The Scale Up Project

The Playbook That’s Scaling 8,000+ Builders Worldwide — Russ Stephens

In today’s episode, Charlie sits down with Russ Stephens, the co-founder of the Association of Professional Builders, an Amazon best-selling author, and one of the world’s leading voices on how contractors scale. Through APB, he’s coached thousands of builders across five countries and produced the industry’s most definitive annual report.  Russ shares the data-driven strategies APB has uncovered from working with thousands of contractors worldwide, including: * The exact percentage of revenue every builder should allocate to marketing * How to create a sales process that stops leads from slipping through the cracks * The shift from “builder” to “design & construct” that changes everything * Why specialization and niche positioning are the keys to higher margins This conversation is a masterclass in marketing, brand, and operations for builders who want to scale.  ____________________ Russ’s links: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/russstephens/?originalSubdomain=au] Association of Professional Builders [https://www.associationofprofessionalbuilders.com/] Professional Builders Secrets Book [https://www.associationofprofessionalbuilders.com/professional-builders-secrets-book] Professional Builders Secrets Podcast [https://www.associationofprofessionalbuilders.com/professional-builders-secrets-podcast] _____________________ Charlie’s links: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-bramble/] Rainmaker Remodel  [https://rainmakerremodel.com/] Rainmaker Remodel Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/rainmaker_remodel/] The Scale Up Project YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@TheScaleUpProject] The Scale Up Project Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/the.scale.up.project.podcast/]

$100M Contractor Productization Model Explained

How did companies like Bath Fitter, Empire Today, and 50 Floor scale to $100M+ and what can you learn from their playbook? In this solo episode, Charlie talks about the productization model behind some of the fastest-scaling brands in home improvement, and how local contractors can use the same system to grow faster, with better margins and more focus. You’ll learn: - Why repeating the same job over and over creates speed, trust, and scale - How standardizing your offer improves perceived likelihood of desired outcome (so customers trust you more) - Why fast installs and one-day delivery reduce the perceived time to outcome — and convert better - How removing friction (bringing the showroom to them, no mess guarantees) lowers the perceived effort and sacrifice for the customer - What “asset-light” really means, and how it boosts profit per install - Why aggressive discounts, fast installs, and lifetime warranties only work when your margins do - Whether you install floors, baths, windows or roofs, this episode will shift how you think about growth. 📈 Want help standardizing your offer and scaling your construction business? 📞 Book a free strategy session with Rainmaker Remodel: https://rainmakerremodel.com/ [https://rainmakerremodel.com/] Floow Charlie Bramble on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-bramble/] Watch the video on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ4ZVrCAwuo] 📲 Subscribe for more episodes on marketing, operations & sales for contractors.

This Man Built The $30B Metal Roofing Industry & Now Shares All His Trade Secrets

Our guest today is Todd Miller — co-owner of Isaiah Industries and a true pioneer in residential metal roofing. Over the last 35+ years, Todd’s helped grow the market share of metal roofs in North America from just 2% to over 15%. He’s shaped not only a business, but an entire industry. In this episode, we dive into the evolution of Isaiah Industries, what it really takes to scale a product-based business, how contractors can train better sales teams, and why knowing your numbers is the most underrated growth lever.  Plus: the future of AI in construction, the death of insurance-based roofing, and how to build a brand that makes people trust you before they even know your name. Show Notes: (0:00) Intro to Todd Miller (1:05) From fast food chains to nationwide residential (5:10) What makes metal roofing a “make market” opportunity (8:45) How to train contractors to sell, not just install (13:30) Going direct to consumer — and what they learned (18:00) Why virtual sales calls actually work (22:25) Scaling secrets: know your chicken sandwich (26:40) Should contractors niche down or stay flexible? (30:20) Personal brand vs company brand (34:55) The power of trade associations (and why Todd joined) (40:10) How to earn trust from manufacturers and get better deals (44:45) What makes contractors fail — and how to avoid it (50:00) Building a leadership team that scales (55:20) Where the industry’s heading: VC, AI, and bigger players (1:02:00) Marketing budgets: from 5% to 20% (1:06:45) Why you must know your numbers to scale — Links: * Isaiah Industries [https://www.isaiahindustries.com/]• Construction Disruption podcast [https://www.constructiondisruption.com/]• Ask Todd Miller [https://www.asktoddmiller.com/]• Rilla Voice [https://www.rillavoice.com/]• Qualified Remodeler [https://www.qualifiedremodeler.com/] — Charlie’s LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-bramble/] Todd’s LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmillermetalroofing/]  — Brought to you by Digital Rainmaker We help contractors scale with search-optimized websites, smart systems, and lead-gen that actually works. 📈 Want to know how your business stacks up?  Let’s chat.  [https://www.digitalrainmaker.co.uk/strategy-questionnaire/]

How to Scale Your Contractor Businesses by Mastering Systems & Pricing – with Eric Fortenberry

Sick of chaotic job sites, shrinking profit margins, or not knowing where the money’s going? In this episode, Charlie sits down with Eric Fortenberry, founder of JobTread, to break down how smarter systems, better pricing models, and the right leadership mindset can radically transform your home improvement business. Learn how Eric took a struggling $5M company to $8M in one year—with a 43% increase in gross profit—by fixing the fundamentals most contractors overlook. In This Episode: * (0:00) Intro: Who is Eric Fortenberry? * (2:10) From Finance to Construction: Eric’s unconventional journey * (4:50) The $800K mistake hiding in your books * (8:40) Why margin ≠ markup—and how that’s killing your profit * (12:00) The three pillars of scalable systems * (18:30) The real cost of poor project management * (26:00) Why fixed pricing changed everything * (33:15) Standardizing chaos: Can you scale with variety? * (40:20) AI, CRMs & integrating with tools like Go High Level * (48:30) Hiring smart: When (and how) to build your team * (54:45) Eric’s top 3 growth levers for contractors 🔗 Links & Resources * Learn more about JobTread [https://www.jobtread.com] * Connect with Eric on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/efortenberry/] * Connect with Charlie [https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-bramble/] on LinkedIn * Book a free consultation [https://rainmakeremodel.com/home-page-1298] — let’s map out your business’s next move. Subscribe to The Scale Up Project and leave a review if you’re ready to build a business that runs as smoothly as your job site should.