The Builder Nuggets Podcast

Our guest on this episode is Russ Stephens, the co-founder of the Association of Professional Builders (APB) which is a leading business coaching company dedicated to improving the residential construction industry for both builders and consumers. Join us as he discusses the 2022 State of the Residential Construction Industry.

Show highlights include:

• Do you get shoddy leads from your marketing? Here's a simple way to fix it (without touching your ads) (2:57)
• Investing more in marketing actually increases your profit according to a multi-country survey from 720 builders (7:12)
• How turning off your marketing to save cash is like turning off your watch to save time (7:38)
• What percentage of your revenue should you dedicate to marketing to maximize your returns (12:49)
• The insidious "Curse of Knowledge" trap which prevents you from attracting new clients and teammates (15:30)
• How this simple, yet profound calculator helps you calculate your fixed costs and get higher margins from every project you take on (17:13)
• How waking up at 3 am can take your construction business from $3 million to $60 million in 4 years (or less) (24:34)
• Growing too fast can bankrupt your business and leave your family on the streets (25:50)
• The "Core Value" secret which enables rapid growth in your construction company (even as business-threatening problems arise) (30:28)
• Setting your business up for exit (and how this helps you achieve personal and financial freedom) (36:40)

If you'd like to check out Russ's company, the Association of Professional Builders, you can find their website here: https://associationofprofessionalbuilders.com/. And you can download The State of Residential Construction Industry report mentioned on the show here: https://associationofprofessionalbuilders.com/sorci/

To get the most out of this podcast, or connect with Duane and Dave, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.

Have you ever wished you could clone yourself? A virtual assistant allows you to get more things done in less time. Think of a VA as an additional member of your team that is laser focused on helping you get your tasks done.

Show highlights include:

• How to get over the stigma around outsourcing and instantly regain 10 hours of your week (3:27)
• Why being unable to handle your business is actually a good sign (5:09)
• How to never have to look at your emails again (without missing a single business opportunity) (10:17)
• The "Multiplicity Method" for cloning yourself and getting twice the amount of work done in half the time (11:06)
• Grow your business by procrastinating more (14:55)
• Why something as simple as a VA bookkeeper takes you from the lowest paid person in your company to the highest in a matter of weeks (26:11)

If you'd like to learn more about how a virtual assistance can create more freedom in your business, check out BELAY here: https://belaysolutions.com/

To get the most out of this podcast, or connect with Duane and Dave, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.

Inflation is upon us, and probably here to stay. You can look at this as a negative or see it as an opportunity. It's all about how you position your business for the future. Join us for a conversation with Spencer Powel from Builder Funnel Academy.

Show highlights include:

• Why treating your services like products makes it easier to raise your prices alongside inflation (5:47)
• How to make your construction business more profitable while accepting less projects and bringing in less revenue (6:28)
• The counterintuitive reason scaling your business can make you less profitable (7:15)
• How to fend off inflationary periods (without raising your prices) (9:11)
• It's uncomfortable to tell your clients about price increases but it is a conversation that has to happen. You need to keep your business financially sound and profitable (12:50)
• The "Selfishness Secret" that provides more value to your customers and allows you to charge more (13:35)
• The "pricing into the future" model for to beat inflation (16:20)
• How remote work creates a massive opportunity for your construction business (24:36)

If you'd like to chat with Spencer and see how his team can turn your website into a lead generation machine, go to https://builderfunnel.com.

To get the most out of this podcast, or connect with Duane and Dave, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.

People want to do business with People. What types of things are you doing in your business, or for your team, that could be shared with others? Join us for a conversation with returning guest Pamela Durkin as she urges all of us to do more storytelling and less reporting.

Show highlights include:

• One "sneaky" way for small business owners to reach their ideal audience faster (2:05)
• How to become comfortable speaking on podcasts by the end of the day (2:44)
• The weird way your social media captions repel your ideal clients (4:33)
• The "Storytelling Secret" which ensures you always have an overflowing pipeline of projects (5:28)
• How to easily pump out double the amount of content you do right now (without taking any extra pictures) (7:16)
• The "Story Magnet" System for never competing on price again (7:58)
• The "Infinite Ideas" technique for creating an infinite amount of content by adding 10 minutes to yoru day (10:49)
• This 3-step storytelling formula hypnotizes your ideal audience until they work with you (12:14)
• Why this "magical skill" skyrockets your marketing ROI, catapults yoru closing rate, and enchants top-tier talent and partners to your team (17:40)

If you'd like to read Pamela's book, Elevate!, you can find it on Amazon here. If you'd like to set up an interview to see how she can help your business, send her an email at [email protected]. And you can check out her website at https://pamela-durkin.com/.

To get the most out of this podcast, or connect with Duane and Dave, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.

Embracing technology to improve your business and elevate our industry.

Show highlights include:

• How making a two-day time investment in your construction software can add an extra month to your year (8:47)
• Why demanding that your team use a new software smashes their productivity (even if your new software increases productivity) (12:13)
• The "Slow Down to Speed Up" secret for implementing time-saving software when you don't have time (13:36)
• Why simply purchasing more software and technology may actually hurt your team and bottom line (21:24)
• The little-known leadership role which raises your company's professionalism in your client's eyes overnight (25:56)
• Constantly raising your prices because of inflation is not the answer. You have to increase efficiencies in your business along with raising prices to stay competitive and profitable. (30:29)

If you'd like to connect with Paul, you can visit his website at https://www.pkbuilders.com/ or on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/paulkowalskibuilders/.

To get the most out of this podcast, or connect with Duane and Dave, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.

Building the workforce of the future is difficult. Everyone knows the struggles faced by the construction industry when it comes to finding skilled trades or hiring employees. Join us for a conversation with Christi Powell and Judy Dinelle from 84 Lumber and the things they are doing to bring change to the industry.

Show highlights include:

• How to do your part with the workforce emergency in construction before it becomes an even bigger disaster (2:42)
• How to convince parents to encourage their kids to get into construction instead of going to college (4:58)
• Why women have more fun building a career in construction than in accounting (8:29)
• How education and training in the construction industry can finally get rid of the stigma most men have towards women on the job site (16:28)
• The weird, yet powerful way to double the size of the labor force overnight by being more welcoming (21:57)
• The "Gentle Conversation" method for attracting more women into construction (without anyone feeling intimidated) (22:50)
• How being in the top 25% of gender diversity makes you 46% more likely to crush the industry average (27:35)
• Why women in a sales role in construction have an easier time than men (33:45)
• The "Elevation Secret" which makes the most misogynistic men appreciate women's role in construction (36:23)

If you'd like to connect with Nick or NS Builders, you can find their website here https://ns.builders/ and their Instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/nsbuilders/

To get the most out of this podcast, or connect with Duane and Dave, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.

Show highlights include:

• The weird way creating content in real time helps you avoid money-eating mistakes before they happen (3:14)
• How to become a "building celebrity" on Instagram using nothing other than your iPhone (4:37)
• The massive "Repurpose" secret for turning one piece of content into 80 in an hour (5:41)
• How creating content lets you change your niche with ease (without sacrificing your revenue) (9:26)
• Why rugged transparency and honesty prevents your competitors from poaching your talent (even if they offer them a 35% raise) (11:26)
• The counterintuitive way rooting for your biggest competitors makes your business more profitable (16:01)

If you'd like to connect with Nick or NS Builders, you can find their website here https://ns.builders/ and their Instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/nsbuilders/

To get the most out of this podcast, or connect with Duane and Dave, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.

Show highlights include:

• Why a soul-sucking boss is a blessing in disguise (6:26)
• How knowing the 4 phases of building a business fast tracks your results and shrinks your hiccups (12:02)
• The insidious "Valley of Uncertainty" which can bankrupt your construction business (and how to avoid this trap) (13:18)
• 2 simple ways to have a breakthrough in your business that lets you "print" money and freedom (16:21)
• Why ruthless selfishness helps you unstuck yourself with any business problem you're facing (19:08)
• The sneaky way selflessness is an excuse to justify your business failures (19:49)
• Why burying yourself in your business without seeking outside help is a recipe for a premature death (24:44)
• The counterintuitive reason asking for help actually gives you more control over your future (29:49)

You can grab Mike's book, Owner Shift, and find more helpful content about building your business on his site https://mikemalatesta.com

To get the most out of this podcast, or connect with Duane and Dave, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.

Founders of construction and remodeling companies will tell you there are many different roads to starting a business. This week we hear how a self-taught sub-contractor transitioned to building a growing home remodeling company - and the difficult choice he made of building his business, instead of building for it. In the midst of launching a third company branch, Ken Combs sits down to talk us through his past mistakes and the bumpy road to scaling a successful business.

Show highlights include:

• The counterintuitive reason building your business the wrong way is the fastest way to build it right (1:52)
• How to find former executives to mentor you for free (9:24)
• Why a "businessman who builds" makes more money, has less headaches, and enjoys more free time than a "builder with a business" (11:57)
• The "Predictive Analysis" process for scaling your construction business in the future (without sacrificing your current workload) (17:24)
• Why you already have the business processes that can double your construction company this year (26:24)
• How being the dumbest person in your company gives you an unfair advantage (29:13)

If you want to connect with Ken, you can email him at [email protected].

To get the most out of this podcast, or connect with Duane and Dave, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.

Everyone's competing for talent, but who's doing it right? Well, our guests on this episode certainly are. These guys have cracked to code on how to reach top construction professionals all across North America. We're back with Ed and Paul from Contractor Staffing Source to bust myths 4, 5, and 6 on recruiting.

Show highlights include:

• Why wedding planners make great selections coordinators (4:26)
• How to double the number of applicants you get by changing one word on your job postings (12:33)
• The "Elevate then Delegate" secret for scaling your construction company with less headaches and hiccups (17:55)
• Why hiring from another industry can be a disaster if not planned properly (and how it can be a business and sanity-saving decision) (26:44)
• How hiring too fast is a surefire way to lose good people and sabotaging your company's morale (30:50)
• The "Setting the Hook" trick for guaranteeing you hire the best candidate (34:15)
• Why hiring the wrong employee is 15x more expensive than their annual salary (41:54)
• How success can dupe you into making crippling recruiting mistakes (1:02:59)
• The "Sports Team" mindset shift that keeps your team motivated and engaged and improving (1:06:58)
• How a culture based on love transforms every teammate into recruiting machines (1:12:02)

If you want to learn more about Paul and Ed and the hiring services they provide, you can visit https://www.contractorstaffingsource.com. 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, or connect with Duane and Dave, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.