The Tim Faller Show

In a world where technology is constantly evolving, it’s easy to overlook the power of traditional communication tools. Take the humble whiteboard, for example. It may seem outdated, but it’s actually a highly effective tool for remodeling companies. Tim and Greg discuss why whiteboards could be a good choice for any team looking to communicate effectively. By using a whiteboard, scheduling becomes a visual experience that can be shared with clients on job sites. Tim and Greg talk more about: Uses of a whiteboard in remodeling and other industries Personalizing your whiteboard to your company And more…

On today’s episode of The Tim Faller Show, Chris Fox is joining us as the guest to talk about the concept of Capacity Beyond Demand. In order to maintain a good budget and client experience, it is important to determine the capacity of each department, as having an over-capacity department can lead to a decrease in both. Chris Fox will explain how his company, Fox Home Innovations, uses this approach and its positive impact on the business. Chris Fox owns Fox Home Innovations, LLC, located in Manhattan, KS. Chris founded the company in 2009 and currently manages the Sales Department. He and the rest of our Leadership Team want to hit their big goal of 90% self-performed Revenue by 2026. Chris, Tim, and Greg talk more about: What are the benefits for a business (owner) to have this as a principle of practice? Is there any way to measure capacity? And more…

During Episode 21, Tim had a conversation with Ray Hornsby about his journey from being a Lead Carpenter to becoming a Production Manager. Ray is among the few who have successfully made this transition. He has moved up the growth track and is now the proud owner of Hopkins and Porter Construction located in Potomac, MD. The shift from being an employee to becoming an owner, or even just a Production Manager to an owner, can be quite challenging. Ray, along with Tim and Greg, discuss the process of purchasing the company and how the employees reacted to this change. Ray Hornsby is the General Manager at Hopkins & Porter, a construction company located in Potomac, MD. Ray’s career in construction began in the late 70s in West Virginia and North Carolina. In 1986, Ray joined Hopkins & Porter as a carpenter and worked his way up to lead carpenter, project manager, production manager, and eventually, the general manager. In 2015, Ray became the owner of the company, after purchasing it. Ray, Tim, and Greg talk more about: How did other employees respond? What worked well that you would recommend to other business owners who may want to sell to an employee? What advice would you give to employees who aspire to own the business they work for?

Scheduling has been a challenge for everyone over the last few years. Scheduling individual jobs is a challenge by itself but adding the sales design process, the job set up, and then the job itself makes the challenge grow exponentially. Getting the sales design process scheduled is a growing trend in an effort to more accurately predict the start dates for clients.  This process involves gaining the buy-in from designers, sales, and production which can be a daunting task. Our guest today is navigating these waters with success and is here to share his experiences with our listeners. Eric Bain is the project manager of Innovative Construction and oversees projects as well as handles client relations. He previously worked for the City of Vail where he sharpened his site inspection, landscaping and heavy equipment skills. Tim, Steve and Eric talk more about: Working alongside sales and design teams  Utilizing a master schedule Dealing with issues regarding supplies And more…

Continuing last week’s episode, Join Tim, Greg, and Craig Deimler as they delve into the sensitive topic of firing family members. Learn about the common reasons why letting go of a relative may become necessary and discover invaluable tips from Craig on how to evaluate their performance impartially. Craig also gives advice on how to keep work-related issues from spilling into your personal life so that you can maintain healthy boundaries. Craig Deimler is a Remodelers Advantage Roundtables Facilitator and salesperson for ALCO Products. Craig has been working in the industry since he was 12. He worked at my father’s company (located in Pennsylvania) first as a laborer, then carpenter and lead carpenter. In 1994, Craig joined the company full-time and headed the sales and design side of the company. I assumed the role of president and CEO in 2008. Shortly after this, Craig started facilitating Remodelers Advantage after being a member for many years before that. In 2019, he decided it was time to close the company and move on to something that was not full-scale design/build. Craig, Tim, and Greg talk more about: Ramifications for firing a family member. Reasons for dismissing a family member. And more…

Family members can sometimes bring valuable skills to a company that can help improve it. However, in some cases, it can be seen as favoritism by the owner (usually a parent), who tries to get their son, daughter, or spouse to take on a role without having the necessary skills or qualifications. While hiring family members can be a successful strategy for building a profitable business, it is important for business owners to ensure that their family members have the skills and the support of other employees. In today’s episode, Craig Deimler will share his experiences running a family business and provide some advice on making such hires successful. Craig Deimler is a Remodelers Advantage Roundtables Facilitator and salesperson for ALCO Products. Craig has been working in the industry since he was 12. He worked at my father’s company (located in Pennsylvania) first as a laborer, then carpenter and lead carpenter. In 1994, Craig joined the company full-time and headed the sales and design side of the company. I assumed the role of president and CEO in 2008. Shortly after this, Craig started facilitating Remodelers Advantage after being a member for many years before that. In 2019, he decided it was time to close the company and move on to something that was not full-scale design/build. Craig, Tim, and Greg talk more about: Separation of work and family life How can family employees impact the morale of other employees? What should a business owner do if they want to hire family members? And more…

On today’s episode of the Tim Faller Show, Geoff Clark will join us to talk about the topic of onboarding new hires. He will share the story of how he and the team at Mac Renovations decided to improve their old hiring process and will walk us through the new onboarding process they have implemented. The episode will also cover the benefits of their new approach and how it has positively impacted their new hires. Geoff Clark is the Production Manager at Mac Renovations located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He has been with Mac Renovations for almost two years, and in the production manager role for a year and a half. An accomplishment he is proud of is successfully making the transition from field to office. A piece of that success was the onboarding that Geoff was put through for the position. Geoff, Tim, and Steve talk more about: How the onboarding process changes for each position And more…

On this episode of The Tim Faller Show, Candice Rania and Morgan Thomas join the show to answer the question: Can design and production get along? While the production and design teams have the same overall goal of completing a project that will delight their clients, they do it differently. Morgan and Candice talk about their struggles with time constraints, delays, and change orders and how they developed new processes that involve team reviews with proposed estimates to ensure each department has the proper budgets and limit unexpected client costs. Morgan Thomas started at Leff Design Build in Sonoma County, California 5 years ago as a project manager and was then promoted to her current role as the production department manager. She is excited and proud of her team’s input to the project’s budget, which she thinks has created an improved sense of ownership among her coworkers.  Candice Rania is the pre-production manager at Leff Design Build and works closely with Morgan.   Tim, Steve, Morgan, and Candice talk more about Integrating production and design and how that creates a better customer experience Evaluating current methods and creating new processes can lead to better businesses. And more…

On this episode of the Tim Faller Show, Tim and Steve discuss the client experience and how to turn clients into raving fans. The client experience is all about how the client feels and not what you do. Tim differentiates the customer service a company provides from how clients perceive that service. Not only do salespeople have a major role in the client experience, but the production team and lead carpenter do as well.    Tim and Steve talk more about… Establishing a client experience vision statement The importance of a pre-construction meeting in providing an excellent client experience And more…

On today’s episode of the Tim Faller Show, we say goodbye to Steve Wheeler, who has been a Co-Host of the show since its inception. Steve shares his journey in the remodeling industry and how he started his own company. Additionally, Steve takes a trip down memory lane, reflecting on his time spent being part of the podcast. Steve is the Executive Director of Roundtables for Remodelers Advantage. In this role, Steve oversees new membership sales and enhancing the Roundtables member experience to help them reach their financial and personal goals. Prior to joining R/A, Steve spent 12 years as a remodeling business owner in Wilmington, Delaware. Steve, Tim, and Greg talk more about: What Steve enjoyed most about remodeling Steve’s remodeling horror stories And more…