Construction Genius

As the sole owner of your business, you should be the one supervising and monitoring everything. If you are still busy with the day-to-day tasks other people should be doing for you, there is something wrong. Learn how to escape the mundane and focus on more pressing business matters with digital strategist and advisor, James Camp. Together with Eric Anderton, he sheds light on why most CEOs struggle to remove themselves from business grounds and start delegating work. James explains why most founders deal with identity crisis and how to build a lasting business legacy they can be proud of. He also presents various exit strategies that could lead to high returns and tremendous scale opportunities.

For a family business to thrive, the family itself must have strong teamwork and harmonious relationships. Eric Anderton seeks how this can be done with award-winning family business strategist, speaker, and author, Nike Anani. She discusses how first-generation owners can smoothly pass down a growing business to the next generation while preserving harmony among members. Nike emphasizes how the younger generation should approach business innovation and the right way to build an efficient sibling dynamic. She also talks about her own experiences as part of their family business, particularly insights about working with her father. I've published a short report which describes seven qualities successful emerging leaders have in common. After you've read it, you'll have a precise idea of exactly what to look for when hiring or promoting people in your company.

To get your FREE copy of the report, click this link: https://www.constructiongenius.com/emergingleaders

Websites exist for the sole reason of attracting people to your business and converting them into loyal customers. But despite creating an engaging website, it still doesn't act as the client magnet it should be. Wayne Mullins, the Founder and CEO of Ugly Mug Marketing, has the perfect solution to this problem. Joining Eric Anderton, he shares his 3:53 P.M. Formula in building an informative and eye-catching website that attracts potential customers. Wayne dissects everything you need to consider in the website-building process, from the right content to produce, the proper designing method, and the best way to align yourself with your target market.

When you try to get over an addiction, it's not always a good idea to go "cold turkey" all of a sudden. How do I know? Well, all credit goes to my friend who was so determined to quit smoking, and the only way that worked for him was going the incremental route.

Sometimes, we get so addicted to the position of leadership we're in that we tend to forget. If we want growth for our companies, we need to delegate tasks and roles incrementally until we're finally able to hand over responsibilities.

In today's episode, we shed light on the process of development and how you can apply it to areas of your construction business. Grab a pen and paper as you don't want to miss this informative episode. Let's go inside!

Discussion Points:

• 0:00 A little backstory for today's episode

• 3:07 Two areas of development

• 3:24 Technical development

• 4:23 Relational skills development

• 6:54 The process of development: "the drive-around process"

• 9:10 The don'ts in the drive-around process

• 10:53 The outcome of development

• 14:10 A little story about incremental process development

• 15:02 These are your next steps

Resources:

• Use the 90 Day High Performance Dashboard as a tool to help you incrementally develop your direct reports. Download it by clicking this link: https://www.constructiongenius.com/high-performance-in-a-new-role

• Need help designing and playing your business game? Contact Eric Anderton: www.constructiongenius.com/contact

Do Your Project Executives Need to Become Better Leaders?

• Book a 10-minute call with Eric Anderton to see if/how he can help (https://10minutes.youcanbook.me/)

Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to the Construction Genius: A Leadership Master-Class Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

Thank you for tuning in!

Peloton, a well-known provider of interactive fitness products, has recently experienced a massive plunge in their revenue. But as Barry McCarthy steps into the CEO role during this time of crisis, he starts by sending an email about their plans for a comeback and how it'll be possible as long as the whole company works together as a team.Every business faces bad times. Overcoming them relies on the vision and courage of the company's leadership. In this episode, I analyze Barry's email, and discuss how it applies to your leadership.

The purpose of this episode is to showcase how a strong leader responds to a crisis. Regardless if your company is new or well-established, this episode will hit you right in the gut, so tune in and let's dive right into it.

Discussion Points:

• 0:00 A little backstory for today's episode

• 2:57 Barry, the incoming CEO gives a hat tip to the real key to Peloton's success

• 4:21 Barry establishing his credibility as a new leader

• 5:09 Visionary vs implementer

• 6:57 Leaders need to confront the truth at all times no matter how uncomfortable/inconvenient

• 8:18 Confront the world as it is if you want to be a great leader

• 9:01 The present is shaped by the past but the future will be determined by your choices today

• 9:31 One of the main jobs of a leader

• 10:44 Identifying the company's strengths is crucial in projecting the company forward

• 11:47 You need to be able to execute your projects profitably to succeed

• 14:14 Winning starts with accountability

• 18:36 Leaders need to establish their own management and leadership philosophy

• 19:09 10 core values of Barry as a leader

• 23:22 Listen more than you speak (understand to be understood)

• 25:00 Leaders must roll out strategies that need to be implemented

Resources:

• Other corporate memos: https://sriramk.com/memos.html

• The Peloton Memo: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15G5oNzLChp7IQzQw-W87S3pqX-1VFSx6/view?usp=sharing

• Need help designing and playing your business game? Contact Eric Anderton: www.constructiongenius.com/contact

Do Your Project Executives Need to Become Better Leaders?

• Book a 10-minute call with Eric Anderton to see if/how he can help (https://10minutes.youcanbook.me/)

Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to the Construction Genius: A Leadership Master-Class Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

Thank you for tuning in!

Success boils down to one thing: making good decisions. Easy to say, but what do you do when you are faced with terrible options, anxiety, and fear of failure? Learning the right frameworks now can make all the difference later.

Today, we are joined by the CEO of Meetup, David Siegel, who is also the author of Decide & Conquer: 44 Decisions that Make or Break All Leaders. He addresses common issues that result in poor decisions, and how you can overcome these problems.

Join me and David in this informative episode and get tips on how to become better at decision-making immediately.

Discussion Points:

• 0:00 Introduction

• 2:18 David's worst decision in business

• 4:51 Distinguishing short term and long term consequences in decision-making

• 6:08 What's a trapdoor decision?

• 7:08 David's advice to ensure you're not belaboring your decisions and missing out on opportunities

• 9:01 Learning to make tough decisions through painful circumstances

• 11:24 David's perspective on sunk cost fallacy and why it's a challenge for decision makers

• 15:28 How to decide if you're caught between breaching the contract and damaging your business

• 17:46 Balancing ego and humility in decision-making

• 19:46 As a CEO, how do you ground yourself to become an effective listener?

• 24:06 Getting out of the loop of being the CEO who makes too many decisions

• 25:20 An effective framework for delegation within the company

• 26:48 The biggest mistake in delegation

• 28:36 Managing an environment that feels safe for all team members to give feedback

• 32:34 Framing accountability

• 35:03 Top 3 most important decisions that leaders must make

• 36:45 Are you the fox or the hedgehog in decision-making?

• 40:22 Guidelines in hiring the people we want to work with and surround us

• 43:36 Giving your team the space and confidence to disagree and speak

• 45:33 EQ is crucial in order to become an effective decision maker

• 47:00 What to do when you made the wrong decision?

• 48:47 3 concrete actions a leader should take to get better at decision-making immediately

About Our Guest:

• David Siegel is the CEO of Meetup, the largest platform for finding and building the local community. He has over 20 years of experience as a technology and digital media executive leading organizations through innovative product development, rapid revenue growth, and digital traffic acceleration. Prior to joining Meetup, David was CEO of Investopedia and before that, President of Seeking Alpha. David holds a BA in Philosophy, Politics & Economics and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania. He is an adjunct professor at Columbia University where he teaches strategic planning and entrepreneurship. He hosts the podcast Keep Connected, which is dedicated to the power of community. David's book, Decide & Conquer,(HarperCollins) lays out the framework for decision-making that leaders can use to ensure organizational and personal success.

Resources:

• Decide & Conquer: 44 Decisions That Make or Break All Leaders by David Siegel http://www.decideandconquerbook.com/

• Need help designing and playing your business game? Contact Eric Anderton: www.constructiongenius.com/contact

Do Your Project Executives Need to Become Better Leaders?

• Book a 10-minute call with Eric Anderton to see if/how he can help (https://10minutes.youcanbook.me/)

Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to the Construction Genius: A Leadership Master-Class Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

Thank you for tuning in!

In every sport, the players have a set of rules they need to play by. This is also true for every single business out there, including construction companies. And what better way to play than to set up your own rules and pick out the players you want to play with?

In this episode, join me as I talk about the essence of making the rules of your game in order for you to get freedom, wealth, and time back for yourself.

Follow the three step process that I explain and reap the rewards of winning the game.

Let's get started!

Discussion Points:

• 0:00 Introduction

• 2:20 Your job as a construction company owner

• 3:57 Step # 1: You need to make the rules of the game (your construction company)

• 5:38 Step # 2: Invite people to play the game

• • 6:31 Customers

• • 8:29 Employees

• • 10:07 Project partners

• 11:23 Step # 3: Enforcing the rules of the game

• 11:53 Two types of pain you experience when the rules of the game are not strictly enforced

• 14:31 Take control, have freedom and liberty over your own construction company

• 15:17 Eric's short backstory

• 18:27 We're not a family, we're like a pro sports team

• 19:26 Benefits of developing and playing a disciplined game of business

• 20:57 What are the next steps for you and your business?

Resources:

• Need help designing and playing your business game? Contact Eric Anderton: www.constructiongenius.com/contact

Do Your Project Executives Need to Become Better Leaders?

• Book a 10-minute call with Eric Anderton to see if/how he can help (https://10minutes.youcanbook.me/)

Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to the Construction Genius: A Leadership Master-Class Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

Thank you for tuning in!

Leaders get stuck inside a box of their own perceptions. They struggle to see things from other people's point of view and this hinders them from improving and growing their business.

In today's Construction Genius episode, Michael Girdley — an investor and entrepreneur who has built, incubated and sold several businesses — joins us to give his insights about leadership and how great leaders impact their business.

Some of the highlights we deep dive into are the following:

• Why leaders fail when hiring people and how to make the hiring process more effective,

• Balancing the need for sympathy and empathy in leadership,

• Plus many more…

Join me and Michael and discover how great leaders benefit greatly from learning to look at things from other people's perspectives!

Discussion Points:

• 0:00 Introduction

• 5:00 Building a following? Why you should and shouldn't consider Twitter

• 8:07 What do most leaders get wrong about people?

• 9:54 Sympathy, empathy, and leadership

• 14:11 Common misconceptions about a leader that can be damaging

• 15:08 How to become a better listener

• 16:24 Why it's essential to have a team that shares the same perspectives with the leader

• 18:04 Most people asking for advice don't want to have their minds changed

• 19:31 Being able to give constructive criticism without coming off as offensive

• 22:12 Questions leaders need to ask to get honest feedback from the team

• 26:20 Responding to feedback and handling it as a great leader would

• 30:10 How great leaders move on from failure without the loss of enthusiasm

• 32:09 When is the right time to quit?

• 34:25 What successful entrepreneurs focus on that attract and develop young talent

• 36:13 For leaders who are reluctant to invest in their people

• 37:37 The need for assessments when you're hiring

• 40:51 Why qualified CEOs fail

• 43:11 Identifying your vision for the company and pointing it towards that direction

• 48:14 For leaders who know they need to improve, here's where you can start

About Our Guest:

Michael Girdley is the Chairman and co-founder of Dura Software, the second-largest software company in San Antonio. Michael is also a partner at the Geekdom Fund, a seed-stage tech venture capital fund that has invested in over 50 high-growth tech companies. Most recently, Michael led a private equity transaction that created the largest private tech company in San Antonio with Jungledisk buying a set of technology products out of global conglomerate, J2.

In 2015, the San Antonio Business Journal named Michael "Man of the Year," and in 2016, Geekdom presented him with their first-ever "Geek of the Year" award. Michael has also authored several books on computer programming which have been translated into four languages.

His passions are his kids, his lovely wife, and growing San Antonio's startup ecosystem.

Resources:

• Michael Girdley's Website: https://girdley.com/playbook/

• Michael Girdley's Twitter: https://twitter.com/girdley

• Michael Girdley LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgirdley/

• Restaurant Recommendation: https://www.losbarriosrestaurant.com/

Do Your Project Executives Need to Become Better Leaders?

• Book a 10-minute call with Eric Anderton to see if/how he can help (https://10minutes.youcanbook.me/)

Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to the Construction Genius: A Leadership Master-Class Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

Thank you for tuning in!

Basic sales knowledge tells us: "You cannot control productivity but you can control activity. Focus on quality activity, and the productivity will follow."

Productive business development for a construction company focuses on landing the right projects, with great clients, in the right locations.

In this short episode of Construction Genius I explain why the productivity of your business development is linked to the quality of your business development activity, and how you can improve that activity and increase your backlog.

If you'd need to get more projects on the books in 2022, this episode is for you.

Discussion Points:

• 0:00 Introduction

• 1:57 Tip # 1 to having quality activity: Select your target (right project type, right location, right client, right point of contact)

• 2:25 Focusing on quality activity involves three things:

•• 2:40 Research

•• 3:45 Safe space

•• 4:35 Time blocking

• 5:49 Focus on accountability

Does your construction company need to get better at sales and marketing?

• Book a 10-minute call with Eric Anderton to see if/how he can help (https://10minutes.youcanbook.me/)

Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to the Construction Genius: A Leadership Master-Class Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

Thank you for tuning in!

What if there was a way to manage and control risk effectively all while lowering your insurance costs?

Today, we have Wesley Sierk with us, President and Lead Strategist at Risk Management Advisors — who joins us to talk all about captive insurance. Learn the types of captive insurance you can set up, the obstacles to getting started, and why you should or should not set up one in the first place.

This episode is especially for established and growing construction companies. And those who are looking to manage risk, save on costs, and boost personal wealth.

Go ahead and listen to this episode to get a better understanding of captive insurance!

Discussion Points:

• 0:00 Introduction

• 3:08 How long Wesley Sierk has been working in the insurance industry

• 3:58 What's wrong with the insurance industry?

• 10:07 What is a captive insurance company?

• 11:16 Reasons why a construction company owner should get involved with captive insurance companies

• 12:47 How not being able to control premiums affects the construction company owners

• 14:08 The Experience Model

• 18:49 Is it possible to boost wealth through captive insurance?

• 23:45 Questions you should ask to find out if the captive insurance approach is for you

• 26:43 Different types of captives to consider

• 31:20 Transitioning from group captives to a single parent captive

• 32:56 What's the best type of captive insurance for you?

• 36:45 What types of insurance should and shouldn't be included in a captive?

• 38:18 Evaluating the rates of your captive on an annual basis

• 44:05 First steps to take in exploring the captive insurance option

• 47:20 Captive insurance is NOT for you if…

• 49:01 What's a rent-a-captive?

About Our Guest:

Wesley Sierk is the President and Lead Strategist at Risk Management Advisors, Inc. and an expert in the implementation, design, and management of captive insurance. With almost 20 years of experience in the field, Sierk has unique insights into the world of captive insurance, asset protection and risk management. Today, his firm manages the second-largest number of captives in the world.

Resources:

• Contact Wesley Sierk through these websites:

•• http://www.turnriskintowealth.com

•• https://riskmgmtadvisors.com/

• Taken Captive: The Secret to Capturing your piece of America's multi-billion dollar insurance industry https://www.amazon.com/Taken-Captive-Capturing-multi-billion-insurance/dp/0980192501

• You Can Make It, But Can You Keep It? https://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Make-But-Keep/dp/0980192528/

• Invisible Bankers: Everything the Insurance Industry Never Wanted You to Know: https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Bankers-Everything-Insurance-Industry/dp/0671228498

Connect with Wesley Sierk:

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZcvkK4Iy7NhsN0OC5IbF-g

• LinkedIn:

•• https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesleysierk

•• https://twitter.com/riskmgmtadvisor

Do Your Project Executives Need to Become Better Leaders?

• Book a 10-minute call with Eric Anderton to see if/how he can help (https://10minutes.youcanbook.me/)

Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to the Construction Genius: A Leadership Master-Class Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

Thank you for tuning in!