#360 More Work, Less Money: The Hidden Costs of Growth
Modern Craftsman
Modern Craftsman
4.9 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 5 May 2025
⏱️ 81 minutes
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Summary
Nick and Tyler talk about what it really costs to grow a business—and why scaling back might be the smartest move you can make. They unpack the illusion that more work equals more success, the hidden costs of chasing bigger numbers, and how to build a company that actually works for you, not just your spreadsheet.
From forecasting cash flow to facing the uncomfortable truths behind low-margin projects, this episode is a must-listen for anyone feeling the pressure to grow without a plan.
Whether you’re doing $1M or $10M a year, the real question is: are you making it work, or is it working you?
Show Notes:
Modern Craftsman Podcast Introduction and Sponsor Acknowledgements (0:00)
Personal Experiences with Real Estate and Housing Market (8:21)
Comparing Home Building to Custom Car Building (18:07)
Scaling Business and Managing Growth (30:05)
Employee Management and Career Development (36:12)
Balancing Business Goals and Personal Life (59:24)
Dad's Active Lifestyle and Its Impact (1:01:58)
Business Vision and Scaling Plan (1:15:57)
Promoting the Newsletter and Behind-the-Scenes Content (1:17:46)
Nick's Vulnerability and Reader Engagement (1:19:47)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You can never actually know how to pivot. |
| 0:03.3 | And you're going to get stuck in that position where it's like, |
| 0:05.8 | I need to raise my prices because it's costing me more money, |
| 0:08.8 | but clients won't pay me more money. |
| 0:10.6 | It's like, well, to your point earlier, Tyler, |
| 0:12.6 | like maybe you don't need to raise your prices. |
| 0:14.4 | Maybe you just need to do another job. |
| 0:16.2 | Honestly, maybe you need to do less. |
| 0:19.7 | Yeah, maybe you're taking on more work and doing more volume, |
| 0:22.8 | or maybe you're reducing your team and doing less. Welcome back to the Modern Craftsman |
| 0:29.4 | podcast. Guys, I'm in South Carolina today. And Tyler is not. I'm in New Jersey. My family is in |
| 0:36.3 | New York. We're all over the place today. |
| 0:40.3 | No, I've set up shop. Tyler and I are chatting solo today. We know you guys like these episodes. |
| 0:46.8 | But we start by going down a Zillow. Can we say Zillow on that? Yeah, we'll say it. And seeing what our first homes, what we sold |
| 0:57.5 | them for, what they're worth today, but more importantly, how that market is impacting us as builders, |
| 1:04.0 | as remodels, as contractors. What does that mean? You know, homes are getting more expensive. |
| 1:09.5 | You know, in my area, I have clients ask me, |
| 1:12.2 | how the hell does it cost $1,000 a square foot to build a home? |
| 1:17.7 | Well, on one hand, I think talking in square foot prices, |
| 1:21.8 | you're, you know, I'm part of the problem by telling them that. |
| 1:25.7 | And the other hand, well, as we know, materials are still volatile. |
| 1:30.1 | You know, labor is more expensive. |
... |
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