Head Heart & Boots

Ep 213 - "Bring Your Own Pencil"

Share this episode
Anyone with this link can open it.
Share Link
Start at 0:00

This episode isn’t summarized yet

Create a free account and summarize it. In a few minutes you’ll have the key takeaways and a section-by-section summary.

Show notes

Every once in a while you record an episode and you know, before you even hit stop, that it's a top-tenner. This is that one.
Chris and I sat down with Dan Casey and Griffin Brand - a football coach turned historian and an Army Ranger, to talk about their book Bring Your Own Pencil, the leadership playbook of the legendary Bill Walsh. But this isn't a football episode. It's a masterclass for anyone leading a crew or building a business in the trades - roofing, HVAC, restoration, you name it. How to hold a standard without becoming a tyrant. How Walsh turned betrayal into the greatest coaching tree in NFL history. Imposter syndrome, self-belief before the evidence shows up, and why you should never quit a hit show. Grab a notebook - and bring your own pencil.
Owning a business in the trades can be the loneliest job there is. Head, Heart, & Boots exists to change that, because the best leaders don't go it alone, and neither should you.
-Brandon
Why You Should Listen
[10:19] The Hacksaw Reynolds story behind the title — one sentence that set the standard for a dynasty
[18:31] Holding standards without a toxic, maniacal culture (their answer punched me right in the face)
[21:49] Bill Walsh's origin story is failure — and what he built from it
[43:20] The four most powerful words a leader can say
[54:53] Lightning round: the books and daily habits every leader should steal
Did you know...
Only 30% of businesses listed for sale actually find a buyer? Even more striking, just 10% of those sell for the price their owners anticipated or higher, meaning only 3% of all business owners achieve their desired sale price. By focusing on understanding and enhancing your enterprise value, you can significantly boost your chances of joining that successful 3%.
Business Health & Value Assessment
Start Assessment Know Your Enterprise Value. See Your Potential Gaps.
Complete this assessment in less than 15 minutes and receive a free assessment for your business that includes:
A Lite Valuation Of Your Business
Your Value Multiplier Per Your Industry
Health Assessment Per Our PYB Methodology
Business Value & Growth Roadmap Tailored For You
Value Acceleration Strategies
Spotlight on Floodlight: Your Secret Weapon for Sales & Scaling
This isn’t a paid plug. It’s real talk from the front lines. If you’ve ever thought, “How do I get a VP-level sales leader or even a sales team without hiring full-time?” Floodlight has the answer.
Fractional Sales Leadership
They act as your outsourced VP of Sales, taking full responsibility for training, managing, and growing your sales team. No six-figure hire needed.
Clients often close 20 to 50 percent more deals within six months, thanks to data-driven coaching, CRM setup, scripts, and performance reviews.
More at floodlightgrp.com/sales
Commercial Sales MasterCourse
A self-paced, video-driven B2B sales course designed specifically for restoration teams. Perfect for building commercial revenue and getting free from TPA handcuffs.
Covers mindset, prospecting, pipeline building, LinkedIn lead generation, and includes a $250 discount with code SALESBOOST.
Details at floodlightgrp.com/courses
Tailored Consulting & Coaching
Floodlight’s Propel Your Business methodology offers a full-circle roadmap: financials, sales, marketing, leadership, recruiting, productivity. All built for contractors.
These aren’t “life coaches.” They’re former restoration owners who’ve lived the chaos and know how to scale out of it.
Explore more at floodlightgrp.com
Live Training, Tools & Strategic Partnerships
Floodlight also delivers live onsite and virtual training, keynote speaking, and leadership tracks covering operations, project management, and strategic growth.
Bonus: They’ve vetted tools like Xcelerate, Liftify, and Sureti. Floodlight clients get access to exclusive discounts on tech that actually moves the needle.
See all partnerships at floodlightgrp.com/partners
Why it matters for you as a listener
You don’t need to figure this stuff out alone.
If you’re serious about sales growth, operational clarity, exit readiness, or leadership development, Floodlight is already helping folks like you scale smarter.
And you get it from industry insiders. People who’ve sat in your chair, survived the fires, and built systems that actually work.

Couldn't load the audio. A blocker may be stopping the show's tracking links. Open the file