#40 - Navy Vet Builds $35M Mansions—GC Success Playbook

Can a broke apprentice really become the go-to GC for NBA superstars?



Richie Breaux did—turning a beat-up pickup and a faith-driven work ethic into 8-figure luxury builds (including Zach LaVine’s $35 M Newport estate) while leading crews year-round under Hawaii’s blazing sun. 🌴🏗️



In this episode, Richie breaks down the exact frameworks that transform general contractors into generational leaders:



Storms, Snakes & Smoke—his 3-part system for beating market shocks, sabotage & self-inflicted fires.



The “buy-one-tool-a-week” rule that scales cashflow without crushing debt.



How gratitude flips job-site chaos into sniper-level clarity.



Pricing & selling like a premium builder—with zero guilt.



Grab a notepad, bring your hustle, and become the boss every crew brags about.



🎯 QUICK LINKS

FREE Roofing Growth Audit (contractor-friendly) → https://mybetterboss.ai/free-roofing-growth-audit/



Order Richie’s new book Builder of All Things (OUT NOW!) → https://www.richiebreaux.com/



Subscribe & hit 🔔



⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction & Island Hype

00:19 Living the Hawaii Dream

00:57 Midwest Roots → Island Life

01:29 Navy to Construction Pivot

02:27 Birth of a Building Empire

03:48 Early Struggles, Big Wins

05:27 Core Values That Print Cash

07:51 From Side Jobs to CEO

15:16 Faith + Integrity = Scale

19:11 Knowing & Charging Your Worth

22:38 Communicating Premium Value

23:10 Tesla Talk & Solar Smarts

23:39 $35 M Newport Renovation Story

26:44 Chaos-to-Clarity Sniper Method

29:50 Vision Casting Crews Follow

35:11 Storms, Snakes & Smoke Framework

38:28 Purpose-Driven Construction

41:29 Final Wisdom & Book Drop



💡 WHAT YOU’LL TAKE AWAY



A plug-and-play leadership model to keep teams loyal & deadlines met.



Tactics for year-round revenue—even when permits crawl & markets freeze.



The mindset that lets you command premium pricing and still win bids.



Faith-first habits that protect profits and peace of mind.

💥 That’s a wrap on another episode of The Roofing Operating System™—America’s top-rated podcast for roofing software and scalable growth.

If today’s insights sparked just one idea to scale smarter or grow faster, imagine what a full strategy could do for your business.

👉 Head to mybetterboss.ai to access free tools, book a discovery call, or explore systems trusted by top roofing companies nationwide.

Don’t forget to follow the show, leave a 5-star review, and share it with another roofer ready to level up.

Until next time—build better, lead stronger, and scale like a boss.