Builder Stories

Meet Chad Hamlin, owner of The Hamlin Group located in Atlanta, Georgia. With a passion for problem solving more complicated issues, Chad started as a single architect and has evolved his business into full luxury remodels. He delves into the intricacies of effective hiring, highlighting the importance of trust, setting clear expectations, and maintaining high standards. He discusses knowing your numbers, having a solid plan, charging for what you're worth, and refusing offers that undervalue the work.

Here are a few key takeaways from our discussion with Chad:

• Finding your passion
• Setting clear expectations
• Delegating to scale
• Learning team dynamics and role
• Shifting from self-performing to subcontracting

Visit The Hamlin Group website here: https://www.hamlingroup.com/

Own a construction company and want to share your story? Apply to be on an upcoming episode of Builder Stories at https://www.builderstories.com

Meet Brian Blankenheim, owner of Build It Right Carpentry located in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. In his late 20s, while working at a construction site, he discovered his love of carpentry. Under the guidance of a skilled mentor, Brian honed his skills and even undertook the monumental task of constructing his own home. Starting his company in 2009, Brian shares his challenges, specifically around finding and retaining good subcontractors. Brian's story serves as a testament to succeeding in business by truly loving what you're doing, maintaining comprehensive systems, and continuously seeking growth.

Here are a few key takeaways from our discussion with Brian:

• Finding and retaining good subcontractors
• Starting small and implementing systems
• Learning through mentorship
• Balancing field and office work
• Keeping a positive mindset

Visit the Build It Right website here: https://builditrightllc.com/

Own a construction company and want to share your story? Apply to be on an upcoming episode of Builder Stories at https://www.builderstories.com

Meet Nicholas Donlin, owner of Zenith Design + Build a top remodeling company based in Iowa. With a passion for both construction and technology since his younger years, Nicholas decided to take the plunge and establish Zenith in 2018, which is now projected to achieve $7.5 million in revenue this year. As a leader of an 18-person team, Nicholas is committed to fostering a shared sense of purpose and defined KPIs for each employee. Moreover, he emphasizes the value of leveraging coaching and peer groups as invaluable resources for accelerating business growth.

Here are a few key takeaways from our discussion with Nicholas:

• Learning from growing too fast
• Focusing on your internal team
• Creating an online presence
• Bringing design work in-house
• Educating clients on the process

Visit the Zenith Design + Build website here: https://www.zenithdesignbuild.com/

Own a construction company and want to share your story? Apply to be on an upcoming episode of Builder Stories at https://www.builderstories.com

Meet James Miller, owner of Valiant Home Additions in Centerton, Arkansas. James initially embarked on his construction career right after high school, and at the young age of 21, he was running operations for an aluminum gutter company. After starting his own company and experiencing challenges with a former partner, he decided to pivot his focus to whole house remodels and residential additions. Currently leading a team of nine skilled employees, James manages an impressive workload of six to eight projects concurrently. In this captivating story, James shares invaluable insights about how a few bad business decisions led to $1.5 million in debt and how he is working his way out.

Here are a few key takeaways from our discussion with James:

• Narrowing your business focus
• Being able to say no
• Switching to a sub model in the field
• Prioritizing who to pay first
• Investing in yourself as the business owner

Visit Valiant Home Additions website here: https://valiantnwa.com/

Own a construction company and want to share your story? Apply to be on an upcoming episode of Builder Stories at https://www.builderstories.com

Meet Scott Worley, owner of The Patio Kitchen Co in St. Louis, Missouri. After initially venturing into construction straight out of high school, Scott's passion for transforming outdoor living spaces took hold during his college years. With a successful business under his belt for a decade, he made the bold choice to close it down and pivot to becoming a designer at a larger firm. Yet, the allure of being a business owner drew him back, leading to the re-establishment of The Patio Kitchen Co. just last year.

Here are a few key takeaways from our discussion with Scott:

• Using formulas to enhance the customer experience
• Utilizing technology as a competitive differentiator
• Connecting compensation to value delivered
• Separating work and home life to be successful
• Owning your failures and learning from them

Visit The Patio Kitchen Co. website here: https://www.thepatiokitchenco.com/

Own a construction company and want to share your story? Apply to be on an upcoming episode of Builder Stories at https://www.builderstories.com

Meet Erica Anenberg and Beth Benson, owners of Girl Flip Construction based in Los Angeles, California. Erica's passion for creating and selling, coupled with a mission to shake up the industry and encourage more women to enter the trades, fueled the inspiration behind Girl Flip. Beyond just flipping houses, the company strives to serve as an inspiration hub for others, with the ultimate goal of positively impacting the broader market.

Here are a few key takeaways from the discussion with Erica and Beth:

• Setting your business up for success
• Changing the way that people see women in construction
• Collaborating with the home owners to eliminate communication issues
• Building for others like you would for yourself
• Getting out of your head and taking action

Visit the Girl Flip website here: https://www.girlflip.com/

Own a construction company and want to share your story? Apply to be on an upcoming episode of Builder Stories at https://www.builderstories.com

Meet Jeremy Maher, co-owner of Phoenix Home Remodeling in Chandler, Arizona. Jeremy's journey began after a disappointing encounter with a contractor, which motivated him to believe that he could run a contracting business more effectively. Seizing the opportunity, Jeremy, along with his former boss and the boss' brother, formed a partnership and launched a new home construction venture. With an initiative on continual improvement, Jeremy focuses his leadership on the technical side and building out processes to help the business grow.

Here are a few key takeaways from the discussion with Jeremy:

• Guiding the business culture from the start
• Making effective business decisions with partners
• Creating specific and well-defined roles for your team
• Gathering feedback and reviews from customers
• Constantly improving the business processes

Visit the Phoenix Home Remodeling website here: https://phxhomeremodeling.com/

Own a construction company and want to share your story? Apply to be on an upcoming episode of Builder Stories at https://www.builderstories.com

Meet Greg Junge, owner of Greg Junge Construction based in North Carolina. As a second generation contractor, he was raised in the industry and started with kitchen and bath remodels. He now has focused his business on whole home builds with a goal of $4 to $10 million in annual sales.

Here are a few key takeaways from the discussion with Greg:

• Transitioning from the sub-contractor model to full time employees
• Adapting from the field to the office
• Creating processes to grow the business
• Investing in personal and professional development
• Ensuring your team feels appreciated

Visit the Greg Junge Construction website here: https://jungeconstruction.com/

Own a construction company and want to share your story? Apply to be on an upcoming episode of Builder Stories at https://www.builderstories.com

Meet Kevin Choquette, owner of Ravin Builders a specialty deck builder located in Richmond, Rhode Island. Two years ago, Kevin made the pivotal decision to shift the focus of his company towards a single niche: boutique deck building. Little did he know that this strategic move would prove to be a game-changer, propelling his average project value from less than $40,000 to more than $160,000.

Here are a few key takeaways from the discussion with Kevin:

• Targeting a very specific type of project to scale the company
• Managing the growth of the business
• Tracking project costing and margins constantly
• Keeping your employees happy
• Creating a culture of reliability

Visit the Ravin Builders website here: https://ravinllc.com/

Own a construction company and want to share your story? Apply to be on an upcoming episode of Builder Stories at https://www.builderstories.com

Meet Jordan Webb, owner of Deck Masters a thriving deck building company based in Alaska. After starting the business at 16 years old, Jordan struggled to meet the demands of running a business while actively constructing decks. Driven by personal circumstances requiring his family to relocate to Hawaii, he developed systems to remotely manage building 170 decks a year.

Here are a few key takeaways from the discussion with Jordan:

• Finding what motivates you in business
• Overcoming entrepreneurial obstacles
• Relying on processes for daily operations
• Providing a different approach to customer service
• Simplifying the sales process

Visit the Deck Masters website here: https://deckmastersak.com/

Visit the Freedom Brothers website here: https://freedom-brothers.com/

Own a construction company and want to share your story? Apply to be on an upcoming episode of Builder Stories at https://www.builderstories.com