Dirt Talk Podcast

Jimmy Starbuck is back on the podcast, but this time it's in person. Jimmy runs Starbuck Excavation out of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and a few weeks ago, we heard the man himself would be stateside and we knew we had to have him back on the podcast. He had no shortage of opinions and strategies to share, and we had a ball getting to chat for an hour. We were also joined by Trevor and Missy Scherber as studio guests - a real "who's who" of Dirt World folks.

In this week's episode, host Aaron Witt and Jimmy Starbuck discuss why Jimmy prefers to focus on digging holes and trucking the dirt away, the differences in safety approaches between the US and Australia, and why it's always better to triple-dip.

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, Aaron and Alex discuss for a second the challenges of recording 4 podcasts in a day before they do a recap on Aaron's recent travel to North Dakota and Ohio. Then, they dig into a question about how lower-ranking crew members can make suggestions to leadership that are more likely to be well-received.

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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Early in life, Tyson Smith (of TJS Excavation) had lived a common Dirt World story: grew up obsessed with building things in the sandbox and started working in construction before he started high school. But unlike many who end up jumping right into the Dirt World, Tyson's path took a few turns. He went to college on an athletic scholarship and studied computers. He then proceeded to build a career in the tech industry for almost 20 years before EVENTUALLY deciding that his childhood love was calling him home to the Dirt World. Fast forward a few years, and now Tyson runs TJS Excavation, a 1-man outfit out of eastern Oklahoma.

This week on Dirt Talk, Tyson was kind enough to join host Aaron Witt in the Dirt Talk studios to talk about his story of how he made his way back to the dirt. They also chatted about mentorship, the importance of therapy and its role in mental health, and how operating equipment is just straight-up fun.

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: Monday Edition, Aaron and Alex talk about making a podcast, Aaron's camera in Africa, and his recent travel to Saudi Arabia and UAE. Then, they dig into a question about why some brands of equipment get unnecessary shade (like LinkBelt!).

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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Fan-favorite Kimo Clark is back on Dirt Talk. When we first chatted with Kimo, he was planning to sell his company Truth Excavation and semi-retire and move on to the next phase of life. But fast forward 2 years, and Kimo's journey has been admittedly winding.

Though this conversation starts with Kimo and host Aaron Witt discussing doing 10 burpees every 10 minutes of the conversation, the guys get into a wide range of topics and Kimo shares the progress of his journey in the Dirt World. Kimo spends a good portion of the conversation talking about his philosophy on developing people in his company that boils down to the idea that he "pours into them like a cup" with his knowledge and experience. Additionally, the guys touch on pushing one's self to strengthen and prepare the mind, the part that faith has played in his career, and the advantages and challenges in store for the youngest generation of folks in the Dirt World.

Thank you to Kimo for his honesty and transparency.

If you're looking to learn more about Kimo, the best place to find him is on Instagram at @tru.xlife.

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In this week's episode of Dirt Talk: Monday edition, Aaron and Alex chat about getting negative comments online before Aaron launches into an impromptu book report on the old out-of-print book Foremen: Leader or Drivers? that was published 80 years ago. Aaron gets pretty passionate about the lessons he learned from the book and how we could all apply them to the Dirt World today. Afterward, the guys talk about why some companies could have employee turnaround issues even as they invest in training and caring for their people.

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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James Devinney is a college-educated PM/Estimator for Evans & Associates Construction Co. in Ponca City, OK... and will be the first to tell you that he doesn't know much.

This week on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Witt chats with James about how James learns what his teammates need from him to be successful and how that helps him do his job better. They also dig into what estimators actually do (and don't do) and the pros and cons of having not grown up around construction.

Thanks to James Devinney for the great conversation.

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's Monday edition of Dirt Talk catches Alex and Aaron discussing gas station food stops and Savannah, GA vs Charleston, SC before digging into questions about emissions requirements in California and some of Aaron's most memorable trips of 2021.

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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We've got a GREAT episode for you today: introducing Taylor White. He's the Director of and handles business development for Ken White Construction in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He's a second-generation owner of the business and has big plans. We were lucky enough to have him on the pod to talk about his experience in the Dirt World.

This week, Aaron and Taylor covered a multitude of topics but spent a lot of time on the importance of the boss spending time on job sites getting to know the employees, making decisions that cost money now because of the future value, and the idea that "people want to do cool shit". Taylor also touched on why mental health is so vital and why it's SO important for companies to show what their company is like on social media. A wide-ranging conversation that had Aaron and Alex already discussing how to have him on the podcast again.

To follow along with Taylor's story you can follow him on IG @kwc2000, on TikTok @kwc2000, or check out the youtube channel here: youtube.com/c/KenWhiteConstruction.

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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Welcome to the first episode of Dirt Talk of 2022! Thanks to the Dirt Talk community for being a part of this thing and for sharing the podcast.

This week, Aaron and Alex talk about the need for equipment to have updated radios and sound systems. Then, they broach a sensitive topic responding to a listener's question regarding racism and discriminatory behavior in the Dirt 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].

Stay Dirty!

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