Remodeling Mastery by Mark Richardson

Part 1. Taking Your Leadership Team to the Next Level What separates the good companies from the exceptional ones? For Mark Richardson, it’s not so much as the company’s designated leader, but the leadership team itself. No matter the size of the company, it’s often the leadership team that helps it achieve specific goals. As in basketball, that leadership team is what makes the difference between getting to the play-offs and winning the actual championship. But a team is made up of diverse people, which is why it’s important to understand the fundamental competency of each member. Mark shares some essentials that can help you take your leadership team to the next level: 1. Make your leadership team a priority. Devote some time to developing, coaching, and advising your team. Make sure to analyze the effectiveness, culture, and balance between the different leadership team members. 2. Take inventory. Give your team members a closer look and take inventory of them in terms of voice, contribution, and synergy with each other. Most importantly, note which things are missing from your leadership team and think of what you can do to fill these ‘gaps’ for greater improvement. 3. Visualize and communicate. Your business has a better chance of winning the more your leadership team understands where the business is headed, and the more they visualize how important they are as a team. 4. Alignment is crucial. Growing your business is easier when your leadership members are aligned with your vision, pace, and goals. 5. Make sure the members are investing in themselves. Give your leadership team many opportunities to learn more and improve their skill set. 6. Listen to diffident voices in the room. Asking the more reserved members about their input makes them more confident about voicing their opinions, which may ultimately end up helping you make better decisions. 7. Change. The business environment is constantly changing (especially now), and you have to adapt to these alterations, not only in terms of the team members, but in the structure of the leadership team itself. Part 2. Interview with Andy Wells, CEO of Normandy Design Build Remodeling In this section of the podcast, Mark interviews Andy Wells--CEO of Normandy Design Build Remodeling, a company serving the Chicagoland area--about his experiences with his own leadership team. Andy reveals that his business didn’t have a formal leadership structure at first. But as more responsibilities landed on him and the company grew larger and more successful, he realized he can do even more and earn better results with a leadership team. Mark and Andy further discuss how to create a stronger, more effective leadership team that can easily take on challenges and reach business goals.

Thank you for tuning in to Remodeling Mastery! Subscribe today and never miss our latest episode by searching for Remodeling Mastery on your favorite podcast app. Part 1: It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint The COVID-19 pandemic remains at large, affecting home remodeling businesses across the country in different ways. It’s not going away anytime soon--every business is in it for the long haul. To make better sense of what’s happening right now, Mark compares the situation to a long-distance race--or marathon. While there will be an end to this situation, home remodelers will need to make the right effort, employ different strategies, and be ready to overcome challenges until they can cross that finish line. In this section of the podcast, Mark talks about the essentials you can glean from thinking of this pandemic as a kind of marathon, and how it relates to your business. Part 2: Thought Interview with Dean Curtis, Ingage CEO Technological advancements have made it possible for businesses to create connections and promote more effective communication. These have become especially useful during this pandemic, when face-to-face conversations in a work setting are greatly discouraged. In this section, our special guest, Dean Curtis offers an in-depth look on what it's like to go virtual and work remotely.

Part 1. Recap of Remodeling Mastery Topics How do you improve your remodeling business in these challenging times? What are the actions you should be taking? Over the past few months, Mark has covered a number of topics that answer these questions. Part 2. Don’t Go It Alone “None of us is as smart as all of us.” Mark believes that remodelers can become more successful if they consider accepting help in their business. He says the first thing they should do is to invest time and energy into the whole notion of ‘not being alone’. Mark expounds on that through these handy tips: 1. ‘We all need a coach.’ Mark emphasizes the importance of having someone you can talk to or ask for advice--professional or otherwise. 2. Change your paradigm in terms of alliances. This means altering your perspective about the people you interact with to form strategic alliances that allow you both to reach a common goal. 3. Spend time and energy in industry-related associations. These include National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), Kitchen & Bath Association, and Professional Remodeler. 4. Join different business networking groups. While these groups don’t have to be necessarily related to the remodeling industry, they will offer some good insight about the topic of business. 5. Spend time with friends and family. Focus on them being fully engaged and empathetic about what you’re experiencing with your work, team, and clients. 6. Connect with targeted groups in the industry. These include Remodelers Advantage and other contractor networking groups. 7. Consider Remodeling Mastery Roundtables. This new group focuses on your time and efficiency, and is facilitated by industry leaders that are committed to improvement and growth. When it comes to business, especially in these trying times, it’s best not to go at it alone. Part 3. Interview with Erika Taylor, Director of Content for Professional Remodeler What does our special guest see in the current remodeling space? Erika Taylor, Director of Content for Professional Remodeler, reveals that the design/build side of the business is doing well, but with remodelers taking a ‘wait-and-see approach’ to the whole thing. The home improvement side, meanwhile, is doing even better, with business owners taking full advantage of their new leads to expand and hire more people. Mark and Erika talk further about improving peer-to-peer connection between remodelers (such as joining roundtable groups) and how it can promote growth and success.

Thank you for listening to Remodeling Mastery! Subscribe today and ensure you never miss our latest episode. Just search for Remodeling Mastery using the podcast app of your choice. 12 Week Year: The demand for home remodeling projects is still on the rise, but things remain unpredictable because of the COVID-19 pandemic, social unrest, and current political and economic climate. The title of author Brian Moran’s book ‘The 12 Week Year’ has resonated with Mark because it hits the chord of a lot of the advice he’s been trying to convey. In this section of the podcast, Mark shares how you can integrate the mindset of a 12 week cycle into your business model, allowing you to adjust the scale of what you’re planning to do. Interview with Thought Leader and Google Expert, Nima Oftadeh: In this section, Mark and Nima discusses the current trends and behaviors in the home remodeling space based on Google and YouTube information, and Google surveys with a panel of homeowners, among others.

Thank you for listening to Remodeling Mastery. Subscribe today to ensure you never miss a new episode by searching for Remodeling Mastery using your favorite podcast app. PART 1: Culture Changes Your business has a certain culture, has certain beliefs, has certain ways of doing things that ultimately define its identity. This culture acts as a magnet that attracts qualified people to work for you. The pandemic is changing the cultures of remodeling companies all across the country. More and more companies have a remote workforce. More and more customers are working from home. More and more people are prioritizing health and safety. In today’s podcast, Mark Richardson will give you strategic and tactical information that will keep you from falling behind the wave of change that’s happening right now. The Client - Customers have hunkered down for quite some time now and this has led to changes in how they think about their home and how they evaluate remodeling companies. Homeowners want to find and develop a relationship with their remodeler. They also highly prioritize health and safety. Marketing - Remodeling companies typically have a high-touch way of generating leads. Moving forward, there’s going to be a lot more focus on digital marketing efforts. Clients now want to find you, more than they want you to find them. You need to put yourself out there now more than ever. Virtual Relationships - The reality is that we have been forced to have more virtual relationships in the past few months. These relationships can be very different from the ones that we’re used to offline. You’ll need to learn the best practices in creating and maintaining virtual relationships with your employees and customers. Work Environment - Many companies are looking to reduce their office footprint by as much as 50-75%. You’ll need to ask yourself what your work environment will look like in the future. Remote working and flexible hours might become a big part of what you do. You - How will you go about making your decisions in the future? Will you be focused on leadership policies or on dialogue and conversation with your team? Now’s the right time to focus on improving your leadership qualities. PART 2: Thought Leader Interview With Brian Gottlieb Brian Gottlieb is the CEO and President of Tundraland, one of the top remodeling companies in the country. Brian and Mark share insights about the changing business dynamics and culture in the remodeling industry. Tune in to learn about the fundamental changes and challenges that his company experienced during this pandemic.

Thank you for listening to Remodeling Mastery! Subscribe now and keep up with our newest episodes by looking for Remodeling Mastery at your favorite podcast app. Mark Richardson opines that 80% of the reason there’s increased interest in home remodeling is because of the current environment and dynamic created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Part 1. Homeowners and Their Current Situation. With homeowners now spending most of their time indoors, they are more likely to notice the things that are wrong inside their home. This is the opposite compared to months ago, when everyone is too busy to make remodeling a priority. Now that they have more time in their hands, this also means they are free to research and pursue their remodeling goals. You’ll notice this by the amount of online search traffic. What’s more, remodeling gives homeowners something to be excited about, something to spend their time and energy on. This active mindset makes them more likely to pick up the phone and call their local remodeler. The pandemic has made travel almost impossible, so they’ll be focusing on projects that improve comfort, enjoyment, and safety, and emphasize the family-gathering element. You may also notice an increase in home office upgrades, given how most of them may be working from home. Basically, homeowners now see their homes as a sanctuary--something of greater value instead of just a roof over their heads. Part 2. Investment of Remodeling Today (Thought Interview with Kermit Baker, Project Director for Remodeling Futures Program at Harvard University). According to Kermit Baker, he expected a dramatic slowdown in home remodeling because it’s an industry that’s typically tied to the economy. While there is no hard data on why remodeling is so popular right now, there is considerable anecdotal information from contractors saying their business is going a lot better than expected--although this may depend on the type of work they specialize in and their service area. Part 3. Ideal Project Types in This Situation (Thought Interview with Kermit Baker, Project Director for Remodeling Futures Program at Harvard University). Kermit shares that projects focusing on outdoor living and landscaping are doing well--basically upgrades where the contractor doesn’t have to enter the home. The same goes for roofing, siding, and window projects. With most people not being able to go beyond their fence unless necessary, homeowners aim to improve their backyard--a contrast to traditional home improvements like room additions. Mark and Kermit further discuss the economic side of home improvement.

Thank you for listening to Remodeling Mastery. Subscribe today to ensure you never miss a new episode by searching for Remodeling Mastery using your favorite podcast app. In this episode: PART 1: New Habits According to studies, it takes 66 days to form a new habit. We’ve been dealing with our current crisis for about three months now, and this is more than enough time for you and your customers to form new habits regarding this situation. In today’s podcast, Mark Richardson shares insights on some of the things that can become new habits in the coming months. 1) Working Remotely - If your customers and clients are working remotely, then they have the skills to utilize video conferencing and other similar technologies. Your company should know how to leverage that. Customers that work remotely also use the spaces inside their home differently. Accessory dwelling units, for example, are beginning to be used as separate working areas. If your employees are working remotely, then you need to make sure that your company culture can adapt to that. 2) Going Virtual - Consider how online shopping has changed the way people buy products. Most people buy their things from both physical stores and from websites. There’s going to be a hybrid of high-touch and high-tech in the remodeling industry and you will need to be prepared for the change. How much time are you spending learning how to make your business go virtual? 3) Work Life Balance - The notion of work time and play time is currently being disrupted. You have an opportunity to develop good habits that can allow you to prioritize the things that matter the most to you. It is critical that you learn how to control and map out your day in order to maintain a good work life balance. PART 2: Thought Leader Interview With Tony Mancini Tony Mancini is the publisher of Professional Remodeler and many other publications. Together, Tony and Mark share the latest insights about the remodeling and construction industry and how it is changing in response to the current crisis. Tune in to learn about health and safety, how to use virtual technology properly, and more.

Thank you for listening to Remodeling Mastery. Subscribe today to ensure you never miss a new episode by searching for Remodeling Mastery using your favorite podcast app. In this episode: PART 1: Ten Ways to Invest in Yourself Mark Richardson shares insights into 10 ways on how to best use the extra time during this period. 1) Develop the Right Mindset - You now have the time and opportunity to have access to insights and information that can help you succeed with your business. Think of it like attending a virtual university. Set aside some time every day to improve your knowledge and skills. 2) Take Inventory - Take inventory of yourself and figure out your own personal and professional fitness. Score yourself on different criteria and then focus on improving your weaknesses bit by bit. 3) Improve Your Technology Skills - Technology has already revolutionized our business. Take some time to sharpen your technology skills. We suggest developing your acumen and your speed. 4) Focus on Your Relationships - Make a list of all of your meaningful family, personal and professional relationships. Take some time out of your day to reach out in a meaningful way to one person from your list. Do this every day. Your relationships are what people will remember about you. 5) Practice Your Hobbies - Take the time to slow down and get back into your hobbies. Investing the time and energy into your hobbies can be therapeutic. You’ll be better at the end of it. 6) Improve the Processes and Systems of Your Business - You need to analyze your business processes and figure out ways to make them more efficient. 7) Engage With Your Community - This is not the time to make an island out of yourself. Reach out to your communities. 8) Develop Technology Tools - Develop new tools or take old tools and push them to the limit. Think about how you can integrate technology into your business and how it can take your business to the next level. 9) Improve Your Leadership Skills - The biggest and most important thing that can lead your business through all this is your leadership. 10) Focus on Your Health and Fitness - If you can focus on getting on a good path as it relates to your health and fitness then you will feel better and you will be able to position yourself better after this period. PART 2: Thought Leader Interview With Erika Taylor Erika Taylor is the chief of content for one of the top construction and remodeling trade publications in the country: Professional Remodeler. Together, she and Mark share the latest insights on how COVID-19 has affected the home services industry and economy and discuss the surprising opportunities that have arisen during this time.

Thank you for listening to Remodeling Mastery. Subscribe today to ensure you never miss a new episode by searching for Remodeling Mastery using your favorite podcast app. In this episode: Part 1: False Positives Mark Richardson shares insights into 5 false positives that he encourages small business owners to have on their radar to help position their businesses for success. 1) Lead Flow: While many businesses are starting to see an uptick in leads, Mark stresses caution on thinking that it also means it's safe to scale back marketing and advertising. The unpredictability of the pandemic could create another period of uncertainty if a second outbreak should occur and those that stop marketing will find themselves in trouble once again. 2) Online Engagement Rates: Just because open rates and engagement on social media are higher, it doesn't necessarily equate to better marketing. Mark stresses the importance of understanding the environment and how it affects your performance when determining which activities are yielding the greatest ROI. 3) Close Rates: While businesses are seeing a 5% to 10% increase in close rates, that could be more of a representation of the buyers' sense of urgency than anything else. It's always critical that you review and improve your sales processes on an ongoing basis. 4) Virtual vs Face-to-Face Interactions: Virtual sales consultations will become the new normal, but for right now at least, many customers still expect in-home visits because that's all they've ever known. However, the businesses that don't make it a priority now to focus on virtual selling and mastering the art, will soon start to see opportunities lost to those that have. 5) Balancing Your Project Portfolio: While home services contractors are starting to see customers resume their "big ticket" projects, it's important to still accommodate smaller-scale projects to keep a balanced portfolio in the event of another outbreak creating another period of uncertainty. Part 2: Thought Leader Interview with Kermit Baker (Chief Economist for the American Institute of Architects and Project Director of the Remodeling Futures Program at Harvard University) Mark and Kermit discuss what's happening and share the latest insights on how COVID-19 continues to impact the home services industry and economy.

In unprecedented and challenging times, it's important to understand the environment your business operates in and how it's evolving. What is the new normal? How does it impact your ability to grow your business? In this episode, Mark Richardson breaks down the new normal by looking at 5 core aspects: 1. How consumer behaviors are changing 2. What will be the accepted health and safety measures 3. The business models that will help you thrive 4. How going virtual now will give you a competitive edge 5. The mindset you need to grow your business during uncertain times