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People
Swarm and Solve: Build a Culture of Continuous Improvement
Swarm and Solve: Create a Culture of Continuous Improvement When I talk with contractors and business owners, one of the biggest objections I hear is: “We don’t have time for training.” The jobs are stacked up, lead times are long, and crews are stretched thin. But...
Leading with Steadiness When the World Feels Heavy
Leading with Steadiness When the World Feels Heavy The world doesn’t pause for business. Tragedy, trauma, conflict, or even polarizing headlines find their way into our conversations and, inevitably, into our workplaces. As leaders, we may not have the power to change...
Toolbox Talk: Protecting Your Workers During the Solar Eclipse
On April 8th, 2024 a solar eclipse will take place. Here's what you can do to ensure your crews stay safe. On Monday, April 8th, 2024 a total solar eclipse will be seen from all parts of Maine. The eclipse will begin about 2pm and will last for approximately 2.5...
Don’t hire “self-motivated people”…. do this instead
If I read one more job post on Indeed stating "company seeking self-motivated individual to join our team"... I am going to scream. There. I said it. Motivation is like the fuel that drives us to do things. It's a mix of how we feel and what we want to achieve. This...
What should I do before hiring my first employee?
What Should I Do Before Hiring My First Employee? Congratulations! You are at the tipping point of growth and success, but it can be stressful as well as exciting. You have been in control of every aspect of your business, but to grow you need a team. There are a few...
Plan
2026 Industry Outlook: Trends Contractors Need to Plan for Now
2026 Industry Outlook: Trends Contractors Need to Plan for Now For the past 18 years, my work has focused on helping contractors and trade-based businesses make better decisions about how they run their companies. That work has included in-field consulting, leadership...
Growing Strong: Lessons from National Lawn Care Month for Business Success
April is National Lawn Care Month April isn't just about spring showers and blooming flowers; it's also National Lawn Care Month! While the Lawn Care Industry dedicates the month of April to providing tools for the entire industry to educate customers about the...
Letting Go of Work-Life Balance – How to manage a business, a home, a family and your sanity…
Owning a business and managing the responsibilities at home can be a lot to handle... Being an independent contractor offers a unique set of opportunities and challenges. While it grants autonomy and flexibility, it also demands self-discipline and effective time...
Should I Scale My Contracting Business… or Stay Small?
If you are running a small contracting business, maybe it's just you, or perhaps you and a couple of subcontractors, it can be tempting to keep things small and not expand your business. I hear it all the time... all the fear and trepidation that comes with growing a...
Navigating the Coaching Landscape: Choosing a Business Coach Wisely
In today's coaching landscape, where options abound, it's crucial to sift through the myriad choices and find a coach who offers valuable insights rather than questionable advice for a fee. While I respect the diversity within the coaching industry, I'd like to shed...
Use Core Values to Guide You to Your Business Goals
My Dad would often say "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." Ok, my Dad wasn't the originator of the quote, Google tells me it was actually Alexander Hamilton. All I remember is when I was young, my Dad would play a hokey country song with...
Process
Why AI-Generated SOPs Don’t Stick — and What Actually Works
AI has made it easier than ever for contractors to create SOPs, checklists, and process documents. You can generate pages of documentation in an afternoon that would have taken weeks to write a few years ago. And yet, many contractors are running into the same...
RACI for Contractors: Who Does What, Who Decides, Who’s Informed
Construction RACI Chart: Who Does What, Who Decides, Who’s Informed A quick story from the field Monday, 7:15 a.m. The electrician is staged. Cabinets arrive at 10. The inspector may show up after lunch. Over the weekend, the owner’s rep requested a finish change. Who...
Time Management for Contractors: The R.E.A.D. Framework for Trades Leaders
Time-Saving Strategies for Contractors In the trades, time management for contractors is often the difference between running a smooth, profitable operation and feeling buried in chaos. Time is the one resource you never get back, and how you manage it directly...
Stop the Bleed: Lean Concepts Every Crew Leader Should Know
When a crew isn’t meeting deadlines or rework keeps piling up, it’s tempting to look at personalities or motivation. But more often than not, the real issue isn’t people—it’s process. Three core Lean concepts—waste identification, flow vs. batching, and pull vs. push...
Protect the Margin: Lean Jobsite Strategies to Improve Profits Amid Rising Costs and Tariffs
Margins are under attack—and that's why adopting Lean jobsite strategies has never been more critical. If you're a builder, remodeler, general contractor, or project lead, you're feeling it. Material prices continue to climb, tariffs hit hard and unpredictably, and...
Should I Scale My Contracting Business… or Stay Small?
If you are running a small contracting business, maybe it's just you, or perhaps you and a couple of subcontractors, it can be tempting to keep things small and not expand your business. I hear it all the time... all the fear and trepidation that comes with growing a...
How to Establish Succcessful Routines for Your Small Business
When I first started my business - I scoured Google searching for the *perfect* checklist that would help me establish daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly routines. Of course, I found thousands of suggestions, but nothing *quite* fit - so, I did what I've always done...
Profit
What Contractors Are Seeing in Financial Reviews in 2026
Over the past few weeks, I have spent a lot of time in financial reviews and Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with contractors. Different trades. Different company sizes. Very similar themes. Cash feels tight. Work is moving. Crews are busy. Projects are getting...
Why Leads are Slowing in the Building & Trades Industry
Is Your Contracting Business Experiencing a leads slowdown? Over the past few weeks, I’ve been hearing the same thing from a range of clients. A landscaper told me their phone isn’t ringing nearly as much as it was this time last year. An arbor care company noticed...
Protect the Margin: Lean Jobsite Strategies to Improve Profits Amid Rising Costs and Tariffs
Margins are under attack—and that's why adopting Lean jobsite strategies has never been more critical. If you're a builder, remodeler, general contractor, or project lead, you're feeling it. Material prices continue to climb, tariffs hit hard and unpredictably, and...
Building Financial Love: Managing Cash Flow in Your Contracting Business
In the world of construction and contracting, cash flow is a constant topic of conversation. Yet, during the winter months, it can feel particularly challenging. With projects delayed by weather, clients slow to pay, and unpredictable conditions impacting our work,...
How to raise your rates and keep your clients as a contractor
Have you been contemplating raising your rates, but worried that you will lose your clients if you do? As a contractor, the prospect of increasing your rates can be a daunting decision, especially when you've invested time and effort in building a client base....
Blazing Trails
When Letting Go of a Toxic Employee Becomes the Right Leadership Decision
Most contractors and business owners do not arrive at this decision casually. By the time they are questioning whether to let someone go, the situation has usually been present for a while. The tension is familiar. The energy drain is noticeable. The sense that...
Navigating the Coaching Landscape: Choosing a Business Coach Wisely
In today's coaching landscape, where options abound, it's crucial to sift through the myriad choices and find a coach who offers valuable insights rather than questionable advice for a fee. While I respect the diversity within the coaching industry, I'd like to shed...
15 Years of Blazing Trails!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Celebrating 15 Years of Empowering Success in the Contracting Industry - Blazing Trails Coaching, LLC Marks 15 Years of Empowering Success in the Construction Industry. [South Portland, January 19, 2024] – Established in 2009 by Priscilla Hansen...
I Provide Tailored Solutions to Scale Your Contracting Business
I develop efficient systems to scale your business, boost profitability, and achieve a balanced work-life dynamic. My strategies, range from cash flow management to team building, are designed to tackle the unique challenges you encounter daily.
Stop running in circles and start blazing a trail to success. Download your FREE copy of Lead Like A Guide – 101 Ways to Motivate, Engage and Inspire Your Team today and start transforming your business from overwhelming to thriving.