In this special episode of The Builders Coach Show, Jess and Kurt share the biggest lessons, insights, and hard-won strategies from 2025, and how builders can use them to make 2026 their most profitable and streamlined year yet.

Whether you’re a residential builder, construction business owner, or managing a team and pipeline, this episode gives you practical clarity on leadership, estimating, pre-construction, value management, mindset, and margin protection.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

- Why more architects are finally embracing one-builder tenders and value management

- How builders can lead budget-led design to eliminate client price shock

- Why pre-construction is where you win or lose the job, and how to run it like a machine

- The 25/10/15 financial rule that helps builders quote accurately and protect gross margin

- How to handle burnout, boundaries, criticism, and the pressure of never-ending to-do lists

- Why “giving more than you take” is a core business strategy, not just philosophy

Plus: book recommendations, timeless mindset shifts, and yearly rituals Kurt uses to stay sharp as a leader and coach.

If you want to grow profit, improve workflow, lead better teams, and step into 2026 with confidence, this episode is for you.

👉 Listen now and subscribe for weekly episodes designed to help builders scale smarter, earn more profit, and run calmer, more efficient businesses.

#builders #builderscoach #residentialbuilder #constructionbusiness #valueengineering #preconstruction #estimating #leadership #businesscoachforbuilders #milliondollarbuilder

In Episode 46 of The Builders Coach Show, Jess and Kurt unpack the strategy behind true profitability: market positioning, layered niches, and exceptional client experience.

Most builders stay stuck in a red ocean, competing on price, blending into the market, and dealing with endless pressure. But the top 3% carve their own path. They choose a layered niche, position themselves as premium, and build a client experience that becomes a marketing engine.

In this episode you’ll learn:

- Why “marketing = profit” is the most important concept builders miss

- What a layered niche really is (with real examples!)

- How to choose high-margin clients who ALWAYS have money

- Why communication failures destroy referrals (even when the build is perfect)

- What your client experience must include to stand out

- Exactly how to structure communication during AND before a build

- How to turn every project into a referral machine

👉 Want the “Top 10 Layered Niches List”?

Email [email protected] with subject line Layered Niche and we’ll send it to you.

👉 Need help building your niche, marketing strategy or client communication process?

Book your free strategy call here: https://builderscoach.com/contact/

Don’t forget to subscribe, like and comment, it helps us reach more builders who want to grow sustainably and profitably.

AI is supposed to save you time… so why do so many builders feel busier than ever?

In this episode of The Builders Coach Show, Jess and Kurt break down the Productivity Paradox: the same pattern that happened in the 70s and 80s with the rise of computers, and why builders today are experiencing the exact same dip before the real gains kick in.

🔥 IN THIS EPISODE

You’ll learn:

- Why AI initially reduces productivity before it boosts it

- The mistake 99% of builders make: doing the same process with a new tool

- Real examples of how AI will transform estimating, scheduling, client communication, and admin

- How to redesign your sales funnel, team structure, and workflow around AI

- What “turning one person into five” actually looks like for residential builders

- Why early adopters will dominate when the AI productivity curve takes off

This isn’t about gimmicks. This is about future-proofing your building business.

👇 WANT HELP IMPLEMENTING AI + PROCESSES IN YOUR BUSINESS?

Book a free strategy call with Kurt: https://builderscoach.com/contact/

In this episode of The Builders Coach Show, Jess and Kurt dive deep into the leadership leap that separates struggling builders from those who scale to multi-million-dollar businesses.

Fresh off their Perth workshop and Rottnest Island trip, they unpack:

- When to finally step off the tools & how to cost in supervision & PM (and why most builders never do)

- The real cost of distractions & how to create “cocoon time”

- Why ambition isn’t a feeling — it’s a capability you build

- How to decide who is the true leader/GM in a two-director business

- Massive gross profit case studies from recent Builders Coach clients

If you’re a builder doing everything yourself, stuck in the cycle of “get work, do work,” or unsure how to scale without burning out — this episode will change your trajectory.

👉 Want help implementing this? Book your FREE strategy call:

https://builderscoach.com/contact/

👉 Learn more about Builders Coach programs (Gold & Builders Coach for HER):

https://builderscoach.com

Welcome to Episode 43 of the Builders Coach Show!

In this special edition, Jess sits down with Kurt to celebrate the official launch of Million-Dollar Builder 2.0, which has just been announced as an international #1 bestseller across multiple categories. We dig deep into:

Why Kurt decided to write a second book and how the building industry has evolved since 2018.

The core upgrades in 2.0: leadership, early contractor involvement (ECI/EBI), tender-process breakdowns, women in construction and more.

What it takes to write a book while building a business: long-haul insights, mindset challenges, and hours in airplanes.

How you as a residential builder or business owner can implement the advanced strategies in this book for transformation.

Exciting details about our launch webinar (Dec 1) where the first 100 builders to register get a free copy of the book (including postage).

▶ Want to join the launch?

Preparation = PROFIT. Proactive Communication, ECI & the Referral Question

If you want to stop putting out fires and start running a calm, profitable building company, preparation is your #1 leverage.

In this episode, Jess and Kurt break down:

- Why proactive client communication is a profit lever (and what to prep before every meeting).

- The six-step sales process and the role of docs, FAQs & capability statements.

- Scripts & role-plays (even with AI) to remove nerves before networking or big pitches.

- ECI & Value Management: “Design freedom with cost feedback” to reduce risk and slippage.

- The referral question to ask at project kickoff (and why it works).

- A client-centric commencement/collaboration agreement to set clear rules without being authoritarian.

- Networking that compounds—interior designers, suppliers, and architect partnerships.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome & why preparation matters

02:45 Communication = marketing = profit

08:10 Scripts, role-plays & AI rehearsal

15:30 ECI/Value Management explained

22:10 “Design freedom with cost feedback”

28:05 The one referral question

34:20 Client collaboration/commencement rules

41:10 Networking that multiplies reach

🔗 Links & resources

• Builders Coach site & free resources: builderscoach.com

• About Kurt & programs: https://builderscoach.com/about-us/

🎯 Work with us / next step

Book a strategy call via Builders Coach and get the systems, scripts and comms cadence that protect margin and client experience.

Preparation creates profit. In this episode, Jess and Kurt unpack why proactive communication beats firefighting, how to prepare for architect and developer meetings (including role-plays and scripts), and the exact “referral question” to ask at the start of a project.

We cover ECI/Value Management (“design freedom with cost feedback”), networking that multiplies reach, and a client-centric collaboration/commencement agreement that sets boundaries without being a tyrant.

If you want fewer blowouts, better clients, and more referrals, this is your playbook.

Links & resources:

Builders Coach site & free resources: https://builderscoach.com/

About Kurt & programs: https://builderscoach.com/about-us/

Work with us / next step: Book a free strategy call via https://builderscoach.com/contact/ and get the systems, scripts and comms cadence that protect margin and client experience.

In this powerful and thought-provoking episode of The Builders Coach Show, hosts Kurt Hegetschweiler and Jess Norton unpack what real success means — and why consistent progress toward meaningful goals matters more than quick wins.

From the hermit crab analogy on stepping out of your comfort zone to the South Pole expedition story from Greg McKeown’s Essentialism, this episode explores how true growth often feels uncomfortable — but that’s exactly where transformation happens.

Kurt and Jess also dive into:

The truth behind “overnight success” myths in business

Why journaling with 3 simple questions can accelerate your personal and leadership growth

The power of AI as your “obedient PhD assistant” for smarter decision-making

How to avoid information overload and shiny-object syndrome

Why one-on-one coaching is still the fastest path to clarity and results

Whether you’re a builder, entrepreneur, or leader ready to evolve, this episode will challenge your thinking and inspire you to take slow, steady, meaningful action toward your next big shell.

Question of the episode: Are you ready to outgrow your shell?

In this episode of The Builders Coach Show, Jess and Kurt break down 15 real-world AI applications for builders across marketing, finance, operations, delivery, and team/HR—so you save time, reduce errors, and scale profitably. You’ll hear how we structure high-performing prompts (role → context → instruction → output format), plus tools we’re testing and how we use AI in our events and with clients.

What you’ll learn

Prompts that work: a simple framework to get better results (and how to get ChatGPT to write the prompt for you)

Marketing with AI: ICP builder, high-converting lead magnets, competitor analysis, and 12-week content calendars

Finance & controls: fast P&L/cash-flow reviews, red-flag spotting, margin targets, and background checks

And more...

Bonus: 3 ways to use AI in your personal life

📩 Want the prompts from this episode? Email [email protected] with subject “AI Prompts” and we’ll send them.

Resources & next steps

Website: https://www.builderscoach.com

Events & intensives: https://www.builderscoach.com/events

In this episode of The Builders Coach Show, Jess and Kurt reflect on our Auckland One Day Intensive—an event many called “the best you’ve ever done.”

We unpack lessons from rugby greats Piri Weepu (All Blacks) and Duane Vermeulen (Springboks) and reveal how their insights into mindset, leadership, and preparation translate directly to running a profitable building company.

👉 Inside this episode:

Why process beats outcome in both sport and construction

Mental health, team culture, and leadership lessons from the field

The Razor’s Edge Concept—how one small shift can transform your business trajectory

Practical takeaways for builders: cash flow, sales process, client leadership, and more

If you’re a residential builder or construction business owner who wants to scale profitably and gain back control, this episode is packed with strategies you can use straight away.

🔗 Learn more about Builders Coach: https://www.youtube.com/@builderscoach