Craftsmanship vs. Volume: What Actually Matters - Forge Contractor Alliance Podcast

This episode covers a little bit of everything. Josh and Kenton talk about what it really looks like to build a business, lead a team, and figure things out along the way. They get into communication, the challenges that come with growth, and the things they both know they could probably do better. They also have a pretty honest conversation about money. Saving receipts, overspending, budgeting, and the realization that sometimes you need someone else in the business to help keep the numbers on track. They talk about bringing in a CFO and how having better financial systems can change the way you make decisions and look at ROI. The conversation takes an interesting turn when they start talking about mentorship, age, and experience. Getting older doesn't automatically make someone a good mentor. They talk about the importance of self awareness, learning from experience, and actually being willing to help the next generation. Then things get a little more primal. A story about a paintball game leads into a conversation about the survival instinct and why people sometimes perform differently when they're uncomfortable or under pressure. They connect that idea back to working in the trades and how having everything too comfortable can sometimes take away some of the drive that pushes people forward. They also talk roofing, including a historic 1934 Anglican church they worked on using Enviroshake. That leads into a bigger conversation about craftsmanship, quality, volume, and the differences between how roofing is approached in Europe compared to North America. Josh and Kenton also get into architecture and product selection, especially when expensive materials like metal roofing are chosen without thinking through the engineering, safety requirements, and overall cost that come with them. On the business side, they talk about where they're taking FORGE next. Instead of jumping straight into pushing long form podcast episodes, they're looking at a softer approach built around real conversations, short form videos, and content that can naturally build an audience across YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. There's also an update on the upcoming book, including the publishing process, advanced reader copies, endorsements, and recording the audiobook right in the podcast studio. To wrap things up, they talk about the upcoming team retreat, the results from a recent home show, some frustration around follow up with potential customers, and a completely unexpected partnership opportunity that could lead to something much bigger. It's a pretty honest episode about business, people, risk, growth, and figuring things out as you go. Forge is where contractors, entrepreneurs, and business leaders come together to build stronger companies and become better leaders. Original theme music composed and performed by Ben Smith Produced by Seth Steward Productions Co produced by Kalen Wookey Website https://forgealliance.ca/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/forgecontractoralliance Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575541841797 X https://x.com/forge\_ca @Forge\_CA