Deconstructing Growth

Demolition is more than taking down buildings. It is the emotional first step of rebirth for communities and clients. In this episode of Deconstructing Growth, host Perryn Olson sits down with Simone Bruni, the founder and owner of Demo Diva, a New Orleans-based demolition and dumpster rental company serving residential, commercial, and industrial clients. Simone shares how she turned $250 and a set of car magnets into a recognizable brand with a fleet of hot pink excavators and nearly 200 dumpsters.

In this episode:

- Why Simone launched Demo Diva following Hurricane Katrina after being laid off from the hospitality industry.

- How a comment from a competitor drove her to launch a dumpster rental line that built her brand's local reach.

- The story behind using hot pink Volvo equipment to stand out in a male-dominated industry.

- How to handle underbid projects and stand your ground with major general contractors.

- Why customer service and empathy are critical when dealing with high-stakes industrial demolitions.

- What lies ahead for Demo Diva, including national expansion, equipment growth, and potential licensing.

About Simone Bruni:

Simone Bruni is the founder and owner of Demo Diva, a demolition and dumpster rental company based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the company offers site clearance, structural demolition, and dumpster rentals for residential, commercial, and industrial properties. Under Simone's leadership, Demo Diva has grown from a local startup into a well-known regional brand recognized for its signature hot pink equipment.

Website:

https://demodiva.com/

About Deconstructing Growth:

Deconstructing Growth is hosted by Perryn Olson, FSMPS, CPSM, CCMP, the president of A/E/C CMOs, a fractional CMO firm that helps commercial and industrial contractors build Magnetic Brands that attract better clients, talent, and margins. Each episode is a conversation with an owner, CEO, or business development leader about how they actually grow a construction company. https://deconstructinggrowthpodcast.com https://aeccmos.com

Watch, listen, or subscribe to get practical strategies for growing your construction business.

Topics covered:

construction branding, demolition contractor, dumpster rental business, women in construction, commercial demolition, industrial site clearance, equipment fleet management, contractor relationship management

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction to Deconstructing Growth and guest Simone Bruni

0:40 The origin story of Demo Diva after Hurricane Katrina

5:26 Favorite construction equipment and brand loyalty with Volvo

9:15 The best piece of construction advice Simone ever received

10:35 Transitioning from a startup concept to a hands-on operator

14:14 Evolving the brand and managing emotions behind demolition

19:46 Overcoming industry skepticism and expanding into dumpsters

24:00 Handling an underbid project with a major general contractor

31:22 Winning industrial clients through customer service and care

36:30 The future vision for Demo Diva and potential national expansion

Building a dedicated internal creative team instead of outsourcing to third parties can completely transform how an AEC firm captures project wins and engages employees. In this episode, Chris Martinez, Chief of Membership Engagement and Development at SMPS, shares how shifting from traditional proposal-heavy marketing to an in-house media team scaled brand awareness and employee culture across a growing landscape architecture firm.

In this episode:

- Why building an in-house creative team with a photographer, graphic designer, and storyteller outpaces traditional outsourcing

- How an internal company newsletter evolved into a high-impact business development magazine for clients and AEC partners

- The 1-on-1 interview strategy used during website redesigns to extract true core values and align employee career goals

- How to maintain corporate culture and re-energize brand strategy through multiple partner leadership transitions

- Why human-centric, empathetic storytelling stands out against generic AI-generated content in commercial design

- Practical approaches for leveraging chapter leadership and regional communities to advance marketing careers

About Chris Martinez:

Chris Martinez is the Chief of Membership Engagement and Development at SMPS (Society for Marketing Professional Services), where he leads membership initiatives, chapter leader enablement, and engagement strategies across North America. With over 12 years of experience in the AEC industry, Chris has led marketing and business development efforts for civil, geotechnical, and landscape architecture firms, winning multiple national industry awards for innovative marketing and media strategies. SMPS is a national organization dedicated to equipping marketing and business development professionals, leaders, and firms in the building industry to drive business growth.

Website:

https://smps.org/

About Deconstructing Growth:

Deconstructing Growth is hosted by Perryn Olson, FSMPS, CPSM, CCMP, the president of A/E/C CMOs, a fractional CMO firm that helps commercial and industrial contractors build Magnetic Brands that attract better clients, talent, and margins. Each episode is a conversation with an owner, CEO, or business development leader about how they actually grow a construction company. https://deconstructinggrowthpodcast.com https://aeccmos.com

Subscribe to Deconstructing Growth to get actionable insights from AEC leaders every week.

Topics covered:

AEC marketing, building in house creative teams, AEC business development, SMPS membership, construction marketing strategy, internal newsletters for AEC, marketing leadership, AEC brand strategy

Chapters:

0:00 Welcome to Deconstructing Growth and introducing Chris Martinez

0:48 How Chris started his career in AEC marketing

7:35 Structuring an in-house creative team with photography and storytelling

12:44 The value of graphic design and human-centric storytelling over AI

17:27 Turning an internal company newsletter into an external sales magazine

23:04 Navigating leadership transitions, company growth, and core values

26:26 Driving value, community, and engagement for members across SMPS

How Legacy Utility Group Scaled from a Single Location to Multi-State Infrastructure Services

David Jaeger, CEO and founder of Legacy Utility Group, breaks down how he built a multi-state utility infrastructure company alongside his father. He shares why not all revenue is good revenue, how employee ownership through an ESOP fuels growth, and how he keeps a strong culture across distant branches.

In this episode:

- Why not all work is good work and how bottom-line focus protects growth

- How David Jaeger built Legacy Utility Group alongside his father

- Why expanding to Dallas Fort Worth helped de-risk the business outside California

- How implementing EOS gave leadership real-time visibility across multiple locations

- Why David Jaeger uses military-style challenge coins to reinforce company core values

- How an ESOP model drives employee engagement and talent retention

- How Legacy Utility Group is rolling out internal AI tools like Claude to build efficiency

About David Jaeger:

David Jaeger is the CEO and founder of Legacy Utility Group, a parent company over multiple entities focused on utility infrastructure services. The company runs vacuum trucks, cleans pipelines, and provides underground utility services for commercial and municipal projects throughout California, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Third-generation contractor David Jaeger founded the business alongside his father, growing it into a multi-state, employee-owned ESOP enterprise.

Website:

https://legacyutilitygroup.com/

About Deconstructing Growth:

Deconstructing Growth is hosted by Perryn Olson, FSMPS, CPSM, CCMP, the president of A/E/C CMOs, a fractional CMO firm that helps commercial and industrial contractors build Magnetic Brands that attract better clients, talent, and margins. Each episode is a conversation with an owner, CEO, or business development leader about how they actually grow a construction company. https://deconstructinggrowthpodcast.com https://aeccmos.com

Watch the full episode to see how Legacy Utility Group scales operations across state lines while preserving company culture.

Topics covered:

utility infrastructure, vacuum truck services, construction leadership, ESOP employee ownership, scaling a construction business, EOS implementation, contractor growth strategies, internal communications

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction to David Jaeger and Legacy Utility Group

1:23 Rapid fire questions and favorite construction equipment

2:39 Learning why not all work is good work

6:07 Founding Legacy Utility Group with his father

8:59 How operations and mindset shift as you scale

13:45 Geographic expansion and de-risking outside California

16:16 Using EOS and executive leadership to manage multi-state growth

19:05 Internal communication and keeping field teams connected

23:17 Building core values and culture with military challenge coins

28:45 Preserving company culture and personal connections while doubling in size

39:02 Streamlining tech and leveraging AI to drive future efficiency