About this podcast
Welcome to Building Margin: Strategies for Business Owners Who Want to Think Bigger and Earn More.
If you're a construction or service business owner working harder than ever, but still struggling with cash flow, profit margin, or burnout, this podcast is for you. Hosted by Steve Coughran of Coltivar, Building Margin helps you take back control of your business, stop guessing with your numbers, and start making decisions that actually move the needle.
Each episode dives into what really drives success: clear strategy, confident leadership, and a business that doesn’t depend on you for everything. You’ll learn how to grow your business with less stress, improve financial clarity, and create margin—in your time, your team, and your bottom line. Whether you’re trying to scale, step back, or just finally get ahead, this show helps you build something that lasts.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 140 episodes
- Join Me for Strategy Meets Finance · 2 min · Episode 129Follow Strategy Meets Finance: podcast.coltivar.com Big announcement: join Steve on his new podcast, Strategy Meets Finance. This is where strategy and finance finally come…
- Part 10: Margin | Building Margin for Construction · 6 minThis is Part 10 of Steve Coughran’s book Building Margin. Steve brings the framework full circle, showing that margin is more than profit—it’s power. He explains how financial…
- Part 9: Navigation | Building Margin for Construction · 22 minThis is Part 9 of Steve Coughran’s book Building Margin. Learn how strong companies adapt without chaos—installing a build–measure–learn–adjust loop, using check-ins, and acting…
- Part 7: Growth | Building Margin for Construction · 27 minThis is Part 7 of Steve Coughran’s book Building Margin. Steve reframes growth as a margin-first, systems-led discipline—not a volume push. He shows how to set a safe growth…
- Part 2: Why Another Book? Why Now? | Building Margin for Construction · 26 minThis is Part 2 of Steve Coughran’s book Building Margin. Steve explains that contractors don’t have a hustle problem—they have a capacity problem. He explains how nonstop noise…
- Part 3: The Margin Crisis | Building Margin for Construction · 41 minThis is Part 3 of Steve Coughran’s book Building Margin. Steve unpacks the margin crisis, showing how it creeps in quietly through strategic drift, profit erosion, and liquidity…
- Part 4: Money | Building Margin for Construction · 55 minThis is Part 4 of Steve Coughran’s book Building Margin. Steve shows contractors how to reclaim financial margin by focusing on free cash flow over paper profit—calculating gross…
- Part 1: Let’s Cut to the Chase | Building Margin for Construction · 32 minThis is Part 1 of Steve Coughran’s book Building Margin. The introduction shows why contractors struggle with thin profits and cash flow, the trap of chasing volume over margin…
- Part 5: Alignment | Building Margin for Construction · 44 minThis is Part 5 of Steve Coughran’s book Building Margin. Steve shows how most contractors stall from misalignment, not lack of effort. He explains the Coltivar Strategy Blueprint…
- Part 6: Rhythm | Building Margin for Construction · 30 minThis is Part 6 of Steve Coughran’s book Building Margin. Steve explains why most strategies fail not from bad ideas but from lack of rhythm. He shows how Coltivar helps…
- Part 8: Insight | Building Margin for Construction · 31 minThis is Part 8 of Steve Coughran’s book Building Margin. Steve shows how to turn data into decisions—closing the visibility gap, shifting from lagging to leading indicators, and…
- 128: Business Strategy Fails—The 2 Mistakes That Kill Growth · 11 min · Episode 128Want to grow your business? Download your free roadmap today: coltivar.com/growth Most leaders build strategies focused on growth—but forget the one thing that actually sustains…
- 127: How Great CFOs Create Value Beyond the Numbers with Brad Collins · 45 min · Episode 127Want to grow your business? Download your free roadmap today: coltivar.com/growth What does it take to be a truly strategic CFO in today’s construction industry? In this episode…
- 126: How to Know If Your Strategy Is Actually Working · 15 min · Episode 126Want to grow your business? Download your free roadmap today: coltivar.com/growth Most business owners say they have a strategy. But is it actually creating value? Or is it just…
- 125: Scaling a Profitable Construction Business with Jeff Calabro · 42 min · Episode 125Want to grow your business? Download your free roadmap today: coltivar.com/growth Steve sits down with special guest Jeff Calabro, President of SDI Services—a solar and drilling…
- 124: The 1 Thing That Transformed My Contracting Business · 13 min · Episode 124Want to grow your business? Download your free roadmap today: coltivar.com/growth Your brand, pricing, and portfolio are either setting you apart or silently sabotaging your…
- 123: Making $10M? Here’s Why You Still Might Be Broke · 10 min · Episode 123Want to grow your business? Download your free roadmap today: coltivar.com/growth You can do $10M, $50M, or even $100M in revenue and still be broke. That’s the brutal truth…
- 122: Why a 30% Markup Won’t Get You a 30% Margin · 12 min · Episode 122Want to grow your business? Download your free roadmap today: coltivar.com/growth Most contractors think a 30% markup means a 30% margin. It doesn’t, and that mistake could be…
- 121: Profit Is Lying to You (Why Cash Flow Tells the Real Story) · 11 min · Episode 121Want to grow your business? Download your free roadmap today: coltivar.com/growth Your profit looks great. So why does your bank account feel like it’s bleeding? In this episode…
- 120: Why Your Job Costing Is Always Off (and How to Fix It) · 9 min · Episode 120Want to grow your business? Download your free roadmap today: coltivar.com/growth Watch the estimating series now: youtube.com/@building-margin Tired of guessing where the money…
