Khalil and Martin kick off a new series on building business function charts—starting with the foundational step: mapping your workflows. Using a real-world example from Martin’s sprinkler company, they walk through how to visualize your business processes, identify bottlenecks, and turn chaos into clarity. By learning to map how work actually flows through your operations, contractors and small business owners can improve communication, streamline execution, and lay the groundwork for scalable systems.

What You’ll Learn

• The difference between org charts and function charts—and why both matter
• How to map workflows that clearly show how work moves through your business
• Why visualizing processes helps you manage better and reduce confusion
• How tools like Kanban boards and AI can simplify workflow design
• Practical steps to turn mapped workflows into functional business systems

Time Stamps

• 00:54 - Episode Intro
• 02:20 -Understanding Business Function Charts
• 03:12 -Real-World Workflow Example: Sprinkler Company
• 17:54 -Job Scheduling and Preparation
• 19:49 -Execution and Completion
• 23:08 -Creating Workflows with AI

Snippets from the Episode

• “Everyone has workflows. Work is flowing through your business if you’re in business. But just like you said, the visual is so helpful for understanding where things actually are.” — Khalil
• “When we had the sprinkler company, we literally had a Kanban table before software existed. Every job was a packet that moved from one step to the next. You could walk in and see exactly where everything was.” — Martin
• “You can spend an hour with AI and map out your entire workflow—then clearly see what your business actually does.” — Khalil
• “You should be using AI in this capacity. It’s a thought partner—it helps you think through your processes, not just write emails.” — Khalil

Key Takeaways

• Map Before You Manage – You can’t improve what you can’t see.
• Visualize Workflows – Kanban systems make progress visible and predictable.
• Leverage AI – Use tools like Claude or ChatGPT to build, test, and refine workflows.
• Clarify Functions – Define what your business actually does, not just who does it.
• Lay the Foundation – Workflow clarity is the first step to scalable systems and future function charts.

Resources

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠24 Things⁠⁠⁠⁠ Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠ a 15-Minute Roadblock Call

• Check out⁠⁠⁠⁠ OpenPhone⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our⁠⁠⁠⁠ GrowthKits⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

• Need Marketing Help? We Recommend⁠⁠⁠⁠ Benali⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Need Help with podcast production? We recommend⁠⁠⁠⁠ Demandcast⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Martin Holland

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠theprofitproblem.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠annealbc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠   

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Khalil

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠

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• Visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Email⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Cashflow Contractor

Discover how 29-year-old Shaun Sykes transformed from a labor worker dragging brush to the proud owner of Arbor Image, a thriving tree care company. In this revealing conversation, Shaun shares the exact systems that allowed him to cut $47,000 in monthly overhead, increase gross profit margins from 40% to over 60%, and structure a successful ownership transition—all while making both clients and team members happier.

What You’ll Learn

• How to identify and cut unnecessary overhead that's killing your profits
• Practical strategies to increase your gross margins by 20%+ within months
• Why your pricing fears are holding you back (and how to overcome them)
• How to implement pay-for-performance systems that make your team more efficient
• Ways to leverage global talent to multiply your business capabilities

Time Stamps

• 01:16 - The Glass Wall Incident
• 03:30 -Tree Talk: Assessing the Yard
• 04:37 -Meet Shaun Sykes: From Laborer to Arborist
• 08:35 -The Business of Tree Care
• 17:36 -Taking Ownership: The Journey to Becoming a Business Owner
• 34:16 -Legal Aspects of the Deal
• 37:56 -Cutting Overhead Costs
• 43:46 -Leveraging Virtual Assistants for Efficiency

Snippets from the Episode

• "My unique skill isn't being an arborist, it's aligning incentives. That is my number one skill. I love writing up incentive plans and working with the team on bonus programs." - Shaun Sykes, Owner of Arbor Image
• "We were paying out less money per job on labor than we ever had, and they are making more money than they've ever had." - Shaun Sykes on the pay-for-performance results
• "We made a 20% price increase, didn't see a drop in close rate. So we took another 20-30% increase, and then finally saw a small drop to about 50% close rate." - Shaun Sykes on pricing courage
• "The biggest thing that started the confidence to make changes was getting our marketing in order and having way more than enough leads." - Shaun Sykes on transformation catalyst
• "Nearly every change we were scared to make ended up getting us more customers because we came across as more professional."- Shaun Sykes on implementing systems

Key Takeaways

1. Start with your bookkeeping
2. Track every lead source religiously
3. Raise prices until you see resistance
4. Align incentives across your entire team
5. Cut overhead ruthlessly ($47,000 monthly)
6. Require deposits and payment methods on file
7. Leverage global talent for critical admin roles

Resources

• ⁠⁠⁠24 Things⁠⁠⁠ Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant

• ⁠⁠⁠Schedule⁠⁠⁠ a 15-Minute Roadblock Call

• Check out⁠⁠⁠ OpenPhone⁠⁠⁠

• Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our⁠⁠⁠ GrowthKits⁠⁠⁠ 

• Need Marketing Help? We Recommend⁠⁠⁠ Benali⁠⁠⁠
• Need Help with podcast production? We recommend⁠⁠⁠ Demandcast⁠⁠⁠

More from Martin Holland

• ⁠⁠⁠theprofitproblem.com⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠annealbc.com⁠⁠⁠   

• ⁠⁠⁠Email Martin⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠Meet With Martin⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠

More from Khalil

• ⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠

More from The Cash Flow Contractor

• Subscribe to our⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠

• Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠⁠

• Follow On Social:⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠X(formerly Twitter)⁠⁠⁠

• Visit our ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠Email⁠⁠⁠ The Cashflow Contractor

Wondering if your contractor business is ready to sell for top dollar? In this eye-opening conversation with investment banker Christian Olson from Footprint Capital, we uncover why 7 out of 10 business owners accept offers without knowing their true value - potentially leaving millions on the table. Learn exactly how to position your business for maximum value with a private equity buyer.

What You’ll Learn

• Why standardizing systems creates higher valuations (not lower ones)
• How to become a "platform company" and secure a second bite of the apple
• The critical difference between business brokers and investment bankers
• Why culture is the hidden value multiplier buyers scrutinize most
• When (and who) to tell about your plans to sell

Time Stamps

• 00:14 - Discussing Business Deals
• 01:18 - Impact of Interest Rates on Business Buying & Selling
• 03:36 - Role of Investment Bankers
• 06:54 - Understanding Private Equity
• 10:59 - Steps to Getting Acquired
• 14:14 - Importance of Company Structure
• 17:13 - Standardization and Value Creation
• 22:33 - Culture and Management in Business Deals
• 28:06 - Understanding Business Valuation Multiples
• 28:39 - Importance of Due Diligence
• 30:49 - Case Study: Electrical and Plumbing Business
• 32:52 - Becoming a Platform Company
• 34:06 - Rollover Equity and Second Bite of the Apple
• 35:45 - Preparing for a Sale to Private Equity
• 38:41 - Common Mistakes in Business Sales
• 41:59 - The Role of Culture in Business Success
• 49:44 - Working with Footprint Capital
• 54:25 - Episode Outro

Snippets from the Episode

• "Seven to eight deals out of ten are sourced proprietarily, meaning no banker, no advisor. It's basically making that one-to-one handshake with the business owner." - Christian Olson
• "Being on ServiceTitan and being integrated across the board drives value because now you're trading expertise to the buyer. They're picking up something they may not have tried on their own." - Christian Olson
• "When you think you're unique, they're getting it from the guy next door. So you're standardizing that, but then it really boils down to execution. The software is just a tool." - Christian Olson
• "We've had several examples where the second bite of the apple is actually worth more than the first transaction." - Christian Olson

Key Takeaways

1. Start preparing for sale years in advance, not months
2. Standardization beats customization for maximum valuation
3. Financial systems and proper accounting drive buyer confidence
4. Culture and employee empowerment are critical value drivers
5. Becoming a platform company creates exponentially more wealth
6. Management team preparedness directly impacts final valuation
7. Having an advisor typically pays for itself many times over

Resources

• ⁠⁠24 Things⁠⁠ Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant

• ⁠⁠Schedule⁠⁠ a 15-Minute Roadblock Call

• Check out⁠⁠ OpenPhone⁠⁠

• Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our⁠⁠ GrowthKits⁠⁠ 

• Need Marketing Help? We Recommend⁠⁠ Benali⁠⁠
• Need Help with podcast production? We recommend⁠⁠ Demandcast⁠⁠

More from Martin Holland

• ⁠⁠theprofitproblem.com⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠annealbc.com⁠⁠   

• ⁠⁠Email Martin⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠Meet With Martin⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠

More from Khalil

• ⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠

More from The Cash Flow Contractor

• Subscribe to our⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠

• Subscribe to our ⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠

• Follow On Social:⁠⁠ LinkedIn⁠⁠,⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠,⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠X(formerly Twitter)⁠⁠

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• ⁠⁠Email⁠⁠ The Cashflow Contractor

Want to build a construction business that runs without you? In this episode, Aaron Mills shares how accurate financials and strategic systems can transform your company from owner-dependent to highly valuable and sellable. Learn how one electrical contractor grew from $30M to $90M in four years while the owner reduced his involvement from 60 hours to just a few hours per week.

What You’ll Learn

• How to transform messy financials into strategic tools for growth
• The importance of WIP schedules and how they reveal hidden profit opportunities
• Why pricing increases often meet less resistance than you expect
• How to strategically remove yourself from day-to-day operations
• The exact systems needed to triple net profits while working less

Time Stamps

• 00:55 - Episode Intro
• 02:32 - Financial Resource Optimization
• 04:15 - Challenges in Construction Financials
• 05:29 - Case Study: Electrical Contractor
• 06:48 - Growing Broke: Understanding Revenue Pillars
• 14:21 - Controller vs CFO: Roles and Responsibilities
• 22:25 - Exiting the Business and Personal Success Stories
• 28:51 - Understanding the WIP Schedule
• 31:41 - Dissecting the WIP Schedule
• 36:03 - Training Project Managers
• 44:28 - Challenges in Implementing WIP
• 46:03 - The Importance of Systems
• 49:16 - Daaxit’s Free Strategy Session
• 50:30 - Core Values and Asking for Help
• 50:55 - The Story Behind Daaxit
• 51:47 - Episode Outro

Snippets from the Episode

• "If your financials are on a roller coaster month to month—if you're making a whole bunch of money one month and losing a whole bunch the next—then your financials are inaccurate and you need some help."— Aaron Mills
• "When you're going to sell your business, it's so much more attractive if you're not in the business running it every day. You want a business that operates by itself."— Aaron Mills
• "A controller's reporting the history; the CFO bridges the history to the future with the business owner and the vision."— Aaron Mills
• "I just took my first two weeks off. I didn't answer my phone. This spring, this summer, I've been going to my kids' sporting events for the first time ever, and I have the best relationship with my wife ever."— Construction Business Owner (Client Success Story)

Key Takeaways

• Your financials should be strategic tools, not just tax documents
• WIP schedules reveal hidden profit opportunities when properly analyzed
• Raising prices on unprofitable clients is often easier than you think
• Building a business that runs without you increases its value dramatically
• Different revenue levels ($5M, $10M, $20M+) require completely different systems
• Project managers need monthly financial reviews to maintain profitability
• A business that runs without you provides both financial and personal freedom

Resources

• ⁠24 Things⁠ Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant

• ⁠Schedule⁠ a 15-Minute Roadblock Call

• Check out⁠ OpenPhone⁠

• Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our⁠ GrowthKits⁠ 

• Need Marketing Help? We Recommend⁠ Benali⁠

More from Martin Holland

• ⁠theprofitproblem.com⁠

• ⁠annealbc.com⁠   

• ⁠Email Martin⁠

• ⁠Meet With Martin⁠

• ⁠LinkedIn⁠

• ⁠Facebook⁠

• ⁠Instagram⁠

More from Khalil

• ⁠benali.com ⁠

• ⁠Email Khalil⁠

• ⁠Meet With Khalil⁠

• ⁠LinkedIn⁠

• ⁠Facebook⁠

• ⁠Instagram⁠

More from The Cash Flow Contractor

• Subscribe to our⁠ ⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠

• Subscribe to our ⁠Newsletter⁠

• Follow On Social:⁠ LinkedIn⁠,⁠ Facebook⁠,⁠ Instagram⁠, ⁠X(formerly Twitter)⁠

• Visit our ⁠website⁠

• ⁠Email⁠ The Cashflow Contractor

Discover why your hiring struggles might be a marketing problem, not an HR issue. Ryan Englin of Core Matters shares how treating recruitment as a marketing activity transforms your ability to attract and retain quality talent. Learn practical strategies to build a team that stays without constantly fighting the revolving door of employees that plagues many contractors.

What You’ll Learn

• Why recruitment is a marketing activity, not an HR function
• How to build a "bench" of quality candidates before you need them
• The true cost of a bad hire beyond just wages
• Why measuring behaviors instead of just hours leads to better team performance
• How to create systems that deliver on the promises you make to potential employees

Time Stamps

• 01:00 - Episode & Guest Intro
• 02:26 - Core Matters: Marketing for Recruitment
• 04:20 - Building a Recruitment Funnel
• 06:59 - Retention and Training Challenges
• 11:27 - Creating a Positive Work Environment
• 14:24 - The Importance of Growth and Reputation
• 24:27 - Measuring Behaviors, Not Hours
• 26:59 - Defining and Tracking Core Behaviors
• 28:04 - Behavioral Core Values
• 28:43 - Tracking Punctuality and Learning
• 30:55 - One-on-One Meetings and AI Assistance
• 33:10 - Immediate Feedback and Tough Conversations
• 38:23 - The Cost of a Bad Hire
• 42:08 - Profit Per Employee
• 43:33 - Owner's Role and Return on Investment
• 45:34 - Communicating Profitability to Employees
• 47:49 - Using Analogies for Better Understanding
• 49:32 - Establishing Daily or Weekly Huddles

Snippets from the Episode

• "Recruiting is not an HR activity. When you're looking to recruit people, you need to think of it as a marketing activity. It's putting your opportunity to work in front of the right people when they're ready to make a decision about who they want to work for."— Ryan Englin, Core Matters
• "Construction has five times the national average suicide rate. Why? Because they get beat up at home. They get beat up on the job site. Nobody values them. Nobody appreciates them. They have no one to turn to."— Ryan Englin, Core Matters
• "We do not have a labor shortage in the trades. What we have is a retention problem and a lack of training problem."— Ryan Englin, Core Matters
• "Why is it we always have time to do it over, but we never have the time to do it right?"— Ryan Englin, Core Matters
• "People should never be surprised at what you think of their performance. Ever."— Ryan Englin, Core Matters

Key Takeaways

1. Treat recruiting as marketing, not HR
2. Build an email list of prospective candidates
3. Focus on retention before recruitment
4. Create systems that deliver on your employment promises
5. Measure and reinforce key behaviors, not just hours worked
6. Provide immediate feedback instead of waiting for reviews
7. Establish daily or weekly team huddles

Resources

• 24 Things Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant
• Schedule a 15-Minute Roadblock Call
• Check out OpenPhone
• Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our GrowthKits 
• Need Marketing Help? We Recommend Benali

Struggling to maximize your team's productivity? In this practical episode, Khalil and Martin share proven strategies for getting the most from your employees—from implementing effective morning huddles to smart incentives that actually work. Discover how simple changes to your team management approach can dramatically improve productivity and morale without requiring constant supervision.

What You’ll Learn

• How to structure effective daily huddles that take just 10 minutes but transform accountability
• Why the right employee incentives matter (and which common approaches to avoid)
• How choosing the right software impacts team performance and business profitability
• Ways to leverage AI for better team communication and knowledge management
• How to recognize what motivates different team members beyond just money

Time Stamps

• 01:17 - Morning Huddles: Structure and Benefits
• 04:54 - Feedback from the Team
• 08:43 - Implementing AI and Technology
• 18:11 - Language Barriers and Team Communication
• 27:55 - Generosity and Expectations
• 28:40 - Aligning Interests with Performance
• 32:23 - Recognition and Motivation
• 35:45 - The Pitfalls of Equity Incentives
• 39:43 - The Importance of Effective Software
• 42:46 - Challenges with Software Integration
• 47:48 - Behavior Change and Software Adoption
• 51:27 - The Role of Software in Business Functions
• 55:40 - Avoiding DIY Pitfalls
• 01:00:05 - Summary and Key Takeaways

Snippets from the Episode

• "What we're doing now: four people jump on for 10 minutes—no longer than that. It's every single day. One person leads it for the entire week. Their responsibility is truly understanding what every person says is their priority for the day."— Khalil Benalioulhaj
• "Finding ways that work to incentivize employees is really hard. And it depends on what, well, it can be hard to do. It depends on your company, but mostly what I think about when I think about incentives is what not to do."— Martin Holland
• "People want to work for bosses that care, and people want to work for companies that treat them with respect and care about who they are and invest in them as a person, not just as a professional."— Khalil Benalioulhaj
• "Beware of software as a silver bullet because it's not one. It requires work. It's gonna take work to learn it, work to maintain it, work to actually get the benefits of it."— Khalil Benalioulhaj

Key Takeaways

1. Structure Daily Huddles for Maximum Impact
2. Match Incentives to What Actually Motivates Individuals
3. Avoid Incentivizing Basic Job Requirements
4. Invest in Better Software When Opportunity Cost Justifies It
5. Don't DIY Critical Business Functions Like Bookkeeping
6. Recognize Different "Languages" of Employee Appreciation
7. Consider Team Structure When Implementing Communication Systems

Resources

• 24 Things Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant
• Schedule a 15-Minute Roadblock Call
• Check out OpenPhone
• Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our GrowthKits 
• Need Marketing Help? We Recommend Benali
• Need Help with podcast production? We recommend Demandcast

More from Martin Holland

• theprofitproblem.com
• annealbc.com   
• Email Martin
• Meet With Martin
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Instagram

More from Khalil

• benali.com 
• Email Khalil
• Meet With Khalil
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Instagram

More from The Cash Flow Contractor

• Subscribe to our YouTube channel
• Subscribe to our Newsletter
• Follow On Social: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X(formerly Twitter)
• Visit our website
• Email The Cashflow Contractor

Connect with Us

Want to transform your contracting business with less stress and more profit? Visit cashflowcontractor.com to access more resources and join our community of contractors building systems that create freedom. Subscribe to the podcast for weekly insights you can implement immediately in your business.

Is your business building your wealth, or just funding your lifestyle? In this eye-opening conversation with financial advisor Chad Hufford, we break down how contractors can define their "target number" for financial independence and create a clear path to achieve it—without sacrificing the present. Discover practical strategies to build wealth both inside and outside your business.

What You’ll Learn

• How to calculate your specific "target number" for financial independence
• Why creating a "work-optional lifestyle" is crucial for business owners
• The proven debt elimination strategy that creates momentum for wealth building
• How to balance business cash reserves with personal financial planning
• Why most financial advice fails (and what actually works for contractors)

Time Stamps

• 01:04 - Episode Intro
• 01:28 - Life Lessons and Reflections
• 02:58 - Guest Intro
• 04:05 - Importance of Having a Financial Plan
• 05:15 - Proactive Financial Strategies
• 07:59   - Creating a Closer Relationship with our Future
• 10:36 - Setting Financial Goals
• 27:39 - Living Within Your Means
• 32:54 - Debt Elimination Strategies
• 37:20 - Investing for the Future
• 38:02 - Customizing Your Financial Plan
• 39:07 - Mortgage vs. Investment Dilemma
• 40:58 - Consumer Debt and Long-Term Goals
• 44:08 - Business Cash Reserves
• 46:53 - Investment Strategies and Diversification
• 53:18 - The Role of a Financial Advisor
• 56:49 - The Importance of Adherence
• 01:00:58 - Building a Long-Term Financial Vision
• 01:05:49 - Final Thoughts and Getting Started

Snippets from the Episode

• "Nobody would ever buy a house that was built without a blueprint, but too often we let our futures unfold without one. We end up being a little more haphazard, sometimes aimless."— Chad Hufford
• "If you don't know where you're going and you start feeling lost, the tendency is to just go faster, to double down on everything you're already doing."— Chad Hufford
• "Education without execution is merely entertainment. If you are learning things without implementing them in your life, you're not gonna get much benefit."— Chad Hufford

Key Takeaways

1. Define Your Financial Independence Target Number
2. Reduce Personal Lifestyle Expenses Before Building Wealth
3. Pay Off Consumer Debt Before Aggressive Investing
4. Build Business Cash Reserves of 3+ Months
5. Focus on Investment Income, Not Principal
6. Diversify Like an Orchard, Not a Single Tree
7. Choose a Financial Advisor Who Holds You Accountable

Resources

• ⁠⁠24 Things ⁠⁠⁠⁠Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠ a 15-Minute Roadblock Call
• Check out⁠⁠⁠⁠ OpenPhone⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our ⁠⁠⁠⁠GrowthKits ⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Need Marketing Help? We Recommend⁠⁠⁠⁠ Benali⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Need Help with podcast production? We recommend ⁠⁠⁠⁠Demandcast⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Chad Hufford

• Chad Hufford - Financial Advisor, Veritas Alaska
• Website: Veritas Alaska
• Veritas Alaska Podcast
• LinkedIn: Chad Hufford

More from Martin Holland

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theprofitproblem.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠annealbc.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Khalil

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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More from The Cash Flow Contractor

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In this candid discussion, Martin and Khalil tackle the frustrating challenge of employees who do the bare minimum versus those who go above and beyond. They explore how contractors can set clear expectations, build a performance-driven culture, and address the difficult conversations most business owners avoid. Whether your team is underperforming or you're struggling with how to promote the right people, this episode delivers practical strategies for building a team that cares about your business as much as you do.

What You’ll Learn

• Why setting dual expectations creates confusion and poor performance
• How to hire for character and train for skills instead of settling for experienced mediocrity
• When to replace employees who don't align with your company culture
• Why promoting based on tenure instead of potential damages your business
• How to effectively onboard new employees with a two-week intensive approach

Time Stamps

• 00:55 - Episode Intro
• 01:52 - Balancing Business Leverage and Personal Well-being
• 04:23 - Real-life Examples of Employee Management
• 09:20 - Setting Clear Expectations and Performance Standards
• 16:55 - Hiring for Character and Training Newbies
• 21:33 - Promoting for Potential vs. Performance
• 26:43 - Employee Reviews

Snippets from the Episode

• "When you delay difficult conversations, they accrue interest. That guy that's been there for 20 years probably should have had a conversation 19 years ago."— Khalil Benalioulhaj
• "The only people available to be hired are either malcontent, unhappy, inexperienced, or incompetent."— Martin Holland (quoting his father)
• "When you hire people, you have to be absolutely crystal clear on expectations. And you have to self-examine and make sure you don't have dual expectations."— Martin Holland
• "Clear is kind. If you can start your conversation with what this is about and how it's going to end, then that's great."— Khalil Benalioulhaj

Key Takeaways

1. Don't Set Minimum Standards That Become Anchors
2. Lead By Example To Create A Culture Of Excellence
3. Hire For Character, Train For Skills
4. Replace Underperformers Quickly
5. Promote Based On Potential, Not Tenure
6. Have Difficult Conversations Early
7. Dedicate Two Weeks To Proper Onboarding

Resources

• ⁠24 Things ⁠⁠⁠Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant
• ⁠⁠⁠Schedule⁠⁠⁠ a 15-Minute Roadblock Call
• Check out⁠⁠⁠ OpenPhone⁠⁠⁠
• Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our ⁠⁠⁠GrowthKits ⁠⁠⁠
• Need Marketing Help? We Recommend⁠⁠⁠ Benali⁠⁠⁠
• Need Help with podcast production? We recommend ⁠⁠⁠Demandcast⁠⁠⁠

More from Martin Holland

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theprofitproblem.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠annealbc.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Khalil

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Connect with Us

Visit cashflowcontractor.com for more episodes and resources to help you build a contracting business with less stress, more time, and more money. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform and follow us on social media for daily insights into growing your contracting business.

Business coach John Nieuwenburg reveals how contractors can escape day-to-day overwhelm by delegating low-value tasks and focusing on true leadership. You'll discover practical strategies for identifying what you should stop doing, creating time for high-impact work, and building a reliable talent bench—all without adding more hours to your already packed schedule.

What You’ll Learn

• How to identify the 5-7 hours of work you shouldn't be doing each week
• Why "attention" is more valuable than "time" for contractors
• How to properly delegate tasks using virtual assistants without micromanaging
• Practical steps for building a recruiting bench that gives you leverage with current employees

Time Stamps

• 00:55 - Episode Intro
• 02:51 - Guest Intro: John Nieuwenburg
• 03:50 - Challenges Faced by Business Owners
• 04:55 - Time Management for Construction Companies
• 05:40 - The Oh Shit List
• 07:06 - Delegation and Virtual Assistants
• 13:08 - Mindset and Personal Coaching
• 18:15 - Focus & Prioritization
• 22:44 - The Importance of Attention Management
• 23:51 - The Big Rocks Metaphor
• 24:38 - Implementing a Default Diary
• 27:01 - Handling Interruptions and Emergencies
• 30:52 - Building Your Bench
• 37:46 - The Role of Company Culture
• 39:22 - Conclusion and Contact Information

Snippets from the Episode

• "If you're listening to this call and you own a construction business, you're probably doing five to seven hours worth of work each week that you shouldn't be doing."— John Nieuwenburg
• "All business coaching is personal coaching in disguise. Often, business owners identify the problem as something in their business, but they don't hold up a mirror to themselves and recognize they're actually the obstruction."— John Nieuwenburg
• "The question isn't 'How can I get this done?' It's 'How can this get done?' And the only thing that changed is who's doing it. It isn't I."— John Nieuwenburg
• "You don't get the culture you want. You get the culture you deserve."— John Nieuwenburg

Key Takeaways

1. The Oh Shit List Delegation Strategy
2. Leveraging Virtual Assistants for Admin Tasks
3. Implementing a Default Diary System
4. Building a Proactive Talent Bench
5. Creating SOPs Through Delegation
6. Attention Management vs Time Management
7. The Leadership Mindset Shift

Resources

• ⁠Who Not How
• 24 Things ⁠⁠Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant
• ⁠⁠Schedule⁠⁠ a 15-Minute Roadblock Call
• Check out⁠⁠ OpenPhone⁠⁠
• Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our ⁠⁠GrowthKits ⁠⁠
• Need Marketing Help? We Recommend⁠⁠ Benali⁠⁠
• Need Help with podcast production? We recommend ⁠⁠Demandcast⁠⁠

More from John Nieuwenburg

• W5 coaching website
• Contact John
• John on LinkedIn

More from Martin Holland

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theprofitproblem.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠annealbc.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Khalil

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Connect with Us

Visit cashflowcontractor.com to access our free resources for contractors looking to reduce stress, reclaim time, and boost profitability. Subscribe to the podcast for weekly insights you can implement immediately in your construction business.

Todd Hagopian shares his revolutionary Hypomanic Operational Turnaround (HOT) system that transformed multiple businesses in just 6-12 months. Developed after his bipolar diagnosis, this powerful methodology helps businesses break free from stagnation by implementing aggressive 80/20 strategies, continuous improvement cycles, and transformation team building—all without requiring superhuman effort.

What You’ll Learn

• How to apply the 80/20 principle to dramatically increase profitability
• Why grandiose goal setting delivers better results than conservative targets
• How to implement 52 improvement projects in 52 weeks without overwhelming your team
• A systematic approach to pricing that maximizes profits in your core business
• How to build transformation teams that drive exponential results

Time Stamps

• 00:45 – Episode Intro
• 01:31 – Guest Intro: Todd Hagopian
• 02:47 – Todd’s Career Journey and Achievements
• 05:28 – The Hypomanic Toolbox: Managing Bipolar Disorder
• 14:54 – Implementing the Hypomanic Operational Turnaround System (HOT)
• 19:02 – Grandiose Goal Setting
• 23:25 – 80/20 Matrix of Profitability
• 28:30 – Implementing Price Increases and Outsourcing
• 37:42 – Applying the 80/20 Rule to Services
• 41:32 – Continuous Improvement and Theory of Constraints
• 44:57 – Practical Examples
• 46:38 – Transformation Team Building
• 56:52 – Connect with Todd (Book Launch, Website, Socials)
• 63:48 – Inbound Accelerators (Sales Tactics)
• 68:09 – Episode Wrap-up & Final Thoughts

Snippets from the Episode

• "The addiction to yesterday is the worst one. If you want to transform, you can't transform the business by doing the same thing that got you to where you're in trouble."— Todd Hagopian
• "Lead time's a hell of a drug. If you cut your lead time and you're better than the competition, that 42% close rate becomes 100%. Nobody can touch you."— Todd Hagopian

Key Takeaways

1. Focus 100% on the vital 20%
2. Implement 52 improvements in 52 weeks
3. Price B-customers higher than A-customers
4. Never simply backfill vacant positions
5. Use the A-B-C-D matrix for profitability
6. Set grandiose goals to achieve better results
7. Cut lead time to dominate your competition

Resources

• ⁠24 Things ⁠Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant
• ⁠Schedule⁠ a 15-Minute Roadblock Call
• Check out⁠ OpenPhone⁠
• Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our ⁠GrowthKits ⁠
• Need Marketing Help? We Recommend⁠ Benali⁠
• Need Help with podcast production? We recommend ⁠Demandcast⁠

More from Todd Hagopian

• The Hypomanic Toolbox 
• LinkedIn
• X (Formerly Twitter)
• The Stagnation Assassin on YouTube

More from Martin Holland

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theprofitproblem.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠annealbc.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Khalil

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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• Visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Cashflow Contractor

Connect with Us

Ready to implement these strategies in your business? Visit cashflowcontractor.com for more resources or email questions@cashflowcontractor.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review if you found this episode valuable. For exclusive content and behind-the-scenes insights, follow Martin and Khalil on social media.

Discover how to ethically influence clients and team members using Robert Cialdini's seven principles of persuasion. Guest Tara Landes, a certified Cialdini trainer and business systems expert, breaks down these powerful psychological triggers that can transform your sales process, pricing strategy, and company culture. Learn how small, strategic changes in your communication can lead to significant improvements in customer acquisition and team engagement.

What You’ll Learn

• The seven principles of persuasion and how they apply to your contracting business
• How to ethically influence clients without manipulation
• Practical ways to raise prices without losing customers
• Strategies to retain valuable employees who might otherwise leave
• Simple techniques to differentiate yourself from competitors

Time Stamps

• 01:14 - Episode Intro
• 01:42 - Guest Intro
• 03:13 - The Basics of Influence and Persuasion
• 06:21 - Ethical Persuasion Defined
• 07:08 - Principle 1: Reciprocity
• 11:31 - Principle 2: Liking
• 13:53 - Principle 3: Unity
• 17:24 - Principle 4: Social Proof
• 20:05 - Principle 5: Authority
• 21:53 - Principle 6: Consistency
• 28:15 - Principle 7: Scarcity
• 30:50 - Applying Scarcity in Sales
• 33:32 - Core Motives in Persuasion
• 35:44 - Implementing Foundational Systems with Bellrock
• 39:53 - Addressing Toxic A-Players
• 41:54 - Retaining Sales Talent
• 45:16 - Raising Prices and Customer Retention
• 48:42 - The Power of Personalized Gifts
• 52:43 - Engaging with Bell Rock Consulting
• 54:39 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Snippets from the Episode

• If you're trying to get someone to do something that isn't in their best interest, I'd call that manipulation. If it's good for you and it's good for me, then it's ethical persuasion.— Tara Landes

• Instead of asking for people's opinions or feedback, ask them for advice. When you ask for an opinion, you're creating a critic. When you ask for advice, you're co-creating, and you're both wanting to win.— Tara Landes

Key Takeaways

1. The relationship principles
2. The uncertainty principles
3. The motivational principles
4. Making gifts personal and meaningful
5. Creating paths to ownership for employee retention
6. Activating scarcity by showing what customers stand to lose
7. Using authority in customer introductions

Resources

• Influence by Robert Cialdini
• Pre-Suasion by Robert Cialdini
• Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
• The Essential Guide to One-On-One Meetings
• 24 Things Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant
• Schedule a 15-Minute Roadblock Call
• Check out OpenPhone
• Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our GrowthKits
• Need Marketing Help? We Recommend Benali
• Need Help with podcast production? We recommend Demandcast

More from Tara Landes

• Website: bellrock.ca
• Tara on LinkedIn

More from Martin Holland

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theprofitproblem.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠annealbc.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Khalil

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from The Cash Flow Contractor

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• Visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Cashflow Contractor

Connect With Us

Ready to apply these principles in your contracting business? Visit cashflowcontractor.com to learn more about our coaching programs and resources. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with fellow contractors who want to improve their sales process and team management.

In this practical episode, Khalil breaks down the Vision/Traction Organizer (VTO) from the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), sharing how Growth Kits is implementing this powerful framework. Whether you have a fuzzy business vision or struggle communicating it to your team, this actionable walkthrough provides contractors with a structured approach to clarify direction, align team efforts, and create accountability systems that drive freedom.

What You’ll Learn

• How to transform a fuzzy vision into a clear direction using the VTO framework
• Why your team needs consistent communication about the company vision
• Practical ways to implement core values that guide hiring, firing, and recognition
• How to create a three-year picture that drives meaningful progress
• Simple methods for setting measurable quarterly goals that build momentum

Time Stamps

• 00:49 - Episode Intro
• 02:50 - Vision/Traction Organizer Overview
• 06:46 - Core Values and Their Importance
• 10:26 - Core Focus and Niche
• 11:47 - 10-Year Target and Marketing Strategy
• 18:13 - Proven Process and Implementation
• 20:22 - Three-Year Picture and Goal Setting
• 26:14 - Conclusion and Resources

Snippets from the Episode

• "I have a vision that is fuzzy for what we're doing and where we're going, and I think that I communicate it often, but the reality is my team needs to see it, to know it, to hear it all the time. And I don't communicate it as often as I think I do."— Khalil Benalioulhaj
• "If a guarantee doesn't scare you, it's not really much of a guarantee."— Martin Holland
• "It is a real problem. Most people when I meet them can't really tell me what they want in three years."— Martin Holland

Key Takeaways

• Core Values Drive Culture
• Combine Purpose With Niche
• Effective Marketing Requires Unique Differentiators
• Create A Meaningful Guarantee
• Document Your Proven Process
• Three-Year Targets Beat Ten-Year Goals
• Quarterly Rocks Create Momentum

Get Exclusive Access to Resources, Tools, and Extra Insights Delivered to Your Inbox!

Resources

• Traction by Gino Wickman
• Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)

• Donald Miller's StoryBrand AI for brand messaging

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠24 Things⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ a 15-Minute Roadblock Call
• Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OpenPhone⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠GrowthKits ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Need Marketing Help? We Recommend ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Benali⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Need Help with podcast production? We recommend ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Demandcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Martin Holland

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theprofitproblem.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠annealbc.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Khalil

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from The Cash Flow Contractor

• Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Follow On Social: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X(formerly Twitter)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Cashflow Contractor

Connect With Us

Want the VTO template mentioned in this episode? Email Khalil directly or fill out the form on our website to get this powerful tool in your hands today

Ready to clarify your vision and create systems that drive freedom? Visit cashflowcontractor.com to learn more about how we can help you build a more profitable business with less stress.

Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to stay updated on actionable strategies for creating a more profitable contracting business.

In this thought-provoking episode, Martin and Khalil explore the 10 least asked questions business owners should be asking themselves. These powerful questions challenge contractors to shift from working in their business to working on it, helping you gain clarity, improve profitability, and reduce stress in your operations.

What You’ll Learn

• How to clarify what you actually want your business to do for you
• Which key metrics reveal the health of your business
• How to identify and plug profit leaks throughout your operations
• Where fear might be holding you back from making crucial decisions
• Practical strategies to build cash reserves for stability and opportunity

Time Stamps

• 00:39 - Life Updates
• 03:30 - Episode Intro
• 04:33 - Question 1: Purpose and Focus
• 09:00 - Question 2: Key Metrics
• 14:28 - Question 3: Weak Systems
• 16:11 - Question 4: Managing or Babysitting
• 18:18 - Question 5: Critical Gaps
• 20:59 - Question 6: Decision Avoidance
• 25:27 - Question 7: Bold Actions
• 29:33 - Question 8: Leaking Margins
• 35:14 - Question 9: Cash Reserves
• 40:10 - Question 10: Root Cause of Stress
• 46:02 - Conclusion

Snippets from the Episode

• "Everybody wants to double their sales, and I say, what the hell you wanna do that for? How about you just double your profit? You can double your profit with far less effort and risk than it takes to double your sales."— Martin
• "If customers aren't saying no to you, then you're bidding too low. You should be striving to win 50% of jobs. That means you're getting market value and the better customers who are willing to pay a premium."— Khalil
• "What gets measured gets managed. What gets managed gets better. It just does. If you're paying attention to something, it gets better."— Martin

Key Takeaways

1. Clarify Your Business Purpose
2. Identify Your Critical Number
3. Prepare Systems for Growth
4. Develop People Instead of Babysitting
5. Document Your Critical Knowledge
6. Face Avoided Decisions
7. Confront Fear-Based Limitations
8. Plug Profit Leaks Systematically
9. Build Adequate Cash Reserves
10. Address Root Causes of Stress

Resources

• ⁠⁠⁠24 Things⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ a 15-Minute Roadblock Call
• Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OpenPhone⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠GrowthKits ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Need Marketing Help? We Recommend ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Benali⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Need Help with podcast production? We recommend ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Demandcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Martin Holland

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theprofitproblem.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠annealbc.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Khalil

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from The Cash Flow Contractor

• Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Follow On Social: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X(formerly Twitter)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Cashflow Contractor

Ready to implement these powerful questions in your business? Visit our website at thecashflowcontractor.com to access the show notes and additional resources. If you subscribe to ChatGPT Pro, email us for a special prompt that will guide you through a personalized session answering these 10 critical questions for your business. The AI will help you process your thoughts and provide a summary of where you stand on each question.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights on building a profitable contracting business that works for you, not the other way around. Leave a review if you found this episode valuable, and let us know which question resonated most with your current business challenges.

Think doing everything yourself is saving your business money? It might be costing you way more than you think. Martin shares real stories of business owners who learned the hard way why DIY isn’t always the smart move.

Time Stamps

• 00:32 - Episode Intro
• 01:11 - The Dangers of DIY in Small Business
• 03:18 - Case Study: Misclassifying Employees as Contractors
• 05:37 - The Risks of Misclassifying Contractors
• 09:29 - Legal and Financial Consequences of DIY
• 13:35 - Episode Outro

Snippets from the Episode

• “DIY means trying to understand and be an expert in all areas. That’s dangerous for small business owners.”
• “One of my clients got hit with a potential $1.15 million fine just for misclassifying employees—she ended up paying $43,000.”
• “People want to pay 1099s to avoid taxes and paperwork. But that’s exactly why the IRS wants you to use W-2s.”
• “Your training and experience are in what you do for a living, not in accounting, HR, or legal. Hire experts and stay in your lane.”

Resources

• ⁠⁠24 Things⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ a 15-Minute Roadblock Call
• Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OpenPhone⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠GrowthKits ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Need Marketing Help? We Recommend ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Benali⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Need Help with podcast production? We recommend ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Demandcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Martin Holland

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theprofitproblem.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠annealbc.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Khalil

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from The Cash Flow Contractor

• Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Follow On Social: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X(formerly Twitter)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Cashflow Contractor

Plenty of businesses go under while showing a profit—and it all comes down to one deadly cash flow mistake. Martin reveals how money slips through the cracks, why your profit isn't the whole story, and what you can do to stop the bleed before it’s too late.

Time Stamps

• 00:47 - Episode Intro
• 01:23 - The Importance of Cash Flow
• 03:07 - Understanding Cash Flow vs. Profit
• 05:06 - Examples of Cash Flow in Action
• 13:10 - Analyzing Cash Flow Statements

Snippets from the Episode

• “You can't go broke making a profit? That's bad advice. You absolutely can—and many businesses do.”
• “Cash flow is the movement of money into and out of the company. Profit is just one part of the story.”
• “You made $100,000 in profit, but your bank account only shows $8,000 more. What happened? That’s the power—and danger—of poor cash flow.”
• “Download your statement of cash flows, run it through ChatGPT, and ask: ‘What should a business owner understand about this?’ It’s a game-changer.”

Resources

• ⁠⁠24 Things⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ a 15-Minute Roadblock Call
• Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OpenPhone⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠GrowthKits ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Need Marketing Help? We Recommend ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Benali⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Need Help with podcast production? We recommend ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Demandcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Martin Holland

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theprofitproblem.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠annealbc.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Khalil

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from The Cash Flow Contractor

• Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Follow On Social: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X(formerly Twitter)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Cashflow Contractor

Is your business more complicated than it needs to be? Khalil and Martin unpack why owners often create unnecessary steps—and how to cut the clutter. Tune in to learn the top 3 causes of complexity and how to build a business that runs simpler, faster, and smarter.

Time Stamps

• 00:54 - Episode Intro
• 03:43 -The Importance of Clarity in Business
• 08:57 -Reasons Behind Business Complexity
• 17:39 -Elon Musk's Approach to Workforce and Efficiency
• 21:03 -The Challenge of Simplifying Business Processes
• 23:10 -Navigating Employee Changes and AI Integration
• 29:07 -Strategies for Promoting Simplicity in Organizations

Snippets from the Episode

• “We make things complex to avoid pain. Sometimes it's just easier to keep an inefficient process than to go through the challenge of simplifying it.” — Khalil Benalioulhaj
• “Clarity is the goal. Simplicity just happens to be one of its hallmarks.” — Martin Holland
• “AI’s not taking anybody’s job. It’s the people who are using AI that are going to take people’s jobs.” — Khalil Benalioulhaj
• “Complexity is extra steps, extra cost, extra time—period. If it's not needed, it's waste.” — Martin Holland

Ever feel like there's never enough time to get it all done? Khalil and Martin break down David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” framework to help contractors take control of their time, energy, and priorities—so the important stuff actually gets done.

Time Stamps

• 00:40 - Oklahoma City: A Tale of Transformation
• 03:05 - Revamping Email: GTD Approach
• 04:08 - Getting Things Done: Key Concepts
• 13:26 - Energy Management: The Secret to Productivity
• 16:58 - Finding Your Energy Flow
• 17:47 - Maximizing High-Energy Tasks
• 19:43 - Understanding Priority
• 30:59 - Practical Tips for Task Management

Snippets from the Episode

• “Everybody’s busy. It cannot change until you carve out and start making changes.”
• — Martin Holland
• “Energy management usually beats time management. If you’ve got really good energy and allocate it to the right things, you're going to be much more successful.”
• — Khalil Benalioulhaj
• “You cannot have a bunch of priorities. The word ‘priority’ is Latin, and it means first.”
• — Martin Holland

Think your 40% profit margin is solid? Think again. Martin and Khalil expose the hidden costs that eat into your profits—and show you how to stop the bleed.

Time Stamps

• 00:56 - Martin's Client's Issue
• 02:14 - Understanding Variable Expenses
• 03:30 - Allocating Costs and Overhead
• 05:27 - Realizing the Impact on Profit Margins
• 18:08 - Employee Compensation and Tariffs
• 18:44 - Bulk Purchases and Inventory Challenges
• 22:33 - Understanding Burdening in Business
• 33:46 - Practical Steps to Improve Bidding Accuracy

Snippets from the Episode

• “You bid everything just fine, but then you look at your books and you're not making any money. Something’s off—and the good news is, it can be fixed.” - Martin Holland
• “If you’re bidding for 40% and you’re not seeing that in your gross profit margin, you’ve got to find the difference. That is management.” - Martin Holland
• “Nothing’s worse than thinking you’re going to get something and coming in 7% lower. That’s more than just a rounding error—that’s a business risk.” - Khalil Benalioulhaj
• “You could be winning bids while losing money. When you fix your pricing, you gain margin on every future job without chasing more sales.” - Khalil Benalioulhaj

Resources

• CFC 249 - The $600,000 Accounting Error That Almost Destroyed My Business with Cory Parks
• The Break-Even System by Spencer Tucker

• 24 Things⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ a 15-Minute Roadblock Call
• Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OpenPhone⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠GrowthKits ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Need Marketing Help? We Recommend ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Benali⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Need Help with podcast production? We recommend ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Demandcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Martin Holland

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theprofitproblem.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠annealbc.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Khalil

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from The Cash Flow Contractor

• Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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• Visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Tired of billing mistakes and missing parts? Khalil and Martin break down how HVAC businesses can use AI tools to map out smoother workflows, track materials, and get paid properly.

Time Stamps

• 00:52 - Episode Intro
• 01:28 - Using AI for Process Mapping
• 01:57 - Visualizing Processes for Better Understanding
• 02:35 - Inventory Control Issues
• 04:01 - Building an AI Prompt for HVAC
• 05:07 - Creating a Mermaid Flowchart
• 11:30 - Detailed HVAC Workflow Breakdown
• 27:03 - Episode Outro

Snippets from the Episode

• “People think of this as prompt engineering. I like to think of it as context engineering—you’re creating the context for the AI to understand how to help you.” -   Khalil Benalioulhaj
• “We bought 150 items and 120 of them were billed to a job… what the hell happened to the other 30?” - Martin Holland
• “Just in a few minutes, we’ve asked the AI to help us design a flowchart and training manual—it’s like vibe-processing your business.” -   Khalil Benalioulhaj

Resources

• Claude AI
• ChatGPT
• ServiceTitan
• Mermaid

• ⁠⁠⁠24 Things⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ a 15-Minute Roadblock Call
• Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OpenPhone⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠GrowthKits ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Need Marketing Help? We Recommend ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Benali⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Need Help with podcast production? We recommend ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Demandcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Martin Holland

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theprofitproblem.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠annealbc.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Khalil

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from The Cash Flow Contractor

• Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Follow On Social: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X(formerly Twitter)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Cashflow Contractor

What do sudden tariff hikes, partner misalignment, and outsourcing blunders have in common? They're all real-life challenges small business owners are navigating today. In this episode, Khalil and Martin unpack stories of business strain, the value of owning your mistakes, and why clear expectations are essential for long-term success, especially in partnerships.

Time Stamps

• 00:44 - The Struggles of Small Business Owners
• 03:10 - Handling Client Mistakes and Maintaining Reputation
• 08:16 - The Importance of Fair Compensation for Business Owners
• 13:15 - Challenges in Business Partnerships
• 17:41 - Navigating Unclear Expectations in Partnerships
• 18:05 - Strategies for Partnership Agreements
• 25:34 - The Role of AI in Business Operations
• 28:03 - Leveraging AI and Assistants for Business Efficiency

Snippets from the Episode

•   "You’re seeing us at our worst—and I want you to know we’ll make this right. From here on out, you’ll get our absolute best." – Khalil Benalioulhaj
• "If you behave properly, you don’t necessarily lose the customer. It may be your chance to prove you're good to your word." – Martin Holland
• "It’s not okay to not make money in your business. You take all the risk, and everyone else gets paid first." – Martin Holland
• "If you're not talking constantly with your partner, it won’t work. Just like a marriage, communication is everything." – Khalil Benalioulhaj

Resources

• CFC Episode 258 - How to Win in Construction with AI

• ⁠⁠24 Things⁠⁠⁠⁠ Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠ a 15-Minute Roadblock Call
• Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠OpenPhone⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our ⁠⁠⁠⁠GrowthKits ⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Need Marketing Help? We Recommend ⁠⁠⁠⁠Benali⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Need Help with podcast production? We recommend ⁠⁠⁠⁠Demandcast⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Martin Holland

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠theprofitproblem.com⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠annealbc.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Khalil

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from The Cash Flow Contractor

• Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Follow On Social: ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X(formerly Twitter)⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Email⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Cashflow Contractor