Dirt Talk Podcast

"Our team loves change. They see it as an opportunity to do better."

A few years ago, Brian McManus was facing a dilemma: work wasn't fun anymore. He realized that he and his company Hoopaugh Grading Company needed to change, and that change needed to start with him taking a long look in the mirror. One of the first changes Brian made was to bring in an old friend Brandon Lindsey because even though Brandon didn't know dirt all that well, he knew people. And so from there, the process began of changing Hoopaugh for the better. It started with getting all of the leaders in the company on board, and then bringing in around 60 team members to answer the question, "what makes us who we are."

Since those initial conversations a few years ago, Hoopaugh has built a robust training academy and facility to build up their team into better leaders and, in turn, better people.

This week on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Witt sat down with Brian McManus and Brandon Lindsey of Hoopaugh Grading Company to discuss the bold changes they've made in their company over the last few years, why the cost of those changes was never worried about, and why their 10-year vision statement was simply, "be the best."

You can learn more about Hoopaugh Grading at hoopaughgrading.com.

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].

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Is there a time when it actually makes sense to chew someone out?

This week on the Monday Edition of Dirt Talk, Aaron and Alex discuss the required shorthand and nicknames for types of heavy equipment. Then, they discuss if and when it makes sense to give out an old-fashioned "ass-chewing" and suggest some possible other tactics before it might come to just berating someone.

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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We're over the moon the welcome back Mining Professional & star of Discovery's Gold Rush: Dave Turin's Lost Mine DAVE TURIN aka "Dozer Dave". The last time that Dave was on Dirt Talk, Dave and host Aaron Witt chatted at CONEXPO 2020 about the frustrations each has regarding the other's generation and Dave's exciting new TV show...

Fast forward 2 years and Gold Rush: Dave Turin's Lost Mine is about to begin airing it's 4th season and BuildWitt has gone from 10 team members to almost 80!

This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron and Dave sat down for a chat in the BuildWitt studio in Nashville, TN. Dave tells some great stories about how even though he's the star of a reality TV show, he puts the "'real' in reality". Then, the guys discuss the importance of setting a culture of training, why it's important to reclaim mined land, and why Dave encourages his team to call him out when it's deserved.

Listen to the first episode with Dave Turin here: buildwitt.com/dirt-talk/podcast/dozer-dave-turin-on-old-vs-young-in-the-blue-collar-world

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].

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You can't make everyone happy.

This week, Aaron and co-host Alex discuss the new free BuildWitt app (learn more here) and why you should listen and watch podcasts on it! Later, they dig into the challenges of being a young leader in an older industry, why you can't make content that applies to everyone all the time, and the value of changing your approach to work and life as you gain more knowledge and experience.

You can learn more about the BuildWitt app 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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Kjell Gerber was the second employee at BuildWitt, at least according to our HR software. He came on to help with video editing and has since held multiple leadership and media production roles, but he's always been one of our "field guys". Before BuildWitt, Kjell (pronounced "Chell") came up in the Dirt World and worked for his family's dirt business in Utah for almost 10 years before connecting with Aaron on social media. After a little back and forth, Kjell started doing some work with Aaron and the rest is history.

This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron Witt and Kjell Gerber chat about the genesis of their friendship and the early work they did together at BuildWitt. They also dive into safety culture problems, the complications of leaving a job at the family business, and Kjell's @bluecollar_photographer acct on IG.

Kjell is also a great follow on LinkedIn.

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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This week on the monday edition of Dirt Talk, Aaron and Alex discuss creating a balance of authenticity and professionalism on social media, and then discuss the problematic approach of training and developing your team with a focus on efficiency and speed.

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].

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Nic Parish became VP of Operations and Contracting at Burns Dirt Construction in Columbus, MS before his 30th birthday, but he's already gained a wealth of experience and is actively applying that hard-won knowledge in both his company as well as in his community. In addition to Burns Dirt, he is also a founding member of Forge Your Path, a non-profit in MS whose mission is to, "[make] the trades cool again." (We'd like to point out that they've always been cool, and we're sure Nic agrees!).

This week on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Witt chats with Nic Parish about dirt world workforce development, growing a team locally, and why the Lt. Governor of Mississippi chose him for a role on a team to attack the "people problem" in the workforce in MS. We'd say that Nic is going places since he's not even 30 years old, but realistically, he's already flying down the road. He and Aaron also discuss fish tanks and why Nic's team at Burns Dirt is able to hire and retain so many young people.

Follow Nic on IG @nicparish.

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].

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This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron and Alex discuss BuildWitt Training before diving into what Aaron believes the Dirt World will look like in the future.

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Keaton Turner and Aaron Witt have a complex history: Keaton's company Turner Mining Group was a client of Aaron's in the early days of BuildWitt... and then TMG no longer required the services of BuildWitt. But the two have kept in touch, with Keaton appearing on the 11th episode of Dirt Talk and Aaron appearing on the first episode of Keaton's podcast. Now, with both guys having grown their respective businesses in different ways, they reconnected in the Dirt Talk studio to catch up.

This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron and Keaton talk about having to let your business "grow up", why you have to make sure to not overcorrect, and why a business "breakup" is sometimes the best thing for both parties. An all-time episode between old friends.

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].

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This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron and Alex talk about the challenges that come with leading a company from the road before making an announcement about a podcast series they'll be releasing. Then, they discuss a question about whether to start a career in the public or private sector.

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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