In this clip, Jimmy breaks down one of the most pivotal decisions he made early on: choosing to hire experienced masons and paying them more than anyone else was willing to pay. Not because it was comfortable. Not because it was easy. But because it was the fastest and most honest way to close the knowledge gap between where he was and where he wanted his company to go.
At the time, Jimmy openly admits he didn’t know enough. He was looking at jobs, bidding work, and running projects without having the depth of experience that comes from decades in the trade. Instead of pretending he had it all figured out, he made a strategic decision that most people avoid: invest heavily in people who were better than him. By paying top dollar for top talent, he wasn’t just buying labor. He was buying proximity to excellence.
Those experienced masons didn’t just show up and lay brick. They showed Jimmy how real professionals approached their work. He watched how they prepped jobs, how they mixed materials, how they handled details that most people never notice, and how they adjusted on the fly when conditions weren’t perfect. That daily exposure became an education you can’t replicate in a classroom or a manual. It was real-world learning, happening in real time, on real jobs with real consequences.
One of the biggest advantages this gave Jimmy was speed. Instead of learning through years of trial and error, he compressed the learning curve by being around people who already knew the right way to do things. He learned what quality actually looked like, not in theory, but in execution. That knowledge directly impacted how he bid jobs. He began to understand what it truly cost to do work the right way, where corners could never be cut, and what details separated average work from exceptional results.
This approach also shifted how Jimmy thought about value. Paying more upfront felt risky, especially early in the business when margins were tight and every dollar mattered. But what he gained in return far outweighed the cost. Better crews meant better outcomes. Better outcomes meant stronger relationships with clients and contractors. Stronger relationships led to more opportunities, higher-level projects, and long-term trust. The investment paid itself back repeatedly.
Jimmy also talks about how learning from elite craftsmen changed how he viewed expertise. It wasn’t just about technical skill. It was about mindset. The best masons didn’t rush. They didn’t guess. They didn’t settle for “good enough.” They took pride in details most people overlook, and that attitude carried through everything they touched. Being around that standard day after day rewired how Jimmy evaluated his own work and his company’s reputation.
As his understanding deepened, so did his confidence. He wasn’t guessing anymore. He wasn’t underbidding jobs out of fear or overpromising results he couldn’t deliver. He knew what it took to execute at a high level because he had seen it done correctly, over and over again. That clarity allowed him to communicate better with clients, set realistic expectations, and deliver results that justified the premium he charged.
What makes this clip especially powerful is how practical the lesson is. Jimmy isn’t saying everyone needs to overpay or take reckless risks. He’s showing that sometimes the smartest move isn’t saving money in the short term, but investing in education through people who already have the experience you lack. Instead of learning the hard way on every single job, he chose to learn faster by putting himself in the room with the best.
This decision also reinforced a core principle that still defines how Jimmy runs his business today: quality starts with people. Tools matter. Materials matter. Systems matter. But none of it works without the right individuals executing the work with care and professionalism. By prioritizing experienced talent early on, Jimmy built a foundation that allowed O’Neill Masonry to evolve into a company known for precision, trust, and consistency.
For anyone building a business in a trade, service industry, or entrepreneurial space, this clip hits on a hard truth. You can either spend years learning everything yourself, or you can invest in people who shorten the path. Jimmy chose the second option, and it reshaped not only how he worked, but how quickly he was able to elevate his company and his reputation.