Blue Collar StartUp EP82: What You Can Build In 10 Years

In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, hosts Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media and Derek Foster of Daigle Cleaning Systems have an honest conversation about what it really takes to build and grow a business. Listen in as they share lessons from their own business journeys, discuss the importance of building a strong team and being a strong leader, how success is a never-ending project, and more!

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0:15 Introduction
1:29 How Long It Really Takes to Build a Business
3:19 Derek’s 15-Year Business Journey
5:00 Starting Without Corporate Experience
6:27 The Never-Ending Project of Growth
8:14 The Myth of “Set It and Forget It” Success
10:00 Quitting the Day Job
12:15 Competing in a Crowded Industry
13:32 Growth Milestones: 0 to 50+ Employees
15:04 Building Culture and Processes
17:31 Delegation and Leadership Evolution
19:03 Education, Certification, and Self-Improvement
21:32 Defining Good Management
28:24 Providing Resources and Getting Out of the Way
30:09 Learning From Mistakes and Documenting Solutions
33:18 The Importance of Hiring the Right People
35:06 Employee Recognition and Internal Growth Paths
37:30 Recruiting and Meeting Talent Halfway
39:03 Creating Career Roadmaps and Aligning Pay
41:01 Perceptions of Hard Work
44:52 Advice for Startups and Final Thoughts
47:13 Thank You to Our Sponsors