Hello Priscilla

This time of year, I hear a lot of the same thing from business owners:
“We’re running flat-out until the ground freezes.”

And I get it. The fall rush is real. But here’s the thing - if you’re already operating at capacity before the first frost, no amount of grit will buy you back time.

That’s where automation comes in.

When people hear the word “automation,” they often picture robots, apps, or AI doing human work. But in the trades, automation isn’t about replacing people — it’s about reducing friction. It’s the quiet system behind the scenes that makes sure your estimates go out faster, your leads get followed up, your teams stay informed, and your invoices don’t slip through the cracks.

I’ve built my own coaching business around these principles — using tools that take repetitive, administrative work off my plate so I can focus on higher-value coaching and strategy. For contractors, it might look like:

• Templates that standardize how proposals or change orders go out

• Automatic reminders that keep clients and crews on track

• Digital workflows that move information from estimate to job closeout without retyping a thing

The goal isn’t to “automate everything.” It’s to automate the right things — the stuff that drains your focus, delays decisions, or causes rework.

This Friday, I’ll be joining a panel of business owners to talk about exactly that:
how to “Automate to Elevate” — streamlining operations, client onboarding, and marketing so your systems run smoother and your people have more time to think, lead, and build.

If you’ve been curious about where to start with automation — or want a peek behind the curtain at what tools other business owners are using — I’d love for you to join the conversation.

Your Partner in Success - 
Priscilla Hansen Mahoney
Business Coach for Contractors

Here's some NEWS you can use!

 🤝 NETWORKING

MaineBiz 40 Under 40 Awards Reception
November 6th | 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Brick South at Thompson's Point
Congratulations Alina Dubois - Key Bank, Christina Consigli - Consigli Construction, Julie Curran - Great Falls Construction!!

HBRAME - Builders, Business & Beer - November Meetup
November 20th | 5:30 - 7:00pm | Cowbell, Scarborough

HBRAME - Holiday Mingle & Axe Throwing
December 11th | 5:30 PM | The Axe Pit, South Portland

📚  EDUCATION

Automate to Elevate: Automating Your Business Discussion Panel
October 24th | 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM | via Zoom
Hosted by the Association of Consulting Expertise (ACE) Our panel of experts—Priscilla Hansen Mahoney, Melissa Olander, and Matthew Opuda—will share real-world strategies, tools, and lessons learned from their own automation journeys. 

SMCC offers a Construction Institute short-term training program covering five core construction skills (e.g., tool/OSHA safety, print reading, framing/leveling) that can ladder into a certificate or associate degree. Southern Maine Community College

💡 WISDOM

System-building and Operational Excellence audiobooks you can tune into while on your way to the jobsite:

Clockwork (Revised & Expanded) by Mike Michalowicz
Theme: Designing your business to run itself.
A practical playbook for systematizing operations so you can step out of the daily grind. Perfect for contractors who want their crews and managers to take ownership.

Systemology by David Jenyns
Theme: Creating business systems that scale without you.
Breaks down how to document, delegate, and streamline processes. Think of it as the Lean version of business systemization for small-to-medium companies.

👷‍♀️ SUPPORT

Ready to take control of your time?
Grab a free copy of my ebook 📘R.E.A.D. to Lead: A Simple System for Getting More Done Without Burning Out.
You’ll learn a practical, repeatable method for managing your day like a pro — using the same time-blocking and prioritization framework I teach my clients.