Construction Genius

If you look at the statistics, you'll find that two-thirds of construction companies are unsaleable. If you are to gauge your current company's status, do you think it is structured in a way that it can be sold either internally or externally? Are you setting yourself up for success come sale time?  My conversation with my guests, Matt Drake and Scott Duncan, revolve around this very important top...

Construction is risky. Insurance is one tool in a contractor's toolkit to help manage that risk. Savvy construction companies understand that purchasing insurance based solely on price is a losing strategy. They know that it is vital to establish long term relationships with insurance providers, and they focus on actively mitigating risk on every project. This holistic approach enables them to tur...

Hiring someone new is challenging. You go through the pain and the agony of sourcing the talent, interviewing the talent, taking them through assessments before making the hiring decision. With all the efforts you've put in, the last thing you want is for your new hires to fail. Ensuring their success in your organization is part of your job; the question is, what are the steps you need to take to...

We hear all the time that the Construction Industry is broken. People then try to innovate to fix it. But what kind of innovations have the most impact? What happens when an organization wants to take on the challenge of shifting the entire construction industry? Is there a chance for it to thrive, or will it collapse?  This is the core of my discussion with Brian Potter in this week's Constructio...

Project changes increase risk, and create conflict. Dealing with change orders is a pain that subcontractors, contractors, and owners all share. The good news is that tools and technology are now in place to help reduce the risk and improve change order communication.  In this week's podcast episode, I interview Cameron Page, the CEO and founder of Extracker. He has construction industry experienc...

Construction is a competitive and crowded industry. Setting yourself apart from the competition in the minds of potential and existing clients is a challenge. What should you focus on to stand out from the crowd and attract your ideal clients?  In this week's podcast episode, my guest Peep Laja shares the best way to market your company and stand out from the competition. He has deep marketing exp...

The Construction Industry is slow at embracing new technologies. This makes sense because of the risk involved in every project, and the high-cost of failure. 3D Printing is one example of technology that has been touted as having the potential to positively impact the industry, but has yet to live up to the hype.  In this week's Construction Genius episode, I talk with Sam Ruben of Mighty Buildin...

Have you ever thought of starting your own construction company, or of launching a new division of your current company? Either way, it's a giant leap full of opportunity, and risk.  In this week's podcast episode, I talk with Peter Worhunsky, the President & CEO of Live Oak. We explore the move to start his own company. Peter shares how he maintains healthy relationships with his business partner...

How comfortable are you when speaking in public? Whether you love it or hate it, as a leader, you have to do it. Your words have a tremendous impact, and if you can improve your public speaking, it will increase your leadership effectiveness. Helping you improve public speaking skills is the goal of this week's Construction Genius episode. My guest, Robbie Crabtree, is an expert in the field. We d...

Transitioning a company you have founded on blood, sweat, tears, and cash to the next generation is not easy. It requires a combination of clear planning, and bloody minded persistence to structure your company correctly, and identify and develop the next group of leadership. Many construction companies start too late, and don't give enough thought to the process. Success depends on crafting a str...

It's easy to get caught up in the hype of the latest technology available in the Construction Industry. This can lead to overwhelm, inefficiency, and wasted money if the solutions you choose don't solve project specific issues.  In this week's podcast episode, I speak to Karl Sorensen. We talk about how his experiences have shaped how he looks at the implementation and use of technology in constru...

A consistent workflow is important in helping you perform at your best, but a lot of construction executives struggle with this. Getting a good rhythm will allow you to become more productive in your company, but how can you achieve that? In this week's podcast episode, I talk about the three things that you can do to get a good workflow rhythm. I will discuss how you can determine the value of yo...

Every company wants lower insurance premium costs. But with a hardening insurance market, how can construction companies lower their spending on insurance? What are actionable steps contractors can make to become more attractive to brokers? In this podcast episode, I talk to Mary Grandy, Senior Vice President at Epic Insurance Brokers and Consultants. She gives us a brief look at the insurance mar...

To ensure a better outcome in your projects, building trust between the owner, contractor, and designer is crucial. Aligning your goals and continuous communication are vital. But when problems in the project arise, what can contractors do to resolve them without compromising the trust of their clients? In this week's podcast episode, I talk with Pete Caputo of Truebeck Construction. He gives us t...

Executive leadership roles are challenging but rewarding. It's a shift from being a player to being the coach. It's about providing those who report to you with the help they need to do their jobs better. This responsibility is not for everyone, but if it's your ambition, how can you skillfully navigate into an executive leadership role?  This week's podcast episode with Mike Gifford revolves arou...

The success of a construction project depends on owners, designers, GCs, and trade partners working together as a team. But with the divergence of ideas and information, how can we achieve a win-win environment for each project-delivery process? In this episode, we have Felipe Engineer-Manriquez, Director, Lean of McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., who will walk you through the fundamentals of str...

Many construction companies fail in their marketing efforts because of a wrong understanding of what marketing is all about. Marketing is not about slick websites, sweet logos, and cool videos. Marketing is about attracting and keeping customers, and it is the job of everyone in your organization.  In this week's podcast episode, I talk with my guest, Wayne Mullins, founder and CEO of Ugly Mug Mar...

Control is one thing that most construction business owners wish for. When you're growing, things can sometimes get out of hand, and running your business becomes more taxing and stressful than ever. To make sure you're on the right path when it comes to scaling your business, it's important to lay the right foundations, doing the work necessary from the ground up.  In this podcast episode, I talk...

Leadership is difficult. The work is endless, and you get constantly bombarded with problems left and right. Leadership is a responsibility. You have to carry the burden of making the decisions that impact your company, negatively or positively.  In a recent coaching session with the President of a construction company, we discussed three issues that every executive faces: how to make tough decisi...

Productivity drives profitability. To achieve both, organizations must excel operationally.  Technology and its implementation in company processes are essential for operational excellence. Positive change occurs when leaders are sold out to its importance and value, communicating it to their people both in the field and office. In this week's podcast episode, I have a conversation with Don Kafka,...

When should you start building and executing a succession plan? A company that values sustaining high-level leadership knows never to put this on the back burner. It will take years, not just months, of choosing who your qualified candidates are to mentoring them until you are confident enough that they are ready to take on those leadership roles with the passion for propelling the business forwar...

Methods of project delivery are ever-changing. The need to see different outcomes, especially from an owner's perspective in construction projects, has led to the adoption of approaches like Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). It's not a one-size-fits-all method, but it's definitely worth exploring.  In this week's podcast episode, I welcome my guest, James Pease. James is an Executive Director of...

Amazon is a household name that continues to lead and dominate the international business scene. The trillion-dollar business that it is today, however, did not happen overnight. Their success story involves failures, risks, inventions, innovation, and an intense company culture not for the faint of heart. Intimidating as it is, though, there is a treasure trove of ideas that we can learn from the...

Are you struggling to attract the right clients to your company? Marketing plays a huge role in addressing this dilemma as you can't just hope for the best that they will someday notice you and the services you offer. When you're doing marketing right, your message will be more intentional and laser-focused, resulting in a significant shift, client and profit-wise.  In this week's Construction Gen...

Growth is every business owner's aim. But many find growing their businesses to be overwhelming; with so many things to take care of, it becomes difficult to pick an area of focus. However, growing your business does not have to be complicated; generations of companies have focused on three things, and they experienced the growth they so longed to achieve.  In this week's Construction Genius podca...