Construction Genius

One of the most dangerous things that a leader can say is "we've tried this before and it didn't work."   It's so crucial for an organization to have team members who are innovative enough to bring new ideas to the table. Especially if you're someone who's been inside the box for so long, it's refreshing to have people come in and help you take a look outside of the box.   One way to squash your t...

What does it take to execute an ESOP successfully?    To get a clear perspective about this topic, I talk with Herb Sargent, the President and CEO of an ESOP, Sargent Corporation, a construction company based in Maine. This podcast addresses some of the following essential points:   the importance of distinguishing your runway for ownership transition and management or leadership transition to exe...

The General Contractor of the future will be successful based on their ability to identify, evaluate and implement new technologies.    In 2017, computing power became sufficient to open up the doors for some of the toughest challenges in Construction to be addressed by software solutions. Billions of dollars of venture capital poured into tech start-up companies and the Construction tech renaissa...

Incentive programs are powerful tools for motivating employees to deliver amazing results. But they also have the potential to encourage bad behaviors that are harmful to your company.   What's key is knowing how to create a well-structured program that aligns what your employee wants with what's best for your company.   Today's episode is packed full with insights from my guest, Mark Brooks, the...

A long term commitment to building relationships through networking will result in more sales. As a CEO or President, you play the main role in building your network and making sure the people in your organization continue to cultivate those relationships.  My guest today is a construction  company President and a tremendous networker. Austin Edwards of Emerald Site Services gives several practica...

The pandemic has brought on the rise of "hybrid work environments", people working in the office and the job site and at home.  This new work setting has proven to be a double-edged sword as workers are given more time to tend to their personal lives while business owners struggle to keep productivity and happiness in check. Today's guest, Founder and CEO of L-12 Services LLC, Lizabeth Wesely-Case...

Every one of your clients started out as a stranger to you. Good Marketing is how you turn strangers into friends, clients and evangelists for your company.   Wayne Mullins, Founder and CEO of Ugly Mug Marketing, is back to share with us his approach towards The Natural Progression of Marketing . He shares that by having the right intentions and setting clear expectations you can use Marketing to...

I root for the San Francisco Giants. They are my favorite baseball team. In the past few years, they've been struggling, losing more games than winning. This year, that's started to change. They've strengthened their roster, and are on pace to win over 100 games.  Are you devoting time to evaluate your construction company's roster strength? Building winning teams starts with Construction CEOs tak...

The process of submitting and responding to RFIs is often a source of tension. In today's episode, my guest, Slater Latour, frames the challenges that the construction industry has in taking a concept and design and building it in the real world. He then explains how the whole RFI process can be managed effectively. Slater and I also discuss the software developed by his company, Newforma, and how...

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...