The Builder Nuggets Podcast

We all want to achieve personal and financial freedom through our business but it's not possible without really strong leadership. That leads us to this episode's topic. Who should be leading your business? Join us for a conversation with international leadership and business coach Gregory Gray. He is the author of Business Owner Freedom: Transform Your Business To Create The Lifestyle You Desire. Greg is also a regular contributor to The Business On Purpose Podcast.

Show highlights include:

• Why defining the core values of your company culture skyrockets your leadership abilities. (3:30)
• Vision is where your going...Mission is why you're doing what you're doing...Values are how you're going to do it. (4:18)
• How getting input from your key leaders develops the values of your company (8:07)
• The "Accept Leadership Concept" that turns skilled employees into powerful leaders (9:13)
• Why hiring a leader who's strong where you're weak grows your business like wildfire (12:47)
• How turning your values into action attracts the leaders you want for your company (18:43)
• 26:29 No change has ever been made without conflict. Good conflict will lead to positive change

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 inspiration for this episode came from an email. A simple note from our guest, a Project Manager on the path to ownership, to the owners of his company. It's one of those messages that as a business owner you hope to receive. And when you get an email like this, you realize that you've created something that is attracting the right people to your mission.

Show highlights include:

• Why it's less stressful and more profitable to only run 2 projects a year instead of 30+ projects (9:41)
• How discovering your highest and best use instantly makes all your work more fun than your favorite hobby (14:53)
• The "4-Pronged Success Plan" that helps you attract top talent who are genuinely happy to work for you (21:08)
• The "Brake Pedal Method" to leadership that prevents your most gung ho employees from biting off more than they can chew and burning out (21:26)
• Why the best project managers in the world fail because of an impossible business model (23:25)
• How running your construction business like an undefeated criminal trial lawyer evaporates all your stress, headaches, and frustration (25:56)

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.

There is a lot of noise out there these days. Making your business stand out from the crowd is no longer a benefit, it's a necessity. Our guest Wade Wheeler is going to share with us the elements needed to be unique in your market.

Show highlights include:

• Broadcast your passion. Broadcast the quirky stuff!
• How humility robs you from finding more projects (and how to brag about yourself without being arrogant) (1:49)
• The "Double P Approach" that makes potential clients line up around the block to work with you (5:42)
• General Patton's secret for creating a raving team that goes above and beyond (13:23)
• The "Picasso Policy" that makes money chase you down instead of you always chasing money (18:08)
• The vital importance of business coaching and outside influence (21:03)

If you'd like to connect with Wade to learn more you can find him at https://www.wadecic.com/.

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.

There is a lot of noise out there these days. Making your business stand out from the crowd is no longer a benefit, it's a necessity. Our guest Wade Wheeler is going to share with us the elements needed to be unique in your market.

Show highlights include:

• The "Pig in the Dog Show" secret for standing out in an overcrowded market (1:14)
• How to make a niche develop itself around you (instead of drowning in broadness like most of the building world) (3:23)
• Why finding better hobbies makes your entire company happier and more productive (5:38)
• How an ancient Japanese term effortlessly solves your most pressing problems (without overloading your stress) (7:21)
• Richard Branson's secret for creating billion dollar businesses by not focusing on products or customers (and how to use this in your construction company) (9:23)
• You can't scale a chaotic culture (15:34)
• The weird way to grow your business faster by declining more jobs (even if you don't have another project lined up) (17:27)
• The simple, two-second hack that instantly engages your clients, subcontractors, and team members (20:52)

If you'd like to connect with Wade to learn more you can find him at https://www.wadecic.com/.

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.

Our guest on this week's episode is Jes Sanders from Studio S. After spending his early days as a residential framer he went on to study architecture and eventually open his own design firm a little over 5 years ago. In a recent conversation we challenge each other to answer the following question. What are the similarities between running a design firm and running a construction company? Our answer. Well, it's complicated.

Show highlights include:

• How good design adds equity to a project (and how to leverage this phenomenon when you're building homes) (5:52)
• It's hard to overstate the value of having a good builder on your team (9:53)
• Why creating a better overall experience prevents you from falling into the commodity mindset trap (10:37)
• The "3 Leg Stool System" that helps you set expectations and avoid going over budget (12:54)
• How to get architects and designers to send in 50% (or more) of your construction clients (16:16)
• Why throwing architects, designers, or other builders under the bus is simply bad business (and how being an advocate for other parties gets you more high-quality referrals) (18:30)
• Grab coffee, have a beer, get to know and understand each other. That's how to build a strong builder/designer relationship. (34:13)
• When architects or designers recommend a builder they are putting their reputation on the line (38:11)

If you'd like to learn more about Jes and his architecture business, head over to his website at http://www.studios-pllc.com/.

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.

Few young economists present their insights with the authority, accuracy, and humor that this episodes guest brings to the stage. He delivers with charm and candor, rousing and enlightening all who attend his talks. Join us as we have a conversation with Connor Lokar from ITR Economics about leading indicators for the next decade that will position your business to thrive.

Show highlights include:

• How to know where the US economy is headed by looking at the single family construction industry (4:55)
• Why single family homes are still severely underbuilt compared to the pre-Great Recession peak (6:36)
• How COVID put the pendulum swing from multi family homes towards single family homes on steroids (8:16)
• Why it takes about 11 months for rising interest rates to take a bite out of the market's momentum (9:43)
• When to expect the supply chain chaos to cool down and stabilize (11:19)
• The ability to attract and retain labor is going to be a massive competitive advantage in the 2020's (20:27)
• Why we're not in a "Housing Bubble 2.0" compared to an economist (even if it seems like we are) (21:55)
• The "Golden Retriever Puppy Mindset" that will make your construction business thrive throughout the 2020s instead of dying (23:11)
• Why the 2020s will mimic the Roaring 20's from 100 years ago (and how to protect yourself from the potential 2nd Great Depression in the 2030s) (35:05)

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.

Our mission on Builder Nuggets is to help our listeners Build Freedom. In today's episode we take that to a whole new level as we talk with an owner who's managing the operations of a $10 Million a year/plus custom building and remodelling company - during a worldwide pandemic - from sunny Barbados.

Show highlights include:

• The "3S System" which gives you complete freedom while running your business remotely (2:39)
• I am my most productive when I am happy! (5:55)
• How moving thousands of miles away from your company injects steroids into your productivity levels (8:32)
• If it wasn't for COVID we wouldn't have taken this step (13:58)
• Why "front-loading" your week makes you more productive and gives you more freedom to spend time with your family (19:39)
• How working remote forces you to be more human and vulnerable with your team. Our work is what we do not where we do it(22:14)
• The weird way testing your genomes helps build a more profitable business (28:40)

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.

If you'd like to get in touch with Evelyn, check out her Instagram pages here: https://www.instagram.com/alairhomesforesthill/ and here: https://www.instagram.com/alairhomesmarkham/. You can also find her website at https://www.alairhomes.ca/forest-hill-toronto/

Bob Whitten is one of the home building industry's most respected financial & business management consultants. With over 70 recurring clients in over 40 states and 4 Canadian provinces, his firm's sweet spot is privately held builders doing 20-250 homes per year; although many have grown larger. Join us for a conversation with one of the industry's most respected financial business management consultants. A lot of people know how to build houses but very few people know how to build good companies.

Show highlights include:

• The "5 Disciplines" that make building a good business easier than building a home (5:42)
• How your business can go belly up even if you have the best systems, fanciest software, and best trucks (7:48)
• How the "pre-construction period" helps you build homes more efficiently and more profitably (9:15)
• The single most important metric for long-term success that has nothing to do with how many houses you build each year (16:59)
• Building or remodeling fewer houses may actually make you more money (17:28)
• One of the biggest risks for custom builders and remodelers is spending too much on overhead and not making enough margin on the jobs we do (14:44)

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.

If you'd like to learn how Bob's consulting can help grow your business, send him an email at [email protected].

Pamela Durkin has been a professional interior designer for more than 29 years. She has been a speaker at the IDS Southwest Florida Conference on how to help other industry professionals run a better business. Join us for a conversation on how to build a magnet that will attract the best clients, the best talent, and the best of everything else. Be Magnetic!

Show highlights include:

• How "Magnetic Marketing" attracts your ideal clients and forever eliminates the feast or famine part of contracting (1:36)
• Why processes instantly melt stress from you and your clients' shoulders during projects (2:34)
• Does cold calling make you want to puke? Here's how "social selling" puts sales calls on easy mode (4:28)
• How telling stories and setting expectations "ethically forces" your clients to value your services (8:33)
• First of all you have to be clear on who you want to attract (11:07)
• Why wasting thousands of dollars on a business coach is the most profitable investment you can make this year (23:18)
• Focus on 3 priorities for the day...then you're in the bonus round (34:40)

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.

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/.

You need to understand that business is more relational than transactional. In this episode we talk with James Pagano, Owner of Growth Coach of Charlotte. With over 30 years of business ownership experience, and various corporate positions, he is well respected as a leader in professional development. We have had the privilege of getting to know James personally and professionally over the last few years and were fortunate to have him speak at an event we hosted in 2019 around the Power of Delegation.

Show highlights include:

• Why trying to run a small business by yourself will burn you out (4:42)
• You need to understand that business is more relational than transactional (5:46)
• How shaking hands grows your business more than a website and Google Adwords ever could (7:45)
• The critical first step for developing meaningful business relationships (10:23)
• The secret to creating freedom in your business (18:00)
• Why hiring for skill set only is a recipe for mediocrity (and 2 traits to hire for instead) (20:24)
• Why hiring someone before you're 100% ready can skyrocket your growth (21:48)
• The "70/30 Rule" of networking that builds authentic business relationships (26:43)
• If you can't lead yourself you can't lead others! (34:48)

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.

If you'd like to connect with James and discover how he can help your business grow, check out his website at https://www.jamespagano.com/.