In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin White and Maggie Wymore sits down with Carlos del Pozo, founder of Team Engine, to dive into how technology can reshape hiring and retention for blue-collar industries like landscaping and construction.

Carlos shares how his background in small business and the military led him to develop Team Engine, a software platform built specifically to recruit, retain, and engage field-based workforces. From automated text communication with applicants to onboarding support and internal team messaging, Team Engine helps bridge the gap between office and field.

With turnover rates in the trades averaging 50% and some roles needing to be filled 4 to 5 times per year, Carlos shares why speed and consistency are the new keys to successful hiring. He outlines practical strategies including keeping your pipeline full year-round, responding to applicants faster, and even over-hiring to account for training time.

If you’re struggling to find and keep great people, this episode is packed with smart, tech-forward solutions you can implement today.

Team Engine Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/team-engine/

https://www.teamengine.io

Disruptor Links:

Disruptors Community Home Page

Landscape Intelligence Chat GPT

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin and Maggie are joined by Paul Sanneman, founder and CEO of Contractor Staffing Source, to dive into one of the most critical and misunderstood aspects of the trades industry: recruiting.

With over 50 years of experience coaching and working with more than 2,000 contractors, Paul brings a deep, no nonsense perspective on what it really takes to build a winning team. From the early days of pagers to the age of AI, he has seen how talent fuels growth and how the right hiring strategy can make or break a company.

Paul breaks down the biggest myths in the industry, including the idea that you should only recruit when you need someone or that internal hiring is always the best route. He makes the case for continuous recruiting, writing job ads that inspire, and outsourcing your hiring to experts who know how to find and evaluate top tier candidates.

Whether you are running a small team or scaling a multimillion dollar company, this episode will challenge how you think about hiring and give you the tools to do it better.

In this powerful episode of TradesTalk, Justin White sits down with Chris O'Donohue owner of the Great Canadian Landscape Company, to explore how personal transformation can fuel professional success.

With 25 years in business, 50 employees, and $10M in revenue, Chris opens up about the pivotal experiences that reshaped his life—starting with a transformative ski trip organized by LMN founder Mark Bradley. What started as a helicopter skiing adventure turned into a deep, vulnerable mastermind with 16 industry leaders, leading Chris to re-evaluate his health, leadership, and priorities.

Chris shares how he lost 40 pounds, restructured his business, started 6 AM workouts, and began leading with empathy—all driven by his desire to be more present for his two daughters and break generational health patterns.

The episode dives into how self-care became his most important business strategy, how he’s navigating challenges in Vancouver’s real estate and labor markets, and why he believes in abundance over competition.

Through honest reflections, leadership lessons, and inspiring mantras, Chris challenges listeners to rethink success—not just in terms of growth and revenue, but by how well you take care of yourself, your people, and your purpose.