Claim OwnershipOut of the Hourglass
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© 2026 Nolan Consulting Group
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Out of the Hourglass, presented by Nolan Consulting Group, is here to help Small Business Owners and Contractors alike visualize their goals, develop their team & build sustainable growth. You'll hear from our panel of NCG Coaches on a variety of topics, guest speakers from top industry resources, Business Owners sharing best practices and a focus on strategies across sales, marketing, business planning, human resources and more. We're here to take you "out of the hourglass" and reach YOUR Summit.
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Are your sales reps following a script, or thinking strategically about each opportunity? Jeff Cramer, Sales Coach for Nolan Consulting Group and founder of Perceptive Learning, tackles one of the most common problems in trades sales: autopilot selling. When reps run the same process for every customer, they create tactical fatigue—high volume, low profit, and constant price pressure. Jeff explains how to build a sales GPS that aligns every action with your business goals, why strategy must come before tactics, and how role-playing can transform your team's preparedness. If your reps are busy but not profitable, this conversation will change how you approach sales.Today’s Podcast is brought to you by Graco
COO of Coeur d'Alene Painting Group, Desiree Cleave, knows what it means to conquer the chaos - running multiple businesses, raising kids, and navigating family business leadership dynamics all at once. In this honest conversation, Des shares what it really took to find her voice in business, create the daily habits that set her up for success, and learn that sometimes the best thing you can do is just reroute. Today’s Podcast is brought to you by Acrisure
Business is Messy is back, bringing you practical solutions to the challenges every growing trades business faces. Brian Nolan and Colin Nolan are digging into three challenges facing their clients right now: shifting sales teams from immediate-results thinking to relationship-building, navigating the complexities of family business succession, and creating accountability systems that actually stick.Have a business mess you'd like Colin & Brian to address? Drop us a note at info@nolang.com and we'll put it in front of our Coaches on an upcoming "Business is Messy" episodeToday’s Podcast is brought to you by ProfitWorks.
Rob Vallentine, National Mental Health Trainer, joins us following his powerful Grand Summit keynote that left attendees still reaching out months later with gratitude. Rob shares how equipping managers with mental health response skills can transform workplace culture, improve retention, and help leaders connect with their teams before problems escalate. Learn about the upcoming Mental Health First Aid Certification workshop in March - a practical training that teaches leaders how to notice warning signs, listen without judgment, and respond with confidence when team members are struggling.Today’s Podcast is brought to you by Safety Reports
Succession planning isn't just about paperwork—it's about trust, timing, and knowing when to let go. Susan Kussin Tompkins shares her 32-year journey at Kent Countryside Nursery & Landscaping, from unexpected tragedy to a proud, intentional transition. She discusses implementing Profit First across two revenue streams, using winter downtime strategically, and why starting succession conversations earlier make everything easier. This is real talk from a business owner who's preparing to watch her legacy thrive in the next generation's handsToday’s Podcast is brought to you by Spartan Digital Marketing
Eric McDonald built CHP Paint Co.'s culture on a simple principle: you can't out-produce bad culture. After experiencing severe burnout in 2021, he made drastic changes—4-day work weeks, comprehensive benefits, employee recognition programs, and a two-week December shutdown. The results? Productivity increased, profitability soared, and December's "planned loss" became the strategic investment that transformed his entire year. Eric shares how to budget for culture and why bottom-line thinking beats chasing top-line revenue every time.Today’s Podcast is brought to you by Red Key Solutions
Start 2026 strong by focusing on what matters most: developing yourself and your key leaders. Brian Nolan shares his personal development goal of completing a Half Ironman and explains why setting challenging goals creates the foundation for developing others. Using the field supervisor role as an example, he breaks down the three critical areas any key leader must master—emotional intelligence, financial management, and systems—to effectively develop their teams and drive business results.Today’s Podcast is brought to you by The Sherwin-Williams Company
HR compliance isn't just paperwork—it's what stands between your business and costly mistakes that can derail growth. In this conversation, Lisa DeMaria from Utopia Solutions breaks down the five most common HR misconceptions in trades businesses, from misclassifying workers to why your office manager can't do it all and the multi-state compliance traps that catch expanding companies off guard. This conversation gives you the roadmap to get HR right before problems show up at your door—protecting your business while creating the kind of culture that keeps great people around.Today’s Podcast is brought to you by Boolean Automation
Sydney Bates and Molly Nolan pull back the curtain on annual planning season, sharing key themes and lessons learned from the 20+ client site visits completed in recent months. Whether you've already done your 2025 planning or you're just getting started, this check-in covers what's working—from contingency planning and sales management structure to leadership development, geographic expansion, and the growing wave of business acquisitions. Discover why the most successful companies are heading into 2025 with both optimism and strategic backup plans in place.Today’s Podcast is brought to you by Painter Marketing ProsIf you want real growth in 2026, Painter Marketing Pros will show you how to unlock $50,000 to $250,000 plus in hidden revenue already inside your painting company. Get a custom 2026 Revenue Expansion Blueprint, guaranteed to uncover at least $50,000 in new revenue over the next 12 months, or they will pay you $1,000 for wasting your time. That's how confident they are in this blueprint.Visit https://grow.paintermarketingpros.com/blueprint-offer to secure your blueprint now. Space is limited.
Bill Drysdale, Principal of the Taysa Group, and Ross Hartmann, Founder of Kiingo AI, introduce NCG's new 6-month AI Accelerator Workshop designed specifically for trades businesses who want to gain a competitive edge through practical AI adoption. They explain why AI is a people and strategy challenge rather than a technical one, sharing how the program helps leaders develop clear implementation roadmaps, save time on administrative work, and amplify their team's capabilities without getting overwhelmed by complexity. With limited seats available starting in December, this peer-based workshop offers accountability, proven tools, and industry-specific applications that turn AI from buzzword into business advantage.Summit Members - Check your Summit Weekly or connect with your Coach to register!Today’s Podcast is brought to you by Protiv
When employees don't see a clear path forward, they leave—it's that simple. Dave Scaturro, Vice President & Director of Commercial Division at Alpine Painting shares how he & his team tackled this challenge by creating a comprehensive career ladder covering skills, safety, quality, culture, and leadership, then used feedback from his mastermind group of peer business owners to refine it over year and a half. The result: a system that's transforming how his team thinks about growth and retention in the trades.Today’s Podcast is brought to you by Hirebus
Fresh off the 2025 Grand Summit Conference in Seattle, Molly sits down with Coach Eamon to debrief his first Summit experience with over 200 trades industry leaders. From Tiffani Bova's "Experience Mindset" keynote to the deeply resonant conversation on leadership and mental health with Rob Vallentine, they share observations on standout sessions, unexpected moments, and what makes this community so unique.Today’s Podcast is brought to you by The Sherwin-Williams Company
We're re-releasing our very first episode of 2025 for a special reason - author Tiffani Bova was keynote speaker at this week's Grand Summit Conference in Seattle! When Colin and I discussed "The Experience Mindset" at the start of this year, we had no idea she'd soon be joining us to explore our conference theme: "The Intersection of Leadership & Technology." Her insights on how Customer Experience and Employee Experience are intricately intertwined made this the perfect way to kick off the Summit, examining why companies that excel in both areas achieve true growth and success.Today’s Podcast is brought to you by PaintScout.
Pete Schnepp, Real Estate Investor and Founder of both Envision Service Group and Asset Stream Properties, shares his journey from running a successful painting business to building and maintaining an expanding commercial real estate portfolio. In this episode, Pete discusses why he chose commercial real estate over short-term rentals, how he evaluates deals, and the importance of having both an income engine and a wealth-building engine. He offers practical advice for trades business owners looking to diversify into real estate investing, including the value of taking action and the role of leverage in building long-term wealth.To learn more, visit https://assetstreamproperties.com/ and check out the Upcoming Deal Room Event on December 4thThis podcast is sponsored by Busybusy
Kevin Muñoz and Kathryn Freeman dive into Dan Heath’s Reset, exploring why small, intentional resets often outperform massive overhauls. They discuss how to identify “bright spots” worth replicating, the power of giving your team ownership over change, and why the best time to reset isn’t January 1st—it’s right now. From Chick-fil-A’s drive-thru innovations to archery coaches who let athletes steer their own improvement, this conversation is packed with practical strategies for business owners ready to break the cycle of patching problems and start designing sustainable growth.
We're re-releasing this fan-favorite episode with Ross Hartmann, founder of Kiingo AI, just in time for our Grand Summit Conference where Ross will be leading a breakout session on this very topic. Ross and Molly explore practical AI applications for small businesses, discussing how tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini can boost efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance customer experiences while maintaining your authentic brand voice. Whether you're AI-curious or already experimenting, this conversation offers actionable strategies to integrate AI into your business today.
Join Molly Nolan and Colin Nolan as they preview the 2025 Grand Summit Conference in Seattle- NCG's largest annual event bringing together business owners for learning, networking, and one-on-one coaching. Discover what's new this year, including keynote speaker Tiffany Bova, interactive Table Talks, sessions on AI and bot building, strategic wealth building, and business valuation, plus enhanced opportunities for collaboration among the Summit community. Registration closes October 3rd, so don't miss your chance to invest in your business growth at this can't-miss event!Register Here: https://sites.google.com/nolancg.com/grand-summit-2025-seattle/attendee-registration
We are jumping back into the world of Stewart Painting - a month ago we heard about their Board of Directors Progress and now we’re hearing about the Role dynamics of the General Manager & Owner! Sheldon Stewart, Owner & President and Kimberly Redfield, General Manager discuss the role of the GM and how they work together effectively, sharing real examples of boundary-setting, strategic planning, and building trust during leadership transitions. As the former Controller, Kim shares the the critical differences between the role of the controller and GM and how to balance immediate operational needs with long-term succession and board planning.
This week we are re-releasing an episode originally published in May of 2024 with Michael Murray, he Founder and President at Textbook Painting in Cleveland, OH. As we thinking about planning and budgeting for 2026, we thought it was timely to revisit the topic of hiring overseas talent and how you can build that into your organizational growth to support your scaling teams. Be sure to check out the show notes for tools & hiring platforms below from the podcast!Job Postings & VA Hiring Serviceshttps://www.onlinejobs.ph/https://remote.co/ ProfitWorksTools: https://www.tango.us/ https://www.notion.so/ https://vocaroo.com/ https://wise.com/us/ https://www.loom.com/ https://justcall.io/ https://www.ringcentral.com/
Nolan Consulting Group Coach, Eamon Lynch shares lessons from scaling operations at a billion-dollar remodeling company and applying those systems to smaller trades businesses. From bay window sales gone wrong to the critical handoffs between sales and operations, Eamon breaks down why "we say a lot of things" isn't good enough and how to build accountability that scales. Learn his approach to cross-departmental meetings and the communication strategies that turn chaos into consistent growth.
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