Growth Without Compromise: From Bankruptcy to Building Businesses with Brent Garrett, The Skilled Trades Coach

Building Scale

We interview successful Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) business leaders to learn how they use people, processes, and technology to scale their businesses.

Growth Without Compromise: From Bankruptcy to Building Businesses with Brent Garrett, The Skilled Trades Coach

E160 • Jul 7, 2026 • 59 mins

Brent Garrett shares his journey in the trades, discussing early challenges and pivotal lessons from his father. He highlights the importance of sales, strategies for profitability, and the evolution of leadership. Brent emphasizes the risks of stagnation, personal struggles, financial oversight, and building a strong company culture. He explores the "messy middle" growth phase and his investment in technology. Brent also discusses his coaching initiatives, insights from his book, and offers advice to his younger self, stressing the importance of helping others achieve their dreams.

Key Points

Learning from failures and setbacks is crucial for long-term success in the AEC industry.
Pride can be a significant obstacle to recognizing and addressing business problems effectively.
Technology should be implemented to solve specific problems and streamline processes, but it cannot replace strong culture and effective leadership.

Connect with Brent Garrett, The Skilled Trades Coach and founder, Sirius Plumbing and Air Conditioning

Brent Garrett's Book - 30 Days to a Better Business - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=30+Days+to+a+Better+Business Skill Trades Coach Website - https://www.skilledtradescoach.com Field Pulse - Business Software - https://www.fieldpulse.com

Brent's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-garrett-b455aa11

Connect with Justin & Will - Will's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willforet/ Justin's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justneagle/

Learn More & Connect With Spot Migration - Website: https://www.spotmigration.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/spot-migration Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spotmigration YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Spotmigration

Do you want to be a guest on the show? Go to https://buildingscale.net/guests Need to discuss your IT and Cybersecurity Strategy? Go to https://buildingscale.net/help

Speakers

Brent Garrett

Guest • 84%

Will Foret

Host • 2%

Justin Neagle

Host • 9%

Will Foret

Host • 4%

Chapters

0:00	Learning from mistakes, introductions, and guest background
2:33	Brent Garrett's entry into the trades and early challenges
5:43	Father’s advice and overcoming business obstacles
8:32	Importance of sales in business success
10:53	Scaling a business and growth phases
14:35	The messy middle phase and its challenges
20:50	Profitability and growth strategies
27:01	Coaching the coaches and leadership evolution
30:41	Consequences of remaining in the messy middle
33:33	Personal struggles and learning lessons
36:55	Financial oversight and building a strong culture
44:44	Investing in technology for growth
50:10	Technologies Brent uses in his business
51:43	Closing thoughts and final reflections
52:34	Brent’s book and mentor-mentee relationships
53:32	Advice to his younger self
54:34	Emotional insights on business ownership
55:22	Helping others achieve their dreams
56:10	How to contact Brent Garrett
57:07	Brent’s coaching and retreats
57:33	Free ebook offer
57:57	Hosts thank Brent and wrap up
58:06	Podcast outro and encouragement
58:28	Call to action for technology improvement assistance

Transcript

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