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Life Hacks Every Business Owner Needs to Hear
14 Plays3 hours ago
In this episode of The Better Contractor, Brent breaks down the habits that separate great business owners from poor ones. They dive into life hacks that will benefit your business like executing immediately, structuring your day around non-negotiables, and why chasing impact beats chasing money. From fitness and discipline to faith and intentional living, this episode is all about building a foundation that actually lasts. If you’re trying to level up, this is the blueprint.
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Transcript
Impact vs. Money: Path to Fulfillment
00:00:00
Speaker
i would say don't make money the priority. So which is going to be kind of weird from an entrepreneur to say it's not making money the priority. um But I think for happiness, I think you've got to look at making an impact.
00:00:11
Speaker
And I think your business needs to be focused on solving a problem. And I think those will give you more fulfillment. Not that for some people chasing the money doesn't give you fulfillment. I don't think it gives you long term fulfillment. I don't think it makes you a better person in the long term.
00:00:26
Speaker
Mm You wanna boss up your life? All you gotta do is get in with me. I don't even pay to get in the club, they know I'm a walking tee. I'm presidential leaving the club, we ain't stopping at no lights. You wanna be a boss?
00:00:37
Speaker
You gotta pay the price. Left wrist on frost.
Podcast Introduction with Alex
00:00:41
Speaker
All right, welcome back to another edition of The Better Contractor. This is episode 77, number four or five, i don't remember which, with my co-host Alex, a.k.a. Shugan. We're here. um So this will be, going to say it's going to be a shorter one. I have no idea. It's one topic, so it may be shorter. So it might be good one for your drive, possibly. but Depends on how long Brent yaps for. Yeah, right I know, right? I got kind of a bullet point list in my brain here. Okay. So we'll see. Yeah. What's do in your world?
Invitation for Guest Participation
00:01:10
Speaker
um I'm getting tired of just talking to Brent. That's what's new. we need We want guests on this podcast. So we're going to be reaching out, and we want you guys to reach out to us as well because we can only talk together for so long. Yeah. If you're like me, some of my favorite podcasts are – I kind of haven't broken up into two. I think we've talked about it before, but I like short ones like this one's probably going to be.
00:01:33
Speaker
that is a specific topic. I can scroll through the list of podcasts like, hey, that topic resonates with me right now. It's 15 minutes. I got a 20-minute drive. So I like doing these, but like I'm getting ready to take a trip here a little while.
00:01:47
Speaker
I like the long ones for those. Like, hey, I need an hour podcast. I want a guest on that's really good. I want to learn, learn, learn from this these two bantering back and forth on a specific topic.
00:01:58
Speaker
Maybe that guest is an expert. So like Alex said, I know he he loves me a lot, but I do think, hey, it's time for another guest podcast. So we've kind of got away from those a little bit. But if you guys know of someone or you are someone and you're in our private Facebook group or DM us either one,
00:02:13
Speaker
Definitely, Alex is going to probably do do some reaching out and some research as well. But we're looking for those guests who are, maybe they're a contractor, entrepreneur, has done something exceptionally well in one area and they can speak to that. That's kind of what we're looking for or just an interesting story. So either one of those, right? We want you on. Yeah, so make it happen.
00:02:33
Speaker
For sure. We'll be talking about today, Alex.
Task Management Life Hacks
00:02:35
Speaker
I want to know about some life hacks, whether it's business life hacks, contractor life hacks. What is stuff that has made your life or job easier that you can share? Okay, well, so we did prep for this a little bit, just be being real. So I do have some notes down because I did think about this one a little bit.
00:02:54
Speaker
One of the top ones I think for me was, so I'm naturally a very organized and structured person, just literally born that way, but that way from a young age. But for me, as I got into business, especially the last several years with tech and just everybody wants everything done now.
00:03:11
Speaker
And what I've learned with that is And it's actually made me mad. And we did a podcast on it a while back about ah something that you guys can do, anyone it can do to really stand out. And it's just to execute now.
00:03:24
Speaker
Because I'm telling you, we work for larger corporations. The amount of time that I have to wait for people to respond, get back to me, to keep the ball rolling on a project that's actually their project to start with.
00:03:38
Speaker
It's mind blowing to me. It's maddening. And I think through my day and how much of my day is delayed by other people's inaction. yeah And it actually pisses me off. So for me, you'll see me preach a lot about these task lists.
00:03:53
Speaker
And This, how I'm going to talk about it is a little bit more from a leadership management perspective because I'm going talk big picture items. But for me, i have a task list every day and it's broken up into negotiable.
00:04:07
Speaker
It's not called that on the task list. And then non-negotiable items. So the non-negotiable items are usually no more than five things. They're at the top of that list. Those have to get done that day. And they're not simple things like, hey, get up at seven. Hey, work out for 30 minutes.
00:04:22
Speaker
It's things that move the larger picture, the ball forward. So it's bigger picture items. I think that has been key for me. And then below that, then I have just a bunch of smaller tasks that need to get done that day. At the end of the day, i move.
00:04:37
Speaker
If those didn't get done, hopefully that the non-negotiable should be done. The negotiable ones, sometimes those hopefully get done. Sometimes if you don't, they move to the next day. And I try never to let that go past a week.
00:04:49
Speaker
We respond to emails, try to almost immediately. It's hard if there's substantive emails. I'm not responding every email immediately. But ah the one thing there, we kind of have a joke in our management staff. It's like, when's the time to do something?
00:05:02
Speaker
And the answer is now. If there's stuff you can do on this task list so you you never have to put it on your task list, you can just do it now. um Do it now. So I think that's a big thing, and I think enough people don't do it. I've seen so many people pick up the phone from a customer or an employer whatever.
00:05:23
Speaker
And, yeah, ahll I'll get to that. I'll get to you tomorrow. And if you watch them, they never write it down. Your brain is not going to remember every single thing. I promise you. If you're not writing it down, if you don't have an app where you're entering that stuff, as soon as soon as you get off the phone, make that note.
00:05:39
Speaker
Or if you're old school, you want a pen and a paper and a little notepad. we had one one of our employees years ago was a little bit not tech savvy. And I always told him, like, dude, if you just need to get a pen and a paper and stick it in your little pocket in the front of your old man's shirt, Do it. That's fine. It just needs to get done. It needs to make sure that it gets followed up on.
00:05:57
Speaker
But that is a huge difference maker nowadays, especially that people just don't follow up. They don't execute. they don't get stuff done. So I would have that as my probably my main one. I like that because I'm an insanely forgetful person. Yeah, and if you are, and most people are, especially because there's so much stuff to you have to write it down. You have to write it down else you're going to forget. learned that in school, forgetting homework assignments or with my business, forgetting to call people back, and it hurt. Yeah, oh, yeah. Write it down. Yeah, yeah, because I think for me anyway, the last person I want to do business with or be associated with or partner with is someone who fails to execute. Yep. Plain
Fitness for Mental Clarity and Well-being
00:06:31
Speaker
simple. So for me, this is a huge one.
00:06:33
Speaker
um We try to even find our vendors, people we do business with, customer and especially people that we partner with to deliver stuff to customers i really want you to be person that gets stuff done and i'll pay more for those people so next one for me would be fitness i love it the gym is my happy place i guess so i don't view it as something that's a negative for me i actually will be grouchier on a day when i don't go So for me, that – and it doesn't have to be fitness.
00:07:03
Speaker
Fitness is good for you. But it needs to be something that you do daily that just gets your mind off of work, gives you some stress relief, something that becomes a habit, something you enjoy doing, something you love, something that drives you.
00:07:15
Speaker
For me, that's what that is. There could probably be things more fun, maybe. But to me, – It's also one of those things, if I'm doing that, I'm also usually eating better.
00:07:26
Speaker
And if I do those two things, I'm usually executing other areas in life better as well. So for me, that has been a big one for probably ah at least a decade. Yeah. Yeah, at least a decade, if not a little longer, but consistently, very consistently for a decade. So for me, that's a big one.
00:07:42
Speaker
For sure.
Clean Living for Success
00:07:43
Speaker
um Another one, um don't, if you're young especially, but I would highly advise not to do the drugs, the parties, and all the dumb crap that young people do. And that sounds like an old man being, eh, you know, towards young people. yeah But guys, it doesn't if it doesn't serve you or if it doesn't make an impact in your world, then why waste the time doing it? To me, it's that simple. Stop following the crowd. The crowd is doing all of that.
00:08:10
Speaker
if you want to be average, feel free to just keep doing that. If if you find a lot of fun in that and you like a some of the repercussions that sometimes is result of that, then feel free to do it. But if you're wanting more out of life, if you want to be a better person, I'm not saying you can't be if you do some of those things. That's not what I'm saying.
00:08:29
Speaker
I'm saying there certain things you can do in life that make being successful, being a better person, being impactful, that those things, that it makes it a lot easier to go do those things. And removing that crap from your life is one of those things that makes a lot easier.
00:08:44
Speaker
There's no purpose of drugs. Have you ever looked at a drug and be like, man, I want to be like him when grow want to do that. I like this dude. I want to, there's anything I just want to be when grow up. No. Or for me, so I'm a little bit more of an introverted personality.
00:08:58
Speaker
I look at parties and stuff like that and like, man, that's got to be what the gates of hell look like because that looks absolutely terrible to me. So that was easy for me not to do it. It was easy for me not to do any drugs. It never appealed.
00:09:09
Speaker
So the peer pressure thing never mattered. But that's one thing I think. Just leaving living a clean life is going to impact you greatly over time. I think we're both long-term thinkers as well. So we're able to see like that short-term gain is not worth that long-term effect it has on us. yeah um And it doesn't seem like fun to us. We're not going to be in middle of that dance floor, drunk, frat flicking around. It looks terrible to me. That's not going to us. Yeah. That was easy for us. Yeah. and And I would say if it's not easy for you, I would just take a breath and ask yourself what the benefit is.
00:09:44
Speaker
Are there repercussions to it? Could you be more well served by doing something else during that same time? And let that be your answer.
Faith's Role in Personal Fulfillment
00:09:51
Speaker
um Making faith a priority. So to me, that was a big one. um I grew up in a house where that was always the case. It was always a priority. Yeah.
00:10:02
Speaker
So you kind of have that built into you, I guess, from a young age, especially if your family's religious like mine was. I had a great experience with it. I know some people don't have a great experience with with religion and faith. Mine was all positive. I met some of the most loving and caring people in our church growing up that prayed for you, loved you, and just poured in. So some people may have a bad experience with it. Mine was resoundingly good. And I think as I've gotten older,
00:10:27
Speaker
life kicks you in the nuts, all these different things happen. And you realize there's a lot more to life than just the chase of business, the chase of whatever it is you're going through. And you realize, I think there's something bigger.
00:10:38
Speaker
And I think when you realize that, but then you also say, you know what, I'm going to follow that. I'm going going to live that way. And then going to encourage others to do so. I think that will ground you to a whole different level. And I think a lot of people miss that because they have this jaded view of faith and religion and all this other stuff. And,
00:10:56
Speaker
We had a pastor one time, i forget how he worded exactly, but he was like, if one person keeps you out of church, that person was your God, not God. Because we should never allow one instance, one individual, one bad experience. And that's the reason racism exists too, to be honest, is you had a bad experience with this specific ethnic group, and now you hate all of that ethnic group. Religion has been no different to that, where someone had a bad experience with someone at church at one point in their life,
00:11:22
Speaker
And now all of a sudden every single Christian is exactly like that person. And that's honestly a stupid way to think in any aspect of life that any group of people is all exactly the same.
00:11:32
Speaker
It's short-sighted. It's dumb. But at the end day, you've got to make that decision for you. um If you believe in you believe in the Bible and you read it, and to me it's very self-explanatory what you need to be doing in your life, that's what you need to be doing regardless
Meaningful Impact in Business
00:11:46
Speaker
of other people. So I would person faith the priority.
00:11:48
Speaker
Next up on that, I would say don't make money the priority. So which is going to be kind of weird from an entrepreneur to say is not making money the priority. ah But I think for happiness, I think you've got to look at making impact.
00:12:01
Speaker
And I think your business needs to be focused on solving a problem. And I think those will give you more fulfillment. Not that For some people, chasing the money doesn't give you fulfillment. I don't think it gives you long-term fulfillment. I don't think it makes you a better person in the long term. Not that it doesn't matter. It does matter.
00:12:18
Speaker
A lot of the experiences we're able to have in life, we have because we have the money to have that experience. So I do think money is important, but I do think for the chase, I think your chase being about people, your chase being about how to serve, how to help others,
00:12:34
Speaker
is the way to go as far as a chase. And then the money will naturally usually come if you're doing all of that, that well. yeah so that's something lot of people don't think of. I think, especially when you're young, man, I got to, I have this dollar amount in mind. I need to make this amount. i need to save this amount. And that's great because that's the real world. So we have to do it. yeah But I think your mind has to chase a bigger purpose than just that dollar account dollar amount in the bank account. i mean So I would definitely say that one.
00:13:02
Speaker
Just fulfilling and motivating. Just kind of pushes you further than... i mean, money, it's fulfilling short term. And you see it and you're excited. You're like, I just made all this money. And then the next day, you're like...
00:13:14
Speaker
Now what? Yeah. I chased that. I got it. Now what? Yeah. So if you see the bigger picture, you're more motivated long-term. and For sure. More
Legacy and Intentional Living
00:13:21
Speaker
fulfilled. Yeah. And actually, well, that leads me to my my last little point here. There we go. But it's ah making your daily goal to always improve and then always make an impact. That's been one for me. So being 17 years in business, I still love getting up. and I still love going to work. I still love doing everything about work that I always have loved.
00:13:41
Speaker
But as I've gotten older, i think a lot of people will resonate with this that are... 35, 40 and up that have been in business for a decade or so. You need more than that though, out of life. If you're truly chasing your your best version of yourself, I think you will want to always improve and be better today than yesterday, tomorrow better than today. But I think you need to make an impact. To to think, I've always kind of said, if if you can view your life, if you can put yourself on your deathbed, which sounds morbid, but if you can put yourself in your deathbed,
00:14:13
Speaker
Would you be happy dying today? Like with what you've lived, what you've accomplished, who you've poured into, who you've loved, would you feel complete? And like, you know what?
00:14:23
Speaker
I've lived a good life. If today's my day, it's my day. I think you gotta put yourself there once in a while, even though that kind of feels weird. And i think you need to future put yourself there. So if I die at 70, what is it I wanna achieve in life? what i want why what what i want What do I want to be known for? Who do I want people to remember me by?
00:14:43
Speaker
And I think that's how you have to live your life currently. So I think a lot of people don't do that where they think through and say, hey what do i want my memory to be? Like, I'm on this earth for whatever, 80 years. And 20 years after I die, there's going be a lot of people don't know who I am.
00:14:57
Speaker
There's going to be a name. People's going to tell a few stories. But what are those stories? And did you make them enough did you make enough of an impact to still be talked about 20 years after your death? And I think that needs to be our goal. Because I think if we want to live a life we'll live on this earth,
00:15:13
Speaker
it should have been made or we should have made such an impact that people are talking about you for several years after your death. And I can think of funerals I've been to even where, That doesn't seem to be a lot of grief.
00:15:24
Speaker
it's not because everybody's like, oh, they're going to they're going to see the Lord. That's not why. Just ah just not enough people cared. yeah And that those are sad to go to. I've been to the other type of funeral where there's legit grieving, even though they know, hey, I think this person's in heaven. They're legit grieving because they they're missing this huge person, made a huge impact in their life and everyone else's life in that room. And you know there's a line out the door. There's a wait to go to their visitation or their funeral.
00:15:50
Speaker
That's what you want to be. But you've got to be intentional about that. It doesn't happen by accident. You don't just die one day and and ah thousands of people show up your funeral. That happens because you were intentional while you were alive. So to kind of wrap this all up, I would say clean life equals focus and peace. And I think if you can go through and think through You know, that task list I talked about, that's getting stuff done.
00:16:14
Speaker
The faith, the fitness, and the family and all that type of stuff, that's just being a good human and making an impact. The clean living, the drugs, the partying, all that kind of stuff, that's just making it easier for you to be successful, in my opinion. And you have less baggage and less bull crap to take with you through life.
00:16:31
Speaker
It's not necessarily easy, but I don't think life is intended to be. But I think a lot of people don't put enough thought in their youth to the decisions they make then. And I say youth really honestly can be any age. i To an 80-year-old, I'm still youthful at 43. So...
00:16:47
Speaker
Always live in your life knowing there's repercussions to whatever every decision you make. And I think that helps with this all the time. And that's why i try hard to just, like I said earlier, take that breath, take that moment. If you're getting ready to make a big decision, whatever it is in your life, if you take that little bit and just kind of pro and con it through your head.
00:17:06
Speaker
Does this serve me? Does this impact what I'm wanting to do in life? Does it move this big ball forward? Does it make me a better person? If the answer is no, it may not be something you want to do. And it's really that simple.
00:17:18
Speaker
So I would just challenge you to do that, challenge you to be a person of your word, challenge you to be someone who executes, who people can count on to get stuff done, who people know, hey, if I involve Alex or
Being a Good Person: The Ultimate Hack
00:17:28
Speaker
whoever,
00:17:29
Speaker
I know it's a quality product. I know he's going treat me right. It's going to be done well. It's going respectful. All those things. You need to be known as that person. And to me, that's the ultimate life hack is being that person. We talk about personal excellence a lot.
00:17:42
Speaker
That is the ultimate life hack. Yeah. Is that personal excellence? So guys, Alex, is there anything you want to chime in on that? It's that simple. Pretty much all of these points that Brent just gave you guys, it all relates to simply be ah be a good person. Yeah. That's all it is. Yeah. And that's the ultimate sales hack as well. Yes. Be someone people want to buy from. Exactly. You can be pushy. You may get the sale. You may not keep that customer. But if you're a good person and you execute and you get stuff done and they rely on you and they know, hey, this dude, he gets stuff done.
00:18:10
Speaker
gosh, I actually like this guy. You're probably going make the sale. So it's ultimate sales hat too. So guys, we're just putting truth today. So, but anyway, anything else? That's it. All right, guys, if you like this podcast, please do share it. If you didn't, turn it off. That's the beauty of it. But otherwise, we'll see you next time.