Zach Burnop had full ride offers from Michigan, Florida State, Stanford, and Georgia Tech. He kicked a 57-yard field goal which is still one of the longest in North Carolina high school history. Then things went sideways.

In this conversation, Zach opens up about leaving Appalachian State after two years, becoming a prison guard at a medium security facility (including getting pepper sprayed during training), and eventually finding his way to deck building through Doctor Dax's YouTube videos. He's now the owner of On Deck Construction where he builds 10-12 premium decks a year with a one-to-two man crew.

Zach shares the story of reconnecting with his middle school sweetheart at a gas station, getting engaged two weeks later, and being married for almost 20 years. He talks about his father's 45 years of drywall work, his service in Vietnam, Agent Orange exposure, and the physical toll the trades took on his body. This episode covers small-town hustle, building in extreme cold, and why quality matters more than quantity.

#ZachBurnup #OnDeckConstruction #NorthCarolinaContractor #DeckBuilder #AveryCounty #AppalachianState #FootballKicker #TimberTech #WesternNC #ChristmasTreeFarm #FraserFir #PrisonGuard #SmallBusinessOwner #DeckBuilding #ContractorLife #DrDecksPodcast #ConstructionPodcast #FamilyBusiness #TradesCareer #SmallTownHustle

Jeremy Wilkins woke up in a Baltimore jail cell on April 20th, 2004. He was 18 years old, and that morning changed everything.

In this conversation, the man known online as Deck Master J shares the story he's kept private for over 20 years. You'll hear about the kid who was repairing computers with spare parts at age eight, building robots in middle school, and playing soccer year-round before depression and bad decisions nearly destroyed him.

Jeremy explains how he cut off everyone he knew, moved to western Maryland alone, and rebuilt himself through construction. From Office Depot to Home Depot to insurance restoration to kitchens and baths to home inspections, he tried everything before landing at Legacy Decks and discovering his true calling.

Now he's training the next generation of builders through the Deck Van Gogh brand and developing software tools to help contractors sell and manage projects more efficiently. This is an honest conversation about failure, reinvention, and the trades saving someone's life.

Mike Malkin spent 15 years installing doors for his parents' Home Depot contract; 35 stores, 15 crews, thousands of installations. In 2020, that all ended with a phone call. The corporate rep told him walking away would be the biggest mistake of his life. Instead, it became his best decision.

In this conversation, Mike shares his journey from a skateboarding dropout to deck building business owner. You'll hear about skating with guys who became Olympians, dropping out in 11th grade before his dad convinced him to finish, and making $200 a day at 17 years old installing storm doors.

The episode takes an unexpected turn when Mike reveals he met his wife in Mexico, proposed there, and actually lived in the country twice before settling back in Massachusetts. His company name, Malkin and Daughters, is a nod to his parents' Malkin and Sons, updated for his two girls.

Now 37 and running his own deck business, Mike hasn't stopped working since he posted that first $50 wine rack on Instagram. This is a story about family legacy, taking risks, and building something of your own.

Robbin Havasi has only been in the United States for six years and the story of how he got here is unlike anything you've heard on this podcast.

Born in Sweden to an Air Force family, Robin spent a decade working for Scandinavian Airlines before his construction side hustle took over. But here's the part that caught us off guard: Robin has made about 2,000 skydives, competed on the Swedish national skydiving team, and won a bronze medal at the Indoor Skydiving World Cup in Austin.

In February 2020, Robin and his family packed 14 suitcases, flew to Los Angeles with nowhere to live, and landed two weeks before COVID shut everything down. His plan to become a commercial pilot evaporated overnight. So he grabbed the one bag that had his tools, bought a bike for $50, and started doing handyman work around Santa Monica with his tools in a backpack.

This conversation covers his Swedish upbringing, the woman who gave him her business card twice before he took the hint, and the hustle that built MORE Design Build in one of America's most competitive markets.

#MoreDesignBuild #SwedishContractor #LAContractor #DeckBuilder #Skydiving #SwedishNationalTeam #ImmigrantStory #COVIDStory #RedondoBeach #ConstructionBusiness #DesignBuild #ContractorLife #SkydivingLife #WorldCupMedal #StartingOver #AmericanDream #DrDecksPodcast #ConstructionPodcast #LADecks

Andrew and Benjamin Schoonover are identical twins who built Twin Brothers Construction into a $2.5 million deck company before turning 26. Based in Minnesota's south metro, they've been hustling together since middle school; flipping limited Jordans on Facebook, buying and selling pickup trucks at 15, and finishing high school online in three months.

This conversation goes deep into their journey from troubled kids to Timber Tech Platinum builders. Ben shares how he lost his Army Ranger contract to pneumonia days before shipping out. Andrew opens up about the workplace injury that lit a fire under both of them to start their own company. You'll hear about drawing their first logo on a napkin in their grandmother's kitchen, taking any job they could find on Next Door, and hitting platinum status at just 19 years old.

This is a raw conversation about brotherhood, hustle, and building something that matters.

Sam Royer is 24 years old, French Canadian, and about to lead his own deck building crew for the first time. In this conversation, he shares his journey from shy kid who struggled in school to confident team leader at his father's company, Pro Deck, near Montreal.

Sam opens up about the learning difficulties that made him feel different from other students, choosing carpentry over becoming a mechanic, and how COVID stretched his trade school from 18 months to three years. You'll hear about building an entire house inside a warehouse for his final project, why the stairs lesson mattered most, and starting at Pro Deck doing cleanup before earning his way to framing.

The emotional core of this episode comes when Sam reveals that losing his best friend two years ago completely changed his outlook on life. That loss pushed him to stop being shy, start saying yes to opportunities, and embrace moments like appearing on this podcast.

This is a conversation about growing up in the trades, finding your confidence, and building something that matters, both in decks and in life.

Chad Hillweh builds decks in one of the most challenging construction environments in America. Based on Oahu's windward side, his company Hawaii Deck Builders faces 8-month permit waits, materials that cost double the mainland price, and freight timelines that stretch 6-8 weeks for basic supplies.

In this conversation, Chad shares his unlikely path from Vermont-born son of a Palestinian refugee to psychology graduate to licensed general contractor. You'll hear how his father's convenience store in Waikiki funded the family's real estate investments, why his graduating class had only 12 students, and the dangerous surf breaks where locals learn respect for the ocean.

Chad explains how he spent seven years turning over 26 new home builds for another contractor before starting Hillweh Builders in 2019—right before COVID hit. His wife Liana, a licensed CPA, handles everything from taxes to website design to social media. Together they've built a company that's now booked 4-5 months out despite being in business only a few years.

This episode covers island life, construction realities, and what it takes to build a deck business in paradise.

Levi Tibbetts from TC Decks joins Dr Decks to share his remarkable journey from Mormon missionary in Brazil to building a million-dollar deck company in Utah. This conversation goes deep into the personal side of construction entrepreneurship.

Levi opens up about his darkest days during the 2008 recession when he lost vehicles, equipment, and nearly everything he built. He shares how growing his framing company to 50 employees actually made less money than when he had six, the breaking point that almost ended his marriage, and the single deck project that redirected his entire career. You'll hear about his two-year mission in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, how an Ambien-fueled idea saved his business, and why he finally walked away from framing after 15 years.

This episode offers real talk about employee management struggles, the hidden costs of rapid growth, and finding your actual niche after years in the trades. Perfect for contractors questioning their current path or anyone interested in the human side of building a construction business.

Meet Marcello Guimarães, whose path through Brazilian advertising's highest levels led him to become marketing director for GMX Group and the brands underneath that umbrella including Maximo Wood. In this first hour, Marcello shares his unconventional upbringing; growing up as the son of a video rental empire owner in Brazil, spending two years in Orlando learning English through immersion and Hot Wheels rewards, and watching his family go from penthouse to sleeping on office floors after bankruptcy.

You'll hear about his father's pioneering video rental business (modeled after Blockbuster before Blockbuster came to Brazil), the decision to stay in Brazil for love while his entire family moved to the US, and his rise through Brazilian advertising agencies to win international awards. Marcello also shares the story of starting his own creative boutique and why he ultimately chose to leave that behind for a marketing role with a lumber company, a decision that seemed crazy at first.

This conversation covers international upbringing, creative excellence, family resilience through financial collapse, and choosing love over opportunity. Whether you're interested in advertising, Brazilian culture, or just appreciate stories about building a career across continents, Marcello's journey offers unique insights.

Meet Steele Roberts, whose name alone makes him unforgettable, but his story is what keeps you listening. Growing up in Eastern Washington's Tri-Cities with brothers named Stone and Sterling, Steel's mom knew exactly what she wanted when picking names for her sons. In this first hour, Steel shares his journey through Richland High School football (2017 state champions), his early days working demo on apartment complexes, and what it's like working for the family construction business. You'll hear about winning the Super Bowl in fifth grade peewee league, being the biggest kid in junior high before everyone caught up, and graduating in the largest class in Richland High history. Steel also talks about his first job right out of high school, just one week of summer before diving into construction full-time, and how the business grew during Covid when apartment work kept the crew busy with three major projects. #drdecks #drdeckspodcast #SteeleRoberts #RobertsConstruction #TriCities #EasternWashington #DeckBuilder #ConstructionStory #RichlandBombers #StateChampions #FamilyBusiness #ConstructionCareer #WashingtonBuilder #TradesLife #ConstructionBusiness #DeckConstruction #BuilderStory #ConstructionIndustry #PacificNorthwest #CareerJourney #ConstructionPodcast #TradesCareer