Kid Contractor Podcast with Caleb Auman

Veteran contractor Tommy Cole shares a wealth of experience from decades in the landscape construction and civil engineering industries. Tommy recounts numerous job site mishaps, ranging from an accidental skid steer intrusion onto a protected prairie meadow to the astonishing coincidence of plastering the wrong pool on the exact same street. Through these humorous and challenging anecdotes, he emphasizes the critical importance of owning one's mistakes and never complaining about clients. The conversation highlights how vital clear communication and accessible data are for growing a successful contracting business. Connect with LeanScaper. Key Takeaways: Take complete ownership of job site mistakes immediately rather than passing blame onto crew members or subcontractors. Minimize handling materials multiple times to eliminate unnecessary labor costs and boost overall operational efficiency. Move critical project details out of your head and into a shared system so your entire team has visibility into schedules and project expectations. Build client trust through transparency by acknowledging that human errors will occur while guaranteeing you will take responsibility to make things right. Refrain from complaining about difficult clients and instead view their feedback as essential insight for refining your business processes.   Connect with Auman Landscape 📺 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@AumanLandscape 🌐 All Links https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aumanlandscapellc/ 👷 👷‍♂️ 👷‍♀️ The Hardsacpe Academy https://www.thehardscapeacademy.com/  👫 👩‍❤️‍👨 Together In The Trades https://www.togetherinthetrades.com/  Episode Sponsors 📸 CompanyCam – Get 50% off for 2 months https://companycam.com/auman 💰 Cycle CPA – Save $200 https://cyclecpa.com Use code: AUMAN 🛠 LMN Software – Save on onboarding https://golmn.com Use code: AUMAN 🚜⚙️🛠️ Steelwrist https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 🛠 Leanscaperhttps://leanscaper.com/ 🚜 Equip https://www.equipexposition.com/Use code: AUMAN 💰 John Pajakhttps://johnpajak.com 🧠 🎯 💡 FRWRD Coachinghttps://www.frwrdcoaching.com/

Finding deep fulfillment in sharing hands-on trade skills with others, and focusing on raising good humans is what motivates Caleb and Brittany. The couple emphasizes the importance of tracking financial numbers and understanding revenue per hour to make informed decisions and pivot when seasons are slow. They highlight the value of hands-on education through their Hardscape Academy and share personal anecdotes about learning HVAC systems while building their new home. The conversation also explores the concept of finding one's purpose through service, mentorship, and professional excellence.  Key Takeaways: Track your business numbers consistently so you can identify performance gaps early and make necessary strategic pivots. Calculate your revenue targets per employee and man-hour to build realistic growth plans and staffing budgets. Cultivate a broad foundation of knowledge across related disciplines in your industry to recognize quality work and manage projects effectively. Take every opportunity to learn directly from experienced mentors, even when acquiring skills outside your primary area of focus. Focus on sharing your practical knowledge to empower others rather than tying your sense of purpose to superficial milestones. Connect with Auman Landscape 📺 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@AumanLandscape 🌐 All Links https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aumanlandscapellc/ 👷 👷‍♂️ 👷‍♀️ The Hardsacpe Academy https://www.thehardscapeacademy.com/  👫 👩‍❤️‍👨 Together In The Trades https://www.togetherinthetrades.com/  Episode Sponsors 📸 CompanyCam – Get 50% off for 2 months https://companycam.com/auman 💰 Cycle CPA – Save $200 https://cyclecpa.com Use code: AUMAN 🛠 LMN Software – Save on onboarding https://golmn.com Use code: AUMAN 🚜⚙️🛠️ Steelwrist https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 🛠 Leanscaperhttps://leanscaper.com/ 🚜 Equip https://www.equipexposition.com/Use code: AUMAN 💰 John Pajakhttps://johnpajak.com 🧠 🎯 💡 FRWRD Coachinghttps://www.frwrdcoaching.com/

Zach Taylor shares the realities of launching Milania Corp, taking the leap into solo entrepreneurship, managing cash flow, and leveraging past connections. He highlights the importance of leveraging professional networks to secure work while navigating the complexities of cash flow, equipment acquisition, and the multi-faceted role of a solo business owner. Taylor also shares his expertise in trench safety, detailing his efforts to educate the industry through presentations and his leadership role with the nonprofit Crew Collab. The conversation covers the practical difficulties of winter construction and the personal lessons learned from managing residential projects for friends. Key Takeaways: Protect your cash flow by carefully managing project schedules and establishing strict, regular invoicing routines. Never compromise on jobsite safety, and always use engineered trench protection when working in deep excavations. Maintain standard professional protocols and formal contracts even when performing work for friends or family. Select machinery based on actual job specifications and financial math rather than brand loyalty or underpowered rentals. Build a reliable six-month backlog of profitable work before taking on the financial risk of hiring full-time employees. Connect with Auman Landscape 📺 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@AumanLandscape 🌐 All Links https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aumanlandscapellc/ 👷 👷‍♂️ 👷‍♀️ The Hardsacpe Academy https://www.thehardscapeacademy.com/  👫 👩‍❤️‍👨 Together In The Trades https://www.togetherinthetrades.com/  Episode Sponsors 📸 CompanyCam – Get 50% off for 2 months https://companycam.com/auman 💰 Cycle CPA – Save $200 https://cyclecpa.com Use code: AUMAN 🛠 LMN Software – Save on onboarding https://golmn.com Use code: AUMAN 🚜⚙️🛠️ Steelwrist https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 🛠 Leanscaperhttps://leanscaper.com/ 🚜 Equip https://www.equipexposition.com/Use code: AUMAN 💰 John Pajakhttps://johnpajak.com 🧠 🎯 💡 FRWRD Coachinghttps://www.frwrdcoaching.com/

Why making a decision and being slightly wrong beats standing still. Caleb explores how the power of imagination directly shapes the trajectory of a business and personal life. Following a trip to Canada, Auman reflects on a conversation about limiting beliefs and how entrepreneurs often subconsciously cap their own potential. He shares personal anecdotes about manifesting his company's design-build facility while admitting that fear sometimes hindered him from dreaming even bigger. The short episode emphasizes that a current business is often the physical manifestation of past thoughts, urging listeners to expand their vision to reach the next level. Key Takeaways: Expand your mental vision beyond your current circumstances because your business and personal life will always be capped by what you dare to imagine. Identify and dismantle limiting beliefs that hold you back from making high-impact investments in your future growth. Recognize that your employees report to work inside the vision you set, meaning your mental clarity directly shapes their daily environment and potential. Make decisive operational decisions early rather than letting fear or perfectionism delay the structural improvements your company needs to operate efficiently. Commit to continuous learning, open-mindedness, and putting your ego aside so you can break through growth plateaus and expand past past successes. Connect with Auman Landscape 📺 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@AumanLandscape 🌐 All Links https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aumanlandscapellc/ 👷 👷‍♂️ 👷‍♀️ The Hardsacpe Academy https://www.thehardscapeacademy.com/  👫 👩‍❤️‍👨 Together In The Trades https://www.togetherinthetrades.com/  Episode Sponsors 📸 CompanyCam – Get 50% off for 2 months https://companycam.com/auman 💰 Cycle CPA – Save $200 https://cyclecpa.com Use code: AUMAN 🛠 LMN Software – Save on onboarding https://golmn.com Use code: AUMAN 🚜⚙️🛠️ Steelwrist https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 🛠 Leanscaperhttps://leanscaper.com/ 🚜 Equip https://www.equipexposition.com/Use code: AUMAN 💰 John Pajakhttps://johnpajak.com 🧠 🎯 💡 FRWRD Coachinghttps://www.frwrdcoaching.com/

Bookkeeper, CPA, or Fractional CFO: Who You Actually Need at $3M+ Caleb and Carla discuss the complexities of scaling a service business beyond the $3 million revenue mark. They emphasize that transitioning from a hands-on owner to a leader requires robust financial infrastructure, delegation, and the implementation of accountability systems. Carla highlights critical financial practices, such as capacity planning, divisional reporting, and monitoring gross profit margins to identify hidden waste. A significant portion of the conversation focuses on the value of sharing financial data with team members to foster a sense of ownership and align employee incentives with company goals. Key Takeaways: Shift from pure hustle to systems and leadership to build the operational infrastructure required to scale beyond initial growth limits. Track monthly production capacity by calculating revenue per labor hour so you can spot and eliminate hidden waste early. Share project numbers with your team to foster crew buy-in, boost accountability, and align incentive structures with actual job margins. Replace bank balance accounting with dedicated ownership over cash management, accounts receivable, and accounts payable. Invest in personal self-development so that your leadership capacity grows in tandem with the demands of scaling the business. Connect with Auman Landscape 📺 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@AumanLandscape 🌐 All Links https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aumanlandscapellc/ 👷 👷‍♂️ 👷‍♀️ The Hardsacpe Academy https://www.thehardscapeacademy.com/  👫 👩‍❤️‍👨 Together In The Trades https://www.togetherinthetrades.com/  Episode Sponsors 📸 CompanyCam – Get 50% off for 2 months https://companycam.com/auman 💰 Cycle CPA – Save $200 https://cyclecpa.com Use code: AUMAN 🛠 LMN Software – Save on onboarding https://golmn.com Use code: AUMAN 🚜⚙️🛠️ Steelwrist https://linktr.ee/AumanLandscape 🛠 Leanscaperhttps://leanscaper.com/ 🚜 Equip https://www.equipexposition.com/Use code: AUMAN 💰 John Pajakhttps://johnpajak.com 🧠 🎯 💡 FRWRD Coachinghttps://www.frwrdcoaching.com/