Download a copy of Ellen's Weekly Financial Quick Check Templates here: https://trybta.com/DL268-2

Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL268

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP268

What if the fastest way to build an accountable team was to show them the numbers you've been hiding? Ellen Rohr (Zoom Drain, Business Uncomplicated) has helped hundreds of contractors implement open book management — and the results are transformational.

In this episode, she breaks down exactly how to share your financials with your team, what to share (and what NOT to), and how to turn transparency into a game your crew actually wants to win.

If you've ever thought "My employees just don't care about profit" — this episode will show you why that's your fault, and how to fix it.

🔥 What You'll Learn in This Episode

By the end of this conversation, you'll know how to:

• Implement open-book management without exposing what you take home
• Decide exactly which numbers to share with which roles on your team
• Handle the #1 objection: "Won't my team resent what I make?"
• Use gamification to turn financial targets into a competition your crew cares about
• Build a team that thinks like owners — not just clock-punchers
• Shift from "my team doesn't care" to "my team is obsessed with hitting the number"
• Structure incentives tied to the metrics your team can actually influence
• Avoid the biggest pitfalls Ellen sees contractors make with open books

Learn more about Ellen: https://www.youtube.com/ellenrohr

00:00-Intro

02:08-Defining open book management

07:21-Financial transparency and strategic pricing

22:08-Prerequisites for rolling out financial reports

29:13-Departmentalization and relevant KPIs

37:22-The importance of manual tracking and gamification

50:59-Cultural yield and future technology

To get your free Hiring Resource Bundle, click here: https://trybta.com/DL267

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP267

Most contractors post a job ad, get zero qualified applicants, and wonder why they can't find good people. The problem isn't the labor market — it's your hiring system.

In this roundtable, Matt Risinger (founder of The Build Show Network), Jacob Toler ($2.8M contractor running a 35% gross profit), and BTA coach Matt Balfe break down exactly how top contractors recruit, hire, and retain A-players — even when no one's applying.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why your job postings aren't attracting qualified candidates (and what to do instead)
• Hiring systems that build your bench so you're always staffed for busy season
• Creative recruitment strategies the best contractors use to find A-players
• The difference between hiring out of desperation vs. hiring from a position of strength

Whether you're a general contractor, remodeler, or specialty trade, if you're struggling to find good employees for your construction business, this conversation is your blueprint.

00:00-Intro & speaker backgrounds

08:21-Identifying hiring pain points & root causes

09:58-Candidate screening & interview process

30:08-Out-of-the-box recruiting & social media tactics

43:18-Leveraging AI and automation in recruitment

48:37-Key hiring lessons: ability over reactivity

01:14:53-Q&A: references & quality growth

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP266

Take our five minute quiz and get a custom Contractor Growth Scorecard: https://trybta.com/DL266

Can you actually run a contracting business with your spouse…

…and still like each other at the end of the day?

Caleb Auman (host of the Kid Contractor Podcast) and his wife Brittany have been through bankruptcy, business failure, and the kind of fights that almost ended everything. In this episode, they share the hard-won rules for how they rebuilt — together — and turned their marriage into their biggest competitive advantage.

If you and your partner are building a business side by side (or thinking about it), this one's for you.

🔥 What You'll Learn in This Episode

By the end of this conversation, you'll know how to:

• Navigate the real tension between being business partners and life partners
• Define clear roles so you stop stepping on each other's toes
• Fight productively — without letting business stress destroy your relationship
• Rebuild trust and alignment after a major failure (including bankruptcy)
• Parent effectively while running a demanding contracting business
• Set boundaries between "work mode" and "marriage mode"
• Turn your partnership into a system that makes your business stronger

Check out The Kid Contractor Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8UxQJ9VFnDk4B2f7vMZzJLoWikTD_08k

00:00-Intro

03:37-Defining Missions and Shared Why

06:46-Navigating Bankruptcy and Partnership Roles

18:42-Dividing Spouse-Run Business Role

27:08-Self-Realization, Humility, and Leadership

40:07-Tools for Healthy Communication

50:17-Parenting and Instilling Values

59:28-Final Thoughts on Life Perspective