Dirt Talk Podcast

Just like Kevin McCallister got Lost there in Home Alone 2 and The Muppets took Manhattan, Aaron Witt and Eric Jumper went to New York and saw some iron. They braved the streets, they saw the dirt, and it was good. They sat down to debrief the trip and weigh in on what it’s like to drive in New York City. Additionally, like usual, there are gas station reviews followed by dozer talk.

Don’t forget: you can watch Dirt Talk on the BuildWitt App AND our YouTube Channel.

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

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CJ Shade of Shade Farm Management is a 6th-generation California family farmer from Santa Barbara, CA. In addition to being an avocado guy, he’s also spent plenty of time in equipment, mainly in the agriculture sector. He was kind enough to hop on a call to talk dirt and California farming.

This week on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Witt chats with CJ Shade about working hard when you’re young, land clearing, and avocados (of course). Later, they discuss the challenges of growing your business AND growing yourself simultaneously, as well as how CJ financed his first pieces of equipment.

To follow along with CJ’s story, follow @sfm.inc on IG.

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This week on Dirt Talk, the guys discuss a pressing question from the internet: what is a motor grader? Aaron also digs in on the importance of our teams traveling the Dirt World before weighing in on the “perception” of consolidation in the Dirt World. 

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.

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Host Aaron Witt introduced Justin Hoerner to co-host Alex Horton via email with the subject line “Young Buck @ a Start Up”. Of course, the wheels immediately began turning, knowing that if Aaron is pumped to have another young guy on the pod, his story is going to be pretty good. Folks, Justin did not disappoint.

Justin Hoerner is an Assistant Project Manager (/precon manager/marketer/assistant super/recruiter/IT manager…) at Bruce Builders in Eldridge, IA, a small commercial GC that a co-worker started and Justin soon followed him to. Since the company is in the growth phase, Justin is seeing first-hand how to build the business and is already a well-rounded part of the Dirt World. He’s also a young guy who readily admits he has a ton to learn, but is thankful for the multiple stops on his journey. 

This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron and Justin discuss the risks and rewards of leaving a comfortable position to join a start-up company. Later, they dig in to why self-development is so important (ESPECIALLY when you’re young), lessons already learned, and why some people still think it’s controversial to move straight into a construction job after high school.

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.

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So there are a lot of fancy restaurants here in Nashville, the home to BuildWitt. But would you ever catch your podcast hosts Aaron Witt and Alex Horton in one? That’s how this episode starts, but there’s plenty more to talk about this week, too, like:

*When developing, the workforce can feel at odds with the traditional tough-guy persona of the Dirt World.

*Why that persona isn’t doing us any favors.

*How the construction industry should pump up how we invest in our workforce.

*What kinds of companies make up the Dirt World anyway.

Plus, Aaron and Alex tackle the age-old question of how small business owners can best navigate that first hire. 

What’s next? Don’t forget you can watch or listen to Dirt Talk on the BuildWitt app. Connect with others who listen to the show by dropping or searching #betterdirtworld. Or reach out with any questions, comments, concerns, or Nashville restaurant recommendations to [email protected].

Stay Dirty!

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On the outside looking in, people might think the dirt world and technology are completely unrelated. And while construction is often lagging behind, that doesn’t mean the industry is lacking in technological needs—or advancements. 

This week on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Witt sits down with Austin Conti, the co-founder and CEO of Tenna. Conti talks all about his international experience in construction operations and how his passion for entrepreneurship and technology led him to create his company—a construction technology platform that revolutionizes equipment fleet operations.  

You can follow Austin Conti on LinkedIn or learn more about his company at Tenna.com or on Instagram at @tenna_co. 

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This week on the Dirt Talk podcast, host Aaron Witt and Alex Horton discuss how economic decline affects (or doesn’t affect) the work of the Dirt World. They also dig into how that approach affects how BuildWitt does business. Later, they dig into taking the appropriate amount of ownership in a situation without letting that “ownership” be a detriment and the adverse effects of specific demographics retiring from the workforce before new demographics join it.

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!

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The last time we chatted with Matt Moldenhauer, he told the story of how he went from “big-time business consultant” to southern logging business owner. Almost two years later, he’s back to talk about lessons learned and educate our listeners on the logging industry. He also gives a little background to his start in the industry and how he and Aaron got connected years ago.

This week on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Witt and guest Matt Moldenhauer, President of Bellwether Forest Products and Managing Director of LOTS Group USA, talk about logging and the forest product market. They dig into the importance of and improvements that have come to trucking, mergers, and how they affect the small details and the potential of the blue-collar world.

Learn more about Bellwether's operations on Instagram @bellwether_fp or by following Matt on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-moldenhauer-16b9241

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This week on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Witt, and Alex Horton give some background to the inner machinations of BuildWitt and how/why the company is structured the way it is. They then answer questions about whether job shopping to keep management honest is a good way to keep pay competitive and the differences between construction in Europe and America. 

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!

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In some ways, the early days of RAWSO coincided with the early days of BuildWitt. We’ll always love telling their stories, so we know just how lucky we were to sit down with the RAWSO Constructors VP of Operations, Matthew McQueen. Matthew learned work ethic from his dad before joining Eutaw Construction out of college. He moved to Middle Tennessee in 2014 and would later go on to meet RAWSO Founder and President Dylan Stephens. After realizing they shared a defined vision for the Dirt World and its people, Dylan began asking Matthew to join RAWSO, and in 2021, he did.

This week on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Witt and Matthew McQueen sat down to talk bout Matthew’s story in the Dirt World before diving into Matthew's (and RAWSO’s) passion for people and crafting a vision that is focused on them, not just the work they do. They later chat about truly leading people and the importance of keeping people “in the loop.”

You can follow Matthew McQueen on LinkedIn and check out the RAWSO story at rawso.com

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