PowerTips Unscripted

Today’s episode of PowerTips Unscripted features Peg Buehrle as a guest. During the show, she discusses the significance of team development for business growth. The growth of a business depends on the growth of its key leaders and their respective teams. Therefore, it is crucial to have a development plan for each team member. Peg will shed light on how to ensure that this remains a top pri...

Do you know you can increase the effectiveness of your digital marketing with handwritten notes?  Jesse Stein joins the show to take us on a deep dive into the world of digital marketing. He discusses how using handwritten notes can help remodelers grow their business, and provides us help with improving our digital marketing. Jesse has an impressive background as a serial entrepreneur. He’s found...

An aging skilled workforce is retiring, and there’s a shortage of younger people taking their place. It’s a hot topic among remodeling companies, who are still searching for the right answers to solving their labor shortage. In  this episode, Mischa Fisher, Victoria, and Mark discuss what you can do to bridge the skills gap, and how to change deep-seated perceptions around joining the home-service...

Virtual reality creates immersive environments in real time. For remodelers, that means your clients could preview and even “walk-through” their projects to see if they like what they’re seeing.  Guest Chris Katkish says VR can help remodelers streamline their sales and design process, trim the length of the sales cycle, and boost production efficiency by reducing change orders. All of which leads...

Having a business partner can be an enormous advantage if you approach it correctly. Most people underestimate the commitment and work that goes into a partnership. Ensuring that you’re on the same page and share the same vision goes far beyond having a plan on paper. In this episode, Matt Carlson shares his story with Victoria and Mark, and what he’s learned as the minority partner in his busines...

We’re under an almost constant barrage of information from every angle. As leaders in our business, it’s imperative that our messages are clearly understood. But it’s equally important, if not more so, that we get messages clearly.  In this episode, Jeremy discusses how to make your communication skills better with Victoria and Mark, what it will take, and how it will help your business and your l...

Many of your customers will pay more for items that improve the health, comfort, and efficiency of their homes. As one of the few things that pay for themselves over time, green upgrades can also boost your average project revenue and make you stand out in your market. In this episode, Doug Selby talks to Victoria and Mark about how green upgrades can improve your remodeling company’s bottom line....

If you’re going to build something — a building, a company, a team — you owe it to the world to build something great. Identify what makes you exceptional and empower your team to help you build a great business. In this episode, Jason Blenker tells Victoria and Mark about how and why he put his organization on the path to greatness, how he defines the term, and inspiring your team to carry out th...

Most people would consider a company jumping from $1.5 million to $3 million in revenue a growing organization. However, when we look beyond gross sales, those numbers don’t necessarily mean it grew. It could even mean the company is  less  profitable — and ultimately less successful — than it was before.  Michael Hodgin says planning for, and implementing, tiered advances are a better strategy fo...

Many people believe that innovation comes from a sudden “aha!” moment, but, that is rarely the case.  So, guest Ben Bensaou is here to share how to continuously embed innovation into your company using a systematic approach. Ben Bensaou is a professor and former Dean of Executive Education at  INSEAD . As an innovation consultant, he has helped some of the world’s leading companies build innovatio...

A remodeler who fears negotiation, is like a roofer who is afraid of heights. Negotiation skills are necessary for success in the field of remodeling.  However, a lot of remodelers are unaware of how to even approach the subject.  Guest Jeff Borovitz joins Victoria and Mark in this episode to talk about how to be an efficient negotiator and how to avoid the seven deadly sins of negotiation that st...

In this episode of PowerTips Unscripted, Iris Harrell discusses the importance of having women in key positions within remodeling companies. They make up half of the US workforce, so there is a sizeable recruitment pool, and they also relate on a deeper level with female customers, who often drive decision-making. Women are multi-taskers, organizers, collaborators, and task-oriented, making them a...

The remodeling industry is highly competitive and some may be tempted to break the rules. Although some may do it intentionally, others may start with good intentions, but over time the line between right and wrong becomes blurred. Thomas Croessmann will be joining the show to discuss the consequences of breaking the rules, which in some cases can result in jail time. Thomas Croessmann is the Mana...

As an FBI Special Agent and Chief of the FBI Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program, guest Robin Dreeke built relationships and confidential human sources across 22 nationalities during his career. These days, he works with companies of all sizes, helping newly promoted leaders, executives, and teams succeed and grow.  In this episode, he shares expert insight on how to move beyond transa...

Steve Barkhouse joins PowerTips Unscripted to discuss how to create a culture of mental health support in the remodeling industry. In the post covid era, Mental health has affected many employees and business owners, so Steve and his team created a framework for dealing with the added stress that comes from covid. This support framework includes a video and a full-day training session to help empl...

Do you remove your shoes when you visit a customer’s home?  How do I control others’ first impressions of me? Is it ever appropriate to begin eating before everyone is served?  Find the answers to these questions and more when Daniel Post Senning joins the show.     Daniel is the great-great-grandson of Emily Post and discusses the importance of etiquette and how you can use it while interacting w...

Wayne Ottum joins us to talk about the 9 components of extraordinary leadership and outlines some basic steps to help businesses owners become more effective leaders. Wayne discusses the importance of creating a company vision, building the right culture, and the difference between leadership and management. Wayne is a senior consultant at Remodelers Advantage and is the president of his own consu...

High interest rates and other market conditions have caused the remodeling market to contract across many regions, resulting in lack luster lead flow for home remodeling companies. As the U.S. heads into a presidential election year, which has the potential to cause further market erosion, remodelers need to protect their market share. By taking steps now to boost their online reputations, home re...

Today on Powertips Unscripted, Dan Hurst joins the show to discuss the handoff from design to production. Dan talks about how to define the minimum standard of completeness and quality for each function or role involved in preparing the handoff packet. Dan also discusses how to use checklists for each role to ensure that quality standards are met. Dan Hurst is the COO and part owner of  Hurst Desi...

Are you concerned that college tuition fees will deplete your savings? In today’s episode of PowerTips Unscripted, we have Brad Baldridge on the show to assist business owners in planning for their children’s college education without sacrificing their retirement funds. Brad discusses how owning a business can impact college finances and whether there are any benefits that business own...

Is your company struggling to attract top-tier employees? Joining us today on PowerTips Unscripted is Erin Longmoon, the founder of Zephyr Connect. Erin will share some valuable insights into how to hire people who align with your company’s culture. She will discuss the strategies and tactics that have played a pivotal role in Zephyr’s 98% placement rate for their Residential Remodelin...

In this episode of PowerTips Unscripted, Victoria and Mark are joined by Pete McDowell to discuss succession planning and how business owners can exit their company. According to Pete, there are four primary ways for a business owner to leave their company: selling the company, transferring the company to family or employees, or ESOP. He also highlights some of the basics of a succession plan, reg...

Today on PowerTips Unscripted, Doug Howard joins the show to discuss the importance of demanding success by 2024. There are various external factors, such as uncertainty, economic slowdowns, and slower processes, that are affecting the pre-construction and construction workflow, ultimately impacting profitability. Therefore, owners of remodeling companies need to come up with effective strategies...

When it comes to the employees who are responsible for onboarding and managing your clients, providing consistent coaching and training to your team is crucial for achieving success. One of the most effective techniques for training your team is through the ‘ride along’ or shadowing method. Although this process can be time-consuming, Jef Forward has introduced a new approach to the ri...

Sometimes it may feel that kindness is in short supply.  That’s why it’s so important to take the initiative to remain vigilant and recognize kindness whenever you can.  Guest Chris Stebnitz shares something he does weekly, that results in a huge impact on those around him. Chris is a third-generation remodeling company owner in Elkhorn, Wisconsin with over 30 years of experience in the industry. ...