American Builders - Presented by TradeGuard
American Builders is the podcast where the backbone of the country—the contractors, tradesmen, and builders who actually make things—tell their stories.
Presented by TradeGuard, the AI-powered insurance agency built for the trades, the show goes deep with founders who are building America one project at a time. Each episode breaks down how real operators think: the grind of winning bids, managing crews, navigating risk, scaling a business, and everything in between. No fluff. No corporate jargon. Just the truth about what it takes to build something that lasts.
Whether you run a $2M shop or a $200M operation, this is where you’ll learn from the people who’ve already walked the path—what worked, what didn’t, and what the next generation of builders needs to know.
American Builders is for the entrepreneurs keeping America running. And we’re here to tell their stories.
Episodes
17 episodes
The Future of Trades Business Acquisitions with Ryan Williams of DivvyShares
This episode features Ryan Williams, Co-Founder & COO of DivvyShares.DivvyShares acquires small trades and home service businesses and transitions them into employee-owned companies, creating long-term wealth opportunities for emplo...
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From Engineer to Entrepreneur: The All-In Bet That Paid Off
This episode of American Builders features Thomas Stark, Founder of Stark Industrial. Stark industrial is a commercial & industrial water treatment and maintenance provider, servicing some of the biggest buildings in the Kansas...
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How These Young Entrepreneurs Bought a Roofing Franchise
This week's episode of American Builders features Luke & Hunter Rahto of Roof Maxx KC. Roof Maxx roof restoration and rejuvenation is a safe, easy, proven and affordable alternative to a complicated, expensive and life-disrupti...
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Third Generation Home Builder - Carrying on the Legacy
This episode of American Builders features Chris George III of Chris George Custom Homes. We discuss: - The founding story of Chris George Custom Homes- Working with family - Building for scale vs building cus...
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He Went All In On His Painting Business... And it WORKED
This episode of American Builders features Frank Pileggi, Founder of Pileggi Painting. We discuss: - Starting a painting business in his late 30s- The important of picking the right partners - Levers for growt...
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How This 25 Year Old Built a MASSIVE Epoxy Company
This episode of American Builders features Luke Looney, Founder of Good Boy Coatings. We discuss:- How to get started in the epoxy coatings business- How Luke got his first start in the trades- Contractors: Commercial vs residen...
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How Randy Hurtado Built a $50 Million Home Services Enterprise
This episode features Randy Hurtado, Owner/COO at DT Companies and the Good Contractors List. We discuss:- How Randy went from IT sales to operating a $50M+ home services portfolio- Building complementary businesses under one roof
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How to Build a Million Dollar Landscaping Business
This episode is with Blake Frischer, owner of Hassle Free Outdoors. We discuss:Delivering a perfect productLandscape vs maintenance workKnowing your numbers and healthy profit marginsThe hardest challenges...
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Growing Your Roofing Business: The 3 Things That Matter
Colby Haverkamp is the VP of Growth & Partnerships at Howser Roofing.In this episode, we discuss:- The partnerships that actually move the needle in the roofing industry- Key differences between residential and commercia...
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How to 10x Your Leads with Digital Marketing
John Pileggi, Co Founder of LaborTech Solutions, joins the show to break down a simple, practical roadmap trades businesses can follow to grow consistently and scale operations without wasting money on random marketing tactics.We walk t...
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How to Buy a Plumbing Business, Ft. Matt Gandy
Matt Gandy is the co owner of Eco Air Conditioning and Wilson Plumbing.On this episode, we discuss:• How he acquired both businesses • What the SBA process actually looks like from the inside • What surprised him...
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How Annie Bogart Drives 15M Monthly Views for Trades Companies
In this episode, I sit down with Annie Bogart, Director of Creative Content at Molzer Development and founder of her own creative venture helping companies craft compelling social media content and brand narratives. Annie manages multi-brand so...
From Marines to Maverick Exteriors - How this Vet Seller Financed His First Deal
This episode, I sit down with Michael Blake, former Marine and Co-Owner of Maverick Exteriors, a roofing and exterior remodeling company. Michael went from military service to entrepreneurship, applying the same discipline and lea...
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This Builder Starts 2 Houses Every Week...
In this episode, I sit down with Matt Mabe, Partner at Arise Homes, to talk about his journey from early hustle to scaling a homebuilding business into the millions — and doing it with intention.Matt shares the real story behind buildin...
The Real Reason Contractors Can’t Scale (And How the Best Ones Fix It)
In this episode of American Builders, we sit down with Paul Sanneman, CEO of Contractor Staffing Source, who has spent 40+ years coaching and consulting 400+ construction companies on one thing: building teams that actually work.Paul br...
How Zach Molzer Raised $30 Million in 3 Days
This episode of American Builders, presented by TradeGuard, highlights Kansas City Developer Zach Molzer. We discuss how we got his start in development, the importance of building for a specific "user", and his desire to leave behind a legacy....
How Bob Hamilton Built KC’s #1 Plumbing Business
In this episode, I sit down with Bob Hamilton to unpack the real story behind building, scaling, and ultimately selling a wildly successful plumbing & HVAC business. We cover Bob’s career journey, the sales and marketing principles t...
