rocket--joins us to talk about the third strategy in managing uncertain times: cash flow. Healthy cash flow strategizes for both the present time and the future to make sure there is "blood in the body" in business finance. If the well dries up, business comes to a crashing halt; but with proper cash management techniques contractors can be flexible and endure a short-term wave of economic uncertainty without sacrificing future goals. We discuss practical tips that help prepare businesses for changes in the economic landscape, as well as tactics for adaptation during tough times that free up more cash in the short term.
Stay tuned for the continuation of this limited series of episodes as we close out 2022 and line up more intelligent strategies for 2023.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we sit down with Miljce Donev of First Choice Professional Painting and we talk about how to build a base of repeat customers that can account for up to 75% of a company's total revenue! We discuss how loyal customers are slowly developed by a company's consistent effort to build out the type of trust that is both competent and ethical.
If you want to contact Miljce, email him at: miljce@firstchoicepropainting.com
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Tom Droste joins us to talk about a free planning tool for contractors now available called, "What If: Fast Formulas for Profit Forecasting." We discuss why every business leader needs to have certain numbers available for fast-crunching to be able to run brief hypotheticals that impact your bottom line. You should be able to quickly ballpark when to hire, when to reduce or expand overhead, how far to schedule backlog, when to raise prices, etc. Don't wait for your accountant to sit you down before you can dream a little and get a glimpse of how present actions might impact future revenue!
Get the free planning tool for contractors here!
In this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Tom Droste--CEO of Estimate Rocket--joins us to talk about 3-Month Planning Cycles that business leaders and managers need to be executing during times of economic uncertainty. Strategy remains a priority during even periods of drastic change, although continued momentum is also imperative. Business owners must often rethink and reroute even as they travel towards their goals, and periodic planning sessions--spread about 3-months apart--are the perfect way to schedule with your team. We also talk about a free planning tool for contractors that helps them calculate the cumulative and time-based effects of revenue changes like price increases, hiring, and backlog planning on their bottom line.
Get the What IF planning tool mentioned in the podcast here!
Stay tuned for the continuation of this limited series of episodes as we close out 2022 and leverage intelligent growth strategies for 2023!
In this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Tom Droste--CEO of Estimate Rocket--joins us to talk about what business leaders and managers need to be thinking about during times of economic uncertainty. We start with the simple idea that although fear might trigger fight-or-flight in some people, good business leaders know how to delay their panic-reflexes, let the fear pass, and begin searching for the over-looked opportunities in the wake of crisis. We also talk about what a recession actually is and who it actually effects. It's not always what you hear on the news.
Stay tuned for the continuation of this limited series of episodes as we close out 2022 and start making intelligent strategies for 2023.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we are joined by Luke Hansen and Mike Knott from Company Cam. We discuss how service contractors and their teams can document projects from beginning to end with photo, video, and conversation tools that help produce and store reliable job progress reports that inform and protect both company and customer. Studies show that language-centers of our brains are adapting to an increasingly symbolic and visual culture that represents reality in complex imagery, and so our Business practices must also adapt to provide increasingly visual record-keeping, communications, and marketing. We chat with Mike and Luke about best practices that ensure your team is working with image tools at optimal capacity while making things easier at every step.
Learn more about Company Cam here!
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we talk with Mike Stanley and Aaron Moore about the state of Commercial Painting and how commercial contractors are pushing the industry forward. Mike and Aaron discuss barriers to entering into commercial work, opportunities for contractors crossing over from the residential sector, and new growth potential in the current economic landscape.
The CPIA Leadership Conference is almost here! If you're a commercial contractor you'll want to register asap. Estimate Rocket will be one of the proud sponsors of the event! To learn more visit TheCPIA.com
On this episode of Estimate Rocket we are joined by Ryan Groth of Sales Transformation Group and we talk about how to match your sales process to your business model. Business owners often attack the process itself first, but when business owners begin to understand how their sales philosophy is informed by their company's core values, they can better construct a sales process from beginning to end that matches their company vision. He's helped many teams analyze, train, transform, measure, and optimize their sales philosophy and process, and he shares some big ideas with us!
Estimate Rocket is going to the Transform Conference in the beginning of October! To learn more, visit thetransformconference.com
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Morgan Knox of Pro Painter Network joins us to talk about the type of effective teaching and training that works in trades companies. Making training stick is a challenge in every business worth solving because well-trained employees streamline processes, increase efficiency, reduce stress, and make more money! We discuss with Morgan the types of practices that teams should be employing to help team members learn better, and to make that learning stick.
Learn more about Crank On Fire.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, we talk with Nick Slavik of Nick Slavik Painting and Restoration and host of Ask A Painter Live, and Tom Droste, CEO of Estimate Rocket. Nick and Tom discusses different approaches and balances to the problem of when to schedule work versus when to hire. Revenue growth hangs on backlog, but too much backlog without enough production team members can lead to some hairy situations. Learn how industry experts articulate the nuances of hiring and scheduling, and tell how you resolve the paradox in your own company!
Check out the latest episode of Ask A Painter on Facebook when Tom Droste made an appearance and responded to audience questions about scheduling and hiring.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, we are joined by Tom Reber of the Contractor Fight for a brilliant part 2 of The Stories We Tell Ourselves! We chat with Tom about the kinds of stories business owners tell themselves that often give way to limiting beliefs and abortive projects. Tom reminds us that Thoughts become Beliefs, Beliefs become Actions, and Actions become Results. And results mean time with family, disciplined lifestyle, health, happiness, and...money. The slippery slope can work in your favor if you start with the right thoughts! If you haven't already, you need to listen to part one that was released previous to this episode!
Learn more about The Contractor Fight and the Mile High Profit Summit at thecontractorfight.com
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, we are joined by Tom Reber of the Contractor Fight! We chat with Tom about the kids of stories business owners tell themselves that often give way to limiting beliefs and abortive projects. Tom reminds us that Thoughts become Beliefs, Beliefs become Actions, and Actions become Results. And results mean time with family, disciplined lifestyle, health, happiness, and...money. The slippery slope can work in your favor if you start with the right thoughts! This is part one of a two part podcast series with Tom. Listen to part two when our next podcast releases in one week!
Learn more about The Contractor Fight and the Mile High Profit Summit at thecontractorfight.com
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, we are joined by the leadership team at Estimate Rocket: Tom Droste, Bevin Hernandez, and Fred Kulik. We talk about our most recent quarterly meeting at Estimate Rocket HQ in which we refined our 4 Core Values that power our company's mission to provide an excellent product to our customers: 1) Go the distance, 2) Enjoy the ride, 3) Clear is kind, and 4) We've got your back. What are your company core values and how did you create them? We'd love to hear!
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, we talk with the Customer Success Lead at Estimate Rocket about the kind of Field Supervisor that keeps companies streamlined, profitable, and a great place to work. Field supervisors, project managers, production managers, and operations managers all have the same basic concern at the heart of their job--getting people to the right place at the right time, and to work well together. The moving pieces of schedules and job sites often make the trickiest pieces of management--human behavior--complicated and stressful. With the right tools, keeping order and motivating people can ago more smoothly, and profitability can be increased. Do you have the type of field supervisors and the right tools that keep the front line workers as profitable and happy as possible? Learn the keys in this episode!
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, we chat with Tom Droste of Estimate Rocket and Corwin Smith of Transcend Growth about the dreaded "R" word: Recession. This is far from an alarmist prediction of economic trends, rather it is a discussion about what every business should already be doing to fortify itself against economic downturns and to construct a business that scales instead of stagnates. The topics covered range from employee management to securing credit, and the 6 things you should be doing can start right now!
On this episode of Estimate Rocket we are joined by Lisa Moon and Stacia Newton from Paper Moon Painting. Lisa and Stacia are recognized in the Estimate Rocket community and beyond for their creative marketing and communication strategies that win more business. They discuss with us their communication schedule and collateral design that provide a seamless, delightful experience for their customers from their proposal design to their highly structured and strategic follow-up campaigns. No opportunity is wasted as Paper Moon Painting reaches out to their customers frequently and with a strong focus on what the customer actually wants to see in their inbox, and it all translates to more sales and repeat business.
Visit us at Estimaterocket.com to try out the follow-up campaigns in Estimate Rocket!
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Tom Droste joins us to talk about his recent workshop, "What If: Fast Formulas for Profit Forecasting." Tom discusses why every business leader needs to have certain numbers available for fast-crunching to be able to run brief hypotheticals that impact your bottom line. You should be able to quickly ballpark when to hire, when to reduce or expand overhead, how far to schedule backlog, when to raise prices, etc. Don't wait for your accountant to sit you down before you can dream a little and get a glimpse of how present actions might impact future revenue!
Want to watch the free replay of the What If workshop and get a copy of the What If Calculator? View it here: https://www.paintsquare.com/webinars/view/?380
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we are joined by Nick May of Walls By Design in Denver, Colorado. Nick is a successful painting contractor, business educator, and host of the Pro Painter Podcast. Over the years Nick has watched new businesses come and go, and he has learned a couple things about the type of business owners that ultimately succeed: 1) they learn from pain, and 2) they build systems. Nick talks with us about how business owners can break the stress-to-stress cycle in business ownership, and he discusses how necessary it is to be able to get away from your business from time to time to course correct and actually enjoy what you earn.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Morgan Ray of MKV Consulting joins us to talk about determining the worth of your business and beefing up its market value in a changing economy. Morgan draws from her experience in accounting and business consulting to look into the future of the trades industries and help businesses owners see where their business value is headed given their current revenue size. We discuss mergers and acquisitions, finding good business coaches, and what you can do to make sure the business, into which you've invested your own blood, sweat, and tears, not only retains its current value, but becomes more profitable for you over time.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, we are joined by Estimate Rocket founder and CEO, Tom Droste. Tom talks with us about how to build the best kind of sales teams. From determining when you are ready for your first sales person, to training your team on the best process and tools to get their job done, there's a lot that can factor into making your sales team excel in generating leads and closing sales. Does your sales team know how to improve every year and set high, realistic goals they can attain? Help your sales team rival the best in the marketplace and solidify your company's position!
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we are joined by Torlando Hakes, Chief Marketing Officer at Folia and the host of the Painting Contractors Association's (PCA) Paint ED Podcast. We talk with Torlando about the competitive paradigm Match-Leap-Brand, in which competitors match each others product and services, leapfrog each other in the features race, and ultimately attempt to out-brand each other in making connections with customers in the marketplace. Torlando walks us through a couple solutions in this blind man's ditch that can help companies capture the "smallest viable audience" and grow from pond to pond as the big fish.
Find Torlando on the Paint ED podcast on any podcast app!
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Tom Droste joins us to talk about how strategically building a backlog of accepted work is the secret to hiring and growth. Backlog is sometimes viewed as a casualty of the failure to raise prices, or it is used to build padding into business finances and cash flow, but Tom offers a new unique of backlog that has largely remained unarticulated in much of business growth education. In this podcast, Tom makes very clear the very direct and proportional connection between backlog and hiring, growth, bank financing, and market valuation. Be watching for an upcoming workshop at Estimate Rocket on how to build profitable, strategic backlog!
On this episode of Estimate Rocket we are joined by Bard Caldwell of Caldwell Painting, and we discuss the type of mindset that gets your business to the millions. Bart explains how viewing crises as opportunities helped him develop business strategy that kept his company growing past expectations. He also helps us understand how technology can get companies past growth plateaus, how prioritizing employees over customers can create a 'trickle-down' customer care, and how social media marketing can "let people dream."
Check out Bart's "Drinks with the Boss" podcast on any podcast app!
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, our Customer Success lead, Fred Kulik, joins us to talk about what we are hearing from businesses about project management. We discuss the best times to hire project managers, tools every project manager needs, and time-saving, process solutions for project managers.
Learn more about how to become a stronger marketplace RIVAL along with other Estimate Rocket users here.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Jessica Galloway of Visionary Home Solutions joins us to talk about how she learned early on in her business that there is a very real and tiring "hamster wheel" of busy-ness that, once boarded, is very hard to exit safely. Learning how to get your head above water as a new business owner is difficult, but it is necessary if you want to feel in control of your life and if you want to profitably grow your business. Jessica explains how vulnerability was a key to connecting to a new community of leaders who, like her, were eager to make change and to help others along the way!
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Emily Howard from APC Magazine joins us to talk about how the painting industry is evolving and how contractors can continue to adapt and be profitable. It may be tempting as a business owner to fear economic changes that challenge their accustomed way of doing business, but Emily reminds us that staying ahead of change by implementing new technology and making future plans is the best way to maximize the power you already have to lead your company into the future. Don't wait for change....proactively plan for it!
Learn more about APC Magazine at https://www.paintmag.com.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we welcome the leadership team at Estimate Rocket and business coach at Transcend Growth, Corwin Smith, to discuss 90-day cycles for leadership priorities in a company. We talk about meeting rhythm and format, the importance of disciplined people and rigorous debate, and the impact of company goals on individual teams. Learn how we discipline our strategy at Estimate Rocket so we can continue to evolve to meet the demands of a changing economy and intelligent competitors, and take away a few things to apply in your own company's growth!
Learn more about Corwin Smith and Transcend Growth at https://transcendgrowth.com.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, we visit with Kristen Ford-Hernandez of Premiere Pros Kitchens and Design and discuss ways to keep good customers, and ways to disconnect quickly from the bad ones. Kristen says that Premiere Pros rarely spends a lot on marketing because her customers keep coming back, and that is a shining if rare example in the trades. The key to good repeat business is knowing that there are exceptions to the phrase, "the customer is always right," even if the exceptions are only a small part of business. Knowing when how to consciously uncouple from bad customers is a skill worth developing because it maintains positive company energy, and keeps you investing in customers that reciprocate a giving attitude.
See our past blog about Premiere Pros here.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, we talk with CEO Tom Droste about Office Managers. Tom discusses the best time to hire office managers, how to train them, and what tools help them do their job most efficiently. It might help to remember that if you don't have an office manager...you ARE the office manager! And Tom introduces a topic you'll be hearing more about at Estimate Rocket in the coming year: backlog as the key indicator and mechanism for hiring.
Learn more about RIVAL For at https://www.estimaterocket.com/rival.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Bevin Hernandez, Product and Marketing Director at Estimate Rocket, joins us to talk about the process company's need to use to vet, select and implement new technology in their company. As Bevin reminds us, software projects are people projects, and developing a thoughtful and team-lead approach to introduce and train your people on new technology is important so that you minimize risk and waste, and increase employee buy-in.
Bevin will be leading a workshop on integrating technology on March 24, 2022 at 2 pm ET, in which she will be introducing and guiding attendees through a workbook that provides tactical worksheets to help their companies vet, select, train, and connect to new technology with their leadership teams. Bring your team to the workshop!
Register here!
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Tom Droste, Founder and CEO of Estimate Rocket and its parent company Logical Engine, joins us to talk about the pros and cons of integrating technology in small shops. Estimate Rocket was designed to support and motivate companies to keep growing, but that doesn't mean small shops don't need to think very seriously about incorporating new technology. Tom discusses with us the liberating and profit-bearing qualities of adding the right technology to any team, and he debunks some of the myths around big-business revenue. Small companies can be extremely profitable given the right tools, and may be an oasis for those contented with small business bliss. The benefits of technology has something for everyone!
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we talk with Phil Cline of Tama Painting and Specialty Coatings and Fred Kulik of Estimate Rocket about how pricing works in a painting company. Fred walks us through the practical steps in the estimating and pricing process, while Phil gives us a glimpse into the field of practical application in business management to see how pricing adapts to mountain-peak successes in business as well as the challenges of rising costs in material and labor. The lessons here apply across industries, so business owners of any kind can walk away with great tips on how to accurately estimate and adjust prices in a changing economy.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Jason Phillips joins us from Phillips Home Improvements to talk about the foundation for trust in every leadership team and business: credibility. Often leadership takes a leap when expecting trust in a team without having taken the time and put the work into building the type of credibility that allows people to step out securely in trust. As Jason puts, credibility is past facts, while trust if future faith. If you want to be believed and trusted, you have to be believable,and that is where consistency and follow-through plays a key role.
Read more about Jason's perspective on credibility and trust at www.jasonwphillips.com.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we are joined by department heads in Estimate Rocket to talk about how the company is evolving to provide more of what customers need to get more money and keep more money! Tom Droste (CEO), Bevin Hernandez (Development and Marketing), Fred Kulik (Customer Success), Kathy Droste (Sales), and Chris Shank (Education) discuss how Estimate Rocket is changing and growing to meet growing market demands, and how we plan on remaining in first place among the competition. This is news everyone's been asking for, and we deliver strong--and have fun doing it. If we're not having fun, we're doing it wrong, and we want you part of the forward-marching dream that is Estimate Rocket.
Please join us for for the full online session, "Estimate Rocket Evolution 2022" on Thursday, February 10, at 2 pm ET. You'll get a chance to ask questions and get answers during the session. If you can't make it, register anyway and we'll send the replay to you.
Register here.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Aaron Moore from PPD joins us to share how his company planned big leaps in growth, moving from residential to commercial work and breaking through barriers in small business growth in a very short time. Aaron reminds us that cash and credit management is imperative to planned growth, and leadership from one growth phase to the next requires a different mindset for each phase, and the support of superior leadership team members that are committed to growth and change.
Learn more about CPIA.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Brandon Lewis talks with us about why winter 2022 is feeling a lot like the first "soft start to Spring" that contractors may have faced in a long time. With shortages in supply and labor, contractors are pushing projects into late winter and will have very little respite before a jumpstart in the spring. Businesses are going to have to hire better, retain more employees, provide competitive incentives, target higher paying projects, raise prices, and hone all systems to a razor's edge to come out ahead. But as one guru once famously put it, "hardship is an opportunity for advantage." With intelligent strategies, it might just pay to know how to plow a field with two donkeys instead of three!
Don't miss your change to attend the Painter's Profit Summit with Brandon, and learn from other painting contractors how a good life is made in a painting business.
Register at https://www.paintersacademy.com/painting-profits-summit.
Hot tabs and Notifications are new at Estimate Rocket! Fred Kulik, the Customer Success lead at Estimate Rocket, joins us to talk about how the software's newest features can help contractors seize the moment when customers are most interested in your proposals so you can strike while the iron is hot and close more deals.
Tom Reber of The Contractor Fight joins us on Estimate Rocket Radio to talk about how he has been helping contractors across industries win the contractor fight! We chat about sales and profit goals, sales planning, and...not stealing from your family! Tom unpackages what it means to set high standards and expect great things of yourself. But it won't happen without the right mindset.
Learn more about Tom's new book (now available) and new show coming to HGTV! Check him out at The Contractor Fight.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we interview the head of Estimate Rocket himself, Tom Droste. We discuss the type of profit planning that avoids the accidental business journey that so many companies find themselves on. Mapping a sales and profit plan to make the journey to the top doesn't have to be haphazard and helter-skelter! Making real, intelligent money can be systematic and...fun!
Don't forget to register for the Vision Conference--the second half has just started and there's always time to catch up. And it's free. Register at https://www.estimaterocket.com/visionconference.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we talk with Emily Howard of American Painting Contractor (APC) about the upcoming, annual Tech Fest. This event offers a chance for contractors to learn about technology options and integrations that are new to the painting industry, and compare and contrast services offered by vendors. Attendees will also have plenty of opportunities to chat with other contractors about what services they use and learn more about other businesses like themselves who are pushing the industry forward. Of course Estimate Rocket is proud to be a sponsor of the event, and we will be offering demos and one-on-one conversations with anyone who wants to stop by to find out more what we offer. The virtual world this all takes place in is a unique and enlightening experience that you don't want to miss. Plus you can drive a boat and play beach volleyball. What's not to like?
Register at https://www.paintmag.com/contractortechfest/#ui-id-3-1542101349374102.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio Nick Slavik of Ask A Painter joins us to talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of profit planning for the coming year. Nick is extremely open and transparent about the struggle that not a lot of business owners want to tackle as systematically as Nick's team is attempting to do: job costing throughout the year to walk the razor's edge of profitability. If you're going to plan more profit for the coming year, you need better numbers, and to get better numbers you have to track each job more carefully, and if you want to track each job more carefully, you have to train employees more consistently. Making sales is one thing, but wringing out more profit from your budget is a feat not for the faint of heart. Find out how Nick and his team does it!
Want to learn how to better track numbers and plug them into a plan for more profit in the new year? Don't miss the free Vision Conference provided by Estimate Rocket! You don't have to use our software, and it's free! Register at https://www.estimaterocket.com/visionconference.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio Rachel Garmers from Walls By Design joins us to talk about how her company found her in unlikely circumstances and how she applied her deep sales experiences into estimating and sales in a trades business. Rachel understands how the sales process ought to work in ANY company, and she brings her universal understanding of sales to a conversation about advertising sales positions, hiring high-level part-time employees, and developing a seamless sales process that is effective and profitable.
Rachel Garmers has been a RIVAL Champion in our RIVAL training series for Estimate Rocket users! Learn more about RIVAL at https://www.estimaterocket.com/rival.
What is it that sets some companies so extraordinarily above the others that they practically define a new genre because they've blown the old categories to Kingdom Come? Manual (Manny) Navarrete joins us from Priority Painting Services to talk about what he learned from managing a Chick Fil A that translates into helping him separate his company and give customers a unique experience. He draws from his experience in exercise science, nursing, and fast food management training to discuss how honed systems and a culture of caring make a huge difference, especially in the trades.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we talk with the always thought-provoking Brandon Lewis of the Painters Academy. Brandon helps his clients build sales and marketing systems that plug in the right numbers to set the right goals in planning. He doesn't pull any punches when he exposes weak strategies that cause contractors to waste their time! Brandon always shoots straight with people about the kind of consistency, hard work, and simple calculations that can set their business on the right track and get the kind of results that make business worthwhile. It's also a plus that he helps his clients understand the value of using a sales enablement system like Estimate Rocket to execute on big yearly goals in sales and profit planning.
Learn more about the Vision Conference (FREE!) and register at https://www.estimaterocket.com/visionconference.
Learn more about The Academy for Professional Painting Contractors at https://www.paintersacademy.com/.
On this episode we are joined by Ryan Amato of Ryan Amato painting to talk about Sales Planning and Making Big Turns that impact the coming year. What do you do when you realize that your company should completely rearrange it's priorities and seek bread and butter from other sources? Ryan shares how he decided his company needed to make a big turn, and how he inspired buy-in from his employees to put their all into something that was worthwhile but uncertain. You'll want to hear the ending on this story...it's a good one!
You'll want to get to the Vision Conference (free to all) and learn how to project big goals in your company's sales planning while bring your team along with you on the journey! Learn more and register at https://www.estimaterocket.com/visionconference.
The Vision Conference is here to help you with Sales and Profit Planning for 2021 and 2022! Tom Droste , co-founder and CEO at Estimate Rocket, joins us for this special Estimate Rocket Radio episode to talk about what to expect at the Vision Conference that extends from October 21, 2021 into February of 2022. The ten sessions will be hosted two times a month and will help you collect numbers and trends from your past year's sales and financials which will be plugged into strategic initiatives and practical steps to help you achieve your goals. Tom will draw on his background in accounting to help you better understand the most important numbers in your business, and he has prepared spreadsheets to help you determine the approach you need to take to increase your future income and profit based on your findings. Every session will supply attendees with tactical exercises to be taken back and completed so you can come to every session prepared to envision the next steps for your company and help your team catch the vision.
Learn more and register at https://www.estimaterocket.com/visionconference.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, we conclude our How to RIVAL series of podcasts with a discussion with Bevin Hernandez, our lead developer and marketing director, on the topic of working hard for the money! Every business owner is in a profit gym of their own making, and they work every bit as hard for financial profit as someone going into a gym or health club works to get physically fit. Everything good is accomplished against the background of hard work, especially at the times when it looks easy to others on the outside. But with hard work should come smarter methods to exponentially increase the outcomes of that work. If you want to learn how to better RIVAL in the marketplace and make your work worth the effort, you can't get around the investment of time and energy that it takes to learn and increase your capabilities!
Register for our RIVAL training at https://www.estimaterocket.com/rival.
Register for our VISION conference at https://www.estimaterocket.com/visionconference.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we talk with Development Director Bevin Hernandez about operational efficiency and effectiveness, and we discuss how an authentic central strategy is often opposed to a pursuit of mere efficiency. If you don't accept the trade-offs of a focused strategy, a drop-off is soon to follow as you reach what is called the "productivity frontier." You can only win the efficiency game for so long before your product is matched, then leapfrogged, and finally out-branded by your competitors.
Read the Harvard Business Review article, What is Strategy, by Michael Porter.
Register for Estimate Rocket's Vision Conference.
On this episode of of Estimate Rocket Radio we are joined by the great and powerful Nick Slavik of Ask A Painter and Nick Slavik Painting and Restoration! We talk about specific strategies and tactics for increasing sales in the coming year, and how to build the type of team to sell $1MM of business. Nick has algorithims for everything, and he breaks down $1MM in sales to accommodate 1 sales person, 1 product manager, and 10 painters. Want to learn how he does it? Trust us...you do.
Don't our guest appearance on Ask A Painter on Wednesday, September 29 at 2:30 pm CT. Find it at https://www.facebook.com/askapainter.
Register for the Vision Conference at Estimate Rocket starting October 21 at https://www.estimaterocket.com/visionconference.
The Estimate Rocket Team tackles the hype game, how to succeed in a busy market, what the consequences of too much (or not enough) hype are, and overall some marketing tips for busy entrepreneurs.
Register for RIVAL today to get more great content: http://www.estimaterocket.com/rival
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we talk to Bevin Hernandez and Tom Droste about the pros and cons of using opinionated offerings to become a stronger RIVAL in the marketplace.
Opinionated software is a well-known path in the development world that sets a product vision and moves in specific direction. The limitations of opinionated software and hardware causes some entrepreneurs to shy away from the prospect, but mature companies know "if you chase two rabbits, you catch neither."
Business owners in any industry can learn how to wrap their processes around their opinionated offerings and, in doing so, RIVAL their previous best and become a stronger competitor!
Register for Estimate Rocket's RIVAL Tuesdays at www.estimaterocket.com/rival.
The Estimate Rocket team talks about whether it's better to be the tortoise or the hare in business, how to have a balance between speed and strategy, burnout culture, and dealing with the unprecedented demand in the service industry.
Want more great content? Level up your game with RIVAL!
Bevin Hernandez, Lead Software Developer and Director of Product at Estimate Rocket speaks about how Estimate Rocket is rivaling in the highly competitive landscape of SaaS software, including the evolution that Estimate Rocket is going through as a company.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Nancy Batista-Caswell, award-winning and acclaimed owner of the restaurants Oak + Rowen in Boston and Brine in Newburyport, MA joins us to talk about leadership through challenging times. We discuss the impact of COVID on different industries, leadership that starts in the trenches and builds a working knowledge of the mechanics of a business, and "making the table bigger" for other leaders to step up and help move things forward.
Even if you're not a restaurant owner, the principles cross over to any service industry where people are looking for active and engaged leadership that demonstrates a "bring-it-on" attitude to obstacles that others would balk at. Nancy doesn't balk, and she inspires the same confidence in the people around her.
To learn more about our Low Stress Success series, visit the education section at www.EstimateRocket.com.
Jim Kaloutas of Kaloutas Painting talks with us about how a flexible growth mindset allows you to channel the right kind of stress into successful habits that keeping you heading toward challenges and not away from them. Included in his workshop will be a discussion about what to do when you reach the ceiling of complexity in your business, including steps to build the confidence, competence, and capability necessary to keep your company expanding while keeping your stress low.
Join us for Jim's workshop.
Corrie Leister of Inspired By U talks with us about how relationships and connections help business owners keep the stress low and the success high. Having a strong network of people around you that inspires you can help you reduce the bad stress while channeling the good stress into a new vision and passion for creative solutions.
Corrie will discuss methods to cultivate healthy family relationships, improve employee and team engagement, and widen your network of industry connections
Register for the workshop today!
Corwin Smith, from Transcend Growth Partners and certified Scaling Up Coach, joins Kathy & Chris in an episode talking about growing your company, time management, and why working harder isn't the answer.
Joel Shank of Fit To Champion joins us to talk about how maintaining one's physical health is every bit as essential to business success as profit planning and personnel management!
Joel works through the top five steps to maintain your health so that, after a long a successful career, you have plenty of time and energy left to enjoy what you built.
Register Here for Joel's Session
Tom Droste, CEO and founder of Estimate Rocket and Chris Shank, Education Manager talk about techniques for dealing with stress as a business owner crew, how stress differs from anxiety, how it affects your business and how to stay out of the spiral of doom.
We are so pleased to share with you one of our newest team members, Chris Shank. Chris recently worked for the Painting Contractors Association (PCA), and as soon as he became a free agent, we knew we needed him on the team at Estimate Rocket. Kathy and Chris talk about their long working relationship, how Chris is going to bring knowledge and expertise to the Estimate Rocket Community, and how Estimate Rocket is building a suite of educational offerings that will not only make our clients smarter, but more successful.
In the coming months, be on the lookout for RiVal (called SOAR in this podcast, but we're moving so fast we've already renamed it), our series called Stress Less Success and The Vision Conference (working title). Estimate Rocket's goal is to bring our knowledge to your business. We want to move beyond giving you tools that can increase your revenue and move into sharing knowledge that will make a difference in your life. And Chris Shank is leading the way.
Listen now to find out more about Estimate Rocket's educational offerings and how our commitment to our community is just getting started.
In this episode of Estimate Rocket, Kathy talks with The Contractor Fight owner and founder, Tom Reber. Tom has been blazing a path through the contractor industry for a couple of decades. In collaboration with his Contractor Sales Academy, Tom has established himself in the industry for the change and impact he's made on businesses just like yours.
In this episode, Tom talks about his new show, premiering this fall on HGTV, his own recent experiences with contractors and how they didn't win his business, and tips on talking money with your clients so that you earn what you deserve and don't have to apologize for it.
Listen now and let us know on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram if Tom Reber and his consulting has changed your life! It's not too late - visit thecontractorfight.com and contractorsalesacademy.com/cheap for a free guide on how to weed out cheap clients before you waste time trying to sell to them.
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio we have Danny Mullins from Bookkeeping Express (BKE) joining us to talk about the crossroads all business leaders face at some point or another. When you arrive at a turning point, there is no foregoing the choice. There is always a choice, especially when a choice is not actively made. As Danny tells us, "when you don't change something, you choose it."
On this episode of Estimate Rocket Radio, Kathy Droste of Estimate Rocket interviews Rich Harshaw, marketing guru at Level 10 Contractor and author of Unlocking Unlimited Lead Flow. Kathy and Rich discuss how trade companies and businesses across industries can leverage their strengths and become a leader in their market to pull in the leads. Breaking through barriers is not always easy, but it pays off, and the companies who align their priorities to reach escape velocity all say that the work was worth it and there is no looking back!
Learn more about Rich Harshaw and Level 10 Contracting.
**Kathy welcomes Scott Palmer, Executive Director of the Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Boston to Estimate Rocket Radio this week. Scott talks about how BRAGB helped its members weather the pandemic, plans for 2021 and discusses some can’t miss new legislation that may affect your business.
For more information about BRABG, please visit: www.BRAGB.org**
Ryan Groth, former professional athlete, talks with Estimate Rocket radio about the success of his business, Sales Transformation Group (STG). He touches on the importance of staying humble, hungry and honest and goes in depth to explain how he and his team have helped executive teams and owners of sales organizations grow their business. Ryan believes that success starts with the owner, and he works closely with all of his clients to strip out the ego and focus on building not only a team, but a family environment that encourages growth in every position. Tune in to find out more about Ryan and STG.
Eric Barstow, founder of Painting Business Pro, provides insight into how he got started, managed the growth of his business, and is teaching the business of painting to those in the field so that his clients can be more successful.
Emily Howard, Editor-in-Chief of American Painting Contractor magazine discusses the history of APC, resurgence of interest in the painting market, key results from surveys of painting contractors across the country, and the brand new virtual Contractor Tech Fest conference.
Important Links:
American Painting Contractor magazine
Contractor Tech Fest conference tickets
In this episode, Ryan Parson, host of the Grow with the Bros podcast and founder and owner of Brothers That Just Do Gutters, talks about how to stand out in an industry where service isn’t always the best. Ryan discusses the steps he and his brother and business partner took to grow their company from one location to 13 and how they got ahead of their competitors when building their franchise.
Important Links:
Brothers That Just Do GuttersGrow with the Bros Podcast
Learn how to build a successful painting business from two industry experts!Nick May, (Pro Painter Network, The Business Brush) with Chris Shank (Director of Professional Development & Engagement at Pro Painter Network) cover all of the basics including how to love your work from day-to-day, why it’s important to build a team of like-minded people, and how strong and efficient systems are the keys to your business’ success.
Pro Painter Network on Instagram
Ron Nezat from CTI of Acadiana and Decorative Concrete Engine discusses his fascinating start in the decorative concrete business. He also shares information about the training program he designed to help new entrepreneurs learn the ropes and get started.
As the owner of five businesses, Ron has unique insight into the type of commitment and determination it takes to be your own boss. Ron is an early adopter of Estimate Rocket and we love his commitment to his customers.
Important Links:
CTIofAcadiana.comDecorativeConcreteEngine.com
Facebook - CTI of AcadianaFacebook - Decorative Concrete Engine
Zach Kenney, the owner of ZKPainting, is here to tell you how to use Instagram to grow your business. Zach has grown @ZKPainting following to 30,000+ and now makes more than half a million dollars a year on projects with leads starting from this social media platform. We discuss the startup basics all the way to making decisions about how much of your personal life to share on the platform.
ZKPainting Social Media:
- YouTube
This week's episode Jay Blanco, co-owner of Fillo Painting, knows going into business with family can be tough. He and his father started their company years ago, he learned a few tough lessons and has advice on how to do it better. Plus, his take on how their company pivots with speed to find success in any climate.
Fillo Painting Social Media:
Are you hiring for the "who" or for the "do"? Art Snarzyk of InnerView Advisors is an expert at helping businesses figure out how to get the right people in the door and create a team that sticks. In this podcast, he covers his hiring method of "Clarity, Attraction, and Selection" and provides guidance on how to approach your next hire differently.
InnerView Advisors Social Media:
Amanda Kelley, the owner of Kelley Painting Services, gives a no holds barred interview on what it's like being a female in the painting industry, why she thinks the trades have a place in high school education, and why her policy is always to put her employees first.
Kelley Painting Services Social Media:
- YouTube
Nick Slavik, owner of Nick Slavik Painting & Restoration Co., breaks down how you can build your painting business to be stable and predictable. He believes in pushing the trade forward to be more professional and has some ideas on exactly how to do it. Why? Because business owners are seeking freedom and this industry can provide it.
Nick Slavik's Social Media Profiles:
- YouTube
- TikTok
Young business owner, Noah Kanter of Nth Degree Painting and podcast host of "Advice from a Young Tradesman", stops in to share his story of how he found his way into the painting industry, his move away from being in the weeds to focus on building businesses, and his advice to those just starting out.
One of the few people in the world who loves change, everyone meet Chris Shank. Sure, you may have heard him host the Paint ED Podcast, but in this show he's sitting in the other seat and in a new role. Formerly with the PCA, Chris is now with iMay Media and ready to change it up. He's bringing a new perspective and outlook on how to view business right now and what you should be spending your time on.
Entrepreneur of 23 years, owner of https://www.firstchoicepropainting.com/, and Estimate Rocket customer for the last five years, Miljce Donev takes out time to share what he wishes he would have known as a beginner and even 15 years into owning his own paint company. We cover his original game plan - a professional soccer player - how he got into the painting industry, all the way through what his team and business are focused on to get through COVID successfully.
"Recessions do not make painting businesses weak, they simply expose the weaknesses and ill-prepared painting businesses that have crappy systems." - Brandon Lewis
This week Brandon Lewis from paintersacademy.com and paintersweekly.com is here with his guide for painting companies to break into the commercial paint industry. Grab a pen and piece of paper for notes, he has actual meat and potatoes instructions. From creating outbound campaigns to managing inbound commercial leads. He's got five simple pillars for you to shift your business.
What do you do when the big vision for your company gets knocked off course from factors outside of your control (ahem...COVID anyone?). Bill Silverman of Springboard Business Coach is here to tell you how to get back on track with your goals, think big, and plan for the unforeseen future.
Andrew Amrhein from the Nolan Consulting Group is bringing you the same advice he gives to his current clients: it's time to "execute on your lifeboat strategy." Listen to find out how to create your lifeboat strategy and gather the team you need to fight through this climate. Plus, helpful information on the Paycheck Protection Program, how to upgrade your team, and more on this week's Estimate Rocket Podcast.
Tom Reber from TheContractorFight.com gives practical advise about what contracting businesses should and could be doing during COVID to grow your brand and maintain your business.