"You wouldn’t jump on a plane if the pilot didn’t understand the dials in the cockpit… yet most builders fly the plane of their business every day without truly knowing their numbers."

That’s how Randy Stanbury, founder of 4 Level Coach, opens his conversation with Reece. It’s an analogy that hits home: many builders and remodelers are steering multimillion-dollar companies without clear visibility into profitability, processes, or performance.

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For Randy, this isn’t theory. It’s lived experience. After building and selling multiple businesses, including one that ran profitably without him for a decade, he now coaches contractors to do the same: move from “contractor” to “entrepreneurial leader” and gain true freedom of time and money.

The Real Challenge

The construction industry is full of ambitious owners who want growth. But growth without the right foundations (financial literacy, operational systems, and the ability to delegate) often just means more chaos. Builders get stuck on the hamster wheel, working 60+ hours a week, unable to step back or scale effectively.

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Randy says, “Profit before growth. Systems before people. The ‘how’ before the ‘what.’ Get those in order, and you transform your business.”

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Randy’s framework centers around his “10 Reasons Builders Fail to Grow,” with key drivers being:

• Clear Vision: Without a defined destination, teams drift.
• Financial Literacy: Pricing jobs profitably and understanding KPIs.
• Business Savvy: Shifting focus from the job site to building the business.
• Time Mastery: Leveraging time and delegating effectively.

Why Tools Alone Aren’t Enough

The conversation also touched on software adoption- a persistent sticking point. Many builders invest in project management and accounting platforms but only use 25–30% of their capabilities.

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Randy’s take? That’s like buying a top-tier tool and leaving it in the box. The key is not just purchasing the software, but fully integrating it into your workflows, training the team, and holding them accountable to use it.

The Adaptive Connection

Reece draws a direct line between Randy’s philosophy and Adaptive’s mission. Real-time job costing, automated bookkeeping, and AI-powered reporting collapse the feedback loop between project activity and financial insight, helping contractors make better decisions now, not a year from now when it’s too late to fix pricing mistakes.

Key Takeaways for Builders

• Stop scaling blind. Know your profit before you chase growth.
• Systemize first. Build repeatable workflows before you add people.
• Leverage tech fully. Maximize the tools you’re already paying for.
• Think bigger. Your vision should push you outside your comfort zone.
• Delegate with trust. Hire A-players and equip them to succeed.

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Scaling a construction business doesn’t have to mean working more hours or giving up control. It’s about building a machine that can run without you.

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As Randy puts it: “If you want more than you currently have, you need a bigger vision, the courage to commit to it, and the right systems to make it real.”

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