Systems, Not Seminars | Repeatable, Scalable, Sustainable.
If you run a frontline business and want to build a company that runs better without chaos, burnout, or sacrificing your culture, this is your show. Host Ryan Englin brings you practical conversations, hard-earned lessons, and real-world systems for leaders who are tired of chasing the next big idea and ready to make things actually work. Ryan is the CEO of Core Matters, best-selling author of Hire Better People Faster, inventor of FieldCon, and creator of the Core Fit Blueprint - a proven system used by ops-heavy businesses hire, onboard, and retain the right people by design, not luck, with clear expectations, repeatable systems, and less chaos.
Episodes
Most owners chase more leads when the real leak sits somewhere else. Jeff Kip spent years as CEO of Angi watching home service pros at a scale almost nobody gets to see, and he tells me the winners all run the same playbook. I push him on the people side, because filling trucks means nothing when you can't keep the people driving them. This one is for owners running crews who want growth that holds.
- Why small pros call only 70 p...
You filled the same seat three times. Same ad, same interview, same result. Ryan Englin calls that what it is: panic hiring, and it kills culture fit every single time. This episode is for owners of frontline-heavy companies who keep refilling one role and blaming the labor market for it. Ryan's fix starts before the job ad exists. Define the person first.
- Why leaders who describe a rock star never mention skills, and wh...
Most owners in the trades care deeply about their crews. They lose sleep when somebody gets hurt. They feel sick when a paycheck gets messed up. Then they hide all of it, and the crew never knows. In this solo episode I explain why caring gets treated as soft in the trades, and why that silence costs you the exact people you want to keep. This one is for owners who run crews, not for HR departments.
You'll hear:
- Why owner...
An owner told me his hiring is fine now. Applications are up and his seats are full. Then he showed me his numbers. Easy hiring hides a leak, and every business is leaking. This one is for owners of trades, construction, and field service companies who fill seats fast and still work sleepless nights and long weekends.
You'll hear:
- Why a filled seat doesn't mean you have the right person.
- The costs you never write a...
They seemed fine last week. They weren't. They decided six months ago and you found out Tuesday. In this solo episode, I break down why your best people quit without warning, and why the warning signs were there the whole time. This one is for owners of frontline-heavy companies who just lost someone they thought was locked in for life.
- Why people quit twice, once in their heart and once when they hand you the notice
- ...
"We don't have people problems." I hear it on almost every first call, and two minutes later I get the list. The superintendent nobody wants to confront. The guy who left for fifty cents more. The crew we keep recycling. In this solo episode I unpack why owners say that sentence, what it hides, and why admitting a people problem feels like admitting a leadership problem. This one is for owners who run crews and keep explaining the ...
A buddy of mine texted me about an oil leak. He was talking about cars. He was actually describing your business, and every other business in your industry.
Here's what he sent me. He said people hear what I do and their gut reaction is "thankfully, we don't have people problems." Then he painted the picture. Imagine your car leaks oil. Your neighbor's car leaks oil. Every car on the block leaks oil. Everybody has a pan or a piece o...
What does it take to grow a trades business inside a franchise system without losing your edge? In this episode of Titans of the Trades, Ryan Englin sits down with Andrew Olesnavich, VP of Emerging Brands at Premium Service Brands. Andrew supports emerging service brands across the trades, helping owners gain traction, build strong teams, and reach breakout growth.
If you’re a trades business owner who wants stronger systems, ...
What does it take to build a dominant restoration company in today’s market?
In this episode of Titans of the Trades, Ryan Englin sits down with Sebastian Williams, Partner at Sasser Restoration. Sebastian didn’t grow up in the industry. He started in high-level consulting in New York City before making a bold move into the trades. From two vans and a handful of employees to a multi-state operation, Sasser has tripled in...
If you own a construction company, you already know safety isn’t optional. It’s required. By OSHA. By your general contractors. By your insurance carrier. And by your own standards as a leader who wants every employee to go home safe.
But here’s the real question.
Is your construction safety program actually protecting your company?
In this episode of Titans of the Trades, Ryan Englin sits down with Eric Wick, Founde...
What does it take to build a construction company where people want to stay, grow, and lead?
In this episode of Titans of the Trades, Ryan Englin sits down with Omar Rawji, President and CEO of Prism Construction, a second-generation construction firm delivering complex projects across Canada. Omar shares how Prism has built a strong culture rooted in humility, ownership, and care, and why those values guide every hiring, firing, an...
Construction recruiting is changing fast, and “post a job ad and hope” isn’t a strategy. In this episode of Titans of the Trades, Ryan sits down with JJ Owen from the Skilled Careers Coalition to break down what’s actually working to attract Gen Z into skilled trades careers.
JJ explains the “connection gap” that sits underneath the labor shortage, and why authentic storytelling matters more than ...
Company culture isn’t a perk. It’s the operating system of your business.
In this episode of Titans of the Trades, Ryan Englin sits down with Trey McWilliams, third-generation HVAC contractor and CEO of Blue Cardinal Home Services Group, to unpack what it takes to build a culture that actually scales.
Trey grew up in the trades. He rebuilt his family HVAC business from the inside out, replaced almost the entire workforce,...
Most construction and home service companies want the same thing:
- Crews that move faster.
- Quality that stays high.
- Fewer callbacks.
- Techs who act like owners.
But if your technicians are paid hourly, your incentives are not aligned. Hourly pay rewards time, not outcomes.
In this episode of Titans of the Trades, Ryan Englin sits down with Ryan Shank, CEO of ShareWillow, to break down how incentive plans can drive the behavior con...
In this episode of Titans of the Trades, host Ryan Englin sits down with Jonah Canter, a former tech start‑up strategist turned construction industry leader at Canter Construction, to explore what it takes to build a profitable trades business and one that you don’t have to live in 24/7.
If you’re a construction executive in the blue‑collar space wrestling with recruiting, training, culture, growth, or breaking fre...
Insurance costs. Risk management. Communication gaps. Mental health challenges. In this episode of Titans of the Trades, host Ryan Englin sits down with Michael Culnen, Founder and CEO of Construction Concepts, to tackle the biggest operational blind spots in construction today. Michael brings decades of experience helping contractors build smarter insurance programs, strengthen internal communication, and protect both their balanc...
Can you spot the future leaders on your team?
In this episode of Titans of the Trades, Ryan Englin sits down with John Snyder, CEO of Net Friends, to talk about the power of internal growth in the trades. John didn’t start Net Friends, he climbed his way up from an entry-level tech to CEO, and now he’s helping others do the same with a five-phase career path system that’s changing how companies retain and grow tale...
In this episode of Titans of the Trades, Ryan Englin welcomes Ben Kossow, the CEO of Riley Construction, for a powerful conversation about servant leadership, building culture from the job site up, and how process can create a safer, more productive, and more people-centered construction company.
Ben’s journey from entry-level project engineer to CEO is inspiring on its own, but what really stands out is his dedication to ment...
Carrie Stokes went from Intern to President and CEO at Barge Design Solutions and she’s not done innovating. In this episode, Ryan Englin dives into Carrie’s 30-year journey in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) world and the leadership principles that helped her rise.
Carrie shares actionable insights on how to retain and grow your talent, why mentorship isn’t optional anymore, and how to integr...
In today’s episode, we dive deep into a powerful conversation with Russ Clemmer, CEO of Legacy Advisory Partners, focused on legacy planning, leadership alignment, frontline engagement, and the practical systems that bridge strategic vision with everyday execution.
Russ and Ryan explore why people disengage at work, how toconnect with your employees as human beings, and why theC‑Suite must build a legacy that resonates through...
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