Builders of Authority

Builders of Authority is the go-to podcast for entrepreneurs looking to level up their game in all facets. With a focus on personal branding and growing your business, host Adam McChesney, brings on high level entrepreneurs who have experience growing companies through branding. You will learn tactics and strategies, not theories, from guests on the podcast while understanding what you need to do in order to reach new levels of success.

Builders of Authority is a business podcast hosted by Adam McChesney, with 238 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Adam McChesney hosts Builders of Authority, a business show with 238 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Builders of Authority

  How Jamieson Crane Built an Insurance Agency From Zero Policies

  Oct 1, 202636 min

  What does it take to build an insurance agency from zero policies while creating a business that supports your family, health, and long-term goals? In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, Adam McChesney sits down with Jamieson Crane, owner of a Shelter Insurance agency in St. Louis. Jamieson shares how he entered the insurance industry, learned the value of making 100 calls a day, and launched his own agency from scratch in June 2020. Today, he has built a business with a customer retention rate between 90% and 92%, driven largely by referrals, personal service, and organic name recognition. Adam and Jamieson discuss: • Starting an insurance agency with zero policies • Learning sales through daily repetition and rejection • Building trust through personal customer service • Setting clear expectations with policyholders • Growing through referrals and local name recognition • Transitioning from daily operations into a CEO mindset • Hiring producers and building a team • Putting family ahead of business • How a serious health scare changed Jamieson’s priorities • Quitting alcohol and committing to daily exercise • How better health improved his focus, confidence, and leadership • Changes in home insurance and roof coverage • The difference between replacement cost and Actual Cash Value coverage • Jamieson’s goals for business growth, real estate, and his own office building Jamieson also explains why homeowners need to understand their roof coverage before filing a claim. As more insurance companies move policies from full replacement cost to Actual Cash Value coverage, some homeowners may face larger out-of-pocket costs than expected. This conversation is about more than insurance. It is an honest look at building a business, becoming a stronger leader, protecting your health, and creating more time for the people who matter most. CONNECT WITH ADAM: Facebook https://bit.ly/3td8Pdo Instagram https://bit.ly/3HmCR3m LinkedIn https://bit.ly/3hjU4jq CONNECT WITH JAMIESON: Website https://bit.ly/4Awh32j Instagram https://bit.ly/4yistow Facebook https://bit.ly/4cQxxrS ✉️ CONTACT: Email adam@buildauthority.co Website adammcchesney.com Book a call: https://buildauthority.com/contact-us/ About me: I’m Adam McChesney: an entrepreneur and marketer who’s spent the last decade building and scaling service-based businesses. I’ve been on both sides of the table: running companies myself and helping other business owners grow through smarter, more disciplined marketing. I’m the founder of Builders of Authority, where I work with service businesses to improve visibility, strengthen their brand, and build marketing systems that actually perform over time. Everything I share comes from real experience, what I’ve tested, what’s worked, and what hasn’t. Today, I create content, speak, and have honest conversations about marketing, growth, and leadership, with one goal in mind: helping business owners stop relying on last-minute tactics and start building something sustainable. Built for the contractors the market keeps overlooking. #BuildersOfAuthority #InsuranceAgency #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #HealthTransformation #StLouisBusiness

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  Builders of Authority

  How We Grew From 7 to 50 Team Members Without Losing Our Culture

  Sep 24, 202647 min

  What does it take to grow a company from seven people to nearly 50 without losing the culture that made it successful? In this special live episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, Adam McChesney sits down with four of BOA’s original team members during Builders Week in Managua, Nicaragua. Recorded at Treehouse Coworking, the conversation features: • Javier, SEO Specialist • Lorna Jimenez, Project Manager • Rosanna Canales, HR Director • Jose Duarte, AI Lead and Automations Manager Together, they look back at the evolution of Builders of Authority from a mastermind and coaching program into a full-service digital marketing agency serving contractors and home service businesses across the country. They discuss: • What the early days of BOA were really like • Scaling the team from seven to nearly 50 people • Building trust across different departments and countries • Protecting company culture during rapid growth • Investing in employee development and leadership • Maintaining high standards as the company expands • Delegating responsibilities to managers • Staying focused on the company’s core vision • The importance of slowing down and taking time to rest • The personal and professional growth of BOA’s original team members This episode is an honest conversation about the people, decisions, values, and challenges behind the growth of Builders of Authority. CONNECT WITH ADAM: Facebook https://bit.ly/3td8Pdo Instagram https://bit.ly/3HmCR3m LinkedIn https://bit.ly/3hjU4jq ✉ CONTACT: Email adam@buildauthority.co Website adammcchesney.com Book a call: https://buildauthority.com/contact-us/ About me: I’m Adam McChesney: an entrepreneur and marketer who’s spent the last decade building and scaling service-based businesses. I’ve been on both sides of the table: running companies myself and helping other business owners grow through smarter, more disciplined marketing. I’m the founder of Builders of Authority, where I work with service businesses to improve visibility, strengthen their brand, and build marketing systems that actually perform over time. #BuildersOfAuthority #BuildersWeek #CompanyCulture #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #TeamBuilding #Entrepreneurship

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  Builders of Authority

  From a Beat-Up Van to $300M: How College Hunks Scaled

  Sep 17, 202635 min

  What does it take to turn a beat-up cargo van and an $8,000 summer into a national franchise with more than 200 locations and over $300 million in annual sales? In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, Adam McChesney sits down with Nick Friedman, co-founder and president of College Hunks Hauling Junk. Nick shares how he and his best friend, Omar Soliman, started the company in 2003 and transformed it from a single-location operation into one of the largest moving and junk removal franchises in the country. CONNECT WITH ADAM: Facebook https://bit.ly/3td8Pdo Instagram https://bit.ly/3HmCR3m LinkedIn https://bit.ly/3hjU4jq CONNECT WITH NICK: LinkedIn https://bit.ly/4raIR7T Youtube https://bit.ly/46qlMos Instagram https://bit.ly/4cNV10D Facebook https://bit.ly/4gUn0hJ

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  Builders of Authority

  How James Gleeson Built a $60M Real Estate Portfolio

  Sep 10, 202640 min

  What does it really take to build a $60 million real estate portfolio starting in your early 20s? In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, Adam McChesney sits down with James Gleeson, a St. Louis real estate investor and serial entrepreneur, to break down how he went from college basketball and mechanical engineering to owning more than 450 rental units. James shares how he built the majority of his portfolio without syndications, using the BRRRR method to create equity, recycle capital, and scale faster. In this conversation, Adam and James discuss: • Transitioning from college athletics into real estate investing • Building a portfolio of more than 450 rental units • How the BRRRR method works: Buy, Renovate, Rent, Refinance, Repeat • Using leverage to grow without constantly putting in new capital • Underwriting deals and understanding net operating income • Why long-term cash flow matters for protecting equity • The tax advantages available to real estate investors • Depreciation, refinancing, and real estate professional status • Vertically integrating construction, property management, lending, and education • Managing the operational chaos that comes with rapid growth • The connection between an athlete mindset and entrepreneurship • Why execution matters more than endlessly consuming information James also explains why vertical integration became necessary as his portfolio expanded. By bringing more of the operation in-house, he was able to create greater control across construction, management, lending, and education. The episode closes with a conversation about perseverance, taking action, and why gathering more information means very little if you never execute. CONNECT WITH ADAM: Facebook https://bit.ly/3td8Pdo Instagram https://bit.ly/3HmCR3m LinkedIn https://bit.ly/3hjU4jq CONNECT WITH JAMES: Website https://bit.ly/4qRpBw2 Instagram https://bit.ly/3UzdEPG Facebook https://bit.ly/4x4rd7i ✉️ CONTACT: Email adam@buildauthority.co Website adammcchesney.com Book a call: https://buildauthority.com/contact-us/ About me: I’m Adam McChesney: an entrepreneur and marketer who’s spent the last decade building and scaling service-based businesses. I’ve been on both sides of the table: running companies myself and helping other business owners grow through smarter, more disciplined marketing. I’m the founder of Builders of Authority, where I work with service businesses to improve visibility, strengthen their brand, and build marketing systems that actually perform over time. Everything I share comes from real experience, what I’ve tested, what’s worked, and what hasn’t. Today, I create content, speak, and have honest conversations about marketing, growth, and leadership, with one goal in mind: helping business owners stop relying on last-minute tactics and start building something sustainable. Built for the contractors the market keeps overlooking. #BuildersOfAuthority #JamesGleeson #RealEstateInvesting #BRRRRMethod #RealEstateInvestor #Entrepreneurship

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  Builders of Authority

  How Angi Hess Built a Trusted Family Business Through Brand, Culture & Wellness

  Sep 3, 202634 min

  What does it really take to grow a family business, build a trusted local brand, and compete in a market full of short-term competitors? In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, Adam McChesney sits down with Angi Hess, Vice President and General Manager of Spas and More, to talk about family business, leadership, marketing, company culture, and the evolution of the health and wellness market. Angi brings more than two decades of retail experience, including 19 years in management focused on human resources, payroll, and P&L management. Around 2016, she transitioned into the day-to-day operations of Spas and More as her father’s health began to decline. Founded by her father in 2006, Spas and More has grown into a three-generation family business serving customers across Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois. In this conversation, Adam and Angi discuss: • Transitioning from retail management into leadership of a family business • Building Spas and More into a recognizable local brand • Shifting the company’s messaging from luxury products to health, wellness, and recovery • Expanding beyond hot tubs into swim spas, infrared saunas, and cold plunges • Competing against fly-by-night companies through trust, consistency, and local service • Using home shows and expos as a major customer acquisition channel • Managing advertising internally to stay connected to performance data • Understanding how economic and political uncertainty can affect consumer buying behavior • Expanding across a large multi-state territory while keeping delivery and service in-house • Creating a family-first company culture with competitive wages and employee benefits • Leading from the front and being willing to do any job required to support the team Angi also explains why Spas and More made the decision to build its own brand rather than relying exclusively on the Master Spas name. By emphasizing in-house delivery, service, and long-term customer relationships, the company has been able to differentiate itself in a competitive market. She also shares how the business has evolved alongside changing consumer priorities, positioning hot tubs, swim spas, saunas, and cold plunges not simply as luxury purchases, but as investments in physical health, recovery, and mental well-being. CONNECT WITH ADAM: Facebook: https://bit.ly/3td8Pdo Instagram: https://bit.ly/3HmCR3m LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3hjU4jq CONNECT WITH ANGI: Facebook: https://bit.ly/3S9KaqB Instagram: https://bit.ly/3TSAcuw Website: https://bit.ly/3UtUPNC ✉️ CONTACT: Email adam@buildauthority.co Website adammcchesney.com Book a call: https://buildauthority.com/contact-us/ About me: I’m Adam McChesney: an entrepreneur and marketer who’s spent the last decade building and scaling service-based businesses. I’ve been on both sides of the table: running companies myself and helping other business owners grow through smarter, more disciplined marketing. I’m the founder of Builders of Authority, where I work with service businesses to improve visibility, strengthen their brand, and build marketing systems that actually perform over time. Everything I share comes from real experience, what I’ve tested, what’s worked, and what hasn’t. Today, I create content, speak, and have honest conversations about marketing, growth, and leadership, with one goal in mind: helping business owners stop relying on last-minute tactics and start building something sustainable. Built for the contractors the market keeps overlooking. #BuildersOfAuthority #AngiHess #FamilyBusiness #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #LocalMarketing

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