Out of the Hourglass

When employees don't see a clear path forward, they leave—it's that simple. Dave Scaturro, Vice President  & Director of Commercial Division at Alpine Painting shares how he & his team tackled this challenge by creating a comprehensive career ladder covering skills, safety, quality, culture, and leadership, then used feedback from his mastermind group of peer business owners to refine it o...

Fresh off the 2025 Grand Summit Conference in Seattle, Molly sits down with Coach Eamon to debrief his first Summit experience with over 200 trades industry leaders. From Tiffani Bova's "Experience Mindset" keynote to the deeply resonant conversation on leadership and mental health with Rob Vallentine, they share observations on standout sessions, unexpected moments, and what makes this community...

We're re-releasing our very first episode of 2025 for a special reason - author Tiffani Bova was keynote speaker at this week's Grand Summit Conference in Seattle!  When Colin and I discussed " The Experience Mindset " at the start of this year, we had no idea she'd soon be joining us to explore our conference theme: "The Intersection of Leadership & Technology." Her insights on how Customer E...

Pete Schnepp, Real Estate Investor and  Founder of both Envision Service Group and Asset Stream Properties, shares his journey from running a successful painting business to building and maintaining an expanding commercial real estate portfolio. In this episode, Pete discusses why he chose commercial real estate over short-term rentals, how he evaluates deals, and the importance of having both an...

Kevin Muñoz and Kathryn Freeman dive into Dan Heath’s Reset, exploring why small, intentional resets often outperform massive overhauls. They discuss how to identify “bright spots” worth replicating, the power of giving your team ownership over change, and why the best time to reset isn’t January 1st—it’s right now. From Chick-fil-A’s drive-thru innovations to archery coaches who let athletes stee...

We're re-releasing this fan-favorite episode with Ross Hartmann, founder of Kiingo AI, just in time for our Grand Summit Conference where Ross will be leading a breakout session on this very topic. Ross and Molly explore practical AI applications for small businesses, discussing how tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini can boost efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance customer experiences while ma...

Join Molly Nolan and Colin Nolan as they preview the 2025 Grand Summit Conference in Seattle- NCG's largest annual event bringing together business owners for learning, networking, and one-on-one coaching. Discover what's new this year, including keynote speaker Tiffany Bova, interactive Table Talks, sessions on AI and bot building, strategic wealth building, and business valuation, plus enhanced...

We are jumping back into the world of Stewart Painting - a month ago we heard about their Board of Directors Progress and now we’re hearing about the Role dynamics of the General Manager & Owner!  Sheldon Stewart, Owner & President and Kimberly Redfield, General Manager discuss the role of the GM and how they work together effectively, sharing real examples of boundary-setting, strategic p...

This week we are re-releasing an episode originally published in May of 2024 with Michael Murray, he Founder and President at Textbook Painting in Cleveland, OH. As we thinking about planning and budgeting for 2026, we thought it was timely to revisit the topic of hiring overseas talent and how you can build that into your organizational growth to support your scaling teams.  Be sure to check out...

Nolan Consulting Group Coach, Eamon Lynch shares lessons from scaling operations at a billion-dollar remodeling company and applying those systems to smaller trades businesses. From bay window sales gone wrong to the critical handoffs between sales and operations, Eamon breaks down why "we say a lot of things" isn't good enough and how to build accountability that scales. Learn his approach to cro...

When the Summer days start fading, we start planning! Today we’re diving into the importance of starting your 2026 planning now - at the very least, getting those dates on the calendar in October or November. From vision setting and SWOT analysis to identifying Planning Discussion Items and breaking them into 90-day action steps, we explore the tools and structure that make planning retreats impac...

Join us as we welcome Gavin Hepp, Co Founder of Webfoot Home Improvements and newest addition to the Nolan Sales Coaching team. Gavin shares his passion for "Setting the Table" - the critical foundation of every successful sales interaction that makes customers comfortable and sets clear expectations from the start. We dive deep into practical communication strategies, and discuss how to leverage...

Back in 2022, we sat down with Sheldon Stewart, Owner & President of Stewart Painting to talk about his early journey building a board of directors—well, we're back for round two to see how things have actually played out! This time we're joined by Sheldon's daughter Shayla Wilkinson, who's now wearing two hats as both marketing manager and board member, and they have made great progress. From...

In this episode, Molly sits down with Ryan Reber from Safety Reports by Align Ops to discuss the critical importance of safety in the construction industry and how digital technology is transforming traditional safety programs. They explore practical implementation strategies for safety software, getting field teams on board, and turning safety from a compliance burden into a competitive advantage...

In this episode of Out of the Hourglass, Molly sits down with Paul Grenci, President & Co-Founder of Red Key Solutions , to discuss the critical cybersecurity threats facing small businesses today. Paul reveals how automated hacking has made even 5-6 employee companies vulnerable targets and shares why 60% of businesses that experience a significant cyber event fold within six months. From mul...

In this powerful conversation, Bill Drysdale, former General Manager of Fujifilm's $500M digital camera division and current Vistage Chair, opens up about the reality of CEO isolation and the "heavy backpack" of leadership responsibilities. Bill shares how he felt isolated despite being surrounded by colleagues and discusses the three major challenges that create the deepest isolation for CEOs - p...

Lisa DeMaria, founder of Utopia HR Solutions, joins us to discuss strategic compensation planning and employee retention for small to mid-sized businesses in the trades industry. We explore how to create competitive compensation packages that go beyond salary, including flexible benefits, performance-based incentives, and structured development programs that help retain top talent. Lisa shares pra...

Join us as we sit down with Mike Freeman, Co-Founder of Mike's Quality Painting and One Day Concrete Coatings, and newest Associate Coach with Nolan Consulting Group. From starting a lawn mowing business with his brother at age 11 to building multiple successful ventures in Albuquerque, Mike shares his journey of creating opportunity-driven businesses that operate without constant owner involvemen...

Implementing robust safety practices creates a powerful dual advantage—protecting your most valuable asset, your people, while simultaneously driving business growth and opportunity. Paul Cook and Darren Lottes of Painters USA and pioneers of Safety within the Summit group,  share field-tested insights on transforming safety from a compliance burden into a strategic cornerstone that builds team tr...

In this episode, Colin Nolan shares the importance of transforming objections into opportunities by mastering the art of uncovering customer pain. Discover why the most successful objection handling happens during discovery, not at the end of the sales process, and learn practical techniques to leverage emotional buying motives when facing resistance. If you're struggling with closing deals, this...

Brian Nolan, Co-founder and President of Nolan Consulting Group, and Business Coach Sydney Bates discuss  the rollout of the NEW Hourglass Scorecard, a dynamic assessment tool for trades businesses focused on building value and growth. They explain how this updated version of the Business Systems Checklist helps identify a company's current status and future goals, helps align expectations and dev...

Ever wonder how to find a financial advisor who really 'gets' your business? Join us as we chat with Michael Pallozzi of HFM Investment Advisors about navigating the financial advisory landscape as a small business owner. Michael shares his practical wisdom on why the right advisor should understand both your business and personal goals, how to spot red flags when interviewing potential advisors,...

Sarah Adkins, owner of Big Shark Marketing , discusses the evolution of digital marketing strategies, emphasizing the importance of adapting to AI-powered search and creating high-quality, authoritative content. She highlights the challenges businesses face in keeping up with marketing trends and offers advice on optimizing websites, utilizing AI tools, and implementing niche marketing approaches...

Crisis planning should be non-negotiable for every business owner, regardless of age or company size. On today’s episode with Brian Nolan we  discuss why having a comprehensive crisis plan isn't just about preparing for worst-case scenarios, but a strategic tool that protects your business, provides peace of mind, and ensures your team (and family) can confidently navigate unexpected challenges in...

Whether it be a tough conversation you need to have with an employee or  need to de-escalate an issue or job gone awry  with a customer, we are unlocking the tools to better prepare ourselves for the dynamic of crucial conversations. With a passion for this topic, NCG Sr. Business Coach Colin is here to share key points from “ Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking when the Stakes are High ” wit...