Dirt to Docks Podcast

This week, Matt and Trey dive into one of the most underrated growth hacks in business: reaching out to your competitors and learning from the people who are one or two steps ahead of you. Most founders stay in their bubble — afraid, embarrassed, or too proud to reach out. But the fastest way to level up isn’t guessing… it’s talking to someone who’s already solved the problem you’re facing today....

In this episode, Trey and Matt dive into one of the most overlooked skills in the trades: professionalism. Everyone talks about work ethic. Everyone talks about skill. But nobody talks about the one thing that actually gets you promoted from the field to the office: ➡️ How you present yourself. We break down why the way you show up — your communication, your attitude, your appearance, your consist...

In today’s episode Trey breaks down the hardest situation he’s faced since acquiring Old Florida Docks. When you buy a business, you inherit the people. That can be a blessing or a challenge. In this case, it was both. This episode cover: • What happens when a long-tenured employee resents new ownership• Why talent alone isn’t enough to build a healthy team• The red flags Trey ignored for too long...

The Matt Cone life and business update we have all been waiting for. Southern Materials is on the move, Matt is balancing his personal life, and he is getting better one load at a time!

This episode is all about posting — why it matters today, and why it will matter even more for the next generation. The business landscape is shifting. Younger owners are building brands online instead of waiting for referrals. They’re growing faster, reaching farther, and connecting with people they would’ve never met in the “old” way of doing business. That’s why we started sharing our journey....

Running a business forces you to look in the mirror — and sometimes you don’t like what you see. This week we talk about habits. The good, the bad, and the ones that hold you back. Matt opens up about quitting drinking, and Trey shares he is creating stronger habits in his life — because as business owners, there's no room to be lazy or lead from the couch. We cover the habits that make us bet...

This week we sat down with someone we met right here on LinkedIn — an engineer from California who spends his weekdays behind a desk and his weekends running excavation jobs. He’s not just talking about starting a business someday — he’s doing it on the side, building his reputation one job at a time. We talk about balancing a full-time career with chasing something bigger, when to finally make th...

If we could start our careers over again… what would we do differently? Would we go to college? Would we take more risks? Would we still end up building businesses — or try to climb the ladder somewhere else first? This episode is one we both wish existed when we were 18. We talk about the decisions that actually mattered, the ones that didn’t, and what we’d tell our younger selves before taking t...

Every business owner knows the lows — the stress, the setbacks, the sleepless nights. But today, we’re talking about the highs. The moments that make it all worth it — from closing a big sale to spotting your buddy rocking your company hat across town. This episode is a reminder that the good days always outweigh the bad ones if you’re building something that matters. Tune in to Dirt to Docks — wh...

Zachary Schmidt, Assistant Project Manager at Old Florida Docks , joins us for a real conversation about what it’s like working in the blue collar trades . Matt puts Trey on the spot by asking Zack what it’s like working under Trey’s leadership — and the answers show what happens when a company truly values a winning culture . We dig into construction culture , team management , and what it takes...

Mercer Clark is the young CEO of a thriving construction company in Columbus, Georgia. In this episode of Dirt to Docks , Trey and Matt dig into Mercer’s journey: what it was like to step into the top role, how he plans to scale the company, and why he loves the grind of operating every day. Whether you’re in the trades or just curious how a next-generation leader takes charge, this conversation i...

\We hit record with zero script and let the mics roll. Trey, Matt, and repeat guest Skyler Warden dive into a round-table on where we want our companies to be in ten years—and what it will take to get there starting now. Expect plenty of laughs, a few curveball questions, and some surprisingly practical ideas about growth, hiring, and building a business you actually want to run in 2035. Whether y...

We’ve made plenty of mistakes—now we’re laying them out so you don’t have to. In this episode we talk about:• Missteps in setting prices and quoting jobs• Permitting hurdles we weren’t ready for• How to cut down crew idle time and keep production moving Real lessons learned the hard way from building and running blue-collar companies. If you’re quoting work, managing crews, or navigating permits,...

Ben Carson of Chemical Dynamics joins Dirt to Docks to share what it’s really like stepping into the family business. From the pride of carrying on a legacy to the pressure of adapting when Florida’s citrus industry started to decline, Ben talks about the tough pivots, the lessons he’s learned, and the future of agriculture in Florida. Whether you’re part of a family business, thinking about succe...

This week on Dirt to Docks , Trey and Matt sit down with Skyler Warden for one of the wildest conversations we’ve had yet. We cover everything from house hacking and real estate investing to laundromats and all the crazy opportunities in between. Skyler brings a mix of energy, insight, and nonstop humor that kept us laughing the entire episode. If you’re into creative ways to build wealth, hilario...

This one’s different. For the first time on Dirt to Docks , Trey sits down with his wife, Mallie, to talk about what it’s really like being married to an entrepreneur. From the stress of acquiring a company in their first year of marriage, to late nights, missed dinners, and big risks that come with business ownership — Mallie shares her side of the story. You’ll hear: What it feels like living wi...

In this episode of Dirt to Docks , Trey and Matt sit down to talk through where their companies stand today and the big question every business owner faces: is it time to grow? They share their honest thoughts on what “the next level” could look like, why many entrepreneurs decide not to scale, and how to recognize the sweet spot where your business is profitable and sustainable. If you’ve ever wr...

Part 2 – Finding, Talking, and Closing In this episode, I’m breaking down the next stage of the small business acquisition journey — building a pipeline, having the right conversations, and getting the deal across the finish line. We’ll cover: How to consistently source businesses for sale (even the ones not listed publicly) The best ways to approach sellers so they’ll open up Lessons from my own...

If I woke up tomorrow and decided I was going to buy a business, here’s exactly how I’d do it. In this episode, Trey walks through the small business acquisition process — blending what he actually did with what he’d do differently now. From figuring out what size business you can afford, to building a daily search routine, to turning “bad” seller calls into hidden opportunities, this is a step-by...

In this episode, Trey and Matt dig into how they think about marketing their blue-collar businesses. Spoiler alert: it’s not all Facebook ads and yard signs (these do work well though). They talk about the power of word of mouth, why doing great work is marketing, and how reputation gets built on the jobsite. Whether you're in marine construction, mining, or mowing lawns, this one’s a reminder tha...

Everyone loves to talk about the freedom, the money, and the excitement of owning a business. But here’s what they don’t tell you: it’s hard, it’s messy, and most of the time… it doesn’t feel like freedom. In this episode, we break down the side of entrepreneurship no one really talks about—burnout, pressure, hiring struggles, cash flow chaos, and the weight of making every decision. This isn’t to...

In this episode, Matt Cone shares the winding path that led him to where he is today—owning a materials company and selling dirt for a living. From growing up around construction to flipping homes, Matt talks about the unexpected twists his career has taken—and how each step led him closer to owning his own business. Joining him is his girlfriend, Kelsey Woychowski , who shares her perspective on...

In this episode, Trey shares his unexpected journey from a finance career to owning a dock-building company—with zero construction experience. We talk through the jobs he took, why he chose them, and how they helped (and didn’t help) when it came time to acquire a business. Joining the conversation is Trey’s wife, Mallie Lomel , who gives her honest take on what it was like navigating the highs, l...

In this first episode of Dirt to Docks , hosts Matt Cone and Trey Lomel introduce themselves—two guys in their 20s who bought blue collar companies and are figuring out how to run and grow them in real time. They share why they’re launching the podcast, what listeners can expect, and how their paths—one in the dirt world of mining and materials, the other in marine construction—led to unexpected o...