The Foundation Series are interviews with leaders that are focused on topics related to building a strong foundation for your business.

In this episode, we chat with Connor Crook, CEO of Diamondback Tool Co. We talk about his journey from Lawyer to Leader, and how his leadership style has helped build the right team as they've grown to be the most sought after tool belt on the market.

Diamondback Tool Co. is a manufacturer of premium construction work gear including tool belts, vests, bags and more. Their modular system delivers value through increased productivity, comfort and durability to customers around the world.

Be sure to check out ⁠www.startbuildingsomething.com⁠.

Thank you to our Sponsors!

⁠Kantent⁠ | augmented reality made easy.

Kantent WebAR allows customers to view your products in their space quickly and easily on any device without the need to download an app. Need 3D models? Kantent can help you with that! Kantent is WebAR for everyone. Starting at just $25/product per month, you can have a web visualizer on your website that shows your products in 3D and allows consumers to view that product in Augmented Reality in their own home. Augmented Reality is proven to increase sales and decrease returns. Kantent makes it easy, affordable and fun to add Augmented Reality to your marketing and sales playbook. Want to learn more? Email: [email protected]

⁠aly⁠ | photo-realistic 3D renderings

ALY has streamlined and simplified the process for custom interactive and shareable photo-realistic 3D renderings of interior and exterior spaces. Whether you are a custom home builder, a multi-family developer, a restaurant or commercial developer, interior designer, or simply anyone who wants to see their project in high-fidelity photo realistic images, ALY is the marketing and sales solution you’ve been looking for. ⁠www.alyvr.com ⁠Want to see a demo or start a quote on a project? Email: [email protected]

One of the most time consuming aspects of being a contractor and running a business is the sales process. Following up on leads, driving to homes to check out the site and providing quotes. It takes time, effort, money and most of all, it takes you off the job site or away from family in the evenings.

There is a better way. Groundwork is changing the way that contractors interact and engage with their leads, helping to automate the qualifying process. Saving contractors time and headaches, all while closing the good deals quicker and more efficiently. Sell Smarter. Not Harder.

Learn more about Groundwork.
Follow Groundwork on Instagram and Facebook

Connect with Jeff Wraley on LinkedIn.

Be sure to check out www.startbuildingsomething.com.

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Kantent | augmented reality made easy.

Kantent WebAR allows customers to view your products in their space quickly and easily on any device without the need to download an app. Need 3D models? Kantent can help you with that! Kantent is WebAR for everyone. Starting at just $25/product per month, you can have a web visualizer on your website that shows your products in 3D and allows consumers to view that product in Augmented Reality in their own home. Augmented Reality is proven to increase sales and decrease returns. Kantent makes it easy, affordable and fun to add Augmented Reality to your marketing and sales playbook. Want to learn more? Email: [email protected]

aly | photo-realistic 3D renderings

ALY has streamlined and simplified the process for custom interactive and shareable photo-realistic 3D renderings of interior and exterior spaces. Whether you are a custom home builder, a multi-family developer, a restaurant or commercial developer, interior designer, or simply anyone who wants to see their project in high-fidelity photo realistic images, ALY is the marketing and sales solution you’ve been looking for. www.alyvr.com Want to see a demo or start a quote on a project? Email: [email protected]

Bullseye is the dealer locator that closes more sales.

Over 70% of the building materials companies we surveyed said that their locator software is for consumer convenience. This way of thinking is outdated. An effective locator can support sales and marketing by generating leads, increasing revenue, and promoting your brand.

Change the way you view your location software and make a modern, full-featured location software part of your essential toolkit for sales, marketing, and growth.

Learn more at www.bullseyelocations.com

Visit our sponsor at www.kantent.co

For those who own a home or planning to build a home, wouldn't it be nice to have a better way to communicate, save, and share all the information about a home, in one place? Digs is solving that problem with their revolutionary AI-Driven Collaboration software.

Digs allows homeowners and builders to collaborate directly on the blueprints to ensure all details are captured in one place. No more digging through emails and text messages! But it get's better. Once the home is complete, you get a digital twin of your home with all products and warranties included inside.

Digs solves problems for every homeowner. Trying to recall what type of lightbulb the light in your master bathroom takes? Ask Digs and its AI technology will tell you. No more digging through that pile of manuals, because a digital version lives in Digs.

This is the solution that every homebuilder and homeowner needs! Go to www.digs.com to learn more or check them out on Instagram.

Thanks to our sponsor www.kantent.co.

Wouldn’t be nice if your customers could visualize YOUR product in THEIR space in real size before buying it? Kantent WebAR allows users to do just that! WebAR is Augmented Reality for the web - meaning it works on both iPhones and Androids, with NO APP DOWNLOAD. The 3D model of your product will be shown on your website and users can quickly place that product in their own home!

Increase sales and decrease returns with Kantent. Kantent is WebAR for everyone. They keep the process simple and affordable so everyone can experience the power of Augmented Reality.

Be sure to check out the Start Building website for more great content.

In this episode, Tim chats with Greg Martineau, Founder of Renoworks about the power of Visualization.

Renoworks mission is to make home remodeling decisions easier, faster, and better for everyone! We accomplish this by delivering, everyday, and on every level of the home improvement process, innovative visualization solutions and services that enable better engagement and deeper insights for our customers.

www.renoworks.com

Facebook just announced their vision for the Metaverse. The Wild has been building it for years.

In this episode, Tim chats with Gabe Paez, Founder and CEO of The Wild on how their Augmented and Virtual Reality solutions are allowing architects, engineers and the construction industry to collaborate virtually on the design of their spaces before they are built. Saving time and money by being more efficient and solving problems earlier in the process.

Collaboration is key when designing just about anything. It’s absolutely critical when designing a physical space or building. COVID has opened up the doors for innovations like Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality to really take hold and show that these solutions are more than just fun - they are changing the way we do business. The Wild is changing how architects, engineers and the construction industry collaborate and design spaces by using augmented and virtual reality to bring your work to life before it’s built.

Good installation instructions are about as rare as assembling IKEA furniture in under 3 hours. Great installation instructions live in the BILT App. BILT has taken the most frustrating aspect of a purchase - the installation and assembly - and made it simple, interactive and fun. They turned it into an experience that builds brand affinity and loyalty. 

I chat with Nathan Henderson, Founder and CEO of BILT on how their 3D interactive instructions are drastically improving the overall customer experience and changing the way we as consumers experience the final step in the path to purchase - installation and assembly. Once you experience BILT, you'll never want to open another instruction booklet again.

Learn more and download the BILT App: www.biltapp.com

Check out the Start Building website: www.startbuildingsomething.com

Lumber prices hit a record high in 2021. Buying and selling lumber has historically been very manual and time-intensive. Until now. MaterialsXchange is a digital marketplace for buying and selling lumber, bringing this industry into the digital age. 

I chat with Michael Wisnefski (CEO) and Ashley Boeckholt (CRO) about why they founded MaterialsXchange and how they are disrupting the entire industry by automating the process and bringing price transparency to everyone. This is the future of buying and selling lumber. 

Welcome to the Start Building Podcast. This episode is all about why I started this Podcast and my own experience with innovation within the building products industry. Thank you for joining me on this journey. Let's start building.