Shed Geek Podcast

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a steel dealer, a pandemic, and a 3D configurator collide? We bring on IdeaRoom co-founder and CEO, Dan Van Orden, to unpack how builders and dealers moved from paper quotes to mobile-first design that turns curiosity into committed buyers. Dan shares the scrappy origin story—from woodworking plans to full-blown configurators for sheds, carports, post-frame, and...

Send us Fan Mail Useful beats clever, every time. We open with the hard truth about why most content and sales conversations miss: they’re built for the creator, not the customer. From there we get tactical. Shannon and Cord map the journey from problem unaware to purchase-ready, sharing practical ways to qualify buyer knowledge, read heat, and design messages that fit each stage. If you’ve ever w...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a family brand treats a shed lot like a destination—and runs it with the precision of a top retail showroom? We sit down with Joe Schneider, Vice President at Kloter Farms , to explore how a single location in Ellington, Connecticut became a regional magnet for sheds, garages, pavilions, and custom indoor furniture. The story starts with horse-drawn carriages and...

Send us Fan Mail Feeling stretched thin as the season slows and the pressure rises? We sit down with business coach and human behavior specialist Carly Pepin to unpack why burnout isn’t about working too hard, but about working on the wrong things. Carly shows how a simple task audit reveals what fuels you, what drains you, and what only you should keep. From there, it’s all about smart delegation...

Send us Fan Mail A dependable sales engine in a rural market doesn’t come from hacks; it comes from consistent habits that buyers can see. We sit down with dealer and marketing director Jerald Rhodes of Creative Backyards to unpack a full, repeatable playbook for generating shed demand without overspending on ads. Jerald sells larger buildings outside city centers, and he explains why rural buyers...

Send us Fan Mail Ready to turn slow season into rocket fuel for spring? We dig into the single biggest lever for shed and steel pros—process—and show how a smarter system can unlock more sales, faster delivery, and fewer headaches. With Tristan from CAL , we walk through a clean, unified workflow that pulls orders from Idea Room or Shed Pro, covers cash or RTO in one checkout, and tracks each buil...

Send us Fan Mail Customers don’t just want a shed; they want a backyard solution. We sat down with Pro Tech Trailers in Eagleville, Tennessee to unpack how utility trailers become a powerful second income stream for shed dealers—without turning your lot into a logistics headache. With decades in high-precision automotive integration, the Pro Tech team translates production discipline into clean we...

Send us Fan Mail A single job listing changed everything. Tyler Barrett went from a stressed-out carpenter with six kids and no steady work to a shed builder who runs orders, deliveries, and product development—and along the way discovered a deeper purpose that shaped his leadership, his team, and his community. We get into the gritty parts of the shed business that most people never see: the jump...

Send us Fan Mail Ready for a clearer path through post-frame and metal buildings? We dig into what actually builds trust—real accreditation, transparent design tools, and partnerships you can visit, walk, and verify. Fresh from a plant tour at Graber Post and gearing up for the NFBA Conference, we map out how dealers can stay indispensable while manufacturers inch toward direct sales. We start wit...

Send us Fan Mail Tired of hearing “quality” without seeing the difference? We dig into how small, family-run shed businesses win by diversifying into what rural customers truly need—safe rooms, metal buildings, shipping containers, and even culverts—while keeping service at the center. Instead of chasing every opportunity, we talk through how to add products that align with current logistics, trai...

Send us Fan Mail Your inbox is full, your lot is busy, and buyers are slipping away while messages sit unanswered. We sat down with Velocity360’s Joe Ignace and Brandon Tobin to solve the most expensive leak in sheds, steel buildings, and pole barns: slow follow‑up and scattered systems. They lay out a practical sales equation—leads × conversion × average price—and show how to raise the middle ter...

Send us Fan Mail The shed world isn’t living in 2021 anymore, and that’s exactly why this conversation matters. We sit down with Tyler Mayhan of Better Barns to unpack what happens when an industry grows up: the easy leads dry up, product mixes shift, and the real work of building sustainable demand begins. From the early days of cordless phones on tool belts to a modern operation where large meta...

Send us Fan Mail What if your worth came before your work—and that changed everything about how you lead, sell, and show up? We sit down with JMAG’s Chief Branding Officer, Craig Felker, to unpack “wild leadership,” a simple framework that starts with identity and turns it into action: know your worth, initiate brave conversations, lead with energy that gives more than it takes, and dare to dream...

Send us Fan Mail The loudest thing we brought home from Shed Week wasn’t a new tool—it was a clearer mission. After a week packed with the Shed Sale Summit , NSRA meetings, and an expo floor buzzing with real conversations, we unpack what actually moves the needle: the human element of selling, cleaner workflows from quote to delivery, and a community willing to ask hard questions about bias, stan...

Send us Fan Mail Trade shows can blur together—until they don’t. Knoxville’s Shed Expo and the post frame show in Dayton delivered a clear message: owners are hungry for practical marketing, respectful tech, and partners who actually solve the problems builders face every day. We came home with full notebooks, a heavier contacts list, and a sharper roadmap for how the shed and steel world can grow...

Send us Fan Mail A former chef turned licensed builder might be the last person you’d expect to challenge big shed brands—until you see how he does it. We sit down with Russell Odom of Shedscape to unpack how a late-career pivot, a deck-builder’s eye for detail, and a relentless focus on SEO created a thriving on‑site shed business in the tight, fast-growing neighborhoods of Greenville, South Caro...

Send us Fan Mail The floor is buzzing at Shed Week in Knoxville, but the most powerful story happens at a table: a Wisconsin “Shed Queen” who sells with sincerity, a first-time dealer who went from camera to copy to competition, and our team swapping honest tactics that turn chaos into clean, repeatable growth. We dive into the real work of modern shed sales—how integrated tools for quoting, contr...

Send us Fan Mail A lot of builder's chase price. We decided to chase standards. We’re joined by Darren Warren of Stor-Mor Outdoor Products to break down a simple but uncommon playbook: build consistent quality at scale, answer the phone, quote fast, train your dealers, and treat permits as value—not a nuisance. When you put people, process, and pride in the product first, customers stop shopp...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when life's greatest challenge becomes your greatest stepping stone? In this powerful conversation, Darren Warren, President and CEO of Stor-Mor Portable Buildings, shares his remarkable journey from a 16-year-old cancer patient with a 40% survival rate to becoming an innovative leader in the shed industry. Darren's story begins in 1998 when his non-Hodgkin&...

Send us Fan Mail The metal building industry stands at a pivotal crossroads, and those who fail to recognize the shifting landscape may soon find themselves struggling to survive. In this candid, no-holds-barred conversation, we peel back the curtain on what's really happening with marketing in the metal building space. Facebook Marketplace, once the golden ticket for metal building dealers,...

Send us Fan Mail Tiffany Strong Hutchison takes us on an inspiring journey from homeschooling mom with an Excel spreadsheet to Director of Business Development at Heartland Capital , one of the shed industry's leading RTO companies. Her story reveals how unexpected opportunities, determination, and faith can transform both careers and businesses. Twenty-five years ago, Tiffany created a simpl...

Send us Fan Mail Shed Week 2025 is almost here, and we're bringing you the ultimate guide to making the most of this industry-defining event in Knoxville. From the Shed Sales Summit to the exhibition floor, we're breaking down everything you need to know to navigate this jam-packed week like a pro. The excitement kicks off Monday with the Shed Sales Summit featuring industry leaders incl...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder why some shed businesses consistently outperform their competition? In this enlightening conversation with Caleb and Carson—the young, driven entrepreneurs behind Eagle Ridge Barn Builders —we discover their newest venture that might hold the key to superior brand recognition in the shed industry. After successfully building Eagle Ridge into a sales powerhouse, these s...

Send us Fan Mail Wondering if your shed business needs a physical lot to succeed? The Steel Kings have eye-opening news: "We've sold just as many sheds online as we have on physical lots this year." This revelation sets the tone for a candid conversation about the digital transformation sweeping through the shed and metal building industry. Jared and Eric take listeners behind the s...

Send us Fan Mail Calvin Shirk takes us on a twenty-year journey through the evolving world of shed hauling, sharing hard-won wisdom that only comes from moving thousands of buildings through impossible terrain. Starting as a fresh-faced 22-year-old in 2002, Calvin built his career while simultaneously raising ten children – a balancing act that tested his determination daily. Now, his oldest three...