The Curious Builder

In this Losers Are Winners episode, Karissa Dunham opens up about the messy middle of running a business, raising a blended family of seven kids, and learning that "balance" might just be a moving target with a bad attitude. She talks about failure, leadership, fitness, golf, and why making memories with family matters just as much as making the next deal happen. It is a fun, thoughtful reminder that success is not just about working harder, but about being present when it counts.

Support the show - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/shop

See our upcoming live events - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/events

The host of the Curious Builder Podcast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. Williams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you're looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Website: https://www.pella.com/ppc/professionals/why-wood/

Where to find the Guest: Website: https://suncontrolmn.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suncontrolmn/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunControlMinnesota LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karissa-dunham-1894a3140/

Where to find the Host: Website - https://www.mdwilliamshomes.com/ Podcast Website - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/markdwilliams_customhomes/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MarkDWilliamsCustomHomesInc/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-williams-968a3420/ Houzz - https://www.houzz.com/pro/markdwilliamscustomhomes/mark-d-williams-custom-homes-inc

Tyler Farrell of Killowen Construction gets real about what it actually takes to scale a high-end construction company without losing your mind, your margins, or your people. This episode of The Curious Builder dives into budget meetings, team building, hard client conversations, and the moment Tyler stopped apologizing for expensive work. It is equal parts business therapy, builder truth serum, and reminder that great companies are built by humans, not just job sites and spreadsheets.

Support the show - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/shop

See our upcoming live events - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/events

The host of the Curious Builder Podcast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. Williams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you're looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Website: https://www.pella.com/ppc/professionals/why-wood/

Contractor Coalition Summit: Website: https://www.contractorscoalitionsummit.com/

Where to find the Guest: Website: https://killowenco.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/killowenconstruction/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/killowenco/

Where to find the Host: Website - https://www.mdwilliamshomes.com/ Podcast Website - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/markdwilliams_customhomes/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MarkDWilliamsCustomHomesInc/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-williams-968a3420/ Houzz - https://www.houzz.com/pro/markdwilliamscustomhomes/mark-d-williams-custom-homes-inc

What does it take to run seven marathons in seven days on seven continents? A little insanity, a lot of discipline, and probably more anti-inflammatories than anyone wants to admit. In this Losers are Winners episode, Sterling Lock shares the highs, the breakdowns, the brutal physical setbacks, and the mindset that carried him through one of the toughest endurance challenges on the planet. It's equal parts inspiring, intense, and a great reminder that leadership starts with how you handle pain when nobody's coming to save you.

Support the show - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/shop

See our upcoming live events - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/events

The host of the Curious Builder Podcast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. Williams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you're looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Website: https://www.pella.com/ppc/professionals/why-wood/

Sauna Camp Website: https://www.saunacamps.com/

Where to find the Guest: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sterling-lock-chief-financial-officer/

Where to find the Host: Website - https://www.mdwilliamshomes.com/ Podcast Website - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/markdwilliams_customhomes/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MarkDWilliamsCustomHomesInc/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-williams-968a3420/ Houzz - https://www.houzz.com/pro/markdwilliamscustomhomes/mark-d-williams-custom-homes-inc

Wilson Edgar and Michael Leckie join Mark to share how their friendship, love of the outdoors, and big-picture thinking turned into a company that is changing the way remote architecture gets built. They cover prefabrication, strategic growth, business systems, and why buying back time is not just a book title, it is a survival strategy for entrepreneurs. It is equal parts smart, inspiring, and dangerously effective at making listeners want to book a mountain getaway.

Support the show - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/shop

See our upcoming live events - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/events

The host of the Curious Builder Podcast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. Williams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you're looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Website: https://www.pella.com/ppc/professionals/why-wood/

Contractor Coalition Summit: Website: https://www.contractorscoalitionsummit.com/

Sauna Camp Website: https://www.saunacamps.com/

Where to find the Guest: Website: https://www.thebackcountryhutcompany.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebackcountryhutcompany Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBackcountryHutCompany/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/15171877/admin/dashboard/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/ljo7wm0lop3f2etcvted758qd YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeFuUq-Qz0KRExK8gcejBiQ

Where to find the Host: Website - https://www.mdwilliamshomes.com/ Podcast Website - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/markdwilliams_customhomes/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MarkDWilliamsCustomHomesInc/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-williams-968a3420/ Houzz - https://www.houzz.com/pro/markdwilliamscustomhomes/mark-d-williams-custom-homes-inc

This episode is all about client communication—what works, what blows up, and what should make a builder pause. Mark talks with Tim Rascher about how he spots "orange flags" earlier (especially when clients want budget and value-engineering talks behind closed doors). It's a quick, witty listen that'll make builders rethink boundaries, expectations, and how to keep the whole team rowing in the same direction.

Support the show - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/shop

See our upcoming live events - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/events

The host of the Curious Builder Podcast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. Williams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you're looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Website: https://www.pella.com/ppc/professionals/why-wood/

Sauna Camp Website: https://www.saunacamps.com/

Where to find the Guest: Website: https://www.rascherandco.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rascherandco/

Where to find the Host: Website - https://www.mdwilliamshomes.com/ Podcast Website - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/markdwilliams_customhomes/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MarkDWilliamsCustomHomesInc/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-williams-968a3420/ Houzz - https://www.houzz.com/pro/markdwilliamscustomhomes/mark-d-williams-custom-homes-inc

What happens when you lose it all… and decide to build again anyway? In this episode of The Curious Builder Podcast, Mike Riddle of Riddle Construction shares the behind-the-scenes truth of getting sued during the recession, walking through bankruptcy, and slowly clawing his way back with better systems and sharper boundaries. Along the way, Mark and Mike swap honest stories about hiring mistakes, consistency, and why "freedom" isn't a revenue number—it's a team and a process that can run without you.

Support the show - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/shop

See our upcoming live events - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/events

The host of the Curious Builder Podcast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. Williams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you're looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Website: https://www.pella.com/ppc/professionals/why-wood/

Sauna Camp Website: https://www.saunacamps.com/

Where to find the Guest: Website: https://riddleconstruction.co/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riddleconstruction.co/

Where to find the Host: Website - https://www.mdwilliamshomes.com/ Podcast Website - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/markdwilliams_customhomes/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MarkDWilliamsCustomHomesInc/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-williams-968a3420/ Houzz - https://www.houzz.com/pro/markdwilliamscustomhomes/mark-d-williams-custom-homes-inc

In this Losers Are Winners episode, Mark and Trapper Roderick dig into what's changing fast in high-performance, wellness-forward homes. They connect the dots between building science and real-life health: cleaner air, better water, smarter ventilation, and materials that don't make your body quietly revolt. They also get into the fun stuff—saunas, cold plunges, steam showers, and gyms with the best views in the house (because misery loves a basement…until it doesn't). Come for the wellness trends, stay for the mechanical-room truth bombs and the accidental dad-joke chaos.

Support the show - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/shop

See our upcoming live events - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/events

The host of the Curious Builder Podcast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. Williams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you're looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Website: https://www.pella.com/ppc/professionals/why-wood/

Where to find the Guest: Website: https://www.roderickbuilders.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roderickbuilders Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Roderickbuilders

Where to find the Host: Website - https://www.mdwilliamshomes.com/ Podcast Website - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/markdwilliams_customhomes/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MarkDWilliamsCustomHomesInc/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-williams-968a3420/ Houzz - https://www.houzz.com/pro/markdwilliamscustomhomes/mark-d-williams-custom-homes-inc

In this episode of The Curious Builder Podcast, Mark and Stacy Eakman unpack the mindset shift from running a builder job to building an actual company you could step away from (or someday sell). Stacy shares why he joined Alair, how their system and software creates accountability, and why writing things down matters more than we admit. Bonus: an all-time excavation story that will make you laugh and also never start a side business ever again.

Support the show - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/shop

See our upcoming live events - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/events

The host of the Curious Builder Podcast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. Williams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you're looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Website: https://www.pella.com/ppc/professionals/why-wood/

Sauna Camp Website: https://www.saunacamps.com/

Where to find the Guest: Website: https://alairhomes.com/kirkland/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alairhomes/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacy-eakman/

Where to find the Host: Website - https://www.mdwilliamshomes.com/ Podcast Website - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/markdwilliams_customhomes/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MarkDWilliamsCustomHomesInc/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-williams-968a3420/ Houzz - https://www.houzz.com/pro/markdwilliamscustomhomes/mark-d-williams-custom-homes-inc

In this Losers Are Winners episode, Mark sits down with Luciano Patiño of Elliano Design to talk about failure… and how it turned out to be the best gift of his career. From walking away from a business he co-founded to building his design firm with a true CEO mindset, this one is packed with real talk. We dive into business coaching, identity, collaboration, and the power of asking for help. If you've ever wondered whether your "loss" is actually setting you up for a bigger win, this episode is for you.

Support the show - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/shop

See our upcoming live events - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/events

The host of the Curious Builder Podcast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. Williams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you're looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Website: https://www.pella.com/ppc/professionals/why-wood/

Contractor Coalition Summit: Website: https://www.contractorscoalitionsummit.com/

Where to find the Guest: Website: https://www.ellianodesign.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellianodesign/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucianopatino/

Where to find the Host: Website - https://www.mdwilliamshomes.com/ Podcast Website - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/markdwilliams_customhomes/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MarkDWilliamsCustomHomesInc/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-williams-968a3420/ Houzz - https://www.houzz.com/pro/markdwilliamscustomhomes/mark-d-williams-custom-homes-inc

Jude Charles flew in and basically flipped the mic on Mark — and they went deep. This episode of The Curious Builder Podcast isn't about countertops and cabinet pulls. It's about burnout, fatherhood, slowing down, and the real emotional "why" behind Mysa Hus. Turns out, the wood-burning fireplace means a little more than Mark thought.

Support the show - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/shop

See our upcoming live events - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/events

The host of the Curious Builder Podcast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. Williams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you're looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Website: https://www.pella.com/ppc/professionals/why-wood/

Contractor Coalition Summit: Website: https://www.contractorscoalitionsummit.com/

Sauna Camp Website: https://www.saunacamps.com/

Where to find the Guest: Website: https://judecharles.co/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judecharles/

Where to find the Host: Website - https://www.mdwilliamshomes.com/ Podcast Website - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/markdwilliams_customhomes/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MarkDWilliamsCustomHomesInc/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-williams-968a3420/ Houzz - https://www.houzz.com/pro/markdwilliamscustomhomes/mark-d-williams-custom-homes-inc