Skid Steer Nation

Ten years ago, Jesse McGrath had a backpack, a pair of cowboy boots, and nowhere to live. Today, he owns Compass Cleanup & Excavation—but building a bigger company was never the finish line. Jesse built the business to get something back that money can’t replace: time with his kids, his wife, and his dad. Along the way, that meant learning some expensive lessons, including a cleanup job that cost him roughly $30,000 , figuring out which customers actually fit his company, and realizing that more employees don’t automatically solve a bad job. Jesse also gets into the part of his story most people would hide. Addiction, homelessness, felony convictions, recovery, and the police officer who told him, “I can tell just by looking at you that you’re better than this.” Years later, that same officer sends him work. Takeaways: ✅ One relationship can change your workload. Jesse says roughly 90% of his work comes through the network he’s built with contractors, real estate developers, salespeople, and other local businesses. ✅ Understand the customer's vision before giving them a number. Jesse refuses to price a job without seeing the site and figuring out what the customer is actually trying to accomplish. ✅ More labor can make a bad job worse. After underestimating a massive cleanup, Jesse tried throwing more people at it. Payroll and equipment rental kept climbing until he finally finished the project himself—about a $30,000 lesson. ✅ Don't build past the life you actually want. Jesse isn't chasing 50 employees. He wants a profitable excavation business that gives him the freedom to hunt with his dad, work alongside his daughter, and be present with his family. ✅ Your past doesn't have to set your ceiling. Jesse openly carries his history into his work today, including helping other guys in recovery get back on their feet. Why It Matters: A skid steer, mini excavator, bigger jobs, and more revenue can build a company—but Jesse’s story is a reminder to decide what you want that company to give you before growth starts taking it away. Links: ➡️ Connect with Jesse on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jesse.mcgrath.399 ➡️ Get Ryan’s book “Outta The Weeds” on Amazon: ⁠ https://a.co/d/0gWFpM0F ➡️ Shop Attachments — Skid Steer Nation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://skidsteernation.com/ ➡️ Create estimates, track jobs, and stay organized with Tulboxx: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ https://www.tulboxx.com/ ➡️ Grow your business — Throttled Up Marketing: ⁠⁠⁠ https://throttledupmarketing.com/

Mitchell Roberts was sitting in a Domino’s parking lot, broke and wondering how he’d make his truck payment. A few years later, his lawn and landscape company did $160,000 in a single month. But the number Mitchell cares about now isn’t revenue. It’s how long the business can run without him. Mitchell started mowing lawns when he was nine and kept the business alive while working on power lines. When his only mowing employee quit in 2021, he had to decide whether to keep one foot in each world or bet on No Mow Worries Lawn Care & Landscape. Today, the company is doing seven figures with multiple crews—but Mitchell’s biggest lessons aren’t about buying more equipment or chasing more work. He breaks down the systems that helped him get off the jobsite, why he’s become more careful about hiring, and his simple “peanut butter and jelly” method for teaching SOPs so employees actually understand what “done right” looks like. Takeaways : ✅ Make SOPs simple enough to use — Mitchell trains his crew using a “peanut butter and jelly” approach: break the job down step by step, physically walk through it, and make sure everyone understands the same standard. ✅ Hire for what you can’t easily teach — Landscaping experience isn't always Mitchell's first priority. He looks for people who can handle chaos, solve problems, work hard, and take ownership instead of making excuses. ✅ Your problems grow with the company — The problem can quickly change from “How do I find enough work?” to “How do we possibly get all this work done?” Growth doesn't eliminate problems. It requires better systems to handle them. ✅ Develop people outside the jobsite — During 90-day reviews, Mitchell asks employees about personal goals like buying a house, then helps them figure out actual steps to get there. ✅ Freedom is becoming the real test — Mitchell's next milestone isn't just another revenue number. He wants to take a two-week vacation without constantly calling back, checking on jobs, or putting out fires. Why It Matters: If you're trying to grow a lawn care, landscaping, excavation, or other service business, Mitchell shows why adding revenue and crews only works when you’re also building the people and systems that can eventually replace you in the day-to-day. Links: ➡️ Connect with Mitchell on Facebook: ⁠ https://www.facebook.com/mitchell.roberts.9699/ ➡️ Visit No Mow Worries website: https://nomowworrieslawn.com/ ➡️ Get Ryan’s book “Outta The Weeds” on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0bDS7Bap ➡️ Shop Attachments — Skid Steer Nation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://skidsteernation.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ➡️ Create estimates, track jobs, and stay organized with Tulboxx: ⁠⁠⁠ https://www.tulboxx.com/⁠⁠⁠ ➡️ Grow your business — Throttled Up Marketing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.throttledupmarketing.com

Jerod Condit didn’t wait until retirement to figure out what came next. He started seven years early. Now he’s preparing to leave the military with a land clearing business that already runs jobs without him. After more than 22 years in the military, Jerod is closing in on retirement. But Ironwood Land Solution wasn’t something he threw together at the last minute. He spent years building it on weekends, leave days, and whatever time he could find around his military career and family. What started with a dump trailer eventually grew into skid steer work, land clearing, mulching, employees, and a business capable of working Monday through Friday while Jerod is still at his day job. That creates an interesting challenge as retirement gets closer: What happens when the owner suddenly has more time to be in a business that learned how to operate without him? Jerod gets into the trust it took to turn employees loose on jobs, why he’ll accept slower production while someone learns, and how more than two decades of military leadership shaped the way he trains and communicates with his crew. One of the biggest shifts came after he crushed an annual revenue goal. Instead of immediately chasing a bigger number, he focused on processes, organization, and making jobs run smoother. The following year brought in less gross revenue—and Jerod still considered it progress. Takeaways: ✅ Start Before You Have To — Jerod started planning roughly seven years before military retirement, giving himself room to learn the land clearing business without needing it to immediately replace his paycheck. ✅ Let Your Guys Learn Without Hovering — When Jerod couldn't be on a job, his crew had to make decisions. He gave them manageable projects, let them work through problems, and accepted that training sometimes meant a job took longer than he would have taken. ✅ Hire Character, Then Teach the Machine — Jerod looks for people who show up, have the right attitude, and share the right values. He can teach someone to operate a skid steer or stump grinder. A bad attitude is a different problem. ✅ A Better Year Doesn't Always Mean More Revenue — After hitting his financial goal, Jerod shifted his attention toward processes and smoother jobs. Gross revenue dropped the following year, but the business got better. ✅ The Owner Doesn't Have to Be the Operator — As retirement approaches, Jerod is thinking carefully about where he fits into a crew that already has its own rhythm instead of assuming he needs to jump into a machine 40 hours a week. Why It Matters: If you're building a skid steer, excavation, or land clearing business around another full-time job, Jerod shows what can happen when you use those years to build the crew and systems you'll need later—not just buy more equipment. Links: ➡️ Reach out to Jerod Condit — Ironwood Land Solutions: https://www.facebook.com/ironwoodlandsolutions ➡️ Get Ryan’s book “Outta The Weeds” on Amazon: ⁠ ⁠ https://a.co/d/02o1DRKf⁠⁠ ➡️ Shop Attachments — Skid Steer Nation: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://skidsteernation.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ➡️ Create estimates, track jobs, and stay organized with Tulboxx: ⁠ ⁠https://www.tulboxx.com/⁠⁠ ➡️ Grow your business — Throttled Up Marketing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.throttledupmarketing.com

He hired more guys, bought more equipment, and got busier. He was also miserable. So JR Laborie started cutting—and his profit got better. JR built Laborie Land Works from one skid steer into land clearing, excavation, underground utilities, and hydro excavation. But instead of chasing a bigger company, he eventually stripped away low-profit work, lowered his overhead, and built around the jobs he actually wanted. Today, JR keeps room in his schedule for high-profit emergency utility work, usually avoids projects that tie him up longer than four or five days, and regularly checks which services are actually putting money in his pocket. Takeaways: ✅ More Equipment Didn’t Mean More Profit – JR realized the trucks and equipment bringing in revenue were also eating tires, time, and money. He started looking at what was actually left after the job. ✅ Keep Capacity Open for Better Jobs – Instead of filling every day months ahead, JR keeps a loose schedule so he can jump on profitable emergency utility work when the phone rings. ✅ Fire the Work That Doesn’t Fit – He cut lower-profit services and became more selective about customers instead of chasing gross revenue for the sake of being busy. ✅ Partner Instead of Adding Payroll – JR works with other small contractors so each company handles what it does best. That lets him scale up for a job without carrying the overhead year-round. ✅ Your Support Tools Matter – A skid steer or excavator is only part of the setup. Hydro excavation equipment, cable locators, breakers, software, and good systems can make a small contractor far more efficient. Why It Matters: For small excavation, land clearing, and utility contractors, JR makes a strong case that the goal isn’t owning the most iron or staying busy seven days a week—it’s building a company that produces profit without owning your life. Links: ➡️ Reach out to JR Laborie — Laborie Land Works LLC: https://www.facebook.com/laborielandworks ➡️ Get Ryan’s book “Outta The Weeds” on Amazon: ⁠ https://a.co/d/02o1DRKf⁠ ➡️ Shop Attachments — Skid Steer Nation: ⁠⁠⁠ https://skidsteernation.com/⁠⁠⁠ ➡️ Create estimates, track jobs, and stay organized with Tulboxx: ⁠ https://www.tulboxx.com/⁠ ➡️ Contractor Marketing — Throttled Up: ⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.throttledupmarketing.com

Most contractors build a business… then spend years trying to escape it. Matt Study says that's backwards. If your company can't survive while you're gone, you don't own a business—you own a job. Matt Study of Sapphire Construction Services has grown from running a mini excavator to managing commercial civil projects, but this episode isn't about getting bigger. It's about building a company that supports the life you actually want to live. Ryan and Matt dig into the trap many contractors fall into—working more hours, missing family milestones, and wearing burnout like a badge of honor. Instead, they talk about building systems, trusting your people, and defining your non-negotiables before your business defines them for you. Takeaways: ✅ Build your life first—then build the business around it. Ryan explains how writing down his non-negotiables changed the way he built Skid Steer Nation, and why every business decision should support the life you want to live. ✅ If you can't leave for a week, you don't own a business. Matt shares how surrounding himself with the right people finally allowed him to step away without everything falling apart. ✅ Don't sacrifice your family for "the grind." Matt refuses to be the employer who makes someone miss their kid's ballgame because he believes businesses should serve people—not the other way around. ✅ Burnout is usually a systems problem. Instead of accepting endless 60-hour weeks, Matt explains why burnout should be a signal to change the way the business operates. ✅ Keep coming back to your non-negotiables. As business gets busy, it's easy to lose sight of what matters most. Matt shares why regularly stepping back keeps him focused on building the life he set out to create. Why It Matters: Whether you run a skid steer, excavation, land clearing, or site work business, this episode will challenge you to build systems that create freedom—not just another full-time job. Links: ➡️ Reach out to Matt Study — Sapphire Construction Services: https://www.facebook.com/sapphirecsmt ➡️ Get Ryan’s book “Outta The Weeds” on Amazon: https://a.co/d/02o1DRKf ➡️ Shop Attachments — Skid Steer Nation: ⁠ ⁠https://skidsteernation.com/⁠⁠ ➡️ Create estimates, track jobs, and stay organized with Tulboxx: https://www.tulboxx.com/ ➡️ Contractor Marketing — Throttled Up: ⁠⁠ https://www.throttledupmarketing.com

Working more doesn't always make you more money.Shelby explains why turning down jobs made his excavation business stronger—and why the right technology lets one operator outperform a whole crew. Shelby Howland doesn't fit the typical excavation story. He went from farming, blacksmithing, and tech to building an excavation business that's obsessed with efficiency—not just working harder. In this episode of the Skid Steer Nation Podcast, Shelby explains why saying no to the wrong jobs creates more opportunity, how tiltrotators and grade control transformed his business, and why solving problems beats blaming people every time. What You'll Learn: ✅ Why saying "no" to bad jobs can make your business more profitable ✅ How tiltrotators and grade control let one operator do the work of multiple people ✅ Why hourly pricing limits growth—and why fixed bids reward efficiency ✅ The hiring lesson that cost him years of profit ✅ How technology helps small excavation companies compete with much larger contractors Why This Episode Matters: If you're running an excavation, land clearing, or site work business, this episode challenges the idea that success comes from working longer hours—and shows how smarter systems create better profits. Links: ➡️ Reach out to Shelby Howland — Village Earthwright: https://www.instagram.com/village_earthwright/ ➡️ Shop Attachments — Skid Steer Nation: ⁠ https://skidsteernation.com/⁠ ➡️ Contractor Marketing — Throttled Up: ⁠https://www.getthrottledup.com

It's been a while since I sat down behind this microphone.A lot has happened over the last few months.I figured I owed you an honest conversation before we jump back into interviews. This week's episode is a little different. Instead of sitting down with a guest, it's just me sharing where I've been, what I've been working on, and why the podcast took an unexpected pause. I'm pulling back the curtain on the last few months—the highs, the challenges, and a few lessons I wasn't expecting to learn along the way. More than anything, I wanted to thank everyone who reached out, checked in, and wondered when the next episode was coming. Your messages meant more than you know, and I truly appreciate everyone who stuck around while I took the time I needed. Next week, we're back to our regular lineup of conversations with contractors, business owners, and operators. But before we do, I wanted you to hear this story directly from me. Links: ➡️ Check out my book, “Outta The Weeds” on amazon: https://a.co/d/02o1DRKf ➡️ Shop Attachments — Skid Steer Nation: ⁠ https://skidsteernation.com/⁠ ➡️ Contractor Marketing — Throttled Up: ⁠ https://www.getthrottledup.com

Try TULBOXX Free — AI estimating & invoicing for contractors. First 5 estimates free, no credit card: www.tulboxx.com Graduated dead last… Now he’s paid by the same school… And built a business off word of mouth. Christian Lefley finished 77th out of 77 in his class—and now does paid work for that same school district. This episode isn’t about motivation—it’s about what actually matters when you’re running a skid steer, answering nonstop calls, and figuring things out the hard way. From burying a rented excavator to turning down big jobs, this is real contractor life. Takeaways: ✅ Dead last doesn’t mean dead end: School didn’t click—but business did ✅ Your punishment can turn into profit: What got him in trouble now pays him every year ✅ You don’t need perfect systems to start: Most of it is learned under pressure ✅ Missed calls = missed money: If you can’t respond, you’re losing jobs—simple ✅ Good work builds everything: Word of mouth still beats chasing leads Why it Matters: If you’re in excavation, skid steer work, or property maintenance, this shows you don’t need a perfect start—you need to execute and stick with it. LINKS: Try TULBOXX Free — First 5 estimates free, no credit card: www.tulboxx.com ➡️ Reach out to Christtian — Windwood Property Services: https://www.instagram.com/christian_lefley/ ➡️ Shop Attachments — Skid Steer Nation: https://skidsteernation.com/ ➡️ Contractor Marketing — Throttled Up: https://www.getthrottledup.com

Try TULBOXX Free — AI estimating & invoicing for contractors. First 5 estimates free, no credit card: www.tulboxx.com Nicholas White grew up around excavation. His father has been in the dirt business his entire life. He waited until he was almost 40 to join him — and it took a vaccine mandate to finally make it happen. Most guys in excavation started young. Nicholas took the long way around — machinist, CDL trucker, Coca-Cola driver, nuclear journeyman machinist at a US Navy shipyard, engineering technician. Then COVID hit, the shipyard issued the mandate, and the decision he'd been putting off for 25 years got made for him. He bought a John Deere 200D, called his dad, and they built WPM Excavation in southern Maine from the ground up. TAKEAWAYS: ✅ The Career Nobody Expected — Nuclear journeyman machinist. Engineering technician. COVID mandate. That's what it took to finally get Nicholas into the excavator full time. ✅ Working With Your Father — His dad is 70, still putting in 10-12 hour days, and owns four of the six excavators. The dynamic took years to get right. ✅ The Job He Should've Walked Away From — He tried to make bad materials work on a pond job. Customer was unhappy. Here's what he learned and what he does differently now. ✅ "I Trained My Competition" — The 17-year-old he hired, developed, and eventually lost to the GC across the street. ✅ Low Overhead as a Moat — In a saturated local market, keeping costs lean is the strategy that lets you outlast the guys who overborrowed. LINKS: Try TULBOXX Free — First 5 estimates free, no credit card: www.tulboxx.com ➡️ Follow Nicholas — WPM Excavation: www.wpmexcavation.com ➡️ Shop Attachments — Skid Steer Nation: https://skidsteernation.com/ ➡️ Contractor Marketing — Throttled Up: https://www.getthrottledup.com

He lost $4K over one line of missing wording. Not bad work. Not bad equipment. Just one mistake in a contract. Daniel jumped into excavation young with “$10K and a dream”… but commercial work hit him hard. One missed detail in a bid cost him thousands—and that was just the start. This episode is about what actually happens when you move into commercial site work: slow pay, tight margins, and contracts that can bury you if you’re not careful. Takeaways: ✅ You’re not losing money on dirt, you’re losing it on wording. One missing “budgetary” note cost him $4,000. Contracts matter more than the machine. ✅ Commercial jobs don’t pay fast, plan for it. 45-day waits with $50K–$80K floating out there will choke you if you’re not ready. ✅ Your reputation gets you in, your paperwork keeps you alive. Word of mouth got him commercial jobs. Contracts almost took him out. ✅ Give customers 3 options and stop getting shopped. Good / Better / Best pricing helped him close more residential jobs without competing on price. ✅ Being a great operator won’t scale your business. The real test = can your company run without you? He calls it the “2-week test.” Why it Matters: If you’re moving into commercial excavation or site work, this is the stuff that decides if you stay in business. Links: ➡️ Visit DMS Excavation’s Facebook Page – Follow Daniel Snell’s excavation journey. https://www.facebook.com/dmsexcavation ➡️ Build your business with the right attachments. Shop Attachments at Skid Steer Nation: https://skidsteernation.com/ ➡️ Marketing built for contractors. Marketing Help at Throttled Up: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ https://getthrottledup.com/

He was mowing customers’ lawns… after finishing their job. Not charging for extras… because he liked them. That mindset almost killed his margins—until he flipped to utilities. Cody Cocas went from small residential jobs to multi-million dollar utility contracts in under 18 months—but not the way most guys think. The turning point wasn’t more leads or better equipment. It was realizing that being “a good guy” in residential work was costing him real money—and forcing a hard pivot into contract-based utility work that actually scales. Takeaways: ✅ Stop “liking your way” out of profit – Cody admits he gave away work just because he liked customers, and it crushed margins early on ✅ Utilities = boundaries – Contract work (stormwater, drainage, energy) removed emotion and made pricing, scope, and payment predictable ✅ Relationships beat luck – His biggest opportunity came from a connection he helped years earlier that came back around when he needed it most ✅ You don’t need to know everything – Your job as an owner is removing roadblocks, not being the best operator or estimator ✅ Fix one problem at a time – Trying to clean up everything in your business at once leads to doing nothing well Why It Matters: If you’re stuck doing low-margin residential work or struggling to scale your dirt work business, this shows what it takes to move into real contract work that grows. Links : ➡️ Visit TSF Construction’s website – Follow Cody Cocas’ excavation journey. ⁠ https://thesavagefarm.com/ ➡️ Build your business with the right attachments. Shop Attachments at Skid Steer Nation: ⁠⁠ https://skidsteernation.com/⁠ ➡️ Marketing built for contractors. Marketing Help at Throttled Up: ⁠⁠⁠ https://www.getthrottledup.com ⁠⁠

Most contractors complain about employees.John Seaman fired his entire crew in one day.What he built after that changed how his excavation company runs forever. Running excavation crews in the mountains of North Carolina means steep slopes, landslides, and million-dollar homes sitting on unstable ground. John Seaman built his company around solving the jobs nobody else wants to touch. But the real turning point in his business wasn’t a project — it was the day he fired his entire crew and rebuilt the culture from scratch. In this episode, John breaks down how transparency with numbers, accountability in the field, and smarter scaling helped him grow a site development company that now handles complex projects across multiple states. Takeaways: ✅ The Day He Fired Everyone After coming back from a trip and realizing his crew had shut down work on their own, John fired the entire team and rebuilt the company culture from the ground up. ✅ Why Most Contractors Scale Too Fast Adding a second crew before the first one runs independently can lose money on both crews. ✅ Saving Million-Dollar Homes on Landslides John’s team is known for emergency slope stabilization projects — including saving a $23M home with a million-dollar retaining wall. ✅ Transparency With Numbers Changes Everything Every employee in his company knows what a job sells for, what it costs, and whether the company made money. ✅ The System Most Contractors Ignore Tracking time and knowing your real daily overhead can make or break an excavation company. Why It Matters: If you run an excavation, land clearing, or site work business, this episode shows how culture, systems, and financial discipline determine whether your company scales—or collapses. Links: ➡️ Visit JC Property Professionals’ website – Follow John Seamans excavation journey. www.jcpropertyprofessionals.com ➡️ Shop Attachments at Skid Steer Nation: ⁠ https://skidsteernation.com/ – “Build your business with the right attachments.” ➡️ Marketing Help at Throttled Up: ⁠ ⁠ https://www.getthrottledup.com⁠ ⁠ – “Marketing built for contractors.

He went from renting a skid steer on weekends to landing $4 million in work in 60 days.But the real shift wasn’t equipment — it was systems.And the biggest lesson? Stop racing to the bottom on price. Jack Eso of RoseBrooke Site Development breaks down how he scaled from a side hustle to a 10-man operation doing site work, utilities, concrete, and full residential packages in North Carolina. This episode isn’t about hype — it’s about margins, structure, and building a company that doesn’t fall apart when you step away. If you’re tired of guessing at numbers, chasing every job, and feeling buried in your own business… this one hits home. Takeaways: ✅ 50% Gross Profit Rule (Residential): Jack stopped chasing the “going rate” and built his pricing around what his business actually needs — not what competitors charge. ✅ $300K–$350K Revenue Per Employee: He tracks revenue per team member to know exactly when it makes sense to hire. ✅ Automated Sales Follow-Up: Email, voicemail drops, and video walkthroughs of estimates increased professionalism — and conversions. ✅ Outsourced Estimating = Time Freedom: Hiring a commercial estimating firm helped him land $4M in projects without becoming the bottleneck. ✅ Say No Early: Fiberglass pools? Done. If it doesn’t fit the system, it’s not worth the lesson. Why It Matters: If you're running crews, bidding bigger jobs, or trying to stop undercharging — this episode shows how to build real structure without losing control. Links: ➡️ Visit Rosebrooke Site Development’s website – Follow his Jack Eso’s excavation journey. https://rosebrookelh.com/ ➡️ Shop Attachments at Skid Steer Nation: ⁠ https://www.skidsteernation.com⁠ – “Build your business with the right attachments.” ➡️ Marketing Help at Throttled Up: ⁠ https://www.getthrottledup.com ⁠ – “Marketing built for contractors.”

He walked away from a VP position with 208 employees.Bought one excavator. No real plan.Then learned the hard way that “booked out” doesn’t mean profitable. Jeremy Whitson left a 21-year career in the automotive industry to build Whitson Farms Excavation from scratch. What he didn’t expect? That cash flow—not equipment—would be the real battle. In this episode, Jeremy breaks down commercial work, stormwater systems, estimating discipline, and why too much work nearly wrecked his company. This one is about growth pressure, schedule chaos, retention checks, and building a team the right way. Takeaways: ✅ Too Much Work Is Worse Than Not Enough – Overbooking commercial projects nearly cost him his reputation when rain delays stacked jobs on top of each other. ✅ Commercial = Cash Flow Discipline – 45–90 day pay cycles and 5–10% retention mean subs are often funding the project. ✅ Bid Like You’ll Win Every Job – Don’t throw numbers out hoping to land one. If you bid it, plan to execute it. ✅ Know Your Daily Break-Even – Insurance, fuel, moving equipment, bidding time—it all counts. ✅ Focus on What You’re Great At – He stopped doing septic installs himself and partnered instead. Efficiency beats ego. Why It Matters: If you’re running excavation, utilities, or site work, this episode will sharpen how you think about growth, estimating, and protecting your reputation in commercial projects. Links: ➡️ Connect with Jeremy Whitson – Follow his excavation journey. https://www.facebook.com/wfexcavationco ➡️ Shop Attachments at Skid Steer Nation: https://www.skidsteernation.com – “Build your business with the right attachments.” ➡️ Marketing Help at Throttled Up: https://www.getthrottledup.com – “Marketing built for blue-collar contractors.”

Running a contracting business in a small town isn’t glamorous—and Sheldon Gould doesn’t pretend it is. With over 25 years in lawn care, snow removal, land leveling, and property maintenance, Sheldon shares what it actually takes to survive when competition is tight, prices keep climbing, and growth feels slow. This episode is for contractors who are still showing up every day and wondering how to build a business that lasts. Takeaways: ✅ Longevity beats hype: Why staying profitable and trusted for decades matters more than fast growth ✅ Small towns come with real limits: He breaks down what competition, undercutting, and pricing pressure look like when your market is under 1,000 people ✅ Growth doesn’t mean more machines: Sometimes one attachment or service tweak beats buying a whole new fleet ✅ Why “local recognition” works better than big marketing numbers: How a few hundred local followers outperform thousands of random views. ✅ Calculated risk vs. blind risk: Expanding only after demand shows up—not before—can keep you alive long enough to grow. Why It Matters: If you’re grinding in a small market, feeling stuck, or wondering why growth feels harder than it should—this episode proves you’re not broken, and neither is your business. Links: ➡️ Check out Sheldon Gould’s S&N Custom Lawn Care Facebook Page: ⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/sheldon.gould.9 ➡️ Shop Attachments: Build your business with the right attachments. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ https://www.skidsteernation.com ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ➡️ Marketing Help: Marketing built for blue-collar contractors. ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ https://getthrottledup.com/

Most excavation and heavy civil contractors don’t fail because of bad work—they fail because of poor cash flow, bad equipment decisions, and overcomplicated growth. In this episode, Nate Morello breaks down how he’s built a lean excavation business by focusing on payment schedules, job rhythm, and technology that replaces labor instead of adding overhead. If you’re running municipal, commercial, or excavation work and feel like the business is starting to control you, this episode will hit close to home. Key Takeaways: ✅ Cash flow beats contract size: Nate explains why payment schedules, retainage, and holdbacks matter more than landing “big” municipal jobs. ✅ Technology should replace labor, not add stress: Grade control, rotators, and attachments only work if they fit your operation—not because someone else has them. ✅ Don’t buy gear for ego: Nate breaks down how screener buckets, rotators, and attachments paid off only because they matched his workflow. ✅ Rhythm over perfection: Over-perfecting jobs kills momentum—focus effort where the customer actually sees value. ✅ Time is the real cost: Renting, hauling, waiting, and delays quietly eat profit faster than most operators realize. Why It Matters: If you’re trying to grow without losing control—or wondering why the work feels harder even though you’re “busy”—this episode shows how experienced operators think long-term. Links: ➡️ Check out Nate Morello’s MC Build Facebook Page: ⁠ https://www.facebook.com/mcbuildnh ➡️ Shop Attachments: Build your business with the right attachments. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ https://www.skidsteernation.com ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ➡️ Marketing Help: Marketing built for blue-collar contractors. ⁠⁠⁠ https://getthrottledup.com/

Richard Piendak didn’t just survive five decades in paving—he built, scaled, sold, and then kept working anyway . In this episode, Richard breaks down the hard-earned lessons most contractors only learn the expensive way: when to grow, when to slow down, and why simplicity beats size. If you’re trying to build a business that actually lasts—and doesn’t burn you out—this episode will hit home. Takeaways: ✅ Scale exposes cracks – Growth doesn’t fix problems; it magnifies them. Bad systems and weak leadership show up fast when you add people. ✅ Employees make or break the business – Richard explains how treating crews like family (and testing skills, not resumes) built loyalty and consistency. ✅ Debt isn’t the enemy—bad decisions are – He shares how avoiding smart debt early slowed growth, and what he’d do differently today. ✅ Build to sell, even if you never do – Clean books, solid processes, and real leadership are what made his exit possible. ✅ Be a warrior, not a worrier – One mindset shift that carried him through recessions, oil embargoes, and 20% interest rates. Why It Matters: This episode is a masterclass for excavation, paving, and hardscape owners who want long-term stability—not just more jobs and more headaches. Links: ➡️ Check out Richard’s Paving Inc Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/KingofPaving ➡️ Shop Attachments: Build your business with the right attachments. ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ https://www.skidsteernation.com ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ➡️ Marketing Help: Marketing built for blue-collar contractors. ⁠⁠ ⁠ https://getthrottledup.com/

You’ve probably underbid a job, got halfway through, and realized you’re working for free. Caley Stecker from C & C Land Management (Holden, Missouri) lays out exactly how he stopped doing that — and why most contractors stay stuck because they’re scared to price like a real business. This episode isn’t a “feel-good” story. It’s a straight-up playbook on pricing, scope control, customer expectations, and running your schedule without chaos owning you. Takeaways: ✅ If you’re not a little nervous about your price, you’re probably too cheap. Caley explains why contractors leave money on the table trying to “stay competitive.” ✅ Hourly work punishes you for getting good. He breaks down why day-rate pricing protects your profit even when you get faster and more efficient. ✅ Your quote should include what you won’t do. Caley started adding “not included” items (seed, straw, sod, etc.) after getting burned by customers assuming extras. ✅ Add clauses for reality (rock, soil conditions, water table, etc.). He even built a “suitable soil conditions” clause so the job stops until a real conversation happens. ✅ Stop calling yourself a “small business.” Caley explains how the words you use shape how customers treat you — and how you treat yourself. Why it Matters: Because in excavation and land work, profit disappears fast when you guess pricing, stay vague on scope, or let scheduling chaos run your week. Links: ➡️ Check out and follow C & C Land Maintenance LLC’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086860041430 ➡️ Shop Attachments: Build your business with the right attachments. ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ https://www.skidsteernation.com ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ➡️ Marketing Help: Marketing built for blue-collar contractors. ⁠⁠ https://getthrottledup.com/

To kick off 2026, Ryan Deemer shows up in a different way — as the guest on the Blue Collar Business Podcast. And they jump right into a question a lot of contractors have been asking for years: is GPS machine control finally affordable… or is it still just for the big outfits? They talk real numbers, simple setup, and why this kind of tech can help you move dirt faster, cut down rework, and keep your best guys from wanting to leave. Takeaways: ✅ The number that got everyone’s attention: GPS machine control for around $13,000 — not $60K+. ✅ Most contractors don’t need the “top tier” systems: Ryan says only a small percentage actually need full 3D modeling setups. ✅ This tech can help you retain good operators: once a guy gets used to working with tools like this, he doesn’t want to go back to the old way — even for more pay. ✅ Fast install + simple use matters more than fancy features: Sy admits he’s usually scared to touch his own equipment screens… but this system felt simple enough to use without stressing about messing it up. Why it Matters: Because the second GPS becomes affordable and simple for everyday contractors, it changes hiring, production, and how competitive you stay moving forward. Links: ➡️ Subscribe to the Blue Collar Business Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@BlueCollarBusinessPodcast ➡️ Shop Attachments: Build your business with the right attachments. ⁠⁠ ⁠ https://www.skidsteernation.com ⁠ ⁠⁠ ➡️ Marketing Help: Marketing built for blue-collar contractors. ⁠⁠ https://getthrottledup.com/

As we head into a new year, this episode hits on something most contractors feel but rarely say out loud. Mike Johnson runs a snow removal crew, a hardscape operation, and a growing team—but the real shift came when he realized success didn’t matter if he carried stress everywhere he went. Mike breaks down how he reclaimed peace, rebuilt trust in his team, and stopped letting work steal from his home life. Takeaways: ✅ If you can’t shut your brain off at night, you don’t have a work problem—you have a peace problem. ✅ Letting go of control isn’t a mindset—it’s a hiring move. ✅ One mistake can cost a contract… but how you handle it can win loyalty forever. ✅ Social media doesn’t reward perfect… it rewards real. ✅ Marketing isn’t about making the phone ring—it’s about who’s calling. Why it Matters : If you’re stepping into the new year determined to build a better business and a better life, this episode gives you a grounded place to start. Links: ➡️ Visit & Follow Mike’s Facebook Page (Pro Snow Removal): https://www.facebook.com/GoProSnow ➡️ Shop Attachments: Build your business with the right attachments. ⁠ ⁠ https://www.skidsteernation.com ⁠ ⁠ ➡️ Marketing Help: Marketing built for blue-collar contractors. ⁠ ⁠ https://getthrottledup.com/