Contractor Business Essentials

Speaker: Dan Beatty

Bio:  Daniel Beatty is the founder of Constructive Leadership Solutions and a certified 5 Voices facilitator with more than 35 years of construction leadership experience. He helps contractors strengthen communication, leadership, and workforce culture.

Learning Objectives:  Get an overview of the Contractor Business Essentials series and learn how each module contributes to building a stronger, more sustainable construction business.

Speaker: Dan Beatty

Bio:  Daniel Beatty is the founder of Constructive Leadership Solutions and a certified 5 Voices facilitator with more than 35 years of construction leadership experience. He helps contractors strengthen communication, leadership, and workforce culture.

Learning Objectives:  Discover practical leadership strategies that improve communication, strengthen teams, and help create a more productive workplace culture.

• Define servant leadership in construction settings.
• Improve communication and reduce team misunderstandings.
• Apply the Five Voices framework to strengthen teams.
• Resolve conflict through practical leadership techniques.
• Use the Five Gears model to improve productivity.

Speakers: Julia Zuckerman, Patrick Dalin

Bios:

Julia Zuckerman is a Vice President and Senior Consultant at Segal, specializing in health and retirement plan compliance. She helps employers navigate ACA, ERISA, HIPAA, COBRA, and related benefits regulations.

Patrick Dalin is a Partner at Fisher Phillips who advises employers on labor and employment law matters. He previously served with the U.S. Department of Labor enforcing workplace regulations.

Learning Objectives:  Learn the employment, labor, and benefits regulations that contractors need to understand to reduce risk and maintain compliance.

• Understand EEOC requirements and discrimination prevention.
• Apply wage and hour compliance requirements.
• Manage I-9 and employment authorization compliance.
• Understand NLRA protections and labor obligations.
• Navigate OSHA inspections and safety compliance.
• Maintain ERISA-compliant plan documents and disclosures.
• Meet benefits reporting and notice requirements.
• Administer HIPAA and COBRA requirements correctly.
• Implement compliant paid leave policies.

Speakers: Perry Davis, Bethany Murphy, Kara Skinner, Paul Wischer

Bios: 

Perry Davis is a property and casualty insurance advisor focused on risk assessment and client advocacy. She helps businesses secure tailored coverage and risk management solutions.

Bethany Murphy is a construction-focused risk manager specializing in commercial property and casualty insurance. She develops risk management solutions for contractors and developers.

Kara Skinner is owner and CEO of Integrity Surety and a third-generation surety professional. She helps contractors better understand bonding, risk management, and business growth strategies.

Paul Wischer serves as Senior Surety Counsel at Markel, providing legal and industry expertise on surety and bonding matters.

Learning Objectives:  Gain a foundational understanding of construction insurance, risk management, and surety bonding to better protect your business.

• Distinguish construction insurance coverages.
• Understand first-party and third-party risk protection.
• Apply subcontractor risk management practices.
• Recognize specialty insurance programs and coverages.
• Understand surety bonds and their purpose.
• Differentiate bid, performance, and payment bonds.
• Evaluate bonding qualifications and requirements.
• Interpret financials used in surety underwriting.
• Understand the bonding application process.

Speakers: Miguel Galarza

Bio:  Miguel Galarza is founder and president of Yerba Buena Engineering & Construction with more than 40 years of construction experience. He has led multimillion-dollar projects and serves as a mentor for the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative.

Learning Objectives:  Explore strategies for finding opportunities, building relationships, and developing a pipeline that supports long-term growth.

• Build pipelines and industry relationships.
• Identify public-sector contracting opportunities.
• Find and engage private development prospects.
• Use federal opportunity tracking tools effectively.
• Develop long-term growth and pipeline strategies.

Speakers: Jeanne Harrison

Bio:  Jeanne Harrison is a construction attorney who advises contractors, developers, architects, and owners on contracts, risk management, and dispute resolution. She brings more than a decade of experience supporting complex construction projects nationwide.

Learning Objectives:  Learn how to navigate contracts, manage risk, and avoid common issues related to payment, scope changes, and dispute resolution.

• Apply contract practices that reduce risk.
• Understand key payment provisions.
• Define scope and manage project changes.
• Evaluate risk, insurance, and liability clauses.
• Compare dispute resolution options and outcomes.

Speakers: Mason Brady

Bio:  Mason Brady is President of Brady CFO and Brady Capital Solutions, helping construction business owners improve financial performance and access growth capital. His firms specialize in supporting contractors with stronger financial planning and lender relationships.

Learning Objectives:  Understand the financial metrics, lender expectations, and funding strategies that help construction businesses grow with confidence.

• Understand liquidity, margins, and lending expectations.
• Compare lender types and financing options.
• Recognize lender requirements and financial benchmarks.
• Prepare financial documents for loan requests.
• Build and maintain strong lender relationships.

Speaker: Dan Beatty

Bio:  Daniel Beatty is the founder of Constructive Leadership Solutions and a certified 5 Voices facilitator with more than 35 years of construction leadership experience. He helps contractors strengthen communication, leadership, and workforce culture.

Learning Objectives:  Learn how to evaluate opportunities, develop accurate estimates, and create competitive bids that support profitable work.

• Evaluate bid opportunities strategically.
• Understand procurement and delivery methods.
• Organize accurate and repeatable estimates.
• Develop competitive, compliant project bids.

Speaker: Dan Beatty

Bio:  Daniel Beatty is the founder of Constructive Leadership Solutions and a certified 5 Voices facilitator with more than 35 years of construction leadership experience. He helps contractors strengthen communication, leadership, and workforce culture.

About this Module:  Review key concepts from the series, identify opportunities for improvement, and develop an action plan for applying what you've learned to your business.