LivLive: Design, Building, and the Business of Remodeling

In this episode of LivLive, host Dave Pollard reconnects with Brad Novak, a longtime colleague who recently moved into a Senior IT Manager role at HOK in Atlanta, supporting multiple offices across the Southeast. Brad shares what it looks like to run technology inside a global architecture firm — from supporting teams day-to-day to scaling systems across regions and offices.

A major thread of the conversation is the often-overlooked backbone of great project delivery: standards. Dave and Brad dig into why file naming, folder structure, layer standards, and consistent templates aren’t just “admin” work — they create clarity, enable automation, reduce errors, and make onboarding dramatically easier. They reflect on the systems they built together earlier in their careers (including AutoCAD automation and later Revit implementation) and why those habits matter even more as firms grow and collaborate across teams, offices, and consultants.

The episode also touches on how shared language and process (internal acronyms and “how we do things here”) becomes part of a firm’s culture — reinforcing consistency and reducing friction across design and production teams.

Listeners will learn:

• What Brad does as a Senior IT Manager at HOK, including supporting multiple offices across a region

• Why standardization (not just software) is a major driver of efficiency in architecture and production environments

• How file naming and folder structure create clarity, reduce mistakes, and make work easier to automate

• Why naming conventions extend beyond files to groups, servers, and even physical stations in a networked environment

• How strong standards become “invisible” over time — and why that’s the goal

• How AutoCAD automation (e.g., routines that depend on layer names) only works when standards are enforced

• The Revit-side equivalent: why naming families, components, and standards matters—especially when consultants are involved

• How process language (internal acronyms like IFP / PPR) reinforces culture and consistent delivery

• Why mentorship and onboarding improve when teams can rely on a consistent system

In this episode of LivLive, host Dave Pollard sits down with Matt and Becky, the founders of Rough Bones Creative, for a candid conversation about creativity, storytelling, and building a values-driven creative business.

Matt and Becky share how Rough Bones Creative approaches branding and visual storytelling, focusing on authenticity, narrative clarity, and helping clients articulate who they really are. The conversation explores how creative teams translate abstract ideas into tangible stories, how trust is built with clients, and what it takes to balance creative vision with real-world business constraints.

They also discuss the realities of running a creative studio as a partnership — navigating collaboration, decision-making, growth, and sustainability while staying aligned with their creative values. This episode offers insight for creatives, entrepreneurs, and business owners interested in how meaningful brands and stories are built from the inside out.

In this episode, listeners will learn:

• How creative studios approach branding through story, not just visuals

• Why authenticity and clarity are foundational to effective brand work

• How creative teams translate abstract ideas into compelling narratives

• What collaboration looks like inside a creative partnership

• How client relationships shape the creative process

• The balance between creative vision and business realities

• What it takes to grow a creative studio without losing identity

• Lessons for creatives and entrepreneurs building values-driven businesses

In this episode of LivLive, host Dave Pollard talks with Greg Woleck, a carpenter by trade, about the role of craft, hands-on experience, and learning by doing in the construction world.

Greg shares his path through carpentry and residential construction, discussing how working with his hands shaped the way he thinks about quality, responsibility, and leadership. The conversation focuses on what it means to truly understand a project from the ground up — not just managing work, but having lived experience in the field.

They also talk about how craftsmanship informs decision-making, how builders grow from trade work into broader responsibility, and why respect for the trades matters in delivering good work. This episode offers a grounded look at construction through the lens of someone who came up through carpentry and still carries that mindset forward.

In this episode, listeners will learn:

• How starting out as a carpenter shapes long-term thinking in construction

• Why hands-on experience matters in understanding quality and execution

• How craft influences leadership and decision-making

• What learning “in the field” teaches that classrooms cannot

• How builders grow from trade work into greater responsibility

• Why respect for the trades is essential to good project outcomes

• How craftsmanship connects design intent to real-world execution

• Lessons from building a career rooted in making, not just managing

In this episode of LivLive, host Dave Pollard sits down with Allie Rood, filmmaker and storyteller, to dig into her decade-long journey making Prickly Mountain: And My Design/Build Life, a feature documentary rooted in her upbringing in the Mad River Valley of Vermont and the unconventional architecture movement that shaped her life.

Allie shares how living in and around the design/build community in Warren and the Mad River Valley influenced her worldview and ultimately inspired her to tell this story through film. She talks about the countercultural design/build ethos — a movement that emerged in Vermont in the late 1960s and 70s when architects rejected academic rigidity and instead built by hand, embraced experimentation, and turned architecture into a lifestyle.

The conversation explores how Prickly Mountain traces that history through archival material, interviews, and location — not just as a film about architecture, but as a story about community, creative risk-taking, and how place shapes identity. Allie also reflects on the creative process, the intersections between build culture and storytelling, and what it means to document a philosophy of making that values imperfection, learning by doing, and collective connection.

In this episode, listeners will learn:

• The story behind Prickly Mountain: And My Design/Build Life — a documentary about a unique architectural and cultural movement in Vermont.

• Why the Mad River Valley and Warren, VT became fertile ground for experimental architecture in the late 1960s and 70s.

• How a filmmaker’s personal history and environment shaped the film’s narrative and thematic direction.

• What the design/build philosophy meant to the architects and builders who landed in Vermont — prioritizing community, creativity, and learning by doing.

• How archival storytelling, interviews, and place-based footage bring historical and emotional depth to documentary filmmaking.

• The challenges and rewards of documenting a philosophy that values imperfection and process over perfection.

• How Allie balances creative intention with practical constraints over a multi-year filmmaking process.

• What it’s like to turn a deeply personal project into a universal story about community, creativity, and making.

In this episode of LivLive, host Dave Pollard sits down with David Hercules, founder of Hercules Design Build, to talk about the realities of running projects, leading teams, and delivering residential construction work day in and day out.

David shares his perspective as an owner-operator, discussing how builders manage risk, client expectations, and real-world constraints once construction begins. The conversation focuses on accountability, communication, and the systems required to consistently deliver quality work in residential remodeling and custom projects.

This episode offers grounded insight for builders and remodelers navigating the operational side of owning and running a construction business.

• What owner-operators actually deal with on real projects

• How builders manage risk and expectations in the field

• Why communication is critical during construction

• How systems support consistency and quality

• Lessons from leading teams while staying close to the work

In this episode of LivLive, host Dave Pollard speaks with Gregg Cantor of Murray Lampert Design, Build, Remodel about leading and evolving a long-standing residential remodeling firm.

Gregg shares lessons from decades in the industry, including how the company has adapted to changing markets, client expectations, and internal growth while maintaining quality and culture. The conversation explores leadership development, succession thinking, and the discipline required to sustain a successful remodeling business over time.

This episode offers perspective for remodelers and business owners navigating longevity, transition, and long-term leadership.

• How legacy remodeling firms adapt over decades

• What leadership looks like as companies mature

• How culture and quality are preserved through change

• Lessons from long-term ownership and responsibility

• Why disciplined decision-making matters over time

In this episode of LivLive, host Dave Pollard sits down with Kimberly Canada of Park & Patina for a thoughtful conversation about interior design, collaboration, and the realities of working across design and construction.

Kimberly shares her perspective on building a design practice rooted in clarity, trust, and intentional decision-making. The discussion explores how interior designers navigate client relationships, creative vision, and the practical constraints of budget, schedule, and construction — and how strong collaboration between designers and builders leads to better project outcomes.

They also talk about leadership, growth, and the importance of process in maintaining quality as a business evolves. This episode offers valuable insight for designers, builders, and homeowners interested in how successful residential projects are shaped through teamwork and shared accountability.

In this episode, listeners will learn:

• How interior designers balance creative vision with real-world constraints

• Why collaboration between designers and builders is critical to project success

• How clear communication improves client trust and decision-making

• What role process plays in delivering consistent, high-quality residential work

• How designers manage complexity across selections, timelines, and execution

• The leadership mindset required to grow a design-focused business

• How strong relationships lead to better outcomes for clients and teams

• Practical lessons for designers and builders working together on residential projects

In this episode of LivLive, host Dave Pollard sits down with Zach Snider of Alloy Design + Build for a candid conversation about residential remodeling, leadership, and the realities of operating within a growing design-build organization.

The discussion draws from real project and business experience to explore how design intent translates into construction, how teams manage complexity at scale, and why communication and accountability are critical as firms grow. Dave and Zach talk through the day-to-day decisions that shape project outcomes, company culture, and long-term success in residential work.

This episode offers practical perspective for architects, builders, and remodelers navigating growth, leadership responsibility, and the challenges of delivering consistent, high-quality projects in a design-build environment.

In this episode, listeners will learn:

• How design-build teams operate effectively as organizations grow

• Why communication and clarity become more critical at scale

• How leadership shows up in everyday decisions, not just titles

• What accountability looks like across design, construction, and management teams

• How real-world constraints influence design and construction outcomes

• The challenges of maintaining consistency and quality in residential remodeling

• Lessons from working within a larger design-build organization

• Takeaways applicable to architects, builders, and project leaders alike

In this episode of LivLive, host Dave Pollard sits down with Paul McManus of McManus Kitchen & Bath for a practical conversation about what actually drives growth in a design-focused remodeling business: marketing that feels real, systems that scale, and pricing that supports the work.

Paul breaks down how they think about website strategy (why portfolio posts don’t move the SEO needle the way blogs do), and why he’s come back to writing key content himself—because when marketing gets handed off, it can lose the project-specific nuance that makes it believable. Dave and Paul also dig into what happens as AI makes “baseline marketing” easy for everyone, and why the differentiator becomes voice, authenticity, and a point of view.

From there, the conversation gets into lead quality and filtering: people calling without reading the site, calling off “five stars,” experimenting with chat bots, and using heatmap tools (Paul mentions Lucky Orange) to see what users actually do (including the reality that people often click just to close the chat).

Paul also shares his business evolution—being “design-build in a half-ass way” at first, opening a showroom after being nudged into it, hiring his first designer (with a Home Depot kitchen-design background), building a good/better/best estimating framework, learning through peer groups like SEN Design Group, and the big turning point: reading Markup & Profit and finally charging in a way that made the business healthier.

Listeners will learn:

• Why blog content can outperform portfolio/case-study posts for SEO—even if clients love the project stories

• How Paul built personality into branding (including naming projects after 80s TV shows/sitcoms)

• Why handing off blog/case-study writing often makes content more generic—and what to do instead

• How AI changes marketing: why “robust website + weekly blog” becomes baseline, and voice/authenticity becomes the edge

• How to filter leads when people call without researching (and what Paul/Dave do with sequences + an intake assessment)

• What Paul learned from experimenting with website chat tools—and how heatmaps (Lucky Orange) revealed what users really click

• How opening a showroom changed his business (and why he admits, if he’d known the cost upfront, he might not have done it)

• How he hired/design-staffed early (including a first designer with Home Depot kitchen-design training)

• Why good / better / best estimating became a core operating system for his company

• The pricing turning point: what changed after reading Markup & Profit, raising prices, and “charging correctly”

• Paul’s longer-term thinking about the future—including interest in an architect-driven design-build model in his market

In this episode of LivLive, Dave talks with Jeremy Steinruck of Axis Construction about what it’s like building a construction business in Wichita Falls, Texas—and how the local economy, culture, and client base shape the work.

Jeremy gives a grounded snapshot of the region: the stabilizing influence of Sheppard Air Force Base (a NATO training base), the presence of Midwestern State University, and the broader context of ranching and oil. He describes Wichita Falls as stable and blue-collar, with fewer “big city” dynamics—but plenty of real-world challenges.

They also get into Axis’ work mix, including commercial DOD/government work, private commercial projects, and selective residential projects—and why many business “downs” aren’t market-driven as much as they are leadership, systems, and recipe (his word).

• What drives the Wichita Falls market: Air Force base + university + regional economy

• How a stable market changes business strategy compared to volatile metro areas

• What it’s like balancing commercial DOD work with private/commercial/residential projects

• Jeremy’s framing of business struggles as “leadership vs. recipe” (and what that means operationally)

• How internal accountability and team structure affect outcomes more than people admit

• A candid look at regional lifestyle/culture (including Jeremy’s memorable “river looks like the Oompa Loompa river” line)