Balance in Contracting with Ashley Stuckless
Release Date: 09/04/2025
We Asked 100 Foremen What's Broken - Here's What They Told Us
Cabinet Maker Profit System Podcast I Business Owners I Cabinet Makers I Architectural Millwork I Furniture Makers I Business ideas I Tips I Business Coach Dominic Rubino
Most foremen aren’t failing… They’re being set up to fail. In this episode, we break down what happens when you promote your best worker into a leadership role, without giving them the tools to succeed. We asked 100 foremen what’s broken in their role, and the answers revealed the real issues behind burnout, turnover, and lost profit in cabinet shops and contracting businesses. In this episode, we cover: - The 8 biggest frustrations foremen face - Why promoting your best worker isn’t enough - The hidden cost of poor leadership training - How lack of structure creates chaos in...
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Overtime Is Killing Your Profits- Heres how to fix it with Sebastien Nault
Cabinet Maker Profit System Podcast I Business Owners I Cabinet Makers I Architectural Millwork I Furniture Makers I Business ideas I Tips I Business Coach Dominic Rubino
Overtime is killing your profits… but not for the reason you think. In this episode, Dominic Rubino sits down with Coach Sebastien Nault to break down what overtime REALLY means inside your business and how to fix it. If your shop is constantly working late, rushing jobs, or struggling with margins… this episode will hit home. 👉 The truth: overtime is just a symptom The real problem is hidden in your systems, numbers, and communication. 🔑 What You’ll Learn: • Why overtime destroys profit (even when jobs get done) • How to benchmark your business using CP90 • The role of...
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How does a Management Buyout Work with Tim Vorhoff
Cabinet Maker Profit System Podcast I Business Owners I Cabinet Makers I Architectural Millwork I Furniture Makers I Business ideas I Tips I Business Coach Dominic Rubino
If you’re a contractor or shop owner, you WILL exit your business one day. The question is, will you do it right? In this episode, Dominic Rubino sits down with Tim Vorhoff to break down how business owners in construction, cabinetry, and trades can plan their exit and avoid costly mistakes. Most owners are great at building businesses… But when it comes time to sell, they’re negotiating against professionals. This episode helps level the playing field. What You’ll Learn: - What a management buyout really looks like - How to choose the right exit path (sell,...
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How I went from bankrupt to 50 million with Ryan Hogan
Cabinet Maker Profit System Podcast I Business Owners I Cabinet Makers I Architectural Millwork I Furniture Makers I Business ideas I Tips I Business Coach Dominic Rubino
What can contractors learn from a founder who went from bankruptcy to building a major business? A lot. In this episode, Dominic Rubino talks with Ryan Hogan, co-founder and CEO of Talent Harbor, about failure, leadership, hiring, culture, business systems, and what it really takes to grow without carrying the whole company on your own. Ryan shares the lessons he learned through failed businesses, a personal bankruptcy, rebuilding from scratch, and eventually creating a new company around a problem he saw firsthand: recruiting is broken for small and mid-sized businesses. If...
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Rework is killing me Here's what to do about it With CWS Coach Ryan Hindmarsh
Cabinet Maker Profit System Podcast I Business Owners I Cabinet Makers I Architectural Millwork I Furniture Makers I Business ideas I Tips I Business Coach Dominic Rubino
Rework is one of the biggest hidden profit leaks in a cabinet shop, millwork business, or install team. In this episode, Dominic Rubino talks with Ryan Hindmarsh about: why rework costs more than most owners think how missed details in design, production, packing, and install hurt profit why install should be treated like its own business how meetings, SOPs, and checklists reduce waste why labor, job performance, and profit leaks need to be tracked Rework doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it’s: a missing part the wrong color a mislabeled pallet a second trip to site overtime that...
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CHANGE ORDERS how to get paid for them without killing the relationship With Colleen Stanley
Cabinet Maker Profit System Podcast I Business Owners I Cabinet Makers I Architectural Millwork I Furniture Makers I Business ideas I Tips I Business Coach Dominic Rubino
How do you charge for change orders without hurting the client relationship? In this episode, Dominic Rubino sits down with Colleen Stanley to unpack one of the most common profit leaks in construction and contracting: poor change order communication. This conversation is especially helpful for construction and contracting business owners who deal with scope creep, client pushback, repeated jobsite issues, and uncomfortable pricing conversations. Colleen breaks down how better communication, better expectation-setting, and better leadership can make those conversations easier and more...
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The 1 number that other Multi-Million Cabinet Shops Track with Adam Sylvester
Cabinet Maker Profit System Podcast I Business Owners I Cabinet Makers I Architectural Millwork I Furniture Makers I Business ideas I Tips I Business Coach Dominic Rubino
If you feel busy but the bank account doesn’t match… this episode is for you. In this interview, Dominic Rubino sits down with Adam Sylvester (owner of Charlottesville Gutter Pros + host of Jobber’s Masters of Home Service) to break down the “magic numbers” contractors should track to protect profit and make better decisions. You’ll learn how to stop tracking random metrics and focus on the few numbers that actually drive results. Topics covered: ✅ Why most owners track nothing (or track the wrong stuff) ✅ The “magic numbers” that expose your biggest bottleneck ✅...
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My Crew is driving me Crazy- What to do about it with Helen Vitoria
Cabinet Maker Profit System Podcast I Business Owners I Cabinet Makers I Architectural Millwork I Furniture Makers I Business ideas I Tips I Business Coach Dominic Rubino
In this episode, Dominic Rubino sits down with Helen Vitoria, a key member of the team supporting contractor onboarding, administration, and HR systems inside Contractor Wealth System Helen brings deep experience from real estate development, project management, and HR giving her a unique perspective on the staffing and leadership challenges contractors face every day. If your business feels chaotic, interruptions are constant, or hiring feels harder than it should, this episode will help you see where structure and leadership can make everything smoother. Topics covered: • Why HR...
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Logic vs Emotion and Data vs Feeling in Millwork and Woodworking with Lauren Bourland
Cabinet Maker Profit System Podcast I Business Owners I Cabinet Makers I Architectural Millwork I Furniture Makers I Business ideas I Tips I Business Coach Dominic Rubino
Are you running your shop on numbers… or on feelings? In this episode, Dominic Rubino interviews Lauren Bourland of Custom Source Woodworking and board member of the Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI). They break down why logic and data must replace emotion when it comes to pricing, labor, and profitability. If you're a cabinet shop owner, remodeler, or trade contractor who feels busy but not as profitable as you should be, this episode is for you. In this episode, we cover: • Why the AWI Cost of Doing Business Survey matters • The difference between average and high-performing firms...
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Solving Epoxy problems in Production with Jake Latvala
Cabinet Maker Profit System Podcast I Business Owners I Cabinet Makers I Architectural Millwork I Furniture Makers I Business ideas I Tips I Business Coach Dominic Rubino
In this episode, Dominic Rubino talks with Jake Latvala, about the most common epoxy production problems foremen face and how to fix them before they turn into rework, delays, or callbacks. Topics covered in this episode: - Deep-pour epoxy vs low-grade epoxy (and why yellowing/cracking happens) - Wood prep: sanding, debarking, flake prevention, edge sealing for fewer bubbles - Flood coat vs oil finish (pros/cons + client expectations) -Summer vs winter curing differences (and what it does to scheduling) -Managing thermal reaction: fans, AC, and pouring in stages -Dust + bug control for flood...
info_outlineIn this episode, Dominic Rubino chats with Ashley Stuckless—civil contractor, engineer, and founder of High BC Hunting—about how to balance construction business ownership, family life, and high-performance backcountry adventures.
If you’re a contractor who wants time for family, hunting, or just peace of mind, this episode is for you.
🔑 What We Cover:
1. Why work-life balance is a discipline, not a dream
2. Using family calendars and mental “credit systems”
3. Training and prepping for 10-day solo sheep hunts
4. What hunting teaches us about business leadership
5. Lean productivity lessons from editing 100-hour videos into 25 minutes
6. How passion projects can fuel business growth
📌 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more tools, strategies, and interviews made for contractors like you.
More about Ashley Stuckless:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-stuckless-99657291/
High BC YouTube: @highbchunting
Website: https://highbc.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/high_bc_hunting/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/highbchunting/
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Also check out:
Cabinet Maker Profit System: https://www.cabinetmakerprofitsystem.com
Profit Toolbelt: https://www.profittoolbelt.com/
Contractor Wealth System: https://www.contractorwealthsystem.com