On March 11, attend our free web class to learn the proven hiring framework top contractors use to attract and retain A players during a labor shortage. Register here: https://trybta.com/CE-HIRING2025

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP200

Today is a very special day for the team here at Contractor Evolution.

Today, we’re releasing our 200th episode.

We've spoken to some incredible guests, and that has helped us build a following of the coolest listeners in the world.

So... if you've been on the show or just listen to it, we want to express profound gratitude to you.

To say we are humbled and proud would be to say nothing at all.

For this milestone episode, we're going back through some of Benji's favorite episodes and talking through the lessons we took away from the conversations.

Episode Highlights:

• Celebrate 200 episodes with Benji and the Contractor Evolution team.
• Take a trip down memory lane and revisit stand out moments from past episodes.
• Discover hidden gem moments from episodes you may have missed (and then go back and listen to them!

00:00-Intro
01:40-How To Create A Vivid Vision For Your Company - Cameron Herold
10:16-Which Fire Should I Put Out Next? - Mike Michalowicz
14:26-Is Blue-Collar Work Making a Comeback? - Ken Rusk
20:47-What’s Your Business REALLY Worth? - John Warrilow
26:45-Thinking Lean: Eliminate Waste Through Continuous Improvement - Paul Akers
31:14-Mark Bradley: From 0 To 50MM + Founding LMN - Mark Bradley
34:58-SOP's: Why Your Business Is A Mess & What To Do About It - Tom Hughes
41:45-How To Buy Back Your Time - Dan Martell

50:15-Matt Risinger on Hiring - Matt Risinger
56:02-Negotiation Tactics for Contractors - Chris Voss
01:01:56-Is Wrapping Your Vehicles Worth It? - Dan Antonelli

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On March 11, attend our free web class to learn the proven hiring framework top contractors use to attract and retain A players during a labor shortage. Register here: https://trybta.com/CE-HIRING2025

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP199

Use code TRADE2025 to get $10 off a copy of the Motivated By Appreciation Inventory for Trades here: https://shop.appreciationatwork.com/collections/mba-inventory (limit one code per email, good through March 15, 2025).

Ever wonder why your staff feel “under-appreciated?”

Like—you tell them they’re doing a good job, you take them for lunch every now and then, and you pay them fairly.

And yet there’s always someone who feels like you don’t value their contributions.

Our guest today, Dr. Paul White, has some possible answers.

He coauthored The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace alongside Gary Chapman, the man who coined the five love languages many of us are familiar with.

The idea is simple: not everyone experiences appreciation the same way. Some like verbal praise, some find meaning in gifts, others need quality time with their manager or team.

This conversation is about how to recognize the best way to appreciate your team, and the tangible impact appreciation can have on your business.

Episode Highlights:

• Get a breakdown from Dr. Paul White, coauthor of The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, of how the five love languages coined by Gary Chapman can be applied to how people give and receive appreciation in the workplace.
• Learn how learning how to appreciate your team members according to their appreciation language of choice can improve their sense of purpose in your business.
• Understand the tangible results proper appreciation can achieve in all areas of your business.

00:00-Intro

01:13-About Dr. Paul

03:01-Appreciation in the trades

08:12-Is blue-collar work underappreciated?

12:43-The psychology of appreciation?

16:03-Misconceptions about appreciation at work

17:52-The 5 Languages of Appreciation

18:21-Words of Affirmation

25:00-Quality Time

31:22-Acts of Service

35:21-Gifts

39:07-Physical Touch

41:09-Tools & assessments for appreciation at work

43:32-How to install appreciation across your organization

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get your free SOP starter kit here: https://trybta.com/DL198

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP198

Ever wonder why some contractors scale smoothly to 7-figures and beyond while others constantly get stuck in an operational hellhole?

Clients constantly badgering you…

Crews relying on you to answer every single question…

Margins so depressing they could make a grown man cry…

The good news is, there’s a relatively simple tool that can help you solve most of your operational challenges.

SOPs (standard operating procedures).

A while back, I co-hosted a comprehensive SOP web class with the one and only Matt Risinger, CEO of Risinger Build and founder of the Build Show Network. We covered everything you need to know about SOPs, based on Breakthrough Academy’s work with over 1500 contractors and Matt Risinger’s own experience scaling two massive companies.

Today, we’re releasing that class as a podcast episode so more contractors can benefit from Matt’s insights.

Episode Highlights:

• Hear about Matt Risinger’s SOP journey, including the time the lack of an SOP resulted in a 6-figure mistake.
• Get a step-by-step walkthrough of how to build SOPs for your company.
• Learn how to manage change when implementing SOPs with your team, so that they actually get used as intended.

00:00-Intro
02:13-About the web class
06:50-What part of your operations frustrates you the most?
15:11-SOP Red Flags
25:52-Where to start with SOPs
35:34-How to build SOPs
50:04-Change management
58:54-Why SOPs fail
01:00:49-The evolution of the entrepreneur
01:02:09-Implement SOPs faster with the Contractor Growth Method
01:04:53-Q&A

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.