I recently sat down with my father-in-law, Mark, for another episode of the Kid Contractor Podcast, and it was a real eye-opener. As someone who has been in the HVAC and commercial refrigeration business for over 30 years, Mark has a wealth of knowledge and experience that I'm always eager to tap into. One of the key things that stood out to me in our conversation was the importance of mindset when it comes to running a successful business. Mark shared how he read the book "The Richest Man in Babylon" years ago, and it really resonated with him. The idea of consistently saving a portion of your income, no matter what, is something that he's carried with him throughout his career. We also discussed the challenges of dealing with personnel and the human element of running a business. As Mark put it, he often felt like he was just a "glorified babysitter," constantly putting out fires and making sure his team was on the same page. But he emphasized the importance of putting in that...

In our latest episode, I had the chance to dive into some deep topics that have been weighing heavily on my mind lately. The discussion started with a reference to a class that my wife Brittany attended a while back on the concepts of love and respect in relationships. The core idea is that men inherently crave respect from their partners, while women need to feel loved. When we get that dynamic wrong, it can send a relationship into a downward spiral. This really hit home for me, as Brittany and I have been going through a bit of a tense period in our marriage recently. We've both been so focused on the demands of work and keeping our business running smoothly that we haven't always been as present and attentive with each other as we should be. It's a good reminder that no matter how much is on our plates, we have to keep our priorities straight and make sure we're nurturing our most important relationship. The conversation then shifted to the role that money and material...

As our business continues to grow, Britt and I have been laser focused on optimizing our systems and standardizing communication across crews. On this week's episode we really dug into two areas that have been top of mind - daily updates from jobsites and financial management strategies.

Being able to plan for each day is so important when juggling multiple projects. We've tried a few different methods for end-of-day reports but weren't fully satisfied. After discussing the pros and cons, taking photos directly in Company Cam seems like the best fit. Not only will it provide a quick virtual check-in for me, but that permanent record will be invaluable for looking back at past jobs.

Proper financial oversight is another huge piece of running a successful business. We weighed options like fractional CFO services that could take us to the next level. While the value they provide is undeniable, the price tag may not be there yet as we continue to grow our top line. Still, the...