By: Josh Fulfer
Estimated Read Time: 4 Minutes

Most concrete lifters I know work their tails off.
Long days. Heavy jobs. Sun, rain—doesn’t matter.
They’ll outwork anyone.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth:
Hustle without strategy eventually breaks.

You get stuck in the truck.
You stop answering calls because you’re on the job.
You throw money at ads but don’t know if they’re working.
You do “okay”… but never actually grow.

Sound familiar?

You’re not alone—and it’s not your fault.

The Problem: You’re Working In the Business, Not On It

I’ve been in this space for over a decade, helping concrete lifters grow.
I’ve seen startups scale to multi-truck crews—and I’ve seen some stall out, even with talent and great work.

What’s the difference?

It’s not foam.
It’s not your pump.
It’s not even your market.

It’s your mindset.

Guys who succeed long-term build a real business.
Not just a job with a logo.

They know how to sell, price, market, and plan.
They don’t wing it. They think strategically.

Strategy for Lifters: 5 Questions That Separate the Operators from the Owners

These aren’t fluffy coaching questions.
These are straight from the trenches—real things I’ve worked through with guys across the country:

1. What’s your growth plan—and does your website actually support it?
If your site doesn’t clearly show why you’re better, faster, or more reliable—you’re already losing.

2. Are you pricing based on value or fear?
If your first reaction to competition is to drop prices, you’re already bleeding.

3. Can your business run without you answering every phone call?
If not, you don’t have a business—you’ve got a job. A job that will burn you out.

4. Do you know which marketing channel actually drives profit?
Most guys say “word of mouth” or “Facebook.”
But ask them how many jobs came from each channel last month—they don’t know.

5. Have you built systems—or just habits?
Is your crew trained?
Are your leads tracked?
Do you know your close rate?
If not, you’re not scaling—you’re surviving.

Final Word: Concrete Lifting is a Craft. But Business is a Discipline.

You already know how to lift concrete.
That’s your trade.

But building a business that takes care of your family—and maybe one day runs without you—that’s a different game.

And it starts by being honest with yourself about where you’re at.

If you want to talk about building that kind of business, let’s have that conversation.

Until then—keep lifting. Keep learning. And don’t just hustle.
Lead.