5. How to Scale a Business with VAs and AI

5. How to Scale a Business with VAs and AI

In today's episode, I break down how I structure my business using virtual assistants, systems, and AI while still keeping the human element at the center of everything. I share how I approach hiring, training, and managing VAs, why I believe people often overcomplicate AI, and where I think automation helps versus where it can actually hurt your business. We also dive into creating SOPs, buying back your time, building scalable systems, and why relationships, sales, and trust should never be fully handed over to AI. If you're an entrepreneur trying to scale, this episode will help you think differently about delegation, automation, and building a business that doesn't lose its personality. 00:00 – Intro & thoughts on AI 02:00 – Why I believe in hiring VAs first 04:30 – Buying back your time as an entrepreneur 06:00 – My first hires and what I delegated 08:20 – Training VAs with systems and SOPs 11:00 – How I use AI inside my business 13:00 – Giving employees AI tools to succeed 15:20 – Why human interaction still matters 18:00 – The dangers of over-automating your business 21:00 – Balancing AI, systems, and people 23:00 – Final thoughts on scaling with AI and VAs If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone building a business, a family, or both. Subscribe for more Beyond the Build episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondthebuildpod [http://www.youtube.com/@beyondthebuildpod] Listen to Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/beyondthebuild [https://open.spotify.com/show/4e8B5ZI75I6wzo6FFw55yo] Listen to Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/beyondthebuild [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-build-with-wendell-butler/id1784328740] Follow Beyond The Build on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondthebuildpod/ [https://www.facebook.com/beyondthebuildpod/] Follow Beyond The Build on Instagram: http://instagram.com/beyondthebuildpod [http://instagram.com/beyondthebuildpod] Follow Beyond The Build on LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beyondthebuild/ [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/beyondthebuildpod]  Check out more from Wendell Butler Personal Website: wendellbutler.com [http://wendellbutler.com] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendellpbutleriv [https://www.facebook.com/wendellpbutleriv] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendellpbutleriv/ [https://www.instagram.com/wendellpbutleriv/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendellpbutleriv/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendellpbutleriv/]  Subscribe to Newsletter: https://wendellbutler.beehiiv.com/subscribe [https://wendellbutler.beehiiv.com/subscribe] Hammerhead Capital: https://www.hhcapitalrealty.com/ [https://www.hhcapitalrealty.com/] Flip Fuel Lending: https://flipfuellending.com/ [https://flipfuellending.com/] Tide & Timber Ventures: https://www.tidetimberventures.com/ [https://www.tidetimberventures.com/] The Hive: https://jointhehive.co/ [https://jointhehive.co/]

4. Why Your Life Partner Is Your Most Important Business Decision

In today's episode, I share one of the biggest personal milestones of my life: getting engaged. But this isn't just a story about relationships. It's about why choosing the right life partner can have a bigger impact on your future than almost any business decision you'll ever make. I talk about why I waited until my 30s to get engaged, the importance of aligning on vision, values, and long-term goals, and how the right partner can become the ultimate teammate in both life and business. We also dive into why entrepreneurs rarely talk about relationships, how personal decisions affect business success, and why thinking beyond a 10-year vision can completely change the way you build your future. 00:00 – Intro & engagement announcement 01:20 – The proposal story 03:45 – Why I waited until my 30s 06:45 – Finding the right partner 10:00 – Aligning vision, values & goals 13:30 – Thinking beyond a 10-year vision 16:15 – Why relationships matter for entrepreneurs 18:45 – Building a life, not just a business 20:30 – Final thoughts & lessons learned If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone building a business, a family, or both. Subscribe for more Beyond the Build episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondthebuildpod [https://www.youtube.com/@beyondthebuildpod] Listen to Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/beyondthebuild [https://open.spotify.com/show/4e8B5ZI75I6wzo6FFw55yo] Listen to Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/beyondthebuild [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-build-with-wendell-butler/id1784328740] Follow Beyond The Build on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondthebuildpod/ [https://www.facebook.com/beyondthebuildpod/] Follow Beyond The Build on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebuildpod/ [https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebuildpod/] Follow Beyond The Build on LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beyondthebuild/ [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/beyondthebuildpod]  Check out more from Wendell Butler: Personal Website: https://wendellbutler.com [https://wendellbutler.com] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendellpbutleriv [https://www.facebook.com/wendellpbutleriv] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendellpbutleriv/ [https://www.instagram.com/wendellpbutleriv/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendellpbutleriv/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendellpbutleriv/]  Subscribe to Newsletter: https://wendellbutler.beehiiv.com/subscribe [https://wendellbutler.beehiiv.com/subscribe] Hammerhead Capital: https://www.hhcapitalrealty.com/ [https://www.hhcapitalrealty.com/] Flip Fuel Lending: https://flipfuellending.com/ [https://flipfuellending.com/] Tide & Timber Ventures: https://www.tidetimberventures.com/ [https://www.tidetimberventures.com/] The Hive: https://jointhehive.co/ [https://jointhehive.co/]

3. Why Most People NEVER Start

In today’s episode, I break down the real reason most people never start the business, brand, podcast, or life they actually want. It’s not a lack of information.It’s fear. Fear of failing.Fear of looking stupid.Fear of losing money.Fear of what other people think. I talk about analysis paralysis, why overlearning becomes an excuse, and how taking imperfect action will always beat waiting for the “perfect time.” This episode is about entrepreneurship, mindset, momentum, and the reality that nobody actually knows what they’re doing when they start. If you’ve been stuck overthinking instead of building, this episode is for you. 00:00 – Intro & batching content 01:20 – Why most people never start 03:10 – Fear of failure & fear of losing 04:50 – Analysis paralysis & overplanning 06:30 – Nobody actually knows what they’re doing 08:10 – Entrepreneurship, failure & momentum 10:00 – Why action takers outperform everyone 11:40 – The danger of endless learning 13:00 – When it’s time to stop learning and start doing 14:20 – Final thoughts & challenge to take action Subscribe for more Beyond the Build episodes: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@beyondthebuildpod⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@beyondthebuildpod] Listen to Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/beyondthebuild⁠ [https://open.spotify.com/show/4e8B5ZI75I6wzo6FFw55yo] Listen to Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/beyondthebuild⁠ [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-build-with-wendell-butler/id1784328740] Follow Beyond The Build on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/beyondthebuildpod/⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/beyondthebuildpod/] Follow Beyond The Build on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebuildpod/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebuildpod/] Follow Beyond The Build on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/beyondthebuild/⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/beyondthebuildpod]  Check out more from Wendell Butler: Personal Website: ⁠https://wendellbutler.com⁠ [https://wendellbutler.com] Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/wendellpbutleriv⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/wendellpbutleriv] Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/wendellpbutleriv/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/wendellpbutleriv/] LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendellpbutleriv/⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendellpbutleriv/]  Subscribe to Newsletter: ⁠https://wendellbutler.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠ [https://wendellbutler.beehiiv.com/subscribe] Hammerhead Capital: ⁠https://www.hhcapitalrealty.com/⁠ [https://www.hhcapitalrealty.com/] Flip Fuel Lending: ⁠https://flipfuellending.com/⁠ [https://flipfuellending.com/] Tide & Timber Ventures: ⁠https://www.tidetimberventures.com/⁠ [https://www.tidetimberventures.com/] The Hive: ⁠https://jointhehive.co/⁠ [https://jointhehive.co/]

2. The Deal That Went From $120K Profit to BREAK EVEN

Today’s episode is about one of the worst real estate deals I’ve ever been part of. What started as a projected $120,000 profit turned into a complete nightmare filled with foundation issues, retaining walls, grading problems, holding costs, and expensive mistakes that destroyed the margins. I break down exactly where we went wrong, the due diligence mistakes we made, how emotion can kill a deal, and what this project taught me about business, partnerships, and risk management. This is the side of entrepreneurship most people never talk about the losses, stress, and problems happening behind the scenes while everyone online only posts the wins. 00:00 – Intro & why nobody talks about bad deals 01:30 – The original $120K deal plan 04:20 – Foundation issues & hidden problems 07:40 – Lot factor & grading mistakes 10:15 – Driveway and retaining wall disasters 13:20 – How the profit disappeared 15:40 – Due diligence mistakes we made 18:00 – Lessons learned from the deal 19:30 – Final thoughts on business, losses, and partnerships Subscribe for more Beyond the Build episodes: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@beyondthebuildpod⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@beyondthebuildpod] Listen to Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/beyondthebuild⁠ [https://open.spotify.com/show/4e8B5ZI75I6wzo6FFw55yo] Listen to Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/beyondthebuild⁠ [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-build-with-wendell-butler/id1784328740] Follow Beyond The Build on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/beyondthebuildpod/⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/beyondthebuildpod/] Follow Beyond The Build on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebuildpod/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebuildpod/] Follow Beyond The Build on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/beyondthebuild/⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/beyondthebuildpod]  Check out more from Wendell Butler: Personal Website: ⁠https://wendellbutler.com⁠ [https://wendellbutler.com] Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/wendellpbutleriv⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/wendellpbutleriv] Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/wendellpbutleriv/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/wendellpbutleriv/] LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendellpbutleriv/⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendellpbutleriv/]  Subscribe to Newsletter: ⁠https://wendellbutler.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠ [https://wendellbutler.beehiiv.com/subscribe] Hammerhead Capital: ⁠https://www.hhcapitalrealty.com/⁠ [https://www.hhcapitalrealty.com/] Flip Fuel Lending: ⁠https://flipfuellending.com/⁠ [https://flipfuellending.com/] Tide & Timber Ventures: ⁠https://www.tidetimberventures.com/⁠ [https://www.tidetimberventures.com/] The Hive: ⁠https://jointhehive.co/⁠ [https://jointhehive.co/]

1. Welcome to Beyond the Build

Today’s episode is the intro to Beyond the Build. It’s about why most people are only seeing the highlight reel of entrepreneurship and missing what actually happens behind the scenes. I break down my journey through real estate, sales, lending, and building businesses, and why I decided to stop the polished conversations and just speak the raw truth about what it really takes to build. 00:00 – Why I stopped chasing “highlight reel” entrepreneurship content 02:10 – The truth behind business partnerships and real alignment 05:45 – Why most “success” online is fake or heavily curated 09:20 – 99% getting punched in the mouth, 1% figuring it out 12:40 – My journey through sales, real estate, and lending 16:15 – Why most entrepreneurs misunderstand revenue vs profit 19:50 – Building companies from scratch (and what actually breaks) 23:10 – Why I started Beyond the Build 26:30 – Real operators vs fake gurus 30:00 – What I’m building next Subscribe for more Beyond the Build episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondthebuildpod [https://www.youtube.com/@beyondthebuildpod] Listen to Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/beyondthebuild [https://open.spotify.com/show/4e8B5ZI75I6wzo6FFw55yo] Listen to Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/beyondthebuild [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-build-with-wendell-butler/id1784328740] Follow Beyond The Build on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondthebuildpod/ [https://www.facebook.com/beyondthebuildpod/] Follow Beyond The Build on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebuildpod/ [https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebuildpod/] Follow Beyond The Build on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beyondthebuild/ [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/beyondthebuildpod]  Check out more from Wendell Butler: Personal Website: https://wendellbutler.com [https://wendellbutler.com] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendellpbutleriv [https://www.facebook.com/wendellpbutleriv] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendellpbutleriv/ [https://www.instagram.com/wendellpbutleriv/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendellpbutleriv/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendellpbutleriv/]  Subscribe to Newsletter: https://wendellbutler.beehiiv.com/subscribe [https://wendellbutler.beehiiv.com/subscribe] Hammerhead Capital: https://www.hhcapitalrealty.com/ [https://www.hhcapitalrealty.com/] Flip Fuel Lending: https://flipfuellending.com/ [https://flipfuellending.com/] Tide & Timber Ventures: https://www.tidetimberventures.com/ [https://www.tidetimberventures.com/] The Hive: https://jointhehive.co/ [https://jointhehive.co/]