About Brent
I'm an entrepreneur at heart, I love creating and building companies and I'm passionate about watching and mentoring others to do the same thing. It's what makes America so great - the drive, passion, and freedom to build, create, and innovate.
My wife and I own 4 successful companies - Lanracorp, The Better Contractor, Obling Properties, and Dapper Gents. While I love the game of business, I also greatly enjoy mentoring and helping youth reach their dreams. I'm an active part of the local CEO program - mentoring, board member, and board chair. I truly believe that America has great opportunities still ahead and it's our job as business owners to convey this message to today's youth and help others to achieve these dreams. We should exit this life knowing we made a huge impact while here, in the world around us, through giving back, building businesses that employ hundreds, and mentoring others to do the same.
Business is a chess game, one that if played correctly will provide a few wins in life. However, it's not a chess game to take lightly - it involves a ton of grit, passion, relentless execution, and strategy. But this is what I love. But we must still win at other areas in life. If we win at business but lose at faith, fitness/health, family, or our faith - did we really win? Or did we just give up one thing to win at another. That's not success. True success is winning on all of these fronts. It's being an A-team player at life - winning, executing, and being a shining example to others. To me, the most successful people I meet have a great business, are fit, are cherished by family and friends, and who are deeply rooted in faith.
Companies:
Lanracorp is a nationwide leader in the Right of Way Clearing industry employing approximately 80 people. We created Lanracorp in 2007 because we saw a need for a different type of contractor in this space. We went all in on this concept, this idea, and as a result saw substantial growth and became a leader in this space relatively quickly. We stay focused on bringing innovation to the space, utilizing technology, purchasing newer equipment, and treating our employees like family - we use the word culture a lot because that's what it is. It's a culture of going above and beyond, about being a concierge style contractor, of demanding a higher standard. We are different. That's our strength and it's been there since day 1.
The Better Contractor is an online training and onboarding platform that we developed for companies like Lanracorp. We saw a few huge deficiencies in the contracting space - lack of proper training, high employee turnover, and poor safety procedures. All of these can end a company due to the costs and lost opportunity for running your business that way. However, most online programs were boring, people didn't want to actually watch them, and were taught by someone that didn't fully understand the industry. We fixed that. Our system is engaging, to the point, and helps each company build their own culture. It's this passion to fix things and to better an industry that led to the creation of The Better Contractor but we don't stop there. For the business owners that want more, that don't settle, and want a mentor - we provide that through business coaching services as an add-on service to the membership.
Dapper Gents is a men’s grooming lounge and menswear store located in St. Louis, MO. Again, we saw a deficiency in the industry - a place where men can get a quality cut that wasn't rushed and that was more of an experience rather than just a crappy service. Too many places were advertising to get you in and get your cut in 15 minutes or less. I'm not about that, I want a good cut and I want to enjoy it. Our cuts are 40 minutes and include a full consultation, quality cut, free drinks, and a great ambience and atmosphere. We also do old school straight razor shaves. If you want a great men’s cut and experience, Dapper Gents is the place to go.
Obling Properties is our real estate company. This is a newer company for my wife and I, but we are adding residential and commercial properties to this portfolio as opportunities present themselves.
