Construction Hot Takes

The construction industry in 2025 finds itself at a juncture of culture clashing and generational divide. The old guard is the Gen X workforce who have come up through the ranks and are now in leadership positions, but navigate the world much differently than the Gen Z workforce entering and navigating the construction industry. These leads to big hairy questions and uncomfortable feelings from both sides.

Is Gen Z lazy?
Is Gen X failing to stay relevant?
Can we work together?
How can we work together effectively?

In this episode, we explore this dynamic which we've witnessed firsthand and with our clients on a day to day basis.

Check out our whole catalog of Construction Hot Takes episodes on our website! https://ascentconsults.com/construction-hot-takes-podcast/

Interested in learning how Ascent's consulting services could potentially help improve your business's operations? 📈
Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with one of our expert construction consultants: https://info.ascentconsults.com/meetings/acooper/30-minute-performance-consultation

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https://www.youtube.com/@constructionhottakes 

After working with construction firm after construction firm on marketing... we see the same marketing mistakes over and over again. So in this episode of the podcast, Katherine Cooper gets unfiltered on the big mistakes even large construction companies are making very frequently.

Check out our whole catalog of Construction Hot Takes episodes on our website! https://ascentconsults.com/construction-hot-takes-podcast/

Interested in learning how Ascent's consulting services could potentially help improve your business's operations? 📈
Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with one of our expert construction consultants: https://info.ascentconsults.com/meetings/acooper/30-minute-performance-consultation

Follow Ascent Consulting on social media! 🤳
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-consulting-inc-/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentconsult/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentconsults/
X: https://x.com/ascentconsults/

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for alerts on our new episodes!
https://www.youtube.com/@constructionhottakes 

The big promise of A.I. was automation, hyper-efficiency, and a solution to all of our problems. Especially in the construction industry, there were so many frontiers in which A.I. innovation was supposed to transform, automate, and improve the workflow. However many of us find ourselves in the predicament of spending seemingly more time managing the technology than reaping the benefits of the technology on a day to day basis. Is A.I. one big giant overpromise? Or are we just approaching the technology wrong. In this episode, Greg Gorman and Adam Cooper dive into the ways they've seen people in the construction industry interact with the incoming technology of artificial intelligence, along with some best practices for firms looking to get ahead of the curve.

Check out our whole catalog of Construction Hot Takes episodes on our website! https://ascentconsults.com/construction-hot-takes-podcast/

Interested in learning how Ascent's consulting services could potentially help improve your business's operations? 📈
Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with one of our expert construction consultants: https://info.ascentconsults.com/meetings/acooper/30-minute-performance-consultation

Follow Ascent Consulting on social media! 🤳
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-consulting-inc-/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentconsult/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentconsults/
X: https://x.com/ascentconsults/

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for alerts on our new episodes!
https://www.youtube.com/@constructionhottakes 

Electrical work is often the last thing noticed on a job site, but it is the first thing missed when it is not done right. Behind the wires, conduits, and deadlines is a story of resilience, faith, and a husband-and-wife team who built their company by refusing to settle.

In this episode of Construction Hot Takes, we sit down with Chris and Lean Gaskin, the leaders of Gaskin Electric. Their journey began with a layoff two weeks before Christmas, while navigating a pregnancy and their young son’s cancer diagnosis. What could have ended their story became the start of a business built on courage, hard lessons, and relentless determination.

Since then, Chris and Lean have grown Gaskin Electric to more than 20 employees, tackling complex projects across Georgia and beyond. From moving states to shutting down and restarting their company, to balancing leadership as spouses and parents, their story is about building not just a business but also a stronger marriage and family along the way.

In this episode, you will hear:

● Chris’s journey from the trades to starting Gaskin Electric after a layoff
● How their son’s health battle shaped their outlook and priorities
● Why moving to Georgia became a turning point for growth
● The lessons learned about management, estimating, and running projects
● How they balance being both spouses and business partners
● The three biggest takeaways from building their company: become a good businessman, find the right accountant and insurance partner, and never settle

If you are looking for a raw and real story about building a construction business with grit, faith, and family at the center, this episode is for you.

#Construction #ElectricalContractor #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #FamilyBusiness

Check out our whole catalog of Construction Hot Takes episodes on our website! https://ascentconsults.com/construction-hot-takes-podcast/

Interested in learning how Ascent's consulting services could potentially help improve your business's operations? 📈
Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with one of our expert construction consultants: https://info.ascentconsults.com/meetings/acooper/30-minute-performance-consultation

Follow Ascent Consulting on social media! 🤳
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-consulting-inc-/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentconsult/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentconsults/
X: https://x.com/ascentconsults/

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for alerts on our new episodes!
https://www.youtube.com/@constructionhottakes 

What if you could guarantee quality across every layer of a home’s exterior — paint, siding, gutters, roofs, decks, porches — without the chaos of endless subs and callbacks?

In this episode of Construction Hot Takes, we sit down with Charlie Dallavalle Jr., founder of Painting Plus, Siding Plus, and Gutters Plus. Charlie started as a college side hustle, painting homes in his neighborhood, and grew it into one of the Southeast’s most trusted exterior renovation companies. Over 27 years, he’s completed more than 5,000 projects, built one of the largest HardiePlank installation teams in the country, and won the prestigious James Hardie President’s Club Award year after year.

Charlie’s story isn’t just about building homes — it’s about building systems, trust, and a reputation that’s stood strong through decades of industry change.

You’ll hear:

● The origin story of Painting Plus and how Charlie went from ladders to leadership
● How his companies deliver consistency and craftsmanship across multiple trades
● The business lessons learned from scaling a “mom-and-pop” into a multi-million dollar brand
● Why repeat customers and referrals are his strongest marketing channel
● How he’s preparing the next generation to carry the torch

If you’re in construction, trades, or entrepreneurship, this episode is a blueprint for scaling with quality, resilience, and community impact.

#Construction #Contractors #ExteriorRenovation #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #Painting #Siding #Gutters

Check out our whole catalog of Construction Hot Takes episodes on our website! https://ascentconsults.com/construction-hot-takes-podcast/

Interested in learning how Ascent's consulting services could potentially help improve your business's operations? 📈
Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with one of our expert construction consultants: https://info.ascentconsults.com/meetings/acooper/30-minute-performance-consultation

Follow Ascent Consulting on social media! 🤳
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-consulting-inc-/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentconsult/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentconsults/
X: https://x.com/ascentconsults/

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for alerts on our new episodes!
https://www.youtube.com/@constructionhottakes 

Budgets don’t just vanish — they’re lost step by step, phase by phase. And here’s the uncomfortable truth: most of the time, it’s not the client’s fault.

In this episode of Construction Hot Takes, Adam and Jeff break down the real internal reasons projects spiral over budget — from business development overpromises to estimating misses, sloppy buyouts, and execution mistakes in the field. You’ll hear candid stories (including a $25M loss on a design-build project) and lessons learned the hard way about where budgets actually get blown.

What we cover:

● How business development overpromises set projects up to fail
● The estimator-to-project manager handoff that kills jobs
● Real-world case studies of design/estimating disasters
● Why labor tracking and production oversight can save (or sink) profit
● The critical difference between catching mistakes early vs. finding out too late

This isn’t about blaming the owner — it’s about owning the process. If you’re a GC, trade contractor, or construction leader, this episode is your roadmap to spotting the hidden risks and keeping projects on budget.

#Construction #GeneralContractor #Budgeting #Forecasting #ProjectManagement #ConstructionBusiness

Check out our whole catalog of Construction Hot Takes episodes on our website! https://ascentconsults.com/construction-hot-takes-podcast/

Interested in learning how Ascent's consulting services could potentially help improve your business's operations? 📈
Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with one of our expert construction consultants: https://info.ascentconsults.com/meetings/acooper/30-minute-performance-consultation

Follow Ascent Consulting on social media! 🤳
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-consulting-inc-/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentconsult/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentconsults/
X: https://x.com/ascentconsults/

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for alerts on our new episodes!
https://www.youtube.com/@constructionhottakes 

Imagine standing outside your home just hours after a fire. The structure is damaged, smoke still lingers, and you don’t know what to do next. Who shows up to help you in that moment?

That’s where 1-800-BOARDUP comes in. And Leading the charge is Beth Toenies, Chief Operating Officer of the company that’s turned chaos into clarity for homeowners across North America.

With 134 franchise locations serving more than 182 million people, Beth has built a reputation as both a decorated executive and a culture-driven leader. From securing burned-out homes to scaling operations across the U.S. and Canada, she has transformed the restoration industry with urgency, systems, and empathy.

In this episode, Beth shares:

● How she stumbled into restoration and why the mission keeps her here
● What it takes to scale a franchise network in a crisis-driven industry
● Why leadership culture matters as much as operations (and how managers impact mental health as much as a spouse)
● How AI is already reshaping the restoration industry — and why companies should embrace, not fear, it
● Her vision for expanding 1-800-BOARDUP and its sister brands under the Belfor Franchise Group

If you want to learn how to lead teams, scale franchises, and deliver hope at the worst moments of people’s lives — this episode will change how you view restoration, leadership, and resilience.

#Leadership #Franchising #Restoration #EmergencyResponse #Construction #Culture

Check out our whole catalog of Construction Hot Takes episodes on our website! https://ascentconsults.com/construction-hot-takes-podcast/

Interested in learning how Ascent's consulting services could potentially help improve your business's operations? 📈
Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with one of our expert construction consultants: https://info.ascentconsults.com/meetings/acooper/30-minute-performance-consultation

Follow Ascent Consulting on social media! 🤳
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-consulting-inc-/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentconsult/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentconsults/
X: https://x.com/ascentconsults/

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for alerts on our new episodes!
https://www.youtube.com/@constructionhottakes 

Margins don’t just disappear — they get chipped away by bad estimates, buyout mistakes, schedule delays, and one of the biggest myths in construction: thinking “remaining budget” is the same as a forecast.

In this episode of Construction Hot Takes, we dig into the real reasons general contractors go from a healthy profit to barely breaking even. You’ll hear straight talk on:

• Why good forecasting is more than subtracting costs from the budget
• How poor handoffs between estimating and project management kill jobs
• The hidden traps in buyout and scope
• How to spot schedule delays before they eat your margin
• The difference between managing a project and just watching it happen

If you’re a GC, sub, or anyone in construction, this is a no-BS guide to keeping your budget on track — and your profits where they belong.

#Construction #GeneralContractor #Budgeting #Forecasting #ProjectManagement #ConstructionBusiness

Check out our whole catalog of Construction Hot Takes episodes on our website! https://ascentconsults.com/construction-hot-takes-podcast/

Interested in learning how Ascent's consulting services could potentially help improve your business's operations? 📈
Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with one of our expert construction consultants: https://info.ascentconsults.com/meetings/acooper/30-minute-performance-consultation

Follow Ascent Consulting on social media! 🤳
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-consulting-inc-/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentconsult/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentconsults/
X: https://x.com/ascentconsults/

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for alerts on our new episodes!
https://www.youtube.com/@constructionhottakes

Most construction companies talk a big game about safety. PPE, compliance forms, toolbox talks—but why do crews still cut corners?

In this episode, Adam and Jeff tackle the uncomfortable truth: safety programs don’t create safety culture—leadership does. They share raw stories from the field, call out lazy thinking, and unpack why most “compliance-first” approaches are doomed to fail.

If you’re a GC, superintendent, or project manager trying to keep your people safe without being a babysitter—this one’s for you.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why most workers don’t care about your EMR
• The difference between compliance and care
• How top-down safety cultures actually get built
• What to say when your crew shrugs off protocols
• The ONE question every leader should be asking their teams

Check out our whole catalog of Construction Hot Takes episodes on our website! https://ascentconsults.com/construction-hot-takes-podcast/

Interested in learning how Ascent's consulting services could potentially help improve your business's operations? 📈
Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with one of our expert construction consultants: https://info.ascentconsults.com/meetings/acooper/30-minute-performance-consultation

Follow Ascent Consulting on social media! 🤳
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-consulting-inc-/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentconsult/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentconsults/
X: https://x.com/ascentconsults/

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for alerts on our new episodes!
https://www.youtube.com/@constructionhottakes 

Do General Contractors still deserve their fee—or are they just expensive middlemen?

In this provocative episode, Adam and Jeff tackle a controversial listener question: "Do we even need General Contractors anymore?" With the rise of tech-driven management and self-performing owners, the traditional role of GCs is under scrutiny.

Join the debate as they explore:

• Why GCs transitioned from hands-on builders to "paper-pushing" construction managers.
• Hidden risks subcontractors and GCs face if owners start bypassing traditional models.
• Real-world scenarios where skipping the GC might actually make sense—and when it could lead to disaster.
• Why subcontractors might prefer direct-to-owner work (and why they often rely heavily on GCs).
• The new trend of GCs returning to a self-perform model to regain control of risk and quality.

Are General Contractors outdated—or more essential than ever? Listen and decide.

Key Insights:

• When direct-to-owner subcontractor relationships work well.
• Why GCs are crucial in managing complex project risks.
• The real implications for subs if GCs disappear.