Being Clear, Building Smart, and Living Well – With Kory Ballard

This conversation with Kory Ballard was one of those episodes that sticks with you.

We’ve had Kory on The Kid Contractor Podcast before, and he always brings the heat—but this one hit different. It wasn’t just about business, blades, or branding (though we talked a lot about that). It was about leadership, boundaries, relationships, and the grind it takes to grow something big—and the cost that can come with it.

Early on, we got into something that seems small but is actually massive: being specific. Kory shared examples from his own companies—Ballard Inc. and PerfiCut—where a lack of clarity led to confusion and missed expectations. “Make it look good,” doesn’t cut it anymore. “Be nice to the customer,” is too vague. Define what good looks like. Be clear on what a win is for your team. As a leader, if you’re not specific, you’re setting your people up to miss the mark. I needed that reminder.

We also dove into the story behind Ballard Inc.’s success—26 years in the making, from a side hustle to an eight-figure product brand serving contractors across the country. His passion for creating simple, effective tools (like mower blades and racks that actually solve problems) really comes through. And the behind-the-scenes work—like manually compiling blade specs from every mower brand each year? Insane. No shortcuts, just a mountain of effort.

But the part that really stuck with me—and probably will for a while—was when we talked about life beyond the business. Kory got real about the toll that early hustle took: a divorce, burnout, and a season where the business came first at the cost of everything else. Now? He’s flipped the script. Family is first. And wouldn’t you know it, business is actually better. Wild how that works.

We wrapped the episode talking about leadership through clarity, scaling smart, and guiding clients like professionals. Whether you’re designing landscapes or selling mower blades, the idea’s the same: act as the guide, not just the order taker.

There’s too much good in this one to sum up in a blog post. If you missed it, go listen. Kory dropped a ton of value—whether you’re a solo guy just getting started, or you’re running a multi-million dollar company trying to keep the wheels on.

Thanks again, Kory. We’ll do it again sometime.