The Tim Faller Show

In this episode, Host Tim Faller shares a process called Pull Planning, and how he thinks it can change the way the residential remodeling world schedules projects.  Instead of creating a schedule from start dates, the focus is centered around end dates, and guest Jack Miller is here to talk about how this technical tool can eliminate the huge costs and high stress from production scheduling delay...

When working on remodeling projects, we often hear concerns from clients who say they were unaware of the plans.  So, guest Aaron Goeke is here to share how to help your clients not only better understand the scope of the project, but also to believe in you as the expert. Aaron is the Production Manager at CROSS , a luxury remodeling firm in San Antonio Texas. Aaron has been with the company for j...

Do you have a way to be sure that your clients understand the scope and plans of the services you offer? Simply asking for their signature on future plans does not necessarily guarantee that they understand what it is they are signing.  Like many of the topics discussed on this show, there is no magic answer to ensuring that a client is aware and knowledgeable about the services they may want or a...

As many of you may know, Host Tim Faller facilitates Roundtables Peer Groups for Production Managers from successful remodeling companies, from all over the US & Canada.  One of the hot topics in these groups is the need for skills training and development.  Some are developing training departments within their own companies, with both in-person and virtual training classes, and others are wor...

Without a doubt, hiring is a huge challenge in any field, but especially in design build and remodeling.  A large aspect of that challenge is that instead of consistently working to improve the hiring process, teams often wait too long, and find themselves in a situation where a position needs to be filled immediately. Host Tim Faller thinks that there are ebbs and flows in the intensity and energ...

People mysteriously up and leave without giving notice, and we are stuck with the issue of keeping and retaining that “good help.” From a manager’s perspective all was going so well, but still, there is something going on in the employee’s head that causes them to leave.  In almost all cases, getting more money somewhere else is the most common explanation.  Money is the prominent tangible item in...

People mysteriously up and leave without giving notice, and we are stuck with the issue of keeping and retaining that “good help.” From a manager’s perspective all was going so well, but still, there is something going on in the employee’s head that causes them to leave.  In almost all cases, getting more money somewhere else is the most common explanation.  Money is the prominent tangible item in...

In Part II of this series about sales for non sales people, tune in to hear about certain sales situations that you may find yourself in, and some possible solutions to those problems. In case you missed it, check out Part I first, where some general ideas are discussed, like why this topic is so important and the potential results of not embracing the field of sales.  Guest Jeff Borovitz is known...

Some see salespeople as shifty, crafty people that try to trick you into buying.  So, how do we take steps towards reducing that stigma? In part one of this two-part series with guest Jeff Borovitz, listeners will learn about the general ideas as to why it is so important to embrace the field of sales, and some potential outcomes in the event that we don’t.    Jeff is a franchise owner of Sandler...

Employee review strikes fear into everyone’s hearts. Something has to change in the process of developing and figuring out how much someone is worth to a company, as well as a number of other aspects in the employee review process.  This episode talks about a change in this process to ensure employee growth, and how to take the necessary steps towards seeing employee reviews through a differ...

Change can be very elusive. Podcasts, seminars, books, classes, webinars, virtual classes all give us great ideas for improving processes. But how many actually take root and become what we do as a regular habit or process?  Maybe we just don’t know how to change, so we substitute other activities.  In a recent training, guest Doug Howard of Remodelers Advantage discussed LEAN with a company and o...

In an earlier episode , we spoke to Charles Boucher of Neal’s Remodeling in Cincinnati, Ohio, and discussed his role coming from auto parts manufacturing, to remodeling.  He mentioned that he and their former Production Manager, Kevin Dunn, were working on training plans for the field staff, and we knew we needed to get Kevin on the show to discuss the need for companies to do the training o...

With business booming and companies growing, one of the questions a lot of remodelers find themselves asking is, “Where can I find a good Production Manager?”  It is hard to find people that can do this very difficult role, and this episode will continue to look at this role in a company and who may be the best fit. The focus of this episode is hiring one of your trades out of their business, and...

One of the biggest challenges for contractors, other than labor shortages, is the fact that many face the process of building a business in isolation and their experience is often graded as pass or fail.   When they pass they are happy, but when they fail it causes many issues for them and the families that they support.  But where do they turn for help?  Using the Power of Peers or hiring a consu...

More and more companies are reaching that point in their development where they require a production manager. It is one of the toughest jobs out there, since it feels at times that their attention is needed from almost everyone. There are the trades, the employees, the client and of course, the boss.   Companies have tried all kinds of ideas to fill this role, such as promoting a “Lead Carpenter”...

For people who own businesses in all kinds of industries, the interaction on the front line with the public and clients is often what builds a positive image and keeps those clients.  In most cases, it even creates the referrals that many strive to achieve.  Guest Mark Harari joins this episode to share how the word of mouth is a stepping stone to achieve these referrals, and how to use it as a ma...

One of the most important topics in our industry is the labor situation. A corollary is once we have good staff how do we keep them? There are many answers to that question but the one that pops up more frequently than others is to have a great culture. One thing is for sure you have to care about the people that work for you and let them know that in every way you can. Another component seems to...

The Locus of Control is a concept that highlights one’s ability to control the outcomes and events in their lives.  When applied in a business, The Locus of Control can increase productivity, and breed ownership and support. The Tim Faller Show welcomes back guest Jef Forward, to share his experiences surrounding the locus of control in his remodeling business.  Jef is the founder and co-own...

The hiring process is a big challenge for, well, all of us.   One way to assist in this process is by having a good set of interview questions, and the skills to actively listen to the responses given.  Without these tools, you may find yourself later on wondering how you missed red flags in an employee’s interview and hiring process.  Guest Ben Reynolds joins this episode to teach you how t...

Do you struggle to maintain relationships with subcontractors and experience your projects not being handled with urgency or priority? If so, you haven’t built a team, you have built a contact list.   Guest Daniel Carrero joins Tim and Steve to talk about how he has built a solid team with little turnover and kept tradesmen that have been with him for over 15 years. Daniel Carrero, President...

Handyman services are no stranger to the field of design and build, but very few of these companies are able to successfully incorporate a handyman team into their business.   Schloegel Design Remodel saw a need for a handyman department and since its creation, it now has eleven team members all dedicated to handyman services.  Guest Charlie Schloegel attributes the success of his handyman departm...

While having a family-like culture is a well intended premise, it is oftentimes impractical. Companies may notice that one or two employees are intolerant of the family-like culture in place, and leave the “family” dysfunctional.  Creating an environment where there is a structure that resembles a team, rather than a family, is a way to avoid intolerance, and grow as a company.  In this episode, g...

Many business owners and certainly production managers feel alone in their business at times, and want and or need some kind of external input.  So, where do they turn? Trade associations provide some input but are typically limited to whatever the “topic of the evening” is.  Remodelers Advantage President, Victoria Downing, saw this issue and took action through the creation of the Remodelers Adv...

Training, training, training!   Business owners, production managers and general managers often get caught in a position wondering how to do it all.  So, we turned to a former guest and a member of our production manager roundtables , Ned Trimming, to share his efficient training process, which involves both current and new employees. Ned Trimming is the Production Manager at Crescent Builds locat...

Keeping your team engaged throughout the process of a transition is an opportunity to grow as a company. Willet Construction did this through an event called “Vision Day” where the goal was to get everyone to understand the how, what, when, where, and why of the transition.  The event brought their team closer together, raised morale and reinforced the culture of their company. Guest Jason Willet...