---
title: Why More Leads Won’t Fix Your Trades Business feat. Mike Andes, Augusta Lawn Care | S1E16
description: Discover how Mike Andes transformed Augusta Lawn Care and learn why more leads won't solve your trades business challenges. Leadership and systems matter more.
---

[The Builders, Makers, Doers Podcast ](https://www.ellerbrock-norris.com/podcast)

# [Why More Leads Won’t Fix Your Trades Business feat. Mike Andes, Augusta Lawn Care | S1E16](https://www.ellerbrock-norris.com/podcast/why-more-leads-wont-fix-your-trades-business-feat.-mike-andes-augusta-lawn-care-s1e16)

 Written by [Cameron Carlow](https://www.ellerbrock-norris.com/podcast/author/cameron-carlow) | Mar 31, 2026 1:04:30 PM

 

[Mike Andes](https://www.instagram.com/themikeandes/) built [Augusta Lawn Care](https://www.augustalawncareservices.com/) from a single operation into more than 200 franchise locations. But the real value in this episode is not just the growth story. It is how clearly he explains what actually keeps a business stuck.

Today, he's coaching hundreds of lawn care businesses the secret to success in their local markets – and he shared some of this wisdom with us in this week's episode of Builders, Makers, Doers. 

For starters: Most trades business owners think they have a leads problem. A lot of times, they do not.

They have a systems problem.  
A leadership problem.  
A capacity problem.  
A business that still depends too much on them.

Andy and Elliot sit down with Mike, who has made a name for himself on [his YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@MikeAndes),  to talk through the difference between demand and real operational readiness. They unpack what a system actually is, why simplicity matters, how to identify the true constraint inside a business, and why leadership is often the issue long before owners want to admit it.

They also get into one of the biggest growth shifts a trades owner has to make:

Doing the work is one skill.  
Teaching the work is another.  
Leading leaders is something else entirely.

If you are trying to grow a trades business without creating more chaos, more bottlenecks, and more dependence on yourself, this episode will hit home.r Academy. He is on a mission to strengthen American manufacturing and help bring the next generation into the skilled trades.

If you are an owner, operator, builder, or manufacturer trying to protect what matters and build something that lasts, this conversation will hit home.

 

## Chapters

 00:00 – From mowing lawns to 200+ franchises  
00:46 – Mike Andes’ path into business  
02:20 – The accident that changed everything  
05:16 – What a system actually is  
07:26 – Why free advice usually gets ignored  
10:04 – The type of owner Augusta attracts  
12:43 – The four real growth constraints  
14:54 – Frustration is a signal  
17:14 – Why more leads can make things worse  
17:39 – The real constraint is usually leadership  
19:25 – Building Home Service Homework  
21:40 – The hardest season of building software  
24:00 – Gain the skill or acquire the talent  
27:29 – Doing the work vs leading leaders  
29:48 – What Mike is most proud of  
31:50 – The long-term vision for Augusta  
34:29 – Why stress never goes away

 

 

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