Dear Reader,
HONK! HONK! Each blast made the steering wheel jump. From my service truck, I can see Bob hand-carting a condenser toward the back of Mrs. Smith’s house.
That’s my install. That’s my customer. That’s my commission.
HONK! HONK! Bob’s head snapped up, and we locked eyes.
What’s wrong with that kid?
The answer? Nothing – except that he was 22, hungry, and still learning what winning really means.I’m a little competitive. Ok, maybe a lot competitive. And when I was 22, I was also a sore loser. It hurt me to my bones not to win, and it made me very angry.
Today, I’m 46 years old. Like a major league hitter, I’ve taken hundreds of thousands of swings. In sales, that means thousands of base hits and many home runs.
Experience will teach you a few things:
- You will not hit every ball you swing at.
- The other team is your competition, but they are not your enemy.
- Not every client is your client, and that doesn’t make them the enemy either.
- Your future ally may be your competition.
Those lessons stuck with me. They’ve shaped how I lead, how I coach – and who I call a friend. That’s why I’m happy to bring in my friend Coach Aaron into the podcast studio.
Coach Aaron and I have played for a lot of the same teams, and we have been good competitors for a long time. All along the way, we have been professional with each other and good spirited.
In fact, when a great opportunity presented itself, I picked up the phone and called Coach Aaron.
Hey, Aaron. I think you’d be great for this position!
He yes, landed the gig, and the rest is history.
So, in the spirit of friendly competition, I asked Coach Aaron to share the mic with Alan and me as we talk all things leadership and training.
Sit back and enjoy this one. Then ask yourself – how are you training your next great player?
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- Aaron’s journey from a troubled teen to master electrician and respected leader.
- How the trades saved his life and became the foundation for purpose.
- The culture and growth of Abacus Austin — and how leadership fuels its success.
- Aaron’s philosophy: “I didn’t come here to build a business; I came here to build leaders.”
- How ego, accountability, and emotional awareness shape great leadership.
- Coaching vs. confronting — the fine line every leader must learn to walk.
- The real purpose of training: developing humans, not just technicians.
Episode Chapters & Summary
1. From the Wrong Path to the Right Trade
“At 16, I was going down one of two paths — jail or the graveyard.”
Aaron shares his origin story — a teenager in Las Vegas making bad decisions until someone told him to get a trade and a GED. That advice set him on a new path as an apprentice electrician, eventually becoming a journeyman, master, and business owner. The trades gave him direction, rhythm, and purpose.
Key Takeaways:
- The trades save lives — they create structure, dignity, and opportunity.
- Every great leader starts by mastering the basics.
- The habits you build early shape the leader you become later.
2. Joining Abacus Austin
“They talked about changing lives — personally, professionally, financially — and that's where my values aligned.”
Todd and Alan discuss how Aaron joined Abacus Austin through a shared connection with Steve Egner. Aaron recalls being immediately drawn to the team's mission and seeing that their vision was alive in the culture. He admired how tightly connected the Austin branch was and their shared commitment to growth.
Key Takeaways:
- Strong culture attracts strong leaders.
- Vision only matters when it lives inside the people.
- Connection across locations strengthens brand identity.
3. The Heart of Leadership Philosophy
“My job is not to build a business — it's to build leaders.”
Aaron defines leadership in three parts: cast a clear vision, inspire others to join it, and walk beside them toward it. Leadership, to him, is participatory — not positional. It's less about barking orders and more about modeling the way.
Key Takeaways:
- Vision → Inspiration → Action is the leadership formula.
- Leaders demonstrate, not dictate.
- The goal is not compliance — it's enrollment in the mission.
4. Leading with Humility and Ego Balance
“You want a bunch of rockstars on your team who are better than you.”
Aaron explains how he leads experienced technicians with confidence and humility. He encourages ego as a motivator, but not as a divider. Pride in one's work is good; superiority isn't. Leadership means helping people channel confidence toward contribution.
Key Takeaways:
- Confidence is fuel; arrogance is friction.
- The best leaders surround themselves with people who surpass them.
- Ego can either elevate performance or destroy trust — depending on how it's managed.
5. Coaching Through Confrontation
“You have to build enough trust to support the truth you need to deliver.”
Aaron discusses the balance between coaching and confrontation. Real correction starts with relational credit. He shares how he asks permission before delivering feedback and how confrontation should connect behavior back to goals, not shame the person.
Key Takeaways:
- Accountability without trust creates resistance.
- Permission-based confrontation disarms ego.
- Great leaders clarify conflicts between actions and stated goals.
6. Training as the Vehicle for Growth
“If you have a communication problem, you can probably trace it back to training.”
Todd, Alan, and Aaron dive into why training is central to leadership. Aaron believes training is how you shape culture and communication. It's not about compliance — it's how you build confidence and future leaders.
Key Takeaways:
- Training solves 90% of business challenges.
- Clarity, repetition, and accountability sustain culture.
- Training isn't just skill development — it's leadership development.
7. Knowing What Drives Your People
“If you don't know what your people want, you're not actually leading them anywhere.”
Aaron closes with his philosophy of people-first leadership. He explains how understanding personal motivations — from changing a zip code to providing for family — allows leaders to connect work to meaning. True leadership meets both personal and professional goals.
Key Takeaways:
- Emotional awareness drives engagement.
- Purpose alignment makes accountability easier.
- People follow leaders who understand their “why.”
