We appreciate any and all feedback so feel free to send a text.

We wanted to share the process of buying land, securing a construction loan, and some of our lessons learned thus far. 

The process is not for the faint of heart! We are into the selections and sending our plans out for bids while working the banking numbers behind the scenes. 

1. Finding land
2. Making offers on land and being beaten out
3. Making an offer and going through the counteroffer process
4. Being under contract on land
5. Working with a bank to purchase the land, construction loan, and conventional loan
6. Sending our drawings and specifications out for bid
7. Trying not to stress out about the costs of each estimate

#construction #customhomebuilder #homebuilder #process #success #goals #dreambuilder

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Carolyn can be found on LinkedIn at:
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Email for feedback, questions, complaints, etc:
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Construction Challenges Podcast:

Introduction: Managing construction projects have never been more challenging than they are today. 

We struggle to manage projects for numerous reasons, and in todays episode, we intend to list five reasons and have some dialogue around each. 

1. The complexity between projects: multiple phases and tasks must be completed sequentially. Each task can be affected by the following:
   1. Labor shortage
   2. Weather 
   3. Resources
   4. Quality 
2. Dependency between tasks. Activities are dependent on other tasks, and if one item is not completed on time, it will have an impact on the activities that follow.
3. Resource Allocation: projects require the coordination of various resources
   1. Materials
   2. Labor
   3. Equipment
   4. Time
4. Communication and Collaboration:
   1. Communication between tasks and owners. 
   2. How well do we communicate between trades? 
   3. How far in advance do we schedule activities, and are we confirming that the schedule is accurate and the job is ready? 
5. Unforeseen Issues: You will always encounter unexpected issues. It is the nature of the business, and you should anticipate them and be ready to pivot and make new decisions. I suggest having your Plan B ready if you need to deploy it. 
   1. Pre-Construction delays
   2. A need to ask for more information delays the project
   3. A need to bring in an engineer to approve something done in the field to the drawings. 

Vendor of the week: Foster Heating & Air

Conclusion: To overcome the challenges you will face on projects, you must have several tools and techniques ready. Project management software, Critical Path Analysis, and Contingency Planning to name a few. Effective project management will require cooperation between all stakeholders, and you must be agile enough to make changes when things don’t work. If you remain rigid in the face of adversity, your business might survive, but it is at the expense of your people. 

#construction #homebuilder #customhomebuilder #projectmanagement #superintendent #success #personaldevelopment 

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Carolyn can be found on LinkedIn at:
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Email for feedback, questions, complaints, etc:
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Customer Service Podcast

Introduction: When we build a customer a new home, we provide a safe place for others to live. We must focus more on building an experience and a home. 

When we go out to dinner, are you just going to eat? We are paying for the environment, great customer service, food, and an experience we look forward to telling our friends about. 

Vendor of the week: Next Level Stairs LLC out of Petersburg Va. 

Customer Service is essential in homebuilding. When you consider that building or buying a home is a significant investment and that customers want to feel comfortable with their purchase. 

The home-building process is complex and can be overwhelming for customers. We must have a simple process and extremely warm handoffs between each department. 

Who is customer service? Production? Sales? Support staff? Warranty Department? 

What are five ways that we can improve our customer service today? 

1. Communication 
   1. Updates
   2. Schedule
   3. Process communicated
2. Responsiveness
   1. Treat service with urgency
   2. Provide a response to help (don’t fall in the trap of blaming)
3. Honesty
   1. Don’t ever lie or try to BS your client
   2. If you don’t know, write it down and let them know you will get back to them.
4. Alignment
   1. Ensure a playbook is adopted
   2. Everyone on the team is on the same team
   3. Don’t blame one another, it just makes it worse
5. Follow Through
   1. Do what you said you are going to do
   2. Ensure you are scheduling and maximizing the time you are asking your customer to take off from work. 
   3. Paperwork to document the items
   4. Signed off paperwork
   5. Close items only once it is signed and documented

Conclusion: Overall, good customer service can help build customer trust and loyalty, leading to positive word-of-mouth referrals and a strong reputation in the industry. 

#production #warranty #success #homebuilder #customerservice #improvement #process #playbooks #construction #coaching #projectmanagement

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Carolyn can be found on LinkedIn at:
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www.linkedin.com/in/joshuamcmahon15
Email for feedback, questions, complaints, etc:
[email protected]

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We appreciate any and all feedback so feel free to send a text.

Zepps Gear Podcast

Introduction: Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry. In 2020, 35% of all deaths in construction were due to falls. Of interesting note, if you are six feet or higher and you fall, you are at a greater risk for severe injury or death.  
OSHA requires that employers provide fall protection and the right equipment for the job. This includes ladders, scaffolds, and safety gear. 

Story: The roofers were on top of the roof without fall protection. 

Background

1. How long have you been in the construction industry? 
2. As a scaffold builder, how have employers handled Personal Protective Equipment for yourself and others during your career? 
3. What was the aha moment you realized that the Zepps Gear jacket could be the missing component for others using Personal Fall Arrest Systems? 
4. When did you develop the Podger Ratchet, and what was the driving force behind the idea? 

Story: I was walking the job site on my afternoon walk and walked in on the painters on top of a mobile scaffold trying to paint a section of the ceiling. The scaffold wasn’t tall enough, so they put four buckets on top of it and then placed a ladder. 

Conclusion:

-Recap any highlights from the discussion. 

- Had a fall and figured out that the jacket he had acted as a noose when he fell. 

-Remind folks about the sale going on through the end of March. 

#construction #projectmanager #safety #roofing #fallsafety #harness #peoplefirst #homebuilder #superintenedent #foreman

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Carolyn can be found on LinkedIn at:
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Email for feedback, questions, complaints, etc:
[email protected]

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We appreciate any and all feedback so feel free to send a text.

Walking Projects - Podcast

Introduction: Each time we walk a project in construction, we need to focus on quality. 

The job superintendent walks their projects at least once daily, if not twice. What is the intention of our walk? What are we looking for, if anything? 

How often does the sales agent walk homes under construction? 

How often does management walk homes under construction? 

What do people outside the superintendent do when they walk homes?

Story: 

1. Tornado Manager: AKA The Baker. The manager would come to the job site, walk a few jobs, raise hell with everyone, and disrupt anything he touched.  
   1. He intended to ensure everyone knew he was in charge. 
   2. The employees were all scared of him and called each other to warn him if he was in the neighborhood or heading that way. 
   3. The team would only raise concerns or opportunities for improvement if they were confident of what he would say or how he would treat them. 
2. Coaching Manager: A manager that listens to your struggles and opportunities and helps guide you toward a good solution for the project. 
   1. Not interested in the spotlight
   2. Willing to support you and create a culture where vulnerability is accepted
   3. Support encourages and holds the team accountable.
3. Sales Team: In most cases, our sales team knows more about the selections in each home than anyone else. 
   1. Walk the home to help and expose items that might be incorrect for the home. 
   2. Take good pictures while walking the home and add them to the weekly buyer update. 
   3. The superintendent often carries more houses and stress than they should. Help them build the home you sold, so the customer is happy. 
4. Design Team: The designers know the selections better than anyone in the business. 
   1. Walk homes to see how everything comes together. 
   2. Be comfortable making changes to your program if the product doesn’t meet your expectations. 
   3. Our customers deserve the product they are purchasing, and your eye for detail is critical for the superintendents in the field to turn over a quality product. 

Conclusion:

We are all on the same team to deliver a quality home or project to our consumers. Each person on the team should walk homes with an eye for quality and help one another reach a new level of quality with each walk we perform. 

#constructionpodcast #podcast #construction #homebuilder #projectmanager #superintendent #personaldevelopment #professionaldevelopment

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Carolyn can be found on LinkedIn at:
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Email for feedback, questions, complaints, etc:
[email protected]

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We appreciate any and all feedback so feel free to send a text.

CHANGE ORDERS Podcast

Introduction: the one constant in construction is that the projects will change! Accepting this reality will help us build better experiences with each project. 

Change orders help us keep projects on track and that projects are completed successfully. The value of a change order is that all stakeholders have a say in the cost, scope, and time that will be adjusted. It allows all parties associated with being on board with the changes. 

Story: 

1. Customer X. and his 170k dollar change order that we have fought for six months to get approved and finalized. 
   1. Details were not clear or documented in the system
   2. The customer remembered things differently from the trades, which put the builder and trade in a battle. 
   3. The customer wanted to negotiate each line item 6-12 months after the work was completed, which resulted in concessions by trades, builders, and customers. 
2. Base contract and selections
   1. Create your baseline contract
   2. Build out your specifications for each portion of the build
   3. Estimate and price out each option as accurately as possible
3. Changes to your scope of work (scope, cost, time, etc.)
   1. First, work will only be completed with a written and signed change request. 
   2. Changes can come from site conditions, material shortages, a change in design, the client finding something on Pinterest, etc. 
   3. When you agree to the change, consider all impacts on the project. Procurement? Labor? Time? Ensure the customer is made aware of each point when they agree to sign the change request
4. Change orders must be managed to ensure success
   1. Ensure we have a change order process or playbook
   2. Do all internal and external parties understand the playbook?
   3. Has the change order process been communicated to the customer? I would go as far as to create a specification or addendum to your contract to specify a change order process. 
   4. The lack of a change order process WILL create animosity, confusion, and a spoiled reputation for all involved, and it is all avoidable. 

Conclusion:

Change Orders are essential to all projects. 

Communicate the change order process up front and reiterate it to each trade you bring on and each internal team member. 

#homebuilder #construction #coaching #changeorders #documentation #contracts #process #personaldevelopment

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Carolyn can be found on LinkedIn at:
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Email for feedback, questions, complaints, etc:
[email protected]

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Hiring a coach could be one of the smartest investments in personal development. 

This episode discusses some objections to hiring a coach and the counterpoints. 

1. Skepticism of the benefits or need
   1. It is good to be skeptical. Let’s dive into some of your other objections to hiring a coach. 
2. Cost
   1. Highlight the value of the coaching
   2. Address specific concerns
   3. Customer testimonials
   4. Money back guarantee
3. The time commitment
   1. Technology allows us to coach from a distance
   2. Prioritize your schedule, and the time will be well spent.
   3. Focus on the benefits of your time
4. Fear of change
   1. It’s normal to have anxiety and a fear of change
   2. Set clear goals on what you want to get from the coaching sessions
   3. Take small steps and allow yourself grace when you fall short
   4. Lean in and embrace the discomfort. Growth comes from uncomfortable situations.
   5. Trust the process. Coaching is a collaborative process that will require trust and openness. Trust that the coach you hire will help you achieve your goals, and be open to feedback. 
5. Perception of weakness
   1. There was a time that people might consider hiring a coach or counselor to mean that you are weak. Tom Brady. Tiger Woods. Kobe Bryant. Michael Jordan. Venus Williams. They will go down as some of the greats of this generation because of coaching and the trust they put into the coaches they retained. 
6. A lack of trust
   1. It is natural to be skeptical and question if a coach is trustworthy.
   2. Do your research. Look for coaches that specialize in the field that interests you.
   3. Set up a consultation with the coach. 
   4. Be honest and upfront with the coach. Goals. Fears. Expectations. 
   5. You get out of coaching what you put into it. 
   6. Be patient. Rome wasn’t built overnight. Commit to six months and perform routine check-ins on progress

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Carolyn can be found on LinkedIn at:
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The value of LinkedIn and networking:

Yes, there is a significant value in LinkedIn for both individuals and businesses. LinkedIn is a professional networking platform that allows individuals to connect with others in their industry, share their experiences, and showcase their skills and accomplishments. LinkedIn provides businesses with a platform to reach a large and engaged audience, recruit top talent, and build their brand.

For individuals, LinkedIn can be a valuable tool for networking and job searching, as well as for sharing their expertise and building their brand. 

For businesses, LinkedIn offers opportunities for content marketing, lead generation, and building brand awareness.

LinkedIn has become an essential tool for professionals and businesses looking to connect, showcase their skills and experience, and find growth opportunities.

1. Professional Networking: LinkedIn provides a platform for professionals to connect with others in their industry and build a network of contacts. This network can help share job leads, obtain references, and get advice from professionals in the same field.
2. Networking with alums: LinkedIn allows you to reconnect with former classmates and colleagues and build relationships with alums from your school or organization.
3. Finding mentors and role models: Connect with individuals you admire in your field and learn from their experiences. They can offer valuable insights and advice for your career growth.
4. Improving your visibility: When you actively participate on LinkedIn, you increase your chances of being found by potential employers, clients, and collaborators.
5. Gaining new skills: Participate in online learning opportunities and take advantage of the resources available on LinkedIn Learning.
6. Career Development: Enhance your brand, share your accomplishments, and learn from industry leaders to advance your career.
7. Job search: Find job opportunities and recruiters, and showcase your skills and experience to potential employers.
8. Personal Branding: LinkedIn allows users to create professional profiles showcasing their skills, experiences, and achievements. This is an opportunity for individuals to build a personal brand and stand out to potential employers or clients.
9. You are establishing yourself as a thought leader: Share articles, posts, and updates that demonstrate your expertise and show you as a knowledgeable professional in your field.
10. Industry Insights: LinkedIn provides access to news and insights about the industries that interest you. This includes articles, blog posts, and discussion forums where you can engage with other professionals and stay up-to-date on the latest trends and developments.
11. Sales and Marketing: LinkedIn can also be used for B2B marketing and sales. Businesses can use the platform to research potential customers and connect with decision-makers. They can also share company updates and promote their products or services to a targeted audience.
12. Recruitment: For companies, LinkedIn is a powerful recruitment tool. Employers can search for and contact job candidates, post job listings, and even use the platform to conduct virtual interviews.
13. Business Opportunities: Discover and connect with potential clients, partners, and suppliers,

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Carolyn can be found on LinkedIn at:
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As the construction industry continues to evolve, we are seeing more manufacturing of off-site panels. How do we work with jurisdictions to ensure code compliance without delaying production? Larry shares that the ownership is on the manufacturing plant and its quality control process. He also says that there are ways for inspectors to spot-verify construction to ensure the panels and trusses are built per specifications. 
We discuss the need for superintendents to get out of their trucks and walk the jobs with the inspector. Superintendents that watch as the inspector enters for an inspection only to call 30 min later are missing a critical opportunity to grow with the inspector. 
A funny story from Larry about a time when a builder would send his wife to the job, and her sole job was to distract the inspectors as they did their work. 

The key takeaway is that Larry and the inspection department value teamwork between the builder and the county. 

#construction #personaldevelopment #projectmanagement 

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Carolyn can be found on LinkedIn at:
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Have you ever wondered what thoughts go through a county inspector's mind when they are called to perform a building inspection? We are pleased to introduce you to Larry Brock, a Residential Inspection Supervisor with Chesterfield County, Virginia. 

Larry has a storied career that spans working as a builder, Navy Seabees, and being a county inspector over the past 28 years. As he stares at retirement, he considers the need to document processes and has a passion for giving back and helping those coming up as inspectors. 

Larry can be found via LinkedIn at: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-brock-12277325

#construction #personaldevelopment #inspector #homebuilder

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Carolyn can be found on LinkedIn at:
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Email for feedback, questions, complaints, etc:
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