Tony started in construction as a teenage union laborer. Less than a decade ago he launched BIG Construction, and today his company is tracking toward nine figures in annual revenue.

In this powerful episode, Tony Iannessa, Founder and CEO of BIG Construction, joins host Ryan Englin to break down how blue collar leaders can create a legacy business and help solve the trades labor crisis for good.

Tony shares his journey from jobsite to executive suite, why construction doesn’t have a hiring problem (it has a marketing problem), and how leaders can make bold moves that attract the next generation of top performers.

Whether you’re a general contractor, construction executive, or trades business owner looking to grow, this episode is packed with vision and real tactics. It’s a masterclass on building culture, brand, and people in the construction world.

Key Takeaways

• [00:54] Tony’s roots: from laborer at 18 to leading a construction company.
• [03:00] BIG Construction’s growth to $100M+ in under 10 years.
• [05:20] Bridging the office-field divide: why empathy and exposure matter.
• [10:43] Why parents (not kids) are the real decision-makers for trade careers.
• [12:21] From Legos to labor: turning childhood curiosity into careers.
• [14:26] Google, NVIDIA & the trades: tech giants are waking up.
• [15:45] Does “Dirty Jobs” branding hurt the industry’s image?
• [18:28] From logic to emotion: why trades need better storytelling.

Connect With Tony:

Website: https://www.buildbig.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-iannessa-018b994/

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

Fred breaks down how AI can plug profit leaks across dozens of everyday processes, from scheduling to job prep to notes to collections. You will also hear how AI can improve the technician experience, reduce turnover, and help owners lead better because they are not stuck in spreadsheets all day.

If you run a construction or specialty trades business, this episode will challenge your thinking, and it will give you a clearer picture of what to do next.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why AI is not replacing the trades, but it is changing how trade companies operate.
• How “AI-first” can raise margins by reducing process leakage across the business.
• What extreme change management looks like, and why you may not get a second chance.
• How AI tools can help you retain techs by improving communication, training, and job fit.
• Why leadership and communication become even more valuable in an AI-driven construction company.

Takeaways

• 00:00 — Why AI is already impacting construction, and why ignoring it is a risky bet.
• 03:27 — Fred’s claim: AI may be the biggest productivity leap in human history, and it is accelerating fast.
• 05:37 — The key difference between AI and past innovations like electricity: you can use AI immediately, and at scale.
• 09:05 — “AI won’t hurt the trades” is incomplete, because it will reshape the office and the field workflows.
• 10:58 — The trades run on thin margins, and Fred explains how process “leakage” keeps many contractors stuck around 6%.
• 12:44 — How AI can help get the right tech to the right job, with the right parts, and the right info.
• 16:01 — Why leadership and communication matter more in an AI-first construction business.
• 22:21 — The SEO and content example: fewer people can produce far more output, but only if quality control stays strong.
• 24:59 — “Garbage in, garbage out” means your team must learn how to give AI better inputs.
• 39:10 — Extreme change management: a nine-month head start with AI can become an uncatchable lead for competitors.

Connect With Fred:

Website: https://www.simprogroup.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fred-voccola/

Support Titans of the Trades:

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If you’ve ever been burned by hiring a “sales superstar” who fizzled out fast, this episode is for you. Ryan Englin sits down with Brian Hurd, SVP at Cardinal Financial, to uncover the secrets to hiring and motivating top-tier salespeople in the construction and building industries.

Brian shares his journey from swinging a hammer to scaling national sales teams, and how that unique background gives him a sharp edge in knowing what makes salespeople tick. You’ll learn how to spot the hungry go-getters, what comp plans actually motivate top producers, and why investing in personal development can be the key to retention in a high-turnover world.

Oh, and if you think the labor shortage is your biggest hiring problem? Think again. This one goes deep into the housing market’s impact on your workforce and why fixing the affordable housing crisis may be part of your long-term hiring solution.

Episode Takeaways:

• [00:52] Brian’s background growing up in the trades and how it shaped his sales leadership style.
• [02:39] How a global pandemic changed the game for worker expectations and why that matters now more than ever.
• [04:50] Identifying go-getter sales talent and building comp plans that attract them.
• [06:36] Why top salespeople all want different things, and how to coach each type effectively.
• [08:12] The one thing today’s workforce values more than money (and most employers ignore it).
• [09:42] Why your existing team needs training more than you need to hire someone new.
• [16:12] Understanding your team’s financial stress.
• [21:23] How the housing crisis is impacting workforce stability, especially under $30/hr.
• [24:31] Breaking the stigma of manufactured housing and helping your workforce build wealth.
• [28:00] Real talk: Do you know your employees’ 5-year personal goals?

Connect With Brian:

Website: https://www.cardinalfinancial.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-hurd-a0892a83/

Support Titans of the Trades:

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

What you’ll learn:

• How to “trap” yourself into working on the business.
• The right way to promote top technicians into leadership.
• A simple rule for when to add your next truck.
• Why construction leadership depends on in-house apprenticeship.
• Marketing moves that beat the yellow pages mindset.
• How to attract Gen Z with training, mentoring, and modern channels.
• A practical path to franchising, systems, and culture.

Takeaways With Timestamps

• 00:00 — From plumber to franchisor: Matt’s vision and why thinking bigger changed his career.
• 01:41 — Forced out of the truck: how early hiring “trapped” him into working on the business.
• 02:39 — The franchise spark: a golf course talk with a franchise attorney that shifted his model.
• 03:06 — Always be recruiting: why he spends 30–60 minutes a day finding future leaders.
• 05:38 — Ditch lazy marketing: missing the yellow pages pushed him toward real community building.
• 06:34 — The two-hour rule: if you can’t dispatch in two hours, it is time to add a plumber or a truck.
• 14:19 — Training gaps: why national standards lag, and what he built in-house to fix it.
• 15:54 — Private-sector apprenticeship: why every construction business must own this.
• 20:41 — The first domino: early mornings, time blocks, ride-alongs, and “trust, but verify.”
• 21:39 — Culture beats chaos: lead by example so decisions get made without you.

Connect With Matt:

Website: https://www.zplumberz.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-o-rourke-a835459/

Support Titans of the Trades:

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What does it take to build a 90-person steel erection team that actually wants to come to work? In this episode, Ryan Englin sits down with Scott Sappington, CEO of Pro Steel Erectors, to unpack the construction leadership practices behind three decades of steady growth in Arizona.

Scott shares how a $500 start and two credit cards turned into thousands of projects, why his crews rarely travel, and how firm core values shape daily field decisions. You’ll hear real examples of foreman training, safety standards that actually stick, and a “work to live” policy that keeps families first.

If you lead a construction company and want better retention, stronger foremen, and a people-first culture, this one’s for you.

Takeaways

• 03:39 - Why Scott caps growth to stay local and keep crews home with their families.
• 04:46 - Inside the culture: monthly training and a new foreman program led by Scott.
• 07:33 - Core values at work.
• 09:04 - Hard talks without losing people: the simple way Scott equips leaders.
• 10:00 - Policy by participation: foremen help set the rules they follow.
• 13:42 - The “$5,000 rule”: why Scott lets leaders test ideas and learn fast.
• 16:27 - Treat them like family: how listening builds real loyalty.
• 20:51 - “We work to live”: scheduling limits that protect work-life balance.
• 23:57 - When employees become competitors and why Scott cheers them on.

Connect With Scott:

Website: https://prosteelerectors.net/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-sappington-4972ab42/

Support Titans of the Trades:

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In this episode of Titans of the Trades, Ryan Englin sits down with Caleb Roth, Founder & CEO of Restorative Industries and the soon-to-launch Stain & Seal Experts franchise. Caleb walks you through the real-world journey of scaling a blue-collar service business, integrating products, and systematizing operations so the business no longer needs you. If you’re a trades leader asking, “How do I make my business run without me?” this is your roadmap.

You’ll hear:

• Why Caleb moved from staining fences on weekends to creating his own stain formula.
• How he reverse-engineered his service into a teachable, repeatable system.
• The core values that guide hiring, accountability, and culture.
• What he’s learned about margins, finances, and leadership along the way.
• The emotional challenge many founders face when stepping back and how to overcome it.

Listen in and take notes. This episode is packed with lessons you can apply immediately in your construction or trade business.

Takeaways with Time Stamps

• 2:10 – Caleb’s origin story: starting a side staining business from a fencing background.
• 6:15 – Why he pivoted to making his own stains and how that opened doors.
• 9:30 – The mindset behind vertical integration and controlling quality.
• 13:50 – From six core values down to three. Discovering what truly drives culture.
• 17:45 – How focusing on “values, not behaviors” changed accountability.
• 21:20 – What “Stain & Seal University” is and why it’s more than a conference.
• 22:50 - A surprising lesson many contractors don’t recognize: margin matters.
• 29:00 - The emotional cost when your business no longer needs you and how to navigate it.
• 32:00 – The role of long-term planning when scaling beyond your “do-er” self.

Connect With Caleb:

Website: https://restorativeindustries.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caleb-roth-00450757/

Support Titans of the Trades:

If you found this episode insightful, please subscribe, share, and leave a review for Titans of the Trades. Your support goes a long way in helping us bring more impactful discussions your way.

Feeling like there’s never enough time in your day? Still running your construction or service business with sticky notes, spreadsheets, and endless phone tag?

In this episode of Titans of the Trades, host Ryan Englin sits down with Sam Pillar, CEO of Jobber, a software platform that’s helping over 300,000 home service pros grow and reclaim their time. From that first customer with a lawnmower hanging out the trunk to managing over 10,000 jobs booked through AI receptionists, Jobber is making massive waves in the field service industry.

Listen in as Sam shares:

• The early days of Jobber and the big problem they set out to solve.
• How AI, automation, and modern tools are changing the game for blue-collar entrepreneurs.
• The #1 barrier to growth for trades businesses and how to fix it.
• Why investing in leadership skills matters as much as investing in tools.
• The emotional toll of “letting go” when your business starts running without you.

If you’re a construction or trades leader looking to grow your business without burning out, this episode is a must-listen.

Takeaways with Time Stamps

• 1:30 - Why a small electrical contractor sparked the idea for Jobber.
• 3:15 - The harsh truth: big software companies weren’t built for small business.
• 5:45 – Jobber’s new AI-powered features that help small teams scale faster.
• 7:50 - Real impact: 200,000+ AI receptionist conversations, 10,000+ jobs booked.
• 8:50 – The biggest barrier to growth for small contracting businesses.
• 13:30 – A lawnmower in the trunk to 7 trucks: the $MM story Jobber helped build.
• 16:50 - You don’t have to sacrifice family for business success.
• 20:10 – What happens when the business depends on people you don’t trust yet.
• 24:20 – The mindset shift: From “no one can do it like me” to “they can do it better.”
• 27:30 – Where to find Jobber’s free tools, business graders, and industry insights.

Connect With Sam:

Website: https://www.getjobber.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sampillar/

Jobber Tools: https://www.getjobber.com/free-tools/

Jobber Blueprint: https://www.getjobber.com/blueprint/

Jobber Home Service Community: https://community.getjobber.com/

Support Titans of the Trades:

If you found this episode insightful, please subscribe, share, and leave a review for Titans of the Trades. Your support goes a long way in helping us bring more impactful discussions your way.

If you’ve ever lost a bid, missed a spec, or wished you could clone your best estimator, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Titans of the Trades, host Ryan Englin interviews Patrick E. Murphy, Founder & CEO at Togal.AI. Raised in one of Florida’s largest construction companies and a former U.S. Congressman, Patrick brings a fresh perspective to construction’s most persistent challenge: the time-consuming, error-prone estimating process.

Now he’s built Togal.AI, a cutting-edge platform that uses AI to automate takeoffs, spot missed scope items, and support junior estimators in bidding more work, more accurately and faster than ever before.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What sparked the idea for Togal and why Patrick left politics for construction tech.
• Why takeoffs are the biggest overhead cost in pre-construction.
• How AI is helping small contractors compete with the big guys.
• What AI in construction will look like in 5 years and why it’s closer than you think.
• Why the next generation of estimators is excited to work with AI (and how to recruit them).

Plus, don’t miss Patrick’s exclusive 20% discount offer for Titans of the Trades listeners!

Takeaways with Time Stamps

• 1:05 - Patrick’s journey from family construction to politics and back to construction tech.
• 5:00 - The moment Patrick realized estimating was the biggest cost in pre-con.
• 7:15 - What Togal.AI does: instant, AI-powered takeoffs with 97%+ accuracy.
• 9:20 – Why estimators aren’t going away, but AI makes them more valuable.
• 10:40 - How a small painting contractor used Togal to grow 40%.
• 11:50 – The “Total Chat” feature that saved a painter $250,000 on one job.
• 14:45 - Estimators can now auto-build material assemblies with one click.
• 18:30 – Patrick’s 5-year prediction: full project plans generated from a single prompt.
• 21:00 - Why AI is making estimating attractive to younger generations again.

Connect With Patrick:

Website: https://www.togal.ai/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-e-murphy-79318832b/

Support Titans of the Trades:

If you found this episode insightful, please subscribe, share, and leave a review for Titans of the Trades. Your support goes a long way in helping us bring more impactful discussions your way.