Yes, business coaching can help a contractor get out of debt — Roberto Diaz borrowed $17,000 against his mortgage to keep Building by Giving alive, and a year later, running Battleground, he was home by 5PM most days, rarely worked weekends, and had paid the debt back through implementation, not luck.
The Problem
Roberto started his Denver-based remodeling and ADU company doing everything: landscaping, snow removal, anything that brought in money. He worked 80-hour weeks because that’s what he’d been told building a business required. He had young kids at home and knew he didn’t want to be an absent father, but he didn’t know another way to run things. Then a rough year hit. He borrowed $17,000 against his mortgage just to cover payroll and feed his family, and put Battleground on a credit card without telling his wife, betting on it working before she found out how close things had gotten.
How Business Coaching Helped Roberto Turn Things Around
Within a month of joining, implementation started paying off, not through some overhaul, but through small, specific actions: reaching out to realtors, designers, and architects consistently. That relationship-building became the backbone of his lead flow. He also started job costing for the first time, something he’d avoided because he already suspected what he’d find. “I know I’m not going to make enough, so I’m just going to let it go and hope for the best,” is how he described his old approach. Once he started tracking every job, he could see exactly where money was leaking, and exactly what to charge to stop it.
The mindset shift that stuck came from hearing “Strong You, Strong Home, Strong Business.” Roberto realized growing the business and being present for his family weren’t opposing goals; the business had been eating the second one because he never separated them on purpose.
A Business Built to Give Back
Building by Giving donates 3-5% of every completed project to a nonprofit the homeowner chooses, a commitment Roberto made from the very first $100 job. It’s a rare model in residential contracting, and it’s become part of what makes the business distinct in a crowded Denver remodeling market.
Where He Is Now
Roberto paid off the credit card balance within his first month in Battleground, and now covers the Battleground investment in cash. He’s structured the business around a sub model, brought his brother on for labor support, added part-time marketing and admin help, and is working to bring his wife into the business as well. He’s home for dinner. He coaches Saturday sports instead of driving to job sites.
Watch Roberto’s Story
Who This Is For
Established or growing remodeling and ADU contractors who know something’s wrong in the business but haven’t diagnosed it, especially owners who’ve been avoiding their real numbers because they’re afraid of what they’ll find.
FAQ
How long did it take Roberto to see results in Battleground?
About a month. His first implemented change was outreach to realtors, designers, and architects, and new business followed quickly from that alone.
What was the biggest thing holding his business back before coaching?
Avoidance. He wasn’t job costing, so he had no idea which jobs were actually profitable, and he avoided looking because he suspected the answer.
Does business coaching work for solo contractors without a big team?
Yes. Roberto ran the business largely solo before bringing on his brother and part-time support roles after implementing what he learned.
Related: Battleground | Scorecard | Business Coaching for Contractors | Can a business coach actually help a contractor make more money? | How does business coaching work for remodeling and kitchen and bath contractors?