Owner–operator Cory Byron of Vancity Electric shares how a small electrical contractor can grow to a highly systemized $2M business without chaos. We cover building a tech stack that fits the trades, creating checklists that people actually use, making culture a system, using Jobber to close cracks, and knowing when to hire experts for SEO, bookkeeping, and AI automations.

Cory also explains why he prefers hands-on coaching, how he maps client and job data flow, and the two moves he wishes he made on day one. Simple, practical, and built for blue collar leaders.

You’ll learn:

• The “one lever a year” approach to steady growth.
• How to turn dropped balls into new processes.
• Why culture must be systematized like production.
• Where to outsource vs. DIY so you can focus on $10k/hour work.
• A simple Jobber form that saves time and prevents rework.
• How to measure SEO like a line item, not a gamble.
• The value of a coach who gets into your tools, not just on your Zoom.

10 Takeaways With Timestamps

1. 00:46 - Set the target first: “$2M, highly systemized” beats “biggest for the sake of it.”
2. 01:43 - Reviews drive local demand: Vancity Electric dominates Google reviews by focusing on service.
3. 03:46 - One lever per year: Pick SEO, hiring, or branding and go deep for 12 months.
4. 04:30 - Culture is a system: Trades work is a people business. Build certainty for your team.
5. 05:05 - No systems hurts everyone: Owners, employees, clients, and families feel the pain.
6. 06:33 - Implementation beats knowledge: Many know the answer. Few install it. Be an implementer.
7. 07:36 - Hands-on coaching wins: A coach who logs into your Jobber can solve real problems.
8. 10:15 - Fix cracks fast: If something falls through, design a small process today.
9. 11:25 - Automate the paperwork: Turn an inspection into an insurance-ready Jobber form.
10. 12:03 - Hire experts for ROI: Bookkeeping and SEO pay off when tracked like a budget line.

Connect With Cory:

Website: https://vancityelectric.ca/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-byron-vancity-electric/

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2025 was a year of big changes, and bigger breakthroughs, for the trades. In this special end-of-year episode of Titans of the Trades, host Ryan Englin reflects on the milestones, from launching the Choice Framework to redefining what it means to be an employer of choice.

Ryan shares honest lessons learned, a powerful look at disengagement and its hidden cost to your business, and a vision for 2026 that challenges leaders to build stronger teams and more sustainable companies.

If you’re ready to step into the new year with clarity, leadership, and momentum, this is your roadmap.

Key Takeaways & Time Stamps

• 02:10 - Why “Always Improve” is more than a Core Value. It’s a mindset for every construction leader.
• 06:25 - The story behind Episode 100 and how the Choice Framework was born.
• 10:40 - What it really means to be the employer of choice in your market.
• 15:30 - The shift in the trades: how AI is redefining the value of “doing” over “knowing.”

Connect With Ryan:

Website: https://corematters.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanenglin/

Titans of the Trades: https://www.linkedin.com/company/titans-of-the-trades/

Episode 100: https://corematters.com/podcast/becoming-the-employer-everyone-wants/

Support Titans of the Trades:

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What does it take to scale a business from $3 million to $75 million? And what lessons can construction leaders take from that journey?

In this episode of Titans of the Trades, Ryan Englin sits down with Eric Watkins, President of Abstrakt Marketing. Eric started as an unpaid intern and climbed his way to the top, helping lead massive growth along the way. Together, Ryan and Eric dive into why recruiting is marketing, how outbound sales applies directly to hiring in the trades, and why culture can make or break a growing construction company.

Whether you’re running five trucks or fifty, this conversation will give you practical insights on growth, leadership, and building a sustainable business.

Key Takeaways

• (02:00) How Eric went from unpaid intern to President of a $75M marketing company.
• (03:50) Why so many trades business owners struggle with the shift from tradesman to business leader.
• (05:10) The top three books every construction business owner should read.
• (09:40) Outbound sales explained and why most people get it wrong.
• (12:00) How outbound marketing mirrors recruiting in construction.
• (19:30) What scaling from $3M to $75M taught Eric about company culture.
• (22:00) The one hiring mistake leaders must avoid when growing fast.
• (26:55) Battling burnout as a business leader and how to keep your passion alive.
• (31:00) How to connect with Eric and access his free consultation offer.

Connect With Eric:

Website: https://www.abstraktmg.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-watkins-amg/

Support Titans of the Trades:

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In this episode of Titans of the Trades, host Ryan Englin sits down with Lauren Furtado, the Founder and CEO of Unconventional CFO, who’s spent decades in big‑box accounting firms and now works one‑on‑one with construction and trade contractors.

Lauren translates complex financial concepts into actionable steps, helping business leaders go from overwhelmed to empowered. If you’ve ever avoided your P&L, felt lost in cash flow, or simply wished the numbers made sense in your trade business, this is your roadmap.

Lauren walks through her journey: leaving big firm life after a personal crisis, choosing a path of service, and creating a finance practice built for “people who have skin in the game.” She challenges the stereotype of finance being dry or disconnected, and shares tools, mindsets, and practices that bring clarity, confidence, and profitability to construction contractors.

You’ll learn about:

• The Critical Four metrics every trade business must track. And why most owners don’t.
• What “financial nakedness” really means and how being honest with your numbers and unlocks growth.
• How to build a cash flow forecast that works, not just “looks good on paper.”
• When open‑book management helps and when it scares your team.
• Aligning business goals with personal mission so numbers become a tool, not a burden.

Key Takeaways

• 01:30: Lauren’s backstory: from traditional accounting to creating Unconventional CFO and why she left “big box” firms and what spurred her to shift.
• 06:00: How personal loss shaped Lauren’s “why” and shifted her focus on helping contractors with skin in the game.
• 8:25: The stereotype of finance in trades, and how being “unconventional” shows up: tattoos, empathy, simplicity.
• 10:00: A case study: a contractor team in deep financial fear and what happened when they got clarity on their numbers.
• 11:50: What “financial nakedness” is, why people avoid it, and how judgment‑free zones help uncover truth.
• 15:45: Open‑book management: pros, cons, and how to decide what financial info to share with the field or middle management.
• 19:25: The “Critical Four” financial metrics every construction business should track. No more guessing.
• 23:00: Tying your money to your mission: how clarifying your impact, goals, and purpose makes finance meaningful.
• 25:10: Forecasting cash flow: tools and tactics Lauren uses (including 12‑month forecasts and 13‑week models) to avoid surprises.
• 27:45: The cash flow self‑assessment tool Lauren offers: how it works, what you’ll walk away with, and how to get access.

Connect With Lauren:

Website: https://unconventional-cfo.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-furtado-7949061b/

Support Titans of the Trades:

If you found this episode insightful, please subscribe, share, and leave a review for Titans of the Trades. Your support goes a long way in helping us bring more impactful discussions your way.

MEP and construction leaders are scrambling to train and retain HVAC techs, while customers expect faster, clearer service. In this episode, Ryan Englin sits down with Lee Bridges, VP of Product Management at XOi Technologies, to unpack how real jobsite data, AI-powered workflows, and human-first leadership are changing the game for HVAC technician training and field service profitability.

You’ll hear how XOi captures millions of equipment data points, turns tech videos into customer-ready summaries that save 5-10 minutes per visit, and helps contractors sell maintenance with defensible transparency. Lee also shares XOi’s “Learning With Your Boots On” initiative, why “love is a differentiating product feature,” and how a decade in the music industry shaped his approach to building software techs actually want to use.

Whether you run a service division, lead an MEP business, or you’re an HVAC operations exec, this conversation is packed with practical ways to level up training, margin, and customer trust.

Takeaways

• 00:57 — What is XOi? A field-service platform built around the equipment lifecycle for HVAC and commercial kitchen, designed to help techs capture and use jobsite data.
• 03:58 — AI where it actually helps. Why XOi treats AI as a tool (not a gimmick) to save time and improve technician communication.
• 04:26 — 50M+ data points in a year. How standardized equipment data turns into sales enablement and defensible recommendations.
• 06:22 — One-tap AI summaries. Turning photos, videos, and notes into a customer-ready report in seconds, cutting 5-10 minutes per call.
• 08:57 — Capacity = profit. Saving minutes per job adds up to 1-2 extra calls/week/tech, and better CX.
• 09:41 — “Learning With Your Boots On.” A company-wide program that puts non-technicians in front of real equipment to build empathy and product insight.
• 12:46 — From studio to software. How Lee’s music-industry hustle (hundreds of albums) translated into product creativity and execution.
• 19:31 — Love as a product feature. Commitment + empathy as a framework for building tools that close the user’s goal gap.
• 23:13 — Advice to apprentices. Set the goal and make it happen.

Connect With Lee:

Website: https://xoi.io/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridgeslee/

Support Titans of the Trades:

If you found this episode insightful, please subscribe, share, and leave a review for Titans of the Trades. Your support goes a long way in helping us bring more impactful discussions your way.

Many entrepreneurs build a successful business only to realize one day they’re stuck asking: What’s next?

In this episode of Titans of the Trades, host Ryan Englin welcomes back Greg Hayne, Owner of the Hayne Coaching Group and creator of the What’s Next program. Greg works with business owners, especially in construction and roofing, who have achieved financial success but are struggling to find purpose, fulfillment, and clarity about the next stage of life.

From battling burnout to redefining success, Greg shares practical tools entrepreneurs can use to plan for a future beyond the business. Whether you’re nearing retirement, considering selling, or simply feeling restless despite your achievements, this conversation will help you start thinking about what comes after.

Key Takeaways

• [01:12] How Greg discovered that even successful entrepreneurs struggle with “what’s next?”
• [02:43] The provocative questions that made business owners realize they were stuck.
• [03:54] Why financial success doesn’t guarantee fulfillment or happiness.
• [05:23] The “golf and grandchildren plan” and why it rarely works long-term.
• [08:50] A map and six tools Greg uses to help entrepreneurs navigate their next stage.
• [09:49] Why stimulating the right brain unlocks creativity and clarity.
• [13:06] The importance of designing a life you don’t need a vacation from.
• [16:50] How writing, biking, and clarity breaks fuel Greg’s own transitions.
• [22:33] Why fear of change is often rooted in not having a clear vision.
• [25:26] The myth of the “limited pie” and how to expand possibilities for yourself and others.

Connect With Greg:

Website: https://www.haynecoachinggroup.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ghayne/

Support Titans of the Trades:

If you found this episode insightful, please subscribe, share, and leave a review for Titans of the Trades. Your support goes a long way in helping us bring more impactful discussions your way.

The roofing industry is changing fast and the companies that thrive will be the ones that adapt.

In this episode of Titans of the Trades, host Ryan Englin sits down with Melvyn Scofield, better known as Your Iowa Roofing Guy. From his years in manufacturing with IKO to educating with the Maintenance Academy, Melvyn has a no-nonsense approach to teaching property managers, roofers, and homeowners what it takes to build trust and prepare for the future of roofing.

We dig into why education is the ultimate differentiator, how technology and AI are shaping roofing, and what it takes to motivate the next generation to pick up the torch. If you want to future-proof your roofing company, or any construction business, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

Key Takeaways

• [01:27] How the nickname Your Iowa Roofing Guy was born from one customer conversation.
• [03:27] Melvyn’s transition from manufacturing with IKO into roofing sales and contracting.
• [05:28] Why educating property managers builds long-term trust and better budgets.
• [07:22] How roofing cost guides help prevent customers from being misled.
• [09:58] The power of video education for both customers and training your own team.
• [11:51] Are young workers really “lazy,” or is it a generational misconception?
• [14:51] The role of robotics and AI in the future of roofing (and why they won’t replace humans).
• [19:18] Why too many contractors hope to hire “seasoned” workers instead of training new ones.
• [23:44] Finding that one motivated young worker and making them an example for the team.
• [27:16] Why parents, not schools, are the key to making the trades cool again.

Connect With Melvyn:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melvynscofield/

Support Titans of the Trades:

If you found this episode insightful, please subscribe, share, and leave a review for Titans of the Trades. Your support goes a long way in helping us bring more impactful discussions your way.

Finding top sales talent in construction feels impossible. The best salespeople are already crushing quotas. They’re not on job boards.

In this episode of Titans of the Trades, host Ryan Englin talks with Ryan Hogan, Co-Founder and CEO of Talent Harbor. Ryan shares how his journey from Navy service to scaling multimillion-dollar ventures shaped his innovative approach to sales recruiting.

You’ll learn why traditional headhunters don’t work, how “recruiting as a service” changes the game, and why culture fit always wins. Whether you’re hiring estimators, roofing sales reps, or high-performing closers, this episode will help you rethink your strategy.

Key Takeaways

• [01:26] From Navy service to entrepreneurship: The lessons Ryan carried into business.
• [03:39] The rise (and pivot) of Hunt a Killer into a $48M subscription business.
• [06:59] Why traditional recruiting fees don’t work for small to mid-sized contractors.
• [08:19] What most owners get wrong about hiring salespeople.
• [10:57] Why the best salespeople are never on job boards like Indeed.
• [14:28] Average time-to-hire and why recruiting as a service changes the math.
• [16:22] Building the right compensation plan for roofing and construction sales roles.
• [20:48] Culture fit vs. sales skills: Which matters more when hiring?
• [22:39] Why competitive backgrounds (sports, games, etc.) predict sales success.
• [25:16] The deal-breaker: Why Talent Harbor won’t recruit without processes in place.

Connect With Ryan Hogan:

Website: https://talentharbor.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanehogan/

Support Titans of the Trades:

If you found this episode insightful, please subscribe, share, and leave a review for Titans of the Trades. Your support goes a long way in helping us bring more impactful discussions your way.