Ben Lanier|The Digital Inc.

From Jobsite Photos to JPGs (in 5 Minutes Flat) Last week, I took a few photos of a project we’re planning to bid on. I wanted to share them with the team. Quick and simple, right? Not so fast. I AirDropped everything from my iPhone to my laptop, opened the folder, and saw this: .HEIC .HEIC .HEIC I always wondered why Apple used .HEIC, but these are Apple’s “high efficiency” photo files. Great quality, smaller size, but I like to convert them in case someone has an issue opening them. So...

Last Tuesday and Wednesday, a guy in the company, Jimmy Dean. Jimmy Dean spent 3 hours searching for receipts, receiving tickets, and asphalt tickets to send to the office. Three hours. He looked through his truck. Pants pockets. Pockets on his safety vest. Everywhere. It's a time suck, but it had to be done. The pay estimate was due. It was the first of the month. While it sucks to keep up with paperwork and emails. There's a way it can be done using some simple tech tools right at your...

Jim Builds. But Now He Writes Better Than You. This week, something happened. One of our top foremen, let’s call him Jim. Jim sent an email to the City’s engineer asking for more money. It was so well written, so perfectly structured, the engineer called back within two hours to approve the change order. Later, the City Inspector read the email and said, “Damn, I didn’t know Jim wrote so well.” If you knew Jim, you’d understand. Jim. Doesn’t. Write. Jim builds things. He solves problems. He...

It's All Just One Big Game (And Here's How to Win It) ↓ Here’s the truth nobody wants to tell you about business: It’s a game. That's right, it's a game of money. That’s what keeps the world spinning. That’s what puts food on your table and keeps the lights on. But here’s what most people miss—it’s not just about having the best product or service. I’ve seen guys that are just "Regular Joes Smoes" outsell the competition by 3-to-1. Why? Because they understood the game better. The game is...

Hey folks, Good day and Good Monday... but... You don’t need to go viral to grow your business. In fact, some of the best marketing strategies are the ones we forget — or assume are outdated. In this issue, I’m breaking down a few simple tactics that still work for small businesses, especially if you're in construction, home services, or any people-facing business. Simple Marketing for Small Business: Back to the Basics Right ↓ TikTok ain’t for everybody — and that’s okay. There, I said it....

Mastering the Game: Content Marketing, AI Tools, and Timeless Advertising Wisdom 1. I ran across this awesome guide from Copyblogger on how to use content marketing as a small business owner. Look around town and in most cases you’ll notice small businesses in your market and to be frank, there’s not a lot that separates what they do from each other. If another competitor is in your market, who will win when your services and prices are comparable? Most likely it’s the company that can win in...

August 8th The Future of Work: Superhuman Potential at Your Fingertips What’s up gang, Earlier this week, I talked about AI and ChatGPT. This isn’t just a passing topic; it’s a game-changer. Imagine multiplying your skills by 10. I might not have the words to convey this fully, but trust me, AI is a powerful tool at our fingertips, making us all potential superhumans. I watched an episode by Raoul Pal on my beloved YouTube University. While he usually talks about investing, this episode...

August 6th ChatGPT and Work: How My Kids Helped Me Get Started "Things have changed." AI is here, or as some might say, "The robots are coming." But honestly, it's not that extreme. Here's what I've noticed: My kids are growing up with the internet like it's just another part of their lives. They don't say, "I need to get on the internet." They just pick up a tablet or whatever device we have lying around and hop online. One day, one of my kids asked me to grab my phone and ask Siri what a...

Feb 25th The Blueprint of Tomorrow: 3D Models, Blockchain, and Writing Mastery Hey Folks, So... This week a few of us from our company attended a pretty big conference for the highway construction industry. Not sure how many people registered. But I can tell you it was a lot. Either way, I enjoy going… not to network, although it’s part of the game, and of course, we play the game. But I think it’s important to hear where the money is going. Highway projects are typically funded by the...