Brad Leavitt Podcast

The Value of Self-Perform with Tyler Grace of TRG Home Concepts

Jul 11, 2021

01:11:37

Since early childhood, Tyler has been immersed in the trades, having been involved in the family construction business growing up. He graduated from Drexel University with a degree in Construction Management and decided to pursue a career as a craftsman carpenter.

Today, Tyler works alongside his wife, Rachel, an interior designer by trade. Their projects have been featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Fine Homebuilding Magazine, and on Design Sponge.

Listen in as Tyler describes his unique approach to business, including how he manages TRG as its owner while actively working in the trenches, onsite, for every project he takes on.

He shares that he never sells a job based on how TRG’s prices compare to other companies’, but rather on TRG’s unique design philosophy, and process, execution.

Tyler then explains how he built his confidence as a professional in the industry by defining his niche and embracing his unique strengths as a business owner and tradesman.

Finally, he speaks on how this confidence translates to how he negotiates and interacts with clients, by setting expectations and being comprehensive in the planning stage while at the same time always staying flexible with the timeline on every project.

Topics Discussed:

[00:02:44] Tyler’s responsibilities on a project
[00:07:34] How Tyler is able to effectively manage his business while working onsite
[00:13:12] How Tyler interacts with his designer and clients throughout the process
[00:18:17] How Tyler vets his clients and the importance of listening to your gut
[00:25:55] Why Tyler never sells a job based on price alone
[00:30:10] Why Tyler recommends that industry professionals reprioritize pricing
[00:33:21] How Tyler has built his confidence as a professional in the industry
[00:42:04] How Tyler manages his schedule and sets expectations with clients
[00:47:50] Why Tyler does not guarantee timelines after the client has made the deposit
[00:52:48] How to deal with labor or material cost increases while in the middle of a project
[00:56:14] Tyler speaks on his hiring preferences
[01:02:16] Finding personal time
[01:04:50] How The Modern Craftsman Podcast impacts Tyler’s brand and business
[01:07:14] What’s next for Tyler?

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Key Quotes by Tyler:

I’ve really tried to work only for customers who want us to do the work. I have to offer them something more than just a dollar sign. Whatever I’m bringing to the table has to be more valuable than whoever is going to come at a lower price than me.
If you put a number on something upfront, it’s never going to be apples to apples no matter what. If you say, “Build me a cabinet,” and you go to three different people, that cabinet is going to be completely different. [...] It’s not fair to make a judgement or make a selection based on a price if you don’t know what goes into it.