From the Zoo

Spray Foam Magazine – Summer 2026 – If you’re like most contractors, you didn't get into this industry to live in the zoo. The zoo is for the 97%, the people who want the comfort and safety of bi-weekly paychecks, predictable routines, and the security of a cage they’ve learned to call home. There’s nothing wrong with that life. But it’s not why you started your business.

You wanted the jungle. The jungle is freedom. It’s challenging, unpredictable, and sometimes brutal. There are weeks when you don’t eat, but when you do? It’s amazing. You hunted it down yourself. You earned it. Nobody handed it to you on a schedule.

The problem is, most contractors want to live in the jungle but don't know which direction to go. You left the zoo behind, but now you’re wandering alone in unfamiliar territory, working 60-hour weeks, phones buzzing at 8pm, no real vacations, wondering why freedom feels so much like a different kind of trap.

The answer isn’t to go back to the cage. The answer is to find a herd to trek with.

And that’s exactly why coaching matters.

You Can’t See What You Can’t See

When you’re deep in the day-to-day quoting jobs, managing crews, putting out fires, it’s nearly impossible to step back and evaluate your own business objectively. You get too intertwined with operations to see what’s actually holding you back.

One of the most valuable things a coach brings is that outside perspective. They can spot the gaps you’ve become blind to, whether that’s a pricing strategy leaving money on the table, a hiring process that keeps bringing in the wrong people, or a culture problem you’ve normalized.

The Numbers Tell a Story

Looking back to when we started, the biggest piece of advice we’d give our younger selves is simple: know your numbers inside and out. We did okay on individual job costing, but it took us way too long to connect that to what we were actually making over the course of a year.

Budget development, cash flow planning, and understanding your true gross profit margins, these aren’t just accounting exercises. They’re the foundation of every good decision you’ll make. Yet most contractors are flying blind, hoping the bank account looks okay at the end of the month. A coach helps you build those systems so you’re running your business instead of letting it run you.

People Are the Multiplier

The second lesson? Investing in the right people is everything. That means understanding personality types, knowing what each team member is great at versus what drains them, and building a culture where people actually want to show up.

We spent years keeping the wrong employees too long because we didn’t know how to identify who fit our culture. Once we defined who we were (and who we wanted to become) hiring got easier, and our team got stronger.

Create a Vision for the Future

The third lesson? You need to know where you’re going. If you don’t have an aspirational goal, if you’ve never even allowed yourself to dream that big, it’s nearly impossible to get there. A good coach challenges you to create that vision and build a roadmap to reach it.

You Don’t Have to Figure It Out Alone

One of the most underrated benefits of coaching is community. Being around other contractors who are going through the same struggles, plus others who’ve already navigated the path ahead of you, that changes everything. You learn faster. You avoid mistakes others have already made. You don’t feel so isolated in the grind.

We’ve learned invaluable lessons from companies bigger than us about how to structure divisions, create synergy between teams, and scale without chaos. Those insights didn’t come from YouTube. They came from relationships with people who’d been there.

Who’s for you

What makes a great coach? Honestly, it depends on you. Coaches are a bit like finding the right fit in any relationship, there might be ten good options out there, all amazing people, but only one is right for you.

Some contractors need someone who’s been out of the field and can offer pure strategy. Others connect better with a coach who’s still in the trenches. Some want structured programs with clear milestones. Others just need a peer group and honest conversation. There’s no wrong answer, only what works for you.

The point isn’t who coaches you. The point is that you get coached.

If you’re wandering the jungle alone, wondering why the freedom you chased feels more like survival… help exists. The truth is, if you just find someone a few steps ahead of you on the journey you will experience less pain.  

The best investment you’ll ever make isn’t in another rig or more material. It’s in the people who can help you trek through the jungle, and actually enjoy the hunt.  

For more information on coaching reach out to Kevin and Curt at 403-554-1411.