Built. Trusted. Chosen.

Featuring proven leaders and marketers in trades and construction Real, unscripted, unedited and raw lessons from trades and construction founders, leaders and marketers. We dig into growth, scaling, hiring, margins, and how to be built, trusted and chosen.

Built. Trusted. Chosen. is a business podcast hosted by Wes Towers, with 40 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Wes Towers hosts Built. Trusted. Chosen., a business show with 40 episodes published.

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  Built. Trusted. Chosen.

  The Resilient Contractor Who Reads the Play and Hires A-Players | Justin Strunk

  Sep 28, 202635 min

  Construction is easy to lead when the work is flowing, materials are available and the numbers stack up. The real test comes when supply tightens, costs jump, funding changes or months of bad weather stop your equipment from earning. In this episode of Built. Trusted. Chosen. , I sit down with Justin Strunk, Chief Operating Officer of RABS Group, to talk about what long-term resilience really looks like in construction. We get into leading through volatile markets, recognising trouble before it arrives, building teams you can trust, hiring for character rather than simply experience, and why sometimes the smartest growth strategy is to hold your position and think several moves ahead. You’ll take away: How to “read the play” and respond before a business challenge becomes a crisis Why construction owners should think in cycles rather than expecting constant growth Why Justin moved away from hiring primarily for experience How A-grade people help create more A-grade people around them Why reputation, references and project delivery are powerful forms of marketing Why good business strategy is often more like chess than checkers About Justin Strunk Justin Strunk is Chief Operating Officer of RABS Group, a Melbourne-based road rehabilitation business specialising in asphalt paving and road profiling. RABS works across local government, state road authorities and major construction projects, with Justin bringing extensive industry experience and a strong focus on leadership, operations and developing high-performing teams. RABS Group: https://rabsgroup.com.au/ Justin on LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/justin-strunk-js1 About Wes Towers I’m Wes Towers from Uplift 360 and host of Built. Trusted. Chosen. I help trades and construction companies be built, trusted and chosen online through high-performing websites and Search Everywhere Optimisation. https://uplift360.com.au/ Want to be a guest on Built. Trusted. Chosen.? Book here: https://uplift360.com.au/built-trusted-chosen-podcast-guest-booking/

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  Built. Trusted. Chosen.

  The Trade Show Playbook for Construction: Before, During and After | Jen Kelly

  Sep 26, 202634 min

  Trade shows can cost thousands by the time you add the booth, travel, staff, signage, giveaways and days away from the business. So why do so many companies do all that work and then simply hope the right people walk past? In this episode of Built. Trusted. Chosen., I speak with Jen Kelly about creating a proper trade show strategy for B2B, trades, construction, engineering and technical businesses. We unpack what needs to happen before the doors open, how to prepare the people working your stand, ways to create better conversations with customers and potential partners, how to capture leads without making things awkward, and why your follow-up process should be decided before anybody leaves for the show. You’ll take away: Why trade shows should be treated as a before, during and after campaign, not a standalone event How promoting your presence and booking conversations before the show can reduce reliance on passing booth traffic Why everyone working the booth needs preparation, even if they aren’t a salesperson How trade shows can strengthen existing customer relationships and create valuable partnerships, not just new leads Why every worthwhile conversation needs a clear contact capture process How to follow up within 24–48 hours and continue nurturing leads for the length of your actual sales cycle Jen calls the common alternative the “trade show prayer”: spend months preparing the booth, turn up, set everything out and hope the right people happen to walk down your aisle. There’s a better way. For construction and technical businesses where one relationship can potentially turn into a significant project or long-term commercial customer, getting the strategy right can make a huge difference to the return on the entire event. About Jen Kelly Jen Kelly is the founder of New Initiatives Marketing and a Fractional CMO specialising in B2B marketing. After a 17-year corporate marketing career with organisations including Siemens, Motorola, Future Shop and the Financial Times UK, she launched New Initiatives Marketing in 2009 and now helps B2B companies build more strategic and systematic marketing programs. Website: https://www.newinitiativesmarketing.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferkelly/ About Wes Towers I’m Wes Towers, founder of Uplift 360 and host of Built. Trusted. Chosen. I help trades and construction companies be built, trusted and chosen online through high-performing websites, content and Search Everywhere Optimisation. https://uplift360.com.au/ Want to be a guest on Built. Trusted. Chosen.? Book here: https://uplift360.com.au/built-trusted-chosen-podcast-guest-booking/

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  Built. Trusted. Chosen.

  Derek

  Sep 21, 202635 min

  Growing revenue sounds great until the business gets busier, margins disappear and the owner ends up with even more headaches. In this episode of Built. Trusted. Chosen. , I'm speaking with Derek Isaac, founder of Rapid Result Creators, about what contractors need behind the scenes if they want sustainable growth. We'll unpack some of the mistakes Derek made while building his own contracting business, from financial management and estimating through to rapid revenue growth that didn't translate into profit. We also get practical about lead generation, CRM systems, email marketing, site signage, targeted SMS campaigns and how technology can remove repetitive admin from a construction business. You'll take away: Why revenue growth is not the goal, and why profitability and sustainability matter more How allocating incoming cash can give you much better control of the business How to protect margins when construction projects are quoted well ahead of delivery Why contractors need multiple lead-generation channels, tracking and a proper CRM How automated nurture and regular email marketing can generate work from contacts you already have Why systemising simple marketing and admin tasks can free owners and teams to focus on higher-value work About Derek Isaac Derek Isaac is the founder of Rapid Result Creators. After working across multiple trades, building a carpentry subcontracting business and moving into remodelling and home building, Derek now helps contractors implement the systems and processes needed to improve profitability, free up time and reduce the headaches of running a growing business. Website: https://rapidresultcreators.com/ LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/derek-isaac About Wes Towers I'm Wes Towers, founder of Uplift 360 and host of Built. Trusted. Chosen. I help trades and construction companies be built, trusted and chosen online through high-performing websites and Search Everywhere Optimisation. https://uplift360.com.au/ Want to be a guest on Built. Trusted. Chosen.? Book here: https://uplift360.com.au/built-trusted-chosen-podcast-guest-booking/

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  Built. Trusted. Chosen.

  How to Stop Being the Bottleneck and Automate Your Trades Business | Jenna Bannister

  Sep 14, 202638 min

  If every enquiry, follow-up, staff question and business decision still comes back to you, growth quickly becomes exhausting. For many trades and construction business owners, the biggest bottleneck is not a lack of opportunities. It is that too much of the business still depends on the owner. In this episode of Built. Trusted. Chosen., I speak with Jenna Bannister from Automations for Owners about how practical AI and automation can help business owners reclaim their time. Jenna has automated around 95% of her own land investing business. We discuss how she began with simple follow-up systems, how AI can answer and qualify incoming enquiries, and why businesses need to organise their processes before attempting to automate them. We also explore the human side of implementation. Buying new software is not enough. Business owners need to use the technology themselves, support their team through the change and build systems around the way the business actually operates. You’ll take away How to identify the task stealing the most time Why fast lead response matters when your team is on the tools How to turn tribal knowledge into usable processes Why AI implementation must begin with the business owner How to build separate AI employees for different departments How to reduce the business’s dependence on one key person About Jenna Bannister Jenna Bannister is the founder of Automations for Owners and an active real estate investor. After automating around 95% of her own land investing business, she began helping other small business owners build practical AI systems that handle repetitive tasks, improve follow-up and give owners more time outside the business. Website: https://automationsforowners.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenna-bannister-7008155b Join Jenna’s AI workshop: https://automationsforowners.com/workshop Use the code BUILT to attend for free. About Wes Towers I’m Wes Towers, founder of Uplift 360 and host of Built. Trusted. Chosen. I help trades and construction companies become built, trusted and chosen online through high-performing websites and Search Everywhere Optimisation. Learn more: https://uplift360.com.au/ Want to be a guest on Built. Trusted. Chosen.? Book here: https://uplift360.com.au/built-trusted-chosen-podcast-guest-booking/

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  Built. Trusted. Chosen.

  The Outcomes-First Playbook for Scaling Trades and Construction Businesses | Kurt Uhlir

  Sep 7, 202637 min

  You can keep hiring people, buying software and producing more marketing, but a trades or construction business will not scale if everything still depends on the owner. The real shift happens when you stop managing activity and start building the business around clearly defined outcomes. In this episode of Built. Trusted. Chosen., I speak with growth operator, marketer and leadership speaker Kurt Uhlir about the practical foundations of scaling a trades or construction business. Kurt has worked with businesses ranging from early-stage companies to major global organisations. We discuss why businesses of every size encounter similar scaling problems, how to hire people for outcomes rather than isolated tasks, and why leaders need to work alongside their people before expecting them to operate independently. We also explore how marketing extends across the entire customer experience, when a founder should use their personal brand, and how trades businesses can use AI without producing generic content that sounds like everyone else. You’ll take away Why scaling problems begin with the owner, not company size How to separate execution time from experimentation How to hire and reward people for business outcomes Why marketing covers the entire customer experience How servant leadership balances coaching and accountability How to use AI to amplify real project stories About Kurt Uhlir Kurt Uhlir is a chief marketing officer, growth operator and international speaker known for helping companies build repeatable systems for scale. His experience includes participating in dozens of acquisitions, helping lead a major public listing and assembling teams across six continents. Kurt also writes and speaks about modern marketing, business growth and high-performing servant leadership. Website: https://kurtuhlir.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtuhlir About Wes Towers I’m Wes Towers, founder of Uplift 360 and host of Built. Trusted. Chosen. I help trades and construction companies become built, trusted and chosen online through high-performing websites and Search Everywhere Optimisation. Learn more: https://uplift360.com.au/ Want to be a guest on Built. Trusted. Chosen.? Book here: https://uplift360.com.au/built-trusted-chosen-podcast-guest-booking/

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