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Construction Brothers

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Jun 5, 2024 • 1h 3min

To Buy or Not To Buy, That Is the Question (ft. Rob Coakley)

Check out this link to learn more about the tools discussed in this episode.00:00 - IntroductionRob Coakley is the equipment manager at Lithko Contracting. He’s here today to discuss a decision familiar to every construction business owner: to rent or to buy.  Rob shares some of Lithko’s history in order to set the stage for the complexity of the rent/buy decision. It boils down to this: Having a capital constraint along with a scalability issue put Lithko on the path toward rentals–more out of necessity and a desire for simplicity than to save money.Managing rentals on a large scale involves a hefty amount of record-keeping and management. Lithko brought Rob on board to make the end cost of equipment a competitive advantage. He explains how many contractors who own equipment will bury equipment costs in order to win jobs. This often leads to financial trouble in the long run. 06:21 - Conventional wisdom (or at least preference)Eddie describes the conventional contractor approach to tool acquisition: If I can put it in the job and buy the tool, I’m going to buy the tool. This often leads to tools sitting in the weeds. Rob follows up on this and points out that an owned tool can become part of the landscape of a job while the pace of progress slows, whereas being on a rental timeline can motivate you to keep the project moving along. That clock doesn’t stop ticking. He also explains that ownership does actually make sense for many smaller contractors. It’s when your business scales up that the argument grows stronger and stronger for renting–even to the point of renting everything. We discuss why GCs hire specialty contractors. Rob then discusses how he talks to owners of companies that Lithko acquires. He lays out a rental-based approach to pricing projects. If it can be done without eating into profits, then there’s no reason not to rent. Your long-term risk drops significantly.   13:05 - Record-keeping when scaling up Eddie asks Rob to explain how he and his team at Lithko has handled the increasingly complex task of record-keeping as they’ve grown. Lithko has grown from a $135-million business in 2008 to a $1.8-million business last year. With this growth came information-management challenges. Rob explains that you need to know what your cost will be at the end of the job and where you are today. That gap, of course, determines whether or not you're profitable. When Rob began investigating solutions for the scaled-up version of this process, he found that Quickbase was a handy no-code/low-code solution for building the customized software he needed. He compares it to Lego kits and sand-castle building. We discuss the importance of mastering project timelines in order to optimize the scheduling of rented equipment.   22:15 - Lithko’s Quickbase sand castle Eddie asks Rob to run through some of the components that are most important to their customized Quickbase management package. Rob explains that they’re always short-term planning. It’s all about well-thought-out reports and dashboard items. He explains how they use the dashboards to allow record-keepers and managers to easily. This includes selectively sharing access with vendors so they can participate in the bidding process. Rob shares about safety compliance components and the mobility features that enable decision-makers to access the data needed for decisions made in the field. He explains how data from their ERP system is integrated and discusses incident tracking.We discuss equipment breakdowns and maintenance records for owned equipment. Rob walks through the process of bids, sourcing, and reliable equipment-sourcing relationships. He lists the numerous pieces of data that work together to determine project costs.47:15 - The impactEddie asks about the bottom-line impact of this Quickbase-based system. Rob explains that information from past projects informs talks with vendors and enables his team to deepen their relationships. All of these things together have resulted in Lithko cutting their bottom-line equipment costs in half since 2007. 01:00:50 - Megaphone MessageRob encourages everyone to be open to change–whether that’s a new process or a new tool. Whatever role you serve within your company, be ready to accept change. It’s the only way you’re going to grow. Find Rob on LinkedIn  Check out the partners that make our show possible.Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedInIf you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!
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May 31, 2024 • 4min

Be a Bright Spot | 5 Minute Friday

You are surrounded by people. You’ll be affecting these people in one way or another. You can choose what that effect will be. You can treat them kindly. You can show them grace. Or you can step on them. You can rip on them. You can take advantage of them.Today Eddie encourages you to be an encouraging presence in the lives of the people around you. It’s not always easy to do this in a competitive industry, but it’s also not impossible. Do everything you can to be as good as you can be to the people around you. Be a bright spot.Check out the partners that make our show possible.Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedInIf you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!
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May 29, 2024 • 1h 5min

Jiu-jitsu, Career Advice, and Lots of Laughs

00:00 - IntroductionWe’ve doubled our Tyler count today by inviting Tyler Williams to the studio. We start with some car talk: plug-in hybrids, 81 Chevies, and manual F-150s. Tyler W says he’s not loaded, but he’s keeping his eyes open for used trucks anyway. Everything is for sale. Eddie flashes back to being stranded in banjo country in his Brown Bomb Sierra.Tyler W shares about a conversation with the guy who developed the Raptor for the border patrol. This prompted him to pursue another product-development opportunity. Tyler C shares about his many Transit van aspirations. Before we get to the substance of the episode, we’ve pretty much locked in our plans to live together in a Sprinter van down by the river.  11:11 - What’s new with Tyler W?Tyler C asks guest Tyler to share what new things are going on in his world. Tyler W shares about tech developments related to ergonomics and how these developments have not led to the sort of decrease in injuries that you’d expect. He goes on to discuss a trip to Montreal, where he visited the headquarters of Movex Innovations, maker of all-terrain tracked carriers. He wants a bunch of them. He talks through some of the amazing capabilities of these carriers. He points to this as one example of a tool that people should use. Eddie raises the issue of the skills gap in construction. Tyler W says that he has seen that gap arise most visibly when someone is promoted to a foreman position. At the same time, he says that he’s hearing from many people that the gap is less severe than it has been in the recent past. We discuss progress made in reducing the stigma felt by high-schoolers who choose not to go to college. Eddie shares how he’s seen it in his kids and their friends. Tyler W points to the ridiculousness of expecting 18-year-olds to know what they want to do with their lives. He encourages young people to attend construction-related boot camps to see if maybe that route is a possibility. We discuss the issue of college debt. Tyler C asks how many people are better positioned for success as a result of their debt. 23:37 - Staying flexible Tyler W discusses the value of having a broad range of skills that make you economically nimble. He’s thankful for having a collection of experiences and skills that have equipped him for unexpected economic circumstances. Tyler C discusses gap years and the importance of giving yourself time to gain clarity on your interests and aptitudes. Eddie shares stories he’s heard of students basing their career choices on short Google searches about salaries. Tyler W points out that these Google searches don’t usually address personal happiness or overall life satisfaction. We explore mid-life career transitions and the shifts in priorities that come with marriage and family. Then we jump back to van-based business opportunities. Eddie flashes back to his Rebath days. He shares about how optimizing his van for that job informed daily decisions later in his career.  33:40 - What got us here? Also, LegoTyler W discusses the path that got him to his current position as an innovation specialist. We discuss how seeing inefficiencies earlier in our careers spawned a passion for efficient coordination at this point in our careers. Tyler C and Eddie discuss what they learned from working with Lego bricks and how their children are learning some of those lessons now. Tyler W relates this to what he’s learning from the book The Way of the Champion and shares how he’s applying the lessons from that book. We discuss the absolute essential value of life-long learning and resilience. If you have these two things, you will always be able to deal with what life brings you. The book The Comfort Crisis comes into this conversation.Eddie discusses the value of learning the hard way–marinating in research in a physical encyclopedia because your comprehension and retention may be better. Sometimes it's maybe even beneficial to be put in a situation where you can be punched in the face. Tyler shares about his involvement with martial arts.  58:45 - So, what have we learned?In wrapping up Tyler W has this to say: It’s about experience. He shares about a recent event designed to help his DPR innovation team really understand what the hands-on workers deal with every day. This is what everyone in the industry should be doing: seeking to understand what it’s like for others. Find Tyler Williams on LinkedIn Check out the partners that make our show possible.Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedInIf you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!
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May 24, 2024 • 5min

Endless Good | 5 Minute Friday

This week Tyler hits us with a quote from Ronald Reagan: “There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit.”Tyler thinks this quote is one that has incredible relevance to the construction industry. Eddie points out that this is a trait of good leadership, but he does slightly counter Tyler’s commentary. Eddie focuses on the fact that leaders should shift their focus from individual ladder-climbing and aim instead to maximize growth. Tyler connects this to the words from the Bible that the first will be last. Eddie points out that money can’t buy short bits of happiness, but it can’t buy peace.  Check out the partners that make our show possible.Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedInIf you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!
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May 22, 2024 • 51min

The E-Myth

00:00 - IntroductionWe open with coffee talk today–and sugar intake, including some beverage shortcuts. Tyler calls it cheaping out; Eddie calls it hillbilly lemonade. We also reminisce about our favorite waitress, 4’10” Miss Connie with the beehive haircut. Oh yeah, also pickle races. Poor Miss Connie.08:05 - Entrepreneurship: A Good Idea?A few weeks ago, guest Matt Aston recommended the book The E-Myth Revisited (now available in an updated version). Tyler shares that this book hit him in the teeth when he picked it up recently. We’re discussing this book today because it’s filled with great content for construction-related entrepreneurs. Business is hard. Each year, 627,000 businesses are started and 595,000 businesses fail. Many of those may have been active for several years, but still, it’s clear that starting and running a business successfully is tough work. Author Michael E. Gerber shares his insights by telling the story of Sara, a fictional pie maker.12:46 - Initial E-Myth Takeaways Eddie shares the first bits of insight that he took from this book. Gerber distinguishes between the technician,  the manager, and the entrepreneur. These are three roles may exist in A technician is the person who can do something well. A manager the person who is good at logistics and task completion. An entrepreneur is the person who works not so much in the business and on the business. Tyler explains that many businesses are started by technicians who quickly find themselves needing to now fill all three of these roles. And since they may not have management strengths or entrepreneur strengths, their businesses often fail. Tyler and Eddie both share examples of how this pattern played out in their respective businesses, ABSI and Storybuilder. The pattern is one that will sound familiar to you if you’ve started your own business. As a company grows, team members are added in a less-than-strategic manner, resulting in confusion and frustration. The next step is often a soft collapse back to the point where the business owner is once again handling almost everything.   22:55 - SystemsTyler shares that his entrepreneurial journey has gone through the first part of this cycle. Tyler and Eddie discuss the smoothness of the system that makes this podcast operate and Tyler contrasts that with his business. Eddie discusses Gerbers references to Ray Kroc and what he did with McDonald’s. Kroc bought a system. Gerber makes the argument that even owners of small businesses need to approach their business like a franchise in regard to team-building, systems, and training. Tyler refers to the movie Founder, which tells Kroc’s story. This leads to some talk about the turn-key revolution pioneered by McDonald’s. Tyler encourages business owners to check out Loom as a means of creating operational guides.32:12 - Training and More Eddie shares that one of the lessons from the book that most resonated with him was the importance of determining your primary aim. In other words, what is your life goal? If this business cannot generate that reality, then don’t pursue the business. Tyler critiques this a bit, saying that the process needs to be considered as much as the primary aim. He said that the path to that end is just as important. Structuring a desired lifestyle now is as important as an entrepreneurial endgame. Eddie discusses the book’s 4 tenets of strategy: organization, management, people, and marketing. Then there’s a 5th-systems–that was more than we could discuss today. 36:12 - The HotelTyler and Eddie discuss Gerber’s hotel storyline. Gerber recounts his experience learning about the systems that enabled this hotel to operate on such a high level. Then Gerber contrasts this hotel experience with a barbershop that provides high-quality service up front but was unable to repeat the quality of that experience over time. Tyler discusses the importance of not just first but also second, third, and fourth impressions. It’s about consistently focusing on the things that are essential.  Check out the partners that make our show possible.Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedInIf you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!
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May 17, 2024 • 10min

Read Books | 5 Minute Friday

Today’s PSA: You should read more. And here’s Eddie’s claim: Reading an hour a day will put you at the top of your field within 10 years.What’s that you say? You don’t like to read? Eddie points out that Spotify Premium now has audiobooks. There’s also Audible, Libby (through your local library), and other audiobook apps. Eddie shares that he’s on his third audiobook this year. This fact leads Eddie and Tyler to debate whether audiobook listening should be considered reading. The bros discuss whether it would be advisable for them to attempt to publish a book. Then they spend some time discussing good novels they’ve read recently and compare their reading rates to their wives. Eddie points out the various pockets of time that many contractors could fill with audiobook bits and pieces. Check out the partners that make our show possible.Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedInIf you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!
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May 15, 2024 • 52min

Construction Command Center

00:00 - IntroductionTyler’s got rib issues. Yes, of course it’s from pickleball. Yes, the injury was earned during a match against an 80-year-old lady. Would we all love to hear her account of the story? Very much.This leads us into a brief sharing session about embarrassing recreational injuries. We also talk about what catches our gaze as we drive through unfamiliar areas.08:50 - Getting to know Chris and TrevorAnyway… Today we welcome Chris Patton and Trevor Owen from Rogers-O'Brien Construction. Chris and Trevor give us a run-down of their construction history (some BIM coordination, some electrical work, and recently some begging and a little attempted beard construction).Trevor talks about his love of innovation and how that has driven his work at Hilty and now at Rogers-O’Brien. 15:50 - Reality capture and the ROCCChris leads us into the topic we were looking forward to discussing today. He shares that several years ago he and others at R-O saw that reality capture would become increasingly important in construction. They assessed the various strategy and personnel adjustments that would need to be made in order to capitalize on this tool. The ROCC is the RO Command Center, a training approach that would ensure that up-and-coming field directors, superintendents, and other senior builders would be better prepared to be better builders across all of their projects. Eddie asks for details, and Chris discusses the idea of bringing platform data and observational data together in order to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of project execution. Autonomous reality capture provides much of the data that is channeled into the ROCCTrevor shares about the reality-capture logistics as well as some of the benefits that come with this approach. The ability to access data from a comfortable venue–an office, trailer, or truck–means less of the physical strain that often leads people to consider career changes or to retire early. Tyler asks about the role AI may have in this process, and Chris explains that their vision for AI is to expedite data collection and access rather than to replace human supervisors and decision-makers. 27:23 - Loom and AITyler mentions the benefits of thoughtful training. He shares about how Loom and similar tools can exploit AI in a way that makes things smoother and easier for various team members. Trevor ties this training efficiency to the labor shortage issues, discussing how increased efficiency helps maximize productivity. Eddie raises the likelihood that AI will be taking our jobs. He points out that even much of our creative work is going to be done very differently. Chris shares some counterpoints, laying out his speculations about how things will shift, including AI augmentation rather than replacement. Eddie discusses the ongoing rotation of new jobs that enable automated equipment to reliably do the jobs that people were doing yesterday. Tyler connects this to a recent visit to Walmart.Chris discusses the futuristic processes related to drone fleets. Trevor builds on this with some insights about 360 camera walks and other platform-specific data-analysis insights. 48:48 - Megaphone MessagesChris says not be scared of these changes. Don’t be intimidated by them. Embrace them. For people coming out of school, he says this: There are many different routes for getting into the construction industry. It’s a dynamic industry with lots of opportunity. If you like dynamic, collaborative, problem-solving environments, consider education. Trevor has these words: Be curious, be gritty, be patient. Get your boots dirty. Find Trevor on LinkedInFind Chris on LinkedIn Check out the partners that make our show possible.Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedInIf you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!
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May 10, 2024 • 6min

Pickleball (AKA The Secret to Life) | 5 Minute Friday

Would you guess by the title that Tyler picked today’s topic? He’s got a new paddle. We’re all very excited. In his extensive on-court experience, Tyler has learned that he plays better when he just doesn't beat himself up. His takeaway: When you’re excessively hard on yourself, you lose focus. When you just try to appreciate the experience and the opportunity to play, you play better. Eddie refers to Max Homa’s post-Master’s interview. Homa said that he’d played gratefully that day. Tyler breaks down the number of people who let their heads get in the way and fell behind until they shifted their mindsets. Don’t lose games because you’ve gotten in your own way. Check out the partners that make our show possible.Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedInIf you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!
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May 8, 2024 • 43min

Tips on Building a Family Business

00:00 - IntroductionIt’s been a long day full of recording. Eddie starts out by hashing out an unsettled issue about crabs. He’s not a licensed crabberman. He pulled a Kramer and harvested without a permit. This sets Tyler off on some reflections about The Little Mermaid and lobster zombies. 05:40 - Anyway, about family businesses…Surely you’re still interested in advice from these guys. Eddie asks Tyler if he’d choose to join a family business even knowing what he knows about the challenges. For 20 years, Eddie has been working in the family business where he thought he wouldn’t stay for more than 2 years. We discuss the day-to-day challenges that are unique to a family business. You’re working around people you know really well. That has its good parts and its bad parts. Eddie shares a bit about the dynamics of working under your father. We touch on the hierarchy issues, and Tyler advises that you make a big-time conscious effort toward maintaining a sense of active respect. You’ll likely fail in this effort from time to time. When that does happen, work through it openly. Be family first. Love each other first. Don’t let the business destroy your relationships. 14:40 - Pick some weedsEddie encourages family-business folks to pay attention to the little things that can grow into problems. Invest some effort in seeing where tensions might arise. Make room for your family co-workers to grow. Don’t insist that they work so hard that they’re unable to thrive in other aspects of their lives. Tyler points out that it can be easy to misconstrue growth as greed–especially when some members of the family are progressing at a different pace in earnings or advancement. He also shares about the more natural tag-team dynamic that can become a healthy part of family business. 21:47 - The PodcastEddie and Tyler discuss the natural brotherly energy that fills the podcast but also filled their workspace when Tyler was in the detailing business. They discuss their dad’s role in developing them as not just steel detailers and businessmen but as fathers and husbands. The bros address the topic of boundaries and family time. It’s important to be sure that work doesn’t flood over into birthday parties. Tyler shares about the sense of reward and pride that comes with becoming better because of the work you do with your family. Eddie discusses the sense of comradery that helps everyone make it through the crappy times. He gives an example of how Dad is taking a laptop and heading off this weekend to be with Pop (Grandpa). 37:30: PressureEddie addresses the disparities in expectations that can come with family connections. He also warns against nepotism. Tyler discusses his decision to stay in the building even when he broke off professionally to do his own thing.  Check out the partners that make our show possible.Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedInIf you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!
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May 3, 2024 • 4min

Quickbase | 5 Minute Friday

The conversation that Tyler and Eddie refer to in this episode is part of Empower 2024, and you can register here: http://www.quickbase.com/empower24/constructionbrosTyler’s concerned about his hair again, but he’s more concerned to let you know about an upcoming opportunity. Tyler and Eddie recently recorded an episode with Rob Coakley of Lithko Contracting on the topic of renting equipment vs. buying. We’ve all experienced the hunger to buy a new toy when a project justifies it, but Rob makes the argument that if you crunch all the numbers, you’ll likely realize that renting is a better way to go. Check out the partners that make our show possible.Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedInIf you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!

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