How Brad Blankenship scaled a startup from the back of a truck into a regional commercial powerhouse by staying people-focused, faith-led, and future-minded.

⭐ Inspirational Snippet: “You have to be motivated by something greater than the dollar… You have to want to help people. You have to want to be a problem solver.”

How do you grow a construction company from the back of a car to 80+ employees and hundreds of subcontractors? For Brad Blankenship, CEO of Skyguard Commercial Services, it started with faith, grit, and a desire to serve.

In the 56th episode of Simply Business, Brad Blankenship shares the inside story of how Skyguard pivoted from residential roofing to large-scale commercial projects, working with hospitals, multifamily podium builds, and some of the nation’s top general contractors.

Brad opens up about the values that drive his leadership from creating opportunities for immigrant professionals to ensuring his employees can be home on weekends.

This is more than a business success story it's a blueprint for scaling with heart, leading through challenge, and building something that lasts.

🔹 Creating a culture of opportunity, respect, and growth

🔹 Transitioning from small residential jobs to complex commercial work

🔹 The role of faith in business leadership

🔹 Overcoming unexpected shocks like COVID and global supply disruptions

🔹 Staying humble, mission-driven, and team-focused

👉 Tune in for practical inspiration on how to scale a company while staying grounded.

🎧 Listen now, subscribe, and leave a review to support the show!

In the 55th episode of Simply Business, John sits down with Paula Blankenship, founder of a thriving DTC paint brand, to unpack her extraordinary entrepreneurial journey.

From humble beginnings at her kitchen table to scaling into an 8-figure powerhouse,

Paula shares how she transformed a simple DIY project into a multimillion-dollar enterprise. Discover how early Facebook traction validated her business idea, why she ditched big-box retail for direct-to-consumer success, and how she navigated pandemic-induced chaos to take control of her supply chain by acquiring her contract manufacturer.

Paula opens up about the tough decisions, like scrapping lucrative deals for long-term freedom, and her inspiring choice to share ownership with her employees through an ESOP.

Key themes include:

Turning passion into profit Pivoting from wholesale to DTC

Leadership resilience in crisis

The power of employee ownership

Building a business for legacy, not just exit

🎯 Listen in for Paula's "lead from the trees" philosophy and a refreshing take on running a business by intuition, not instruction manuals.

If you’re building, growing, or exiting your business, this episode is packed with actionable insights and real-talk wisdom.

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave us a review!

In the 54th episode of Simply Business, host John Jennings sits down with David Galownia, CEO and Owner of Slingshot, a Louisville-based tech services firm that's celebrating 20 years in business.

David shares his journey from youthful entrepreneur — running a paper route at age 10 — to leading a company that helps bring tech ideas to life for startups, small businesses, and large enterprises alike.

Together, they unpack the realities of entrepreneurship, including the often misunderstood challenge of market development versus product creation. David offers candid insights on building a sustainable business, fostering independence, and leading with pride in your work.

If you're an entrepreneur, tech innovator, or simply someone hungry for grounded business wisdom, this episode is packed with practical takeaways.

Tune in now and get inspired to build beyond the idea. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with fellow business builders!