Epic Entrepreneurs

How A Refinishing Business Delivers Affordable Home Restoration with Armando Garcia

Most people think entrepreneurship starts with a big idea. Armando Garcia’s story starts with something more grounded: taking damaged surfaces and making them look new again, then deciding to bet on himself and buy the Miracle Method franchise. We sit down and talk through that shift from technician to owner, what changed in his mindset, and why the support and training of a nationwide franchise can be the bridge between being great at the craft and being solid at running the business. We also get honest about the parts nobody glamorizes. Armando breaks down the “you own a business so you must be rich” myth, the reality that it takes money to make money, and the business skills he wishes every new owner learned sooner, especially bookkeeping, accounting basics, and financial management. From there we go into the day-to-day pressure of leadership: how to plan a vacation when you’re still essential to operations, how to mentally shut down at night, and how faith and family help him keep stress in check without losing momentum. If you care about building a team that customers trust, this conversation delivers. Armando explains why work ethic beats a polished resume, what professionalism looks like in a customer-facing trade, and how he keeps a positive, motivated culture by treating mistakes as fixable and treating the team like family. We also look at what’s next for Miracle Method Charlotte, including bath safety upgrades for elderly and handicap customers, cabinet refacing, and the sustainability benefit of restoring instead of replacing and sending materials to landfills. Subscribe for more real small business growth stories, share this with an owner who needs a push, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. What’s one myth about business ownership you want to see retired for good? Thanks for Listening. You may contact me or our team at https://billgilliland.biz/ All the best! Bill Please hit the subscribe button, leave us a 5 star review,  and share this podcast. You can reach me at williamgilliland@actioncoach.com or at https://billgilliland.biz/

What If Your Next Customer Is One Coffee Away with Cameron Fagala

Some businesses win by going bigger. Punchlist Pros wins by going smaller and doing it with care. We sit down with Cameron Fagula to talk about building a family-owned handyman service in Asheville that focuses on the in-between home repair projects most contractors don’t want, like deck board replacement, drywall repair, carpentry fixes, ceiling fan installs, and quick bathroom upgrades that improve quality of life without the pain of a full remodel. We get into the real engine behind small business growth in Western North Carolina: relationships. Cameron explains how networking, coffee meetings, and community connections turned a slower launch season into a pipeline of referrals as the busy spring and summer months arrive. If you’re trying to grow a local service business, you’ll hear practical ideas for building trust, finding the right rooms, and staying consistent long enough for momentum to compound. You’ll also hear the parts people leave out: the scheduling puzzle of running multiple small jobs, the myth that ownership automatically means freedom, and the challenge of stepping away when customers and crews need answers. Cameron shares what he looks for when hiring, why customer service matters as much as trade skills, and how a “buttoned up” team presence can be a competitive advantage in the home services market. If you enjoy candid, tactical conversations about entrepreneurship, home services, and operations, subscribe for more, share this with a business owner who needs a boost, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. Thanks for Listening. You may contact me or our team at https://billgilliland.biz/ All the best! Bill Please hit the subscribe button, leave us a 5 star review,  and share this podcast. You can reach me at williamgilliland@actioncoach.com or at https://billgilliland.biz/

Great Merch Starts With Better Questions And Better Process with Eliza Webster

Most people think a print shop makes money by “just printing shirts”. The truth is a lot more human and a lot more useful if you’re trying to grow a business without betting everything on one giant client. I’m joined by Eliza Webster, Sales Director at Cotton Street Apparel, a Winston-Salem, North Carolina screen printing and embroidery shop that helps everyone from local events to nationwide organisations build merch lines, uniforms, and promotional products that actually get worn.  We talk about how Cotton Street evolved from band merch roots into a professional custom apparel company, and what they’d do differently starting from scratch: tighter SOPs, clearer team standards, and better early conversations with customers. Eliza shares how asking “Where are we going with this?” turns a once-a-year order into steady, predictable revenue, and why chasing a single “white whale” account can quietly put your cash flow at risk.  Eliza also breaks down one of the biggest myths in custom T-shirt printing: markups aren’t about yachts and Bugattis, they’re about skill, equipment, quality control, and getting the details right when it matters. We get into outreach and sales habits like cold calling, planning with a printing-specific CRM (Sales Inc.), and building relationships across the industry instead of treating everyone like a competitor. You’ll also hear a simple mindset reset for overwhelmed leaders, plus what’s next for Cotton Street, including their community partnership with Camel City Goods and upcoming local events.  If you got value from this, subscribe, share it with a business owner who needs steadier growth, and leave a review so more entrepreneurs can find the show. What part of the merch and sales process do you want to improve first? Contact info: eliza@cottonstreetapparel.com https://www.cottonstreetapparel.com/ [https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fus-west-2.protection.sophos.com%2F%3Fd%3Dcottonstreetapparel.com%26u%3DaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY290dG9uc3RyZWV0YXBwYXJlbC5jb20v%26p%3Dm%26i%3DNjg3Nzk0ZDQ1YWQ3NjEyOTEyMDYxOWVh%26t%3DMjJDWm9UWFZqcWQ1VUZOeUdNMHhBaFNHekpiUnJvOVRUZWw4NDFpZExubz0%3D%26h%3Dbb9f4a92b77e4976809a58a031d87424%26s%3DAVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSValwTbFzBg9EN2Vrmw4HxtuTRTjfJvlVMT4QlHLWlFpvw&data=05%7C02%7Ccyndimadden%40actioncoach.com%7C1b947ff4709d4347247a08de7ec3ea12%7Cfc563d52023b4149bb900a3df1a524f0%7C1%7C0%7C639087580018838598%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=F6zCQktqg0v0Oru8ZkXAmTJAC7c5I8Y%2BBxR8UA4Po3I%3D&reserved=0] https://www.instagram.com/cottonstreetapparel/ [https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fus-west-2.protection.sophos.com%2F%3Fd%3Dinstagram.com%26u%3DaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5zdGFncmFtLmNvbS9jb3R0b25zdHJlZXRhcHBhcmVsLw%3D%3D%26p%3Dm%26i%3DNjg3Nzk0ZDQ1YWQ3NjEyOTEyMDYxOWVh%26t%3DUnFZZ2VteTc2SnJkelhhM1RLallLR25jcW4wcHlwdnFRL0xuQnpTb1o5cz0%3D%26h%3Dbb9f4a92b77e4976809a58a031d87424%26s%3DAVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSValwTbFzBg9EN2Vrmw4HxtuTRTjfJvlVMT4QlHLWlFpvw&data=05%7C02%7Ccyndimadden%40actioncoach.com%7C1b947ff4709d4347247a08de7ec3ea12%7Cfc563d52023b4149bb900a3df1a524f0%7C1%7C0%7C639087580018871112%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=yufpuHdCPNQgHQGcE9vSb%2FTeXOFgKFCsHBHW2jYzSSU%3D&reserved=0] Thanks for Listening. You may contact me or our team at https://billgilliland.biz/ All the best! Bill Please hit the subscribe button, leave us a 5 star review,  and share this podcast. You can reach me at williamgilliland@actioncoach.com or at https://billgilliland.biz/

Behind the Cabinets: The Real Work of Building a Trades Business with Brandon Laney

Most people see a finished kitchen and assume the business behind it runs like clockwork. We sit down with Brandon Laney of Progressive Cabinets to talk about what it really takes to run a high-end custom cabinetry company: the late nights, the constant problem solving, and the pressure of knowing your name is on every door, drawer, and install. Brandon shares how he grew up in a cabinet shop, pursued computer networking, then pivoted when the 2008 economy changed what felt “safe” to build a career on. We get into the nuts and bolts of small business growth in the trades, including outsourcing early production, deciding when to bring work in-house, and how a CNC upgrade can expand capacity. Along the way, he explains why word-of-mouth marketing is still the lifeblood of a custom cabinet shop, and why strong relationships with homeowners can be a competitive advantage you can’t copy. We also talk leadership and real-life balance. Brandon breaks down what he hires for (soft skills, reliability, attention to detail), how he keeps morale up by being in the trenches with his team, and why the myth of the “rich business owner with endless vacations” misses the point. He offers honest advice for anyone feeling stuck or overwhelmed: slow down, pray or pause, and call another owner who’s been through the same roller coaster. If you care about entrepreneurship, skilled trades, woodworking, custom cabinets, and building a business that lasts, subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more builders and owners can find us. Contact info: progressivecabinetsllc.com [https://progressivecabinetsllc.com/]brandon@progressivecabinetsllc.com Thanks for Listening. You may contact me or our team at https://billgilliland.biz/ All the best! Bill Please hit the subscribe button, leave us a 5 star review,  and share this podcast. You can reach me at williamgilliland@actioncoach.com or at https://billgilliland.biz/

A Slow First Year Taught Him How To Price Jobs Hire Well And Keep Going with Joseph Johnson

People love to say “just start a service business” like the hard part is buying a ladder and printing a logo. Then the phone goes quiet, the insurance bill hits, an employee calls out, and a commercial client still expects the job done on time. That is why our conversation with Joseph Johnson from JMJ Painting and Maintenance LLC lands so well. Joe is a combat veteran and Chattanooga painting contractor who tells the truth about what it takes to build a legitimate, professional business that can actually last. We dig into the behind-the-scenes costs that customers rarely notice when they compare painting estimates: licensing, insurance, workers’ comp, scheduling risk, and the time it takes to price jobs fairly. Joe walks us through the marketing channels that bring real leads for local home services, including BNI networking, the Nextdoor app, Google Business Profile visibility, social media, and the simple power of finally getting a website. He also shares lessons learned the hard way about hiring, vetting, and adjusting leadership style so a team can meet high standards without burning out. The most eye-opening part is what Joseph hears from customers right now: painters taking large deposits then not showing up, changing numbers, and disappearing. He explains how he protects customer trust by communicating clearly and asking for payment when the job is complete, plus a review and referral discount system that turns great service into steady word of mouth. If you care about small business growth, local SEO, and building a contractor brand on integrity, listen through to the end for what’s next for JMJ and how to connect. Subscribe, share this with a business owner who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Guest Contact info: Email: honor1956.jj@gmail.com [honor1956.jj@gmail.com] Website: jmjpaintingandmaintenancellc.com [http://jmjpaintingandmaintenancellc.com] Thanks for Listening. You may contact me or our team at https://billgilliland.biz/ All the best! Bill Please hit the subscribe button, leave us a 5 star review,  and share this podcast. You can reach me at williamgilliland@actioncoach.com or at https://billgilliland.biz/