Systems, Sales, and Getting the Reps – A Power Episode with Mike Andes

This episode was a burner — short on time, long on value. I had Mike Andes on The Kid Contractor Podcast, and man, it was like drinking from a fire hose.

Mike’s the founder of Augusta Lawn Care, a franchise with 170+ locations across the U.S., Canada, and even Australia. He's also the mind behind a ton of great content and systems aimed at helping contractors build businesses that don’t own them. And if you've never heard the story of how a dump truck PTO nearly ended his career — and sparked a total systems overhaul in his company — buckle up. It’s wild, humbling, and powerful.

One of the biggest takeaways from our conversation was about getting the reps. Whether it’s estimating, selling, leading a team, or learning to follow up — most people just don’t put in the time. They say, “Oh, sales isn’t working,” or “P4P doesn’t work for my team.” But have they really tried? Like, tried 100 or 1,000 times? Probably not.

Mike’s story about how pay-for-performance (P4P) was born out of necessity — while he was laid up after that PTO accident — hit hard. He knew the only way to stop being the bottleneck in his company was to build systems that let his crew run jobs without him. From estimate videos to P4P compensation models to detailed workflows, he built it all while recovering. And now he's helping others do the same.

We also touched on franchising — why it’s not for everyone, but for the right person, it can be the fastest and safest path to building a business that doesn’t rely on you 24/7. As Mike put it, it’s like a kennel for your business. It might feel restrictive, but it’ll get you safely to your destination.

This episode will challenge you, especially if you’ve been coasting. And that’s a good thing. We all need a wake-up call from time to time — especially in the off-season. Now’s the time to work on the business, not just in it.

Big thanks to Mike for coming on and dropping so much fire in just 30-something minutes. Go follow him at @TheMikeAndes on Instagram, and check out his free content and courses at mikeandes.com. Trust me, if you want to level up your business, this is the stuff.

—Caleb