By Duane Johns & Dave Young
4.9
3434 ratings
The podcast currently has 167 episodes available.
Every job candidate has a set of hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills can be trained, but soft skills are natural inclinations that are difficult to teach. This episode explores how the soft skills that veterans have cultivated in their service career translate well to working in the construction industry. Our guests are from a familiar company, 84 Lumber, and today Joe Jena and Jason Hinsken join us to share how 84 Lumber has thrived by recruiting veterans and retaining them through offering a true career path where they can rise through the ranks.
Show highlights include:
00:30 Introduction to 84 Lumber and Guests
02:30 Personal Journeys: From Military to 84 Lumber
05:30 The Culture of 84 Lumber: A Family Atmosphere
07:25 Recruitment Strategies: Attracting the Right Talent
09:20 Identifying the Right Candidates: Traits and Skills
14:50 The Value of Hiring Veterans
17:20 Differences Between Military and Civilian Work Environments
20:30 Advice for Small Builders: Attracting Veterans
24:40 Opportunities for Veterans in Construction
29:45 Looking Ahead: Future Growth and Personal Aspirations
You can learn more about Joe and Jason at https://www.84lumber.com/.
Social media:
Joe’s LinkedIn
Jason’s LinkedIn
Or hit us through our Contact Page at https://buildernuggets.com and we’ll make a personal introduction.
To get the most out of this podcast, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.
HVAC design and indoor environmental quality is an often overlooked part of home design and construction. Code continues to sluggishly push forward, but doesn’t reach a high standard for comfort and efficiency in most home builds. Today’s guest is the founder and lead engineer of TE2 Engineering and he works diligently to educate others about how to design beyond code. Ross Trethewey joins us to discuss the key elements of HVAC design, the benefit of heat pumps, and what new technologies are going to drastically change the industry in the near future.
Show highlights include:
03;55 Introduction and Background
06:35 Building Science and HVAC Design
8:30 Indoor Environmental Quality and Comfort
11:00 What drives code? Efficiency vs Comfort
21:00 The Benefits and Future of Heat Pumps
30:00 Emerging Technologies in HVAC Design
32:50 Geothermal Systems and Solar Integration
34:45 What’s coming up next and how to connect
You can learn more about Ross at https://te2engineering.com/.
Social media:
Or hit us through our Contact Page at https://buildernuggets.com and we’ll make a personal introduction.
To get the most out of this podcast, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.
Today’s guest shares his journey from the family chocolate business to becoming a sought-after builder in Rhode Island. Jeff Sweenor, founder of Sweenor Builders, delves into the evolution of his business, the importance of intentional client selection, and the transformation of his company culture. This has led to attracting and retaining talented individuals and an incredible opportunity to be involved with This Old House. Through over 30 years of challenges and obstacles, Jeff has learned most lessons that any successful builder has to learn. Listen in and you can learn them too.
Show highlights include:
03:10 The Journey of Sweenor Builders
08:40 Intentional Client Selection: The Key to Building Success
12:35 Determining your ideal client
15:45 Where does the budget come from?
19:15 How to choose your projects?
20:55 Ways the business has changed
23:00 The Role of a Chief Performance Officer
26:00 The Negative Impact of Being Too Nice
32:45 Elevating the Workforce for Talent Attraction
38:00 This Old House
43:30 The best advice - use social media
46:35 What’s coming up next and how to connect
You can learn more about Jeff at https://sweenorbuilders.com.
Social media:
Or hit us through our Contact Page at https://buildernuggets.com and we’ll make a personal introduction.
To get the most out of this podcast, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.
Human-centric, sustainable, green, high-performance and fully-supportive are the buzzwords of the last few years in custom home design. Today’s guest has been incorporating these elements into her home designs for decades - before there were labels to define the trend. Jenny Pippin, founder of Pippin Home Designs, shares what it means to incorporate the specific needs of clients with the natural harmony of location and space. The popularity of bringing the outdoors in and maximizing efficiency in new homes is only growing in demand. Listen in as we hash out the building science behind the trend.
Show highlights include:
02:05 Introduction to Jenny Pippin and Pippin Home Designs
06:00 Early days of full supportive homes
07:10 Creating Fully Supportive Homes: A Human-Centric Design Approach
11:30 How do clients figure out their priorities in how a home supports them?
14:00 How important is the lot?
14:53 Ideal clients and finding each other
16:50 What surprises people about a Supportive Home?
18:40 The standard must be met
20:00 Building Science in homes and the trends
24:00 Examples of client experiences
29:55 Navigating Rising Construction Costs and Budgeting Challenges with great design
35:25 The Importance of Team Collaboration in Home Design
40:00 What excites you about the next year 45:35 How to connect
You can learn more about Jenny at https://www.pippinhomedesigns.com/.
Social media:
Or hit us through our Contact Page at https://buildernuggets.com and we’ll make a personal introduction.
To get the most out of this podcast, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.
We’ve invited back a special guest to give our annual economic update on the housing industry. Danushka Nanayakkara, Assistant Vice President for Forecasting and Analysis at the NAHB, joins the podcast again to share the annual outlook. Listen in to learn the trends for the next 18 months, where the industry is struggling most, and the direction the interest rates are headed next.
Show highlights include:
02:45 Introduction and Background
4:40 What was surprising economically this year?
07:55 Interest Rates and Inflation Outlook
14:35 Affordability Challenges and the Need for More Affordable Housing Units
24:55 Creative housing solutions and zoning
32:00 Economic trends for the next 18 months
38:40 Getting young buyers into the market
41:15 What does the industry look like 5 years down the road?
44:00 What excites you about the next year
45:35 How to connect
You can learn more about Danushka at https://eyeonhousing.org/.
Social media:
Or hit us through our Contact Page at https://buildernuggets.com and we’ll make a personal introduction.
To get the most out of this podcast, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.
These two childhood friends took a leap of faith and started their own custom home building business over two decades ago and never looked back. Weathering the turbulent Great Recession in ‘08 and, now, Covid, these two home builders have joined us to share the hard lessons they’ve learned and the tools they’ve used to build success. Chris Ehrenfeld and Jason Dell cover the trends that are taking their market by storm, and how they keep their customers happy.
Show highlights include:
02:30 Childhood Friends Turned Business Partners
07:35 Bold Construction the journey
09:01 Navigating the Great Recession and Pivoting
11:15 Implementing Systems and Processes with EOS
18:30 The behavior of buying habits and what clients what
22:15 The Impact of Remote Work and Commuting
25:37 The Importance of Customization and Design
30:20 Navigating the Overwhelming Choices in Home Building
34:40 Current trends in homes
39:45 What excites you about the next year
44:50 How to connect
You can learn more about Jason and Chris at https://buildboldnc.com/.
Social media:
Or hit us through our Contact Page at https://buildernuggets.com and we’ll make a personal introduction.
To get the most out of this podcast, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.
2024’s SORCI Report is an incredibly useful source of data that our guest today helped design at The Association of Professional Builders. Russ Stephens joins us for another year to go over the annual report and share the new industry trends he’s seeing, along with the biggest challenges facing builders and remodelers this year. This is an episode you can’t afford to miss.
Show highlights include:
01:15 Introduction of the Guest
02:32 Importance of Participating in the SORCI Survey
05:45 Highlights from the 2024 SORCI Report
07:30 Marketing Challenges for Builders
13:00 Content Creation and Marketing Strategy
19:55 Importance of Accurate Financial Reporting
22:25 Trends in Talent Acquisition and Employee Retention
25:55 Trends in the Residential Construction Industry
35:55 Accessing the SORCI Report
36:45 Exciting Developments in the Industry and Personal Life
You can learn more about Russ at https://associationofprofessionalbuilders.com/.
You can download this year’s SORCI report here.
Social media:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-association-of-professional-builders/
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx3f5Njk_SkTIh7zEbg7qcA
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/apbbuilders/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/apbbuilders
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/associationofprofessionalbuilders/
Or hit us through our Contact Page at https://buildernuggets.com and we’ll make a personal introduction.
To get the most out of this podcast, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.
Doors and windows complete every home, and today’s guest knows first hand how competitive the market is for selling these products. Alan Lockuff, Business Development Manager with Andersen Windows and Doors, shares the benefits of a good company culture, building a strong team, and investing in business development. Even large companies had to build a strong foundation in order to thrive.
Show highlights include:
04:00 Alan’s Background
06:55 Andersen Windows and Doors: Changes and Focus
10:15 Identifying Ideal Customers
11:35 Providing Value Beyond Price
14:30 Delivering a World-Class Customer Experience
18:20 Building a Strong Team
25:00 The Importance of Involvement in Associations
31:00 Moving for Your Job
35:35 Outlook for 2024 and Beyond
37:35 Excitement for the Year Ahead
40:22 How to connect and what’s coming up next?
You can learn more about Alan at [email protected] or at ttps://www.andersenwindows.com/.
Social media:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/feed/
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@andersenwindows
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lockcuff.alan
Or hit us through our Contact Page at https://buildernuggets.com and we’ll make a personal introduction.
To get the most out of this podcast, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.
Distribution partners are integral to the custom home building and remodeling industry, and today’s guest is no exception. Scott Thomas, Director of Sales at Parksite, originally started in the industry as a Tyvek specialist before working his way up. Today he joins us to share his thoughts on the value of distribution partners, the newest industry products, and the importance of building strong relationships.
Show highlights include:
00:00 Introduction and Background
02:34 Scott's Journey in the Building Industry
03:24 Transition to Consulting and Salesforce
05:00 Starting and Selling a Consulting Company
06:00 Entrepreneurial Roots and Education
09:20 Return to Parkside and Reasons for Coming Back
11:02 Overview of Parkside and Scott's Role
12:45 Value Provided by Distributors
21:20 Trends and New Products in the Industry
23:43 Focus on Sustainability and Green Products
26:40 Impact of the Pandemic on Distribution
29:52 Importance of Face-to-Face Relationships
32:40 Building Loyalty and Allegiance
34:48 Creating a Strong Team and Delivering a Great Experience
36:18 Future Plans and Excitement
39:50 How to connect and what’s coming up next?
You can learn more about Scott at https://www.parksite.com/.
Social media:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/scottthomas08/
Or hit us through our Contact Page at https://buildernuggets.com and we’ll make a personal introduction.
To get the most out of this podcast, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.
Standing out in a crowded industry, especially one that struggles with a poor reputation is an age old problem for business owners in the construction field. Building a brand is the foundation for growing your business into something that employees are proud to work for, and clients are proud to work with. Today, Natalie Harper joins the show to share her best tips for success when it comes to not only standing out - but standing up for something bigger.
Show highlights include:
2:50 Natalie’s start in PR and all about hockey
5:50 Getting started in marketing
8:50 Fundamentals of building a brand
11:25 How to build a foundation
14:11 Investing in knowing who you are early on
17:22 Like attracts like
21:14 Five C’s
26:20 Identifying which communities are important
30:05 What have the best brands done well to be successful?
32:14 Is it what you build or how you build it?
34:30 Your personal brand vs. the company brand
42:20 What have you learned from working in the custom construction industry?
51:20 Appreciate each other and your partners
54:35 How to connect and what’s coming up next?
You can learn more about Natalie at https://www.harperpr.com. Get inspired at alairmagazine.com.
Social media:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalieharperpr/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/harper_pr/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HarperPR/
Or hit us through our Contact Page at https://buildernuggets.com and we’ll make a personal introduction.
To get the most out of this podcast, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.
The podcast currently has 167 episodes available.
226,414 Listeners
28,640 Listeners
23 Listeners
40,057 Listeners
755 Listeners
1,116 Listeners
5,397 Listeners
40 Listeners
289 Listeners
13 Listeners
27 Listeners