Friends of Build Magazine

Today Ted speaks with Brett and Paul Berman from Big Canyon Homes about their Big Canyon Foundation. After years of building homes for wealthy clients, the Berman’s wanted to do more for their community. After a special collaboration with the Make a Wish Foundation, they decided to take the leap and create a foundation of their own. Their company, Big Canyon Homes, always gave back in small ways,...

Episode Notes  Today Ted speaks with Larry Clay of Larry Clay Construction in British Columbia. Larry has experienced the highs and the lows of being a business owner, and now he focuses his energy on teaching others how to have equally successful businesses with a strong foundation in building science.  Larry shares his near-death experience, how he pulled through the financial crisis in 2008, an...

Today Ted speaks with Veronica Schreibeis Smith of Vera Iconica Architecture, out of Jackson, Wyoming.  Veronica spent years traveling the world and studying history and architecture before starting her business in Wyoming, where her family has been for generations.  Veronica coined the term Wellness Architecture, and she is a leading voice in the movement to push the envelope on design and design...

Today Ted speaks with Nathan Marsala of The Bison Group Inc., a custom home building business based in Salt Lake City, Utah. From growing up on jobs sites, working the trades to support himself through college, and coming full circle to take over the family business, Nathan shares what he’s learned through it all. As the economy continues to shift, Nathan talks about the difficult conversations he...

Today Ted speaks with Shari Brownfield of Shari Brownfield Fine Art. Shari got her start in Vancouver before moving stateside and landing in Jackson, Wyoming. Always business-minded, she transitioned from being an artist to procuring and selling art. Shari specializes in helping discerning clients acquire and build a collection that brings them joy, but can also tell a story in their home. She has...

Today Ted speaks with Urs Leuenberger of Roy Lambrecht Woodworking Inc. in Kona, Hawaii. Urs tells the story of coming from another country to start his business and all the ways the island has changed in the time he’s been there. Ted leads Urs in sharing his American dream, what the future of development in Hawaii might look like, and the evolution of his clients in the 40 years he’s been doing b...

Today Ted speaks with Zak Jorski of Furnishing by Debi, a consignment business set up on Hawaii’s Big Island. A creative endeavor, Furnishings by Debi works with well-traveled locals who are hoping to redesign their homes and need to offload their furnishings collected from all over the world.  Zak shares with us how it all began, how he keeps track of such an incredible inventory, and the finer d...

Today Ted speaks with Thomas Burger of Thomas Burger Design, Inc. in Las Vegas. A celebrated and renowned New York designer, Thomas now lives and works from Las Vegas, while continuing to work with clients across the globe. He strives to impact the human soul and human experience through his designs, and his clients include royalty, CEOs, American sports heroes, and celebrities. Thomas started his...

Today Ted speaks with Brandon Nicastro, owner and CEO of GCS Glass in Phoenix, Arizona.  Founded in 2013, the company has exploded and has already expanded to 5 states with the goal of 50 markets in the next 5 years. Brandon started with nothing and struggled for many years before deciding to open up his own business. Now with business booming, he works hard to run his company like the family-owne...

Today Ted speaks with Don Richardson, founder of Arizona Fireplaces - a family business that has been operating for over 40 years.  Don shares the struggles he went through to help his business succeed through different economies, national events, and growth spurts. His success is grounded in his family values, and he’s proud to talk about his sons continuing his legacy for years to come.  Ted and...

EPISODE NOTES Today Ted speaks with Oz Pearlman, one of the most sought-after mentalists in the world.  Oz is an Emmy Award winner for his TV special Oz Knows, and a third-place winner of America’s Got Talent. His client list reads like a who’s who of politicians, professional athletes, A-list celebrities, and Fortune 500 companies. Hear how what started as a hobby catapulted Oz into being a full-...

Listen in as Tony highlights the difference between a decorator and a designer and how to get the most out of a great interior designer from the very beginning of a project. To him, what separates the good from the great in the industry is a striving for uniqueness and legacy in every project. In a similar vein, Tony believes in setting realistic expectations with clients—and then working to excee...

Terry discusses the differences in taste between wealthy homeowners around the country, and even those within Florida. He explains how he is able to set expectations with clients from the very beginning so that he is able to filter out which clients to let go and which to follow through with. He talks about changing trends in the homebuilding industry, including revisiting homes that have gone out...

Listen in as Tonya shares the real, often overlooked value that an interior designer brings to a project. She makes the case that, if a good interior designer makes it a point to build a strong relationship with the architect and builder from the very beginning, they can dramatically elevate the look of any space they work on. Tonya explains her collaborative approach to working with clients and h...

A Youngstown Ohio native, Nick found himself in Naples after being offered an opportunity by WCI Communities to work in their marketing department. After a successful career with WCI, Nick went on to manage a valet parking company for eight years before being approached by Knauf-Koenig. Listen in as Nick talks about his approach to communicating with both clients and trade partners to ensure harmo...

Jamie was introduced to the world of construction and design at a young age thanks to his father, a former general contractor and draftsman. He, along with Scott Payne, founded Farmer Payne Architects in 2017. Listen in as Jamie speaks on his experience as a relatively young architect in his mid-30s catering to an ultra-high-net-worth clientele in Wyoming. He gives his thoughts on what draws peopl...

Listen in as Jennifer talks about the story behind Linen Alley and how it has evolved since Jennifer opened the store 18 years ago. She speaks on the four mattress types that make up the company’s core line, and the secret to creating a high-quality bed that lasts for generations. She and Beth discuss the different factors that go into optimizing one’s sleep experience, from the impact of weight o...

CP’s work has been published in magazines such as The Robb Report, Phoenix Home & Garden, AZ Foothills Magazine, Western Interiors, and Luxe Magazine, among others. Additionally, his projects have won countless awards, including Home of the Year (2018) and Room of the Year (2019) at the Best in American Living Awards. Listen in as CP looks back on an upbringing that led to his passion for architec...

Listen in as Claire reflects on over two decades of experience in the industry. She talks about her approach to interior design, with a commitment to honoring every structure she is tasked to by adding to it, but never taking away from it. Claire also explains how she is able to manage a business with 22 employees while taking care to interface with all of her clients directly. Finally, Claire spe...

She also talks about her approach to leadership in which she strives to empower her people to make big decisions—in line with the company’s vision and values, of course—without having to rely on upper management every time. Patricia discusses her grandfather's journey to Oregon and how his innately entrepreneurial spirit led him to create an atmosphere within the family that eventually inspired Pa...

Listen in as Michael tells the story of how Dale Hedrick came to establish Hedrick Brothers and how the company’s culture challenges employees both on the level of creativity and leadership. He shares his greatest lessons learned from building dozens upon dozens of homes for ultra-wealthy clients in Florida and how he sees the homebuilding market evolving in the near future. Topics Discussed:   Th...

It was in the late 1980s when Steve and his wife Laura constructed a new sawmill, heralding the latest chapter of Marks Lumber as a full-time production mill. In the following decades, the Marks continued to introduce innovative additions as they scaled the company. These include the addition of a planer mill to provide many additional specialty products in 1998, a biofuel powered dry-kiln to impr...

At some point, the entrepreneurially-minded Frank discovered that there was a gap in the market for long-lasting marble protection technology. TuffSkin was born soon after, as a way for people to enjoy the luxuriously timeless look of marble while bringing practicality to that experience. Listen in as father and daughter discuss what makes TuffSkin the only product of its kind. They also talk abou...

Listen in as Kevin talks about working with Sotheby’s Auction House for over 20 years in New York, the dramatic rise of online bidding in recent years, and the differences between his native Manhattan’s art scene and that of Jackson Hole. He speaks on his typical day in the life as an auctioneer and how he has seen tastes evolve over the past two decades. He speaks in particular of the NFT (non-fu...

Hailing from Salt Lake City, Levi is the creative driving force behind Hammerton. He is a blacksmith’s son and founded his company in a neighbor’s garage. After years of honing his craft, Levi has become exceptionally skilled at creating spectacular lights through the marriage of glasswork with metalwork. Bill and Levi reflect on their quality-over-quantity approach to business and how their commi...