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“In my travels, I have the opportunity to work with the best and the brightest in the construction industry. I also get the opportunity to work with some real knuckleheads,” says Nic Bittle. Those knuckleheads gave him an idea for a new book that produced a 4,000% return on investment.
Bittle, who lives in the little farm town of Corn, Oklahoma, is booked solid traveling the nation helping contractors through presentations, workshops and tools he has developed that are designed to support the foremen learning process.
Before he published his new side hustle book, Bittle’s 9-year-old son Cruze, who was making money with his own side hustles like raising calves and selling honey, asked Dad to explain the concept of investing.
“Cruze had a pretty solid handle on earning, but saving was his downfall,” said Bittle. “Cruze likes buying Legos, knives and extra snacks at ballgames. I explained how I have invested some of my savings in the different books I have written. I grabbed a copy of one of my books and explained how much it cost to have it printed and every time I sell a copy I get a return on my investment. I also explained there is a risk to every investment. There are no guarantees.”
Bittle was already the author of the book Good Foreman, Bad Foreman. “The book is for good foremen who want to become better leaders,” says Bittle, who runs a company called Work Force Pro that helps contractors who want to prepare and develop their workforce to lead with impact.
Cruze made an offer to invest his savings in his Dad’s next book. That was a shrewd move.
Through the years Bittle often heard foremen complain about the new generation of apprentices. So he decided to do a survey of his workshop attendees and asked 10,000 foremen the following three questions:
- What one piece of advice would you give someone entering this industry?
- What training do our apprentices most desperately need they are not already receiving?
- What one decision did you make that had the most significant impact on your life and career?
“The thousands of foremen and leaders in my workshops have told me it is the simple things about the business the apprentices are failing at,” says Bittle. “The common-sense stuff that is not all that common anymore is where those who the foremen lead need to step it up.”
Bittle knew apprentice training programs are typically 36 weeks in length. He determined from the survey the most needed subjects and turned it into 36 chapters. He also produced a companion video curriculum.
Bittle titled his 174-page book Know This, Do That. The book is for those who want to go from apprentice to journeyman. He says it is the field guide for every apprentice who wants to put ideas into action and make them stick.
“The book is filled with the advice of those who have been there, who have walked the halls of the apprentice programs, those who, through their blood, sweat and tears, have built a successful career and a life worth living in this industry,” says Bittle.
Bittle targeted 658 union construction apprenticeship programs in the country. He mailed copies of the book with a Post- it Note that said: “Check out this book and video curriculum that can help change the way our apprentices look at their career.” He sent 355 follow-up emails and made 242 phone calls.
While he got 625 no answers, he also got 33 yes answers for a 5% response rate.
“Some people think rejection doesn’t bother me; it does,” says Bittle. “But rejection doesn’t stop me.”
Apprenticeship programs started ordering books by the cases. More important, the investment produced a 40x return (4000% ROI) through book and video sales. This translates to a six-figure return.
Bittle asks these questions in his book: “How are you investing in your career? How are you investing in yourself? And how are you investing in others?”
For years I have documented similar cases of consultant book efforts resulting in returns of 400% to 2,000% ROI. Bittle’s little book Know This, Do That is the record setter. More impressive, it’s a leverage play because Bittle did not have to make the money traveling the country giving more workshops.
“Cruze is now 12 and seeing a nice return on his investment,” says Bittle, “although I don’t think I am going to let him spend it all on Legos, knives and snacks.”
