Mentorship, Balance, Working ON Your Business & the Butterfly Effect | Local Leaders The Podcast #221

In this powerful episode, Jim Chapman sits down with Gus LeBaron — a true-blue tradesman turned empire builder — for a raw conversation about how he built his construction business from an unknown start-up to an empire. Gus opens up about his gritty early challenges, the mentors who changed his trajectory, and the hard-won lessons that took him from working IN the trenches to building his thriving business (KOS Drywall & Painting).

He breaks down his lessons learned from how to actually find balance in business, when to scale and the game-changing power of working ON your business instead of IN it. You’ll also hear his practical system for setting goals that stick, plus Jim and Gus briefly discuss the mind-blowing “butterfly effect” moments that alter lives. If you’re a business owner, tradesperson, or anyone chasing bigger dreams, this one’s loaded with actionable gold and real-life inspiration.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Introducing Gus LeBaron
06:15 – Early Life and Challenges
10:21 – Influences and Mentorship
17:27 – Entrepreneurship and Lessons Learned
23:21 – Balancing Family and Business
30:21 – Working ON Your Business (Not IN it)
39:18 – Setting Goals for Success
45:25 – The Decline of Qualified Tradesmen
55:23 – The Butterfly Effect in Life