Construction Genius | Construction Leadership

According to the United States Department of Commerce; only about 30% of family businesses survive into the second generation, 12% are still viable into the third generation, and only about 3% of all family businesses operate into the fourth generation or beyond.

My interview this week is with Justin White CEO of K&D Landscaping out of Watsonville, CA.

His parents started the business in 1986 Now: Siblings Justin (CEO), Shane (COO), and Kelsie (VP Marketing) are in the business.

With the 2nd generation at the helm the business has grown from $1.5m in 2011 to over $5m today, with a 2030 goal of being $30m with 300 employees.

• [01:20] The time Justin was thinking about quitting his family business
• [04:23] What Justin focused on during the transition to becoming the leader of the business.
• [07:25] How to balance control and leeway, in a family business, when transitioning between two generations
• {08:45] The impact of a leader's demeanor and attitude the company.
• [09:34] Why he came into the family business in the first place, and how he fell in love with landscaping.
• [11:22] His (non-financial) motivations for being an entrepreneur.
• [12:31] How to make the mindset shift from building projects to building people
• [13:44] How Justin gained the respect of the old school workers
• [14:34] Staying patient while working in the field for four or five years
• [16:09] How Justin's dad tested him with a challenging project
• [18:11] Justin's Big Hairy Audacious Goal
• [19:31] How Justin aims to accomplish the goal through a focus on
  • recruiting,
  • positioning,
  • and developing great people
• [21:40] How to handle working with siblings in a family business:
• Balance each other's strengths,
• get on the same page and present a united front,
• get a mediator if you need one
• [25:21] Three words of advice for the second-generation family business owners:

1. Be patient
2. Find Mentors and be humble
3. Set Goals

[27:46] Justin's vision for his 30-year legacy

• An family of companies that give the everyday guy a chance to be in charge
• An outdoor facility/space for kids and families

This episode is brought to you by the Bullet Proof Succession Assessment

What Will Be Your Legacy?

Are you ready to step away from your business? Or are you stuck indefinitely?

Which statement describes you best?

• I'm secure. My hard work will pay off. My plan is solid; things are looking good.
• I'm challenged. I need to keep working in order to achieve my goals.
• I'm nervous. What if I have to work until I'm 70?
• I'm scared. All my hard work might go to waste.
• I'm sinking. My business is a ball and chain.

Take this FREE assessment. In just 5 minutes, find out if you should be confident or worried about your company's future.

https://www.ericanderton.com/five

Links:

K&D Landscaping Web Site

Landscape Management Article on Generational Transition

Justin White

Free Succession Assessment

We often find construction executives and leaders doing minor issues that lead to overwhelm and stress. In this episode we cover practical tips and insights in using time blocks to help you become more effective leaders. We cover 3 things about time blocks in this episode: benefits, hindrance, and types of blocks.

• Definition of a time block.
• The 4 benefits of time blocks: frees you up to concentrate, increases productivity, empowers others by causing them to become more resourceful, and shows you where others need to be trained.
• The hindrance to blocks: The Hero, The Perfectionist , The Nice Guy.
• The Types of Blocks that you can employ as a leader: Project Block, People Block, Geographic Block.
• Real life examples of using time blocks.
• Tips on applying and using time blocks in your life and business: identify your hindrances, communicating your time blocks and, implementing them.

• Eric Anderton Podcast
• Eric Anderton LinkedIn
• Eric Anderton YouTube
• Kick Ass Meetings Report

If you are a construction company owner or CEO and you or someone who reports to you is struggling with overwhelm, and you'd like some help reach out to me via my website: www.ericanderton.com/contact

Leave me a message there and I'll get back to you.

How do you grow your general construction company into a thriving multi-billion dollar business using a unique sales strategy? In this episode we are joined by Jeff Hoopes, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Swinerton Builders as we talk about his approach to selling, thinking like a service provider, business development, business diversification, simple strategic planning, business acquisitions, and lessons learned from his experiences. His is a story of hard work, commitment and a passion to serve that brought Swinerton Builders to greater heights.

• Jeff's role in the instrumental growth of Swinerton Builders to $4 billion in revenue over the last 20 years.
• His approach on sales as a construction professional and why he gives an emphasis on the importance of selling to people in your business and as a construction professional.
• The number one thing to focus on when developing a new client or relationship.
• Managing long-term client relationships amidst challenging jobs or projects.
• How thinking like a service provider has improved his sales approach and how his experience following the 1994 Northridge earthquake has proved this effective.
• His strategic approach to growth as a general contractor.
• Shifting to a self-performing business.
• Tips for diversifying your portfolio in the construction business.
• Challenges in integrating acquisitions in the business and how are these addressed.
• Why he won't purchase another GC.
• The importance of cultural fit.
• Jeff's journey to learning all about sales in his 20's.
• Words of advice for newcomers on building a career in the industry from the sales angle.
• How "never burning bridges" can help your business grow.

• Jeffrey Hoopes LinkedIn
• Swinerton Builders

This episode is brought to you by The Construction Leaders Dashboard, a simple but powerful tool for leaders in construction companies of all sizes.

Construction companies use this tool to get clear on strategic priorities, recruit new field and office talent who are aligned with the mission and values of the firm, and as a development planning tool to develop the next generation of leaders.

It will empower you to:

• Focus on what matters, so that you spend your time doing the things that have the most impact with clients.
• Make sure that everyone in the organization is aligned, accountable, and contributing equally to the company's growth and success.
• Attract, develop, and retain future leaders who can continue to move the organization forward.

To instantly download your copy of the dashboard, click this link: https://www.ericanderton.com/cld

How do you approach construction sales in a more strategic way? In this solo episode, I will walk you through steps on how to grow your business and build long-term business relationships with your potential customers by having them know, trust and like you. This is a first in a series of episodes that I'll do over the next few months on a strategic approach to construction sales.

Start running highly effective meetings, today. Download your free copy of the Kick-Ass Meeting report that goes step-by-step through the process here: https://www.ericanderton.com/kickassmeetings.

• People purchase from people that they: know, trust and like.
• KNOW - 3 ways to get to know a potential project partner: get your face in the place, drop the ego, and persist.
• TRUST - 3 practical ways construction executives can build trust: start small, be responsive, add value.
• LIKE - 3 keys to being someone other people like: be an equal, be helpful, be yourself.
• Key takeaways of the podcast:
  • Act: Make a list of 10-20 top clients or target clients
  • Ask: Do they know, trust and like me and/or my company
  • Decide: What can you do in the next 30 days to build your relationship with each of your top 10-20 clients.

In construction, you don't need to learn "1001 ways to close a deal". Instead, you need to be able to empathize, have a desire to win, welcome rejection, be optimistic, balance relationships, results and ego.

To take a deeper dive into these characteristics and take a FREE assessment to see how you measure up, go to my website: www.ericanderton.com/constructionsales

The assessment takes only about 5 minutes, and you'll find it extremely helpful.

• Eric Anderton Podcast
• Eric Anderton LinkedIn

How do you hone the skills of millennials in a fast-paced and high-stress environment such as construction? In this episode we are joined Peter Worhunsky VP of Disney Construction as we discuss an interesting, unique and self-directed process for talent development used in their company which other construction leaders can learn from.

This episode is brought to you by The Construction Leaders Dashboard, an excellent self-development tool. Click the link to download your free copy of the Dashboard. During the show Peter mentions "The Obstacle is the Way" by Ryan Holiday. I highly recommed this book. Click on the link to get yourself a copy.

• Smashing fallacies about millennials in construction
• An example of a female project engineer millennial being promoted to project manager and excelling on a technical project given to her despite a challenging owner.
• How the new project manager earned respect and confidence from the people she worked with.
• Peter's role as a leader in helping the manager succeed on a daily basis, stay positive, on track and focused.
• How a leader helps employees see their potential in other positions.
• The breakdown of a unique and self-directed process for talent development including a surprising approach to mentorship.
• The importance of feedback in an organization.

1. Self-Directed Talent Development
2. Hopes and Dreams
3. Strengths and Weaknesses
4. Plan in Place
5. Provide a Mentor
6. Get and Give Feedback on the Process

Disney Construction

Peter Worhunsky LinkedIn

Eric Anderton Website

Eric Anderton Podcast

Eric Anderton LinkedIn

How can you achieve high-performance in your construction company? High-performance comes from concentrating on the few tasks that if done with excellence will really make a difference in the results of your job and in the performance of your company. In this episode, we dive into a simple three-step framework that you can use to identify your most important outcome, the most important task that leads to that outcome and how you are going to improve your performance of that task.

• High performing athletes vs. high performance in construction companies.
• How to perform in situations when things don't go your way.
• Reality of construction projects.
• Outcomes and tasks that a Project Manager is responsible for in bringing a project on time and on budget.
• Breaking down the High-Performance Framework.
• Client example using the High-Performance Framework.
• Choices that high-performers make from The Mental Game of Baseball

High-Performance Framework Download

The Construction Leader's Dashboard Download

The Mental Game of Baseball: A Guide to Peak Performance by Harvey Dorfman

YouTube Recording of this Podcast

Kick Ass Meeting Report Download

Eric Anderton Website

Eric Anderton LinkedIn

Charles Antis, Founder and CEO of Antis Roofing and Waterproofing and also "cheerleader for good," joins us today as we talk about the importance of purpose and values in running a successful business. We dive into the unique beginnings of his company in 1989; how his passion for helping others drives his business, and how clarifying the Antis Roofing's purpose and values have helped him create a company that is at the forefront of the conscious capitalism movement.

Charles serves on the board of directors of the National Roofing Contractors Association; is a member of The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress; and serves on the board of directors and advisory councils for several non-profit organizations including Habitat for Humanity Orange County and Ronald McDonald House Orange County.

In this episode we cover:

• The massive impact of clarifying values and purpose in his organization in both retaining employees and having an impact for good in the community.
• The positive effect of generosity in his personal life, business, and the lives of those who work for him.
• The results of focusing on clarifying, defining and living out his purpose for his company, services, profitability and business expenses; how he began to see this idea and, the steps he took to achieve this.
• The advantage of having a clarified purpose and a clear set of values and the challenges he went through implementing this in his company.
• The story of how the Superpower word and language started in his company.
• The result of having employees who are fulfilled with their jobs.
• Charles' 3 tips for CEOs to lead in the most positive way possible - clarify your purpose, understand yourself, and take care of yourself.

Links

• Charles Antis LinkedIn
• Antis Roofing Website

In this solo episode, Eric talks about building relationships by having difficult conversations. This podcast was inspired by a book he read years ago entitled Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott. He discusses 7 principles that we can use when having difficult conversations and resolving conflict to allow us to focus on building quality and profitable projects. We are reminded that in the midst of conflict, no one is obliged to change but, instead, each one is invited to engage in conversation to get through the challenges.

In this episode we cover:

• How conflicts arise in construction projects.
• Reasons why and consequences that may arise when people avoid difficult conversations.
• Maximising profit and performance by having difficult conversations.
• The 7 conversational principles:

1. Interrogate reality.
2. Come out from behind your mask.
3. Give your full attention.
4. Tackle your toughest challenge today.
5. Ask just one more que
6. Be responsible for your emotional wake.
7. Let the silence do the heavy lifting.

Links

Eric Anderton LinkedIn

Eric Anderton Website

Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott

Kick Ass Meetings Ebook Download

Angie Simon, President of Western Allied Mechanical, Inc. and incoming President of Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA), joins us today to talk about her thirty-year journey of working for and going up the ranks in the male-dominated industry of construction.

Western Allied Mechanical, Inc. is an $85 million dollar mechanical contractor in the Silicon Valley of California who employs over 220 people. SMACNA, on the other hand, is an industry association representing over 1,800 mechanical contractors in the United States and Canada.

In this episode we cover:

• The slow increase of the number of women working in the construction industry and how Western Allied Mechanical, Inc. has done otherwise with their 40% female workforce.
• What attracted Angie to work in the construction industry and how her stint as a college level competitive athlete has helped in her career.
• How she and her husband successfully maintain work and family life balance through her transition and journey from being a project manager, partner, and now a president.
• The challenges and knowledge that she has gone through and learned from rising through the ranks.
• Three things construction companies can do to successfully hire women to work in the industry.

Links

Angie Simon LinkedIn

Western Allied Mechanical Inc. Website

Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association Website