Out of the Hourglass

Cash flow is the number one reason businesses fail—even profitable ones. Luis Serrano, Founder of Serrano Bookkeeping, joins the show to discuss why trades businesses struggle with cash flow and how to fix it. From understanding the stress in-house bookkeepers face to implementing practical strategies for maintaining 2-3 months of operational capital, Luis shares insights on breaking the cycle of being "profitable but broke." Plus, NCG Business Coach Kathryn Freeman weighs in on real-world cash flow challenges, including the dangers of making financial decisions based solely on tax benefits without considering cash flow implications.

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Pete DiStefano, President of DiStefano Brothers Companies, shares his 20-year journey from solo contractor to leading four thriving divisions: construction, floor coatings, closets, and electrical services. He gets candid about his early struggles with impulse-driven leadership and accountability, revealing the practical systems that helped him transform from visionary entrepreneur to intentional leader. If you're a trades business owner who sees the vision but struggles with execution, this conversation offers actionable insights on building structure that supports growth instead of stifling it.

Guest: Pete DiStefano, President, DiStefano Brothers Companies
Website: dbcri.com | Nolan Client Since: 2013

Are your sales reps following a script, or thinking strategically about each opportunity? Jeff Cramer, Sales Coach for Nolan Consulting Group and founder of Perceptive Learning, tackles one of the most common problems in trades sales: autopilot selling. When reps run the same process for every customer, they create tactical fatigue—high volume, low profit, and constant price pressure. Jeff explains how to build a sales GPS that aligns every action with your business goals, why strategy must come before tactics, and how role-playing can transform your team's preparedness. If your reps are busy but not profitable, this conversation wi...

COO of Coeur d'Alene Painting Group, Desiree Cleave, knows what it means to conquer the chaos -  running multiple businesses, raising kids, and navigating family business leadership dynamics all at once.  In this honest conversation, Des shares what it really took to find her voice in business, create the daily habits that set her up for success, and learn that sometimes the best thing you can do is just reroute. 

Today’s Podcast is brought to you by Acrisure

Business is Messy is back, bringing you practical solutions to the challenges every growing trades business faces. Brian Nolan and Colin Nolan are digging into three challenges facing their clients right now: shifting sales teams from immediate-results thinking to relationship-building, navigating the complexities of family business succession, and creating accountability systems that actually stick.

Have a business mess you'd like Colin & Brian to address? Drop us a note at info@nolang.com and we'll put it in front of our Coaches on an upcoming "Business is Messy" episode

Today’s...

Rob Vallentine, National Mental Health Trainer, joins us following his powerful Grand Summit keynote that left attendees still reaching out months later with gratitude. Rob shares how equipping managers with mental health response skills can transform workplace culture, improve retention, and help leaders connect with their teams before problems escalate. Learn about the upcoming Mental Health First Aid Certification workshop in March - a practical training that teaches leaders how to notice warning signs, listen without judgment, and respond with confidence when team members are struggling.

Today’s Podcast is brought to you by Safety Reports 

Succession planning isn't just about paperwork—it's about trust, timing, and knowing when to let go. Susan Kussin Tompkins shares her 32-year journey at Kent Countryside Nursery & Landscaping, from unexpected tragedy to a proud, intentional transition. She discusses implementing Profit First across two revenue streams, using winter downtime strategically, and why starting succession conversations earlier make everything easier. This is real talk from a business owner who's preparing to watch her legacy thrive in the next generation's hands

Today’s Podcast is brought to you by Spartan Digital Marketing

Eric McDonald built CHP Paint Co.'s culture on a simple principle: you can't out-produce bad culture. After experiencing severe burnout in 2021, he made drastic changes—4-day work weeks, comprehensive benefits, employee recognition programs, and a two-week December shutdown. The results? Productivity increased, profitability soared, and December's "planned loss" became the strategic investment that transformed his entire year. Eric shares how to budget for culture and why bottom-line thinking beats chasing top-line revenue every time.

Today’s Podcast is brought to you by Red Key Solutions

Start 2026 strong by focusing on what matters most: developing yourself and your key leaders. Brian Nolan shares his personal development goal of completing a Half Ironman and explains why setting challenging goals creates the foundation for developing others. Using the field supervisor role as an example, he breaks down the three critical areas any key leader must master—emotional intelligence, financial management, and systems—to effectively develop their teams and drive business results.

Today’s Podcast is brought to you by The Sherwin-Williams Company 

HR compliance isn't just paperwork—it's what stands between your business and costly mistakes that can derail growth. In this conversation, Lisa DeMaria from Utopia Solutions breaks down the five most common HR misconceptions in trades businesses, from misclassifying workers to why your office manager can't do it all and the multi-state compliance traps that catch expanding companies off guard. This conversation gives you the roadmap to get HR right before problems show up at your door—protecting your business while creating the kind of culture that keeps great people around.

Today’s Podcast is brought to you...

Sydney Bates and Molly Nolan pull back the curtain on annual planning season, sharing key themes and lessons learned from the 20+ client site visits completed in recent months. Whether you've already done your 2025 planning or you're just getting started, this check-in covers what's working—from contingency planning and sales management structure to leadership development, geographic expansion, and the growing wave of business acquisitions. Discover why the most successful companies are heading into 2025 with both optimism and strategic backup plans in place.

Today’s Podcast is brought to you by Painter Marketing Pros

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Bill Drysdale, Principal of the Taysa Group, and Ross Hartmann, Founder of Kiingo AI, introduce NCG's new 6-month AI Accelerator Workshop designed specifically for trades businesses who want to gain a competitive edge through practical AI adoption. They explain why AI is a people and strategy challenge rather than a technical one, sharing how the program helps leaders develop clear implementation roadmaps, save time on administrative work, and amplify their team's capabilities without getting overwhelmed by complexity. 

With limited seats available starting in December, this peer-based workshop offers accountability, proven tools, and industry-specific applications that turn AI f...

When employees don't see a clear path forward, they leave—it's that simple. Dave Scaturro, Vice President  & Director of Commercial Division at Alpine Painting shares how he & his team tackled this challenge by creating a comprehensive career ladder covering skills, safety, quality, culture, and leadership, then used feedback from his mastermind group of peer business owners to refine it over year and a half.  The result: a system that's transforming how his team thinks about growth and retention in the trades.

Today’s Podcast is brought to you by Hirebus

Fresh off the 2025 Grand Summit Conference in Seattle, Molly sits down with Coach Eamon to debrief his first Summit experience with over 200 trades industry leaders. From Tiffani Bova's "Experience Mindset" keynote to the deeply resonant conversation on leadership and mental health with Rob Vallentine, they share observations on standout sessions, unexpected moments, and what makes this community so unique.

Today’s Podcast is brought to you by The Sherwin-Williams Company

We're re-releasing our very first episode of 2025 for a special reason - author Tiffani Bova was keynote speaker at this week's Grand Summit Conference in Seattle!  When Colin and I discussed "The Experience Mindset" at the start of this year, we had no idea she'd soon be joining us to explore our conference theme: "The Intersection of Leadership & Technology." Her insights on how Customer Experience and Employee Experience are intricately intertwined made this the perfect way to kick off the Summit, examining why companies that excel in both areas achieve true growth and success.

Today’s Pod...

Pete Schnepp, Real Estate Investor and  Founder of both Envision Service Group and Asset Stream Properties, shares his journey from running a successful painting business to building and maintaining an expanding commercial real estate portfolio. In this episode, Pete discusses why he chose commercial real estate over short-term rentals, how he evaluates deals, and the importance of having both an income engine and a wealth-building engine. He offers practical advice for trades business owners looking to diversify into real estate investing, including the value of taking action and the role of leverage in building long-term wealth.

Kevin Muñoz and Kathryn Freeman dive into Dan Heath’s Reset, exploring why small, intentional resets often outperform massive overhauls. They discuss how to identify “bright spots” worth replicating, the power of giving your team ownership over change, and why the best time to reset isn’t January 1st—it’s right now. From Chick-fil-A’s drive-thru innovations to archery coaches who let athletes steer their own improvement, this conversation is packed with practical strategies for business owners ready to break the cycle of patching problems and start designing sustainable growth.

We're re-releasing this fan-favorite episode with Ross Hartmann, founder of Kiingo AI, just in time for our Grand Summit Conference where Ross will be leading a breakout session on this very topic. Ross and Molly explore practical AI applications for small businesses, discussing how tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini can boost efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance customer experiences while maintaining your authentic brand voice. Whether you're AI-curious or already experimenting, this conversation offers actionable strategies to integrate AI into your business today.

Join Molly Nolan and Colin Nolan as they preview the 2025 Grand Summit Conference in Seattle- NCG's largest annual event bringing together business owners for learning, networking, and one-on-one coaching. Discover what's new this year, including keynote speaker Tiffany Bova, interactive Table Talks, sessions on AI and bot building, strategic wealth building, and business valuation, plus enhanced opportunities for collaboration among the Summit community. Registration closes October 3rd, so don't miss your chance to invest in your business growth at this can't-miss event!

Register Here: https://sites.google.com/nolancg.com/grand-summit-2025-seattle/attendee-registration 

We are jumping back into the world of Stewart Painting - a month ago we heard about their Board of Directors Progress and now we’re hearing about the Role dynamics of the General Manager & Owner!  Sheldon Stewart, Owner & President and Kimberly Redfield, General Manager discuss the role of the GM and how they work together effectively, sharing real examples of boundary-setting, strategic planning, and building trust during leadership transitions. As the former Controller, Kim shares the the critical differences between the role of the controller and GM and how to balance immediate operational needs with long-term succession and boa...

This week we are re-releasing an episode originally published in May of 2024 with Michael Murray, he Founder and President at Textbook Painting in Cleveland, OH. As we thinking about planning and budgeting for 2026, we thought it was timely to revisit the topic of hiring overseas talent and how you can build that into your organizational growth to support your scaling teams. 

Be sure to check out the show notes for tools & hiring platforms below from the podcast!

Job Postings & VA Hiring Services

https://www.onlinejobs.ph/

Nolan Consulting Group Coach, Eamon Lynch shares lessons from scaling operations at a billion-dollar remodeling company and applying those systems to smaller trades businesses. From bay window sales gone wrong to the critical handoffs between sales and operations, Eamon breaks down why "we say a lot of things" isn't good enough and how to build accountability that scales. Learn his approach to cross-departmental meetings and the communication strategies that turn chaos into consistent growth.

When the Summer days start fading, we start planning! Today we’re diving into the importance of starting your 2026 planning now - at the very least, getting those dates on the calendar in October or November. From vision setting and SWOT analysis to identifying Planning Discussion Items and breaking them into 90-day action steps, we explore the tools and structure that make planning retreats impactful. We also discuss the balance between big-picture dreaming and practical integration, and why getting out of the office fuels creativity.

Join us as we welcome Gavin Hepp, Co Founder of Webfoot Home Improvements and newest addition to the Nolan Sales Coaching team. Gavin shares his passion for "Setting the Table" - the critical foundation of every successful sales interaction that makes customers comfortable and sets clear expectations from the start. We dive deep into practical communication strategies, and discuss how to leverage texting effectively with clients and avoid the dreaded "ghosting" through structured follow-up processes. 

Back in 2022, we sat down with Sheldon Stewart, Owner & President of Stewart Painting to talk about his early journey building a board of directors—well, we're back for round two to see how things have actually played out! This time we're joined by Sheldon's daughter Shayla Wilkinson, who's now wearing two hats as both marketing manager and board member, and they have made great progress. From navigating family business dynamics to mapping out a succession plan that'll bring in two outside board members by 2028, Sheldon and Shayla give us the real scoop on what it's actually like to evolve fr...

In this episode, Molly sits down with Ryan Reber from Safety Reports by Align Ops to discuss the critical importance of safety in the construction industry and how digital technology is transforming traditional safety programs. They explore practical implementation strategies for safety software, getting field teams on board, and turning safety from a compliance burden into a competitive advantage using emerging safety technologies like AI and predictive analytics, that protects workers and improves business outcomes

Click here to learn more about Safety Reports

To connect with Ryan :ryan.reber@busybusy.com 

In this episode of Out of the Hourglass, Molly sits down with Paul Grenci, President & Co-Founder of Red Key Solutions, to discuss the critical cybersecurity threats facing small businesses today. Paul reveals how automated hacking has made even 5-6 employee companies vulnerable targets and shares why 60% of businesses that experience a significant cyber event fold within six months. From multi-factor authentication basics to building a security-first culture from the top down, he offers practical advice that can help small businesses survive and thrive as they scale their operations.

In this powerful conversation, Bill Drysdale, former General Manager of Fujifilm's $500M digital camera division and current Vistage Chair, opens up about the reality of CEO isolation and the "heavy backpack" of leadership responsibilities. Bill shares how he felt isolated despite being surrounded by colleagues and discusses the three major challenges that create the deepest isolation for CEOs - people decisions, financial strain, and legal/ethical issues. Drawing from his experience facilitating peer advisory groups, Bill reveals how vulnerability and peer connection can transform both decision-making and business performance, offering practical insights for leaders ready to break through isolation.<...

Lisa DeMaria, founder of Utopia HR Solutions, joins us to discuss strategic compensation planning and employee retention for small to mid-sized businesses in the trades industry. We explore how to create competitive compensation packages that go beyond salary, including flexible benefits, performance-based incentives, and structured development programs that help retain top talent. Lisa shares practical insights on simplifying HR processes, tracking key metrics for success, and building a culture of growth through mentoring and individual development plans.

To connect with Lisa or learn more about Utopia HR Solutions, visit https://www.utopiahr.com/

Join us as we sit down with Mike Freeman, Co-Founder of Mike's Quality Painting and One Day Concrete Coatings, and newest Associate Coach with Nolan Consulting Group. From starting a lawn mowing business with his brother at age 11 to building multiple successful ventures in Albuquerque, Mike shares his journey of creating opportunity-driven businesses that operate without constant owner involvement. He discusses how he successfully transitioned day-to-day operations while focusing on real estate investments and coaching, demonstrating the importance of strategic partnerships and complementary risk tolerances. Mike's story shows how prioritizing relationships, embracing calculated risk, and building the right systems...

Implementing robust safety practices creates a powerful dual advantage—protecting your most valuable asset, your people, while simultaneously driving business growth and opportunity. Paul Cook and Darren Lottes of Painters USA and pioneers of Safety within the Summit group,  share field-tested insights on transforming safety from a compliance burden into a strategic cornerstone that builds team trust, reduces costs, and creates competitive differentiation. This is about creating an environment where protection and production reinforce rather than compete with each other. 

Summit Members interested in Safety Certification, please contact Jen Ware, Jen@nolancg.com

In this episode, Colin Nolan shares the importance of transforming objections into opportunities by mastering the art of uncovering customer pain. Discover why the most successful objection handling happens during discovery, not at the end of the sales process, and learn practical techniques to leverage emotional buying motives when facing resistance. If you're struggling with closing deals, this conversation reveals why the solution lies in how you open them.

Brian Nolan, Co-founder and President of Nolan Consulting Group, and Business Coach Sydney Bates discuss  the rollout of the NEW Hourglass Scorecard, a dynamic assessment tool for trades businesses focused on building value and growth. They explain how this updated version of the Business Systems Checklist helps identify a company's current status and future goals, helps align expectations and develop customized strategies for companies at different revenue stages.  It sets the stage for REAL implementation opportunities. 

Actually provides weight to the systems you’re looking to implement and the value of those opportunities

To...

Ever wonder how to find a financial advisor who really 'gets' your business? Join us as we chat with Michael Pallozzi of HFM Investment Advisors about navigating the financial advisory landscape as a small business owner. Michael shares his practical wisdom on why the right advisor should understand both your business and personal goals, how to spot red flags when interviewing potential advisors, and why having your wealth management and business planning under one roof creates powerful opportunities.

To learn more about HFM Investment Advisors, check out https://hfmadvisors.com/

Sarah Adkins, owner of Big Shark Marketing, discusses the evolution of digital marketing strategies, emphasizing the importance of adapting to AI-powered search and creating high-quality, authoritative content. She highlights the challenges businesses face in keeping up with marketing trends and offers advice on optimizing websites, utilizing AI tools, and implementing niche marketing approaches

To learn more or connect with Sarah Adkins, check out https://bigsharkmarketing.com/ 

Crisis planning should be non-negotiable for every business owner, regardless of age or company size. On today’s episode with Brian Nolan we  discuss why having a comprehensive crisis plan isn't just about preparing for worst-case scenarios, but a strategic tool that protects your business, provides peace of mind, and ensures your team (and family) can confidently navigate unexpected challenges in your absence.

Whether it be a tough conversation you need to have with an employee or  need to de-escalate an issue or job gone awry  with a customer, we are unlocking the tools to better prepare ourselves for the dynamic of crucial conversations. With a passion for this topic, NCG Sr. Business Coach Colin is here to share key points from “Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking when the Stakes are High” with practical application to the relationships and conflicts we often encounter. 

Discover the importance of Plan B Budgeting with Kathryn Freeman, Senior Business Coach and Director of Operations, as we transition from Q1 to Q2. Learn why financial contingency planning is essential in today's market conditions and how having alternative budget scenarios ready can help business owners navigate uncertainty with confidence and be better leaders. 

For many businesses who experience the swing of seasonality, the wheels of the busy season are quickly starting to roll and it’s a great time to ensure your production team is prepared to lead effectively. 

We released an episode focusing on Job Site Leadership as a workshop preview back in December 2023 for one of our upcoming programs at the time. As we think about getting our field teams in the headspace to manage jobs, customers and employees- it is the perfect time for a re-release!  Today we are revisiting that valuable conversation about Job Site Lead...

In this episode, we sit down with Dan Brady, owner of Dan Brady Painting and Adventure North Vacation Rentals, to explore his journey from CEO of Painting business to real estate investor. Dan shares how he built a thriving short-term rental business generating seven figures in annual revenue while maintaining his successful painting company in Northern Michigan. Discover the strategies, challenges, and creative solutions Dan employed when expanding into real estate, including his approach to property selection, renovation, and management. Whether you're considering diversifying your business or curious about the vacation rental market, Dan's practical insights and experience offer...