This week, Mike drops a HUGE announcement about joining the Build Show Network — and we get the inside scoop on what that means for his future (and for seeing more of his face online). We swap hilarious stories about Cousin Johnny, including why the internet’s obsessed with him and whether we can finally get him out of his “content closet.” Plus, we talk Grappa-fueled misadventures, behind-the-scenes in custom homebuilding, crazy 20-something work stories from Australia, and how scaling a business can change your life. It’s part big news, part comedy, and part masterclass in building — you don’t want to miss this one.

This week on The Levelheads Podcast, things get weird—in the best way. Jamie’s gearing up for a mysterious wedding trip that may or may not involve livestock, questionable fashion, and zero cell service. Meanwhile, one of our clients spotted something truly horrifying in a neighbor’s window… and now we all need brain bleach.

We also dive into the rise of AI and what a dwindling labor force could mean for our future (spoiler: it’s either utopia or total robot domination—no in between).

Tune in for laughs, awkward mental images, and a healthy dose of existential dread. You won’t want to miss it.

This week we have Jeff Sweenor, founder and owner of Sweenor Builders in Rhode Island. We get into a bunch of topics like cycling, growing a company, This Old House and how Jeff bought a masonry company because he coulndt afford to lose them to another builders job for 6 months! Check it out!

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Special thanks to our podcast sponsors @andersen_windows & @purezawood

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This episode features Jim Lundquist, known as "the Swede," a trim carpenter, inventor, and self-described "happy-go-lucky guy" and "monkey wrench". Jim shares insights from his 40-plus-year construction career, which started in Seattle before moving to Arizona, navigating periods like the Great Recession which led him to work with a cabinet company importing from China for seven years. Now 60, he works as a lead carpenter and tackles diverse tasks on job sites. He discusses his unique perspective on aging in the trades and an exit strategy, considering a transition to a handyman role due to increasing demand and income potential. A highlight is his patent-pending invention, "the Swede," a multi-tool combining a scribe, magnet stud finder, and margin tool, which he sells and manufactures in the USA using 3D printing. Jim also touches on his past as a rock musician, balancing touring with construction work, and humorously credits turmeric with pepper for alleviating his hip pain

Hosted by Zane Ellis, Jamie Verdura, and Mike Conneely, The Levelheads is the podcast for custom home builders who are sick of the BS. Zane’s had more knee surgeries than he has patience for business coaches, Jamie’s allergic to fluff, and Mike’s got no time for clunky construction management software that doesn’t get the job done. Together, they tackle the real challenges of building high-end custom homes—without pretending there’s a one-size-fits-all solution. If you’re tired of being pitched “the next big thing” and just want straight talk from guys who actually build, you’re in the right place.

We caught a whoppa. You gotta listen. Our longest podcast yet.

Johnny bears all. He's a stud in our industry who faced a ton of challenges. We talk it out.

Special thanks to our podcast sponsor @andersen_windows

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This week we have Lisa McNealy a commercial broker in Knoxville TN that also operated in Scottsdale AZ. We talk about selling businesses, cadavers, basketball, and more. We get into how Lisa thrives in a male dominated industry and how her strong personality is an asset when competing with the "good ol' boys" in the business. We also find out how she got the title Miss USA. Listen in!

This week the Levelheads welcome Bryan James from Liberty Homes this week. Bryan has an interesting story of how he came into the home building business. The path was definitely not typical and  not free from road blocks. He also tells us how his company narrowly escaped going out of business after signing 26 contracts to build 26 new homes. Great episode.

ALSO listen in to here a special announcement about the Levelheads at this years International Builders Show

Special thanks to our podcast sponsor @andersen_windows

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For the first podcast in 2025 Jamie, Zane & Mike welcome Nick Sandifer from Sandifer Design Build. Nick is based in Jacksonville Florida and speaks about how his business has grown from small renovations to multi-million dollar custom home projects. Some great insight from Nick on thus episode and he also gets personal. He tells the Levelheads how the relationship with his father in the family business went through a rough point which ultimately led Nick to establish Sandifer Design Build. Very relatable story. Listen in.

This week and our final podcast of 2024 we have Matt Krsyzkowski from Monetti Custom Homes. This is matts 2nd time on the podcast and we get heavy into BuilderTrend discussions. He tells us how he has taken the lead in at MCH for implementing BuilderTrend into their systems & processes. Listen in for the great tips Monetti Custom Homes has come up with to make BT work for them. Great stuff.

Special thanks to our podcast sponsor @andersen_windows

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