PROFESSIONAL BUILDER SECRETS PODCAST

Episode 224: The Data Behind SORCI 2026 With Russ & Andy

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there's only one thing worse than not knowing your numbers, and it's looking at incorrect numbers and thinking they are true.

Professional Builders Secrets brings you an exclusive episode with APB Co-founder Russ Stephens, along with APB’s Head Coach, Andy Skarda, to break down the insights and data from the 2026 State of Residential Construction Industry (SORCI) Report, and translate the numbers into practical actions builders can take to become more profitable, more systemised, and less trapped in the day-to-day firefighting.

Inside episode 224 you will discover:

The intention vs action gap (why “systemise” stays on the to-do list)
Why more hours doesn’t mean more income
How to stop being the bottleneck
The “illusion of profit” and why bank balance ≠ profitability
The key financial levers builders must understand
How systemisation lifts revenue, margins, and owner returns
And much, much more.

Download your PDF copy of the 2026 SORCI Report

key moments

02:00 Why this year’s industry data reveals deeper insights than ever
08:10 The gap between what builders want to fix and what actually gets done
15:40 Why working 60+ hours leads to lower income
23:30 The illusion of profit and why most builders misread their numbers
31:45 Systemised vs non-systemised builders (and the revenue gap)
40:20 Where builders should start to break the owner bottleneck

key moments

02:00 Why this year’s industry data reveals deeper insights than ever
08:10 The gap between what builders want to fix and what actually gets done
15:40 Why working 60+ hours leads to lower income
23:30 The illusion of profit and why most builders misread their numbers
31:45 Systemised vs non-systemised builders (and the revenue gap)
40:20 Where builders should start to break the owner bottleneck

Apparatus Contractor Services

This episode is proudly sponsored by Apparatus Contractor Services

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Russ Stephens is a Co-founder of the Association of Professional Builders, a business coaching company dedicated to improving the residential construction industry for both builders and consumers. Russ is a data analysis expert who has introduced data-driven decision making to the residential construction industry. Russ is also a proud member of the Forbes Business Development Council.

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Russ

Andy Skarda has owned and led businesses in South Africa, the United States, South-East Asia, and for the last decade, Australia. With 30+ years of business experience, Andy heads up the coaching team at the Association of Professional Builders (APB), helping business owners in the building industry identify and implement the skills and systems they need to be successful, without needing to go back to school or more importantly, without going bust.

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Andy