Finding the balance between humor and hard work can help create a positive workplace culture. Eric and the guys break down why laughter is just as necessary as productivity.

Eric shares his insight on:

• Balance between having fun vs. being productive
• Creating a culture of hard expectations mixed with humor
• The challenge of welcoming new members to your crew
• Easing in to talking shit and knowing the pecking order
• Understanding the big picture of winning and when more work is needed
• Allowing new team members to find their place, even if they never speak
• Working as a team and lifting each other up when things get rough

Links to resources:

The Pond Digger - https://theponddigger.com/

If you're looking for inspiration and tips for your pond, be sure to follow The Pond Digger's Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/theponddigger/!

You can also check out The Pond Digger's products at:

http://helixpondfiltration.com/

And follow his adventures in the pond world at:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theponddigger/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ThePondDigger/

If you have any questions, feel free to email Eric with the subject line "Persuasive Pond Design" at:

[email protected]

Failure can help you learn and grow if you let it. Eric, Tyson and Slayer remind us to shift out of the victim mindset and win from your failures!

Eric shares his insight on:

• Letting failure motivate you instead of dwelling on it
• How Training with Triplett focuses on re-engaging and moving forward
• Be 100% behind your brand and learn from projects even if they're successful
• Overcoming obstacles when failure's out of your control
• The challenge of training employees to make decisions aligned with your expectations
• Tasting wins and losses—no one's a winner until they lose
• The value of creating a supportive business culture around failure
• Shifting the mindset of victim mentality to be able to learn from failure
• How the Jobsite Time Matrix increases production and decreases failure
• Don't be afraid to fail—learn from your experiences

Links to resources:

Podcast Episode 5 Jobsite Time Matrix - https://theponddigger.com/podcast-e05-productivity-matrix-job-site-time-management/

The Pond Digger - https://theponddigger.com/

If you're looking for inspiration and tips for your pond, be sure to follow The Pond Digger's Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/theponddigger/!

You can also check out The Pond Digger's products at:

http://helixpondfiltration.com/

And follow his adventures in the pond world at:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theponddigger/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ThePondDigger/

If you have any questions, feel free to email Eric with the subject line "Persuasive Pond Design" at:

[email protected]

Eric and Leslie break down the body language of koi fish and specific visual clues to help keep your fish happy and out of danger.

Eric shares his insight on:

• Signs to look for if your fish breaches the water like Shamu:
• Breeding
• Parasites
• Low oxygen content in the water
• Understanding common breeding behaviors
• What flashing is and how it leads to scratching
• Piping and the importance of proper oxygen levels
• Realizing the needs of fish change when their size changes
• Recognizing 3 year pond syndrome
• Visual clues like clamped fins, frayed fins, septicemia
• Why catching illness in the first fish is critical
• Isolation, eating behaviors, and elevated tail posture
• Understanding swollen stomach does not equal pregnancy in koi
• White spots, parasites and bacterial infections

Links to resources:

The Pond Digger - https://theponddigger.com/

If you're looking for inspiration and tips for your pond, be sure to follow The Pond Digger's Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/theponddigger/!

You can also check out The Pond Digger's products at:

http://helixpondfiltration.com/

And follow his adventures in the pond world at:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theponddigger/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ThePondDigger/

If you have any questions, feel free to email Eric with the subject line "Persuasive Pond Design" at:

[email protected]

If you want your employees to perform better, they must have effective training. Leslie Triplett explains how employees need the right pressure and release to get the job done right.

Eric shares his insight on:

• Old approaches to horse training and how it compares to terrible employers
• The history of using new technique of pressure and release training with horses
• Why training is focused on how horses communicate in the wild
• Using tiny areas of pressure to get the responses you want
• Making employees understand the need to be better
• The importance of correct training to get the results you want

Links to resources:

The Pond Digger - https://theponddigger.com/

If you're looking for inspiration and tips for your pond, be sure to follow The Pond Digger's Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/theponddigger/!

You can also check out The Pond Digger's products at:

http://helixpondfiltration.com/

And follow his adventures in the pond world at:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theponddigger/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ThePondDigger/

If you have any questions, feel free to email Eric with the subject line "Persuasive Pond Design" at:

[email protected]

Of course, you always want the right tool for the job, but do you really need to own the tool? Eric, Tyson and Slayer dive into their favorite tool brands and why it's so easy (and okay!) to get addicted to collecting tools.

Eric shares his insight on:

• Buying vs. renting tools for DIY jobs
• Milwaukee vs. DeWalt power tools
• Painting tools pink and mixing tool brands as the company grows
• The difference between collecting tools vs. needing tools
• Supplying and restocking tools for independent craftsmen vs. team of people
• The nostalgia of classic Craftsmen tools and shopping for tools at garage sales
• Owning your tool addiction and flipping tools for a profit
• Fun side of having tools and the most unique pond tools
• Enjoying the slow accumulation of tools

Links to resources:

The Pond Digger - https://theponddigger.com/

If you're looking for inspiration and tips for your pond, be sure to follow The Pond Digger's Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/theponddigger/?hl=en!

You can also check out The Pond Digger's products at:

http://helixpondfiltration.com/

And follow his adventures in the pond world at:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theponddigger/?hl=en

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ThePondDigger/

If you have any questions, feel free to email Eric with the subject line "Persuasive Pond Design" at:

[email protected]

Working with water can definitely have challenging lows and incredible highs. Eric's guest today is Justin Siler, a Pond Digger team member who shares what life's been like since joining the crew and the unique experiences they never saw coming!

Eric shares his insight on:

• How Justin met Eric while doing live auctions for a thrift store
• Justin's first days working with Eric and the symbolic utility knife
• Not being afraid of change and demanding growth
• The importance of having team members who won't hold anyone back
• Firing someone from a job is a big deal and takes a lot of responsibility
• How Justin robbed Eric of his dream of making a client cry from a waterfall install
• Unique job experiences and amazing client stories like whitewater rafting
• Not many men live but every man dies
• What's next for the Pond Digger crew and knowing it's not all rainbows and unicorns

Links to resources:

The Pond Digger - https://theponddigger.com/

If you're looking for inspiration and tips for your pond, be sure to follow The Pond Digger's Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/theponddigger/?hl=en!

You can also check out The Pond Digger's products at:

http://helixpondfiltration.com/

And follow his adventures in the pond world at:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theponddigger/?hl=en

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ThePondDigger/

If you have any questions, feel free to email Eric with the subject line "Persuasive Pond Design" at:

[email protected]

You are probably already familiar with common pond design mistakes, such as making the pond too shallow, making the pond too small, or under-filtering the pond. But today, I am going to share with you the three worst uncommon pond design mistakes to avoid. You might be a little shocked by it!

Eric shares his insight on:

• Tall waterfalls in very flat backyards - it not only looks unnatural but also requires a lot of maintenance, makes quite a bit of splash, and the pond evaporates quickly.
• Bridges - they hinder the view of the creek, and worse, if you have a waterfall with tall railings on the bridges, you're blocking the waterfall.
• Islands - they change the total flow dynamics of the pond, and if you put the island in the wrong spot, you can increase maintenance. You might have to drain the pond more regularly to keep it clean.

Links to resources:

https://theponddigger.com/

If you're looking for inspiration and tips for your pond, be sure to follow The Pond Digger's Instagram here! https://www.instagram.com/theponddigger/?hl=en

Check out The Pond Digger's products at http://helixpondfiltration.com/

And follow his adventures in the pond world at:

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theponddigger/?hl=en

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ThePondDigger/

Please rate, review, and share the podcast if you get value out of it!

I'm back and joined with special guest Ron "Slayer" Yelenich to talk about making choices as part of our craftsman series.

Eric and Ron share their insight on:

• How daunting critical decision-making can be for some people.
• Why getting better at decision-making comes with experience more than anything, but can be teachable to a certain extent.
• A discussion about consequences and risk management.
• How life experiences outside the workplace - like the military or sports - can better prepare you to be able to make decisions for your business.
• The harm that can come from overthinking.
• How different personalities make decisions differently.
• Why you need to be able to delegate as a boss and how you need to set your employees up to make good decisions.
• Why you need to recognize when you made the wrong decision and how to make adjustments to get back on course.
• Specific types of critical decisions you'll have to make in the pond business.

Links to resources:

https://theponddigger.com/

If you're looking for inspiration and tips for your pond, be sure to follow The Pond Digger's Instagram here! https://www.instagram.com/theponddigger/?hl=en

Check out The Pond Digger's products at http://helixpondfiltration.com/

And follow his adventures in the pond world at:

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theponddigger/?hl=en

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ThePondDigger/

Please rate, review, and share the podcast if you get value out of it!

The craftsman series continues under pressure. Get ready for a pressure-themed episode, both in the literal sense of the word (ie water pressure) and in the sense of what it's like to feel pressure as a craftsman.

Eric and Tyson share their insight on:

• The construction side of pipe systems and their pressure needs. For instance - lines need to be pressurized before they're covered up!
• A detailed explanation of leak-proofing and the importance of hydrotesting, no matter how experienced you are with the fittings.
• When to use an air test in addition to a hydrostatic test.
• Different levels of PSI to use for different jobs, and why.
• The pressures of being a business-owner or a craftsman.
• The pressures your clients are under and the anxieties they may have.

Links to resources:

https://theponddigger.com/

If you're looking for inspiration and tips for your pond, be sure to follow The Pond Digger's Instagram here! https://www.instagram.com/theponddigger/?hl=en

Check out The Pond Digger's products at http://helixpondfiltration.com/

And follow his adventures in the pond world at:

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theponddigger/?hl=en

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ThePondDigger/

Please rate, review, and share the podcast if you get value out of it!

If you want pond building to be successful, you must have steps in place to know what materials, tools, and labor each project requires so you don't waste any time, money or energy. Eric is joined by electrician, contractor and DIY guy Ron Yelenich to discuss why logistics matter in pond building, business, and life!

Eric and Ron share their insight on:

• Why sequencing matters when planning and executing your project
• Ron's DIY Disaster Episode #45
• Excavation, stone work, logistics of machine work
• American ingenuity: Turning an extension ladder to a platform over a pond
• Ron's tool set up and why it's better to be over prepared for the unknown
• Details about Eric's project that was logistically challenging and how it transformed future projects
• How Ron lays out a project from start to finish by assessing needs, material, tools, and manpower
• Why Ron tries not to touch things too many times
• How supply shortages have impacted current projects
• Eric's experience coaching DIYers and weekend warriors
• Ron's advice to embrace the "start to finished" mindset and visualize everything you need to make a project happen

Links to resources:

Ron's Instagram

DIY Disaster Episode 45 with Ron Yelenich

The Pond Digger

If you're looking for inspiration and tips for your pond, be sure to follow The Pond Digger's Instagram!

Check out The Pond Digger's products at http://helixpondfiltration.com/

And follow his adventures in the pond world at:

Instagram @theponddigger

Facebook @theponddigger

Please rate, review, and share the podcast if you get value out of it!