Episode Overview
In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, Mike and Derek sit down with Bill Tansey to break down why org charts are one of the most misunderstood—and most powerful—tools in a growing trades business. They dive into standard roles, functional accountability, and how to design an organization that supports real strategy instead of being built around the people you already have.
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Bill can be found on LinkedIn as William (Bill) Tansey Jr., or through his website at theopexshop.com.
Time Stamps
0:00 Welcome to Blue Collar StartUp & show intro
0:45 Kicking off the new year & new sponsor announcement
2:00 Daily task lists, focus, and doing less to accomplish more
3:15 New episode formats & “Let’s Ask Bill” introduction
5:00 Supporting the trades through sponsorships
6:20 Introducing Bill Tansey
7:30 What an org chart actually is (and isn’t)
9:00 Org charts as a communication tool, not a hierarchy
10:00 Current-state vs future-state org charts
12:00 Planning only one year ahead—and why it matters
13:15 The importance of standard roles for scaling
15:00 Why org charts shouldn’t constantly change
17:10 Adding overhead roles and financial justification
19:00 Full-time equivalency and wearing multiple hats
21:10 The danger of building roles around people
23:40 Functional accountability explained
27:00 Common org chart mistakes business owners make
34:20 Strategy, tactics, execution & wrapping the episode
Details
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Hosts
Michael Nelson & Derek Foster
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Guests
Bill Tansey Jr.
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Runtime
37 mins, 1 secs
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Airing Date
January 21, 2026