He Was Ready to Close His Business - Then This Happened | Jack Hanneken 2

He Was Ready to Close His Business - Then This Happened | Jack Hanneken 2

Jack returns a year on to trace how much has shifted in the business and in himself. On the business side he walks through the full subcontractor life cycle he's now watched play out over five years, why he's productizing fencing into a simple, scalable 'Chick-fil-A' menu under Faster Fences, and the honest fear of letting go of operational control that's the single thing capping his growth. On the personal side, he opens up about realizing he'd built his whole identity around chasing money, the spiritual-coaching work with Josh Wiesler that followed, and a run of experiences (a business he tried to close, a calling to a coffee shop, baptisms at the gym) that reoriented him. Pat mirrors it with his own reset: a month-and-a-half off social media and a six-month break from dating, and what both have done for his focus. What you'll take away ● The subcontractor (and employee) life cycle - how good crews start hungry, peak in the middle, then drift - and how to see the end coming. ● Why productizing a service into 3-5 fixed options (the "Chick-fil-A" model) simplifies inventory, speed and customer experience all at once. ● The real bottleneck to scaling isn't leads - it's the founder's fear of handing off control. ● A practical case that growth for its own sake can cost you the client experience and the life you actually want. ● How a social-media and dating fast can free up focus, money and genuine connection - plus the discipline-vs-motivation cycle every entrepreneur rides seasonally.

'If I Hate My Ex, I Hate Half My Kids’ — An Honest Talk on Co-Parenting | Dalton Nicholls

Dalton is a realtor at CRS Belt Nichols — and the "bonus dad" to co-host Pat’s two boys. He and the guys cover his path from car sales to real estate, the mentors who shaped him, the realities of the sales grind (lead sources, pre-approvals, listing strategy), and some genuinely wild listing stories. Then the episode turns into its best self: an honest, moving conversation about co-parenting after divorce — how Pat and Dalton put their egos aside, backed each other up, and built a blended family the kids actually thrive in. What you’ll take away • How to co-parent after divorce without making the kids collateral — "put down your swords." • Why "if I hate my ex, I hate half my kids" reframes the whole thing. • The reality of the real-estate grind: mentors, lead sources, and running a real buyer consult. • A masterclass in ego, humility, and doing what’s best for the children.

Born Deaf, She Became a Dentist — Dr. Jessica Nieva’s Story

Dr. Jessica Nieva was born profoundly deaf and grew up isolated — raised to read lips, not sign, in a Filipino family that pushed medicine. She didn’t hear clearly until a cochlear implant at 30, an experience she calls life-changing. In this episode she and the guys talk about the first sounds she ever heard, running 60+ miles a week to cope with loneliness, building Benton Family Dentistry while raising four daughters in five years, dropping insurance to trade burnout for quality, and why she now takes health and happiness over income. What you’ll take away • How adversity built the toughness behind her success — and why she has empathy to match. • The business case for going out-of-network: fewer patients, higher quality, more happiness. • Why "saying no" and setting boundaries is a superpower for any owner. • Choosing health, family, and presence over maximizing income.

Your Foundation Guy Is Probably Lying to You — How Not to Get Ripped Off | Stephen Burton

Stephen Burton is the owner and educator of Foundation Rescue in St. Louis, with 35 years and $100M in foundation repairs behind him. In this episode he pulls back the curtain on an industry with no licensing test and no standards: why homes really fail (gutters and downspouts, not "your walls falling"), how to avoid getting ripped off, the $175 inspection he’ll do before you spend $30,000, the difference between clients and customers, and the faith and integrity that turned him from "part of the problem" into an advocate. Equal parts homeowner survival guide and a lesson in doing business the right way. What you’ll take away • The real cause of most foundation problems — and the two things every homeowner should do today. • How to tell a good foundation contractor from a predatory one (licensing, insurance, the 3-day rescission). • Why "fixing the crack" without fixing the cause guarantees a new crack. • Clients vs. customers — and why treating people as clients wins long-term. • Owning your mistakes: how he went from "the problem" to reforming the industry. Pull-quotes • "Your walls do not fall. That’s the scare tactic." • "Clients buy information. Customers buy products." • "If you don’t know who the idiot is at the poker table, it’s you." • "He was a slow learner, but he figured it out." (his tombstone)

A Truck Exploded Feet From Him — A Fire Chief on Leadership, Culture & Faith | Aaron Burlingame

In 2018, a truck exploded just feet from firefighter Aaron Burlingame. He came back. This one’s about leadership, culture, faith, and what the worst days teach you about what actually matters. Aaron Burlingame — Battalion Chief with the St. Charles Fire Department — sits down with Zach & Pat on leading vs. bossing, building a culture people choose over higher pay, first-responder mental health, raising sons who own their mistakes, surviving serious burns, and the faith he found on the other side. Real conversation, no clickbait. ▶ CHAPTERS 00:00 Meet Aaron Burlingame — St. Charles Fire 01:00 Why a fire chief fell for jiu-jitsu 06:00 The real lesson: consistency & doing hard things 11:30 Leadership isn’t being in charge — it’s responsibility 15:00 How "Discipline Equals Freedom" changed his leadership 17:00 What the worst days teach you about what matters 18:00 How the fire service finally took mental health seriously 23:00 The culture that put St. Charles on the map 31:30 The cell-phone box: rebuilding conversation 34:45 The Dungeons & Dragons leadership lesson 39:30 A leadership mistake he still learns from 46:00 Watching his son enter the fire service 51:20 The day a truck exploded feet away 57:00 Faith, "box receipts," and finding the good 1:01:00 Muddy River FOOLS & the brotherhood 1:05:00 One thing you can do tomorrow: fill your cup 1:07:00 The Tombstone Game ▶ Help us hit 1,000 subscribers before the end of 2026 — SUBSCRIBE! ▶ FOLLOW US ON IG Zach: https://www.instagram.com/zach_fagas/ [https://www.instagram.com/zach_fagas/] Pat: https://www.instagram.com/stl_mortgagenerd/ [https://www.instagram.com/stl_mortgagenerd/] Murph: https://www.instagram.com/thedaily_murph/ [https://www.instagram.com/thedaily_murph/] ▶ OUR PARTNERS CPTN Beard Co — use code ZACHANDPAT for 10% off your order The Normal Brand — https://sldr.page.link/ZCYFu [https://sldr.page.link/ZCYFu] ▶ ABOUT THE SHOW The Zach & Pat Show — honest conversations about manhood, fatherhood, entrepreneurship, and a positive mental attitude. Hosted by Zach Fagas & Pat Doyle.