# From Teaching to Trades: Building a Thriving Renovation Business w/ AMJ Custom Renovations

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-deconstruction-podcast-7098054/from-teaching-to-trades-building-a-thriving-renovation-business-w-amj-custom-renovations
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-deconstruction-podcast-7098054/from-teaching-to-trades-building-a-thriving-renovation-business-w-amj-custom-renovations.md
Podcast: [The Deconstruction Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-deconstruction-podcast-7098054)
Published: 2025-11-09T20:53:57+00:00
Episode link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/24a9c97e
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/24a9c97e/68aff804.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-deconstruction-podcast-7098054/episodes/from-teaching-to-trades-building-a-thriving-renovation-business-w-amj-custom-renovations
Duration seconds: 3583

## Resource

What makes someone walk away from a stable career path to build something real with their hands? In this episode of The Deconstruction Podcast , we sit down with Michael Ariganello , owner of AMJ Custom Renovations , to talk about his journey from teaching to running a fast-growing renovation company in Ontario. Michael shares what it’s like starting out in a competitive market, building a trustworthy crew, balancing the tools with business strategy, and how focusing on knowledge over money has fueled his growth. We dive into the realities of the trades today—training the next generation, staying profitable in a tight economy, and how technology like Jobtable helps contractors save time, quote faster, and manage everything in one place. 👉 Learn more about Jobtable: https://www.jobtable.com Subscribe for weekly conversations with real contractors building smarter, more profitable businesses. ⏱️ Chapters / Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro + a client success story using Jobtable 02:10 – Meet Michael Ariganello & the AMJ story 04:15 – Working with family and lessons from his father 09:20 – From teaching to trades: why Michael made the switch 17:30 – The mindset and motivation behind craftsmanship 20:00 – The challenge of training apprentices in today’s trades 33:00 – Competing in a tight renovation market 39:00 – Marketing, referrals & building consistent leads 49:30 – Balancing on-site work with running the business 56:00 – How Jobtable streamlined his quoting process 58:30 – Michael’s best advice for every contractor

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