Contractor Evolution | The Private Equity Playbook: What Contractors Can Learn From Big Business
Have you ever wondered how the masters of big business scale up to nine-figures and beyond?
Today’s guest is Adam E. Coffey, author of 3 bestsellers: The Private Equity Playbook, The Exit Strategy Playbook, and Empire Builder: The Road to a Billion. After 10 years as an executive at General Electric, he was hired as the president of three private equity-backed service companies where he completed 58 acquisitions and facilitated billions of dollars in successful exits.
In this episode, I pick his brain about how small-to-medium sized contractors like you can apply the concepts of The Private Equity Playbook to their business systems and operations. And trust me, there is a ton to be learned from our conversation.
To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/BSN192
Episodes
Episode 291
If you’ve spent any time playing around with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini etc., you’ve probably noticed how easy it is to put a ton of work into something that ended up being inaccurate, too complicated or more work than it’s worth. Tyler Folkman has worked in AI for almost 20 years, and in this podcast episode, he shares the roadmap for using AI in ways that actually benefit our business, our people, and our bottom line.
Contractor Evolution | What Happens When You Sell To Private Equity?
Episode 290
There's a lot of noise about selling to private equity in the trades right now. If you’ve considered making it your exit strategy, there’s a few things you should know about the process. Today, private equity insider Tyler Goodhue is on the show to walk us through what actually happens when you decide to sell to private equity. The good, the bad and the ugly.
Contractor Evolution | The REAL Impact Of AI in Construction (And How To Prepare)
Episode 288
When ChatGPT released in 2022, we all knew the start of a new era in tech was coming. But we couldn't possibly comprehend just how much our industry was about to change. Today, I've brought on DJ Carroll to talk about where the industry is now, where it's headed, and what we HAVE to learn to survive what he calls the next industrial revolution.
Contractor Evolution | : $7M Playbook: Build A Profitable Landscaping Company
Episode 286
At just 30 years old, Riley Rivers owns a $7M landscaping business, pulling in $120K in profit every month. And he does it while working less than 40 hours a week. In this episode, he reveals the systems and people he put in place to make it happen.
Contractor Evolution | The Formula For Consistent Cash Flow In 7-Figure Contracting Businesses
Episode 285
Ever run out of money despite making millions of dollars? This is the situation Bob Gauvreau has seen hundreds of contractors fall into. Revenue is up, profit may even be up. But they run out of cash unexpectedly and when they get hit with an unexpected bill or expense… …they crumple. In today’s episode, Bob walks us through a foolproof system for managing your cash flow so financial stress becomes a thing of the past.
Contractor Evolution | How Hiring ONE PERSON Doubled This Contractor's Business
Episode 284
Alabama builder Joel Retherford finished 2025 at just under 3 million. By May 2026, he was already at 2.4. The only reason he was able to do this was by hiring a rock solid project manager. In this episode, he’s walking us through the process he used to recruit this critical hire, and how this one role is scaling his business while getting him out of the day to day.
Contractor Evolution | How This Contractor Made $200K From Change Orders
Episode 283
Does your team see change orders as a necessary evil or an opportunity for profit? Texas builder Eric Olson used to make 2% on a year’s worth of change orders, largely because his project managers weren’t trained or incentivized to ensure they were in the company’s best interest before moving forward. After putting a system in place and aligning his team around it, Eric made 20% profit on change orders the next year. A 10X increase that came from an intentional focus on a “problem area” of the business.
Contractor Evolution | She Sold 600 Homes In A Year. Here's How $100M Contractors Scale.
Episode 282
Most contractors struggle to close a million in sales. Today’s guest, Charlene Barrett used to sell hundreds of millions every single year. In this episode, she’s revealing the secrets to scaling operations without losing the quality of your work and customer experience.
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