Non-Fiction Audiobook Review

Team:

Coach Gary here. This is Episode 15 of the Brick and Block Podcast, “You Don’t Own It!” It is a special, Masonry Marketing Minute Podcast—a special edition—some info that will help to protect your business—and you’ll get the concept by just listening for about 5 minutes.

All considered, In some respects, this might be one of the most important podcasts I’ve ever done. But, then again…all of my podcasts are important! So…dig in!

We begin immediately,      and by immediately,   I mean once I remind you that you can find our website at BRICK AND BLOCK PODCAST DOT COM (repeat). I’m making a point this episode about websites that support your business, and I’ve got an excellent example of one: Masonry Contractor Special Website. You’ll see it there. That’s what you’re looking for. It’s bullet proof, BEAUTIFUL, cutting edge, DONE FOR YOU, and practically free! You’ll love this one. Check it out. 

OKAY, TEAM.    HANG ON, BUCKLE UP… LISTEN UP,  AND PREPARE TO MOVE UP.

And now…Episode 15,  “You Don’t Own It”.

By Coach Gary Micheloni

PODCAST EPISODE 15

"You Don’t Own It!"

Coach Gary’s Marketing Minutes

Okay Team…

After asking many contractors about their websites and how all of that is going, some tell me that they have a website, but it’s on Facebook or Blog.com, and so forth. WRONG!

I need to help your thinking, so tune in for the next couple of minutes, because you just have to hear what it is I’m about to say. And then…you check it against what you have currently, and decide if   it  is what you need. Here we go.

MY Key Points

1.   When we mention the word, ‘website’, we’re talking about something that you OWN. For instance, if your business is Fred Smith Masonry, then you should own a domain name similar to that, such as SmithMasonry dot com, FredsMasonry dot com, Main Street Construction dot com, etc. You buy a domain name from GoDaddy, or wherever, for about $10 per year, and you are responsible for whatever goes onto it. You control it. You OWN it.

2.   If you are relying upon a Facebook business page, for instance, please realize that you don’t control what you post, and you don’t own the ‘website’—Facebook does. Nothing against Facebook, etc, so why is this important? You are relying upon the social media host, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, and so forth, to always be there to host your web page and allow it to be seen. And that includes the so-called-- FREE websites on sites like Google My Business, Home Advisor, Groupon, Yelp, etc.

3.   What could go wrong? Let’s think about that. The social media host could go out of business, cease distribution, (remember MySpace, Google Plus, Vine, Meerkat, Friendster…and so on?) 

4.   Worse yet, the social media platform might not ALLOW your post if it conflicts with their personal viewpoint. Impossible, you say? How many news sites, broadcast news, and social media sites within the past year decided that the President of the U.S. was not allowed to post or speak on their platforms? And he certainly had way more followers and sway than any of us.

5.   Years ago there was a famous singer who went by the name of “Prince”. Do you recall that there came a time where he could no longer perform under his name, and had to perform as “the artist formerly known as Prince”. He didn’t own his name!

6.   Or…simply…what happens if your website comes from the webmaster and he decides to leave the country, or leave the planet…and leave…YOU…without the stuff you thought you had?  

I say all of that just to say this: Make sure you actually own your stuff. If it’s appropriate, get it patented, copyrighted, trademarked, registered, incorporated, licensed…you name it.

For example, I’ve been writing for Masonry Magazine 16 years now and I’ve copyrighted every one of the issues. It’s just good business.  

PLEASE MAKE SURE:        YOU    DO  OWN IT…      AND YOU PROTECT IT. 

OKAY TEAM. THAT’S IT FOR TODAY.  

YOU CAN REACH OUT TO US BY EMAIL: [email protected]

(SPELL OUT THE WORD “AND”: A. N. D.)  Brick And [email protected]

OUR WEBSITE AGAIN IS  WWW.BRICKANDBLOCKPODCAST.COM  

Go there and check out my – ALMOST FREE –

Masonry Contractor Special Website

HEY…

BE SURE AND SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST. IT’S IMPORTANT. 

WE WANT YOU TO JOIN US FOR THE NEXT EPISODE.

NOW…

FOR THE BRICK AND BLOCK PODCAST…

THIS IS COACH GARY…

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

Ep 14 - "Ask the Builder" - Tim Carter Interview, featuring comments and thoughts of "Coach Gary" Micheloni, Dave Ramsey & Mike Rowe 

Podcast Episode 14 – “Ask the Builder” – Tim Carter

Have you ever asked the question: What would it take for me to develop a side hustle or go into a business for myself?

Is that crazy—or something I should even attempt? Can I take my skills and do something further with them?

Well…we’re going to try and answer that for you today, with the help of my very special guest.

Anybody remember back to a time when you could take a shop class in school? My high school had a department called Industrial Arts. You could learn automotive skills, metal and woodworking, photography, electrical, leather carving, mechanical drafting, jewelry making, home economics…and so on. We learned things that became useful, lifelong skills.

Today…not so much! The teachers and classes have disappeared from being a part of the school day, and eventually, from importance to today’s generations. Kids are being taught that a college education is paramount, and you should get one, even if the costs of it puts you into debt for 10 to 20 years.

Have the skilled trades been rejected by the kids and young adults of today, and been replaced with career thoughts of video game creation and computer programming? Maybe.

That’s not so good…at least in my opinion. To fix it,   all of us really should pay attention to the next several minutes of this podcast because these things affect your life, the well-being of your companies, communities,  and families.

One of my favorite radio personalities , Dave Ramsey, tongue-in-cheek--often speaks of such degrees as German Polka History—implying that there are virtually no jobs to go along with those degrees. He’s right! Debt stacks up. And for what purpose?

Another of my favorite radio/TV/podcast personalities is Mike Rowe, the star of the old—and NEW--series, “Dirty Jobs”, and the voice of shows like “Deadliest Catch”. Mike is a big proponent on the value of the skilled trades. In fact, he puts his money where his mouth is, with the Mike Rowe Works Foundation, offering training scholarships for blue collar jobs like welding to  automotive…to   you name it.

This year he is awarding over one million dollars in scholarships to … WAIT FOR IT… trade schools! A kid can learn an extremely, well-paying skill in a short amount of time—no college debt. Never get laid off.  Mike’s biggest challenge is finding students willing to get their hands dirty and put in an honest day of hard work.

The reason for this explanation of mine has everything to do with why I am so excited to have on the show today Tim Carter. For many years, Tim had the call-in radio show,  ASK THE BUILDER! And this has EVERYTHING TO DO WITH YOU! Here’s why:

People…homeowners…would call Tim and ask him how to do certain remodeling tasks  and  jobs  around the house. Why did they call Tim? Because they have failed to learn those skills earlier in their lives, such as in school.

There is a market out there for installing those improvements, repairing broken irrigation systems, mending fences; generally creating--and completing for pay-- those projects wanted by people unskilled in the physical trades.

I asked Tim if he might speak about the demand and the markets and types of projects homeowners have asked him about, or asked him to perform for them.

Seems like almost every guy I know in the trades has either thought about doing side work, or is doing side work, or is thinking about starting a business for himself. Tim is just the guy who can shed some light on this.

Hey, everybody, “Coach Gary” here. Thanks for indulging me in my rant. Fortunately,  I have a guest today you’ve just got to meet…and I believe he can help guide us through the problems mentioned in that rant, and talk about solutions.

Tim grew up with the trades. Was a master plumber, a general contractor, specialized in ultra-custom remodeling. He flipped houses before “Flip this House” was even cool! He knows an awful lot about the market many would-be handymen or contractors are considering.

Enough talk on my part. Help me to welcome Tim Carter, “Mr.   ASK THE BUILDER” to the Brick and Block Podcast.

Contacts for names referenced in this podcast:

Tim Carter: www.AsktheBuilder.com and subscribe to his weekly newsletter.

Mike Rowe: Voice of "Dirty Jobs", "Deadliest Catch", and many others; Scholarships--go to Mike Rowe Foundation: MikeRoweWorks.org

Dave Ramsey, Financial Consultant, National Radio and Podcast Producer: RamseySolutions.com

THANKS AGAIN TO TIM CARTER, AND TO ALL OF YOU OUT THERE IN THE INDUSTRY.

NOW…FOR THE BRICK AND BLOCK PODCAST,    

I’M COACH GARY.  www.BrickAndBlockPodcast.com; email me [email protected];

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY,   EVERYBODY!

The Brick and Block Podcast

For Growing Your Masonry Business

THIS IS EPISODE 13

Our Mini Series

Do You Have a Mobile Friendly Website

Coach Gary’s Marketing Moment – Part 3 of 3

Hey, Team…”Coach Gary” here. As you know…

This month we have been running a ‘mini series’ on the importance of Mobile Friendly Websites. Last week was Part 2, and today we give you Part 3 of it, which is also Podcast Episode 13. This will conclude the mini-series on mobile friendly websites. The three of them are grouped together, Episodes 11, 12 and 13. Great resource for you—the essence of what you need to know—at a glance—right there in your phone!

I want to conclude by giving you an exercise--an object lesson, because seeing is believing, and I’d really like you to see this, it’s something which you can hold in your very own hands, right there in your phone. In just a few moments, after today’s podcast ends, I want you to go to this website: BestBrickBlockStoneMasonry.com . If you’re driving along, just trust me that you can find it in the ‘show notes’ for Episode 13. This is a website which has been created for contractors or suppliers in the masonry, brick & block, pavers industry. The purpose of using this website is that it is a good example of current technology and the way things ought to be, whether you’re a mason or provide any kind of contractor services or supply.

Open it up: type in the domain name—in your mobile phone. Notice a few things. While holding the phone in one hand, you can see the contact info at the top. If the company name was the ‘Brick and Stone Company’, you’d see it, and you’d see their logo, along with their phone number.

You’ll also see in the upper left hand corner, immediately left of the BestBrickBlockStoneMasonry.com address, the image of a PADLOCK. This indicates a secure site. The HTTPS in the domain name indicates that it’s a SECURE website. If your own domain name begins with just HTTP, then you’ll see a ‘warning kind of a sign’   a triangle. This is super important to Google, as I’ve mentioned before. Just wanted you to see it. Warning signs can drive away people.

Immediately below—and without scrolling—you’ll see examples of their services, like Repair, Replacement, whatever. You could see a city name or a complete address, even business hours. By comparison, what does yours show?

Now, scroll down a little and you’ll see some photos along with brief descriptions of services, all by simply scrolling downwards, very easily. Notice that the font is large enough to read, the photos are high resolution.

Scroll down a bit more and see testimonials from ‘happy clients’. Notice how the testimonials slide ACROSS the screen. You should have testimonials on your own website.

Below is a ‘Contact Us’ screen where a customer could request a quote.

Below that another phone number. It would usually be clickable.

Scroll down—our menu

Scroll down—our highlights

Scroll down—our address, phone, email

Scroll down—a map page

Note how easily everything flows. Nothing hard to see. Excellent.

I have a Final Pro Tip for you:

scroll down just below the map and you’ll see Follow us on: f tw YT insta icons

Now…very important: try clicking on any media icons and, guess what—they are NOT clickable!

This is critical. You’ve worked hard to get your potential customer to your site. Do not allow him any distractions that could take him away from your website!!! That’s the last thing you’d want to do.

It’s great to show images of those social media icons—which we’ve done. We want customers to know you CAN find us on social media—JUST NOT RIGHT NOW! See the difference?

Let’s get a phone call. Let’s get an order!

WINDING DOWN…

TODAY WAS PART 3 of 3 of COACH GARY’S MARKETING MOMENTS, our mini series on the importance of mobile friendly websites. I hope you got great value from this series. Let me know what you think…AND…any questions you have.

Again, that website to check out is BestBrickBlockStoneMasonry.com Do yourself a favor—do the exercise!

OKAY TEAM. THAT’S IT FOR TODAY. IF YOU MISSED ANY OF THOSE WEBSITES, CHECK THE SHOW NOTES ON YOUR PODCAST APP, OR JUST EMAIL ME AND ASK. I’LL GET THEM TO YOU.

YOU    CAN   REACH OUT TO US BY EMAIL:  [email protected] Spell out the word A.N.D.

BrickAndBlockPodcast@gmail .com    INCLUDE YOUR FIRST & LAST NAME

BE SURE AND JOIN US FOR THE NEXT EPISODE OF—WHAT IS IT?    THE “BRICK AND BLOCK PODCAST”

AND MAKE SURE YOU HIT THE ‘SUBSCRIBE’ OR ‘FOLLOW’ BUTTON—WE WANT YOU HERE FOR THE NEXT EPISODE.

NOW…  FOR THE BRICK AND BLOCK PODCAST, THIS IS COACH GARY

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY

The Brick and Block Podcast

For Growing Your Masonry Business

THIS IS EPISODE 12

Do You Have a Friendly Website

Coach Gary’s Marketing Moment – Part 2  

Hey, Team…”Coach Gary” here. You’ve heard me say that …

A few days ago, on episode 11, I gave you Part 1 of my, ‘Coach Gary’s Marketing Moments’. This is Part 2.

After I published that episode, I listened and thought about it, and decided it was not as complete as I’d like, so let me add a few important things for you, okay? None of it geeky stuff!

First and very easy: run a test. Go to Google,  on your phone,  and type in the words  mobile friendly test. Give it a second  and you’ll see it ask for your domain name, like, www.FredJonesMasonry dot com. It should pop right up with:

Page is mobile friendly.

This page is easy to use on a

mobile device

Below that, there’s a spot to click:  “view screenshot”.   Click there, and you can see what your website looks like to other people when they Google you. Good to know.

Click out of it and open up google again. Type in your domain name (your website name) again. Click on it, and see how long it takes to fully display. Fraction of a second? Several seconds? Half a minute? Google is looking for <2.5 seconds

Why is all of this so important? Google’s thing is that it wants users to have a great search experience,  and the degree to which people have that great experience  drastically affects ranking  of your website. And all that means  is that

the highest ranking websites get seen by the most people. So…in a perfect world, you want to be on Page One, at the top. The closer you are to the top, the more likely to be seen. People rarely get as far as the second page on ANY search!

Finally, on this topic, let me add one morenugget: Google uses half a dozen or so factors to determine FRIENDLINESS:

In order, they are…

ASSUME: relevant content

Do pages Load fast

Are they interactive

Visual stability (do things jump around)

Is it mobile friendly

Safe to browse

HTTPS (SSL certificate)

  In other words, when people go to your website, if your website begins with HTTP://WWW, then there will be a warning. If it begins with HTTPS://www, there will not be a warning. It is more secure. Secure sites rank higher.

Episode 11 I suggested you take a look at BrickAndBlockPodcast.com and see how quickly that website opens, how easy it is to read, navigate and so on.

But I’ve got another good one for you to look at. This one is a masonry website and it’s really cool looking. At least I think so. Now, for kicks, check this masonry website, which is at BestBrickBlockStoneMasonry.com . This will

show you a modern site, suitable either for residential or commercial. It’s handy for comparison purposes or getting a few ideas you can implement on your own site. Notice the speed, how everything is relevant to the masonry category, safe, secure, easy to browse…just like we were talking about.

Let me know what you think…AND…any questions you have.

TODAY WAS PART 2 OF COACH GARY’S MARKETING MOMENTS. NEXT WEEK WE’VE GOT PART 3 COMING YOUR WAY.

BE SURE AND CHECK IT OUT.

OKAY TEAM. THAT’S IT FOR TODAY. IF YOU MISSED ANY OF THOSE WEBSITES, JUST EMAIL ME AND ASK. I’LL GET THEM TO YOU.

YOU   CAN   REACH OUT TO US BY EMAIL:  [email protected] Spell out the word A.N.D.

BrickAndBlockPodcast@gmail .com    INCLUDE YOUR FIRST & LAST NAME

BE SURE AND JOIN US FOR THE NEXT EPISODE OF—WHAT IS IT?    THE “BRICK AND BLOCK PODCAST”

AND MAKE SURE YOU HIT THE ‘SUBSCRIBE’ OR ‘FOLLOW’ BUTTON—WE WANT YOU HERE FOR THE NEXT EPISODE.

NOW…  FOR THE BRICK AND BLOCK PODCAST, THIS IS COACH GARY

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY

The Brick and Block Podcast

For Growing Your Masonry Business

THIS IS EPISODE 11   

Coach Gary’s Marketing Moment

This Episode: Do You Have a Friendly Website

Hey, Team…”Coach Gary” here. You’ve heard me say that …

…having sufficient leads (or bid invitations) goes a long ways toward solving business problems. That’s because many businesses really struggle here. Today, I wanted to take a look at something very obvious that could help you a bunch with the inflow of revenue for your business.

To help with this, we’re going to put up a series of marketing episodes, (our Marketing Moments) each very short in duration, but very meaty, nonetheless. Stuff you can consume, in tasty bites, right there in your truck. Let’s get going.

So, I ask the question again: “Do you have a friendly website? And, by ‘friendly’, I mean a “mobile friendly” website.

What am I talking about? You know the old saying, a picture is worth a thousand words, so I want you to create a picture for yourself. Take a quick moment—NOT NOW WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING!—and look at your company website. I’m sure you’ve done that before, but here’s the way to look at it today: ON YOUR PHONE—not on your desktop computer.

Why? What’s the hurry? The short answer: look to see if it’s leaking! What…? Leaking Business!!! Be proactive. Don’t just assume that all is well. Check it out for yourself—see the picture—see what your company website looks like on your own mobile phone.

Here are the nuggets you need to know about ‘mobile friendly’

Did you know that these days most searches for the kinds of services you provide or products you sell—those things which produce the revenue so important for you…between 50 and 70 percent of those searches are made on mobile devices—SMART PHONES.

And did you know that, when you on your phone at the company website, it should NOT be just a miniature of the website you see on your desktop? Why? Because your phone is too small, and you’d have to scroll all over the place—on your phone screen—to find the info you’re searching for. People searching for your stuff on their phones will leave your website and look elsewhere to solve their problems—because it’s not very friendly, in a mobile website kind of way. THIS IS A HUGE DISTINCTION.

Also, please know that Google puts a greater value on ranking websites when they are mobile friendly and fast, so be aware.

What to look for:

First, your contact info needs to be at the top: easily seen, without scrolling, so people know they are at the right spot. Company name, phone, email address. Sometimes a potential client just needs a phone number to place an order. Make it easy for the client to spend money with you, okay?

Second, does the website pop open really fast? People are impatient. We don’t want them to search for our competitors. In the old days, folks might put up with a slow-to-open website. Not today. You’ve only got a few seconds to impress.

Third, is the website easy to read? Again—large enough font.

For kicks, type into your phone browser the website for this podcast, which is BrickAndBlockPodcast.com . This will give you an idea as to how fast a mobile site should open, the size of the font, how a video should play, and so on. It’s a clean looking site, very professional (if I do say so myself).

TODAY WAS ALL ABOUT THE ‘WHAT’. ON THE NEXT MARKETING MOMENT, WE’LL GET INTO THE ‘WHY’. BE SURE AND CHECK IT OUT.

OUTRO

OKAY TEAM. THAT’S IT FOR TODAY.

YOU CAN REACH OUT TO US BY EMAIL: [email protected] Spell out the word A.N.D.

BrickAndBlockPodcast@gmail .com    INCLUDE YOUR FIRST & LAST NAME, CELL PHONE NUMBER

BE SURE AND JOIN US FOR THE NEXT EPISODE OF THE “BRICK AND BLOCK PODCAST”

AND MAKE SURE YOU HIT THE ‘SUBSCRIBE’ OR ‘FOLLOW’ BUTTON—WE WANT YOU HERE FOR THE NEXT EPISODE. 

Team:

COACH GARY HERE. THIS EPISODE OF THE ‘BRICK AND BLOCK PODCAST’ FEATURES THE AUDIO VERSION OF MY MAY  2020 COLUMN IN MASONRY MAGAZINE. YOU PROBABLY KNOW THE COLUMN AS ‘FULL CONTACT PROJECT MANAGEMENT’. THE TITLE OF THE COLUMN YOU ARE ABOUT TO HEAR IS:

In it to Win it!

           Ordinary Heroes—All In…& All Together

This is a significant column because it was written in the very early stages of the Covid Lockdown of 2020, and I expressed concern about paying people to stay at home…away from work…because I feared the long-term consequences of it. Many of us, part of the vast majority of the construction industry, were categorized as “essential employees” and continued to work.

And what makes the news these days in 2021? A labor shortage. People still cowering in fear, even after the availability of a vaccine, and the arrival of virtual, herd immunity. We are, indeed, essential.

Also, significantly, I reminded readers to consider the tough times we’ve been through before as a country, and why that history meant that we’d get through these times.

And why is that so important? Simply because too many people these days with loud voices appear to be advocating the tear-down our country.

All considered, In some respects, this might be about one of the most important columns I’ve ever written. Dig in!

OKAY, TEAM.    HANG ON, BUCKLE UP… LISTEN UP,  AND PREPARE TO MOVE UP.

And now… “In it to win it.

Ordinary Heroes…All in…and All Together

By Coach Gary Micheloni

THIS EPISODE OF THE ‘BRICK AND BLOCK PODCAST’ FEATURES THE AUDIO VERSION OF MY SEPTEMBER 2020 COLUMN IN MASONRY MAGAZINE, ‘FULL CONTACT PROJECT MANAGEMENT’. THE TITLE OF THE COLUMN YOU ARE ABOUT TO HEAR IS: Losing Your Feathers? Every Eagle Has to Molt!

The purpose of this column, written back before the elections of 2020, was to remind everyone that, magnificent as a bald eagle may be, no matter how patriotic its people, despite the best intents of its citizenry, when you look closely enough at its people—at any people—you can see some imperfections—you can find some cracks. Just as our friend, our symbol, the eagle, may look stunning or magnificent most of the time, even the eagle has to molt on occasion. It’s a part of life.

Let me leave it there. I encourage you to listen closely to this. In fact, I’d encourage you to listen at least twice: once for yourself, and the second time so that you can absorb enough from this and can be an encourager to other people--those you know that are going through a tough time & need to hear this.

To help illustrate, I bring in Elon Musk, Charles Lindberth, JFK, Space Shuttle and Apollo Astronauts, SpaceX and, of course, the American Bald Eagle, symbol of the USA.

OKAY, TEAM.    HANG ON, BUCKLE UP… LISTEN UP,  AND PREPARE TO MOVE AHEAD.

And now… “Losing your feathers? Every Eagle Has to Molt!” By Coach Gary Micheloni

COACH GARY HERE. YOU PROBABLY KNOW ME BEST FROM MY LONG-RUNNING COLUMN IN MASONRY MAGAZINE, AND THIS PODCAST IS AN EXTENSION AND EXPANSION OF THAT COLUMN. EACH MONTH, THE PODCAST WILL HAVE AN AUDIO VERSION OF MY MAGAZINE COLUMN, LESSONS ON MARKETING AND ALSO PROJECT MANAGEMENT SPECIFICALLY FOR MASONRY CONTRACTORS. THIS EPISODE OF THE ‘BRICK AND BLOCK PODCAST’ FEATURES THE FIRST PROJECT MANAGEMENT LESSON FOR MASONRY PM’S

NEXT MONTH WE’LL BE GOING THROUGH MY BOOK, “GET PAID FOR A CHANGE!”, WHICH WILL TAKE SEVERAL INSTALLMENTS TO COVER IT. THIS MONTH, I WANT TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN PUT TO WORK IMMEDIATELY. IT’S A STRATEGY, ALL ABOUT SETTING UP YOUR PROJECT FOR SUCCESS. IN EFFECT, IT IS A ‘PRE-EMPTIVE’ STRIKE.

LISTEN TO THIS A COUPLE OF TIMES. TAKE NOTES. THIS WILL MAKE YOU MONEY, SO PAY ATTENTION!

OKAY, TEAM.    HANG ON,  LISTEN UP,  AND PREPARE TO MOVE AHEAD.

AND NOW…TEN GREAT BIG THINGS or THE PM’S PREEMPTIVE STRIKE

THIS EPISODE OF THE ‘BRICK AND BLOCK PODCAST’ FEATURES THE AUDIO VERSION OF MY MAY 2021 COLUMN IN MASONRY MAGAZINE. YOU PROBABLY KNOW THE COLUMN AS ‘FULL CONTACT PROJECT MANAGEMENT’. THE TITLE OF THE COLUMN YOU ARE ABOUT TO HEAR IS:

“GRANDPA…WHAT WAS FREE SPEECH?”

YOU KNOW… IT IS SAID THAT BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, AT THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION IN 1787, WAS ASKED BY A WOMAN WHAT KIND OF A GOVERNMENT WOULD OUR NEW COUNTRY BE—A MONARCHY OR A REPUBLIC. FRANKLIN’S FAMOUS RESPONSE:

“A REPUBLIC, MADAM, IF YOU CAN KEEP IT.”

AT THE CONVENTION, THE FOUNDING FATHERS DEBATED THEIR PLANS FOR THE COUNTRY AND DEALT WITH BEDROCK ISSUES: ON WHAT WOULD OUR COUNTRY STAND—ITS FOUNDATIONS? WHAT RIGHTS WOULD WE HAVE? WHERE DO THOSE RIGHTS COME FROM?

THE ATTENDEES WERE VITALLY CONCERNED THAT OUR RIGHTS WOULD BE PROTECTED. THEY KNEW FROM WHOM THOSE RIGHTS ACTUALLY CAME.

PART AND PARCEL OF THAT THINKING WAS THE RIGHT TO OWN PROPERTY AND TO OPERATE A BUSINESS. AND ALL OF THAT HAD EXTENDED TO THIS PRESENT TIME.

BUT…TODAY’S WORLD HARKENS BACK TO THE TIME OF FRANKLIN, AND WE ASK OURSELVES THE QUESTION: CAN WE KEEP IT? CAN WE KEEP THOSE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES?

THE ARGUMENTS OF TODAY, HIGHLY VISIBLE AS THEY ARE, THREATEN NOT ONLY OUR COUNTRY, BUT OUR WAY OF LIFE, INCLUDING LIFE ON OUR JOBSITES, AS WELL AS ON OUR COMMUNITIES

OKAY, TEAM.    HANG ON,  LISTEN UP,  AND PREPARE TO MOVE AHEAD.

AND NOW…’GRANDPA, WHAT WAS FREE SPEECH’

Masonry May 2021

Full Contact Project Management

2021 Theme: Eternal Truths for Simple Coaches

Title: “Grandpa…what was free speech?”

Subtitle: Just When You Thought All Was Lost…

by “Coach Gary” Micheloni

I was telling myself that things would be okay, that we’d get through all of this pandemic stuff and economic stress, but then I had this terrible dream, or nightmare, or thought…not sure which…and one of the kids asked me this question:

“Grandpa, what was free speech? What was that all about? Was there really a time in America when it was okay to speak your mind? We were talking about that in school—in history class—and we heard that, once upon a time, in our country, people actually thought they could say or write what they wanted—what was important to them. Without government and social media approval. And everybody in our class was, like, ‘No way! That’s crazy talk!’

I had to tell him the truth:

“Yes, son. That’s the way it was…for almost 250 years. Of course…there were some restrictions. Laws…which said that you couldn’t, as a joke, yell ‘FIRE’ in a crowded theatre, for instance, and cause people to panic and trample each other.

But if you had a belief, you could say it or write it. But if it wasn’t true, then you’d be caught in a lie, because the news people would check it out and call you on it, and expose you. This was called ‘freedom of the press’, but that was back when. By the way, we also had ‘freedom of religion’, but don’t get me started on that one.”

But just then I woke up/came to/snapped out of it, whatever that was. But it was horrible!

Some folks might think that I could be the only guy in America with such crazy thoughts in my head—but I suspect some of that is going on right now, within a lot of people, so that gives me some hope. However, I don’t think the nightmare that I had is impossible.

We’ll come back to that subject in a moment. I want to first share with you some positive things that are going on, because that’s happening, too, on my Podcast. For instance, there’s a terrific, short video that you’ve got to see. Just click on or go to BrickAndBlockPodcast.com and you’ll see the video. It’s exactly what you need to see in these trying days, “just when you thought all was lost”. When you get to thinking that everything is falling down around you and going into the porcelain fixture, go check out a video clip showing the resolve, appreciation and patriotism of a 14-year-old kid saluting the real super-heroes of a bygone generation. Please don’t miss this one. It might give you chills. Did me!

NOTE--HERE’S A LINK TO THE YOUTUBE VIDEO:

https://youtu.be/8k9Si28k0Fk

Now, more good stuff at the Brick and Block Podcast website: there are some phenomenal audio episodes about leadership, marketing and project management--specifically for mason contractors and suppliers, along with an interview on training for the new trades people we need. Some bright spots!

For a lot of us, myself included, it seems like we lost a year. Perhaps we did lose 2020; then again, maybe we just don’t want to remember it. Not sure how it happened. Anyway, this is now 2021, like it or not, here it comes!

That said, seems like kids and families got the worst of it, because most kids did lose a year of in-person schooling, families lost a considerable chunk of income, security, savings and sanity. In my opinion, there’s a forthcoming, governmental invoice, I’m sure, being prepared for presentation to future generations for the stuff we are about to use right now. For some reason, the popular notion of today is that it’s okay to “pass on” to our grand- and great-grandkids the bills run up and “cost-coded” or expensed to Covid 2020.

And, you know what? It turned out to be so, surprisingly, easy that we now can go charging off things, supposedly to Covid, while keeping a surprisingly clear conscience. Take that, future heirs! Forget VISA. I’ve got my USGUV Card and, apparently, I have an unlimited credit limit, thank you very much.

Okay, I’m a bit jaded…maybe just a little over-the-top, but as a part-time, student of history, I know that this has happened before, people trying to take the easy way out. For instance, check out this 90-second nugget, a “Coach Gary” history lesson, from only 80 years ago. Here’s the picture:

The world is on the brink of war and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain flies to Germany and meets with Adolph Hitler. He returns on September 30, 1938, and addresses a crowd, hungry for good news. Neville assures the country that he and Adolph had a meeting of the minds, have agreed to never go to war against each other again, and he waves in the air the paper signed by both. Everybody cheers that we now have ‘peace in our time’.

The very next day, Germany invades a neighboring country, things get worse. Prophetically, Winston Churchill says to Chamberlain: “You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor, and now you shall have war.”

Sadly, within a year, September 3, 1939, PM Chamberlain again addresses the British people and informs them that they are now at war with Germany. You can’t make this stuff up!

By May 10, 1940, nobody still has faith in Chamberlain and he resigns, leaving the mess for someone else to cleanup. Churchill takes over, but London is bombed almost nightly by Germany for many months, then sporadically through May 1944. Unfortunately, beginning in June, German V1 and V2 rocket attacks on London commenced and ran until almost the end of the war. Yikes!

Coach Gary’s Take-away: You can’t just follow the easy way out, trying to make all people happy, if it leads you in the wrong direction, and you violate your principles.

Okay…I hear you out there. “Hey, Coach, why this history lesson in a construction magazine? Is it a history lesson only?”

No! It’s a lesson in leadership and it plays out in many of your jobsites more often than you’d like. Here’s the thing: too many contractors allow themselves to be ‘bullied’ by other contractors who take advantage of them. They want to be seen as team players. Keep the project moving. You know the drill.

But realize this: you can’t always keep the peace. It’s a poor strategy to never question or object. Don’t roll over and perform extra work, for free, simply because others tell you so. What does the contract say?

Bringing that to present day: it’s the subject of a continuing discussion we will be having over these next several months on the Brick and Block Podcast. I’m going to personally lead that discussion. Heck, I wrote the book on it: “Get Paid for a Change! The Contractor’s Blueprint for Turning Extra Work into Extra Money—through Change Orders”. This is going to all be on audio for you. We’re talking strategies that work.

The goal of the Podcast is to be an extension and expansion of the Full Contact Project Management column, but all of it coming to you in bite-size chunks of info and wisdom that you can chew on while you’re driving to a jobsite. BrickAndBlockPodcast.com. The easy part of your workday.

Coach Gary’s Corner: Gary Micheloni is a construction company marketer, speaker, author, consultant…and a coach…and a Podcaster: https://redcircle.com/brick-and-block-podcast

Get Coach Gary to speak for your group. [email protected] And be sure and tell him about how your Next Play!

Copyright 2021 Gary Micheloni

Have you ever asked the question: Where are the skilled masons of the future going to come from? Who’s going to train them? How do we even recruit them?

About a hundred years ago when I was a kid in high school, we used to have industrial arts. Shop class. Auto, metal, wood. I learned leather carving and tooling. I really enjoyed lapidary, cut, polished and created several pieces of stone jewelry. Some of us remember learning those skills, using with our hands. LIFELONG LESSONS!     Many of us don’t.

Have the skilled trades been rejected by the kids and young adults of today, and been replaced with career thoughts of video game creation and computer programming? Maybe.

That’s not so good…at least in my opinion. To fix it,  all of us really should pay attention to the next several minutes of this podcast because these things affect your life,  the well being of your companies, communities,  and families.

I did say,    MAYBE-- YES,  and maybe IT’S THE FAULT of the parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles of today, who have pushed kids towards college as a first   or only   choice when it comes to careers. Maybe, we have made getting a degree seem like the only way to get ahead, have saddled our kids   and us!   with a mountain of college debt, often for worthless degrees from prestigious universities, yielding unsatisfying careers--for which our country and our kids are paying dearly.

One of my favorite radio personalities , Dave Ramsey, tongue-in-cheek--often speaks of such degrees as German Polka History—implying that there are virtually no jobs to go along with those degrees. Debt stacks up.

Every year, college recruiters are invited to speak on campuses. Pick your numbers, but a college education might cost anywhere from ten or twenty thousand dollars a year to triple or quadruple that. A mountain of debt, creeping up on unsuspecting parents and children, and saddling their futures for ten or more years.

Another of my favorite radio/TV/podcast personalities is Mike Rowe, the star of the old series, “Dirty Jobs”, and the voice of shows like “Deadliest Catch”. Mike is a big proponent on the value of the skilled trades. In fact, he puts his money where his mouth is, with the Mike Rowe Works Foundation, offering training scholarships for blue collar jobs like welding to  automotive…to   you name it.

You know…at high schools and colleges,  thankfully,  military representatives are invited to speak. Good for that! Rarely, though, are any representatives of the skilled trades. This is a shame. This should not happen. This stops now!

Cutting edge, real time training for those in high school or early adult years is the solution, and Bonnie O'Connor of the Masonry Industry Training Association (MITA) gives us her insight in the first of her visits with the Brick and Block Podcast.