Devils Advocate: Trades Edition

Lisa McGrath and Michael engage in a lively conversation covering a range of topics, from celebrating Canada Day and Canadian pride to exploring family traditions and sports. They share personal anecdotes about pool maintenance mishaps and irrational fears of swimming. The discussion shifts to Michael's Canada Day activities and offers a sneak peek at the Calgary Stampede, touching on the financia...

Join Lisa McGrath and Michael as they explore the trades industry, debunking misconceptions and examining trends in paychecks and career paths. Using a condo restoration project as a case study, they discuss renovation versus new builds, pricing strategies, and equal opportunity employment. The episode covers communication, project management, mentorship, and training. They also address subcontrac...

Lisa McGrath sits down with Perry to explore his journey from tradesperson to financial advisor for tradespeople. They delve into Perry's early career, managing injury while running a business, and the financial pressures faced in the trades industry. Perry shares insights on transitioning to finance to better support tradespeople and emphasizes the importance of hiring a bookkeeper. The conversat...

Lisa McGrath and Michael delve into the complexities of trust in both business and construction. They kick off with lighthearted morning banter and a weekend conference overview, before discussing a partnership with the Edmonton Oilers and the Rogers and Shaw merger issues. The conversation shifts to trust issues in business, construction, and workplace dynamics, highlighting personal experiences...

Lisa McGrath and Michael Hamoen share personal stories and dive into the realities of entering the trades, discussing career choices and starting from the bottom. They explore industry challenges such as employee shortages, overtime expectations, and nepotism. The conversation addresses misogyny in the trades, family business succession, and shifting career aspirations. They delve into justice, va...

Lisa McGrath and Michael tackle a variety of pressing topics. They begin with June celebrations and men's mental health, then discuss the impact of narcissism and social media. The conversation covers handling failures, workplace entitlement, job compensation, and labor laws. They explore alternative energy, the oil industry's influence, and automotive tech advancements. The episode critiques heal...

Join Lisa McGrath and Jade Alberts as they dive into entrepreneurship insights, focusing on networking, scaling businesses without financial strain, and maintaining quality during expansion. Jade shares strategies from his COVID-19 experience and the importance of honest advice. They discuss the realities versus the glorification of entrepreneurship, emphasizing stability, personal sacrifices, and...

Join Lisa McGrath and Michael as they explore burnout and work-life balance, emphasizing the role of psychology and HR courses for people-facing industries. They discuss family dynamics, sibling relationships, parenting, and the significance of nicknames. The episode compares industry conferences like CCI and ACMA, tribunal system costs, and the nuances of ownership versus renting. Political frust...

Lisa McGrath and Carrie Viseur dive into property management, comparing practices in the US and Canada. They tackle challenges like taking vacations, staffing issues, poaching, turnover, and burnout. Carrie shares insights on building board relationships, conflict resolution, and essential skills for managers. The discussion extends to AI's role, managing contractor expectations, handling homeowne...

Lisa McGrath and Michael discuss burnout, celebrating LPM's success, and the humor behind "happy wife, happy life," exploring its history and gender roles. They tackle burnout solutions, emphasizing the value of sounding boards and comparing entrepreneurs' and employees' experiences. Workplace burnout is linked to the Employment Standards Act and legal workplace policies. HR consultancy is suggest...

In this episode, Lisa McGrath chats with Nancy Shadlock about stress relief through neuroscience and technology's role in stress and spirituality. They offer a guided relaxation exercise and calming techniques. Lisa shares her stress management journey, discussing work-life balance, ADHD, OCD, and productivity. They also explore clutter-free environments, pets, and teaching kids responsibility. Th...

In this episode, Lisa McGrath reflects on the podcast's journey and discusses Canadian grants, support programs, and LMIA challenges. Michael Hamoen delves into the legal aftermath of the Humboldt accident, while resettlement assistance for refugees and immigrants is explored. The conversation covers unemployment, generational work expectations, and public sector employment. Employment standards,...

Lisa McGrath opens the episode by introducing upcoming episodes and events. She delves into the issue of burnout and community challenges in Airdrie, reflecting on its broader implications. The conversation shifts to Alberta politics, discussing recent election outcomes and their impact. Lisa examines the labor market, touching on the Canadian population's influence on employment trends. The discu...

In this episode, Lisa McGrath shares a personal story about visiting an acupuncturist and relocating her office, reflecting on achievements at home. She explores a data leak in Alberta and information misuse, then discusses political affiliations, Alberta's potential separation, and the implications of a US loan request. Lisa talks about free speech, cultural differences in Canada, and shares life...

Lisa McGrath and Michael Hamoen kicks off the episode with greetings and a recap, diving into discussions on compensation and entrepreneurial elements. The focus shifts to scope creep in construction and the workplace, underscoring the value of trade services. Union vs. private sector differences are explored, along with union membership's restrictions, pros, and cons. Compensation, task prioritiz...

In this episode, Lisa McGrath kicks off with an introduction, addressing technical issues and current events in Canada. She critiques government funding and mismanagement, drawing business parallels. The discussion moves to the entrepreneurial mindset, challenges in trades, and impostor syndrome, especially for female entrepreneurs. Topics like employee workload, compensation, and HR best practice...

In this episode, Lisa McGrath delves into morning routines and updates on the podcast schedule. She then explores women's safety, societal views on female politicians, and the concept of politicians as puppets, advocating for term limits. The discussion covers exposing wrongdoers, skip tracers, and balancing work and family life, particularly men's roles at home. Relationship dynamics, children's...

Lisa McGrath begins the episode with an update on the previous episode and a discussion on global issues. She shares statistics and societal concerns, exploring curiosity surrounding internet views. The episode delves into the topic of narcissists and relationships, followed by an examination of Alberta's political climate and local controversies. Lisa highlights the importance of supporting Indig...

In this episode, Lisa McGrath And Michael Hamoen explores blame-shifting and victim mentality in trade disputes. She highlights transparency and communication, focusing on material markups and how inspection delays affect timelines. Lisa and Michael examines inspectors' fallibility, the impact of bad reviews, and suggests a contractor rating system. She discusses trust, fair treatment, and legisla...

In this episode, Lisa McGrath talks with guest Todd about transparency in contracting. They explore feedback's role in the trades and challenges in contractor-client relationships. A contractor-client rating system is proposed, touching on defamation and legal issues, including the Donna situation. They address both contractors' and clients' concerns, review Todd's work, and discuss Lisa's persona...

In this episode, Lisa McGrath welcomes Todd Walton to discuss his renovation project with client Donna Prenell. They delve into challenges like scope creep, the importance of written approvals, and handling additional work. Todd shares insights on client behavior, staff abuse, and legal strategies for dealing with difficult clients. The conversation covers documentation, past disputes, city approv...

Lisa McGrath and Michael Hamoen tackle workplace challenges, discussing promotions, skillsets, gender issues, and nepotism. Lisa shares personal stories of harassment and workplace flirting while exploring employee skills and team optimization. They discuss developing resilience in construction, diversity, equity hires, on-site drama, and managing negative conversations. Lisa recounts her "hurt fe...

Lisa McGrath opens the episode by discussing equality in trades and the importance of addressing men's mental health. She delves into workplace toxicity and feminism, highlighting women's progress and leadership roles in the industry. Good leadership examples and workplace dynamics are explored, with an emphasis on encouraging men to share their experiences and tackling misogyny. The episode exami...

Lisa McGrath sets the stage for a discussion on women's experiences in the trades, emphasizing the importance of appropriate and practical workwear. The episode explores challenges women face in finding suitable attire and addresses workplace harassment, offering safety tips and support systems. Insights into male perspectives on women in trades and the processes for reporting harassment are share...

Lisa McGrath opens the episode with an overview of the recent CCI luncheon, setting the stage for a deep dive into the CDRT and its associated fees. She discusses the financial implications of these new fees and the collaboration between ACMO and the RCM designation. Lisa shares her experience applying to the Tribunal Board, emphasizing the value of tribunal education. The episode highlights suppo...