Systems are so cool… At least that’s how Tyler feels.    There’s a four-letter reason he loves them: ADHD. He has learned that systems hold him accountable.    Eddie is the grunt-and-get-it-done guy. This is often good, of course, but it can sometimes result in a failure to create a system early enough.     Tyler shares about automated folder-creation software that avoided organizational chaos.    Here’s the Craig Groeschel video Tyler mentions.     Sometimes a “system” can be little more than a scheduled meeting–having a time when someone will be waiting there for you. It forces you to stop and address a task or a set of issues you might otherwise ignore.    Tell us about the systems that keep you moving in your business and life: 512-THE-BROS.   Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The ConExpo Highlight Reel, starring Eddie and the Two Tylers! Yes, two is probably too many. We’ll make sure it doesn’t happen too often. Tyler Williams joins us this week to share some of the. Tyler, who is Field Innovation Leader at DPR Construction, was on the podcast a few months ago to discuss new tech in construction, and that’s the focus again today. ConExpo happens only every three years. Tyler headed to the Vegas show this year to see equipment that can reduce ergonomic strain on construction workers. Here are the products and companies that caught Tyler’s attention at the convention: Sarcos Robotics: Sarcos develops and manufactures construction robots that can be controlled by workers in a manner that is very similar to the movie Real Steel. The controller can stand in a safe space and manipulate the robot, which can be mounted at the end of a boom arm in order to execute dangerous tasks. See it in action here. They also produce an exoskeleton. T1V Collaboration: This company helps teams share real-time planning and logistics. See it in action here. This platform helps contractors maximize visualization and share details. Loris: Picture R2D2 with a shop light on his head. It’s more than that, though. Loris beacons can assist with security and documentation on jobsites. See it in action here. Distributed throughout a large jobsite, these units can also help establish a WiFi mesh network to increase connectivity. Wingtra Drone: This vertical-take-off survey drone provides detailed, high-resolution imagery for large sites. Users can geo-tag elements in images and add annotations. Moxion: Moxion is a mobile energy-storage solution capable of providing 75kw and 600 run hours. The unit is the size of a small tow-behind Uhaul trailer. Units can be daisy-chained The Honda AWV: This autonomous work vehicle looks like the utility shuttles from Star Wars and other science fiction movies. It is capable of carrying heavy loads of bricks or tools to very specific spots using GPS coordinates. Develon an Doosan Transparent Bucket: This technology stitches together images to make it seem that the bucket of your wheel loader is transparent. Operators can use this visual input to avoid obstacles and to more precisely drop loads. See it in action here. Alaska Structures: These fabric structures are available in multiple sizes and can be easily assembled into strong structures that can withstand the elements. We discuss the various ways that these could be used on construction sites. Nox-Crete: A chemical solution for concrete problems. This company produces solutions that keep concrete from sticking to forms and other surfaces that it might come into contact with. We wrap up by asking Tyler to reflect on the ways that ConExpo leaves him feeling about the current state of industry. He explains that the biggest advancement that he sees is in the area of battery capabilities. Find Tyler Williams Online: LinkedIN - DPR Construction Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eddie shares today about all the shoulds that plague our days. You know you should eat your vegetables, maintain a balanced diet, drink water…   Making that actually happen is much tougher than just knowing that it should happen.   The same pattern is true within construction. It’s easy to know that you should show empathy, consider other people’s mental/emotional health.    The thing is that it’s really, really tough not to send that snarky email and yell at that employee.    Keep on trying.    Work on routines. Work on habits. Work on boundaries. Work on your social media diet.    Tyler shares how this plays out in his business. He has a clear map in his mind of what needs to happen. Making that happen each day? Well, that’s a whole different matter. Execution is tough. Follow-through is difficult.    We’d like to hear from you on this. We want to know about the things that you’re struggling to take from your mind to your reality.  Give us something to talk about at 512-THE-BROS.    Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you work with concrete, you’ve probably dreamed of having the machines made by today’s guest.    Danielle Proctor is President and CEO of Construction Robotics, which makes two large and impressive rebar-related machines: IronBOT, which places rebar, and TyBOT, which ties that rebar.     Countless construction workers have put in their time tying rebar before moving on to other less backbreaking  and repetitive work. Eddie opens with a bit of nostalgia for his rebar-tying days and mentions this Dirty Jobs episode on tying rebar.   We move on to a discussion about the main challenge that comes with huge new tools like these: pre-purchase logistics. It seems like it would be incredibly hard to do a trial run with one of these things.    Danielle explains that the objections from rebar-tying crews is not as great as you might think. It’s really tough work, and many of the people who are doing it are more than ready to move on to a different set of duties. Due to labor shortages, that would often be helpful to a crew and a project.    We discuss the pride issues associated with the generational legacy of the old-school rod-busters and how they adjusted when the tie gun came along.     IronBOT can handle 5,000 pounds of rebar while executing its work. Handled by hand, Danielle says that a bundle of five 60’ bars requires “One bar for each man and one for the company.”    Danielle makes the case that these machines don’t eliminate the need for a crew of humans. You still need… A robot supervisor (just to watch the robot and provide a couple instructions)A rodbuster feeding the bar into the robot4-6 people behind tying the few pieces that the robot can’t tie1 guy frame-tying    Once the crew sees the robot as part of the team, the mindset changes. Danielle says she enjoys seeing companies move through the adjustment process and adopt the machine as part of the culture of the company. Then company leaders really begin to see the benefits. They start estimating jobs with the machine’s efficiencies in mind.   Tyler mentions this video about the toll that physically demanding jobs have on the body.   At first we laugh about the tool envy factor, but then Eddie raises the fact that it really is a thing among contractors and that it’s part of what moves innovation along.    We discuss capabilities and setup time. Danielle explains that the TyBOT comes in on a 40’ trailer. The crew assembles it on its rails, choosing gantries that can handle widths from 9’ to 107’. This process takes about an hour. Then you simply turn it on and let it do its thing. It looks for intersections and ties them. There’s no programming, no BIM. It carries 15-pound spools.    IronBOT, on the other hand, takes 6-8 hours to get it in place. Then you load the specs (spacing, etc.) and it does its thing.   “Certified innovators” look at the project plans and try to configure optimized “bundle plans.”  These people are also the ones who work with contractors during the estimating process.     We discuss the comparisons between human team speeds and machine speeds. Danielle says that a project isn’t a good fit for these machines unless it would be a 1-week job manually for TyBOT or 2 weeks manually for an IronBOT/TyBOT project.     Danielle explains that her company’s focus is optimization for productivity to free up human crews to make better use of their time.    Danielle’s Megaphone Message: We are in the middle of a robotic renaissance. Take the blinders off and have some fun. Go see what’s out there. Ask yourself where automation can help. Support the companies that are innovating with technology that’s here to help.    Find Danielle Online: LinkedIn -  Advanced Construction Robotics Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ah yes, freshman year.    Today we’re talking about things we remember learning in our first year on the job.    Eddie starts us off:  His first lessons were about pacing. When you’re tying rebar, you don’t want to be starting at a sprint.    He discusses the home-life manifestation of this principle with the phenomenon of The Lowe’s Trip. When he enters a project slowly and deliberately, he avoids the four-trip day.   Measure twice, cut once. Think it through. Think about the long game.    (Here’s the Daniel Labelle video Eddie references.)    Then Tyler shares: His early discoveries had to do with complaining.    Pretty simply, he came around the understanding that he had to complain less.    Now you share:  We would love to hear about lessons you learned either in your first year or within the last year (even if it wasn’t your last-last year. Give us a call at 512-THE-BROS and let us know what wisdom you’ve gained.   Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everybody’s talking about it, so today we are too. In this episode, we’re exploring the implications of AI for construction. (And yes, we know it's not Friday.)   (We touched on this topic in our conversation with Norine Bagate a couple weeks ago. Check out that episode if you missed it.)   Tyler shares what he’s read and seen about AI virtual assistants that can identify potential candidate (for podcast guests, for instance) and then write emails customized to each of them. He goes on to discuss some interesting insights from the Marketing Against the Grain podcast.    Eddie shares about a dismal experience with Shopify’s AI DJ, which acted confusingly on his love of the Interstellar soundtrack and also gave him some wonderfully mellow Jon Foreman tunes right as he was ready to work out.    As we shift to construction, Tyler asks Eddie where he thinks the greatest amount of disruption will occur. He suspects that the first significant impact will be on research-based tasks, such as those involved in architecture and engineering.   Tyler predicts that the changes will be huge but that it may also be a bit slower than expected. He’s guessing that today’s kids will expect AI. They’ll integrate it intuitively into their daily activities.   With this in mind, we discuss the “generational” difference even between the two of us (who are only 13 years apart):  Eddie’s knee-jerk reaction is not to use technology. His first instinct is to figure it out with his own two hands and with books. If he has a question, he goes for the manual.Tyler is likely to just Google it. That will likely bring him back to digital versions of the same source, but the way a person engages with it is different.   We compare AI/ChatGPT with Google search as far as how they may affect our approach to questions, problems, and solutions.    We discuss exclamation points as a generational identifier.    Eddie discusses the hesitations he continues to feel in the shift toward paperless documentation. Tyler entered the industry when that shift had already taken place.    Is it all doom and gloom? Tyler hopes not. He’s hopeful that AI will speed up processes that are currently unnecessarily slow.   Eddie’s prediction is that the first big change will involve crawling models for codified deficiencies as well as code compliance. As municipalities come on board, the movement will grow.     Tyler speculates that insurance companies may soon require that plans go through an AI check.   Today’s 10-year-olds, such as Eddie’s daughter, can design entire homes on their tablets. They’re deeply immersed in technology that even some architects are still struggling to adopt.    Design, Tyler thinks, will become less intense. The collection of options and modules available to meet a specific use will be much greater.    We don’t want to quit having ideas. We want buildings to continue to have a personality. We want people to continue to have to solve problems.    This won’t be easy. It won’t be quick. There’s an intuition that comes with being human. We hope it will enhance and facilitate imagination rather than    You’ve likely heard about the AI-generated song that was originally claimed to be by Drake and The Weeknd.     We close by pondering: Is there any chance that this will all go the way of 80s synth? Ten years from now, might there be nostalgia for long-form blog posts?   Our request: If you have some thoughts or if you have seen anything in the field regarding AI, we’d love to hear from you on our phone line: 512-THE-BROS.    Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re different.  Okay, that’s not news. Today we explore the differences in our routines, but then we talk about the value of routine--and the ways in which routines can go too far. Eddie shares about his effort to stay in routine despite the craziness of life. He’ll just get a routine going, and then something throws it off.  We talk about emotional/relational withdrawals and deposits. Tyler’s weeks away on work are withdrawals from the family energy levels, so he makes an effort to be truly present when he is home. Eddie mentions that he’s oddly encouraged to hear that things don’t go perfectly smoothly when he’s not home. We discuss the value of trying and trying and trying some more even if the outcomes are not consistent.  Life happens.  Don’t beat yourself up. Listen to our Balance is a Myth episode from a couple years ago.  Sometimes it’s okay to sleep in. Sometimes it’s okay to get a big ol’ bowl of ice cream.  Be purposeful about adjusting to your current demands. Break routines that are keeping you from flourishing in your current situation.  It’s okay to let go of a routine that isn’t working.  At the same time, look out for routines that begin to work their way in without intention.  Routines are good. Routines can be good.  If you have some thoughts to share about routines, call us at 512-THE-BROS.    Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's not quite what it sounds like, but it's just as cool.   Angie Simon, former CEO of Western Allied Mechanical, joined us last year to talk about baseball analogies that can strengthen your construction game. Today she’s here to talk about an exciting youth-oriented construction-recruiting program that came up in that conversation: the Heavy Metal Summer Experience.    (Before we get to the substance of Angie’s visit, we discuss one of the best recent construction-related movies, Lego Movie. If you haven’t seen it, you really, really should regardless of your age.)    Right out of the gate, Angie shares with us some amazing growth numbers about the HMSE program: First year: 1 location and 28 kids Second year : 11 locations and 170Third year: 22 locations and 400 kids   This program is designed for kids who are approaching high school graduation and don’t want to go to college. Angie explains that the 30 hours of hands-on experience that this program beats the pants off of a simple booth at a career fair.    She sees kids quickly become excited about sheet metal work, welding, and more.    Angie outlines the elements of the of the program in the order: A discussion about the importance of safetyA tour of the shopDiscussion about construction models (BIM, etc.)  Hands-on work with sheet metal, pipe fitting, solderingProgramming of a sheet metal laserHands-on work with electrical (new this year)   Tyler shares about his visit to the Allied Mechanical shop and mentions that construction is the new Silicon Valley.    Angie talks about the significance of word-of-mouth in the recruiting game. She shares about a pair of brothers and a friend who all came for mock interviews.    Eddie asks Angie to talk about her HMSE playbook. This book dramatically reduces the load for hosts by compiling all kinds of useful information:  Forms (permission slips, content-release forms, etc.)PermitsInstructions for several projectsLessons learned from past sessionsA detailed schedule   Angie shares that several students have been hired by contractors directly from these summer programs. She shares a story about a student who had been dealing with depression before starting the HMSE program. That student is now in her second year of apprenticeship.    Eddie talks about the value of this sort of training opportunity for the trainers–increased pride and purpose. Angie talks about the challenges of growing the program with a combination of paid people and volunteers.    Angie’s megaphone message: It’s not about your butt-crack plumber anymore. No, actually that’s not her megaphone message, but it is something she said. Here’s what she really said: It’s our industry. We made the industry, so we need to take responsibility for it. Get the word out there about how great the trades can be. We need to share our stories about the secret of a great life in the trades.    Find Angie Online: LinkedIn -  Heavy Metal Summer Experience   Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today Tyler shares with us about his routine. Well, Tyler has a four-year-old and a two-year-old, so "routine" might not be quite the right word. Still, there are some patterns.    Two-year-old Hank is an early riser, but Dad needs his coffee, which means that Hank often starts his day with some TV.   Then there might be some reading (social media posts count as reading, right?) before helping his wife get the kids out the door.   Then it’s time to run–usually a mile or two. Or it could be a longer trip but at a walking pace with the dog. Whether it’s a run or a dog-walk, he’ll likely be consuming some podcasts before returning home to consume some oatmeal and peanut butter.    The work day starts up around 9, and then it’s quite simply a matter of tackling whichever tasks pop up.    The coffee keeps flowing all day long, to the tune of probably 3 or 4 cups a day.    Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Scott Peper is not being overwhelmed with the duties of parenting three daughters, he’s focused on his work as CEO of Mobilization Funding. He also wrote The Big Book of Cash Flow, which aims to help commercial subcontractors and general contractors to navigate the financial aspect of successful projects.    Cash flow in the construction world is not like it is in most other businesses. Scott’s focus is helping clients get a grip on the math of it all–capital, expenses, margins, contingencies.   He says it’s all about knowing how much money you have in your pile of cash. But some of that pile might not be just profit from a given project. Among other things, it might be… a line of creditcash you’re infusing from your own pocketlong-term debtshort-term debt   Scott explains that traditional financing institutions sometimes fail to understand the dynamics that are unique to construction.    Tyler asks Scott to list cash-flow mistakes. He lists a few:   people living out of their checkbook rather than thinking ahead.not having accurate financial statementsfailure to consider forecasted expenses   Eddie points out that “cash flow can eat you.” Plenty of businesses go bankrupt due to a lack of attention to cash flow. Scott builds on that insight and says that cash flow is also key to positioning your company for growth. Scott suggests focusing on a 13-week cash-flow forecast, and he talks us through some hypothetical scenarios.   We discuss a variety of considerations that must be made before bidding on upcoming projects.    Eddie asks how big a cash pile should be in order to keep a business in a good place. Scott talks through an example scenario of a contractor facing growth opportunities. He says that most contractors are solid on the bidding process and executing over a work schedule. What many of them don’t know is how to invest in the job at the beginning of a project vs. the point where they’re cash-flow positive.    Tyler shares that he has recently experienced a version of this disconnect when he neglected to familiarize himself with the payment terms before signing a contract with a client. Luckily he has a buffer that has been sufficient.    Scott follows up by suggesting the idea of pricing a job a few percentage points higher to take financing costs into consideration. Your bid must take cash-flow and financing costs into consideration.    We discuss the trickle-down effects of failures to consider cash flow. A sub won’t order materials when they should if they don’t have the money to pay for them. Then, if the contract considered such contingencies, extra fees may worsen the situation for that sub.  As we shift our attention to solutions, Scott lists these things: Have a good finance mind somewhere in your business–a readily available person with meaningful insights. Have a cash-flow tool for each project, and examine reports daily to keep tabs on the small and big pictures.Communicate proactively with the other parties as circumstances change.   Just getting started? Scott suggests that you learn to leverage–leverage your experience, your expertise, your credit cards, and more.    Scott’s megaphone message: Performance is the one thing that will separate you from the competition. It will bring you a variety of rewards. Make yourself so undeniably great that contractors won’t want to work with anyone other than you. Don’t sell yourself short. Do not sacrifice the price that you need in order to perform well.   Here is a link to the free resources that Scott mentioned toward the end of the episode.    Find Scott Online: LinkedIn - Mobilization Funding - The Big Book of Cash Flow   Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.