Marketing, Leadership, and Making the Trades Plan-A

Tony started in construction as a teenage union laborer. Less than a decade ago he launched BIG Construction, and today his company is tracking toward nine figures in annual revenue.

In this powerful episode, Tony Iannessa, Founder and CEO of BIG Construction, joins host Ryan Englin to break down how blue collar leaders can create a legacy business and help solve the trades labor crisis for good.

Tony shares his journey from jobsite to executive suite, why construction doesn’t have a hiring problem (it has a marketing problem), and how leaders can make bold moves that attract the next generation of top performers.

Whether you’re a general contractor, construction executive, or trades business owner looking to grow, this episode is packed with vision and real tactics. It’s a masterclass on building culture, brand, and people in the construction world.

Key Takeaways

• [00:54] Tony’s roots: from laborer at 18 to leading a construction company.
• [03:00] BIG Construction’s growth to $100M+ in under 10 years.
• [05:20] Bridging the office-field divide: why empathy and exposure matter.
• [10:43] Why parents (not kids) are the real decision-makers for trade careers.
• [12:21] From Legos to labor: turning childhood curiosity into careers.
• [14:26] Google, NVIDIA & the trades: tech giants are waking up.
• [15:45] Does “Dirty Jobs” branding hurt the industry’s image?
• [18:28] From logic to emotion: why trades need better storytelling.

Connect With Tony:

Website: https://www.buildbig.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-iannessa-018b994/

Support Titans of the Trades:

If you found this episode insightful, please subscribe, share, and leave a review for Titans of the Trades. Your support goes a long way in helping us bring more impactful discussions your way.