The Builder Nuggets Podcast

Project Managers will make or break your business. We expect them to do a lot. One of the biggest challenges in our businesses is the ability to attract, train, motivate, and retain top Project Managers. In this episode we hear from three exceptional professionals who came through the Project Manager ranks and now operate their own custom building businesses.

Show highlights include:

• Why working on unsuccessful projects is a blessing in disguise (4:34)
• 3 things your project manager needs to have to thrive in the role (5:28)
• Why encouraging your project managers to make mistakes makes them a better project manager (13:00)
• As a manager you deserve that title...you deserve autonomy (19:33)
• The weird way giving your project managers raises can make them complacent (28:07)
• How to create a roster of potential unicorn project managers lining up to work for you (35:49)
• You need to be genuine and vulnerable to create the proper culture (41:39)

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.

To be the leader you want to be, you first need to work on yourself. How uncovering your inner strengths (and weaknesses) can propel your team.

As the leaders in our businesses we spend a lot of effort on the success and development of our team. In this episode we're shifting the focus to you, and we've brought in a pro to help you unlock what's already there.

High performance business and leadership coach Michael Dauphinee joins us to discuss how to recognize your true potential and remove the biggest obstacle in your way --- you!

Show highlights include:

• Who are the 6 people that will carry your casket? (3:01)
• Why achieving your dreams causes burnout (5:10)
• How neglecting your health slowly sabotages your business (8:25)
• The 4 types of fear that thwart you from reaching your full potential(and how rigorous honesty dismantles your fears) (12:57)
• DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE ON YOUR MAP? (11:24)
• Are you in touch with what actually scares you? (13:57)
• The "2030 You" mindset shift that frees you from guilt and shame that keeps your business stuck where it's at (17:06)
• How reverse engineering your own obituary helps you 10x the impact you make during your life (18:50)
• There are spouses, children and families that are living in the wake of how well you run your homebuilding business (25.23)
• The simple 4-ingredient recipe that transforms disaffected employees into your most loyal followers (27:14)
• How clinging to past success suffocates your future growth potential (and how one question unlocks unfathomable growth) (36:31)

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 Jenny Hoffman has a background in both architecture and construction, she founded her company, J. Hoffman Studio, in 2015 with a focus on designing and building custom modern dream homes.

Not only does she design and build some pretty cool homes and spaces, but this pro immerses herself in the industry. She currently serves as a national delegate on the NAHB Leadership Council and is an advocate for professional women in our industry.

Show highlights include:

• Are you a woman in construction? Here's how to get support and create connections with other professionals in the field (2:20)
• Get over the idea that we need to "appear" that we know what we are doing (4:22)
• Turn sexism and mansplaining into an advantage as a woman working in construction (17:05)
• How to avoid feast or famine income when you're spending all your time fulfilling current projects and can't focus on generating new leads (21:56)
• Let's figure out what you're really good at... (25:22)
• Getting involved with a business coach was a game changer (28:44)
• Why appearing foolish gives you a competitive advantage over everyone else in your industry (32:19)
• How growing too quickly sacrifices your relationship with clients and can bankrupt your business (35:25)

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.

In this episode we interview a builder who recently returned from a 3 week hunting expedition. He spent countless hours training to be able to hit one of his big bucket list items. He had no cell phone or internet access, yet, after being gone for 23 days his business was running better than when he left it.

This wasn't always the case. There were times in the past when this builder would go on vacation and come home to a train wreck. He has discovered that if you want your business to run successfully you have to take yourself out of the equation.

The problem is most people simply don't believe this can take place!

Show highlights include:

• The stark contrast between builders running their business versus managing their business (0:35)
• Why a rigid calendar gives you more free time (5:33)
• How putting yourself first allows you to be there for others (6:11)
• Why working out at the gym lets you get more work done in less time (7:07)
• The "Freedom Equation" get your freedom back (11:09)
• Discover how to get the right people on the bus, let them do what they love, and keep them focused (12:46)
• How writing in a journal can manifest your personal and professional goals (14:28)

Take action now and join the Builder Nuggets community. Go to www.buildernuggets.com, subscribe to the Builder Nuggets podcast, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

You have systems and processes in how you build your houses but do you have a great map for how to run your business? Learn the simple, proven format to get everyone behind your mission.

EOS & Traction can be the language of your business.

David Hickman is a lifetime entrepreneur who gained experience in the family business and, let's just say, became aware of the challenges associated with that. He is passionate about your success. He's worked with us in our businesses, and he understands builders.

Business Coach and Traction Implementer David Hickman, Founder and CEO of Traction Partners an EOS Implementation company.

Show highlights include:

• The "Entrepreneurial Operating System" that rapidly scales your construction business with less headaches, hiccups, and setbacks (6:07)
• The "L10 Meeting Approach" that erases all your time-draining meetings from your calendar (without sacrificing anything important) (10:12)
• How to put your organizational chart on steroids so you know every team members expertise and limitations with crystal clear certainty (13:12)
• The "5 roles method" that stops your team members' egos from running rampant when they're given a powerful job title (17:51)
• Hate managing your employees? Here's how to get them to effectively self-manage (23:46)
• Why core values are your best tools for hiring the right people (28:21)

If you'd like to learn more about the traction system, David will send you a free book if you go to http://yourtractionpartners.com. Or you can send him an email at [email protected].

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.

Most construction businesses never expand outside of their own market and community. While this strategy may provide you a decent living it limits your ability to scale dramatically.

In this episode, Blair McDaniel, owner of Alair Homes, joins us to reveal how you can scale your business so it makes money without you being the one wearing all of the hats.

He's created the Ultimate Business Model. A model that creates the most valuable, lowest risk, most rewarding custom home building and remodeling businesses in the world.

Show highlights include:

• How transparency allows you to charge what your worth and remove uncertainty from your projects (8:44)
• Why the "build and they'll come" business model can quickly bankrupt your business (even if it's been successful so far) (10:46)
• Controlled growth builds a stronger long-term business than growing it as fast as you can (11:35)
• The "Mastermind Concept" that multiplies your business's growth at warp speed (18:53)
• How to take an entire year off business without your business crashing and burning (19:48)
• The "Must Haves" that help you effortlessly scale your business into other markets (45:45)

If you'd like to learn more about how Blair can help your business scale, check out his website at https://discoveralair.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.

Building a business is no easy task. However, many builders never think about selling their business after they've built it.

Which means they have two options:

Scale it down or close it completely.

In this episode, we're revealing the importance of creating an exit strategy from day one, so you can sell your business one day and create personal and financial freedom.

Show highlights include:

• How your business can be worth less than $50k even if you bring in millions every year (4:09)
• Why your team members make the best owners (and will get you the most money when you exit your business) (12:51)
• The "Portfolio Method" for selling your business without tossing and turning about how you'll pay your bills every night (13:43)
• How to make your business attractive to potential buyers - even competitors. (14:18)
• 7 non-negotiable things your business must have or you'll never be able to sell it (regardless of how much money makes for you) (17:52)

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.

Many people in the construction industry try and compete on price. Not only does this cause stress and headaches, but it causes you to become nothing more than a commodity.

By creating awareness, and leveraging social media, you can set proper expectations with your clients before you even have the first phone call. It's about playing the long game.

This strategy may not drown you in new appointments tomorrow, but it will help you build a business that pays dividends for years and decades to come.

In this episode, Nick Schiffer, owner of NS Builders, and co-host of The Modern Craftsman podcast, joins us to reveal his noble approach to building his business.

Show highlights include:

• How harnessing video to promote your construction business sets the proper expectations and gets you the right clients (6:49)
• A "Local Pub" gig created awareness and led to a podcast (9:39)
• Giving away free estimates is wrecking your profit margins (18:30)
• By not playing the commodity game you can charge more than your competitors (and land the right projects) (19:53)
• A shift in mindset that frees you from your clients' time and money constraints (29:19)
• Why sharing your shortcomings with clients actually increases your value (39:28)
• One simple question that prevents your clients from dictating the schedule (40:04)

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, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.

Here's an unfortunate truth about the construction industry: Building a workforce of highly qualified workers is a very difficult task.

It's even harder finding young kids who decide construction is a better route for them than college — our culture and school systems have brainwashed kids from a young age that college is the only way to succeed. The reality is there are many forms of education, other than college, that can lead to a successful career.

That's the problem Darren Ash, executive director at The Roc, is trying to solve. In this episode, he explains how to get young kids excited for construction — and how to hire young people for your construction business.

Show highlights include:

• Why a college degree doesn't cut it in the "new economy" (and 3 things you need to land a high-paying job) (2:35)
• How construction jobs unlock freedom while college tuition may trap you in debt (5:11)
• The counterintuitive reason draconian labor laws hurt young ambitious people the most (and how to get exceptions to these rules) (7:53)
• How tough love builds can build a better company culture (14:50)
• The insidious way schools, and our culture, can brainwash young kids away from profitable opportunities (18:05)
• The "Each One Take One Approach" that helps you find highly qualified construction apprentices for your business (21:00)

To get the most out of this podcast, head over to buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.

Building high end custom homes is a tough business. You could try to do it all yourself, but that won't scale.

So how do you expand your business without sacrificing the quality you're known for? You have to master the art of building relationships and surround yourself with the right people.

In this episode, custom home builder Jeff Smith discusses the importance of self-development, building bulletproof relationships with trade partners, mentoring the next generation workforce, and how all of this will allow you to scale your success.

Show highlights include:

• Why trade school may be a better option than college and how to take the next step for your career (4:01)
• The surprising reason skilled tradesmen may out-earn physicians in the future (4:56)
• How to maximize your contracting business by using romance (7:48)
• Why more "hustle and grind" may actually shrink your business (10:39)
• How to attract and keep the highest quality trade contractors and avoid working with those that don't meet your core values (26:42)
• The secret to forging rock-solid business relationships that go beyond getting paid (32:45)
• A simple question that will have trade contractors fighting each other to work for you (39:42)
• The "Two-Way Leadership" model that ensures your success (43:55)

To get the most out of this podcast, head over to buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.