My Partner STOLE $400K… I Built an $8M Empire Anyway (Shocking Story)

Dropping Bombs

Brad Lea

Business, Bradlea, Success, Mentor, Coach, Advice, Money, Strategy, Training, Entrepreneurship, Therealbradlea, Entrepreneur, Comedy

4.8 • 2.3K Ratings

🗓️ 2 October 2025

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

LightSpeed VT: https://www.lightspeedvt.com/

Dropping Bombs Podcast: https://www.droppingbombs.com/

What if losing $400K to a crooked partner, battling PTSD, and raising a special-needs son still wasn't enough to stop you from building an $8M empire? In this raw, unfiltered episode of Dropping Bombs, I sit down with Vincent "Vinnie" Biancamano—first-gen Italian, ex-firefighter, and founder of Hot Shot Hardscape & Pools—on how he went from his dad's basement and maxed-out cards to becoming one of the fastest-growing custom pool builders in Scottsdale and nationwide.

This isn't HGTV—it's the brutal truth about backyard resorts. Vinnie exposes why most pool contractors cut corners, why the cheapest bid usually becomes the most expensive mistake, and how six-inch-on-center steel cages, soil engineering, and waterproofing separate luxury builds from disasters. His message is simple: if you want bargain basics, call someone else—but if you want a backyard resort that looks like Vegas and lasts like concrete, Hot Shot will fly anywhere to build it. For entrepreneurs, builders, and parents fighting uphill battles, this is your wake-up call to bet on discipline, lead with character, and let results do the talking.

🔗 Resources

📲 Hot Shot Hardscape & Pools Instagram: @hotshot_hardscape (https://www.instagram.com/hotshot_hardscape/)

🌐 Website: https://hotshotpools.com/

📞 Office: (623) 231-7547 (Contact for pool builds anywhere in the US)

Watch the full-length video version of any Dropping Bombs episode here on YouTube.

Brad Lea is a self-made entrepreneur who turned small-town grit into a multi-million-dollar empire. With over 25 years dominating sales and leadership, he's mentored thousands to outsmart, outwork, and out win their competition. His top-rated podcast, Dropping Bombs, brings raw, game-changing insights from the biggest names in business.

LightSpeed VT is Brad's brainchild—the world's leading interactive training platform. It's built to make your team sharper, faster, and more effective, without wasting time or money. Whether you're a startup or a Fortune 500, LightSpeed VT is how you scale success and dominate your industry. Curious? Check it out:

https://www.lightspeedvt.com/

Brad's also behind Closer School, the go-to program for mastering sales and closing deals like a pro. Want to 10x your income? This is where you start. His book, The Hard Way, lays out the brutal, honest lessons he learned building his empire—your blueprint to winning the game. Get it here: https://bradlea.com/product/the-hard-way/

This isn't just a video. It's a wake-up call. Watch it. Share it. Act on it.

Closer School: https://www.closerschool.com/cs

Transcript

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0:00.0	My line of credit was blasted. No money in my bank account. My two credit cards smoked, and I'm sitting here ready to go bankrupt.
0:06.2	So I find out he had taken like 400K. I get divorced. I pretty much have nothing. I moved in my dad's
0:11.8	basement. I was ready to be gone. Six months after divorced, my son's mom left him at my door stop.
0:17.3	The one with special needs? Yeah. He's got a one and two brain disorder in the country.
0:22.3	So when you went from your dad's basement with your kids to an eight-figure empire,
0:27.2	most people would just give up.
0:28.3	We did $8 million last year.
0:32.6	What it is, Bradley, back again with another episode of dropping bombs today in the studio,
0:37.4	folks, as always
0:38.2	I got a real treat for you today's guest is what I call a real life comeback story most people
0:45.0	fold when life punches them in the mouth but not this dude Vinnie Bianca Mano went from cutting grass
0:51.0	to firefighting to nearly losing everything to now running one of the fastest
0:56.0	growing hardscape and pool companies in the country, hot shot hardscape and pools from Glendale,
1:02.3	Arizona, which is first generation Italian single dad, three kids, including a special needs son.
1:10.0	This man's story is about one thing, refusing to quit.
1:13.7	And that's what everybody needs to understand. He's battled through injuries, financial ruin,
1:18.2	betrayal, depression, and came out swinging with an $8 million business and counting. Vinnie's here
1:24.5	today because his story is proof that mindset matters more than
1:28.2	circumstance and I want everybody to understand that. So buckle up because we're about to drop some
1:32.7	bombs. Welcome to the show, buddy. Thank you. How you doing? Doing good. Good. So Vinny,
1:39.3	most people don't come back from what you've been through. Broke, betrayed, divorced, raising three kids alone.
1:46.0	One with special needs.
	...

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