Bucket Talk

Meet Terry and Kyle Dutton, the father and son tag team duo that spends their days cutting stone by hand. Based in Rockport, MA, they have accumulated a large social media following by sharing with the world laborious footage of their hand splitting process and stone masonry. In this special episode of Bucket Talk,Jeremy and Eric visit the duo for our very first on-site interview, as the Rockport team works on finishing a retaining wall and walkway. Tune in as we learn about their family’s humble beginnings in stonework, hand splitting, and the rich history behind American stone masonry, among other topics.

Going back to 1969, Terry got his start in masonry after returning from Vietnam. Him and his wife bought their first home with money he had never spent while in the military. Terry needed a retaining wall built on the side of his property. After asking a few masons, he was shocked at the price of the project and decided that he could do it himself. Terry began taking trips to the nearby quarry to collect small pieces of material from the discard pile to build his wall.

“I ran into the person that used to own the quarry called Pearson... He's like, so son, what are you doing? And I'm like, ‘Well, I'm trying to build a little wall in my side yard.’ And he looked at me and he said, ‘Anybody willing to climb up and down the pile that much to put stones in their truck - God bless you, you can have all you want.’ And he gave me a few pointers on how things were cut in and everything else.”

From there, Terry attracted the attention of neighbors and friends who saw his stone work and started inquiring about small projects. He began working with different types of materials and finding a deeper understanding of masonry. As time went on, Terry refined his stone work skills and began building his lifelong career in the trade.

“The real stone work didn't start till probably 25 or 30 years ago, when I really, really started to understand the process that was involved in cutting, trimming and fitting the way it should be. It's kind of sad. It's one of those things where if you go back and look at some of the work you did 40 or 45 years ago, you're like, wow, I could have done that so much better.”

Terry’s son, Kyle, has been working under his father on and off since high school. Originally, Kyle pursued a college degree in Sports Medicine, and would work with stone on the side. However, he was stopped short after being diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma in his 20’s. After recovery, Kyle eased back into the labor force again by working with his father. Through the years of switching between different jobs, he learned that working with stone is what he enjoys best.

“...at the end of the day you have a literal pile to show for yourself like ‘this is what I did today. This is what we got done today.’ And it's the same thing with building and I find that to be like this incontrovertible satisfaction… At the end of the day, you go home and you sleep well, because you're like, ‘This is what I got done.’”

Terry and Kyle started hand splitting stone as part of their core business during a project for Rockport National Bank in 2009. Up until then, they focused strictly on masonry work. For this particular project, they had to source a large quantity of granite from two different quarries.

“Some of the contractors that also do granite work, saw the quality of the material that we were cutting for the project, and asked us if we could in turn cut material for them if they needed it. And it blossomed from there initially… to the part that it is now where it's at least half of our time is spent cutting stone.”

Part of what drives Terry and Kyle is their shared passion for masonry and the rich history behind the trade. American stonework dates back centuries in time to when many of the modern tools were not available. While it is often taken for granted at face value, those who are familiar with the trade can recognize the skill and labor that was required.

“It's crazy that the reach of this stuff and again, you know, all of this was done back in the late 18, early 1900s, talking about... getting it to the trains via oxen. And the big gerrymander carts... you look at the history, and even just what that took in labor and manpower just to even get started. It's really neat.”

To an onlooker, hand splitting stone might seem like cruel and torturous work. It’s not an easy job in any sense. But for Terry and Kyle, the intense labor is highly rewarding and driven by passion. Through decades of hard work and dedication, the father and son duo have become rock stars in the fascinating world of masonry.

From working for his neighbors landscaping company, to starting his own business, to bankrupting that business, to starting a second business that is thriving, Caleb Auman has experienced all the pains and rewards of entrepreneurship firsthand. Founder and owner of Auman Landscaping LLC based in Southeast Ohio, his company specializes in landscape design construction and contracting services for a wide range of clients. Through 20 years in the industry, Caleb has put his knowledge and business skills to the ultimate test, creating an empire that will outlast his legacy for years to come. Join us as Jeremy and Eric sit down with Caleb to learn about his early career, bankruptcy, properly scaling, the key to long term business, and much more in this extremely informative episode of Bucket Talk.

Starting in the “gateway” to trades, Caleb began work mowing grass at age 15 for his vocational agriculture teacher. At 16, he was eager to work for himself and began his own company. Caleb bought a mower and trailer with a small loan, and began finding his own clients.

“I was so excited to mow my first property that I got turned away from it because I was too early in the season. I stopped to mow a place - like one of my first properties I ever got - in like mid-February, and the guy's like ‘Man, I don't think we need cut.’”

As a young business owner in the industry, Caleb’s enthusiasm for landscaping continued to grow through the years. He began reading about landscape construction and working on small projects, before eventually enrolling in Columbia State’s landscape design build program. During this time, his professors inspired Caleb to become a more strategic businessman.

“...they were adamant about, you know, being a professional and running a legitimate company and turning the image of the trade around… not being a bunch of shirtless guys out working in the yard.. and purposely trying to elevate the industry... command better prices and more respect for the industry… pricing yourself and your work better.”

Equipped with the knowledge to build his empire, Caleb began applying his teachings to his landscaping business. However, his enthusiasm to scale the company quickly outweighed his mental preparedness and eventually led to his demise. In practice, his business was doing great. But when it came to finances, taxes, and administrative work, he fell behind.

“I wasn't in so much debt as I was just in terrible tax debt and terrible tax issues, and the bureaucracy and paperwork and stuff that comes with that. And long story short, just completely crashed the company and filed bankruptcy the whole bit and learned so much from that I had to learn from rock bottom kind of stuff.”

Applying lessons from his failures to his second business, Caleb became more disciplined in his strategic approach and has been thriving ever since. He learned to properly scale his company by focusing on his strengths, while outsourcing his weaknesses to other people.

“The number one thing there is you have to be a businessman. First you have to pay attention to numbers. And if you can't be a businessman... you have no reason to be in business... And I was a technician... I didn't delegate the business aspect of it to anyone. And I didn't do it myself. So it slipped through the cracks… The biggest thing is just learning, you know how to delegate that stuff out, as soon as you can afford to delegate out your weaknesses so that you can focus on what you're strong on and just go crazy on what you're good at.”

Caleb has successfully built his new company by placing a strong emphasis on areas such as customer service, employee satisfaction, community engagement, and more. By doing so, he is playing the long game both externally and internally to maintain a well-rounded, thriving business.

“That's the key to long business… I look at businesses that I admire locally and people I know. And I mean that that's how they look at it, a lot of the most successful businesses I know that are in the trades, that is their policy, they're in it for the long game, they're not in at the turn a quick buck. And that's just it at the end of the day. And they have long standing companies that are wealthy, and well off and well respected.”

At age 40 and in the industry for about twenty years, Caleb is always looking for new business opportunities, while staying mindful to balance his workload with family life. Looking to the future, he is looking to create a business that will outlast him for years to come. From the depths of financial hell to building a successful company, Caleb has endured the ups and downs of an entrepreneur to reap the rewards of hard work, discipline, and determination.

From building houses to building his own business, Garrett Davis a.k.a. Bub is living the dream. Garrett is the owner and founder of G.W. Davis Company based in Central Maine. Through his 16 years in the carpentry world, he has endured the ups and downs of overcoming a turbulent battle with alcoholism and substance abuse. Now in his mid-thirties, Garrett is four years sober and business is booming for his company. Listen in as Jeremy and Eric sit down with Bub to discuss his early career, building houses in New England, addiction, tool belts, and many other topics in this very special episode of Bucket Talk.

Starting in frame work after high school, Garrett learned early on that he enjoyed building things from scratch. Coming from a family of college-educated businessmen and women, he took his own path building houses after deciding that college was not for him. Instead, Garrett started building houses with his uncle for most of his early adulthood.

“I was just the guy getting everybody everything except I always wanted to understand what I was handing them.. I knew like if I was going to make a living doing this I wanted to excel I wanted to be better I wanted to have a skill set”

On the jobsite, he mostly helped with simple tasks by assisting the other workers before moving into finish work. What set Garrett apart from others was his fascination with the process of building a house. Instead of just working for the sake of paying bills, he wanted to understand the bigger picture.

“I feel like a lot of younger kids nowadays do not have that mindset, they're just ready to make a paycheck and they don't give a shit what they're handing, they just want to get through the day and that was not me.”

As Garretts career progressed, he began doing jobs that required more detail such as baseboards and door trim, then eventually kitchen, bathroom, and deck renovations. After a falling out with his Uncle, he moved on to working for a company in Portland, ME along with various jobs in between. These experiences laid the foundation for his future work (and eventually, his future home).

“I really, I really enjoy doing everything from the ground up. Like I love seeing a pile of dirt turn into a foundation, I love seeing a foundation turned into a house, and I just love finishing it”

After working through several jobs, Garrett eventually decided to start his own business and build houses on his own at age 26. Among some of the reasons influencing this decision, he often struggled keeping jobs due to his lifestyle and wanted to work for himself.

“And maybe I'd show up on Monday, maybe I wouldn't and then finally do that (until) like 26… I was really quick to make decisions when I was not sober and I was like you know what I'm done making people money I'm gonna start my own business. And you know I had like no work lined up and barely had any tools… and I just dove into it man”

Garrett struggled with alcoholism and substance abuse for a majority of his career until deciding to become sober in his 30s. Starting work early on in an environment that enabled this lifestyle created an ongoing conflict in between his habits and work life. 

“I didn't realize how much this stuff was affecting my mindset.. until I cleared up my mind and I got sober.. I literally I'm living proof of what sobriety can do for someone.. I wouldn't be standing on my front porch on the house that I built talking to you guys right now, if I wasn't sober.”

In his 30’s, Garrett is learning to channel his energy into being a workaholic and continue building his business. Recently, his company landed a contract to build a custom home. From partying hard and working job to job, to being sober and working for himself, Garrett has built his way to the top from the ground up. 

As a pool technician and business owner in Southern California, Brandon Reed spends day in and day out at your neighbors’ swimming pool. But he’s not just lounging around, nor does he deserve to be referred to as simply “the pool guy”. Brandon has become a master in all things pool-related - from building, installing remodeling, maintaining, and repairing pool equipment. This fascinating profession requires a jack-of-all-trades, borrowing skills from electricians, plumbers, construction, and more to serve America’s favorite and often overlooked home luxury. Listen in as Jeremy sits down with Brandon to learn the ins and outs of owning a business in the pool industry, building and repairing pools, how he found his career, and much more.

Shortly after graduating high school, Brandon started working for his father’s HVAC company for much of his early adulthood. However, during the housing market crash in the late-2000’s, business began to dwindle significantly as crucial accounts sought ways to cut costs. With a career change already in mind, he met a family friend one day, who was making ends meet in the pool business. One thing led to another and Brandon found himself cleaning pools, and eventually building them from scratch.

“So I talked to that guy for a little bit and next thing I knew I was working for him, you know, low wages, I wasn't making anything but to me, which is fun, learning a new trade. And then from there, it just went from hanging out with that guy for a little bit then all of a sudden, that same guy, his name was Robert we started building pools together.”

Over the years, Brandon has become a master of all things pool-related. Applying elements from several trades, he often finds himself doing plumbing, HVAC, construction, and electrician work all at once. He is on the job 365-days a year as a pool technician and business owner based in the sunny state of California. Compared to HVAC work, Brandon has found that being a self-employed pool technician is a significantly higher maintenance trade.

“When I install a five ton condenser unit I'm not seeing that customer again for another five or 10 years. With a pool I'm seeing my customers every four to six months because there's constantly always something breaking and there's always something going on”

Working through the pandemic, Brandon has also experienced an unprecedented boom in the pool industry due to families quarantining and dumping money into their at-home environment.

“Yeah, the pandemic happened. And I'm going okay, I'm gonna have to go back in the air conditioner or something because you know, in my opinion, people are gonna be smart, we're gonna save money because they don't know what's going to happen. And the exact thing opposite happened. People stayed home, they didn't know what to do with their kids, so everybody wanted a pool now.”

Transitioning as a worker in his father’s company to a business owner himself, Brandon has gained context over the years for being self-employed. Having now experienced both sides of the same coin, he can now understand many of the struggles his father went through.

“I could see a lot of things that he had to go through now that I'm on the other end of the stick as well… it's not as easy and the grass isn't always greener. On the other side, it's a lot of stress. Owning any type of business, in any industry by yourself, man, you feel like you got to constantly be working, because you don't know if there's going to be more work.”

From working in HVAC as a young adult, to learning a completely new trade and making a business out of it, Brandon has brought himself to the forefront of the pool industry through a mix of trial-and-error, experience, and hard work.

From his start as welder, to teaching, to hosting the Arc Junkies Podcast, Jason Becker fully immerses himself in his profession every single day. In this episode, Jeremy and Eric sit down with Jason to talk about his fascinating journey as a welder. Among other topics, we learn about his early career, his passion for teaching the next generation of welders, and how he became the host of Arc Junkies. Be sure to listen in as Jeremy and Eric get another compelling story of a devoted trades worker and fellow podcaster.

Jason Becker never planned to pursue a lifelong career in the trade when he started working as a welder at age 15. Shortly after high school, he joined the US Marine Corps and found himself as a combat engineer for four years. While considering re-enlisting, Jason decided that he wanted to do more with his skills outside of the military.

He eventually left the Marines to obtain an Associate’s Degree in Construction. While studying to receive his Bachelor’s Degree in Welding, Jason began teaching at Valenci College in Florida. He immediately fell in love with it and has been teaching ever since.

“It's been a hell of a ride.. teaching something that I'm truly passionate about. It's just amazing, you know, and that's kind of what drives me to get out of bed in the morning, every morning, I don't dread going to work, I get up, I'm excited. And you know, I get to pass that knowledge off to the next generation. It's really cool.”

One of the biggest values Jason instills in his students is having a good work ethic. He recounts the opportunities presented for him in his own experiences, and tries to pay it forward as an instructor himself.

“Everything that I've done I think it's based off of my work ethics and efforts that I put forward and people see something in you and they give you an opportunity just like my professor.. he saw I showed up to class every day I was there early.. turning on my assignments on time.. He saw enough in me to say hey, you know I think you'd be a really good fit for this position over here with the college.”

While in college, Jason also had several jobs over the course of ten years doing structural steel iron work. He first got into structural steel by accident through a welding job he found through classified ads. On the second day of work, Jason was brought onto a jobsite where the team was executing more construction-oriented work, which opened up a whole new world for him.

“I started getting into helping them out doing I-beams and bar joists and decking.. framing steel buildings and all that stuff and, you know, doing the stairs and when I wasn't doing the stairs, I'd be back out with the iron work crew.”

Jason grew accustomed to long hours, working as much as 84-hours per week between studying in college. During this time, he had to learn the importance of keeping his mental and physical health in check to carry out his job on the highest level.

“I think the biggest thing that's helped out is like physically taking care of myself, trying to find time to get to the gym and stay away from crap foods.. give my body the best fuel, take all the vitamins I'm supposed to.. you gotta take care of your body. The biggest tool that you have is your body.”

In April 2020, Jason was asked to take over the Arc Welding Podcast from former host and good friend Jimmy McKnight, who was moving on from welding. As an avid listener of the podcast, he was caught off guard when asked by Jimmy to carry the torch. From there on, Jason taught himself the ins and outs of podcasting after one episode and a brief instructional Zoom call with Jimmy.

“He gave me a list of equipment you know good better best and I kind of bought the best that I could afford at the time we did an episode together and he kind of walked me through via zoom how to record the podcast and then once we're done he did a screen share showed me how to edit and upload everything to the hosting service and he's like alright man, good luck!”

From welding, to teaching, to podcasting, and everything in between, Jason has opened doors for himself through hard work and dedication to his craft.

Working as a pit mechanic for B.J. McLeod Motorsports, Lauryn Scott is in the heart of professional racing every day of her job. Lauryn puts her skills to the test for 36 weeks a year, competing on the track as the backbone for her team’s drivers. From her start on a late model team, to a truck team, and eventually in the pit crew for Mason Massey and the BRUNT Workwear No. 99 car, Lauryn’s passion and discipline has guided her career every step of the way. In this episode, we learn about getting started in motorsports, what it takes to be a professional NASCAR pit mechanic, and what a day on the job looks like for Lauryn. Be sure to listen in on this very special episode of Bucket Talk.

Lauryn got her start in motorsports while studying at NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, North Carolina. When not in class or working at O’Reilly’s, she was refining her skills as a pit mechanic. Starting on a late model team, opportunities began to open up once she started meeting and working with people in the field.

“The biggest challenge is getting somebody to give you a shot, especially being a female in a very male dominated sport.” She continues “[You have to] prove to people that you know what you’re doing and deserve to be there just like they do.”

While Lauryn grew up working around cars from an early age, it was her education and field experience that propelled her career. In the modern world, technology for motorsports is evolving rapidly, and receiving specialized training in an automotive program can give you a competitive upperhand. 

“The stigma around NASCAR is the good ol’ boys. I don’t wanna say they're turning away from that, but they’re turning more towards the engineering side.” She goes on to explain, “If you really wanna set yourself apart and put yourself in a better position, definitely go to school for motorsport engineering and mechanics”

Fast forward to today, Lauryn is on the job year round traveling from race to race with her team. More recently, the team propelled Mason Massey and his BRUNT Workwear No. 99 car to finish Top 25 in the Xfinity Series. She explains the excitement of being a part of the team in Daytona:

“You think of the history that has gone on and you are building something to go to that race track, you know? You’re putting your work on the race track. It’s a really cool feeling”

Lauryn was also in the pit during the BRUNT car’s first race in New Hampshire. About 30 laps into the race, the car had crashed and the pit crew battled to get the car back together. Competing against others to get the car back on the track, Lauryn’s team works like a finely-tuned machine to problem solve on site. 

“It’s wreck-by-wreck. Once we actually see it, we can work out a plan to fix it but it has to be the quickest plan possible you ever made” She continues, “You have to be mentally sharp as well as physically fit”.

From quickly solving mechanical issues, to formulating and executing repairs with her team, Lauryn has persevered wreck-by-wreck as a top tier mechanic in her sport.

For the 3rd episode of Bucket Talk Season 3, we got the chance to sit down with the legendary Mike Gaffin; infamous to the trucking community under the Instagram alias, Boston Trucker. Having spent his life on the road as a professional trucker, Mike has a wealth of stories to share. This episode is a must listen if you're someone who's ever been interested in trucking or just want to understand what a day in the life is like.

Growing up, Mike's father told him routinely "Don't become a trucker." A professional trucker himself, his intentions were good. Mike's father understand just how tough the gig was, and was doing it to support his family. Mike didn't end up taking his fathers advice. As a child watching his father, and learning everything to know about trucks, his interest became a passion. This passion has carried Mike all across the country for over 15 years. While he's since retired, the passion that fueled him is still very much alive. One look at his Instagram confirm this. Having accrued a following of over 64k, it's clear that Mike has become an industry leader and spokes person for the trucking community. Tune in to hear what Mike has learned over the years on this exciting episode of Bucket Talk.

On this weeks Bucket Talk, Eric and Jeremy reflect on BRUNT's first NASCAR race. From a recap of the race itself, to meeting and speaking to some of BRUNT and Bucket Talk's day one supporters for the first time, the 1st NASCAR race was a day to remember. We also got the chance to sit down with Ben Snure, Rancher/Blacksmith extraordinaire. Tune in, this is an episode you won't want to miss!

Hailing from a long line of Ranchers and Cowboys, Ben Snure has taken the family trade to the next level. While Ben is currently Foreman at Cottonwood Springs Ranch in Clarendon, Texas; on the side he's best known for his blacksmithing. Known across Instagram for his custom hammers, Ben has made a name for himself with over 15.9k followers and counting.

You can get to know Ben via his Instagram @bensnure and even shop some of his custom hammers via his online store.

Bucket Talk is back. Now fully backed by BRUNT, Season 3 is set to be our biggest season yet. But before we dig in, we wanted to give all of our listeners (old and new) some insight into why Bucket Talk started, how things have gone up until this point, and where it's headed. Tune in as Eric and Jeremy take a deep dive into the origins of Bucket Talk, and preview what's to come in Season 3.

Hosted by seasoned veteran and mechanic, Jeremy Perkins, alongside serial entrepreneur Eric Girouard, Bucket Talk takes a deep dive into how successful CEO’s, business owners, and everyday trades people started their career. We learn about the path they took, and some of the key lessons they’ve picked up along the way. Whether you’re just starting out or looking for a path for growth, we hope the lessons learned from some of the industries best will give you the tools and resources you need to make the most out of your career.

Brian Way never intended to build a career out of foam inserts. A lifelong entrepreneur, Brian first started his career in the trades at 14 building a carpentry business. By 16, he was managing his first book, a client filtered through his dad's painting business. 

By 18, he had found a niche for himself in custom woodworking, and carpentry and within a few years he was running a 10,000 square foot facility, with over a dozen staffed employees. 

Things took a turn in 2006. With an impending economic crash, and clients holding out on payments, Brian soon found himself bankrupt and back at square one. 

Within the next year, Brian sold every asset, collected a small crew,  and built out two box trucks geared for residential and commercial millwork installation. For Brian, this was a huge turning point. Going from a huge facility to running a workshop from his truck, was no small feat. Over the next 10 years, he dialed in the art of maximizing his work space. 

One of the key products Brian utilized to create systems of efficiency? Foam. Buying sheets of foam, and cutting out space for his tools became a huge factor in his day-day work management. Not only that, but others started to notice as well. "...everyone that saw the stuff always had something to say...they were enamored with what we were doing...."

This was yet another major turning point for Brian as he not only found a system for himself, but realized what he was doing might be a need for others. A short while later, he purchased a CNC cutting machine (a programmed saw) and began cutting foam templates of his tools to sell online. "...they'd sell. they were doing really well on e-bay for a while, and it got to the point where I couldn't really keep up..." 

Still working his day-job installing millwork, Brian would come home to work more just to keep this side hustle alive. Soon, the workload was extending past that and Brian was hiring a full-time worker just to manage the orders coming in. "...he said to me, you know Brian, I think you're standing in front of a freight train and you need to get out of it's way." 

6 months had passed since Brian first put the products online and he began to realize that things were getting out of control. It was at this time that Brian made the leap and brought what is today known as Kaizen Inserts into existence. The business has grown immensely since it's humble beginnings as a side-hustle from Brian's garage. With over 92k followers on Instagram, there is still room to grow, but Brian has big plans for what's next. 

Tune into to hear Brian's full story. Where he is going, and all the insights he’s offering along the way.