Mar 26, 2026
What can contractors learn from a founder who went from bankruptcy to building a major business? A lot.
In this episode, Dominic Rubino talks with Ryan Hogan, co-founder and CEO of Talent Harbor, about failure, leadership, hiring, culture, business systems, and what it really takes to grow without carrying the whole company on your own.
Ryan shares the lessons he learned through failed businesses, a personal bankruptcy, rebuilding from scratch, and eventually creating a new company around a problem he saw firsthand: recruiting is broken for small and mid-sized businesses.
If you’re a contractor, cabinet shop owner, millwork owner, remodeler, or trades business owner trying to grow, this episode will feel very real.
In this episode, we cover:
- What Ryan learned from bankruptcy
- Why owners hold onto bad ideas too long
- How to test a business idea before going all in
- Why recruiting is a real skill, not an extra task
- How culture, compensation, and clarity affect hiring
- Why metrics matter if you want to scale
- How to stop being the bottleneck in your own business
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More about Ryan Hogan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanehogan/
Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentharbor/
Website: https://talentharbor.com/
Also check out:
Cabinet Maker Profit System: https://www.cabinetmakerprofitsystem.com
Profit Toolbelt: https://www.profittoolbelt.com/
Contractor Wealth System: https://www.contractorwealthsystem.com/