Better Every Sunday

After a demanding painting season, Reece and El-Amine discuss taking time off without losing momentum, finding meaning beyond work, and why overloaded schedules fall apart. An honest conversation about rest, ambition, and building structure for the offseason.

Alex weighs his next move after Student Works: stay in Regina, move cities, or try a new business. Reece and El-Amine challenge what he means by “growth,” and the conversation turns to uncertainty, responsibility, and building a life beyond work.

Alex and Reece recap the Queen City Marathon, including pacing, pain and the emotions of finally finishing. The group also discusses Kaleb’s transition into roofing, a flooded house, subcontractors versus employees, and how to use the offseason to build better systems instead of relying on brute force.

Why do some people keep pushing while others only chase the finish line? We talk about identity-based discipline, learning to accept discomfort, recovering quickly when things go wrong, and moving forward without ignoring the lesson.

El Amine and Skylar talk ambition, gratitude, hard work, and the challenge of outgrowing your old life. Skylar opens up about leaving Edmonton for Calgary, while they wrestle with how to keep striving for more without losing appreciation for what you already have.

After a demanding business season, we question whether working harder is always the answer—or whether wanting more balance is simply a way of rationalizing comfort. We discuss becoming a father, neglecting friendships, losing purpose in work, developing a capacity for suffering, and why money alone eventually stops being motivating. The conversation eventually turns to running: Would we train as h...

El-Amine joins us immediately after finishing a brutal 4:44 marathon and breaks down what went wrong, from tired legs and inconsistent pacing to recovery and race-day fueling. We debate whether athletes should specialize or pursue multiple disciplines, why performance data matters, and whether marathon training is actually worth the damage it puts your body through.

Kaleb opens up about leaving Student Works for a new role in roofing, the uncertainty of joining a growing business, and why lifestyle and long-term opportunity matter more to him than maximizing next year’s income. El‑Amine shares why he’s transitioning to ProWorks, what he hopes to build beyond himself, and why bigger isn’t always better when you’re planning for the next five years instead of th...

Six months ago, we were convinced we would hit our goals no matter what. Now, deep into the season, we revisit an early episode and confront what actually happened. We reflect on leaving school, betting on ourselves, throwing in the towel, and whether we’ve followed through on the promises we made. We also debate whether missing an ambitious goal means the goal was foolish—or whether being slightl...

Confidence isn't something you're born with—it's something you earn. This week we dive into insecurity, self-confidence, reading people, assuming the worst in others, and why the beliefs you hold about yourself shape almost every interaction you have. We also talk about marathon training, pushing through discomfort, and why improving yourself a little every week changes how you see the...

This week we share some of the strangest customer interactions we've had, from meeting an Ironman athlete with an unbelievable backstory to navigating one of the most awkward sales appointments imaginable. We also talk about booking work, staying productive through the busy season, growing a painting business, and the lessons we've been learning along the way. As always, it's a mix of...

This week we're catching up after a busy weekend, talking about marathon training, the Student Works camping trip, and the lessons we've been learning both in business and life. We dive into a conversation about talent vs. grit, why consistency often matters more than natural ability, and how pushing through difficult moments helps build discipline and resilience. We also discuss marathon training...

Reece recaps completing his very first Olympic-distance triathlon, sharing what surprised him, what nearly made him quit, and why the final kilometres became a mental battle. The group talks about race strategy, hydration, marathon training, balancing business during the busy summer season, and pushing through uncomfortable challenges while continuing to improve both personally and professionally.

Everyone loves talking about success, but what happens when you realize you're probably not going to hit the goal you set for yourself? This week we have an honest conversation about falling short, losing motivation, and the mental battle of continuing to push when things aren't going according to plan. We discuss taking accountability without beating yourself up, learning through failure,...

This week we're talking about the challenges that don't show up in business books. We dive into the bottlenecks slowing us down, the difference between working in your business versus on it, and why organization, delegation, and trust become more important as you grow. We also discuss coaching different personalities, training employees effectively, and the leadership lessons we've bee...

This week we kick things off with a discussion about marathon training and the importance of preparing properly for long races. From there, we dive into the idea of setting yourself up for success through better organization, planning, and building systems that increase your capacity both in business and in life. The conversation then shifts into a deeper discussion about money and the different w...

In this episode, we talk about what actually keeps you going when business starts feeling heavy. The conversation gets into motivation, burnout, distractions, social media, journaling, intentional time off, and why success can still feel empty when you know you are not living up to your potential. A real conversation about rebuilding discipline, finding clarity, and learning how to enjoy the proce...

This week we're back with another casual roundtable discussion covering payrolls, hiring, estimating jobs, difficult clients, people-pleasing, marathon training, and the challenges that come with running a business. A relaxed conversation about what went well, what didn't, and what we're learning along the way.

In this episode, we tackle one of the biggest questions facing young entrepreneurs: what comes next? The conversation starts with business growth, organization, and planning for the future, but quickly evolves into a deeper discussion about fulfillment, happiness, discipline, and purpose. We explore how to evaluate career opportunities, whether passion should guide your decisions, and what role mo...

The crew dives into expectation setting with employees, why unclear standards create chaos, and how people-pleasing can quietly destroy respect inside a team. They discuss payroll events, leadership optics, piece-rate pay, hiring, training painters, motivating crews, and why great leaders create great teams. The episode also explores the mindset of taking full responsibility for your life and busi...

In this episode of Better Every Sunday, the boys have one of their most honest conversations yet. They dive deep into the pressure of balancing production, sales, recruiting, fitness, and personal life while trying to build businesses during the busiest part of the season. From burnout and inconsistent routines to the fear of missing goals, the conversation gets real fast. Kaleb opens up about que...

Welcome back to Better Every Sunday. In this episode, we sit down with franchise CEO Jordan Kipnes for one of our best conversations yet on recruiting, leadership, and building a team that actually lasts. We dive deep into why most business owners struggle to retain good employees, how Jordan managed to keep nearly every painter he hired coming back year after year, and the systems behind building...

In this episode, the boys dive deep into the role stress actually plays in business, performance, and life. Is stress something you should avoid—or something you need to succeed? They break down the difference between productive pressure and paralyzing overthinking, and how your response to problems matters more than the problems themselves. From painters quitting, to missed opportunities, to over...

In this episode, the boys dive into the reality of running a business when things don’t go to plan. From hiring mistakes and unreliable painters to missed expectations and stressful timelines, this is an unfiltered look at what happens behind the scenes when everything starts to break. They break down the difference between good hiring vs. lucky hiring, why “culture fit” can actually hurt you, and...

Welcome back to Better Every Sunday. In this episode, we break down why you’re not closing as many deals as you should and what’s actually behind the “I need to think about it” objection. Most of the time, it’s not random—it comes down to trust, your process, or how you’re positioning the estimate. We talk about how wasting time on low-quality estimates is killing your efficiency, how to filter ou...