Most people dream about owning a business. Mike Fransen bought one, and it changed everything.

In this episode of Good Business, Clay and Luke sit down with Mike to talk about what it looks like to acquire a boomer-owned, blue-collar business and survive the first two years. They cover the pressure of personally guaranteeing a loan, managing partnership tension, navigating a seller transition, and learning how to lead a new team while stabilizing cash flow.

In this episode, we cover:
What it feels like the day you sign the papers
Why tension is not the problem, but mismanaging it is
How to evaluate a business beyond the numbers
What first-time buyers underestimate about seller transitions
Why “boring” businesses can be the smartest move
What stability actually looks like in year one and year two

If you are thinking about buying a business, stepping out of corporate, or building a partnership that lasts, this one is for you.

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#GoodBusiness #Entrepreneurship #BusinessAcquisition #SmallBusiness #Leadership #BusinessPartnership #BlueCollarBusiness #SBA #EOS #Operations #MergersAndAcquisitions #FounderJourney

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This show is sponsored by Rocketfuel, a CRM that has helped thousands of small business owners organize and automate their communications so that nothing slips through the cracks and their top-line capacity can grow. Try it risk-free today at https://www.rocketfuel.software!

Most blue-collar businesses grow slowly. AAA Paving grew 10X in just three years without burning out crews or compromising culture.

In this episode of Good Business, Clay and Luke sit down with Rheese Stanley, President of AAA Paving, to talk about servant leadership, faith in business, disciplined systems, and what it really takes to scale while putting people first.

From standing by employees through unjust arrests to doubling down during COVID, Rheese shares real stories of courage, humility, and leadership that honors God.

If you’re a business owner, leader, or entrepreneur trying to grow without losing your heart, this episode is for you.

Schedule a marketing discovery call here:
https://www.goodagency.com/schedule-call

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-business-with-clay-vaughan/id1610259222

#leadership #businessoperations #entrepreneurship #hustleculture #burnoutprevention #EOS #founderlife

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This show is sponsored by Rocketfuel, a CRM that has helped thousands of small business owners organize and automate their communications so that nothing slips through the cracks and their top-line capacity can grow. Try it risk-free today at https://www.rocketfuel.software!

Most contractors don’t lose money on sales. They lose it on execution.
In this episode of Good Business, Clay and Luke sit down with Josiah Peterson, founder of KBHC Consulting, to talk about what really protects profit in contracting and service businesses.

From job costing and overhead recovery to the 3–5 crew breaking point, seasonality planning, and change orders that drain margins, Josiah shares what he learned scaling and exiting his own business and what he now teaches contractors who want to grow.

We also talk about software, CRMs, routing and scheduling, and how AI and automation will transform trades faster than most owners expect.

If you are a contractor, operator, or service business owner trying to scale without losing control of your margins, this is for you.

Connect with Josiah: Reach out on LinkedIn (as mentioned in the episode).

If this helped you: Like, subscribe, and leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Chapters
00:00 Contractors lose money on execution, not sales
01:15 Why margins disappear (unseen costs, sloppy schedules)
05:24 Mentorship and steady leadership
11:07 Purpose, provision, and pushing through naysayers
13:18 The 3–5 crew ceiling and team runway
16:04 Seasonality planning and consistent pipeline
24:23 Small jobs, better margin, and selling to defined need
31:43 Overhead recovery and true cost of business
36:02 Software, CRM, AI, and integration
40:21 Will robots take over trades?
45:21 Change orders and emotional capital
49:21 Monetizing existing customers and plugging leaks
55:36 The question every leader should ask

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#GoodBusinessPodcast #Contractors #Leadership #Operations #Pricing #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #ServiceBusiness #Construction #Trades

Support the show

This show is sponsored by Rocketfuel, a CRM that has helped thousands of small business owners organize and automate their communications so that nothing slips through the cracks and their top-line capacity can grow. Try it risk-free today at https://www.rocketfuel.software!