Titans of the Trades | Straight-Talk for Scaling Your Construction Business

What does it take to grow a trades business inside a franchise system without losing your edge? In this episode of Titans of the Trades, Ryan Englin sits down with Andrew Olesnavich, VP of Emerging Brands at Premium Service Brands. Andrew supports emerging service brands across the trades, helping owners gain traction, build strong teams, and reach breakout growth. If you’re a trades business owne...

What does it take to build a dominant restoration company in today’s market? In this episode of Titans of the Trades , Ryan Englin sits down with Sebastian Williams, Partner at Sasser Restoration. Sebastian didn’t grow up in the industry. He started in high-level consulting in New York City before making a bold move into the trades. From two vans and a handful of employees to a multi-state operati...

If you own a construction company, you already know safety isn’t optional. It’s required. By OSHA. By your general contractors. By your insurance carrier. And by your own standards as a leader who wants every employee to go home safe. But here’s the real question. Is your construction safety program actually protecting your company? In this episode of Titans of the Trades, Ryan Englin sits down wi...

What does it take to build a construction company where people want to stay, grow, and lead? In this episode of Titans of the Trades , Ryan Englin sits down with Omar Rawji, President and CEO of Prism Construction, a second-generation construction firm delivering complex projects across Canada. Omar shares how Prism has built a strong culture rooted in humility, ownership, and care, and why those...

Construction recruiting is changing fast, and “post a job ad and hope” isn’t a strategy. In this episode of Titans of the Trades , Ryan sits down with JJ Owen from the Skilled Careers Coalition to break down what’s actually working to attract Gen Z into skilled trades careers. JJ explains the “connection gap” that sits underneath the labor shortage, and why authentic storytelling matters more than...

Company culture isn’t a perk. It’s the operating system of your business. In this episode of Titans of the Trades, Ryan Englin sits down with Trey McWilliams, third-generation HVAC contractor and CEO of Blue Cardinal Home Services Group, to unpack what it takes to build a culture that actually scales. Trey grew up in the trades. He rebuilt his family HVAC business from the inside out, replaced alm...

Most construction and home service companies want the same thing: Crews that move faster. Quality that stays high. Fewer callbacks. Techs who act like owners. But if your technicians are paid hourly, your incentives are not aligned. Hourly pay rewards time, not outcomes. In this episode of Titans of the Trades , Ryan Englin sits down with Ryan Shank, CEO of ShareWillow, to break down how incentive...

In this episode of Titans of the Trades, host Ryan Englin sits down with Jonah Canter, a former tech start‑up strategist turned construction industry leader at Canter Construction, to explore what it takes to build a profitable trades business and one that you don’t have to live in 24/7.  If you’re a construction executive in the blue‑collar space wrestling with recruiting, training, culture, grow...

Insurance costs. Risk management. Communication gaps. Mental health challenges. In this episode of Titans of the Trades , host Ryan Englin sits down with Michael Culnen, Founder and CEO of Construction Concepts, to tackle the biggest operational blind spots in construction today. Michael brings decades of experience helping contractors build smarter insurance programs, strengthen internal communic...

Can you spot the future leaders on your team? In this episode of Titans of the Trades , Ryan Englin sits down with John Snyder, CEO of Net Friends, to talk about the power of internal growth in the trades. John didn’t start Net Friends, he climbed his way up from an entry-level tech to CEO, and now he’s helping others do the same with a five-phase career path system that’s changing how companies r...

In this episode of Titans of the Trades , Ryan Englin welcomes Ben Kossow, the CEO of Riley Construction, for a powerful conversation about servant leadership, building culture from the job site up, and how process can create a safer, more productive, and more people-centered construction company. Ben’s journey from entry-level project engineer to CEO is inspiring on its own, but what really stand...

Carrie Stokes went from Intern to President and CEO at Barge Design Solutions and she’s not done innovating. In this episode, Ryan Englin dives into Carrie’s 30-year journey in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) world and the leadership principles that helped her rise. Carrie shares actionable insights on how to retain and grow your talent, why mentorship isn’t optional anymore,...

In today’s episode, we dive deep into a powerful conversation with Russ Clemmer, CEO of Legacy Advisory Partners, focused on legacy planning, leadership alignment, frontline engagement, and the practical systems that bridge strategic vision with everyday execution. Russ and Ryan explore why people disengage at work, how to connect with your employees as human beings, and why the C‑Suite must build...

Is your construction business struggling to find skilled labor? You’re not alone. And this episode could be the game-changer you need. Ryan Englin sits down with Nick Lawrence, President of Go Build Tennessee, a nonprofit working to reverse the skilled trades labor shortage by doing what most of the industry ignores: marketing to the next generation and their parents. Nick shares the hard truths a...

What does it take to grow a one-man plumbing operation into a 26-person business that thrives on performance, profitability, and culture? In this episode of Titans of the Trades , host Ryan Englin sits down with Al Fagundes of Fagundes Plumbing & Heating, who shares the hard-earned lessons from his 23-year journey in the trades. Al dives deep into the turning points that shifted his business f...

Are you overwhelmed, wearing every hat in your construction business, and thinking, “I need a COO”? Think again. In this episode of Titans of the Trades , host Ryan Englin sits down with Cameron Herold, author of Second in Command and founder of the COO Alliance, to break down what growing companies really need when it comes to operational leadership. Cameron has helped scale hundreds of companies...

The construction industry is in crisis. For every five skilled tradespeople retiring, only two are entering the field. In this episode of Titans of the Trades , host Ryan Englin talks with Clay Crownover, President and CEO of ABC Greater Tennessee and a key leader behind Go Build Tennessee. Clay shares what’s actually working to attract Gen Z into the trades and what’s still holding the industry b...

In this episode of Titans of the Trades , Ryan Englin sits down with Nathan Cowan, Brand President at ProLift Garage Doors, to unpack the game-changing power of franchise systems. Even for business owners who have no interest in franchising. With over 16 years of experience in the franchise world, Nathan shares how systems, delegation, and financial awareness are key to scaling without chaos. Whet...

Tony started in construction as a teenage union laborer. Less than a decade ago he launched BIG Construction, and today his company is tracking toward nine figures in annual revenue. In this powerful episode, Tony Iannessa, Founder and CEO of BIG Construction, joins host Ryan Englin to break down how blue collar leaders can create a legacy business and help solve the trades labor crisis for good....

AI is already reshaping construction, and it’s moving faster than most contractors think. In this episode, Ryan sits down with Fred Voccola, CEO of Simpro, and author of The Coming Disruption . They talk about what “AI-first” means for commercial contractors, and why “slow and steady” change management can put your company behind for good. Fred breaks down how AI can plug profit leaks across dozen...

If you’ve ever been burned by hiring a “sales superstar” who fizzled out fast, this episode is for you. Ryan Englin sits down with Brian Hurd, SVP at Cardinal Financial, to uncover the secrets to hiring and motivating top-tier salespeople in the construction and building industries. Brian shares his journey from swinging a hammer to scaling national sales teams, and how that unique background give...

Plumber. Owner. Franchisor. Brand president. Matt O’Rourke walks us through how he went from a service truck in Metro Detroit to leading Z Plumberz across multiple locations. We dig into the mindset shifts that helped him get out of the field, the systems he built to scale, and why the industry needs to rethink recruiting and training. If you want to build leaders, hire better, and grow a durable...

What does it take to build a 90-person steel erection team that actually wants to come to work? In this episode, Ryan Englin sits down with Scott Sappington, CEO of Pro Steel Erectors, to unpack the construction leadership practices behind three decades of steady growth in Arizona.  Scott shares how a $500 start and two credit cards turned into thousands of projects, why his crews rarely travel, a...

In this episode of Titans of the Trades , Ryan Englin sits down with Caleb Roth, Founder & CEO of Restorative Industries and the soon-to-launch Stain & Seal Experts franchise. Caleb walks you through the real-world journey of scaling a blue-collar service business, integrating products, and systematizing operations so the business no longer needs you. If you’re a trades leader asking, “How...

Feeling like there’s never enough time in your day? Still running your construction or service business with sticky notes, spreadsheets, and endless phone tag? In this episode of Titans of the Trades , host Ryan Englin sits down with Sam Pillar, CEO of Jobber, a software platform that’s helping over 300,000 home service pros grow and reclaim their time. From that first customer with a lawnmower ha...