Construction Genius

Some kids aren't cut out for the traditional educational path. Many students have untapped talents that are valuable in today's workplace but are overlooked because they are forced into the old-school framework. The good news? There is now another pathway for those kids who want to explore the possibilities of earning a living in a profession that interests and excites them. In this episode, founder of the Capital College & Career Academy, Kevin Dobson, joins me to chat about his free public charter school dedicated to accelerating high school students. He explains how getting into a trade is now a viable option and how you can do your part in showing them the new opportunities available within this visionary alternative. Listen now. Show highlights include: Why the educational powers-that-be label you as a thief when you challenge their long-held beliefs (3:18) The secret to becoming an engineer (without ever going to college) (8:09) How to enter the construction field (even if you have no idea how to swing a hammer) (10:14) The ideal way to discover your career without wasting time and building a mountain of debt (16:42) Common misconceptions about charter schools and why most have it completely wrong. (19:10) About the Guest: Discovering his passion for teaching since high school, Kevin Dobson is dedicated to helping students excel in their studies and perform well by the time they enter the workforce. However, he has seen a dilemma in the current education system that seems to remain unaddressed to this day: despite the rapid advancements in technology and the world, the way of learning still stays the same. Capital College and Career Academy: https://capcca.org/about-us/ Kevin's Email: kdobson@capcca.org

When you have a family-run construction business, passing it down to the next generation isn't as easy as just giving them the keys. There's a lot of work you must do before passing your business down to the next generation. Otherwise, your business will crash and burn, you'll destroy relationships within your family, or both. That's the bad news. The good news? In this episode, award-winning family business strategist and author, Nike Anani, joins me to reveal how you can pass down your business to the next generation (without wrecking your business or family). Listen now. Show highlights include: The insidious way passing down your family-run construction business to the next generation can sabotage your family (and how to prevent this) (3:15) How sharing your most humiliating business failures with the next generation ensures their success (6:33) The "Lifetime Exercise" which prevents the next generation from making the same business mistakes you made (8:13) How to make your children value money (even if they grew up wealthy compared to other kids) (11:00) The weird way your business success may accidentally set your children up for failure (and why empathy is the antidote for this "glitch") (12:28) How to prepare the future generation to run your business by going on fun family retreats (22:03) The best way to stop heated conflicts between family members from bursting out of control (29:17) Why first generation business owners treat their business like their favorite kid (and how this poisons the second generation's success) (30:36) The "Three Circle Model" for passing down your business to the next generation without skipping a beat (35:24) If you want a copy of Nike's book, LIFETIME to Legacy: A New Vision for Multigenerational Family Businesses, you can order your copy by going to https://nikeanani.com/book/.

Business owners have a lot on their plate at all times, which is an overwhelming job. This task can become more manageable through the decision cascade method. Eric Anderton delves deeper into this concept with award-winning entrepreneur and podcast host, Bessi Graham. She explains how to navigate through unnecessary noise, gain clarity with your goals, and understand the context of every decision you make. Bessi also discusses how to create a legacy you can be genuinely proud of and without neglecting your core values.

Maintaining a successful company is already a challenging task to accomplish. How much more if you run a multi-generational company with huge shoes to fill and extremely high expectations to meet? Eric Anderton discovers the secret to accomplishing such a feat with the Cullen Clan. This family's fourth and fifth generations now lead JP Cullen: Jeannie Cullen Schultz (Co-President), George Cullen (Co-President), Richard Cullen (Vice President Field Operations), Laura Cullen (Training & Development Manager), Dan Cullen (Yard & Shop Operations Manager), and Sean Cullen (Director of Business Development). They share how they uphold the company values first established by their founder and how they recruit the right people who exhibit them. The family also opens up about their approach to solving business arguments, the incredible blend of young and old generations, and the impact of having a years-old business in raising their kids – or the potential sixth-generation leaders of JP Cullen.

What if you can mimic your top performer's capabilities, multiply their productivity, and not have to worry about attrition or retirement. In this episode, author, speaker, and the CEO of YegaTech, Mehdi Nourbakhsh, Ph.D., goes into detail on the different branches and features of AI and shares insights on how artificial intelligence can solve problems in design and construction, and bridge the gap between these two different worlds. A special offer for Construction Genius listeners: Mehdi is offering a signed copy of the book to the ten listeners who download the free book chapters or the workbook here: https://mehdinourbakhsh.com/free/. When they download, put "Construction Genius" in response to "Where did you hear from us?"

If you don't know the right persuasive writing methods, even one email can destroy relationships you may have tirelessly built for a long time. Joining Eric Anderton is written word expert Joshua Lisec. He explains how to solve the rampant misuse of adverbs that elevates wrong emotions and passes lies as truth. Joshua talks about how poor persuasive writing can make recipients feel under attack, mistrusted, or manipulated. He also presents his three-step process of creating well-written messages that invoke the intended emotions and actions without having to spend hours or days on writing.

The CEO of Harbor Capital, Levi Benkert, is this week's guest on Construction Genius. Harbor Capital is a hyper-focused class A and B industrial real estate investment firm operating in Texas. What's interesting about this is Levi's journey from a newly married eighteen-year-old who purchased his first home in Sacramento, California to growing a business that has a goal of getting to $1 billion in assets under management by 2030. He is crushing that goal. We discuss a development deal that he's doing with a construction company that you'll find very interesting. Think about how Levi frames his deals and the approach that he takes to real estate investment, and how that might influence the way that you look at real estate investment as you have grown your construction company and have these types of opportunities come up. We also get into some more personal aspects of life and how Levi has benefited from the ups and downs of life, the lessons that he has learned in therapy, in business, and even from having children at a young age, and how that has impacted his parenting style, and the way that he is someone who has been financially successful, coming from a background of little financial success, how that has affected the way he relates to his children and the way that he wants them to think about money and the uses of money.

Ronan Collins, Director Digital Delivery of BIM for Design and Construction at The Red Sea Development Company, discusses the importance of talent development and technology adoption in gaining competitive advantage. He highlights the interconnected nature of these two factors and how organizations can create a win-win scenario by developing their people for management positions while introducing new technologies to improve operations.

Public speaking is a vulnerable position because of the fear of judgment and rejection. But there is a way to conquer your anxiety and become a better speaker in public. Eric Anderton presents Laurie Gilbertson, the founder and CEO of Tribeca Blue Consulting. Laurie talks about how practice and preparation are huge factors in feeling comfortable on stage. Allow yourself to rehearse and figure out which words sound natural when you speak. Afterward, it's easier to turn your attention away from yourself and towards the audience during your presentation. If you want more practical tips on becoming a better speaker in public, this episode's for you.