Builders Makers Doers: The Resilience Behind American Business

What does it take to go from operating heavy equipment to owning the company? Steven A. Koch II never chased promotions. He started at PSC Construction as a heavy equipment operator and earned new opportunities by consistently creating value, helping the people around him, and doing great work every day. Years later, he purchased the very company where he started and now serves as its President an...

Most contractors think safety problems happen because they don't have enough policies. Jesse Phillips sees a different problem. The companies that struggle most often aren't missing safety programs. They have safety programs nobody follows. In this episode of Builders, Makers, Doers, Elliot Bassett sits down with Jesse Phillips, Director of Safety at Ellerbrock-Norris, to discuss what ac...

Most business owners already know hiring is difficult. What fewer people realize is how deep the skilled labor pipeline problem actually goes. In this episode of Builders, Makers, Doers, Andy and Elliot Bassett sit down with Bo Jones — Founder and CEO of Tru-Built Construction and founder of CareerPathway.com — to talk about the future of the trades, entrepreneurship, workforce development, and wh...

Most business owners were taught the same formula: Revenue minus expenses equals profit. Mike Michalowicz believes that formula is one of the biggest reasons entrepreneurs stay stuck financially. In this episode of Builders, Makers, Doers, Andy Bassett and Elliot Bassett sit down with Mike Michalowicz to talk about profit protection, owner psychology, operational discipline, and why so many busine...

Most trades businesses are still built around a few key people. The owner knows everything. The foreman keeps jobs moving. The systems live in someone’s head. And eventually growth starts creating pressure instead of freedom. That’s a big reason Aaron Gunderson started buying trades businesses. Aaron is the CEO of Bison, a company that acquires and operates businesses across landscaping, roofing,...

Some businesses look simple from the outside. Then you hear what it actually takes to build one. Grant Stahla built Stahla Services in a niche most people would overlook: premium mobile restroom trailers, shower trailers, and temporary site support.  But the real story is not about trailers.  It is about capital pressure, sales discipline, hiring the right people, managing seasonality, using vendo...

Most trades owners know people are hard to find. But the bigger issue is what happens when recruiting stays reactive. Wrong hires create turnover. Turnover hurts culture. Culture problems hit safety, continuity, growth, and long-term business value. In this episode of Builders, Makers, Doers, Andy Bassett and Elliot Bassett talk about why recruiting is not just an HR task. It is one of the most im...

 Most trades owners think insurance is the safety net. It is not. Insurance can help you survive a bad event. It does not make your business resilient.  In this solo episode, Andy and Elliot break down the difference between being insured and actually building a business that can take a hit, keep running, protect profit, and hold its value over time. In this episode, you’ll learn: ✅ Why insurance...

Most contractors still think about risk management as a cost. A policy. A renewal. A box to check. That is the wrong lens. In this episode of Builders, Makers, Doers, Andy and Elliot replay a webinar focused on a better way to think about risk management in a trades business. Not as an insurance conversation, but as a business strategy that protects profit, reduces stress, and helps owners build a...

Most people talk about starting a business like it begins with a polished plan. A lot of times, it does not. It starts with a problem. A market gap. A few people willing to bet on an idea. And a founder figuring it out in real time. That is what makes this conversation with Dalton Daeges so relevant. Dalton did not come from the concrete world with some perfect roadmap. He was looking at business...

Most trades business owners think they have a leads problem. A lot of times, they do not. They have a systems problem. A leadership problem. A capacity problem. A business that still depends too much on them. That is what makes this conversation with Mike Andes so relevant. Mike built Augusta Lawn Care from a single operation into more than 200 franchise locations. But the real value in this episo...

America does not just have a labor problem.  It has a capacity problem. In this episode of Builders, Makers, Doers, Andy and Elliot sit down with Kory Anderson, founder of Anderson Brands, to talk about what it really takes to preserve American manufacturing, rebuild the skilled trades pipeline, and create businesses that last.  Kory explains that Anderson Brands is built around two core missions:...

Most businesses don’t stay stuck because they lack ambition. They stay stuck because they try to serve everyone, carry everything themselves, and delay the changes growth actually requires. In this episode of Builders, Makers, Doers, Andy and Cameron sit down with Natasha Broxton, CEO and founder of Select Auto Parts and Sales in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This isn’t just a story about auto parts. It’s...

Most trades businesses do not get into trouble because they lack skill. They get into trouble because they chase work they should not take. In this episode of Builders, Makers, Doers, Andy and Elliot sit down with Chris Tyrrell, owner of Chris’s Garage Doors in Denver, Colorado. This is not just about garage doors. It is about discipline. Chris did not build his business by trying to be everything...

Most trades don’t disappear because they lack history. They disappear because they can’t adapt. In this episode of Builders, Makers, Doers, Andy and Elliot sit down with John Cox, founder of Quercus Cooperage in High Falls, New York — one of the last traditional barrel makers in America. This isn’t about whiskey. It’s about survival. John didn’t inherit a booming industry. He stepped into a dying...

Most small businesses don’t fail because they lack talent. They fail because they scale faster than their discipline. In this episode of Builders, Makers, Doers, Andy and Elliot sit down with Haden Polseno-Hensley, co-founder of Red Rooster Coffee in Floyd, Virginia, to talk about what it really takes to build something that lasts. This isn’t about coffee. It’s about restraint. Haden didn’t come f...

Most trades companies don’t fail because they lack work. They fail because they cut corners early. In this episode of Builders, Makers, Doers, Andy and Elliot sit down with Aaron Johnson, Vice President and Partner at Xtreme Heating & Cooling, to talk about what actually builds a durable trades business. This isn’t about HVAC equipment. It’s about foundations. Aaron grew up in the industry. Fi...

Most construction companies don’t break because the work is hard. They break because leadership pressure compounds faster than the business is prepared to handle it. In this episode of Builders, Makers, Doers , Andy and Elliot sit down with Tony Fucinaro , Managing Principal at MCL Construction , for a grounded conversation about what actually sustains a construction company as it grows. Tony didn...

Most businesses don’t struggle because the work isn’t good. They struggle because ownership quietly becomes heavier than anyone expects. In this episode of Builders, Makers, Doers, Andy and Elliot sit down with Chuck Wiethop, founder of Design Eight Studios, for a grounded, no-BS conversation about what it really takes to build and sustain a trades business over decades. This is not a signage epis...

Most businesses don’t break because the product is bad. They break because ownership decisions collide with people, partners, and pressure. In this episode of Builders, Makers, Doers, Andy and Elliot sit down on site with Zac Triemert, founder of Brickway Brewery and Distillery, for a raw conversation about what happens when everything you build gets taken away — and you decide to build again anyw...

Most trades businesses do not fail because they lack work. They fail because growth outruns people, systems, safety, and discipline. In this episode of Builders, Makers, Doers, Andy and Elliot sit down with leaders from a fast-growing excavation company to talk about the side of growth most contractors never slow down enough to confront. Not hype. Not vanity revenue. Real decisions that protect th...

Most trades businesses don’t fail because the work isn’t there. They fail because the pressure shows up faster than the cash, systems, and leadership are ready to absorb it. In this episode of Builders, Makers, Doers, Andy and Elliot sit down with Matt Christopherson, founder of a multi-entity plumbing and mechanical operation, to unpack the part of trades ownership most people never talk about. T...

Most businesses don’t fail because they lack opportunity. They fail because volatility hits faster than their systems can respond. In this episode of Builders, Makers, Doers, Andy and Elliot sit down with Zach Lubeck, CEO of Quality Pork International, to unpack what it really takes to build a resilient, specialized manufacturing business in a world defined by labor shortages, global trade risk, a...

Most trades businesses don’t break because the work is hard. They break because the pressure compounds faster than the company is prepared to handle. In this episode of Builders, Makers, Doers, Andy and Elliot sit down with Michael McKeone, owner of Daedalus Construction, to unpack what nearly 50 years in concrete teaches you about resiliency, leadership, and sustainable growth in the trades. Conc...

Most trades owners don’t fail because they make bad decisions. They fail because they delay the right ones. In this episode of Builders, Makers, Doers, Andy and Elliot tackle one of the most avoided — and most expensive — realities in the trades: What actually happens to a business when the owner eventually steps away. For many construction, manufacturing, and specialty trades owners, the business...