Modern Craftsman

Tyler Grace discusses strategies he has used to reduce stress from his contracting business and detach from work, including ensuring profitability, understanding schedules, developing hobbies outside of work, and not relying on customer happiness for his own. He emphasizes that life will have ups and downs and stresses the importance of accepting that rather than expecting to be constantly happy. SPONSORED BY: Kuiken Brothers Residential & Commercial Building Materials (NJ & NY) Featuring: Andersen Windows & Doors If you have a project in New Jersey or New York, Kuiken Brothers is the premier partner of Andersen Windows & Doors. Showrooms, Service, Millwork Expertise like no other. Experience the Kuiken Brothers Difference. Kuiken Brothers’ Classical Moulding Looking to take those windows to the next level? Surround them with Kuiken Brothers’ Classical Moulding. 90+ historically inspired poplar moulding profiles. Milled from poplar, shipping jobsite direct, nationwide. The Modern Craftsman Find Our Host:  Tyler Grace  Podcast Produced By: Motif Media Music: "Dessert" by Nate Gusakov

Andersen Windows Buildertrend The Episode: Musgrave Pencil is a 100-year-old American-made pencil company out of Shelbyville, Tennessee. We learn about the craftsmanship and entrepreneurship behind their custom pencil business.  We also gain insight into the 3 billion dollar pencil industry that is actually growing.  The Modern Craftsman: linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Guest:  Musgrave Pencil Find Our Hosts:  Nick Schiffer  Tyler Grace  Podcast Produced By: Motif Media

Tyler Grace gives an update on his current job, which he is finding frustrating due to issues with the cabinetry. He emphasizes the importance of owning up to mistakes and fixing them properly, rather than offering half-measure solutions or hiding them.   SPONSORED BY: Kuiken Brothers Residential & Commercial Building Materials (NJ & NY) Featuring: Andersen Windows & Doors If you have a project in New Jersey or New York, Kuiken Brothers is the premier partner of Andersen Windows & Doors. Showrooms, Service, Millwork Expertise like no other. Experience the Kuiken Brothers Difference. Kuiken Brothers’ Classical Moulding Looking to take those windows to the next level? Surround them with Kuiken Brothers’ Classical Moulding. 90+ historically inspired poplar moulding profiles. Milled from poplar, shipping jobsite direct, nationwide. The Modern Craftsman Find Our Host:  Tyler Grace  Podcast Produced By: Motif Media Music: "Dessert" by Nate Gusakov

Andersen Windows Buildertrend The Episode: No guest, Nick and Tyler discuss the challenges of running a construction business, including high employee turnover and unrealistic expectations from potential hires. They compare building a business to training as a professional athlete, requiring relentless dedication over many years. The conversation touches on setting clear expectations, effective management structures, and the difficulties of portraying an accurate picture of the industry through marketing and social media. The Modern Craftsman: linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Hosts:  Nick Schiffer  Tyler Grace  Podcast Produced By: Motif Media

Tyler Grace talks about his simple and free Gantt chart scheduling process. He explains how he creates the chart in Excel / Google Sheets with color-coded tasks and time estimates to track progress over the life of a project. Tyler also provides tips on using the chart as a flexible tool rather than rigidly adhering to dates. SPONSORED BY: Kuiken Brothers Residential & Commercial Building Materials (NJ & NY) Featuring: Andersen Windows & Doors If you have a project in New Jersey or New York, Kuiken Brothers is the premier partner of Andersen Windows & Doors. Showrooms, Service, Millwork Expertise like no other. Experience the Kuiken Brothers Difference. Kuiken Brothers’ Classical Moulding Looking to take those windows to the next level? Surround them with Kuiken Brothers’ Classical Moulding. 90+ historically inspired poplar moulding profiles. Milled from poplar, shipping jobsite direct, nationwide. The Modern Craftsman Find Our Host:  Tyler Grace  Podcast Produced By: Motif Media Music: "Dessert" by Nate Gusakov

Tyler discusses how he establishes and maintains schedules for remodeling projects. He creates a detailed scope of work and communicates regularly with customers to assess progress and make adjustments to the schedule, budget, or scope as needed to meet priorities. SPONSORED BY: Kuiken Brothers Residential & Commercial Building Materials (NJ & NY) Featuring: Andersen Windows & Doors If you have a project in New Jersey or New York, Kuiken Brothers is the premier partner of Andersen Windows & Doors. Showrooms, Service, Millwork Expertise like no other. Experience the Kuiken Brothers Difference. Kuiken Brothers’ Classical Moulding Looking to take those windows to the next level? Surround them with Kuiken Brothers’ Classical Moulding. 90+ historically inspired poplar moulding profiles. Milled from poplar, shipping jobsite direct, nationwide. The Modern Craftsman Find Our Host:  Tyler Grace  Podcast Produced By: Motif Media Music: "Dessert" by Nate Gusakov

Andersen Windows Buildertrend The Episode: Jeremy Kassel based in Albany New York discusses how he balances quality and affordability for his customers by coming up with innovative solutions to problems. He also discusses the classes he teaches at JLC Live about coordinating trades and the order of the construction process. Tune in for a good one! The Modern Craftsman: linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Guest:  Jeremy Kassel Find Our Hosts:  Nick Schiffer  Tyler Grace  Podcast Produced By: Motif Media

Thank you to our sponsor: Kuiken Brothers Andersen Windows & Doors   Tyler shares his business philosophy of transparency in construction projects. He emphasizes creating detailed budgets, scopes of work, and schedules to track costs.  He also talks about his approach to reducing stress allowing him to have honest conversations with his customers.    The Modern Craftsman: linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Host:  Tyler Grace  Podcast Produced By: Motif Media Music: "Dessert" by Nate Gusakov

Nick and Tyler are joined by Spencer Powell this week to discuss how a proper marketing strategy can help your business grow. Spencer has found his niche in residential remodeling and custom building companies and describes why that market works for him. In an industry that has previously relied on word of mouth referrals for new leads, Spencer shares why adopting newer marketing techniques can bring in more targeted clients. Check out the episode to hear more!  The Modern Craftsman: linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Guest:  Spencer Powell Find Our Hosts:  Nick Schiffer  Tyler Grace  Podcast Produced By: Motif Media

Tyler is back this week with advice for starting your own business and sharing what the first initial years of his business journey looked like. He includes what pushed him to make the first move to start up, and what helped him find his stride. Starting a company takes time, hard work and sacrifice, but Tyler let's us in on how he made his start more physically and emotionally manageable. Whatever point you may be at in your business journey, this episode is for you!  Thank you to our sponsor: Kuiken Brothers Andersen Windows & Doors The Modern Craftsman: linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Host:  Tyler Grace  Podcast Produced By: Motif Media Music: "Dessert" by Nate Gusakov