Builder Funnel Radio

More than 5,000 construction workers die by suicide each year, more than five times the number who die from jobsite injuries. This Movember, Danielle Russell, President of Builder Funnel, gets personal about grief, therapy, the pressure to be “the strong one,” and what happened when one teammate shared his mental health journey with the company. She covers how construction leaders can model asking...

In this episode, Kai and Spencer show remodelers how to give Claude a real job on the marketing and sales side of the business, one stage at a time. They start with the setup that makes the output sound like your company (a Project with your prices, process and reviews, plus connectors and skills), then walk through plays for each stage of the growth framework: Attract, Convert, Nurture, Close and...

“Hire slow, fire fast” sounds smart, but it can become an excuse to skip the diagnosis. In this episode, Danielle Russell explains why hiring and developing people isn’t just an HR task. It’s a growth strategy. She covers the difference between building talent and buying it, why high standards only work alongside high support, and how the waterline model helps you figure out whether a problem live...

“I need more leads.” Maybe, but how do you know? In this episode, Danielle Russell explains why some of the most expensive mistakes in business come from getting very good at solving the wrong problem. She shares how her own directors’ first diagnosis ended up one level downstream, breaks a $1M revenue goal into simple math, and walks through her six-step order for diagnosing any business problem:...

Danielle Russell joined Builder Funnel in 2015 writing blogs. Today she’s president of a 40+ person company. In the first episode of Building Better Builders, she shares how she learned to run a business by getting things wrong, from a firing that came too late to a one-on-one that changed how she leads. She ends with three questions for every builder and remodeler trying to grow a better company,...

Heading into 2027, Spencer shows how to reverse engineer your revenue goal into a marketing plan and budget. Using a sample $4M remodeler aiming for $5M, he walks through converting a revenue goal into the number of projects, leads, and website visits you need each month. He also explains why marketing should be treated like an investment with a measurable return, how the 3-5% of goal revenue guid...

In this episode, Kai and Spencer explore the transformative power of AI coding tools, demonstrating how they can be used to generate graphics, videos, reports, and more, without requiring coding expertise. They discuss practical applications, benefits, and future potential, empowering listeners to leverage these tools for marketing and creative workflows.

Most remodelers and custom builders don’t have the data to know whether their revenue problem is marketing or sales, and that means they often end up fixing the wrong thing. Spencer walks through the full revenue funnel, from website traffic to signed contract, and shares the benchmark conversion rates for each stage so you can see where you stand. Using a real-world example of a design-build firm...

In this episode, Kai and Spencer explain why a CRM is the foundation for every AI workflow a remodeler runs. They cover how CRM data turns generic AI content and emails into something that sounds like you, ask Claude real pipeline questions live through HubSpot, and share the six fields every builder should track before AI is useful.

Spencer welcomes back Todd of Construction Leading Edge, who has coached 400+ construction business owners, to talk about what happens when the referral wave slows down and desperation sets in. Todd unpacks the “just enough to start” trap, why every shortcut carries a hidden price, and how “dead days” and other profit bleeds can quietly drain hundreds of thousands of dollars. They also dig into dr...

Answering a listener question from Instagram, Spencer digs into the real trade-off behind delegation: it's not just handing off tasks, it's transferring judgment — and that takes time. He walks through his own hiring and training journey, from a part-time first hire to "sous chef" hires with built-in experience, and shares the coaching question he uses to build his team's decision-making muscle. A...

When a $20M design-build firm found they'd lost $8.5 million in deals that made it all the way to the presentation stage, the instinct was to blame marketing. Instead, Spencer breaks down why "we need more leads" isn't always the right diagnosis and shares the benchmark conversion rates at every stage of the revenue funnel, from traffic to close, so you can pinpoint exactly where your business is...

In this episode, Kai and Spencer analyze AI-generated websites for remodelers and builders, highlighting what works, what doesn't, and how to improve them for better SEO and user experience.

AI has made it faster than ever to spin up websites, blogs, and email sequences, but faster isn't the same as effective. Spencer breaks down the difference between quick-and-cheap marketing production and results that actually drive revenue, walking through Builder Funnel's attract-convert-nurture-close-measure framework to show where AI-generated content and automation fall short. A must-listen f...

In this episode, Kai and Spencer explore the latest in AI search technology, comparing ChatGPT, Gemini, and other tools to understand how they source and cite local business information, especially for remodelers and builders.

After landing on the Inc. 5000 list for the third year running, Spencer Powell shares five hard-won lessons behind Builder Funnel's growth, from niching down and trusting scary data, to stepping out of sales and operations, and measuring every stage of the funnel. Practical takeaways for remodelers, builders, and agency owners ready to break through a growth plateau.

This week we're sharing a great conversation from our friends at Remodelers on the Rise, featuring our client Jimmy Moore of Petra Custom Builders. Jimmy gets real about leadership, core values, and what it actually took to shift his mindset on marketing, from something he tolerated as a cost to something he now sees as one of the best investments he's made in his business. There's a lot in here w...

In this episode, we explore Google's new generative AI feature in Search Console, how it helps track AI search performance, and strategies to optimize content for AI search rankings. Perfect for marketers and SEO professionals looking to leverage AI tools for better visibility.

Every remodeling and custom home building owner says the same thing: "I want to double my business." In this episode of Builder Funnel Radio, we break down the two paths to get there: Path A (more volume: more marketing, more sales, more projects at the same size) and Path B (bigger projects: new positioning, new sales process, and a more premium clientele). We cover the tipping points that signal...

In this episode, Kai and Spencer discuss the latest developments in AI models like Claude 5, the impact of AI on local business searches, and the evolving landscape of AI advertising and pricing strategies. They share insights on how businesses can adapt to these rapid changes and leverage AI for growth.

Not all marketing "results" are created equal. In this episode of Builder Funnel Radio, Spencer breaks down the four levels of proof agencies use (or avoid) when reporting their impact from basic deliverables to true ROI. Learn why most agencies stall out reporting on traffic and keyword rankings, what it actually looks like when an agency tracks pipeline and closed revenue, and the key questions...

FLASHBACK: In a world full of business coaches telling you what you should do, how do you know what's actually right for you? In this episode, Spencer Powell challenges the one-size-fits-all advice that's everywhere online and shares why intentionality is the missing ingredient. Learn how to align your business, family, health, and personal goals with the season of life you're in so you can build...

FLACHBACK: Spencer Powell shares one of the biggest opportunities most remodelers and custom builders are overlooking: follow-up. From nurturing top-of-funnel leads to staying connected with stalled sales opportunities, you'll learn practical strategies to increase conversions, build trust, and close more projects without generating a single new lead. If you're looking for simple ways to boost rev...

FLASHBACK: Not every sales opportunity is truly gone, sometimes it just needs the right follow-up. Spencer shares three simple but effective sales plays that can help remodelers generate more demand from leads already in their pipeline. Learn how to reconnect with prospects whose timelines didn't align, make the most of out-of-service-area inquiries, and revive closed-lost opportunities with thoug...

Marketing during a slow economy feels risky, but cutting your marketing budget may be the biggest mistake you can make. In this episode, Spencer explains why difficult markets reward businesses that continue to invest while their competitors pull back. You'll learn how maintaining your marketing helps you gain market share, why lowering your prices often becomes a race to the bottom, and how to po...