Construction Brothers

We’re just sitting here talking… but it’s different. For those of you who are listening to the podcast rather than watching the Youtube video: We’ve redesigned our recording space to allow for more movement and some occasional video integration. We’re experimenting with a slightly different format that will hopefully involve some in-person interviews among other things.    Watch the video: https://youtu.be/7yKIf6FrwhU   Also, there might be nachos.   Today, we use our new space to test the new style of safety helmet.   We proceed to discuss that LinkedIn often seems to be for little other than humble brags–except for people like Ed Davidson. Even Dad follows Ed. Here are links to the videos we mention on this tangent: Toronto crane guyEd Davidson’s post about sign installationCar falls into sinkhole   After the hardhat test aggravates Eddie’s back injury, we proceed to the therapy portion of the show, with a focus on Tyler’s first year running his marketing business (Storybuilder Creative).    Because entrepreneurship is tough, Tyler compares himself to Rapunzel.    All of this leads us to the meat of today’s discussion, an exploration of mentorships:  When you’re starting something, give yourself room to bounce around a bit. You can’t learn what works unless you engage in some experimentation.Sometimes that first year of a new venture succeeds only due to grit and willpower.Seeing every obstacle as an opportunity to grow and learn (like Jocko Willink says). Symbiotic mentorship is a wonderful thing–the pairing of two different strengths in a relationship where coaching can happen in both directions. Having to answer questions can force you to learn new things and to rethink things that have become automatic.   We’re better together–like a pair of draft horses whose pulling capacity together is three times the capacity of a single horse.   Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com -Youtube - LinkedIn - 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.

Tyler shares about a recent experience with creative shutdown. His new role required a different form of insight than his previous role, and he needed to figure out how to shift gears.   What he learned is that it’s okay to step away from the situation. Get outside. Get away from the pressure and create space for the ideas to grow.   It takes both discipline and openness. And a playful attitude. And also time.   Give yourself the time and space to innovate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeff Sample is known to many as The Ironman of IT. That title is not metaphorical. He’s an actual “Ironman” athlete and he works in construction-related IT. Jeff has worn many hats within the construction world, but he’s currently the primary host of the ContechCrew podcast and the “Industry Evangelist” for Join, which specializes in helping owners, designers, and contractors improve workflow through increased collaboration. Information Jeff is all about data. Well, to be more precise, Jeff is all about information. He wants to see everyone in the construction industry use data to make better decisions. Jeff helps others use building information modeling (BIM) data to work more smoothly and efficiently. As we discussed what he does, these insights were shared: Contractual obligations can cause digital waste. Our goal should be to encourage collaboration.It’s not data-driven; it’s data-informed. The data is there only to support the human decision-makers. Data leaves room for each party to have their own focus and creative freedom (within reason).The design-bid-build structure creates an adversarial relationship between contractors, which unnecessarily complicates the building process for everyone.Communication is part of our job. We need to help other people make sense of data that means something to us when viewed through the lens of our unique experience.We need to create a climate of collaboration rather than fear of litigation.“Communication is contractual. Collaboration is cultural.”  The Shift Toward Manufacturing We spent a good deal of time discussing the shift toward a manufacturing mindset within construction. We agreed that this will bring as many opportunities as it will bring challenges, and we explored these thoughts:  Wise contractors will niche down because increased specialization is on the way.Robotics will assist to an increasing degree, but they will not replace humans for a very long while.Nuance is not going away. Builders and their “amazing minds” will continue to be essential to the construction process.  Other tidbits and shout-outs in this episode:  Eddie and Jeff are both Adam Grant fans, but Eddie’s fandom has gone further with the hairstyle imitation.Shout-out to Kelly Doyle for his insight that “Slow is smooth and smooth is fast”Props to Pete Dumont for his work toward setting up an OS2.0 for construction so we’re living in a “neighborhood” together  When handed the megaphone, Jeff explains that we need all parties within the construction industry to work thoughtfully and conscientiously toward making a profit. He explains that our ways of thinking have the ability to drive us into a recession, but he reminds us that construction is critical to the success of our economy and our country. We can employ people. We build the environment. We create the infrastructures. We build the supply chains. If you can look at what the country needs and fulfill that need profitably, you can help this recession be a speed bump. You can be a key component of a vibrant economy. Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - 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 we’re going all-out with the construction analogies. Yes, it’s poetic. But it’s also pretty darn insightful and valuable.    When you’re a part of an organization, you pass information up and down the line all the time. If you fail to be a reliable link in that information chain, things fail to function smoothly. In electrical terms, if you fail to ensure that the current of information moves efficiently up and down the wire, you’re causing impedance.   When you notice this, seek to resolve the issue by connecting the parties who need to pass information back and forth. Put them in touch with one another in order to increase the quality and efficiency of your organization.    Don’t inhibit. Don’t impede.    Insulate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you need to learn a construction skill or train an employee on a specific skill, Jordan Smith has you covered. Jordan is the Head of Education of MT Copeland (in addition to owning and operating his own design/build firm). MT Copeland provides affordable, professional-grade video courses for specific construction skills. Jordan does several of the videos, but a whole array of specialized instructors also share what they’ve learned in their many years on the job.  Jordan shares how the craziness of COVID led him to head to the shed. He proceeded to turn that shed into a small custom video studio and record construction tutorials. Eventually, Jordan was hired to structure the curriculum of MT Copeland’s construction videos. Now MT Copeland has over 70 hours of video instruction on their website. The content ranges from more big-picture  commercial principles to the mechanics of doing a good paint job. Jordan has come to see that the process of training has two parts: head-knowledge insights and hands-on training. The video content that he and MT Copeland offer is designed to help with the head knowledge. Most trainees then work with practicing local contractors to get the necessary hands-on experience.   Here are some other things you’ll hear in our conversation with Jordan: A discussion about one remodeler who has his crew earn “digital passports” for training on specific tasks such as properly hanging a door. A story about a cynical Irish guy at a trade showA surprise connection between the novel Cheaper by the Dozen (the novel, not the movie) and efficiency in masonry. Connections between proper training and employee retention–as well as some thoughts about how to deal with employees to take off after you’ve invested in training them.  Jordan’s Megaphone moment: If you’re having a hard time finding good people, it’s time to be the person who produces good people. (He actually said “the onus is on you.” Yes, that is a real word, and yes, he used it properly. Check it out here if you’re interested in working it into your next chat with your employees.)  Learn more about Jordan and MT Copeland: MTCopeland.com - Jordan’s design-build company, Smith House, - Jordan’s LinkedIn - MTCopelandmarketing: teams@mtcopeland  Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - 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.

Biff is back. This time he’s creating chaos in the water fountain line.    Since Tyler was homeschooled, he never had to deal with the complex social dynamic of “Give me fronts!” The thing is… None of us should have to deal with that in the world of construction.   So Eddie has a message to the general contractors out there: When you tell me that you’ll be done with something on a certain date and then you shift that schedule around–don’t gripe about the fact that my resources are now directed somewhere else. You’ve lost your place in line. I’m not going to penalize the rest of the people in line because you now want “fronts.”     (Sorry we didn’t produce regional dialect versions of this episode for you Midwest “drinking fountain” people and you Wisconsin and Massachusetts “bubbler” weirdos.)     Find Us Online: Website - LinkedIn - 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.

There’s a gap in the industry. Few people are doing more to fill that gap than Lydia Burns.  Lydia is known as a senior manager with Allied Construction Industries, a trade group that works on advocacy, networking, and solutions for a variety of parties within the construction industry. Last time we met with Lydia, we discussed her work with K-12 programs that familiarize students with various aspects of construction. Today, we talk about her ambitious work with She Builds a division of ACI that focuses on increasing the number of women in the construction industry. Only 9% of the skilled trade workers within the construction industry are female. This under-representation is the result of everything from corporate hiring practices to parents’ messages to their children. Lydia and the She Builds team work strategically to increase construction interest among women. Here are a few things they do: Address specific reasons that high school girls give for not pursuing a career in construction,Address academic concerns (particularly math),Recruit and train adult women who are shifting careers,Work with everyone from students to executives in an effort to break down stereotypes.   We ask Lydia how guys in construction make the field more appealing to women. Here are some of her thoughts: Avoid offering them help unless they clearly need it.Shut down your inner diner waitress. In other words, don’t call them “honey” or “sweetie.”Talk to women in the industry and ask them for ideas.   Papa Eddie (father of three girls) raises a few concerns. Lydia (second of three daughters) addresses them: Empower your daughter. If you see that she has STEM skills and interest, foster that interest.Remind yourself that there is a diverse range of jobs within the construction industry–and not all of them involve carrying bundles of shingles up a ladder.Seek to increase the possibilities rather than reduce them.Involve them in your construction projects–both around the house and at work.    Lydia’s megaphone (her second time): Start having the conversation in your company and your area. Women can do this work. We’re out there.  Learn more about Lydia and her company: Lydia’s LinkedIn -  ACI - She Builds Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - 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.

Nobody’s going to make sure that you do it. It’s the advance preparation required for a project.    And it’s your responsibility.   You’ll see that Eddie feels pretty strongly about this–understandably so. It’s simply not fair to show up unprepared and then expect someone else to step up and fill the gaping chasm you’ve created.    Take responsibility for your own failures. Admit it. Then you may politely ask for help.   Don’t be a Biff.   Find Us Online: Website - LinkedIn - 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 all see communication disconnects between designers and builders every single day, so today we talk to one of our Dad’s old work buddies, Chuck Colwill. Why Chuck? Because Chuck is an expert in the design-build approach that produces a much more nimble and efficient building team.    Chuck’s work with his firm, Colwill Engineering, is a great example of how to gracefully, creatively navigate the complications that come with supply-chain problems, bureaucracies, labor shortages, and other challenges. The firm’s use of design-build helps them execute projects with impressive efficiency. They’re prepared to handle all MEP work in a way that streamlines problem-solving.     Here are some of the insights Chuck shares: -Everything goes more smoothly when there is early and active communication between designers of a project and those whose hands will be moving the physical pieces.  -Early communication helps everyone. (You’ll hear echoes of our discussion with Ernie Maschner.) -Whether it’s generators or flex duct, unexpected supply-chain complications create problems that can be easily solved by a team who is equipped to formulate quick work-arounds.  -Client expectations haven’t changed much since Chuck and Dad Campbell were running together, so changing industry dynamics are forcing contractors to tighten up the process wherever we can.  -Siloed organizations simply can’t compete with the agility of a well-managed design-build company.   -Design-build firms do have some unique challenges. For example, it’s essential for their leadership teams to thoughtfully align the supply chains and manpower needs on multiple overlapping projects.   In the megaphone moment, Chuck coins the term “three-bid-itis” to describe the mess that leads to the cheapest guy building the most expensive design. Chuck says the solution to this problem is to go open-book with subcontractors so that a general contractor can go with the person he or she trusts and then move forward with confidence that things will be done well.  Learn more about Chuck and his company: Chuck’s LinkedIn -  Colwill Engineering Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - 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.

Yup. Just two brothers talking about fartlek.    Life is busy. It’s easy to let physical fitness fall by the wayside. Today we step aside from professional concerns and into this area of personal improvement. We share a bit about our own experiences with physical training–specifically running.    Fartlek is a Swedish term. It refers to a kind of training that involves varying the pacing, intensity, and length of workouts. We’ve both experienced the benefits of this and other deliberate approaches to our fitness regimen.    Listen in as we geek out about VO2, glycogen stores, and mud runs. Then get out there and hit the road!   Find Us Online: Website - LinkedIn - 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.