Nov. 13, 2025

Lead Like You Build: Brian Anderson on Integrity, Grit, and Growth

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Season 3

In this episode of the Learnings and Missteps podcast, host Jesse interviews Brian Anderson, President of Bear Construction. Brian shares his journey of starting his own construction company, driven by his desire to create his own values and methods. Despite initial setbacks, such as working for companies that went under and facing financial struggles, Brian successfully established his business, Bear Construction, with intentionality and faith. He also discusses leveraging LinkedIn for both business growth and talent acquisition, emphasizing the importance of transparency, respect, and building genuine relationships. Brian's story is a testament to hard work, faith, and the impact of a supportive community.

00:00 Introduction and Personal Values

00:29 Meet Mr. Brian Anderson

02:14 The Importance of Hard Work

03:10 Journey in the Construction Industry

04:36 Family Legacy in Construction

05:26 Starting Bear Construction

07:44 Joining Peer Groups for Growth

15:39 Building Relationships and Networking

23:17 Overcoming Business Challenges

30:48 Starting a Business from Scratch

33:59 Starting with Limited Resources

35:13 The Importance of Intentionality

36:16 Delegation and Growth

38:00 Hiring Challenges and Lessons

46:59 Leveraging Social Media for Business

54:15 Spiritual and Personal Growth

58:40 Final Thoughts and Reflections



Set the stage for an amazing new year with the Self First Framework.

https://calendly.com/jesse04/self-first-webinar

Download a PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be
https://www.depthbuilder.com/books

00:00 - Finding Identity And Hard Work

02:28 - Meet Brian Anderson And Bear Construction

03:39 - Faith, Scripture, And The Case For Labor

06:30 - Layoffs, Near-Exit, And Starting Over

10:36 - Family Utility Roots And Early Lessons

13:55 - The Four-To-Five Year Growth Curve

18:11 - Choosing Leadership Over Industry Echo Chambers

21:35 - Peer Groups That Save Companies

26:40 - Abundance Mindset And Learning From Giants

31:00 - ROI Of Picking Up The Check

34:40 - Relationships That Turn Into Projects

37:32 - Respect Across Generations And Roles

42:26 - Outcomes Over Methods On Site

46:53 - Sales Gets Easier When Delivery Improves

50:18 - Avoiding Oversell And Flashy Beginnings

54:16 - Starting Lean: The Kia And The Dooley

58:10 - Naming Bear And Landing First Work On LinkedIn

01:02:03 - Faith-Forward Intent And Delegation

01:05:12 - Hiring By Values, Not Craigslist

WEBVTT

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I wanted to create my own ways, my own values.

00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:06.000
If I see theirs on the wall, I copied it and put it on my wall.

00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:09.599
I wanted to be like you said, I wanted to be my own person.

00:00:09.759 --> 00:00:16.000
I wanted to grow myself because I knew that would only that would help me grow my company.

00:00:16.160 --> 00:00:23.839
If I'm always trying to be like somebody else, emulate a different company, then just look the same.

00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:30.559
What is going on, LM family?

00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:46.719
Back again with how should I say, I'm just gonna call him a LinkedIn influencer because I came across him and my attention was like captured by not just what he posts, but like the tone, the message, the humor.

00:00:46.880 --> 00:00:50.320
There's a lot in there that just came across as super human.

00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:52.159
And he's he's a business operator.

00:00:52.240 --> 00:00:55.840
So he's the president of Bear Construction, family man.

00:00:56.479 --> 00:00:57.439
His name is Mr.

00:00:57.600 --> 00:00:58.320
Brian Anderson.

00:00:58.560 --> 00:01:01.600
So we're gonna get to know a bunch about Mr.

00:01:01.679 --> 00:01:12.480
Brian, and I'm gonna be learning all kinds of new stuff because this is actually the very first conversation that we've ever had, which I absolutely love because then I get to be super, super curious.

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Hopefully, I won't cross any lines.

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But before that, if this is your first time here, you are listening to the Learnings and Missteps podcast, where you get to see how amazing human beings just like you are sharing their gifts and talents to leave this world better than they found it.

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I'm Jesse, your selfish servant, and we are about to get to know Mr.

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Brian Anderson.

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Mr.

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Brian, how are you, good sir?

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I'm getting by today.

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Getting by, huh?

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Oh my goodness.

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So we've been you've been busy.

00:01:55.760 --> 00:01:57.519
I know you've had a lot going on.

00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:02.000
We connected a while back and we finally were able to like get on the calendar.

00:02:02.159 --> 00:02:06.079
Now you're like a professional podcast guest, it seems.

00:02:06.159 --> 00:02:08.400
You're making the you're making the rounds out there.

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And so I got a real simple question.

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You ready?

00:02:11.919 --> 00:02:12.960
Yeah, go ahead.

00:02:13.199 --> 00:02:13.520
Okay.

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Where do you stand or what are your thoughts on hard work?

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It pays off.

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First off, it pays off, it's worth doing, and it's godly.

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You're supposed to put in the hard work and you rest, and it you're rewarded.

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Yes, sir.

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I was kind of LinkedIn stalking you, and you had a post specifically about hard work, and you I think you pulled a quote from scripture about the laborer has amazing sleep after a day's hard work.

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And reminds me of a story a buddy of mine, he was in law school, and he was venting to his then father-in-law about having trouble sleeping.

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And his father-in-law said, like, oh, we used to need to work.

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And my buddy was like, But I'm in law school.

00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:01.360
He's like, Yeah.

00:03:01.599 --> 00:03:04.159
So if you just did a little work, you would sleep five.

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A little more.

00:03:06.800 --> 00:03:09.759
Just a little bit more, so you're tired up to go to bed.

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All right.

00:03:10.879 --> 00:03:14.879
So you're president at Bear Construction.

00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:23.520
Now, was that something that that you just been on those straight line paths since high school to start a construction business?

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Was that the goal right out the gate?

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No, twice along my journey.

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I worked at construction companies that like in a way, the economy shut down.

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So that construction company did too.

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It was in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Good little small mob and pop type construction company.

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And then around 2013, got back into it, and that company shut down.

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So I was left without a job a second time.

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So I almost got out of construction completely.

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There's no money in it.

00:03:55.280 --> 00:03:58.800
Um, it's not there's no longevity, apparently.

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And I was, I guess I was just working companies that didn't survive.

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I got out of it.

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I got into like cutting grass, landscaping, helping a buddy out, installing alarm systems, wire backed, just trying to find like what what my love is, what uh what I want to do, and what would help me be successful?

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Nice.

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So you work for two construction companies, they went under, and then you kind of went on this, we'll say, uh, exploration of like what's next, what do I want to do?

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So what was it that like attracted you to those first construction companies?

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Did you just like construction?

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Is construction in the family?

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Oh, yes, definitely in the family.

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My grandfather had like 300 acres in Fair Review.

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And the boys would leave school after lunch and go cut hay, bail hay, take care of the farm.

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Um, they did it for other families in the community.

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So that was their job.

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When they all, I guess, graduated from farm work.

00:05:00.480 --> 00:05:06.800
They moved out and they all started in construction as pipe layers mostly.

00:05:07.040 --> 00:05:09.519
Oh, we're known as utility guys.

00:05:09.680 --> 00:05:10.959
The Andersons are.

00:05:11.439 --> 00:05:20.959
Ah, so the Andersons are utility guys running the like domestic water distribution, storm drainage, sanitary, fire sprinkler.

00:05:21.920 --> 00:05:22.399
Exactly.

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Yep, yep.

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Oh, okay.

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This is good.

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That's how I started my company.

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Nice.

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Oh, once I did.

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So you work with two outfits, they shut the doors, which is difficult and I'm sure painful for everybody involved, but the that didn't scare you away.

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So, what was it?

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Was it like bar backing?

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And you just said, I ain't gonna do this, I'm gonna go start my own company.

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Because I mean, I'm gonna speak on both sides of the fence.

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Having started my own business, it's harder than I thought, while it was also or is also easier than I thought.

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So I have the same sentiment.

00:06:06.480 --> 00:06:06.879
Really?

00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:14.560
Okay, it's very odd, but apparently the person I am on LinkedIn invites a lot of communication.

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There's people that are in peer groups that have asked me how do I manage my cash flow?

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People that ask, like, how do you sustain the growth?

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How do you because we've been growing 100% each year, except for this one?

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They're asking me questions, and I'm like, I don't know.

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This is what I it's worked, so it's it's odd that these people are asking me, but yes, there is a formula, and I've seen it in this national market that you worked your ass off until like the fourth year is when you start.

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The fifth year is when it really breaks, but fourth, you're like, okay, I I see what I've done, didn't work.

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I've fixed that.

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I've brought in one or two people to start helping get this lined out.

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You start buying machines, hopefully, you didn't buy them in year one, right?

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And then it didn't work, or several machines.

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Year five breaks, and you're like, okay, I got this.

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Like it all makes sense.

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You start hiring better people, more qualified, you've got some money that you can pay them and bring them in, and then you start working on your culture.

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And once your culture gets down path, I'm in year six and a half, and six and a half, and I don't know if you saw that last video I just posted.

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Like, I don't know what to do with my time throughout the day.

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I didn't see that.

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That's where I got my identity.

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Okay.

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Oh my god, there's so much here, and I appreciate you like spreading it out that way.

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You talked about being in peer groups, so I guess the first question is did you jump into a peer group like day one when you decided to start a business, or was that like a little further down the road after some bumps and bruises?

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So I had been um asked to join peer groups early, early on.

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Yeah, I think maybe a year and a half into my business that I did join one.

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It's not necessarily it's not a construction peer group, it's a Christian leadership peer group.

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Okay, around two, and it's called C12.

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Here I've been there five years.

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Oh, nice.

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One, I guess.

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I don't know if you win it, but I was, I guess, Buffalo of the Year in my group.

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Congratulations, all right.

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One of those one of those years, and I knew early on as a lot because my first contract that I signed, the project manager, I gave it to him.

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He got he turned it into his own um estimate, added twenty thousand dollars extra to it, and handed it back with their signature, said sign this.

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I said, That's not my bid.

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And he comes back and says, You keep 10 and then give me 10.

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And so that was my first contract that I ever put my signature on.

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I'm like, is that what this is?

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Is that how the construction community is?

00:09:09.919 --> 00:09:12.080
Like, why likes construction costs?

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Yeah, I was like, I want to change that.

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This is not who I want to be.

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Like the good ones sustain my life by being crooked.

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Yes.

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Um, and I was like, all right, I need some advice from people, but I didn't want to be in a construction peer group.

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I wanted to be in a leadership peer group to change who I am and how I can run my business.

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I saw a post by Craig Warner.

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He was my first advisor, I guess, chair, member, leader, and he was absolutely amazing.

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I couldn't afford it, but I said I need this.

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And I paid in, and it's probably saved my company three or four separate times.

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Really?

00:10:00.639 --> 00:10:05.200
Just the insight and wisdom from the people that you were interacting with.

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The insight, yeah, like you said, the insight, the wisdom, the other executives that aren't in construction but have the same problems.

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Yeah.

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And they have connections.

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If I needed a lawyer, they had that.

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I had an employee that has some heart problems, and I was still paying his insurance and everything else.

00:10:25.519 --> 00:10:36.320
And they said, Brian, is I know you want to be a good Christian and take care of this person, but there's 10 care, there's benefits to free health care for certain people.

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Like he can jump on any of that, and you don't have to keep him on your payroll and keep his insurance loud.

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Like he his he and his family can do what it takes to help him through this.

00:10:50.639 --> 00:10:55.600
Yeah, and just connect him with the resources so that he's taken care of either way, yeah.

00:10:55.919 --> 00:10:56.480
Exactly.

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And that's what they did, they gave me ways to to help him outside of bear because there was there's only so much that I can do financially and legally to help him.

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But I was able to give him more information than I had because of this group.

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Nice, nice.

00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:24.720
So, folks, if you didn't catch that, the LM family members out there, you made an investment in yourself, right?

00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:30.960
I it's all about, and I want to clarify something because I had a discussion with somebody.

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They're like, Jesse, you have that invest in who you got.

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What does that mean?

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And I said it means invest in who you got.

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Who do I have first?

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Me.

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And if I have a team, I have employees, if I have people, it means them too.

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But you gotta do invest in who you got, which means everybody, and you started there now.

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You said specifically you didn't want to be in a construction peer group, but you did want to improve yourself.

00:12:02.080 --> 00:12:05.519
So, what was it about a construction peer group?

00:12:05.919 --> 00:12:07.759
Why did you make that delineation?

00:12:07.840 --> 00:12:11.039
Why was it like, no, I don't want that kind of group, I need something else.

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I didn't want to, I guess first I didn't want to copy another company.

00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:20.960
Um I wanted to create my own ways, my own values.

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If I see theirs on the wall, I copy it, put it on my wall.

00:12:24.799 --> 00:12:34.320
I wanted to be like you said, I wanted to be my own person, I wanted to grow myself because I knew that only that would help me grow my company.

00:12:34.399 --> 00:12:41.759
If I'm always trying to be like somebody else, emulate a different company, then just look the same.

00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:43.840
Yeah, and that's who I am.

00:12:44.080 --> 00:12:44.320
Right.

00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:46.240
And then you're constantly chasing.

00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:50.559
Like, I get the sense that you're of the abundance mindset, right?

00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:51.519
Like, it's funny.

00:12:51.600 --> 00:12:53.279
I'll talk like because I'm a consultant.

00:12:53.360 --> 00:12:57.919
I'm one of them dirty, like, I actually have a job, so I'm one of them lowly consultants.

00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:05.120
And so I get to see, you know, luckily, I work with amazing clients that like invite me in to see all the dirty details.

00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:14.080
And it's interesting, some of them have a fear of like, man, just like you can't like non-disclaimer, they're nervous about me sharing the secret sauce.

00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:44.879
I'm like, yeah, you don't need to worry about like one, I'm not gonna like it's an integrity thing, but two, even if I did share your secret sauce and somebody else decided to copy it, you're five to ten years into actually doing it, they still need to figure out how to make it like how to make it stick, and they're always gonna be behind as long as you stay true to your purpose and the direction you're headed, they'll never catch up.

00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:46.879
Do you feel the same way?

00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:48.399
Yeah, absolutely.

00:13:48.639 --> 00:14:00.159
I had met with a big company here in Nashville that just recently sold to a bigger company, but they have been doing it for over 30 years, and that's who I wanted to emulate.

00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:03.600
Like, all right, they've got employees that have been there for 15 plus years.

00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:06.960
They had like 50 employees that you know have been there forever.

00:14:07.039 --> 00:14:09.120
So I'm like, all right, what are they doing?

00:14:09.279 --> 00:14:13.120
So I first started subcontracting for them when I first started working.

00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:17.519
So I want to work for y'all, and I learned so much from them.

00:14:17.919 --> 00:14:20.799
And anytime, like they was like, You want me to mail your check?

00:14:21.039 --> 00:14:22.639
Like, no, I'll come get it.

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I would spend an hour or two in their office talking to their project managers, their account ladies, everybody.

00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:35.120
Yeah, and if the owner walks by, hey, tell me how you doing, like, yeah.

00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:40.080
I was very intentional with going to pick up that check every single time.

00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:43.759
It wasn't a lot of money because we were only labor and machine at that point.

00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:48.080
But it was the what I the value I got from visiting the offices.

00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:54.000
Just learning and gleaning information, getting the again the insight, how they operate, how do they communicate.

00:14:54.320 --> 00:15:00.480
So what are which I think is it's a phenomenal practice, right?

00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:04.559
There's some people might be saying, yeah, but what's the return on investment?

00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:07.919
Because they're thinking in a short-term cycle, right?

00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:18.480
Like if I go to pick up a check, that might be a 30, 45, 90-minute round trick ride, which is windshield time's never very productive.

00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:30.559
So people might argue that it's like a low cost, low investment, low return, but you're making contact and kind of doing some investigation, some forensic CSI type investigation.

00:15:30.639 --> 00:15:32.320
Like, man, how do these people function?

00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:33.840
What does it feel like here?

00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:39.759
So, what are maybe a few things if you're gonna recommend to someone like, hey man, go pick up your check.

00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:42.639
And when you do, look for these two things.

00:15:42.799 --> 00:15:45.519
You got any top two big hitters?

00:15:45.759 --> 00:15:48.399
No, just build a relationship.

00:15:48.639 --> 00:15:56.320
They had a project manager that is now a land development manager, and I've had two or three projects you know off of that.

00:15:56.480 --> 00:16:16.960
He left that company, went out to a national home developer, and because of that, he trusts me because of the conversations I had in his office about the projects they were working on that I wasn't part of, and then the ones that we were working on, just built that relationship and that time in that office.

00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:18.240
He trusts me.

00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:28.399
He feels like he knows me and was more than willing to give me the opportunity to bid a 50 to 150 house subdivision.

00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:30.080
Yeah.

00:16:30.399 --> 00:16:34.960
All right, so that is actually a monster like cheat code.

00:16:35.120 --> 00:16:36.799
The relationships, the real now.

00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:40.159
I want to uh add something because it took Brian, Mr.

00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:40.799
Brian.

00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:45.039
I did I didn't know this, and I wish I did back early in my career.

00:16:45.919 --> 00:16:52.960
Talking to the project manager, now he's a representative of the land developer, so he has financial decision-making authority.

00:16:54.720 --> 00:16:57.279
We got to do the LM family member shout-out.

00:16:57.440 --> 00:16:58.960
And this one goes out to Mr.

00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:00.000
Jeff Riley.

00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:00.480
Mr.

00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:04.400
Jeff left the review and he says, this was a great experience.

00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:12.799
It really gave me a roadmap on how to effectively improve work in the field, to find how to execute a gamble walk.

00:17:12.960 --> 00:17:17.920
I'm now teaching my team so we can PDCA one of these in the coming weeks.

00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:24.640
This was all taught with passion and enthusiasm that made an eight-hour day go by super fast.

00:17:25.759 --> 00:17:26.079
Mr.

00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:27.440
Jeff, thank you, my man.

00:17:27.519 --> 00:17:37.200
And folks, if you're wondering what he's talking about, we just did the Sweat Equity Improvement Workshop at Congress in Arlington last week, and he dropped me that little review.

00:17:37.279 --> 00:17:41.039
And y'all already know I love attention, I love compliments.

00:17:41.279 --> 00:17:52.000
So, folks, if you take the time to drop a review, do some stars, do some sharing, it means a lot to me, and it gives me an opportunity to shout you out in the future.

00:17:55.920 --> 00:17:56.400
Yep.

00:17:56.640 --> 00:17:59.920
I didn't think that way 20 years ago, right?

00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:08.799
If and again, I come up as a plumber, so I'm from the field, and so PMs to me were eh, like they're not cool.

00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:13.599
I ain't talking to them, I'm a I'm gonna beat them up and uh bully them as much as I can.

00:18:14.079 --> 00:18:15.279
Well, you know what?

00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:20.799
Fast forward 15, 20 years, they're project executives and department heads now.

00:18:21.039 --> 00:18:22.319
Like, damn it.

00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:29.119
And when they see me, some especially here in San Antonio, they're like, that dummy, we you want to give our money to that goofball?

00:18:29.599 --> 00:18:30.400
Oh man.

00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:34.240
So, point being one, build the relationships.

00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:39.279
Two, that I think probably comes naturally to you, Mr.

00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:55.440
Brian, because of your background and your faith, but doesn't come naturally to a lot of people, is treat everybody with immense appreciation and respect, regardless of where they are on the organizational chart, because they're not gonna stay there forever.

00:18:56.079 --> 00:19:18.400
No, and young kids, like it's hard right now to want to talk and discuss with young guys, but that generation only wants to grow higher and faster, so it won't be long before they're leading companies and running companies, and and you know, us 42-year-old men are at their mercy.

00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:28.720
So one of our one of our core values is respect and value others, and if they if they have an idea, it's probably a good one.

00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:30.160
Do you agree with it?

00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:36.960
Maybe not, because we're different generations, but you have to honor that thought.

00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:38.960
They put their effort into it.

00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:43.519
So honor that thought and come up with the best way to make it work.

00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:45.839
If it works for you, give them that opportunity.

00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:51.920
Say, hey, I'm not, I don't exactly see your vision in this, but here's the opportunity to try it.

00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:52.559
Yeah, yeah.

00:19:52.880 --> 00:19:56.720
Go walk me through it, get a rep in, let's see what it looks like.

00:19:56.880 --> 00:19:59.119
If it sticks, heck yeah, let's do that thing.

00:19:59.359 --> 00:20:20.799
I think you touch on something that I think is one of those hidden treasures, is when we listen and give people the agency to like bring their idea to life, we tap into some really powerful stuff as opposed to say, no, that ain't the way we do it, we ain't gonna do it that way.

00:20:21.039 --> 00:20:30.240
Because when we do that, we suffocate it, and then they just all we get is their body, we don't get the rest of their brilliance that they carry with them every day, right?

00:20:30.640 --> 00:20:37.839
And kind of going back to the peer groups, that's why I didn't want to join one because I didn't want them to tell me this is how you do it, this is how you should do it.

00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:40.720
I'm like, No, I've got my own thoughts, yeah.

00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:50.480
Yeah, so I turn that into the people that I talk with, and like they have their own thoughts, they see they feel passionate that they can do it a different way.

00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:55.039
Being from the utility background, I have one way to install pipe.

00:20:55.200 --> 00:21:01.920
So when I go out to a job site and they're digging 300 feet, have put a stick of pipe in, I'm like, what are you doing?

00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:07.599
And then I gotta remember that all right, they were taught different somewhere.

00:21:08.240 --> 00:21:21.839
So I'm open to let them do that, and I will show them my way, tell them my way, and if they feel that my way is more advantageous, then they'll probably change.

00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:26.960
But if they feel good and I agree, I'm like, okay, like you did a good job.

00:21:27.119 --> 00:21:33.599
You put the production in that day or more, and it's backfilled, it's cleaned up, like it's safe.

00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:35.759
Yeah, okay, like it worked.

00:21:35.920 --> 00:21:39.200
You've proved that you know to me that you can do it.

00:21:39.440 --> 00:21:40.720
I don't agree with it.

00:21:40.880 --> 00:21:50.319
I wish you did it a different way, but you saw me on the fact that you believe in what you're doing, and that's a powerful value.

00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:52.960
Yeah, that's a massive discipline, Mr.

00:21:53.039 --> 00:21:59.039
Brian, because I know I struggled with it when I back in the day when I was an apprentice and journeyman.

00:21:59.200 --> 00:22:05.839
What I would run my pipe to where you could read all the letters left to right, and they were all on the same side.

00:22:05.920 --> 00:22:09.440
All my no-hub bands were all like it was art, Brian.

00:22:09.519 --> 00:22:10.640
I'm telling you, it was art.

00:22:10.799 --> 00:22:12.400
And then I became a foreman.

00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:13.759
And guess what I did?

00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:21.119
I wasn't very yeah, I would make people run it, like take it apart and do it the way I would have done it.

00:22:21.359 --> 00:22:24.880
Until my boss came and said, Hey, dummy, you know how much that's costing us?

00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:27.599
I'm like, Yeah, but what about pride and quality of work?

00:22:27.759 --> 00:22:31.839
He said, Bro, the specs say pass inspection, they don't say nothing about the letters.

00:22:32.799 --> 00:22:34.319
Okay, dummy.

00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:36.720
So it's can you produce the outcome?

00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:37.680
Yes or no?

00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:47.119
Exactly how you get to the outcome is there's some flexibility there, provided you hit the measures of quality, safety, production.

00:22:47.680 --> 00:22:50.799
Then we're well, and that's not easy.

00:22:51.440 --> 00:23:03.359
And here's one thing about it we bury it, you know, you drywall it, and so you don't see it, but it still has to be done with quality, or else it won't pass inspections.

00:23:03.440 --> 00:23:16.720
And now we nowadays we can't run sewer lines, and if it could fail and cause a road to the center, so like there's still that quality that absolutely has to be performed.

00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:18.319
Yes, 100%.

00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:32.400
Okay, so the group that you signed up for, did they paint a picture of how easy sales was gonna be selling?

00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:38.000
And I don't mean like actually making this, I mean all the work it takes to get the sale.

00:23:38.640 --> 00:23:43.440
They have each month is a different, I can't think of the word, but lesson.

00:23:43.680 --> 00:23:50.000
Yeah, so yeah, they once a year they probably go through that, and then like right now, we're doing strategic planning for next year.

00:23:50.079 --> 00:23:57.599
Oh, yeah, and so yeah, they're yes, I'm pretty good at sales, I've become really good at it.

00:23:57.759 --> 00:24:04.880
I can sell what we want to do and what we're trying to do, and then but the best part is we go out there and do it.

00:24:05.839 --> 00:24:07.119
You had to work on that first.

00:24:07.279 --> 00:24:14.559
You can't go out there and say, Oh, yeah, we can build you a hundred houses in eight months, but then when you start it, you only get four.

00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:25.599
Um sales became easier when the quality of work that me when I was out in the field and my guys performed matched.

00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:26.559
Yeah.

00:24:26.880 --> 00:24:29.119
Oh very well said.

00:24:30.640 --> 00:24:32.720
Uh maybe, so I'm wondering.

00:24:32.799 --> 00:24:51.440
So the first two organizations that you were with, because I've seen this when I had a real job and still see it a bunch now, that the company they get a new boss, there's new management, or they're new to the market, whatever it is, and they start winning work, and they're delivering, right?

00:24:51.519 --> 00:25:32.400
They're meeting expectations, client satisfied, so they get more work, and then they take on a whole lot of work and they have to flood people in from like other organizations, and then all of a sudden, the quality or the experience that the client was having diminishes, they start losing credibility, they start losing business, and then that's the common term is back to basics, we're getting back to basics, and so they have this cycle that I think is because somewhere between like earning work and starting to get like negotiated contracts, if you will, they oversell themselves.

00:25:33.519 --> 00:25:40.400
Have you seen that, or is that something that you've like paid attention to in terms of your business or maybe the ones you were working with?

00:25:41.119 --> 00:25:42.400
Pay attention to it.

00:25:42.480 --> 00:25:56.480
I don't necessarily have an exact answer to what you're asking, but I've seen companies that had a lot of money behind them when they started, um, not do it right.

00:25:56.640 --> 00:26:01.680
They're able to go out there and get the work because they've got the machines, they've got the people in the office.

00:26:01.759 --> 00:26:03.279
It's easy to say, oh, we got 12 people.

00:26:03.359 --> 00:26:06.240
So this developer's like, oh, y'all should be able to do it then.

00:26:06.400 --> 00:26:11.200
Um no, those are 12 people in the office that have nothing to do with that project, right?

00:26:11.359 --> 00:26:16.240
Uh so like it doesn't matter how many people you have, it's the quality of work you do.

00:26:16.400 --> 00:26:17.119
Number one.

00:26:17.359 --> 00:26:22.720
I've I've seen companies come into town, even national home builders come into town.

00:26:23.200 --> 00:26:33.200
Great product, can't seem to get the right contractor on board to deliver them the product that they need, and they ship back out of town.

00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:50.319
Um and there's contractors that start their business, they buy the big suited up trucks, dually with trailer truck tires on them, um tin all their windows, and just do some silly stuff to put a culvert in for granny.

00:26:50.799 --> 00:26:53.839
Um and it doesn't sustain.

00:26:54.079 --> 00:26:54.880
Right, right.

00:26:55.119 --> 00:26:58.240
My first my first work truck was 08 Kia Spectra.

00:26:59.920 --> 00:27:01.200
That's a t-shirt.

00:27:01.279 --> 00:27:02.640
That's a t-shirt.

00:27:02.880 --> 00:27:12.319
My first uh actual utility bed truck was one that we bought from my first boss like in 02 when I started in construction.

00:27:12.400 --> 00:27:17.039
It was a 1995 450, F3 or 450 utility bed.

00:27:17.279 --> 00:27:25.440
So in in the year 2019, it's old, it's more out, but it's diesel, and it was a dinosaur, so like it it ran.

00:27:26.799 --> 00:27:27.359
Yeah.

00:27:27.680 --> 00:27:31.279
Okay, I think there's a massive lesson there.

00:27:31.440 --> 00:27:34.000
So you said your first truck was a Kia.

00:27:35.359 --> 00:27:43.440
After you had talked about these big giant dualis with tractor tires and all the whizbangy attention-grabbing stuff.

00:27:44.319 --> 00:27:45.839
Why did you choose?

00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:50.720
Because that was a choice, to run your business out of your Kia.

00:27:51.599 --> 00:27:59.039
Well, uh, so I mean, it was a free vehicle, it's my wife's, but we upgraded her to a GMC terrain.

00:27:59.119 --> 00:27:59.200
Okay.

00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:04.720
I just had a just had a baby, and it's I started the company about six months after he was born.

00:28:04.880 --> 00:28:05.440
Oh wow.

00:28:06.240 --> 00:28:06.559
Wow.

00:28:08.319 --> 00:28:09.599
Yeah, there's a whole nother story.

00:28:09.680 --> 00:28:13.440
It's uh starting a business at 35 with a newborn.

00:28:15.279 --> 00:28:18.079
And I'm 42 with a two-year-old and a dollar.

00:28:18.640 --> 00:28:20.640
We're probably training both of them at the same time.

00:28:21.599 --> 00:28:24.880
So but the kia was given to me by her.

00:28:25.039 --> 00:28:26.640
We upgraded her vehicle.

00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:30.240
And I just I wanted a gas guzzler because I knew I was gonna have to sell.

00:28:30.319 --> 00:28:33.440
I knew I was gonna have to like go job site to job site.

00:28:33.599 --> 00:28:39.519
If I get a new set of plans, I gotta go look at the fresh layout of the land, see what it looks like.

00:28:39.680 --> 00:28:42.480
Um pick up parts here, pick up parts there.

00:28:42.559 --> 00:28:49.920
Of course, I I realized the Kia doesn't suffice when I picked up uh like a gate valve concrete box.

00:28:50.160 --> 00:28:54.079
Okay and like the mufflers dragging uh 24.

00:28:55.200 --> 00:28:57.839
All right, you know, bought a cheap, it was Brand New.

00:28:58.079 --> 00:28:59.759
I did buy Brand New 2019.

00:29:00.319 --> 00:29:03.200
It wasn't even a four-door, it was a half-door in the back.

00:29:04.079 --> 00:29:07.200
And so like I've made a lot of silly decisions along the way.

00:29:07.519 --> 00:29:13.359
The next truck after that was a 2020 F350 Dooley.

00:29:13.519 --> 00:29:19.599
Yeah, because I was at that point, I was pulling, I had a trailer, I had a mini X and a Skiss deer.

00:29:19.680 --> 00:29:22.960
So I was like, all right, I gotta need something that will pull that thing.

00:29:23.359 --> 00:29:27.119
Because that I guess half ton, won't go pull it.

00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:27.839
Yep.

00:29:28.240 --> 00:29:28.480
Yep.

00:29:28.720 --> 00:29:37.519
And so I made a lot of serious decisions, and then I got to the point where all I was doing as the owner of the business was hauling machines around, going to pick up stuff.

00:29:37.839 --> 00:29:43.839
So I then bought an SUV to get myself out of doing the gopher stuff.

00:29:44.079 --> 00:29:44.640
Yes.

00:29:44.960 --> 00:29:47.119
Oh okay.

00:29:47.279 --> 00:29:53.200
So there's I think there's some massive decisions in what you just described to us.

00:29:54.480 --> 00:29:59.839
You started with what you got, and it was a business decision to say, okay, I'm gonna be putting.

00:30:00.079 --> 00:30:07.119
A lot of miles, all I need is the Kia until you're dragging the muffler because it was loaded up with a big giant cake valve.

00:30:07.440 --> 00:30:15.039
And the reason I call I said because uh too many people, and it doesn't matter if I can reach out and say, Jess, I want to start.

00:30:15.680 --> 00:30:16.079
What do I need?

00:30:16.160 --> 00:30:19.920
I was like, your phone, you're ready to go right now.

00:30:20.880 --> 00:30:28.319
But they want to go and get the fancy lighting equipment and the fancy expensive camera, fancy expensive microphone.

00:30:28.799 --> 00:30:34.880
None of those things are gonna actually help you do the thing.

00:30:35.839 --> 00:30:38.880
And it seems to me like you just you knew that.

00:30:38.960 --> 00:30:46.640
Did you know that inherently, or was it somebody something that somebody said, hey man, don't worry about getting that big food to you, sell work first?

00:30:47.920 --> 00:30:54.799
No, I absolutely had no communication of how to start a business, run a business.

00:30:55.119 --> 00:30:57.359
My favorite story, and I know you'll love this.

00:30:57.519 --> 00:31:06.160
Um you might have heard it before, but I was working for a developer in town and as the like construction admin.

00:31:06.240 --> 00:31:10.240
That's how I got back into construction after cutting grass and doing everything else.

00:31:10.720 --> 00:31:16.160
Was conned by a guy to help run his company.

00:31:16.319 --> 00:31:24.319
He was just doing like service taps from the street to the houses, and I did like 200 in two months for him.

00:31:24.880 --> 00:31:35.039
And every night on the ride home in this big dealy truck, I'd stop at the gas station and car would decline every single night.

00:31:35.119 --> 00:31:38.079
And I'm trying to get home to my six-year-old, my six-month old, I'm sorry.

00:31:38.640 --> 00:31:40.160
And it was just miserable.

00:31:40.240 --> 00:31:41.119
I'd get home late.

00:31:41.200 --> 00:31:45.680
I worked so hard that day because it was me and one other guy.

00:31:45.920 --> 00:31:48.319
He didn't have the help that we needed.

00:31:48.559 --> 00:31:49.920
I worked very hard.

00:31:50.160 --> 00:31:50.720
Yeah.

00:31:50.960 --> 00:31:53.599
And then I couldn't even get home on time or easy.

00:31:53.680 --> 00:31:56.480
I always had to call him, say, hey, can you put some money on the card?

00:31:56.640 --> 00:32:01.599
And then I'm just sitting there on the couch one night and Googling how to start a business.

00:32:01.920 --> 00:32:08.400
Apparently, all you gotta do is you know, file for your articles, your articles of the organization, and name it.

00:32:09.279 --> 00:32:12.240
And then pay 300 bucks, and you've got a business.

00:32:12.480 --> 00:32:14.960
I was like, That's not too bad.

00:32:15.279 --> 00:32:18.240
Like, I mean, what I had to lose.

00:32:18.400 --> 00:32:21.759
So I asked, you know, we're just sitting there and watch TV, or she's holding the baby.

00:32:21.920 --> 00:32:26.079
I look at my wife, Heather, and I'm like, should I start a business?

00:32:26.400 --> 00:32:27.359
Like, yeah.

00:32:28.240 --> 00:32:28.559
Okay.

00:32:29.920 --> 00:32:35.599
So I do all the government paperwork, and then the last question is like, what do you want to name this business?

00:32:35.920 --> 00:32:36.720
I didn't know.

00:32:36.880 --> 00:32:40.400
I didn't have an idea that I was gonna start a business in that 30 minutes.

00:32:40.640 --> 00:32:43.359
So I ask her, Heather, what should I name this business?

00:32:43.519 --> 00:32:46.640
She says, Name it bear, because you're my bear.

00:32:46.960 --> 00:32:47.279
Okay.

00:32:48.960 --> 00:32:55.839
I'm thinking like, okay, like I like, yeah, I am her bear, but then also I've got her baby bear in her arms.

00:32:56.640 --> 00:32:59.839
And so I'm like, it makes sense, it works for me.

00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:05.039
I'm not, I don't have a special name for it.

00:33:05.279 --> 00:33:08.240
I knew I didn't want to name it Brian Anderson Construction.

00:33:08.480 --> 00:33:10.240
I've never agreed with that.

00:33:10.480 --> 00:33:16.160
Because what if it goes south and you like need to sell it or get rid of it?

00:33:16.319 --> 00:33:16.960
Yeah.

00:33:17.599 --> 00:33:19.839
File bankruptcy under Brian Anderson.

00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:21.519
Like that sounds bad.

00:33:22.400 --> 00:33:27.599
So I was like, I don't know what I'm doing, so I'm not gonna name it after myself in case it does go south.

00:33:27.680 --> 00:33:30.240
So we named it Bear that night on LinkedIn.

00:33:30.319 --> 00:33:31.440
That's why I love LinkedIn.

00:33:31.519 --> 00:33:33.359
I put a post out there.

00:33:33.519 --> 00:33:37.920
Hey, started my I didn't have a logo, didn't have nothing, didn't have a business page.

00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:41.519
Hey, started my site and utility company in Middle Tennessee.

00:33:42.000 --> 00:33:47.200
And immediately a contractor said, call me in the morning.

00:33:47.519 --> 00:33:48.160
Really?

00:33:49.759 --> 00:33:52.240
He didn't know me because I wasn't posting at that point.

00:33:52.400 --> 00:33:54.880
And he gave he had two projects he needed help on.

00:33:54.960 --> 00:33:56.319
He had a subcontractor.

00:33:56.480 --> 00:34:05.279
Again, I didn't have a vehicle, I didn't have a truck, I didn't have a shovel, I had a pink hammer inherited from her when we moved in together.

00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:07.599
Didn't have a pipe laser, he let me borrow that.

00:34:07.759 --> 00:34:09.760
I didn't have machines, he let me borrow those.

00:34:09.840 --> 00:34:18.159
I paid him rent on his machines, hired my cousin because I knew that he worked for another cousin at one point, so he was like, Well, he can lay pipe.

00:34:18.320 --> 00:34:25.519
And then I called around town and got an excavator operator, and we went to work.

00:34:26.079 --> 00:34:31.360
I I I think he told me what he would pay me on you know per linear foot.

00:34:31.440 --> 00:34:32.239
I said, okay.

00:34:34.400 --> 00:34:50.719
I think I did have to get a diesel account and a tank on site, but other than that, I got that old 95 utility bed truck, and a week later we were 25 feet deep in double trench boxes.

00:34:51.119 --> 00:34:52.559
Oh yeah.

00:34:54.079 --> 00:34:55.519
Ductile Ire sewer.

00:34:56.159 --> 00:34:56.880
Damn.

00:34:58.079 --> 00:34:59.039
Serious.

00:34:59.679 --> 00:35:00.079
Yeah.

00:35:00.320 --> 00:35:04.800
So like first thing I did was the hardest damn thing to do.

00:35:05.119 --> 00:35:06.159
And it was hammered.

00:35:06.239 --> 00:35:08.880
So we had to hammer, we had to use trench boxes.

00:35:09.360 --> 00:35:11.599
It was fun, it was amazing, it was great.

00:35:12.079 --> 00:35:12.719
Wow.

00:35:13.119 --> 00:35:22.239
Okay, so I want to make sure people don't get the idea that just start a business and everything's gonna work out.

00:35:22.639 --> 00:35:27.760
But I also don't want to say that it's not possible for it to be that way.

00:35:28.880 --> 00:35:41.760
I think the difference is when you have a heart that's focused on serving others and growing and challenging yourself, things work out.

00:35:42.639 --> 00:35:44.000
Would you agree?

00:35:44.719 --> 00:35:48.000
Yeah, you have to be intentional with what you want to do.

00:35:48.400 --> 00:35:51.199
And I was intentional about my family.

00:35:51.360 --> 00:35:51.679
Yep.

00:35:53.199 --> 00:36:00.480
I was intentional about I wanted faith in my business, I wanted it exposed, I wanted it out there.

00:36:02.719 --> 00:36:13.119
I had one, I have ADHD, so I can easily jump into something with the fullest effort.

00:36:13.440 --> 00:36:16.000
It's hard to sustain that once I get started.

00:36:16.639 --> 00:36:18.000
That's when you start delegating.

00:36:18.159 --> 00:36:20.880
And that's how you but well, honestly, that's how you grow.

00:36:21.039 --> 00:36:25.519
I do, I've done the assessment working genius, which C12 put on us.

00:36:25.599 --> 00:36:28.239
Yeah, and I'm a wonderer and inventor.

00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:36.000
So off in the clouds all day long, thinking, planning, being creative, and then I'll figure out a way to do it.

00:36:36.719 --> 00:36:46.000
My I guess my frustrations are carrying it out and seeing it all the way through.

00:36:46.239 --> 00:36:46.559
Yeah.

00:36:46.719 --> 00:36:53.280
So I think for a business owner that wants to grow, that those qualities are great.

00:36:53.519 --> 00:37:01.360
Um, and then I've done the assessment on everybody that works for us, foreman, superintendents, vice president of operations.

00:37:01.519 --> 00:37:04.800
They're all they like to see things through to the finish.

00:37:05.039 --> 00:37:05.519
Yeah.

00:37:05.679 --> 00:37:12.159
Um, there's nobody in here with discernment, so nobody, unfortunately, nobody says, Brian, that's not a good idea.

00:37:12.480 --> 00:37:14.320
So you just get to do whatever you want.

00:37:14.719 --> 00:37:15.599
I get that, yeah.

00:37:15.840 --> 00:37:17.280
And they're like, okay.

00:37:18.159 --> 00:37:23.199
So so and I know Heather Jones and Jake Jones.

00:37:23.280 --> 00:37:24.800
I love them to death.

00:37:25.199 --> 00:37:29.039
Heather is my discernment, that is her quality.

00:37:29.519 --> 00:37:30.800
And she's good at that.

00:37:31.280 --> 00:37:32.639
She is good at that.

00:37:32.960 --> 00:37:35.599
And so, like, I run a lot of stuff through her.

00:37:35.760 --> 00:37:43.280
When I'm hiring people, I talk with her about it, and she tells me this is how they'll work, this is why it's not a good idea.

00:37:43.840 --> 00:37:45.280
Do I always listen to her?

00:37:45.760 --> 00:37:56.159
No, no, but I do value what she says, and a lot of times it is in my thoughts when I'm analyzing what I want to do.

00:37:56.400 --> 00:37:57.039
Yeah.

00:37:57.280 --> 00:37:58.239
Oh my god.

00:37:58.960 --> 00:38:04.480
There's just so much, but I want to go into this hiring thing.

00:38:04.880 --> 00:38:13.840
Because when you started bear construction, it was you were doing the digging, the tamping, the backpack, the trench box setting, the sales, all of it.

00:38:14.400 --> 00:38:18.880
Well, now you mentioned you got COOO, you got foreman, you got superintendents.

00:38:19.599 --> 00:38:27.280
And so from going from being the everything to where you're at now required hiring.

00:38:27.519 --> 00:38:29.440
How did you learn how to do that?

00:38:30.079 --> 00:38:31.360
Bumps and failures.

00:38:32.000 --> 00:38:34.320
I I hired off so I had people.

00:38:35.039 --> 00:38:45.440
I was on a job and uh put an ad an ad on Craigslist because I didn't want to pay for, I didn't want to pay for Indeed, I didn't want to pay for ZipRecruiter.

00:38:45.599 --> 00:38:50.159
So I went to Craigslist and said, Hey, I need pipe player for 20 bucks an hour.

00:38:51.119 --> 00:38:54.960
Talked to two kids, they came in, their dad's been doing it for 30 years in Nashville.

00:38:55.039 --> 00:38:59.280
Like, y'all can call around, he's he's the best superintendent over there.

00:38:59.840 --> 00:39:01.360
So I'm like, all right, well, come on.

00:39:01.519 --> 00:39:02.159
I just need people.

00:39:02.239 --> 00:39:02.800
Come on.

00:39:02.960 --> 00:39:04.239
I started them.

00:39:04.480 --> 00:39:06.559
They said I failed.

00:39:06.719 --> 00:39:08.719
I set up the laser that day.

00:39:08.960 --> 00:39:10.559
They laid out of a mantle.

00:39:12.480 --> 00:39:17.280
Apparently at lunch, someone, another company came in and offered them like two more dollars an hour.

00:39:17.599 --> 00:39:19.679
This is their first day working for me.

00:39:20.159 --> 00:39:28.079
I went on a sales call, came back about 2 p.m., and they laid 150 feet, something like that.

00:39:28.320 --> 00:39:29.599
They did decent.

00:39:30.000 --> 00:39:30.960
It wasn't steep.

00:39:31.440 --> 00:39:42.800
But when I got down there and stood at the manhole, their machine was over here, and their pipe was going off toward the pond instead of a straight line.

00:39:43.360 --> 00:39:44.960
So I'm like, I took a breath.

00:39:45.199 --> 00:39:46.480
Like, what's going on here?

00:39:46.719 --> 00:39:50.800
I went over to them in the ditch and they had the remote for the laser in their pocket.

00:39:50.960 --> 00:39:56.000
I was like, why do you have the remote in your pocket to move the laser?

00:39:56.079 --> 00:39:58.719
I'm like, You should never move the laser.

00:39:58.800 --> 00:40:01.360
The laser isn't tree light.

00:40:01.920 --> 00:40:07.039
And so I went in the manhole, and if you see a pipe, it's a full moon.

00:40:07.280 --> 00:40:08.639
But you couldn't see anything.

00:40:08.800 --> 00:40:09.760
There's no daylight.

00:40:09.920 --> 00:40:15.039
So I said, All right, guys, like we're gonna stay here until we relay every single pipe that y'all installed.

00:40:15.199 --> 00:40:17.519
We're gonna take it out first, we're gonna relay it.

00:40:17.599 --> 00:40:21.360
Like, I'm not letting nobody from the company that we work for see this.

00:40:21.440 --> 00:40:25.760
We're gonna get the production that y'all made, but it's gonna take a lot more today.

00:40:26.000 --> 00:40:29.280
And so they grabbed their stuff and headed up the hill.

00:40:29.519 --> 00:40:34.239
Lunch offered them two more dollars an hour, and they weren't gonna stay and help me do that.

00:40:34.400 --> 00:40:37.519
So I said, Wow, see you later, guys.

00:40:37.840 --> 00:40:39.199
So, guess what I did?

00:40:39.360 --> 00:40:43.360
And I put that same amount of potty back in the ground and buried it.

00:40:43.760 --> 00:40:46.320
Oh man, straight though.

00:40:46.639 --> 00:40:48.320
You hit the manhole in everything.

00:40:49.039 --> 00:40:50.239
But that's what it takes.

00:40:50.320 --> 00:40:51.679
Like you make those mistakes.

00:40:51.760 --> 00:40:54.559
So I don't get on a crazy list at all anymore.

00:40:54.880 --> 00:40:55.920
Lesson learned.

00:40:56.559 --> 00:41:04.800
Yeah, you start calling around to people that you meet and build relationships with and say, Hey, I need a guy, send him over.

00:41:05.119 --> 00:41:05.679
Yeah.

00:41:06.000 --> 00:41:07.440
And people are happy to do it.

00:41:07.760 --> 00:41:13.599
Hey, here's a better, you know, here's a good chance to go get your start at a company to where you're on the ground level.

00:41:14.079 --> 00:41:15.760
It can lead to something more.

00:41:16.639 --> 00:41:17.280
Yeah.

00:41:17.440 --> 00:41:20.800
That's so important, amazing.

00:41:20.880 --> 00:41:33.519
I had a similar situation where I didn't ask my foreman if he understood like the inward elevation of the manhole compared to where we're starting our roughing in the building.

00:41:33.920 --> 00:41:37.039
Until I came to the project, I'm like, what are you trying to think?

00:41:39.119 --> 00:41:43.119
And I said, Man, how where how high did you like where'd you start at the high point?

00:41:43.199 --> 00:41:44.320
Because we had to do it backwards, right?

00:41:44.400 --> 00:41:45.599
Because the manhole was very good.

00:41:47.760 --> 00:41:51.199
He's like, I don't know, I just felt like three foot was good.

00:41:51.519 --> 00:41:56.480
And I thought, oh my, I mean, they were telling three bar over the pad already.

00:41:56.719 --> 00:42:03.360
Like if we weren't gonna make it, it was a so, anyways, I got out, I started doing my calculator like clear, dude.

00:42:03.440 --> 00:42:04.239
I need to teach you.

00:42:04.880 --> 00:42:06.400
He's like, Oh, I didn't know all that.

00:42:07.440 --> 00:42:09.199
Why do you think I had that number right there?

00:42:10.079 --> 00:42:25.920
Luckily, we had we hit the twitch, but we had to be super, super accurate to get outside the name methole, but we were in within three and inch, and it was, I mean, we were stretching it to to get that.

00:42:26.000 --> 00:42:30.880
We're just within tolerance in terms of having the right amount of slope.

00:42:31.920 --> 00:42:34.320
Because I didn't know, but luckily we got it.

00:42:35.039 --> 00:42:42.159
But back to you the uh hearing you make some mistakes, priceless obviously is not the way to go.

00:42:42.239 --> 00:42:46.559
Uh you're willing to put in the work to complete deliver for your client.

00:42:46.880 --> 00:42:49.920
I hear a lot of people out there, you I'm sure you've seen it.

00:42:50.000 --> 00:43:01.039
I'm gonna come back to leaked in for a little bit, but there's a lot of people out there that are in our business that like to complain about people don't want to work anymore.

00:43:01.280 --> 00:43:04.079
But I get the sense that you have some solid people.

00:43:04.320 --> 00:43:09.599
So, do you have like magic fairy dust that just makes everybody that comes work with you amazing?

00:43:09.840 --> 00:43:13.519
And it's not the end of the world, doom and gloom, that they just don't want to work.

00:43:13.599 --> 00:43:15.519
Like, how did you break that?

00:43:16.800 --> 00:43:27.199
Like I said, year four, you start to realize who you want in the company, who you don't, and it also comes, I see it in the millions to like 1.2 million.

00:43:27.440 --> 00:43:30.639
This person is fine at that as a foreman, yeah.

00:43:30.719 --> 00:43:40.239
Uh, to go from 1.2 to 5.4, you need somebody else in that foreman receipt, yep, and then 5.4 to 10.4.

00:43:40.719 --> 00:43:42.880
You need you probably need someone else.

00:43:43.039 --> 00:43:55.519
Yeah, and during that time, I do try to improve that person so that hopefully when we get to that mark, they can help us sustain that growth.

00:43:55.760 --> 00:44:05.760
Um, we're not at the we're not at the I guess revenue size that person can hide and just do the bare minimum and be okay.

00:44:05.920 --> 00:44:06.079
Right.

00:44:06.239 --> 00:44:07.519
Because you need that person.

00:44:08.000 --> 00:44:12.000
So we're still need to grow the people.

00:44:12.559 --> 00:44:13.199
Yes.

00:44:14.079 --> 00:44:28.800
And by growing the people, I'm not saying that person, if they want, you gotta give them, you can give them that time to see if they're able to grow, but if they stall out with growing every day learning, then it's time to move on.

00:44:28.960 --> 00:44:51.840
Um, and find somebody that and you have to pay that next person, like you know what that person's worth, and you're like, all right, that person wasn't worth the next level of um pay, but you go out there and you I've never stolen anybody from a company because I've built those relationships as a sub.

00:44:52.559 --> 00:45:04.639
And but I will put the job out there in hopes that someone does not want to be at that place anymore or wants to try something new, yep, and and I'll do it that way.

00:45:04.800 --> 00:45:11.679
I've never went onto a job site and hired two crack kids for two dollar dollars an hour.

00:45:13.039 --> 00:45:15.039
I didn't want to make enemies, right?

00:45:15.280 --> 00:45:27.360
Because I wanted to sustain who we were as a company, and if I make enemies, then it's so much easier for them to talk crap about me to everybody.

00:45:28.000 --> 00:45:40.079
But I just recently I met with a competitor, and and they told me, hey, all these people are telling me that I need to meet you.

00:45:40.320 --> 00:45:45.119
Like I need to emulate you, I need to ask some questions, see how you're doing things.

00:45:45.360 --> 00:45:49.119
I'm like, okay, okay.

00:45:49.519 --> 00:45:53.679
But people are talking good about bear construction and how we're doing things.

00:45:53.840 --> 00:45:57.199
And that's I mean, that's the highest compliment I could ever think.

00:45:57.760 --> 00:45:58.239
Yeah.

00:45:58.559 --> 00:45:59.599
Congratulations.

00:45:59.840 --> 00:46:00.719
Congratulations.

00:46:00.880 --> 00:46:05.519
Because you know how proud we are in this work that we do.

00:46:05.679 --> 00:46:18.480
And so to go ask a competitor, like, hey man, I've been hearing about you, I've been hearing good things, that's a big sign of respect, and I think a signal just to the caliber of individual that you are, in terms of saying, sure.

00:46:19.920 --> 00:46:22.719
Yeah, I mean, I I get that all the time.

00:46:22.880 --> 00:46:25.519
People are, hey, I like the way you're doing things.

00:46:25.679 --> 00:46:26.559
Can I meet with you?

00:46:26.639 --> 00:46:30.400
And I take them to coffee, uh take them to lunch, or they take me.

00:46:31.119 --> 00:46:35.840
They want to be in charge of the questions, but it's very strange.

00:46:36.079 --> 00:46:43.840
I never thought I would have one story to tell or be good enough to lead the conversations.

00:46:44.159 --> 00:46:56.719
Oh man, I applaud you because clearly not only do you have the like the actual experience, but just the way you carry yourself is like, man, I please can I learn from you?

00:46:56.880 --> 00:46:59.440
It's kind of what the feeling I'm getting.

00:46:59.679 --> 00:47:01.679
Now, you mentioned LinkedIn.

00:47:04.239 --> 00:47:15.119
And I and the reason I want to ask this is because my business would not, I'd be dancing on tables for money right now, Brian, if it weren't for social media, because it's where I get a lot of business from.

00:47:15.440 --> 00:47:24.480
I didn't know I still don't really know what I'm doing, but I didn't know that I could generate business from social media.

00:47:24.719 --> 00:47:27.920
And you said you made a post and something reached out to you.

00:47:28.239 --> 00:47:38.639
So, in terms of the way you utilize LinkedIn, did you get a coach for that, or is it just you kind of figuring it out and having fun with it?

00:47:39.199 --> 00:47:40.719
That's my ADHD.

00:47:40.960 --> 00:47:43.920
Like I'm um in my wonder in my invention.

00:47:44.000 --> 00:47:53.440
Like I'm always thinking, I try not to assimilate what someone else is doing on there, but I've kind of noticed there's certain things that people like to read about.

00:47:53.599 --> 00:47:56.400
One, it's I failed, and this is what I learned.

00:47:56.559 --> 00:47:56.880
Yep.

00:47:57.039 --> 00:48:01.440
That gets you the thumbs ups, those the hearts and the supports.

00:48:01.679 --> 00:48:14.559
I used that early on to show how honest and transparent I can be, and to explain how hard starting a business from scratch is.

00:48:14.719 --> 00:48:14.960
Yeah.

00:48:16.960 --> 00:48:20.719
And negative$300 in our personal account.

00:48:20.960 --> 00:48:23.920
So I did not start with anything.

00:48:24.159 --> 00:48:27.440
I started with luck uh and worked out.

00:48:28.079 --> 00:48:37.039
So yeah, I just I wanted to be transparent, I wanted to be honest, and I was not scared to say, hey, I don't know what I'm doing.

00:48:37.280 --> 00:48:39.280
There's so much pride in construction.

00:48:39.599 --> 00:48:44.320
I from a sales point, I need you to know that I know what I'm doing.

00:48:44.559 --> 00:48:45.440
It's not true.

00:48:45.599 --> 00:48:48.320
Like nobody started knowing what they're doing.

00:48:48.400 --> 00:48:54.719
It's kind of like the coming out of college and you need five years' experience to be a paper pusher.

00:48:55.119 --> 00:48:59.039
No, you can't get it unless you you do it.

00:48:59.360 --> 00:49:10.239
But I've always been honest about how hard it is and what type of work you have to put in, how you have to be honest, how you have to have faith, you have to show it and be it.

00:49:10.480 --> 00:49:14.239
You can't just put a post out and then not be that person.

00:49:14.480 --> 00:49:15.039
Yeah.

00:49:15.280 --> 00:49:16.159
Oh, I agree.

00:49:16.239 --> 00:49:24.079
I I think there's more than enough people that I'll say regurgitate what they think it would be like.

00:49:24.159 --> 00:49:26.079
It's like they ain't walked it.

00:49:26.320 --> 00:49:29.199
And those kind of like, oh, I'm gonna leave them alone.

00:49:29.280 --> 00:49:31.519
It bugs me a little bit, but I'm gonna leave them alone.

00:49:31.679 --> 00:49:46.079
Now, and in the social media space, specifically on LinkedIn, what do you think about leveraging LinkedIn to attract talent to attract people to come work for bear construction?

00:49:47.360 --> 00:49:52.159
I get those just the same amount as the people that want to meet me.

00:49:52.320 --> 00:49:55.920
They say, Hey, I like the way you do things, do you have any positions open?

00:49:56.320 --> 00:50:02.159
And I actually hired a uh 21-year-old college student based on that.

00:50:02.480 --> 00:50:07.679
He was curious, he loved the way that I put faith into my post and into my business.

00:50:07.840 --> 00:50:13.039
And he was he didn't know that construction companies do that.

00:50:13.280 --> 00:50:15.280
So we met for coffee one morning.

00:50:15.360 --> 00:50:15.599
Yep.

00:50:15.760 --> 00:50:19.440
And he was he used that time very wisely.

00:50:19.760 --> 00:50:24.320
Great kid, is very hungry and loves God.

00:50:24.559 --> 00:50:24.719
Wow.

00:50:25.039 --> 00:50:29.920
So he wanted to know how I put faith into the business.

00:50:30.239 --> 00:50:38.480
And then a month or so later, I put a construction business manager position out there, and he applied for it.

00:50:38.639 --> 00:50:42.880
He's like, I know I'm not qualified, but here's my recipe.

00:50:43.119 --> 00:50:44.480
Yeah, give it a shot.

00:50:45.119 --> 00:50:47.280
Exactly, and it worked out for him.

00:50:47.440 --> 00:50:47.840
Wow.

00:50:48.079 --> 00:51:00.320
Now he's our construction business assistant with a five-year plan to become the construction business manager and not lead all aspects of the company, but lead uh the financial.

00:51:00.480 --> 00:51:08.880
He's a finance major, so yeah, at what rates we should buy machines at, and you know what machines are.

00:51:09.199 --> 00:51:13.519
So we're gonna crash, crash course everything construction.

00:51:14.159 --> 00:51:14.800
Yep.

00:51:15.599 --> 00:51:19.920
And sorry, guy loves that and fit fits in really well.

00:51:20.320 --> 00:51:26.559
Yeah, I think I honestly believe that the play on LinkedIn or just social media, period.

00:51:27.760 --> 00:51:29.920
Now, my business is just me, right?

00:51:30.000 --> 00:51:33.119
I have a sorry boss who happens to be me.

00:51:33.360 --> 00:51:36.719
All my employees are lazy and they all happen to be me.

00:51:37.760 --> 00:51:50.880
But if I had a business where I had employees or I needed employees, I would absolutely that would be my primary focus and purpose of utilizing social media is just to attract talent.

00:51:51.119 --> 00:51:59.199
Because it's like you described, people see and they say, Oh, that person, I like the way they roll, I like the way they operate.

00:51:59.920 --> 00:52:06.480
If that how that person works, I bet more people like that, work there.

00:52:06.800 --> 00:52:14.480
I want to work there, but I don't see a whole lot of folks like I'll say firms using it that way yet.

00:52:14.639 --> 00:52:18.960
And so you're, I would say you're ahead of the curve in terms of that actually.

00:52:19.119 --> 00:52:22.960
How another Chris Gutkiss up in Long Island, same thing happened.

00:52:23.119 --> 00:52:25.039
He was super, super active on social media.

00:52:25.119 --> 00:52:35.199
He's like, dude, all of a sudden I'm hiring outstanding people because they're saying, Hey, I saw your stuff, I like your message, and it was bringing in people that he needed badly.

00:52:35.440 --> 00:52:36.159
That's the game.

00:52:36.239 --> 00:52:41.119
That's the it's not selling the project, it's attracting talent.

00:52:41.280 --> 00:52:41.920
That's my thought.

00:52:42.000 --> 00:52:44.880
I don't know truth, but that's where I'm at with this.

00:52:46.320 --> 00:52:47.199
No, it does.

00:52:47.360 --> 00:52:49.280
I mean, it's who you are, who you represent.

00:52:49.440 --> 00:52:58.880
And again, if you're honest about who you are, the people gravitate towards that and are excited about it without even working here.

00:52:58.960 --> 00:53:03.840
They're like, man, like that sounds like company I've been looking to work for.

00:53:04.159 --> 00:53:10.480
That's why I put that we've failed and how we failed, and what I've learned, and how we've gotten better.

00:53:10.800 --> 00:53:23.280
Because a lot of these companies they don't put that stuff, which is fine because a lot of them hide by hide behind the brand of the name instead of being the personal person.

00:53:23.920 --> 00:53:40.239
I do most of my post under me, not under Bear, which I feel like Facebook is more for hiring employees, like laborers, and operators, but LinkedIn is more for office, the office space.

00:53:40.400 --> 00:53:40.800
Yep.

00:53:41.039 --> 00:53:53.840
And yeah, we I've got a lot of great people, a young estimator from that, and and the construction business assistant because they wanted to come work for Bear.

00:53:54.239 --> 00:53:56.719
Or I'm sorry, maybe they wanted to come work for Brian.

00:53:56.960 --> 00:53:57.760
That's all right.

00:53:57.920 --> 00:54:03.920
Yes, but Bear is the avenue for them to create a life.

00:54:04.159 --> 00:54:04.480
Yeah.

00:54:04.719 --> 00:54:05.519
Oh my god.

00:54:05.760 --> 00:54:13.039
I mean, so you're not just giving people jobs or careers, you're helping them create a life.

00:54:13.360 --> 00:54:14.960
That's important.

00:54:15.599 --> 00:54:20.400
Um right now I'm spiritually trying to love on all these employees.

00:54:20.559 --> 00:54:22.719
We've got 30 of them, so we're not big.

00:54:22.960 --> 00:54:25.119
That's a lot, not in middle Tennessee.

00:54:25.280 --> 00:54:29.920
Like we're we're we're a small fish in the contractor field in Tennessee.

00:54:30.480 --> 00:54:34.719
But what I tell them is you're doing a godly service.

00:54:34.880 --> 00:54:40.639
You're you have the chance to build a structural pad for a house to be built on.

00:54:41.119 --> 00:54:47.280
Um sanitary sewer system to keep your house and your kids clean.

00:54:47.519 --> 00:54:52.480
You get potable drinking water and bath water to clean yourself.

00:54:52.719 --> 00:55:02.480
You get stormwater runoff, or you're building stormwater runoff for these communities so that houses don't flood, kids don't get hurt.

00:55:02.719 --> 00:55:12.800
You're you're help building some base for asphalt companies to put down a smooth driving surface, walkable sidewalks and communities.

00:55:13.119 --> 00:55:19.360
There's so many places that don't have these things, and you get to build this for a complete stranger.

00:55:19.519 --> 00:55:22.400
You're doing a godly service out there right now.

00:55:22.639 --> 00:55:24.079
I hope you realize that.

00:55:24.320 --> 00:55:31.840
And by doing this, you're also providing yourself and your family and your kids with the same thing.

00:55:32.159 --> 00:55:36.400
You're getting you know, a godly service for your family.

00:55:37.360 --> 00:55:38.000
Wow.

00:55:38.480 --> 00:55:41.840
You maybe want to go get my boots and put them back on.

00:55:42.960 --> 00:55:44.320
Dang, all right.

00:55:44.960 --> 00:55:54.159
So I'm gonna make sure that we put your LinkedIn a link to your LinkedIn profile so that people, once they get inspired by you, they can connect with you.

00:55:54.400 --> 00:55:59.360
Now, if somebody wants to like build a life and build a career and work with you, Mr.

00:55:59.440 --> 00:56:03.199
Brian, should I put your bear construction website link in there also?

00:56:04.000 --> 00:56:05.440
Yeah, you can do that too.

00:56:05.679 --> 00:56:06.159
Perfect.

00:56:06.320 --> 00:56:11.280
I think I got 100, 900 friend requests sitting there to be reviewed at the moment.

00:56:13.599 --> 00:56:16.880
And I bet you review them too, which I absolutely love.

00:56:16.960 --> 00:56:18.320
I know it takes a lot of time.

00:56:18.480 --> 00:56:21.119
There's a lot of insurance salespeople out there.

00:56:21.280 --> 00:56:25.920
I'm like, I've got my guy, I've got my banker, so I don't want to oversaturate it.

00:56:26.000 --> 00:56:44.639
Like, I want my feed to be of people that are a service to me, not one just looking for service, but there's so many insurance salesmen out there, but I'm primarily looking for like project managers, estimators at GC companies, developers, yeah.

00:56:45.840 --> 00:56:51.440
I'm looking for a special frame request, not just any, not just random.

00:56:51.920 --> 00:56:53.440
I know exactly what you're talking about.

00:56:53.679 --> 00:56:55.119
I don't have that kind of discipline.

00:56:55.280 --> 00:56:59.360
I do have a little bit of a filter, but not uh, I could do better.

00:56:59.599 --> 00:57:00.400
I could do better.

00:57:00.880 --> 00:57:07.039
It is about the impressions, and once you get one, I've had like three of them go above 250,000.

00:57:07.840 --> 00:57:09.440
And two of them went over.

00:57:09.760 --> 00:57:15.039
Like I did, I had I just posted like an embroidered shirt and it got 330,000.

00:57:15.360 --> 00:57:15.840
Jeez.

00:57:16.960 --> 00:57:17.519
Wow.

00:57:17.760 --> 00:57:20.559
And so I'm like, okay, I have a voice here.

00:57:20.639 --> 00:57:22.480
That's why I started doing the podcast.

00:57:22.639 --> 00:57:26.000
I'm like, maybe I do have something to say that people enjoy here.

00:57:26.559 --> 00:57:29.920
If I can talk about God and every single one of them, I'm going.

00:57:30.480 --> 00:57:31.039
Yes.

00:57:31.360 --> 00:57:32.480
Love it, love it.

00:57:32.639 --> 00:57:39.519
And I'm gonna tell you, bro, like you have massive insight and wisdom that's gonna benefit a lot of people.

00:57:39.679 --> 00:57:54.000
Now, I don't want to take away from what you got because a lot of people do, but the way that you communicate, there's so much intentionality and purpose behind what you're saying that it is transformational.

00:57:54.159 --> 00:57:56.960
I believe and see that it is transformational.

00:57:57.280 --> 00:57:58.880
So please keep doing it.

00:57:59.039 --> 00:58:08.880
Because the world, our industry, not just our industry, or not just the world, our industry needs to know that there are leaders of your caliber out there.

00:58:09.199 --> 00:58:11.280
Like they do exist, folks.

00:58:11.760 --> 00:58:14.559
Brian is evidence that they do exist.

00:58:14.800 --> 00:58:16.639
They're few and far between.

00:58:16.880 --> 00:58:33.360
And so, from that perspective, my vote is, or I will advocate for like folks to if they can't come and like transfer to Tennessee and come work for you, make sure that you find somebody that has the same commitment of service that Mr.

00:58:33.519 --> 00:58:40.079
Bryan does, because those are the kind of people that we need to pour into, support, and celebrate.

00:58:40.159 --> 00:58:49.760
And so, Brian, I just got to tell you, like, thank you for taking the time to take this the invitation and have this conversation with me.

00:58:49.920 --> 00:58:50.800
Because I believe in you.

00:58:51.199 --> 00:58:58.239
I mean, I'm just a little guy that makes a lot of noise, but if I have in any way I can contribute to your path, that's what I want to do.

00:58:58.480 --> 00:59:03.840
Now, that all brings us to the Grand Slam home run question.

00:59:04.079 --> 00:59:05.679
Are you ready for it?

00:59:06.639 --> 00:59:08.239
Never, but let's go.

00:59:09.199 --> 00:59:10.000
I love that.

00:59:10.239 --> 00:59:11.920
All right, I'm being up for fire.

00:59:12.000 --> 00:59:15.679
That's all you are is a fire, fire fire as a business owner.

00:59:16.079 --> 00:59:18.159
It's nothing as heavy as that.

00:59:18.320 --> 00:59:19.599
So here it is.

00:59:20.079 --> 00:59:24.480
What is the promise you are intended to be, Mr.

00:59:24.639 --> 00:59:25.440
Brian?

00:59:26.239 --> 00:59:27.199
In what form?

00:59:27.360 --> 00:59:28.320
What do you mean?

00:59:28.559 --> 00:59:30.159
So I'll give you an example.

00:59:30.400 --> 00:59:36.159
Well, I don't know if but I struggled with addiction for a long like 20 years of my life.

00:59:36.320 --> 00:59:38.639
I'm almost 10 years sober now.

00:59:38.960 --> 00:59:44.800
That started with the conversation with one of my counselors in rehab.

00:59:44.880 --> 00:59:57.039
And he said, Jesse, your problem is that you haven't accepted that if you continue living life the way you're living, you will never become the promise you're intended to be.

00:59:57.199 --> 00:59:59.440
And in that moment, I knew.

01:00:00.800 --> 01:00:02.480
I'm underserving myself.

01:00:02.639 --> 01:00:04.000
I'm playing too small.

01:00:04.239 --> 01:00:06.559
I've got self-destructive behaviors.

01:00:06.719 --> 01:00:08.880
And I am here for a greater purpose.

01:00:09.039 --> 01:00:13.519
And I've got to change the way I live in order to become that and fulfill that purpose.

01:00:13.760 --> 01:00:14.960
Does that help?

01:00:15.760 --> 01:00:18.079
Yeah, I've got several ideas.

01:00:18.320 --> 01:00:18.960
Thank you for that.

01:00:19.199 --> 01:00:26.400
It's hard to be that honest and share that with people, but never give up on that, obviously.

01:00:26.559 --> 01:00:26.719
Right.

01:00:26.880 --> 01:00:29.760
And no, you're not the only one.

01:00:30.000 --> 01:00:37.760
You have that ability to dive in and love on other people to help them out of whatever they're going through.

01:00:38.320 --> 01:00:40.559
You're not, like I said, you're not the only one.

01:00:40.639 --> 01:00:42.800
Everyone has their own demons, yep.

01:00:43.119 --> 01:00:46.400
Stuff that they won't post on the LinkedIns or the podcast.

01:00:47.119 --> 01:00:50.000
And they do it in dark rooms.

01:00:50.239 --> 01:00:52.400
So there that's one of the thoughts.

01:00:52.559 --> 01:00:53.199
Thank you for that.

01:00:53.280 --> 01:00:55.119
And continue loving on people.

01:00:55.360 --> 01:01:01.119
The other one, can you kind of Yeah, what is the promise you are intended to be?

01:01:01.760 --> 01:01:09.840
Okay, so my promise started before I met my wife, and I'm gonna lead into what I believe my promise is.

01:01:10.559 --> 01:01:14.880
I hated everything, everything was just so hard, couldn't afford nothing.

01:01:15.039 --> 01:01:21.360
I was cutting grass, I hated traffic, I hated people, I hated every single thing.

01:01:21.519 --> 01:01:22.400
I was having fun.

01:01:22.559 --> 01:01:35.280
I was drinking, I was playing softball, basketball a lot, and I was by myself, but I just hated every single aspect of it, even though I was having fun.

01:01:35.519 --> 01:01:48.639
I turned on the local Christian radio station randomly, and I noticed over like probably like a day's time a weight was lifted.

01:01:48.960 --> 01:01:54.800
Oh, and so over time I was happy just listening to that.

01:01:54.960 --> 01:01:58.880
I hadn't gone to church yet, and then I finally I made a Facebook post.

01:01:58.960 --> 01:02:01.519
I where's everybody in this town go to church?

01:02:01.679 --> 01:02:04.639
And so I went to church, sat by myself.

01:02:04.800 --> 01:02:17.280
Um, it was on a TV screen, so I didn't like that, but I got used to it, and then I I met my wife, she's a stranger at the moment, but I invited her to church, and that's what so with her on me.

01:02:18.320 --> 01:02:25.440
And then life just started changing because I went to church.

01:02:25.679 --> 01:02:32.800
God sent me a beautiful wife who has held me accountable for every single thing in my life.

01:02:33.039 --> 01:02:38.480
She's the strongest person I've ever known, and she's put me on that right direction.

01:02:38.960 --> 01:02:40.880
Something I never thought I could be.

01:02:41.440 --> 01:02:44.639
And she's led me to be who I am.

01:02:44.719 --> 01:02:53.280
I'm still not perfect, I still make a lot of mistakes to her, to my employees, to everything I'm a part of.

01:02:53.840 --> 01:02:59.039
But they're not the same mistakes that I made when I was angry.

01:02:59.280 --> 01:03:00.480
They're just silly.

01:03:01.119 --> 01:03:03.119
Like pick up after yourself.

01:03:03.280 --> 01:03:03.840
Yeah.

01:03:04.000 --> 01:03:11.199
And but her love and God's love has held me to a higher standard to love everybody around me.

01:03:11.360 --> 01:03:19.119
I didn't know that I loved people, but my C12 group, when we do our core business presentations, would always pray for me.

01:03:19.360 --> 01:03:23.119
And they always talked about God, Brian's love for his people.

01:03:23.280 --> 01:03:26.320
And at that point, I was like, I didn't, I do love them.

01:03:26.480 --> 01:03:26.800
Okay.

01:03:27.199 --> 01:03:30.000
They helped me realize that's another thing they saved my business.

01:03:30.079 --> 01:03:33.599
They helped me understand how to love people and that I love people.

01:03:34.079 --> 01:03:35.519
And I never knew that.

01:03:35.840 --> 01:03:38.400
So that is my why.

01:03:38.559 --> 01:03:44.239
And I'm giving these people an opportunity to grow themselves.

01:03:44.400 --> 01:03:46.400
And hopefully, I'm a good example to them.

01:03:46.480 --> 01:03:48.159
I'm goofy as shit.

01:03:48.800 --> 01:03:56.079
But I think they believe in me, and I hope they do, and I'm gonna work on them every single day without telling them they need to believe in me.

01:03:56.239 --> 01:04:01.679
I'm gonna do my best to show them that I'm here for them, and I want to be here for them.

01:04:01.840 --> 01:04:04.239
I want them to know that they can come to me.

01:04:04.960 --> 01:04:06.000
Beautiful.

01:04:06.480 --> 01:04:07.199
Beautiful.

01:04:07.440 --> 01:04:08.320
Thank you, sir.

01:04:08.480 --> 01:04:12.800
Not surprised at the depth of your answer because that's just who you are.

01:04:13.039 --> 01:04:13.920
Did you have fun?

01:04:14.159 --> 01:04:15.360
Yeah, that's fun.

01:04:15.599 --> 01:04:18.079
A little sweaty, but that's just me.

01:04:18.800 --> 01:04:19.199
Same.

01:04:19.840 --> 01:04:21.920
The lights kind of heated up in you.

01:04:23.039 --> 01:04:26.079
Thank you for sticking it out all the way to the end.

01:04:26.159 --> 01:04:28.400
I know you got a whole lot of stuff going on.

01:04:28.559 --> 01:04:38.960
And in appreciation for the gift of time that you have given this episode, I want to offer you a free PDF of my book, Becoming the Promise You're Intended to Be.

01:04:39.119 --> 01:04:41.440
The link for that bad boy is down in the show notes.

01:04:41.599 --> 01:04:42.079
Hit it.

01:04:42.239 --> 01:04:44.079
You don't even have to give me your email address.

01:04:44.400 --> 01:04:45.199
There's a link in there.

01:04:45.280 --> 01:04:47.920
You just click that button, you can download the PDF.

01:04:48.159 --> 01:04:58.400
And if you share it with somebody that you know who might feel stuck or be caught up in self-destructive behaviors, that would be the ultimate.

01:04:58.639 --> 01:05:04.320
You sharing that increases the likelihood that it's going to help one more person.

01:05:04.960 --> 01:05:13.199
And if it does help one more person, then you're contributing to me becoming the promise I am intended to be.

01:05:13.679 --> 01:05:17.760
Be kind to yourself, be cool, and we'll talk at you next time.