The Builder’s Edge - Mastering the Business Side of Building

Latest Episodes:

Your Business Won’t Make You Wealthy Unless You Do This Jul 16, 2026

Show notes

Most business owners work hard, make money, and still feel behind when it comes to building real wealth. In this episode of The Builder’s Edge, Wall Street veteran Wesley Rawlands explains why smart entrepreneurs keep making dumb financial decisions, why your business should not be your only retirement plan, and how to start thinking like a true financial leader.

If you are a contractor, service business owner, entrepreneur, or local business owner trying to build lasting wealth, this conversation breaks down the difference between owning a job, running a small business, and building a real asset. Wesley shares why entrepreneurs must move money from the business onto their personal balance sheet, why enterprise value matters, and how private business, public companies, and real estate can work together in a long-term wealth strategy.

This is not a typical financial planning interview. It is a practical conversation about money behavior, business exits, retirement planning, wealth building, financial literacy, and the emotional decisions that shape your future.

Highlights:

→ Why business owners often mistake business income for personal wealth

→ How to build enterprise value before selling or exiting

→ Why smart entrepreneurs make poor financial choices under pressure

→ How to think about private business, public companies, and real estate as long-term wealth-building assets

Learn more about Deanna Lucas through the following links:

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Learn more about Deanna Lucas through the following links:

AI Visibility Scorecard

Builders Visibility Blueprint

DND Website

DND Youtube

Email Template for 5 Star Reviews

Facebook

Facebook Group

LinkedIn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AI Can’t Recommend Your Business If It Can’t See It Jul 09, 2026

Show notes

SEO is not dead, but it is no longer enough to make your business visible online.

Today, your customers are not just searching on Google. They are looking for contractors, home service providers, local businesses, recommendations, reviews, videos, social proof, and trusted answers across Google, Facebook, YouTube, review sites, maps, and AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude.

In this episode of The Builder’s Edge, Deanna breaks down Search Everywhere Optimization and explains why great businesses can still stay invisible. The problem is not always your service, your offer, or even your website. The real problem may be that your business only exists in one or two online rooms while your customers are searching in ten. AI and search platforms look for clear, consistent signals across the web, including your business name, branding, phone number, services, offers, reviews, and online presence.

When those signals are missing or confusing, your competitors become easier to find, easier to trust, and easier to recommend.

Highlights:

→ You’ll learn why customers no longer search in one place

→ Why traditional SEO is only one part of modern visibility

→ How AI tools summarize businesses based on consistency and trust

→ How to run a simple visibility audit using incognito search, local service searches, and AI prompts to find the gaps your competitors are winning.

Learn more about Deanna Lucas through the following links:

AI Visibility Scorecard

Builders Visibility Blueprint

DND Website

DND Youtube

Email Template for 5 Star Reviews

Facebook

Facebook Group

Learn more about Deanna Lucas through the following links:

AI Visibility Scorecard

Builders Visibility Blueprint

DND Website

DND Youtube

Email Template for 5 Star Reviews

Facebook

Facebook Group

LinkedIn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How Contractors Can Pay Their Kids and Save on Taxes Jul 02, 2026

Show notes

Are you a contractor, builder, remodeler, or small business owner with family members already helping in your business? Your spouse may answer calls, your kids may help clean the office, organize paperwork, take photos, shred documents, assist with social media, or help around job sites. But if that work is not properly documented, paid, and handled the right way, you may be missing one of the biggest legal tax savings opportunities available to family-owned businesses.

In this episode of The Builder’s Edge, Deanna Lucas sits down with financial advisor Kate Adams to talk about how contractors can employ family members, pay children through the business, document reasonable work, explore Roth IRA opportunities, and build long-term family wealth. This conversation is for construction business owners who want to keep more of what they earn, prepare for tax season, create retirement savings, and stop leaving money on the table.

Always talk with your CPA or financial advisor before making tax or payroll changes, but this episode will help you understand the questions to ask.

Highlights:

→ You’ll learn how family payroll can work for contractors when children or spouses are already helping with real business tasks like cleaning, filing, marketing, paperwork, and job site support.

→ Kate explains why earned income matters for tools like a minor Roth IRA, how contributions can grow over time, and why retirement accounts are often overlooked by small business owners.

→ You’ll hear what kind of documentation may help support family employment, including bank accounts, payment records, 1099s, job descriptions, timesheets, and proof of work.

→ This episode also covers how to start with a simple family business audit so you can identify which family members are already contributing and what financial opportunities may be hiding in plain sight.

Learn more about Deanna Lucas through the following links:

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Builders Visibility Blueprint

DND Website

DND Youtube

Email Template for 5 Star Reviews

Facebook

Facebook Group

Learn more about Deanna Lucas through the following links:

AI Visibility Scorecard

Builders Visibility Blueprint

DND Website

DND Youtube

Email Template for 5 Star Reviews

Facebook

Facebook Group

LinkedIn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Excuse That Keeps High Performers Stuck Jun 25, 2026

Show notes

Most high performers do not have a strategy problem. They have an excuse problem. In this episode of The Builder’s Edge, Yusef Marshall breaks down the hidden excuses that keep entrepreneurs, business owners, contractors, coaches, and leaders stuck in burnout, isolation, and overwork.

If you feel like you have to do everything yourself, if your business is growing but your health, marriage, faith, or purpose is suffering, this conversation will hit home. Yusef shares why control and time are two of the biggest excuses high performers hide behind, how burnout sneaks up before you realize it, and why success without self-awareness can quietly break you.

You’ll learn how to regain your edge through better self-assessment, daily reflection, community, accountability, purpose, and the courage to ask for help. This episode is for leaders who want more than achievement. It is for people who want to build a business and life that actually works.

Highlights:

→ You’ll learn why many high performers believe they have to do everything themselves, and how that mindset creates stress, isolation, burnout, and damage in their family and business life.

→ Yusef explains the difference between being tired and being truly burned out, including the emotional warning signs leaders often ignore until they are already over the edge.

→ You’ll hear why purpose matters slightly more than discipline, how alignment makes decision-making easier, and why saying no can protect your values, health, and long-term mission.

This episode also explores the power of authentic community, accountability, and asking for help when you feel stuck instead of trying to solve every problem alone.

Learn more about Deanna Lucas through the following links:

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Builders Visibility Blueprint

DND Website

DND Youtube

Email Template for 5 Star Reviews

Facebook

Facebook Group

Learn more about Deanna Lucas through the following links:

AI Visibility Scorecard

Builders Visibility Blueprint

DND Website

DND Youtube

Email Template for 5 Star Reviews

Facebook

Facebook Group

LinkedIn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Cash Flow Trap That’s Killing Contractors Jun 18, 2026

Show notes

A lot of contractors look successful on the outside, but behind the scenes they’re robbing Peter to pay Paul just to keep jobs moving, crews paid, suppliers covered, and the business alive. In this episode, we break down what really happens when business debt, poor cash flow, merchant cash advances, late-paying clients, and fast financing start catching up with you.

If you’re a contractor, remodeler, trades business owner, or small business owner who feels like your company is always playing catch up financially, this conversation is for you. Credit and small business finance expert Gerri Detweiler explains how to stop making panic money decisions, understand the real cost of quick business financing, protect your personal and business credit, and build a recovery plan that gives your company breathing room.

You’ll learn why some “easy money” options can quietly cost 35%, 50%, 70% APR or more, why debt consolidation does not always work the way business owners expect, how supplier credit and business credit can help cash flow, and what to do if collectors, lawsuits, or overwhelming debt are already part of the picture.

Highlights:

→ You’ll learn how contractors can improve cash flow by reviewing bookkeeping, depositing checks faster, using supplier credit, and setting better payment terms before money problems spiral.

→ Gerri explains why merchant cash advances, factoring, and quick business loans can look helpful in the moment but become extremely expensive when you calculate the true APR.

→ You’ll hear how business credit and personal credit are connected, why personal guarantees matter, and why contractors should monitor both before applying for SBA loans, business credit cards, or lines of credit.

→ This episode also covers what to do when debt is already overwhelming, including debt workout options, bankruptcy attorney consultations, creditor conversations, and how to avoid scams promising instant debt relief.

Learn more about Deanna Lucas through the following links:

AI Visibility Scorecard

Builders Visibility Blueprint

DND Website

DND Youtube

Email Template for 5 Star Reviews

Facebook

Facebook Group

Learn more about Deanna Lucas through the following links:

AI Visibility Scorecard

Builders Visibility Blueprint

DND Website

DND Youtube

Email Template for 5 Star Reviews

Facebook

Facebook Group

LinkedIn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Gas Station Breakfast Is Killing Your Energy Jun 11, 2026

Show notes

If your day starts with gas station breakfast, energy drinks, long hours, job sites, truck stops, and ends with you completely drained, this episode is for you. Busy contractors, entrepreneurs, truckers, and working professionals often think they just need more discipline, but the truth is, better health, energy, focus, and performance come from better systems.

In this conversation, Remi Rory, founder of the MNE Method: Mindset, Nutrition, and Exercise, breaks down how to stop relying on willpower and start building simple daily habits that actually work in real life. We talk about eating better on the road, avoiding the sugar and caffeine crash, creating realistic fitness routines, building mobility, improving your mindset, and using small wins to rebuild confidence.

This episode is especially helpful if you work long days, live out of your truck, run a business, manage job sites, struggle with burnout, or feel like your health keeps getting pushed to the bottom of the list. More leads, more jobs, and more growth will not fix burnout if your body and mind are running on empty.

Highlights:

→ You’ll learn why discipline alone is not enough and how simple systems can help you stay consistent even when motivation fades.

→ Remi shares realistic nutrition tips for contractors, truckers, and busy professionals who often rely on gas stations, energy drinks, and fast food during long workdays.

→ You’ll hear why mobility, stretching, yoga, and a simple five-minute flow may be more useful than heavy workouts for people who already work physically demanding jobs.

→ We also break down the FAR Method: Foundation, Acceleration, and Results, and how it helps you build habits, improve your mindset, and create long-term health changes without overcomplicating the process.

Learn more about Deanna Lucas through the following links:

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Learn more about Remi Rory:

https://calendly.com/mnecoach

Learn more about Deanna Lucas through the following links:

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Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Busy But Broke? Why Contractors Still Stress About Money Jun 04, 2026

Show notes

Why are so many contractors working harder than ever, bringing in more revenue, and still stressed about money? In this episode of The Builder’s Edge, Deanna Lucas sits down with Amanda Dilenno to uncover the hidden numbers behind profitable construction businesses. If you are a contractor, remodeler, landscaper, roofer, trades professional, or construction business owner who feels busy but broke, this conversation will help you understand why more work does not always mean more profit.

You will learn how poor job costing, underbidding, unclear bookkeeping, hidden overhead expenses, payroll costs, fuel changes, supply price increases, and weak profit margin tracking can quietly drain your business. Amanda explains why looking at your bank balance is not enough, why revenue can be misleading, and why every contractor needs clean books, monthly reconciliation, and a clear system for pricing jobs. This episode is for contractors who want less stress, better cash flow, stronger margins, and a business that supports their family, future, and freedom instead of creating constant financial pressure.

What You’ll Learn / HighlightsChapters

You’ll learn why contractors can have strong revenue but still struggle with cash flow, especially when job costs, unpaid checks, auto-drafts, credit cards, payroll, and overhead are not being tracked clearly.

Amanda breaks down why job costing matters and how separating each project’s labor, materials, supplies, indirect costs, and profit margin helps contractors know which jobs are actually worth repeating.

You’ll hear why underbidding is so dangerous, especially for newer contractors who feel pressure to win every job, compete on price, or take cheap clients who do not understand value.

This episode also explains how clean bookkeeping, monthly reconciliation, and reviewing actual numbers can reveal duplicate expenses, hidden profit leaks, missed deductions, and pricing problems before they damage the business.

00:00 Intro: Why contractors feel busy but broke01:12 Why more work does not always mean more profit03:10 Amanda’s accounting background and contractor focus06:25 Why tradespeople struggle with bookkeeping09:45 The problem with only checking your bank balance12:20 Why contractors stay busy but still feel broke15:05 Pricing, cheap clients, and knowing your value19:15 Warning signs of a profitability problem22:00 Revenue vs. profit: what contractors should track25:10 Why underbidding stops business growth28:30 Hidden expenses contractors forget to price in32:15 Payroll, fuel, supplies, and unexpected costs36:00 Job costing explained for construction businesses41:20 Why every project needs its own profit margin46:30 Marking up materials and explaining value to clients51:10 Payment structure and avoiding cash flow problems55:00 Amanda’s profit margin spreadsheet template01:02:30 First step: clean books and monthly reconciliation01:05:00 Free audit and final takeaways

#ContractorBusiness#ConstructionBusiness#JobCosting#ProfitMargins#TheBuildersEdge

Learn more about Deanna Lucas through the following links:

AI Visibility Scorecard

Builders Visibility Blueprint

DND Website

DND Youtube

Email Template for 5 Star Reviews

Facebook

Facebook Group

Learn more about Deanna Lucas through the following links:

AI Visibility Scorecard

Builders Visibility Blueprint

DND Website

DND Youtube

Email Template for 5 Star Reviews

Facebook

Facebook Group

LinkedIn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Simple Benefit That Helps Contractors Keep Good Crews May 28, 2026

Show notes

One accident can change everything for a contractor, an employee, and their family. In this episode of The Builder’s Edge, we talk with Yvette Kahn about how contractors can protect their crews with affordable supplemental insurance options that help cover out-of-pocket costs, accidents, illness, short-term disability, and the financial gaps traditional health insurance and workers’ comp may not fully solve.

If you own a construction company, painting business, moving company, remodeling company, or any trade-based business, this conversation is for you. Hiring good workers is hard, but keeping them is even harder when employees do not feel protected or supported. Yvette explains how benefits like accident insurance, cancer coverage, critical care, and short-term disability can help contractors build stronger teams, improve employee retention, reduce stress after injuries, and create a culture where workers feel valued.

You will hear how supplemental insurance works, why it can be surprisingly affordable, how it pays employees directly, and why small contractors with as few as three employees may be able to offer better protection without adding heavy overhead.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

→ How supplemental insurance helps contractors close the financial gap when employees get hurt on or off the job

→ Why workers’ comp alone may not be enough to protect your crew or your business

→ How offering benefits can help attract better employees, improve retention, and show your team that you care about their future

→ How accident plans, cancer plans, critical care coverage, and short-term disability can support workers when life happens

Learn more about Deanna Lucas through the following links:

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Builders Visibility Blueprint

DND Website

DND Youtube

Email Template for 5 Star Reviews

Facebook

Facebook Group

Learn more about Deanna Lucas through the following links:

AI Visibility Scorecard

Builders Visibility Blueprint

DND Website

DND Youtube

Email Template for 5 Star Reviews

Facebook

Facebook Group

LinkedIn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This One Business Leak Could Cost You $100K a Year May 21, 2026

Show notes

Most contractors are working harder than ever, but still watching profit disappear every month. One reason? Hidden payment processing fees from platforms like Stripe, Square, PayPal, and outdated merchant systems may be quietly draining thousands from your business without you realizing it.

In this episode of The Builder’s Edge, we sit down with Gannon Young, entrepreneur, business owner, and payment processing consultant, to talk about how contractors, HVAC companies, pest control businesses, gyms, restaurants, and service-based businesses can reduce unnecessary payment fees, improve cash flow, and simplify the way they get paid. If you accept credit cards, send invoices, use recurring billing, or rely on online payments, this conversation could help you uncover money leaks hiding inside your business.

Gannon explains how merchant statement reviews work, why many business owners are shocked when they finally see their numbers, and how options like dual pricing, surcharging, automated invoicing, text-to-pay, and better payment workflows can help contractors keep more of what they earn. You’ll also learn why customer service matters in payment processing and how faster funding can make a major difference in your cash flow.

You’ll learn:

→ How payment processing fees affect contractor profits

→ Why Stripe and Square may not be the best fit for growing businesses

→ How merchant statement analysis can reveal hidden fees

→ How smarter invoicing and automation can help you get paid faster without chasing customers manually

Learn more about Deanna Lucas through the following links:

AI Visibility Scorecard

Builders Visibility Blueprint

DND Website

DND Youtube

Email Template for 5 Star Reviews

Facebook

Facebook Group

Learn more about Deanna Lucas through the following links:

AI Visibility Scorecard

Builders Visibility Blueprint

DND Website

DND Youtube

Email Template for 5 Star Reviews

Facebook

Facebook Group

LinkedIn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stop Chasing Leads Until You Fix This First May 14, 2026

Show notes

Are you getting leads but still not seeing the growth, profit, or cash flow your business should have? In this episode of The Builder’s Edge, Deanna Lucas talks with business growth expert Mickey Lyles about why more marketing is not always the answer and how business owners can uncover hidden revenue, fix operational leaks, improve leadership, and build scalable systems behind the scenes.

If you own a construction company, home service business, contracting business, plumbing company, HVAC company, pest control company, remodeling business, or trade-based company, this conversation will show you how to stop staying busy and start building a real business. Mickey breaks down how to identify revenue leaks, understand your market cap, improve your average ticket, raise prices with confidence, track KPIs, build stronger teams, and create systems that support real growth.

Before you spend more money on lead generation, SEO, ads, or marketing, you need to make sure your business can actually handle and maximize the opportunity.

Highlights:

→ You’ll learn why many business owners are leaving money on the table after the lead comes in.

→ How revenue harvesting can increase profit without adding more customers.

→ Why leadership and culture set the ceiling for growth.

→ How better data, pricing, and operational structure can help you scale smarter.

→ Mickey also shares real examples, including how one pest control company grew from $5.5 million to $21 million, how plumbing companies can increase average ticket size, and why contractors must understand cash flow, labor, pricing, and efficiency if they want to grow.

Learn more about Deanna Lucas through the following links:

AI Visibility Scorecard

Builders Visibility Blueprint

DND Website

DND Youtube

Email Template for 5 Star Reviews

Facebook

Facebook Group

Learn more about Deanna Lucas through the following links:

AI Visibility Scorecard

Builders Visibility Blueprint

DND Website