We've hit a major milestone—Episode 250!

And there's no one else I’d rather celebrate with than Brian Elias, my very first guest on The Wealthy Contractor Podcast and true industry trailblazer.

If you don’t know him, Brian is the founder of 1-800-HANSONS, which he grew into one of the largest home improvement companies in the country before selling to private equity. These days, he's doing it all over again with Refloor—having already scaled to 15 markets across 12 states and selling 50+ jobs per day.

But this episode is about more than Brian’s incredible story. It's about the mindset, marketing psychology, and hard-won lessons that separate struggling contractors from industry titans.

Listen in as Brian E. opens up about:

• Why he’s getting back into face-to-face marketing in 2026 (and which channels he’s targeting)
• The "Mom's Problems" framework that will make your marketing convert
• How you can "reduce to the ridiculous" to close more sales
• The psychological triggers all your marketing messages need to hit
• Where his confidence REALLY comes from (it’s not what you think)
• …And why most contractors are “fishing with the wrong lure”

Whether you're grinding to hit your first million or scaling past eight figures, this conversation will challenge how you think about marketing, leadership, and building the business (and life) you actually want.

👉 Subscribe to hear more stories, strategies, and secrets that top contractors use to grow their home improvement businesses and enjoy more success, wealth, and freedom.

Key Highlights:

(0:00) Introduction

(1:10) Welcome Back: Brian Elias Returns for Episode 250

(2:50) Refloor Update: 15 Markets, 12 States, 50 Jobs Per Day

(6:08) The Joy of Being Outsmarted by Your Own Kid

(8:21) The Power of Faking it Till You Make it

(10:04) Why You Should Treat Sales Calls Like Job Interviews

(12:17) How His Father’s Mistakes Fueled His Success

(14:02) Why Face-to-Face Marketing Is Making a Comeback

(16:16) The Fishing Lure Framework: How to Think About Marketing

(17:43) Using Psychological Triggers to “Romance” Homeowners

(26:59) Why 95% of Cars on the Road Aren't the Cheapest

(29:32) The Hardest Thing About Leadership

(37:18) "Reducing to the Ridiculous": The $129/Month Close

(40:57) Lessons from the First Time Around

(41:40) Hire for Attitude, Not Just Experience

(44:48) Why You Should Interview 8 People Per Day

(47:10) Final Thoughts: Start with the End in Mind

Additional Resources:

⚡ Learn more about Discovery Day at The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://TheEntryDoor.info/

⚡ Get your tickets for Accelerate LIVE! 2026, and use code PODCAST26 for $100 off: https://thewealthycontractor.com/events/accelerate-live

⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).

⚡ Follow us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/

What if the fastest way to grow your business was to stop doing everything yourself?

When Ryan Keene started MODE Renovation, a one-day bathroom remodeling business, he was just 24 years old. Four years later, he’s about to hit his first million-dollar sales month and working less than ever before. So how on earth did he get there so quickly??

According to him, he just implemented what he was told.

In this episode, Ryan shares the wins, struggles, and turning points that helped him go from installer, to owner, to leader—and how building a strong community of peers and mentors helped him get there.

You’ll hear how he built an in-house call center from scratch at an early stage (with zero experience), hired a sales manager before he could afford it, raised prices the smart way, and built a culture where people actually want to show up and win.

This one is loaded with lessons—especially if you’re stuck in the weeds, hesitant to spend money, or feeling like it’s all on your shoulders. Ryan proves that with the right mindset, community, and systems, you can scale faster and more profitably than you ever imagined.

Whether you’re just getting started or trying to push past a plateau, this episode will leave you with the one thing you need most: permission to go bigger.

Key Highlights:

(00:00) Intro

(01:15) Half Brian’s Age, Twice the Man: Meet Ryan Keene

(03:00) “Smile and Dial”: How Ryan Built a Call Center from Scratch

(07:05) Leads Aren’t Dead (You’re Just Doing it Wrong)

(09:25) Tracking KPIs… Even When You Don’t Know What “KPI” Means

(10:38) Why Entrepreneurship Feels So Damn Lonely (And How to Fix It)

(15:54) Can’t Afford to Hire? That’s Exactly Why You Should

(17:30) Press the Business Like a Race Car: Test, Break, Rebuild

(18:30) The Counter-Intuitive Way Ryan Increased His Close Rate

(22:47) Increase Prices Without Losing Sales (Yes, Really)

(27:47) Recruiting New Reps (And Why You Should Treat Them Like Leads)

(31:55) The Bounty Board: Competition That Drives Sales

(35:00) Building Culture That Actually Means Something

(42:02) The Mindset Shift Leading to a Million-Dollar Month

(47:45) Stop Deciding and Start DOING

👉 Subscribe to hear more stories, strategies, and secrets that top contractors use to grow their home improvement businesses and enjoy more success, wealth, and freedom.

Additional Resources:

⚡ Learn more about Discovery Day at The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://TheEntryDoor.info/

⚡ Get your tickets for Accelerate LIVE! 2026, and use code PODCAST26 for $100 off: https://thewealthycontractor.com/events/accelerate-live

⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).

⚡ Follow us on social media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/

What do hundreds—maybe thousands—of today’s home improvement business owners have in common?

They have all been influenced by Rob Levin, who has helped shape the home improvement industry as we know it. If you’ve been around long enough, you’ve either worked for one of his companies, learned from someone who did, or competed against them.

It all started back in the ‘80s, when Rob quit his CPA job to help grow AMRE (American Remodeling) from a single office surviving on an SBA loan to $300M in revenue across 56 locations.

Rob’s story isn’t just a nostalgic trip through time—it’s a blueprint for scaling a sales-driven, systemized, and profitable company.

Listen in as Brian and Rob discuss how he trained and led more than 600 salespeople, oversaw 2,200 employees, and created systems so effective that dozens of his former team members went on to start their own companies. He also shares how he did it all with the mindset and precision of a CPA-turned-COO who believed success wasn’t just about hustle—it was about math, discipline, and leadership.

This one is part history lesson, part MBA class, and part gut check. And it proves that while a lot has changed in the industry, the fundamentals haven’t. Whether you’re just getting started or running $20 million a year, there’s something in here for you.

Key Moments:

(0:00) Intro

(1:10) Meet Rob Levin: The Man Who Trained an Industry

(3:47) From SBA Loan to $300M Empire: The AMRE Origin Story

(8:43) Tips for Building a High-Performing Sales Team

(10:16) The Math Behind Million-Dollar Sales Teams

(13:07) The 3-Month Rule: When to Pull a Sales Rep Off the Field

(17:48) The Hard Calls Every Owner Must Be Willing to Make

(21:01) How Financial Discipline Built a Powerhouse

(24:47) Determining Your Marketing Costs

(30:41) Revenue Growth & Gross Margin: Where Most Owners Mess Up

(37:51) Rob’s Blueprint for Building a Sustainable Business

(45:11) A Cautionary Tale About The Power of Belief (And a Lost RBA License)

(50:39) Mentorship, Legacy & Lessons from Industry Giants

(54:41) Rob’s Final Word: What Really Makes a Business Work

👉 Subscribe to hear more stories, strategies, and secrets that top contractors use to grow their home improvement businesses and enjoy more success, wealth, and freedom.

Additional Resources:

⚡ Learn more about Discovery Day at The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://TheEntryDoor.info/

⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).

⚡ Follow us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/

What if every day you started with zero leads and still ended the week with a packed pipeline?

Sounds too good to be true, right?

Not according to this week’s podcast guest, Samantha McGuinness. On top of being a master of face-to-face marketing, she is also insanely good at “making leads out of thin air” (it’s kind of her superpower).

From knocking on doors and setting up booths to generating $100,000 from a peach festival, Samantha’s helped companies like Renewal by Andersen Toronto generate $10M+ in revenue from “make” marketing systems.

In this episode, Samantha and Brian dive into how elite companies create their own opportunities, the systems behind effective appointment setting (hint: get straight to the point), and why you should avoid gimmicks and “trinkets” that waste time and money.

🔑 Key Moments:

(0:00) Introduction

(1:28) Meet Samantha: From landscaping startup to $10M+ in face-to-face marketing

(5:18) Using social skills to get more leads

(8:22) Why tests like the DISC profile can be misleading when hiring

(11:20) How to make leads out of thin air

(12:54) How old-school gimmicks can hurt face-to-face marketing

(15:18) The controversy over “trinkets” (and why you should avoid them)

(17:24) Building a $10M+ department through systems and events

(19:37) Defining “make marketing”: events, home shows, canvassing, and retail partnerships

(25:29) Why every single person in your company should help find events (and how to incentivize them)

(29:15) What should (and should NOT) be on your booth table and displays—and why salespeople should never staff a booth

(33:01) Recruiting & hiring: Who thrives and who flops (Ever hire an actor?)

(43:50) The importance of make marketing in today’s market

(46:09) Best advice: Be 100% authentic in life and business

(50:55) Closing thoughts & resources

👤 About Our Guest

Samantha McGuinness is the founder of Enabled and the Face-to-Face Marketing Network, where she helps home improvement companies build profitable in-person marketing systems. Her systems and SOPs have generated millions in revenue for contractors nationwide.

👉 Subscribe to hear more stories, strategies, and secrets that top contractors use to grow their home improvement businesses and enjoy more success, wealth, and freedom.

Additional Resources:

⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).

⚡ Follow us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/

EPISODE 246: When Michael Flores joined Expo Home Improvement, they were under $20 million in revenue. Today? Over 300 employees, 5 locations, and a sales team of 75.

But here’s the twist… Michael says they actually need LESS leads. And that’s just one of the counterintuitive lessons he shares in this episode. 🤯

Listen in as we chat about:

• Why Michael recruits using the Predictive Index (and the personality types that crush it in sales)
• The 3 types of sales cultures (and which one you want in your company)
• The role of frontline leaders in coaching and mentoring reps (sometimes a pat on the back, sometimes a kick in the pants)
• Why personal style matters in sales presentations, and how his team tailors their approach to fit Texas markets (“a little more country, a little more city”)
• How Expo Home manages culture with 300+ people across 5 locations: daily huddles, monthly town halls, and value-driven leadership roles
• Two titles you’ve probably never heard before: Dream Manager and Chief Ministry Officer — and the impact those roles have had on retention and morale
• How they’ve embraced AI and the tech stack that fuels their sales and marketing machine
• Why fewer, higher-intent leads are now driving more sales
• Why “It’s all about relationships,” isn’t just a cliche— it’s the best advice Michael’s ever received.

If you’ve ever wondered how to scale with a winning culture, keep your sales team hungry but humble, and finally get marketing working for your reps, this one’s worth the listen.

Key Takeaways:

00:00 – Introduction

01:11 – Meet Michael

04:33 – Scaling from $20M to 300+ Employees

06:15 – Marketing is the Key to Contractor Growth

08:09 – Creating a Strong Sales Culture of “Humble Heroes”

13:11 – Recruiting Salespeople with Predictive Index

15:10 – 10-Step Sales Training Process Explained

18:20 – No Room for Bad Attitudes in Company Culture

20:03 – Managing Sales Culture Across Locations

27:05 – How a Profit First Mentality Allows Giving Back

29:30 – Dream Manager Program & Investing in Employees

35:58 – Using IT & Tech to Boost Marketing & Sales

38:49 – Why Michael Needs Less Leads

43:45 – Final Advice: It’s All About Relationships

👉 Subscribe to hear more stories, strategies, and secrets that top contractors use to grow their home improvement businesses and enjoy more success, wealth, and freedom.

Additional Resources:

⚡ Learn more about Discovery Day at The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://TheEntryDoor.info/

⚡ Learn more about The Profit Masters: https://www.TheProfitMasters.com/

⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).

⚡ Follow us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/

EPISODE 245: This week on The Wealthy Contractor, I sat down with Cory Minzyk, Call Center Director at All American Roofing & Remodeling.

Cory is a powerhouse in the home improvement world; she’s helped build some of the most productive call centers in the country at companies like Window Nation and Thompson Creek.

In this episode, she reveals how to hire the right people, implement proven systems, and track the right metrics, which all play into building a call center that can catapult your business growth to an entirely new level.

She and I also talk about what it really takes to turn your phones into a profit machine, and where most contractors are getting it wrong.

Listen in and learn how to:

• Influence the “domino effect” your call center has on the rest of your business
• Track KPIs that actually drive profit (not vanity metrics)
• Use your call center to support a diverse, successful mix of marketing sources
• Identify when you need to hire a call center manager (and what to look for)
• Use “active listening” to help your team set more appointments
• Set good issue rate goals for the different types of lead sources
• Hire, train, and compensate call center agents who consistently set quality appointments
• Ditch the “robotic scripts” and still control the conversation

You’ll even hear what happened when no one showed up to work one morning—and how Cory and her boss set leads themselves.

Cory’s strategy and systems are game-changers for any contractor who wants more control, more consistency, and more jobs!

Tune in now.

👉 Subscribe to hear more stories, strategies, and secrets that top contractors use to grow their home improvement businesses and enjoy more success, wealth, and freedom.

Key Takeaways:

Introduction (00:00)

Meet Cory (01:22)

What a call center actually does (16:48)

What a small company needs to have a successful call center (22:07)

Is scripting important? (25:30)

How your call center grows with your business (33:20)

What’s a good call center agent? (38:03)

Call center KPIs (44:24)

Additional Resources:

⚡ Learn more about Discovery Day at The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://TheEntryDoor.info/

⚡ Learn more about The Profit Masters: https://www.TheProfitMasters.com/

⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).

⚡ Follow us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/

EPISODE 244: This week on The Wealthy Contractor podcast, I sit down with Eric Peschke. As VP of Marketing at ZINTEX Remodeling Group, Eric is one of the most methodical and data-driven marketers in the home improvement industry.

In this episode, he divulges how ZINTEX went from issuing a few leads per day across four markets to issuing 80–100 appointments daily across 31 markets.

He also shares actionable insights on mastering your call center, the right mix of “make vs. take” lead gen strategies, and how to scale your marketing without sacrificing ROI.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• How to take control of your lead generation strategy (step 1: stop being a “lead baby”)
• Why you need to treat your call center like a profit center
• The 15-minute weekly ritual that saves thousands in wasted marketing spend
• Why canvassing is the hardest source, but worth the blood, sweat, and tears
• How to create a compensation plan for marketing roles that drives real results
• What time of year you should be testing new lead sources
• Dissecting marketing reports the right way (ever read right to left?)
• How to make your marketing team the John Stockton to your sales team’s Karl Malone

… and a lot more!

Eric’s approach is something every contractor needs to adopt today — whether you’re at $1M or $100M.

Are you ready to discover the huge opportunities in lead gen this year?

Then make sure to tune in!

👉 Subscribe to hear more stories, strategies, and secrets that top contractors use to grow their home improvement businesses and enjoy more success, wealth, and freedom.

Key Takeaways:

Introduction (00:00)

Meet Eric (01:29)

Why you need to focus on your call center (06:35)

Make marketing vs take marketing (11:15)

Start with 100 leads a month (20:50)

A good sales system is a must! (32:41)

Is your data good enough? (38:46)

Additional Resources:

⚡ Connect with Heather: https://www.macklinlawllc.com/

⚡ Learn more about Discovery Day at The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://TheEntryDoor.info/

⚡ Learn more about The Profit Masters: https://www.TheProfitMasters.com/

⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).

⚡ Follow us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/

EPISODE 243: In this episode of The Wealthy Contractor podcast, I sit down with attorney Heather Macklin to uncover the legal blind spots that can take down even the most successful contractors, remodelers, or home services companies.

Heather doesn’t just talk theory, she lives this stuff. As both a lawyer AND a home improvement business owner, she understands the real-world risks contractors face in 2025 and beyond.

In this episode, she shares real examples of legal screw-ups that cost contractors thousands, along with the simple systems you can put in place to avoid them.

We also talk about:

• Why operating under an LLC or corporation is not a legal safety net
• Common contract mistakes that put your business at risk
• Which poor documentation policies could end up costing you BIG TIME
• How certain employee “agreements” could be problematic (and by problematic, we mean illegal)
• What a “corporate agent” or “registered agent” is and if you need one
• Important updates on the TCPA one-to-one consent rule (and some wrong info you may be receiving from certain led gen or marketing companies)
• Why you shouldn’t hire Google as your lawyer

This episode might not be sexy…but it could save your business.

Protect what you’ve built. Listen now.

👉 Subscribe to hear more stories, strategies, and secrets that top contractors use to grow their home improvement businesses and enjoy more success, wealth, and freedom.

Key Takeaways:

Introduction (00:00)

Meet Heather (00:55)

Think forming an LLC is enough? Think again (07:46)

Labor laws to keep in mind (12:30)

Insurance and risk management (21:07)

What about contracts? (22:52)

Why you need to follow document retention policies (24:31)

TCPA compliance (28:54)

Legal resources (38:56)

Additional Resources:

⚡ Connect with Heather: https://www.macklinlawllc.com/

⚡ Learn more about Discovery Day at The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://TheEntryDoor.info/

⚡ Learn more about The Profit Masters: https://www.TheProfitMasters.com/

⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).

⚡ Follow us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/