We kick off our second season with Taylor Plosser Davis with @TPDArchitect. Taylor discussed the most important features to consider when building or renovating your own “forever” home. We spoke about the pros and cons of a remodel vs new-build. Taylor is also a certified “aging in place specialist” and we spoke in detail about what that is and the importance of the strategy. She received her undergraduate degree from Princeton University, and a Masters in Architecture from the University of Virginia. She is a member of the AIA, is NCARB certified and recently completed her Aging in Place Certification through the National Association of Home Builders. As an architect, Taylor is focused on thoughtful design strategies to address the unique needs of her clients, whether that involves working with a growing family or a couple downsizing for the next chapter. A mother of three, Taylor enjoys travel and her tap dancing classes. She is a Councilor of the Birmingham chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and is a member of the Advisory Committee for the Morris Fund for the Design Arts.

Today we celebrate our 1 year anniversary of the AFT Construction Podcast. Stay tuned to our stories as we release a recap of our amazing guests this past year. And for 52nd episode, we had my wife, Ashley Leavitt join the podcast @goldandoak. Many of our listeners had asked to bring her on to learn a little bit more about the life behind the scenes. And I have to give credit to @johnwmerritt that really was a catalyst to make this happen. In fact, John helped write the questions for our episode. Ashley spoke about our story, her favorite design styles, and what it is like to raise 6 kids and also have her own design business. We spoke about mentors and what inspires us behind the scenes. Ashley has had incredible experience working for 2 large design and construction firms in both Scottsdale and Washington DC.

This week on the podcast we were joined by Dr. Tyler Hales with Hales Parker Dentistry in Orange County, CA. Tyler offers tremendous insight into marketing, social media, branding and work experience. He had the opportunity to work for many different practices that really gave him good insight as to what field of work would suit him best. He also spent some time speaking about customer service and company culture. Dr. Hales comes from a long line of medical professionals and chose to be a dentist because he loves connecting with people while caring for their dental health. He is passionate about helping his patients increase their confidence through smile design and cosmetic dentistry, which are a focus of Hales Parker Dentistry in Ladera Ranch

Steven is the VP of Sales for Smart Exteriors and has tremendous experience in marketing, sales and brand awareness. We spoke about how to build your marketing through a recession, understanding your strengths as a company, and how to prepare your company through uncertain market conditions

This week we welcome Jason Roehner and Dan Ryan with @roehner to the Podcast. Jason and Dan have photographed all of our projects since we started our company, A Finer Touch Construction in March of 2013. They are extremely talented photographers and shared some great insight on the podcast. We spoke about the power of marketing and branding, and how photography plays a key role in those efforts. Jason and Dan spoke about their journey as an entrepreneur and how they cultured their passion for architectural photography. We also spoke about photographing licensing and how we all need to be more mindful of the time and value our photographers give. You will definitely enjoy their mindset, knowledge and energy.

We are nearing our first year of the podcast and it is hard to believe that we are now on episode 48. Casey Grey with @the_conscious_builder joined us from Ottawa, Canada. Casey has an incredible mindset and view on business. Psychology was a major topic in our discussion and one of my favorite comments he made was that our environment is more impactful than our willpower. His analogy was, “if I want to stop eating junk food, than quick buying junk food.” Our environment, network and who we surround ourselves with, make all the difference. Casey also spoke about the future of our industry, building science, and how to have a positive outlook on life and in business. We also discussed the difference between net-zero homes and passive homes. Additionally, focus on your mistakes and use those to catapult your career. Casey is the founder of the award-winning sustainable building company, The Conscious Builder, the host of The Conscious Builder Podcast and The Conscious Builder Show on YouTube and the former Co-host of The Conscious Living Podcast. He has written almost 400 blog posts on topics such as marketing, branding, entrepreneurship, personal development, sustainability and more. Casey brings almost two decades of experience to the construction industry and over a decade of experience to running, owning and growing multiple businesses while also staying committed to his wife and son. Casey is on a mission to help people build homes, businesses and lives in a more conscious manner and is co-authoring a book with Kevin Harrington, the original shark from the hit TV show Shark Tank.

Clarke Miyasaki, Chief Growth Office of Stance Socks, joined us on episode 47 of the podcast today. One of my favorite statements by Clarke is, “treat every relationship like it’s your big break”. Clarke has built tremendous relationships throughout the music and professional sport industries. From his time at Skull Candy, to now at Stance, Clarke understands the value of relationships, hard work and company culture. He has worked on deals with Snoop Dogg, Dwyane Wade, Rihanna, Will Smith, Kevin Durant and James Harden. I’ve been fortunate to meet Clarke and tour the Stance Headquarters in San Clemente, CA. He is just as humble in person as he was on the podcast. You will really enjoy hearing his story and thoughts on business.

This week on the podcast we welcome @EmmeDiane. Emme Diane is a trusted and sought-after skin care expert, esthetician and skin care formulator on a mission to solve the seemingly unsolvable skin issues, from acne to aging and everything in between. Emme provided extensive knowledge on customer service and sales, using the term “salevis”. She also spoke about marketing and how to create the customer journey. Emme emphasized that every business needs systems to not only scale, but be profitable and diversify. Emme has more than 20 years of professional experience in both medical and spa esthetics, Emme Diane is known for solving the “unsolvable” skin concerns, from acne to melasma, rosacea and aging skin. Her clients, who affectionately refer to her as the “Skin Whisperer,” describe her as nurturing and supportive with a wealth of knowledge. Specializing in skin transformations, she offers local clients advanced skin care treatments that cannot be found anywhere else, as well as virtual skin consultations that result in remarkable skin transformations for her long distance clients worldwide. Along with her obsessively researched line of clinical skin care products and proven methods of correcting even the most stubborn skin concerns, her mission is to have her clients love and feel confident in the skin they’re in. Click the link in our profile for the full episode. And a big thanks to our sponsor @subzerogroupsw. Make sure to pay them a visit, as they have the best showroom around! website: www.emmediane.com email: emme@emmediane.com consultation form: https://emmediane.com/pages/consultation

You will not want to miss episode 45 of the AFT Construction Podcast. This week we were fortunate to host Morri Chowaiki. Morri is the Head of Sales and Retail for Daymond John. Morri was one of the top selling contestants on the Shark Tank and is the only presenter to now work for one of the Sharks. He is a strategic and results-driven Senior Sales and Executive with experience combining strong technical background and keen business acumen to drive profitability and identify new markets within competitive sales arenas. In this episode we heavily discuss entrepreneurship, sales, communication and persistence. If any of you are looking to expand your career or business, this is the episode for you. Morri gives first-hand knowledge and how to close a deal. Additionally, he also shares his experience in working through the Shark Tank auditions.

On Episode 44 of the Podcast we were fortunate to host Ty Udell with Dun Today. Ty has created a revolutionary app in the building industry that we have already incorporated here at A Finer Touch Construction for our clients. Dun Today is an on-demand solution for Home Builders, Home Warranty Companies, Professional Services Companies, and Home Owners to connect in real time. With over a decade of background in the Fortune 100 High-Tech sector, Ty is a generation Y millennial who understands the importance of business transformation in the digital age. He has extensive experience working with major retailers on omnichannel and mobile engagement strategies, and brings a unique understanding of what the next generation of home buyer expects. Ty holds a business degree from the Eller College of Management at The University of Arizona and is a member of the NHBA. You don’t want to miss this episode as we dive in to Ty’s journey to create this app and of course, the time and effort behind the scenes.