The Craft & Calling

Season 2 · Episode 2The Craft & Calling Podcast
Why Most Home Service Leads Never Convert and How Systems Fix It
Rethinking follow-up, visibility, and leadership when missed calls and broken systems quietly cost home service businesses real growth.
Many home service businesses invest heavily in marketing but still struggle with low conversion. Leads come in, phones ring, and opportunities quietly slip through the cracks.
In this episode, Christene Marie sits down with Leandra Grenier-Green to unpack why most lead loss is not a marketing problem. It is a systems problem. Together, they explore how follow-up, visibility, accountability, and operational clarity directly impact revenue, customer experience, and team performance.
This conversation is for owners who feel busy but uncertain, who are generating demand but not seeing consistent results, and who know their business needs structure to grow without chaos.
🔍 What We Talk About
Why missed calls and slow follow-up cost more than bad marketing
How systems create consistency across the customer journey
The hidden leadership gap behind low lead conversion
Why clarity and accountability matter more than volume
How operational structure protects growth, teams, and reputation
⏱️ Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:45 Guest Intro
3:06 Why most leads never convert
6:57 Missed calls and silent revenue loss
9:24 Call tracking to improve marketing ROI for home services
14:58 Lead scoring and inconsistencies in the call center
18:59 Designing a customer journey that converts
23:47 Google Ad campaigns and where to start
28:28 Data checklist from Foundation First Marketing
31:19 Outro
📂 Resources From This Episode
Customer & Marketing Data Checklist A practical, field-tested checklist designed to help home service businesses track the data points that directly impact revenue, customer trust, and long-term growth.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KxGYWYuak0R10JR777jC8rsp8ETX7jem/view?usp=drive_link 
👤 About the Guest
Leandra Grenier-Green is an operations leader with a passion for building strong, scalable systems and empowering high-performing teams. With a decade of experience in agency environments, she specializes in turning chaos into clarity so founders can focus on growth.
Leandra has helped scale digital marketing agencies by leading operations, people development, and internal strategy. Her work sits at the intersection of process and people, helping businesses grow sustainably without burning out their leaders or teams.https://www.linkedin.com/in/leandragreniergreen/ 
🎙️ About The Craft & Calling
The Craft & Calling is a community built for trades leaders who care deeply about both their work and the life they are building alongside it. Through real conversations and practical insight, the show explores leadership, legacy, and what it means to build businesses that last.
Explore resources, conversations, and the community at:https://thecraftandcalling.com/linktr/
🔧 A Note on Foundation First Marketing
This conversation reflects the kind of leadership and strategic thinking that also informs the work of Foundation First Marketing, where Christene Marie serves as a co-founder.
Foundation First partners with home service businesses to build marketing strategies grounded in clarity, systems, and long-term vision, helping owners grow without losing trust, culture, or control.
Get a free marketing quote, grounded in real performance data.Request a free website design to see what is possible when your digital presence is built on a strong foundation.https://foundationfirstmarketing.com/

Season 2 · Episode 1The Craft & Calling Podcast
The Future of Visibility Is Being Built Now: How AI, Content, and Trust Are Reshaping Home Services
Rethinking how home service business owners should approach AI, visibility, and trust as search and customer behavior rapidly evolve.
As AI, automation, and new search behaviors reshape how customers find and choose service providers, visibility is no longer just about rankings or ads. It is about trust, consistency, and showing up where decisions are actually being made.
In this conversation, Christene Marie sits down with Jennifer Bagley to explore how home service businesses can adapt without losing credibility, connection, or control. They discuss why content is becoming training data for AI systems, how Google Business Profiles and daily publishing influence discoverability, and what it means to build a brand that stays relevant as technology accelerates.
This episode challenges owners to rethink visibility not as a marketing tactic, but as a long-term leadership responsibility.
🔍 What We Talk About
Why visibility is shifting from websites to daily content and real-world signals
How AI and automation are changing how customers search and decide
The role of trust, consistency, and credibility in modern home services marketing
Why content now functions as training data for search and AI systems
How leaders can stay visible without losing authenticity
⏱️ Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:45 Guest Intro
2:27 Why visibility is changing
3:52 What first steps and tools trades owners can take with AI
10:08 The first prompt you should use with conversational AI
18:02 The difference between a bot and a companion in AI
24:36 Mastering AI and leveling up to agentic AI 
32:22 Jennifer's story: rethinking the business structure and implementing AI
39:45 Running a business from your own MCP 
44:41 What leaders must rethink now to gain more time, money, and freedom
50:46 Outro
📂 Resources From This Episode
Manus – Hands-On AI for Business Owners Jennifer Bagley references Manus as a practical, accessible AI platform designed to help business owners begin integrating AI into real workflows. As part of this conversation, listeners are offered 500 free credits to explore how hands-on AI tools can support content creation, automation, and operational efficiency.
🔗 https://manus.im
Knowing Show – Prior Conversation With Jennifer Bagley Christene mentions a previous conversation on The Knowing Show that explores Jennifer Bagley’s background and the genesis of how she arrived at her current work in AI, strategy, and business transformation. This episode provides additional context and depth for listeners who want to understand Jennifer’s journey and perspective more fully.
🔗 https://youtube.com/live/A2CC2EDGfsE 
👤 About the Guest
Jennifer Bagley is a nationally recognized expert in AI enablement, digital strategy, and business transformation. She is the CEO of CI Web Group, where she helps contractors and service-based businesses scale with strategy, automation, and measurable results.
Jennifer is also the Co-Founder of JustStartAI.io and serves on the board of OnePath.ai. Her work focuses on aligning leadership, operations, marketing, and AI to create real business outcomes.https://jenniferbagley.com/ 
🎙️ About The Craft & Calling
The Craft & Calling is a community built for trades leaders who care deeply about both their work and the life they are building alongside it. Through real conversations and practical insight, the show explores leadership, legacy, and what it means to build businesses that last.
Explore resources, conversations, and the community at: https://thecraftandcalling.com/linktr/
🔧 A Note on Foundation First Marketing
This conversation reflects the kind of leadership and strategic thinking that also informs the work of Foundation First Marketing, where Christene Marie serves as a co-founder.
Foundation First partners with home service businesses to build marketing strategies grounded in clarity, systems, and long-term vision, helping owners grow without losing trust, culture, or control.
Get a free marketing quote, grounded in real performance data. Request a free website design to see what is possible when your digital presence is built on a strong foundation. https://foundationfirstmarketing.com/

Blue-collar grit. White-collar systems. A path to freedom, presence, and legacy.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling, host Christene Marie sits down with Mike Abramowitz, co-founder of Better Than Rich, to unpack what it truly means to move from constant hustle into a Time Rich life.
Mike shares his personal journey growing up in the trades, watching relentless work ethic come at the cost of presence, relationships, and emotional health - and how he chose to break that generational cycle. Together, they explore how business systems, emotional intelligence, nervous system regulation, and intentional leadership are inseparable when building something that lasts.
This conversation is for trades owners and operators who are tired of firefighting, want their time back, and are ready to build a business that fuels family, freedom, and legacy - not burnout.
What if your business could support your life instead of consuming it?
 
🔍 WHAT WE TALK ABOUT
How trades leaders move from survival mode into predictable, scalable businesses
The hidden cost of hustle culture on family, health, and legacy
Emotional intelligence as a leadership skill, not a “soft” add-on
The Time Rich Six Framework for buying back time and building systems
Why implementation beats ideas, and how immersive “war rooms” accelerate growth
⏱️ CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
2:25 Growing Up in the Trades
5:16 Out of the Grind and into Creating a Predictable Business 
13:12 Generational Legacy: Reparenting, Healing & Emotional Maturity
15:20 Buy Back Freedom for Inner Work and Emotional Health
21:41 Simple Emotional Intelligence Frameworks
24:42 Nervous System, Boredom & Creativity
30:36 The Time Rich Six Framework Explained
39:29 Why Immersion Beats Coaching
47:27 Books and Next Steps You Can Take
⭐RESOURCESThe Time Rich Six Framework by Mike Abramowitz: 
Founder Lifestyle 
Boundaries
Communication Guidelines
Business Predictability
Systems
Playbooks
Team
Tech
🎁Complimentary Offer:
Mike will Build 4 Systems. 30 minutes. No Pitch. 
Book your Call Today:
https://betterthanrich.com/gsd/ 
 
📚Books Recommended in this Episode:
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber
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👤 GUEST BIO: MIKE ABRAMOWITZ
Mike Abramowitz is the co-founder of Better Than Rich, where he helps high-earning home service and trades business owners buy back their time, scale predictably, and lead with intention.
Drawing from his upbringing in the trades and decades of experience building systems-driven companies, Mike developed the Time Rich Six Framework, which blends business systems, AI-powered operations, and leadership boundaries to help owners grow past $5M without burnout.
Through immersive installs and proven playbooks, Mike has helped hundreds of businesses reclaim tens of thousands of hours - allowing owners to build profitable companies while staying present for family, health, and life.
🔗 CONNECT WITH MIKE ABRAMOWITZ
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeabramowitz1/Website: https://betterthanrich.com/Offer: https://betterthanrich.com/gsd/
💡 THANK YOU FOR WATCHING
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#CraftAndCalling #TradesLeadership #TimeRich #SystemsThinking #BusinessSystems #LegacyBuilding #TradesBusiness #EmotionalIntelligence #BlueCollarLeadership #FounderLife #BusinessFreedom #HomeServices #ContractorLife #LeadershipDevelopment

You don’t need a studio.  You just need your phone and your story.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling, host Christene Marie sits down with Reuben Rock, one of the most trusted digital marketing voices in the home-services world, to talk about the shift every contractor, cleaner, and trades owner needs to prepare for, and why it starts with simple selfie-style videos shot on your phone.
Reuben breaks down why authentic, real-location videos outperform polished agency ads, how field technicians can become your best content engine, and why 2026 will be a turning point for marketing in the trades. He also shares the exact systems he used to scale home-service companies using iPhone ads, YouTube placements, and Google’s full ad ecosystem.
If you’re a trades leader who wants more leads, more clarity, and a marketing engine that feels human, you’ll take notes on this one.
 
🔍 WHAT WE TALK ABOUT
Why selfie-style iPhone videos outperform highly produced ads
How documenting jobs can give you unlimited marketing content
Why most home-service companies will fall behind by 2026
How YouTube + Google Ads can scale a trades business fast
What creators in the trades are doing differently, and why it works
⏱️ CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
3:05 Youtube Ads being Reuben's secret weapon
6:06 How to start creating simple ads with your iphone selfie-style
11:28 Google Business Profile and documenting jobs
14:46 Elevator Pitch and How Trades Teams Can Document Work for Unlimited Content
18:37 Answer Engine Optimization for the trades and your business content 
24:04 From yellow pages to Google Ads program: staying ahead of the game
27:15 How companies began to service trades businesses
31:35 How to get started on creating video content 
38:19 Creating a 5 star experience for your customer
46:31 Referral partners and how to get them
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https://thecraftandcalling.com/linktr/
👤 GUEST BIO: REUBEN ROCK
Reuben Rock is a nationally recognized digital marketing expert and one of the leading Google Ads strategists in the home services industry. Praised by industry leaders: “probably the best Google Ads guy in the world right now,” according to Kasim Aslam.Reuben has spent more than 20 years running high-ROI campaigns for local service companies, national franchises, and Fortune 100 brands. Known for his integrated approach across search, video, and display, he now leads BookCleaningJobs.com, where he helps cleaning and home service businesses scale quickly using proven paid media systems and performance-driven strategy.
🔗 CONNECT WITH REUBEN ROCK
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reubenrock/ Company Website: https://gosearchparty.com/ Personal Website: https://reubenrock.com/ Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BookCleaningJobs
💡 THANK YOU FOR WATCHING
Like the video
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#CraftAndCalling #TradesLeadership #HomeServiceBusiness #ConstructionBusiness #LegacyLeadership #HomeServicesMarketing #OperationsSystems #ContractorBusiness #BuildYourLegacy #ResultsMarketing #DigitalMarketingForContractors #ServiceBusinessGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment #ScaleYourBusiness
 

Legacy leadership starts with who you hire, how you develop them, and the mission you reinforce every day.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling, host Christene Marie sits down with Sean Madole, a third-generation trades leader who has carried his family’s construction business forward since the 1970s. Together they dig into what actually scales a trades company: values-based hiring, culture-driven retention, systems that compound, and leadership that evolves as the business grows.
Sean shares what he has learned across decades: how to inspire teams, how to build a company people want to work for, how to use CRMs to grow value, and why the future of the trades belongs to leaders who can evolve.
🔍WHAT WE TALK ABOUT
Hiring for mindset instead of desperation
What actually keeps trades talent (and why it’s not just pay)
How to build mission, culture, and daily leadership rhythms
Systems that increase valuation and long-term stability
Who leaders must become to build a business that lasts
⏱️ CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
1:41 Sean’s 3rd-generation story & company origins
3:19 Why developing people is the foundation of growth
5:57 Labor shortages & Retention strategies that actually work
14:56 Social media’s impact on culture & retention
16:53 Why CRMs and systems matter more than ever
24:01 Financial tools & processes that support scaling
27:55 Who leaders must become to build a legacy
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👤 GUEST BIO: SEAN MADOLE
Sean Madole is a third-generation owner and president of Madole Construction, serving Nevada and Northern California since the 1970s. With 40+ years across three generations in the trades, Sean specializes in team development, operations, systems, and scaling high-trust construction teams.
🔗CONNECT WITH SEAN
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-madole-9a95475b/
Website: http://MadoleConstruction.com 
💡THANK YOU FOR WATCHING
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#TradesBusiness #ConstructionLeadership #CraftAndCalling #TeamCulture #LegacyLeadership #BlueCollarBusiness #HomeServicesGrowth #TradesPodcast
 

Bravery in the trades isn’t just about the work-it’s about showing up, telling your story, and owning your voice.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling, host Christene Marie sits down with Todd Weyandt, marketing leader and host of the award-winning Bridging the Gap podcast, to explore the truth about personal branding in the trades - and why courage, storytelling, and authenticity matter more now than ever.
Todd breaks down how every business owner, operator, and trades professional already has a personal brand… the question is whether you’re shaping it intentionally or letting others define it for you.From reframing failure as innovation to building trust through vulnerability, this conversation is a blueprint for becoming a leader people actually want to follow.
🔍 WHAT WE TALK ABOUT
Why every trades professional already has a personal brand
The difference between humility and hiding
How to reframe failure as a superpower
Why people connect with people, not companies
How storytelling builds culture, trust, and legacy
⏱️ CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
2:00 Misconceptions in the construction industry
6:22 Why failure makes you better
14:18 Generational pressure + Millennials: "we don't know how to fail well"
17:40 Owning your personal brand
22:47 Leadership, legacy, and humanizing your company
29:41 Changing the story of construction
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https://thecraftandcalling.com/linktr/
👤 GUEST BIO: TODD WEYANDT
Todd Weyandt is a marketing leader and host of the award-winning Bridging the Gap Podcast, known for transforming complex construction and technology topics into clear, engaging insights. With over 15 years of experience, he helps teams connect strategy with real-world outcomes through storytelling and innovation.
🔗CONNECT WITH TODDLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddweyandt/
Website: https://asti.com/
Podcast: https://bridgingthegappod.com/ 
 
💡THANK YOU FOR WATCHING
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#CraftAndCalling #ToddWeyandt #ConstructionPodcast #TradesLeadership #PersonalBranding #BridgingTheGap #ConstructionInnovation #AuthenticLeadership #BuildYourLegacy

Freedom comes when you stop running your business by memory and start running it by systems.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling, host Christene Marie sits down with Courtney Boomer, systems expert and co-owner of multiple trades-based businesses, to talk about what it really takes to scale sustainably.
Courtney shares how she helped her husband’s coatings business go from chaos to a fully booked calendar - using CRMs, customer journey mapping, and streamlined communication. Together, they unpack the mindset shift from “doing it all” to building a legacy that runs smoothly without you.
If you’ve ever felt buried in calls, emails, and disorganization, this conversation will help you simplify, systematize, and scale - without losing your personal touch.
🔍WHAT WE TALK ABOUT
How to implement systems that free up your time
The role of CRMs like Housecall Pro, Jobber, and Drip Jobs in trades success
Mapping your customer journey for better communication
When to hire a bookkeeper or virtual assistant
How marketing, operations, and culture work together to build a legacy
⏱️ CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
1:56 Courtney’s path from corporate burnout to entrepreneurship
3:54 Implementing CRMs: where to start and what tools to use
7:47 Bare Bones: Automating follow-ups and reminders for customer satisfaction
12:23 Customer journey and customer experience
14:49 Admin support and how to make marketing decisions based on real data
18:11 Clear schedules that are ideal for the team and clients 
18:09 Creating a healthy company culture in small trades teams
22:59 How storytelling and authenticity build loyal customers
26:54 Courtney’s top three things every small business should do today
⚒️JOIN THE CRAFT & CALLING COMMUNITYhttps://thecraftandcalling.com/linktr/
👤 GUEST BIO: COURTNEY BOOMER
Courtney Boomer is the Founder and Director of ScaleUp with Courtney, where she helps entrepreneurs and small teams regain control over their businesses by implementing scalable, efficient systems.
With four kids five and under and a portfolio of businesses to manage, Courtney understands the importance of optimizing every minute. Over the past several years, she has worked with companies like Your Garage Floor Guys, scaling them by 50%+ year-over-year through smart automations and process optimization.
At ScaleUp CRM, she specializes in helping small teams streamline their operations, implement custom CRMs, and maximize potential using tools like ClickUp, Zapier, and more. Whether you need a systems audit, CRM build, or workflow optimization, Courtney’s mission is to help you work smarter, not harder.
🔗CONNECT WITH COURNEY
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneyboomer/ 
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/scaleup-with-courtney/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scaleupwithcourtney/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/court_boomer/ 
💡THANK YOU FOR WATCHING
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#CraftAndCalling #TradesBusiness #SmallBusinessSystems #CRMforContractors #TradesLeadership #WomenInTrades #LegacyLeadership #HomeServicesMarketing #ConstructionPodcast #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #OperationalExcellence

Communication can build or break your business - let’s talk about building it stronger.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling, host Christene Marie sits down with Ron Nussbaum, Founder and CEO of BuilderComs and host of the Construction Champions Podcast. A former U.S. Marine turned construction entrepreneur, Ron is on a mission to eliminate chaos in the construction industry through better communication, leadership, and systems.
Together, they unpack why communication breakdowns cost construction companies millions, how to build SOPs around trust and transparency, and why truth, not fear, creates the best customers. Ron also shares how veterans’ discipline, clear handoffs, and customer empathy can transform job sites into high-performing teams.If you’ve ever struggled with dropped handoffs, client misalignment, or frustrated crews, this episode is your blueprint for change.
🔍WHAT WE TALK ABOUT
The #1 communication breakdown costing construction companies time, trust, and profit
How to create smooth handoffs between sales and production that build customer confidence
Why honesty and transparency are more powerful than perfect performance
The role of leadership, systems, and emotional intelligence in building better teams
How BuilderComs is changing the game for construction businesses through messaging-first technology
🕒 CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
3:36 Why Communication is Construction’s Biggest Problem
6:44 Chaos Without Systems: Where Breakdowns Begin
10:22 Two Points Where Companies Drop the Ball Most
14:47 The Power of a Proper Handoff Between Sales & Production
21:29 Transferring Trust: How to Bridge Sales to Delivery
23:26 Emotional Connection and the Human Side of Construction
29:32 Truth Over Fear: Why Real Talk Wins the Right Clients
35:13 Eliminating Callbacks: The 10x–100x–1000x Cost Rule
40:22 Truth as a Brand Strategy and Leadership Practice
 
⭐RESOURCES
The 11 star experience talk by Airbnb Founder Brain Chesky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMvM3g0_ebA
 
⚒️JOIN THE CRAFT & CALLING COMMUNITY
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👤 GUEST BIO: RON NUSSBAUM
Founder of BuilderComs
U.S.M.C. Veteran 
Host of the Construction Champions Podcast
BuilderComs is transforming the construction industry by addressing its most significant challenge: communication. We offer customizable systems and software designed to streamline project management, enhance client relationships, and eliminate inefficiencies.
Ron Nussbaum is the founder and CEO of BuilderComs, the messaging-first project management platform built specifically for construction teams. A former U.S. Marine turned entrepreneur, Ron is on a mission to end chaos in the construction industry by helping builders communicate better and build faster. He’s passionate about leadership, legacy, and creating tools that actually serve the people in the field.
🔗 CONNECT WITH RON
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ron-nussbaum/ 
Website: https://www.buildercoms.com/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theronnussbaum/?hl=en 
 
💡THANK YOU FOR WATCHING
Watch Next: → [Previous Episode - Why Grit, Gratitude, and Faith Define Great Entrepreneurs:  https://youtu.be/HVpn4zr-UpE
Question for You: What’s one communication system you’re ready to fix in your business this week?
#CraftAndCalling #ConstructionLeadership #BuilderComs #RonNussbaum #CommunicationInConstruction #ConstructionChampions #TradesLeadership #BuildingLegacy #ConstructionBusiness #SystemsAndProcesses #LeadershipPodcast #Craftsmanship #BusinessGrowth #ChristeneMarie #EntrepreneurshipInTrades

Lead with Faith, Build with Systems.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling, host Christene Marie sits down with Chad Gill, founder and owner of Laminin Coaching & VAs for Construction, to explore the mindset, failures, and faith that shape resilient leadership.They discuss deeper into how faith, structure, and servant leadership intersect in the trades. From building systems that free people, not trap them, to redefining success through impact, Chad shares how aligning values and operations creates lasting legacy.Through humor, humility, and practical wisdom, Chad shares how embracing failure, leading with gratitude, and grounding in faith can transform how we build companies and legacies.
🔍WHAT WE TALK ABOUT
Building perseverance through personal and professional hardship
How to use gratitude to break arrogance and stay teachable
The real relationship between failure and success
Faith, family, and the role of values in business leadership
The power of community, coaching, and accountability
How entrepreneurs can avoid isolation and ego-driven burnout
🕒CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
1:57 Chad's Background, Upbringing, and his time in VMI 
8:40 “At least they can’t eat me”: Lessons in perspective from his dad
10:37 Defining perseverance and grit in leadership and business
15:20 The concept of the “Failabration” and why we should celebrate mistakes
17:40 The loneliness of leadership and the importance of vulnerability
20:29 What failure teaches leaders about coaching and empathy
26:18 Gratitude as the antidote to arrogance and burnout
30:52 Faith, Family, and getting good with God
37:51 Putting words and action into our core values
47:58 Coaching and Systems
52:00 6 Kinds of work: doing work you love
 
⚒️JOIN THE CRAFT & CALLING COMMUNITYhttps://thecraftandcalling.com/linktr/ 
👤 GUEST BIO: CHAD GILL
President/Founder Laminin Coaching & VAs for Construction.
Chad Gill is a former contractor with 23+ years of hands-on experience in the construction industry. Now, as the founder Laminin Coaching & VAs for Construction, Chad helps leaders and their teams become AI-enhanced. By focusing on practical applications, he empowers organizations to leverage AI for better decision-making, improved workflows, and measurable results. 
Chad is passionate about showing leaders that AI isn’t about complexity or futuristic technology-it’s about small, everyday actions that add up to huge impact. 
 
🔗CONNECT WITH CHAD
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-gill-99042a37/
Website: https://www.vas4construction.com/
💡THANK YOU FOR WATCHING
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#TheCraftAndCalling #TradesLeadership #EntrepreneurMindset #FaithInBusiness #GritAndGrace #LegacyBuilding #ConstructionLeadership #SmallBusinessGrowth #LeadershipPodcast #Craftsmanship #BlueCollarBusiness #GratitudeInLeadership #EntrepreneurStories #FailForward #PurposeDrivenWork

Because you can’t build legacy if you’re running your business blindfolded.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling, host Christene Marie sits down with Charles Leikauf, a seasoned CFO and financial educator who’s helped business owners scale sustainably by understanding the story behind their numbers.
Charles breaks down the difference between accountants, bookkeepers, and CFOs, and reveals why most trades businesses struggle not because of their work ethic, but because they’re driving blind when it comes to their finances.
Whether you’re still running payroll in envelopes or ready to scale beyond $5 million, this conversation will help you build financial clarity, not just revenue.
🔍WHAT WE TALK ABOUT
Where small trades and service companies should start with financial systems
The role of humility and delegation in building teams that scale
How to align marketing, operations, and finance for long-term profitability
The mindset shift from “working harder” to “working smarter” with data
🕒 CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
2:24 Charles’s background and the $2 billion business turnaround
4:07 Why most small businesses operate “blindfolded”
7:50 How to start with QuickBooks and get your books right
13:25 When marketing costs more than your margin
15:00 Finance meets marketing: aligning cost per lead and profit
22:10 From owner to operator: how to hire and delegate
25:54 Humility, hiring, and learning to let go
29:57 Freedom, family, and building a business that lets you live
⚒️JOIN THE CRAFT & CALLING COMMUNITYhttps://thecraftandcalling.com/linktr/ 
👤 GUEST BIO: CHARLES LEIKAUF
Founder at Profit Surge Group
Fractional CFO at Ecommerce Profit Group
Charles Leikauf is a corporate finance executive turned accidental fractional CFO. After restructuring a $2 billion business and serving as CFO for another, he made the leap out of the corporate world to build a business on his own terms. Today, he leverages his deep financial expertise to help companies thrive as their trusted fractional CFO. Beyond client work, Charles also mentors accountants and bookkeepers, teaching them how to build their own path to time, location, and financial freedom-just as he did.🔗CONNECT WITH CHARLESLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleikauf/ Website: https://profitsurgegroup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlesleikauf/ 💡THANK YOU FOR WATCHING
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#CraftAndCalling #TradesLeadership #FractionalCFO #BusinessGrowth #FinancialClarity #EntrepreneurMindset #TradesBusiness #BlueCollarLeadership #ProfitOverRevenue #LeadershipDevelopment