Margin Makers

About Margin Makers

Margin Makers is hosted by Bennie Sheally, entrepreneur and insurance agency founder, and co-host Danny Reynolds. The podcast features conversations with founders and operators across the trades, property management, insurance, and service industries who are building real businesses and learning through experience. Each episode focuses on practical lessons around leadership, operations, profitability, growth, and the challenges that come with scaling a business while staying grounded in the work.

Publisher

Bennie Sheally and Danny Reynolds

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

31 Jul 2026

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

12 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Oct 2026

   Make It Great Before You Make It Scalable w/ Ben Currin | Ep 11

   This episode's guest spent nearly a decade as a Navy submarine officer, in a world where checklists and certifications are the whole point and nothing gets done without a procedure. Then he joined a tiny bootstrapped startup with no playbook, no procedures and no rules. He says it felt completely natural. What surprised him was not how hard the build was. It was realizing, within his first year, that nobody in the entrepreneurial world knows what they are doing either, and that this is permission rather than a problem. He sits down with Bennie and Danny to talk about the rock fight era of a young company, tearing up an engineering roadmap to go all in on AI, and why chasing scale too early is how companies forget to deliver greatness. Today's Margin Maker is Ben Currin. In this episode: Why the CEO of a company serving millions of households will tell you flatly that he does not know what he is doing What the Navy taught him about never letting an organization learn the same mistake twice The rock fight era, when the only goal is surviving today to earn the right to come back tomorrow The customer introduction that made him tear up the engineering roadmap and start over How an ambition of one AI workflow per quarter turned into one per week by the end of that quarter What his customers now say the real bottleneck is, and why it is no longer the technology "My obsession is about only measuring our success as our progress against our potential, not against some arbitrary goal." - Ben Currin Timestamps: (00:00) - Intro (01:07) - Choosing The Naval Academy (03:48) - The Power Of Procedure (06:58) - Joining A Tiny Startup (12:08) - The Rock Fight Era (13:27) - Nobody Knows Anything (18:48) - Great Before Scalable (20:11) - First Encounter With AI (22:43) - The HOAi Partnership (30:47) - Humans In The Loop (33:42) - The AI Phone Agent (37:44) - Potential Over Goals Connect with Ben Currin: Website: https://www.vantaca.com/ (https://www.vantaca.com/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamincurrin/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamincurrin/) About the Show Margin Makers is hosted by Bennie Sheally, entrepreneur and insurance agency founder, and co-host Danny Reynolds. The podcast features conversations with founders and operators across the trades, property management, insurance, and service industries who are building real businesses and learning through experience. Each episode focuses on practical lessons around leadership, operations, profitability, growth, and the challenges that come with scaling a business while staying grounded in the work. Connect with Bennie Sheally: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/) Connect with Danny Reynolds: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/) Find Margin Makers Here: YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers) Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203⁠⁠⁠ (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203) Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe⁠⁠⁠ (https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe) Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/) Produced by ⁠⁠⁠UNFLTR (https://unfltr.io/)

2. 

   29 Sept 2026

   Building Wealth Through Business and Real Estate w/ Ladd Gasparovic | Ep 10

   Our guest today once thought earning good money meant he was rich. Then the housing market collapsed, his transactional law practice slowed, lawsuits piled up, and the career he had spent years building stopped looking like freedom. He shares how leaving law to support his wife's real estate business led to a new view of sales, systems, coaching, and ownership. He explains why execution beats ideas, how great operators gave him room to grow, and why owning a business or real estate remains his preferred path to wealth. He also gets honest about the scoreboards that matter beyond money and the need to protect time for family, health, faith, and friends. Today's Margin Maker is Ladd Gasparovic. In this episode: What happened when Ladd mistook a strong income for lasting wealth Why starting during a brutal housing market built better habits How his legal background shaped the systems behind his businesses The mindset shift that turned sales from something slimy into service What Ladd looks for before trusting a business coach How real estate creates returns through appreciation, depreciation, mortgage paydown, and cash flow "There's a huge gap between ideas and goals and actually getting it done and execution." - Ladd Gasparovic Timestamps: (00:00) - Intro (01:20) - Lawyer To Real Estate (04:24) - Leaving Law Behind (06:21) - Why Keller Williams (08:04) - Systems And Documentation (12:22) - Reframing Sales (16:15) - Coaching And Accountability (21:14) - Scaling The Business (26:07) - Predicting Agent Success (30:19) - Two Paths To Wealth (32:31) - Finding The Right Operator (35:02) - Creating Life Margin Connect with Ladd Gasparovic: Website: https://reachprop.kw.com (https://reachprop.kw.com) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laddgasparovic (https://www.linkedin.com/in/laddgasparovic) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ladd.gasparovic/ (https://www.instagram.com/ladd.gasparovic/) About the Show Margin Makers is hosted by Bennie Sheally, entrepreneur and insurance agency founder, and co-host Danny Reynolds. The podcast features conversations with founders and operators across the trades, property management, insurance, and service industries who are building real businesses and learning through experience. Each episode focuses on practical lessons around leadership, operations, profitability, growth, and the challenges that come with scaling a business while staying grounded in the work. Connect with Bennie Sheally: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/) Connect with Danny Reynolds: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/) Find Margin Makers Here: YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers) Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203⁠⁠⁠ (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203) Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe⁠⁠⁠ (https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe) Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/) Produced by ⁠⁠⁠UNFLTR (https://unfltr.io/)

3. 

   22 Sept 2026

   Make Yourself So Valuable You're Undeniable w/ Peter Murray | Ep 9

   The advice was not inspirational. A mentor in Manhattan told Peter Murray that if he could figure out how to do one thing well that everybody else hated doing, he would be successful. That thing was cold calling. Fifty floors up, fifty down, dropping off business cards one day and making the calls the next. That grind carried him to Wilmington, where a guy who could not hang a picture got a general contractor's license to earn his first equity. He worked his way to full ownership of Southern Exposure Sunrooms, now four markets across the Carolinas. He tells Bennie and Danny about the hub and spoke model, the COO he pulled out of a Fortune 100 career of nearly three decades, and why he says an overpaid teammate is a liability. What he is proudest of is the environment people stay in. What still sits with him is how much the partner buyout cost him before he noticed. Today's Margin Maker is Peter Murray. In this episode: The one job a mentor said everybody else hates doing Why a guy who could not hang a picture went and got a contractor's license What he means when he calls an overpaid teammate a liability The line he used to pull a Fortune 100 lifer into a small business What losing money on a job is worth to get somebody out of your life The stress of buying out a partner that he only felt once it was over "So when you're one foot in on something, you're never gonna get the results you want." - Peter Murray Timestamps: (00:00) - Intro (02:32) - Do What Everyone Hates (03:22) - License For Equity (04:43) - Never Be Overpaid (05:18) - Call To Close (08:01) - Empowering The Team (10:07) - Finding A COO (13:24) - Hub And Spoke (20:54) - Growth Loyalty Gratitude (23:04) - Two Feet In (25:45) - The Hardest Day (30:10) - The Fifty Million Vision Connect with Peter Murray: Website: https://www.southernexposuresunrooms.com/ (https://www.southernexposuresunrooms.com/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-murray-299a5b18/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-murray-299a5b18/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernexposuresunrooms/ (https://www.instagram.com/southernexposuresunrooms/) About the Show Margin Makers is hosted by Bennie Sheally, entrepreneur and insurance agency founder, and co-host Danny Reynolds. The podcast features conversations with founders and operators across the trades, property management, insurance, and service industries who are building real businesses and learning through experience. Each episode focuses on practical lessons around leadership, operations, profitability, growth, and the challenges that come with scaling a business while staying grounded in the work. Connect with Bennie Sheally: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/) Connect with Danny Reynolds: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/) Find Margin Makers Here: YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers) Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203) Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe) Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/) Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠UNFLTR (https://unfltr.io/)

4. 

   15 Sept 2026

   The Athlete's Playbook for Business Growth w/ Danny Reynolds | Ep 8

   Danny Reynolds thought professional soccer was the only plan. Then an injury, an unfinished career, and a business he built out of boredom forced him to find somewhere new to put his competitive energy. What followed was a partnership with Bennie Sheally built on trust, autonomy, and permission to fail. Danny shares why hiring for culture beats hiring for a perfect resume, what athletes understand about discipline and conflict, and why AI will redefine jobs rather than erase the need for people. He also gets candid about putting so much focus into business that his health slipped out of position. Today's Margin Maker is Danny Reynolds. In this episode: Why Danny's mother refused to let him sign his first professional contract How boredom during his soccer career led him to build his first company What happens when leaders give people room to fail without punishing the attempt Why AI can improve efficiency without replacing the need for human connection Where legal and dental businesses have the biggest automation opportunities What Danny had to admit when business growth started costing him his health "We're gonna fail a million times, but that one time that we get it right, it's gonna change lives." - Danny Reynolds Timestamps: (00:00) - Intro (01:06) - Learning From Experience (02:24) - Soccer to Business (04:30) - Meeting Bennie (07:27) - Why AI Became Necessary (10:43) - Facing the Fear (13:29) - Expanding Human Capacity (15:31) - Legal and Dental (17:23) - What Great Operators Share (18:41) - Hiring for Culture (20:23) - Creating Personal Margin About the Show Margin Makers is hosted by Bennie Sheally, entrepreneur and insurance agency founder, and co-host Danny Reynolds. The podcast features conversations with founders and operators across the trades, property management, insurance, and service industries who are building real businesses and learning through experience. Each episode focuses on practical lessons around leadership, operations, profitability, growth, and the challenges that come with scaling a business while staying grounded in the work. Connect with Bennie Sheally: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/) Connect with Danny Reynolds: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/) Find Margin Makers Here: YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers) Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203⁠⁠⁠ (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203) Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe⁠⁠⁠ (https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe) Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/) Produced by ⁠⁠⁠UNFLTR (https://unfltr.io/)

5. 

   8 Sept 2026

   Building Margin Through People, Process, and Purpose w/ Bennie Sheally | Ep 7

   Bennie Sheally's first real paycheck showed him exactly what he did not want: to work hard without building something of his own. A push from his father sent him looking for another path, and a lawn mower became the start of an entrepreneurial life shaped by curiosity, grit, and the willingness to learn by doing. Bennie shares the scar tissue behind failed partnerships, the lesson that every business should be built with the end in mind, and why good people matter more than impressive ideas. He also explains how removing busywork creates room for better work, why leadership is measured by the growth of the people who leave, and how business can create more presence at home. Today's Margin Maker is Bennie Sheally. In this episode: Why his first paycheck pushed him toward entrepreneurship What a failed brewery taught him about contracts and exits Why building with the end in mind creates more options How removing repetitive work helps good people do their best work What an employee's resignation taught him about leadership Why curiosity and grit matter more than having everything figured out "I think building it with the end in mind gives you options." - Bennie Sheally Timestamps: (00:00) - Intro (01:01) - Becoming a Margin Maker (03:03) - Starting His First Business (05:07) - The Brewery Scar Tissue (10:23) - Why Failure Matters (11:41) - Building With the End (16:24) - Choosing the Right Path (18:29) - Removing the Busywork (23:59) - Learning From Good People (26:13) - Real People Taking Chances (28:40) - Creating Margin in Life About the Show Margin Makers is hosted by Bennie Sheally, entrepreneur and insurance agency founder, and co-host Danny Reynolds. The podcast features conversations with founders and operators across the trades, property management, insurance, and service industries who are building real businesses and learning through experience. Each episode focuses on practical lessons around leadership, operations, profitability, growth, and the challenges that come with scaling a business while staying grounded in the work. Connect with Bennie Sheally: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/) Connect with Danny Reynolds: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/) Find Margin Makers Here: YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers) Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203⁠⁠⁠ (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203) Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe⁠⁠⁠ (https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe) Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/) Produced by ⁠⁠⁠UNFLTR (https://unfltr.io/)

6. 

   1 Sept 2026

   Why Retention Beats Every Other Number w/ Sean Desmond | Ep 6

   Four kids under the age of eight, a comfortable W2, and a 50% pay cut. That was the math Sean Desmond ran before leaving a global software company for nCino, a Wilmington startup that had not proven much of anything yet. Then the people hiring him asked him to write a check and buy stock on his way in the door. He did. Sean sits down with Bennie and Danny to trace what came after: the executive table debate where the team spent 30 minutes talking itself out of a $30 billion bank, the customer success machine he built from nothing, and the shift from giving input to being the one everybody looks at for the final call. He is obsessive about retention, clear eyed about getting second guessed, and convinced curiosity beats tenure. Today's Margin Maker is Sean Desmond. In this episode: The math on a 50% pay cut with four kids under eight Why the team hiring him asked him to buy his own stock, and what that did to his head The 30 minutes nCino spent finding reasons not to chase its first huge bank What "I know you're too busy" tells him about his own leadership The two things his predecessor warned him about, including the one about his jokes Why the roadmap went from 18 months to 90 days "The hardest thing for most people is to make a decision." - Sean Desmond Timestamps: (00:00) - Intro (01:20) - Thirty Years In Tech (08:44) - The Christmas Party (11:02) - Four Kids, Half Pay (13:01) - The Bank That Changed Everything (15:09) - Building Customer Success (18:06) - Writing A Check In (23:38) - Taking The CEO Seat (26:44) - Making The Final Call (30:38) - Meeting The AI Moment (32:21) - Innovation Fridays (38:04) - Digital Partners Unveiled Connect with Sean Desmond: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-desmond-966160/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-desmond-966160/) Website: https://www.ncino.com/ (https://www.ncino.com/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ncino_inc/ (https://www.instagram.com/ncino_inc/) About the Show Margin Makers is hosted by Bennie Sheally, entrepreneur and insurance agency founder, and co-host Danny Reynolds. The podcast features conversations with founders and operators across the trades, property management, insurance, and service industries who are building real businesses and learning through experience. Each episode focuses on practical lessons around leadership, operations, profitability, growth, and the challenges that come with scaling a business while staying grounded in the work. Connect with Bennie Sheally: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/⁠⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/) Connect with Danny Reynolds: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/⁠⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/) Find Margin Makers Here: YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers⁠⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers) Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203⁠⁠ (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203) Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe⁠⁠ (https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe) Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/) Produced by ⁠⁠UNFLTR (https://unfltr.io/)

7. 

   25 Aug 2026

   The Six Legal Ways to Raise Capital w/ John Panaccione | Ep 5

   Every entrepreneur sells the same script when starting a business. John Panaccione is here to tell you that regulated banks do not lend to startups, and the angel and VC money everyone chases lands on about 2% of the companies that ask. The rest of us have other doors, and almost nobody teaches where they are. John found them the hard way. He built LogicBay out of a half finished government contract and a haircut on his severance, ran it 17 years with 54 investors and a few missed payrolls, and sold in 2020. He gets into the partner split that cost $80,000 in legal fees, the back briefs he lifted from the 82nd Airborne, the four kinds of investors founders never think to ask, and why your 401k might be the most useful capital you have. Today's Margin Maker is John Panaccione. In this episode: Why a regulated bank will never write a startup a loan, no matter what the SBA slide says The six SEC exemptions nobody teaches, and why wealthy families already know them What he wrote into the employee handbook so a missed payroll would not blow up the company The $80,000 mistake he made by leaving a shotgun clause out of the operating agreement Why handing employees equity disappointed him, and what actually kept them for 17 years How to put 401k money into a private company without paying a penalty "I'm here to tell you regulated banks are not giving a startup a loan, period, end of story." - John Panaccione Timestamps: (00:00) - Intro (01:00) - Leaving Corporate America (05:31) - The Partner Split (07:10) - The Shotgun Clause (10:55) - Back Briefs Every Quarter (13:11) - Missing Payroll On Purpose (16:49) - Lakes Versus Streams (19:55) - Two Reasons Businesses Fail (23:02) - Accidentally Inventing SaaS (26:17) - The Six Exemptions (28:15) - Four Kinds Of Investors (33:54) - Investing With Your 401k Connect with John Panaccione: Website: https://follacapital.com/ (https://follacapital.com/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-panaccione-88272/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-panaccione-88272/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/follacapital/ (https://www.instagram.com/follacapital/) About the Show Margin Makers is hosted by Bennie Sheally, entrepreneur and insurance agency founder, and co-host Danny Reynolds. The podcast features conversations with founders and operators across the trades, property management, insurance, and service industries who are building real businesses and learning through experience. Each episode focuses on practical lessons around leadership, operations, profitability, growth, and the challenges that come with scaling a business while staying grounded in the work. Connect with Bennie Sheally: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/⁠⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/) Connect with Danny Reynolds: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/⁠⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/) Find Margin Makers Here: YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers⁠⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers) Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203⁠⁠ (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203) Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe⁠⁠ (https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe) Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/) Produced by ⁠⁠UNFLTR (https://unfltr.io/)

8. 

   18 Aug 2026

   From UNCW Coach to Top Mortgage Producer w/ Shaun Utterson | Ep 4

   Shaun Utterson loved coaching college soccer. The problem was never the job, it was the math. Climbing the ladder meant uprooting his family every two or three years, and staying put meant waiting a decade or more for someone else's chair to open. Either way, an athletic director he did not control was holding his family's future. So he and his wife Katy picked Wilmington first and worked backward from there. Real estate investing came before the career change and made the jump survivable, and he walked into lending in July 2021, right as rates climbed and originations fell for the next three years. Six months into building a branch at Garden City Mortgage, he is hiring for mentality over production, teaching clients a tax strategy most high earners have never heard of, and keeping the operation lean on purpose. Today's Margin Maker is Shaun Utterson. In this episode: Why he passes on the 20-goal scorer, in soccer and in hiring The tax strategy that made his wife's salary optional What a stranger told him at a golf tournament that changed his career Why starting in the worst mortgage market in 30 years was lucky What he says when he is not the right lender for the deal The kind of loan officer he decided in year one he would never be "We need to find a way to get it done now, and if market conditions change and it becomes easier, then that's just gravy on top." - Shaun Utterson (During Covid) Timestamps: (00:00) - Intro (01:36) - Team Sport To Solo (03:14) - Real Estate First (04:23) - The Fifteen Year Question (08:23) - Starting In 2021 (10:28) - The Hard Part (12:06) - Beyond The First House (13:17) - Cost Segregation Explained (15:18) - Why His Wife Stopped Working (18:03) - Hiring For Mentality (25:03) - AI In Mortgages (30:38) - Increasing Your Margin Connect with Shaun Utterson: Website: https://www.loanswithshaun.com/ (https://www.loanswithshaun.com/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-utterson-8a0904211 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-utterson-8a0904211) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_mortgage_lad/ (https://www.instagram.com/the_mortgage_lad/) About the Show Margin Makers is hosted by Bennie Sheally, entrepreneur and insurance agency founder, and co-host Danny Reynolds. The podcast features conversations with founders and operators across the trades, property management, insurance, and service industries who are building real businesses and learning through experience. Each episode focuses on practical lessons around leadership, operations, profitability, growth, and the challenges that come with scaling a business while staying grounded in the work. Connect with Bennie Sheally: LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/) Connect with Danny Reynolds: LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/) Find Margin Makers Here: YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers) Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203⁠ (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203) Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe⁠ (https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe) Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/) Produced by ⁠UNFLTR (https://unfltr.io/)

9. 

   11 Aug 2026

   Built a Performance Culture, Not Just a Gym w/ Mike Barnhart | Ep 3

   Mike Barnhart crosses the Memorial Bridge into Wilmington and can see the hotel lobby where four federal agents put him in handcuffs. He served 63 months, came home, and decided the city that saw him at his worst was going to see him at his best. Then he signed a lease less than a block from that lobby. He tells Bennie and Danny about taking it on the chin downtown for a year and a half, the flood that arrived the day after equipment install, and what selling gym equipment in Florida taught him about scale that coaching never could. He is honest about believing in people harder than they believe in themselves, and about the one line he will not cross to grow. Today's Margin Maker is Mike Barnhart. In this episode: Why he put his most expensive location a block from where he got arrested, and what that cost him The hurricane that flooded the new gym the day after equipment install What he saw inside other operators' clubs that changed how he thinks about scale The three Cs every coach owes every athlete they walk past Why he stopped hiring people who are passionate about fitness What he admits believing in people too much has cost him "The product is the product, but how you package it and the culture is what we scale." - Mike Barnhart Timestamps: (00:00) - Intro (01:28) - The Hotel Downstairs (04:28) - Sixty Three Months Away (05:44) - First Gyms And Partners (06:42) - What Florida Taught Him (14:35) - Building The Experience (18:57) - Teams And Performance Pay (20:32) - Coaching Himself First (23:25) - The Downtown Flood (27:40) - Value Over Price (31:16) - When To Open Next (35:54) - How He Makes Margin Connect with Mike Barnhart: Website: https://www.axisfitnesstraining.com/ (https://www.axisfitnesstraining.com/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-barnhart-1a702840 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-barnhart-1a702840) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikebarnhart_axis/ (https://www.instagram.com/mikebarnhart_axis/) Axis Fitness: https://www.instagram.com/axis_fitness/ (https://www.instagram.com/axis_fitness/) About the Show Margin Makers is hosted by Bennie Sheally, entrepreneur and insurance agency founder, and co-host Danny Reynolds. The podcast features conversations with founders and operators across the trades, property management, insurance, and service industries who are building real businesses and learning through experience. Each episode focuses on practical lessons around leadership, operations, profitability, growth, and the challenges that come with scaling a business while staying grounded in the work. Connect with Bennie Sheally: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/) Connect with Danny Reynolds: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/) Find Margin Makers Here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers (https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers) Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203) Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe (https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/ (https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/) Produced by UNFLTR (https://unfltr.io/)

10. 

    6 Aug 2026

    From Handshake Deals to Million Dollar Custom Homes w/ Chris Delaney | Ep 2

    A buddy told him about all the fences that blew down after Hurricane Florence. Chris Delaney already had the LLC and the job platforms from weekend side work, so the two of them sat in a bar with a laptop and started bidding. That was 2018. Today he builds custom homes across Southeastern North Carolina, including houses over a million dollars. The harder part came later. Chris gets into the handshake deals that worked for years until they did not, the punch out costs a new COO found sitting in his books, and why he no longer wants to be known as the fast builder. He is candid about what it costs to be the boss with three kids at home, and about the clients he is still learning to walk away from. Today's Margin Maker is Chris Delaney. In this episode: - The technical questions he asks a painter before he will let them on a job - What he says to a client who wants a three million dollar house on a one million dollar budget - The compliment from his designer he does not want to hear anymore - What his COO found in the books within the first few months - Why he still will not fire the subcontractor who did not show up yesterday - The part of being the boss that social media never puts on screen "There's always gonna be money on the table, but it's just a matter of knowing your worth" – Chris Delaney Timestamps: (00:00) - Intro (01:34) - Lessons From The Field (02:51) - Vetting Subcontractors (05:11) - The Family Business (07:12) - Starting After Hurricane Florence (08:47) - The Cost Of Being The Boss (14:35) - Software And Accountability (19:29) - AI In Construction (24:20) - Walking Away From Clients (27:15) - Hiring A COO (32:39) - Price Per Square Foot (36:17) - Making Margin Connect with Chris Delaney: Website: https://www.delaneyscoastalconstruction.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-delaney-61194a225 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delaneyscoastalconstructionnc/ Find Margin Makers Here: YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers) Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203⁠ (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203) Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe⁠ (https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe) Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/) Connect with Bennie Sheally: LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/) Connect with Danny Reynolds: LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/) About the Show Margin Makers is hosted by Bennie Sheally, entrepreneur and insurance agency founder, and co-host Danny Reynolds. The podcast features conversations with founders and operators across the trades, property management, insurance, and service industries who are building real businesses and learning through experience. Each episode focuses on practical lessons around leadership, operations, profitability, growth, and the challenges that come with scaling a business while staying grounded in the work. Produced by ⁠⁠UNFLTR (https://unfltr.io/)

11. 

    4 Aug 2026

    Scaling a Youth Soccer Club to 5,000 Families w/ Carson Porter | Ep 1

    For years Carson Porter got the same backhanded question whenever he explained his job: "Is that really a full-time job?" He played at North Carolina, coached a national title team at Wake Forest, and worked with US Soccer. Then he walked into a youth club in Wilmington that was, by his own description, in disarray. Carson sits down with Bennie and Danny to talk about what the rebuild actually took, from a skeleton operation to a staff of 15 heading to 21. He is proudest of the part that does not show up in the growth numbers: almost nobody leaves. He walks through getting buy-in before the salaries could match, turning sponsors into partners instead of donors, and handing off work he used to own to people who wanted it more than he did. He also gets honest about the one thing about growth that still scares him. In this episode: - Why Carson passed on the flashier jobs, and what it cost him to admit this was the right fit - Building full-time, competitive salaries in a job people assume is part-time - The moment sponsorship stopped being a polite word for donation at his club - Getting big work off his plate by chasing what his staff is passionate about instead of handing out assignments - What he tells himself when a parent comes at him hot - The thing he is most afraid of losing as the club expands into Jacksonville and Myrtle Beach "It's a people business, and I take it as a huge compliment that people stay here." - Carson Porter Timestamps: (00:00) - Intro (01:09) - UNC, Wake Forest, US Soccer (02:49) - Inheriting a Dysfunctional Club (06:05) - What Kept Him Up at Night (08:15) - Building Full-Time Salaries (09:15) - Coach vs. Business Leader (12:05) - Sponsorship vs. Donation (18:11) - Delegating to Passionate Staff (22:16) - Staying Calm Under Conflict (24:16) - Enablement as a Superpower (28:32) - The Next Five Years (32:05) - World Cup Expectations Connect with Carson Porter: Website: https://www.hammerheads.soccer/ (https://www.hammerheads.soccer/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carson-porter-2828a9aa (https://www.linkedin.com/in/carson-porter-2828a9aa) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wilmhammerheads_sc/ (https://www.instagram.com/wilmhammerheads_sc/) Find Margin Makers Here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers (https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers) Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203) Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe (https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/ (https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/) Connect with Bennie Sheally: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/) Connect with Danny Reynolds: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/) About the Show Margin Makers is hosted by Bennie Sheally, entrepreneur and insurance agency founder, and co-host Danny Reynolds. The podcast features conversations with founders and operators across the trades, property management, insurance, and service industries who are building real businesses and learning through experience. Each episode focuses on practical lessons around leadership, operations, profitability, growth, and the challenges that come with scaling a business while staying grounded in the work. Produced by ⁠UNFLTR (https://unfltr.io/)

12. 

    31 Jul 2026

    Welcome to Margin Makers

    Margin Makers is hosted by Bennie Sheally, entrepreneur and insurance agency founder, and co-host Danny Reynolds. The podcast features conversations with founders and operators across the trades, property management, insurance, and service industries who are building real businesses and learning through experience. Each episode focuses on practical lessons around leadership, operations, profitability, growth, and the challenges that come with scaling a business while staying grounded in the work.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Contact Margin Makers

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.