CONEXPO – CON/AGG Podcast: Construction Business Insights For Contractors

Katie Kelleher, aka “Katie Cranes”, an increasingly prominent, award winning figure in the construction industry joins Taylor for what turns out to be her first visit to the podcast today. Katie’s journey from a sales background to her current role as a crane operator and technical development officer exemplifies the importance of seizing opportunities, and embracing career transitions. Her experi...

Taylor welcomes Brian Dietz, Co-owner of Bob Dietz and Sons Inc., to the podcast today, and together, they turn their spotlight on achieving enduring success in the construction industry, particularly as a family-owned construction business. Brian shares his personal journey, instilled with an outstanding commitment to excellence and a strong work ethic passed down through generations. The podcast...

This week, Taylor is joined by legendary leader of Blount Contracting and BuildWitt CFO, Randy Blount, who shares his inspiring journey of taking his family business to simply incredible heights of success. Together, they also dive into such essential themes as leadership, accurate job costing, and the intricacies of managing overhead costs, providing invaluable insights for professionals aiming t...

The visionary behind Dig-It Digital GPS, EJ Herron, joins Taylor on the podcast this week for a fascinating journey through the cutting-edge realm of construction technology. Together, they explore its profound impact on the industry's efficiency and precision, and the exciting possibilities that lie ahead. Whether you're a construction professional seeking to stay at the forefront of industry adv...

Aaron Witt: Putting People First to Transform Construction Taylor welcomes self-proclaimed “Chief Dirt Nerd”, Aaron Witt, to the podcast today for an insightful discussion on construction, entrepreneurship, and personal growth. Currently the CEO of BuildWitt - a services, media, and software business focused on the infrastructure and mining industries - Aaron's incredible journey to this role, as...

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Amy Underwood, widely recognized as the_digger_girl, brings her charismatic and insightful perspective to her conversation with Taylor here today. Amy, a plant operator hailing from Scotland, shares her remarkable journey within the construction industry, transcending traditional gender stereotypes and championing blue-collar careers for both women and men. Her narrative underscores the vital impo...

Taylor welcomes James Stiksma, the founder of Canadian Septic, to the podcast today for an indepth look at his unique journey from corporate sales to the world of septic installations. James’ dedication to excellence and his strategic approach to positioning within the market are discussed as are the evolution from subcontracting to equipment ownership, and the careful balance maintained between s...

Excavator operator extraordinaire, Liam Bryan, better known as @diggerbry on social media, joins Taylor for a very special episode of the CONEXPO-CON/AGG podcast. Starting out as a bricklayer and eventually becoming an expert excavator who captivates online audiences with his finesse in asphalt fine grading, Liam’s journey within the construction industry is a truly remarkable one. Today, he share...

This week, Taylor welcomes Trey Bohannan, widely known as Treybodirt on TikTok, to the podcast. A seasoned entrepreneur and equipment enthusiast, Trey’s insights here today offer a masterclass in leadership and work-life balance. Together, he and Taylor explore his remarkable journey in the landscaping and construction industry, starting from his humble beginnings as a young lawn mower to his mete...

Welcome to another exciting episode of the CONEXPO-CON/AGG podcast as Taylor discusses the logistics of building a successful excavation business with his guest, Travis Gemmell, Founder of Walnut Grove Excavating. Today, Travis recounts his remarkable journey from the corporate realm to becoming a passionate business owner in the dirt industry, and shares invaluable insights into the importance of...

Today marks a very special episode as Taylor welcomes none other than the President and Owner of Ken White Construction to the podcast - his father, David White. Beyond the bonds of family, Taylor and David share a remarkable partnership and friendship that has shaped their journey together. Their fascinating conversation here today constitutes an exploration of such topics as their business's hum...

Ep. 139: Building from the Ground Up: Tips from a New Construction Business Owner On today’s episode, Dylan Mercier, owner of D2 Contracting, joins Taylor for a discussion centered on a number of topics, beginning with Dylan’s journey into the construction business and his decision to start his own company. Their conversation further focuses on the challenges that come with running a business in t...

Live at CONEXPO-CON/AGG with Dana Wuesthoff Taylor welcomes a very special guest to the podcast today, and he does so in an equally special location. Dana Wuesthoff, the show director for CONEXPO-CON/AGG, the largest construction trade show in North America joins Taylor at the Expo itself to discuss the planning and logistics involved in creating such a huge and hugely successful event. As the sho...

Paving the Way for Online Success with Matt Stanley In this episode of the CONEXPO-CON/AGG podcast, host Taylor White speaks with Matt Stanley, a paving foreman, marketer for American Pavement Specialist, and founder of Raised on Blacktop about the themes of marketing, branding, and company culture in the construction industry. Stanley begins by sharing his family's history in the paving business,...

The Power of the Right Balance of Relationship Building vs. Profit with Dane Cotten This week, Taylor interviews Dane Cotten, owner of DC Excavation, about a number of topics including his background, the growth of his company, and the importance of networking in the construction industry. Dane also reviews the family tradition that inspired him to start his own excavation company, his successful...

Building Personal and Professional Success in Construction with Missy Scherber  In today’s episode, Taylor sits down with former host of the podcast and the owner of Big Machine Hustle and Scherber Roll-Offs, Missy Scherber, to discuss a number of topics, particularly the challenges of balancing work and personal life as a business owner. Throughout their conversation, the two relate to the overwh...

Living the Owner-Operator Life with John Schiedeck Joining Taylor on this episode is the world’s best operator (in our opinion) and CEO of Schiedeck Construction, John Schiedeck. John’s been in the construction industry for almost seventeen years and has worked as an owner-operator for the last six. He opens the episode with an overview of his history in the job, from growing up around the industr...

Building a Rock-Solid Business and Reputation with Ryan Goodfellow In this episode of the CONEXPO-CON/AGG podcast, Ryan Goodfellow from Rock Structures joins Taylor to share his background in the heavy equipment industry, including his experience with the CONEXPO show, starting his own business, and the challenges and lessons he has learned along the way. Throughout the episode, Goodfellow emphasi...

Setting Your Construction Business Apart from the Rest with Jimmy Starbuck Taylor’s guest today is Jimmy Starbuck, owner of Starbuck Excavation and a familiar face on social media. Jimmy dives right into his work with mass grading and trucking, talking through the services his company offers and the details of running his business. He then shares how he got where he is today, from learning to driv...

Advocating for Everybody in Construction with Alexandra Smith On today’s episode of CONEXPO, Taylor is joined by Alexandra Smith, aka Al the Little Operator, who runs equipment, installs septic systems, and shares Taylor’s love of wastewater treatment. Alexandra kicks off the episode by discussing what her job involves as a newly self-employed worker, her ambitions to learn septic design, and her...

Taylor welcomes Luke Eggebraaten and Luke Payne, both successful business owners within the construction industry. Luke E is the Founder & Managing Partner of Phaser Marketing, which is a digital marketing agency for construction companies. Luke P, on the other hand, is the owner of the construction businesses: Black Iron Dirt & Demolition & Western Excavation LLC. They both share a pa...

Taylor welcomes construction veteran and legend, Jeff Cavanagh, to the podcast to talk about the history of his family firm, Thomas Cavanagh Construction, the importance of building vibrant communities, and investing and trusting in the right people. The pair open the episode by discussing Cavanagh’s company history and familiarity with vertical integration. Since the late 20th century, the firm h...

Joining Taylor White on the podcast this week is Ryan Priestly, President of Priestly Demolition, who you may know from the show Salvage Kings on the History Channel. Ryan kicks off the episode by discussing the scope of Priestly Demolition’s work, from bringing down power plants to bridge demolitions to asbestos abatement - taking on projects both big and small along the way. He shares his backgr...

On this very special second episode of the podcast, Taylor welcomes Nick Drew, the man behind the infamous 'Digger Man Blog’, to talk about his early start in construction, his late blooming blogging skills, the realities of the construction industry, and, of course, CONEXPO. Nick opens up the episode by fondly remembering his childhood and the days he used to spend with his father at his job work...