The Construction Life

Don't get screwed over by injury, John Durbano is back to teach us how to take time off without going broke. John tells us about disability insurance vs WSIB vs critical illness, covering children, restructuring debt, finding lost money and estate planning. We also discuss why Canada is financially unattractive, the importance of teaching financial literacy, and the benefits of holding companies....

Trades and real estate duo Andrew and Toula Prete join us to talk about community, work and parenting. We talk about tips for affording a home, parenting in this economy, how to start as a young trade, make-me-smile moments, homegrown and homemade food, and so much more on this episode of The Construction Life Podcast. Check out Sold by Toula @SoldbyToula on Instagram. Reach out at 416-879-6861 an...

Quality cottage country design with Alex Foreshew of Foreshew Design Associates. Alex joins us to talk about seasonal declarations, functional design, risk-averse Canadians, multi-building properties, timeless designs and dealing with bedrock. He also walks us through his client process, favoured materials, innovative processes and the origins of the "cottage smell" on this episode of The Construc...

What's causing the labour shortage? We discuss that and more with David Mill of Scelta and Keith Young of Young Electrical Services. From the blue-collar stigma to apprenticeship roadblocks to lacking construction influencers, we figure out how to combat the factors pushing people out of the industry, with mentorship, market analysis, and making construction cool on this episode of The Constructio...

Simplifying finances with Lauren Furtado of Unconventional CFO Services. She teaches us what to look for in an accountant, what to bring to an accountant, what opportunities small business owners are missing, and what financial numbers they should be paying attention to. She also tells us about creating efficiencies, CRA payment plans, write-off limits and moving companies overseas. This episode o...

From running a $100,000 company as a student to building the biggest window cleaning company in Ontario, Dan Givon of Shine Windows and The Deck People shares his story. He tells us about working 120-hour weeks in his first year of university, pioneering the window cleaning model, and moving to Toronto to focus on business. We discuss door knocking, reoccurring clients, franchising, deck stains an...

Tiling talk with Frank and Stephen from Frank's Flooring. They join us to talk about backsplashes, waterproofing, condo bathrooms, natural stone, tiling ceilings, drains, benches and more. Tune in and hear about new and fading tiling products and trends on this episode of The Construction Life Podcast. Check out Frank's Flooring at Franksflooring.ca and @franksflooring on Instagram. Reach out to F...

Mikey's back for his first video show! Get ready for this uncensored, high-energy conversation about anything and everything! Tune in for new trades, shit clients, taking deposits, handling losses, getting old, bad drivers, coloring hair, visiting Turkey, and so much more on this episode of The Construction Life Podcast. And stay till the end for an exciting reveal! Check out Mike DiMartino on IG...

Young masons putting quality on track builds, Antonio Trakas and Kevin Wu of A.T. Brick and Stone join us to talk about changing the landscape of a dying trade. They tell us about egotistical masons, nonsense pricing, brick shortages, and misunderstanding the work attached to the wage. We also discuss creating a good teaching culture and paying employees based on value on this episode of The Const...

Mastering the young man's game of snow removal, Stefano Narducci joins us to share his business practices. He tells us about capitalizing on opportunity, establishing a foolproof business model, marketing on social media, and running the show each season. Tune in to hear from a smart young entrepreneur on this episode of The Construction Life Podcast. Check out Northern Snow at NorthernSnow.ca and...

Talking woodworking with The English Carpenter. Paul Collins joins us to discuss interesting projects, cedar vs composite, employee communication, working in the city and sports and construction. Join us for a high-energy carpentry and framing show on this episode of The Construction Life Podcast. Check out The English Carpenter at TheEnglishCarpenter.com and @The_English_Carpenter on Instagram. R...

Learn cooperation in business without losing individuality from Michael Devellano. He tells us about Japan's business model of cooperation and teaches how forming business packs can amplify creativity, bring opportunity, and protect against failure. We also discuss smarter networking, using tech to our advantage, Canadian business culture, and solving the labour shortage by making trades cool on t...

This company is making custom apps for tradespeople struggling with digital implementation. David Mill of Scelta joins us with Keith Young of Young Electrical Services to talk about how Scelta is saving tradespeople money, managing their time, building their confidence, and helping them look good to clients. David walks us through what they do to combat the pain points of your company and match yo...

From sleeping on the street to running a successful business, Chris Carpenter of Carpenter and Co. joins us to talk about finish carpentry and helping people get a hold of their lives. He tells us about figuring out challenging projects, trusting your employees, getting into mentorship and writing a book. Hear about a lost man's success story on this episode of The Construction Life Podcast. Check...

Flooded basements and fragile gas lines, Antonio Pereira of AquaStop Waterproofing is here to talk about all that and more. We discuss protecting foundations, preparing for what can go wrong, getting through the winter, bandaid fixes, poor installs and issues with sump pumps on this episode of The Construction Life Podcast. Check out AquaStop Waterproofing at AquaStopWaterproof.com and @Aqua. Stop...

These employees are pampered, and there's value in that. Aaron, Jay, Meg and Dakota from Expert Plumbing and Drains join us to talk about investing in your employees and the back end. They walk us through what they do to maximize efficiency and make Expert a good place to work, from matching union benefits to providing life training. We also discuss paper trails, press versus solder, client-bought...

Firing all his employees was the best thing he did for his health. Bob Baker of Baker Plumbing joins us to talk about why he downsized and why getting off the tools isn't for everyone. We discuss escaping the chase, dealing with hate, getting wisdom from bad decisions, and doing plumbing magic. Hear how Bob learned to love his job again on this episode of The Construction Life Podcast. Check out B...

From teacher to tradesperson, Michael Ariganello from AMJ Custom Renovations joins us to talk about issues with the quick road to success mindset. He tells us about teaching new trades that want to jump right into management and how DIY is causing people to underestimate construction. We also discuss offering free PPE with tool purchases, putting a catwalk in the rafters, installing elevators four...

We all have issues, let's talk about it. Joined by Angelo Suntres and Gianluca Pascale, we talk about preventing suicide and recognizing the signs of crisis in our fellow trades. We need to change the way we think about vulnerability and it starts with you. Checking in with each other is The New Tough. Our guests on this episode of TNT Angelo Suntres of the Human Side of Construction. Find him @Hu...

Tony Gatti of Gatti Brothers joins us to talk about the worst parts of the industry. We discuss missing trades, government failures, greenwashing, fly-by-night trades, and clients with too much information. Tune in for tips and tricks from an established builder on this episode of The Construction Life Podcast Check out Gatti Brothers at GattiBrothers.com and @Gatti_Brothers on Instagram. Reach ou...

Join us for this apprenticeship roundtable where we're talking about resources and support for employers to train new trades. We talk about the challenge of maintaining the business while training, the barriers to entry, and the mindset of the upcoming generation. Ashley, Daniel, Julia, and Aaron teach us ways of managing these obstacles and getting help for your business while helping the industr...

The Phil app founders; Mike, Matt, and Bryan join us to talk about their free material marketplace and tracking software that eliminates the need to "know a guy" to move earth. Marrying real construction experience with the tech world, Phil saves money, time and the environment, while being constantly updated with new features, all for a fraction of the cost of doing it by hand. Tune in to be as s...

Greg Labbé from TMU joins us to talk about making building science beautiful. He tells us about the system part of the air barrier, the benefits of triple pane windows, the value of having blower door equipment, and how to convince clients. We also discuss European building, passive homes in the prairies, dealing with old buildings, and future-proofing. Learn to make your home feel better on this...

You're wearing the wrong boots on site but Cliff Spooner of Red Wing Shoes can help. Cliff tells us about wide sizes, arch support and the joy of insoles, as well as the traditional leather working processes used to make Red Wing Shoes. Don't sacrifice your body to save a buck, get boots that will protect your feet and and keep you comfortable with this episode of The Construction Life Podcast. Ch...

On this episode of TNT, we're talking about mindset and overwork with Jonathan Cinelli, and Agostino Mastro and Nick Bartella of Revalate. We discuss using work as a distraction, fear of vulnerability, toxic stress, saying no, time audits and clearing the noise. Try something new; take an hour a week for yourself and see the benefits now. Our guests on this episode of TNT Find Jonathan Cinelli at...