Forge Contractor Alliance Podcast

Sometimes the biggest chapters in your life start in the most ordinary places. This episode goes all the way back to a random moment in a Walmart parking lot, when Josh was still in high school, pushing carts, with no real plan for what came next. That one conversation turned into a job, then long days on rooftops, brutal winter projects, and years of learning what hard work actually looks like. J...

In this episode of Forge, we dive into the unseen weight of leadership: decision fatigue, opportunity overload, and the pressure of making calls that affect employees, families, customers, and entire companies. Joel and Josh unpack what it really feels like to be in a season of expansion joint ventures, partnerships, new markets all while trying to stay anchored to who you are and why your busines...

Winter is usually the slow season in roofing. Fewer crews, quieter phones, time to breathe and reflect. But this January feels different. In this episode, we talk about what it looks like when years of groundwork finally start to show up in real ways producing revenue in what’s historically been our slowest month, watching a second market gain traction, and realizing that growth often arrives quie...

What’s the real difference between generosity and waste and why does it matter in leadership, trades, and everyday work? In this episode of the Forge Podcast, the guys dig into a tension most leaders feel but rarely name: how generosity, efficiency, waste, stewardship, and gratitude all collide in real-world operations. From roofing crews and tools, to company culture, entitlement, and maturity, t...

In this episode, the Forge team welcomes Chris into the conversation for the first time. Chris steps in by sharing an unfinished, vulnerable moment from his leadership journey, reflecting on one of the most difficult decisions he’s faced: stepping away from a business partnership. Chris opens up about how, overtime, he became convinced that staying would limit not only his own growth, but the grow...

In this episode, the Forge team welcomes Chris into the conversation for the first time. Chris steps in by sharing an unfinished, vulnerable moment from his leadership journey, reflecting on one of the most difficult decisions he’s faced: stepping away from a business partnership. Chris opens up about how, over time, he became convinced that staying would limit not only his own growth, but the gro...

In this episode of the Forge Contractor Podcast, the conversation turns into a direct and honest debrief of the Ridgeline Roofing and Solar AGM, and why it marked a real turning point for the company. Coming right off the pruning discussion, Josh and Kenton walk through what made this AGM different. Not just inspiring, but actually useful. After years of learning the hard way, they reflect on the...

In this episode of the Forge Contractor Podcast, the conversation becomes a year-end reflection centered on one defining idea: real growth comes from pruning, not piling on. What begins as a thought about revisiting the AGM quickly shifts into a deeper discussion about 2025 as a season of cutting back so the right things can grow. Josh and Kenton talk candidly about what pruning has looked like at...

In this episode of the Forge Contractor Podcast, the conversation turns toward success, trust, and the deeper motivations that shape how leaders show up at work and in life. Josh and Kenton reflect on what it actually means to build something meaningful, not just profitable, and how trust inside a team can either fuel momentum or quietly erode it. They explore how trust inside a team can either ac...

In this episode of the Forge Contractor Podcast, the conversation takes an honest, unfiltered look at leadership, governance, and the real work behind running a meaningful Annual General Meeting as a growing contractor-led company. With Ridgeline’s AGM only days away, the discussion opens with the tension many founders feel when stepping into a more structured, formal leadership environment, movin...

In this episode of the Forge Contractor Alliance, Josh and Kenton open round two with a conversation about a leadership principle that is rarely talked about but deeply shapes teams, families, and culture: honor. Not the vague, ceremonial version most people imagine, but the real, practical posture of how we treat those above us, beside us, and under our care. The conversation begins with a vivid...

In this episode of the Forge Contractor Alliance, Josh and Joel sit down for a deep dive into one of the most difficult and defining topics for any business leader: partnership. Not the surface-level talk about revenue projections or financial models, but the real heart of partnership, people, values, alignment, and the long-term consequences of saying yes or no. The conversation begins with the t...

Welcome to the Foraged Contractor Podcast — real talk for builders, tradesmen, and business owners shaping a life that matters as much as the work they do. We’re not just chasing growth; we’re redefining success through purpose, integrity, and the relationships that last longer than any project. In this episode of the Foraged Contractor Podcast, we dig into what success really looks like and why t...

Welcome to the Foraged Contractor Podcast — real talk for builders, tradesmen, and business owners shaping a life that matters as much as the work they do. We’re not just chasing growth; we’re redefining success through purpose, integrity, and the relationships that last longer than any project. In this episode of The Foraged Contractor Alliance, Josh and Kenton explore a truth most leaders eventu...

Welcome to the Foraged Contractor Podcast — real talk for builders, tradesmen, and business owners shaping a life that matters as much as the work they do. We’re not just chasing growth; we’re redefining success through purpose, integrity, and the relationships that last longer than any project. In this episode, Kenton sits down with longtime friend Jeff Burkinshaw — engineer, author, and creator...

Welcome to the Foraged Contractor Podcast — real talk for builders, tradesmen, and business owners shaping a life that matters as much as the work they do. We’re not just chasing growth; we’re redefining success through purpose, integrity, and the relationships that last longer than any project. Leadership isn’t about speed; it’s about rhythm. The rhythm you build, the trust you extend, and the sy...

Welcome to the Foraged Contractor Podcast — real talk for builders, tradesmen, and business owners shaping a life that matters as much as the work they do. We’re not just chasing growth; we’re redefining success through purpose, integrity, and the relationships that last longer than any project. In this episode of the Forge Contractor Alliance, we dive into one of the hardest and most important di...

Welcome to the Foraged Contractor Podcast — real talk for builders, tradesmen, and business owners shaping a life that matters as much as the work they do. We’re not just chasing growth; we’re redefining success through purpose, integrity, and the relationships that last longer than any project. Saying no isn’t negativity, it’s leadership. Every yes creates a hidden no somewhere else, stealing tim...

Welcome to the Foraged Contractor Podcast — real talk for builders, tradesmen, and business owners shaping a life that matters as much as the work they do. We’re not just chasing growth; we’re redefining success through purpose, integrity, and the relationships that last longer than any project. In this episode, Redefining Success: From Profit to Purpose in Business and Family, we pull back the cu...

Welcome to the Forge Alliance Podcast — real talk for tradesmen, entrepreneurs, and leaders navigating the hard road of growth. We're building more than businesses — we’re building men, mindsets, and missions. These conversations pull back the curtain on what it takes to lead in life and work, from broken starts to breakthrough seasons. No fluff, just real stories from the job site and beyond. In...

Welcome to the Forge Alliance Podcast — real talk for tradesmen, entrepreneurs, and leaders navigating the hard road of growth. We're building more than businesses — we’re building men, mindsets, and missions. These conversations pull back the curtain on what it takes to lead in life and work, from broken starts to breakthrough seasons. No fluff, just real stories from the job site and beyond. Whe...

Welcome to the Forge Alliance Podcast — real talk for tradesmen, entrepreneurs, and leaders navigating the hard road of growth. We're building more than businesses — we’re building men, mindsets, and missions. These conversations pull back the curtain on what it takes to lead in life and work, from broken starts to breakthrough seasons. No fluff, just real stories from the job site and beyond. Eve...

Welcome to the Forge Alliance Podcast — real talk for tradesmen, entrepreneurs, and leaders navigating the hard road of growth. We're building more than businesses — we’re building men, mindsets, and missions. These conversations pull back the curtain on what it takes to lead in life and work, from broken starts to breakthrough seasons. No fluff, just real stories from the job site and beyond. Epi...

Welcome to the Forge Alliance Podcast — real talk for tradesmen, entrepreneurs, and leaders navigating the hard road of growth. We're building more than businesses — we’re building men, mindsets, and missions. These conversations pull back the curtain on what it takes to lead in life and work, from broken starts to breakthrough seasons. No fluff, just real stories from the job site and beyond. Are...

Welcome to the Forge Alliance Podcast — real talk for tradesmen, entrepreneurs, and leaders navigating the hard road of growth. We're building more than businesses — we’re building men, mindsets, and missions. These conversations pull back the curtain on what it takes to lead in life and work, from broken starts to breakthrough seasons. No fluff, just real stories from the job site and beyond. In...