What if recruiting for your construction business was as strategic as landing your next big client? In this episode of Titans of the Trades, host Ryan Englin sits down with seasoned business coach John Nieuwenburg of W5 Coaching. Together, they dive into one of the most overlooked but critical strategies in blue collar leadership: treating recruiting like marketing.
John brings two decades of coaching experience, much of it with contractors and tradespeople, and delivers hard-hitting insights on how mindset, culture, and transformational leadership are the true game-changers in solving the trades’ labor crisis.
From building a bench to exiting your business on your terms, this conversation is packed with real talk and practical strategies construction leaders can’t afford to miss.
Episode Takeaways with Timestamps
- [02:24] The Real Definition of Coaching. John breaks down why coaching isn’t about giving advice but helping you own your solutions.
- [03:30] What W5 Really Means. Learn how the Socratic method shapes John’s coaching model.
- [05:49] Business Coaching is Personal Coaching. The deeper issues behind business problems (hint: it’s not the spreadsheet).
- [07:15] Recruiting Like You Sell. Why you must treat recruiting with the same urgency as sales.
- [08:35] Build a Bench Before You Need It. John’s retail story shows how to always be recruiting the right way.
- [11:04] Job Ads That Actually Work. A better way to write job postings that speak to real human pain points.
- [14:26] Transformational vs. Transactional Coaching. How to get the culture you deserve, not just the one you tolerate.
- [18:07] Leverage in Hiring. Why the person with more options always wins, and how to make sure it’s you.
- [20:16] Building a Self-Managing Business. What’s your business worth if you step away for 3 months?
- [25:48] Identity After the Exit. Why selling your business is as emotional as it is financial.
Connect With John:
Website: https://w5coaching.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/business-coach-canada/
Support Titans of the Trades:
If you found this episode insightful, please subscribe, share, and leave a review for Titans of the Trades. Your support goes a long way in helping us bring more impactful discussions your way.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com