The Construction Leading Edge Podcast

In this episode you'll hear my conversation with Ken Kucera, Vice President of Installed Sales and Manufacturing at 84 Lumber. What you'll learn from this construction podcast episode: - How you, the contractor, can get better value from your supplier. Info to share, questions to ask. - How will the lumber supply business look different to builders in the next 5 years? - Tips for nailing the handoff from design to manufacturing to supplier to the field. His team does a couple of innovative things. - Behind the scenes effects of COVID on a manufacturer and supplier like 84 Lumber. - Servant leadership - Why is 84 Lumber investing so much in manufacturing facilities? - What are some misconceptions builders have about 84 Lumber's manufacturing capability? - What capabilities 84 has that builders are missing out on? -How does 84 Lumber want to partner with builders? Resources mentioned in this construction podcast episode: Billd - They'll pay your supplier up front and give you 120 day terms. Learn more and estimate your cash flow needs at http://www.billd.com/CLE 3 Questions to Help You Get Paid for Estimates - https://buildermasterclass.com/script Mastermind Group for CoConstruct Users- https://buildermasterclass.com/cogroup How to connect with Ken Kucera, Vice President of Installed Sales and Manufacturing at 84 Lumber: Ken's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-kucera-37981331/ 84 Lumber website - https://www.84lumber.com

Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas survived her brother's suicide and is now a subject matter expert in workplace suicide prevention, men's mental health and resilience. What you'll learn from this construction podcast episode: - Why a business owner said to her over coffee, "I don't want to wait until an employees dies." - Story about what a police chief said to one of his officers after he attempted suicide. - Why does the construction industry have one of the highest suicide rates? - What is the #1 canary in the coal mine, so to speak, when it comes to suicide. - How do issues of mental health connect with jobsite safety? - A few things to think about if you're within 10 years of retirement. - Behaviors that are early indicators you want to watch out for. - Crisis Inoculation Plan Resources mentioned in this construction podcast episode: Workplace Suicide Prevention- https://workplacesuicideprevention.com/ Billd - They'll pay your supplier up front and give you 120 day terms. Learn more and estimate your cash flow needs at http://www.billd.com/CLE 3 Questions to Help You Get Paid for Estimates - https://buildermasterclass.com/script Mastermind Group for CoConstruct Users- https://buildermasterclass.com/cogroup How to connect with Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas: https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/

Here's what you'll get out of this construction podcast episode: - What is the #1 mistake small business owners make when recruiting for a new employee? - Questions you can ask to determine culture fit. - What is the #1 mistake small business owners make during the first week? - Why is the first week for an employee so critical? - What's the 80/20 on onboarding? - When and how do you introduce objectives and performance metrics to new hires? - How to keep your good employees. - How can companies tie employee performance into the compensation strategy? - What is your employer brand and why does it matter? - Tips and tricks for finding new employees. Resources mentioned in this construction podcast episode: Resources mentioned in this construction podcast episode: Download the 5 Steps to Align & Amplify Your Employer Brand - https://www.essentialhr.ca/leadingedge LL Flooring - http://www.llflooring.com/pro Billd - They'll pay your supplier up front and give you 120 day terms. Learn more at http://www.billd.com/CLE 3 Questions to Help You Get Paid for Estimates - https://buildermasterclass.com/script Mastermind Group for CoConstruct Users- https://buildermasterclass.com/cogroup How to connect with Laura Tolhoek of Essential HR: Email- laura@essentialhr.ca Website - https://essentialhr.ca LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/company/essential-hr-canada/

An interview with Corina Burton, Co-Owner of CPR Construction Cleaning, which currently serves the Arizona, Utah and California markets. This is a great conversation where we discuss topics including: - Why Corina says it's important to expect nothing in life. - What it was like starting a business as a single mom. - Transparency and authenticity. Most people shy away from these, but Corina has leveraged them to grow her business. - How she manages doubt and fear. - Her approach to maintaining a positive mindset, and he she deals with the inevitable setbacks entrepreneurs face. Resources mentioned in this construction podcast episode: LL Flooring - http://www.llflooring.com/pro 3 Questions to Help You Get Paid for Estimates - https://buildermasterclass.com/script Mastermind Group for CoConstruct Users- https://buildermasterclass.com/cogroup How to connect with Corina Burton: Company website - https://cprclean.com/ LInkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/corina-burton-62815822

Pitfalls to avoid when promoting your people and creating job titles for them. What you'll get from this construction podcast episode: The Law of Crappy People Avoiding the Peter Principle in your company. How to (and why you should) think about job titles. The pitfalls of promoting people, and how you can skip them. How to set up a low stress promotion process for your team. Resources mentioned in this construction podcast episode: The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz - https://amzn.to/394dcxi LL Flooring - http://www.llflooring.com/pro 3 Questions to Help You Get Paid for Estimates - https://buildermasterclass.com/script Mastermind Group for CoConstruct Users- https://buildermasterclass.com/cogroup

What you'll learn about in this construction podcast episode: - Benefits of getting out over your skis. - How Eric thinks about failure. - Why You DO need the practice. - What does "branding" mean? - The fine line of pushing your team just enough, without being reckless. - Specializing, and when it makes sense NOT to specialize. - Overhead creep and aggressive growth. Resources mentioned in this construction podcast episode: LL Flooring - http://www.llflooring.com/pro 3 Questions to Help You Get Paid for Estimates - https://buildermasterclass.com/script Mastermind Group for CoConstruct Users- https://buildermasterclass.com/cogroup

What you'll learn about in this construction podcast episode: - How Travis Gardner ended the practice of doing free estimates. -The surprising response from the first prospect he pitched a preconstruction services agreement to. - How much he collected in the first month doing this. - The unexpected side effect on his business after he made this shift - How getting a "No" from a prospect is now a win for him. Resources mentioned in this construction podcast episode: LL Flooring - http://www.llflooring.com/pro 3 Questions to Help You Get Paid for Estimates - https://buildermasterclass.com/script Mastermind Group for CoConstruct Users- https://buildermasterclass.com/cogroup

"It was an incredibly powerful object lesson about what our unchecked negative self-talk can turn into and just how toxic it can be for all of us." What you'll learn about in this construction podcast episode: What the "Inner Critic" sounds like, and how it can become toxic. How it's self-sustaining and what it says can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Beating ourselves up, what the inner critic does, is a preemptive gambit to inoculate ourselves from external shaming. 8 Strategies for Managing Your Inner Critic Gratitude Catastrophize Make a Definite Decision Subtract the Negatives The B.H.A.G. Detach The Power of Generosity Community Resources mentioned in this construction podcast episode: LL Flooring - http://www.llflooring.com/pro Get Paid for Estimates - https://buildermasterclass.com/script Mastermind Group for CoConstruct Users- https://buildermasterclass.com/cogroup The Happy Secret to Better Work- Shawn Achor - https://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work Fear Setting - Tim Ferriss - https://mindfulambition.net/fear-setting-tim-ferriss/ Art of War by Steven Pressfield Your Erroneous Zones by Wayne Dyer Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hills

What you'll learn from this construction podcast episode with Jeff Sawyer of TruNorth Construction: - How unhappy customers can be a symptom of gaps in your processes. - How Jeff's team uses TQM, total quality management, to make customers happier and get buy in from his team. - How Jeff looks at red flags and flaws in his processes. - We go deep into how to create processes for your business, and Jeff's advice for how and where to get started. - Jeff's unconventional approach to punchlists. - Great way to say thank you at the end of a project. How to connect with Jeff Sawyer: http://www.trunorthconstruction.com Resources mentioned in this construction podcast episode: LL Flooring - http://www.llflooring.com/pro Apparatus Contractor Services - http://www.goapparatus.com CoConstruct Software - http://www.constructionleadingedge.com/coconstruct Get Paid for Estimates - https://buildermasterclass.com/script

Paddling his canoe to a flooded jobsite, Byron didn't realize disaster would turn into opportunity. What you'll learn from this construction podcast episode with Byron Brooks: - The "Builders and Brews" program he's been working on to bridge the gap between builders, designers and architects. - The mindsets that keep construction business owners from networking and sharing resources. - His background has helped him deal with controlled chaos, including a time he visited his jobsite in a canoe, after a flood. - How to use "fear setting." - The "I want to Be here in 10 years" philosophy. - Using potentially cringeworthy humor to connect with clients. - How he stopped doing free estimates and started using preconstruction agreements. Resources mentioned in this construction podcast episode: LL Flooring - http://www.llflooring.com/pro Apparatus Contractor Services - http://www.goapparatus.com CoConstruct Software - http://www.constructionleadingedge.com/coconstruct Get Paid for Estimates - https://buildermasterclass.com/getpaid How to connect with Byron Brooks: Brookwright website - https://www.brookwright.ca Builders and Brews on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/buildersandbrewsyyc/