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

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

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⏱️ 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