Words: Damian Lang Without risk, there is no reward. This was evident recently when I toured a potential business acquisition with a couple of my partners, Jamie and Thad.  With more than 50 years of history, this company was known for its thriving business and innovative ideas. But not anymore. As we explored its operations, …

Contractor Tip of the Month: Take the Risk or Fail Read More

Damian Lang “When hiring, look for the people with the right attitude. Skills can be taught. Attitude changes require a brain transplant.”  – Elon Musk On the surface, it looks like I am in the construction, specialized equipment, and safety gear businesses. But the reality is those are all outcomes. I am actually in the …

Contractor Tip of the Month: All Problems are People Problems Read More

The Power of Personality Assessments and AI in Your Hiring Practices Damian Lang Hiring can be a tedious task. For years, companies looking for the ideal candidates poured over resumes, narrowed them to a few, brought some in for interviews, and crossed their fingers that they selected the right person. Some companies branched out and …

Contractor Tip of the Month: Matching Personality Traits with Job Responsibilities Read More

Damian Lang Being a fan of professional football and a business owner, I am always disappointed when a good player leaves my Cincinnati Bengals for another team and when a good employee leaves one of my companies for another.   Why do players and employees transfer? Obviously, they must believe there are greater opportunities elsewhere. Often, …

Contractor Tip of the Month: The Proactive Approach to Employee Turnover Read More

Damian Lang Determining if you should shut down your business One of the most difficult decisions for a business owner to make is when to call it quits. Last month, I wrote about the financial challenges at a couple of my companies. Using the example of how I pumped water from my grandfather’s old hand-powered …

Contractor Tip of the Month: Is it Time to Pull the Plug? Read More

Damian Lang I had a brutal day at the office today. This got me thinking about some important lessons I learned as a kid. I am always amazed at how valuable those life experiences have turned out to be for me as a business owner.  Today’s lesson is courtesy of the late Zig Ziglar, who …

Contractor Tip of the Month: Never Give Up Read More

Damian Lang When you hear the CEO of a company tell an employee, “I do not have the power to promote you,” you might smirk and wonder why a leader would make such a ludicrous statement. You might also think he is undermining his authority. That is understandable. However, that is exactly what I told …

Contractor Tip of the Month: Promotions are Made from the Bottom Up Read More