The Intersection of Fear and Freedom: Lessons from an MMA Fighter and Entrepreneur
The primary focus of this podcast episode revolves around the concept of achieving true freedom as a business owner by mastering oneself, effectively leading others, and implementing robust systems. Jason Phillips, a successful contractor and founder of Contractor Freedom, engages in a compelling dialogue with Matt Hifil, who recently experienced significant growth in his business yet found himself grappling with the challenges that accompany success. Matt's journey from feeling overwhelmed and managing every aspect of his company to establishing a well-structured team exemplifies the transformative power of strategic leadership and personal development. Throughout the episode, we explore the essential lessons learned from both triumphs and setbacks, highlighting the importance of intentionality in business and life. Ultimately, the discussion serves as an invitation for listeners to reflect on their own paths toward freedom and fulfillment within their entrepreneurial endeavors. The Contractor Freedom Podcast features an enlightening discussion with Matt Hifil, a contractor who has recently experienced a remarkable transformation in his business and personal life. The conversation begins by addressing the common plight of many entrepreneurs: the struggle to balance financial success with personal freedom. Matt reflects on his journey, highlighting how he transitioned from a state of overwhelm—where he was managing every aspect of his business alone—to a position of leadership where he now oversees a team that supports the business's growth and vision. As the dialogue progresses, Matt shares insights into the systems and processes that have enabled his business to thrive. He emphasizes the importance of having a clear organizational structure and the necessity of effective delegation. Moreover, he candidly discusses the mistakes he made in hiring and management, providing invaluable lessons for listeners who may be navigating similar challenges. The episode underscores the significance of building a company culture that nurtures talent and encourages personal development, thereby creating an environment where employees feel valued and empowered. Furthermore, the episode delves into the interconnectedness of personal and professional growth, as Matt draws parallels between his experiences in martial arts and entrepreneurship. He articulates how confronting fears and challenges in one arena has fortified his resolve in the other, demonstrating that the principles of discipline, perseverance, and strategic planning are universal. This episode not only serves as an inspiration for contractors seeking to elevate their businesses but also offers profound insights into the essence of living a fulfilling life that aligns with one’s values and aspirations.
Takeaways:
- The pursuit of freedom in business necessitates the mastery of self-discipline and leadership.
- Building a successful enterprise requires the establishment of effective systems and processes.
- Personal growth and overcoming fears are critical for entrepreneurs seeking to elevate their business.
- Transitioning from working in the business to working on the business is essential for true freedom.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Contractor Freedom
- Painting Contractor Association
- High Fill Exteriors
Transcript
Welcome to the Contractor Freedom Podcast.
Speaker A:I'm Jason Phillips.
Speaker A:If you're tired of feeling trapped by the business you worked so hard to build, you're in the right place.
Speaker A:As a multi million dollar contractor and founder of Contractor Freedom, I've learned that freedom comes from mastering yourself, leading others, and building systems.
Speaker A:Each week I'll help you build a business that serves your life.
Speaker A:Because the goal isn't to build a bigger prison.
Speaker A:It's to build a business that creates freedom.
Speaker A:Welcome to Contractor Freedom.
Speaker A:Let's go.
Speaker A:This man right here with me today did over 500,000 in revenue last month.
Speaker A:And he was disappointed.
Speaker A:A year ago he would have been over the moon with that number.
Speaker A:But you know, here's the deal.
Speaker A:We're going to talk about what it took to get there, because you have to give up something to get there today with us, that man is Matt Hifil.
Speaker A:Hi, Phil.
Speaker A:Painting and high fill exteriors.
Speaker A:High fill exteriors.
Speaker A:Yeah, baby.
Speaker A:The newly launched high fill exteriors.
Speaker A:And Matt's building a.
Speaker A:An incredible business.
Speaker A:And I want to, I want you to hear Matt's story because I think you're good chance you're going to find some of yourself in his story.
Speaker A:He's got an inspirational story.
Speaker A:He's, Matt's got a.
Speaker A:He's got a pretty colorful background as well.
Speaker A:Matt is about to fight in his second MMA fight.
Speaker A:And this man has told me, man, if I can get in a cage with someone that's more experienced than me and go and fight to the almost the death, he's like, I can run a business.
Speaker A:So all the business decisions are easy after that.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And so Matt, welcome, man.
Speaker A:I'm glad, glad to have you, have you on.
Speaker A:So, hey, let's, let's walk.
Speaker A:Let's go back for a moment.
Speaker A:You know, if we just rewind for say a year, a year or more.
Speaker A:What were things, let's say before I met you.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker A:What was the business like?
Speaker A:What were you doing in the business?
Speaker B:So before I met you, the business, it was a lot of me just figuring it out, right?
Speaker B:Like I started getting introduced to like the Painting Contractor association and then people in that realm, right.
Speaker B:Starting to dabble into some paid marketing.
Speaker B:But it was a lot of me just figuring out I was still doing all the sales.
Speaker B:Didn't know anything about a sales process or anything like that.
Speaker B:I believe I was doing all the project management at that time too.
Speaker B:Or maybe I just hired a project manager.
Speaker B:Um, I had maybe an office admin, but it was pretty much everything on me.
Speaker B:And it was still just kind of the old school way.
Speaker A:So how did you, what's your background before you started the business?
Speaker B:So before I started the business, I was just basically trying to do anything to make some extra cash.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker B:I had worked in treatment facilities.
Speaker B:I'm a person in recovery.
Speaker B:I had worked as an electrician helper for a little bit.
Speaker B:But at the time I started this business, I had zero plan to start a painting business I was doing.
Speaker A:I don't know that anybody actually dreams, you know, one day I want to be a painting contractor.
Speaker A:I've never met anybody, probably not unless.
Speaker B:They did it with their, their dad or second generator, whatever.
Speaker B:But for me, like I was working at a restaurant at the time, trying to figure out what my next move was going to be.
Speaker B:I thought about maybe doing real estate.
Speaker B:That's my whole family does.
Speaker B:And me and a buddy were doing like some clean outs, landscaping, what, anything we could to make some extra money.
Speaker B:And a client that we were doing a clean out for asked if we knew how to paint.
Speaker B:And I kind of looked at him like, do we know how to paint?
Speaker A:Oh yeah.
Speaker B:And he did know how a little bit from helping out some, some or helping out his dad growing up and whatnot.
Speaker B:So we painted a couple rooms in this not so great area of apartment complex and I learned how to paint and I figured, hey, this isn't that bad, right?
Speaker B:And so I just kept trying to get more paint jobs.
Speaker B:He ended up doing pressure washing, then joining the military.
Speaker B:I just kept trying to get more paint jobs.
Speaker A:Okay, so do you remember that, like, first big sale that you got?
Speaker B:Honestly, one of the first big sales was the house I grew up in.
Speaker B:My dad was allowing me, he paid me, but he allowed me to paint it.
Speaker B:And I was super excited because I'm like, oh my gosh, this is a whole house I get to paint.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:This money that I'm going to get for this, I'm going to be able to really make it last.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Which wasn't really the case.
Speaker B:And it was probably, it was definitely the biggest job I had done at the time.
Speaker B:And it was definitely an experience.
Speaker B:But after that I was like, hey, if I can do this, I can do any paint job.
Speaker A: t sales boot camp was July of: Speaker B:Yeah, right.
Speaker A:What were things like then?
Speaker B:So we had started to build a little bit of a business.
Speaker B:Then I would say our gross profits were probably 45ish percent, something like that.
Speaker B:I think at that time it was probably still just me or maybe me and One other salesperson and maybe a project manager.
Speaker B:Right, right.
Speaker B:So I had started to figure some things out.
Speaker B:But I think at that point when you're, when you're at that size, I must have been doing, I don't know, maybe around a million in revenue a year at that point.
Speaker B:Like you, you don't know what you don't know.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And although I had climbed that first hurdle of not just working in the field and doing all the work myself, there was still so much I had to learn.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Systems in every area of the business.
Speaker B:And I didn't even realize at that point the departments and how a business really breaks up.
Speaker B:When you're looking at like an org chart right now.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So contrast that to what's, what's it like today.
Speaker B:Today's much different.
Speaker A:Was the business.
Speaker B:So contractor Freedom's name.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:That I have started to build some freedom now.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So last year was actually very, very hard for me.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So I was introduced to contract to Freedom 24.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Well, 25.
Speaker B:I had all this knowledge and I feel like I knew what I needed to do.
Speaker B:And it was a very hard year for me.
Speaker B:Like I did grow in revenue, but I also grew a ton in expenses.
Speaker B:And I was up against my biggest challenge to date and that was people.
Speaker B:It was a new challenge that, yes, I had some people underneath me before, but now it was on another level.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I had people in leadership positions and I had a lot to learn about management, about hiring, about implementing systems.
Speaker B:So last year was a very hard year for me and this year has presented new challenges as well.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:But now I've got a sales manager.
Speaker B:I've got five sales reps, I've got three project managers, an operations manager, I've got a call center.
Speaker B:So I've got an entire team.
Speaker B:And my role is no longer managing the day to day of the sales team or their production.
Speaker B:It's meeting with my key leaders and trying to help them.
Speaker A:And training for your fights, taking care of your family.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker A:So, wow, that was 24 months literally from right around a million.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:To.
Speaker A:To five guys, an entire team.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So your day to day back then.
Speaker B:Looked like what I spent a lot of hours.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Like usually I would be getting into the office 8, 8:30, sometimes 7:30.
Speaker B:But I'm not really getting off until at least 5:30, 6 at the very earliest.
Speaker B:But even then, like I'm working late nights at home, I'm on the phone, I'm on the computer.
Speaker B:When I'm sitting at the couch with my Wife, I'm working weekends, right.
Speaker B:Just my whole bandwidth just went to work.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Whereas today, my wife is pregnant with twins.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:We've had some news that one of them is undersized and that's presenting complications and whatnot.
Speaker B:And so we have doctor's appointments weekly.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:But not only.
Speaker B:The beginning of this year, I was able to train for an MMA fight and make that a priority, which is a lot of hours.
Speaker A:Dude, I was so impressed watching you fight, man.
Speaker A:You were going after it.
Speaker B:It was.
Speaker B:It was definitely an experience, right?
Speaker B:And like, here's something that I think is relatable to business owners or people that aspire to be entrepreneurs.
Speaker B:One of the main reasons I did this fight is because I was scared to death to do it.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So I felt like I needed to do it to tackle that challenge.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:It's not that I wanted to prove that I was some.
Speaker B:Some tough guy.
Speaker B:You were doing it for you for.
Speaker B:Exactly, man.
Speaker A:I love that.
Speaker B:And I think in business, you've got to do the same things.
Speaker B:Like, if you really want to be successful, you have to acknowledge your fears and chase after it.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Like, you're going to have very difficult decisions to make in your business, and you're going to be scared of them.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:But you've got to do it anyways, right?
Speaker B:That's how you get to the next level.
Speaker B:And I've made so many mistakes in this business, in running my business, but that's how I've learned.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:So, yeah, I've been able to train a lot for my last MMA fight, my upcoming MMA fight.
Speaker B:I've been able to take off time for my family.
Speaker B:I got to take my daughter and my wife to Bluey Live last week, which was really fun.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:Very cool.
Speaker B:And take pictures with Bluey.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And this year, I've been able to, for the first year, plan financially a little bit different.
Speaker B:I have been in every year past.
Speaker B:Like, it's like, whatever's left over, Okay.
Speaker B:I can take, like, yes, I might have a salary or whatever, but I always intended to take home more than I actually was able to.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:This year, it's kind of been the opposite, where I'm putting that money aside, and it's like, okay, I've got to figure out the rest.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So I've been able to put more money aside for our future, for my kids, retirement accounts, investment accounts, et cetera.
Speaker A:Man, that's amazing.
Speaker A:So let me ask you this.
Speaker A:That's.
Speaker A:I'm just.
Speaker A:There's such a contrast.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And you know, you said that, you said people problems.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Let's talk.
Speaker A:Let's talk about.
Speaker A:Let's talk about the man in the mirror first.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker A:What was the challenge you had to deal with there?
Speaker A:Obviously, you're not afraid to do hard things.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:And, you know, a contractor freedom.
Speaker A:I can provide you information and direction.
Speaker A:You.
Speaker A:You're the one that takes the action.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:But what changed in your thinking?
Speaker B:Well, I mean, one of the things I realized last year was I believe I had developed into a pretty good leader, but I was a poor manager.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And I had to.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:It really took me some time last year to realize that that was one of the things that was really holding me back.
Speaker B:I am not naturally a manager.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I'm very fast, I am very forward thinking.
Speaker B:Like, I don't want to slow down and check in on things all the time.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:However, my business requires management.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:It requires me to do that with my people in leadership.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:It required me to also realize that there may be some people in my business that have a lot of great qualities, have a lot of potential, but if they aren't living up to what my business needs, it is okay to find something different.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I've had to replace a lot of people in my business.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I've had people that were maybe great skill sets and maybe great people individually, but were toxic for the culture.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So there's been a lot of learning lessons along the way.
Speaker A:What's maybe a hiring mistake?
Speaker A:You've made a blunder.
Speaker B:There's been quite a few.
Speaker B:I will say I've gotten better at hiring, but it's still not my strong.
Speaker A:Well, unfortunately, you know, we're, we're.
Speaker A:When.
Speaker A:When we're learning as leaders, we're hiring people and they're trusting us and we've all got high hopes.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And sometimes I remember my early days, I was a bad manager or bad leader.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Not bad intentioned.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:But not giving people what they need.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And so maybe someone that should have succeeded in our environment didn't succeed because of me.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Have you had any of those 100 anyone in particular come to mind?
Speaker A:You don't have to name any names,.
Speaker B:But yeah, I mean, there's definitely been a few.
Speaker B:And like some of the things I've also.
Speaker B:Mistakes I've made in hiring.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Obviously, we've learned a lot about disc and contractor freedom.
Speaker B:I think it is very, very powerful tool.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Having to identify the right person for the right seat is super valuable.
Speaker B:But sometimes I would also, I Mean, I've made mistakes by ignoring what the disc is going to tell me.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Just because, like, if there's a person that may be that right person for the right seat, I can't also hone in on only that.
Speaker B:So that's another mistake I've made where whether it was the disc or their experience or whatever, I hone in on just that one thing and then I overlook some of the other things later on, it doesn't work out.
Speaker B:And I can look back in that interview process and realize the warning signs were there.
Speaker A:They were there and we chose to ignore them.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's, that's, that's a good insight because I've done that same thing and I know, I know many others maybe in the room have done that as well.
Speaker B:Don't skip reference checks either.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I started that later on and, and we had.
Speaker B:Another prime example we talked about previously is I had this project manager candidate that I actually knew a little bit personally, had tons of experience with doing the work himself of roofing, siding, gutters, all the things, and was a project manager for four or five years.
Speaker B:Seemed like the perfect candidate, was all into the church and all this and that I basically told him we were hiring him.
Speaker B:I said, let me get some references, whatever, and we'll plan to start on this date.
Speaker B:And called the references and every single one of them came back negative.
Speaker B:And so I had to go back to him and be like, hey, look, like, I, I just, I don't think we can move forward.
Speaker A:You know, some people skip the reference checks because they say, well, if they give us the names, they're only going to give us the names of the people that are going to give them a good reference.
Speaker A:You would think you would, you would think, right?
Speaker A:But that's just not the way it works.
Speaker B:And he was shocked, Honestly, he was shocked that they didn't come back the best.
Speaker B:So even more of a sign.
Speaker A:So back over on the.
Speaker A:A while back before your first fight, you, you cut like 30 pounds, right?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So the three weeks before I was 177, the fight was at 155.
Speaker B:But before then I was walking around between 175 and 180.
Speaker A:So that took some self management for a period of time.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:So was that torture, the self management,.
Speaker B:The watching what you eat and all that stuff?
Speaker B:Yes, I am a big, big foodie.
Speaker B:And one thing I realized in that fight camp is I don't just eat until I'm full.
Speaker B:I eat until I'm disgustingly full.
Speaker B:So that Was hard.
Speaker B:Constantly seeing ads on Instagram for food or whatever.
Speaker B:But the real challenge was the week of.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So what people don't realize is yes, you're going to cut a decent amount of weight.
Speaker B:But the hardest part is that week of.
Speaker B:So that's when you start water loading.
Speaker B:You're drinking 2 plus gallons of water a day.
Speaker B:You're cutting your calories.
Speaker B:Way back on Thursday, I think I still had like 12 pounds to cut, which is pretty normal.
Speaker B:And I had maybe, I think it was like 600 or 800 calories that day, maybe half a liter of water.
Speaker B:And then Friday I had no food, no water, not even a sip all day while sweating in the sauna and putting towels on me and stuff like that and sweats until Friday night at 6pm when weigh in was.
Speaker B:And I was just like a zombie.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:So here's, here's what I'm seeing here.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Earlier you said I'm not a good manager.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:But you did it because you had a why and a deadline.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:You literally had a why and deadline.
Speaker A:You're like, I'm not going to show up in that ring.
Speaker A:Not ready.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And, and I, I had it in my mind that like there is no exceptions.
Speaker B:Like I have to make weight right now my opponent did not.
Speaker B:Unfortunately we still fought.
Speaker B:He was like £4 over.
Speaker B:But in my mind it was like the failure wasn't an option.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And I really take that same mentality to business.
Speaker A:Okay, that's where we're going.
Speaker A:So now like you're talking about you.
Speaker A:Everything you just said you were managing by the numbers.
Speaker A:This many liters of water, as much time doing this, this many calories, this many grams.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And so those same things, how do you, how do you apply those in your business today?
Speaker B:So I mean it's honestly the same concept.
Speaker B:So I know a lot of people are big on the AI nowadays too, right?
Speaker A:Yep.
Speaker B:And sometimes people can go overboard and chase down a rabbit hole with AI.
Speaker B:The main thing I use AI for is if you're familiar with disk, I have a lower C naturally.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So I use AI to help build systems and structure.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So I've used it for one on one agendas.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:But then also we've learned a lot about KPIs through contractor freedom.
Speaker B:So I manage by the numbers, lead by the heart, manage by the numbers.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:We have regular check ins on what their KPIs are supposed to be and what is the activity that fuels those numbers.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Not just busy work, but intentional Activity that is going to result in positive numbers.
Speaker A:Managing by the numbers.
Speaker A:The KPIs so going to change subjects a little bit here for a second, you.
Speaker A:Because this came to my.
Speaker A:My mind.
Speaker A:You recently said to me that you built your business around your life.
Speaker A:It's not quite.
Speaker A:I can't remember the exact words you said, but now you've designed your business in a way that instead of you adapting your life to your business like you maybe did early on, you've now designed your business to give you that.
Speaker A:That time, Right.
Speaker A:Time to train, time for family, things like that.
Speaker A:So how does it feel?
Speaker B:Feels fantastic.
Speaker B:All right.
Speaker B:And like, I'm sure, like, my family appreciate.
Speaker B:Appreciates it a lot, right?
Speaker B:I'm only 31 years old, but, like, I, of course, I am a very driven person and I have aspirations to grow this business through the moon, right?
Speaker B:But what am I doing it for, right?
Speaker B:I'm not just doing it for ego or for pride or.
Speaker B:Look at me, right?
Speaker B:Like, obviously there's something inside of me and, and probably comes from my father that I. I need to work, I need to strive for something, but ultimately, like, I want to do it for freedom.
Speaker B:I want to do it for my family.
Speaker B:I want to be able to take off whenever I want to, Right.
Speaker B:Like, I can remember growing up, my.
Speaker B:My dad made a lot of time, but also a lot of the times he was there at football practices and stuff like that, I'd look over and he's on the phone somewhere, not really watching, right.
Speaker B:I have the opportunity to do something different.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker B:So being able to pick up, like, for example, we had at my daughter's daycare, they had a Father's day little thing.
Speaker B:I mean, she's 2, right?
Speaker B:She may not remember this one day, but my wife texted me about that they were having this coming up.
Speaker B:And at first I was like, yeah, maybe I'll try to make it right.
Speaker B:And then she texted me again about it, and the second time it clicked, it was like, you know what?
Speaker B:No, I need to be there, right?
Speaker B:And I went and I had my phone on.
Speaker B:Well, actually, I keep my phone on silent all the times now, and it's great, but I had my phone on silent and I'm.
Speaker B:I'm at my daughter's daycare spending time with her, and I'm intentional.
Speaker A:And the business didn't fall apart.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker A:The sales step kept rolling in, the jobs kept getting.
Speaker B:I don't honestly know what was going on in my business that day because everything was fine.
Speaker A:Oh, man.
Speaker B:That's great.
Speaker A:So what's, you know, over the last, you know, 12, 24 months?
Speaker A:What's a, a KPI that you're particularly proud of, that you've really improved?
Speaker A:Anything come to mind?
Speaker B:So obviously everybody talks about revenue, but gross profit's important too, and so is net profit.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So if, if you got these crazy revenue numbers, but you're not profiting anything, it really doesn't matter.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Our net profit was pretty rough last year.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Our net profit is still not the most impressive thing in the world.
Speaker B:But this year, I think last year we were like, barely breaking even.
Speaker B:And this year I had a financial audit about a month ago, and we were on track for 12%.
Speaker B:Our gross profit is right around 58.
Speaker B:So it's greatly improved from where it was.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And so, you know, there is a, there is a, A huge one.
Speaker A:There is a focus on revenue.
Speaker A:You're right.
Speaker A:But at the end of the day, it's not all about the money.
Speaker A:It's not all about the money, is it?
Speaker A:No, it's about the, the freedom.
Speaker A:Freedom.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:I mean, would.
Speaker A:Would you rather have, you know, let's just say the, the last 12 months or last six months or whatever you've had, where you've had the freedom, or would you rather have a hundred thousand dollars?
Speaker B:I'd rather have the freedom.
Speaker A:The freedom.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And I've asked countless business owners that going forward, if they could have more money or more time, which one would they choose?
Speaker A:And every single one of them, save one, said that they would rather have time.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Instead of more money.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And that just proves that it's about freedom.
Speaker A:And the guy who said, I want more money, he was just getting started, okay.
Speaker A:He was just getting started and he needed to, he needed to make some more money.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Over the last, say, over the last 12 months, 18 months, what was the hardest thing to implement?
Speaker A:Maybe a system or people.
Speaker A:You did mention earlier some people issues.
Speaker A:But what's been the biggest challenge?
Speaker A:Like, the biggest challenge, you're finally like, okay, we got it.
Speaker A:Because it hasn't been easy.
Speaker B:No, it hasn't.
Speaker B:I mean, honestly, my biggest challenge has been people.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Like, I've gone through a lot of people.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And I've had a lot of great people.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And we've also, I mean, kind of like what you were alluding to earlier, there's been some times where we didn't give the people we brought in the best chance to succeed.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Or we brought in the wrong people.
Speaker B:That's Definitely been the biggest challenge.
Speaker B:I'd say today we're closer than we've ever been.
Speaker B:We still want to bring on a couple little key people now, but I feel like we have a great sales manager right now.
Speaker B:We have a fantastic operations manager right now.
Speaker B:We have some really great salespeople, really great project managers.
Speaker B:Um, and our culture is the best has ever been.
Speaker A:Have you, Matt, have you ever said, I should have waited to hire that new role?
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:Hired right on time.
Speaker A:Every time.
Speaker B:I have often said I probably should have hired that role sooner.
Speaker A:Sooner.
Speaker A:It's typically sooner rather than later.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker B:Much rather hire early than hire late.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Because here's actually something we've been talking about internally is why do you hire in the first place?
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Well, the.
Speaker B:The first reason is, like, your team has little bandwidth and they're overstretched, typically.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And you need to bring someone on to help with whatever responsibilities.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So let's say you're.
Speaker B:You're up here with your stress levels and all that as your team.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Well, when you hire that extra individual to come in and help, you think it's just going to get better.
Speaker B:Like you're going to.
Speaker B:All right, we're good now.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:But that's not reality because you're adding on training someone and you're hoping they're going to work out so it's going to get worse, actually.
Speaker A:Gets worse.
Speaker A:That's right.
Speaker B:Most people don't realize better, and that's only if you hired the right person, you set them up for success.
Speaker B:So we've had some situations where we bring on that extra person to try to help with this overload.
Speaker B:But then we maybe made a wrong hire or didn't set them up for success or both.
Speaker A:Because at that point, you're probably hiring out of maybe a little desperation, right?
Speaker A:Hey, we need help.
Speaker A:We need help.
Speaker B:And we'll say this person is good enough.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I can't tell you how many times looking back in the moment, I may not have realized that that's what I was doing.
Speaker B:But looking back, I realize I was hiring that person because I felt like they could be good enough.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:But you do not want to settle.
Speaker A:For could be good enough, you know, And I did that so many times.
Speaker A:And here's.
Speaker A:Here's the advice I tend to give people now.
Speaker A:Of course, you gotta design the role.
Speaker A:You have to create clarity in the role, and you have to have some matching stuff.
Speaker A:But when you've got this feeling that's, wow, I better not pass this person Up.
Speaker A:That's a completely different feeling than, you know, I think they could do it.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I think I see potential.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And, and that's almost this, that's almost a hopium type of thing.
Speaker A:And of course, we, we want to develop people, we want to train people, we want to help them, but when you really get the right person, like, oh, my gosh, I need to, like, make them an offer right now before someone else does.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Just in the moment.
Speaker A:When we're feeling the pressure of business, we feel like we need to hire.
Speaker A:We've already.
Speaker A:Most, most people are doing their own resume screening, and that is a grind.
Speaker A:I'm just gonna.
Speaker A:It's a grind.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And so it's easy to throw your hands up and say, you know what?
Speaker A:This person's good enough.
Speaker A:I think they can do it.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And that it rarely, rarely, rarely works out well at that point.
Speaker A:So, you know, Matt, what would, you know, what would you say to that million dollar contractor who, who's looking at you right now going, you got five sales reps, a production team, a call center.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:And you're not, by the way, Matt doesn't work on Saturdays anymore.
Speaker B:No, I do not work weekends.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker B:Unless I want to work on something that is, like, more strategic.
Speaker A:Designed his, his business around his life.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:What would you say to those guys that are grinding it out every day going home spent giving their family their leftovers?
Speaker A:What would you say to them?
Speaker B:I'd say, buckle up first.
Speaker B:But.
Speaker B:No, but for real, I would say, don't get content and what you've been doing and constantly seek out the information for the people that are ahead of you.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Because I'm not happy with where I'm at.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Like, yes, if I was in that spot at that million dollars still, and looking at where I'm at today, I'd be like, oh, my God, I've made it Right.
Speaker B:But now I'm in this position.
Speaker B:And yes, I am very happy and blessed to be where I'm at.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And it's so much better than where I was.
Speaker B:But I want more.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:And not just more money, but more, more money, more impact on my community, more impact for my employees, more freedom and impact for my family.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So I'm continuing to chase my peers and people like yourself that are ahead of me.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And that have figured it out and done some amazing things in their business.
Speaker B:And it goes back to what I learned in recovery.
Speaker B:You go after the people that want what you have.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And so I chase people like you Right.
Speaker B:Not only do you have a very successful business, but you have very successful team culture and you have very successful family.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And those relationships mean a lot to me.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Like, I want to make an impact on my employees.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I want to spend and have meaningful, intentional relationships with my family.
Speaker B:Not just that distance.
Speaker B:Yeah, right.
Speaker B:That absence, even if you're there.
Speaker B:And I've had some of my employees shed happy tears in my office.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Because they clarify that.
Speaker A:Happy tears.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Because they've been in toxic workplaces in the past, and they've said, this is different.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I had my operations manager in an interview, basically selling to an interviewee saying, matt has delivered on every promise he's given me.
Speaker B:I had apprehension that.
Speaker B:I had apprehension coming here, and.
Speaker B:And it was a risk for me, and I was scared to come here, but he delivered on everything he promised.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:That's big.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker A:And that's big.
Speaker B:That made me feel something.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's big.
Speaker A:That's big.
Speaker A:I love that.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:Hey, guys.
Speaker A:Listening.
Speaker A:If you want to do what Matt did.
Speaker A:Look, Matt's a smart guy, okay?
Speaker A:He's a smart guy.
Speaker A:He's a motivated guy, but he and I, we're just like you, you know?
Speaker A:And listen, if you want to do what he did.
Speaker A:I want to.
Speaker A:I want to challenge you.
Speaker A:Go to Contractor Playbook and get your freedom score.
Speaker A:And if you want to get plugged into the community, Matt's all over Facebook and Instagram.
Speaker A:Get plugged into the community.
Speaker A:Join, you know, share this with someone.
Speaker A:Come.
Speaker A:Come to one of our events.
Speaker A:You apply for a coaching program, but get connected.
Speaker A:If you want to do what what these other guys are doing, you need to get plugged in in the community and build a better future with greater freedom, purpose, and impact.
Speaker A:So, Matt, man.
Speaker A:Dude, thank you.
Speaker A:And by the way, we're.
Speaker B:We're.
Speaker A:We're going to kick off an amazing sales boot camp in the morning.
Speaker A:And you brought your sales manager.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:It's not just Matt.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So Matt didn't even have to be here.
Speaker B:And one of my sales reps. And.
Speaker A:One of your sales reps. Oh, my gosh.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's right.
Speaker A:Fantastic.
Speaker A:Thanks, man.
Speaker A:Thanks for sharing today.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:All right.
Speaker A:God bless you guys.
Speaker A:If today's episode helped you, don't do this journey alone.
Speaker A:Join thousands of other contractors inside the Contractor Freedom Community at contractor freedom live.com and start building the business, the team, and the life you really want.
Speaker A:We'll see you next time.
