Advertise on podcast: Out of the Hourglass

What if your next opportunity for business growth isn't something you build, but something you buy? Join Colin Nolan and Steven Lawton as they explore how strategic acquisitions can help business owners expand into new markets, increase profitability, and build long-term value. From evaluating potential purchases and navigating deal-breakers to deciding when to buy versus build, Steven shares practical lessons from decades of acquiring and growing businesses. Discover what it takes to make an acquisition work, and why the best deal isn't always about the highest price.

In this episode, Kathryn Freeman and Colin Nolan break down the financial number most trades business owners overlook: net profit. They untangle the differences between gross profit, operating profit, EBITDA, and net profit, and share industry benchmarks for roofing, landscaping, and heavy equipment operations. Kathryn and Colin also dig into how owners can use net profit to fund growth, when a bonus or profit-sharing program actually makes sense, and why "no margin, no mission" should guide every profit decision.

Discover how to navigate generational handoffs, resolve leadership friction, and protect your family relationships while scaling your company. In this episode, three family business owners reveal the practical frameworks they used to transition authority, manage through shared values, and set clear boundaries between the boardroom and the dinner table. You'll walk away with actionable strategies to create succession plans and decision-making clarity long before a crisis forces the conversation.

Some people wait their entire careers for permission to pursue the thing they actually want. Kosta Kritikos, CEO & President of Aieres Group waited fifteen years until he finally decided to take the leap and it’s changed everything. On this episode of Out of the Hourglass, Kosta shares how First Nick Companies became Aieres Group, a transformation a year and a half in the planning and fifteen years in the making. This is a story of the name, the people, the brand, the culture…  it's all connected.

This is the final episode of our Work Series - a three-part look at how painting companies are rethinking their organizational models.  For Mike Sanchez, owner of Southedge Painting and Contracting in Greenville, South Carolina, the shift from subcontractors to W2 employees wasn't about fixing something that was broken, it was about building a lasting team and culture. Mike walks us through the decision, the commitment it took to stay the course, and what the W2 model has unlocked for his team, his customers, and the long-term legacy of the business.

Andrew Coelho walked into Lancaster Painting for a sales job interview  and walked out with an HR career he never saw coming. In this episode, he shares how curiosity, ownership, and the freedom to fail forward turned an entry-level role into a seat on the management team, and how that same mindset now has him exploring AI, automation, and marketing. It's a conversation about what's possible when leadership bets on someone ,and that someone bets on themselves.

This is the 2nd episode of our Work Series,  a three-part look at how painting companies are rethinking their organizational models.  What if the right model for your painting business wasn't W2 or subs - but both? That's been the answer for ACP Painting in Maricopa, Arizona for over twenty years. Co-owner Russ Byers and Inside Operations Manager Shell Abbott walk us through how they deploy two different kinds of teams under one roof - the decision-making framework, the financial tradeoffs, and the cultural dynamics that make it all work.

What does it look like to spend 30 years growing inside an organization and ultimately step into the top seat? In this episode, Jon Meyer, President and CEO of Nolan Painting, shares the story of his path from the company's very first estimator to leading an $18.5M business through its next chapter. Jon opens up about the deliberate, years-long succession process Kevin Nolan built, what it's meant to inherit a company in strong shape, and how Nolan Painting is now formalizing that same intentionality through its newly formed Board of Directors. Whether you're thinking about your own exit, your leadership pipeline, or what long-term stability really looks like, this one's worth a listen.

This is the first episode of our Work Series - a three-part look at how painting companies are rethinking their organizational models. When the numbers stopped working, Austin Ilsley and his wife Lacie faced a decision that would change everything about how they run their field team at Ai Painting Plus. Austin walks us through the financial turning point that pushed them away from a full W2 model and what the shift to subcontractors actually looked like on the ground. From rebuilding their team to redefining where control lives in the business, he shares the real lessons behind a transition that's now producing financial health.

Halfway through 2026, what's actually moving the needle in marketing and what's just noise? David Kryszczak, Founder & President of Spartan Digital, joins the show for a mid-year reality check on AI, search behavior, and where trades businesses should be spending (and not spending) their marketing dollars. From AEO and "robots tricking robots" to the return of direct mail and the truth about AI voice agents, David breaks down what's working, what's hype, and how to keep your business visible no matter how fast the algorithms change.

Stop bleeding cash during your busiest seasons and discover how to project exactly where every dollar goes before a financial crunch hits your business. In this episode of Business is Messy, Brian Nolan and Colin Nolan discuss how to  dismantle "camel leadership" to get your management team rowing in perfect sync, plus a practical blueprint to audit your operations for AI adoption without triggering employee panic. Tune in to master the exact tools needed to eliminate the back-end chaos, reclaim your peace of mind, and turn everyday operational messes into structured, predictable victories.

What does it really mean to run a business at the highest level? In this episode, Molly sits down with NCG Senior Business Coach and Director of Operations Kathryn Freeman to break down the Nolan Consulting Group Business Excellence Certification:  a multi-faceted framework that looks beyond revenue to measure how a business performs financially, how it treats its team, and how it shows up for its customers. Kathryn walks through how the certification was built, what the review process looks like, and which metrics tend to be the hardest to hit. Plus, a well-deserved congratulations to the 2025 recipients: Kennedy Painting, Olympic Painting, River Birch Builders, and Textbook Painting

Chris Kiefer and Cody Hopkins of PaintOS powered by Boolean break down two separate ladders that determine how much value you're actually getting from AI: how you use it, and how clean your data is. They walk through real tools they've built for painting businesses, explain why understanding the true cost of AI matters more than most owners realize, and point listeners to a free scorecard to find out exactly where they stand on both. Whether you're just getting started or already deep into building with AI, there's a clear next step waiting for you. To complete the Scorecard, visit https://www.paintos.app/ai

June is National Safety Month and this episode is our way of honoring it. We gathered five leaders from NCG's Safety Peer Group, each representing a different role and a different corner of the trades, and asked them what safety really looks like inside their businesses. What you'll hear isn't theory, it's hard-won experience, honest conversation, and a few stories that will stick with you. If you're a business owner thinking about where safety fits in your company, we think this one’s for you.  Thank you to the following contributors for sharing their voice on this episode:  Rumel Perez, Safety Manager at Alpine Painting & Sandblasting Hernan Jimenez, Safety Manager at Nolan PaintingVicente Verduzco, Director of Operations at MB Jessee Raul Marino, Production Manager at MB Jessee Chris Barnett, Safety Coordinator at Apap Painting & RenovationsJazmin Gonzalez, Project Coordinator at All Covered Painting

Automation doesn't have to start with AI, it starts with a process you're fed up with. Lindsey Mueller, co-owner of Sound Painting Solutions in Seattle, has been building Zapier workflows for over a decade, and her approach is refreshingly practical: find what wastes time or creates errors, then eliminate it. In this episode, Lindsey walks through her automation-first mindset, how she uses AI as a coding and brainstorming tool without handing over the wheel, and what she'd tell any trades business owner ready to start simplifying their operations