Shows
The Successful Contractor PodcastHow Smart Contractors Lock in Their Top Employees with Phantom EquityBook a free Discovery Call to see how we can help you hit your goals and beyond: https://bit.ly/3TvGiNW or call us at: (214)-453-1591 🔗 Grab our FREE resource: The Foundation Series, Real strategies to build a business that runs (and grows) without chaos: https://bit.ly/3Yqzow5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What if you could retain 94% of your key employees—without giving up a single share of equity? In this episode, we sit down with Chris Buttenham, Co-Founder of Reins, a game-changing platform that helps ho...
2025-11-2130 min
Construction Champions PodcastAlternative Equity 101 A Contractor’s Guide to Incentives Beyond PaychecksMost contractors think equity is only for big companies or tech startups. But there’s a better way to keep your best people without giving away ownership, creating tax headaches, or drowning in legal fees. In this episode of Construction Champions, host Ron Nussbaum talks with Chris Buttenham, co-founder of Reins and author of Alternative Equity, about the basics of phantom equity and alternative equity, what they are, why they exist, and how contractors can use them to: Retain top employees Transition businesses without selling to private equity Create real incentives without napkin deals or handshake promises
2025-09-1531 min
Restoration TodayAlternative Equity: Unlocking Phantom StockIn this episode, we’re joined by Chris Buttenham, Co-Founder of Reins and co-author of Alternative Equity: The Owner’s Guide to Phantom Stock & Modern Incentives.Chris breaks down how business owners can retain and inspire top talent without giving up ownership—using modern incentive models like phantom stock.We cover:What phantom stock is and how it compares to equity or profit-sharingThe biggest misconceptions around non-traditional incentivesHow phantom stock fosters a sense of ownership without losing controlA step-by-step look at implementing a phantom stock planCase studies, including one from the construction industryHow to align in...
2025-09-0922 min
Blue Collar StartUpEmployee Ownership & Succession with Chris Buttenham | Blue Collar StartUp #92In this episode of Blue Collar Startup, hosts Mike Nelson and Derek Foster interview Chris Buttenham, co-founder and CEO of Reins. Tune in as they discuss how his company helps blue-collar contractors offer equity incentives, his journey from working in his father’s contracting business to addressing the "silver tsunami" of aging business owners needing succession plans, and more!Learn more about Reins at myreins.com.0:15 Host Introduction: Mike Nelson and Derek Foster1:29 Guest Introduction: Chris Buttenham, Co-founder and CEO of Reins2:23 Overview of Reins: He...
2025-08-2740 min
The Restoration & Remediation Ask the Expert PodcastEmployee Retention: How to Keep Your Best PeopleLearn why the restoration industry struggles with employee retention and how you can fix it. This episode of Ask the Expert features expert insights from REINS founder Chris Buttenham on culture, incentives and career growth.
2025-07-0322 min
Blueprint Boost for ContractorsBuilding Wealth & Retaining Talent with Chris ButtenhamChris Buttenham is one of the founders of Reins and loves talking to contractors across America. For over 15 years, he has owned various small businesses himself, and provides great insight into helping fellow owners with their retention and succession plans via phantom stock plans. Reins is focused on helping small and mid-sized businesses in America incentivize their most valuable contributors. Founded in 2023, we have quickly established ourselves as a leading provider of phantom stock and profit-sharing plans.
2025-03-0321 min
Everything They Don't Tell YouEP | 182.1 RECAP w/ Chris Buttenham - Key Takeaways!Blue Is The New White #182.1 Your business thrives because of your A-players—the technicians and team members who are indispensable to your success. In this episode of Blue Is The New White, Chris Buttenham, founder of Reins, shares strategies to retain these top performers and create long-term loyalty. Learn how businesses in the skilled trades and home service industries can align incentives, improve retention, and build a stronger team culture. From understanding the unique value of your A-players to implementing practical retention strategies, this episode is packed with actionable insights. Topics Covered: Th...
2024-11-2610 min
Everything They Don't Tell YouChris Buttenham on Phantom Equity & Retaining Top Talent | Blue Is The New White PodcastBlue Is The New White #182 In this episode of Blue Is The New White, Chris Buttenham, founder of Reins, reveals how small business owners can access innovative compensation and benefits tools without the high cost and complexity of traditional methods. Chris shares how his team has collaborated with top compensation attorneys to create customizable frameworks that are affordable, simple, and designed to meet the unique needs of small businesses. Learn how these tools can help you align incentives, retain top talent, and drive team success—all while simplifying traditionally complex processes. Whether you're exploring phantom eq...
2024-11-1945 min
Contractor CentsContractor Cents - Episode 346 - The Best Exit StrategyThere is an exit plan for all of us. We don’t know how long we will be on this
earth. The last thing most of us probably want to do is to die in our office
chair. But, what should your business exit plan look like?
Chris Buttenham is the co-founder of Reins. They recently launched an
equity solution that might help you.
Free P&L Statement and Balance Sheet
https://tinyurl.com/2rjd6wxu
Ruth King
Twitter - @RuthKing
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ru...
2024-11-0415 min
Titans of the Trades | Straight-Talk for Scaling Your Construction BusinessIncentives That Actually Retain Your Best People With Chris ButtenhamSummary The conversation discusses the labor crisis in the trades industry and the importance of employee retention. Chris Buttenham, co-owner of Reins, explains how their company helps small businesses in the trades sector retain key employees through equity and profit-sharing incentives.They focus on aligning incentives and creating long-term and short-term financial rewards for employees. The conversation highlights the effectiveness of these incentives for businesses in high-demand, low-supply industries like HVAC and contracting. Success stories include businesses that have retained key employees and improved their operations by implementing Reins' incentive structures. ...
2024-10-0918 min
ACHR News PodcastIncentivize HVAC EmployeesChris Buttenham of Reins joins the NEWSmakers podcast to explain how HVAC contractors can use incentives with their employees.
2024-08-1915 min
What's it Worth?Chris Buttenham: Selling a Technology Company - What s it WorthJoin Jamar Cobb-Dennard on What's it Worth as we discuss how to value, sell, and complete a software company M&A transaction.
2024-04-1234 min
The Thread PodcastThe "dos and don'ts" of selling your company with Chris Buttenham, CEO and Co founder of Obie (acquired by Seismic)Chris Buttenham, CEO and Co Founder of Obie (acquired by Seismic), joins the show to talk aboutHow Chris' experience installing security cameras that led to the customer insight behind founding ObieCreating and falling into startup categoriesThe process Chris took to successfully sell Obie to Lessonly and Seismic. Suggestions on how to grow the aSaaSins podcast
2023-05-0324 min
POV Hamilton PodcastInnovation Factory TAKEOVER with Chris Buttenham, founder of ObieStart-up founders have a challenging journey ahead of them. In today's podcast, we're talking to Chris Buttenham, founder of Obie (now Lessonly Knowledge), a knowledge management software tool that has seen all the amazing highs and lows of start-up life.
From founding the company and realizing he didn't know a thing, heading to the Innovation Factory for help, searching for co-founders, participating in competitions and programs all over North America, pivoting numerous times to become the product they are today, weathering downturns and a pandemic, and eventually getting acquired by a larger company and scaling fast, Chris i...
2022-01-2723 min
McMasterAlumniChris ButtenhamChris has always had the entrepreneurial spirit. From wowing audiences with his own magic show as a teen to launching his own digital marketing business while trying to earn a business degree at McMaster. The business degree, didn’t quite work out and Chris switched gears, finishing university with a degree in Sociology. He eventually fell out of love with digital marketing and the business he started closed its doors. But that entrepreneurial spirit wasn’t about to burn out. Now, he and his business partner own and run Obie, a digital platform that enables businesses to quickly find and capt...
2021-04-1828 min
Learning 3.0 with Rustica LambLearning 3.0 with Chris ButtenhamThis week, I welcome Chris Buttenham to the Learning 3.0 Podcast. Chris is the Founder of Obie.ai, EdTech which helps companies find a faster way to capture and find knowledge at work, by securely connecting knowledge and documents that you already have into one searchable, intelligent, single source of truth.Chris has some very interesting insights into how to deliver the right knowledge, to the right people, at the right time in this new world. About the guest:Chris is a young entrepreneur living in Silicon Valley. He is...
2020-09-3031 min
Forward Thinking Founders324 - Chris Buttenham (Obie) On Building a Better Knowledge Base SoftwareChris Buttenham is the co-founder and CEO fo Obie. Obie is the fastest and easiest way for you to build an internal knowledge base at work. Securely connect knowledge and documents that you already have into one searchable, intelligent, single source of truth.Listen to this episode if:You want to hear how Chris thinks about growthYou need a better knowledge base management toolWant to hear the big vision for Obie!Thank you Jobsurv for sponsoring this episode of Forward Thinking Founders!Companies want to keep their employees happy, fulfilled, and growing professionally. Jobsurv...
2020-09-1321 min
The Art of the FailProduct market fit doesn't exist with April Dunford | AOTF - S3E4We might not be fast at releasing episodes, but it's all about positioning, right? The 4th episode of Season 3 features the wonderful April Dunford! April has been involved with 7 tech startups (6 of them were acquired), 3 global tech giants and over 25 years of experience in the world of product marketing. We talk about product positioning and letting your failures actually sink in.
All things April:
www.aprildunford.com
Get her book: Obviously Awesome
https://www.amazon.com/Obviously-Awesome-Product-Positioning-Customers/dp/1999023005/
Season 3 of The Art of The Fail is proudly sponsored by Stones & Hustle, the ultimate lifestyle brand for entrepreneurs and hustlers.
Get...
2020-07-0357 min
The Art of the FailThe one in the prairies with Jordan Boesch | AOTF - S3E3The—perhaps delayed, yet definitely worth-the-wait 3rd episode of Season 3 is here! Jordan Boesche, founder of rapid-growth company 7Shifts joins us and tells us about his journey through the entrepreneurial gauntlet. Hint: It's not without it's hiccups..
Entrepreneurs and techies won't want to miss this episode!
7Shifts:
https://www.7shifts.com/
Season 3 of The Art of The Fail is proudly sponsored by Stones & Hustle, the ultimate lifestyle brand for entrepreneurs and hustlers.
Get your gear: http://stonesandhustle.com
Also, check out http://obie.ai & http://archcanada.io to support the boys.
2020-02-1455 min
The Art of the FailThat time she cooked... with Erin Bury | AOTF - S3E2Season 3 rolls on with the ever-so lovely Erin Bury. Erin was recognized by Marketing Magazine as one of the top 30 under 30, she is a tech entrepreneur as well as a professional speaker. Her background, like most, was not paved with sunshine and rainbows. Erin shares her war stories from founding BetaKit (betakit.com), managing Eighty Eight agency and recently taking over as the CEO of Willful.
Everything Erin:
http://www.erinbury.com
Willful:
https://willful.co
Season 3 of The Art of The Fail is proudly sponsored by Stones & Hustle, the ultimate lifestyle brand for entrepreneurs and hustlers.
Get your gear...
2019-11-3058 min
The Art of the FailVaccines don't cause autism? Duh. with Guy Kawasaki | AOTF - S3E1A historic beginning to Season 3 of the podcast when we sat down with Guy Kawasaki. Author of over a dozen best-selling books, an instrumental member of the original Macintosh team and pioneer of technology evangelism (to name a few). Guy shares stories working for Steve Jobs in the early days of Apple, his thoughts on failure and announces something brand new he's working on for the first time!
Everything Guy:
guykawasaki.com
Guy's Favorite Book:
https://www.amazon.ca/If-You-Want-Write-Independence/dp/9650060286
Season 3 of The Art of The Fail is proudly sponsored by Stones & Hustle, the ultimate lifestyle brand for entrepreneurs...
2019-10-2345 min
The Art of the FailSeason 3 Guests Announced | The Art of the FailWe sat down to give you a sneak peak at what to expect for the newest season of your favorite podcast. Okay, a podcast. Anyways, whether you're new to the show or a seasoned veteran, this season is going to be huge (and worth the wait).
--
PLEASE: Let us know what we can do to make the show better for you in Season 3, 4 and beyond! @theAOTFpodcast or info@theaotf.com
--
The Art of The Fail is proudly sponsored by Stones & Hustle, the ultimate lifestyle brand for entrepreneurs and hustlers.
Get your gear: www.stonesandhustle.com
2019-08-2706 min
The Art of the FailSales, startups and getting punched in the face with Steli Efti | AOTF - S2E8It got real when we sat down with Steli Efti, author, entrepreneur, sales guru and CEO of Close.io. Steli shares his story of moving across the globe to pursue his dreams in Silicon Valley, as well as his top 3 sales failures most startups make (and can avoid).
Close More Deals:
https://close.io/
How to deliver winning saas demos:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/151770782X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
The ultimate startup guide to outbound sales how to turn cold leads into hot customers:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1505725054/ref=dbs_a_def...
2018-12-0652 min
The Art of the FailTruth and lies: What her majesty is really thinking with Mark Bowden | AOTF - S2E7This episode is packed full of insights and laughs as we are joined by Mark Bowden, world renowned body language expert, keynote speaker, author and entrepreneur. Mark share's the rocky start to his entrepreneurial journey, while also offering some of his greatest body language secrets for those in the midst of failure.
Mark's Website:
http://truthplane.com/
Buy Mark's New Book:
https://www.amazon.ca/Truth-Lies-People-Really-Thinking/dp/1443452092
Season 2 of The Art of The Fail is proudly sponsored by Stones & Hustle, the ultimate lifestyle brand for entrepreneurs and hustlers.
Get your gear: http://www.stonesandhustle.com
2018-10-2356 min
The Art of the FailAuthenticity, accountability and addiction with Stephen Verbeek | AOTF - S2E6On this episode we're joined by Stephen Verbeek, founder and CEO of Hello Cannabis and a good friend to the show. Stephen shares the traumatic story of an injury that turned into an addiction and eventually the inspiration for Hello Cannabis today.
Hello Cannabis Website:
https://www.hellocannabis.ca
The book Stephen mentioned:
https://www.amazon.ca/Good-Psychopaths-Guide-Success-psychopath/dp/1910167436
Season 2 of The Art of The Fail is proudly sponsored by Stones & Hustle, the ultimate lifestyle brand for entrepreneurs and hustlers.
Get your gear: http://www.stonesandhustle.com
2018-10-091h 01
The Art of the FailCaffeine, capacity and conjurers with Melanie Sodka | AOTF - S2E5This time on the podcast we had the pleasure of sitting down with Melanie Sodka, entrepreneur, professor, speaker, author and (if that wasn't enough) host of the podcast "Capacity Creator". We have some good laughs while Melanie helps us navigate around the topic of capacity, and her journey from the corporate world to entrepreneurship and beyond.
Book Melanie recommended:
https://www.amazon.ca/What-Do-You-Idea/dp/1938298071
Melanie's Website:
https://www.melaniesodka.com/
Season 2 of The Art of The Fail is proudly sponsored by Stones & Hustle, the ultimate lifestyle brand for entrepreneurs and hustlers.
Get your gear: http://www.stonesandhustle.com
2018-09-061h 00
The Art of the FailFailing in style with Patrick Lor | AOTF - S2E4In this brand new episode we sit down with the ever so kind Patrick Lor, Managing Director of Panache Ventures, co-founder of iStock Photo, Dissolve and more. Pat walks us through his journey from the corporate life into entrepreneurship, big time exits and beyond while stopping along the way to highlight some juicy failures and lessons learned.
https://www.panache.vc/
Season 2 of The Art of The Fail is proudly sponsored by Stones & Hustle, the ultimate lifestyle brand for entrepreneurs and hustlers.
Get your gear: stonesandhustle.com
2018-08-1657 min
The Art of the FailStartups, depression & politics with Jeremy Tunnell | AOTF - S2E3On this episode we had the pleasure of an extra long sit down with Jeremy Tunnell, one of the co-founders that started the billion dollar company Thumbtack. We share some laughs for what Thumbtack could have been named, get deep talking about Jeremy's departure from the company, and even dabble into some politics as we learn where Jeremy's heading next. You won't want to miss this one.
www.jeremytunnel.com
Season 2 of The Art of The Fail is proudly sponsored by Stones & Hustle, the ultimate lifestyle brand for entrepreneurs and hustlers.
Get your gear: stonesandhustle.com
2018-08-021h 20
The Art of the FailStartups & shit hitting the fan with Edwin Frondozo | AOTF - S2E2On S2 E2 we're joined by Edwin Frondozo, co-founder of Slingshot VoIP and host of award-winning The Business Leadership Podcast. Edwin opens up and talks about his early days working in corporate, his journey as an entrepreneur and some of the struggles he's faced starting up companies.
The Business Leadership Podcast: https://thebusinessleadership.com/
Season 2 of The Art of The Fail is proudly sponsored by Stones & Hustle, the ultimate lifestyle brand for entrepreneurs and hustlers.
Get your gear: http://stonesandhustle.com
2018-07-2659 min
The Art of the FailFailure, freedom and fist bumps with Sanjay Singhal | AOTF - S2E1Season 2 is officially here! On S2 E1 we chat and have plenty of laughs with Sanjay Singhal, co-founder of Audiobooks.com (acquired) and Partner at 500 Startups. Sanjay talks about the influence his family had on his education, almost creating what would have been the first BlackBerry, losing out on a deal that would have netted him more than $20M, and so much more!
You can pick up a copy of Sanjay's memoir "Zero to Tesla: Confessions from My Entrepreneurial Journey" on Amazon. Buy the book: http://a.co/iz4tkds
Ironically, there is no audio version. He knows.
Season 2 of...
2018-07-1949 minThe Art of the FailThe Art of the Fail - Pre-Season 2 [Sheetal Jaitly]Season 2 Coming July 19th
http://theaotf.com
We chat with our friend Sheetal Jaitly, Founder and CEO at TribalScale. Sheetal talks about coming up as a young huster in sales, and lays down the truth of what it actually takes to hustle. Oh, and they're hiring! tribalscale.com
2018-07-0524 minThe Art of the FailThe Art of the Fail - Episode 010 [Eric Arnold]In Episode 010 (end of Season 1!), we chat with Eric Arnold, Founder & CEO of Planswell. This episode is PACKED with a lot of fun and some seriously valuable insights for any entrepreneur or go-getter whether it’s your first venture or your 10th, like Eric. Sharing his experiences from 9 “failed” projects and startups, Eric’s resilience and grit kept him and his ever-so-loyal co-founder moving forward to always chase the next big thing eventually leading them to the venture backed Planswell.
2018-03-1049 minThe Art of the FailThe Art of the Fail - Episode 009 [Nima Gardideh]Episode 009 comes in hot [insert flame emoji] as we chat with Nima Gardideh, co-founder of Pearmill, a holistic digital marketing agency. With prior experience both founding his own companies and working the “9-5” grind, Nima openly shares with us some incredible stories from his journey as an entrepreneur. Nima walks us through everything from dropping out of school (and having to deal with his parents), having a major fall out with a previous business partner, passing on a life changing acquisition offer, to losing the money he raised in venture capital for a previous startup.
2018-02-0530 minThe Art of the FailThe Art of the Fail - Episode 008 [Alex Berman]In Episode 008, we chat with Alex Berman, a digital nomad and former CEO (now Chairman) of a marketing agency known as Experiment 27. Alex shares with us his current and prior experiences working as a digital nomad and some of the common issues that can easily slip through the cracks without proper checks and balances in place. Alex then walks us through his prior experience heading up the marketing department for a startup that went from $100 million dollar valuation to nil in the span of 60 days, ouch! He also touches a bit on some bad choices he personally made when hiring...
2018-01-3033 minThe Art of the FailThe Art of the Fail - Episode 007 [Tristan Pollock]In Episode 007, we chat with Tristan Pollock, a Venture Partner at 500 Startups and the Co-Founder of Storefront (now acquired), hailed as 'Airbnb for Retail' by The New York Times. Tristan shares his experiences of building teams in a startup and the culture that naturally (sometimes forced) follows suit. Tristan touches on why it’s so important to find the right fit for your company when hiring and why building your team’s culture is one of the most important things you can do. No doubt this episode is full of failing, therefore full of good lessons and food for thought.
2017-12-1241 minThe Art of the FailThe Art of the Fail - Episode 006 [Shauna Arnott]In Episode 006, the boys interview Shauna Arnott, Founder of Leverage Events, and also the Lead Planner of Haste and Hustle, an annual Sales and Marketing conference that includes speakers like Gary Vaynerchuk. Shauna walks us through her experience organizing Haste and Hustle for the very first time and some of the backend operational deficiencies that ended up costing her over $200,000 in personal debt—thats a lot of zeros. Shauna walks us through the fascinating and inspirational story of picking herself up when everything was pushing her down.
2017-11-2336 minThe Art of the FailThe Art of the Fail - Episode 005 [Amir Kendic]In Episode 005, we sat down with Amir Kendic, CEO & Co-Founder of CooSha, a mobile application that helps the everyday person create, organize and manage their time better. Amir takes us through his personal experiences with a prior startup that him and his sister worked on that lead to him founding CooSha. Like many ventures, they focused on too many of the bells and whistles and made assumptions of what the users wanted, rather than listening and asking where the value was.
2017-11-1541 minThe Art of the FailThe Art of the Fail - Episode 004 [Daniel Wallock]In Episode 004, we chat with Daniel Wallock, a growth and inbound marketing specialist featured all across the internet on publications such as Forbes, Inc., Yahoo, etc. Daniel shares his experience of acquiring an extreme amount of leads for one of his clients at the time, to the point where their processes couldn’t handle the volume. Learning from this particular experience, he talks about how important communication and understanding dependencies on both sides is. Daniel also shares his life story of living with 7 life-threatening heart conditions and how that led him into the world of digital marketing.
2017-11-0632 minThe Art of the FailThe Art of the Fail - Episode 003 [Caitlin MacGregor]In Episode 003, the boys interview Caitlin MacGregor, Co-Founder & CEO of Plum, an HR tech company that uses AI to optimize the hiring process and ensure the best possible candidate. Caitlin walks us through how she handled the professional working relationship with her husband, and co-founder at Plum. Specifically, Caitlin shares her balancing act of which meetings to include her husband in, while eventually having to let go of that to maintain pedigree and strong first impressions. We also chat with Caitlin about fundraising and accelerators.
2017-10-2640 minThe Art of the FailThe Art of the Fail - Episode 002 [Hongwei Liu]In Episode 002, we sat down with Hongwei Liu, CEO & Founder of MappedIn, a company that helps their customers manage dynamic indoor spaces, enabling consumers to find what they are looking for - by category, brand, product and promotion. Hongwei takes us through his personal experiences of tricky hires, co-founders leaving the company, spending too much capital on an office space too early in their life cycle, and spending too much time on small returns early on.
2017-10-2540 minThe Art of the FailThe Art of the Fail - Episode 001 [Tom Hadfield]In Episode 001, Chris and Kristian interview Tom Hadfield, CEO & Founder of Message.io, a YC-backed company that provides developers with the tools to build bots that work on any messaging platform. Tom gets right to the punch and shares his experiences with casting too wide of a net, losing millions of venture capital, worrying about the status of business relationships and how to repay investors. All of which he went through while starting a company before his Message.io days, called Fetch – you can follow Tom @tomhadfield & @Message_io
2017-10-1139 minThe Art of the FailThe Art of the Fail - Episode 1 [Pilot]Welcome to The Art of the Fail! A podcast hosted by Kristian Borghesan (co-founder of Bruha) and Chris Buttenham (co-founder of Obie.ai), where we chat with startups and entrepreneurs about their f*ck ups, hardships and failures, in hopes to uncover great lessons and remove the stigma from failure today.
In the very first episode of #theaotf, we introduce Kristian and Chris along with the format of the podcast for episodes to come. We also dig into some personal struggles with hiring and scaling a team too quickly.
2017-09-3025 min