Vivid Ventures https://trevor5hi.podbean.com Most contractors don’t struggle because they’re bad at their trade, they struggle because they’ve never been taught how to build a business.

On Vivid Ventures, Trevor and Matt share practical, no-fluff advice they've learned running their own business to help contractors and entrepreneurs scale with confidence. Each episode covers the systems, leadership, hiring, marketing, finances, mindset, and operational strategies that transform hardworking technicians into successful business owners.

Featuring conversations with industry leaders, successful entrepreneurs, and experts from across the construction world, Vivid Ventures is your resource for building a business that’s profitable, scalable, and built to last. If you’re ready to get out of the truck and start leading your company with intention, you’re in the right place.

]]> Thu, 10 Sep 2026 08:00:00 -0700 https://podbean.com/?v=5.5 en Copyright 2026 All rights reserved. Business:Entrepreneurship 1440 episodic Trevor Jensen Trevor Jensen No false https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/22494888/5.png Vivid Ventures https://trevor5hi.podbean.com 144 144 The “What If?” Mindset: How Great Businesses Break the Mold The “What If?” Mindset: How Great Businesses Break the Mold https://trevor5hi.podbean.com/e/the-what-if-mindset-how-great-businesses-break-the-mold/ https://trevor5hi.podbean.com/e/the-what-if-mindset-how-great-businesses-break-the-mold/#comments Thu, 10 Sep 2026 08:00:00 -0700 trevor5hi.podbean.com/60c69d4c-59fb-335d-855b-7e65b86a551b What if the way you’ve always done business isn’t actually the best way to do it? In this episode we sit down with John Waters, a longtime business owner and consultant who has spent 40 years in business and 17 years helping entrepreneurs build stronger, more profitable companies.

 

We talk about what separates businesses that stay stuck from the ones that continue to grow, from understanding your numbers and building the right team to creating systems that give you visibility and the freedom to work onthe business instead of constantly working in it.

 

We also dive into one of the biggest ideas behind this conversation: challenging the process. Whether you’re a contractor, service business, or product-based company, there’s always an opportunity to ask, “What if we did this differently?” We talk about leadership, delegation, technology, AI, knowing your leading indicators, and what it really takes to build a business that can scale. If you’re ready to stop reacting to your business and start thinking more strategically about where it’s going, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

 

If you want to learn more about John’s business consulting services, you can visit www.watersbusinessconsulting.com.

 

Let’s stay connected: 🌐 Website: www.vividtrades.com

📸 Instagram: @vividtradeshq

]]> What if the way you’ve always done business isn’t actually the best way to do it? In this episode we sit down with John Waters, a longtime business owner and consultant who has spent 40 years in business and 17 years helping entrepreneurs build stronger, more profitable companies.

 

We talk about what separates businesses that stay stuck from the ones that continue to grow, from understanding your numbers and building the right team to creating systems that give you visibility and the freedom to work onthe business instead of constantly working in it.

 

We also dive into one of the biggest ideas behind this conversation: challenging the process. Whether you’re a contractor, service business, or product-based company, there’s always an opportunity to ask, “What if we did this differently?” We talk about leadership, delegation, technology, AI, knowing your leading indicators, and what it really takes to build a business that can scale. If you’re ready to stop reacting to your business and start thinking more strategically about where it’s going, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

 

If you want to learn more about John’s business consulting services, you can visit www.watersbusinessconsulting.com.

 

Let’s stay connected:
🌐 Website: www.vividtrades.com

📸 Instagram: @vividtradeshq

]]> Trevor Jensen false No 2636 5 full The 5 Pillars You Need to 10X Your Contracting Business The 5 Pillars You Need to 10X Your Contracting Business https://trevor5hi.podbean.com/e/the-5-pillars-you-need-to-10x-your-contracting-business/ https://trevor5hi.podbean.com/e/the-5-pillars-you-need-to-10x-your-contracting-business/#comments Thu, 03 Sep 2026 08:00:00 -0700 trevor5hi.podbean.com/91570577-4bd5-31f6-8c0a-f68c5e01f32a 10Xing your business sounds exciting… until you’re suddenly dealing with 10X the people, decisions, problems, and moving pieces. In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on what it actually looked like to grow our contracting business from just over $600K to more than $6M in a single year, and the things we quickly realized had to change along the way.

 

We’re talking about the growing pains that come with scaling, the moments when we realized we couldn’t keep doing everything ourselves, and the areas of the business that became critical as we grew. We’ll share some of the lessons we learned the hard way, what challenged us most, and how we started building a business that could grow without everything continuing to depend on us.

 

If you’re a contractor who wants to grow but feels like you’re already maxed out, or you’re wondering what actually needs to happen behind the scenes to take your business to the next level, this episode is for you. Because 10Xing isn’t just about selling more, it’s about becoming a business that’s actually capable of handling the growth.

 

Let’s stay connected:

🌐 Website: www.vividtrades.com

📸 Instagram: @vividtradeshq

]]> 10Xing your business sounds exciting… until you’re suddenly dealing with 10X the people, decisions, problems, and moving pieces. In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on what it actually looked like to grow our contracting business from just over $600K to more than $6M in a single year, and the things we quickly realized had to change along the way.

 

We’re talking about the growing pains that come with scaling, the moments when we realized we couldn’t keep doing everything ourselves, and the areas of the business that became critical as we grew. We’ll share some of the lessons we learned the hard way, what challenged us most, and how we started building a business that could grow without everything continuing to depend on us.

 

If you’re a contractor who wants to grow but feels like you’re already maxed out, or you’re wondering what actually needs to happen behind the scenes to take your business to the next level, this episode is for you. Because 10Xing isn’t just about selling more, it’s about becoming a business that’s actually capable of handling the growth.

 

Let’s stay connected:

🌐 Website: www.vividtrades.com

📸 Instagram: @vividtradeshq

]]> Trevor Jensen false No 2283 4 full The Contractor Playbook: How to Stand Out and Scale Smart with Kimball Whitmer The Contractor Playbook: How to Stand Out and Scale Smart with Kimball Whitmer https://trevor5hi.podbean.com/e/the-contractor-playbook-how-to-stand-out-and-scale-smart-with-kimball-whitmer/ https://trevor5hi.podbean.com/e/the-contractor-playbook-how-to-stand-out-and-scale-smart-with-kimball-whitmer/#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2026 06:00:00 -0700 trevor5hi.podbean.com/256c1fc8-f957-3a46-a130-dc7168b3e67c In this episode of the Vivid Podcast, we sit down with Kimball Whitmer, founder of Sandbar Development, to talk about what it really takes to build a construction company in a crowded market. Kimball shares how Sandbar intentionally positioned itself at the high end, why saying no to the wrong projects can actually accelerate your growth, and how being selective with clients, trade partners, and employees has helped the company build a reputation for quality.

 

We also dive into the systems behind the scenes, from financial forecasting and production capacity to hiring, delegation, culture, and accountability. Kimball gives some great insight into building a team that can operate without you, handling problems without immediately swooping in to fix them, and why relationships and simply being good to people can be one of the most powerful growth strategies in business.

 

If you’re a contractor or business owner looking to build a stronger brand and create a company that can actually scale, this episode is packed with lessons you can put to work right away.

 

Let’s stay connected:

🌐 Website: www.vividtrades.com

📸 Instagram: @vividtradeshq

🌐 Website:  www.sandbardevelopment.com

]]> In this episode of the Vivid Podcast, we sit down with Kimball Whitmer, founder of Sandbar Development, to talk about what it really takes to build a construction company in a crowded market. Kimball shares how Sandbar intentionally positioned itself at the high end, why saying no to the wrong projects can actually accelerate your growth, and how being selective with clients, trade partners, and employees has helped the company build a reputation for quality.

 

We also dive into the systems behind the scenes, from financial forecasting and production capacity to hiring, delegation, culture, and accountability. Kimball gives some great insight into building a team that can operate without you, handling problems without immediately swooping in to fix them, and why relationships and simply being good to people can be one of the most powerful growth strategies in business.

 

If you’re a contractor or business owner looking to build a stronger brand and create a company that can actually scale, this episode is packed with lessons you can put to work right away.

 

Let’s stay connected:

🌐 Website: www.vividtrades.com

📸 Instagram: @vividtradeshq

🌐 Website:  www.sandbardevelopment.com

]]> Trevor Jensen false No 2623 3 full Building a Business That Lasts: Relationships, Systems & Scaling with Martin Soto Building a Business That Lasts: Relationships, Systems & Scaling with Martin Soto https://trevor5hi.podbean.com/e/building-a-business-that-lasts-relationships-systems-scaling-with-martin-soto/ https://trevor5hi.podbean.com/e/building-a-business-that-lasts-relationships-systems-scaling-with-martin-soto/#comments Fri, 07 Aug 2026 15:18:06 -0700 trevor5hi.podbean.com/6ffc7c68-127a-3206-8192-76f358cc8cd9 What separates a good contractor from a great business owner? In this episode of the Vivid Ventures Podcast, Trevor and Matt sit down with Martin Soto, owner of M Soto’s Construction, to explore the mindset and systems that have fueled his success in Arizona’s luxury home market.

 

Martin shares his journey from learning carpentry as a kid to building a respected framing company, offering practical insights on earning trust, creating lasting relationships, and delivering quality that keeps clients coming back. The conversation dives into why communication, supplier partnerships, company culture, and hiring people who share your values are just as important as craftsmanship. We also discuss documenting systems, understanding your numbers, protecting work-life balance, and building a business that can thrive without the owner being the bottleneck. Whether you’re a contractor launching your first company or an established business owner looking to scale, this episode is packed with real-world advice on building a stronger business from the ground up.

 

Let’s stay connected: 🌐 Website: www.vividtrades.com

📸 Instagram: @vividtradeshq

🌐 M Sotos Construction Website: https://msotosconstruction.com

]]> What separates a good contractor from a great business owner? In this episode of the Vivid Ventures Podcast, Trevor and Matt sit down with Martin Soto, owner of M Soto’s Construction, to explore the mindset and systems that have fueled his success in Arizona’s luxury home market.

 

Martin shares his journey from learning carpentry as a kid to building a respected framing company, offering practical insights on earning trust, creating lasting relationships, and delivering quality that keeps clients coming back. The conversation dives into why communication, supplier partnerships, company culture, and hiring people who share your values are just as important as craftsmanship. We also discuss documenting systems, understanding your numbers, protecting work-life balance, and building a business that can thrive without the owner being the bottleneck. Whether you’re a contractor launching your first company or an established business owner looking to scale, this episode is packed with real-world advice on building a stronger business from the ground up.

 

Let’s stay connected:
🌐 Website: www.vividtrades.com

📸 Instagram: @vividtradeshq

🌐 M Sotos Construction Website: https://msotosconstruction.com

]]> Trevor Jensen false No 2650 2 full Get Out of the Truck: The Mindset Shift That Scales Your Business Get Out of the Truck: The Mindset Shift That Scales Your Business https://trevor5hi.podbean.com/e/get-out-of-the-truck-the-mindset-shift-that-scales-your-business/ https://trevor5hi.podbean.com/e/get-out-of-the-truck-the-mindset-shift-that-scales-your-business/#comments Wed, 15 Jul 2026 10:50:45 -0700 trevor5hi.podbean.com/07ccb85c-ba59-3a91-b08b-20774ce76983 Building a successful business takes more than being great at your trade, it requires learning how to think like a business owner. In this first episode of the Vivid Ventures Podcast, Trevor and Matt share the lessons they’ve learned from scaling a contracting business from under $750,000 to a company on track to reach $4 million in annual revenue. They dive into the biggest mistakes contractors make, why so many owners stay trapped in the day-to-day operations of their business, and what it really takes to build systems that create long-term growth.

 

From hiring the right people and developing a winning company culture to understanding your numbers, avoiding common cash flow mistakes, investing in marketing, and embracing the mindset of continuous improvement, this episode lays the foundation for every future conversation. Whether you’re just starting your business or looking to break through your next growth ceiling, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you work on your business instead of being stuck in it.

 

Let’s stay connected: 🌐 Website: www.vividtrades.com

📸 Instagram: @vividtradeshq

]]> Building a successful business takes more than being great at your trade, it requires learning how to think like a business owner. In this first episode of the Vivid Ventures Podcast, Trevor and Matt share the lessons they’ve learned from scaling a contracting business from under $750,000 to a company on track to reach $4 million in annual revenue. They dive into the biggest mistakes contractors make, why so many owners stay trapped in the day-to-day operations of their business, and what it really takes to build systems that create long-term growth.

 

From hiring the right people and developing a winning company culture to understanding your numbers, avoiding common cash flow mistakes, investing in marketing, and embracing the mindset of continuous improvement, this episode lays the foundation for every future conversation. Whether you’re just starting your business or looking to break through your next growth ceiling, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you work on your business instead of being stuck in it.

 

Let’s stay connected:
🌐 Website: www.vividtrades.com

📸 Instagram: @vividtradeshq

]]> trevor5hi false No 2785 1 full