Paradigm Industry Insiders

The floor at GlassBuild is buzzing with AI talk, but we cut through the noise to get practical. Guest Host Stefanie Couch, Founder of Grit Blueprint, sits down with industry veteran Rick Cross, Account Executive at Paradigm, to map the real ways AI helps window, door, and glass manufacturers capture traditional knowledge, reduce errors, and unlock self‑service quoting that customers actually use. The takeaway is clear: people and process come first, and the right software simply amplifies what aligned teams do well.

• AI as a practical tool to capture traditional knowledge and cut errors
• People and process as the real drivers of project success
• Trust and win‑win alignment across teams to avoid blame
• Software as leverage for quoting, self‑service, and scale
• "Hull speed" as a guide to pace growth and change
• Sales habits to reset slumps and sharpen skills
• Building talent pipelines through schools and trade routes
• The future of fenestration careers amid AI and automation

If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms and follow Paradigm on LinkedIn and YouTube to catch more stories, insights, and ideas from your peers across our industry

🎥 Watch More Industry Insiders Episodes
Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@myparadigmtechnology

🚀 About Paradigm
Software for the Building Industry | Paradigm’s software solutions help organizations throughout the supply chain to boost sales, reduce costs, and become more competitive. We exclusively serve the building industry, and we’ve developed our solutions with your unique challenges in mind.

🔗 Learn more: MyParadigm.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myParadigmTechnology/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/myParadigmTechnology/

From the floor of GlassBuild, Guest Host Stefanie Couch, Founder of Grit Blueprint, sits down with the National Glass Association’s new CEO, Lakisha Woods, for a fast-moving conversation about the workforce gap in glass and construction, why women and architects are central to growth, and how partnerships can transform our industry. Along the way, we talk mentorship, self-care, and the leadership story behind Lakisha's book, "Never Get Their Coffee."

Topics covered:
• Workforce pain points and the case for more women
• First-time GlassBuild energy and the drumline moment
• Partnerships to expand impact
• How visibility and community change career paths
• Finding mentors later and learning from afar
• Leonardo Davinci-style curiosity, self-care, and sustainable leadership
• The coffee and note-taking story as a leadership stance
• Women in Glass momentum and practical allyship
• NGA’s next moves: listen widely, act decisively

If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms and follow Paradigm on LinkedIn and YouTube to catch more stories, insights, and ideas from your peers across our industry

🎥 Watch More Industry Insiders Episodes
Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@myparadigmtechnology

🚀 About Paradigm
Software for the Building Industry | Paradigm’s software solutions help organizations throughout the supply chain to boost sales, reduce costs, and become more competitive. We exclusively serve the building industry, and we’ve developed our solutions with your unique challenges in mind.

🔗 Learn more: MyParadigm.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myParadigmTechnology/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/myParadigmTechnology/

What if the fastest way to scale a factory starts with a backyard barbecue? We sit down with Steve Salisbury, Director of Technology at Hoff Companies, to explore how real relationships, flexible thinking, and relentless execution fuel growth across the door and window industry. From ERP implementations and VoIP rollouts to doubling a facility and adding new glass lines, Steve shows how to turn messy change into a working system people trust.

We dig into how belief, flexibility, and real relationships drive progress in the door and window industry, tracing Steve’s journey from accounting and software implementations to scaling Western Window’s operations. Hoff’s century-long pivots show why evolving beats standing still, and why authentic leadership makes change stick.

Topics covered:
• Ownership mindset balanced with humility
• Hoff history from sawmills to millwork to windows
• Consolidating IT systems and moving to VoIP
• Choosing and implementing ERP and configuration software
• Building trust through genuine relationships and hospitality
• Skills for the next generation: flexibility and organization
• Authentic leadership and leading by example
• Why nothing is ever finished and why that’s good

If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms and follow Paradigm on LinkedIn and YouTube to catch more stories, insights, and ideas from your peers across our industry

🎥 Watch More Industry Insiders Episodes
Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@myparadigmtechnology

🚀 About Paradigm
Software for the Building Industry | Paradigm’s software solutions help organizations throughout the supply chain to boost sales, reduce costs, and become more competitive. We exclusively serve the building industry, and we’ve developed our solutions with your unique challenges in mind.

🔗 Learn more: MyParadigm.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myParadigmTechnology/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/myParadigmTechnology/

The fastest way to win more bids in the LBM world is simple to say and hard to do: remove friction. We sit down with Jeff from Saberis, a family-run integrator that started by solving double entry in kitchen design and now powers seamless data flow for windows, doors, and specialty orders across North America. From a single click that pushes complex configurations into a dealer’s ERP to smarter receiving that prevents costly work stoppages, we unpack how quiet integrations create loud results.

Topics covered:

• Origin of Saberis and the double entry problem
• Expansion from kitchens to windows and doors
• Why integration wins sales and saves time
• Pandemic effects on tech adoption and cash flow
• Self-serve configuration and dealer portals
• APIs as glue between vendor portals and ERPs
• Moving beyond sales to receiving and invoicing
• Using identifiers to prevent work stoppages
• Service as the ultimate market differentiator

If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms and follow Paradigm on LinkedIn and YouTube to catch more stories, insights, and ideas from your peers across our industry

🎥 Watch More Industry Insiders Episodes
Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@myparadigmtechnology

🚀 About Paradigm
Software for the Building Industry | Paradigm’s software solutions help organizations throughout the supply chain to boost sales, reduce costs, and become more competitive. We exclusively serve the building industry, and we’ve developed our solutions with your unique challenges in mind.

🔗 Learn more: MyParadigm.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myParadigmTechnology/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/myParadigmTechnology/

What if a manufacturer treated data with the same care it gives raw timber? We sit down with Shelly Johnson, Window Technology Manager at Sierra Pacific, to unpack how a seed-to-window business turns sawmill precision and cogen efficiency into a blueprint for data, cloud, and AI. Shelly shares why step one is always capture, because without clean, historical data, you’re just guessing, and how that discipline scales decisions across quoting, pricing, and production in the window and door world.

Topics covered:
• Treating data capture as step one for decisions
• Seed to window integration and waste reduction
• Sawmill optimization and cogeneration energy reuse
• Paradigm’s journey from spreadsheets to the cloud
• Serving dealers, retail, and direct channels
• Hiring for data science and AI readiness
• Building pipelines, governance, and common fields
• Coaching teams with a growth mindset
• Moving fast to stay ahead of competitors
• Parallels between music, flow, and team delivery

If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms and follow Paradigm on LinkedIn and YouTube to catch more stories, insights, and ideas from your peers across our industry

🎥 Watch More Industry Insiders Episodes
Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@myparadigmtechnology

🚀 About Paradigm
Software for the Building Industry | Paradigm’s software solutions help organizations throughout the supply chain to boost sales, reduce costs, and become more competitive. We exclusively serve the building industry, and we’ve developed our solutions with your unique challenges in mind.

🔗 Learn more: MyParadigm.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myParadigmTechnology/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/myParadigmTechnology/

The most beautiful windows in the room often have the toughest backstory, and at Lepage Millwork, that story runs on data. We sit down with Michael, IT Director at Lepage Millwork, to unpack how a company rooted in wood and craft built a paperless, sensor-rich shop floor that stays nimble when customers change their minds. The secret is more than tech; it’s a culture of measurable innovation anchored by a clear cadence: three minor innovations a month, two major a year, and one disruptive move every three years.

We explore how Lepage Millwork fuses craftsmanship with a data-first mindset to deliver custom windows and doors at scale. Michael shares the 3 2 Delta innovation cadence, the path to a paperless shop floor, and how training, hiring, and automation protect quality.

Topics covered:
• Innovation cadence of three minor, two major, one disruptive
• Moving from expert memory to systemized data
• Real-time, paperless workflows for agile changes
• Tablet-based instructions, videos, and PDFs at stations
• Mentorship and school partnerships to grow skills
• Recruiting skilled craftspeople from Madagascar
• Deploying automated prep and a new glass line
• Using AI and data to do more with less
• Balancing craft, technology, and culture

If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms and follow Paradigm on LinkedIn and YouTube to catch more stories, insights, and ideas from your peers across our industry

🎥 Watch More Industry Insiders Episodes
Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@myparadigmtechnology

🚀 About Paradigm
Software for the Building Industry | Paradigm’s software solutions help organizations throughout the supply chain to boost sales, reduce costs, and become more competitive. We exclusively serve the building industry, and we’ve developed our solutions with your unique challenges in mind.

🔗 Learn more: MyParadigm.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myParadigmTechnology/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/myParadigmTechnology/

Buyers have changed the rules, and the window and door industry is racing to catch up. We sit down with Paradigm’s VP of Sales, Lisa Cooley, to unpack how AI, data, and a new generation of talent are rewriting everything from product discovery to the last mile of sales, and why grit still beats hype.

Topics covered:
• Generational shift toward empowered, research-first homeowners
• Labor shortages driving adoption of modern tools for recruiting
• Practical ways AI accelerates visualization, estimating and content
• Sales leadership that listens, asks better questions and motivates meaning
• Long-tail search and visual matching changing product discovery
• Connecting manufacturers, dealers and buyers with accurate data
• Vision for tighter data flows and human-centered decision-making

If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms and follow Paradigm on LinkedIn and YouTube to catch more stories, insights, and ideas from your peers across our industry

🎥 Watch More Industry Insiders Episodes
Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@myparadigmtechnology

🚀 About Paradigm
Software for the Building Industry | Paradigm’s software solutions help organizations throughout the supply chain to boost sales, reduce costs, and become more competitive. We exclusively serve the building industry, and we’ve developed our solutions with your unique challenges in mind.

🔗 Learn more: MyParadigm.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myParadigmTechnology/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/myParadigmTechnology/

We explore how a small luxury door manufacturer wins direct-to-consumer by pairing data-driven outreach with handcrafted service. Autumn Whisenhunt from Panoramic Doors shares how storytelling, custom engineering, and selective automation create trust for high-stakes purchases.

• Choosing direct-to-consumer to protect brand and message
• Mapping quotes and orders to find hot spots
• Educating homeowners without overwhelming them
• Keeping service personal without a dealer network
• Custom doors that fit the opening, not stock sizes
• Partnerships with barndominium builders and celebrity projects
• Using AI for outreach while preserving human decisions
• Logistics focus on speed, pricing, and reliability
• Career paths built on curiosity and learning

If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms and follow Paradigm on LinkedIn and YouTube to catch more stories, insights, and ideas from your peers across our industry

If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms and follow Paradigm on LinkedIn and YouTube to catch more stories, insights, and ideas from your peers across our industry

🎥 Watch More Industry Insiders Episodes
Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@myparadigmtechnology

🚀 About Paradigm
Software for the Building Industry | Paradigm’s software solutions help organizations throughout the supply chain to boost sales, reduce costs, and become more competitive. We exclusively serve the building industry, and we’ve developed our solutions with your unique challenges in mind.

🔗 Learn more: MyParadigm.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myParadigmTechnology/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/myParadigmTechnology/

Host John Wheeler and today's guest, Tim Musch, Business Development Specialist at Paradigm, dig into the buyer‑first mechanics of consultative selling: how a simple talk‑listen ratio (around 53/47) transforms appointments, why needs assessments beat feature dumps, and the small behaviors that earn real trust in the home. Tim shares how educational marketing became his unfair advantage, turning webinars and practical training into a flywheel for growth long before content marketing was a trend. Along the way, we trace the industry’s tech arcs, from QuickBooks and Excel to AI, and confront a problem many leaders face today: a “tech pile” of loosely connected tools that fatigue teams and confuse customers.

Topics covered:
• Buyer‑first sales mindset and needs assessment
• MarketSharp origin story from retail pain points
• Educational marketing as a growth engine
• Optimal talk‑listen ratio for sales conversations
• Consultative selling vs scripted closes
• Tech phases from spreadsheets to AI
• Tech stacks vs tech piles and sequencing
• AI ride‑alongs for coaching after stabilization
• Protecting teams from overload and burnout
• Work‑life balance, music, and finding new goals

Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms and follow Paradigm on LinkedIn and YouTube to catch more stories, insights, and ideas from your peers across our industry.

If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms and follow Paradigm on LinkedIn and YouTube to catch more stories, insights, and ideas from your peers across our industry

🎥 Watch More Industry Insiders Episodes
Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@myparadigmtechnology

🚀 About Paradigm
Software for the Building Industry | Paradigm’s software solutions help organizations throughout the supply chain to boost sales, reduce costs, and become more competitive. We exclusively serve the building industry, and we’ve developed our solutions with your unique challenges in mind.

🔗 Learn more: MyParadigm.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myParadigmTechnology/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/myParadigmTechnology/

Guest host Stefanie Couch, Founder of Grit Blueprint, and Todd Tomalak, Principal, Building Products at Zonda, dig into the pro channel power shift and the new battleground at the top of the funnel. 

Pros will increasingly start online and, more often, in AI tools that assemble punch lists, alternates, and pricing in one thread. That means digital presence, structured product data, and AI-ready content aren’t “nice to have”, they’re how you avoid being bypassed. 

Stefanie shares her BLEND framework for independents: brand, leverage, experience, niche, digital, and why training is the hidden constraint for high-margin, high-complexity categories. 

Topics covered:
• Orders down ~20% Q3 vs Q1, signs of thaw
• HELOC taps up 38% with super-prime borrowers
• Windows and doors replacement pool 2–3x by 2027
• Pros control margin; capacity becomes the choke point
• HELOC-funded projects trigger 4–7x adjacent work
• Playbook for independents: brand, leverage, experience, niche, digital
• Training gap on complex lines; AI as copilot
• Home Depot–SRS autonomy vs centralization risk
• Lowe’s marketplace and footprint advantage
• QXO upside if earnings-doubling proof lands
• Measure pro digital draw rate and leakage
• AI reshapes search, discovery, and conversion

Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms and follow Paradigm on LinkedIn and YouTube to catch more stories, insights, and ideas from your peers across our industry.

If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms and follow Paradigm on LinkedIn and YouTube to catch more stories, insights, and ideas from your peers across our industry

🎥 Watch More Industry Insiders Episodes
Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@myparadigmtechnology

🚀 About Paradigm
Software for the Building Industry | Paradigm’s software solutions help organizations throughout the supply chain to boost sales, reduce costs, and become more competitive. We exclusively serve the building industry, and we’ve developed our solutions with your unique challenges in mind.

🔗 Learn more: MyParadigm.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myParadigmTechnology/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/myParadigmTechnology/