Dirt Talk Podcast

Podcasts aren't easy, as much as Aaron and Alex seem like it is (that was sarcasm). And while the Thursday episodes have been humming, we realized we didn't get any listener-submitted questions this past week. So listen as Alex tries to casually drop in a question that sounds really formal and Aaron busts him for just making it up.

In all seriousness, the guys are so thankful for the continued engagement and support that they continue to receive. Our listeners are the best, and we're so grateful for all the shares and questions/comments that come in. Keep 'em coming!

If you have any questions/comments/concerns, please reach out at [email protected].

Stay Dirty!

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Randy Blount (of Blount Contracting) recently sold the family business to WW Clyde after running the company for almost 15 years. He took over the company in his early 20s after his father passed away. The traditional way this could have played out is that he would have continued to run the company in AZ and surrounding areas and then passed the business on to his children or other family, but he instead chose a different path and sold the company after having significantly grown the business. All that's to say, his story is uncommon, and that makes sense - Randy is not a common man. As he says in this episode, "one thing that I know about myself is that I can work hard."

Aaron and Randy talk about why Randy decided to sell the company, how he has stayed on with WW Clyde as the Arizona Division Vice President, and why he made the bold (and VERY cool) choice to paint all of Blount's machines gray. Randy has also started working with BuildWitt as an advisor, and after hearing his story and perspective, you'll know why the BuildWitt team is very excited to work with him.

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

Stay Dirty!

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Aaron is in Nashville and Alex is on a Florida beach. A perfect setup for a podcast, no?

This week, Alex and Aaron catch up on BuildWitt office updates, exciting planning meetings last week, and Aaron explains why he thought it would be a good idea to run at least 48 miles in 48 hours (spoiler: he completed his run challenge).

They also discuss a few listener-submitted questions about stress management, different machine sizes around the world, and if Aaron will personally do all maintenance on his new skid steer.

Thanks for listening and being part of the Dirt Talk community. If you have any questions/comments/concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

Stay Dirty!

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"Owner-Operator" is not the most common path in the Dirt World. It requires more admin work typically, and you have to actually buy the machine, of course. But for those who can make it happen, it opens up a world of possibilities in the Dirt World. This week, Aaron spoke with John Schiedeck of Schiedeck Construction about the owner-operator life. John's an absolute weapon with a blade, making him one of the best graders out there. He recently moved from California to Texas, but was gracious enough to take a break from unpacking to give us a sneak-peek into what the owner-operator process looks like.

John and Aaron dig deep into some technical aspects of the heavy iron that John has, but they also discuss why to always "do what you can with the machine, so you don't have to do it with the shovel", the pros and cons of owning your own equipment, and John reveals a few operator tricks that he's learned in his career.

If you want to get in touch with John, visit the website for Schiedeck Construction or follow him on IG at @schiedeck_construction.

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

And as always...

Stay Dirty.

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This week, Aaron and Alex catch up across the TN/AL state line. They check in about BuildWitt stuff happening and answer a few submitted questions like asking to hop in equipment on the job site, tracks vs wheels, and "the competition".

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These days, the concept of “Company Culture” can be somewhat of a buzz-word, but the best companies truly understand what it is and why it’s important to have good culture. It’s also vital to know what “good company culture” is not. 

Enter Eric Sellman, a VP & General Manager of Mortenson Civil out of Minneapolis, MN. He and Aaron dug into this a little bit. Aaron has said many times before that, in his opinion, “company culture” is more than “ping pong tables and beer” (though the new BW office will have plenty of beer…). 

In addition to company culture, Aaron and Eric discussed big picture concepts of civil engineering and General Contractors (and why Aaron’s general dislike of them).

Thanks so much for listening to Dirt Talk. If you have any questions/comments/concerns, reach out to Aaron and Alex at [email protected].

Stay Dirty!

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This week's theme is the benefit of finding ways and opportunities to meet people and why it's so important to get face time whenever possible. Practicing what they preach, Alex and Aaron met in the illustrious BuildWitt Studios (aka Aaron's dining table, for now) to catch up and answer a few questions.

This week's questions are especially exciting because they are from some of our younger listeners. Alex and Aaron touched on topics such as designing an office that people WANT to be in, the value of meeting people in person, and how to grow yourself to be a valuable employee.

We LOVE the questions, so please keep them coming. If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please reach out at [email protected].

And as always...

Stay Dirty.

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This week’s guest is the newest team member with BuildWitt: VP of Business Development Ben Schwanberg. Ben and Aaron sat down in the illustrious BuildWitt Studios (aka Aaron’s house, at the moment) to smoke ribs, drink beer, and talk Dirt World stuff. 

While the ribs were cooking, the guys sat down to talk about Ben’s history in the industry, haul truck drivers, and not compromising on your goals. Buckle up - it’s a good one.

As always, if you have questions, comments, or concerns, email the Dirt Talk team at [email protected]. 

Stay Dirty!

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Aaron and Alex are back in the studio together after Aaron was traveling last week. The chemistry was evident as they were able to have a conversation about the Dirt World and vaguely related topics like gas-powered generators, steak, and rain. As always, they answered listen-submitted questions about work-life balance, productivity on airplanes, and the BuildWitt philosophy on photography.

We're so thankful for the questions and feedback we receive. If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please reach out to us at [email protected]!

And remember - Stay Dirty!

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Alex Burnett is an “equipment trainer” in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada… but what that really means is that he knows his way around all kinds of equipment. And in Canada, they move a lot of dirt. Alex has all kinds of stories and offers a different perspective on the Dirt World in Canada than what is typical from our Dirt Talk guests. Alex works in the “oil sands” industry, which has many similarities to the American oil industry. Still, only a handful of countries in the world have oil sands (Canada, Russia, Kazakhstan, Venezuela). 

Aaron and Alex spend a lot of time discussing training and what it takes to train different types of operators, but they also dig into the value of learning from your mistakes and why it’s good to rib your peers at work sometimes.

Thanks SO much for continuing to listen and share the podcast! For questions, comments, and concerns, please email us at [email protected].

Stay Dirty!

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