James Hatfield joins Jeff Williams to discuss how real-time video can help construction and field-service businesses respond to problems, document work, and communicate with customers and crews. This episode follows James Hatfield’s journey from running painting and pressure-washing crews to leading a live-video company. The conversation covers real-time video for construction and emergency response, using AI to capture tradespeople’s expertise, documenting work to protect payment, and building a business through trust and humility.
James Hatfield joins Jeff Williams to discuss how real-time video can help construction and field-service businesses respond to problems, document work, and communicate with customers and crews. This episode follows James Hatfield’s journey from running painting and pressure-washing crews to leading a live-video company. The conversation covers real-time video for construction and emergency response, using AI to capture tradespeople’s expertise, documenting work to protect payment, and building a business through trust and humility.
Drawing on his experience as a contractor and technology leader, James describes “race to the face”—using video to see an issue quickly rather than relying on a description or traveling to the site. The conversation also explores how video records can help support change orders and resolve disagreements, how AI can help capture experienced tradespeople’s knowledge, and why humility and putting people first are important to business leadership.
What if you could see a jobsite problem as it happens—without driving across town? Jeff Williams talks with James Hatfield, president of LiveSwitch, about using instant video and practical AI to help construction and field-service businesses communicate faster, document work, and build trust. James shares his path from running painting and pressure-washing crews to building technology companies. He explains “race to the face”: replacing delays and guesswork with a quick video connection so teams can see the issue, make decisions, and keep work moving.They discuss documenting jobs to support change orders and payment, capturing experienced workers’ knowledge for the next generation, and leading with humility. The episode is especially relevant to contractors, business owners, and field teams looking to reduce unnecessary trips and avoid “he said, she said” disputes.
Chapters:
Introducing James Hatfield and LiveSwitch
James’s family roots and connection to the trades
Running a contracting business and learning to manage finances
Discovering AI and building a software business
The responsibility of making payroll
Buying a live-video company and finding new use cases
Applying live video to emergency response
From arena operations to a modern field communication tool
Using instant video on construction jobsites
Capturing experienced workers’ knowledge with AI
What “race to the face” means for the trades
Using video to improve transparency and trust
Documenting job conditions and work in progress
LiveSwitch’s offices, support, and ambassador program
Advice for business owners and the value of taking a real vacation
Humility, listening, and building a stronger business
Where to connect with James
Keywords:
Construction, contractors, field services, real-time video, LiveSwitch, AI in construction, jobsite documentation, change orders, project records, customer trust, transparency, emergency response, business leadership, payroll, trades, knowledge transfer, operational efficiency, remote inspections.
The episode’s strongest appeal is its mix of practical jobsite examples and a relatable business journey: listeners can picture how faster visibility and better documentation might prevent real-world delays and disputes.
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Jeff Williams (00:00)
Good afternoon, folks. Welcome back to another trail ride with the Construction Cowboy Show. Your host, Jeff Williams, and today's episode is Powering Smarter Instant Video Communications. I'm gonna say that again. Powering smarter instant video communications. We have a special guest today, Mr. James Hatfield president of Live Switch. James brings us a useful mix of
Just hands on business experience and technology leadership for which he is will share in a few minutes. James, you have appeared as a guest on about a 150 plus podcasts. you've hosted your own shows. My first question to you is, so why the construction cowboy show?
James Hatfield (00:39)
Well, my grandfather we come from pretty humble beginnings. So my grandfather's dad died real young and so he had to drop out of high school at sixteen and he went to work at a tire shop. And I've helped my grandfather build the house that he lives in and my father built the house that I was born in and I've always been good with my hands. my grandfather's biggest dream for me to was be to be a contractor, which is exactly what I did when I got out of schooling, 'cause monkey see, monkey do, right?
So I think I'm here just because I can speak the language. I've been on a ladder around multiple crews, done commercial residential and you know, got war stories, but then my story took a crazy turn into technology, which we'll get into. But I think also I've got on my roper cowboy boots today too, so I'm dressed for the part today, Jeff.
Jeff Williams (01:21)
There you go. Well man, I appreciate that and I know my listeners and followers they all do and again, I just so much appreciate it. So anyway, I know you started out running out a painting and pressure washing business and you've held leadership roles in many different companies, such as you know, Sageworks and IQVIA and different ones.
If you want to speak to some of that a little bit, but basically just tell us about you, give us some background and then tell us where your trail leads you going forward.
James Hatfield (01:49)
Yeah, well sometimes you never know where the trail's going, right? just hope that it's going somewhere where you wanna
Jeff Williams (01:52)
Absolutely. Yeah. I usually point the horse and not worry about where the horse is going, you know? just hold on, yeah.
James Hatfield (01:57)
So it's hold on, man. That's it. Just hold on. And that's life right there. Just hold on. so you know, as I was running my painting power washing companies, multiple crews growing the business, doing well, making sure I hit payroll. I had to go this person called a bookkeeper. So sometimes I don't know if everyone listening can relate. I'm good at painting, power washing, but when it comes to running a business, 'cause like this I'm out of my league. I'd go the bookkeeper, the accountant, and they'd speak English to me, Jeff, and I'd just nod. You seen one of those confused puppies, that they heads sideways.
Jeff Williams (02:22)
Yeah.
James Hatfield (02:23)
I didn't understand a word they were saying. I just need to know, can I make payroll? And is there a little bit left over for me to eat? And that's where I was as a business owner. And I knew that wasn't good. I said, hey, this probably isn't the best thing for me as a business owner. So I kept running my company, but I decided to go back, to go to business school and get an account business and accounting degree 'cause I didn't want someone to speak a different language and take advantage of me. Really, I don't want to be taken advantage of. So I was like, if I can speak the language and you can't take advantage of me. So I was running my company going back to business school and I met my current business partner. We've been together 23 years. He was finishing his degree at a little college named Duke University. And he was getting his MBA at the same time a gentleman named Tim Cook, who used to run Apple Computers, was getting his MBA. But my business partner was working on a little thing called AI.
We didn't call it AI twenty three years ago. All I knew is he could take my income statement and my balance sheet and run it through his AI system and it could tell me as a business owner in plain language how I was doing. And I first of all, I said, What is this witchcraft? What is this voodoo magic that you are doing? Because that
Jeff Williams (03:24)
Yeah.
James Hatfield (03:24)
I love it. I said, I love this is why I'm going to school. I was like, You are basically fixed my problem. Well, he asked me, he's like, Well, do you think he could sell this stuff? I said, Well, I got a few problems.
One, I don't own a computer. I use the carbon copy sheets, you know, the white, yellow, and pink sheets. I got Nextel walkie-talkies and I play with paint guns and water guns, man. I don't know if I can sell software. But I said, I believe in it. And if I believe in something, you know, when you believe in something, you you do something. So I was like, I'll try. Well, we took that company from nothing, a shoebox, to Inc. 500 means you're one of the fastest growing companies in the country for three years.
And eventually we sold it to private equity. It's a six billion dollar company and runs all the banks in the country. So that worked out. But Jeff, you know what they don't tell you when you sell your business and you still got a few more trail rides to do?
I gotta have something to wake up to, I can't wake
Jeff Williams (04:11)
Yeah.
James Hatfield (04:12)
up to chasing a little white ball around and I don't want a bigger boat. I need something to do. So we're stupid enough to buy a company and do it again. So we bought a company six years ago, because we had a lot of money. And we did it in a whole new area. But that's how I got off the ladder and into technology. I never knew that trail ride was gonna take a hard right. And basically bucked me off the horse. I'm like, Am I even riding a horse anymore? I don't know. I think I'm hiking now.
Jeff Williams (04:31)
That's cool. Yeah.
Been there done that one. Absolutely. So tell the listeners a little bit about
How they can connect with you right now, just take a station break and how they can connect with you and learn more about live switch and get in touch with you. I'm gonna do this a couple of times here in the show just so everybody gets your information.
James Hatfield (04:51)
No problem.
Jeff Williams (04:52)
Yeah.
James Hatfield (04:52)
No problem. Easy to get. There's a little site called LinkedIn. You might not go to it too often, but if you want to get me, go to LinkedIn, look up Live Switch, L-I-V-E-S-W-I-T-C-H, or go to live switch dot com and ask for me. Just say I want to talk to James and we'll connect. but I know we're gonna tell the story of Live Switch here in a little bit, but I'm easy to get to. And if anyone who's listening today wants to talk, I'd love to meet you.
Jeff Williams (05:12)
Good. Well we'll make sure it's in transcript. so again, real quick, we're going forward a little bit and telling your story, but got a just a question that kind of launches this thing a little bit. But from the ladder to the leadership, what did those early days that you were about real pressure of owning what was it about that taught you about the pressures of owning a business?
James Hatfield (05:32)
Well, you got more than one mouth to feed.
Jeff Williams (05:34)
Yeah, yeah.
James Hatfield (05:35)
You know, taking care of horses is a little different than taking care of people, right? Because
Jeff Williams (05:38)
Yeah.
James Hatfield (05:39)
people sometimes don't show up to work. People sometimes take advantage of you. People sometimes don't do what they say they're gonna do. But sometimes they do. Sometimes we do great work and you get a good staff and you just need to make payroll. And so I got a good team doing good work. If I was ever gonna be short for the month, I literally had to go knock on doors to go get some additional work on the weekend.so I could make sure we hit payroll. That was always something I was very sensitive about that these men I had all make a painting, you know, but these men were all relying on this business to take care of putting food on the table. So I always took that very seriously as a business owner. and everybody, you know, they always they don't understand sometimes. there's been months where I paid my staff and I didn't make a dime. You know? And people sometimes I think they I think money grows on trees and it's Easter bunny land, but it's not.
The money comes from the work we do and the customers that we pick up. I'm not going into debt. I'm not getting a bunch of l loans. So I think the hardest part going from the ladder to leadership is putting others above yourself. And that's really hard to do, especially when you're you got the title and you're the boss man.
Jeff Williams (06:41)
Yeah.
Well, I think, you know, I've learned that most people they can't grapple, especially the nine to fives, they can't grapple with not taking an income. and that doesn't mean you don't take an income for, you know, months on end, but to get payroll done to get to the next to get to the next piece, you know what that's like, right? It's sacrifice and
It may be sacrifice for your team and your crew and your associates to get paid where it's like, okay, I'm gonna skip this week, skip this month, whatever it may be, so I can hold on to the value that I have with them and the relationships I have with them. And I think a lot of people don't they just don't understand and appreciate what that really does entail. And what I mean by that is I've taken food out of my family's mouth to feed other families and that's not to speak of it as that I'm arrogant about that. It's that I'm respectful about that in so many ways. And I know that my faith will carry me to the next feeding. I gotta I'll say that. So anyway. So you know I want to just kind of let you roll with your background a little bit more and a little bit more depth of what you're doing in
LiveSwitch I don't want to just pound you with questions and then run out of time but finding a hidden problem, and I'll kind of go here in a couple more questions and then I wanna want you to dig into live switch and how you can, how you help customers and people and your business and you tell a story because I sure don't want to through the questions, but finding hidden problems. what problems do you hear repeatedly?
And what's the underlying issue that sometimes they overlook? I mean it's a constant over you know, in your business again, it's it they're running problems past you constantly, right?
James Hatfield (08:16)
yeah. let me tell you a long story and then I'll tell
Jeff Williams (08:18)
Okay.
James Hatfield (08:19)
Cause sometimes you don't know there's a problem or even the solution and you just you kinda stumble upon it if you keep your eyes up and So we after we got out of the last company, we sold it. we got into philanthropy, we started inmates to entrepreneurs, we go into the jails and we teach men and women how to run a business because people don't like to hire people with a record and we're big believers in second chances and entrepreneurship, but what ended up happening because we had a lot of capital, we bought a company. So we bought a sixteen year old company. We bought it six years ago, and it it's good with live video. All right, so it's a tech company that we bought. And we're one only a few companies in North America that do live video. And because of that, we solved a lot of interesting problems. Well, I got a call from the chief of police in Washington, DC to reinvent our nation's nine one one phone call. And the problem was how can we get
the officers' eyes on the situation as they're driving out or even before they drive out so they know what they're driving into. It's called situational awareness. So everybody nowadays carries two to five cameras in their pocket and their cell phone. And so how do they come up with a way to get into these folks' cameras when they have no time to download an app and by the way they're compromised. So they're it needs to be idiot proof for lack of a better term. There's no time to train anybody.
So about four years ago, I woke up at two in the morning and I I I've got it. I ha I don't know why my best idea is coming at two in the morning, hey it there it is. I know how to do this. On your cell phone, it has three channels. The first channel is telephony. You call on something calling nine one one. While you're talking to nine one one, I can send you a text message on the SMS channel, which is then you can tap on a link and it gets me into your data channel where I can stream that video to a police car so they can see what they're driving into.
Chief of police loved it. He's like, I love this. And I just had the natural question back to solving problems. Who else could use this? No app. You see what I see technology. Well, I meet this guy who takes care of the Tennessee's Titans NFL team in Nashville. And I'm showing him all the emergency stuff. He's 20 years in the FBI. He's taking care of the Titans. And he's looking at my stuff. And he goes, James, I really do like this for emergencies, but I
Jeff Williams (10:13)
twenty years in the FBI, he's taking field titans and he's looking at my stuff and he goes, James, I really do like this emergency.
James Hatfield (10:20)
got a dumb question. I'm like, well, lay it on me.
Said, well, my arena here in Nashville is a monster. It's huge. He's like, sometimes there's an issue all the way across my arena. Can I just text message my guy across the arena and he can just show me what's going on so I don't have to hop in my little golf cart? Cause that would save me a lot of time. And I could just see what's going on. And that was my big eureka. I was like, this is the next tell walkie talkie that I use to manage all of my
Jeff Williams (10:41)
Now blocking topic that I used to manage.
James Hatfield (10:44)
painting power washing companies. Remember that thing? I mean, I was addicted to that thing because I could talk to all the guys.
at any time and know what's going on and I could be in multiple places at once. I don't know what happened that thing, but loved it. But I was like, this is the modern day next tell walkie talkie, separate with video
Jeff Williams (10:55)
This is the modern day Nextel walkie talkie group.
James Hatfield (10:58)
And that landed us back into contracting and the trades where I came from. So if imagine as in construction, you're doing a
Jeff Williams (11:01)
Where I came from. Wow. So you can imagine as a construction.
James Hatfield (11:06)
project, superintendent calls up, hey boss, we're excavating and we hit a pipe. Or we hit a rock. Or we we we did something that's gonna affect the timeline.
Jeff Williams (11:14)
Right.
James Hatfield (11:15)
Well now instead of driving in the pickup truck and getting all the way to the construction site, I can send the superintendent a text message, he can tap it and show me. And it's gonna record the whole thing in video. AI is gonna write everything out because contractors don't like to write things on the keyboard.
Jeff Williams (11:31)
Right.
James Hatfield (11:32)
with the customer if it's an insurance or it's a subcontractors. I gotta do a change order.
Jeff Williams (11:37)
Right. We didn't expect it that was back by
James Hatfield (11:37)
Right, because we hit a pipe, we didn't expect it, it's my budget and
So these are the practical things that this could solve. So the problem I'm solving, it's the silliest problem, hopping in the truck and driving across town.
Jeff Williams (11:49)
Well, I'll speak to a little bit more of that, especially with like an accident. Somebody's, you know, fell and and like with us out east, there was a gentleman that fell and and he died, killed on the construction site, and when that happens you need to be on site ASAP, with all kinds of issues. Emergency, OSHA, all of it, you know, safety, you know, all that and all the parties involved, including lawyers and so
what you're speaking of and you know, especially with the AI being able to instantly write up the report and not miss a beat on it, the value in that is just tremendous. So yeah, kudos to you guys.
James Hatfield (12:24)
It worked out. We're one of the fastest growing platforms in the country again. which is very
Jeff Williams (12:26)
Yeah. yeah.
James Hatfield (12:28)
to say the least. But I've been in really enjoying talking about what we call race to the face, where I can see what you're seeing. And then AI, that's practical and tactical. Everyone's talking AI these days. But I find that's kind of like, I don't even really how do I really use this? Right. So guys that I'm go around a lot are they've been in the end trades for twenty, thirty years, and they're like,
you know, forget this AI stuff, which is fine. But I will tell you, when you have thirty years of experience, you can benefit the most from AI. And guys like, what do you mean? Like I'm well, sometimes when you get a certain age, you want to retire, right, Jeff? Go see the grandkids.
Jeff Williams (13:04)
Absolutely.
James Hatfield (13:05)
Absolutely. Well, you got a lot of knowledge in your mind that you now got to get to the next generation and the other guys that are going to be running the company. So
Jeff Williams (13:12)
Yeah, yeah.
James Hatfield (13:12)
the best way to get that out of your mind now
Is for you to hold up a camera and talk while you're talking about the things that you know and do. Because then you can feed that to the AI. So if I take someone who's got 30 years of experience in a video of what they're doing, they say garbage in, garbage out. Well, when you're putting liquid gold in, you're gonna get liquid gold out. And that's what
Jeff Williams (13:32)
Yeah.
James Hatfield (13:32)
I'm saying. If you if you're 20, 30 years in the business, I'm telling you, you got the biggest advantage over anybody because you can't replicate 20 years or 30 years of experience.
That's what AI can't do. And everyone thinks, AI is gonna take no no no. AI doesn't hasn't seen that many construction jobs. They don't know what it's talking about. But if you can tell it the stories and feed it, you can do incredibly amazing things for your company and just getting things done quicker.
Jeff Williams (13:56)
Yeah, I totally agree. I've got somebody I want to introduce to you, which is the guy that set me up and all this and we've got a right now he's got a platform that he wrote and built and it encompasses probably thirty to forty what I wanna call individual platforms into one all in one platform. And with your with your model and his model married together, it's pretty amazing. And so I'd love to introduce you to him.
Name is Jordan Mendoza and just it's called Trailblazer Ecosystem. And I can send a link to it and let you take a look at it. But it I'm not here pushing that. I'm more look what I've trying to reflect on is you're absolutely correct. And what you're speaking to the population is that you've gotta embrace the current AI technology and it's all in you know, all this is incorporated into it.
But real time saves lives and saves money and just produces better quality of life all the way around. And you know, if it's done right, It can all be used for evil and you know, crookedness and all that kind of stuff. But anybody that's reasonably wanting to do good business, it's a masterful tool, that's for sure. And you know, it does take a little time to understand it, trust it, and test it as I should say. So but I'm gonna go back to
speed to lead and race to face. And so I want you to drill in just a little bit more. I think that's extraordinary. I saw it on your website and you know, it kind of speaks for itself, but if you don't mind elaborating on that a little bit and you know, what does it really mean in some senses? And what's it mean to my listeners? That's really what I want to really drive home.
James Hatfield (15:28)
Yeah. are you familiar with a little company called Amazon? Just a little bit. I would you got that right. So
Jeff Williams (15:31)
Just just a little bit, yeah. Yeah. wife's better known about it than I am, but you know.
James Hatfield (15:38)
when I go, I speak on a lot of stages, I'll ask the room, who here is an Amazon Prime member? Raise your hand. Eighty percent of the hands go up on it. And I say, Do you know you didn't have you don't have to be an Amazon Prime member? Did you know that they will still deliver your boxes? It just will take two weeks. Well, we're all impatient. Now that we got
Uber and DoorDash and Instacart and Amazon and all these things, you know. Which by the way, I don't miss the grocery store. I love Instacart. My wife uses it. I mean, I yeah, if I never go to a grocery store again, hallelujah. But this is the same thing that's happening across all the trades. Right? The race to the face, we saw it first in 911 response because they want to see what's going on fast. But this is the same thing whether you're trying to close new business.
Trying to see the accident that just happened on site, whether you're trying to be in multiple places and multiple places. And some of my guys in construction, they're flying all over the world, all over the country doing big projects. So being able to save a plane trip, stay back home with the family one extra time is a big win. Being able to see something without leaving the dinner table, that's a big win. So you find these practical things where when you can see what's going on, especially if you're in a bidding process and that person can see you, we still is
You know, I didn't God didn't give me the prettiest face, but like it still closes deals, right? It still gets the job done and it still builds trust. So when my prospect customer, whomever I'm working with or for, can see me and I can see them, I'm gonna build that trust. Then they can show me what I need to see. Cause we have laser guidance, take photos, videos, AI is watching. You can share your screen if you need to share blueprints and all kinds of stuff. And you can do
a little bit more from the comfort of your office or if you're on a different job site and the comfort from your truck if you're managing multiple jobs. So race face is all about saving time in the truck, being the first person on the property and doing things fast because as I said, Amazon Prime, it's ruined us all. I call it the primefication of the trades. So it's it's a thing.
Jeff Williams (17:35)
Well it you know, again, it's just extraordinary. So truthfulness and transparency. an owner discovers a mistake that will delay the job or other cost of money, right? what should the first communication or conversation with a customer sound like in using live switch and some of the tools and things that you guys have? 'Cause I've I looked at and there's all kinds of you know, all kinds of tools in the toolbox though.
James Hatfield (17:59)
Yeah. I mean the main toolbox is just going from talking about it to showing me. Because as they say you know, words are something, but a picture's worth a thousand words. Well a video is worth tens of thousands of words because there's a bunch of pictures all strung together. So the first thing you gotta do when you're on the phone is now, hey, can you can you show me? And they say, How do you do that? Let me send you a text. Tap it. Okay, boom, we're on. And now you can start to see what they're seeing right in front of them. So superintendent, subcontractor, one of your guys.
Showing you exactly what you need to see as quickly as possible. And what it does, because it's recorded, it's gonna help with transparency and trust. As an example, I used to paint homes and commercial businesses head to toe. We'd do a pre-walk around, so I'll tell them what I'm gonna do. Then we do the work and I do a post-walk around after I'm done so I can get paid. Right? And everybody, you know, survey, a site, audit, your dailies, your weeklies. But when I'm doing that final walk around, sometimes
My homeowner for residential would look and see their gutters are dented. Well, who do they blame? My guys. Well, here's the thing. We didn't dent your gutters. You're just looking at your house for the first time in a while because she's pretty now. She's looking good. So if I used a video, whether I was on property or did it remotely, before I even started the work, I could go back like the NFL instant replay, we were talking about the Chicago Bears earlier.
I go back like the NFL instant replay and show that prospect, your gutters were dented before I even got on a job site or even did
Jeff Williams (19:24)
Right.
James Hatfield (19:25)
any of this. So I'm covering my assets, is what we call it. Right. And so there's a lot of times you need this stuff and not just to cover your assets, but if you're an electrician, when you put the
Jeff Williams (19:34)
Yeah.
James Hatfield (19:35)
drywall up, I can't see the wires anymore. After I've done put the footers in and I've set the foundation, I can't see where I put all of the pipes. So by taking video
Jeff Williams (19:40)
Right. So like taking video.
James Hatfield (19:43)
during the build and doing your dailies with video.
You have a rich project file of the entire build from end to end and that way people can't blame you or w withhold money of things that you where you did the work, now it's time to get paid. And I can prove it with transparency and you can check my NFL instant replay. So that's where it keeps everybody honest.
Jeff Williams (20:03)
Well that's a huge point. I know with some of the companies I've worked with and consulting and they were really poor about documentation and they didn't do any video recording of anything on the job site and so many times they didn't get paid for what they actually performed and it's tragic. It's truly tragic. And I think that's why a lot of them go upside down and go out of business and
James Hatfield (20:24)
Yeah.
Jeff Williams (20:24)
you know, so many times they do work and they do good work and they don't get paid for it and that's a tragedy. Now the other way it also goes the other way. So I don't want to really kinda end it too short here. we're about twenty twenty-five minutes into it, but really what I wanna have you do is tell a little bit more about the company, LiveSwitch and I know you're the president, so I won't ask anything this personal to you and the company or anything or investments or assets or growth, but
you know, again, I know you've got a national footprint just with the style of business you have, but do you have brick and mortar in a couple of different locations? where's the primary corporate office? And you know, people don't want to know, hey, you know, do you have a home, you know, and and where are you located? And it gives it substance and precedence to it and validation to who you really are, and you're not some guy behind the camera just, you know.
pushing it out there and which I know you're not, but so speak to that a little bit and do you have satellite offices and then the other thing is that you have this ambassador program and I was just curious what that was. I didn't quite understand what it was. So take
it away.
James Hatfield (21:25)
Yeah, I'll break it all out. You got it.
so we're a sixteen year old company. when we exited the last company, I had a lot of money. So we bought this company six years ago. they were founded in Vancouver, Canada. but now we're headquartered and I got brick and mortar in Raleigh, North Carolina. We've got a brand new building
Jeff Williams (21:38)
Good plate.
James Hatfield (21:39)
down in Apex. It's right outside of Raleigh. Beautiful building.
Jeff Williams (21:42)
Okay.
James Hatfield (21:42)
and then we just bought another building where I am today. I'm in Salt Lake City. We bought in heart of
Jeff Williams (21:48)
Yeah.
James Hatfield (21:48)
downtown Salt Lake, if you've been here.
heart heart of downtown. We had the mayor in the office and her leadership team. and I've got tons of people. we're filled the whole building up with people. and then I've got some folks in India as well, 'cause we have a global footprint. I have customers all over the world from Australia to UK, all over North America. And I got guys that are running twenty four seven. So I got a bunch of restoration companies and plumbers and electricians and
People that have to be twenty four seven. So I've got twenty-four seven support. I have large staff, tens of thousands of users on the platform. We're not going anywhere. we're privately held, plenty of money. we're not a vibe code build it out of my garage kind of company. We're we're proper. not nothing wrong with vibe coding small companies, you gotta start somewhere. But like
Jeff Williams (22:25)
Right. Nothing wrong with five types of I understand. Yep.
James Hatfield (22:29)
we're we're a little more established. I have some very large accounts and very large clients. Like we did the Super Bowl the last four years. If you go to
MLB ballpark and scan a QR code. They you on the Jumbotron. We powered that during COVID. The NBA bubble, we powered all that. WWE wrestling during co po all that. So we've been doing live video for many years and it's very difficult to do. and so we've now on the scenes, we've got in trades that we're talking about today, all the stories we've been telling. And we do have an emb ambassador program. What is that? Just people that like me. We do good work, we do good business, and some people fall in love with our stuff and they like telling other people and
They're an ambassador. It's one thing for me, the president, to talk about the company. It's another thing when I got a certified contractor telling that I'm says it off 'cause they th they love what we're doing. And that's that's a good thing. 'Cause, you know, we're still word of mouth. You what We're not word of mouth, but we're still we rely on referrals and we rely on people saying who we
Jeff Williams (23:21)
Right.
James Hatfield (23:22)
are. I so I got nothing to hide. So like we're either in fact I got thirty day money back guarantees. So if you do business with me and you ain't happy, I stand behind my stuff, I'll give you all
Jeff Williams (23:28)
Yeah, I'm my stuff for you.
James Hatfield (23:29)
your money back. So like
We're here to do good work and I got customers been with me for years. So that's a little bit about our background, a little bit about the ambassador program.
Jeff Williams (23:36)
Fantastic, fantastic, man. I appreciate that. So not taking up a little more of your time, but is there anything else that you want to put a plug out to or for on the show or how do you want to do that? And also to anybody that you wanna recognize inside your company that you're, you know, extremely, you know, partnered and proud with.
James Hatfield (23:54)
Yeah, I have one favor and then I have one homework. One favor, one homework. And then and then we're done here. All right. First
Jeff Williams (23:59)
Got it. Okay.
James Hatfield (24:01)
favor is Jeff ain't doing this to make millions of dollars, I don't think. You let me know, Jeff. Maybe
Jeff Williams (24:05)
So
James Hatfield (24:05)
you're you're you're just, you know, wildly wealthy from this. I believe Jeff is doing this because he loves his industry and loves people. And if you do me a favor, even if it's not this episode, does not even take how about don't even do my episode. Do someone else's episode with Jeff and share it. Because you don't want to be a dead end. You don't just want to be
Jeff Williams (24:20)
Right.
James Hatfield (24:21)
a consumer. You wanna be
Better to give than receive. This is age old wisdom
Jeff Williams (24:24)
Right.
James Hatfield (24:25)
that we know where that comes from. If you know, So share this, please. And you hear all this, all this influent. None of that. None of that. Jeff
Jeff Williams (24:29)
Yeah. Right.
James Hatfield (24:32)
is salt of the earth, man. Share this stuff and thank you for that. So that that's a favor. Now the homework. There's a book,
Jeff Williams (24:35)
That's a favor. Okay. Do it.
James Hatfield (24:39)
and you don't have to read it. You can also download it on a audio, like you know, your favorite audio. It's called Making Money is Killing Your Business. So if you're a business owner.
There's this little thing that business owners usually forget how to do. It's called a vacation. That I might have to tell them what that is. That's where you step away from your business and you don't actually
Jeff Williams (24:55)
Yeah.
James Hatfield (24:56)
think about it or do anything. That's not not the kind where you're on on a vacation, but you check in every ten seconds. That ain't a vacation. I'm talking about one where you can go and leave and when you come back, you're not coming back to a bunch of fires. That's when you know you you're an actual business owner and not you didn't make something that's a job.
So making money killing your business is going to tell you how to get free. It's going to tell you to free yourself
Jeff Williams (25:15)
Free I was gonna say free yourself.
James Hatfield (25:18)
and start empowering others in your company to do the work that you want them to do. And they can operate it while you run the business, work on your business, and then do this crazy thing called a vacation. Or maybe in the future you want to sell your company. So if if you can't free yourself, you can never sell it. So she won't be worth much because if you leave, the whole company leaves.
So you if
Jeff Williams (25:38)
Right.
James Hatfield (25:38)
you haven't started, today's like an oak tree, best time was a hundred years ago or today. So I need you to start that today. That's your homework. Making money's killing your business. And I don't make a dollar off that book. That's just one that I recommend to all business owners.
Jeff Williams (25:51)
That's a great recommendation. And both of those points I'll absolutely step my boots into for sure. so appreciate everything. Appreciate you being on the show. this has been a really great topic and really just enlightening to the listeners. So riding up to the hitching post question is sort of the roundup is that James, if
An owner listening could change one thing tomorrow and build a business that customers trust. And the employees what want to work for, where would you tell them to start?
James Hatfield (26:19)
There's little thing called humility and putting others above yourself. For customers, go be with I get with customers every day. I listen to They always say the customer's right, great, but do you listen to And do you do anything about it? And do they know you care because you you changed or you did something? Same with your team members, people that you that work for you or with you. Do you listen to Do you ask them questions? Do you do you actually change stuff in your business because it's their idea? And
The more you get humble and realize you don't know everything, or if you're one of those types that well, if someone else does it, they ain't gonna do it right. That's not a great mentality when you really wanna grow a business. I've grown some of the fastest growing companies in the country and I try to fire myself every six months. I've hired someone, I've trained them, I've raised them up and I gave my job. I don't need a title, they can have the title. I'm racing towards the bottom. So if you're racing towards the bottom, you get humility, you put other above yourself.
and customers above yourself because you're taking their money, it'll probably go all right with you.
Jeff Williams (27:14)
Well sounds like you're man of great integrity. And so with that, James, I'm gonna give you another shot here just to tell where they can contact you and how they can get a hold of you real quick. We'll give you that last plug and then we'll go to close on this.
James Hatfield (27:26)
Love it, LinkedIn, look up James Hatfield, like Hatfields and McCoys, yes, my great uncle's Devil Lands Hatfield. And look me up, live switch, L I V E S W I T C H Live Switch dot com and you can get to me pretty darn easy.
Jeff Williams (27:38)
James, thank you so much for joining us today and providing a bunch of tech stuff that's just cool and I know that the listeners will be jumping on your site and taking a check on you and seeing what all you got to offer and especially in the construction world. And so my contractors and general framers and the general contractors and framers and concrete guys and everything else, reach out and get a hold of James and company and you'll think yourself later.
And everyone riding with us today, thank you for listening to The Construction Cowboy Show.
Take care of your people, set up tall in your saddle and keep riding straight ahead and don't look back.
Until next time, keep your boots on the ground and tip your hat to the next person you meet.
And happy trails until we meet again.
Bye for now!