The Hack Hour Podcast

If you're a smart, hardworking remodeler stuck under $500K in annual sales—this episode is for you. Host Mike Menges breaks down exactly why being talented and driven often hurts more than it helps when you're trying to grow a remodeling business. In this episode of HackHour, you'll learn:Why most remodelers stay stuck at $300–500K foreverThe two critical roles every remodeling busines...

🚨 Tired of blank screens and missed leads? In this episode of HackHour, we uncover how smart remodelers are using AI tools like ChatGPT to write killer ads, persuasive proposals, engaging social posts, and more—in just minutes a day.💡 Inside Episode 67 “The Virtual Remodeler,” you’ll discover:How a contractor wrote a $75K proposal in 10 minutesHow to send follow-up emails that WIN cold leadsThe...

Episode 066

Remodelers — want to serve your community during times of unrest and build a thriving business? In this episode of The HackHour, we break down a powerful, ethical strategy for contractors to step up when their city needs them most. You’ll learn how to:Prepare for emergency board-up and repair jobsLaunch a local outreach blitz to win trust and clientsTurn one urgent job into months of steady workBe...

Why AI Won’t Help You Sell Remodels — But ARI Will (HackHour Ep. 64)Most remodelers are chasing AI tools — faster floorplans, faster estimates, faster everything. But here’s the truth no one’s saying:AI can’t close a $100K remodel. ARI can. In this episode, Mike Menges — founder of The Remodeling Academy — reveals the secret that separates top remodelers from the pack:ARI — Applied Relational Inte...

🚧 Overwhelmed by demanding clients, late crews, and tight margins? As remodelers, we hide the stress, but it’s killing our focus and profits. I’m Mike, long time Remodeler & founder of The Remodeling Academy, and in this 7-minute End Remodeler Stress: Meditation for Clarity & Construction Success podcast, I guide you to crush the chaos and build a bulletproof mindset. This isn’t about “ze...

🚨 Episode 063 - Remodeling Employee Shortage 2025: Where to Find Great Workers! 🔨 🎧 In this eye-opening episode of The Hack Hour , Mike Menges goes deep into the so-called labor shortage in the remodeling and construction industry—and flips the script. If you’re struggling to find skilled help in 2025, the problem might not be the labor market… it might be you . 📉 Everyone’s screaming “where a...

🎙 HackHour Podcast Ep. 62“From Kitchens to Kiosks: How Residential Remodelers Can Cash In on Commercial Restaurant Jobs”In this episode, Mike Menges—longtime remodeler and founder of The Remodeling Academy—reveals how residential contractors can break into commercial restaurant remodeling in 2025. From landing fast food refreshes to pulling in $50K+ profits per job, this episode walks you through...

🔥 To Hire or Not to Hire? | HackHour Podcast Ep. 61 In this episode of The HackHour, Mike Menges shares a wild hiring disaster involving a lead carpenter, a DUI, and an impounded company van—and how that painful lesson turned into a breakthrough in building a real team that actually works. If you’re a remodeling business owner struggling to hire the right people, scared to let go of control, or b...

🎥 YouTube Video Description Title: Free = Broke You’re not struggling because you’re a bad remodeler. You’re struggling because you’re doing business the old way. In this episode of The HackHour Podcast , Mike Menges — founder of The Remodeling Academy — reveals why giving free estimates is destroying your profits, draining your time, and sabotaging your credibility. 🛑 If you’ve ever poured hour...

📺 HackHour Ep 59 – You’re One Remodel Away…Is It to a Bright Remodeling Future—or Total Collapse? 🎯 Most remodelers are just one project away from a breakthrough… or a breakdown. In this episode, we expose the brutal truth: your next remodel could either set you free—or sink your business. If you’re stuck grinding every day, juggling tire-kicker clients, and praying they don’t say your price is...

Never Underbid Again: 3 Ways to Price Cabinet Installs Like a Pro | Hack Hour Podcast Ep. 58 Are you tired of guessing when it comes to pricing kitchen cabinet installs—only to watch your profits disappear? In this episode of The Hack Hour Podcast , veteran remodeler and founder of The Remodeling Academy, Mike Menges, shares 3 proven pricing strategies that top pros use to ensure every job is prof...

🎙 Episode 57 – “If You Don’t Fix This, Your Remodeling Business Will Die” Let’s get brutally honest: most remodelers aren’t running a business—they’re running on fumes. You’re stressed, undercharging, overworked, and just one job away from disaster. And the reason? FEAR. Fear of raising prices. Fear of losing your crew. Fear of change. Fear of failure. In this hard-hitting episode, Mike Menges—vet...

Feeling the pressure of remodeling chaos closing in? Late nights. Client demands. Crew issues. Endless fires to put out. It’s easy to lose yourself in the grind. Remodelers Daily Meditation isn’t about chanting on a mountain — it’s about finding strength, focus, and clarity right in the jobsite dust and noise. In this episode, I guide you through a meditation exercise I started practicing myself y...

Tired of subcontractor headaches, project delays, and lost profits? In this episode of The HackHour Podcast, Mike Menges drops the Subcontractor Secrets — a no-BS , 5-step system to find, hire, and lead subcontractors like a pro. You'll learn:*The secret weapon to spot red flags BEFORE you hire *The contract move that protects your wallet *How to build a loyal crew that makes you money (and re...

Episode 55: Mirror Leadership In this episode of Hackhour, we get brutally honest about a truth most leaders don't want to face: you don't get what you want—you get what you are. Join Mike Menges on the job site, where a frustrating moment with a late employee and a cheap client sparks a raw reflection on leadership, standards, and personal responsibility. Through real-world stories — from...

Hackhour Podcast Ep. 54: Remodeler AI – Skyrocketing Your Remodeling Business! 🛠️Struggling to keep up with bids, clients, or crew chaos? Join Mike Menges, veteran remodeler and founder of the Remodeling Academy, as he shares how AI can transform your remodeling game! In this episode, Mike dives into ChatGPT, MidJourney, and Grok—tools that save time, win jobs, and calm even the most fired-up clie...

🔥 HackHour Ep. 53: Ditching the Agent – How Remodelers Can Buy & Sell Real Estate for Maximum Profit 🔥Are you a remodeler tired of making everyone else rich while you're stuck doing the grunt work? 👷‍♂️It’s time to flip the script and build wealth for YOURSELF. In this game-changing episode, I reveal how YOU can become your own real estate agent—and why most remodelers are leaving serio...

🚨 Remodelers: Are YOU Your Own Worst Enemy? Outsmart Yourself NOW! 🧠💪 👉 Ep. 52 - HackHour Podcast | Overthinking is killing your growth. Stop sabotaging yourself with fear disguised as “smart decisions”—this episode will flip the script! 🔍 Inside This Episode: ✅ Fear in Disguise: How overthinking tricks you into playing small. ✅ Missed Shots: The opportunities you’re losing by waiting “for...

🚨 Struggling Remodelers: STOP These 3 Killer Mistakes! 🔨💥 👉 Ep. 51 - HackHour Podcast | Are you stuck in a cash-flow nightmare, overworked, and underpaid? Most remodelers are—because they always get these 3 things wrong. 🔍 Inside This Episode: ✅ Low Margins: Underpricing is bleeding you dry—here’s why 40-50% profit is non-negotiable. ✅ Bad Hires: No team? No growth. The “no good workers” ex...

👉 Welcome to Episode 50 of the HackHour Podcast! If you’re in remodeling, construction, or home improvement, you’re standing at the edge of the BIGGEST OPPORTUNITY in industry history. This is the Golden Age of Remodeling , and those who recognize it NOW will build massive wealth in the coming years. 🏡💵 🔎 In this episode, we cover: ✅ Why housing stock is at its oldest and in desperate need of...

🚨 TRUTH BOMB: If your remodeling business falls apart the second you step away… you don’t own a business—you own a job. That’s exactly where I was— trapped in self-employment, overworked, and drowning in chaos. In this episode, I break down: ✅ The hard truth about why most contractors never escape self-employment. ✅ My biggest hiring mistakes (and how they kept me stuck). ✅ The turning point t...

📢 EP 48: The Remodeling Class War – Why 90% of Contractors Stay Stuck (And How to Escape!) 🚨 Are you running a business or just owning a job? 🚨 Most remodeling contractors grind every day, buried in work, thinking they’re building a business … but in reality, they’re just self-employed workers with extra stress and no guaranteed paycheck. 💀 📢 This episode exposes the brutal truth about the Re...

🚨 WARNING: The Remodeling Industry Is About to Change FOREVER… Are You Ready? 🚨 MRGA – Make Remodeling Great Again… or Go Broke Trying! 🔥 The remodeling industry is shifting faster than ever —labor shortages, rising material costs, economic uncertainty, and changing homeowner demand. Some remodelers will adapt and thrive , while others will struggle and disappear . Which side will YOU be on? In...

🔥 HANGING DOUGH: Only Elite Remodelers Turn Cabinets into CASH! 💰 Are you REALLY making what you’re worth in kitchen remodeling? Or are you just grinding for scraps while the big dogs rake it in? 🧐 If you know what you're doing, every cabinet you hang is like mounting a cash-filled safe to the wall! 💵💰 The best remodelers don’t just work hard—they work smart, charging premium prices and g...