Sometimes, things just work out. That's how Justin Martin (CEO of Nox Group Companies, which is the umbrella corp over Corbins, among other companies) & David Brown (President of D. Brown Management) ended up on Dirt Talk. It all started with Aaron telling the Dirt Talk crew that Justin happened to be coming to town, and would be a great Dirt Talk guest. And then Justin showed up at the office to record and he'd brought David along. After a few minutes of small talk, Aaron asks David, "Can you talk?" ... and thus, we've got Justin and David on the pod!

This week on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Witt is joined by Justin Martin and David Brown. They talk about the importance of team values, making space and opportunities for your people to be together, and how failure can sometimes be the best teacher.

Don't forget you can watch or listen to Dirt Talk on the BuildWitt app! You can learn more about it at buildwitt.com/buildwitt-app.

To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation.

If you have questions/comments/concerns, reach out to [email protected].

Stay Dirty!

This week on Dirt Talk, Alex and Aaron talk about traveling to Starkville, MS via the Natchez Trace and the increase in trucks due to e-commerce. They also discuss the challenges of greatly increasing the rail system in the United States. Later, they further investigate the American infrastructure life-cycle before broaching the (sometimes) complicated topic of oil and natural gas and its difficult PR relationship with the typical person. Then, they answer a question about the need for "operator classes" in community colleges, and the broader challenges and opportunities related to that.

Don't forget you can watch or listen to Dirt Talk on the BuildWitt app! You can learn more about it at buildwitt.com/buildwitt-app.

To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation.

If you have questions/comments/concerns, reach out to [email protected].

Stay Dirty!

For better or for worse, Mr. Eric Jumper is back to shoot the poop with host Aaron Witt. The guys meander through all kinds of Dirt World topics, but they do spend a good bit of time on the importance of training non-Dirt World folks in the ways of the Dirt World. They also check in about the grandeur of Buc-ee's, Eric's upcoming trip to do some work with Shay Stutsman in CO, and the perils of dredging (hard on machines, watch out for turtles).

Follow Eric on IG @eric_jumper.

Don't forget you can watch or listen to Dirt Talk on the BuildWitt app! You can learn more about it at buildwitt.com/buildwitt-app.

To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation.

If you have questions/comments/concerns, reach out to [email protected].

Stay Dirty!

Aaron and Alex chat about the possibility of Aaron needing to hire someone to take his CEO role someday, operator comfort, and why it's so important to make it easy for team members to make good decisions.

Don't forget you can watch or listen to Dirt Talk on the BuildWitt app! You can learn more about it at buildwitt.com/buildwitt-app.

To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation.

If you have questions/comments/concerns, reach out to [email protected].

Stay Dirty!

This week on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Wit regales co-host Alex Horton with the details of his recent trip to Europe. Aaron loves a play-by-play, and the short version is laid out below.

Among other things:

PAUSE as Aaron reflects on the efficiency of Swiss demolition, especially the application of OilQuick

Thanks for keeping up with the BuildWitt adventures, both home and abroad.

Don't forget you can watch or listen to Dirt Talk on the BuildWitt app! You can learn more about it at buildwitt.com/buildwitt-app.

To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation.

If you have questions/comments/concerns, reach out to [email protected].

Stay Dirty!

Aaron and Alex discuss the flaws in the argument that the Dirt World will rebound fine from another recession and then Aaron answers questions about excavation and the “formula” new business owners can use to build their books of business.

To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation.

If you have questions/comments/concerns, reach out to [email protected].

Stay Dirty!

Nick Schiffer (of NS Builders fame) is back on the podcast, but this time in person! Nick and Dirt Talk host Aaron Witt chat about the complications of separating a personal brand from a business’s brand, the importance of "rising tides raise all ships" in construction, and the positive aspects of working with "competitors" to build a better market for contractors and customers. Nick also discusses how new business owners can borrow/steal lessons that the folks who came before them.

Nick is co-host of The Modern Craftsman Podcast.

You can also learn more about Nick at nickschiffer.com.

Aaron and Nick also reference The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu, with Douglas Abrams.

Don't forget you can watch or listen to Dirt Talk on the BuildWitt app! You can learn more about it at buildwitt.com/buildwitt-app.

If you have questions/comments/concerns, reach out to [email protected].

Stay Dirty!

This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron and Alex talk about Aarons’s Boston marathon run and how sometimes, you need a break from running, and other times, you just need to do the thing. They later discuss Aarons’s trip to Europe and the tremendous earthmoving power of the Midnight Force at Zurich airport. They then answer a few questions about when it makes sense for a small company to merge with a larger company and what it takes to effectively sell to Dirt World companies.

Don't forget you can watch or listen to Dirt Talk on the BuildWitt app! You can learn more about it at buildwitt.com/buildwitt-app.

To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation.

If you have questions/comments/concerns, reach out to [email protected].

Stay Dirty!

Host Aaron Witt has been very clear about his opinions on General Contractors over the years, and yet one was brave enough to be on the podcast. (To be fair, Aaron has softened and added some nuance to those hot takes). Enter Paul Jones, President of Solomon Builders in Nashville, TN. Aaron has sung these guys' praises multiple times internally to the team, and so it made sense to have Paul on to set the record straight on GCs.

This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron and Paul discuss Pauls’s beginnings as a GC and how defining company values is essential to running a business, especially in the face of hardship. They later discuss the operations of subcontractors vs general contractors, and how not taking yourself too seriously can be beneficial.

Don't forget you can watch or listen to Dirt Talk on the BuildWitt app! You can learn more about it at buildwitt.com/buildwitt-app.

To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation.

If you have questions/comments/concerns, reach out to [email protected].

Stay Dirty!

This week, Alex was out on vacation, so Aaron is joined by Eric jumper. The co-Vice Presidents of BuildWitt Excavating and Grading talk about Eric training the services team on how to be earthmoving pros, and exposing new folks to the Dirt World. Eric talks shop about cleaning equipment, hydraulic ladders, and the pitfalls of heavy machinery, plus the internet trolls who have some interesting options on it.

They also answer questions about what jobs they would want if they both went back to working full-time in the Dirt World and the difficulties of engineers building strong relationships with folks in the field.

Don't forget you can watch or listen to Dirt Talk on the BuildWitt app! You can learn more about it at buildwitt.com/buildwitt-app.

To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation.

If you have questions/comments/concerns, reach out to [email protected].

Stay Dirty!