Blue Collar Proud Show

Last Show of 2018 On our 158th episode of the BCP Show, we recap our 2018 as well as the three-year history of the podcast as a whole. We also have a special announcement! In an effort to narrow our focus and to shift the podcast to a “quality over quantity” approach, we will be discontinuing our normal weekly schedule. We want to say thank you to all of our subscribers, and we hope to see you again whenever we post a new episode! This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander. Close more business with practically no effort! Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Take a listen to our very first episode featuring Mark Stoner What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

Merry Christmas! “The courage of leadership is giving others the chance to succeed even though you bear the responsibility for getting things done” – Simon Sinek. Today on our special Christmas episode of the Blue Collar Proud Show, we talk about the true meaning of leadership–the most important gift leaders can give their team is teaching them how to lead. The reason you’re a leader is so you can help others step up and be leaders too. This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander. Close more business with practically no effort! Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Christmas 2016 What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

Jargon “Have you ever lost a sales opportunity because of the jargon you use?” Today on the BCP Show we talk to Tim Reed about communicating with customers, as well as making sure your team knows how to communicate with customers. Be intentional in your speech, so that simplifying your knowledge base can facilitate any potential sale. This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander. Close more business with practically no effort! Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Tim Reed |086|116|118|122|136 What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

Quick Response to Customers Today on the show we talk to Trevor Flannigan from Home Service Chats about the importance of immediacy when responding to customers. Quick customer engagement is a valuable part of the “speed-to-lead” business strategy. If you can wow your customers at every step, the customer is likely to spend more and spend again.  This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander. Close more business with practically no effort! Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Trevor Flannigan | Home Service Chats| Good leadership isn’t just part of business|Value of Trying New Things What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

Tech Focused People Skills Today on the BCP Show we talk to Brandi Biswell about training your technicians to develop better people skills. Having your techs learn from day one is a must. If you let your new hires work along side the employees with the best people skills, it can help them adapt to a more personal style suitable for a service business. Another training technique includes roleplaying, so that your technicians can simulate real life person-to-person situations. This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander. Close more business with practically no effort! Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Brandi Biswell | Firing Customers What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

Thanksgiving Episode “In our daily lives, we must see that is is not happiness that makes us grateful, but the gratefulness that makes us happy.” Today on the BCP Show we talk about how taking a minute to reflect on life can impact your life and business. Even the not so great moments give us opportunities to learn, and gratefulness can make you a better leader! This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander. Close more business with practically no effort! Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Thanksgiving episodes|49| What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

Make Time to Grow "If there's one thing you need to grow your business, it's intentionality." Today on the show we talk to Tim Reed about the importance of setting aside time for business growth. With only twenty-four hours in a day, you may think you don't have the time to reach the next step for your company. But if you learn to manage what you do within the time that you have, you will be able to free up your day for learning and innovation. This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander. Close more business with practically no effort! Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Tim Reed |086|116|118|122|136 What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

Office Management "In any service business, the office manager is one of the most critical people to get right" Today on the show we talk to Brandi Biswell about the importance of your company's office manager. Having the right person managing your business will be the catalyst for controlled growth and healthy profits. A good manager has to know which lever to pull: when to hold somebody's hand, and when to let them go. This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander. Close more business with practically no effort! Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Brandi Biswell | Firing Customers What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

Customer for Life "If you sell something, you make a customer today. If you help someone, you make a customer for life." Today on the show, we talk to Alan Rush about how building relationships with customers can help increase the bottom line for your business. Even if it's not the "big job," growing a base of trusting customers can help offset the on-again-off-again challenges of a seasonal business. This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander, the app that helps you close more business with practically no effort. Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Alan Rush|131|132|RushProfits.com - get a free consultation! What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! If you need online marketing services built for contractors and home services businesses, we'd love to talk. Head over to sparkmarketer.com to learn more. Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

The New Flat Rate Today on the show we talk to father-daughter team, Rodney Koop and Danielle Putnam, of The New Flat Rate. We cover everything from their early days in business and the importance of letting go so you can grow to the different ways family members remember the same story. Plus, you'll hear all about menu pricing systems for contractors and how they can eliminate your reliance on technicians to sell/upsell. You won't want to miss this one. This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander, the app that helps you close more business with practically no effort. Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Rodney Koop & Danielle Putnam | The New Flat Rate What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! If you need online marketing services built for contractors and home services businesses, we'd love to talk. Head over to sparkmarketer.com to learn more. Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

The Value of Trying New Things “It’s really hard to recognize failure if you’re so busy recognizing what you’ve achieved.” Today on the show we talk to Trevor Flannigan from Home Service Chats about the importance of learning from your business failures and applying what you learn toward positive business growth. Don’t let the fear of failure keep your business from reaching its full potential. This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander. Close more business with practically no effort! Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Trevor Flannigan | Home Service Chats| Good leadership isn’t just part of business What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

Firing Customers "When you're first talking to a customer in the sales process, one of your jobs is to ensure this becomes a good fit for your entire team." Today on the show we talk to Brandi Biswell about firing customers when things go wrong. Learn how discussing your company's core values with a potential customer can help set expectations before your working relationship begins. This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander. Close more business with practically no effort! Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Brandi Biswell | Women in Blue Collar Trades What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

Tracking and measuring "When performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and reported back, the rate of improvement accelerates." - Pearson's Law. Check out the final installment in our series with Danny Kerr of Breakthrough Academy. Today we're talking about budgeting. Be sure to check out our other episodes on time management and hiring! This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander. Close more business with practically no effort! Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Get BTA's free download for BCP listeners; code: PROFIT08 Interested in BTA's coaching options? Check them out here. What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

Your team determines your traction We hear from almost every company we talk to that hiring is their biggest problem, but no one seems to be dedicating time to recruitment and instead they're just hoping for the best with some Craigslist ads. Before anything else, set aside real time to dedicate to real recruitment. To learn the next steps, check out today's conversation with Danny Kerr of Breakthrough Academy. He'll be back again next week for a conversation on budgeting. This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander. Close more business with practically no effort! Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Get BTA's free download for BCP listeners; code: HIRING08 Interested in BTA's coaching options? Check them out here. What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

Do you have a growth plan? A lot of business owners wing it as they go along and that works up to a point. But a truly successful business doesn't happen by chance, it's the result of an intentional growth plan. Today we talk to Danny Kerr of Breakthrough Academy about the essential skill of time management and how it contributes to a business's success and growth. Check in again next week for our continued conversation with Danny about hiring, and again the next week for our last installment on budgeting! This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander. Close more business with practically no effort! Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Get BTA's free download for BCP listeners; code: TIME08 Interested in BTA's coaching options? Check them out here. What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

Using Your Business to Give Back Today on the show Carter and Taylor talk about the importance of using your business to give back. Not only does participating in your community's charitable endeavors make you feel good about what you're doing, but it's a great culture-building opportunity for your team and it can have positive business benefits, too. Plumbers Without Borders | Warrior Horse | Sweep Away Cancer - Shop for a Cure What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing. This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander. Close more business with practically no effort! Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount!

Saving a Toxic Culture Is your culture driving employees and customers away? Today we talk to Hope Stevenson about how to prevent a culture from getting out of control and salvaging a culture that has turned toxic. Creating and sticking to core values, being open and honest with yourself and your employees, and holding yourself accountable is just the beginning! This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander. Close more business with practically no effort! Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Hope Stevenson | 111 | 127 What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

Bracing for the Busy Season Most service businesses have some level of seasonality that owners need to negotiate. Today we’re talking to Chuck Roydhouse of The Roydhouse Effect about how to best prepare for the busy season and be proactive rather than reactive. Listen in to find out the keys to being ready to embrace the flood, manage the workload, and even out the feast and famine cycle. This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander! Close more business with practically no effort! Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Chuck Roydhouse | The Roydhouse Effect | How to Prepare for the Slow Season What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

Branding & Promotional Strategies That Actually Work Branding is so much more than just coming up with a catchy company name. Companies have to think bigger than having just a single logo and a handful of business cards. Check out what Kimble Bosworth, our resident brandmom, has to say about branding and promotional strategies that actually work! This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander! Close more business with practically no effort! Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Kimble Bosworth | Proforma Printelligence What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

Be smart enough to get out of your own way! Get out of your own way! Past failures, comparison culture, and failure to implement can keep business owners stuck in their ruts. Tune into today’s episode with Jerry Isenhour to find out how to get out of the weeds and get back to what you do best. This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander! Close more business with practically no effort! Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Shout out to John Ceaser of Ceaser Chimney! Thanks for your review of Closing Commander — we’re so glad it’s working out for you! Jerry Isenhour | CVC Coaching John Maxwell’s Failing Forward What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

Good leadership isn't just part of business - it's the whole game! If you aren't actively curating your culture, it's left to run wild on its own. Ignoring your leadership duties can ruin your company in the end, just like poor operations or uninformed bookkeeping decisions. Today on the show we talk to Trevor Flannigan about his booming chat service business and how monitoring the company culture is contributing to his success. What steps are you taking to make sure you have an active, positive role in your company's culture and your business overall? This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander! Close more business with practically no effort! Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Shout out to Jeff of CinderBox Chimney! Thanks for your review of Closing Commander — we’re so glad it’s working out for you! Trevor Flannigan | Home Service Chats  What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

How to have culture-building events that don't suck Are you taking the time to bond with your team? Jasper Drengler joins us today to talk about a very unique culture-building experience he had with his team. Not every culture-building opportunity has to be quite so extravagant, though. Carter and Taylor review some low-effort, high-return social events they have with their own crew. What do you do with your team for fun? Let us know in the BCP Facebook group! This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander! Close more business with practically no effort! Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Shout out to John Ceaser of Ceaser Chimney! Thanks for your review of Closing Commander -- we're so glad it's working out for you! Jasper Drengler NCSG President | Chimney Mechanix | Drengler Racing | Detroit Gambler 500 What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

Communication is Worth More Than You Think Are you communicating thoroughly with your customers? With your employees? With your business partners? Tim Reed joins us in the studio today to talk about the real money value of communication and how it may be unknowingly affecting your bottom line and customer lifetime value. This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander! Close more business with practically no effort! Get 1 month free with our special BCP discount! Tim Reed|086|116|118|122 www.itsfiretime.com Fireside Home Solutions Keep up with Tim on Instagram @firesidetim & grab his FREE ebook, The Roadmap to Success Keep an eye out for the launch of Tim’s podcast, It’s Fire Time What do you think about today’s discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing.

The Recipe For Growing Your Business Growing your business takes vision, but it also takes great leadership, great culture, and a great mindset. Are you looking for the secret to growing your business and having the life that you want? Listen up because our guest, Mark Stoner, is sharing the recipe that gave him the good life. This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander! Automate your sales follow up process and watch the money roll in. Get your first month FREE by signing up right here! Mark Stoner 001|026|120 is our guest today. He's the man behind Ashbusters, SirVent, and Blue Collar Gold University, and the author of Blue Collar Gold: How to Build a Service Business from the Dirt Up. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership - John Maxwell What do you think about today's discussion? Let us know over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. We'd love to hear what you think of the show. Head to our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Download the FREE BCP Show app if you haven't already so you don't miss a thing. Connect with us Facebook|Twitter|Instagram

Women in Blue Collar Businesses Are you giving women the same consideration as men when hiring? So many companies discount female technicians in blue collar trade industries, but check out our interview with Brandi Biswell and find out why this half of the population can be a valuable asset to your company, especially in a technical capacity. Drumroll please......This episode is brought to you by Closing Commander! Automate your sales follow up process and watch the money roll in. Get your first month free by signing up right here! Brandi Biswell is our guest this week. She and her husband own Fluesbrothers in Kansas City All-women mechanic's company And their sister company salon! Do you agree or disagree with our stance today? Let us know in the BCP Proud Nation Facebook Group! Have some feedback for us? Find our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know what you think. Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Don’t forget to download the free BCP Show app. You’ll never miss bonus content, episodes, or special offers.

Are you celebrating the small things? We all know to celebrate the big things - big business milestones, new clients, new trucks - but are you encouraging your team to celebrate the small things, too? Each well-done job should be celebrated, all the good hires, and each the this-day-just-went-well. Not only do you get the warm and fuzzies, according to *science* you'll actually be more successful in the long run if you're celebrating the small wins along the way. Are you celebrating the small stuff? Tell us how! We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to iTunes and leave us a review! Get the FREE BCP Show app and never miss a thing. Join us over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group – we’ll let you right in. Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter

Closing Commander Special Episode Welcome to today's special episode featuring Closing Commander, a new system designed to help you close more business with less effort. Follow along (visuals here) to learn how the Rule of Seven Touches can make or break your bottom line. Be sure to stick around until the end to learn how BCP listeners can take advantage of a special offer. After years of working with home service businesses through Spark Marketer, we've realized what an ongoing problem follow up can be. No one seems to have the time to manually follow up with their sales contacts, and every incomplete follow up is money leaking out of your business. Enter, Closing Commander. Designed to automate the follow up process for you, see how much money you could be saving! Interested in seeing what a difference Closing Commander can make for your company? Check out the ONE MONTH FREE special offer for BCP listeners today.

Closing the Gaps in Your Sales Training We've covered how important it is to have standardized operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure a smooth and productive system, but are you applying that standard to your sales process, too? Let's hear what Alan has to say about the importance of systemizing your sales process from the initial quote through the invoice. Time tracking options: Toggl, TrackingTime, Harvest, and more! Did you miss part 1 with Alan? Check it out here! RushProfits.com – get a free consultation! We’d love to hear what you think of the show. Head to iTunes and leave us a review! Get the FREE BCP Show app and never miss a thing. Join us over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group – we’ll let you right in. Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter  

Sales Training Is About So Much More Than Meeting Quotas Is your sales approach about tricking customers into spending as much money as possible with you, or truly helping them? Sales isn't just about meeting quotas, it's about helping your customers solve their problems. If you do what you can to really reach out and help, you'll find more people want to have that sales conversation with you. Stay tuned for part two on how to really dig into your operations to add some finesse to your sales technique! RushProfits.com - get a free consultation! We'd love to hear what you think of the show. Head to iTunes and leave us a review! Get the FREE BCP Show app and never miss a thing. Join us over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group - we'll let you right in. Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter

Calling All Electricians IDEAL Electrical, titan of the electrician world, is hosting their national competition in Disney World this December. Do you have what it takes to beat the rest and show them who's the best? IDEAL Electrical | Competition details  Hosting an event and need speakers? Check out our speaking page!  Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love  Don't forget to download the free BCP Show app. You'll never miss bonus content, episodes, or special offers. Join us in the BCP Nation Facebook Group Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter

From Managers to Leaders What's the difference between management and leadership? Find out the finer points of both management and leadership from our guest this week, Kenny Chapman. There are so many benefits to realizing the key differences between both aspects of being a business owner, and learning in which areas you and others on your team can really shine. Kenny Chapman Blue Collar Success Group | 126 * Free gift * Text the word SECRET to 480-842-5337 to get Kenny's 4-hour program on sales, service, and communication. Have some feedback for us? Find our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know what you think. Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love  Don’t forget to download the free BCP Show app. You’ll never miss bonus content, episodes, or special offers. Join us in the BCP Nation Facebook Group Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter

Getting Your Techs Field Ready Today on the BCP Show we talk with Chuck Roydhouse. Setting your techs up for success in the field goes beyond technical training - it requires systems and organization. In our opinion, there's no better person to talk to about systems, organization, and what's needed to get techs field ready than the master, Chuck Roydhouse. Chuck Roydhouse 011|112|119 Clean Sweep of Anne Arundel County|Roydhouse Effect We gotta thank Jerry Isenhour from CVC Coaching for hounding us about systems. You're a life saver! Keith from Toronto, thanks for the call - I really enjoyed chatting with you! Have some feedback for us? Find our show page in the iTunes podcast app and let us know what you think. Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love  Don't forget to download the free BCP Show app. You'll never miss bonus content, episodes, or special offers. Join us in the BCP Nation Facebook Group Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter

Is Your Culture Hurting Or Helping? Today on the BCP Show we talk with Hope Stevenson. Culture is one of the most defining aspects of your business, but many business owners either overlook it or carelessly cultivate it. So what are the real benefits of intentionally creating and safeguarding your culture and how do you hire the right people for the culture you want? Let's talk to Hope to find out. Hope Stevenson 003|068|111 Reach out to Hope at hope@dpstconsulting.com Your Reactions Are Showing - J. Allan Petersen We'd love to hear what you think of the show. Head to iTunes and leave us a review! Get the FREE BCP Show app and never miss a thing. Join us over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group - we'll let you right in. Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter

What's In Your Library? Today on the BCP Show we talk with Kenny Chapman. One of the many things we have in common with Kenny, a regular on the BCP Show, is that we believe readers are leaders. There's so much you can glean from the aha! moments, mistakes, and lessons of other business owners, but if you don't make time to read (or listen, thanks to audiobooks!), you're missing out on a wealth of knowledge. Listen up as we go through some of Kenny's top reading recommendations. Kenny Chapman 021|052 The Blue Collar Success Group 10 Books: The Slight Edge - Jeff Olson The Compound Effect - Darren Hardy The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz Who Moved My Cheese? - Spencer Johnson The Power of Habit - Charles Duhigg Awaken The Giant Within - Tony Robbins Driven - Douglas Brackmann PhD & Randy Kelley Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion - Robert B. Cialdini How to Win Friends & Influence People - Dale Carnegie In-Home Sales Acceleration Kenny Chapman Show Notes: Plumber Magazine leadership article  The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership - John Maxwell Join the conversation over in the BCP Nation Facebook GroupLet us know what you think of the show in iTunes Don't miss any bonus content or special offers - get the FREE BCP Show app Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter

Financial Basics: Part 2 Today on the BCP Show we talk with Ellen Rohr. Ellen's back for Financial Basics: Part 2 and this week she's talking about cashflow, debt, tax season, how and why you should involve your front line people in the financial side of things, and more. If you haven't listened to last week's episode, be sure to check it out. Ellen Rohr |002|016|036|102|124 Zoom Drain For more great advice from Ellen, check out Where Did the Money Go? Accounting Basics for the Business Owner Who Wants to Get Profitable, as well as her many other great business books and resources at ellenrohr.com Our app, Closing Commander, won the Pete Luter Innovation Award for "Best New Product for Chimney Professionals" at this year's NCSG! Learn more about the app and the problems it can solve in your business at closingcommander.com If you haven't yet read the Financial Health chapter of Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles For Build A Kickass Business You Love, do it! We'd love to hear your thoughts on the BCP Show. If you have a second, please leave us a review in iTunes or the Google Play store. Thanks for the kind words Elizabeth Guy - we're glad you enjoyed the book! Don't forget to check out Closing Commander - you can even try it FREE for 14 days! Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter

Financial Basics: Part 1 Today on the BCP Show we talk with Ellen Rohr. Ellen is always a lot of fun, and today's no different. In this episode, she's going to be talking about the numbers you need to know and understand if you want to win at the game of business. So listen up as Ellen talks financial basics, and shows us that numbers don't have to be intimidating, they can be empowering. Ellen Rohr |002|016|036|102 The Great Game of Business For more from Ellen, including her book, Where Did the Money Go? Accounting Basics for the Business Owner Who Wants to Get Profitable, head to ellenrohr.com Check out the financial health chapter of our book, Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love  Get the FREE BCP Show app for show notes, bonus content, and more Check out Tersh Blissett's podcast, Service Business Mastery  Join us over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group! Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter

What Marketing Is & Isn't Today on the BCP Show we talk with Tom Smodic. Tom is the Operations Manager at Spark Marketer, our marketing agency for service contractors, and today he’s here to talk about what marketing is and isn’t, and what it can and can’t do for your business. Tom Smodic | 110 Want to keep up with us as we travel? Download the FREE BCP Show app and check out the Events tab. If you're around when and where we are, we'd love to meet up with you! Head to the BCP Nation Facebook Group to hang out with a lot of other great business owners. We'll let you right in.

Allocating & Tracking Marketing Dollars Today on the BCP Show we talk with Tim Reed. The options for marketing your business are virtually limitless today, but throwing dollars into different marketing avenues without evaluating and tracking results is a great way to waste money. If your marketing strategy is to "spray & pray," listen up because Tim's going to give you some tips on how to more effectively choose where you're investing your marketing dollars and what/how to track so you can get more out of each dollar invested. Tim Reed|086|116|118 www.itsfiretime.com Fireside Home Solutions Keep up with Tim on Instagram @firesidetim & grab his FREE ebook, The Roadmap to Success Keep an eye out for the launch of Tim's podcast, It's Fire Time The Spark Review Engine™ Sparkmarketer.com Carter's lonely and sad. Make his day by leaving us a review in iTunes :) Don't forget to grab our book, Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love on Amazon Join us over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter

Why Your Credit Score Matters Today on the BCP Show we talk with Patty Lawrence. As business owners, our relationships with credit can greatly impact our options and the financial health of our businesses. But what's the healthiest way to think of credit and how much does credit really matter? Who better to give us the rundown than CFO and co-founder of TurboExecs, Patty Lawrence? Patty Lawrence|089 TurboExecs Reach out to Patty at patty@turboexecs.com or (717) 925-3270 We highly recommend that you check your credit report at least once a year. Here are a few websites that provide credit reports for free: Free Credit Report, Credit Karma, Annual Credit Report Identity Theft Recovery Steps  Tersh Blissett made a great point in the Takeaways for Episode 119. Thanks Tersh! We'll be speaking a lot this spring - check out the Events tab in the FREE BCP Show app for details and locations so you don't miss us. Join us over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group! Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter

Customer Service Today on the BCP Show we talk with Mark Stoner. Customer service is EVERYTHING in business. But what can you do to ensure that your company is consistently delivering the high level of customer service your customers expect and deserve, even in the busy season? Our good friend Mark Stoner has some great ideas. Mark Stoner|001|026 Ashbusters Chimney Service|SirVent|markstoner.com Blue Collar Gold: How to Build a Service Business from the Dirt Up JohnMF003 - Thanks for the review in iTunes! We're really getting around this spring. Make sure to check out the Events tab in the BCP Show app so you don't miss us when we're speaking at an event near you! You can also book us for an event - just reach out to us here. Check out the videos and all the extras in the Bonus Content section of the app as well. Just a reminder to check out our book Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love, as well as the book we co-wrote with Jerry Isenhour of CVC Coaching, Blue Collar Marketing: From Start-Up to Success. Join us in the BCP Nation Facebook Group - it's a great place to talk shop and share with likeminded blue collar business owners. Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter

Making The Most Of The Slow Season This week on the BCP Show we talk with Chuck Roydhouse. Everyone gets worried when business slows down, and it can be a particularly challenging and worrying situation for seasonal businesses. But there are some things you can do to prepare for your seasonal slow down and make use of that time, so you aren't struggling to make ends meet or losing the momentum that you've worked so hard to gain. Who better to talk about it than Chuck Roydhouse, a business consultant and good friend of the show who has built two successful seasonal businesses? Listen up! Chuck Roydhouse|011 Clean Sweep of Anne Arundel County|The Roydhouse Effect Want more great business advice? Reach out to Chuck at chuck@roydhouseeffect.com Shout out to BMFC and Lou Curley for the great reviews in iTunes! We'll be speaking at several events this spring. Open up the BCP Show app and click the Events tab to see when and where! While you're in the app, check out the Bonus Content tab to see a great video interview with Tim Reed (Plus, you'll get to see our new studio, which looks great!) Don't yet have the app? Head to the iTunes store or the Android Play store and search for the Blue Collar Proud Show. You can also get it here. Looking for a good read? Grab Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love and Blue Collar Marketing: From Start-Up to Success, both available on Amazon. Join the conversation in the Blue Collar Proud Nation Facebook Group - we'll let you right in! Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter

Employee Retention Today on the BCP Show, we talk with Tim Reed. It's no secret that finding quality people who want to do blue collar work can be a challenge, but that's why retaining the quality people you DO bring on is more important than ever. Do you invest in hiring and training, only to have your best employees leave shortly after? Then listen up because Tim, the retail team leader at Fireside Home Solutions in Oregon, is sharing some tips to help you retain your best employees. Tim Reed|086|116 Fireside Home Solutions Follow Tim on Instagram @firesidetim and check out his free ebook, The Roadmap to Success Interested in learning more about how to find, keep, and lead employees? We're hosting a two day "Build A Better Team" workshop this summer that you won't want to miss. Be one of the first to get details on the workshop (including dates) by filling out this short form. (bcpshow.com/workshop) The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell Catch Taylor at the 2018 Chimney Expo (Valley Forge Casino Resort) on April 7th at 9 a.m. or catch us both at the Oregon HPBA Spring Conference (April 16th-17th) and the NCSG National Convention April 18th-21st. Don't miss a thing - get the FREE BCP Show app here, or search for it in iTunes or the Google Play Store. Join the conversation over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter

Outside The Box Hiring Today on the BCP Show we talk with Sam Johnson, AKA, The Blue Collar Guy. Almost everyone in the blue collar world has struggled to find the perfect hire who meets all the criteria, but Sam knows that the secret to successful hiring lies in taking an outside the box approach. This is pure gold! Today on the BCP Show we talk with Sam Johnson, AKA, The Blue Collar Guy. Almost everyone in the blue collar world has struggled to find the perfect hire who meets all the criteria, but Sam knows that the secret to successful hiring lies in taking an outside the box approach. This is pure gold! Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love Sam Johnson|107|114 Keep up with Sam on Instagram @thebluecollarguy, Twitter @theblucollarguy, and Facebook @thebluecollarguy, or visit his website thebluecollarguy.com. Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter

Laserlike Focus Today on the BCP Show we talk with Tim Reed. While some may say that the most important quality in leaders is intelligence, Tim argues that the ability to maintain a laserlike focus is much more valuable. To maintain that focus, he urges business owners to ask, "Who am I? Who is my customer? And how am I uniquely aligned or qualified to provide value?" If you find yourself and your team to be easily distracted or stagnant, it's time to zero in with Tim so you can grow your business with intention and focus. Tim Reed|086 Fireside Home Solutions For business insights and fresh tips, follow Tim on Instagram @firesidetim If you haven't read it yet, check out our book, Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love. And don't forget to grab Blue Collar Marketing: From Start-Up to Success, which we co-wrote with Jerry Isenhour (CVC Coaching). Download our FREE BCP Show App so you don't miss any special offers or episode extras. You can search for it in the iTunes store or the Google Play Store, or head here on your smart phone or tablet. Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter

The Importance Of Reviews Today on the BCP Show, we talk with Christian Rodriguez. Christian is our lead account manager, and he's been keeping a close eye on reviews and their rise in importance over the last few years. But what are the facts? Are reviews really that important to consumers? Are negative reviews really bad for business? If you want to know the latest on reviews, Christian has some great insight (including statistics) to share with you. Christian Rodriguez 2017 BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey If you don't yet have a system in place for consistently getting reviews, check out the Spark Review Engine™. This tool makes it easy - all you have to do is use it. The easiest way to get the Spark Review Engine™ is to check out the Special Offer right inside of the FREE BCP Show App. If you'd like a free website review, head to www.sparkmarketer.com. Join the conversation over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter

Hiring Smarter Today on the BCP Show we talk with The Blue Collar Guy, Sam Johnson. Do you struggle with hiring? Listen up! Sam shares how he changed his approach to hiring and training to solve the problems his company was having and get the right people through the doors. If you've struggled with hiring, it may be time to change your approach and mindset. Sam Johnson|107 Reach out to Sam on Instagram or Facebook Don't forget, Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love and Blue Collar Marketing:From Start-Up to Success are both available on Amazon. Check 'em out and let us know what you think. Love the podcast? Leave us a review over on iTunes! Join the conversation over in the BCP Nation Facebook Group. Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter

Mindset Matters Today on the BCP Show we talk with our good friend, Mark Stoner. Before Mark built the multi-million dollar chimney business that he runs today, he built a business that was such a mess it made him physically ill every morning. If anyone knows how important mindset is and how great of an impact it can have on what you're building and how you build it, it's Mark. If you haven't given much thought to your mindset and how it pushes you towards or away from your dreams, listen up. Mark Stoner 001|026 Blue Collar Gold University For more from Mark, including his book, Blue-Collar Gold: How to Build a Service Business from the Dirt Up, head to markstoner.com. While you're thinking about mindset and how you can become a better leader in your business, head to Amazon and get our book, Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love. We're always working to make the BCP Show better for our listeners, and your feedback helps. Leave us a review over in iTunes or on Facebook. And don't forget to join the BCP Nation Facebook Group if you aren't already a member. We'll let you right in! Head to bcpshow.com/app on your phone and get our FREE app. With the app, you'll never miss new episodes, bonus content, or special offers. Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter

Housecall Pro Special Episode Today's mini-episode of the Blue Collar Proud Show is a little different. For the first time we've partnered with an outside company to teach you about a product that we think will help solve a lot of your problems. Housecall Pro can help you manage your technicians and fleet of trucks while they're in the field, keep you on top of the numbers and know what's going on with your staff, and automate your payment processes because who really wants to have to chase down those unpaid invoices? Check out the mini-episode to hear personal recommendations from Carter and Taylor who have tested their fair share of field software. To be clear, we have been paid for this content but regardless we would never recommend or promote product we weren't 100% behind. If you want to check out how Housecall Pro can help your business, click here to get 20% off courtesy of the BCPShow.

The Importance of Having a Marketing Plan Today on the BCP Show we talk with Chuck Roydhouse. Marketing is more than just advertising a service or solution to a problem. Today's customers are looking for so much more from the companies they work with, and your marketing plan needs to take that into consideration, and address all the ways your customers encounter and perceive your brand. So what are some of the things you should be thinking about when creating your marketing plan? Chuck Roydhouse|011 Clean Sweep of Anne Arundel County|Roydhouse Effect|Sweep Away Cancer To learn more about Chuck and his consulting services, head to roydhouseeffect.com or shoot him an email at chuck@roydhouseeffect.com. Reviews also play a big part in how your business and brand appears to customers. If you're having trouble consistently getting reviews, click here to learn about the Spark Review Engine™, a review generation tool that's proven to work, or find out more about the tool in the Special Offers section of the BCP Show app (which is FREE in the iTunes Store and Google Play Store). Looking for some good reads? Head to Amazon and check out Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love and Blue Collar Marketing: From Start-Up to Success. Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter

Leading Millennials Today on the BCP Show we talk with Hope Stevenson. Ah, Millennials. It's easy to put them in boxes and label them as lazy and incompetent, because that means we're in the clear; the problem can't possibly be us. But Hope thinks that's a huge mistake, and she's ready to share some insight on how we can change ourselves to better reach and lead the next generation of workers. Looking for some good reads? Head to Amazon and grab Blue Collar Proud: Ten Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love and Blue Collar Marketing: From Startup to Success. Hope Stevenson|003|068 Reach out to Hope at hope@dpstconsulting.com Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter

Online marketing trends to be aware of Today on this mini-episode of the show we talk with someone who eats, sleeps, and breathes the complex world of online marketing, and he manages a growing team of professionals that help blue collar business owners succeed online. Tom Smodic Is the Operations Manager at Spark Marketer, our marketing agency for service contractors. Listen in as we discuss the ever-changing landscape, and the most important things you can focus on to see results. Interested in a free website review or some help with your SEO and online presence? Head to sparkmarketer.com and click 'Get Your FREE Map.' If you're interested in spending a day with us going through your marketing and creating a customized marketing calendar for your business, reach out to Taylor at taylor@sparkmarketer.com. We also offer a full day of one-on-one marketing help through Mark Stoner's Blue Collar Gold University. Connect with us Facebook|Instagram|Twitter