Most contractors don’t fail because of bad work.
They fail because of bad contracts.

In this episode of Finance at the Jobsite, I sit down with Megan Shapiro, construction attorney, contract coach, and founder of Do It Like a Lawyer™, to break down why contracts are one of the most misunderstood—and most powerful—financial tools in construction.

We talk about why so many subcontractors sign agreements they never read, how notice provisions quietly destroy cash flow, and why “no redlines accepted” is often a red flag, not a rule.

Megan shares her OWN™ framework—Optimize, Weigh, Negotiate—and explains how construction leaders can:

• Reduce risk before the project starts

• Protect profitability without hiring a lawyer for every contract

• Build real confidence in negotiations (even in high-pressure, male-dominated rooms)

• Use AI tools without outsourcing your judgment

• Train teams once instead of paying endless subscription fees

This conversation is essential listening for construction CFOs, controllers, owners, and trade partners who want their contracts to work for them—not against them.

“Contractors don’t run out of work. They run out of cash.”

🎙️ Guest: Megan Shapiro, Esq.
Construction Contract Coach | Former Litigation Attorney | Founder, Converge Construction Summit

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#ConstructionFinance #ConstructionContracts #RiskManagement
#CashFlow #CFO #Subcontractors #ConstructionLaw
#FinanceAtTheJobsite #Leadership #WomenInConstruction
#AIinConstruction #DoItLikeALawyer

What does it really take to manage a 1,100-home, multi-year reconstruction program—and keep the numbers honest?

In this episode of Finance at the Jobsite, I sit down with Charles Britt, a construction leader with nearly 18 years in the Air National Guard who now oversees large-scale mechanical reconstruction at Keesler Air Force Base.

Charles breaks down how military accountability shaped the way he thinks about money, contracts, and responsibility—and why every house on a job should be treated like its own standalone investment.

We cover:

• Why cash flow is the oxygen of large projects

• How labor efficiency, materials, and rework make or break margin

• Managing 1,100 homes as a house-by-house portfolio, not a single job

• Using Dash, QuickBooks, Excel, and bill.com to see problems early

• Where invoicing, approvals, and subcontractor communication break down

• Why walking the jobsite reveals more than weekly reports

• The real cost of small inefficiencies and hidden waste

• How better data, systems, and voice tools could change field operations

This is a practical conversation for owners, project managers, controllers, CFOs, and anyone who wants to speak both operations and finance fluently in construction.

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🎙 Finance at the Jobsite — real conversations about how construction actually works, where money is made or lost, and how leaders think on the ground.

#FinanceAtTheJobsite #ConstructionFinance #JobCosting #CashFlow #ProjectManagement #ConstructionLeadership #FieldOperations #ConstructionTechnology

In this episode of Finance at the Jobsite, host Rishi Srivastava sits down with Lymor Wasserman, a seasoned construction finance leader with nearly two decades of experience across HVAC, security, and telecom construction.

Lymor shares practical, hard-won insights on what actually matters in construction finance — from unit-based billing and cash flow challenges in broadband construction to designing KPIs that help project managers run better jobs, not just satisfy leadership dashboards.

You’ll hear a candid discussion on:

• The most useful KPIs for project managers, superintendents, and finance teams

• Why gross margin, forecast accuracy, DSO, and crew output matter more than vanity metrics

• How to decide when granular cost allocation helps — and when a burden rate is smarter

• Managing cash flow without “pay-when-paid” protections

• Drawing healthy boundaries between finance support and operations ownership

• Why soft skills and change management matter more than ERP logos

• How to break down the “us vs them” dynamic between field, ops, and accounting

This episode is packed with real examples, practical frameworks, and leadership lessons for anyone responsible for job cost visibility, financial operations, or driving change inside a construction company.

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If you’re a construction CFO, controller, PM, or operations leader trying to align numbers with reality in the field — this one’s for you.

What does a surety underwriter actually look for when deciding whether to support a contractor?

In this episode of Finance at the Jobsite, host Rishi Srivastava sits down with Jacob Studer, Construction Surety Bond Underwriter at Travelers, to unpack how bonding decisions are really made — beyond ratios and checklists.

Jacob brings a rare perspective, having worked in the field as a framer and electrician, run his own contracting businesses, and now underwrite bonds for contractors nationwide. That hands-on background shapes how he evaluates risk, character, and long-term potential.

In this conversation, we cover:

• The 3 non-negotiables underwriters care about most (character, cash flow, and operating margin)

• Why one bad project can take down an otherwise healthy contractor

• How surety underwriting differs from insurance and mortgage lending

• What contractors can do to earn support even with imperfect financials

• Why WIP accuracy and financial discipline matter more than revenue

• How contractors should think about stretch jobs and bonding capacity

• Practical ways AI and automation can make contractors more bondable today

If you’re a contractor, CFO, controller, or advisor looking to grow safely — this episode is a must-listen.

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#FinanceAtTheJobsite #ConstructionFinance #SuretyBonds #ConstructionAccounting #ContractorGrowth #CashFlowManagement #WIPReporting #ConstructionLeadership #AIInConstruction #Bonding

In this episode of Finance at the Jobsite, Rishi sits down with Zach Duncan, Project Manager at Knight Electric, who went from wiring docks right after high school to managing nationwide rollout programs and large-scale projects for Fortune 500 retailers.

Zach shares how relentless curiosity, asking better questions, and “finding a room where you’re the dumbest person” fueled his rise from twisting wire nuts in small shops to running programs that span all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and beyond. He unpacks what he learned about logistics, permitting, and market differences between places like South Georgia and Washington State—and why sometimes you need to jump on a plane and sit down with the building department to get a permit unstuck.

We dig into what strategic growth really looks like for a specialty trade contractor with 90–100 electricians in the field, why Knight is disciplined about staying in its retail “lane” (for now), and what needs to be true—financially and operationally—before saying yes to a $20–$100M data center job.

You’ll also hear Zach’s practical take on:

• Bridging the gap between preconstruction and operations so handoffs don’t destroy margin

• Avoiding “financing the job” in the first 60–90 days through better terms, setups, and communication

• The contract red flags that can quietly shift risk onto the subcontractor—and how AI can help review them at scale

• Using tools like Excel, Power BI, Procore, and AI to track every dollar, tighten reporting, and make better bids

• Why making life easier for the field—fewer clicks, better tools, voice-to-text for daily logs—is the fastest path to better profits

• How AI, electrification, EV charging, and data centers are transforming the electrical trade into one of the most in-demand, six-figure career paths for 19-year-olds entering the workforce

Zach closes with a powerful pitch to young people who are unsure about college: why becoming an electrician lets you build the future, travel, earn quickly, and stack real, durable skills that AI can’t easily replace.

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In this episode of Finance at the Jobsite, Rishi sits down with Dusty Stasch, a Project Manager at Ellingson Companies, whose career journey is a masterclass in field-driven leadership and financial discipline. Dusty started as a 19-year-old laborer in 2008 and worked his way up through foreman, superintendent, operations manager, and now PM—giving him a uniquely grounded understanding of cost, risk, and decision-making.

Dusty shares:

• How seeing the business from every level reshaped his mindset around profitability and job costing

• Why short-duration projects demand faster forecasting, tighter communication, and disciplined stops/starts

• The real impact of weather, soil conditions, and field logistics—variables finance teams rarely see on a spreadsheet

• How farmers, as “CEOs of multimillion-dollar operations,” require clear communication and expectation management

• The tech stack that transformed Ellingson’s operations: HCSS, Esri GIS, Microsoft Project, and Power BI

• How calm, steady leadership reduces mistakes, improves morale, and protects margins

• The moment when job costing “clicked” and changed the way he operated forever

Dusty’s story is the blueprint for how modern construction companies grow leaders who can bridge field reality and financial truth. Whether you’re a CFO, controller, PM, or superintendent—this episode gives you a clearer window into how great operations teams think.

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#FinanceAtTheJobsite #ConstructionFinance #ProjectManagement #ConstructionLeadership #JobCosting #ConstructionOperations #FieldToFinance #ConstructionTechnology #HCSS #EsriGIS #PowerBI #ConstructionManagement #DrainTile #AgricultureConstruction #ContractorLife #BuiltWithAI #BeiingHuman

Patrick Allen, a 17-year Trimble veteran and leader of the U.S. New Logo AEC sales organization, joins Finance at the Jobsite to break down where construction technology is heading — and why the next 12–24 months will redefine how contractors operate.

Patrick shares stories from two decades helping contractors transform their workflows, including:

• How connected construction eliminates silos and delivers real-time job cost visibility

• Why SMB contractors (under $10M) are now adopting tech faster than ever

• The biggest misconceptions owners still have about ERPs

• How AI is about to reshape billing, bank rec, AP, reporting, and cost control

• What separates contractors who succeed in digital transformation from those who stall

• The mindset owners, CFOs, and PMs need to stay competitive in this new era

If you’re a CFO, controller, PM, or construction leader trying to understand where technology is actually going, this episode delivers a candid, insider view from one of the most experienced voices in the AEC/O ecosystem.

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In this episode of Finance at the Jobsite, Rishi sits down with Margie Morris, CCIFP — a respected surety advisor and partner at Guignard Company — who has spent her entire career helping contractors grow safely, strategically, and sustainably.

Margie shares wisdom earned from decades in the industry — from underwriting at Travelers and Reliance, to advising contractors on bonding, financial strength, continuity planning, and major transitions like ESOPs and private equity.
If you’re a CFO, controller, estimator, project executive, or owner in construction, this conversation will shift how you think about risk, bonding capacity, and financial discipline.

• Why bonding isn’t the painful process contractors fear — and what strong surety partnerships actually look like

• The two issues keeping contractors up at night: labor and continuity

• How poor financial reporting quietly destroys bonding capacity

• Why your accounting department is not “overhead” — it’s growth infrastructure

• ESOPs vs. private equity: which transition paths work, which collapse, and why

• The #1 financial habit of contractors who grow past $50M+ successfully

• Why your WIP is your report card — and how sureties read it

• The real pitfalls of rapid growth: cash flow drag, new hires, and cultural drift

• How owners should think about winding down a company the right way

Margie also reveals the one habit CFOs can implement this month to immediately strengthen their surety profile.

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#Surety #ConstructionFinance #Bonding #ConstructionLeadership #ESOP #PrivateEquity #ConstructionGrowth
#WIPReporting #ConstructionCFO #FinanceAtTheJobsite #ConstructionRisk #ContractorSuccess #SuretyAdvisor

In this episode of Finance at the Jobsite, Rishi sits down with Mark Schwab, CEO & founder of CivilTakeoff.ai and operations leader at Elite Earthworks. Mark shares his unlikely journey from studying cinematography to becoming a construction tech founder — and why grading contractors desperately need better estimating and takeoff workflows.

Drawing from his firsthand experience in HR, payroll, dispatch, job costing, equipment reporting, and IT, Mark explains why contractors misunderstand reporting, where finance teams struggle, and why estimating is still one of the most painfully manual parts of construction.

We dive deep into:

• How writing SOPs exposed hidden workflow inefficiencies

• Why most contractors misuse reporting (and the one report that really matters)

• How equipment profitability truly drives decisions in grading

• Why accurate job costing is life-or-death for Earthwork contractors

• The AI gap in takeoff — and why CivilTakeoff.ai chose to train custom vision models

• Common misconceptions about AI in estimating

• What early users taught them about intuitive UX in construction

• The challenges of building a contractor-first software company

• Why now is the best time for construction professionals to start tech companies

Mark also opens up about the complexity of multi-step invoice approval, retention risks, and the hidden operational burdens many outsiders miss. Toward the end, he shares practical advice for construction leaders looking to build technology — even if they don’t have a coding background.

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#ConstructionTech #Estimating #Takeoff #CivilConstruction #Earthwork #ConstructionFinance #ContractorLife #AIinConstruction #FinanceAtTheJobsite #RishiSrivastava #CivilTakeoff #ConstructionInnovation

In this episode of Finance at the Jobsite, we dive deep into the human side of construction technology — why tools succeed, why they fail, and what construction finance leaders can do to make change actually work.

Our guest, Victor Sturgis of First Rule Contract Manager, brings a rare blend of tax, construction advisory, and startup experience. From leading long-term contract calculations for major GCs to transforming how teams adopt technology, Victor shares some of the most practical leadership insights in the industry.

You’ll learn:

🔹 Why “all friction is good friction” in accounting, project teams, and tech rollouts
🔹 The moment Victor realized construction needed better contract and data intelligence
🔹 Why implementations fail even when the software is solid
🔹 How CFOs and controllers can make a PACT (Performance, Alignment, Communication, Transition Support) with vendors
🔹 The importance of helping people feel seen, heard, and supported
🔹 What future-ready construction finance leadership looks like in the AI era
🔹 The #1 mistake companies make during tech adoption — and how to avoid it

This episode is a must-listen for construction CFOs, controllers, AP leaders, and anyone responsible for driving organizational change.

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#ConstructionFinance #ConstructionTech #CFO #Leadership #ChangeManagement #ContractManagement #AIinConstruction #FinanceAtTheJobsite