The Craft & Calling
Welcome to The Craft & Calling: a space for real, grounded conversations with the contractors and service-based founders whose work is more than a job. 𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚊 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐. Join Christene Marie, founder of The C&C, as we spotlight the contractors, owners, and leaders who’ve honed their craft and are asking: ‘What’s next?’ Whether it’s scale, succession, or simply staying sane, you’ll find a seat at the table here. The Craft & Calling cuts through the noise to elevate the voices of real experts - those often too busy running crews, meeting clients, and keeping the business afloat to do it themselves. That’s why we exist: a member-led community, rooted in connection, sharpened by collaboration, and built to celebrate one another along the way. If you’ve been going at it alone, it’s time to come off the sidelines. Let’s build something that lasts. Subscribe now, and here’s my promise: real conversations and the kind of community that propels you forward – in business, in life, and in legacy. Let’s get started.
Episodes
Season 2 · Episode 12 The Craft & Calling Podcast
Why Most Contractors Never Build a Real Legacy
Most contractors don’t fail because they lack skill. They stall out because they never stop to ask what they’re actually building.
As we close out Season 2 of The Craft & Calling, this episode steps back from tactics and gets to the foundation. This is a conversation about identity, direction, and the kind of legacy you’re buil...
Season 2 · Episode 11 The Craft & Calling Podcast Why Construction Jobs Fall Apart After the Sale
Most contractors think the hard part is winning the job. But what happens after the sale is where most businesses quietly lose money, time, and trust.
In this episode, Christene Marie sits down with Ron Nussbaum to break down why construction jobs fall apart after they’re sold and what actually causes the chaos behind the scenes. F...
Season 2 · Episode 10 The Craft & Calling Podcast Build a Trades Business You Can Actually Sell
Most trades businesses aren’t built to run without the owner. They’re built to survive the next job, the next week, the next fire that needs putting out. In this conversation, Christene Marie sits down with Gregg Boomer to break down what it actually takes to build a business that holds value beyond the owner.
In this episode, we bre...
Season 2 · Episode 9 The Craft & Calling Podcast
Scaling Your Service Business Without Losing Your Team
Growth sounds good on paper. More jobs. Bigger contracts. More revenue. But for most trades businesses, scaling doesn’t break because of systems, it breaks because of leadership.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling, Karina Neff shares what it really takes to move from residential work into commercial contracts while le...
Season 2 · Episode 8 The Craft & Calling Podcast From Operator to Leader: What Actually Has to Change
Most contractors don’t burn out because they lack systems. They burn out because they’re trying to solve the wrong problem.
In this conversation, Christene Marie sits down with Adam Swauger, co-founder of Reconstruct Consulting Group, to unpack what actually holds leaders back as they try to grow. This is not another conversati...
Season 2 · Episode 7 The Craft & Calling Podcast Why Most Contractors Can’t Scale Their Business
Most contractors don’t fail because they lack opportunity. They stall because they’re building the business on the same identity that got them started.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling, Christene Marie sits down with Matteo Palisca, co-founder of Reconstruct Consulting Group, to break down what it actually takes to scale a...
Season 2 · Episode 6 The Craft & Calling Podcast How Contractors Grow a Business Without Burning Out
What actually limits the growth of a contracting business?
For many owners, the answer isn’t marketing, demand, or opportunity. It’s the hidden leadership ceiling that appears when a trades professional moves from technician to business owner.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling, Christene Marie sits down with entrepreneu...
Season 2 · Episode 5 The Craft & Calling Podcast
How Construction Owners Build Leaders and Strong Teams
Many construction business owners find themselves stuck in the middle of everything. Every decision runs through them. Every problem lands on their desk. And over time, the business that once created freedom starts to feel like a trap.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling Podcast, Christene Marie sits down with project ...
Season 2 · Episode 4 The Craft & Calling Podcast Cost of Marketing for Contractors (What Actually Matters) Note: This conversation was recorded during a period of unstable internet connection, so you may notice brief audio and video inconsistencies. The substance of the discussion remains strong, and we appreciate your grace as you listen.
Most contractors are tracking the wrong numbers.
Clicks. Impressions. Leads.
But you can...
Season 2 · Episode 3 The Craft & Calling Podcast How to Scale a Construction Business Without Burning Out Why most contractors hit a ceiling not because they lack skill, but because they try to grow without changing how they lead.
Many construction business owners start with grit, skill, and long hours. Early growth comes from doing everything yourself. But eventually that same model becomes the bottleneck.
In this episode, Ch...
Season 2 · Episode 2 The Craft & Calling Podcast
Why Most Home Service Leads Never Convert and How Systems Fix It
Rethinking follow-up, visibility, and leadership when missed calls and broken systems quietly cost home service businesses real growth.
Many home service businesses invest heavily in marketing but still struggle with low conversion. Leads come in, phones ring, and opportunities quietly slip through the cracks.
In th...
Season 2 · Episode 1 The Craft & Calling Podcast
The Future of Visibility Is Being Built Now: How AI, Content, and Trust Are Reshaping Home Services
Rethinking how home service business owners should approach AI, visibility, and trust as search and customer behavior rapidly evolve.
As AI, automation, and new search behaviors reshape how customers find and choose service providers, visibility is no longer just about rankings or ...
Blue-collar grit. White-collar systems. A path to freedom, presence, and legacy.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling, host Christene Marie sits down with Mike Abramowitz, co-founder of Better Than Rich, to unpack what it truly means to move from constant hustle into a Time Rich life.
Mike shares his personal journey growing up in the trades, watching relentless work ethic come at the cost of presence, relationships, and emo...
You don’t need a studio. You just need your phone and your story.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling, host Christene Marie sits down with Reuben Rock, one of the most trusted digital marketing voices in the home-services world, to talk about the shift every contractor, cleaner, and trades owner needs to prepare for, and why it starts with simple selfie-style videos shot on your phone.
Reuben breaks down why authentic, real...
Legacy leadership starts with who you hire, how you develop them, and the mission you reinforce every day.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling, host Christene Marie sits down with Sean Madole, a third-generation trades leader who has carried his family’s construction business forward since the 1970s. Together they dig into what actually scales a trades company: values-based hiring, culture-driven retention, systems that comp...
Bravery in the trades isn’t just about the work-it’s about showing up, telling your story, and owning your voice.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling, host Christene Marie sits down with Todd Weyandt, marketing leader and host of the award-winning Bridging the Gap podcast, to explore the truth about personal branding in the trades - and why courage, storytelling, and authenticity matter more now than ever.
Todd breaks down h...
Freedom comes when you stop running your business by memory and start running it by systems.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling, host Christene Marie sits down with Courtney Boomer, systems expert and co-owner of multiple trades-based businesses, to talk about what it really takes to scale sustainably.
Courtney shares how she helped her husband’s coatings business go from chaos to a fully booked calendar - using CRMs, custo...
Communication can build or break your business - let’s talk about building it stronger.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling, host Christene Marie sits down with Ron Nussbaum, Founder and CEO of BuilderComs and host of the Construction Champions Podcast. A former U.S. Marine turned construction entrepreneur, Ron is on a mission to eliminate chaos in the construction industry through better communication, leadership, and syste...
Lead with Faith, Build with Systems.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling, host Christene Marie sits down with Chad Gill, founder and owner of Laminin Coaching & VAs for Construction, to explore the mindset, failures, and faith that shape resilient leadership. They discuss deeper into how faith, structure, and servant leadership intersect in the trades. From building systems that free people, not trap them, to redefining...
Because you can’t build legacy if you’re running your business blindfolded.
In this episode of The Craft & Calling, host Christene Marie sits down with Charles Leikauf, a seasoned CFO and financial educator who’s helped business owners scale sustainably by understanding the story behind their numbers.
Charles breaks down the difference between accountants, bookkeepers, and CFOs, and reveals why most trades businesses struggle n...
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