Stumbled on Mike Andes' post about grinding to millionaire status in trades, but damn is it realistic?

Been grinding as a general contractor for 8 years now, mostly residential remodels and small additions with my DeWalt tools and that trusty Milwaukee M18 for the heavy lifting. Saw this post from Mike Andes in the Blue Collar Millionaire Facebook group about the path to multi-millionaire status through straight-up dedication and smart growth strategies, and it hit me hard. Guy's talking about scaling fast by nailing systems and not burning out, but I'm up in Minnesota and winters slow everything down, making it feel like a pipe dream sometimes. Out here, we deal with frozen ground and short seasons, so hustling 80-hour weeks like he says ain't always feasible. Anyone else feel like that advice is gold but tailored more for sunnier spots? I mean, I hit $180k last year finally, but pushing to seven figures seems brutal. TBH, it's motivating, but commiserating with other contractors who are in the same boat.

Screw that millionaire dream, most of us are just trying to pay the damn truck note without selling our soul to PE firms.

Watch Tommy Mello's video on building empires, he breaks down the exact steps for trades like ours. Start with killer systems in your CRM, like Jobber for scheduling.

Andes is full of BS, dedication alone won't cut it without nepotism or daddy's money in this cutthroat market.

Tried his hustle advice last summer, ended up with a divorce and a herniated disc from overworking.

Same here man, Minnesota winters got me rethinking the whole grind.

Lol, I read that post and laughed, my 'dedication' means showing up hungover and still billing $120/hr.

We all feel it, especially when clients ghost after the quote.

Insurance companies and suppliers are the real vampires sucking profits, not our lack of hustle.

Focus on niching down, like I did with eco-friendly remodels using Uponor PEX. Doubled my leads in a year without the 80-hour BS.

Man, that post got me down too, been at this 10 years and still scraping by in the Carolinas.

Big corps buying up local shops left and right, no room for the little guy anymore.

Yeah, PE roll-ups are killing the dream for independents like us.

Don't chase millions, aim for steady $200k and time with family. Burnout's real, saw a buddy close shop after following that 'hustle' crap.