S1E17 | How He Built a Successful Concrete Company While Working a Day Job feat. Dalton Daeges

Most people talk about starting a business like it begins with a polished plan.A lot of times, it does not.It starts with a problem.A market gap.A few people willing to bet on an idea.And a founder figuring it out in real time.That is what makes this conversation with Dalton Daeges so relevant.Dalton did not come from the concrete world with some perfect roadmap.He was looking at business acquisition opportunities, trying to understand where the real opportunity was, and ended up building Concrete Delivered from the ground up after recognizing a gap in the Omaha market.What followed was everything most people never see from the outside:The financing conversations.The rough business plan.The barrier to entry.The people challenges.The scheduling chaos.The reinvestment decisions.And the pressure of building something real while still working a day job.Andy and Elliot sit down with Dalton to talk through what it actually looks like to build a trades business when the timing is not perfect, the resources are limited, and the risk is real.They unpack the role of partnerships, why more capital matters, how leadership changes when you are not physically there every day, and why some of the smartest growth decisions are the ones that make a business more resilient, not just bigger.They also get into one of the biggest realities owners run into once a business starts moving:Starting the business is one challenge.Keeping people aligned is another.Building something that can operate and grow without breaking every week is something else entirely.If you are trying to build a trades business, buy one, scale one, or just make better decisions with less guesswork, this episode will hit home.▶ Watch the full episode and subscribe to Builders, Makers, Doers.Stay Connected & Follow the Movement• Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts• Follow Builders, Makers, Doers on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/ellerbrock-norris/• Grab a copy of Andy Bassett’s bookhttps://www.ellerbrock-norris.com/bookConnect with the HostsAndy BassettCEO, Ellerbrock-Norrishttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-bassett-cpcu-cic-7711853/Elliot BassettPresident and Partner, Ellerbrock-Norrishttps://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-bassett-aip-cpcu-84499515/🌐 https://www.ellerbrock-norris.com/Chapters:00:00 – Welcome to Builders, Makers, Doers03:35 – The idea that led to Concrete Delivered07:00 – Building the business plan from scratch11:05 – Running the company with a day job15:15 – Why none of the owners took a salary17:10 – Buying a second business to stabilize growth21:30 – The hardest part: people and operations27:40 – The woodburn boiler story31:30 – The bigger vision beyond one company37:15 – The buy-or-build threat from a larger company41:20 – Dalton’s best advice for future owners44:15 – Final thoughts