Growth Secrets from a Contractor Kingmaker

Discover some of the most valuable takeaways Cameron Herold, visioning and operations extraordinaire, shared at BTA’s 2026 Winter Summit.

What contractors MUST know to grow

• If you don’t know where you’re headed, it’s guaranteed your team doesn’t either. You MUST have a clear vision for your company. 
• Protect your company’s core values! Take a zero-tolerance approach to ANYONE who breaks them.
• Don’t take your eye off your cashflow, ESPECIALLY once you’re raking in the revenue. Believe it or not, that’s when your company is most vulnerable.
• Take a good hard look at yourself and admit your FLAWS. Then go find a second-in-command who can compensate for them.
• Don’t make the mistake of thinking that learning this stuff is enough. If you don’t take action… NOTHING will change.

Once a year, (usually in a beautiful sun-drenched spot) Breakthrough Academy hosts an unparalleled meeting of the minds. Experienced trades entrepreneurs, expert business coaches and generous contractor connectors gather to exchange ideas at an event where inspiration flows as freely as the cervezas.

Carefully selected, this group is a treasure trove of mastery. Collectively, there’s no issue they haven’t seen and no obstacle they haven’t overcome. For a contractor motivated to evolve their company, there’s no better place to be. Inevitably, regardless of the questions or problems you arrive with, you can leave with answers and solutions.

Those fortunate to attend this year benefited from the first-hand (and hard-won) wisdom of Cameron Herold.

If you’ve heard of 1-800-GOT-JUNK, you’re familiar with Herold. He was hired as the Chief Operations Officer (COO) at the company in their early days. So early, in fact, he was employee #14. He’d eventually grow the workforce to over 6000 and catapult their annual revenues from $2 million to $100 million.

But Herold didn’t stop there. He’s since gone on to write half a dozen books and become a highly sought after business consultant, including for Tommy Mello’s A1 Garage Door Service.

He challenged the contractors at this year’s Winter Summit with many of the revelations he’s made throughout his illustrious career. We’ve collected some of his most thought-provoking advice in this article, but there’s nothing like the real thing. If you’re not a Breakthrough Academy Member, consider joining so you can attend next year!

Do you have a clear vision for your company?

Employees – even the sharpest ones – can’t read your mind, so you need a method to ensure they understand what they’re helping to build. Herold recommends creating a Vivid Vision and to start by getting out of the office. Go somewhere that your imagination can roam wild, whether that’s in nature or in the lobby of a nice hotel. And use a pen – no laptops allowed.

Also, be prepared to polarize. Vivid Visions function like magnets, drawing people towards your company. However, magnets can also repel. That’s ultimately a good thing, as it’s how you’ll pinpoint who belongs on your company’s journey and who doesn’t. When Apple developed the iPhone without keyboard buttons, you can be sure not every software developer “got it,” but you can be doubly-sure Apple only wanted developers who did.

As you scribble out your vision, don’t hinder yourself with thoughts about the plan. It’s your team’s job to figure out how to execute your vision. At 1-800-GOT-JUNK Herold hit the ground running, raising prices by 40% and increasing their market share with public storage unit customers.

But he was only able to do it because he had a definitive picture of what the company was aiming to be: the “Starbucks of junk removal.” Clear as day.

Can you name your core values?

Many contractor business owners SAY they have core values for their company, but if you stopped them in the street and asked them to recite those values… they’d fumble for an answer.

You should know your core values to the depths of your, well, core, as should your employees. And if your values are truly important to you, you should be willing to fire people who break them.

Early in Herold’s career, he worked for a company that had a core value of “respecting the individual.” One day in a meeting, he witnessed an exec speak disrespectfully to a colleague. Herold spoke up and called him on it in front of the team. Later, Herold was brought into the exec’s office, expecting he was about to get fired. “Don’t call me out on our core values,” the exec said. Herold’s response: “Don’t break them.”

Suffice to say, he wasn’t fired.

How will you survive the company death zone?

When contractor businesses reach a revenue range between $3 million and $10 million, it can FEEL like they’re rocking it, but if the owner isn’t careful, their finances can take a dangerous dive.

Herold experienced this first hand on an even more extreme level when 1-800-GOT-JUNK crossed the $100 million mark. While their revenues were massive, they didn’t keep a close enough eye on their cashflow and nearly bankrupted the company. Fortunately, they managed to mitigate the situation and turn things around, but it taught Herold an important lesson: the bigger you become, the harder you can fall.

Watch your budget and scale wisely.

What are you worst at?

If you don’t have a COO or some other second in command, you’re costing your company growth opportunities. This is especially important for owners who feel like they have to do EVERYTHING, because – hate to break it to ya’ – you’re not good at everything.

Your second in command should excel at the things you either suck at or hate doing (ideally both). They are the leash to your dragon and will be pivotal to implementing your vision. They’ll also help keep you on track.

Case in point. When Herold was at 1-800-GOT-JUNK, the CEO was keen to start a new brand, but Herold, in his role as COO, ex-nayed the idea. If they were going to fulfill their vision, they had to stay focused.

Are you going to make this single most common mistake?

When asked about his biggest frustration in helping entrepreneurs scale their businesses, Herold’s response was startling. Time after time, he hands people the playbook for success and yet, when they return to work, they simply… do nothing.

The biggest mistake business owners make is failing to make the changes they need to, even though doing so will bring them the success they want.

Inaction can be devastating for your company, which is why being surrounded by like-minded and capable contractors is vital. Breakthrough Academy can help propel your potential and connect you to others who’ve been there, done that.

You don’t have to go it alone. Join the BTA community today.

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