Brad Leavitt Podcast

Today Brad speaks with Melissa Hryszko, an interior designer at Veranda Estate Homes, a construction company with over 45 years of experience in building custom luxury homes in Calgary, Alberta and beyond. Veranda is a proud multiple SAM Award-winner, a member of the Alberta New Home Warranty Program as well as the Calgary New Home Builders Association.

Melissa speaks on Veranda’s stringent process for screening potential clients. It all starts with a ten-page questionnaire. A proposal is then drawn up based on the information given by the client through that questionnaire, as well as inspiration sent by them through a Pinterest board or photos on Instagram. Veranda then hones in on the client’s budget, the style they are looking for, and the features and elements that they would like in their home. The time it takes to get from that initial meeting to finally being on the ground typically ranges anywhere from three months to over a year.

Even when it comes to budget considerations, Veranda has a strong preference for lump sum pricing over cost plus and maintains strict standards around that budget, staying within 1% or 2% of the purchase agreement price on the move-in date. Their goal is to always keep the client in mind by being conscious of and respectful of their budget.

Listen in as Melissa further breaks down Veranda’s unique approach to pricing a project and how they communicate costs, options, and changes with their clients throughout the process, from vetting, consulting, and, finally, construction.

Topics Discussed:

• [02:38] Flexibility in selections up front?
• [04:41] Detailed budgets?
• [05:56] Budgeting for materials increased cost
• [09:41] Pushback on cost plus or lump sum
• [13:56] Allowance for the furnishing before or after breaking ground
• [16:36] Months creating design book
• [19:32] Dispute and proximity for community or neighborhood
• [22:01] The hardest part of Melissa’s job as a designer
• [23:54] How involved do the clients get?
• [25:50] Counseling clients on where to put their focus
• [27:29] Preventive maintenance for children and dogs
• [30:13] Walking through existing home to investigate lifestyle
• [31:30] Favorite part of the home design?
• [33:35] Balancing different styles of design
• [36:40] Mixture of Specs and Build-to-Suite
• [39:32] Social media management
• [43:45] Generating leads from Instagram
• [47:09] Crafting cabinetry from raw materials onsite
• [49:24] Staining cabinetry timeframe
• [51:53] Protecting high end finishes during construction
• [55:07] Vetting clients?

Connect with Guest:

• Veranda Estate Homes Website
• Veranda Estate Homes Instagram
• Veranda Estate Homes Pinterest
• Veranda Estate Homes Facebook

Connect with Brad Leavitt:

• Website 
• Instagram 
• Facebook 
• Houzz 
• Pinterest 
• YouTube 

Resources & People Mentioned:

• Rob Hryszko, President & Co-Owner Veranda Estate Homes 
• Springbank Custom Build by Veranda
• The Heather Company
• Sub-Zero Refrigerators
• Andrew Patterson of Patterson Custom Homes
• Custom Yeti Cups

Key Quotes from Episode:

• It is our job to stay as close to budget as possible, because everybody has a budget and we want to be conscious of that and respect it.
• Maybe one out of every 50 clients end up doing cost plus. Fixed price makes us accountable for construction time and all the work that goes into the home.
• The one thing that drives me to start a new project is to do something unique and different.
• As Rob says, we wear two hats. We wear a developer hat and we wear a builder hat.

Today Brad speaks with Nick Schiffer, owner of NS Builders, where he leads a team to renovate homes for private clients in and around Boston. Nick is also the Co-Host of The Modern Craftsman podcast alongside John Hourihan and Tyler Grace where they interview a variety of professionals involved with the trades.

NS Builders started out as a one-man carpentry company with relatively small ambitions. That was, until Nick began to hire and discovered the power of leveraging his time while scaling the business. He also started to become active on social media through which he built his brand. He continued to express his affinity for entrepreneurship as he grew his audience, accepted a wider variety of jobs, and looked to influencers outside of the construction industry (such as Gary Vaynerchuk) for tips and strategies to keep expanding his ventures.

Today, NS Builders is made up of 20 people and counting. Nick has fully embraced his role as entrepreneur. He spends his days looking to expand on the company’s existing systems and processes to be able to free himself up even more and focus on his vision going forward.

Listen in as Nick shares how he vets clients, the right time to hire and how to support the payroll, when to be more aggressive with your markup and when to taper back, why he actually enjoys self-performing carpentry jobs whenever possible, and how paying attention to his competitors allows Nick to further define his branding and sales process.

Episode Sponsor:

• Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove - Schedule an appointment at your nearest showroom

Topics Discussed: 

• 02:49 - What made you become an entrepreneur and home builder
• 06:50 - Nick would like more flexibility on job site with team
• 10:32 - High level budgets for clients
• 18:41 - A vision and dream to build homes
• 21:01 - Sticking to a specific aesthetic and style
• 24:44 - What makes a “modern” home?
• 27:13 - Hiring and bookkeeping best practices
• 33:51 - Justifying your annual budget
• 56:57 - Self performing
• 01:09:13 - Investing in the company: Beyond the balance sheet
• 01:22:33 - Progressive Marketing
• 01:26:38 - How much Nick, as the face of his company, involves himself in projects

Connect with Guest:

• NS Builders Website
• NS Builders Instagram
• NS Builders Linkedin
• The Modern Craftsman Podcast

Connect with Brad Leavitt:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Houzz
• Pinterest
• YouTube

Resources & People Mentioned:

• Gary Vaynerchuk 
• Snapchat 
• Steve Baczek
• Shawn Van Dyke
• Quickbooks 
• Buildertrend 
• Monday Software
• Asana Software 
• Slack Software 
• Bill.Com 
• Hub Dock 
• Receipt Bank 
• Revealed on YouTube 
• Tyler with TRG Home Concepts
• John Hourihan of Vintage Builders 
• The Modern Craftsman Podcast

Key Quotes from Episode:

• As builders, it seems like we’re expected to know more about a project’s potential problems than doctors are expected to know about a patient’s problems.
• What’s the number that scares you? Let’s figure that number out first, because if we can figure out the number that scares you, then we know what your real budget is.
• People oftentimes try to portray something as modern, when it’s just not. It’s more than style or features. There have to be moments in the home. It has to be an experience.
• When you understand what it takes to run your business and equate that to what you need to do in sales, you’ll be able to better decide on which jobs to take and which to turn down.
• When you’re operating at such a high level, it’s so much easier to spot mistakes.
• Choose to be the loudest person. If I’m not going to share how we do something, someone else is. And if that someone else happens to be the guy down the street, guess who gets the call.

D. J. shares his path to becoming an offensive lineman in the NFL and the mentors that guided him down that path, which includes his father, former wide receiver D. J. Humphries, Sr. He then describes his thought process going into his decision to join Florida after being recruited by virtually every Division I program in the country.

D. J. then talks about the “loss of structure once you leave the building” that he was faced with after being drafted into the NFL. Being his own “sole proprietor” as a professional athlete, D. J. needed to make his own judgement calls throughout his young career. This consisted of everything from the business of being a player in the NFL down to figuring out how he uniquely performed as an athlete and how far he was willing to push himself (even while injured).

Finally, D. J. dives deep into the topic of leadership and team culture, not just within football, but when it comes to sports in general. He explains his mindset that always pushes to “bridge the gap” of misunderstandings and other conflicts between team members, and why open communication and having tough conversations are a must in order to understand cultural differences and maximize the synergy of a team.

Episode Sponsors:

• Buildertrend - The World's #1 Construction Management Software
• Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove - Schedule an appointment at your nearest Showroom
• Kohler - Register for Kohler@Home event on February 2 & 3, 2021

Topics Discussed:

• 03:35 - Offensive line a kid
• 07:18 - Excepting the position
• 14:25 - Mentors
• 22:20 - Playing basketball with father
• 24:40 - D. J.’s perspective on how the NFL has drastically evolved over the past decade
• 28:55 - How D. J. made his big decisions back in high school, including choosing Florida
• 31:05 - Did campus culture play a part in helping D. J. decide which school to go to?
• 42:00 - Worrying about somebody replacing me
• 46:40 - How do you stay healthy
• 50:10 - What makes for a great team culture?
• 55:00 - Open minded & understanding equal rights
• 01:05:00 - Why maturity begins when you become unafraid of “being dumb”

Connect with DJ Humphries:

• Instagram @hump

Connect with Brad Leavitt:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Houzz
• Pinterest
• YouTube

Resources & People Mentioned:

• Arizona Cardinals
• Kyler Murray
• Odell Beckham Jr.
• Mallard Creek High School
• Mike Palmieri 
• The Blind Side Movie
• Mo Collins
• LeCharles Bentley
• Offensive Line Performance
• The Offensive Linemen Whisperer: LeCharles Bentley by NFL Films
• AQ Shipley
• Corey Peters
• My Dad Means the World to me article
• SEC
• Celtics-Lakers Rivalry
• Jimmy Graham
• Jonathan Ogdan 
• Haason Reddick
• Aaron Donald
• Kliff Kingsbury
• Lamar Jackson
• AZ Cardinals all-time rushing leaders from 1920 - 2020
• J.R Sweezy
• Russell Westbrook
• Florida Gators College Football 
• LSU College Football
• Les Miles
• The Burger Barn in Hawthorne, FL
• Dr. Brian Harris with Smile Virtual
• Joey Bosa
• Terry Holt
• Joshua Miles
• Josh Jones
• DJ Asking Camera Guy Why He is Following Him Video

Key Quotes by DJ Humphries:

• I feel like I’m a pretty smart guy, but I don’t like being forced to learn things that I don’t want to learn.
• Once I figured out how bad it feels to play injured, I became effective at playing injured. If I’m hurting, I’m playing. If I can play injured and still be effective, I’ll be fine.
• Having synergy and being accountable to each other, not just in sports but even in business, is huge.
• Bringing together people who come from different backgrounds and have different experiences all comes down to having an open mind. I can’t be pissed off if I can’t explain my side. This is where, as humans, we have to bridge the gap by wanting to learn from one another.

Today Brad speaks with California-based interior designer Lindsey Borchard of Lindsey Brooke Design. With a background as an artist, Lindsey has a penchant for thinking out of the box, making sure each and every project is uniquely bespoke to her clients’ specific vision. Lindsey mixes “earthy textures with bold textiles” and curates “vintage finds with contemporary elements,” pulling all her “inspiration from the beautiful California landscapes she has called home all her life.”

Lindsey also hosts Design Camp, a four-day retreat offering training, support, and opportunities to network with other professionals in the design community.

Lindsey shares how she learned to build and manage an interior design business; the traits that make a builder or architect worth partnering with; best practices for establishing a budget and renegotiating around changes, limitations, and setbacks; what led her to start her four-day retreat, Design Camp, and her tips for those looking to start an interior design business today.

Sponsored by: 

Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove: Find your nearest showroom and schedule an appointment by visiting www.subzero-wolf.com/showroom

Topics Discussed:

• 05:32 - Mentality of abundance opposed to mentality of scarcity 
• 09:13 - Equal passion for business and interior design 
• 10:25 - Respect for woman in the industry 
• 13:11 - How builders can be better
• 24:03 - Managing budgets 
• 28:12 - Challenges on warranty and product procurement 
• 31:21 - Logistics of products 
• 39:21 - Design Camp 
• 51:27 - What Lindsey would do differently if she started Lindsey Brooke Design today
• 55:30 - Educating clients on design 
• 01:03:21 - New and upcoming  for Lindsey Borchard

Connect with Guest:

• Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Design Camp

Connect with Brad Leavitt:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Houzz
• Pinterest
• YouTube

Resources & People Mentioned:

• The Identite Collective
• Anastasia Casey & The Identite Collective
• Kristen Forgione
• The Lifestyled Co

Key Quotes by Lindsey:

• When you are confident in your design, your company, and what your values are, you’re going to have a better business and a better experience for yourself, your clients, and everybody else involved, whether that’s the painter, the builder, or the architect.
• Builders and architects who have open minds and open hearts and listen to us, considering themselves as part of this one team as opposed to two separate companies—these are the builders and architects that I love working with.
• I have to establish a budget upfront. I do not want to start designing without knowing my budget.
• I always tell my contractors: “If there’s a problem, do not go to the client first. You have to come to me, because I will not go to a client with a problem unless I have a solution ready.”
• Open communication is a must in any relationship, whether personal or professional.

Today Brad speaks with the team at AFT Construction, including Senior Construction Manager Adam Cade, Project Managers Spencer Nield and Paul Lundgren, and Superintendent Andrew Clark.

The team share their individual experiences so far in their careers at AFT, from their specific roles, to their approach to solving project or client-related challenges, to their biggest lessons learned, to company culture best practices.

Topics Discussed:

• 03:34 What makes a project successful?
• 07:41 What sets apart a good architect from others?
• 11:56 How Andrew deals with difficult clients
• 16:07 What makes a good superintendent?
• 19:25 What makes a valuable trade partner?
• 21:46 How Spencer and Paul manage their schedule, especially with multiple projects
• 24:03 How often should a superintendent communicate with their client?
• 27:17 Adam’s typical schedule as a Senior Construction Manager
• 29:57 The process a project goes through, from coordination to completion
• 31:41 What Spencer and Paul learned from Adam and Brad during their time at AFT
• 36:26 The biggest lesson Andrew learned at AFT
• 41:25 The biggest lesson Adam learned at AFT
• 46:46 The biggest lesson Paul learned at AFT
• 48:19 Andrew’s role at AFT and how that role expanded
• 52:36 How Adam’s mindset evolved over time at AFT
• 54:35 Skillsets that Spencer brought to AFT
• 56:36 One thing Paul didn’t know about Brad that still surprises him
• 58:33 What Andrew pushes himself to do better at
• 59:50 What Adam looks at when hiring someone
• 1:01:04 Advice Spencer would give to someone who wants to work at AFT
• 1:02:22 Paul on the culture of AFT and his advice to someone who want to be part of it
• 1:02:54 How AFT forced Andrew to change his views on prioritizing and organization
• 1:04:56 What got Spencer into the trades?
• 1:07:28 Who inspires Paul on IG?
• 1:08:08 What Andrew has tried to emulate from Brad or others at AFT
• 1:09:17 How Adam trains others to understand and implement what he’s communicating
• 1:10:39 How a company can better handle change orders
• 1:12:20 What makes for great company culture?
• 1:12:54 What helped Andrew get to where he is today at AFT?
• 1:15:23 What systems and tools should be in place as AFT continues to scale
• 1:16:20 How involved Paul is when communicating with a client throughout a project
• 1:17:07 How many projects should each superintendent and manager get at a time?
• 1:17:31 What the team is excited about going into 2021
• 1:20:55 Two features that any custom home should have
• 1:21:38 Who’s the best golfer?

Connect with Brad Leavitt: 

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Houzz
• Pinterest
• YouTube

Resources & People Mentioned: 

• Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove Showroom
• Bluebeam
• Buildertrend
• ECS Homes Instagram 
• Matt Risinger of Risinger Build Instagram 
• Builders of Insta 
• John Merrit 

Key Quotes:

• A successful project starts with communication.
• Be tenacious. Things just don’t come easy by mistake.
• The number one thing we look at when we’re hiring is personality, and number two is work ethic.
• Come to AFT knowing that you’re going to learn something, and have that desire to learn.
• A lot of confidence emanates from knowledge.

Dr. Leila Peterson is the founder of Prescribed Health and Beauty as well as Prescribed Design. She is a business owner who only recently relocated her medical practice from San Antonio, Texas to Gilbert, Arizona in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.

Leila speaks on how she managed the many factors involved in building a company while making this crucial transition in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. These factors, which she discusses in-depth in this episode, include marketing, networking, hiring, purchasing, doing a construction buildout, tenant improvements, and more.

Topics Discussed:

• 03:38 The biggest challenge involved in moving the business to Gilbert
• 04:31 Building a network from scratch in a new environment
• 07:18 Dealing with the construction of a new facility during the pandemic
• 10:29 Leila’s tenant improvement (TI) experience
• 14:47 Why Leila and her husband decided to move to a new location
• 17:54 Building your client base
• 24:18 How Leila defines great customer service
• 26:52 Making sure your clients’ needs are adequately met
• 28:27 How often Leila trains her team
• 30:40 The benefits of collaborating with other medical providers and educating clients
• 34:07 Dealing with negativity online
• 38:40 Establishing your brand and hiring best practices
• 41:58 How much people usually spend on botox
• 44:02 Using social media content to further educate patients on diet
• 46:38 How often families should visit their clinic and age/gender-specific must-knows
• 49:06 Working around limitations brought on by COVID-19 regarding meeting patients
• 52:14 Leila’s vision for her practice in 2021
• 55:37 Which social media platform Leila finds the most success on
• 57:23 What to expect from Prescribed Health in the coming months

Connect with Guest:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Pinterest

Connect with Brad Leavitt:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Houzz
• Pinterest 
• YouTube

Resources & People Mentioned:

• TI (Tenant Improvement) 
• HIPPA 
• Prescribed Design 

Key Quotes from Episode:

• Customer service is all about how you make someone feel and the value you provide.
• If I can provide excellent customer service and good bedside manner, people want to come back to see me or share things with me that they may be uncomfortable sharing with someone else.
• I use social media to educate and provide value to my clients.
• Obesity is the leading cause of so many things, including anxiety and depression. It’s a big problem facing society and we need to get a handle on it.
• In any business, if you can show clients your process, then they’ll realize and become more comfortable with what they’re getting into.

Shawn Van Dyke is a construction business coach, an international keynote speaker, and author of two books: Profit First for Contractors and The Paperwork Punch List.

Most contractors are not profitable, which makes them feel uncertain about what they need to grow their construction businesses. Shawn believes that construction business owners should be as good at business as they are at their craft. That’s why, after 20+ years of owning and operating multiple construction businesses, Shawn became a construction business coach. He now works with construction business owners, executives, and managers all over the world and shows them how to stop losing profits and wasting time.

Shawn helps contractors get their lives back. He is the founder of the Built to Build Academy, which creates confident construction business owners through on-demand training and coaching programs so you can make more money, stop worrying, and get your life back.

Shawn shares a lot of insight on how to hire, build a company culture, how much time to spend on marketing, what best practices to keep in mind when spreading your message, lump sum versus cost-plus, and establishing trust with your clients.

Topics Discussed:

• 05:43 Gaining confidence as a coach and public speaker
• 11:10 Mastering sales
• 15:52 Balancing empathy towards customers with the needs of the business
• 19:18 The power of “no”
• 22:39 Guiding your clients through the decision-making process
• 28:24 Answering the three questions of the “delight trifecta” to save thousands of dollars
• 34:26 The number one mistake contractors make when running their business
• 37:16 Hiring “above the line”
• 40:33 Identifying what you hate doing in the business to know who to hire
• 43:17 Understanding “transparency” and how to achieve it with your customers
• 48:39 Lump sum versus cost-plus
• 56:04 When to use cost-plus pricing, especially with supply chain issues amid COVID-19
• 1:01:11 The right way to think about profit first
• 1:06:53 The value in having systems
• 1:10:46 Intentional marketing using social media
• 1:15:40 The importance of sticking to your core message in your marketing efforts

Connect with Guest: 

• Instagram @shawnvandyke
• Instagram @profitfirstcontractor
• Instagram @builttobuildacademy
• Website
• YouTube
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Linkedin

Resources & People Mentioned:

• Built to Build Academy
• Profit First for Contractors by Shawn Van Dyke
• Ted Talks
• The Science Behind TED’s 18-Minute Rule
• Start with No by Jim Camp
• Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss

Key Quotes by Shawn:

• As a business owner, you’re there to make an emotional connection with people first, because if they don’t buy into what you’re doing on an emotional level, it doesn’t matter how good the information is.
• Your business starts with sales.
• “Yes” is a lie; “maybe” is worthless; “no” is a decision. Get to the “no” as quickly as possible. Invite your clients to tell you “no” from the get-go.
• You never, ever, ever, ever want to surprise the client; but you want to delight them constantly.
• The biggest mistake I see with business owners is them thinking that they have to be the one who figures everything out and waiting too long to bring in an expert.
• Transparency is not trust.
• I would rather try to sell my value upfront and then perform a great project than to justify it afterwards.
• You can only price what you know.
• You can only spend 100% of your income on your business
• Money—profit—is a measure of effectiveness. The more effective you are with your customers, employees, and community, the more money you’re going to make. The more money that you make, the more you can do great things with it.
• Systems provide truth: Our systems are either working, or they’re not.
• Word of marketing sucks if you don’t control the words people are saying.

Lisa J. Wood is the owner of an interior design firm based in Asheville, North Carolina. She helps “busy professionals plan, design and construct homes so personalized that they are the perfect respite, for now and their futures.” She is also a Certified Living In Place Professional (CLIPP) Ambassador.

Lisa is on a mission to elevate the way homes are built and created. She is trained as an interior designer and has a unique 20+ year background in communications, project management, team building, corporate sales leadership, business development, and innovative design solutions.

Listen in as Lisa discusses networking on social media, how we can balance budget and client expectations, and, most importantly, thinking about the value of design as an investment in your day-to-day health and happiness.

Topics Discussed: 

• 03:43 How builders can nurture a stronger working relationship with designer
• 07:49 Pitching your vision to a production builder
• 09:41 The little things that add up to improving a home’s livability
• 13:14 Maximizing your realtor’s ability to find the right home for you
• 17:52 How to respectfully disagree with a client’s suggestion
• 22:35 Agreeing on a cost-effective design with your architect
• 32:32 Budgeting for a balance of good design and livability
• 42:08 What is ergonomic design?
• 48:44 Staying current as an interior designer
• 54:00 Pricing and marketing yourself in your marketplace
• 56:36 Lisa’s Ripley’s Believe It Or Not experience

Connect with Guest:

• Website 
• Instagram 
• Facebook 
• Pinterest 
• YouTube 
• Linkedin 

Connect with Brad Leavitt: 

• Website 
• Instagram 
• Facebook 
• Houzz 
• Pinterest 
• YouTube 

Resources & People Mentioned:

• Asheville, North Carolina 
• WingIts 
• Baby Boomers 
• Kathleen Anderson 
• Biophilic Design 
• Floral Design 
• Living In Place Institute 
• Profit First by Mike Michalowicz 
• Fix This Next by Mike Michalowicz 
• Ripleys Believe it Or Not 

Key Quotes from Episode:

• Good design really should be inclusive and not exclusive.
• Nobody ever needs to live in an ugly home.
• When considering the design of your home, don’t just ask how you live and function in the home, but also who is coming to your home.
• People are only living in about 40% of their home.
• It is scientifically proven that people can heal, reduce anxiety, and have more joy in life when they are in a well-designed space that makes them feel good.

Johnny Hourihan is the co-owner of Vintage Builders, the co-host of The Modern Craftsman Podcast, and one of the four brand ambassadors for Fine HomeBuilding Magazine by The Taunton Press.

What are those things we wish we had known when we started in business? What are things we’re doing now that we would have fast-tracked had we known their importance from the beginning? For instance, when is the right time to hire for certain roles, or how much should certain staff members be paid? We discuss questions like these and other specifics that all business owners should know and understand in order to have a thriving company.

Listen in as Johnny discusses how to deal with the drastic lead times companies face today as a result of COVID-19, dealing with team members and clients as people instead of as procedures, and managing your finances as you hire and scale up your business.

Topics Discussed:

• 04:21 How Johnny built his construction company
• 18:29 How having a strong brand allows you to have more effective loss leaders
• 26:11 The importance of looking at all the financial considerations when hiring
• 29:27 Justifying your price to a prospective customer
• 32:40 Which part of the business does Johnny focus on the most now, three years in?
• 43:12 Hiring the right people and retraining them as the business grow
• 57:59 Treating your team and clients like your family
• 1:09:07 Knowing when you have enough of a cushion to take a financial risk
• 1:17:01 Building your credit and risk tolerance
• 1:24:15 Promoting the trade to the next generation

Connect with Guest:

• Website
• Instagram Vintage Builders
• Instagram Vintage Development INC
• Instagram The Modern Craftsman
• Instagram John Hourihan
• Facebook
• The Modern Craftsman Podcast

Connect with Brad Leavitt:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Houzz
• Pinterest
• YouTube

Resources & People Mentioned:

• Wentworth Institute of Technology
• Great Recession 2007-2009
• Benny Fuller Instagram 
• TRG Home Concepts Instagram
• Linkedin
• Architectural Digest
• Kuiken Brothers
• Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek
• Aluminum Shortage
• Stairs
• Builder Trend
• Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss & Tahl Raz
• Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
• Keep Craft Alive
• Fine Home Building

Key Quotes from Episode:

• Know your numbers, track your numbers, and evaluate them as you bring employees into the mix. Do those numbers still work after you’ve begun to hire?
• Only the top 10% of our industry gets repeat business.
• Finding the right hires is like finding the right clients. It’s not just about checking off the boxes. Find the little things, the idiosyncrasies, that reveal each person’s character.
• Adhering to the letter of the law instead of the spirit of the law with regards to your processes only gives you a false sense of security as a business owner.
• We’re not in the business of finding problems. We’re in the business of finding solutions.
• Before leaving any conversation with any client, ask them questions to make sure you’re both on the same page.

Randy Coffin is the President of Coffin & Trout Fine Jewelers. Randy has worked in the industry of jewelry design and craftsmanship for many years. He started out as a bench jeweler in 1975. He was inspired to start his jewelry career from an early exposure to fine arts, and an interest in using his God-given talents to design and create amazing works of art. Randy and his business partner David Trout met in 1979. They had an instant connection as they noticed similarities in each other’s beliefs on what jewelry could be.

In our conversation today, we get into construction, customer service, and a myriad of other tips on running a jewelry business.

Listen in as Randy discusses how to build a strong reputation in the jewelry industry, what he looks for in a diamond, working and nurturing trust with suppliers and customers, his passion for colored gemstones, and how he takes a client’s vision from idea to reality.

Topics Discussed: 

• 04:06 How to become an expert in grading a diamond
• 08:14 What it means to “sell jewelry on consignment”
• 10:28 Building a strong reputation to gain the trust of suppliers in the jewelry industry
• 12:17 What Randy looks for in a diamond
• 18:54 Natural versus lab-created diamonds
• 22:34 Building a jeweler’s supply chain
• 25:52 How Randy developed a trustworthy reputation in the business
• 29:04 How Randy evaluates potential suppliers
• 36:12 Creating long-term relationships with your customers
• 37:41 Going above and beyond as a business owner
• 40:41 Randy’s process from meeting the customer to delivering the final product
• 50:17 How Randy keeps his staff happy
• 53:52 Working with prestige companies like Rolex to acquire custom pieces for clients
• 56:43 Randy on his passion for charity
• 59:09 Randy talks about a few unique pieces he brought in

Connect with Coffin & Trout Fine Jewelers:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Pinterest

Connect with Brad Leavitt:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Houzz
• Pinterest
• YouTube

Resources Mentioned: 

• Gemological Institute of America
• Standard Jewelry Abbreviations
• J.B.T (Jewelers Board of Trade)
• AGTA Spectrum Awards
• Somewhere in the Rainbow
• Crescendo Blue Sapphire and Diamond Pave Platinum Ring

Key Quotes by Randy:

• It’s not always the most expensive diamond that stands out.
• I don’t have any problems with lab-created diamonds; but I’d just say, “Buyer beware.”
• Be consistent and follow the practices that you would want others to follow. Go above and beyond.
• One of the value-adds for me and my business, and one of the things that I’ve enjoyed more than anything else, is that whole customer relations thing. I’ve met more people than I can tell you that I’d either gone to dinner with, in many cases traveled with, or gone to their homes in another state, or fly-fished with. I’ve made more friends in my business than outside my business by far.