Construction Brothers: Recent Episodes
Tyler & Eddie Campbell | AEC | BIM | VDC | Architecture | Civil Engineering |
Eddie and Tyler Campbell are 6th generation builders who currently own a virtual building and modeling company called ABSI. Each week, Eddie and Tyler will explore ideas both directly and indirectly related to the construction industry.
Thanks for listening to the Construction Brothers podcast! Find us wherever you listen!
Links to all of our social platforms can be found here - https://shor.by/constructionbros
After reviewing hundreds of Architectural sets over the years, here are the main pain points we see most often. - Stair stringers have width - Do final coordination with your engineer before issuing the documentation - Use grids (and coordinate) - Know the actual dimensions of materials like masonry - Dimension walls to face of stud - Be a builder. Not an artist. Thanks for joining us this week! Make sure you check out our sponsor Trimble ProjectSight! - https://projectsight.trimble.com/ Please consider subscribing! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL Like us on LinkedIn! Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Instagram! Eddie's LinkedIn Tyler's LinkedIn (Our day job)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Have you ever stayed in a Marriott, Hilton, or Hyatt Hotel? There's a high likelihood that you've used one of our podcast guest's bathroom pods.
Bill Seery is the Vice President of Business Development and Marketing at SurePods. SurePods is the leading producer of prefabricated modular bathrooms in North America. SurePods has been implemented into over 100 new construction projects in the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere in North America with over 30,000 pods in use currently.
It's no surprise that we're fans of prefabrication around here. If you've listened to the show at any point, you know this about us.
Here are a few questions we asked Bill - What is this whole “Don’t ship air” thing?
- Do we need to work prefab into the design early?
- What do you do to overcome that there aren't many install companies out there?
We've wanted to do a podcast episode on this for quite a while and we're pumped we got to talk to Bill about this!
Related Links SurePods Website
Bill's LinkedIn
Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating or review and follow us on our social accounts! SUBSCRIBE! Like us on LinkedIn! Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Instagram!Eddie's LinkedIn Tyler's LinkedIn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A question: Do you see yourself as the only competent one in your world? Are you able to hand things off to team members?
It can be a hard mindset to release because it can feel so risky.
Taking ownership is a good thing, but check yourself. Is there some arrogance there?
Eddie says that “Gram” used to say, “If you want to know what kind of difference you’re going to leave when you’re gone, stick your finger in a cup of water and pull it out.” That feels pretty cold (the statement, not the water), but it’s also true–at least in the long run.
Acknowledge that others can help you, and you’ll be better off if you do.
If this is a struggle for you, print off the poem Eddie read today and post it in your workspace.
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This episode is a reair from the time we had our Dad (Larry) and Grandpa (Pop) on the show to talk about the changes in construction.
Do you love the undo button as much as us? This week we are talking about mistakes that happen and what we can do to make the situations better.
Topics that we cover: Mistakes happen! How to compare mistakes to baseball Slow down, think- then act!
Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating or review and follow us on our social accounts! SUBSCRIBE! Like us on LinkedIn! Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Instagram!Eddie's LinkedIn Tyler's LinkedIn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Amy Morin has one of the most popular TEDx talks of all time called “The Secret Of Becoming Mentally Strong,” with over 17 million views. The talk was based on her first book, 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, which was featured on USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestsellers lists. She has also been featured on media outlets like Good Morning America, Business Insider, Fox News, Time, CNBC, and Today. If that wasn’t enough, Inc. Magazine featured her as a top 100 leadership speaker in 2018. Here is what you’re going to learn from listening to this podcast episode! - What is the difference between mental strength & mental health? - What’s the difference between being mentally strong and acting tough? - What are some exercises for building mental strength?
Related Links Amy's TEDx Talk
Amy's Podcast
13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do
What Construction Workers Could Teach Other Industries About Mental Health Awareness
Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating or review and follow us on our social accounts! SUBSCRIBE! Like us on LinkedIn! Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Instagram!Eddie's LinkedIn Tyler's LinkedIn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this, our third week focused on resolutions, Eddie encourages you to seek an opportunity to learn. You probably already have in mind someone whose work or career you admire.
Don’t make it weird. Just ask a couple questions about the things you’ve observed in their work lives. Then shut up and listen.
If this person becomes a long-term mentor, great. If this just ends up being one session of learning for you, also great. Either way, you’ll come out of the situation with some insights that position you for greater success. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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Today, we welcome Fouad Khalil. Fouad shares insights into how the construction industry is evolving to meet market demands. He emphasizes the importance of understanding customer needs and adapting business practices to align with shifting industry expectations.We discuss how the construction labor force is changing, with notable statistics like 14% of workers potentially being undocumented. Fouad reflects on the significant challenges these workforce dynamics present, including labor shortages and a rising wave of retirements.
Fouad explains the critical role vocational training plays in preparing the next generation of workers. He discusses how global perspectives on construction labor offer valuable lessons for addressing workforce shortages and ensuring future sustainability.
We dive into the concept of industrialized construction and why it's becoming a permanent fixture in the industry. Fouad outlines how this practice streamlines processes, enhances efficiency, and reduces waste, helping companies stay competitive in a challenging market.
Fouad highlights the importance of automation and robotics in modern construction. From improving material efficiency to reducing project timelines, technology is reshaping the way we build. He also shares examples of how automation is minimizing waste and maximizing resource use.
The conversation turns to the importance of adapting financial structures to support the industry's shift toward industrialized construction. Fouad emphasizes the role of early investments in ensuring successful project execution and delivering on customer expectations.
Customization is becoming a game-changer in the construction industry. Fouad explains how modular approaches and tailored designs are helping companies appeal to diverse markets and differentiate themselves from competitors.
We wrap up by discussing the exciting opportunities available in the construction industry. Fouad encourages young professionals to see the field as a place of innovation and growth, where they can make a meaningful impact and build a rewarding career.
Find Fouad Khalil on LinkedIn
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We promise no original thoughts today. We do, however, hope you’ll find our borrowed insights to be useful.
Eddie shares today about something he read about traits common to students in Ivy League colleges. It’s one that we’ve probably all seen in elite performers in other arenas as well.
Don’t mistake it for apathy. It’s not a “Whatever” attitude. It’s just about unflappability. It’s just about not getting caught up in the stress in a way that you can’t make good decisions when the pressure is on.
When you demonstrate this kind of ease, you’re setting the example for every one of your workers. You’re showing them how we handle things on this team.
Here's a link to the podcast from which Eddie got the idea for today's episode. The relevant section starts around 6:30
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Sponsored by Quickbase.
Today we are in conversation with Scott and Bob to tackle one of construction’s biggest pain points: inconsistent data and processes. From prefab to project closeout, they break down how standardization and the right tools can bring clarity, efficiency, and real results across any job size.
01:00 – Meet Scott & Bob
Industry experts from Trinity and Quickbase share their mission to unify construction data and operations.
03:12 – The Big Problem: Inconsistent Data & Processes
From field teams to executives, construction companies are plagued by fractured workflows and siloed tools.
06:25 – Small Projects, Big Blind Spots
How smaller jobs often fall through the cracks due to ad hoc tools like spreadsheets and emails.
08:45 – Why Standardization Isn’t Optional Anymore
If your teams manage projects differently, leadership loses the ability to assess performance across the board.
12:15 – Are All Construction Projects the Same? Not Quite.
Recognizing project-level variation without abandoning company-wide consistency is the sweet spot.
14:00 – Lean Lessons from Hockey
How teams can stay on track—even with changes—by sticking to shared systems and clear data tracking.
16:30 – Debunking 'We're Different': Standardization Is Always Possible
After working with hundreds of firms, Scott and Bob argue no contractor is too “unique” to benefit from process clarity.
20:00 – New Hires, Vacations & the Bus Factor
Why consistent workflows empower teams to pick up slack, even when key players are out.
22:30 – Lighthouse Electric: A Case Study in Connected Construction
Discover how one company used Quickbase to map everything—from prefab to procurement—into one system.
26:00 – Prototype, Don’t Perfect: Build Smarter, Not Slower
Quickbase enables rapid iteration and feedback-driven solutions rather than expensive “one-and-done” systems.
29:00 – The Four Pillars of Construction Process Success
Productivity, safety, quality, and service—how top teams prioritize all four through digital workflows.
33:00 – Forecasting with Data: From Tuggers to TrendlinesReal examples show how centralizing tool tracking improves budgeting, scheduling, and field coordination.
36:40 – Scalability Over Shiny Tools
Why small- to mid-sized firms should choose flexible platforms that grow with them—not bloated software suites.
38:30 – Integration Made Easy: Connecting with Any GC’s System
Quickbase can tie into nearly any project management tool, even when juggling multiple general contractors.
42:00 – Final Thoughts: Improve Continuously & Listen to Your People
Don’t chase the newest tech blindly—bring your experienced team into the process and build together.
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It’s not worth it. You want to sleep at night.
Manipulation sometimes comes in the form of straight-up lying, but it also sometimes comes in half-truths, intimidation.
Sometimes it even comes in the form of donuts (although we won’t complain too hard about that one).
Be a straight shooter. Not only will it keep you from being found out; it will also make life more pleasant for you. Word of mouth is big in the construction industry. Your reputation will precede you.
Be the person who shows up when you say you’re going to show up. Take care of problems. Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!
In this episode, we sit down with Jeff, a seasoned veteran of both military and construction tech, to explore the parallels between warfighter support and field technology in construction. From his background in the New Zealand Army to developing tools for the U.S. DoD, Jeff shares powerful insights about product bias, user experience, and how tech must serve those at the sharp end of the spear. We discuss what goes wrong when tech is built in silos, the importance of post-sales support, and why field adoption is the true measure of success. Whether you’re a startup founder, a field leader, or a technologist, this is a must-listen on how to build tools that actually work—for the people who need them most.
0:00 – What really matters in product success: post-sale support
1:00 – Jeff’s military background and transition to construction tech
3:00 – Comparing warfighters and constructors: tools, stress, and stakes
7:00 – The disconnect between tech builders and field users
10:30 – Why engineering bias can derail adoption
17:00 – Designing for real personas, not ideal users
22:00 – Field implementation: the napkin vs the model
27:00 – The power of third-party feedback and checking your “true north”
35:00 – Workflow integration: A to E to C to O
41:00 – Tech adoption fails without a field-level incentive
47:00 – The reality of scaling tech in the U.S. market
50:00 – SMB vs enterprise: choosing who you’re really building for
Can you think of a more difficult decision than the one that President Truman had to make in 1945? We can’t
Sometimes sitting still and not doing anything is the riskiest thing to do. Tyler recalls a conversation with friend of the show Henry Nutt III. Henry recounted a situation where his boss left him in a room and told him to sit tight until the boss returned. Henry sat around for a while and then decided to go ahead and do what it was that he thought had to be done in this room. His boss returned and decided that Henry had leadership skills.
Entrepreneurship involves risk. It requires initiative and a willing to act when others might be unwilling to do so.
Eddie encourages us to ask ourselves honestly what we could change about ourselves in order to improve our productivity or some other form of success. Chances are that we know what needs to be done and we’re simply not acting on that knowledge.
Inaction often makes failure more likely that action.
Here’s the whole quote as attributed to Harry S. Truman: “There is some risk involved in action, there always is. But there is far more risk in failure to act.”
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00:00 - IntroductionWe open with coffee talk today–and sugar intake, including some beverage shortcuts. Tyler calls it cheaping out; Eddie calls it hillbilly lemonade. We also reminisce about our favorite waitress, 4’10” Miss Connie with the beehive haircut. Oh yeah, also pickle races. Poor Miss Connie. 08:05 - Entrepreneurship: A Good Idea?A few weeks ago, guest Matt Aston recommended the book The E-Myth Revisited (now available in an updated version). Tyler shares that this book hit him in the teeth when he picked it up recently. We’re discussing this book today because it’s filled with great content for construction-related entrepreneurs.
Business is hard. Each year, 627,000 businesses are started and 595,000 businesses fail. Many of those may have been active for several years, but still, it’s clear that starting and running a business successfully is tough work.
Author Michael E. Gerber shares his insights by telling the story of Sara, a fictional pie maker. 12:46 - Initial E-Myth TakeawaysEddie shares the first bits of insight that he took from this book. Gerber distinguishes between the technician, the manager, and the entrepreneur. These are three roles may exist in
A technician is the person who can do something well. A manager the person who is good at logistics and task completion. An entrepreneur is the person who works not so much in the business and on the business.
Tyler explains that many businesses are started by technicians who quickly find themselves needing to now fill all three of these roles. And since they may not have management strengths or entrepreneur strengths, their businesses often fail.
Tyler and Eddie both share examples of how this pattern played out in their respective businesses, ABSI and Storybuilder. The pattern is one that will sound familiar to you if you’ve started your own business. As a company grows, team members are added in a less-than-strategic manner, resulting in confusion and frustration. The next step is often a soft collapse back to the point where the business owner is once again handling almost everything. 22:55 - SystemsTyler shares that his entrepreneurial journey has gone through the first part of this cycle. Tyler and Eddie discuss the smoothness of the system that makes this podcast operate and Tyler contrasts that with his business.
Eddie discusses Gerbers references to Ray Kroc and what he did with McDonald’s. Kroc bought a system. Gerber makes the argument that even owners of small businesses need to approach their business like a franchise in regard to team-building, systems, and training.
Tyler refers to the movie Founder, which tells Kroc’s story. This leads to some talk about the turn-key revolution pioneered by McDonald’s. Tyler encourages business owners to check out Loom as a means of creating operational guides. 32:12 - Training and MoreEddie shares that one of the lessons from the book that most resonated with him was the importance of determining your primary aim. In other words, what is your life goal? If this business cannot generate that reality, then don’t pursue the business.
Tyler critiques this a bit, saying that the process needs to be considered as much as the primary aim. He said that the path to that end is just as important. Structuring a desired lifestyle now is as important as an entrepreneurial endgame.
Eddie discusses the book’s 4 tenets of strategy: organization, management, people, and marketing. Then there’s a 5th-systems–that was more than we could discuss today. 36:12 - The HotelTyler and Eddie discuss Gerber’s hotel storyline. Gerber recounts his experience learning about the systems that enabled this hotel to operate on such a high level.
Then Gerber contrasts this hotel experience with a barbershop that provides high-quality service up front but was unable to repeat the quality of that experience over time.
Tyler discusses the importance of not just first but also second, third, and fourth impressions. It’s about consistently focusing on the things that are essential.
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IntroductionToday we welcome Joe Purtle, who is here to talk to us about concrete forms. Joe has been in construction for well over two decades, and he’s currently the COO of Doka, which specializes in forming and shoring.
Eddie shares a bit about his experience in construction back in the 2x4 and plywood days. He shares how cool it’s been to see the complexity of forms increase over time and to see how those forms have become woven into BIM software.
We discuss how designers and other stakeholders view concrete forms. Joe explains that the placement of concrete drives the schedule on many large projects. And the placement of concrete is largely dependent on the completion of formwork. Cycling of formwork and big dadgum messesEddie asks Joe to explain the cycling (reuse) of forms on large projects. Doka’s job is to understand the complicated aspects of forming and pouring and how these complexities can affect a schedule. We discuss the benefits of modular approaches and cycling of forms.
Joe discusses the importance of knowledgeable planning and the unfortunate results when things to wrong and a form gets trapped. It’s what the bros and their Georgia buddies would call a “dadgum mess.”
Joe shares about how he has seen companies process decisions related to renting vs. buying. He also discusses sustainability issues and equipment that measures temperature and pressure to optimize the curing process. We get into the optimization of pouring and the incorporation of reusable sensors that give designers and project managers the ability to know things they would have previously not known without expensive, messy tests. Prefab of formworkEddie asks Joe to share about prefab work such as cast-in-place parking garages. Joe explains that Doka can build and ship complete beam forms that are pretty much ready to plug and play when they arrive at the job site. They have CNC machines that can put curves into forms with highly detailed specs when the customer wants it.
Tyler connects these abilities to the overall increase in complexity of structures. Joe shares about the pride we’ve discussed in previous episodes that comes with seeing a really cool building and being able to say you had something to do with that. BIM ModelingEddie asks Joe to explain how Doka’s work integrates with the BIM process. He explains that they’re already working within Revit and Tekla but that they are quickly extending their integration even further. We discuss how AI is streamline design. Then there are the AI features that simply increase the team’s everyday operations.
Joe shares some thoughts about “real BIM” vs. “Hollywood BIM” and how these differences affect scheduling. Eddie shares some thoughts from a designer’s perspective as well as thoughts about storing huge form components that are not easy to move.
We spend some time discussing the design rules being used to form AI and how significantly this process will likely change design work in the future. Then we discuss the role that human insight and finesse play in this process. Megaphone Message
Joe’s message to the industry is this: The industry needs to come together and stop working in silos. The sooner we can create true collaboration through the available technologies, the sooner we’ll progress to a future we can’t even imagine at this point. Find Joe on LinkedIn Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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00:00 - Ennui and another TylerWe know that you come here for philosophical insight and existential explanations, so today we’re discussion ennui. Tyler shares… tries to share about this state of listlss… listsles… listlessness and dissatisfaction.
After this fun, we welcome our new vocal presence, Tyler Cook. Tyler shares about the secret to connecting with Zoomers. It’s all about tier lists and brackets. So today we’re going to do a tourney bracket.
05:23 - The bracket
Today we’re exploring niches. We don’t want to share any spoilers here in the notes, but here are some opinions that are shared as we process this competition.
* Concrete is tough.
* Drywall corners are hard.
* Flooring is not comfortable work.
* Spending your day staring upward will do a number on your neck.
* We don’t want to fall off a roof.
* Dooky’s not fun.
* OSHA keeps telling us not to touch a live wire.
* Demolition is fun for 30 minutes.
* Eddie is confident that he’s done with roofing.
* Welding sometimes happens in really dangerous places.
**If you're interested in jumping straight to some specific first-round debates:
6:06 - Carpentry vs. masonry 7:40 - Drywall vs. concrete 10:20 - Ceiling vs. flooring 16:01 - Roofing vs. HVAC 23:37 - Landscaping vs. painting 24:48 - Electrical vs. excavation 30:44 - Glass installation vs. demolition
33:21 - Semifinals
39:15 - FinalsThe takeaway from this process? Man, tradespeople do some tough stuff. Check out the partners that make our show possible.
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Tyler's going to regret opening his mouth during this episode.
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If you're interested in learning more about the construction of Hoover Dam, scroll to the end of the show notes for links.
00:00 - A Quick Dam Joke, the Consortium, and Some Stats
We question our ability to keep our puns in check. Sorry, Mom.
Then we move on to the contractors. We discuss the consortium called Six Companies Inc. that won the bid at nearly $49 million, approximately $860 million in today’s dollars.
Eddie makes a conveniently timed comparison to the Washington Monument. The Hoover Dam is 726 feet tall–almost 200 feet taller than the Washington Monument. Only 6 buildings in the US were taller than the dam when it was built.
We discuss some stats:
-4.4 million cubic yards of concrete were used in the project. That is enough to pave a two-lane road from Seattle to Miami or a four-foot-wide sidewalk around the Earth at the Equator or enough to pave a two-lane road from Seattle to Miami.
-Its base is as thick as the length of 2 football end-to-end
-It has 4 intake towers (30’ diameter each) that can carry enough water to fill 900 bathtubs in only one second. That means 1,448,100 “bathtubfuls” of water will have passed through the dam in the time it takes you to listen to this episode.
07:15 - Construction Costs and Power Output
Tyler mentions that the cost of the initial construction, which finished in 1936, wasn't paid off until 1987. Eddie discusses the way that we handle financing for capital projects, spending not just tomorrow’s money–but money that won’t come in for decades.
We compare these expenses to the absolutely monumental amount of economic impact that the electricity from the dam has had. Here’s where the 4 billion kilowatt-hours each year goes:
* 19% to Arizona
* 23% to Nevada
* 58% percent goes to California (15% to LA, which is 270 miles away)
10:46 - Hoovervilles and Fatalities
Eddie fills the gaps in Tyler’s history education with an explanation of the Hoovervilles from the Great Depression. Hoover didn’t get much positive PR aside from this dam.
We discuss the desperation of the Great Depression is shown by the fact that the ability to line up workers for a job to do this. Tyler shares the troubling coincidence is the fact that the first and last men to die on this project were father and son.
Thinking about these human costs leads us into a discussion about the structure of incentives and penalties that drove the owners of Six Companies to push the pace of construction.
19:53 - Takeaways: Big Projects, Green Energy, Old-school Drafting
We discuss the fact that bold projects lead to emboldened people who move on to even bolder projects. Sometimes biting off more than you can chew leads to growth.
Tyler makes the point that this dam was a green-energy project long before the term “green energy” was coined. He also expresses awe at the thought that all of the drafting for this massive project would have been done by hand.
Eddie stops short of calling himself a history buff, but he expresses a deep respect for the teams of designers and workers who accomplished massive projects like this with so little help from what we consider advanced technologies.
Tyler invites you to submit your ideas for future research-based projects.
If you’re interested in additional details about the Hoover Dam, explore these sources:
* EIA.gov
* USBR.gov
* B1M video: compares the world’s largest dams to other structures
* Lake Mead historical water-level chart
* NPS.gov
* Bechtel’s page about construction of the dam
* Old publicity/education video
* Library of Congress Photos
* Video of the physics and engineering involved
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Thanks for listening
This week, Eddie shares a leadership insight straight from the baseball diamond: how paying attention to the players who struggle most can transform your entire team. Whether you're building a lineup or running a job site, it’s a powerful reminder that every role matters—and investing in overlooked contributors could be the key to winning.
Go build something awesome!
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Today we’re in conversation with Siddhant Mehta, Project Manager at Skanska, to explore how AI is transforming construction. From choosing the right tools to critiquing SaaS pricing models, Sid shares insights on tech adoption, AI coding, and the future of project management.
00:46 – Sid’s Journey Abroad
Sid Mehta shares his story from Mumbai to the U.S., managing multimillion-dollar projects and finding his place in construction management.
02:03 – Building Tech Networks
How Skanska leverages emerging tech groups, vendor evaluations, and peer networks to spread innovation across teams.
03:55 – Tech Adoption Realities
Sid challenges perceptions of slow adoption in construction, highlighting why pilot projects need time to show results.
05:14 – The Feedback Gap
Why construction tech tools often miss the mark, and how missing field feedback hurts tool development.
06:43 – Choosing the Right Tool
Sid explains why not every tech solution fits every project, stressing the importance of aligning tools with project type and phase.
09:06 – SaaS Pricing Rant
A frank critique of SaaS pricing in construction, questioning project-based fees versus simpler subscriptions.
12:00 – Naming Names (Kinda) A playful yet pointed critique of familiar industry pricing models—without naming names (but we all know who).
17:05 – Rise of AI Coding
Exploring tools like Replit, Claude, and Cursor, and the rise of “vibe coding” in construction tech and software development.
23:02 – AI’s Development Impact
How AI coding shifts the role of developers, and why front-end engineering faces more disruption than back-end.
28:00 – Data Centers & Demand
How AI’s growth drives demand for data centers, reshaping infrastructure needs for GPUs, power, and cooling.
35:00 – Environmental Impacts
A look at the ecological consequences of data center expansion, from water usage to energy demands.
40:48 – AI Saves the Day
Real-world examples of AI replacing executive assistants, saving hours on email, scheduling, and admin tasks in construction.
45:00 – Skanska’s Internal AI
How Skanska built internal chatbots to automate project schedules, saving schedulers hours every week.
47:26 – Ripple Effect of AI
Sid reflects on how AI’s time savings can scale across thousands of employees, transforming workflows organization-wide.
50:00 – Marketing’s AI Shift
Why SEO strategies are changing in an AI world, and how creative content is being reshaped by generative tools.
54:00 – AI’s Rapid Acceleration
Closing thoughts on how quickly AI is evolving, and why getting on board now is key for construction leaders.
Go build something awesome!
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Eddie’s going deep for today’s quote–all the way back to Sun Tzu’s Art of War (which you can hear for free on Youtube if you can spare 72 minutes.)
“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” Sometimes people will use these two words interchangeably. Here’s the difference:
Strategy is the long-term plan. What you plan to achieve in the distance.
Tactics are the thoughtfully crafted short-term methods for working out that strategy.
In exploring Sun Tzu’s words, we discuss Tyler’s business and bodies on Everest.
We acknowledge that tactics may vary as you work backward from the strategy.
Go build something awesome!
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If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!
Today we are in conversation with Clint Padgett, CEO / President at Project Success, Inc. From managing Olympic-scale projects for Coca-Cola to coaching project managers around the world, Clint dives deep into what makes planning work — and why most teams don’t worry soon enough. We cover why bad bids ruin trust, how to lead without authority, and the mindset shift young PMs need most.
Chapters:
From the Navy to Global Projects (00:00)
Our guest shares how his time as a Navy electrician led to a career managing Olympic activations — starting with a leap of faith during the 1996 Games.
How You Plan a World Cup (04:04)
Planning a FIFA event is surprisingly similar to planning a giant party. It’s all about logistics, timing, and making sure the Coke is cold.
Rookie Mistakes in Project Management (08:10)
New PMs often rush to execution without planning. But skipping those first few days of structure creates weeks of rework.
Leading Without Power (10:43)
When you don’t have authority, you lead through planning and trust. Without buy-in, you’re just another task competing for attention.
Planning Across Projects (14:08)
When team members are split across five jobs, smart scheduling avoids overload. It all comes down to float, flexibility, and clarity.
What People Get Wrong About Planning (17:02)
Overly optimistic timelines and ignoring outsourced work are two of the biggest killers in project schedules. Time elapsed is what matters.
Ask Dumb Questions, Early (20:10)
Even “stupid” questions can catch unrealistic expectations. Collaborative planning gives teams space to challenge assumptions safely.
People Over Process (24:13)
Project success depends on human connection — not just task dependencies. Why real conversations still matter more than Slack threads.
Plans Must Adapt (34:07)
When the situation changes, great teams pivot. Don’t let emotional attachment to a project cost another 6 months of effort.
Sales Promises vs. Reality (40:01)
When bids are made without planners, projects start on the wrong foot. Being the honest vendor might cost more — but builds lasting trust.
Reliability Wins Over Price (46:11)
The 2% more expensive team that delivers on time is always worth it. Clients don’t just want cheap — they want confidence.
The Worry Curve (48:58)
His favorite concept: teams usually worry too late. Good planning moves the worry to the start — where it can still change outcomes.
Go build something awesome!
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If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!
This week we’re talking "Hour of Power"—how we plan our weeks, avoid the Monday chaos, and yes, why stress cleaning might be your biggest productivity killer. Grab a pen (or a mop) and let’s set the week up right.
Go build something awesome!
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If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!
This week we are in conversation with Daniel Calabro, structural engineer and founder at Ferris.
00:00 – 03:01 | Foundations and Futures
Exponential growth, the foundational role of AEC industries, and a personal origin story rooted in the events of 9/11 set the tone for Daniel Calabro’s passion for structural engineering.
03:01 – 07:16 | School, Steel, and South Florida
A college football career at RPI, a surprise love for Python, and a move to South Florida during COVID all led to hands-on experience designing steel connections for NASA’s Artemis launch tower with Bechtel.
07:16 – 12:03 | Talent Crisis in Engineering
A detailed look at the declining supply of civil engineers and Daniel’s data-backed projection that by 2031, only 10 engineers will be available for every 26 job openings in the U.S.
12:03 – 16:09 | Losing the Narrative
Cultural competition from tech companies and content creation platforms is siphoning away potential engineers, while engineering remains under-marketed and misunderstood.
16:09 – 20:52 | Value, Risk, and Retention
The profession’s high-risk, moderate-pay equation is explored alongside burnout, respect, and why retaining engineers requires more than just raising salaries.
20:52 – 29:28 | Error Reduction and AI Assistants
Reducing mistakes is framed as the industry’s biggest efficiency lever, with Daniel proposing automation tools that double as educational systems—what he calls “recipes.”
29:28 – 37:09 | Crutches and Calculators
A philosophical conversation unfolds on whether AI creates dependency or simply represents the next evolution of engineering tools, much like calculators or CAD.
37:09 – 46:03 | Designing the Future
AI’s rapid creative evolution is examined, from sentiment analysis to generative art, along with why civil engineering must embrace these tools before falling behind.
46:03 – 52:58 | Pride, Projects, and Purpose
Engineering is reframed as a purpose-driven profession with power to shape communities, inspire wonder, and earn respect—if the industry is willing to tell that story more loudly.
52:58 – 53:04 |Final Word
The episode closes with appreciation, optimism, and a challenge to engineers everywhere: take pride, take ownership, and take the mic.
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Check out Quickbase's project hub: https://www.quickbase.com/exchange/project-hub
Juggling 50 tools across 100 projects? We feel you. In this Five Minute Friday, we’re diving into one of the most common pain points in construction: scattered systems and the scramble to find what you need. We break down why it’s a jobsite and office headache—and highlight how Quickbase’s new Project Hub is helping bring everything (and everyone) back to one place.
Go build something awesome!
Sponsored by Quickbase
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In this episode, we wanted to do something a little different—and honestly, a lot of fun. We posted our signature megaphone question out to the construction community:
“If you had 60 seconds to speak to the entire industry, what would you say?” What came back was a flood of insights, rants, encouragement, and reality checks from folks across the field. From how we pay people to how we treat each other, and even how we sketch out ideas—this one’s packed with voices that matter.
00:30 – What's a Megaphone Question, Anyway?
A quick explainer of the idea and how the construction community showed up to respond.
01:02 – Prompt Payment as a Measure of Respect
Why paying contractors on time is more than good practice—it’s survival for many in the trades.
05:08 – Enjoying the Process, Not Just the Win
What if the key to success is being the person others actually want to work with?
07:11 – Know Your Worth and Don’t Get Steamrolled
The real cost of being undervalued—and how to draw the line without losing your edge.
08:49 – Continuous Improvement Over Shiny Tools
Construction needs more than new machines and software. It needs a culture of iteration.
10:01 – Sketch Before You Solve
Sometimes the fastest way to clarity is with a pencil, a napkin, and a good old-fashioned sketch.
12:05 – Should We Reinvent or Refine Our Workflows?
A back-and-forth on whether digital transformation means rebuilding from scratch—or just tweaking what's already there.
14:35 – Breaking the Low-Bid Mentality
If everyone looks and sounds the same, price becomes the only differentiator. Let’s change that.
18:22 – Leading Like Someone’s Watching (Because They Are)
We’re all setting examples—whether we realize it or not. Act accordingly.
20:09 – Construction Careers Go Beyond the Jobsite
Highlighting the essential support roles that keep projects moving—and often get overlooked.
22:14 – Four Pillars: Communication, Respect, Merit, and Tech
A framework for better team dynamics and culture, from phone calls to field collaboration.
31:01 – Don’t Trust Cost-Cut Claims Without Receipts
When someone offers a “money-saving” change, demand a side-by-side breakdown before approving it.
32:36 – Invest in the Team, Reap the Results
Why training, supporting, and empowering your crew is the best ROI in the business.
33:26 – Experience Over Degrees on the Jobsite
Reconsidering the four-year requirement—especially for field leaders who’ve earned their stripes.
34:10 – There’s No One “Best”—Just Smart Options
Most choices in construction have trade-offs. Focus on outcomes, not labels.
34:46 – 90% of Problems? Solved with Communication
Direct, empathetic conversations fix more issues than you’d think. The other 10% is scheduling.
35:22 – Wrapping Up: So Many Voices, One Industry
Each response had its own twist, but the common thread? We all want to build something better—together.
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If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!
In this Five Minute Friday, we dive into the power of batching—grouping similar tasks to boost productivity and cut down on the mental whiplash of constant context switching. We talk about how we stack sales calls, cluster client and team meetings, and block out our golden hours (like 7:30–10:30 AM) for deep, focused work.
Go build something awesome!
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If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!
In this episode, we’re joined by Chelsea Burkett, Deputy Program Director with AECOM
[00:01:13] Meet Chelsea Burkett
Chelsea introduces her role with Aecom and the scope of Austin ISD’s massive bond program.
[00:02:29] GMP 101
A foundational look at GMP pricing and how it supports collaborative delivery models.
[00:03:37] Early GC Involvement
Why selecting general contractors early creates synergy and reduces surprises.
[00:05:23] Community-Driven Design = Scope Creep?
How community input shapes schools—and complicates budgets.
[00:06:38] What’s in a GMP?
Chelsea walks through what the contract amendment includes and how it’s executed.
[00:08:49] Staying in Budget
The bond book, voter expectations, and how cost alignment is maintained.
[00:11:13] Supply Chain Chaos
Material pricing, long lead times, and how GCs manage risk today.
[00:15:24] The Open Book Advantage
Full transparency into sub bids, contingencies, and value engineering.
[00:17:02] The Grading Game
How GCs and subs are evaluated—points, interviews, and all.
[00:20:28] Risk, Clarifications & Allowances
Unpacking who owns what risk in complex multi-GMP projects.
[00:24:07] Liquidated Damages & Deadlines
Why hitting school opening day is non-negotiable—and risky.
[00:30:12] The Art of Negotiation
Navigating owner–GC–architect dynamics for long-term project health.
[00:34:08] Tariffs & Steel Shockwaves
The ripple effects of global politics on your jobsite.
[00:36:09] Fee Strategy
How GCs compete on cost and credentials—and when they ask for more.
[00:37:03] Chelsea’s Pain Points
Why early communication is everything in GMP negotiations.
[00:41:19] Use the PMIS!
Advice to subs: use project management systems to get seen and heard.
[00:43:14] People Matter
How staffing and turnover shape success across multiple projects.
[00:46:00] Smart Strategy ≠ Low Bid
The delicate dance of rewarding excellence while staying fair.
[00:48:35] Megaphone Moment
Chelsea’s call to the industry: prioritize relationships over ego.
Go build something awesome!
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Let the people leave! In this FMF, we're sounding off on one of the biggest time-wasters in construction: bloated, unfocused meetings. If you’re leading meetings, this one’s your reminder to plan with purpose.
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In this episode, we explore the future of 3D modeling in construction with Timber Barker, CEO / Founder @ Boom Interactive - AI enabled 3D modeling software for everyone.
00:00 – 03:09 | The Living Floor Plan
Timber shares his mission: transforming flat, static floor plans into editable 3D models anyone can build and use in under an hour—creating a new standard in communication and collaboration.
03:10 – 07:14 | Learning from Canva
The team discusses how platforms like Canva and Figma disrupted creative workflows—and how Timber’s company aims to do the same for construction by making 3D modeling accessible to all.
07:15 – 10:32 | Facing Industry Denial
Resistance to change runs deep. Timber and the hosts explore how generational shifts, tools like Minecraft and Roblox, and a new mindset are starting to rewrite the rules in construction tech.
10:33 – 14:09 | Building What People Need
Timber offers startup wisdom: don’t wait to perfect your product—talk to real users early and often. That approach helped him refine the platform and gain five new customers per week.
14:10 – 18:03 | Ending the PDF Loop
Why is the industry still bouncing between 3D models and static PDFs? The conversation turns to creating end-to-end continuity without losing data or time.
18:04 – 23:12 | Smarter Schools, Safer Spaces
Timber explains how his platform helps schools stay safe with real-time, shareable 3D models that integrate IoT data and floor plan intelligence for first responders.
23:13 – 29:18 | Rethinking Site Selection
Imagine finding a new office or land, scanning a QR code, and editing a 3D layout on the spot. This use case shows major savings in time, money, and guesswork.
29:19 – 35:19 | Communicating With Architects
The software acts as a 3D Slack, helping owners and architects align visions, clarify needs, and reduce delays throughout early design and permitting.
35:20 – 44:08 | Data for AI Estimation
They explore how AI could automate layouts, cabling, and cost ranges—if we fix construction’s fragmented data problem. Timber’s solution might be the key.
44:09 – 1:00:53 | The Road Ahead
The episode wraps with a look at the future: permitting in 3D, streamlined billion-dollar projects, and how this ecosystem could change the way buildings are built and operated.
Go Build Something Awesome!
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This week on Five Minute Friday, we wrap up our deep dive into The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People with Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw. From Lincoln's wisdom to burnout lessons learned the hard way, we talk about why preparation, recovery, and well-being are non-negotiables—on the jobsite and in life.
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Today we are in conversation with Matt Brennan, Assoc. AIA and host of "What the RFI?" podcast.
01:00 – 03:00 | Tools and Tech
The nailer vs. hammer metaphor—and some DeWalt drama.
03:00 – 06:00 | Change Is Hard
Why architects resist new technology.
06:00 – 09:00 | Drawing vs. Modeling
Balancing old-school sketching with digital tools.
09:00 – 11:30 | Learning by Drawing
How hand-drawing builds deeper understanding.
11:30 – 14:00 | AI in Architecture
Using AI tools to speed up early design.
14:00 – 18:00 | Talking to AI
How voice mode and brainstorming with AI are changing workflows.
18:00 – 21:00 | Digital Natives
The next generation’s tech-first approach to design.
21:00 – 24:00 | Building What You Draw
The value of hands-on building experience.
24:00 – 27:00 | School Gaps
What architecture programs teach—and what they don’t.
27:00 – 30:00 | Fear of Falling Behind
Concerns about stagnation in the field.
30:00 – 34:00 | PDFs vs. Models
Should BIM replace traditional contract docs?
34:00 – 39:00 | Model Accuracy
Why BIM still struggles with liability and clarity.
39:00 – 44:00 | The Cyborg Architect™
AI-augmented designers and the future of modeling.
44:00 – 49:00 | Fast-Tracking Projects
How early detailing can shave months off a build.
49:00 – 53:00 | Tendering with BIM
Real-world examples of model-based tendering.
53:00 – 56:00 | Training AI Like a New Hire
How giving AI context makes it a powerful teammate.
56:00 – 59:00 | Tech Is Moving Fast
If you’re not adapting, you’re getting left behind.
59:00 – 1:02:00 | Final Thoughts
Evolving together, with communication at the center.
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We’re diving into Habit 6: Synergize from 7 Habits of Highly Effective People—yes, that word we swore we wouldn’t say (and now owe a small fortune for). From Belgian draft horses to business partnerships, we break down why working in true lockstep doesn’t just add up—it multiplies. Whether you're the idea machine or the daily grinder, this episode is your reminder: you’re better with your team.
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Today we’re talking with Travis Davis about the realities of contracts, insurance, and risk in construction. From navigating tricky contract terms to understanding how GCs manage risk (and sometimes profit from it), we’re breaking down what every subcontractor needs to know to stay protected and profitable.
02:24 - The Biggest Contract Pitfalls
What clauses in your contract can lead to financial ruin? Discover the red flags every subcontractor should watch for.
05:10 - Signing Your Own Death Warrant?
Why taking on too much work—without considering contract terms—can destroy your cash flow and put your business at risk.
10:35 - Payment Terms: The Silent Killer
How delayed payments (30, 60, 90+ days) impact contractors and why cash flow planning is critical for survival.
12:01 - What is Subcontractor Default?
A breakdown of what happens when a subcontractor fails to meet contract obligations—and how GCs and owners respond.
13:12 - Bonds vs. Subcontractor Default Insurance (SDI)
What’s the difference, and how does each impact subs? Learn why SDI is becoming a profit center for big GCs.
22:08 - How GCs Make Money Off Your Risk
Some GCs turn SDI into a revenue stream—here’s how it works and what subs need to know.
26:19 - How to Become a Pre-Qualified Subcontractor
Want to land bigger, better jobs? Learn what it takes to pass pre-qualification and improve your contract standing.
31:12 - The Contract Review You Can’t Afford to Skip
Why hiring a construction-specific attorney is a game-changer—and how it can save you millions.
38:14 - Working On Your Business: Financial & Risk Management
How strong financials and proper insurance coverage can set you apart from the competition.
44:42 - How Insurance Underwriters Judge You
The hidden factors that influence your premiums and how smart contractors slash insurance costs by 30% or more.
52:05 - A $4 Million Mistake
A real-world example of how ignoring contract insurance requirements led to a devastating financial loss.
53:04 - A Message to Contractors
Why understanding contracts, insurance, and risk management is the key to long-term success in construction.
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This week, we dive into "seek first to understand, then to be understood"—a game-changing habit for better communication on and off the job site. Learn how a simple shift in approach can defuse tension, foster collaboration, and completely change the way you handle tough conversations.
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Thanks for listening!
Today we are in conversation with Brian Clarke, a founding and managing member at GEW-LLC.
[00:01:00] Quality vs. Safety: Why the Gap?
While safety training is common, quality training is almost nonexistent. What if we applied the same discipline to both?
[00:03:30] Real-World Consequences of Poor Training
From epoxy failures to reversed valves—small mistakes add up to massive financial losses.
[00:07:00] The Hidden Cost of Rework
Beyond the obvious expenses, rework drains time, morale, and project efficiency. How can teams measure and mitigate these losses?
[00:10:15] The Condo Catastrophe: When Bad Quality Hits Home
Imagine buying a luxury condo only to be told, “We have to rip out your bathroom.” Quality control isn’t optional—it’s essential.
[00:15:45] Contractors vs. Builders: The Trust Issue
Why are we called contractors instead of builders? A sobering look at the industry's reputation problem.
[00:20:30] Learning from Safety Programs
The success of safety meetings shows the path forward—weekly quality training could be a game-changer.
[00:27:10] The High Cost of “Can’t See It from My House” Thinking
Shortcuts and cover-ups may save time today, but they’ll cost millions down the road.
[00:32:20] The Simple Fix: Weekly Quality Training
A low-cost, high-impact solution—why isn’t every contractor doing this already?
[00:42:00] How Quality Training Can Win More Bids
What if a strong quality program became a key differentiator in contract negotiations?
[00:52:30] The Megaphone Moment
Final thoughts on fixing the industry's biggest blind spot—starting today.
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This week, we break down Habit #4: Think Win-Win. Too often, jobsite conflicts turn into ego battles, slowing everything down. But what if collaboration, not competition, was the key to real success? Want to stop losing and start winning—together? Tune in.
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Thanks for listening!
Today we trigger our PM friends.
00:40 - IntroWe chat about our studio setup and Eddie’s perceived curmudgeonliness. Eddie insists that it’s almost always about expecting people to be a good roommate. 03:57 - Tyler is giddy.Tyler shares about the comment thread on one of his recent LinkedIn posts. The initial post asked people to make a project manager fly off the handle in five words or less. Here are some of our favorites:
-“Cleaners erased your whiteboard.” We wonder if cleaners should carry insurance for this offense.
-“As per my last email…” We have a hard time seeing this one used in a tone that is not passive aggressive.
-“Rev 16 is being issued tomorrow.” We’ve seen the numbers climb even higher than that.
-“That is excluded from my proposal.” This one always comes six months down the road.
-“Why is the OSHA truck outside?” We throw Dad under the bus with a story from OSHA’s early days.
-“You see the new plans?” We can all work together to make sure this one goes extinct. Eddie submits a plea that people don’t nudge elements when you’re tempted to.
- “They’ve been scanned in.” …Meaning you can expect some coffee stains. 24:15 - Our additions and some honorable mentionsEddie shares a trigger phrase that he didn’t share on LinkedIn: “Yeah, but you lost your slot.” He shares some thoughts about the chain of events that leads to this one. Someone is wanting to put everyone else on pause.
We run through a few more responses:
-“That’s above my pay grade.”
-“I may not have said that, but that’s what the consultant’s intent was.”
-“The permits were never obtained.”
30:03 - Confessions
We also posted an invitation for people to share about bizarre project-manager-related stories you’ve experienced or heard. Here are some highlights from that one.
-A traveling employee who angered his girlfriend by visiting a specific sort of club
-A worker who went AWOL under suspicious circumstances
-The contractor who demonstrated his objections to excessive meetings by painting figurines in the corner of the meeting room
We invite you to share some more via DMs.
36:52 - Meetings
We discuss the merits and annoyances of meetings. Are they necessary? Well, yeah, for sure they are to a point. Can we all agree to manage them as thoughtfully as possible, though?
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Prioritize what truly matters and set yourself up for success. What’s the most important thing you need to focus on today?
Go Build Something Awesome!
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Today we are in conversation with Fred Mills, the founder of The B1M (http://www.youtube.com/@TheB1M)
00:38 – Meet Fred Mills:
Founder of The B1M, Fred shares how he built the world’s largest construction video platform from his spare room.
01:31 – Fred’s Background:
He discusses his early passion for construction, engineering education, and the industry's misunderstood reputation.
03:36 – Covering Incredible Projects:
Fred recalls standout projects, including a Swiss dam replacement and an undersea tunnel in Germany.
05:50 – Cultural Differences in Construction:
He compares construction methods worldwide, from Tokyo’s efficiency to the slower pace in the U.S.
08:42 – Why Construction Matters:
Fred explains the industry's fundamental role in shaping society and tackling challenges like climate change.
11:08 – Inspiring the Next Generation:
Over 150,000 students have entered construction because of The B1M, proving the power of engaging content.
15:10 – The Industry’s Storytelling Challenge:
Fred urges construction professionals to improve how they communicate their work to the public.
26:50 – The Future of Construction:
AI, robotics, and generational shifts will define the next era of construction.
33:59 – Generational Change is Key:
The biggest transformation won’t be technology but the next workforce bringing fresh ideas.
42:38 – Fred’s Megaphone Message:
He encourages the industry to embrace its challenges, share its stories, and inspire future builders.
Go build something awesome!
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Great builders don’t start without a clear vision of the finished structure—and neither should you with your long term goals.
Go build something awesome!
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This week we are in conversation with Luke West, the Co-Founder & CEO of Collegium.
00:31 - 01:07 | Meet Luke West
West introduces himself as CEO of Collegium, a company using technology to streamline construction and reduce costs.
01:09 - 02:26 | The Broken Business Model
He identifies two core industry problems: an outdated contract structure and reliance on manual, analog processes.
02:28 - 03:36 | The Power of Digital Transformation
By digitizing construction workflows, Collegium reduces project costs by 20-40% through data-driven efficiency.
03:46 - 04:42 | Data-Driven Bidding
West discusses how BIM enables accurate cost estimation by providing a unified, data-rich model for all stakeholders.
04:45 - 07:16 | The True Cost of Incomplete Pre-Construction Work
Poor early-stage planning can drive up costs by as much as 50%, especially in large-scale projects.
07:16 - 10:02 | Automating Construction with BIM
Using BIM, Collegium automates material estimates, procurement, and cost tracking for greater accuracy. Many project management tools still rely on manual input, leading to errors. Collegium removes this issue through automation.
10:02 - 14:25 | The Financial Benefits of Digital Quantification
Accurate modeling prevents over-ordering and unnecessary costs, benefiting project owners and reducing waste.
14:25 - 17:04 | Eliminating Cost Padding
By cutting out middlemen and redundant markups, Collegium increases financial transparency and lowers expenses. West argues that the industry resists change because many benefit from inefficiencies that inflate costs.
17:04 - 18:40 | Rethinking Contracting Structures
Collegium bypasses general contractors, working directly with owners for greater control and savings.
18:40 - 21:10 | Commoditization in Fabrication
Standardizing project components reduces reliance on costly subcontractor markups and streamlines procurement.
21:10 - 24:10 | The Fast Payment Advantage
Unlike traditional firms that delay payments for months, Collegium guarantees subcontractors are paid within 30 days.
24:10 - 31:10 | Flattening the General Contracting Pyramid
West critiques how contracting has become more about financial manipulation than actual construction.
31:10 - 34:09 | The Role of Early Investment in Pre-Construction
Spending more effort upfront results in fewer delays and cost overruns later in the project.
34:09 - 36:37 | No More Drawings?
Collegium replaces traditional shop drawings with an integrated digital model, though regulatory agencies still require some paperwork.
36:37 - 40:59 | Challenges in Digital Fabrication
Steel and major components are easy to digitize, but elements like stairs and railings still require manual detailing.
40:59 - 45:41 | The Future of Construction Innovation
West predicts a growing divide between companies that embrace digital transformation and those that resist change.
45:41 - 50:38 | The Industry Must Evolve
West encourages professionals to rethink outdated practices and push for smarter, more efficient construction methods.
50:38 - 51:00 | Closing Remarks
The hosts wrap up the discussion, highlighting Collegium’s approach as a glimpse into the future of the industry.
Go Build something awesome!
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Stay ahead of the game! Being proactive isn't just a habit—it’s the key to fewer surprises and smoother projects. Think ahead, plan smart, and show up prepared.
Go build something awesome!
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This week we are in conversation with Ahmed Mekallach, an AI Solutions Architect and the CEO & Founder of Myte Group.
[00:33] Meet Ahmed
Our guest shares his background, from civil engineering and steel fabrication to becoming an AI-driven process optimization expert.
[02:01] The AI Awakening
How OpenAI’s GPT-4 changed everything, inspiring a move from traditional construction workflows to AI-powered automation.
[04:12] AI’s Role in Streamlining Construction
From tracking materials to automating reports, AI is set to eliminate inefficiencies that have plagued the industry for decades.
[09:10] The Death of SaaS?
Why one-size-fits-all software solutions are on the decline, and how AI enables fully customizable, company-specific tech.
[12:30] AI-Powered Construction Workflows
How AI-driven automation can transform estimating, project management, and field operations—all without massive software overhead.
[16:05] The Role of AI in BIM & Data Management
How AI is supercharging Building Information Modeling (BIM), making data extraction and integration effortless.
[19:35] AI for Field Teams: Less Paper, More Productivity
How AI-powered voice and data capture could replace paperwork for foremen and field workers.
[23:00] AI as Your Construction Thought Partner
Why AI isn’t just for automation—it can help construction professionals think through problems, optimize workflows, and make better decisions.
[27:45] Real AI Use Cases in Construction
Examples of how AI is already being used to streamline operations, improve safety, and reduce errors.
[31:10] The AI-First Construction Company
A vision for construction firms built entirely around AI-powered automation and decision-making.
[35:20] AI and the Future of Construction Jobs
The reality of AI-driven automation: It won’t eliminate jobs, but it will redefine them.
[42:30] Overcoming the Fear of AI
For those who feel overwhelmed—practical steps to start using AI in everyday tasks.
[46:00] The Construction Industry Renaissance
Why AI, automation, and emerging tech are creating an unprecedented era of innovation in construction.
[49:10] Final Thoughts & Takeaways
Key insights on how AI is reshaping construction and why now is the time to embrace it.
Go build something awesome!
The AI-Driven Leader: Harnessing AI to Make Faster, Smarter Decisions
by Geoff Woods:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ai-driven-leader-geoff-woods/1146140237
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Are you overcomplicating your systems? In this episode, we explore how excessively complex systems can slow you down, waste resources, and create frustration.
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In this episode, we sit down with Bianca Medina-Leal, Program Director at AECOM, to discuss the challenges and triumphs of managing multi-billion dollar school construction projects.
00:57 – Meet Bianca
Bianca introduces her role at AECOM and how her team helps Austin ISD manage massive school construction projects.
02:31 – The $2.4 Billion Bond
Austin voters approved a $2.4 billion bond to modernize over 130 school facilities. Bianca’s team oversees more than $1 billion of the work.
03:41 – The Challenge of Aging Schools
Many Austin ISD buildings are over 50 years old. Deciding whether to renovate or rebuild is a complex process driven by facility assessments and community needs.
09:00 – Race Against the Clock
With Austin’s rapid growth, the district must move fast. Their aggressive five-year timeline puts pressure on every phase of construction.
09:52 – Competing with Mega Projects
Tesla’s Gigafactory and Samsung’s plant are pulling contractors away. Bianca shares how Austin ISD retains labor despite the competition.
14:05 – Navigating Construction During COVID
COVID disrupted timelines, but school projects were deemed essential. Bianca details how her team adapted to keep things moving.
20:37 – Scaling Up: The Current State of the Program
Four new schools are opening soon, with more in design and construction. Managing this level of activity requires constant coordination.
21:17 – Why Owners Push Fast Construction
Delays mean rising costs. With a fixed budget, Austin ISD must act quickly or risk cutting projects due to inflation.
26:03 – Choosing the Right Delivery Method
Bianca explains why Design-Build and CMAR are the preferred models, emphasizing the importance of strong contractor-architect relationships.
33:20 – Community Engagement in School Design
No two schools look the same—community input ensures designs reflect local culture and student needs.
36:41 – Prefabrication & Innovation
Prefab construction offers speed and cost savings, but not every site is a good fit. Lessons learned from past projects guide future decisions.
39:20 – The Data Dilemma
Managing a $2.4 billion program requires massive data tracking. Despite advanced tools, Excel remains a critical part of the workflow. Bianca’s wish? Seamless tech integration and better alignment between school construction and district-wide operations.
55:00 – The Megaphone Question
Her message to the industry: Trust, collaboration, and communication are the foundation of every successful project. Construction is about more than just buildings—it’s about people.
58:48 – Closing Thoughts
Bianca reflects on the impact of building schools and why it’s all worth it. If you’re in construction, take pride in the work you do—it shapes the future.
Go build something awesome!
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Are you filling your jar with the right rocks?
In this 5 Minute Friday episode, we break down the power of prioritization—how focusing on the big stuff first can transform your business and life. Don't let the little things crowd out what really matters.
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In this episode, we sit down with Ricky Horton, president of Fabrication Information Systems, to explore the dynamic intersection of technology, fabrication, and communication in the steel industry. From implementing cutting-edge tools like Tekla PowerFab to navigating the complexities of shop workflows, Ricky shares invaluable insights from his 27 years of industry experience. Here’s what we covered:
[00:00:00] Intro:
Meet Ricky Horton and hear about his journey in the steel industry. [00:05:00] The Tekla Advantage: How Tekla PowerFab transforms fabrication workflows and why so many shops fail to use it to its full potential.
[00:15:30] Fabrication Then vs. Now:
A look back at the evolution of steel fabrication, from dirt floors and mag drills to robotics and 3D modeling.
[00:23:45] Driving Robotics with Data:
The critical role of accurate 3D modeling in powering robotics and improving shop efficiency.
[00:30:00] The Communication Disconnect:
How poor communication between detailers and fabricators leads to inefficiencies and frustration—and what can be done to fix it.
[00:38:15] Busting Silos:
Breaking down barriers between shop floors and project management to create a seamless flow of information.
[00:45:20] Lessons in Leadership:
Why understanding the "why" behind tools and processes is crucial for buy-in and long-term success.
[00:55:00] Ricky's Megaphone Moment:
"Use the tools you’ve got." Far too many shops underutilize their software investments, keeping their “Ferraris” stuck in second gear. Take the time to learn your tools, and you’ll save time, money, and frustration in the long run.
Whether you're a project manager, BIM technician, superintendent, or steel detailer, this episode offers actionable advice for improving collaboration and embracing the future of fabrication technology.
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What does "done" really mean?
This actionable tip creates clear milestones to achieve real progress without overthinking the process.
Tune in for a quick hit of inspiration to get your projects across the finish line.
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This week we are in conversation with Michael Osburn talking about importance of risk management, work-life balance, and soft skills.
00:00 - Blame or Solutions?
We open by examining the challenges of the construction industry, focusing on the balance between assigning blame and finding solutions.
02:58 - Risk in the Construction
The conversation shifts to the role of risk management in construction and engineering, emphasizing its critical importance in successful projects.
05:59 - Forensics in Engineering
Our guest shares insights into forensic engineering, offering a unique perspective on problem-solving and its impact on the industry.
09:07 - Building Relationships
Strong relationships are the foundation of successful projects. We discuss how trust and collaboration drive outcomes.
11:56 - The Soft Skills
"The soft skills are the hard skills." We delve into why soft skills are often more valuable than technical expertise.
14:52 - Effective Communication and Team Dynamics
Good communication can make or break a project. We explore how it strengthens team dynamics and reduces conflict.
17:48 - Prioritizing Training and Development
Training isn’t just an organizational responsibility; it’s a personal commitment. We discuss its role in building skilled teams.
21:09 - Time Management and Prioritization
In a fast-paced industry, prioritizing tasks effectively is key. Our guest shares strategies for managing time and competing demands.
24:01 - People Over Technology
While technology is advancing, people remain at the heart of construction. We highlight the importance of prioritizing human needs.
26:51 - Ego and Decision-Making
Ego can hinder progress and problem-solving. We explore how to navigate ego in high-pressure environments.
30:03 - Back to Basics
Sometimes, focusing on the fundamentals leads to the best results. We close with advice on simplifying processes for success.
32:58 - Final Thoughts on Construction The conversation wraps up with reflections on the construction industry’s future and the importance of a people-first approach.
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The 1-3-1 Rule: A Simple Leadership Solution
Ever feel like problems are constantly getting dropped on your desk? Or maybe you’re the one bringing them to your boss? The 1-3-1 Rule, from Dan Martell’s Buy Back Your Time, is a quick way to make things easier for everyone.
It’s all about showing up with solutions, not just problems. Leaders, this can save you a ton of time. And if you’re part of a team, this little trick could make you stand out.
Give it a try and see how much smoother things can get.
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This week we are in conversation with Kyle Buckett, a retired US Navy SEAL and current author / entrepreneur.
00:00 - Becoming a Navy SEAL
Our guest shares the unlikely path that led him to become a Navy SEAL, reflecting on the lessons learned during his 20-year military career. He describes the SEALs as the "world's most elite university," where leadership and adaptability are put to the ultimate test.
We dive into his experiences in the SEALs and how they prepared him for the challenges of entrepreneurship. He discusses the parallels between military discipline and business innovation, offering advice for navigating cultural shifts and fostering growth in self-led teams.
08:53 - Leadership is Overrated: The Book
"Leadership is overrated," he asserts, as we discuss alternative approaches to leadership that prioritize empowerment and collaboration over hierarchy.
11:52 - Cultural Shifts: Changing Mindsets in the Military
Our guest shares his experiences in shifting organizational cultures, drawing parallels between military environments and business settings.
15:14 - Self-Led Teams vs. Top-Down Leadership
We dive into the benefits of self-led teams, emphasizing trust, autonomy, and the importance of allowing team members to take ownership of their roles.
18:09 - Trust and Empowerment in Organizations
The conversation highlights the role of trust and empowerment in building resilient teams, both in military units and in the construction industry.
20:53 - The Importance of Delegation and Team Dynamics
Delegation is a cornerstone of effective leadership. Our guest shares how fostering strong team dynamics leads to better outcomes.
23:57 - Mental Health in Construction
The construction industry faces unique mental health challenges, from high stress to a lack of recognition. We discuss strategies for improving well-being and building appreciation into workplace culture.
26:55 - Technology vs. People in Business
Technology is vital, but people drive innovation. We examine the balance between technological advancements and the human element, particularly in construction and project management.
30:14 - Recognition in the Workplace
Our guest emphasizes the importance of recognition and appreciation over monetary rewards, exploring how these factors motivate employees and build loyalty.
46:28 - Finding Purpose
The discussion shifts to the critical role of purpose, highlighting how a clear sense of direction can help overcome challenges and achieve fulfillment.
51:53 - The SEALs and Construction: A Unique Perspective
The parallels between the Navy SEALs and the construction industry come into focus. We explore how lessons from the SEALs—teamwork, adaptability, and resilience—translate to construction.
01:00:18 - Contracts!
Our guest shares insights into the importance of clear contracts, collaboration, and trust in managing successful construction projects.
01:14:29 - Revolutionizing the Construction Industry
We wrap up with a look at innovative approaches to project management and sustainability. The conversation highlights how the industry can evolve to meet future challenges while staying people-focused.
Check out Kyle's book! https://www.amazon.com/dp/006320990X?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_9JFR28X7XSXD855V2PAT&peakEvent=5&dealEvent=1&language=en-US
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Thanks for listening.
Man, it’s been a long few years. Let’s allow ourselves to step out of the weeds for a minute. Today, Heady Eddie shares the concept of benevolent detachment and a few other insights from the book Resilient. The message from that book? Sometimes you need to let it go. You can’t do it on your own. Sometimes you need to hand your situation off to something greater than yourself. Give yourself the favor of giving up the problem–not surrendering to apathy but allowing yourself to rest. Step away from the situation in order to rise above it. Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today, we welcome Fouad Khalil. Fouad shares insights into how the construction industry is evolving to meet market demands. He emphasizes the importance of understanding customer needs and adapting business practices to align with shifting industry expectations.We discuss how the construction labor force is changing, with notable statistics like 14% of workers potentially being undocumented. Fouad reflects on the significant challenges these workforce dynamics present, including labor shortages and a rising wave of retirements.
Fouad explains the critical role vocational training plays in preparing the next generation of workers. He discusses how global perspectives on construction labor offer valuable lessons for addressing workforce shortages and ensuring future sustainability.
We dive into the concept of industrialized construction and why it's becoming a permanent fixture in the industry. Fouad outlines how this practice streamlines processes, enhances efficiency, and reduces waste, helping companies stay competitive in a challenging market.
Fouad highlights the importance of automation and robotics in modern construction. From improving material efficiency to reducing project timelines, technology is reshaping the way we build. He also shares examples of how automation is minimizing waste and maximizing resource use.
The conversation turns to the importance of adapting financial structures to support the industry's shift toward industrialized construction. Fouad emphasizes the role of early investments in ensuring successful project execution and delivering on customer expectations.
Customization is becoming a game-changer in the construction industry. Fouad explains how modular approaches and tailored designs are helping companies appeal to diverse markets and differentiate themselves from competitors.
We wrap up by discussing the exciting opportunities available in the construction industry. Fouad encourages young professionals to see the field as a place of innovation and growth, where they can make a meaningful impact and build a rewarding career.
Find Fouad Khalil on LinkedIn
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You know what we have to say about your positivity? NO! Actually, today we’re talking about how this word can be a way to be positive. Eddie explains that your nos are more positive than your yeses. Both yeses and nos come in seasons. Tyler explains that he and the family are headed into a season of nos. We discuss the feelings that come along with a good, solid no. Although there might be some intimidation and unease, Tyler said the dominant feeling for him is usually relief. The unwillingness to say no can lead to grudgingly spoken yeses, which aren’t good for anyone. Be a good picker. Monitor your opportunities. Think them through. Don’t lock yourself in because of your people-pleasing tendencies. Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Measure, cut, walk, remeasure, repeat. If that sounds fun, then Ben Blumer of ShapeMeasure isn’t the interview you want to turn on. Ben sits down with us to discuss the automation of floor cutting, specifically stairs. If you've ever laid any type of flooring, you know stairs are the least forgiving area of the project. Ben talks about how we can increase profitability by increasing cutting efficiency, and accuracy of quotes while decreasing the experience needed. His background with robotics and algorithms has turned point clouds into touchdowns and we love it.
Related Links Construction Junkie ArticleTech Crunch Video - ShapeMeasureBen’s LinkedInShapeMeasure
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We’ve learned a lot about this over the past two years of producing this podcast and we wanted to share the biggest tip to help you grow you brand or business. _________ In Other News We have been posting more on YouTube about our field experience with the Trimble X7 scanner. Make sure you go check it out and subscribe to that channel if you want to see some more content like that in the future! - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7OcpEn4q1_4yWXIY9Zuyiw
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What if Santa decided to expand his operation?
**NOTE: If you’re interested in construction in extreme conditions, explore the links at the end of these show notes.
00:40 - Intro*We are dressed to the 9s and ready to help the Big Guy. Today we’re discussing what Santa would need to do to build a second headquarters at the South Pole in order to cut down on delivery times.As our template, we’re using the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station as our model. Here are some facts about that structure:
It sits on a sheet of ice that is 9,000 feet thick.
* The temperatures range from -117 degrees to +7.52 degrees Fahrenheit.
* The ice sheet on which it sits shifts roughly 33 feet per year.
* The project cost $175 million. In our Santa plans, we made some adjustments for inflation and settled on roughly $2,600 per square foot, which would put the total cost at roughly $3.14 billion.
* The center has 45 10,000-gallon fuel tanks for heating and vehicles.
07:36 - Labor Costs and ComplicationsEddie rails against the millennial elves–their lack of motivation, lack of skills. It’s shameful. This is complicated by the fact that construction workers at the South Pole are able to work outdoors for only 15 minutes at a time due to the extreme cold.We discuss what infrastructure employee-relations efforts would be needed for the elves to work through the 110-day outdoor construction season. 14:20 - Materials and TransportationAgain using the Amundsen-Scott Research Center as a guide, we discuss what it would take to ship all of the construction materials needed. 25 million pounds of cargo was hauled to the build site at 26,000 pounds per trip over 12 seasons on an Air Force LC130 plane. 20:52 - Other Facts about Antarctica and Amundsen-Scott South Pole StationWe review some political facts about Antarctica as well as the research done there. This research includes glaciology, geophysics and seismology, ocean and climate systems, astrophysics, astronomy, and biology.
We discuss the complications of hiring people to work in an extreme environment like this.
The structure is mounted on 32 vertical columns that are each six feet into the snow and designed to be able to be added to as the snow pack increases. These columns are mounted on a floating footing made of 2x12 members boxed with ¾” plywood. If you’re interested in learning more about real South Pole structures, explore these links:
* The B1M video Eddie mentioned about construction in Antarctica
* A video of Jerry Marty, NSF project manager, discussing the construction of the Amundsen-Scott Research Center.
* The official NSF site
* A 3-part Tour of the Facility (Link is to part 1)
* NatGeo video about construction at the South Pole
* Article about Antarctic buildings and bases
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Yes, you’ve probably heard this story before. It’s one that’s worth hearing again. Here’s a link to the text in case you’re interested in following along or reading it again later.
Merry Christmas, everyone. **Check out the partners that make our show possible.
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We open today with a discussion about the latest epidemic in the US. Yes, we’re talking about the epidemic of pickleball-related injuries. Here’s the story in Bloomberg. Then we move on to a topic that John Roach brought to Eddie’s attention recently. It’s all about architects and the pricing of their services. It all goes back to the Sherman Anti-trust Act, which was enacted in 1890 to address the problem of monopolies. In the 1860s, Richard Morris Hunt sued a client who failed to pay his 5% fee. In doing so, he unknowingly set 5% as the industry standard for architect fees. By the 1950s, the AIA had formalized a somewhat complicated fee structure for various architectural services. In the late 1960s, concerns arose that this fee structure was a form of price fixing. The Justice Department investigated and found that it did, indeed, violate the Sherman Anti-trust Act. In 1972, they issued a “consent decree,” which amounted to a settlement that outlined how the AIA could and could not behave going forward. (If you’d like to geek out on details, go here.). Here’s the 2022 AIA compliance guide. After reviewing this history, we discuss the complications of defining the scope of an architect’s work and getting clarity on that when it comes to the architect’s fees. It can become a race to the bottom. These complications have affected the way that contractors relate to owners and designers. We compare these patterns to the patterns within fees for engineering services. The question all of this leads to is this: “How do we argue for spending more money on design when it’s hard to know what I’m buying?” We discuss the challenge of bank loans based on permit designs, as well as owners who don’t know how complicated the design process is. Tyler really wants a Ford Raptor… What does that have to do with architecture fees? Well, when you buy a truck, you know what options you’re paying for and how they affect the price. Eddie explains that he’d like to see that kind of manufacturing mindset influence the designing and bidding process in construction. We ponder the F1 price cap as an analogy for how things could play out if people were to spend more money on design. Our Megaphone Message: Define value. Then buy value. Buy more design. Work with your lender and explain that this project can be much more successful if more money is invested in design. Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to 5 Minute Friday! Where we tell you our best tips and tricks to help you and your team get a little bit better every single week. This week we are going over 3 Tips for Engineers!
1. Call a subcontractor and schedule a field trip, put your hands on it and learn how to build. Be more than a button-pushing analyzer. It’s probably why you started in the industry anyway.
2. Stop putting “See Arch” on your contract drawings. Try your dangdest before you do this to make sure you have done your due diligence and have tried to get this scope coordinated.
3. Stay humble.
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(Note regarding intro: The film festival in France is actually pronounced “Can.” The “S” is silent, unlike Tyler.) We start out today with Tyler’s church-league softball story and his related megaphone message: If you’re 6’2” and 260 pounds, don’t combine dehydration and intermittent fasting with an effort to prove yourself on the field. Then, on to the substance of today’s episode. Fair warning: We’re getting into the weeds today. That’s because this stuff can profoundly affect your finances, timing, and relationships. Delegated design is the approach to contracts in which the SEOR (structural engineer of record) limits himself or herself to elements that do not include connections and then expects those design services to be rendered by the fabricator or someone else. Eddie explains that additional elements may also be delegated. Curtain walls, for instance, would be designed by someone with special expertise in curtain walls. We’re talking about delegated design today so you can understand how it might impact the timeline and finances of your projects. How do you look for delegation? Well, Eddie says that at the beginning of any project, he’ll look at the structural notes sheet and the specifications book. He’ll check for notes regarding delegation and make sure that these two documents agree. We discuss the pros and cons of delegated design. Here are our thoughts: Pros: -Fabricators are able to handle connections in a way that best fits their materials and design. -The need for back-and-forth communication is reduced. -Time can be saved because production teams can move according to their own well-oiled systems. Cons: -The SEOR’s knowledge and control is not as thorough as it is in other situations. -There are more cooks in the kitchen, and that means more egos in the room (and we all know what that can mean). -There’s increased potential for the buck to be passed. Eddie explains the 3 contract-structure options outlined in the AISC Code of Standard Practices: 1) The SEOR handles everything. 2) An engineer gives the basic criteria for the connections and then has a qualified engineer select from those connections. 3) The engineer fully delegates design of connections. Over time, regional patterns have developed regarding the adoption of these three options: -Option 3 is prominent in the eastern part of the country. -Option 1 is most common on the West Coast (perhaps because of seismic concerns). -Option 2 is generally fading from use. It’s important that all parties be clear on which of these options is being used on a given project. The decision has additional ramifications as far as expectations about who will be doing the shop drawings and who will document various aspects of the official project record. Eddie shares about a project his team worked on. Relatively late in the process, a concern was raised about the aesthetic effect of a large gusset. The architect wanted the gusset size reduced. The problem? The building was in a hurricane zone, where gusset size matters. He explains that tension resulted not from the need for change but from the fact that this concern hadn’t been explained in the plans from the outset. Eddie discusses the idiosyncrasies of different parties–designers, fabricators, architects–with specific preferences. He also refers to this episode with Norine Bagate regarding risk and liability. We ponder the impact of $50,000 paragraphs in contracts. If you’re buying design, know how much design you’re buying. Our megaphone message: Anticipate the ripple effects of decisions you might want to change. Don’t put yourself in a situation where you place your loyalty with the wrong person. Good communication early can make a huge difference. Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
After reviewing hundreds of Architectural sets over the years, here are the main pain points we see most often. - Stair stringers have width - Do final coordination with your engineer before issuing the documentation - Use grids (and coordinate) - Know the actual dimensions of materials like masonry - Dimension walls to face of stud - Be a builder. Not an artist. Thanks for joining us this week! Make sure you check out our sponsor Trimble ProjectSight! - https://projectsight.trimble.com/ Please consider subscribing! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL Like us on LinkedIn! Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Instagram! Eddie's LinkedIn Tyler's LinkedIn (Our day job) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When it comes to confidence and peace of mind within your business, there’s nothing that compares to having employees who actually care. Is this obvious? Yup. Still bears repeating.
When your workers are thankful for their job, they’re going to bring creativity, responsiveness, and conscientiousness to their work. Everyone that your business touches will notice the difference.
How do you make your employees thankful? Treat them well. Model gratitude. Show appreciation. Complain less.
Take advantage of little opportunities to let every contractor, client, or customer you come into contact with that you’re thankful for the role they play in your professional life.
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Terry Dussault is President of Yellowknife Consulting Services in Huntington Beach, California. His focus is conducting incident investigations and promoting safety programs. Many of the projects that require Terry’s attention involve waste-cleanup and pollution abatement.
These sites often contain lots of piping and pumps, which means lots of ways workers can get hurt. (Tyler asks if scuba gear is ever involved. The answer is no, but here’s the kind of diving Tyler was referring to.)
Tyler asks Terry to talk through an average day, and Terry said that a whole lot of it is about paperwork. There’s a massive amount of documentation. You need to know the protocols. Eddie asks for some of the good things in the world of safety recently. Terry recalls how little safety gear was offered or used when he started working in the field. It was pretty much just steel-toe boots–no helmets, no vests.
Terry discusses the incredible importance of traceability when it comes to safety standards. It’s essential that an employer be able to provide documentation verifying that appropriate steps have been taken to keep the workplace safe. This helps in litigation and in providing employees with peace of mind. We explore the generational differences in perceptions of safety regulations. Terry says many veteran workers brush aside safety concerns because they’ve never had significant accidents or seen coworkers get hurt.
He shares he confronted an older worker who had chosen to ignore the company glove policy. Terry pointed out to the guy that all of the incoming employees who train under him will likely follow his example. The Book of Gore: This is the title Terry’s brother, a paramedic, gave to the photo album he assembled to document the terrible things that can happen. He refers to this book when attempting to encourage the use of gloves and other safety equipment.
erry says that the root cause of unsafe work conditions is when the shortcutting of procedures is positively reinforced or tolerated.
On the topic of gloves, Tyler asks about how Terry has seen people deal with the increased presence of touchscreen-based technology on the worksite. Terry talks about reasonable exceptions that need to be made for people in specific situations. We discuss balance and practicality. Tyler mentions that excessive protocols can lead employees to want to stick it to the man. Terry talks about an oil company that required two layers of gloves. At first this struck him as ridiculous, but then he came to understand that they were dealing with contaminants that can be absorbed through the skin. If his skin had gotten wet, he’d have been absorbing serious toxins.
Tyler asks Terry what safety protocols he’d like to see implemented. Terry says that it’s not so much which protocols should be added as it is about how management should get involved. He wants to see leaders becoming more active in supporting employees in their efforts to remain safe.
Terry tells a story about a nightmare cleanup where a former owner had allowed various companies to fill a tank with a variety of chemicals. Terry had to lead a crew through the process of solidifying the liquid. That meant putting a few of his guys in direct contact with the chemicals. An executive in the company overseeing the project asked when they were going to be able to scale down the PPE budget, and Terry had to be really blunt with him.
Eddie discusses whether we create a Chicken Little dynamic when we have excessive regulations like requiring two people to move a 16’ 2x4. This leads to another messy cleanup story that shows the complexity of assigning liability in multi-million-dollar projects. He talks about the fact that there are often two versions of incident reports after incidents like this one. Tyler asks Terry to share some wisdom with young people entering the industry. Here’s what he shares:
* Try to become the best you can be, but also think about integrating a level of safety into your practice. Learn it all.
* It’s okay if you don’t know something. Ask.
Terry’s Megaphone Message: If you’re a worker and you see something that doesn’t feel right, stop and ask. You don’t have to proceed. Have some personal policies regarding safety. Don’t be afraid to speak up.
Find Terry Online: LinkedIN -Yellowknife Consulting Services Check out the partners that make our show possible. Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!
It’s a problem–a very common one. When you’re trying to be consistent with just about anything, burnout on some level is likely to occur sooner or later.
It takes a toll.
Tyler acknowledges that he’s experiencing a good deal of creative burnout at the moment. Eddie has felt it in the past too.
So, we discuss ways to fight it.
Talk through it with someone. There’s a good chance that the people closest to you see the symptoms before you do.
Get active. Do the things that bring you joy. Spend time with people.
Recognize that your trajectory out of the burnout pit might be somewhat shallow, but try to be as consistent with the revitalizing activities as you are with the obligations that put you in the pit.
We’ll carry on with some more thoughts about this next week.
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Use code BROS at checkout for 20% off a seat of Bluebeam!
In this episode, we’re joined by Luke from Bluebeam to explore the cutting-edge advancements revolutionizing the construction industry. From innovative PDF tools to the integration of AI in BIM workflows, we unpack how technology is driving collaboration, efficiency, and creativity in ways we’ve never seen before.
🌟 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:* The behind-the-scenes of Bluebeam’s tools and their impact on modern construction. * How Bluebeam Live events spark innovation and community building. * Why AI and automation will shape the future of BIM by 2025. * Real-world success stories, like transforming Austin schools and massive studio builds. * The importance of connecting users to tools for streamlined collaboration.
💡 Highlights:* [0:52] What makes Bluebeam events a safe space for innovation. * [8:30] Features that save hours in design and project management. * [17:08] The future of connected markups and metadata sharing. * [31:45] Integrating Bluebeam with other tools to supercharge workflows. * [45:12] Luke’s megaphone moment: A heartfelt message to the construction industry.
🔗 Resources & Links:* Learn more about Bluebeam * Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn for updates * Connect with Luke on LinkedIn
In this episode, we mention Peter Noyes. He's one of the first engineers at Bluebeam, who is still working on new product features almost 23 years later.
📢 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review! Have questions or feedback? Drop us a line at contact@brospodcast.com.
Eddie gives us a challenge for the coming week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week, a steel fabricator speaks! Sam Perossa is the Vice President of Ogeechee Steel and has been in the steel industry for over twenty years. We believe that he has the ability to educate us on how to operate better in our respective fields. If you're a General Contractor, Architect, Engineer, or even another Steel Fabricator you'll find this conversation extremely helpful. We aim to create a feedback loop through episodes like this so everyone can benefit and get better! Questions include - - What is the number one RFI you chase? - What would you tell a structural engineer if you could give advice?
Related Links Sam Perossa LinkedInOgeechee SteelPreeminence: What It Means and How to Sustain It by Glen JacksonConstruction Dive - Cellphones are Evil
Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating or review and follow us on our social accounts! SUBSCRIBE! Like us on LinkedIn! Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Instagram!Eddie's LinkedIn Tyler's LinkedIn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week we sit down with Scaled Robotics CEO, Stuart Maggs. Stuart specializes in construction robotics and brings really interesting perspectives on the building processes we use today and where the strengths of robotics are in our industry. Excerpt from Scaled Robotics website - "Scaled Robotics was founded by a multidisciplinary team of experts in construction and robotics. The founders met in 2014, quickly becoming friends. Sharing a common vision to reduce the waste and inefficiency in the industry, the founders embarked on a journey to modernize construction. Bringing to bear years of experience in construction and robotics, Stuart and Bharath are passionate about transforming the entire industry with new processes and tools." Related Links Scaled Robotics WebsiteStuart's LinkedIn Scaled Robotics LinkedIn TechCrunch Article
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Today we channel our inner Kasparov to discuss the fact that things are better when you think several moves ahead. Whenever possible, it’s best to be methodical and avoid the need to make decisions on the fly. We discuss how we’ve seen people do this effectively–including a former colleague who would occasionally head to the back room, pop in his earbuds, and do the dishes. Sometimes it even bothered us because not doing anything doesn’t feel or look like hard work. But thinking is doing something. Thinking is working. It feels counterintuitive to simply marinate in silence, but it’s essential. It enables you to stitch up those seams today so things won’t unravel tomorrow.
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This week we sit down with TestFit CEO, Clifton Harness and discuss the topic of generative design. TestFit designs building diagrams in milliseconds--so architects and developers can process deals more quickly. During our conversation, we dive into what automation in construction will look like in the future and how TestFit can be used today.
Related Links TestFit WebsiteTestFit LinkedIn PageClifton's LinkedIn
Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating or review and follow us on our social accounts! SUBSCRIBE! Like us on LinkedIn! Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Instagram!Eddie's LinkedIn Tyler's LinkedIn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Discipline or regret. It’s one or the other. Tyler shares his morning routine and the challenges of consistency, and we discuss how much harder it is to start a new routine than to maintain an existing one. Life, especially family life, doesn’t lend itself to consistency. Discipline is uncomfortable for a time, but regret can last a long, long time. Discipline=freedom. By the way, if you’re wondering who Blippi and Meekah are (from Tyler’s morning Dad routine), you can check them out here. Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Before we go any further, here are three movie scenes that we refer to in today’s discussion. If you haven’t seen these in a while, you might want to refresh your memory:
* Billy Madison milk scene
* Cousin Eddie and his RV
* Matt Foley, Motivational Speaker
Some hail Trevor Owen as the BIM Guru. Some call him BIM Boy. Whatever term you use, Trevor knows BIM. Specifically, he’s the BIM specialist for Hilti. Today we hear Trevor’s thoughts about the influence of building-information modeling on the construction industry. We start out with some light Christmas-related banter and an introduction to our guest star, Ralph, Jr. Check out the Youtube version of this episode to see Ralph. Trevor shares how Hilti aims to cut across business units in order to look at each business’s entire workflow. They want to be a productivity partner and solutions provider. We discuss the need for this increased form of efficiency and consolidation because “you can’t throw people at problems anymore. You can’t find the people.” Hilti’s BIM efforts are focused on model maturity: “If we’re going to leave it in the building, it should be in the model because we have to buy it.” They want to envision and plan the entire process, from prefab all the way to delivery. Trevor explains that the goal is not just to include more detail but to include more attributes and then process estimates from that. As a construction guy, Eddie raises some concerns he has with certain aspects of BIM, and we explore those. Trevor calls upon Billy Madison to explain that when it comes to means and methods, there’s sometimes a dynamic that asks “Who owns it?” He says we need to move from “What’s in it for me?” to “What’s in it for us?” Eddie speaks up to express his desire for greater automation in the BIM process and points out that BIM is increasingly functioning as the database that we use with automated construction processes. We discuss the challenges of finding the right people to fill design positions and then to train and retain them. Trevor says “constructability knowledge” is an important skill. Hilti offers a BIM Masterclass that involves 15 weeks of training, culminating in a closing week in The Netherlands. Eddie and Tyler compare Hilti’s training timeline to Tyler’s as a detailer. Eddie says it was seven years before he was able to declare Tyler “mature” as a detailer (not necessarily mature as a person.) Trevor’s Megaphone Message: The construction industry has never been as fun as it is now. Construction is fun and has a lasting effect on our children’s lives and their children’s lives.
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We use Bluebeam all day every day at ABSI. Today, We talk about some of our favorite features.
Favorite #1 - Tool Chest: On the left side of your screen, you look at the tool chest. Click on that icon and open it up. Inside, you’ll find tool sets.
Favorite #2 - My Tools: If there’s a command you use frequently, you can put that command in my tools. It will be assigned a number and become readily available.
Favorite #3 - Custom-built tool set: You can compile your own collection of tools that you use frequently. These custom sets can then be exported as a .btx file that you can share with other members of your team.
We’re all about sharing tools, so if you’re interested in having our collection of favorite Blubeam tools, email us at contact@brospodcast.com.
Did we go too fast for you? Well here’s the Bluebeam webinar that Eddie mentioned.
For a free trial of Bluebeam, check out this link.
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Today we welcome Fouad Khalil to the show. Fouad calls himself a reformed architect. About three years ago he eased into offsite construction and founded Modly, a modular construction consultancy that provides the building and real estate sector with market research, feasibility analysis and advisory services. His focus is on helping owners and construction companies integrate manufacturing processes in the construction process.
Tyler asks Fouad to unpack the category of industrialized construction programs (IC). He explains that it has to do with looking at the increased rates of productivity in manufacturing and bringing some lessons from that world into the world of construction.
Efficiency and productivity within construction has remained largely stagnant during the last several decades, while those things have improved dramatically within manufacturing. This means that Fouad pursues improvements in quality, speed, and budget. Manufacturing programs are one way to handle that. He looks for areas where implementation of standards and repetition can gain the most traction.
Tyler asks Fouad to talk us through the series of questions that he asks in order to determine which projects are good candidates for industrialized construction. Here’s what he shares:
Volume: Is the juice worth the squeeze? Does it represent enough potential return to justify the effort? Fouad says that IC works best for serial builders–those who are aiming for consistency across a large number of projects. He gives examples including hospitals, data centers, and fast-food restaurants.
Pipeline: Do I have enough of it spread over time? Will the pace of work be steady enough? If I’m going to do it only once and then not do it again for another six months, that pipeline isn’t robust enough to consider. Some owners want to have several dozen units produced as modules, but they want them all done at the very same time. This is unrealistic.
Repeatability: Is every part of this project unique, or are there enough repeatable elements that my workers’ hands will be able to master routines? The construction world is used to sprints–going all out from start to finish. Fouad explains that factories take more of a long-distance running mindset, often aiming to run steadily at 80% efficiency. With a manufacturing mindset, the profitability horizon might be quite distant. You might need to make 150 modular bathrooms before you’ll turn a profit.
Design: How can we ensure that design and production maintain an active feedback loop so that iterative cycles can be continuously active? Fouad describes the routine of morning and afternoon meetings that his team did with Walmart on their health centers. Sometimes you change the design to make it more buildable. Sometimes you need to redesign the production floor to fit the design.
Optimization: At the production level, how can I improve margins on man-hours and other elements of cost. The goal is for unit costs to drop through a continuous flow of improvements in engineering and production. Projects that appear impossible in the early stages become lean and profitable because of a consistent focus on optimization.
Eddie presents the idea of “demonstrable economy” and discusses an example of how optimizing and productizing applies in his world, and we explore the importance of defining the use of the term “optimized” within a team. If you have various silos optimizing in isolation, the overall outcome may be far from optimum.
Fouad describes the IC process as the space program we need in construction. Through the application of these techniques, we’ll be able to see improvements across the industry. Surprise, surprise, Tyler brings us back to Formula 1 racing. We discuss the iterative process and the feedback loop between the race teams and the consumer world as it plays out in that world.
Fouad’s Megaphone Message: Owners, explore the benefits of setting up a recurring IC program. Talk to your VP of construction and see if the commitment might exist to move forward with this approach. It requires everyone to pull together and work really hard, but the rewards are worth it when the situation is right.
Find Fouad Online: LinkedIN
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Today Eddie is sharing more wisdom from the book Never Split the Difference.
When you’re in a confrontational situation and you don’t regulate your anger, your body begins to release stress hormones that will reduce your brain’s ability to process information effectively. You’ll be less able to empathize, less able to assess the situation.
Tyler points out that repeated, continual inability to control anger might be a sign that you’re experiencing anxiety that should possibly address with a professional.
When you lose your cool, you lose control. It’s just useless. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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Software design as a tradeIf you’re in need of custom software, James Cosman is your man. James started out as a software developer and went on to found VeilSun software. Much of the work that James and his crew do involves QuickBase, so Bob Salaj from QuickBase is also in the studio.
Tyler points out that custom software for specific construction companies is still a pretty new thing whose potential has yet to be explored.
Bob explains that he got tired of seeing money fly out the window due to the gaps and the overlaps between various specialized software packages. That’s what drove him to QuickBase.
James says he sees software design as an additional trade within the construction landscape. The people who are customizing software are crucial to the efficient completion of a job. They’re building information infrastructure. Addressing DisconnectJames counted 35 different use cases for their software, but one his favorites are the ones that eliminate the need for liaisons that should be unnecessary. There are too many people out there whose entire job is to update P6.
Tyler points out that we seem to be at a point in construction-industry history that is particularly ripe for automation of job tracking and schedule-related communication. Bob discusses how project managers tend to default to Excel when they encounter complications. He and James want to help those people do things more effectively.
Eddie shares a real-life scenario presented to him by a GC friend just last week. He asks Bob and James to share what systems they would put in place in order to address this friend’s problem. James puts on his Matrix glasses and says he’d find the gaps. Then he’d use QuickBase and other solutions to fill those gaps.
Bob discusses the value-add that a contractor can bring to a project when they deliberately address systems in a proactive way. Connective tissueTyler discusses the need for dot-connectors and process-mapping–people who can use data to inform relevant parties seamlessly about the status of project elements.
Eddie discusses serial builders who work on one project after another that are similar, such as schools. The repetitive nature of this situation may make their projects good candidates for optimizing systems.
The discussion shifts to the differences between small projects and large projects.
James acknowledges that yes, AI is part of the future of technology in construction, but he thinks the real growth in the coming years will be related to connectivity of data. Tyler shares about the time that was spent at a recent shoot hunting for a specific physical clipboard containing safety standards that could have been digitized and readily available to anyone with a QR code.
Bob lays out the benefits of the low-code/no-code customization available in today’s software and how it frees people from the need to operate within off-the-shelf software’s constraints. James points out that packages can be built to operate as stand-alone apps or to receive and properly process data sent as texts or email. TrainingBob raises the issue of training and how effective onboarding would include encouraging newbies to seek opportunities to customize their systems.
Tyler asks James and Bob to share some other success stories, and James shares a few. He talks about systems adjustments that resulted in an increased culture of safety awareness and accountability. Then the conversation shifts to one-off solutions compared to cluster apps that are reusable in similar projects.
Bob shares about workforce management software that streamlines the scheduling of crew members with the skills and availability for specific jobs. We discuss master dashboards that allow big-picture Data for the peopleJames shares the excitement that he experiences when he sees these systems working the way they should–and then when leaders also see that and use it as fuel to improve the systems even further.
Bob talks about spreadsheets full of KPIs that can be made substantially more useful when the data is integrated into user-friendly dashboards. Megaphone MessageBob would like to tell everyone not to settle for the status quo. Respect the people who’ve been doing the job. Respect the input from all generations and then embrace the change we’re about to see. James adds the suggestion that people be curious, ask questions, and get excited. Quickbase - www.quickbase.com Quickbase Construction Solutions - https://www.quickbase.com/solutions/construction-management-software Veilsun - www.veilsun.com/
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Tyler feels important today. He’s been contacted by Hilti to help host a season of their podcast, In This Case. This means that he’ll be hanging out with friends of CBP without Eddie.
Episodes in this season of Hilti’s podcast will include friends of our show and a few new faces. The conversations will explore innovation and a variety of industry topics.
Cue it up and check it out... if you can tolerate just a little more Tyler.
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Today Eddie once again shares his impressive vocabulary. Today’s word of the day is isopraxism. In essence, it means mirroring. When you repeat back to someone their own words or behavior, you’re engaging in isopraxism.Eddie mentions that this kind of mirroring can increase as your sense of connection to people. It’s not about awkwardly mimicking them. It’s about falling into their patterns of speech in order to make them feel comfortable.Eddie credits this insight to the book Never Split the Difference, a hostage-negotiation book, Don’t let that lead you to dismiss the idea. He has found the practice to be helpful in navigating his kids’ bedtimes. You’re welcome to use the strategy there too. We’re a full-service self-help podcast.
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Introduction
Today we revisit a conversation from last year with two members of the team at DPR Construction. We dive in today with some multi-generational hard hat chat. If you’re interested, check out the helmet conversation we mention with Dr. Bottlang.
DPR and Recruiting
We ask Chris and Will to talk about how DPR is recruiting and training young workers. They talk us through the variations between states in regard to union training resources and the amount of on-the-job training that needs to be coordinated by construction companies.
Eddie asks Chris and Will to discuss specific trades where the gaps are the greatest. Chris moves on from to explain how DPR has needed to make the case to prospective workers about how a job in the trades can be a great fit for them.
Catching Their Attention
Tyler asks what employment factors have the biggest attention-getting factor with prospective employees. Chris explains that DPR pays 7 holidays and 2 or 3 weeks of PTO depending on the employee’s tenure. Eddie mentions that he didn’t see this sort of information as part of a path of career progression when he was working in the field. Tyler refers to this earlier episode with Lee Causey.
Chris explains that DPR is different from many construction companies in the sense that it handles a broad number of trades. This enables them to offer opportunities for workers to step from one trade to another as they get a sense of what might be a better fit. Tyler discusses the value of transferability that he’s experienced in his life.
The Big Picture
We discuss how rare it is that we show new employees the plans that enable them to understand the big picture of which they are a small part. Unfortunately, technology has made this a bit more difficult in some respects. Tyler and Eddie discuss their dad’s and grandpa’s experiences in that respect.
Mentorships and Open Arms
Chris explains how central mentorships have become to DPR’s recruiting efforts. “Who we build is as important as what we build.” Will chimes in with some examples of how classroom learning relate to hands-on application of knowledge.
Eddie shares some memories of the mentors that showed him how to tie, frame, and plumb. He explains that these mentorships can extend beyond construction skills to broader employability skills and life skills.
What if…
Tyler asks Chris and Will to share about what they might have been interested in doing if they could go back and do their career over again. Chris hearkens back to his work with concrete. Will echoes that idea. They both found concrete work to be enjoyable and not as stressful as some other work. Will also mentions electrical work because of the fascination with electrical theory.
Advice about Apprenticeships
Tyler asks Chris to share advice with other contractors, and Chris makes the strong business case for the ways that strong apprenticeship programs are good for the whole organization. Will mentions NCCR curriculum as a helpful resource for contractors in non-union areas. Chris mentions that these resources are available in Spanish as well as English.
Chris and Will talk through the nuts and bolts of the DPR program, including book-learning components and on-the-job training. They share a bit about the ways that quality training programs lead to word-of-mouth recruiting.
Megaphone Message
We ask Chris and Will what they want to say to the construction industry.
Will says he’d like to see the industry change the way it looks at mistakes. If we can look at mistakes as learning opportunities, people will come to work knowing that they can learn from mistakes.
Chris says that he would like the workers to be proud. The things you do make a difference to people’s everyday lives.
**Find Chris on LinkedIn
Find Will on LinkedIn**
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Tyler’s sharing this week.
It was in a conversation not terribly long ago that he realized just how profoundly his ADHD affected his daily work. Over time, he’s come to learn how beneficial this condition can be if managed properly.
Here are a few tips Tyler shares:
-Use Pomodoro Timers to keep yourself on track: https://pomofocus.io/-Work out.
-Research shows that exercise can mitigate some of the cognitive issues related to ADHD.-Develop systems.
-Drink coffee–or some other moderate form of caffeine-delivery system–in moderation. Doctors believe the stimulation can help with focus.
-Set up accountability systems for getting stuff done. Find people who will check in with you and be willing to confront you if you're falling behind. **Check out the partners that make our show possible.
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IntroductionIs Tyler Irrelevant? That’s where we start out today.
From there, we conclusively demonstrate our shared lack of connection with today’s youth. We zone in on the term skibidi. Here’s the Urban Dictionary definition.
Then we move on to Ohio, rizz, and sigma. Aren’t you glad you joined us? A new generation in constructionThe reason we’re discussing this linguistic nonsense is that construction is changing. We asked the LinkedIn community to share what they feel has been lost as things have changed. Specifically, we asked about how automation has affected things.
Before we dig into everyone else’s submissions, we share some of our own thoughts.
Eddie explores the paradox that in some ways, quality has gone up. On the other hand, there are pockets where automation hasn’t yet been optimized and quality has gone down. He also thinks that there’s been a reduction in pride in one’s work.
Tyler talks about certain tasks for which certain people are deliberately avoiding automation because the result is a lack of meaningful connection with the process. We discuss the difference between thoughtful choices to automate and automation for automation’s sake. What do you know about cubits?One listener said that knowledge and experience are often lost in the process when things are automated. Eddie and Tyler discuss when this feels like a loss of something meaningful and when you might be able to make the argument that nothing significant was lost. For instance, is the loss of the ability to use a traditional tape measure a meaningful loss?
Tyler mentions that we’ve set aside countless old methods of measurement. Then Eddie discusses the way that AI is affecting education these days.
We discuss the homework Poppy (our grandfather) had to do when he was in school. In order to pass, he simply had to buckle down and learn the tough processes. Remote sitesEddie shares about the experience of visiting data-center construction sites and how the lack of standard power sources and wifi make him feel disoriented. He suggests that young people who are looking for job security should look into robot repair.
Tyler gets meta and discusses the AI plugin that switches video feed that saves our editor an hour or more every week. We’d be able to cope if that broke down, but we’d lose some time. There are plenty of similar situations in construction that would leave some crews rather lost. CommunicationEddie discusses the level of communication that is required when an automated process can’t be executed without human communication between humans that may not really understand what happened in that automated process.
This can lead to tensions and delays. Eddie recalls a recent example of this.
Tyler speculates about how automation and the RFI process has likely increased the number of projects the average contractor (and designer, and subcontractor, and so on) works on at a time. Pop said his crew often consisted of as few as 3 people. Perhaps the more people you have, the more personalities and anxieties you have. Training and proficiencyWe discuss the fact that it’s essential that we train people properly as automation increases. If people are being thrown into positions where they execute automated tasks that accomplish outcomes those people don’t really understand, we’re going to have problems. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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Tyler’s been hiring. In the process, he’s had the opportunity to meet a lot of great people. One guy in particular checked in toward the end of the scheduled interview time slot and asked thoughtfully whether Tyler had a few more minutes.
Proactively consider the needs, desires, and circumstances of the people you work with on a daily basis.
Doing this on a consistent basis will help them know they can trust you. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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IntroductionToday we welcome Joe Purtle, who is here to talk to us about concrete forms. Joe has been in construction for well over two decades, and he’s currently the COO of Doka, which specializes in forming and shoring.
Eddie shares a bit about his experience in construction back in the 2x4 and plywood days. He shares how cool it’s been to see the complexity of forms increase over time and to see how those forms have become woven into BIM software.
We discuss how designers and other stakeholders view concrete forms. Joe explains that the placement of concrete drives the schedule on many large projects. And the placement of concrete is largely dependent on the completion of formwork. Cycling of formwork and big dadgum messesEddie asks Joe to explain the cycling (reuse) of forms on large projects. Doka’s job is to understand the complicated aspects of forming and pouring and how these complexities can affect a schedule. We discuss the benefits of modular approaches and cycling of forms.
Joe discusses the importance of knowledgeable planning and the unfortunate results when things to wrong and a form gets trapped. It’s what the bros and their Georgia buddies would call a “dadgum mess.”
Joe shares about how he has seen companies process decisions related to renting vs. buying. He also discusses sustainability issues and equipment that measures temperature and pressure to optimize the curing process. We get into the optimization of pouring and the incorporation of reusable sensors that give designers and project managers the ability to know things they would have previously not known without expensive, messy tests. Prefab of formworkEddie asks Joe to share about prefab work such as cast-in-place parking garages. Joe explains that Doka can build and ship complete beam forms that are pretty much ready to plug and play when they arrive at the job site. They have CNC machines that can put curves into forms with highly detailed specs when the customer wants it.
Tyler connects these abilities to the overall increase in complexity of structures. Joe shares about the pride we’ve discussed in previous episodes that comes with seeing a really cool building and being able to say you had something to do with that. BIM ModelingEddie asks Joe to explain how Doka’s work integrates with the BIM process. He explains that they’re already working within Revit and Tekla but that they are quickly extending their integration even further. We discuss how AI is streamline design. Then there are the AI features that simply increase the team’s everyday operations.
Joe shares some thoughts about “real BIM” vs. “Hollywood BIM” and how these differences affect scheduling. Eddie shares some thoughts from a designer’s perspective as well as thoughts about storing huge form components that are not easy to move.
We spend some time discussing the design rules being used to form AI and how significantly this process will likely change design work in the future. Then we discuss the role that human insight and finesse play in this process. Megaphone Message
Joe’s message to the industry is this: The industry needs to come together and stop working in silos. The sooner we can create true collaboration through the available technologies, the sooner we’ll progress to a future we can’t even imagine at this point. Find Joe on LinkedIn Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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We’re always trying to help.
This week we have a memory Tyler shares about the invisible tattoo he mentally cut into his arm–the message (in its family-show iteration): “Don’t be a jerk.” He reads this tattoo to himself at work and at home.
Frustration awaits you at every turn in this industry and in life. Establish the neural pathways needed to avoid falling into bad, adrenaline-fueled habits.
Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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00:00 - IntroWe start out today reflecting on Lee Evey, an interesting guest from a couple former episodes (part one, part two). Then we get going on the conversation with today’s guest, Matthew Byrd, who started the Reality Capture Network. Matthew gives us a run-down of his career preceding RCN and what drove him to start this conference. He talks about the lack of equipment knowledge he saw among reality-capture practitioners.
Matthew already had a podcast and an active LinkedIn presence, so in 2020, he decided to be part of the solution. He and his team wasted no time. They set a date three months out and starting organizing.
It went amazingly well. The vendor booths were full. Presenters came onboard. Clearly there was substantial interest.
12:02 - One of his favorite things to doThat was all four years ago. Since then, RCN has become one of Matthew’s favorite things to do. It’s not because of the cool tech, it’s because of the satisfaction he feels in seeing people’s problems being solved.
Eddie asks Matthew to share about a cool airport project he’d worked on recently. This one was incredibly complex. The logistical complications (TSA, air-traffic control, etc.). Matthew’s team used a wide range of tactics, all of which needed to be handled in new ways due to airport regulations.
We discuss mobile-mapping drift issues, survey control points, deviation, and cross-referencing techniques.
21:23 - How scale affects reality-capture decisionsTyler asks about when reality capture is truly needed. Matthew discusses circumstances when accuracy matters. If he’s forced to give a number, he said that a project of 10,000 square feet or more should involve reality capture.
We discuss issues of liability and expertise–who should be handling this equipment and for which parts of the scan process should a true expert be called in.
Eddie asks about mobile scanning devices and their accuracy. Matthew discusses big drones for survey-mapping solutions. He lists a number of other solutions for specific use cases. Matthew shares about some failed equipment designs from the past.
He says that when people excitedly ask him what’s next, he says he’s really more interested in what’s most reliable.
38:00 - Dealing with data–lots and lots of data
Eddie asks for some insights for those who have gotten in over their head. One of the main suggestions Matthew shares has to do with buying the proper equipment for processing the massive amounts of data produced by scans.
Scanning is about 20% of the job, he says. The other 80% requires hefty processing power. Matthew talks about the point when his team started building their own computers and eventually worked toward solutions provided by Dell.
He also discusses the challenges of finding the right people to optimize these computers to handle the data. It’s all about creative ways to employ the data, Matthew says. Almost every industry is finding ways to apply this technology. This means that some of the work is going to be outsourced. Matthew shares some insights about that.
1:02:10 - How to keep them from staringEddie asks how to keep people on the jobsite from staring into the laser while it’s doing its work. Matthew shares the history and humor of that challenge.
We discuss software and the data-cleaning process. Matthew says that if the scan is done properly, filters can handle most of that.
1:08:35 - Megaphone messageMatthew’s message: Don’t be afraid of change. Pursue innovation. Try new things. Be the learner. Check out the Reality Capture Network and the RCN Podcast
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Yes, it’s another quote. This week, Maggie Thatcher speaks to us through Eddie. She says, “Keep Fighting the Good Fight.”
Tyler adds to that. Learn to love the “no” he says. Great things can come if you are willing to fail more.
Eddie shares about RFIs that you know are a sign of something that’s going to become a bigger deal. Sometimes you need to set aside your own interests and do something for the good of the project.
Do the right thing. If it doesn’t work, keep on trying.
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A discoveryTyler shares about the blueprints he and Eddie’s dad found in their grandfather’s house. It was a relatively simple house, but still Tyler was overwhelmed by the artistry of the prints. Eddie recalls the values and the social dynamics of work crews in that generation. Core valuesTyler shares about an exercise that Chat GPT gave him when he asked for help clarifying the core principles of his business. It suggested that he ask himself “five whys”--five layers of examining purpose.
This process led him to an appreciation for the breadth and depth of the construction industry’s reach. Every part of our world is touched by commercial construction in numerous ways. He recalls the generational pride that was revealed on family trips as they passed projects that their dad and granddad had worked on.
Eddie discusses how storylines are developed and framed as part of the TV coverage of the Master’s. He connects that to Tyler’s marketing work helping construction companies tell their story. Tyler shares about an impressive recent project. A single module that was being moved across the tarmac for an airport project weighed more than an entire hospital he’d worked with a short time before.
Tech-talk flak and robot checkersTyler shares about some responses he’s gotten to recent posts in which he implied that tech might be used too extensively. He and Eddie discuss recent industry shifts in regard to tech, BIM, and now forms of coordination between parties.
They discuss the importance of basic human consideration and communication. Eddie revisits and explains his strong disdain for unnecessary meetings. Then he engages in a recap of the shifts in building design over the last couple decades.
Tyler reviews what he’s seen recently about cutting-edge automation regarding welding and other aspects of steel work. Eddie discusses some arguably redundant checks on some of the pieces ABSI designs.
Tyler lists some unnecessary verification steps that are being eliminated with automation. Eddie outlines the ways that the quality control process has changed. Eddie gives a shout-out to Tesfit software and lists other sub-sectors of the industry that are doing impressive things with automation. Airing of grievancesEddie shifts the conversation in the direction of a few beefs he has with the industry.
One thing he reiterates is the classic adage: Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. In his later years, he has learned that internalizing this principle brings benefits no matter how small or large the project might be. He sees diminishing returns resulting from the push to go more quickly.
This leads to Eddie’s message to the industry: Rushing is not going to solve our problems. He’s concerned that this can lead to the industry collapsing on itself in some ways.
A curmudgeonly bunch and the wrap-upEddie shares about an arrogance that he sometimes sees among his own crew. He explains why that is. People in his role are positioned to see a good number of inefficiencies.
“Invest in the ounce rather than the pound,” Eddie says.
Tyler closes with the thought that it’s important to avoid the temptation to replace your people skills with shiny-object obsession. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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Nuances matter. Today, Eddie focuses on a specific language nuance and encourages us to be kind, not nice.
In explaining the distinction, he suggests that niceness involves telling someone what they want to hear.Kindness, on the other hand, is speaking the truth in a way that respects the person.
Tyler latches onto this distinction as an opportunity to extend some kindness to Eddie. We take a bit of a turn as we spend some time listing things that make us want to eagerly share some kindness.
Go out there this week and be kind to those around you while you build something awesome. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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This week we're re-airing a conversation with had with Melanie Ford last year.
Introduction - Melanie’s backstoryMelanie Ford is the Senior Director of Construction for the University of Georgia Office of the University Architects. Before her move to the university, she worked for 20 years as a contractor and a Vice President of Whitsel Construction Services. She’s the Georgia Chapter President for the Construction Owners of America and one of the co-founders and current President of Athens Area Women in Construction.Melanie shares about how a stressful project in an architecture class drove her into building science. She shares about how the dean of a professor told her that a woman wouldn’t be able to tell “some 50-year-old, hard-hat-wearing man where the hell he can put his steel.”
She shares about the challenges of finding a position in construction when she graduated, but a couple decades later, she is still happy with her choice to go into construction. She then tells us a bit about her family’s move to Athens, Georgia. Melanie’s work at UGAMelanie explains what it is that she does at the University of Georgia. She oversees all construction on campus, including major capital projects and major renovations. She and her department are responsible for ensuring architectural and construction continuity across campus.
She tells us a bit about the significant increase in sports-related construction, including large softball and tennis stadium projects. In addition to that, there are the ongoing renovations of buildings constructed in the 1950s.
Eddie asks about how the challenges differ between different types of projects. Melanie talks about a few of her favorite projects. Project ManagersEddie asks Melanie to provide feedback to project managers from an owner’s perspective. She starts with thoughts about the importance of doing your research ahead of time in order to be aware of current conditions in a building set for renovation. She talks about timelines that were unnecessarily extended due to school-year schedules.
She points out that many PMs tend to keep information and problems to themselves. This can be frustrating to people in positions like Melanie’s because they often have resources and connections to solve those problems.
Eddie asks about the bidding process in the university domain, which leads to a conversation about task-order contracting. She explains how this approach works with smaller contracts and lists of pre-approved contractors. We explore the ins and outs of the approval process for this group of contractors and how it is used by various governmental entities. Melanie says that owner-contractor relationships result in task-order projects being completed on time more often than hard-bid projects.
Melanie discusses the types of feedback she provides to contractors who ask what changes they could make in order to increase their chances of future work with the university.
Project initiation and design-buildEddie asks about the process a project goes through from the point of conception to completion. Melanie talks us through the process that sometimes involves legislators, wealthy donors. She gives an example of an unexpected connection between botanical gardens and a porcelain collection. She then walks us through the steps of a hypothetical project.
Eddie asks Melanie for her opinion on design-build. She explains that she’s not a huge fan of this approach in most cases. She says that she feels like the owner loses a certain amount of control because of the chain of command that results. She prefers for the builder, the designer, and the owner to perceive one another as peers. She also mentions that the historical character of campus architecture can suffer as a result of design-build dynamics.
Eddie shares about a complicated, somewhat messy arrangement he experienced in a project a few years ago and asks Melanie for her thoughts. She shares her insights about the vision-setting, information exchange, and communication complications that can arise with unusual arrangements. Melanie shares a humorous story about how she was introduced to Bluebeam. Eddie shares some thoughts about the importance of old-school communication: actual talking. We discuss the different outcomes of different forms of communication–email vs. actual voice conversations.
Megaphone messageWe’re all on the same team. It’s all about taking a team approach. If you have your best intentions, we don’t have to have adversarial relationships. Also, support each other. Melanie shares about the importance of mentorship, especially for women in construction. Bonus contentEddie shares some crazy facts about university protectionism regarding mascots and rivalries. Find Melanie Online: LinkedIn, Construction Owners of America Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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No tips and tricks today. Just a list of things we love about the good ol’ US of A. We touch on sports, fireworks, greasy grub, flags, and more.
Eddie shares about his love of baseball and small-scale explosives. Tyler focuses on food, with some thoughts about deep-fried fair food and pool beer.
Are we thankful to live in ‘Merica? Youbetcha, yeah, yeah. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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This week we revisit a conversation we had with DPR's Chris Bell and Will Sheane last October.Today we welcome Chris Bell and Will Sheane, two members of the team at DPR Construction. We start with some multi-generational hard hat chat. If you’re interested, check out the helmet conversation we mention with Dr. Bottlang.
DPR and Recruiting
We ask Chris and Will to talk about how DPR is recruiting and training young workers. They talk us through the variations between states in regard to union training resources and the amount of on-the-job training that needs to be coordinated by construction companies.
Eddie asks Chris and Will to discuss specific trades where the gaps are the greatest. Chris moves on from to explain how DPR has needed to make the case to prospective workers about how a job in the trades can be a great fit for them.
Catching Their Attention
Tyler asks what employment factors have the biggest attention-getting factor with prospective employees. Chris explains that DPR pays 7 holidays and 2 or 3 weeks of PTO depending on the employee’s tenure. Eddie mentions that he didn’t see this sort of information as part of a path of career progression when he was working in the field. Tyler refers to this earlier episode with Lee Causey.
Chris explains that DPR is different from many construction companies in the sense that it handles a broad number of trades. This enables them to offer opportunities for workers to step from one trade to another as they get a sense of what might be a better fit. Tyler discusses the value of transferability that he’s experienced in his life.
The Big Picture
We discuss how rare it is that we show new employees the plans that enable them to understand the big picture of which they are a small part. Unfortunately, technology has made this a bit more difficult in some respects. Tyler and Eddie discuss their dad’s and grandpa’s experiences in that respect.
Mentorships and Open Arms
Chris explains how central mentorships have become to DPR’s recruiting efforts. “Who we build is as important as what we build.” Will chimes in with some examples of how classroom learning relate to hands-on application of knowledge.
Eddie shares some memories of the mentors that showed him how to tie, frame, and plumb. He explains that these mentorships can extend beyond construction skills to broader employability skills and life skills.
What if…
Tyler asks Chris and Will to share about what they might have been interested in doing if they could go back and do their career over again. Chris hearkens back to his work with concrete. Will echoes that idea. They both found concrete work to be enjoyable and not as stressful as some other work. Will also mentions electrical work because of the fascination with electrical theory.
Advice about Apprenticeships
Tyler asks Chris to share advice with other contractors, and Chris makes the strong business case for the ways that strong apprenticeship programs are good for the whole organization. Will mentions NCCR curriculum as a helpful resource for contractors in non-union areas. Chris mentions that these resources are available in Spanish as well as English.
Chris and Will talk through the nuts and bolts of the DPR program, including book-learning components and on-the-job training. They share a bit about the ways that quality training programs lead to word-of-mouth recruiting.
Megaphone Message
We ask Chris and Will what they want to say to the construction industry.
Will says he’d like to see the industry change the way it looks at mistakes. If we can look at mistakes as learning opportunities, people will come to work knowing that they can learn from mistakes.
Chris says that he would like the workers to be proud. The things you do make a difference to people’s everyday lives.
**Find Chris on LinkedIn
Find Will on LinkedIn**
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Eddie’s going deep for today’s quote–all the way back to Sun Tzu’s Art of War (which you can hear for free on Youtube if you can spare 72 minutes.)“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”Sometimes people will use these two words interchangeably. Here’s the difference:
* Strategy is the long-term plan. What you plan to achieve in the distance.
* Tactics are the thoughtfully crafted short-term methods for working out that strategy.
In exploring Sun Tzu’s words, we discuss Tyler’s business and bodies on Everest.We acknowledge that tactics may vary as you work backward from the strategy. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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We might be just a bit late for graduation in some parts of the country, but this week we’re awarding some senior superlatives for the construction industry.
Here are the categories. You’ll need to listen to hear the winners. 02:18 - Best partner for a zombie apocalypse: We ponder who would be best able to help us survive an onslaught of the undead. We ponder weapons, transportation, and power distribution. 04:41 - Most likely to do best on Naked and Afraid: We ponder (trying to keep our imaginations in check) whether a roofer, carpenter, HVAC technician, or general laborer would do best in isolation in their birthday suit. 07:31 - Most likely to be able to build a whole building by themselves: Could anyone do it? We share an opinion 08:16 - Most likely to have the best hair on a jobsite: Who’s sporting the most impressive locks? 09:28 - Most likely to have the most entertaining injury story: Who’s going to have us laughing and wincing? 11:02 - Most likely to ramble on and on about the importance of their jobs: Who will have us rolling our eyes? 12:36 - Most likely to genuinely impress potential romantic partners with their construction stories: Who’s weaving tales to make them swoon? Will they try to impress with their skill or their bravery? 16:23 - Biggest prankster: Who’s looking to catch you off-guard? 17:55 - Most likely to win a Nobel Prize: Who’s heading to Stockholm? (That’s where they award most of the Nobel prizes.) 22:00 - Most likely to start a sentence with “Well, actually…”: Who’s going to set us straight. 23:27 - The most creative in-the-moment problem-solver: Who’s the best guy to have around when the crap hits the fan?
25:06 - Most likely to bring an acoustic guitar to the jobsite: Who’ll serenade the crew? (And how did Tyler not end up as an option on this one?) 25:53 - Most likely to have a run-in with OSHA: Who’s breaking the rules? 29:24 - Most likely to develop a work-related ulcer: Who’s sucking down the Pepto Bismol? 31:00 - Most likely to cause others to develop an ulcer: Who’s sending someone else to the GI specialist? 32:55 - Valedictorian: Who seems to always come out on top? 35:30 - Greatest Impact: Who’s really changing things? **Check out the partners that make our show possible.
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Eddie’s got another quote. This one is attributed to historian Daniel J. Boorstin.
“The greatest obstacle to discovery is ignorance. It is the illusion of knowledge.”
Sound applicable? We think so.
Eddie looks back to the early days of the podcast. We thought we knew a lot.
We did not.
Fast-forward five years, we now find ourselves fully aware of our ignorance.
Our advice based on our experience? Admit that you don’t know much. Ask the stupid questions. You won’t know more unless you ask more questions.
Don’t get trapped in arrogant ignorance.
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00:00 - Ennui and another TylerWe know that you come here for philosophical insight and existential explanations, so today we’re discussion ennui. Tyler shares… tries to share about this state of listlss… listsles… listlessness and dissatisfaction.
After this fun, we welcome our new vocal presence, Tyler Cook. Tyler shares about the secret to connecting with Zoomers. It’s all about tier lists and brackets. So today we’re going to do a tourney bracket.
05:23 - The bracket
Today we’re exploring niches. We don’t want to share any spoilers here in the notes, but here are some opinions that are shared as we process this competition.
* Concrete is tough.
* Drywall corners are hard.
* Flooring is not comfortable work.
* Spending your day staring upward will do a number on your neck.
* We don’t want to fall off a roof.
* Dooky’s not fun.
* OSHA keeps telling us not to touch a live wire.
* Demolition is fun for 30 minutes.
* Eddie is confident that he’s done with roofing.
* Welding sometimes happens in really dangerous places.
**If you're interested in jumping straight to some specific first-round debates:
6:06 - Carpentry vs. masonry 7:40 - Drywall vs. concrete 10:20 - Ceiling vs. flooring 16:01 - Roofing vs. HVAC 23:37 - Landscaping vs. painting 24:48 - Electrical vs. excavation 30:44 - Glass installation vs. demolition
33:21 - Semifinals
39:15 - FinalsThe takeaway from this process? Man, tradespeople do some tough stuff. Check out the partners that make our show possible.
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Tyler’s struggling today, but Eddie’s bringing the wisdom. Actually, he’s passing along wisdom from John F. Kennedy.
Here’s what JFK had to say: “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.”
Eddie shares about lessons Dad passed along about how to use down time. If things are slow but you know the time is coming when they won’t be… Then use that time to do the things that you know will need to be done.
Tyler recounts examples of times when he’s experienced this phenomenon. The bros talk through the questions you should ask yourself when you have the time to examine your process. These questions will help you to identify areas of weakness that you can fix before harm comes to you and your team.
See the future. Fix the problem before it arrives. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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**He brought us coffee.
00:00 - Introduction**Today we welcome Jay Jenkins. Jay is Principal in charge of Higher Education and Operations at May Architecture. We invited him to the studio to learn about building a team that’s equipped to handle the unique challenges of college and university construction.
Jay points out that colleges and universities are little cities unto themselves. Eddie brings up the fact that Jay’s teams have worked on projects at the University of Georgia and at Georgia Tech. Jay explains that each educational institution has its own culture.
Jay says his job is making sure his team of architects and designers have the tools they need. Then he just stays out of their way. 06:46 - Principles of successTyler asks Jay to share what owners and their teams do to position Jay and his people for success. Jay says that honesty is frankly the most helpful thing.
Jay shares about the complications involved in communicating to all of the relevant parties on college projects when construction projects affect groups that might not usually need to communicate with each other. It always starts with listening closely and thoughtfully. Then it’s often necessary to filter and reframe–to see if you’re properly understanding what’s being said.
Tyler asks Jay to expand upon the importance of listening. Jay emphasizes the need for objectivity and making an honest effort to grasp the needs of the other party. If you can’t truly grasp that need, you can’t communicate it to the team with the means to solve it.
Tyler points out that we’re all pretty good at talking, but we’re not always great at presenting prompts.
Eddie asks about the give and take between Jay and Gil, an architect he has worked with in the past. Jay shares about how the availability of a long-term conversation partner has been helpful.
This openness led to the development of 3 guiding questions within their firm:
1) Are you committed to letting the best idea win?
2) Are you passionate about what you do?
3) Are you building expertise within your team? 16:40 - Looking backEddie asks Jay to share about times when the challenges became greater than usual. Jay explains that sometimes the university’s team’s goal was actually to keep architects from being brought into a project because of the concern that things would become more complicated than necessary. Jay’s job was to ensure that the job was done right–in a manner that would take liabilities into consideration and similar concerns.
Jay talks about the options that are provided by architects and responses given by the owners. Eddie shares his appreciation for Jay’s role as communication facilitator–a person who comes between two parties to ensure that messages are making it back and forth.
24:15 - The greatest challenges?Eddie asks about factors that complicate college projects–students, donors, etc. Jay says that the hardest thing is actually when the owner doesn’t know what they want. Building consensus with end users is also a challenge, though.
Jay gives examples of the diverse end-user-groups involved in a sample building: IT, health care, instructors, administrators, etc. Politics sometimes come into play.
Eddie asks about the importance of long-term, multiple-project relationships with owners and contractors. Jay says they are simply huge. Over 95% of their work is repeat work with clients. Growth comes from providing exceptional experiences for everyone involved.
It’s about creating great experiences. Jay says you’d be surprised at how far a simple thank-you goes.
37:04 - Finding good helpEddie asks Jay to share about the challenges of finding reliable, high-quality people as his team grows. Jay explains that they seek people who are eager for feedback. This feedback from contractors is more useful than anything else for designers interested in growing professionally, he says.
Jay shares about an eye-opening moment when he discovered how much he hated losing. As the owner, he says, you win in every meeting. On the consultant side, that’s not how it works. But that makes the wins sweeter.
43:11 - Megaphone messageJay says that he’d like people to view their work as a career rather than a job. Have a passion for what you do. Build value in yourself. If you focus on the input, all the things you want out of a career will come out of it.
Find Jay on LinkedIn
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Can you think of a more difficult decision than the one that President Truman had to make in 1945? We can’t
Sometimes sitting still and not doing anything is the riskiest thing to do. Tyler recalls a conversation with friend of the show Henry Nutt III. Henry recounted a situation where his boss left him in a room and told him to sit tight until the boss returned. Henry sat around for a while and then decided to go ahead and do what it was that he thought had to be done in this room. His boss returned and decided that Henry had leadership skills.
Entrepreneurship involves risk. It requires initiative and a willing to act when others might be unwilling to do so.
Eddie encourages us to ask ourselves honestly what we could change about ourselves in order to improve our productivity or some other form of success. Chances are that we know what needs to be done and we’re simply not acting on that knowledge.
Inaction often makes failure more likely that action.
Here’s the whole quote as attributed to Harry S. Truman: “There is some risk involved in action, there always is. But there is far more risk in failure to act.”
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**Check out this link to learn more about the tools discussed in this episode.
00:00 - Introduction**Rob Coakley is the equipment manager at Lithko Contracting. He’s here today to discuss a decision familiar to every construction business owner: to rent or to buy.
Rob shares some of Lithko’s history in order to set the stage for the complexity of the rent/buy decision. It boils down to this: Having a capital constraint along with a scalability issue put Lithko on the path toward rentals–more out of necessity and a desire for simplicity than to save money.
Managing rentals on a large scale involves a hefty amount of record-keeping and management. Lithko brought Rob on board to make the end cost of equipment a competitive advantage. He explains how many contractors who own equipment will bury equipment costs in order to win jobs. This often leads to financial trouble in the long run.
06:21 - Conventional wisdom (or at least preference)Eddie describes the conventional contractor approach to tool acquisition: If I can put it in the job and buy the tool, I’m going to buy the tool. This often leads to tools sitting in the weeds.
Rob follows up on this and points out that an owned tool can become part of the landscape of a job while the pace of progress slows, whereas being on a rental timeline can motivate you to keep the project moving along. That clock doesn’t stop ticking. He also explains that ownership does actually make sense for many smaller contractors. It’s when your business scales up that the argument grows stronger and stronger for renting–even to the point of renting everything.
We discuss why GCs hire specialty contractors. Rob then discusses how he talks to owners of companies that Lithko acquires. He lays out a rental-based approach to pricing projects. If it can be done without eating into profits, then there’s no reason not to rent. Your long-term risk drops significantly. 13:05 - Record-keeping when scaling upEddie asks Rob to explain how he and his team at Lithko has handled the increasingly complex task of record-keeping as they’ve grown.
Lithko has grown from a $135-million business in 2008 to a $1.8-million business last year. With this growth came information-management challenges. Rob explains that you need to know what your cost will be at the end of the job and where you are today. That gap, of course, determines whether or not you're profitable.
When Rob began investigating solutions for the scaled-up version of this process, he found that Quickbase was a handy no-code/low-code solution for building the customized software he needed. He compares it to Lego kits and sand-castle building.
We discuss the importance of mastering project timelines in order to optimize the scheduling of rented equipment. 22:15 - Lithko’s Quickbase sand castleEddie asks Rob to run through some of the components that are most important to their customized Quickbase management package. Rob explains that they’re always short-term planning. It’s all about well-thought-out reports and dashboard items. He explains how they use the dashboards to allow record-keepers and managers to easily. This includes selectively sharing access with vendors so they can participate in the bidding process.
Rob shares about safety compliance components and the mobility features that enable decision-makers to access the data needed for decisions made in the field. He explains how data from their ERP system is integrated and discusses incident tracking.
We discuss equipment breakdowns and maintenance records for owned equipment. Rob walks through the process of bids, sourcing, and reliable equipment-sourcing relationships. He lists the numerous pieces of data that work together to determine project costs.
47:15 - The impactEddie asks about the bottom-line impact of this Quickbase-based system. Rob explains that information from past projects informs talks with vendors and enables his team to deepen their relationships. All of these things together have resulted in Lithko cutting their bottom-line equipment costs in half since 2007. 01:00:50 - Megaphone MessageRob encourages everyone to be open to change–whether that’s a new process or a new tool. Whatever role you serve within your company, be ready to accept change. It’s the only way you’re going to grow. Find Rob on LinkedIn
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You are surrounded by people. You’ll be affecting these people in one way or another. You can choose what that effect will be.
You can treat them kindly. You can show them grace. Or you can step on them. You can rip on them. You can take advantage of them.
Today Eddie encourages you to be an encouraging presence in the lives of the people around you. It’s not always easy to do this in a competitive industry, but it’s also not impossible.
Do everything you can to be as good as you can be to the people around you.
Be a bright spot. **Check out the partners that make our show possible.
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00:00 - IntroductionWe’ve doubled our Tyler count today by inviting Tyler Williams to the studio. We start with some car talk: plug-in hybrids, 81 Chevies, and manual F-150s.
Tyler W says he’s not loaded, but he’s keeping his eyes open for used trucks anyway. Everything is for sale. Eddie flashes back to being stranded in banjo country in his Brown Bomb Sierra.
Tyler W shares about a conversation with the guy who developed the Raptor for the border patrol. This prompted him to pursue another product-development opportunity. Tyler C shares about his many Transit van aspirations.
Before we get to the substance of the episode, we’ve pretty much locked in our plans to live together in a Sprinter van down by the river. 11:11 - What’s new with Tyler W?Tyler C asks guest Tyler to share what new things are going on in his world. Tyler W shares about tech developments related to ergonomics and how these developments have not led to the sort of decrease in injuries that you’d expect.He goes on to discuss a trip to Montreal, where he visited the headquarters of Movex Innovations, maker of all-terrain tracked carriers. He wants a bunch of them. He talks through some of the amazing capabilities of these carriers. He points to this as one example of a tool that people should use.
Eddie raises the issue of the skills gap in construction. Tyler W says that he has seen that gap arise most visibly when someone is promoted to a foreman position. At the same time, he says that he’s hearing from many people that the gap is less severe than it has been in the recent past.
We discuss progress made in reducing the stigma felt by high-schoolers who choose not to go to college. Eddie shares how he’s seen it in his kids and their friends. Tyler W points to the ridiculousness of expecting 18-year-olds to know what they want to do with their lives. He encourages young people to attend construction-related boot camps to see if maybe that route is a possibility.
We discuss the issue of college debt. Tyler C asks how many people are better positioned for success as a result of their debt. 23:37 - Staying flexibleTyler W discusses the value of having a broad range of skills that make you economically nimble. He’s thankful for having a collection of experiences and skills that have equipped him for unexpected economic circumstances.
Tyler C discusses gap years and the importance of giving yourself time to gain clarity on your interests and aptitudes. Eddie shares stories he’s heard of students basing their career choices on short Google searches about salaries. Tyler W points out that these Google searches don’t usually address personal happiness or overall life satisfaction.
We explore mid-life career transitions and the shifts in priorities that come with marriage and family. Then we jump back to van-based business opportunities. Eddie flashes back to his Rebath days. He shares about how optimizing his van for that job informed daily decisions later in his career. 33:40 - What got us here? Also, LegoTyler W discusses the path that got him to his current position as an innovation specialist. We discuss how seeing inefficiencies earlier in our careers spawned a passion for efficient coordination at this point in our careers.Tyler C and Eddie discuss what they learned from working with Lego bricks and how their children are learning some of those lessons now. Tyler W relates this to what he’s learning from the book The Way of the Champion and shares how he’s applying the lessons from that book.
We discuss the absolute essential value of life-long learning and resilience. If you have these two things, you will always be able to deal with what life brings you. The book The Comfort Crisis comes into this conversation.
Eddie discusses the value of learning the hard way–marinating in research in a physical encyclopedia because your comprehension and retention may be better. Sometimes it's maybe even beneficial to be put in a situation where you can be punched in the face. Tyler shares about his involvement with martial arts. 58:45 - So, what have we learned?In wrapping up Tyler W has this to say: It’s about experience. He shares about a recent event designed to help his DPR innovation team really understand what the hands-on workers deal with every day. This is what everyone in the industry should be doing: seeking to understand what it’s like for others. Find Tyler Williams on LinkedIn Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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This week Tyler hits us with a quote from Ronald Reagan: “There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit.”
Tyler thinks this quote is one that has incredible relevance to the construction industry.
Eddie points out that this is a trait of good leadership, but he does slightly counter Tyler’s commentary. Eddie focuses on the fact that leaders should shift their focus from individual ladder-climbing and aim instead to maximize growth.
Tyler connects this to the words from the Bible that the first will be last. Eddie points out that money can’t buy short bits of happiness, but it can’t buy peace. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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00:00 - IntroductionWe open with coffee talk today–and sugar intake, including some beverage shortcuts. Tyler calls it cheaping out; Eddie calls it hillbilly lemonade. We also reminisce about our favorite waitress, 4’10” Miss Connie with the beehive haircut. Oh yeah, also pickle races. Poor Miss Connie. 08:05 - Entrepreneurship: A Good Idea?A few weeks ago, guest Matt Aston recommended the book The E-Myth Revisited (now available in an updated version). Tyler shares that this book hit him in the teeth when he picked it up recently. We’re discussing this book today because it’s filled with great content for construction-related entrepreneurs.
Business is hard. Each year, 627,000 businesses are started and 595,000 businesses fail. Many of those may have been active for several years, but still, it’s clear that starting and running a business successfully is tough work.
Author Michael E. Gerber shares his insight by telling the story of Sara, a fictional pie maker. 12:46 - Initial E-Myth TakeawaysEddie shares the first bits of insight that he took from this book. Gerber distinguishes between the technician, the manager, and the entrepreneur. These are three roles may exist in
A technician is the person who can do something well. A manager the person who is good at logistics and task completion. An entrepreneur is the person who works not so much in the business and on the business.
Tyler explains that many businesses are started by technicians who quickly find themselves needing to now fill all three of these roles. And since they may not have management strengths or entrepreneur strengths, their businesses often fail.
Tyler and Eddie both share examples of how this pattern played out in their respective businesses, ABSI and Storybuilder. The pattern is one that will sound familiar to you if you’ve started your own business. As a company grows, team members are added in a less-than-strategic manner, resulting in confusion and frustration. The next step is often a soft collapse back to the point where the business owner is once again handling almost everything. 22:55 - SystemsTyler shares that his entrepreneurial journey has gone through the first part of this cycle. Tyler and Eddie discuss the smoothness of the system that makes this podcast operate and Tyler contrasts that with his business.
Eddie discusses Gerbers references to Ray Kroc and what he did with McDonald’s. Kroc bought a system. Gerber makes the argument that even owners of small businesses need to approach their business like a franchise in regard to team-building, systems, and training.
Tyler refers to the movie Founder, which tells Kroc’s story. This leads to some talk about the turn-key revolution pioneered by McDonald’s. Tyler encourages business owners to check out Loom as a means of creating operational guides. 32:12 - Training and MoreEddie shares that one of the lessons from the book that most resonated with him was the importance of determining your primary aim. In other words, what is your life goal? If this business cannot generate that reality, then don’t pursue the business.
Tyler critiques this a bit, saying that the process needs to be considered as much as the primary aim. He said that the path to that end is just as important. Structuring a desired lifestyle now is as important as an entrepreneurial endgame.
Eddie discusses the book’s 4 tenets of strategy: organization, management, people, and marketing. Then there’s a 5th-systems–that was more than we could discuss today. 36:12 - The HotelTyler and Eddie discuss Gerber’s hotel storyline. Gerber recounts his experience learning about the systems that enabled this hotel to operate on such a high level.
Then Gerber contrasts this hotel experience with a barbershop that provides high-quality service up front but was unable to repeat the quality of that experience over time.
Tyler discusses the importance of not just first but also second, third, and fourth impressions. It’s about consistently focusing on the things that are essential.
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Today’s PSA: You should read more.
And here’s Eddie’s claim: Reading an hour a day will put you at the top of your field within 10 years.
What’s that you say? You don’t like to read? Eddie points out that Spotify Premium now has audiobooks. There’s also Audible, Libby (through your local library), and other audiobook apps.
Eddie shares that he’s on his third audiobook this year. This fact leads Eddie and Tyler to debate whether audiobook listening should be considered reading.
The bros discuss whether it would be advisable for them to attempt to publish a book. Then they spend some time discussing good novels they’ve read recently and compare their reading rates to their wives.
Eddie points out the various pockets of time that many contractors could fill with audiobook bits and pieces. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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00:00 - IntroductionTyler’s got rib issues. Yes, of course it’s from pickleball. Yes, the injury was earned during a match against an 80-year-old lady. Would we all love to hear her account of the story? Very much.
This leads us into a brief sharing session about embarrassing recreational injuries. We also talk about what catches our gaze 08:50 - Getting to know Chris and TrevorAnyway… Today we welcome Chris Patton and Trevor Owen from Rogers-O'Brien Construction. Chris and Trevor give us a run-down of their construction history (some BIM coordination, some electrical work, and recently some begging and a little attempted beard construction).
Trevor talks about his love of innovation and how that has driven his work at Hilty and now at Rogers-O’Brien. Then he and Chris share with us about 15:50 - Reality capture and the ROCCChris leads us into the topic we were looking forward to discussing today. He shares that several years ago he and others at R-O saw that reality capture would become increasingly important in construction. They assessed the various strategy and personnel adjustments that would need to be made in order to capitalize on this tool.
The ROCC is the RO Command Center, a training approach that would ensure that up-and-coming field directors, superintendents, and other senior builders would be better prepared to be better builders across all of their projects.Eddie asks for details, and Chris discusses the idea of bringing platform data and observational data together in order to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of project execution. Autonomous reality capture provides much of the data that is channeled into the ROCC
Trevor shares about the reality-capture logistics as well as some of the benefits that come with this approach. The ability to access data from a comfortable venue–an office, trailer, or truck–means less of the physical strain that often leads people to consider career changes or to retire early.
Tyler asks about the role AI may have in this process, and Chris explains that their vision for AI is to expedite data collection and access rather than to replace human supervisors and decision-makers. 27:23 - Loom and AITyler mentions the benefits of thoughtful training. He shares about how Loom and similar tools can exploit AI in a way that makes things smoother and easier for various team members. Trevor ties this training efficiency to the labor shortage issues, discussing how increased efficiency helps maximize productivity.Eddie raises the likelihood that AI will be taking our jobs. He points out that even much of our creative work is going to be done very differently. Chris shares some counterpoints, laying out his speculations about how things will shift, including AI augmentation rather than replacement.
Eddie discusses the ongoing rotation of new jobs that enable automated equipment to reliably do the jobs that people were doing yesterday. Tyler connects this to a recent visit to Walmart.
Chris discusses the futuristic processes related to drone fleets. Trevor builds on this with some insights about 360 camera walks and other platform-specific data-analysis insights. 48:48 - Megaphone MessagesChris says not be scared of these changes. Don’t be intimidated by them. Embrace them. For people coming out of school, he says this: There are many different routes for getting into the construction industry. It’s a dynamic industry with lots of opportunity. If you like dynamic, collaborative, problem-solving environments, consider education.
Trevor has these words: Be curious, be gritty, be patient. Get your boots dirty. Find Trevor on LinkedIn Find Chris on LinkedIn Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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Would you guess by the title that Tyler picked today’s topic? He’s got a new paddle. We’re all very excited.
In his extensive on-court experience, Tyler has learned that he plays better when he just doesn't beat himself up. His takeaway: When you’re excessively hard on yourself, you lose focus. When you just try to appreciate the experience and the opportunity to play, you play better.
Eddie refers to Max Homa’s post-Master’s interview. Homa said that he’d played gratefully that day. Tyler breaks down the number of people who let their heads get in the way and fell behind until they shifted their mindsets.
Don’t lose games because you’ve gotten in your own way. Check out the partners that make our show possible. Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
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00:00 - IntroductionIt’s been a long day full of recording. Eddie starts out by hashing out an unsettled issue about crabs. He’s not a licensed crabberman. He pulled a Kramer and harvested without a permit. This sets Tyler off on some reflections about The Little Mermaid and lobster zombies. 05:40 - Anyway, about family businesses…Surely you’re still interested in advice from these guys. Eddie asks Tyler if he’d choose to join a family business even knowing what he knows about the challenges. For 20 years, Eddie has been working in the family business where he thought he wouldn’t last for more than 2 years.
We discuss the day-to-day challenges that are unique to a family business. You’re working around people you know really well. That has its good parts and its bad parts. Eddie shares a bit about the dynamics of working under your father.
We touch on the hierarchy issues, and Tyler advises that you make a big-time conscious effort toward maintaining a sense of active respect. You’ll likely fail in this effort from time to time. When that does happen, work through it openly.
Be family first. Love each other first. Don’t let the business destroy your relationships. 14:40 - Pick some weedsEddie encourages family-business folks to pay attention to the little things that can grow into problems. Invest some effort in seeing where tensions might arise. Make room for your family co-workers to grow. Don’t insist that they work so hard that they’re unable to thrive in other aspects of their lives.
Tyler points out that it can be easy to misconstrue growth as greed–especially when some members of the family are progressing at a different pace in earnings or advancement. He also shares about the more natural tag-team dynamic that can become a healthy part of family business. 21:47 - The PodcastEddie and Tyler discuss the natural brotherly energy that fills the podcast but also filled their workspace when Tyler was in the detailing business. They discuss their dad’s role in developing them as not just steel detailers and businessmen but as fathers and husbands.
The bros address the topic of boundaries and family time. It’s important to be sure that work doesn’t flood over into birthday parties.
Tyler shares about the sense of reward and pride that comes with becoming better because of the work you do with your family. Eddie discusses the sense of comradery that helps everyone make it through the crappy times. He gives an example of how Dad is taking a laptop and heading off this weekend to be with Pop (Grandpa). 37:30: PressureEddie addresses the disparities in expectations that can come with family connections. He also warns against nepotism. Tyler discusses his decision to stay in the building even when he broke off professionally to do his own thing. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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The conversation that Tyler and Eddie refer to in this episode is part of Empower 2024, and you can register here: http://www.quickbase.com/empower24/constructionbros
Tyler’s concerned about his hair again, but he’s more concerned to let you know about an upcoming opportunity. Tyler and Eddie recently recorded an episode with Rob Coakley of Lithko Contracting on the topic of renting equipment vs. buying.
We’ve all experienced the hunger to buy a new toy when a project justifies it, but Rob makes the argument that if you crunch all the numbers, you’ll likely realize that renting is a better way to go.
Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!**
00:00 - IntroductionWe start out today with some small talk–or maybe short talk–about online meetings. We share our complicated experiences with meeting people in person after establishing relationships online or over the phone. We also share some speculations about how avatars may affect this in the future.
Then, of course, we express our affection for Bluey because… well, because he’s Bluey. Then things briefly take a dark turn as Tyler shares some of his own dog blues.
06:22 - Welcome, Ken
Ken is Director of AEC Alliances and Solutions at Dell. In this role, he leads strategy related to the construction industry, geospatial industry, and some parts of the manufacturing industry.
Ken’s background is more in software than in hardware. He brings the voice of the industry into the engineering groups to help them understand how Dell’s towers, laptops, and rugged hardware are used by people in industry.
Ken shares about his work with drafting–from 2D AutoCAD to floor designs. He walks us through the path he followed into Revit design work and training and eventually consultant work. He worked as a BIM solution owner for Kone, a Finnish elevator company.
Eddie asks about Kone elevators, and Ken geeks out in a way that reveals his detailer/designer roots.
13:28 - Tyler Goofs UpTyler raises the painful story about one of his recent interactions with Ken. It had to do with a rugged laptop that Ken graciously shared for a video shoot. Tyler decided to get kind of Tyler-ish with it and… Let’s just say Tyler pushed it too far. The laptop handled an amazing array of challenges. Then Tyler saw the 40,000-pound boom lift.
Tyler talks through the numerous other tests he conducted with the rugged laptop. Ken glosses over his request for a replacement laptop.
18:51 - A Broad UpdateWe ask Ken to bring us up-to-date on what’s going on in computer technology within the construction industry. He talks about the numerous demands on computers operating in the current landscape. He touches on the annual updates to internal hardware components. With a growing number of demanding software packages, these updates make noticeable differences.
We spend some time talking about AI integration and its effects on computer performance. This leads to a discussion about the NPU (neural processing unit) on Intel’s 14th-gen processors. Ken explains how this low-latency unit can help to conduct behind-the-scenes performance enhancements.
Tyler asks about reality capture and the use of AI with registration, stitching, and object classification. We get into some point-cloud talk and photogrammetry. Ken addresses the interplay among ISVs (independent software vendors) and computer companies. He also fesses up to using advanced features to make his house look clean during online meetings.
25:50 - Helping the LostEddie raises the concern that many people feel overwhelmed or lost when choosing hardware that can meet the demands of their software. He also asks about battery life. Ken shares some scenarios related to battery consumption as well as the heat mitigation that affects computer performance.
We discuss the need for computer down-time–proactive or reactive–that was needed while using early versions of Revit and other demanding software. Ken shares some early-career stories about workloads growing because his boss saw the cool things that he could do in design software.32:42 - Processor Talk: Core vs. XeonTyler asks Ken to explain the difference between Core processors and Xeon processors. Ken explains that a Xeon processor is like a bus or a train that can get you and all of your friends to your destination reliably and quickly. A Core processor is like a Corvette, that can get just you and one friend to your destination, but will get you there really quickly. Ken also explains single-threading and multi-threading and how those things affect daily tasks.
Eddie asks for some specific advice on devices. Ken explains the Precision 3680 is the bulldog of the industry as far as tower workstations, and he suggests that you load up on as much RAM as possible. He also discusses the benefits of graphics cards, including some specific NVIDIA GPUs. As far as mobile units–especially for reality-capture specialists–he recommends the 7780 Precision laptop. We discuss additional component specifics
41:58: Where Are We?Eddie asks if the industry is as far along as we think we are in computing. Ken discusses costs and processing power. Ken shares about the challenges of having an entire team that is properly trained and properly equipped to leverage the features that are out there. We also discuss how to cope with lacking IT support. 49:14: Megaphone MessageKen wants the industry to know that you can’t just throw more software at new challenges without investing some time in knowing what hardware is required to make that software operate at its full potential. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!**
This is repost details one of Eddie's best pieces of advice to date.
Eddie’s stealing this week’s insight from Micah Piippo (See episode 180).
That insight? Think ahead–way ahead. Plan long.
Dad said it too. Don’t just think about this week, this month, or this year. Plan out 20 years. Where do you want to be?
Tyler mentions how quickly you see time pass when you’re a parent. That’s part of the point, but not all of it.
Eddie points out how few people there are who can stick with a plan of action in order to achieve five-year goals. Tyler said he feels like he’s a bit too obsessed with the long term.
Stick with it. Think about the long game. Don’t just imagine the future; do what you can to plan for it.
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This episode originally aired in 2023 and contains advice that has become increasingly relevant.
00:56 - Introduction
Brent Wadas is an Army veteran who has also worked in finance and SaaS. In 2020, he and his two co-founders dove into construction automation with BotBuilt. He joins us today to talk about automated framing.
04:38 - BotBuilt Overview
Brent explains why he sometimes feels like a five-year-old. He and his co-founders found that most automated systems required almost complete uniformity. He explains The Panel Book that contains detailed breakdowns of components, designs, and costs.
He talks us through how they use industrial robot arms from eBay to building out wall-panel systems. (Watch a video of the process.)
The marked, labeled panels then simply need to be properly placed and nailed together.
The contractors working with BotBuilt can complete the framing for a single-family residence in 2.5-5 hours using the panels assembled in their facility.
Brent compares BotBuilt’s process to that of other automated-construction companies.
08:48 - Ikea-style Assembly
Eddie asks how BotBuilt lays out instructions for contractors to assemble their plans. Brent explains that the incredibly detailed plans they did for their first run-through ended up in the mud because the builder just wanted the simplest one-page overview plan.
Tyler asks for some more details about the computer programming. Brent talks about the math involved and the challenge of regional code variations.
Brent emphasizes that they can work up a schedule with just a PDF version of the plans. He talks about high school intern Joseph, whose fast work pace caught Brent off-guard.
18:26 - Growth, the Future, and Recruiting
Brent talks about how far things have come in the last couple years and how quickly things are going to change over the next five years. He talks about his company’s work with Y Combinator.
Eddie asks about the challenges of funding such an ambitious business. Brent talks through the way he and his co-founders process those decisions. This conversation includes some insights gained from buying and renovating fixer-uppers.
We find ourselves talking yet again about the challenges of getting the younger generations interested in pursuing construction jobs. Brent ties in some thoughts from his time in the military.
35:10 - What to Consider Before Automating
Tyler asks Brent to outline the things that owners, contractors–anyone–should consider before automating. Here are Brent’s thoughts:
-Reproducibility is the first thing to consider. If you’re looking at a process that repeats the same specs time after time, you might want to consider automation.
-Ask yourself, “Is there a problem here?” Don’t automate just because you see other people automating.
-Consider the personnel demands. Don’t set yourself up to pay the same people for the same number of hours just to solve a problem in a more complicated, new way.
45:00 - Safety and Legacy
We talk about work site safety, and Brent says that you’re 10x more likely to die framing a house than on the battlefield in Afghanistan. He said that 35 service members died every year at the height of the war. 350 people die every year framing houses according to OSHA. He shares how BotBuilt’s consistency, standards, and simplicity can make a dent in these numbers.
Tyler and Eddie discuss their experiences with safety practices (or the lack thereof) on their early-career worksites. Rarely if ever was there anyone designated to keep an eye on safety. We discuss how messed up that is. This leads us into a discussion about leadership.
1:00:33 - Megaphone Message
Brent has a couple megaphone messages. He wants construction workers to keep hope alive, and he wants people from the tech industry as a whole to please come learn the culture of construction. He wants them to discover the wealth and satisfaction that construction has to offer.
Find Brent Online: LinkedIn - BotBuilt
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This is repost of one of our old favorites.
If you want to stand out in business, don’t be a whiner.
It’s a natural human tendency, for sure. That’s why avoiding it will help you stand out from the crowd.
Whining wastes time and strains relationships. The more you can suck it up and do the work when circumstances are tough, the better things will go for you and those around you.
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Today we're revisiting a conversation we had with Fouad Khalil in October of 2023.
Fouad is the founder of and Principal at Modly, a modular construction consultancy that provides the building and real estate sector with market research, feasibility analysis and advisory services. Today he’s here to share some leadership insights.
We jump right into the conversation today with some talk about liability. Tyler asks Fouad to repeat what he had explained in an earlier conversation.Fouad says that your insurance carrier will tell you…
-Don’t say, “It will be done this way.”
-Don’t get on the job site and direct other teams’ workers on how to do their job.
When you do these things, you’re taking on liability.
Eddie points out that general contractors get trained to shed liability. This leads to gray areas within the hand-off territory where information degradation occurs.
Tyler mentions that some schools are unable to implement shop programs because of insurance costs.
5:03 - Sweden and Building Robust Teams
Fouad shares about his experience working on a project in Sweden. He recounts a conversation about potential leaks on structural wood components on the building. The answer about potential leaks was, “We’ll work on the solution together.”
Fouad shares about the critical path and lead times. He talks about schedule compression and how every single step in the process can become critical. A shortage of screws can result in a whole project coming to a standstill.
He mentions the insights he gained from the book Managing the Unexpected. This book focuses on high-reliability organizations like air-traffic control, NASA, etc.
In manufacturing, you can burn through your cash in no time. Efficiency is everything. Fouad wanted to apply this knowledge in his clients’ projects.
Fouad talks about the need for humility and honesty in regard to the planning fallacy. We underestimate.
20:36 - Key Lessons from the book
We asked Fouad here today to discuss some of the lessons he learned from a book he mentioned to us recently. The book is Managing the Unexpected by Karl E. Weick and Kathleen M. Sutcliffe.
Here are the five traits that the authors saw in high-reliability organizations:
1. Operational sensitivity
2. Preoccupation with failure
3. Reluctance to simplify
4. Commitment to resilience
5. Deference to expertise
We expand upon each of these briefly. Fouad quotes Churchill: “Plans are useless, but planning is essential.”
Eddie discusses the confusion he felt when his college coach told him to work at 90%. His point was to be deliberate and have a reserve. Maintain a buffer.
Fouad explains that these principles apply to managing crews of any size. If you don’t manage thoughtfully in these respects, your best people are going to burn out. He gives examples about how to institute quiet times throughout the day when there will be no meetings.
Eddie talks about creative use of red Solo cups in the office.
33:20 - Debriefing to Avoid Repetition of the Same FailuresTyler asks Fouad to explain how effective review of failures can ensure improved performance going forward. He talks about the importance of categorizing and analyzing the failures. He refers to various historical failures that were addressed thoughtfully.
Eddie connects this to recognition of safety failures even if those don't lead to serious injuries. We also discuss how the principle plays out in relationships with contractors who try to downplay mess-ups.
43:04 - Recognizing the Experts
Fouad talks about the distribution of responsibility in specific situations to the people most capable of making the best decision. It’s not about staying loyal to a flow chart. If the lower-ranking person is in a better position to make the judgment, let them make the judgment. Then hand that authority back to the conventionally in-charge figure once the situation has been addressed. It’s about dynamic teams.
One more time, here’s the book Fouad brought to our attention today: Managing the Unexpected.
Find Fouad Online: LinkedIN
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Despite Tyler’s apathy toward football, today Eddie is encouraging us with a football analogy: stay in the pocket.
He explains that the quarterback who trusts his offensive line can examine his options while standing confidently within the pocket.
When you’re looking to move the ball down the field, you might be tempted to run off to the side or run backward to an area that looks so peacefully empty. This almost always ends badly. Hang in there and keep surveying your options.
Tyler translates this analogy to pickleball. When you’re tempted to slam it from the kitchen, it’s usually better to just keep it going.
Step into the hardship. Stay in that pocket.
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This is a re-release of an episode that originally aired on September 27 of 2023.
00:00 - Introduction
You listen to us, and we listen to you. Today we welcome a guest who engaged honestly and thoughtfully with one of our LinkedIn posts.A while back, when Eddie posted on LinkedIn to say that he wanted designers to have more money and more time in order to produce a better product, Nick stepped up to say that he didn’t think that was always the answer.
Nick said that collaboration is also key. Nick is an owner’s rep for an automotive group, and every day he observes the complex dynamics of the construction process. 03:20 - When You’ve Tried…Nick shares about times when he’s paid more for the “correct” design professionals. Sometimes it has panned out, and sometimes it hasn’t.
We discuss some of the design and structural characteristics that are unique to the construction of automotive dealerships.
Eddie asks Nick to describe the schematics that he hands to his architects. The plans are pretty detailed because space-planning and other elements are crucial to functionality of the space.
Nick talks through the accumulating delays that occur in the design stage. He explains how essential it is that designers who are given more time produce designs that are really, truly ready to go. 12:10 - Repeat Projects with Small AdjustmentsEddie talks about the unique challenges and advantages of working on projects that are essentially repeats of previous projects. Sometimes small differences in these repeat projects open the doors to slight cost savings–maybe using a 6” stud instead of an 8” one. When that happens, it can take an unreasonably long amount of time to get the designers to make that change.
Nick explores the reasons that architects or engineers might not be able to jump on that change as quickly as one would like. Those people are usually working on multiple projects. He talks about how the navigation of this process changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He goes on to share about a massive beam that unexpectedly appeared on the worksite of a repeat project. He and the other parties were able to find a more affordable substitution because he was willing to ask everyone involved and push for a creative solution. 22:00 - Lessons Learned, Solutions FoundEddie asks Nick to share about some of the things he’s learned from years of encountering these kinds of challenges. Here are a couple things he mentions:
-Get together with equipment vendors. Discuss how to replicate parts of the project even when there are minor variations in projects.
-Take a close look at the process, including your role. See how you can tweak that process to minimize changes and increase the efficiency of addressing changes that do arise.
-Make sure you’re working with designers who actually know how to build buildings–people who actually know about the physical construction process.
-Make sure everyone is starting with the same vocabulary and reference points so that the content within designs can be easily understood by the workers on the jobsite.
We go on to discuss the timing of change orders and the complications that arise when they’re not timed thoughtfully.
Tyler asks Nick how he weighs the various variables in order to make decisions regarding change orders. Nick shares and Eddie contributes some thoughts from his experience.
48:40 - Is There Such a Thing as…?Eddie asks if there is such a thing as a firm that can do top-grade work efficiently for a reasonable price? Nick says that the answer is yes but that it’s complicated. Since teams and partnerships are always changing, you might find your rhythm with one person or firm but then find that the chemistry with the entire team is not the same.
Nick mentions that he has upward of 40 projects at a time that are at one stage or in the design or construction process. He talks through the communication principles that make it possible to manage that many projects at one time. 1:05:01 - Nick’s Megaphone Message:Communicate. We’re all trying to do the job. We’re all trying to do more with less resources every day. The more we can be concise and to communicate clearly, the more we’ll make everyone’s job easier. Find Nick on LinkedIn Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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Eddie’s been reading The Comfort Crisis, and from that he brings us this insight: “Hunger is the best sauce.”
He shares about his recent trip to the NASCC and an “exquisite” meal he had there. They didn’t go high-end, but it still tasted outstanding simply because they were so dang hungry. Hunger sharpens the olfactory senses.
Doing without something can make you really appreciate it when it returns. If you’re going through a dry spell, Eddie encourages you to be okay with that. Consider how much you’ll appreciate things when the tide turns.
Hunger is the best sauce.
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We start out today with some swag talk and a chat about some recent opportunities to meet listeners.
(Note: Of course historicity is a word. Dictionary.com’s definition is “historical authenticity.”) 03:50 - The Panama CanalThere’s so much to discuss on this massive construction project. First, though, we insist on a deep dive on our Keurig machine.
Then we get to some specs:
* Parcel of land: 10 miles wide and 50 miles long
* 85 feet elevation change from sea level to highest point
* Avg. ship transit time: 8-10 hrs
* 300,000,000 cubic yards of earth moved in project
* 52 million gallons of water displaced for each transit (That’s about 742,857 bathtubfuls–roughly the amount of water that passes through Hoover Dam every 14 minutes)
* Cut the ocean-going distance from NY to LA from 13,000 miles to 5,200 miles
* Some calculations put the total construction fatalities at 500 lives for each mile of canal. (Total of around 25,600).
We discuss the history of Panamanian isthmus exploration by those who were interested in sea navigation. In 1513, Spanish explorer Balboa became the first European to realize that this area was a narrow isthmus b/t Atlantic and Pacific oceans. This eventually led to exploration for a navigable passage. Then in 1534, Charles V, the Holy Roman emperor, ordered a survey to determine if a route could be built. It is considered impossible.
By 1881, France decided that indeed it was possible, so they began construction. That attempt led to more than 20,000 deaths–mostly from Caribbean islands such as Antigua, Barbados and Jamaica.
13:06 - Lock History and the Labor ForceEddie runs us through the history of locks, which started in China and included some input from Leonardo DaVinci.
Approximately 60,000 people were involved in the American construction project. White workers got the best jobs and the best lodging. Workers died at the incomprehensible rate of 500 for every mile of construction. Many of these deaths were due to disease, but many were also due to mudslides and a range of other predictable types of accidents. 19:09 - New Tools and Chief EngineersWe discuss a couple of innovations that made this project possible:
The track-shifter (Watch a video clip): huge crane-like machine could hoist a whole section of track–rails and ties–and swing it in either direction, to relocate it as much as 3 m at a time. It took less than a dozen men operating one day to move 1.6 km of track, a task requiring not less than 600 men.
The dirt-spreader (See a pic): A car operated by compressed air, the dirt-spreader had steel "wings" on each side that could be raised and lowered to level off material left along the track by the unloader. Did the work of approximately 6000 men working by hand.
Eddie lists the men who worked in the chief engineer role and the big money that they earned–more than any other public employee other than the president. The one who finally stuck around to finish the project was George Washington Goethals, who had no choice because he was assigned to this role as an Army general.
27:30 - Economic Impact and Other Takeaways
We explore the economic impact of the canal. Shipping costs for goods that would have needed to pass south of South America immediately dropped by 31%. This leads to a discussion of the drought that has caused complications in the canal since last year. We touch on the huge impact caused when shipping lanes are shut down, including the recent bridge collapse in Baltimore.
Tyler mentions the fact that automation has been in the works since even this era and we discuss the efforts that were made in regard to personnel management–allowing families to stay near the work sites and providing some of the workers with generous vacation time. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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(This is a re-air of an episode originally released last September.)
Tyler’s been doing some training lately. Eddie has been both working out and listening to ultra-runner Nick Bare’s podcast.
Nick talks about running a 230-mile ultra-marathon. Tyler and Eddie are not doing that.
During COVID, Eddie was set to run a marathon that ended up being canceled. The Campbell family stepped up and set up a one-man race.
When he hit 16 miles, he hit a wall. He was determined not to quit in front of his kids, so he focused on just finishing the next mile. Then the next mile. Then the next mile.
We all hit those walls. Sometimes you simply can’t take the long view. You just need to focus on the very next step.
Slowly you’ll gather momentum. Eventually you’ll realize that you’re just three miles out. Then two.
Then one.
Then you’re done.
Just do the next mile. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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00:00 - The Founding of GPRSToday we welcome Matt Aston. Matt is the founder of GPRS. Although that is an acronym for ground-penetrating radar systems, the company does much more than that these days. Matt started his company in 2001, and now they employ almost 800 people in 54 cities.
We discuss the ground-penetrating radar equipment. Matt walks us through some basics about how this equipment uses magnetic variations to help users create a map of the underground infrastructure. When he was starting GPRS, most of his work involved taking readings in concrete–sensing rebar, anchors, etc. As time passed, they shifted toward working with utility contractors before excavations.
Matt shares about his dad’s drilling and cutting business in Toledo and how a softball injury forced him to restructure his business. This led to substantial growth that led to a business he might have been interested in taking over. 06:08 - Building a Business on Young Technology, Equipment OverviewMatt tells us about an early experience with the stress of the ground-penetrating radar business. On his way to the equipment-training session he was a little scared. On the way home, he was really scared.
Eddie asks Matt to talk through ground-penetrating radar tools. He talks through the tools and the process that has enabled his team to reach a 99.87% accuracy record. It involves baby-buggy-like carts and converting screen data to the paint on the ground. A few GPR antennas, a couple for underground and one specifically for concrete. Then there are a few specialized tools, including the handheld wands and sewer cameras. The sewer cameras, along with a few other tools, enable the company to now provide leak-detection services. 15:33 - Training ProgramsMatt shares about his company’s training programs. Matt explains that they now have 3 full-time trainers. These veteran project managers conduct their training in a facility with a custom-built floor full of all kinds of wire, pipes, and conduit. They also have a simulated gas station complete with tanks.
Tyler asks Matt to share about his company’s Trump Tower project in Chicago. This involved a demo and then some code upgrades. This required extensive time-consuming retrofits. He recounts a couple other incredibly ambitious projects.
We discuss the increasing sensitivity and precision of the equipment involved. Matt shares about a time when he had to break some unfortunate news with the owners of a scientific facility where the concrete hadn’t been poured to the proper thickness. 29:50 - Unusual Projects and Big-City ProjectsTyler asks Matt to share about some of the unorthodox jobs they’ve been called to do. Matt shares a story about a mysterious old site where the client was looking for a large metal container. GPRS has even located a few murder victims. He’s not confirming that one of them was Jimmy Hoffa, but he’s not denying it either.
Matt tells a few examples of the interesting variety of locations that this work takes his teams. He gives an example of one crew working in DC who was taken by the National Park Service to scan the lawn at the White House. 37:24 - EntrepreneurshipTyler asks Matt to talk about growing his business. Matt shares about early hires and the challenges of ensuring that the income exceeds the outflow. He discusses decisions that were especially influential, and he shares his thoughts about the role of the companies’ CEOs in both successes and failures. As your company grows, Matt says, your potential also grows.
Matt recounts the stages of growth and the points at which you sense shifts in your perception of the business and your role in it. He set some ambitious goals and has found that they’re achievable. He mentions the role that Toledo’s size played in setting his company on a path for growth.
Eddie and Matt compare notes on business-growth rewards and challenges. Matt shares about an unsettling conversation he had with a contractor who wanted to avoid knowing in advance about underground elements because he made more money when his equipment damaged them and then he needed to repair them. They agree that it’s all about “meeting the need.” 59:13 - Matt’s Megaphone MessageWe are capable of so, so much more than we realize. The world around us makes it really easy to be average. If you just show up and do what you said you were going to, you’re already above average. But if you push yourself, you can move into that elite category. Find your why. You can be an elite performer. **Find Matt on LinkedIn
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It’s not worth it. You want to sleep at night.
Manipulation sometimes comes in the form of straight-up lying, but it also sometimes comes in half-truths, intimidation.
Sometimes it even comes in the form of donuts (although we won’t complain too hard about that one).
Be a straight shooter. Not only will it keep you from being found out; it will also make life more pleasant for you. Word of mouth is big in the construction industry. Your reputation will precede you.
Be the person who shows up when you say you’re going to show up. Take care of problems. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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We start out today by considering placing bets on the Sawzall next door, which of course leads us to reflect on our experience with high school bookies.
02:25 - A Full House of SpecsTyler mentions that his first exposure to the Golden Gate Bridge was in the opening to Full House. Then we dive into some specs:
* The bridge’s span between towers is 4200 feet.
* The towers reach 746’ height above the water.
* Each tower weighs 22,000 tons.
* The total length of the bridge is 1.7 miles.
* 80,000 miles of steel wire were used to –enough to wrap around the earth 3 times.
* 1 million rivets
We discuss the old-school rivets and a condition that developed among riveters. When the primer paint came into contact with the still-hot rivets, they’d release fumes that led to an odd collection of symptoms.
Eddie recalls his first trip over the bridge to Muir Woods, where the Ewok scenes in Star Wars were filmed. Tyler thought about taking a similar trip but lacked confidence in the range of his rented electric vehicle. 09:06 - Joseph StraussEddie leads us into a conversation about Joseph Strauss, who headed up the construction of the bridge. Tyler goes bleepy in his review of Strauss’s character. Strauss tended to be a little praise-hungry, tending to brush aside the contributions of others who made substantial contributions to the bridge’s design and construction.
We discuss Strauss’s Renaissance-man range of interests and his death soon after the bridge’s completion. Eddie admires Strauss’s idea of creating a scale model of the bridge during the building process. 13:24 - Historical Comparisons, Objections, Divers, etc.We discuss the history of suspension bridges and the unique challenges of constructing a bridge over this particular waterway.
Eddie recounts the history of interest in building a bridge that would save massive travel time. A drive around this bay at today’s travel speeds would take 3 hours. He lists the various parties that objected to the bridge’s construction–everything from environmentalists to citizens worried about the naval fleet being prevented from reaching the ocean. (And, of course, you can imagine how worked up the ferrymen were.)
Tyler discusses the crucial contributions of the construction divers in those old-school diving suits. We discuss the tasks they completed and the risks they took.
29:00 - Safety Performance, Cables, and AIWe express our amazement at the fact that only 11 people died during this project. Considering the safety standards of the day, that was pretty impressive–especially considering the fact that 10 of those deaths occurred in the same incident.
That means that if that incident hadn’t occurred, there would have been only a single death in a project completed when some decision-makers considered it acceptable to have one death per million dollars spent on a project. We wonder if part of the reason for that safety was hard hats, which were required for the first time on this project.
We review the specs related to the massive cables–up to 3 feet in diameter–that both support the bridge and allow it to flex. These big projects created necessities that mothered inventions.
Eddie returns to the topic of naysayers and how we approach the decisions to tackle large projects. We ponder the cost-benefit analyses done with projects like this as they relate to environmental concerns.
Tyler connects the learning that occurred and the travel patterns that shifted as a result of the Golden Gate Bridge. He links these considerations to our current perspective on AI.
32:50 - Destination StructuresWe discuss the cool feelings that come with the construction of projects that have enough of a presence in the national consciousness that people travel just to see them. Tyler says the Great Wall of China is one that he’d like to see. Eddie would like to go up in the St. Louis Arch and to see the Space Needle as well as the Taj Mahal. He’d also love to visit some ancient ones.
This prompts us to reflect a bit–thinking that we need to take the time to appreciate the way that people use the things we build. Appreciate the fact that you’re making a difference in people’s daily lives.If you’re interested in learning more about the Golden Gate Bridge and its construction, check out these sources:
* The Rivets
* Video clips of the riveting process
* 1960s mini-documentary
* Pics of underwater workers
* Cable pics
* Pics of south tower “bathtub”
* History Channel Modern Marvels episode
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Eddie’s gears have been ground. It bothers him when people act like they’re the only one with problems–especially when this leads to them unloading their workload onto someone else.
This kind of offense is especially frustrating to managers, owners, or other types of bosses who can’t pass the buck.
(We can’t imagine how worked up Eddie will be when he’s an old man.)
Ultimately, it’s a basic “do unto others as you’d like them to do unto you” situation. It makes you a better employee, a better coworker, a better friend, a better contractor.
Tyler reflects on the sense of entitlement that he had as a young fella in the industry, and we discuss the long-term benefits of making deposits to the trust account of those you work with day in and day out.
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Tyler’s struggling with sugar withdrawal. Eddie sometimes doesn’t feel like a real man. Hamzah Shanbari likes his coffee bitter and black. 02:55 - Welcoming Hamzah ShanbariWe’re glad to have Hamzah back. It’s been a good, long while–almost three years since he joined us to discuss marketing vs. reality. He’s still achieving more than us.
Hamzah now works with Haskell, where he is the Director of Innovation. Haskell has charged Hamzah and his team to invest, invent, and innovate. They do this under an LLC named Dysruptek, that seeks to look with a fresh eye at things that have long been done the same way.
Hamzah talks about Haskell’s Big Pitch, the Shark Tank-style event where people within the company present their new ideas. Tyler asks how they vet the ideas. Hamzah talks about Miro digital mapping and a few other steps. He enters these ideas into a database that can be consulted as company needs arise over time. When an opportunity arises, they pull up these ideas and fund pilot programs. 15:12 - Some SpecificsEddie asks for some specific examples of projects Hamzah’s team has guided through this pilot process. He shares an example of a software package. Project managers upload the specifications of their projects and then the software tracks down and compiles all of the documentation required and ensures that all parties have what they need for their respective scope of responsibility. Then reminders can be programmed that will ensure continued documentation is properly collected and organized and distributed.
Tyler asks how commonly AI has arisen within these conversations, and we spend some time discussing Sora generative AI. We discuss the changes we’re likely to see in this area within the coming months and years. Eddie wonders if it will discourage our imagination. Hamzah shares about the book The Coming Wave, which recounts the process of training AI to play the game Go. 25:22 - AI IntegrationHamzah takes us into a conversation about the ways that AI is increasingly integrated into software such as Revit. We ponder the fact that big companies move slowly, meaning the shift towards intuitive operation doesn’t happen quickly.
Hamzah shares some examples of contracts being examined and on some level executed by AI. He also mentions Togel AI conducting safety analysis for jobsites. Eddie shares some thoughts about the reasonable reach of automation. Hamzah’s thought: Verify. Eddie agrees: Check the numbers.
Hamzah refers to the importance of highly qualified inspectors–for example stainless steel welding inspectors. He shares about a machine-learning experience they had with training AI to flag questionable welds. One of the lessons? AI is not that easy. Using it with high-value work requires a lot of time, money, and effort.
Tyler asks Hamzah to share about cool new tools he’s seen. He mentions Skydio drones that are much more extensively automated in its execution of photogrammetry tasks. 40:36 - The BookTyler invites Hamzah to share about a big development in his life: He’s writing a book. Hamzah explains that he approached this project as an effort to share the knowledge he’s gained during his many years engaging with innovative ideas in construction.
The book is titled Paperless Builders: The Why, What, and How of Construction Technology, and it’s designed for people working in contexts where they don’t have someone to facilitate innovation. Tyler talks about his interest in this subject matter and the mission of sharing information that will serve as a tide to raise all boats.
Hamzah is working on building a community of people who can provide perspectives that will help shape his book. If you’re interested in learning more about the book, check out this page. 47:24 - Megaphone MessageThink outside the box. Do some research. There are tons of solutions that will make you more efficient, safer, more accurate. Find Hamzah on LinkedIn and at Haskell Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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Today's leadership lesson was inspired by what we've recently learned about Joseph Strauss, the somewhat-designer of the Golden Gate Bridge. (You’ll hear more about him in an upcoming full CBP episode.)
When you’re in charge of a crew, there’s a natural tendency to want to look good. This is natural, but it’s also dangerous.
The good team leader knows that he looks good because of the members of the team. If you’re claiming credit for the final project, you’re blowing the opportunity to give credit where credit is due.
Your tendency to claim credit for success should be directly related to your tendency to take the blame when things go wrong.
As Eddie says, the call is to accurately represent your contributions. There’s no reason for false humility, but there’s always reason for genuine, circumstantially appropriate humility. People work ambitiously for people who lead this way. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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A few weeks ago, Jennifer Wilkerson joined us to discuss training, education, and recruitment. Today we’ve invited her back to talk about women in construction. Jennifer Vice President of Innovation and Advancement at the National Center for Construction Education and Research. 00:00 - All in the FamilyTyler asks Jennifer to give a run-down of the welding business that she and her husband own. Jennifer was the business manager for several years after leaving her job as a high school English teacher. Over the years, their two daughters, aged 21 and 31, have taken different meandering routes into that business or the broader construction industry.
This means that Jennifer speaks from a position of rich experience when it comes to women in construction.
Eddie asks how the job search went for her younger daughter, who shifted to construction from a forensic-science program. Jennifer said that construction companies were quite eager to welcome a young prospect interested in becoming a superintendent.
06:09 - The ObstaclesEddie asks Jennifer to discuss the obstacles that keep women from entering the construction industry. She recounts a survey of elementary-age girls that revealed the primary concern most of them had: “I’m not strong enough.” They simply don’t realize that the construction industry is not all about lifting stuff.
Tyler shares about how much he enjoys taking his daughter to Home Depot or to visit a work site. Eddie follows up with some memories about the bros’ grandma, who had a toolbox of her own.
Tyler asks about the pressure to recruit women at this moment in the industry. Jennifer says that it’s a matter of need. The industry needs to tap into all sectors of the workforce if it wants to resolve the labor shortage. 10:42 - Research ResultsJennifer shares about research that NCCER conducted regarding women in construction. They surveyed 176 tradeswomen to see what changes might make the industry more welcoming. They also studied other surveys that have been on this topic.
Here are some of the findings:
* Women do things more thoughtfully and meticulously in situations where men might to revert to brute strength.
* Women bring a sense of teamwork and emotional cohesion to a team. Men who worked on teams with women rated themselves higher on productivity then men on teams without women. Jennifer attributes this to the fact that many women are encouragers.
* Women bring a diversity of perspectives to a crew and a worksite.
We talk about that many women got into construction for the money and then found themselves taking great pride and satisfaction in seeing completed projects. 18:10 - Concerns of Prospective WorkersEddie asks Jennifer to share about the concerns that women have coming into the industry. She mentions concerns about sexual harassment but expresses that the industry has come a long way in this area. She gives an example of a company that invested genuine resources and thought toward ensuring that concerns were recognized and addressed.
Another concern is accommodation for mothers. She says it’s important to consider some creativity in shift work to enable women to address concerns of childcare. She suggests some other creative solutions, such as designated parking for parents. Many of these family-friendly considerations would be beneficial for everyone.
We step into the topic of porta-potties and the fact that most of them are designed with no consideration to feminine hygiene products. The companies say they’ve never been asked for these simple features.
Eddie asks about the best ways to ensure that women’s perspectives are making it into planning conversations. Jennifer explains how much of a difference that makes. She encourages women to speak up to the leaders of their organizations. They want to hear.
28:34 - Safety and Team ChemistryEddie shares his speculation that women are more risk-averse than most men. Jennifer confirms that this is the case. She shares about a woman who plays “Mama bear” as a safety enforcement specialist. Eddie refers to the cowboy mindset that many men take until there’s an accident.
Tyler and Eddie share about an experience with a woman who became an integral member of their detailing team. Eddie refers to the clarity she brought to communication and the attention to detail that she brought to the detailing process. 36:29 - Megaphone MessageHere’s what Jennifer says with her megaphone this time around: Give women a chance. Be a company that women want to join. Think about your project sites. Ask the women on your team what you can do to be more welcoming to women. Think about your daughter, your wife, your sister. Find Jennifer on LinkedIn Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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It’s hot when you weld.
Today we’re back around to the topic of young people coming into the industry. Today, we’re specifically discussing ways to help young people with an interest in the construction industry.
This conversation brings to mind times when we’ve learned from newbies who are approaching industry-standard software for the first time.
We encourage educators and people within the industry to encourage young prospects to explore. Help them wade into the waters of Bluebeam and other software that are at the heart of design and construction today. Here are some links to get you started:Bluebeam’s academic program: www.bluebeam.com/academic
Bluebeam University: www.bluebeam.com/bluebeam-university
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**If you're interested in learning more about the construction of Hoover Dam, scroll to the end of the show notes for links.
00:00 - A Quick Dam Joke, the Consortium, and Some Stats**We question our ability to keep our puns in check. Sorry, Mom.
Then we move on to the contractors. We discuss the consortium called Six Companies Inc. that won the bid at nearly $49 million, approximately $860 million in today’s dollars.
Eddie makes a conveniently timed comparison to the Washington Monument. The Hoover Dam is 726 feet tall–almost 200 feet taller than the Washington Monument. Only 6 buildings in the US were taller than the dam when it was built.
We discuss some stats:
-4.4 million cubic yards of concrete were used in the project. That is enough to pave a two-lane road from Seattle to Miami or a four-foot-wide sidewalk around the Earth at the Equator or enough to pave a two-lane road from Seattle to Miami.
-Its base is as thick as the length of 2 football end-to-end
-It has 4 intake towers (30’ diameter each) that can carry enough water to fill 900 bathtubs in only one second. That means 1,448,100 “bathtubfuls” of water will have passed through the dam in the time it takes you to listen to this episode. 07:15 - Construction Costs and Power OutputTyler mentions that the cost of the initial construction, which finished in 1936, wasn't paid off until 1987. Eddie discusses the way that we handle financing for capital projects, spending not just tomorrow’s money–but money that won’t come in for decades.
We compare these expenses to the absolutely monumental amount of economic impact that the electricity from the dam has had. Here’s where the 4 billion kilowatt-hours each year goes:
* 19% to Arizona
* 23% to Nevada
* 58% percent goes to California (15% to LA, which is 270 miles away)
10:46 - Hoovervilles and FatalitiesEddie fills the gaps in Tyler’s history education with an explanation of the Hoovervilles from the Great Depression. Hoover didn’t get much positive PR aside from this dam.
We discuss the desperation of the Great Depression is shown by the fact that the ability to line up workers for a job to do this. Tyler shares the troubling coincidence is the fact that the first and last men to die on this project were father and son.
Thinking about these human costs leads us into a discussion about the structure of incentives and penalties that drove the owners of Six Companies to push the pace of construction. 19:53 - Takeaways: Big Projects, Green Energy, Old-school DraftingWe discuss the fact that bold projects lead to emboldened people who move on to even bolder projects. Sometimes biting off more than you can chew leads to growth.
Tyler makes the point that this dam was a green-energy project long before the term “green energy” was coined. He also expresses awe at the thought that all of the drafting for this massive project would have been done by hand.
Eddie stops short of calling himself a history buff, but he expresses a deep respect for the teams of designers and workers who accomplished massive projects like this with so little help from what we consider advanced technologies.
Tyler invites you to submit your ideas for future research-based projects. If you’re interested in additional details about the Hoover Dam, explore these sources:
* EIA.gov
* USBR.gov
* B1M video: compares the world’s largest dams to other structures
* Lake Mead historical water-level chart
* NPS.gov
* Bechtel’s page about construction of the dam
* Old publicity/education video
* Library of Congress Photos
* Video of the physics and engineering involved
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Today we bring you the last of our February series on things we love about the construction industry. Today, we're talking about variety.
When it’s Friday and you just wanna go home. What keeps you there?
Eddie and Tyler point out that you could be in a dull, repetitive cubicle job that is going to be taken over by AI. But instead, you’re in a field where you encounter something new every day.
There are tampers to ride, new guys to send out for the beam stretcher, all kinds of fresh and exciting variety. And, yes, there are new regulations, new owners, new contractors to work with. Is all that variety wonderful? Probably not. Still, it’s not dull.
So hang in there at least until lunch. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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Today we’re talking to Jeffrey Michael and Darren Draper, two commissioning agents. If you’re not sure what that means, then you’ve come to the right episode. 00:00 - Superbowl reflectionsWe’re not sure what we were thinking to schedule a recording session the day after the Superbowl. Also, we’re sorry that you’re listening yet again to thoughts about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce just so we can get some SEO juice. 03:21 - IntroductionsJeffrey Michael has been in the design and construction world for about 15 years, the last several of those years of that in commissioning. He discusses his earlier experience with manufacturing controls–working with automated guiding vehicles, assembly lines, welding robots, and the like. In the commercial sector, his controls expertise means that he deals with HVAC, lighting, security.
Darren Draper is Principal at the Epsten Group. He has been working in commissioning since he left college. Before that, he did summer work with his dad in HVAC work. He shares about how little he expected to end up in the world of controls. 06:56 - Commissioning - the what and the howWe ask Jeffrey and Darren to explain commissioning. Darren explains that a commissioner is there to make sure the building operates the way the owner wants it to operate. They make sure the HVAC units and anything else mechanical is operating the way it should.
Jeffrey and Darren share a bit about how they do the testing they do. The documentation and protocols involved are numerous. All of this is to ensure that the outputs within an actual building are what the design engineers intended them to be.
Darren explains that commissioners want to be hired by the owner so there’s a solid third-party objectivity. We discuss what market/industry forces led to the creation and growth of this position. As building components became increasingly complex, more buildings were reaching the end of the construction process without functioning the way they should. 18:30 - Equipping, informing, and training owners and support crewsDarren and Jeffrey explain that part of a commissioner’s function is training the owner’s repair and maintenance specialists on the nuances of their building’s systems. Many of the elements these crews will need to maintain are concealed once construction is complete.
The guys share about a recent poultry building they completed and then discuss mission-critical elements. We discuss the importance of functional redundancies that are central to the safety of those who will be using a building.
We discuss the importance of effective communication in this process–the need for people to be able to approach training with a teamwork/partnership dynamic. 32:42 - Dealing with conflictTyler asks the guys to share about how they deal with conflict. They share that tact is incredibly important in their work. Jeffrey talks about tactics for diffusing tension and keeping everyone focused on solutions and a building’s long-term functionality.
We discuss how the landscape of engineering, design, and construction have shifted over the years. A few decades ago, most engineers and designers contributing to a project would likely have had at least a little more boots-on-the-jobsite familiarity with the actual construction process.
Add to this the product manufacturers who sell a product that can do what it is designed to do only if it is installed properly in the proper environment and surrounded by the proper components. We also touch on outsourcing of isolated parts of the design or engineering process. 45:58 - Designing and building with the end in mindDarren and Jeffrey discuss the importance of designing buildings with controls in mind so that the operational intent of the building is the focus. Jeffrey shares some thoughts about why this is not the way things are done.
We explore some thoughts about how disconnects in the industry could be reduced. 01:04:09 - Megaphone MessageJeffrey: Know your worth. Also, in order to know what you do want to do, explore things so you can know what you don’t want to do.
Darren: Take pride in what you do. If you don’t like what you do, find something you do like to do and take pride in that. Find Jeffrey on LinkedIn Find Darren on LinkedIn Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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We’re back with some more love. Today is the third episode in our “For the love of…” series.
Eddie loves solving problems. He loves seeing all of the pieces laid out in front of him and then figuring out how to put them all together.
His favorite is solving problems as part of a team. He loves to spitball ideas and build off of the ideas of his teammates until there’s a solid, impressive, satisfying result.
Tyler expresses his appreciation for the fact that construction still involves a hefty amount of face-to-face interaction when a group of people get together in a room and hash it out. With coffee, of course. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
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Today we’re talking to Jennifer Wilkerson of the National Center for Construction Education and Research, where she’s now the Vice President of Innovation and Advancement. Our conversation today focuses on the recruitment and training of tomorrow’s skilled trades workforce. 01:20 - TSwift, JWilk, and the Family Welding BusinessWe recorded this episode pre-Superbowl, so we start out with Tyler’s speculations about a potential earth-shaking breakup that might follow the game.
Jennifer shares with us about her path from aspiring financial advisor to high school English teacher to VP of Innovation and Advancement at the NCCER. She’s now been with NCCER for 14 years.
Tyler asks Jennifer to share about how hiring has changed since the days when she and her husband started their welding business. She discusses the cultural shifts that have made it necessary to have a greater amount of structured training.
08:15 - Poaching and JumpingEddie refers to the retention challenges that employers face, and we discuss employee etiquette. The job market makes it a serious challenge.
Jennifer points out how much of a teacher mindset many tradespeople have. We share about how we’ve seen that within ABSI. 12:53 - NCCERJennifer outlines what the NCCER offers. Much of their work has to do with guiding contractors toward the rich network of organizations that can provide them with support in hiring and training employees as well as other aspects of managing their business.
She points out that many community colleges and high schools are experiencing a long-overdue pendulum swing back toward training for the trades. She mentions the spirit of cooperation at a recent American Association of Community Colleges conference.
Jennifer mentions that employers need to adjust their expectations as far as how much experience they can expect workers to have when they enter. Many of these incoming workers will have training that is wide but shallow. Employers need to be prepared to fill the gaps. 17:10 - High Schools and Shop ClassTyler asks about the responsiveness of high schools to the return to an emphasis on shop classes. Jennifer shares how the NCCER helps high schools navigate this process.
The need is clearly there, but the infrastructure has deteriorated and significant cultural attitudes need to be addressed. Jennifer explains how culture defined success after WWII and how it has developed since then.
Eddie asks about the differences in employee demand between different regions and markets. Jennifer shares some insights on this and also touches on the advancement opportunities present within construction–including owning your own business. 25:50 - CollegesTyler discusses the structure of college curricula and how it provides a perceived path toward a career. He sees this as a weak point in the construction industry. Eddie talks about his son’s recent experience with a surveyor.
Jennifer shares about the fact that contractors don’t know how to reach out to schools. She discusses the persistence required to make these connections. 31:15 - Urgency and How to Take ActionEddie asks Jennifer for some numbers. She shares these troubling ones:
-By 2025, 25% of the current workforce will retire.
-By 2028, it will be 30%. That’s almost a third of the workforce.
-For every 5 people that retire out of construction, only 1 is entering.
She points out that we have to establish a consistent presence in the schools. Eddie points out that Gen Z seems to have a “Show me the money” attitude.Tyler asks Jennifer for action points for contractors seeking young workers, and she encourages them to go to BYF.org, NCCER’s site designed to help people build their future. The site contains packets of activities and materials for career days.
Tyler mentions the Heavy Metal Summer Experience that we discussed with Angie Simon.
Jennifer also suggests that you ask about helping math teachers with lessons that are connected to workplace application.
39:48 - Megaphone MessageHere’s Jennifer’s message to the construction industry: Carpe diem. Seize the day. Build something that will last longer than you. This is the time. Get off your a. Get on your feet and go visit your local schools. Do something to address this problem. Find Jennifer on LinkedIn
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Sometimes they were forged in the fire, but we have some really good relationships because of our involvement in the construction industry.
Tyler shares about his amusement at what people consider difficult in his new field of work. He says it just doesn’t compare to the challenges he encountered in construction.
Eddie encourages you to not underestimate the benefits of working really hard alongside others.
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Today we talk to Dr. Noland White, Professor of Psychology at Georgia College & State University. IMPORTANT NOTE: Today’s conversation touches on issues of mental health. Although we hope you find the insights helpful, we want to be clear that this content is for educational purposes only. If you’re experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression, please talk to a medical professional. 02:06 - Settling InDr. White gives us a run-down of his academic and professional history. We discuss the benefits of ropes courses. It’s all about facing challenges–even if you don’t overcome them.
Dr. White lists some of the courses he teaches and shares about his research pursuits. This includes everything from intimate relationships to ADHD. 07:59 - ConfrontationTyler explains that we invited Dr. White today to talk to us about how to handle confrontation. Dr. White explains that, first of all, it’s a lot easier to know what to do than it is to actually do it.
That being said, he explains that the first step is to not take the conflict personally.
Eddie asks about the physiological responses to conflict. Dr. White talks about how these responses can be the signal that it might be time to step back. Let tempers cool. Do a “physiological sigh” and let the body’s fight or flight reflex recede. We also discuss “box breathing.”
Tyler talks about the challenges of focusing on these things in a true, real-world moment of confrontation. Dr. White says it certainly requires practice–and maybe getting feedback from your peers about how you handle situations. 17:40 - It’s Almost the Job
Eddie mentions that confrontation is a huge portion of the work done by many people in construction. He asks Dr. White to explain how to approach these situations when you know they’re coming. We discuss the importance of framing thoughtful questions that focus on the problem itself rather than the personal tensions.
Tyler confesses to blaming and assuming and also being a dumb butt. But he also says that he’s made progress toward coming to people with a more controlled tone. He mentions that self-deprecation can really help.
Eddie explains that recognizing the day as a series of confrontations–some large, some small–can lead you to maintain a readiness and keep the skillset ready for use.
25:23 - De-escalationTyler asks for concrete steps toward deescalation. Here’s Dr. White’s advice
-Recognize when you need to step away and digest the situation. If it can wait until you’re calmer, then wait.
-Realize that a direct confrontation doesn’t need to be bad. Front-loading of your work environment can help with this.
-Think about the best physical space and time of the day to have the conversation that needs to be had. 31:18 - Email and Tips for the TimidEddie requests advice for those who tend to avoid confrontation. Dr. White shares the importance of setting up strategies that enable you to have a couple productive confrontational conversations. This can break the loop that leads to an increasing fear of confrontation. Think of it as baby steps.
We discuss what to do when you’re tempted to write one of those spicy emails. Write the text and then let it sit for a few hours. Revisit it in a calmer state and revise before sending. Doris Kearns Goodwin does indeed claim that Lincoln practiced this simmer-down delayed-send routine. Several of them he never even sent.
We discuss the fact that email and text messages are ripe for misunderstanding because of the absence of nonverbal communication. Eddie mentions that he wishes he’d have held onto a few of his from years gone by.
Another solution? Pick up the dang phone. Let someone hear your tone of voice. Tyler mentions Cal Newport’s thoughts on email. 42:28 - AnxietyTyler asks Dr. White for an explanation of anxiety. Tyler mentions that he didn’t experience true anxiety until his 20s. Dr. White shares his thoughts: Anxiety has various physiological manifestations. Anxiety comes from various sources or social circumstances. Anxiety is your body reacting to a situation that your mind for some reason perceives as a threat.
Part of the solution is to identify the source of the anxiety. We discuss some of the ways to get above the anxiety-inducing situations. Reach out to those who are in positions to give you insights and help. 52:20 - Megaphone MessageDr. White shares this insight: You don’t have to be perfect. You can ask for help. You don’t have to do things the way you’ve always done them. Despite all of your experiences and all you’ve done, can you imagine that someone else’s experience might have been different. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening**
**Surely you’ve done this with your family. And surely they’re eyes have rolled every time.
For the month of February, we’re talking about love… The love of construction. Today we focus on the pride we all feel when we encounter projects to which we’ve contributed. Tyler talks about his Wawa work, which didn’t exactly overwhelm his wife. Eddie goes all the way back to his time in college in order to compare the tangibility of your work. We discuss the satisfaction of being able to point to a brick-and-mortar outcome of your invested time.
Check out the partners that make our show possible.
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!**
Today we trigger our PM friends.
00:40 - IntroWe chat about our studio setup and Eddie’s perceived curmudgeonliness. Eddie insists that it’s almost always about expecting people to be a good roommate. 03:57 - Tyler is giddy.Tyler shares about the comment thread on one of his recent LinkedIn posts. The initial post asked people to make a project manager fly off the handle in five words or less. Here are some of our favorites:
-“Cleaners erased your whiteboard.” We wonder if cleaners should carry insurance for this offense.
-“As per my last email…” We have a hard time seeing this one used in a tone that is not passive aggressive.
-“Rev 16 is being issued tomorrow.” We’ve seen the numbers climb even higher than that.
-“That is excluded from my proposal.” This one always comes six months down the road.
-“Why is the OSHA truck outside?” We throw Dad under the bus with a story from OSHA’s early days.
-“You see the new plans?” We can all work together to make sure this one goes extinct. Eddie submits a plea that people don’t nudge elements when you’re tempted to.
- “They’ve been scanned in.” …Meaning you can expect some coffee stains. 24:15 - Our additions and some honorable mentionsEddie shares a trigger phrase that he didn’t share on LinkedIn: “Yeah, but you lost your slot.” He shares some thoughts about the chain of events that leads to this one. Someone is wanting to put everyone else on pause.
We run through a few more responses:
-“That’s above my pay grade.”
-“I may not have said that, but that’s what the consultant’s intent was.”
-“The permits were never obtained.”
30:03 - Confessions
We also posted an invitation for people to share about bizarre project-manager-related stories you’ve experienced or heard. Here are some highlights from that one.
-A traveling employee who angered his girlfriend by visiting a specific sort of club
-A worker who went AWOL under suspicious circumstances
-The contractor who demonstrated his objections to excessive meetings by painting figurines in the corner of the meeting room
We invite you to share some more via DMs.
36:52 - Meetings
We discuss the merits and annoyances of meetings. Are they necessary? Well, yeah, for sure they are to a point. Can we all agree to manage them as thoughtfully as possible, though?
Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening**
We’ve reached our fourth and final episode focused on resolutions.
This week, after we wade through some brotherly tensions, Eddie encourages you to identify someone who is “below” you in the business and take them out to eat.
As he said last week, don’t make it weird! Just be intentional about creating space where trust can be established and advice can be shared. Make it clear that you’re available if they have questions. That’s all. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!**
How far up do you own? 00:58 - IntroWe chat about the naming of winter storms and make some subtle alternative music allusions. Eddie shares about how to increase your perceived IQ. 03:30 - Bold projectsToday we’re talking about two really ambitious projects: Big Bend, which is not currently underway, and The Line, which is.
First, Big Bend: Eddie describes the shape of this unusual concept. The design was completed in 2017. The design seeks to sidestep the floor-area ratio limits of New York’s building code.
Eddie raises the interesting philosophical question of how far into the sky a building’s ownership reaches. If an arched building spans over another building… How does that work?
This leads to useful references to both the Bible and The Simpsons.
We discuss what could happen if the issues of upward ownership could be resolved and buildings could begin to weave around over one another.
We make a shout-out to Business Movers, one of our favorite podcasts. 15:50 - The LineWe shift our focus to an even more ambitious project that is underway in Saudi Arabia: The Line.
The Line is a mega city that aims to reach 110 miles long (170 km), 660 ft wide, and 1,600 ft tall.
The target population for this structure is 450,000 people by 2026, 2 million people by 2030, and 9 million people by 2045. 24:28 - Desalination, workforce, administrative issuesWe discuss the logistical concerns and resource issues related with a project of this scale in a somewhat inhospitable environment.
The work crew for this project is currently right around 60,000. NEOM, the coordinating entity, claims that they’re investing heavily in safe, desirable work conditions. We explore the fact that the usual roadblocks disappear when a project is being sponsored by a monarchy and constructed in a remote location.
We discuss the possible peripheral benefits that might spring from this project even if it’s not ever completed.
We wrap up with a book recommendation: The Martian (the book rather than the movie). Track down the audiobook and listen to it while you work here on Earth.Links related to The Line:
-Neom’s official site
-A 30-minute Discovery Channel UK documentary
-Articles:
-DesignBoom The Line project update
-Critical Popular Mechanics article
-DesignBoom review of all Neom projects Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening**
In this, our third week focused on resolutions, Eddie encourages you to seek an opportunity to learn. You probably already have in mind someone whose work or career you admire.
Don’t make it weird. Just ask a couple questions about the things you’ve observed in their work lives. Then shut up and listen.
If this person becomes a long-term mentor, great. If this just ends up being one session of learning for you, also great. Either way, you’ll come out of the situation with some insights that position you for greater success. Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for li**
We've reached our bicent...episodial?!
01:58 - ReminiscingToday we’re looking back over more than three years of producing the CBP. Here are some our initial thoughts:
-Our intro is still rocking a 2019 vibe.
-Mom is usually pretty supportive, but… There’s an episode out there somewhere from those very first episodes, and we would really love for them to stay buried deep in whatever pile of digital debris. Tyler poses a challenge: If we get to 100 ratings on Apple Podcasts within two months of today’s episode, he’ll share this embarrassment.
-Tyler flashes back to the studio setup for those earliest episodes: Just a couple dudes and a big-screen TV.
-Eddie recalls and early episodes with Pete DuMont, Clifton Harness, and more. 09:08 - Whitey Tighties, Pete Rose and Cannibalistic HamstersEddie gives a shout-out to his favorite episode title. Our middle brother, Andy, joined us for this episode, which consisted of brotherly recollections. Poor guy passed out quite often.
We cringe as we look back at our early rhythms and quirks. Tough stuff. 11:48 - Favorite episodesHere are a few that we look back on most fondly:
-Going Analog in a Digital World - (feat. Eric Reinholdt of the 30x40 Design Workshop on Youtube)
-Eric Anderson and his leg lamp
-Todd Dawalt (who has his own podcast, Construction Leading Edge) and our discussion about the labor shortage as we headed into the pandemic
-David Smigel and an early conversation about Starlink on jobsites
-Roy Underhill of The Woodwright’s Shop
-Lego episode
-The House that Sears Built
-The RFI Blockchain
-Matt Byrd of the Reality Capture Network
-Donnie Williams and our conversation about supply chains 19:15 - Surprise lessonsWe spend some time exploring what we’ve learned.
Eddie shares that he’d thought he had the solutions that the construction industry needs. He has seen his understanding expand and has gained empathy.
Tyler discusses leadership and the constraints that make it hard for higher-ups to do things the way that younger, less-experienced people think things ought to be done.
We express our appreciation for the sometimes contentious discussions. We’ve seen growth result from the open exploration of points of disagreement. 28:00 - Echo chambersTyler dumps some thoughts about people pitching themselves as guests in order to discuss the fact that the industry is slow to accept technology. He disagrees.
Eddie lists technologies that have been readily adopted because they increase our productivity and make us look more competent. He acknowledges that he’d look like an old man if he’d step back onto a residential-construction jobsite today with tools that didn’t exist when he was working in that world.
We discuss the program features and the types of content that we’ve chosen to leave behind. 39:43 - Megaphone messageWe share our thoughts for the industry. They’re simple:
-Eddie: Treat others the way you’d like them to treat you.
-Tyler: Say thanks. **Check out the partners that make our show possible.
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening**
This week Eddie encourages us to look up and look down.
Engage in a conversation to see what is required for the people “above” and “below” you to succeed.
Tyler shares an example about his daughter’s perpetual curiosity and encourages us to demonstrate that with those around us. **Check out the partners that make our show possible.
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!**
**Building for the Bulldogs
00:47 - Introduction - Melanie’s backstory**Melanie Ford is the Senior Director of Construction for the University of Georgia Office of the University Architects. Before her move to the university, she worked for 20 years as a contractor and a Vice President of Whitsel Construction Services. She’s the Georgia Chapter President for the Construction Owners of America and one of the co-founders and current President of Athens Area Women in Construction.Melanie shares about how a stressful project in an architecture class drove her into building science. She shares about how the dean of a professor told her that a woman wouldn’t be able to tell “some 50-year-old, hard-hat-wearing man where the hell he can put his steel.”
She shares about the challenges of finding a position in construction when she graduated, but a couple decades later, she is still happy with her choice to go into construction. She then tells us a bit about her family’s move to Athens, Georgia. 10:37 - Melanie’s work at UGAMelanie explains what it is that she does at the University of Georgia. She oversees all construction on campus, including major capital projects and major renovations. She and her department are responsible for ensuring architectural and construction continuity across campus.
She tells us a bit about the significant increase in sports-related construction, including large softball and tennis stadium projects. In addition to that, there are the ongoing renovations of buildings constructed in the 1950s.
Eddie asks about how the challenges differ between different types of projects. Melanie talks about a few of her favorite projects. 19:25 - Project ManagersEddie asks Melanie to provide feedback to project managers from an owner’s perspective. She starts with thoughts about the importance of doing your research ahead of time in order to be aware of current conditions in a building set for renovation. She talks about timelines that were unnecessarily extended due to school-year schedules.
She points out that many PMs tend to keep information and problems to themselves. This can be frustrating to people in positions like Melanie’s because they often have resources and connections to solve those problems.
Eddie asks about the bidding process in the university domain, which leads to a conversation about task-order contracting. She explains how this approach works with smaller contracts and lists of pre-approved contractors. We explore the ins and outs of the approval process for this group of contractors and how it is used by various governmental entities. Melanie says that owner-contractor relationships result in task-order projects being completed on time more often than hard-bid projects.
Melanie discusses the types of feedback she provides to contractors who ask what changes they could make in order to increase their chances of future work with the university.
32:54 - Project initiation and design-buildEddie asks about the process a project goes through from the point of conception to completion. Melanie talks us through the process that sometimes involves legislators, wealthy donors. She gives an example of an unexpected connection between botanical gardens and a porcelain collection. She then walks us through the steps of a hypothetical project.
Eddie asks Melanie for her opinion on design-build. She explains that she’s not a huge fan of this approach in most cases. She says that she feels like the owner loses a certain amount of control because of the chain of command that results. She prefers for the builder, the designer, and the owner to perceive one another as peers. She also mentions that the historical character of campus architecture can suffer as a result of design-build dynamics.
Eddie shares about a complicated, somewhat messy arrangement he experienced in a project a few years ago and asks Melanie for her thoughts. She shares her insights about the vision-setting, information exchange, and communication complications that can arise with unusual arrangements. Melanie shares a humorous story about how she was introduced to Bluebeam. Eddie shares some thoughts about the importance of old-school communication: actual talking. We discuss the different outcomes of different forms of communication–email vs. actual voice conversations.
58:26 - Megaphone messageWe’re all on the same team. It’s all about taking a team approach. If you have your best intentions, we don’t have to have adversarial relationships. Also, support each other. Melanie shares about the importance of mentorship, especially for women in construction. 1:02:53 - Bonus contentEddie shares some crazy facts about university protectionism regarding mascots and rivalries. Find Melanie Online: LinkedIn, Construction Owners of America Check out the partners **that make our show possible.
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening**
Happy New Year! Let’s talk about resolutions.
Each week this month we’ll be focusing on one way to improve the way you do your job.
This week’s resolution: Communicate. Be clearer and more deliberate in your emails, phone calls, texts, and conversations.
Be self-aware. Take an honest look at your communication patterns. If you talk too much, consider trying to be more concise. If you tend to hide behind typed words when phone calls would be better, make more calls.
Resolve to be just a little bit better in this respect as we head into this new year. **Check out the partners that make our show possible.
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!**
NOTE: Scroll to the end of the show notes for info on a discounted subscription for Bluebeam.
Andrew and David brought us gifts! Chocolate and buckets full of Bluebeam tips! 01:00 - Chocolate Letters and Alaskan TroutWe start out today with some float-plane talk. Eddie shares about one of his trips to Alaska. Then we fess up to our lack of gift-giving etiquette and Tyler’s inability to wait when it comes to chocolate. **Finally, we get into a few distinct buckets of Bluebeam tips.
04:55 - Tips for Take-offs and Estimation**David discusses the process of taking a Google Maps screenshot and pasting it into a blank Bluebeam PDF. Once it’s in there, you can calibrate and scale the image for use within your designs.He also talks us through photo- and map-overlay options that resemble augmented reality. Andrew shares about the Dynamic Fill feature, which allows users to do a take-off of an irregular shape. This tool allows you to easily apply custom measurement tools for dimensions including volume, which means that you can tag the area with fill materials, such as gravel in the case of a landscaping application.
David mentions the Visual Search feature, which can identify every light fixture, doorknob, or anything else that might otherwise need to be counted manually. This can be applied on multiple files.Andrew describes some Excel-integration features that could save tremendous amounts of time.
Tyler and Eddie mention a few ways they’ve used the simpler search and count features. 25:19 - 1+1=10 (Features That Combine To Be More Than the Sum of Their Parts)Although Tyler detests the word “synergy,” he was excited to hear the list of value-added combos such as these:
* Compare Documents + Overlay Pages + Cloud Markups
* Custom Statuses + Studio Sessions + Scripts
* Cover Pages + Custom Columns + Custom Tool Sets + Custom Statuses
* Snapshot Tool + Change Colors + Custom Tool Sets + Scaling
43:44 - Delightful Little TipsAndrew and David share a few standalone operations that he’s noticed people really appreciate:
* Add a Leader Line
* Align/Straighten
* Create a Category
* Auto-mark/Page Labels
* Multiply
Eddie suggests that users experiment occasionally by just right-clicking on everything you can in order to see what options await you there. 56:25 - Megaphone MessageDavid points out the need for everyone within the construction industry to take the initiative to mentor young people entering the industry. Don’t just watch them from a distance and hope they figure out how things work. Andrew builds on this by suggesting that everyone check in periodically with your peers to make sure they’re doing okay. He closes with a specific call for veterans to encourage young women who are entering the industry. Bluebeam Discount: Bluebeam is offering CBP listeners 20% off first year subscription on any of their three plans when you use the following link and use the code "bluebeambros" at checkout: https://store.bluebeam.com/. This offer is valid from now until March 31. Certain terms and conditions may apply.Video and Help Links:
Compare with Overlay:
-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aX7NVjI81Y
-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RESsnjNmOnE
Custom Statuses via Scripting:
-https://support.bluebeam.com/online-help/revu21/Content/RevuHelp/Menus/Document/Script/Using-Scripts.htm
Cover Page: https://support.bluebeam.com/online-help/revu21/Content/RevuHelp/Menus/Tools/Attachments/Attachment--MV.htm
-Dynamic Tool Set Scaler: https://youtu.be/tM7xksl0Uio?si=ZiOsUMwPTag3r2Ep
Auto Page Labels: https://youtu.be/uA_SrgH-afE?si=JCbg7-8iG_2VVHogPinned Files/
Documents via Categories: https://support.bluebeam.com/online-help/revu21/Content/RevuHelp/Menus/Window/Panels/File-Access/File-Access-Tab-in-Recent-Files-Mode--TV.htm
Get Line – fix skewed drawings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFP7SdJa8C4 (Old interface but the steps are still the same)
Import Markups: https://support.bluebeam.com/online-help/revu21/Content/RevuHelp/Menus/Window/Panels/Markups/Markups-List--MTV.htm
Multiply: https://youtu.be/vdmB3J-dGj4?si=cdx3LtRpO6-h_PgP
**Find David Online: LinkedIN, Bluebeam
Find Andrew Online: LinkedIN, Bluebeam
Check out the partners that make our show possible.
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening**
Today we encourage you to face the tough choices.
Every single day, we have numerous opportunities to show integrity or take the easy way out.
There are easy ways to back out of commitments. It’s always possible to think about an excuse.
When you opt for the excuse, though, you slowly erode your reputation. Trust decays unless you actively maintain it by following through and keeping your word.
Take pride in your work. Know why you do what you do. In the long run, you’ll be thankful that you did.
**Check out the partners that make our show possible.
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!**
What if Santa decided to expand his operation?
**NOTE: If you’re interested in construction in extreme conditions, explore the links at the end of these show notes.
00:40 - Intro*We are dressed to the 9s and ready to help the Big Guy. Today we’re discussing what Santa would need to do to build a second headquarters at the South Pole in order to cut down on delivery times.As our template, we’re using the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station as our model. Here are some facts about that structure:
It sits on a sheet of ice that is 9,000 feet thick.
* The temperatures range from -117 degrees to +7.52 degrees Fahrenheit.
* The ice sheet on which it sits shifts roughly 33 feet per year.
* The project cost $175 million. In our Santa plans, we made some adjustments for inflation and settled on roughly $2,600 per square foot, which would put the total cost at roughly $3.14 billion.
* The center has 45 10,000-gallon fuel tanks for heating and vehicles.
07:36 - Labor Costs and ComplicationsEddie rails against the millennial elves–their lack of motivation, lack of skills. It’s shameful. This is complicated by the fact that construction workers at the South Pole are able to work outdoors for only 15 minutes at a time due to the extreme cold.We discuss what infrastructure employee-relations efforts would be needed for the elves to work through the 110-day outdoor construction season. 14:20 - Materials and TransportationAgain using the Amundsen-Scott Research Center as a guide, we discuss what it would take to ship all of the construction materials needed. 25 million pounds of cargo was hauled to the build site at 26,000 pounds per trip over 12 seasons on an Air Force LC130 plane. 20:52 - Other Facts about Antarctica and Amundsen-Scott South Pole StationWe review some political facts about Antarctica as well as the research done there. This research includes glaciology, geophysics and seismology, ocean and climate systems, astrophysics, astronomy, and biology.
We discuss the complications of hiring people to work in an extreme environment like this.
The structure is mounted on 32 vertical columns that are each six feet into the snow and designed to be able to be added to as the snow pack increases. These columns are mounted on a floating footing made of 2x12 members boxed with ¾” plywood. If you’re interested in learning more about real South Pole structures, explore these links:
* The B1M video Eddie mentioned about construction in Antarctica
* A video of Jerry Marty, NSF project manager, discussing the construction of the Amundsen-Scott Research Center.
* The official NSF site
* A 3-part Tour of the Facility (Link is to part 1)
* NatGeo video about construction at the South Pole
* Article about Antarctic buildings and bases
**Check out the partners that make our show possible.
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening**
Matt Haskins has been in construction for a very long time. When we talked to him, he was working in northern Minnesota on a small, 100-year-old apartment building. Lead pipes. Ugh.
We start out with a discussion about early mornings. He completes yesterday’s daily reports during the hour or so before everyone else arrives.
Once the rest of the team arrives, he likes to take 15 minutes or so bringing everyone up to speed on what’s happening on all parts of the site that day–just so everyone has the big picture and is aware of any heavy equipment that might be active in their area.
Once everyone is active, he likes to be an active presence throughout the site. He likes to cut up with the various crews in a way that builds morale.
Matt makes a point of not checking email on his phone. He’ll keep an eye on the notifications, but he doesn’t want to be distracted by electronic correspondence while he’s out and about onsite.
We hear a bit about the frequency of his contact with his project manager. Unlike some superintendents, Matt likes to have a few conversations with his PM throughout the day.
Matt explains that he’s easily bored. For that reason, he likes complicated projects that keep his brain busy. He shares a bit about the differences between “normal” projects like wind farms.
Tyler asks Matt to share about the things that cause him frustration. His answer: communication. That is what makes it all work.
Eddie asks Matt which previous project was the hardest that he’s ever done. Matt said that it would be his part of a $130-million renovation of high-voltage power stations in Bismarck, ND, that are the source of power for Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Matt talks us through some of the seriously challenging aspects of this power-station project that involved extra-large components, unusually configured spaces, and carry-deck cranes doing work that should probably have been done by gantry cranes.
We ask Matt to share a bit about different types of project managers, and he shares some that he’s seen, including those that come straight out of college with no actual construction experience but plenty of arrogance.
Matt’s Megaphone Message: Try to work as a team. You’ve got to all work together.
Find Matt online: LinkedIn
Check out the partners that make our show possible.
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening
Today we share some multi-generational wisdom. These are useful tips and principles passed down to us from our dad and grandfather. 1. Our dad and grandfather both reminded us not to be a project pilot… Actually, what they meant was not to be a project “pile-it.” Don’t just pass paperwork on to others. Don’t be the “please advise” monster. Just don’t. PLEASE. DON’T! 2. Stay in front of the airplane. Think ahead. Know what’s coming so you can ask the questions today that will give you the answers you’ll need tomorrow. 3. Don’t be a box-checker. See your work as more than just a to-do list. Know the why behind the tasks you complete throughout the day. 4. Have integrity. Don’t lie to get your way. It’s not a sustainable way to function. Build trust into your relationships.
**Check out the partners that make our show possible.
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!**
We start out with a brief discussion about the mystery of lost files (due to some tech challenges we encountered today).Today we’re discussing inefficiency–specifically as it relates to the amount of time allocated to a task.
We discuss the art (or the science?) of scheduling in a way that provides just the right amount of time–not too little, not too much.
OVERVIEW OF PARKINSON’S LAW:
Tyler shares about the book in which he discovered a name for one particular source of inefficiency. It’s called Parkinson’s Law, and it can be seen all over the place.
We discuss how this law applies in the world of construction. We discuss the relationship between deadlines and hustle. And then, of course, there’s “fake hustle.”
BACKGROUND OF PARKINSON’S LAW:We discuss the history behind the term “Parkinson’s Law.” The term was coined by British naval historian and author Cyril Northcote Parkinson. He discusses bureaucratic bloat in the British military and proceeds to name the pattern after himself.
FRED AND THE BUREAUCRACY:Eddie talks us through a hypothetical scenario of someone creating bureaucratic bloat in order to compensate for either decreased ability or increased laziness. We compare this hypothetical business scenario with the military analysis in Parkinson’s paper.
We acknowledge that a deadline you determined is a deadline you own to a much greater degree. The more you feel like a stakeholder in a deadline, the more motivated you’ll be to establish momentum toward that deadline.
Tyler and Eddie both share about specific instances from our own professional lives where we saw Parkinson’s Law at work. We discuss the causes and the consequences.
THE IMPORTANCE OF DEADLINES:
We challenge listeners to contribute some thoughts about setting deadlines effectively. We discuss the massive inefficiencies that can result if deadlines are abandoned and the bloat of Parkinson’s Law begins to affect your project.
So here’s our megaphone question for you: How, as a person–as a leader, are you helping the industry get better in this regard? How do you properly motivate a group of people to get done the amount of work that’s reasonable for them to get done?
In case you’re interested in more details about Parkinson’s Law:
-BBC article
-Parkinson’s actual paper
Programming Note: We’ll be highlighting some especially interesting past episodes over the next couple weeks as we gear up for some big changes in the podcast. We’re excited!
Check out the partners that make our show possible.
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening
Stunned. Tyler is stunned that he is praising Bing.
While scrolling through LinkedIn, Tyler encountered a mention of punching shear. His understanding of that phrase was reasonably solid, but he thought it might be interesting to see if AI could help him understand it just a bit better.
Then he challenged Bing to explain it to him in an even simpler manner–at the level that a child could understand.
Moments later, Tyler had been educated on multiple levels about this engineering concept.
So, the ultimate prompt we’re recommending is “Explain … to me.” See if there are some gaps in your knowledge.
Now go poke your finger through a cookie. That’s punching shear (according to AI-powered Bing).
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Today we’re flashing back to an episode from May of 2022.
We start out with some banter about Eddie’s kids giving Tyler a hard time. Then Tyler signs up for a marathon… Oh, wait, no he doesn’t. What a slacker.
Nate Patrick is facilities project manager for the Pennsylvania State University Office of Physical Plant. Before taking that position, he worked several years as a mechanical design engineer. Nate joins us today in the studio to share some practical tips for contractors, designers, project managers and others who need to coordinate with owners to handle the construction process more effectively.
Nate manages between 15 and 20 projects at a time, ranging from $250,000 to $50 million. At the moment, he’s handing almost twice that load. He says that no two days are the same in his work. As you can imagine, it feels like juggling.
We ask Nate to paint us a picture of what an owner’s life looks like. Here are a few of the insights he shares:
-It’s about continuous reprioritizing.
-There’s lots and lots of data.
-It’s nonstop communication.
-It requires a great deal of coordinating between numerous parties.
-The calendar gets complicated because so many parties are involved–each of which might need you to communicate in a different way.
-It involves a bunch of meetings.
Tyler asks how project managers can be more proactive in communicating with owners. He says that it’s important to have a proposed solution before you share your problem. Thoughtful handling of RFIs is crucial. He also says that action/deadline dates, schedule impacts, and financial impacts should be communicated with each RFI so the owner can prudently prioritize.
We discuss the risk of crying wolf when it comes to prioritizing requests. It’s easy to get too aggressive and trigger vindictiveness in the other party.
Nate says that building trust takes time. It’s something we all have to work on. Here’s his recipe for building trust (which he credits to a source that he has since forgotten):
-Tell someone what you’re going to do.
-Do what you told them you were going to do.
-Tell them that you did what you said you’d do.
Tyler compares this to being a good assistant. Have the tool that the person needs when you know they’re going to need it.
We wrap up with a discussion about the importance of clarifying expectations with all parties at the very beginning of a project.
Nate’s Megaphone Message: Care for people. We’re all people. One of us is not more important than another. We all are a part of this. These projects will not be successful without all of us working together as a team. Respect other people for who they are–for what they bring to the table. They’re not resources; they’re people. Treat them that way. There might be things outside of work that affect the way that people react in a work situation. Show gratitude and respect. **Find Nate Online: Penn State University Website
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Have you experimented with it yet? Well, we’re ready to nudge you into the future. Tyler shares some insights that he thinks will increase your efficiency. Here they are:1. “Rewrite this.” This can work if you struggle with clarity or style with your writing. 2. “Summarize this.” This one can work when you receive a binder full of information. 3. “Create an agenda.” Give ChatGPT a raw collection of info and have it organize it for you. 4. “Create a daily report.” Copy and paste relevant notes and have ChatGPT make it more readable. 5. “Create a list of…” Have ChatGPT create a list of possibilities for you when you’re stuck. 6. “Time-block my calendar.” Type or paste in your tasks and have ChatGPT distribute those tasks throughout your week or day.
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Dan Stine is Director of Design Technology at Lake|Flato Architects. You could also say he wrote the book on architecture–or at least the top-selling textbook on Revit. As if that weren’t enough, he teaches graduate architecture classes and is active with Committee on the Environment (COTE).
We start out with a brief overview of Dan’s work with COTE. Then we ask Dan to share about some of the technology he has had the opportunity to explore in his various roles.
Dan discusses Tonic DM, a tool for email management and file-sharing management. Dan explains that he has found the cloud-based service to be stable and reliable. It also assists with the handling of project-management information.
Tyler asks about Revit plugins and other time-savers. Dan says that Enscape has become widely used within his firm. He also discusses Forma (formerly called Spacemaker), which is especially helpful with wind and solar installations.
We explore generative AI software, and Dan mentions that Enscape integrates some AI. He geeks out on some processing core technologies.
Dan shares about UpCodes, a searchable platform for building codes that dramatically expedites code research. UpCodes saves time by integrating amendments based on local jurisdictions.
As we discuss AI, Tyler shares his exploration of Adobe Photoshop’s AI integration, adding lamps and furniture. He was impressed.
Tyler asks Dan to discuss the challenges of integrating new technologies. Dan says that the most important thing is evaluating the software to ensure that it’s worthy of being added to the team’s repertoire. Once a tool makes it through that step, deployment and support becomes easier to systematize. It’s all about ensuring that qualified people are available to instruct and support those who will be using the tool.
Dan shares a bit about the Dell Latitude tablets that he and his team used in a recent video shoot with Tyler. Then he runs through the array of equipment Lake|Flato uses to support its hybrid-work structure. Data-security geeks will be interested to hear the VPN/work-station/server configuration he describes. He shares about Lake|Flato’s hybrid structure and how it is supported by their use of FlowScape virtual office spaces.
Tyler explains how the video editing for the podcast will be changing based on the things he learned during the video shoot with Dan.
Dan’s Megaphone Message: Thanks for creating all the crazy stuff that architects design. He looks forward to developing new means and methods that can lower the carbon footprint of projects. He’s also eager to incorporate some cool technology in that process. Here’s the video Tyler produced with Dan. (Please be patient with the large-file download time.) Find Dan Online: LinkedIn - Lake|Flato - His blog, BIMChapters **Check out the partners that make our show possible.
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Micah Piippo has worked at Google, at a shipyard, and at a plutonium-processing facility. Now he’s a schedule and integration manager with Intel. He helps deliver projects on time.
Micah describes the plutonium facility: “It felt like a James Bond lair.” (By the way, Dr. Brown does, indeed, pronounce gigawats as “jigawatts.” That movie was filmed before we all became familiar with the prefix giga in relation to bits and bytes.)
You can’t get a college degree in construction-project scheduling. There are courses, but Micah says that most of the preparation for this position results from simply asking a lot of questions.
He explains that curiosity is a key requirement for an aspiring scheduler. He sees at least two categories within the scheduling world:
1) the analytical route with a focus on data crunching and
2) the owner’s-assisant route that involves more soft skills. At one point he would have said that construction knowledge was needed, but he says that that’s not necessarily the case right now because the job market is so hot.
Eddie asks if schedulers find themselves getting blame when things go poorly and minimal credit when things go well. Micah confirms that, yup, this is generally the case. He says that he needs to have several jobs where he finds millions of dollars in savings in order to compensate for the couple smaller oversights that result in worksite chaos.
Scheduling is undergoing a shift right now, Micah says. The computer programs used in the past couple decades basically accelerated implementation of the algorithms that had been established in the 50s and 60s. Now, he says, a whole new world of potential is being unlocked.
Micah mentions the two streams or approaches he sees currently:
1. Capture (of progress status): Slap on a 360 camera and (if you’re loaded) Lidar - Software will then assist you in establishing the status of a project.
2. Advance Computer: Employ large-language models, ML curves, and other computer programs capture massive amounts of data to optimize the scheduling process.
The golden egg Micah longs for is full integration of the advanced mode described above with the design process, so the design-scheduling process becomes seamless.
Micah mentions that many owners don’t have advanced scheduling software. Most of the scheduling gets done by a duo consisting of a project manager and superintendent. Owners struggle to see the value in bringing in a scheduling specialist. His favorite thing is when a GC comes in with a vision of how their project is going to go.
When it comes to plan/schedule integration, Micah explains that there’s far more detail in the schedule than there ever needs to be in a plan. The challenge is closing that gap.
Eddie mentions that some of the plan/scheduling-integration claims that companies make really function simply as marketing ploys. These tools and capabilities are often not truly employed when boots are on the ground at the worksite.
Micah discusses what he calls the planning fallacy and explains three steps that are used to avoid them:
1. Reference-class forecasting
2. Pull planning
3. Breaking the large down to the small
Eddie and Tyler follow up with their own thoughts about the planning fallacy, including a recent example about a home-improvement project.
Micah advocates for the creation of a federally managed and openly shared data set of all construction projects. He believes this would dramatically increase efficiency.
Micah’s Two-Part Megaphone Message:
-Find the good in what people are doing, and promote it. You’re at work 8-12 hours a day. Be an advocate for the people who are there beside you.
-Plan long. Think about your decisions and the long-term implications. Your attitude will change, driving your actions differently.
Find Micah Online: LinkedIN - Micah’s podcast, Beyond Deadlines
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It’s a problem–a very common one. When you’re trying to be consistent with just about anything, burnout on some level is likely to occur sooner or later.
It takes a toll.
Tyler acknowledges that he’s experiencing a good deal of creative burnout at the moment. Eddie has felt it in the past too.
So, we discuss ways to fight it.
Talk through it with someone. There’s a good chance that the people closest to you see the symptoms before you do.
Get active. Do the things that bring you joy. Spend time with people.
Recognize that your trajectory out of the burnout pit might be somewhat shallow, but try to be as consistent with the revitalizing activities as you are with the obligations that put you in the pit.
We’ll carry on with some more thoughts about this next week.
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Today we welcome Fouad Khalil to the show. Fouad calls himself a reformed architect. About 15 years ago he eased into offsite construction and founded Modly, a modular construction consultancy that provides the building and real estate sector with market research, feasibility analysis and advisory services. His focus is on helping owners and construction companies integrate manufacturing processes in the construction process.
Tyler asks Fouad to unpack the category of Industrialized Construction Programs. He explains that it has to do with looking at the increased rates of productivity in manufacturing and bringing some lessons from that world into the world of construction.
Efficiency and productivity within construction has remained largely stagnant during the last several decades, while those things have improved dramatically within manufacturing. This means that Fouad pursues improvements in quality, speed, and budget. Manufacturing programs are one way to handle that. He looks for areas where implementation of standards and repetition can gain the most traction.
Tyler asks Fouad to talk us through the series of questions that he asks in order to determine which projects are good candidates for industrialized construction. Here’s what he shares:
Volume: Is the juice worth the squeeze? Does it represent enough potential return to justify the effort? Fouad says that IC works best for serial builders–those who are aiming for consistency across a large number of projects. He gives examples including hospitals, data centers, and fast-food restaurants.
Pipeline: Do I have enough of it spread over time? Will the pace of work be steady enough? If I’m going to do it only once and then not do it again for another six months, that pipeline isn’t robust enough to consider. Some owners want to have several dozen units produced as modules, but they want them all done at the very same time. This is unrealistic.
Repeatability: Is every part of this project unique, or are there enough repeatable elements that my workers’ hands will be able to master routines? The construction world is used to sprints–going all out from start to finish. Fouad explains that factories take more of a long-distance running mindset, often aiming to run steadily at 80% efficiency. With a manufacturing mindset, the profitability horizon might be quite distant. You might need to make 150 modular bathrooms before you’ll turn a profit.
Design: How can we ensure that design and production maintain an active feedback loop so that iterative cycles can be continuously active? Fouad describes the routine of morning and afternoon meetings that his team did with Walmart on their health centers. Sometimes you change the design to make it more buildable. Sometimes you need to redesign the production floor to fit the design.
Optimization: At the production level, how can I improve margins on man-hours and other elements of cost. The goal is for unit costs to drop through a continuous flow of improvements in engineering and production. Projects that appear impossible in the early stages become lean and profitable because of a consistent focus on optimization.
Eddie presents the idea of “demonstrable economy” and discusses an example of how optimizing and productizing applies in his world, and we explore the importance of defining the use of the term “optimized” within a team. If you have various silos optimizing in isolation, the overall outcome may be far from optimum.
Fouad describes the IC process as the space program we need in construction. Through the application of these techniques, we’ll be able to see improvements across the industry. Surprise, surprise, Tyler brings us back to Formula 1 racing. We discuss the iterative process and the feedback loop between the race teams and the consumer world as it plays out in that world.
Fouad’s Megaphone Message: Owners, explore the benefits of setting up a recurring IC program. Talk to your VP of construction and see if the commitment might exist to move forward with this approach. It requires everyone to pull together and work really hard, but the rewards are worth it when the situation is right.
Find Fouad Online: LinkedIN
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A question: Do you see yourself as the only competent one in your world? Are you able to hand things off to team members?
It can be a hard mindset to release because it can feel so risky.
Taking ownership is a good thing, but check yourself. Is there some arrogance there?
Eddie says that “Gram” used to say, “If you want to know what kind of difference you’re going to leave when you’re gone, stick your finger in a cup of water and pull it out.” That feels pretty cold (the statement, not the water), but it’s also true–at least in the long run.
Acknowledge that others can help you, and you’ll be better off if you do.
If this is a struggle for you, print off the poem Eddie read today and post it in your workspace.
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Terry Dussault is President at Yellowknife Consulting Services in Huntington Beach, California. His focus is conducting incident investigations and promoting safety programs. Many of the projects that require Terry’s attention involve waste-cleanup and pollution abatement.
These sites often contain lots of piping and pumps, which means lots of ways workers can get hurt. (Tyler asks if scuba gear is ever involved. The answer is no, but here’s the kind of diving Tyler was referring to.)
Tyler asks Terry to talk through an average day, and Terry said that a whole lot of it is about paperwork. There’s a massive amount of documentation. You need to know the protocols. Eddie asks for some of the good things in the world of safety recently. Terry recalls how little safety gear was offered or used when he started working in the field. It was pretty much just steel-toe boots–no helmets, no vests.
Terry discusses the incredible importance of traceability when it comes to safety standards. It’s essential that an employer be able to provide documentation verifying that appropriate steps have been taken to keep the workplace safe. This helps in litigation and in providing employees with peace of mind. We explore the generational differences in perceptions of safety regulations. Terry says many veteran workers brush aside safety concerns because they’ve never had significant accidents or seen coworkers get hurt.
He shares he confronted an older worker who had chosen to ignore the company glove policy. Terry pointed out to the guy that all of the incoming employees who train under him will likely follow his example. The Book of Gore: This is the title Terry’s brother, a paramedic, gave to the photo album he assembled to document the terrible things that can happen. He refers to this book when attempting to encourage the use of gloves and other safety equipment. T
erry says that the root cause of unsafe work conditions is when the shortcutting of procedures is positively reinforced or tolerated.
On the topic of gloves, Tyler asks about how Terry has seen people deal with the increased presence of touchscreen-based technology on the worksite. Terry talks about reasonable exceptions that need to be made for people in specific situations. We discuss balance and practicality. Tyler mentions that excessive protocols can lead employees to want to stick it to the man. Terry talks about an oil company that required two layers of gloves. At first this struck him as ridiculous, but then he came to understand that they were dealing with contaminants that can be absorbed through the skin. If his skin had gotten wet, he’d have been absorbing serious toxins.
Tyler asks Terry what safety protocols he’d like to see implemented. Terry says that it’s not so much which protocols should be added as it is about how management should get involved. He wants to see leaders becoming more active in supporting.
Terry tells a story about a nightmare cleanup where a former owner had allowed various companies to fill a tank with a variety of chemicals. Terry had to lead a crew through the process of solidifying the liquid. That meant putting a few of his guys in direct contact with the chemicals. An executive in the company overseeing the project asked when they were going to be able to scale down the PPE budget, and Terry had to be really blunt with him.
Eddie discusses whether we create a Chicken Little dynamic when we have excessive regulations like requiring two people to move a 16’ 2x4. This leads to another messy cleanup story that shows the complexity of assigning liability in multi-million-dollar projects. He talks about the fact that there are often two versions of incident reports after incidents like this one. Tyler asks Terry to share some wisdom with young people entering the industry. Here’s what he shares:* Try to become the best you can be, but also think about integrating a level of safety into your practice. Learn it all. * It’s okay if you don’t know something. Ask.
Terry’s Megaphone Message: If you’re a worker and you see something that doesn’t feel right, stop and ask. You don’t have to proceed. Have some personal policies regarding safety. Don’t be afraid to speak up.
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Well. It’s debatable.
What is the best day for project deadlines?
Eddie thinks it’s Tuesday. For a long time, he thought it should be Friday, which makes sense in your head. Unfortunately, the world doesn’t usually operate in accordance with the vision in your head.
Monday (according to Eddie’s work rhythm) is a very productive day, but it’s also a day that is overweighted with managerial duties.
On Tuesdays, almost everyone is still around, in contrast to a Friday afternoon. Tuesday leaves time for contingency.
So, there you go. If you have the opportunity to pick a deadline for your project, make it a Tuesday.
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Tom Yshurun joins us today from San Francisco. Tom is Founder and CEO of Civ Robotics, a company that automates construction layout. Their robots drive themselves around a site and locate points by paint or laser so they can be marked by their human operators.
Tom shares the names of a few of the robots they currently have operating: Betty, Ugly, and Joey… No #5 yet. Regardless of the name, each robot is a four-wheel drive unit customized for specific terrain.
Several years ago, Tom was a contractor who hired surveying teams. As he asked the team some questions, he had some questions about drone limitations. Fast forward a couple years: Civ Robotics developed a drone that can drive stakes that contain QR codes with relevant information about that spot on the worksite.
As they sought to generate interest in their drone, they discovered that many workers were intimidated by the drone in one way or another. After hearing this multiple times, Tom and his crew set about building a ground-based unit. They found that 8 of 10 contractors preferred the ground-based unit over the drone.
Much of Tim’s team struggled with this change of direction, but the bold, painful pivot paid off. Three years later Civ Robotics has more than 40 machines in the field.
Tyler asks Tim to talk through the mechanical functionality of the robots. Tim explains that the unit paints a spot or uses a laser to mark a spot where a worker can then drive a stake.
Two people working with the robot can do the work of eight people with handheld equipment. Traditional two-person team places somewhere between 200 and 400 points a day, depending on the terrain challenges. With the Civ Robotics machine, one person following the machine can place anywhere from 700 to 3000 points a day depending on the accuracy needed.
Accuracy is obviously a concern. The base model can mark spots within two inches, and the high-precision model can mark within 8mm, using a laser on a robotic arm.
The unit then audibly tells the field crew worker which marker to place–red, blue, black, and yellow. Due to the addition of this vocalizing feature, some contractors are opting to have just a single human worker team up with the robot.
Some job sites use multiple vehicles, most often two. That means that 1400 marks can be placed within an 8-hour shift, which requires a battery hot-swap at lunch time. (Everyone wants a lunch break.)
Eddie shifts our attention forward to discuss what Tom has in mind next. Today most of Civ Robotics’ work involves horizontal work. Tom discusses possible expansion, including partnerships with Trimble, but he said that Civ Robotics’ focus for the moment is on outdoor, rough-terrain applications.
Tyler talks about the promising job prospects for robotics operators. Tom confirms that the learning curve with their robot is generous enough that people can easily learn to operate it without any special training from the company.
Eddie asks about licensing issues. Tom explains that you don’t have to be a licensed surveyor to do layout in most states. Licensing is required to measure the land and place control points, but not to mark where to build. He also mentions that on-the-ground robots capture more-detailed topographic data than drones do because vegetation won’t throw them off.
We explore what “as-built” means in Tom’s world. He explains that it refers to measurements of what was actually built. It often relates to topographical elements. Different entities have different requirements for how this data is processed.
Tom explains that the “topo” feature can toggle off and on to gather elevation data. This data can then be gathered at the same time as the X-Y data, resulting in substantial time savings.
Tom advises people to evaluate new equipment before buying. He’s seen companies overcommit to specific technologies and waste loads of money. He shares about the various specialized robots he’d like to build or buy. (Here’s the luggage-carrying one Tyler mentioned.)
Tom’s Megaphone Message: Construction automation is coming whether you want it or not. It’s going to help customers build buildings more efficiently and with greater precision. It will empower us to reach our goals as an industry. If you don’t adopt it, you’re going to fall behind. We’re here to build America. It needs to be a group effort. We need to have multiple technologies to meet those goals.
Find Tom Online: LinkedIN - Civ Robotics
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Even if you’ve never been in the military or marched with a band, you’ve heard the pace-setting rhythm of a drum beat or the chanting troops.
Projects have a rhythm too. Each project has a unique feel.
If you want to be a productive contributor to a project, you need to sense that cadence.
Know when to enter with your information–when to bring your concern to the table. You can’t just throw it out there when it comes to your mind.
Tyler shares a softball analogy: You’re at third base when the ball comes at you. The ball hits your mitt and you grab it with your throwing hand. You pause before throwing to let your eyes and muscles calibrate before you send it.
Those who fail to do this will often send the ball into the dugout or over the first baseman’s head.
Take a beat.
Ponder the context, the recipients, and the implications of your words or actions.
Then act.
Again: Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.
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Elon and an increasingly-ripped Zuckerberg in a cage match. And Threads. That’s where we start today’s conversation.
Jacob is Director of Digital Building Operations at VIATechnik, LLC. His team’s job is to serve as an owner’s representatives in regard to digital plans and related VDC data.
Jacob says that he has seen owners who had to recreate the entire digital presence of their projects and repopulate databases because they don’t receive the assets produced by their designers and contractors. Yes, he means actually retyping room names and countless other details. Ridiculous redundancy.
Eddie recounts his own realizations about the lack of information-sharing among parties involved on a project, and Jacob shares about Danielle O’Connell’s team of “dumpster divers” who scours all project documentation toward the end of a project in order to assemble a cohesive data package.
We discuss how an owner’s interests differ from various other parties in regard to documentation. The owner will spend years–hopefully decades–engaging with various aspects of the building. Jacob’s team focuses on the costs of ownership over those decades and helps owners plan for smooth, efficient management.
The pace of construction is obviously a major concern for owners, so Jacob helps owners find the balance between construction pace and costs, including early-completion incentives. He says that most owners are willing to spend a bit more money if they know they can accelerate a project. This allows them to get the paying tenants into the space sooner.
We discuss the asset registries that Jacob helps owners create. These registries include shop drawings, warranties, and owner’s manuals. He explains to owners that using BIM will smooth the process of creating the “digital twin” they need.
Jacob explains how he dove deep into the facility-management realm, joining IFMA and doing everything he could to understand this world. He quickly learned that the best way to make building models usable for owners was to make it as intuitive as possible. Toward this goal, his company developed the Voyager digital twin platform.
We address the pace of BIM’s acceptance in the industry, including the effect of the COVID pandemic. Jacob explains that many companies had no idea how many anterooms they had and how these rooms played into the efficient, creative use of their facilities. This situation made it glaringly clear that digital models could be incredibly helpful.
Jacob connects digital plans to risk mitigation, using asbestos-removal as an example of something that could have been handled much more effectively if digital models had been universally available.
Tyler asks Jacob to predict some changes he expects to see in the next few years. Jacob said that owners are beginning to dictate which digital platforms general contractors should use on their projects.
Jacob shares some tactfully phrased thoughts about how inefficiently architects’ 2D drawings operate in a world of VDC and BIM. His teams have helped owners and contractors address this inefficiency.
Tyler asks Jacob to estimate the file sizes of average Tekla models. His estimate of 200-300MB is right on. These files are not that large. There’s room for more helpful detail.
Eddie explains that he’s noticed a decrease in recent years of the need for him to explain what it means when he says he works in BIM. We discuss how this is a promising indicator of the value owners are finally placing on thoughtful design and component integration.
We ask Jacob to discuss tensions that arise with design-assist. He says that the boundaries between contributing parties are still pretty fluid, with some people more willing than others to be flexible in defining scope.
Jacob’s Megaphone Message:
BIM has more value than we understand right now. We’ve seen other industries take data and do something big. There’s so much more that can be done within our industry. It’s just a matter of finding the right people at the beginning of a project to be your partners.
Find Jacob Online: LinkedIN - ViaTechnik
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Eddie’s been thinking about our episode with Patrick Fernbach. Specifically, he’s thinking about the discussion we had about small changes.
Sometimes you get several steps into a project and discover that things just aren’t looking right.
Tyler recalls an experience that he encountered pretty regularly when he was still doing steel detailing. Someone would call to explain that one tiny thing needed to change. Maybe it was the size of a bolt or a plate.
The problem? That change meant that something else needed to change. Which meant that two other things needed to change.
On and on went the ripple effect.
How do we avoid this? Do your best to make sure that you’ve checked through things before considering them finished. Batch things wisely. Make sure it won’t need to be changed down the road.
Understand that changes involve risk–monetary risk.
Mitigate your risk by managing changes well.
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We love interviewing authors, and today we have a great one. Henry Nutt III started in the industry when he was 19 years old. He worked as general superintendent for 34 years. Henry has been with Southland Industry for 15 years, where he currently works as Pre-construction Executive.
All of this experience makes him eminently qualified to share some advice about building strong teams.
Henry spends a lot of time talking to students about preparing for careers. As he shared his experience, he discovered that common sense isn’t necessarily common. This is why he decided to collect his insights in a book titled Seven Principles: Creating Your Success in the Construction Industry (publisher’s site, Amazon).
Here are Henry’s Seven Principles:
- Start where you are
- Get a mentor
- Refuse to be a victim
- Work hard
- Love what you do
- Learn how to follow
- Know the difference between being a liability and an asset
Tyler asks Henry to expand particularly on #7. Henry says it's about exercising self-awareness. He discusses the importance of looking thoughtfully at the dynamics of the whole team and asking if you’re being given more responsibilities or being excused early. If you find that you’re not being viewed as an asset, it’s time to ask what you can do differently.
Eddie then shifts things toward #3–and, of course, baseball. Henry says that it’s essential to acknowledge the circumstances that might pose serious challenges for you but then to shift your attention to overcoming and adjusting in whatever ways you can. Break the patterns. Shift the narrative.
Mentors (#2) can help you make these changes. Invite insight that can accelerate your journey toward greater competence. Acknowledge that you’re an empty cup, and invite wise people to fill you with knowledge.
We discuss how principle #4 is absolutely essential. If you have the right mindset about hard work and can align your practices with that mindset, your actions will speak volumes. Prove your an asset (back to #7).
Tyler asks Henry to discuss how he got into construction. He explains that his dad, a sheet metal worker, encouraged him to take a skills/aptitude test. A short time later, Henry received a call that said a company was ready to hire him right away.
The road was not always smooth. Henry discusses the challenges and doubts that he faced in the early years. Now, though, he is tremendously thankful that mentors and encouragers along the way kept him on the road. Eventually he found himself in a position where he could influence the culture of a work crew.
Here are a few more highlights from this episode:
- “Bring the best version of yourself.”
- “Admit that you don’t know what you don’t know.”
- “When recognized that I was able to affect the people, it became a labor of love.”
Henry’s Megaphone Message: This industry has allowed bad behavior to go on forever, resulting in the loss of many good people. That’s changing. Many people are trying to make this industry about people. We want you to join us. Bring your talents and gifts to the table. Show up. Work hard every day. Recognize what you don’t know so you can grow and learn every day.
Find Henry Online: LinkedIN - His book at Amazon - His book at KP Publishing
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You know what we have to say about your positivity?
NO!
Actually, today we’re talking about how this word can be a way to be positive.
Eddie explains that your nos are more positive than your yeses.
Both yeses and nos come in seasons. Tyler explains that he and the family are headed into a season of nos.
We discuss the feelings that come along with a good, solid no. Although there might be some intimidation and unease, Tyler said the dominant feeling for him is usually relief.
The unwillingness to say no can lead to grudgingly spoken yeses, which aren’t good for anyone.
Be a good picker. Monitor your opportunities. Think them through. Don’t lock yourself in because of your people-pleasing tendencies.
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We open today with a discussion about the latest epidemic in the US. Yes, we’re talking about the epidemic of pickleball-related injuries. Here’s the story in Bloomberg.
Then we move on to a topic that John Roach brought to Eddie’s attention recently. It’s all about architects and the pricing of their services.
It all goes back to the Sherman Anti-trust Act, which was enacted in 1890 to address the problem of monopolies.
In the 1860s, Richard Morris Hunt sued a client who failed to pay his 5% fee. In doing so, he unknowingly set 5% as the industry standard for architect fees.
By the 1950s, the AIA had formalized a somewhat complicated fee structure for various architectural services.
In the late 1960s, concerns arose that this fee structure was a form of price fixing. The Justice Department investigated and found that it did, indeed, violate the Sherman Anti-trust Act. In 1972, they issued a “consent decree,” which amounted to a settlement that outlined how the AIA could and could not behave going forward. (If you’d like to geek out on details, go here.).
Here’s the 2022 AIA compliance guide.
After reviewing this history, we discuss the complications of defining the scope of an architect’s work and getting clarity on that when it comes to the architect’s fees. It can become a race to the bottom. These complications have affected the way that contractors relate to owners and designers.
We compare these patterns to the patterns within fees for engineering services.
The question all of this leads to is this: “How do we argue for spending more money on design when it’s hard to know what I’m buying?”
We discuss the challenge of bank loans based on permit designs, as well as owners who don’t know how complicated the design process is.
Tyler really wants a Ford Raptor… What does that have to do with architecture fees? Well, when you buy a truck, you know what options you’re paying for and how they affect the price. Eddie explains that he’d like to see that kind of manufacturing mindset influence the designing and bidding process in construction.
We ponder the F1 price cap as an analogy for how things could play out if people were to spend more money on design.
Our Megaphone Message:
Define value. Then buy value. Buy more design. Work with your lender and explain that this project can be much more successful if more money is invested in design. Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.
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Today we share some advice that isn’t new but is incredibly relevant. It’s all about the 1%... And that 1% can lead pretty dang quickly to a change of 10% or more.
Eddie points out that the bad patterns in your life don’t generally appear overnight. Tyler shares an example about Terry Crews’ descent to flabbiness once he stopped playing football. This didn’t happen overnight.
Eddie shifts to the pattern of infidelity that is common to traveling workers, whether it be in construction or other fields. The descent into that behavior usually happens with small, seemingly innocent shifts in behavior.
You’re going to experience 1% movement in one direction or another most days. If you’re not making a conscious effort for that movement to be in a positive direction, you're not likely to head that direction by chance.
We discuss food intake. It’s much easier to be 500 calories above your recommended intake than it is to be 500 calories below that line. If you’re reaching your 40s, you know that this principle becomes increasingly important in relation to issues of metabolism and fitness.
The message? Be aware. Be deliberate. Master the 1%.
(At the risk of undermining much of what we just said, here’s a link to our friend’s magnificent cookies: The Cookie Company.)
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We start out with a little Chicken N Pickle talk and some eye rolling about Tyler’s $150 pickleball paddle.
Then we move on to content most of you will find more substantial. Patrick Fernbach, our guest today, is Director of Mechanical Engineering at KLH Engineers in Kentucky.
Tyler asks Patrick what grinds his gears when it comes to the construction industry. Patrick discusses the fact that construction contract practices put the engineers and the trades at opposite ends of an unnecessarily complicated process. The long chain of contracts makes meaningful collaboration incredibly difficult.
Patrick acknowledges that he has not hung a single piece of ductwork, yet he’s designed miles of it. The closer he can get to the trades, however, the better he can do his job and the better those people can do their jobs.
He wants to hear from tradesmen who can provide some productive pushback on designs that cause complications where the screw meets the stud. He wants to know when his designs are a pain in someone’s neck.
Eddie asks Patrick to turn his thoughts in the opposite direction, toward the relationship between engineers on one end and architects and owners on the other end. He knows that the industry expects him to stay in his lane, but he doesn’t think that’s always the way it should be.
Eddie asks Patrick what kinds of things he struggles with in the process of doing his job. Patrick says that the most challenging thing is the ever-changing nature of the project. Architects and owners don’t always seem to understand just how many changes need to happen as a result of something that seems like a minor design adjustment.
The live nature of BIM360 makes this even more challenging. It’s difficult to track changes and determine which elements are locked and which ones aren’t.
Tyler discusses his experience with the ripple effect of small changes that seem to cause the unraveling of an entire project, and Eddie discusses how iterative design blurs the lines regarding completion of project elements.
Patrick raises the issue of meetings, and how the number of meetings seems to be continually increasing because of the dynamic nature of design. Although he doesn’t necessarily say that there have been too many meetings, he has definitely noticed that this aspect of the work is consuming more of the average engineer’s time.
Construction lacks some of the systems that manufacturing has, Patrick says. It feels like we’re in the process of putting those systems into place, which explains why things are kind of clunky at this point.
We ask Patrick to list some of the positives in construction-related engineering right now. Here are some of the things he lists:
- The increasingly smooth process of design-build
- The expectation for more detailed permit sets–detailed enough that the building could almost be built from them
- Increased proactive interest from a variety of vendors and subs who want to make sure that their contributions to a project will work smoothly
- VDC technology that increases efficiencies
Eddie asks about how fees have changed as approaches have changed. Patrick said that it varies from job to job because of varied expectations and services requested.
We explore how engineers like Patrick–those who seek to engage with the tradespeople–move the industry forward.
Patrick explains that siloed pricing structures that don’t involve upstream and downstream communication lead to some design elements being done multiple times.
Eddie piggybacks on this and contrasts the novice owner or general contractor from the experienced one. The experienced one knows that detailed design pays off in the long run. The bidding process is more effective. There are fewer RFIs. There are fewer complications. The guesswork is gone.
Patrick confirms what Eddie says with examples from a recent project.
Patrick’s Megaphone Message: Trust isn’t a soft skill; it’s a project multiplier. Build strong partnerships. Build strong teams. Show up with mutual respect for one another. Show up knowing each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Don’t BIM for BIM’s sake. Be intentional when you model and design. It’s about creating value for the owner and the downstream consumer.
Find Patrick Online: LinkedIn - KLH Engineers
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Sometimes things get away from you. Today we discuss the ways we reduce the number of things that get away from us.
Eddie introduces the idea of a barricade.
His primary barricade for excessive scrolling or social media usage? Use a browser-based version that is clunky enough that he doesn’t want to keep staring at it.
We discuss the relentless attention suck that social media is for us and the whole family. Sometimes you need to treat yourself like a kid. “Sorry, but you can’t have your laptop today.”
Having a hard time getting consistent with that daily workout? Maybe leave your only stick of deodorant at the gym–or in a shoe box a couple miles from home.
If you have any examples of ways you place barricades to redirect your behavior, give us a call at 512-THE-BROS.
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(Note regarding intro: The film festival in France is actually pronounced “Can.” The “S” is silent, unlike Tyler.)
We start out today with Tyler’s church-league softball story and his relatedmegaphone message: If you’re 6’2” and 260 pounds, don’t combine dehydration and intermittent fasting with an effort to prove yourself on the field.
Then, on to the substance of today’s episode. Fair warning: We’re getting into the weeds today. That’s because this stuff can profoundly affect your finances, timing, and relationships.
Delegated design is the approach to contracts in which the SEOR (structural engineer of record) limits himself or herself to elements that do not include connections and then expects those design services to be rendered by the fabricator or someone else.
Eddie explains that additional elements may also be delegated. Curtain walls, for instance, would be designed by someone with special expertise in curtain walls.
We’re talking about delegated design today so you can understand how it might impact the timeline and finances of your projects.
How do you look for delegation? Well, Eddie says that at the beginning of any project, he’ll look at the structural notes sheet and the specifications book. He’ll check for notes regarding delegation and make sure that these two documents agree.
We discuss the pros and cons of delegated design. Here are our thoughts:
Pros:
-Fabricators are able to handle connections in a way that best fits their materials and design.
-The need for back-and-forth communication is reduced.
-Time can be saved because production teams can move according to their own well-oiled systems.
Cons:
-The SEOR’s knowledge and control is not as thorough as it is in other situations.
-There are more cooks in the kitchen, and that means more egos in the room (and we all know what that can mean).
-There’s increased potential for the buck to be passed.
Eddie explains the 3 contract-structure options outlined in the AIESC Code of Standard Practices:
1) The SEOR handles everything.
2) An engineer gives the basic criteria for the connections and then has a qualified engineer select from those connections.
3) The engineer fully delegates design of connections.
Over time, regional patterns have developed regarding the adoption of these three options:
-Option 3 is prominent in the eastern part of the country.
-Option 1 is most common on the West Coast (perhaps because of seismic concerns).
-Option 2 is generally fading from use.
It’s important that all parties be clear on which of these options is being used on a given project. The decision has additional ramifications as far as expectations about who will be doing the shop drawings and who will document various aspects of the official project record.
Eddie shares about a project his team worked on. Relatively late in the process, a concern was raised about the aesthetic effect of a large gusset. The architect wanted the gusset size reduced. The problem? The building was in a hurricane zone, where gusset size matters. He explains that tension resulted not from the need for change but from the fact that this concern hadn’t been explained in the plans from the outset.
Eddie discusses the idiosyncrasies of different parties–designers, fabricators, architects–with specific preferences. He also refers to this episode with Norine Bagate regarding risk and liability.
We ponder the impact of $50,000 paragraphs in contracts. If you’re buying design, know how much design you’re buying.
Our megaphone message: Anticipate the ripple effects of decisions you might want to change. Don’t put yourself in a situation where you place your loyalty with the wrong person. Good communication early can make a huge difference.
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Nobody likes a parasite. (Well, maybe Kelly Kapoor)
When was the last time you asked yourself about parasites in your life?
We’re not talking about people. We’re talking about habits.
Maybe alcohol? Maybe social media (for sure social media)?
Maybe there are some activities that simply trigger anxiety for you but somehow still suck you back in.
Identify those and be ready for us to talk next week about “barricading” them.
And no, a remora is not a parasite. Eddie is correct. That relationship is symbiotic.
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(Today’s episode is a re-air from 2021, chosen in recognition of Fathers Day.)
It's time for some coffee with a splash of multi-generational wisdom.
Joining us today are our dad and our grandpa, aka “Pop.” These two bring a deep, wide reservoir of experience.
Dad started ABSI and ran it until Eddie took over recently
Pop started with Messer Construction all the way back in 1954, in part of a college co-op program. He moved on to the position of project manager and eventually senior project executive. As he tells us, though, he was just interested in building buildings.
Among the larger projects Pop worked on are Millett Hall at the University of Miami in Ohio and Sander Hall at the University of Cincinnati. (Here’s the video he mentions of the Sander Hall demolition.)
Dad started in construction the day after his last high school baseball game. In 1980, he moved his young family to Florida. A while later he started ABSI.
Pop talks us through the specs for the Millet Hall at the University of Miami in Ohio. The basketball arena was in this building, and also classrooms. This project took two and a half years.
Millett Hall was built on the site of an old golf course. Pop talks us through additional specs, including truss assemblies, 150-ton cranes, and a project-management staff much smaller than what we see these days.
RFIs? Well, there were none. If there was a question, the relevant parties talked on the phone. Monthly meetings also helped head off problems.
Distance between architects and engineers–there was almost none. They were partners.
Dad shares about how things had changed by the 70s and 80s. He witnessed the change from self-performing to bid-build. Subbing had begun on some of Pop’s jobs in the late 60s but hadn’t really taken hold until the late 70s.
As this change took place, the burden of liability began to blur. The change was propelled, however, by the need to keep specialty crews busy.
We discuss the training required for project management. Pop learned by doing, so he had a headstart on managers coming out of college with only classroom experience.
Pop shares about his bold prediction that he’d move from newbie to superintendent in five years, even though the company owner said it usually took 15. Pop proved him wrong, after establishing a reputation with other decision-makers.
We discuss mindset. Eddie recalls Pop’s adage “Make it a winner.” Pop recalls working on over 150 jobs, and he says, “If you can’t enjoy what you’re doing, do something else.”
Dad shares about Pop coming home from building at work just to build more at home (after a quick “brown pop,” aka beer).
Dad and Eddie discuss tensions between architects, engineers, and designers turning into trust built over time.
We discuss the fabric of expertise and insight that grows with generational experience.
Dad’s megaphone message: Most of the mess in the industry can be traced back to design. We’re so specialized that nobody knows anything about anything. We’re too fragmented.
Pop’s megaphone message: Family matters most. If you can take that family mindset into the workplace, it will make all the difference.
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Is a confession a confession if it brings you “a little sadistic joy”? We’ll let you make that judgment.
On the heels of last week’s episode about the importance of systems, today Eddie has a confession. A couple years ago he quietly dropped a subscription for Zapier, the management/automation software that Tyler loved when he was working at ABSI.
Eddie thought the software was really cool, but… not as cool as what Eddie could figure out himself.
It was part of a systems assessment that revealed him as an unnecessary pinch point.
We discuss Tyler’s oddly personal sense of attachment to particular software, and then we wrap up with a brief list of software packages that we’ve used and dropped. It’s pretty dang long.
Sometimes you have to drop a system when it’s not working.
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Today we're talking to Lee Causey, the East Coast Innovation Leader for DPR Construction. Lee’s job, as he explains it, is to remove roadblocks and connect dots.
When someone hears about a technology they’d like to try, Lee kicks into action and makes it happen.
In this role, he noticed people often chased the shiniest things rather than the most useful things. In an effort to make a data-based approach Problem-based approach workflow
- Collect problems
- Sort problems
- Prioritize problems
- Seek solutions for those problems
Lee shares about a pilot program they did at DPR’s Nashville unit. They sought input directly from the tradesmen about solutions they needed where the rubber meets the road.
The findings? The biggest problems on the ground were things that executives didn’t even realize were problems: water, PPE, breathable shirts. These were things simple enough that they should not be problems.
Other things that came to their attention were lighter concrete tools, anti-vibe tools.
“Little” things matter big time when it comes to team morale. Eddie reminisces about a new Carhartt shirt and feeling like he’d struck gold.
Simply letting people express their concerns and then acting in the simplest ways on those concerns.
Nobody can know everything about everything. That’s why it’s so beneficial to have a designated team like the one Lee operates to focus directly on identifying what dots are not being connected.
Lee’s team uses Bright Idea software to track and coordinate their research and planning. He said it’s a great, simple platform for this sort of work.
Tyler asks if the research turned up any employee mistreatment. Lee said that indeed there was at least one example of that. The innovation team was able to quickly escalate that concern to the point where it was addressed.
Eddie points out how clearly this kind of work fits with the common theme of so many of our podcast episodes. If we’re going to work as a team, we need to think about the psychological, human aspects of team dynamics.
Lee explains that the innovation teams are now capitalizing on the down time between projects to maximize quality improvement. It’s more than just sharpening the ax, it’s discussing the best way to sharpen the ax.
We discuss deployment of solutions. Lee explains that 100 problems can often be fixed with 5 solutions because those problems are the result of similar systemic shortfalls.
It’s all about identifying and addressing blind spots rather than telling people, as Eddie says, to “shut up and accept your fate.”
Lee’s Two-part Megaphone Message (for which Eddie gifts him an unprecedented 120 seconds):
- Part 1: Look inside your head. Figure out how to do things in order to make it better for everyone. A rising tide raises all ships.
- Part 2: Go out in the world and tell the young people in your life to be unique. You can go and find the coolest job you’ve ever had in construction and change the world while simply being yourself.
Find Lee Online: LinkedIn - DPR Construction
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Systems are so cool… At least that’s how Tyler feels.
There’s a four-letter reason he loves them: ADHD. He has learned that systems hold him accountable.
Eddie is the grunt-and-get-it-done guy. This is often good, of course, but it can sometimes result in a failure to create a system early enough.
Tyler shares about automated folder-creation software that avoided organizational chaos.
Here’s the Craig Groeschel video Tyler mentions.
Sometimes a “system” can be little more than a scheduled meeting–having a time when someone will be waiting there for you. It forces you to stop and address a task or a set of issues you might otherwise ignore.
Tell us about the systems that keep you moving in your business and life: 512-THE-BROS.
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Welcome to The Highlight Reel, starring Two Tylers! Yes, two is probably too many. We’ll make sure it doesn’t happen too often.
Tyler Williams joins us this week to share some of the. Tyler, who is Field Innovation Leader at DPR Construction, was on the podcast a few months ago to discuss new tech in construction, and that’s the focus again today.
ConExpo happens only every three years. Tyler headed to the Vegas show this year to see equipment that can reduce ergonomic strain on construction workers.
Here are the products and companies that caught Tyler’s attention at the convention:
Sarcos Robotics: Sarcos develops and manufactures construction robots that can be controlled by workers in a manner that is very similar to the movie Real Steel. The controller can stand in a safe space and manipulate the robot, which can be mounted at the end of a boom arm in order to execute dangerous tasks. See it in action here. They also produce an exoskeleton.
T1V Collaboration: This company helps teams share real-time planning and logistics. See it in action here. This platform helps contractors maximize visualization and share details.
Loris: Picture R2D2 with a shop light on his head. It’s more than that, though. Loris beacons can assist with security and documentation on jobsites. See it in action here. Distributed throughout a large jobsite, these units can also help establish a WiFi mesh network to increase connectivity.
Wingtra Drone: This vertical-take-off survey drone provides detailed, high-resolution imagery for large sites. Users can geo-tag elements in images and add annotations.
Moxion: Moxion is a mobile energy-storage solution capable of providing 75kw and 600 run hours. The unit is the size of a small tow-behind Uhaul trailer. Units can be daisy-chained
The Honda AWV: This autonomous work vehicle looks like the utility shuttles from Star Wars and other science fiction movies. It is capable of carrying heavy loads of bricks or tools to very specific spots using GPS coordinates.
Develon an Doosan Transparent Bucket: This technology stitches together images to make it seem that the bucket of your wheel loader is transparent. Operators can use this visual input to avoid obstacles and to more precisely drop loads. See it in action here.
Alaska Structures: These fabric structures are available in multiple sizes and can be easily assembled into strong structures that can withstand the elements. We discuss the various ways that these could be used on construction sites.
Nox-Crete: A chemical solution for concrete problems. This company produces solutions that keep concrete from sticking to forms and other surfaces that it might come into contact with.
We wrap up by asking Tyler to reflect on the ways that ConExpo leaves him feeling about the current state of industry. He explains that the biggest advancement that he sees is in the area of battery capabilities.
Find Tyler Williams Online: LinkedIN - DPR Construction
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Eddie shares today about all the shoulds that plague our days. You know you should eat your vegetables, maintain a balanced diet, drink water…
Making that actually happen is much tougher than just knowing that it should happen.
The same pattern is true within construction. It’s easy to know that you should show empathy, consider other people’s mental/emotional health.
The thing is that it’s really, really tough not to send that snarky email and yell at that employee.
Keep on trying.
Work on routines. Work on habits. Work on boundaries. Work on your social media diet.
Tyler shares how this plays out in his business. He has a clear map in his mind of what needs to happen. Making that happen each day? Well, that’s a whole different matter. Execution is tough. Follow-through is difficult.
We’d like to hear from you on this. We want to know about the things that you’re struggling to take from your mind to your reality. Give us something to talk about at 512-THE-BROS.
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If you work with concrete, you’ve probably dreamed of having the machines made by today’s guest.
Danielle Proctor is President and CEO of Construction Robotics, which makes two large and impressive rebar-related machines: IronBOT, which places rebar, and TyBOT, which ties that rebar.
Countless construction workers have put in their time tying rebar before moving on to other less backbreaking and repetitive work. Eddie opens with a bit of nostalgia for his rebar-tying days and mentions this Dirty Jobs episode on tying rebar.
We move on to a discussion about the main challenge that comes with huge new tools like these: pre-purchase logistics. It seems like it would be incredibly hard to do a trial run with one of these things.
Danielle explains that the objections from rebar-tying crews is not as great as you might think. It’s really tough work, and many of the people who are doing it are more than ready to move on to a different set of duties. Due to labor shortages, that would often be helpful to a crew and a project.
We discuss the pride issues associated with the generational legacy of the old-school rod-busters and how they adjusted when the tie gun came along.
IronBOT can handle 5,000 pounds of rebar while executing its work. Handled by hand, Danielle says that a bundle of five 60’ bars requires “One bar for each man and one for the company.”
Danielle makes the case that these machines don’t eliminate the need for a crew of humans. You still need…
- A robot supervisor (just to watch the robot and provide a couple instructions)
- A rodbuster feeding the bar into the robot
- 4-6 people behind tying the few pieces that the robot can’t tie
- 1 guy frame-tying
Once the crew sees the robot as part of the team, the mindset changes. Danielle says she enjoys seeing companies move through the adjustment process and adopt the machine as part of the culture of the company. Then company leaders really begin to see the benefits. They start estimating jobs with the machine’s efficiencies in mind.
Tyler mentions this video about the toll that physically demanding jobs have on the body.
At first we laugh about the tool envy factor, but then Eddie raises the fact that it really is a thing among contractors and that it’s part of what moves innovation along.
We discuss capabilities and setup time. Danielle explains that the TyBOT comes in on a 40’ trailer. The crew assembles it on its rails, choosing gantries that can handle widths from 9’ to 107’. This process takes about an hour. Then you simply turn it on and let it do its thing. It looks for intersections and ties them. There’s no programming, no BIM. It carries 15-pound spools.
IronBOT, on the other hand, takes 6-8 hours to get it in place. Then you load the specs (spacing, etc.) and it does its thing.
“Certified innovators” look at the project plans and try to configure optimized “bundle plans.” These people are also the ones who work with contractors during the estimating process.
We discuss the comparisons between human team speeds and machine speeds. Danielle says that a project isn’t a good fit for these machines unless it would be a 1-week job manually for TyBOT or 2 weeks manually for an IronBOT/TyBOT project.
Danielle explains that her company’s focus is optimization for productivity to free up human crews to make better use of their time.
Danielle’s Megaphone Message: We are in the middle of a robotic renaissance. Take the blinders off and have some fun. Go see what’s out there. Ask yourself where automation can help. Support the companies that are innovating with technology that’s here to help.
Find Danielle Online: LinkedIn - Advanced Construction Robotics
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Ah yes, freshman year.
Today we’re talking about things we remember learning in our first year on the job.
Eddie starts us off:
His first lessons were about pacing. When you’re tying rebar, you don’t want to be starting at a sprint.
He discusses the home-life manifestation of this principle with the phenomenon of The Lowe’s Trip. When he enters a project slowly and deliberately, he avoids the four-trip day.
Measure twice, cut once. Think it through. Think about the long game.
(Here’s the Daniel Labelle video Eddie references.)
Then Tyler shares:
His early discoveries had to do with complaining.
Pretty simply, he came around the understanding that he had to complain less.
Now you share:
We would love to hear about lessons you learned either in your first year or within the last year (even if it wasn’t your last-last year. Give us a call at 512-THE-BROS and let us know what wisdom you’ve gained.
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
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Everybody’s talking about it, so today we are too. In this episode, we’re exploring the implications of AI for construction. (And yes, we know it's not Friday.)
(We touched on this topic in our conversation with Norine Bagate a couple weeks ago. Check out that episode if you missed it.)
Tyler shares what he’s read and seen about AI virtual assistants that can identify potential candidate (for podcast guests, for instance) and then write emails customized to each of them. He goes on to discuss some interesting insights from the Marketing Against the Grain podcast.
Eddie shares about a dismal experience with Shopify’s AI DJ, which acted confusingly on his love of the Interstellar soundtrack and also gave him some wonderfully mellow Jon Foreman tunes right as he was ready to work out.
As we shift to construction, Tyler asks Eddie where he thinks the greatest amount of disruption will occur. He suspects that the first significant impact will be on research-based tasks, such as those involved in architecture and engineering.
Tyler predicts that the changes will be huge but that it may also be a bit slower than expected. He’s guessing that today’s kids will expect AI. They’ll integrate it intuitively into their daily activities.
With this in mind, we discuss the “generational” difference even between the two of us (who are only 13 years apart):
- Eddie’s knee-jerk reaction is not to use technology. His first instinct is to figure it out with his own two hands and with books. If he has a question, he goes for the manual.
- Tyler is likely to just Google it. That will likely bring him back to digital versions of the same source, but the way a person engages with it is different.
We compare AI/ChatGPT with Google search as far as how they may affect our approach to questions, problems, and solutions.
We discuss exclamation points as a generational identifier.
Eddie discusses the hesitations he continues to feel in the shift toward paperless documentation. Tyler entered the industry when that shift had already taken place.
Is it all doom and gloom? Tyler hopes not. He’s hopeful that AI will speed up processes that are currently unnecessarily slow.
Eddie’s prediction is that the first big change will involve crawling models for codified deficiencies as well as code compliance. As municipalities come on board, the movement will grow.
Tyler speculates that insurance companies may soon require that plans go through an AI check.
Today’s 10-year-olds, such as Eddie’s daughter, can design entire homes on their tablets. They’re deeply immersed in technology that even some architects are still struggling to adopt.
Design, Tyler thinks, will become less intense. The collection of options and modules available to meet a specific use will be much greater.
We don’t want to quit having ideas. We want buildings to continue to have a personality. We want people to continue to have to solve problems.
This won’t be easy. It won’t be quick. There’s an intuition that comes with being human. We hope it will enhance and facilitate imagination rather than
You’ve likely heard about the AI-generated song that was originally claimed to be by Drake and The Weeknd.
We close by pondering: Is there any chance that this will all go the way of 80s synth? Ten years from now, might there be nostalgia for long-form blog posts?
Our request: If you have some thoughts or if you have seen anything in the field regarding AI, we’d love to hear from you on our phone line: 512-THE-BROS.
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We’re different.
Okay, that’s not news. Today we explore the differences in our routines, but then we talk about the value of routine--and the ways in which routines can go too far.
Eddie shares about his effort to stay in routine despite the craziness of life. He’ll just get a routine going, and then something throws it off.
We talk about emotional/relational withdrawals and deposits. Tyler’s weeks away on work are withdrawals from the family energy levels, so he makes an effort to be truly present when he is home. Eddie mentions that he’s oddly encouraged to hear that things don’t go perfectly smoothly when he’s not home.
We discuss the value of trying and trying and trying some more even if the outcomes are not consistent.
Life happens.
Don’t beat yourself up. Listen to our Balance is a Myth episode from a couple years ago.
Sometimes it’s okay to sleep in. Sometimes it’s okay to get a big ol’ bowl of ice cream.
Be purposeful about adjusting to your current demands. Break routines that are keeping you from flourishing in your current situation.
It’s okay to let go of a routine that isn’t working.
At the same time, look out for routines that begin to work their way in without intention.
Routines are good. Routines can be good.
If you have some thoughts to share about routines, call us at 512-THE-BROS.
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It's not quite what it sounds like, but it's just as cool.
Angie Simon, former CEO of Western Allied Mechanical, joined us last year to talk about baseball analogies that can strengthen your construction game. Today she’s here to talk about an exciting youth-oriented construction-recruiting program that came up in that conversation: the Heavy Metal Summer Experience.
(Before we get to the substance of Angie’s visit, we discuss one of the best recent construction-related movies, Lego Movie. If you haven’t seen it, you really, really should regardless of your age.)
Right out of the gate, Angie shares with us some amazing growth numbers about the HMSE program:
- First year: 1 location and 28 kids
- Second year : 11 locations and 170
- Third year: 22 locations and 400 kids
This program is designed for kids who are approaching high school graduation and don’t want to go to college. Angie explains that the 30 hours of hands-on experience that this program beats the pants off of a simple booth at a career fair.
She sees kids quickly become excited about sheet metal work, welding, and more.
Angie outlines the elements of the of the program in the order:
- A discussion about the importance of safety
- A tour of the shop
- Discussion about construction models (BIM, etc.)
- Hands-on work with sheet metal, pipe fitting, soldering
- Programming of a sheet metal laser
- Hands-on work with electrical (new this year)
Tyler shares about his visit to the Allied Mechanical shop and mentions that construction is the new Silicon Valley.
Angie talks about the significance of word-of-mouth in the recruiting game. She shares about a pair of brothers and a friend who all came for mock interviews.
Eddie asks Angie to talk about her HMSE playbook. This book dramatically reduces the load for hosts by compiling all kinds of useful information:
- Forms (permission slips, content-release forms, etc.)
- Permits
- Instructions for several projects
- Lessons learned from past sessions
- A detailed schedule
Angie shares that several students have been hired by contractors directly from these summer programs. She shares a story about a student who had been dealing with depression before starting the HMSE program. That student is now in her second year of apprenticeship.
Eddie talks about the value of this sort of training opportunity for the trainers–increased pride and purpose. Angie talks about the challenges of growing the program with a combination of paid people and volunteers.
Angie’s megaphone message: It’s not about your butt-crack plumber anymore. No, actually that’s not her megaphone message, but it is something she said. Here’s what she really said: It’s our industry. We made the industry, so we need to take responsibility for it. Get the word out there about how great the trades can be. We need to share our stories about the secret of a great life in the trades.
Find Angie Online: LinkedIn - Heavy Metal Summer Experience
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Today Tyler shares with us about his routine. Well, Tyler has a four-year-old and a two-year-old, so "routine" might not be quite the right word. Still, there are some patterns.
Two-year-old Hank is an early riser, but Dad needs his coffee, which means that Hank often starts his day with some TV.
Then there might be some reading (social media posts count as reading, right?) before helping his wife get the kids out the door.
Then it’s time to run–usually a mile or two. Or it could be a longer trip but at a walking pace with the dog. Whether it’s a run or a dog-walk, he’ll likely be consuming some podcasts before returning home to consume some oatmeal and peanut butter.
The work day starts up around 9, and then it’s quite simply a matter of tackling whichever tasks pop up.
The coffee keeps flowing all day long, to the tune of probably 3 or 4 cups a day.
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When Scott Peper is not being overwhelmed with the duties of parenting three daughters, he’s focused on his work as CEO of Mobilization Funding. He also wrote The Big Book of Cash Flow, which aims to help commercial subcontractors and general contractors to navigate the financial aspect of successful projects.
Cash flow in the construction world is not like it is in most other businesses. Scott’s focus is helping clients get a grip on the math of it all–capital, expenses, margins, contingencies.
He says it’s all about knowing how much money you have in your pile of cash. But some of that pile might not be just profit from a given project. Among other things, it might be…
- a line of credit
- cash you’re infusing from your own pocket
- long-term debt
- short-term debt
Scott explains that traditional financing institutions sometimes fail to understand the dynamics that are unique to construction.
Tyler asks Scott to list cash-flow mistakes. He lists a few:
- people living out of their checkbook rather than thinking ahead.
- not having accurate financial statements
- failure to consider forecasted
Eddie points out that “cash flow can eat you.” Plenty of businesses go bankrupt due to a lack of attention to cash flow. Scott builds on that insight and says that cash flow is also key to positioning your company for growth. Scott suggests focusing on a 13-week cash-flow forecast, and he talks us through some hypothetical scenarios.
We discuss a variety of considerations that must be made before bidding on upcoming projects.
Eddie asks how big a cash pile should be in order to keep a business in a good place. Scott talks through an example scenario of a contractor facing growth opportunities. He says that most contractors are solid on the bidding process and executing over a work schedule. What many of them don’t know is how to invest in the job at the beginning of a project vs. the point where they’re cash-flow positive.
Tyler shares that he has recently experienced a version of this disconnect when he neglected to familiarize himself with the payment terms before signing a contract with a client. Luckily he has a buffer that has been sufficient.
Scott follows up by suggesting the idea of pricing a job a few percentage points higher to take financing costs into consideration. Your bid must take cash-flow and financing costs into consideration.
We discuss the trickle-down effects of failures to consider cash flow. A sub won’t order materials when they should if they don’t have the money to pay for them. Then, if the contract considered such contingencies, extra fees may worsen the situation for that sub.
As we shift our attention to solutions, Scott lists these things:
- Have a good finance mind somewhere in your business–a readily available person with meaningful insights.
- Have a cash-flow tool for each project, and examine reports daily to keep tabs on the small and big pictures.
- Communicate proactively with the other parties as circumstances change.
Just getting started? Scott suggests that you learn to leverage–leverage your experience, your expertise, your credit cards, and more.
Scott’s megaphone message: Performance is the one thing that will separate you from the competition. It will bring you a variety of rewards. Make yourself so undeniably great that contractors won’t want to work with anyone other than you. Don’t sell yourself short. Do not sacrifice the price that you need in order to perform well.
Here is a link to the free resources that Scott mentioned toward the end of the episode.
Find Scott Online: LinkedIn - Mobilization Funding - The Big Book of Cash Flow
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Today, in the first of a very short series (if two episodes can be called a series), Eddie talks us through the daily pattern that keeps him going.
Eddie is a man of routine. You’ll hear about a day that kicks off with a 5:30 alarm and includes a healthy supply of coffee among other things. There are some smoothies in there, as well as some ice cream. (Of course there’s also a collection of thoughtful leadership practices.)
We discuss how routines provide momentum and structure for our day–as well as which elements have the most harmful effect when they’re forgotten.
Here is the David Goggins on Mars video we mention (in somewhat censored form). Enjoy!
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Today’s episode includes a visual demonstration, so you may want to consider watching the Youtube version.
After a short story about deadly dumpling shenanigans, we shift to today’s guest, John Fay.
John is the founder and CEO of, Låda Cube (pronounced Lauda Cube). Låda Cube produces pre-fab cassettes that are used in the place of conventional stud-and-drywall walls. John starts out with a review of how the cassettes function and the benefits they offer.
The refinement of production efficiencies has enabled Låda Cube to explore the benefits of standardization. This standardization yields multiple benefits:
- Final assembly is more consistent.
- Assembly can be handled by minimally skilled workers
- Entire walls can be disassembled and their parts reused–either when it’s time to reconfigure a space or in the case of a more complete demolition.
Låda Cube modules are small enough to be easily handled, and they fit together with a cam-lock system that each has 750 lbs of carrying power. The cassette-built wall can then be covered with a variety of finish surfaces that can be switched out when it’s time for a change of decor.
John explains that specialized cassettes can serve customized features:
- Increased load-bearing capacity
- Plug-and-play electrical systems
- Space for plumbing access
The goal is to have a system that never goes obsolete–that will be reverse compatible long into the future.
John shares about one of Låda Cube’s large recent projects, a series of WalMart vision centers. If the work on these centers would have been done using conventional methods, it would have taken 16 days per center. With the modules, each center was finished in 3 days.
We explore the topic of cost. As you might expect, this type of product is currently a premium product. Låda Cube is currently priced at $4.50/linear foot. John believes digitization and production improvements will eventually bring that number below $2.
The trickle-down benefits of standardization include faster estimates and reduced errors. John said his crew can generally give a phase-one drawing within just a few hours.
The Låda Cube team is now working on software integrations that will populate modules in the design phase so that estimates and invoices can be almost immediate and also transparent.
We discuss both cost and quality. John explains that the ½” MDF that is their current main skin finish material. He says that they’re occasionally using Avonite and, in the long run, would like to pursue partnerships with gypsum manufacturers to integrate small panels with easy seam solutions.
Tyler asks John to share some of the specific costs related to the Walmart vision center projects, including a large refund that the accountants struggled to process.
John anticipates the development of a third-party market for exchanging components of this sort of system. He explains that there is no reason for any of their products to ever end up in a landfill.
We hear about door integration when John explains that representatives from MillerKnoll contacted them to say that they’ve never hung a door on a truer wall. This is due to the fact that the Låda Cube cassettes are built to tolerances of 15/100”.
Eddie addresses some of the mindset shifts that owners, contractors, and municipalities will need to consider in transitioning to this sort of construction.
John’s Megaphone Message: The Låda Cube team sees themselves as changers of environments. When they approach a worksite, they try to remove the fear and tension that might be there. They want to show compassion and to champion people well.
Find John Online: LinkedIn - Låda Cube
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A few weeks ago, we talked to Dr. Michael Bottlang about the rotational force that causes the majority of severe head injuries.
This got Eddie thinking about an earlier experience where we purchased hard hats for a demo and ended up with Type I hard hats when we’d intended to get a Type II.
Many contractors have chosen to shift to newer styles of helmets without looking at the protection data. They might be making these decisions to look like they’re cutting-edge or, frankly, because those wearing the helmets think they look better. The Type II helmets look a bit better, but Dr. Bottlang’s research suggests that the Type I helmets might actually provide greater protection.
Perhaps we (the larger, collective “we”) should examine the decisions we’ve made. Perhaps we should have the humility to admit that it’s time to turn back.
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Norine Bagate is a teacher–not by profession but in practice. Professionally, she’s the founder of NWB Consulting, a technology-based firm that develops software aimed at helping owners ensure that projects are completed as smoothly as possible.
Here’s a quick rundown of Norine’s professional history:
- Earned an architecture degree from University of Texas at Austin
- Moved to New York and worked in construction as a project manager
- Managed capital projects in the corporate world, which included working with an in-house design team
- Worked in the realm of construction law (in a non-lawyer role)
During her time in various aspects of construction, Norine came to realize that there was a problem with “Spearin risk,” which relates to the burden of legal liability in relation to owners and contractors. (If you’d like to learn more about the technicalities of Spearin doctrine and risk, read this article. If you’re not up for that adventure, you could just call it scope risk.) She decided to do something about that.
One way to look at it is that Norine helps people define the boundaries of responsibilities. This means planning thoughtfully in the earliest possible stages of projects. She recites a quote whose original source is uncertain: “The best plans rarely survive first contact with the enemy.”
Norine believes that the burden of discovery rests with the owner. The owner is the source of the financial incentives for all other parties in the construction process.
Norine shares a vivid analogy involving a shotgun and owners who are at risk of shooting themselves in the foot. Norine offers to hold the shotgun safely. She anticipates problems that nobody else sees or wants to face. She brings those to the front and addresses them proactively.
Norine says that owners need to digitalize their contracts, not just digitize them. Here’s an explanation of the difference.
Meta-governance helps in this process. It sets up a situation where you can share information without accepting risk from another party.
She helps companies work toward a content-based information system where information can be shared across silos while maintaining proper liability links. It’s about thinking in more than 2 dimensions and seeing a web of connections.
Why take so much time in advance to do this? Because it prevents battles. It makes everything move more smoothly and predictably.
Eddie asks Norine to discuss the dynamics of information silos. She argues that silos are healthy as long as governance is handled properly. Her company’s software translates structural engineers’ insights so they can be understood by architects and vice-versa.
We discuss the role that Ai might be able to play in this pursuit of increased communication and efficiency.
Norine believes “we have too many [software] applications of very low value.” She sees way too much time and energy being spent on cross-platform interpretation and believes we should work toward a more seamless solution.
We discuss these concerns from the perspective of wasted intellectual energy. So much time is spent figuring, comparing, and arguing.
Norine’s Megaphone Message: Building-project risk does not begin or end with construction. If we can internalize that, we’ll understand that you have to push discovery upstream to the earliest stages of planning. If there’s an unknown that can be made known, it’s best to know it and address it as soon as possible. Start interrogating early. Start doing robust due diligence early. Continue that culture of observation, interrogation, and validation throughout the entire process.
Find Norine Online: LinkedIn - NWB Consulting
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Long-time listener, first-time caller–like the actual, very first caller!
A couple weeks ago we announced our new Construction Brothers call line and invited you to leave a voicemail with a question or insight. A few of you stepped up, and today we address one of those questions.
The question: In regard to leadership, which matters more: relationships or results?
We discuss the fact that the clear answer is both. As we know, though, that’s often not possible.
Eddie presents two answers to this question–one from his 28-year-old self and one from his today self.
28-year-old Eddie was driven mostly by his competitive tendencies and was focused almost exclusively on results. He was trying to determine whether the construction field was where he belonged.
Over the years, he hasn’t necessarily grown less competitive. He has, however, experienced a decrease in the need for everyone to look around and see Eddie Campbell in the front. As a result, he’s come to value building a team that enjoys each other’s company.
Tyler finds that his focus fluctuates throughout a project and within a given day, being much more task-oriented at some points and more relationally oriented at other times. He gives an example of how he navigates conflict with greater consideration of his team members’ humanity.
We wrap up with Tyler setting up Eddie for a demonstration of humility. Eddie steps up and graciously compliments Tyler’s leadership style.
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We start out today with some light chat touching on “the crud,” night-snacking kids, and nosey people who tell you to eat salad.
Then we get to today’s substance: how to fix a stalled project.
Smooth progress determines profitability. So we try to work ahead, but before you know it… here come the RFIs.
Then comes the list of items that can hold a project hostage:
- Operating-room lights
- Operable partition walls
- Decorative curtain walls
- Design elements tied to seismic regions
- Grid lines that disagree
Then the questions arise:
- Who gets the last look?
- Which teams can start early?
- Who already did start early and got the cart before the horse?
- What can team x do while waiting for team y to do their thing?
So why do these tensions and timing misalignments occur? Of course, the exact answer to that is different every time.
The effect of these stalls goes beyond logistical havoc. It drains motivation and trust. It affects how likely you are to work with a given contractor.
Our guess as to how often this happens? At least 1 in 5–at least 20%.
Eddie talks about the popular contractor-grudge game he calls “You Gave Me an Excuse.” Projects that aren’t moving forward smoothly end up being pushed even further to the back burner because. Most contractors are looking to spend their time on something that brings in money.
And thumb-twiddling doesn’t bring in money.
This means that there’s the legitimate stall and there’s the “snow job” stall, when one party is just not even trying to get you back on the front burner.
Eddie discusses the different types of project managers and which ones simply know how to get things done.
So, what do we do?
- Pick your people very carefully.
- Get to know your people–know them well enough that you can read their stress levels and navigate problems together.
- Use finesse. In other words, know where the questions need to go; know who's back needs to be scratched.
- Communicate about communication. Ask people who have the answers you’re seeking.
- Work on developing instincts. Start with humility; then study interactions and learn.
- Be a helper. When you’re helping those above and below you in the project, you’ll generate an atmosphere of smooth progress.
- Evaluate yourself when you’re about to ask a question. Measure the importance of your request before you proceed.
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Today we start out by stepping into our time machine and looking at contrasting growth spurts in the Campbell home. We see 4-foot-11-inch teenager Eddie diligently chucking up those three-point attempts.
Then we fast-forward a few years. There we see 14-year-old, Tyler, making the most of his 6 feet and 2 inches not on the driveway basketball hoop, but on the violin.
Nature’s timelines can seem unfair. The same is true of professional timelines. It can leave you feeling left behind.
Our message: Cut yourself some slack! Stay the course! Don’t rush it!
Keep learning, and watch for opportunities to combine your passions, skills, and experience into something meaningful.
That’s the nugget of insight we offer in today’s Five-Minute Friday.
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(This episode contains several visual elements. Although we’ll provide some links below, consider watching the Youtube version if possible.)
Welcome to the headbanger’s ball, where we talk about the the fashion, the price, and the effectiveness of construction headgear.
Between 2003 and 2010, 2,210 construction workers died because of a traumatic brain injury (CDC.gov).
Dr. Michael Bottlang was born and raised in Germany. He then moved to the US to attend school, and went on to start a research lab in Portland, Oregon, where he explores brain-injury prevention. Dr. Bottlang reminds us that we have one brain, and it affects everything we do.
When it comes to helmet research, Dr. Bottlang says there has been a serious disconnect: The data shows that the vast majority of brain injuries occur through rotational force, but all testing is done with straight-line impact. He compares it to the agitator in a washing machine, which does its work through a long series of quick surges.
Slips, trips, and falls cause the greatest number of injuries on the job site. With these kinds of accidents, the head often hits the ground or another surface and then the neck flexes, resulting in rotational force to the brain.
To discuss this rotational force, Dr. Bottlang often used computer animations. After being disappointed with audience responses to the animations, Dr. Bottlang followed the recommendation of a friend and created a physical simulation with egg yolks in a simluted skull.
OSHA reports more than 54,000 cases of severe head injury a year, but this doesn’t include the cumulative effects of repeated small traumas to brains in sports and on worksites.
With government funding, Wavecel has been able to develop tests that more accurately simulate the dynamics of an actual head impact--including the tiny bit of rotation that often does the most damage.
Dr. Bottlang explains that the foam inside of a type-2 hard hat protects your skull effectively but can actually increase the rotational force that causes damage to the brain inside of that skull. That’s why he and his partners developed the Wavecel technology that allows the head to rotate slightly upon impact. The cushioning material inside a Wavecel helmet resembles the bendy part of a plastic drinking straw.
Of course, we touch on the topic of style. Wavecel material can go into any style of helmet. As far as construction workers, though, the vast majority still prefer the traditional brimmed style of helmet.
Dr. Bottlang discusses the surprising research results that says the climbing-style helmets are not as effective as type-2 hard hats when it comes to side impacts. He recommends that you turn your helmet over and see if it’s rated type-2.
We proceed to talk about price. Dr. Bottlang draws an analogy to buying a car for your child and said that most of the employers who see the egg video are happy to shell out a little extra money for the Wavecel technology.
Dr. Bottlang’s Megaphone Message: Question what no one else questions. Don’t just assume. Check the rating of your helmet and then dig into what causes most brain injuries. Watch the egg video and realize that most brain injuries are caused by rotational force.
Find Bottlang online: LinkedIn - Legacy Research Insititute - WaveCel
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Today we take a break from our usual Friday routine to talk to Ken Flannigan and welcome Dell as a partner of the podcast.
Ken worked in construction for several years before transitioning to work on the software and work stations that enable the industry to do what it does.
Eddie shares about the computer choices he’s made as a small business owner. He’s always aimed to keep the best equipment possible on the desks of his employees.
Ken discusses the challenges of software demands leap-frogging hardware capabilities. He touches on the multiple profiles of employees who need different things from their computers.
We discuss some specific challenges we’ve encountered with GPU capabilities that aren’t properly aligned with the task and the software, whether it’s Enscape or Twinmotion.
Our experience with these challenges is the reason that we’ve decided to welcome Dell as a sponsor. You can check them out here! Dell.com/Precision
Find Ken Online: LinkedIn
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Rich Racz has been working as an engineer within the construction industry for seven years. He started out in Massachusetts and then jumped over the entire continental US to settle in Portland, Oregon.
We start out today’s conversation with some talk about engineering classifications. Rich is a PE working on an SE. This means his license is in professional civil engineering, but he is on his way to qualifying as a structural engineer.
Most of Rich’s projects involve steel, concrete, and masonry. These projects are usually broken down into two phases:
- The design phase, in which you work with the owner and architect to design the frickin’ thing
- The construction-administration phase, in which the engineer works hand-in-hand with the contractor to build the thing
Rich works closely with the architect on each project, who usually hires him to help pursue the owner’s vision. Often, the owner and the architect have a rough vision that requires a great deal of clarification with help from the engineer.
Rich points out that architects’ desires for structures are often focused on “spanning further with a thinner profile.” The job of an engineer is to help the architect achieve as much of that vision as possible safely.
We discuss the value of questions going both ways in the engineer-contractor relationship. Rich says he likes it when contractors ask questions. He appreciates the desire this shows to synchronize efforts.
We ask Rich to share some advice with contractors. Here are his thoughts:
- Preparing RFIs: Have a possible solution in mind before you point out a problem.
- Submittals: Be sure to do your due diligence during the submittal phase. Avoid the need for a revise-and-resubmit.
- Prioritizing RFI’s and issues onsite: On this point, Rich is more interested in hearing a designer/contractor’s perspective rather than sharing his own insights. Eddie says that he would find it helpful to have a more honest, forthright project schedule. What is truly critical. How can we reduce the sense of false urgency. (Easy rule: If there’s a crane onsite, it’s truly hot.)
- Pick up the phone: If the engineer fails to acknowledge a truly hot RFI, pick up the phone and talk to him or her about it. You might be surprised at how this builds relationships.
Eddie asks if engineers are “trained in the art of ‘no’.” Rich shares his thoughts, leading to a discussion about billable hours, profit margins, and hundred-year accountability.
Eddie asks if the scope of design needs to grow and expresses his support for a shared-savings model. We kick around some possible different approaches to pricing engineering and design work (including consideration of PITA fees).
Rich’s Megaphone Message: Don’t be afraid to branch out into your areas of weakness. Attack those in order to become a more well-rounded professional. Don’t pigeonhole yourself because you’re scared. (Tyler’s paraphrase: “Discomfort=growth.”)
Find Rich online: LinkedIn
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“You used to call me on my cell phone…” Well, you didn’t “used to,” but you can now.
The Construction Brothers are now available by voicemail!
“By voicemail?” You say?
Yes, by voicemail. Here’s what we have in mind with this dedicated phone line: We want to hear from you. We want to know…
- What problems are you dealing with on the jobsite?
- What’s causing headaches in the office?
- What industry trends have you excited–or concerned?
- What funny workplace situations have you experienced recently?
The number is 512-THE-BROS (512-843-2767)
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The story of Andrew Brown’s life in construction starts on September 11, 2001. Andrew was a 23-year-old IT worker on Wall Street. When the towers fell, Andrew and a friend decided that they had to help. They headed toward Ground Zero and somehow made it through all of the checkpoints.
After watching so many tradespeople pour themselves into the rescue efforts–most of them with little PPE, Andrew found himself wondering what he could do to support these hardworking people. A couple months later, Andrew put in his two-week notice and started a business with his brother. Together, they started an online tool company.
Last year, Andrew decided to post some videos sharing what he’s learned over two decades of behind-the-scenes work in the construction industry. The videos gained more and more views, and then one went viral. He realized he was on to something. Tyler shares his appreciation for the simply informative, non-promotional tone of Andrew’s videos.
We ask Andrew to share some thoughts about the labor-shortage issue within the construction world. He says that the narrative needs to change in homes and schools. We need to flip the script on the old-school threat that poor academic performance will sentence you to a life in the trades. That outcome needs to be seen as the reward that it is rather than as a punishment.
We ask Andrew to outline what he thinks can increase the number of young people who aspire to learn a skilled trade. Andrew suggests giving them the bigger picture of where construction fits into the big picture. Then it’s important to help them see the opportunities for working your way up the ladder—possibly toward owning your own business.
Tyler points out that a significant number of people who are currently in the field of construction didn’t even zhead that direction purposefully. Many have kind of stumbled into it from peripheral fields or through jobs they thought would be temporary.
Andrew piggybacks on that idea and emphasizes the importance of looking for people who might enter the skilled trades through unorthodox routes. The various in-roads must be made clear. Construction companies need to make a concerted effort to sell young people on how a career in construction contributes to society.
Eddie shares about a recent high school event he attended where 30 high school seniors shared their career plans. He got the sense that most of them had simply Googled the salaries for various jobs. There was an inordinate number of nurse anets… nurse aneth… nurse anesthetists. (Why don’t they just change that term, for Pete’s sake. Even some of these people who work in the field struggle with it.)
Tyler says that it’s important to help people see not just a promising salary but to also help them see a positive workplace experience. Andrew shares his opinion that most young people want immediate gratification. He says that the challenge is for the industry to communicate a cohesive message about the opportunities. He also makes the argument for returning shop class to school.
Eddie refers to the sense of pride, confidence, and long-term comfort that comes with mastering a broad range of basic construction skills. When you know the basics of plumbing, electrical, framing–all of these things position you not just for employment but also for self-sufficiency.
We step away from the skilled trade conversation for a minute and ask Andrew about the coolest tool he’s seen recently. He mentions a robotic rebar-tier.
Andrew’s Megaphone Message: We have a skilled trades gap. We can’t be reactive. We need to be proactive. We need to be out there discussing the benefits of plumbing, welding, and the other trades. From teachers and guidance counselors to parents and industry representatives, we need to show young people the picture of what success can look like in the skilled trades.
Find Andrew online: LinkedIn - Toolfetch - Youtube
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Today Tyler shares about a specific moment that sticks in his memory. Numerous tasks and deadlines were bearing down on him, and the pressure culminated in a mysterious leakage from his eyes.
Nobody’s immune to being overwhelmed. What matters is how you decide to cope. Tyler’s advice:
- Talk to someone. Acknowledge the weight you’re feeling. List the parts of the load that’s creating the overwhelm. Listen openly to the objective insights that person can share about how you can address your current challenge.
- Pick a lane. Address the one element of the load that can most easily be addressed.
- Put systems in place to prevent the return to the state of overload. There are ways to avoid it.
We wrap up this episode with a debate about whose analogy works best for the sensation of being overwhelmed. Feel free to share your own analogy if you are unimpressed with ours.
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Dan Wies is the president of Wies Drywall and Construction, a St. Louis company that has been in his family for three generations. He also enjoys contributing to the community–by providing quality service customers as well as training and growth opportunities to employees.
Dan sees it as his job to make the general contractor the hero. “My name should never be in your mouth in a bad way,” he says to general contractors.
The key to staying effective, profitable, and safe, Dan says, is having a really solid team that can execute consistently. This is the key to owners and contractors who are not frustrated.
We ask Dan to discuss some of the pain points of drywall work. He touches on these things:
- Ensuring that you aren’t just treated like another bidder on bid day - This means being clear about the scope of bids.
- Standing out in an increasingly complex construction landscape - This means being clear and consistent about their focus. It also means innovating–creating systems that are more efficient.
- Timing production runs to ensure that storage space doesn’t overflow before a site is ready for the parts.
We discuss panelization and modularization. Dan explains that these approaches help him help general contractors move projects along at a faster pace. Having a Revit specialist on the team enables him to respond quickly when a contractor needs to plan a change.
Dan explains his company’s use of FRAMECAD, a roll-forming machine (See a video here). Dan compares it to the equipment used to form eavestroughs–but with substantially greater capabilities. Their machine can form anything from a 2” stud to a 50-footer. And it can do this while operating at an almost zero-waste level.
Eddie points out that the average person–even someone who works in the construction industry–doesn’t have a clue how complex the work is that is done by larger drywall operators like Wies’s company. Our perceptions are seriously outdated and simplistic.
Dan shares a bit about how they’ve recruited and trained designers and computer operators. Then we move on to discuss the challenges of sourcing roll-forming equipment from New Zealand in the middle of the pandemic. Surprisingly, Dan said it didn’t take them as long as it’s taking some people now.
Fitting that cool new machine into the workspace, though… Well, Dan just decided to buy a whole new facility. That facility is now so busy that it’s just busting at the seams. That creates a storage issue, since this material can’t sit outdoors for long periods of time. This means their space is totally overloaded–and then it’s suddenly empty.
We discuss the advantages and challenges of new technologies such as laser scanning. It’s important to weigh the huge number of pros and cons before integrating a new system. It’s also important to keep quality and consistency at the forefront of the decision-making process.
Dan’s Megaphone Message: If we, as an industry, don’t start adopting digital processes, we’re doing ourselves an extreme disservice.
Find Dan Online: LinkedIn - Wies Drywall and Construction
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Well. It’s debatable.
What is the best day for project deadlines?
Eddie thinks it’s Tuesday. For a long time, he thought it should be Friday, which makes sense in your head. Unfortunately, the world doesn’t usually operate in accordance with the vision in your head.
Monday (according to Eddie’s work rhythm) is a very productive day, but it’s also a day that is overweighted with managerial duties.
On Tuesdays, almost everyone is still around, in contrast to a Friday afternoon. Tuesday leaves time for contingency.
So, there you go. If you have the opportunity to pick a deadline for your project, make it a Tuesday.
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It feels like this episode should come with an image of Max Headroom in a hard hat. (If you’re younger than 40, we’ll let you research that reference.)
Our guest today is Marty Beard, founder of Always AI, a company that uses AI to expand the functionality of basic video cameras. To see a more detailed overview of Always AI technology, see this article, which includes a video with Marty. He and his founding team saw what was happening in AI in relation to voice and realized that vision was likely to have an even greater connection with AI.
Marty explains that an AI model can be built that is able to identify helmets, goggles, vests, and anything else visually identifiable. Rather than directly programming the computer through code, their approach uses machine learning. The operator presents the computers with as many varied images as possible of the objects to be identified, allowing the computer to recognize patterns after asking, “What’s this?” dozens, hundreds, or thousands of times.
Each safety-centered application of this technology has its own “safety index” connected to a metric. A construction company, for instance, might have a threshold of 75% compliance. If safety-gear compliance drops below that point, action must be taken.
Marty gives an example of a timber-processing facility that needed AI to distinguish between single boards and stacks of boards. It was also able to spot knots that might cause saws to bind and kick, giving operators a helpful heads-up.
Getting into the nuts and bolts of the process, Marty explains that most of the video footage they work with is gathered by inexpensive IP cameras. That visual data is then gathered on a computer for analysis. The algorithm that does the learning (technically called inference) exists either on this computer or in the cloud. The data is analyzed in accordance with customized programming, and then the software pumps usable output data to the user and issues notifications.
Eddie asks for some of the most interesting applications of this technology. Here are a couple that Marty mentions:
- Mining companies that analyze how long it takes to go through all of the phases in the entire mining cycle - Amazingly, this can be done with just a couple cameras watching … This data enables them to improve their efficiency by maybe 1% each day, which could translate to $100,000 a day.
- Fast food companies that analyze their burger-assembly process in order to cut wasteful steps
- A defense contractor that does night-time object detection to assess threats
- Body-movement analysis in sports–comparing positions and movements to scoring outcomes
Tyler raises a question that is an obvious one from the ground-level perspective: What do workers think about this? Marty explains that privacy concerns are most directly addressed by blurring faces and communicating actively with workers. He also shares thoughts about how automation in construction has been accelerated due to the labor shortage that started during the pandemic.
Not surprisingly, Eddie brings the discussion back to sports, and Marty explains the various ways that AI is being used to help high-end athletes avoid injuries. We then relate this to construction, speculating about how repetitive-motion injuries and long-term back injuries can be avoided.
We discuss what Silicon Valley calls “virtual perimeters,” boundaries that can be set on the software so that alerts can be triggered when workers or customers enter an area of danger.
Tyler asks Marty to make some predictions. He makes a couple speculations. Then Tyler shares about his wife signing him up for the vehicle-tracking program that allows them to save a few bucks on insurance if they manage to implement safe driving practices.
We get down to money. Here are some ballpark figures that Marty gives us:
- 5-10 cameras would cost up to $1500.
- The analysis device for this would run $600-$1000.
- The SAAS platform (which the customer can then program to their specifications) might be $50,000.
Marty’s Megaphone Message: The coolest thing about the construction industry is that it’s real stuff. It has this image of not being “techy.” People heading into a new career should consider exploring the interesting new tech aspects of construction.
In case you’re wondering, Tyler can’t remember if dog food ads showed up on his phone feed after this episode, but a sample package of dog food did show up on their doorstep randomly a week or so later…
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You’ve seen the title. What would you guess we’re going to say? The planning? The signing of the deal? The groundbreaking?
Well, we believe that the most important part of most (if not all) projects is the finish line.
At the beginning of a project, it’s usually relatively easy to be optimistic.
The during part certainly has its frustrations.
Deadlines loom, though. And people–especially owners–care about them. That’s why the end, matters the most. The end is the part of the project that most customers will remember most clearly.
There’s no feeling like being handed the keys to a sparkling new, beautifully finished building. Giving that feeling to your customer will set you apart from the competition.
The End
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So… Sometimes we get going and we just can’t stop. This episode was supposed to be a Five-Minute Friday. Oh, well. It’s important stuff.
We recently posted on LinkedIn about how difficult detailing is. Clearly, we tapped into a deep reservoir of discontent. Dozens of people shared about the results of stress they experienced as a detailer.
Employees are human. Humans make mistakes. Even the best detailers will occasionally miss something.
If you get 100 things right and miss one thing, the one thing is what you’ll hear about.
Eddie discusses two movie scenes and a recent NFL incident that serve as analogies for effective and ineffective leadership in reaction to failures:
- In the movie They Were Soldiers. One of the younger soldiers makes a mistake while calling in coordinates for a strike. This mistake results in the death of some of his fellow soldiers. Immediately, his superior officer comforts him and tells him to keep doing what he’s been trained to do.
- In The Pacific, a similar situation occurs. As the soldiers are examining the results of this mistake, this supervising officer fails to lift up the soldier who had made the mistake.
- In the Chiefs-Bengals AFC Championship game, Joseph Ossai pushed Patrick Mahomes just after Mahomes had run out of bounds. (Trigger warning - If you’re a Bengals fan, we don’t recommend watching this clip.) In the press conference, one of Ossai’s teammates serves as the watchdog, ensuring that reporters don’t hound him excessively about that mistake.
In each of these situations, the leaders and the peers of the person who had made a mistake. The fellow player in the Bengals press conference and the superior officer in They Were Soldiers made the same crucial decision: They chose to recognize the vulnerability of the person who had made the mistake.
We all know this. We know that personal encouragement is important. But acting on that knowledge requires effort and resolve.
Change comes one person at a time. One mindset at a time.
It’s tricky because a competitive atmosphere can sometimes be helpful. If it’s only competition, though, that’s a recipe for trouble.
Eddie comments on the number of overseas detailers who chimed in on that LinkedIn post. We discuss how workplace conditions may be even less hospitable in some of the places that handle offshored work from US companies.
We discuss the shifts that have taken place over the last several decades–specifically as it relates to the amount of face-to-face human interaction within our physical spaces. And all of this is now accessible to us 24 hours a day. Many detailers have gotten up during the night to check something that’s keeping them from sleeping.
Today, the velocity of the industry and the amount of information we have to deal with daily have increased significantly. Our mental bandwidth, however, has remained the same. That increased volume in a pipe with limited capacity–that’s where the anxiety comes from.
So what can we do about it? We discuss a few simple steps that can help:
- Be disciplined about your morning routine. Set a mindset that reduces the likelihood that you’ll turn to junk food, caffeine, drugs, or alcohol to cope with the inevitable stress.
- Be that teammate that stands up for the guy next to you.
- When you see stress ramping up and can tell you’re about to lash out at someone, detach. For just a short time, step away physically from the workspace and cool down before you speak.
We mirror the behavior of the people around us. If the atmosphere of your workspace is miserable, make a difference. Treat people the way you want to be treated. If you want the benefit of the doubt, then give your coworkers the benefit of the doubt (as Wally says).
If you’ve really screwed up and mistreated a coworker, consider attempting to address that situation.
So, anyway… There’s today’s 40-minute Five-Minute Friday.
Have a good week, and treat somebody awesome!
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Yup, it’s another baseball analogy.
Catchers are seen as the capital–almost a quarterback–because they have the whole infield in front of them. They’ll tell the pitcher things he already knows.
More than anything, this extra communication is intended to train the players’ brains to be able to respond without thinking. It’s a group rehearsal of what needs to happen reflexively.
In business, deliberate communication is equally beneficial. If you’re the leader, it’s your job to keep the important stuff in the forefront of your team’s minds. Make sure they’re preloaded for the thing that you know is just around the corner.
You may feel like an old man repeating himself, but that’s a heck of a lot better than dropping the ball on an project.
This is not to say that you should ramble. Be deliberate. Be concise and repetitive about the essentials.
A team that communicates in this way is much more prepared for success than a team that assumes everyone is clear on the expectations.
For those of you who are less baseball-literate, Tyler wraps us up with a parallel from The Office.
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(Scroll to see loads of links to videos of the tech mentioned in this episode.)
Tyler Williams is an innovation man. Within the first couple decades of his career, he worked as a union carpenter, estimator, project manager, and superintendent. Then he reached the point where he felt like he was losing passion for his work. He wanted to make an impact.
This drive to make a difference prompted him to set a goal of making it onto DPR’s innovation team. It took a couple years of proving himself and pitching the decision-makers, but he eventually got there.
You can imagine how satisfying it would be to test equipment in the field and then advise the maker on improvements. That’s one of the things Tyler gets to do.
But when Tyler shows up on the worksite, he’s not trying to keep his boots clean. He gets mucky. He’ll grab a rake and help a concrete crew. He knows that you have to show what you know in order to get the trust of your audience.
We ask Tyler to share about new tools in the field. He’s ready with a list. Here are a few we discuss:
- Smart Tag tracking
- The exoskeleton suit
- The Jaibot
- Dusty the layout robot
- Vita spin control, which has gone from…
- helicopter rescue applications
-
to construction cranes
-
Milwaukee’s battery-powered trowels, and concrete vibrators
- JLG’s self-leveling boom lift (not quite as new as some of these others but still interesting.)
- Hyperframe metal studs
- Live-Dig Radar (It’s as amazing as it sounds)
Tyler shares about the importance of having street cred when introducing new technologies to the people who might be able to make use of them. Eddie recalls how the Dusty (layout robot) team needed to put eyes on the robot in order to keep workers from getting annoyed and angry and kicking the robot on the worksite.
We discuss the massive benefits of industry crossover, starting with a conversation about a helicopter-rescue technology that has now worked its way into construction cranes. (See link above)
He shares about a skeptical boom-lift foreman who reluctantly tried a VR training program and literally fell off of his chair before calling it the best thing he’s ever seen.
These technologies open a door for prospective employees who might not otherwise think about getting into construction. They both lower the barrier of entry in some respects and bring greater diversity to the forms of work to be done.
Tyler touches on some QR-code-based information/instruction that can dramatically increase the ease of information-sharing. We also discuss the possible intellectual-property tensions that arise with this sort of tech.
The last technology we discuss is live-dig radar. (See the link above.) Some municipalities are already requiring all excavators to use this technology.
Tyler’s Megaphone Message: Let’s partner as an industry–even with competitors–and work together to adjust the direction of construction. Let’s work together to help people see that construction is freaking cool.
Find Tyler Online: LinkedIn
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Millions of tons of lumber goes to landfills every year. Eric Law is out to change that. Eric and his team at Urban Machine have designed a machine that automates the removal of nails and screws from reclaimed lumber, making that lumber usable again.
Eric explains how he settled into this niche. He spent 20 years working in various parts of the technology and construction industries. He was leading a sustainability initiative when he noticed that steel and concrete get recycled but the lumber was all going to the landfill. What kept it from being reused or recycled? Well. It was the nails, of course.
He approached Andrew Gillies and Alex Thiele about using automated robots and computer vision to address this problem. The three of them decided this was a solution worth pursuing, and they launched Urban Machine.
Here’s the process:
- Humans take out the big, ugly fasteners.
- They polish up the remaining fasteners to help the machine spot them.
- A device resembling a bird beak removes those remaining fasteners.
- The piece goes through a metal detector to ensure that the piece is clean.
Eric shares about the first few iterations of the machine. After a mishap with the first large stationary model, they decided to make the unit mobile. It is now mounted on a 40’ flat bed truck.
Computer vision enables the operator to see a cross-section of the wood and provide several data points not usually available for individual pieces purchased from the lumber yard. The team is working toward the inclusion of a QR code that will share this info with the end user and take them to a website that shares the wood’s back story.
Eric explains that their equipment enables them to do extensive examinations of reclaimed glue-lam pieces in order to ensure its structural integrity.
We discuss Urban Machine’s business and pricing models. Sometimes they work with owners who want to reuse lumber during a remodeling project. In this case, they receive a dollars-per-board-foot rate to process lumber to be reused onsite. In other cases, they partner with demolition companies and then resell the lumber.
The machine has an impressive design volume of 2.5 million board feet per machine per year. That’s 16,000-20,000 board feet or about a truckload a day for each machine.
As the team handles more projects, they’re working toward formulas to more accurately estimate the amount of reclaimable lumber in particular types of buildings based on the building’s construction and age.
We discuss Urban Machine’s future. By 2024 they plan to have 12 trailers ready for different markets around the country. Beyond that? Well, it would take 6,000 trailers to capture 50% of the wood that’s thrown away in the US each year.
We discuss the massive sustainability benefits of reducing dependency on virgin lumber that needs to be kiln dried. Then it needs to be trucked across the country. We also touch on the possibility of carbon credits. “Every metropolitan area is a forest for us,” Eric explains.
Eddie asks about how the demolition process needs to change in order for the wood to remain intact enough to be run through the machine.
We wrap up with some speculation about the ripple effects of this kind of reclamation into peripheral businesses for distributing and using reclaimed wood.
Eric’s Megaphone Message: We can create a circular economy for wood. And we can do it in a way that doesn’t just save money but also reduces environmental impact and includes the back stories and historical connections of wood.
Find Eric Online: LinkedIn - Urban Machine’s Website
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!
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Today, we kick off the 5 Minute Friday by talking about one of Tyler's favorite things: The Space Race. How does this compare to alignment? In this week's 5 minute Friday, we discuss how alignment of your team can help the overall outcome be a success.
We also talk about a familiar topic that Tyler has talked about before - the Belgian Draft Horses.
We encourage you to think about how you can pull your team together to accomplish the goal.
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If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Millions of tons of lumber goes to landfills every year. Eric Law is out to change that. Eric and his team at Urban Machine have designed a machine that automates the removal of nails and screws from reclaimed lumber, making that lumber usable again.
Eric explains how he settled into this niche. He spent 20 years working in various parts of the technology and construction industries. He was leading a sustainability initiative when he noticed that steel and concrete get recycled but the lumber was all going to the landfill. What kept it from being reused or recycled? Well. It was the nails, of course.
He approached Andrew Gillies and Alex Thiele about using automated robots and computer vision to address this problem. The three of them decided this was a solution worth pursuing, and they launched Urban Machine.
Here’s the process:
- Humans take out the big, ugly fasteners.
- They polish up the remaining fasteners to help the machine spot them.
- A device resembling a bird beak removes those remaining fasteners.
- The piece goes through a metal detector to ensure that the piece is clean.
Eric shares about the first few iterations of the machine. After a mishap with the first large stationary model, they decided to make the unit mobile. It is now mounted on a 40’ flat bed truck.
Computer vision enables the operator to see a cross-section of the wood and provide several data points not usually available for individual pieces purchased from the lumber yard. The team is working toward the inclusion of a QR code that will share this info with the end user and take them to a website that shares the wood’s back story.
Eric explains that their equipment enables them to do extensive examinations of reclaimed glue-lam pieces in order to ensure its structural integrity.
We discuss Urban Machine’s business and pricing models. Sometimes they work with owners who want to reuse lumber during a remodeling project. In this case, they receive a dollars-per-board-foot rate to process lumber to be reused onsite. In other cases, they partner with demolition companies and then resell the lumber.
The machine has an impressive design volume of 2.5 million board feet per machine per year. That’s 16,000-20,000 board feet or about a truckload a day for each machine.
As the team handles more projects, they’re working toward formulas to more accurately estimate the amount of reclaimable lumber in particular types of buildings based on the building’s construction and age.
We discuss Urban Machine’s future. By 2024 they plan to have 12 trailers ready for different markets around the country. Beyond that? Well, it would take 6,000 trailers to capture 50% of the wood that’s thrown away in the US each year.
We discuss the massive sustainability benefits of reducing dependency on virgin lumber that needs to be kiln dried. Then it needs to be trucked across the country. We also touch on the possibility of carbon credits. “Every metropolitan area is a forest for us,” Eric explains.
Eddie asks about how the demolition process needs to change in order for the wood to remain intact enough to be run through the machine.
We wrap up with some speculation about the ripple effects of this kind of reclamation into peripheral businesses for distributing and using reclaimed wood.
Eric’s Megaphone Message: We can create a circular economy for wood. And we can do it in a way that doesn’t just save money but also reduces environmental impact and includes the back stories and historical connections of wood.
Find Eric Online: LinkedIn - Urban Machine’s Website
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today we welcome you to join us as we revisit some family drama. Tyler shares about reaching the point in the family company where he felt like he had no more room for growth. This resulted in him losing a sense of purpose.
This experience is not an unusual one. In fact, it’s almost universal. If you’re a leader, it’s important to recognize this reality and figure out how you’re going to address it.
Titles are a part of the picture, but title bumps and even pay bumps without substance can leave people feeling unmotivated. Most people want new challenges and new opportunities.
Talk to your employees–those who are joining your team and those who have been around for a while. Get a sense of the trajectory they’re picturing for themselves.
(And, since Milton was mentioned, here’s a highlight reel.)
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
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For several years now, the shift toward a design-build approach has been gaining momentum. Today we talk to Brian Skripac, the director of virtual design and construction at the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA).
Brian’s training is in architecture, but he has worked as a BIM leader for almost a 20 years now. He enjoys the opportunities to collaborate and share with the goal of increasing efficiency.
Brian lived through the shift from 2D with Auto CAD to 3D with Revit. He shares about a couple large projects that epitomized that shift and its effects on the relationship between owners and design-builders.
This shift is still underway, of course. You may have observed or experienced the array of concerns that people have when sharing designs. Sometimes it can border on paranoia. Eddie asks Brian to talk about managing risk, and Brian goes straight to a recurring theme from the podcast: trust. He shares his own experience in getting over the road blocks that slow the flow of information among stakeholders.
Brian talks us through an experience he had helping Ohio State University transition from 2D blueprints to BIM models for more than 40 million square feet of their buildings. OSU has tied in site information and a whole range of other elements, all of these linked into a spreadsheet. This required a change-management process that included a plan for converting native files.
We discuss the difference between design-bid-build and design-build. Brian says that design-build is targeted to be 47% of all construction projects by 2025. That’s up from 42% in 2021. This approach is quickly becoming mainstream.
The main difference is that with the design-build approach the owner has a single contract with a design-build team rather than multiple contracts with architects, designers, and builders. This integration–at least when it works well–can streamline the process substantially.
There is an evolution that has to take place in individual roles with design-build. Brian presents examples of how this approach enables designers to spend more time designing rather than communicating. A good design-build team can more efficiently solve a greater number of problems. The cohesive we can function much more nimbly than a group of separate individuals.
We discuss project size and how design-build can work with small projects as well as large projects.
On the education/training side, DBIA is all about design-build done right. They establish universal best practices and then share those in a number of ways. They have a blog, webinars, and an annual conference. The membership of DBIA is vast and diverse, so there is a rich flow of knowledge and insights.
Brian talks through some of DBIA’s upcoming projects, including exploration of AI.
Brian’s Megaphone Message:
Don’t continue with business as usual. If we can break ourselves from the way we’ve done things in the past, there is great potential for improved communication and increased collaboration. We have to transform.
Find Brian Online: DBIA’s website - DBIA on LinkedIn - Brian on LinkedIn
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It’s critical in any organization. And it doesn’t come naturally for everyone.
All it takes is just a few words. Just take a few seconds to speak up when you see someone do something well.
Whether you’re an employer or an employee, your acknowledgement of others' contributions can make a world of difference in workplace dynamics.
Let it be simple and organic: a sticky note here, an affirmative head nod there, a single sentence of encouragement after a meeting.
Do it today!
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Today we talk to Ben Patton of TreeCycle, a Vancouver-based company focused on helping construction companies use more repurposed wood.
While working as an arborist, Ben noticed that 90% of the wood he dealt with was either turned into firewood or wood chips or just thrown in a pile. He found himself wondering why more of this wood wasn’t being used as lumber. One day he dragged a log behind his van and milled it down himself in order to make a coffee table.
This experience and these concerns drove Ben to find some partners and start a company to facilitate the recycling and reuse of wood waste from construction sites. TreeCycle now recovers wood from demolition projects and repurposes it into structured lumbers, dimensional lumbers, raw timbers, siding, and more.
Sometimes Ben’s company handle the process directly, and sometimes they consult with companies who want to handle the process themselves. They coordinate site-source separation, clean up the wood, categorize the boards by size and type, and store them for future use.
We explore the financial aspect of reclamation and recycling. An increasing number of customers are willing to invest in reducing their environmental and climate impact. To be sure, this requires some extra time, effort, and money. The cost can be reduced, however, with careful planning. TreeCycle aims to offset the time and expense by saving companies money on lumber.
We discuss how the 2021 spike in lumber prices added some momentum to their operation. Then Ben mentions a few specific products that his company produces:
- Cross-laminated timbers (CLD)
- Dowel-laminated timbers
- Glue-laminated timbers
- Substitutes for pressure-treated wood (including a non-toxic solution that is still being developed)
We LEED certification and other efforts toward documenting carbon footprint and discuss approaches that seek genuine change rather than just checking boxes for looks. TreeCycle’s business is aimed to take companies and projects beyond greenwashing and into authentic investment in reducing waste. It’s about sourcing something from 4 miles away rather than 100 miles away.
Anyone who has attempted to repurpose lumber knows that boards can be filled with nails and screws. Ben discusses how TreeCycle addresses these issues and talks about a pending partnership with Urban Machine.
Ben’s Megaphone Message: We need to look toward reducing as much waste as possible. It might take just a little more time and a little more effort, but it is a lot better for the planet if we start making these efforts.
Find Ben Online: LinkedIn, Treecycle Canada
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“In my day, you could get a candy bar for a nickel!”
Different generations have different reference points when it comes to money in general and compensation in particular. And those perceptions play a big role in recruitment and retention of employees.
It’s wise to be aware of your own bias when it comes to matters of compensation. This is true whether you’re in a position to set pay rates for others or you’re simply in a position of working for pay that is set by others.
The market matters more than your feelings. Also, demonstrated competency matters more than your feelings.
Take a look around. See what the fair market value is for your work or the work you’re hiring others to do.
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Today we start out with a little chat about the way that our generational media tastes have influenced us. We touch on Seinfeld (who had a thing or two to say about construction) and radio-recorded cassettes of Frogstomp. Tyler shares what song smashes him emotionally when it interrupts his Hank.
In our 149 episodes, we’ve talked to specialists from just about every step in the commercial construction process. One specialty we haven’t addressed yet is steel detailing.
“Wait,” you say, “Isn’t Eddie a steel detailer.” Well, as a matter of fact he is. How convenient. (If you’re not familiar with Eddie’s company, check it out.)
When someone asks a steel detailer what they do for a living, the answer can be a tricky one. To a layperson–and even to some construction-industry people–the work of a steel detailer sounds like the work of an architect or engineer.
When did the term BIM come into use? Make your guess before listening for the answer.
Eddie shares about his entry into this line of work and learning that steel detailers are not supposed to make the smallest step in a direction other than what they’ve been told to do. An entire project can be brought to a standstill if a single detailer is working on an RFI.
We discuss the actual job description that guides steel detailers: They take the drawings from the structural engineers and turn it into a highly specific deliverable that tells the boot-wearing. They count out the shear plates, the nuts, the bolts. They build a detailed model of the steel structure that is used by an erector team.
This work is incredibly important. A single, tiny error by a detailer on a $20,000 beam can have a terrible financial domino effect. Yes, software does a great deal of the math, but even the best detailing software is useless unless it’s in the hands of a skilled detailer.
Detailers need to work in a hurry. Surprisingly a set of Lego instructions are likely more detailed than some of the shop drawings being produced today despite the amazing computing power we have at our fingertips. Unfortunately, as we discussed in last week’s episode, communication is often lacking. An average 40-ton job (a 10,000 square foot structure) has the potential for about 45,000 errors in the steel assembly alone.
Eddie mentions these industry organizations:
- SEI: Steel Engineering Institute
- AISC: American Institute of Steel Construction
Aspiring steel detailers need to learn several things:
- Software
- An industry
- Customer relations
- Patience: You’ll deal with big-time information fatigue.
- Adaptability: The industry is always evolving.
- Problem solving
- Writing: If you don’t write an RFI thoughtfully, you won’t get the information you need.
Eddie shares about the anxiety that can come with detailing work. (See this related Five-minute Friday episode.) The pressure is substantial because small errors can create huge, expensive problems. This means that you’re double-checking everything multiple times: pre-approval, after modeling, before sending, after plotting, after team review, before fabrication, after change orders… In other words, you’re double-checking all the time.
At the risk of jinxing himself, Eddie says he feels that he has a good team with a good bunch of guys. We discuss the paradox of encouragement and affirmation that is always craved but often brings a cynical response.
What are the joys of detailing? You get to work on large projects and see a wide variety of structures–everything from single-family homes to entertainment venues and high-rises. When you drive past a building that was built with your drawings, you feel a deep sense of pride.
We discuss the confidentiality requirements but also mention at least a couple that we can mention specifically: The National Infantry Museum and Wawa convenience stores in Florida.
We share a couple technical tips for those of you who are detailers. Then Eddie reflects on a few memorable detailing experiences–some good and some bad. Then we wrap up with some overall-construction-industry insights and some personal reflections from the perspective of a detailer.
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It sounds so abstract. It is.
Yet it’s so important.
Atmosphere is one of the things that employees look for in a place of employment…
It’s not just about having bean bags and ping-pong tables in the office.
It’s about a sense of comradery and trust. It’s about a healthy workplace culture. Does it feel good to be at this workplace?
It’s not about whether the employer says their company has those things; it’s about whether those things actually define the workplace.
Today we just scratch the surface of the elements that create atmosphere: the architecture of the office, the decor, the way people speak to each other.
In short, it’s about being intentional. A little bit of thought and action can make a difference.
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We have finally cleaned out our podcast studio, which had been converted into a company-Christmas-party venue. We start out today with some post-Christmas chit-chat about the challenges of Lego (or Legos if you’re an amateur), dog fur, and brotherly Christmas-gift arms race. Then we get down to business.
As we kick off our conversation about construction docs, we start with some thoughts about history. It’s currently easier than ever for us to access any and all information… This creates some amusing pronunciation problems (Rivet? Wait, Revit?)
We’ve come so far from the day of slide rules.
We tend to romanticize the old days, but they were certainly more simple in some respects. This conciseness often led to a greater clarity.
The new tools have made some parts of the process so easy, but so much is still missed.
We find ourselves having to fill in the gaps with safe inferences, estimating upward to cover our butts. This leads to raised costs. Increased time spent in RFI just adds to the problems. (We make a reference to this RFI-related episode.)
We discuss the contributing forces: The owner has a why and a when. They also have financing concerns, insurers, and more. The architects have concerns about the how. They have risk-exposure concerns and legitimate needs for control over the process. Of course the list continues from there through several more stakeholders, each of whom has a legitimate set of priorities.
We discuss early release. Eddie shares about projects that have broken ground with only 30% documentation. He also explains how scope gap can develop in those situations. Details are missed. This sets a troubling precedent and establishes the tone for the rest of the project.
Eddie suggests that most of the industry is currently operating on the border of the minimum standard of care. That’s where bids are set. We talk through the various considerations surrounding some past projects and bids.
When we’re given incomplete plans, we submit RFIs. When the pile of RFIs overloads the responsible parties, the responses they give are insufficient. And the downward spiral of quality continues.
Better planning - a better outcome. Think about how much more productive you would be if you didn’t have to spend any time on RFIs. Surveys suggest most people think they’d be 2.5x more productive. If we can recognize this, our outcomes will be better. When you crunch the numbers, it makes pretty clear sense to invest more time on design.
Communication is easier than ever, but this means good communication is harder than ever. So many notifications! So many messages! It’s up to each person to set aside those distractions and focus on doing the job well.
We’d like to hear your thoughts on these things. Shoot us a message if you have some insights.
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When we chatted with Bob Goff for a recent episode, he mentioned in passing that he had never lost a case in his work as a construction lawyer. Although he acknowledged that he was a good lawyer, he said the real key to his winning record was that he knew which cases to take.
So often, the key is choosing the right project to pursue. The money is made on the job pick, just as profit in real estate is made on the buy.
Choosing projects poorly can lead to a number of problems. Your employees will be displeased. You’ll be unavailable when a good opportunity comes along.
When you pick your jobs wisely, everything else will go more smoothly. Take the time to think through things. The questions are not necessarily difficult, but it can be easy to forget them when you see dollar signs.
Don’t forget that it’s about profit, not revenue.
Even if you’re not in a position to choose projects, having this kind of mindset can make you a more valuable member of the team.
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If you’re looking to hire military veterans, you’ll come away from this episode with some solid action items.
Today we talk to Jay Snyder. Jay is a lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force Reserve and has served six years of active duty. He is also the president of Big Blue Innovations, a construction consulting firm. Jay has been in the private construction industry for more than 20 years, and he joins us today to talk about increasing the recruitment of military veterans into the construction industry.
Military vets are exceptionally well-qualified for employment in the construction industry. Jay runs down a list of reasons this:
- They’re used to rigor and structure.
- They’re accustomed to establishing a sense of comradery.
- They understand the value of training and careful execution.
- They know how to trust their teammates.
- They have experience adapting to always-changing circumstances.
Jay shares a bit about his experience returning from active duty. He’d been doing project management while deployed. He expected to have a smooth transition from that role into construction. He was surprised to find that the private sector didn’t really understand what he’d done or know how to fit him into their structures. Jay realized that he needed to use different words.
Jay talks through a list of organizations that work with veterans to get them set up on post-active-duty employment. Here are a couple that he mentions:
- ESGR (Employee Support of the Guard and Reserve): Facilitates communication between veterans and companies who are seeking to employee
- TAP (Transition Assistance Program): Seeks to prepare service members for their transition back to civilian life. Jay encourages employers to connect with TAP and discuss how they can work together
We discuss how military draw-downs lead to large pools of potential employees. Not all of the people in this pool are looking for immediate employment, but a great many of them are. We discuss the benefits of actively targeting these people for recruitment.
Eddie discusses specific candidate pipelines that companies establish from colleges or training facilities. Jay explains that these pipelines can function like flywheels, requiring very little effort once they’ve been established.
As an industry, we need to communicate as clearly as we can with service members and transition-assistance programs in order to ensure that veterans feel welcome into our field.
Jay's Megaphone Message: The construction industry is in the midst of a huge transformation toward increased sophistication. Much of this transformation is occurring in response to a lack of people to fill positions. Companies that want to take the simpler route should make a concerted effort to recruit veterans.
Find Jay online: LinkedIn - Big Blue Innovations
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Today we are ReAiring our 5 Minute Friday from this past April.
Even if you’re not a particularly religious person, you’ve probably heard the Bible verse that inspires today’s episode: "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."
The best leaders are those who give themselves up for the good of others. People respond to that sort of leadership.
If your primary motivation in the workplace is to promote and protect yourself, people will not line up behind your vision.
Leadership requires respect for others. It requires you to empathize with those you’re trying to lead and putting their interests before your own.
Eddie shares a metaphor of a full-to-the-brim cup. If you fill your mind with positivity and thoughtfulness, that’s what will splash out when you’re bumped by challenging circumstances.
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Our guest this week is someone we've wanted to interview for a really long time.
Bob Goff is the author of two New York Times best-sellers- Love Does and Everybody Always - He's also a recovering construction lawyer after practicing for 25 years. He is now a writer, speaker and founder of the non-profit "Love Does" dedicated to helping kids in conflict areas.
Bob has been a massive inspiration to both brothers, and we were absolutely honored to chat with him.
Related Links
Love Does
Everybody Always
Dream Big
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In this week's five minute Friday, Tyler and Eddie have the 4th annual reading of the Christmas Story.
We hope that everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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Today we’re re-sharing an episode we did earlier this year with Jordan McRae. Jordan is the CEO of Mobilus Labs and one of the inventors of MobiWAN, a communication device that enables users to hear and speak through skull vibrations. MobiWAN was one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Significant Inventions of 2021.
As construction people know, communication on the job site is immeasurably important. It’s also often a serious challenge. Simple, concise communication can be the difference between life and death.
Jordan talks us through the basic physics principles that enable bone-conducted vibrations to register in your inner ear. He explains that MobiWAN has found a place on drilling rigs, in refineries, and in manufacturing. He also discusses new applications they’re exploring within the medical industry, particularly in surgery, where monitors and masks create communication barriers.
We pose some questions about bone-conduction communication, and Jordan patiently answers, drawing a parallel between this technology and MR (mixed reality). These headphones don’t totally bypass the ear, they just deliver the vibrations to the eardrum via bone rather than air.
As you can imagine, noise-canceling capabilities are crucial to effective implementation of this technology in an environment filled with jack hammers, saws, and generators. Amazingly, the flesh and muscle that surround the human skull work as a surprisingly effective filter to exclude noise outside of the body.
Eddie discusses the fact that this technology offers benefits in office workspaces too, where individuals might otherwise wear in-ear audio equipment and therefore have a hard time engaging in conversation with others.
We hear the scary how and why of Jordan’s choice to explore this technology. After studying AI and ocean and space robotics at MIT and at Stanford, Jordan had a scuba-equipment failure that resulted in temporary lung damage. Reflecting on the situation, he found it unacceptable that he was unable to communicate with his fellow diver to ask for help.
This gave him an excuse to innovate. Although he and Mobilus didn’t invent bone conduction for audio, they took the basic concepts and began to explore a new range of applications. For the first few years of Mobilus, Jordan actually had the title of inventor. He would observe, experiment, interview, and explore.
Jordan walks us through the history of audio equipment and how little change there really has been. He also discusses the pride and satisfaction that comes with inventing something and seeing people embrace and build upon that.
Our discussion wraps up with the questions Mobilus had to answer and how they settled on having both flexible systems that simply use Bluetooth 5.0 and more robust systems with a greater number of proprietary solutions. They work with clients to integrate existing platforms and systems, always looking for ways to improve the user experience.
Megaphone Moment:
Jordan wants collaborators. Mobilus wants to hear from people with boots on the ground and discuss how this technology can help them be both safer and more effective in their work.
Here are a few resources in case you’re interested in learning more about MobiWAN’s bone-conduction communication:
- A video of Jordan discussing MobiWAN at the MIT Start-up Exchange
- MobiWAN in TIME Magazine’s 100 Best Inventions List
- A 2020 article about Jordan’s company
Find Jordan Online: LinkedIn - Twitter - Mobilus Labs
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It’s not what you’d expect. Despite all of his work in physics, Einstein is said to have said that the most powerful force in the universe is compound interest.
This certainly makes sense in the world of finance, but it goes far beyond that.
It’s about slow-burn, long-process growth on top of growth on top of growth. Its power reaches into personal lives, business lives, creative pursuits–it reaches everything.
We discuss how we’ve seen this with the podcast–and how satisfying it was to see audience growth that came as we plugged away week after week.
If you get caught looking around rather than looking forward, you might feel like you’re missing out on something.
We all want to see results quickly. Once you’ve experienced the long-term return on investment, however, you realize the world-changing power of this universal principle. You, too, might begin to feel like you’re less of an idiot than you were five years ago.
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When it comes to adopting new helmet solutions, it turns out that construction workers are surprisingly fashion-conscious. Today we talk to Rob McKinney about innovations in head protection. Rob is full of insight about the current state of safety practices in the construction industry.
Before we get around to helmets and hard hats, we chat about the Ford Lightning. Tyler shares about his recent experience driving a rented Ford Lightning for a few hundred miles on a trip. We discuss self-driving mode, charging challenges, and a long walk to Five Guys.
Then we move on to hard hat talk. The last couple years have brought significant developments in hard hat technology. For many years, head-protection progress in the construction industry lagged behind other sectors that have high head-injury risk. Some of the innovations that originated in the worlds of biking, snow sports, and motorsports have recently found their way into construction PPE.
We explore the differences between the old-school type 1 helmets and a range of new designs. These new designs address a broader range of impact types rather than focusing almost exclusively on impacts from above.
Rob and Eddie tap into their experiences with head protection on the baseball diamond and the ski slopes. Rob shares about a snowboarding accident, and Eddie discusses those annoying left-handed batters who are always hitting catchers and umps on their follow-through.
Then there’s the issue of appearances. Frankly, nobody wants to look goofy. This concern comes into the picture in relation to colors, overall helmet shape, and chin straps. We’ll complain about chin straps even though we’ve all had a helmet fall into the mud while we’re working on rebar or just on a windy work site.
Here are several other topics that come up in today’s talk:
- Issues specific to particular specialties–electricians, for instance
- Milwaukee’s lamp clamp
- Gel liners to replace or complement foam liners
- Increased attention to safety on the part of CEOs
- The dilemma created by the increasing cost of helmets
- The difficulty of establishing standards for all circumstances, environments, and even a broad range of head sizes.
- The question of pickiness in enforcement. At what point toward the end of a project do we stop nagging?
- Bone conduction audio devices
- Augmented-reality visors
Rob’s Megaphone Moment: Take an honest look at your company. See where you can improve the way you do things. Where is your sore spot? Where are you locked into old ways of doing things? Be willing to reflect, do some research, and then make some improvements.
Links related to this episode:
- Procore article that gives a rundown of current helmet solutions
- FastCompany article about hard hat innovations
- Wavecel helmets
- Milwaukee’s lamp-clamp helmet
- The Ford Lightning
Find Rob Online: LinkedIn - Twitter
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Discipline or regret. It’s one or the other.
Tyler shares his morning routine and the challenges of consistency, and we discuss how much harder it is to start a new routine than to maintain an existing one.
Life, especially family life, doesn’t lend itself to consistency.
Discipline is uncomfortable for a time, but regret can last a long, long time.
Discipline=freedom.
By the way, if you’re wondering who Blippi and Meekah are (from Tyler’s morning Dad routine), you can check them out here.
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Before we go any further, here are three movie scenes that we refer to in today’s discussion. If you haven’t seen these in a while, you might want to refresh your memory:
- Billy Madison milk scene
- Cousin Eddie and his RV
- Matt Foley, Motivational Speaker
Now that you’re properly equipped to follow along, let’s talk about BIM!
Trevor Owen is a BIM guy. Some hail him as the BIM Guru, but sometimes it’s just BIM Boy. Specifically, he’s the BIM specialist for Hilti. Today we hear Trevor’s thoughts about the influence of BIM on the construction industry.
We start out with some light Christmas-related banter and an introduction to our guest star, Ralph, Jr. Check out the Youtube version of this episode to see Ralph.
Trevor shares how Hilti aims to cut across business units in order to look at business’s entire work flows. They want to be a productivity partner and solutions provider. We discuss the need for this increased form of efficiency and consolidation because “you can’t throw people at problems anymore. You can’t find the people.”
Hilti’s BIM efforts are focused on model maturity: “If we’re going to leave it in the building, it should be in the model because we have to buy it.” They want to envision and plan the entire process, from prefab all the way to delivery.
Trevor explains that the goal is not just to include more detail but to include more attributes and then process estimates from that.
As a construction guy, Eddie raises some concerns he has with certain aspects of BIM, and we explore those.
Trevor calls upon Billy Madison to explain that when it comes to means and methods, there’s sometimes a dynamic that asks “Who owns it?” He says we need to move from “What’s in it for me?” to “What’s in it for us?”
Eddie speaks up to express his desire for greater automation in the BIM process
We discuss the challenges of finding the right people to fill design positions and then to train and retain them. Trevor says “constructability knowledge” is an important skill. Hilti offers a BIM Masterclass that involves 15 weeks of training, culminating in a closing week in The Netherlands.
Eddie and Tyler compare Hilti’s training timeline to Tyler’s as a detailer. Eddie says it was seven years before he was able to declare Tyler “mature” as a detailer (not necessarily mature as a person.)
Eddie points out that BIM is increasingly functioning as the database that we use with automated construction processes.
Trevor’s Megaphone Message: The construction industry has never been as fun as it is now. Construction is fun and has a lasting effect on our children’s lives and their children’s lives.
Find TrevorOnline: LinkedIn - Twitter
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Man, it’s been a long few years. Let’s allow ourselves to step out of the weeds for a minute.
Today, Heady Eddie shares the concept of benevolent detachment and a few other insights from the book Resilient. The message from that book? Sometimes you need to let it go.
You can’t do it on your own.
Sometimes you need to hand your situation off to something greater than yourself. Give yourself the favor of giving up the problem–not surrendering to apathy but allowing yourself to rest.
Step away from the situation in order to rise above it.
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5,229 construction workers died by suicide in 2016 (the last year for which CDC numbers are available).
The industry category of “construction and extraction” has a higher rate of suicide than any other industry category.
That’s why suicide is a topic worthy of discussion on a construction-related podcast. That’s why we’re talking to Kevin Sells today.
People who aren’t involved in construction might wonder why in world those numbers are so high. If you are in the industry, however, you know that stress levels increase dramatically when supply chains experience hiccups that affect workflow. Also, many commercial construction jobs involve long stretches of time away from family. Unfortunately, many construction companies have almost no protocols or programs in place for addressing mental health concerns.
Creating a healthier overall bid-build process was the desire behind the new methodology proposed by Project Summit, an initiative that Kevin is involved in. Project Summit is total collaboration strategy intended to get back to a system based on producing predictable cost outcomes through true relationship and trust. The connection that this approach has to suicide is that it advocates a one-hard-hat philosophy that consciously places value on all workers and disciplines. It focuses on putting employees and the project first.
Kevin shares about the frustration–even the embarrassment–that he and others in the industry took so long to recognize this problem.
Kevin points out that we can’t realistically recruit young talent and muscle if we can’t show that we’re concerned about all-around employee wellness. This means considering several things:
- work site conditions,
- time away from family,
- length of the work day,
- consistency of jobs,
- availability of medical care for traveling workers,
- additional concerns that exist with military veterans, who might have lingering.
Kevin explains that it’s about actually listening to and hearing the responses when we ask a coworker, “How are you doing today?”
Kevin emphasizes that no program will work if the leaders within the organization are not genuinely invested in promoting mental health. Leaders must realize their obligation to advocate in this area.
Here are a few specific resources that Kevin recommends for owners and managers interested in addressing mental health concerns with their companies:
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
- The Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention
- United Group Services Youtube Channel (search for suicide prevention)
- Cal Beyer
- The Suicide Prevention Hotline:
- Phone #: 988
- Text line: 741741
Kevin’s megaphone message: Our industry has a problem in relation to mental illness. It’s killing more workers than anything else. We need to address it.
(By the way, here’s a link to the Jennifer Castenson Forbes article in which she quotes Eddie.)
Find Kevin (and other organizations he mentioned) Online: Kevin on LinkedIn - Project Summit (2021 report) - The Simplar Research Foundation
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"As our dad has said, sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you." In our industry, it’s important not to dwell on the temporary problems. Truthfully, it won’t be as big of a problem in the future as you might think in the moment. As problems and issues arise, it’s best to “allow life” to help you grow. It will all be okay.
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It’s been a month since we’ve been here with a new episode. We’re excited to be back!
Joining us today is Steven Biersteker (pronounced beer-staker), a Canadian architect from Thinkspace.
As a child, Steven wanted to be an inventor. When he discovered that you couldn’t major in “inventing,” his combined strengths of art and math sent him in the direction of architecture. He attended University in Toronto and then moved to Vancouver. He recaps the training required to become a certified architect in Canada.
Steven’s time in small firms gave him a broad range of experience. The company that he works with now, Thinkspace, focuses on larger, institutional projects, such as schools, civic centers, etc.
We confront the fact that many people in the construction industry demonize architects, passing blame back to them. Steven shares the architect’s perspective that involves being two or three years into a project by the time a shovel digs in. He discusses the challenges of walking through the design process with decision-makers who don’t necessarily know what they want and might need a bit more hand-holding than clients in the corporate world.
We discuss the effect that Value Engineering has on the flow and budget of projects. Steven shares how he and his team will guide clients through the process of scaling back when a project begins to go over budget.
Here are some other things that come up in our conversation:
- the fact that logistic-minded construction workers may whine about complicated design that ultimately makes a space not just functional but inspiring,
- the effect that various software packages have on the design,
- AI image-generation software and the role that it can play in the design process,
- the excitement that sometimes comes with the challenge of considering the whole range of considerations and thinking about the ripple effects of design changes,
- the fact that many of the design choices a construction team might blame on the architect were actually choices made by an insistent client,
- the need to “elevate the conversation” in order to get design feedback from the people who actually use the spaces that we design and build. In the case of Steven’s work, this would be the teachers and students.
Our discussion reveals the confounding disconnect between architects and the workers tying rebar or pouring footers. How ridiculous is it that the majority of people working on a building might not have a clue about the end function of the building that they’re building?
Steven’s Megaphone Message: As an industry, we need to be working together to produce better spaces. If we can see ourselves as common players.
Find Steven Online: LinkedIn, His Website, His Thinkspace Page
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We've heard it a million times: Treat others as you would like to be treated.
Today we discuss how to balance the classic moral principle of The Golden Rule with an age-old business maxim: The customer is always right.
In the service industry, employees and managers often face challenges when attempting to implement the practice of treating others as you’d like to be treated.
Tyler reflects on a tough job from his younger years, and we discuss how his manager could have handled the process differently.
Any organization that conscientiously puts the golden rule at the center of their operation across the board will likely see great benefits. Not only will customers feel respected, but employee’s will be assured of their value in the eyes of the company’s leaders.
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(This episode is a rebroadcast of an interview we did in 2020.)
Brian Ringley is the Construction Technology Manager Boston Dynamics. Much of his work centers on the Spot robot. You could call it an “agile mobile robot” or a “quadraped.” Or you could just call it a robot dog.
But it’s more than just a robot dog, and it’s more than just an agile quadraped. It’s a platform for all kinds of functions. Spot can carry various payloads that serve a range of functions:
- Autonomous laser scanning
- Continuous site monitoring with continuous 360-degree video
- Examination of environments that are radioactive or otherwise dangerous to humans
In short, Spot can provide the large data sets that allow project managers to employ some of the more ambitious AI solutions that are now available. Brian shares about a Boston Dynamics partnership with Drone Deploy.
We discuss some unexpected applications of Spot, including some work in the entertainment industry:
- Latte, the steampunk dog at Universal Studios park
- A performance with Cirque du Soleil
- Youtube influencers making weird videos
Brian walks us through Spot’s abilities and limitations, explaining how much human guidance is needed for various functions. He’s clear about the fact that Spot won’t fix all of the challenges with BIM, but he discusses how integrations with things like Avvir show promise.
We discuss the social aspects of robots like Spot, including how people respond when they first encounter a robot like this one. Eddie shares that his initial reaction when he saw Spot was, “That’s cool, but what would I do with that?”
Brian discusses the fact that Spot can help contractors pay subs more quickly by verifying the status of their work. (Tyler makes the connection between this insight and our interview with Pete Dumont.)
As you can imagine, this technology is advancing all the time. If you’re interested in seeing an update on the Spot developments (since this interview was recorded in 2020), check out this video.
Brian’s Megaphone Message: Don’t confuse technology problems with business model problems. Businesses will benefit when they intelligently take on risk where there’s a potentially substantial reward.
Find Brian online: Brian's LinkedIn - Brian's Instagram - Brian's Twitter - Boston Dynamics and Spot
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This week we are going over 4 Tips For Project Managers!
Here's a list of what we cover.
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Don’t be a project pile-it. Don’t hit forward on the email saying “Please advise” before you understand and clarify the request.
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Stay in front of the airplane.
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Don’t be a box checker.
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Have integrity. Never lie to get somebody to do something for you.
Thanks for joining us this week!
Make sure you check out our sponsor Trimble ProjectSight! -https://projectsight.trimble.com/
Please consider subscribing!
SUBSCRIBE!
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Eddie's LinkedIn
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(Our day job)
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Take me out to the ballgame! Today we’re re-airing a really fun conversation we had last year with Angie Simon.
Angie can hit a nasty curveball, but when she’s not standing at the plate, she’s working in one of these roles:
- Advisor to the Board at Western Allied Mechanical. (She was CEO when we recorded this interview last year.)
- Immediate Past President Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA)When we conducted this interview, she was WAM’s CEO.
- President and co-founder of the Heavy Metal Summer Experience (HMSE), a great program that introduces high school students to opportunities in trades.
Our conversation today starts out with Angie and Eddie geeking out about the similarities between baseball and construction.
- A team with mediocre talent but exceptional cohesiveness can outperform a team with superstars but no trust.
- When you’re on the field, you should be talking–not just to communicate with your teammates, but to cement in your own mind what you need to do.
- Practical IQ–an understanding of how to approach a complex situation–is more important than some sort of technical giftedness or talent.
- Leaders who genuinely respect the workers in the field will have stronger teams.
Angie talks about the repeat business that her company gets simply because they do really, really good work. This is the case because of the culture of trust within their team. She explains the importance of getting a sense of buy-in from your team when you’re facing decisions. Communicate. Explain the whys and hows. Answer their questions.
We go on to talk about the ever-present issue of workforce development. Angie explains that 40% of the sheet metal workers in the country will be retiring in the next five years. Incoming apprentices are averaging 27 years of age. This means we need to get more focused with our recruitment. So, Angie’s doing something about it.
Angie spearheaded the Heavy Metal Summer Experience. When we recorded this episode in 2021, they were just about to run the first 12-session camp experience. If you want to see Angie share more about how this program has gone, check out this video. Angie also tells us about a number of other programs that she is working with to increase workforce diversity within the construction industry.
Angie’s Megaphone Message: The construction industry is a great industry. To participate in the process of building something is exciting, and there are so many opportunities. Construction workers make a difference in the world.
Learn more about Angie: Angie on LinkedIN - Angie’s SMACNA page - Angie talking about the HMSE program
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Do you love the undo button as much as us? This week we are talking about mistakes that happen and what we can do to make the situations better.
Topics that we cover:
Mistakes happen!
How to compare mistakes to baseball
Slow down, think- then act!
Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating or review and follow us on our social accounts!
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Some people call it by name, and some people refer to it less directly, but anxiety is a real thing. And it can keep you from doing your best work and living a full life.
The experiences we describe in this episode might seem totally unfamiliar to some of you. But we’d bet that some of you are going to find yourself saying, “Hmm. Yup. I’ve experienced that…”
The anxiety we’re talking about in this episode isn’t just the general, mild sense of anxiousness and unease that arises in specific, somewhat stressful situations. We’re talking about clinically diagnosable anxiety, which often involves a racing heart rate, shortness of breath, shaky hands, nervous sweats, and inability to concentrate. It’s a physical and mental state that may keep you from functioning normally on some level.
We discuss the fact that admitting to anxiety can make you feel weak, out of control, and vulnerable. You might be hesitant to acknowledge the reality of the condition because part of the solution may be a visit to the doctor or a counselor.
Both Eddie and Tyler have experienced this sort of anxiety.
Eddie shares the fact that for several years he would feel anxious any time that he was not actively working. He wasn’t able to sleep well, and he’d find himself excessively analyzing things that didn’t need to be analyzed.
Tyler’s experiences started with music performances many years ago. It reached the point where the shaky hands and racing heart led to him avoiding performance opportunities. Then he’d find himself experiencing anger with some of the daily frustrations.
Both of us eventually spoke up about our symptoms and discovered that there are medications and other measures that can dramatically reduce the symptoms and effects of anxiety. Getting help gave us a tremendous sense of freedom.
Our advice: Be willing to admit it. Don’t assume you can wish away these symptoms. Mention it to someone you trust. Then set an appointment to discuss it with your doctor. It doesn’t mean you’re “crazy.” We go to coaches, trainers, and mentors for help in sports, construction–all kinds of areas. Why would the area of mental health be any different?
Even if you haven’t experienced anxiety of the sort that we discussed today, there’s a good chance that someone on your team or in your family has. We discuss some ideas for how you can help someone you’ve seen experiencing these symptoms. Open the door for the discussion.
Megaphone moment: There are tools that can help with anxiety. Reach out and grab them.
Resources:
- Find a Counselor:
https://www.betterhelp.com/ - How Do You Know If You Have Anxiety: Signs, Symptoms, And When To Get Help: https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/anxiety/how-do-you-know-if-you-have-anxiety-signs-symptoms-and-when-to-get-help/
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What are Anxiety Disorders?: https://www.verywellmind.com/anxiety-disorder-2510539#toc-treatments
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Anxiety vs. Depression Symptoms and Treatment:
https://www.verywellmind.com/am-i-anxious-4045683
- Is Anxiety a Mental Illness?:
https://www.verywellmind.com/is-anxiety-a-mental-illness-5271630
- How to Help Someone With Anxiety:
https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-help-someone-with-anxiety-5089005
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
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Work, family, finances–all of these things are wonderful, but they also cause stress. Sometimes, that stress can accumulate to the point where it becomes something more substantial and name-able: anxiety. It can be easy to downplay symptoms and brush aside concerns, but you’re not doing yourself any favors when you do that.
Today we discuss some signs that might indicate a level of anxiety worth discussing with a health care provider:
- Nervousness and irritability
- Difficulty sleeping
- Avoidance of places that cause stress
- Worry about things that happened in the past
- Stress surrounding social interactions
We’ll be circling back around to this topic later, but if you’re feeling some combination of these things with some consistency, it might be wise to share that with someone who can help.
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
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We’ve talked about some complicated things over our 138 episodes. Everything from laser mapping equipment to $15 billion petroleum-processing factories. The complexity of today’s topic exceeds all of those. Today we talk about parenthood. Since we’re the Construction Brothers, our focus is primarily on fatherhood.
Between the two of us, we have eight kids. That’s a bunch of years to travel that long learning curve. We start by touching on some of our parenting highlights:
- A gross-out story involving massive regurgitation
- The year of flu, black mold, and a pandemic
- A gifted Sharpie artist
- A very non-Easter-y egg story (This one’s not for the squeamish.)
Then we proceed to reflect on the challenges, which are numerous. It’s normal to feel like you’re doing it wrong most of the time. Remember that every single kid is going to be unique. They’ll all present you with special challenges and special joys. Some will sleep like… well, like a baby, and some will resist sleep with all of their power.
Here are some more fatherhood nuggets we examine:
- How to avoid giving your kids nothing more than your leftovers
- The importance of emphasizing relationship over household tasks
- The difference between 11:00 Daddy Eddie and 3:00 Daddy Eddie
- The importance of setting aside time for your wife or partner
- The challenge of mustering energy for late-night time with thirsty philosophers who need a hug
- The fact that dogs are not the same as kids
Fatherhood is intense. Give yourself some grace.
We hesitate to repeat the cliché, but… It goes so fast. Treasure this opportunity while you have it.
This week’s megaphone message: Be Dad on purpose as much as you can.
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Today we build on last week’s FMF episode, when we discussed the importance of approaching your work like you’d approach a game of chess rather than Fortnite.
It’s about being deliberate–thinking several steps ahead. As a manager, it’s easy to get caught up in the expectation that all progress is visible to an outside observer. The problem is that different human workers function differently. Those who appear to be working the hardest may not be working most intelligently.
Let people take the time to come up with jigs. Provide space for them to roll ideas around in their heads in order to come up with creative approaches to problems. Celebrate the different working styles that various team members bring to the table. These differences will likely increase your company’s productivity in ways that you wouldn’t expect. Focus your managerial monitoring on output rather than what you see during work time.
Don’t kill thinking time.
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Sometimes you hear a podcast that’s so good you want to produce your own version of it. This episode finds us reflecting on an Entreleadership podcast with Dr. Henry Cloud. Cloud is a bestselling author, psychologist, and leadership expert. He is best known for his popular book Boundaries. (You can see the video version of this podcast here.)
Before we get into all of that useful stuff, though, we watch a dude get reckless and almost blow himself up. It’s another of Ed Davidson’s videos. We then acknowledge that our own backyards are sometimes pretty dang close to that with our crazy s’more-crazy kids. It makes us worry that we might experience something like this KISS cover band lead singer.
The meat of today’s episode is our reflections on Dr. Cloud’s podcast. We run a bit long on this one, but it’s good stuff.
It’s hard to cultivate trust in a business or organization that deals with complex processes and systems. It can seem like someone has a grasp on a process and is ready to meet expectations… Then things can go frustratingly awry.
Five characteristics make up the anatomy of trust (adapted from episode):
#1: Understanding - It’s much easier to give someone trust when we feel understood. Most leaders simply want to persuade the people around them. Persuasion isn’t trust though.
#2: Knowing Intent - It’s important to make your intentions for your teammates genuine.
- Protect them when they aren’t in the room.
- Want them to win.
#3: Ability - Part of trust is knowing that someone merits it. The right person for the wrong job is the wrong person. Competency matters.
#4: Character - True character is more about the fabric of our being than it is about the outward actions that people see. We’ve said it before: integrity is shown by what you do when nobody is in the room.
#5: Track Record - Humans create mental maps to help us deal with life. Those mental maps are experiences that lead us to expect behavior. If you’re looking for the power of track record, check out the contrasts in loyalty shown to leaders in Band of Brothers.
Our mental mapping leads us to create labels:
- The company that misses deadlines
- The project manager that sandbags everyone to get his way
- The hot head
- The detailer that never gets it right
Today’s Megaphone message: Trust is not owed; it’s built.
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Today we channel our inner Kasparov to discuss the fact that things are better when you think several moves ahead. Whenever possible, it’s best to be methodical and avoid the need to make decisions on the fly.
We discuss how we’ve seen people do this effectively–including a former colleague who would occasionally head to the back room, pop in his earbuds, and do the dishes. Sometimes it even bothered us because not doing anything doesn’t feel or look like hard work. But thinking is doing something. Thinking is working.
It feels counterintuitive to simply marinate in silence, but it’s essential. It enables you to stitch up those seams today so things won’t unravel tomorrow.
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We’re just sitting here talking… but it’s different. For those of you who are listening to the podcast rather than watching the Youtube video: We’ve redesigned our recording space to allow for more movement and some occasional video integration. We’re experimenting with a slightly different format that will hopefully involve some in-person interviews among other things.
Watch the video: https://youtu.be/7yKIf6FrwhU
Also, there might be nachos.
Today, we use our new space to test the new style of safety helmet.
We proceed to discuss that LinkedIn often seems to be for little other than humble brags–except for people like Ed Davidson. Even Dad follows Ed. Here are links to the videos we mention on this tangent:
- Toronto crane guy
- Ed Davidson’s post about sign installation
- Car falls into sinkhole
After the hardhat test aggravates Eddie’s back injury, we proceed to the therapy portion of the show, with a focus on Tyler’s first year running his marketing business (Storybuilder Creative).
Because entrepreneurship is tough, Tyler compares himself to Rapunzel.
All of this leads us to the meat of today’s discussion, an exploration of mentorships:
- When you’re starting something, give yourself room to bounce around a bit.
- You can’t learn what works unless you engage in some experimentation.
- Sometimes that first year of a new venture succeeds only due to grit and willpower.
- Seeing every obstacle as an opportunity to grow and learn (like Jocko Willink says).
- Symbiotic mentorship is a wonderful thing–the pairing of two different strengths in a relationship where coaching can happen in both directions.
- Having to answer questions can force you to learn new things and to rethink things that have become automatic.
We’re better together–like a pair of draft horses whose pulling capacity together is three times the capacity of a single horse.
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Tyler shares about a recent experience with creative shutdown. His new role required a different form of insight than his previous role, and he needed to figure out how to shift gears.
What he learned is that it’s okay to step away from the situation. Get outside. Get away from the pressure and create space for the ideas to grow.
It takes both discipline and openness. And a playful attitude. And also time.
Give yourself the time and space to innovate.
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Jeff Sample is known to many as The Ironman of IT. That title is not metaphorical. He’s an actual “Ironman” athlete and he works in construction-related IT. Jeff has worn many hats within the construction world, but he’s currently the primary host of the ContechCrew podcast and the “Industry Evangelist” for Join, which specializes in helping owners, designers, and contractors improve workflow through increased collaboration.
Information
Jeff is all about data. Well, to be more precise, Jeff is all about information. He wants to see everyone in the construction industry use data to make better decisions. Jeff helps others use building information modeling (BIM) data to work more smoothly and efficiently. As we discussed what he does, these insights were shared:
- Contractual obligations can cause digital waste.
- Our goal should be to encourage collaboration.
- It’s not data-driven; it’s data-informed. The data is there only to support the human decision-makers. Data leaves room for each party to have their own focus and creative freedom (within reason).
- The design-bid-build structure creates an adversarial relationship between contractors, which unnecessarily complicates the building process for everyone.
- Communication is part of our job. We need to help other people make sense of data that means something to us when viewed through the lens of our unique experience.
- We need to create a climate of collaboration rather than fear of litigation.
- “Communication is contractual. Collaboration is cultural.”
The Shift Toward Manufacturing
We spent a good deal of time discussing the shift toward a manufacturing mindset within construction. We agreed that this will bring as many opportunities as it will bring challenges, and we explored these thoughts:
- Wise contractors will niche down because increased specialization is on the way.
- Robotics will assist to an increasing degree, but they will not replace humans for a very long while.
- Nuance is not going away. Builders and their “amazing minds” will continue to be essential to the construction process.
Other tidbits and shout-outs in this episode:
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Eddie and Jeff are both Adam Grant fans, but Eddie’s fandom has gone further with the hairstyle imitation.
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Shout-out to Kelly Doyle for his insight that “Slow is smooth and smooth is fast”
- Props to Pete Dumont for his work toward setting up an OS2.0 for construction so we’re living in a “neighborhood” together
When handed the megaphone, Jeff explains that we need all parties within the construction industry to work thoughtfully and conscientiously toward making a profit. He explains that our ways of thinking have the ability to drive us into a recession, but he reminds us that construction is critical to the success of our economy and our country. We can employ people. We build the environment. We create the infrastructures. We build the supply chains. If you can look at what the country needs and fulfill that need profitably, you can help this recession be a speed bump. You can be a key component of a vibrant economy.
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Today we’re going all-out with the construction analogies. Yes, it’s poetic. But it’s also pretty darn insightful and valuable.
When you’re a part of an organization, you pass information up and down the line all the time. If you fail to be a reliable link in that information chain, things fail to function smoothly. In electrical terms, if you fail to ensure that the current of information moves efficiently up and down the wire, you’re causing impedance.
When you notice this, seek to resolve the issue by connecting the parties who need to pass information back and forth. Put them in touch with one another in order to increase the quality and efficiency of your organization.
Don’t inhibit. Don’t impede.
Insulate.
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If you need to learn a construction skill or train an employee on a specific skill, Jordan Smith has you covered. Jordan is the Head of Education of MT Copeland (in addition to owning and operating his own design/build firm). MT Copeland provides affordable, professional-grade video courses for specific construction skills. Jordan does several of the videos, but a whole array of specialized instructors also share what they’ve learned in their many years on the job.
Jordan shares how the craziness of COVID led him to head to the shed. He proceeded to turn that shed into a small custom video studio and record construction tutorials. Eventually, Jordan was hired to structure the curriculum of MT Copeland’s construction videos. Now MT Copeland has over 70 hours of video instruction on their website. The content ranges from more big-picture commercial principles to the mechanics of doing a good paint job.
Jordan has come to see that the process of training has two parts: head-knowledge insights and hands-on training. The video content that he and MT Copeland offer is designed to help with the head knowledge. Most trainees then work with practicing local contractors to get the necessary hands-on experience.
Here are some other things you’ll hear in our conversation with Jordan:
- A discussion about one remodeler who has his crew earn “digital passports” for training on specific tasks such as properly hanging a door.
- A story about a cynical Irish guy at a trade show
- A surprise connection between the novel Cheaper by the Dozen (the novel, not the movie) and efficiency in masonry.
- Connections between proper training and employee retention–as well as some thoughts about how to deal with employees to take off after you’ve invested in training them.
Jordan’s Megaphone moment: If you’re having a hard time finding good people, it’s time to be the person who produces good people. (He actually said “the onus is on you.” Yes, that is a real word, and yes, he used it properly. Check it out here if you’re interested in working it into your next chat with your employees.)
Learn more about Jordan and MT Copeland: MTCopeland.com - Jordan’s design-build company, Smith House, - Jordan’s LinkedIn - MTCopelandmarketing: teams@mtcopeland
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Biff is back. This time he’s creating chaos in the water fountain line.
Since Tyler was homeschooled, he never had to deal with the complex social dynamic of “Give me fronts!” The thing is… None of us should have to deal with that in the world of construction.
So Eddie has a message to the general contractors out there: When you tell me that you’ll be done with something on a certain date and then you shift that schedule around–don’t gripe about the fact that my resources are now directed somewhere else. You’ve lost your place in line. I’m not going to penalize the rest of the people in line because you now want “fronts.”
(Sorry we didn’t produce regional dialect versions of this episode for you Midwest “drinking fountain” people and you Wisconsin and Massachusetts “bubbler” weirdos.)
Find Us Online: Website - LinkedIn - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
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There’s a gap in the industry. Few people are doing more to fill that gap than Lydia Burns.
Lydia is known as a senior manager with Allied Construction Industries, a trade group that works on advocacy, networking, and solutions for a variety of parties within the construction industry. Last time we met with Lydia, we discussed her work with K-12 programs that familiarize students with various aspects of construction. Today, we talk about her ambitious work with She Builds a division of ACI that focuses on increasing the number of women in the construction industry.
Only 9% of the skilled trade workers within the construction industry are female. This under-representation is the result of everything from corporate hiring practices to parents’ messages to their children. Lydia and the She Builds team work strategically to increase construction interest among women. Here are a few things they do:
- Address specific reasons that high school girls give for not pursuing a career in construction,
- Address academic concerns (particularly math),
- Recruit and train adult women who are shifting careers,
- Work with everyone from students to executives in an effort to break down stereotypes.
We ask Lydia how guys in construction make the field more appealing to women. Here are some of her thoughts:
- Avoid offering them help unless they clearly need it.
- Shut down your inner diner waitress. In other words, don’t call them “honey” or “sweetie.”
- Talk to women in the industry and ask them for ideas.
Papa Eddie (father of three girls) raises a few concerns. Lydia (second of three daughters) addresses them:
- Empower your daughter. If you see that she has STEM skills and interest, foster that interest.
- Remind yourself that there is a diverse range of jobs within the construction industry–and not all of them involve carrying bundles of shingles up a ladder.
- Seek to increase the possibilities rather than reduce them.
- Involve them in your construction projects–both around the house and at work.
Lydia’s megaphone (her second time): Start having the conversation in your company and your area. Women can do this work. We’re out there.
Learn more about Lydia and her company: Lydia’s LinkedIn - ACI - She Builds
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
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Nobody’s going to make sure that you do it. It’s the advance preparation required for a project.
And it’s your responsibility.
You’ll see that Eddie feels pretty strongly about this–understandably so. It’s simply not fair to show up unprepared and then expect someone else to step up and fill the gaping chasm you’ve created.
Take responsibility for your own failures. Admit it. Then you may politely ask for help.
Don’t be a Biff.
Find Us Online: Website - LinkedIn - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
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We all see communication disconnects between designers and builders every single day, so today we talk to one of our Dad’s old work buddies, Chuck Colwill. Why Chuck? Because Chuck is an expert in the design-build approach that produces a much more nimble and efficient building team.
Chuck’s work with his firm, Colwill Engineering, is a great example of how to gracefully, creatively navigate the complications that come with supply-chain problems, bureaucracies, labor shortages, and other challenges. The firm’s use of design-build helps them execute projects with impressive efficiency. They’re prepared to handle all MEP work in a way that streamlines problem-solving.
Here are some of the insights Chuck shares:
-Everything goes more smoothly when there is early and active communication between designers of a project and those whose hands will be moving the physical pieces.
-Early communication helps everyone. (You’ll hear echoes of our discussion with Ernie Maschner.)
-Whether it’s generators or flex duct, unexpected supply-chain complications create problems that can be easily solved by a team who is equipped to formulate quick work-arounds.
-Client expectations haven’t changed much since Chuck and Dad Campbell were running together, so changing industry dynamics are forcing contractors to tighten up the process wherever we can.
-Siloed organizations simply can’t compete with the agility of a well-managed design-build company.
-Design-build firms do have some unique challenges. For example, it’s essential for their leadership teams to thoughtfully align the supply chains and manpower needs on multiple overlapping projects.
In the megaphone moment, Chuck coins the term “three-bid-itis” to describe the mess that leads to the cheapest guy building the most expensive design. Chuck says the solution to this problem is to go open-book with subcontractors so that a general contractor can go with the person he or she trusts and then move forward with confidence that things will be done well.
Learn more about Chuck and his company: Chuck’s LinkedIn - Colwill Engineering
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
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Yup. Just two brothers talking about fartlek.
Life is busy. It’s easy to let physical fitness fall by the wayside. Today we step aside from professional concerns and into this area of personal improvement. We share a bit about our own experiences with physical training–specifically running.
Fartlek is a Swedish term. It refers to a kind of training that involves varying the pacing, intensity, and length of workouts. We’ve both experienced the benefits of this and other deliberate approaches to our fitness regimen.
Listen in as we geek out about VO2, glycogen stores, and mud runs. Then get out there and hit the road!
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Eddie wore khakis and a button-down shirt to the office every single day for his first couple years in the office. He felt like this was a necessary part of showing that he took his role seriously. Tyler followed Eddie’s fashion leadership… for about a month.
Now, both of us wear jeans and a t-shirt to the office every day. And there is purpose behind this choice. This isn’t an episode about fashion, but more an episode about questioning your motivations for doing things.
Here are some touchpoints from our chat:
- We are surprised but deeply honored that there are actually people out there who have watched 100 episodes!
- It’s beneficial to ask, “Why do we do things the way we do?” The willingness to confront this question sends a message of respect to everyone in the organization.
- When there’s room for freedom and comfort in the process of delivering quality work, then it’s probably wise to embrace that freedom and comfort.
- Having a personal uniform–even if it’s a somewhat casual one–can help enhance a sense of consistency.
- If you need to monitor the mouse movement of your remote workers, it’s probably time for you to examine your hiring practices and your company’s culture.
- Team dynamics suffere when the supervisor is a clock-Nazi.
- The key? Focus on the outcomes.
Also, Tyler quit drinking coffee so prayers are appreciated. 🤣
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
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When we focus exclusively on the price of the bid, we risk finding ourselves working with people we can’t depend on. At the same time, we all know that our industry is built around profit.
Teams work best when there is balance between profit and relationship. This requires trust. When trust is present within and between crews, a project runs more efficiently and results in a better end product. On top of that, the process is more enjoyable for everyone.
Find Us Online: Website - LinkedIn - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
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If you work in construction, you know that we have a problem. We need more young people! Someone needs to connect the countless dots of classroom learning, workplace skills, career awareness, and student interests. Lydia Burns is that connector of dots.
More formally, Lydia is known as a senior manager with Allied Construction Industries, a trade group that works on advocacy, networking, and solutions for anyone within the construction industry. Lydia’s specific focus is on the Construction Career Center, and even more specifically their K-12 programs, which work to familiarize students with various aspects of construction. The goal of these programs is to increase the number of young people heading into construction.
Here is what the ACI program does:
- Takes a systemic, big-picture approach to increasing student awareness and working them toward actual jobs,
- Fosters relationships between companies and groups of students as early as 5th grade,
- Seeks to reduce the anxiety many students feel regarding the math skills that are foundational to jobs in engineering and construction,
- Helps schools develop and implement project-based learning curriculum focusing on connecting math lessons to the real-world applications,
- Engages students in an actual small-scale construction project within the school building,
- Coordinates sequential training: 7th-grade framing, 8th-grade pipefitting, 9th-grade electrical, and so on.
As you can imagine, there are challenges to this kind of work. Changing public school curriculum takes time. Putting a bunch of inexperienced high school kids in the middle of a mock construction project has risks. It’s difficult to coordinate the schedules and align the instruction of various educators and contractors.
Here are some of the things ACI does to meet these challenges:
- Becomes familiar with the entire public school administrative structure within a state and district;
- Facilitate communication and policy alignment among OSHA, insurance companies, attorneys, and schools regarding the presence of minors on work sites;
- Establishes and enforces GPA requirements and other eligibility requirements for participants;
- Equips classroom teachers with lesson plans that focus on hands-on-learning .
As a result of their work, ACI in the Cincinnati Public Schools has seen students receive industry-recognized credentials before they leave high school.
Here are some other bits and pieces from this episode:
- Tyler and Lydia share their own frustrations with math back in the day.
- We explore how working in residential construction can lead to work in industrial construction.
- Lydia explains the message she communicates to school districts: “Hope is not a strategy.”
- We celebrate that most state departments of education have finally acknowledged that not everyone should be heading to college.
Learn more about Lydia, ACI, and their programs: Lydia’s LinkedIn - ACI’s web page - Info about ACI’s k-12 Program
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
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Unclear expectations, scope creep, “Dude, that’s not my job!” Regardless of the phrasing, you’ve experienced it if you’re a contractor or a sub. Today we discuss how to avoid it.
What’s the answer?
Refine.
Be clear.
Empathize.
Find individuals who are masters of their specialties. Define the job you need each person to do and then hold yourself to those boundaries.
That’s the message of today’s Five-Minute Friday.
Find Us Online: Website - LinkedIn - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
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Wally Adamchik - Podcast Brief
Conversation PointsAbout
Wally’s range of experience is more diverse than most. Like Tyler and Eddie, Wally grew up working on construction projects with his dad and brother. Unlike either Tyler or Eddie, Wally then headed off to Notre Dame, where he experienced the unique form of fame that comes with being a mascot. Yes, Wally was the Notre Dame leprechaun.
After working his way to the rank of commander in the marines and piloting AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters, Wally worked in the restaurant industry for a time before returning to the construction world with FMI Consulting. Now Wally works as a public speaker and consultant, inspiring people in various fields to become better leaders.
Relevant Links (See below)
Show NotesAug. 17, 2022: Wally Adamchik
Wednesday Show Notes
Wally’s range of experience is more diverse than most. Who would have guessed that the Notre Dame leprechaun (yes, he was the official leprechaun for a year) would work his way to the rank of commander in the marines and pilot AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters? Eventually, Wally worked his way into construction leadership with FMI Consulting. Now Wally works as a public speaker and consultant, inspiring people in various fields to become better leaders.
In our chat with Wally, we discuss the leadership principles that build strong, productive businesses where employees want to contribute and stick around. Wally says that it’s about a range of things that boil down to a culture built on what he calls “micro trust.” Here are some bits and pieces
Advice Wally gives leaders:
- The daily huddle is one of the best tools you have every day.
- Credibility is essential.
- “Your behavior as a leader drives the behavior of other people.”
- If you put barriers in front of new people because you experienced barriers, you’re shooting yourself in the foot (and harming your business).
- Beware of short-term thinking that can compromise long-term results. Innovate.
- “You can’t create greatness in a company if you don’t share information.”
- Begin with the end in mind. Show respect for the individual. Give them tools that work.
Advice Wally gives today’s followers (tomorrow’s leaders):
- Show up, shut up, and perform.
- Have an open mind. Give your leaders some leeway to make mistakes. Nobody’s perfect.
- Pay your dues. If you’re good, you play.
- Don’t withdraw to your own echo chamber.
We discuss the fact that the construction industry is a crazy world. There’s a huge range of complications and every single day. Yes, it’s important to get the job done, but the job doesn’t get done if you don’t take human dynamics into consideration. Leadership development is personal development.
Wally’s Megaphone Message:
Jerks don’t win. “We” is better than “me.” Seek to make the pie bigger for everybody. Seek to get new people into the building.
Find Wally Online: His FireStarter Speaking page - His LinkedIn page
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie on LinkedIn - Tyler on LinkedIn
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Step back with us briefly to the Campbell backyard roughly 16 years ago. We see 4-foot-11-inch teenager Eddie diligently chucking up those three-point attempts. In the living room window, we see his 14-year-old brother, Tyler, making the most of his 6 feet and 2 inches on… the violin.
Nature’s timelines can seem unfair. The same is true of professional timelines. It can leave you feeling left behind.
Our message: Cut yourself some slack! Stay the course! Don’t rush it!
Keep learning, and watch for opportunities to combine your passions, skills, and experience into something meaningful.
That’s the nugget of insight we offer in today’s Five-Minute Friday.
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
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Wednesday Show Notes
When we don’t have a guest, it’s a bit like Dwight and Jim when Michael’s out of town. Today we confront the reality that we’ve talked out of both sides of our mouths. As we reflect on that, we touch on blood, politics, and mouse-movers. Do we un-contradict ourselves? You make the call. Be warned: our dander gets up a couple times.
Wait. Before we go any further… In case you came to the show notes for the Mike Rowe sheep-castration link (which is likely), here it is.
Here are some of the contradictions, insights, and questions we unpack today:
Contradiction #1: Getting ahead of things vs. realizing not everyone can be at the front of the line
- Acknowledge that some people have bigger fish to fry than the one that you’re holding up so proudly.
- Some principles are relevant to both $50 billion giga-projects and a modest remodel.
- Is it possible to build a bigger contractor table so everyone who wants a seat can have one (without a food fight breaking out)?
- Surprise, surprise! It all comes back to trust. And sometimes that’s tough.
Contradiction #2: Progressives vs. Conservatives (in relation to organization and technology)
- It’s tough to judge what’s good about new things coming down the pike but also balance that with an appreciation of traditional practices.
- We need someone out there on the bleeding edge.
- Can we use some old-timey practices to reduce RFIs?
Contradiction #3: Old School vs. New School (in relation to workplace dynamics)
- Ties vs. t-shirts
- Taskmasters vs. Twitter
- Competent management vs. mouse-movers (Here’s what they look like.)
- Man, has Dennis seen a lot of change in his 50-year career.
Today’s Megaphone message comes from Eddie: “Have a healthy respect for tradition while maintaining a passion for the truth.”
Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
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A few months ago, after a decade of the two of us working closely together, Tyler left ABSI to start his own company. What has Eddie learned from losing his right-hand man?
Help them leave well. Celebrate their wins with them. Be genuinely happy for them. Do your best to put yourself in their shoes.
Recognize and acknowledge that this separation is a form of loss, and with loss comes emotions you may not have accounted for:
- Shock, disbelief, or denial
- Anxiety
- Distress
- Anger
- Periods of sadness
- Loss of sleep and loss of appetite
Don’t make big decisions or be hasty. Think. Be deliberate. Figure out what has to happen right now and what doesn’t.
Refocus your goals with the team you have around you, and keep plugging.
That’s the message of today’s Five-Minute Friday.
Find Us Online: LinkedIn - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn
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Supply-chain challenges are certainly nothing new, but they’ve grown increasingly complicated over the last few years. Today we discuss how you as a contractor can approach these challenges whether you’re working on a local and global scale.
We get several helpful supply-chain insights from our guest Ernie Maschner. Ernie has been an influential presence in the construction industry for more than 30 years. He now works as a VP with Victaulic, a manufacturer of engineered couplings and valves. Ernie is also involved with a few industry organizations that seek to address global supply chain issues.
Here are a few of the things we touch on in our conversation:
- The importance of communicating with all supply-chain parties as early as possible
- Industry organizations that seek to help contractors navigate today’s supply chain challenges - Ernie refers to these three: The Construction Industry Institute, The Design Build Institute of America, The Water Collaborative Delivery Association
- How human, political, and social dynamics affect the supply chain - For example: Why does the availability of asphalt in Brazil follow a two-year cycle? Ernie learned the answer while working on projects related to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
- How some progressive contractors write up contracts that allow for the increasing unpredictability of markets
- A $50 billion (yes, billion) modular construction project in Kazakhstan that involved modules the size of small hotels
- The cultural factors that affect people’s attitudes toward prefabrication and modular construction
- Ernie’s megaphone message: We need to work together in a fair way. Collaborative project delivery produces better results in the end.
Find Ernie Online: Website - LinkedIn
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Whether you’re in sales or not, knowing how to sell can be an invaluable skill to understand and master. Jack Daly is a sales expert and coach with over 30 years of boots on the ground experience. He guides us through best practice and gives us tips on how to sell larger projects than you thought were possible.
Here are a few things you’ll learn!
- The difference between a $1,000 salesperson and a $100,000,000 salesperson
- How to not come off like a desperate salesperson
- Tips for getting your foot in the door
Episode Links
Jack's Website
Jack on LinkedIn
Other Links
Eddie's LinkedIn
Tyler's LinkedIn
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Life isn’t in our control. Shocked? Neither are we. How does that affect this idea of “work-life balance”? It is important to realize how to deal with the things, not in our control. We tackle the importance of realizing work-life balance isn’t obtainable, but what is obtainable is making sure we don’t become overwhelmed by the things we enjoy and the things life deals. If you have been here for longer than 30 seconds, you know we aren’t advocating for 20-hour workdays, but rather an understanding that the idea of “perfectly balanced” isn’t obtainable and may doesn’t need to be obtained.
Related Links: Door 1 - Quality Control Door 2 - Comedy
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We're reflecting on a statement made by our grandfather that had a huge impact on Tyler.
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John Kenney is a 3rd generation roofer. Over John's 30+ years in the roofing industry he has worked in various roles. From Roofer, to Estimator to Project Manager. We dive into what has changed over his career and he shares some of the issues you can avoid when working with a roofing contractor!
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Eddie shares a hack you should try!
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Dr. McCoy is the Director of the Virginia Center for Housing Research at Virginia Tech, the Beliveau Professor of Building Construction, and the Associate Director of the Myers Lawson School of Construction…
He has over 24 years of experience in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, including 8.5 years of fieldwork and 8 years of managing a firm that maintained a Class A Virginia contractor license. Dr. McCoy received undergraduate degrees in Architecture and Architectural History from the University of Virginia, and an MS in Building Construction and a Ph.D. in Environmental Design and Planning from Virginia Tech.
He has authored of over 100 articles and has been a primary investigator on millions of dollars in funded projects, including ‘green’ residential construction practices, building technologies, affordable housing and safety practices in the construction supply chain.
Notable funded endeavors include:
1) Virginia Housing's PACT 3D Concrete House Printing Innovation Grant, 2) The Commonwealth of Virginia's Executive Order 32 study "Addressing the Impact of Housing Affordability for Virginia Economy"; 3) HUD's " Impact of Market Behavior on the Adoption and Diffusion of Innovative Green Building Technologies," A Sustainable Communities Research grant; 4) CREATES, a Department of Labor grant to increase Southwest Virginia Constructors knowledge and application of green technologies; 5) ELECTRI Foundation's 2011 Early Career Award; 6) NIOSH's “The Case for a Whole Industry Approach to Safety,” a grant on safety across cultures and sectors of the construction industry and 7) Housing Virginia's "The Impact of Energy Efficient Construction for LIHTC Housing in Virginia." Another endeavor was the 2009 Department of Energy “Solar Decathlon” competition, in which university teams compete to design, build, manage and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered house. Dr. McCoy’s research won the 2015 Game Changer Award for the State of Virginia and Engineering News Record's 2014 "Top 20 under 40" for the Mid-Atlantic. Dr. McCoy's work also won ASCE's Journal of Architectural Engineering "Top Paper Award 2015" and the American Real Estate Society conference’s "best paper prize for the topic of Sustainable Real Estate."
Company Website: https://www.bc.vt.edu/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpmccoy/
Video: https://vtx.vt.edu/videos/k/2021/06/1_r5xrw3ha.html
Article: https://vpm.org/news/articles/30733/can-3d-concrete-printing-solve-virginias-affordable-housing-crisis
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You are what you eat. Garbage in, garbage out. The list of sayings go on and on. This week we're taking a look at some unhealthy things we can express.
Here is our list of unhealthy outputs!
Venting frustration on co-workers about everything negative that happens in your day Knee-jerk email in response to conflict or unkind words (Commenting toxic thoughts online) Disruptive, or out of place behaviors. (Sarcasm when you need seriousness.) Rambling and aimless brainstorming Openly tearing down someone’s successes
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Know the difference between being a liability and an asset! This week we're speaking to Henry Nutt.
Henry’s current role is “Pre-construction Executive at Southland Industries” in the San Francisco Bay area. Before that, he was a sheet metal Superintendent and has 34 years under his belt.
He recently released a book about what he's learned during his years in the construction industry called “Seven Principles: Creating Your Success in the Construction Industry”
The Seven Principles Are: Start where you are Get a mentor Refuse to be a victim Work hard Love what you do Learn how to follow Know the difference between being a liability and an asset
Buy the book! Connect with Henry on LinkedIn
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You are what you eat. Garbage in, garbage out. The list of sayings go on and on. This week we're taking a look at some healthy things we can express.
Here is our list of healthy outputs!
Journaling
Conversations with a counselor
Creating something – Video, photo, graphics, woodworking, anything to do with moving your hands.
Focused production work
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We know hackers are out there, but how do they get access to our information and hold our companies hostage? In order to find out, this week we're talking to a hacker. (Who happens to be our uncle!)
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You are what you eat. Garbage in, garbage out. The list of sayings go on and on. This week we're taking a look at some unhealthy things we can be bringing into our lives.
Here is our list of unhealthy Inputs. Social Media Email Caustic personalities Notifications on your phone can be unhealthy Unhealthy eating and drinking Obsessing over someone else’s successes Research (when it doesn’t have a point, you're thrashing)
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Our society has an addiction to growth. This week we're diving into our experience growing a company and the pain that is introduced when you pull that trigger and try to scale.
Questions to ask yourself:
Why do you want to grow? Is it become more wealthy? Is it because that’s what businesses are supposed to do? Is it pure vanity? Just to show it off? Is it for the challenge?
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You are what you eat. Garbage in, garbage out. The list of sayings go on and on. This week we're taking a look at some healthy things we can be bringing into our lives.
Here is our list of Healthy Inputs. Books (or just reading in general) Podcasts Research Encouraging personalities
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We're revisiting the question - What comes first, the Lego bricks or the Lego master?
The modular construction movement is trying to figure out this very same issue. What comes first, is it the modules or the modular design? Construction already uses modular or unitized building materials as its basis for the design. Whether you are dealing with literal brick, lumber, plywood, or piping we use predictable sizes and shapes that complement each other and fit together well.
The big question is, how do we encourage more companies to go into modular building components?
Eddie and Tyler dive into an interesting discussion this week based on a blog post Eddie has been working on.
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We’re doing a series! This episode is to set the table for the conversations to come over the next four weeks.
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What are some tactics we can use to find and retain good people? Our guest, Matt Gorgolinski is a recruiter for construction companies and he breaks down how we can find talent!
Matt was also kind enough to provide this resource full of tips to attract talent. - https://docs.google.com/file/d/1P1Hq7d_TmPdZo_w5wFjpPllBR7EmZmu-/edit?usp=docslist_api&filetype=mspresentation
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Eddie gives us a challenge for the coming week.
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Messer Construction has been a huge part of our family for generations. This week we sit down and talk with Tim Steigerwald, who is the President of Messer.
During our chat, Tim shares the methods they use to recruit talent. The primary way they do this is through co-ops. If you listened to our episode with our Grandpa (Pop) and Dad, they both talked about how they came through the Messer co-op machine and how it was a massive aid to them becoming the builders they are today.
For people trying to build their company, this is a super valuable episode.
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Eddie shares what he's doing different to avoid the challenges ABSI faced in 2008.
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We hear people say "If we could get closer to owners, we could help them so much!" all of the time. This week, we sit down with Nate Patrick, who is a Project Manager from Penn State to discuss what a day in his shoes looks like.
The purpose of this conversation is to open our eyes further to what's going through an owners mind. How they operate, what they care about and how we can best serve them.
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We have conflict daily on job sites, but what is the best way to get a resolution? You should have a goal keeping things out of the courtroom at all cost.
Eddie drops some biblical knowledge on how to best approach resolving conflict. It's based on Matthew 18:15-20.
If you're interested, here's the scripture he's basing it on -
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
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David Moody is the owner of CD Moody, one of Atlanta’s Top 25 Commercial Contractors. If you live in or visited Georgia, you’ve been impacted by some of the projects he's been involved with. Projects include the Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta History Center Cyclorama, and Turner Field just to name a few.
After going to school to be an architect, he later decided that he didn’t want to just sit and draw all day, and he wanted to be outside in the field and putting the project together. So he decided to be a builder instead!
He is also a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. Since being open and sharing his story with others, he has been an advocate for sexually abused children. He continues speaking up and being there for others who are survivors.
He is an incredible person and we were honored to chat with him for a little while!
Make sure you check back in on July 24th for our special with Barbie the Welder!
Related Links
CD Moody Construction
David on LinkedIn
Atlanta History Center Cyclorama
Mercedes Benz Stadium
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We record a lot of stuff for the podcast. As a result, we’re going to say things that aren’t correct. So this week we’re asking for your feedback! What have you heard us say that was an incorrect statement?
Email us your feedback! - Contact@brospodcast.com
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This week we're learning about ways you can meet sustainability goals when you're using steel. Our friend, Dennis Pilarczyk is Manager of Building Solutions at Nucor and he walks us through some of the new innovations in steel manufacturing!
We obviously nerd out hard on this episode since we both have a background in steel.
Here are a few things we dive into! What's the difference between EAF and BOF mills? Environmental product declarations (EPDs) High strength steel and how reducing tons on a job reduces carbon Net-zero carbon steel
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It’s just not that simple.
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"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."
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We had a great business idea and we're giving it away. Also, a story about the best Monday meeting Eddie's ever had.
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In our interview with Bob Goff a couple of weeks ago, he said something that stuck out to us
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Anne is an engineer who has spent more than three decades designing things like casinos, hospitals, academic facilities, corporate offices and transit facilities, bridges and tunnels. She is actively working with the Charles Pankow Foundation as Executive Director and NIBS (National Institute of Building Sciences) as a Board Member. Also, at one point she was the President of ACI (The American Concrete Institute). We have no idea what glitch in the matrix occurred to allow us to speak with her, but we are so grateful. She is such an incredible person with amazing insights into our industry! Here's what we covered! - The pace of technology adoption in the industry - Investing into non-proprietary technologies that aid the entire industry - What the Charles Pankow Foundation does to facilitate growth in the industry Relevant Links The Charles Pankow Foundation NIBS ACI Anne's LinkedIn Please consider subscribing! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL Like us on LinkedIn! Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Instagram! Eddie's LinkedIn Tyler's LinkedIn
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Have you ever used the phrase "Can't We Just"?
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Around 200,000 people leave the U.S. Military every year and transition back to civilian life. Our guest, Jay Snyder is the President of Big Blue Innovations, but is currently serving in the United States Air Force Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel.
We love this conversation because it helps address the labor issue we hear about so often along with giving veterans an open door to an amazing industry. Jay gives us a few tips on how to approach hiring more veterans along with sharing his own experience going from active duty to the private sector.
https://www.bigblueinnovations.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/snyderjayp/
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Tyler's going to regret opening his mouth during this episode.
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Eddie used to wear khakis and a button-down shirt to the office every single day. He felt like this was the way he needed to dress for work in order to show that he was taking his role seriously. Now, he wears jeans and a t-shirt to the office every day.
This isn’t an episode about fashion, but more an episode about questioning your motivations for doing things. Eddie has moved away from a ton of things that he used to hold near in business. The main reason for it was asking himself why they really matter and what difference they make in the company.
Also, Tyler quit drinking coffee so prayers are appreciated. 🤣
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Amy Morin has one of the most popular TEDx talks of all time called “The Secret Of Becoming Mentally Strong,” with over 17 million views. The talk was based on her first book, 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, which was featured on USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestsellers lists.
She has also been featured on media outlets like Good Morning America, Business Insider, Fox News, Time, CNBC, and Today.
If that wasn’t enough, Inc. Magazine featured her as a top 100 leadership speaker in 2018.
Here is what you’re going to learn from listening to this podcast episode!
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What is the difference between mental strength & mental health?
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What’s the difference between being mentally strong and acting tough?
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What are some exercises for building mental strength?
Related Links
Amy's TEDx TalkAmy's Podcast 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do What Construction Workers Could Teach Other Industries About Mental Health Awareness
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This week we are going over 4 Tips For Project Managers!
Here's a list of what we cover.
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Don’t be a project pile-it. Don’t hit forward on the email saying “Please advise” before you understand and clarify the request.
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Stay in front of the airplane.
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Don’t be a box checker.
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Have integrity. Never lie to get somebody to do something for you.
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What happens when there are no lines drawn between teams? Kevin Sell with United Group Services tells us about "Project Summit." Kevin talks about the cultural and contractual aspects of construction which opens the door for collaboration across an entire project. We're extremely excited about the approach the Project Summit team took on this and think it needs to be scaled up!
Related Links
Kevin's LinkedIn
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Here are the news articles we referenced in this week's episode!
Ford's Split
New Cummins Engine
Amazon Closing Retail Locations
NASA grants $6M for building on the Moon
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Have you ever been asked to do something and because it felt stupid you didn't really give it a full effort? Our guest, John Toups, calls this action Malicious Obedience.
John is focused on driving safety, productivity, and employee engagement at companies like Exxon, Shell, and Suncor. In this discussion, we dive into some of the practices that he's used to engage teams within the construction industry to drive those outcomes. It's a fascinating topic!
Related Links
Connect with John on LinkedIn
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After reviewing hundreds of Architectural sets over the years, here are the main pain points we see most often.
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Stair stringers have width
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Do final coordination with your engineer before issuing the documentation
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Use grids (and coordinate)
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Know the actual dimensions of materials like masonry
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Dimension walls to face of stud
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Be a builder. Not an artist.
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Tyler has been on his soapbox for the better part of a year talking about how technology isn't the solution to all of the issues in the construction industry. During our time at CURT, we met AJ, who is the Vice President of Industry Solutions at InEight. Funny enough, though he's a technologist in the industry, he agrees with us about Tech not being the answer. This is a great reality check for everyone and we know you'll love the conversation.
Related Links AJ's LinkedIn InEight Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating or review and follow us on our social accounts! SUBSCRIBE! Like us on LinkedIn! Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Instagram! Eddie's LinkedIn Tyler's LinkedIn
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Here are the articles we quoted during this weeks episode!
https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/16/22934958/waymo-ch-robinson-autonomous-truck-pilot-texas
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/business/elon-musk-tesla-charity-donation.html
https://www.morningbrew.com/daily/stories/miami-least-affordable-housing-market-US
https://boomsupersonic.com/overture
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Our guest this week is someone we've wanted to interview for a really long time.
Bob Goff is the author of two New York Times best-sellers- Love Does and Everybody Always - He's also a recovering construction lawyer after practicing for 25 years. He is now a writer, speaker and founder of the non-profit "Love Does" dedicated to helping kids in conflict areas.
Bob has been a massive inspiration to both brothers, and we were absolutely honored to chat with him.
Related Links
Love Does
Everybody Always
Dream Big
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Here are the articles we quoted during this week's episode!
Intel Chip Facility
Peloton Shut Down
Boston Dynamics Stretch Robot
Liebherr Electric Crane
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Is mixed reality useful? We recently had the opportunity to try out a workflow that had us really excited.
It’s something a lot of people are already doing, it’s just improved through MR. Nathan Patton is our guest today and he walks us through what’s new in Mixed Reality, how people are using it and what the future of this technology might look like.
We had no idea how inefficient the layout process could be, especially if you’re new to it. Even users who have a ton of experience have a hard time finding layout points sometimes.
It can get especially frustrating and time-consuming when you have 300 or even 1000 points to layout.
With Trimble’s new mixed reality application, FieldLink MR you can fire up the XR10 and it will give you an arrow and show you where the points are. Once you’re there, you can dial in and fine-tune it all without using the tablet. A practical workflow you’re already doing, made better through mixed reality.
Related Links
Nathan's LinkedIn
More info on FieldLink MR
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Here are the articles we quoted during this week's episode!
Falling Iguanas In Florida
The Ford Lightning Is Sold Out
Hilti Neuron 22v
Hilti Cut Off Saw
Las Vegas Digital Twin (or is it?)
Bobcat's All-Electric Skid Steer
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Even though the family has been in BIM for a long time, we're still learning new things. Allen is the VDC-FM Integration Manager at JLL and brings a load of valuable insights to the table.
His role at JLL working with Owners has allowed him to see the end-users needs, which we so often overlook.
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A lesson on innovation. Keep exploring!
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Can a digital twin really be created in 2022? Our guest, Matt Sprague, is pushing back against the belief that true digital twins exist. He suggests that we have a lot of work to do, and a ton of questions to ask before we can get to a real digital twin of a building.
We dive down a few rabbit holes that are pretty fun during this conversation!
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What defines a digital twin?
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How does a digital twin evolve from the Design Model to the Built Model, to the Operated model?
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Will the metaverse play into how we view and interact with digital twins?
Related Links
Matt's LinkedIn
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Do you love the undo button as much as us? This week we are talking about mistakes that happen and what we can do to make the situations better.
Topics that we cover:
Mistakes happen!
How to compare mistakes to baseball
Slow down, think- then act!
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Our Dad has been bringing up the topic of carbon credits a lot over the past year. Like us, you’re probably wondering “What the heck is a carbon credit?” so we asked our friend Dan Linsky of ClimeCo to break it down for us.
“Dan has been involved in the carbon and renewable energy industries since 2003. At ClimeCo, he serves as the Vice President of Voluntary Markets and Leader of the Transaction Team. Dan oversees all voluntary carbon sales, coordinates strategies, and manages ClimeCo’s carbon offset inventories for this growing market.”
The thing we’re most excited about with Carbon Credits is the ability to get a leg up on the competition in your bids. If you have a clear way of showing owners that you’ll offset the emissions produced over the life of the project you’re going to turn some heads.
Related Links
ClimeCo's Website
Dan's LinkedIn
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Today the bros' are chatting about one of the biggest problems in the steel industry and how it can be solved.
Things that we talk about:
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RTU Frames: Why is it the biggest problem?
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Christmas is coming...just like big projects.
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Pre-Detailing meetings are important.
-
Most of all, communication is key
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Do you ever hear voices in your head? This week we chat with our friend Jordan McRae about bone conduction and it's use cases in the industry.
Things that we cover in this episode:
What is bone conduction?
What kind of environments does this help the industry in?
Can you fully plug your ears and still hear?
How does the microphone work? Does it reduce ambient noise so that people on the other end of our call can hear us clearly?
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These things take practice, but they are all qualities you should strive for as a leader.
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Show your humanity. Don't be afraid to show your emotions.
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Remember the golden rule
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Make others successful, and you will be successful.
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If you're offering a reward, make sure it's in reach and winnable.
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If you want good performance, pay well. Be there waiting with the check when the job is finished and people will love you for it.
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People want to be heroes, not villains.
Credit to Lee Evey for helping us out with these tips!
Thanks for joining us this week!
Make sure you check out our sponsor Trimble ProjectSight! - https://projectsight.trimble.com/
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In this week's episode, our friend Melanie Kagen educates us on the reality of homelessness and how we can help.
Melanie’s Info:
www.thecfr.org
melaniekagen@thecfr.org
(770)-428-2601
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In this week's five minute Friday, Tyler and Eddie read the Christmas Story.
We hope that everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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In this 5 Minute Friday, Tyler discusses the restlessness he felt at times during his time at ABSI.
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In this episode, our good friend Aiden Maguire joins us to give us a full education on Hilti's Jaibot.
Here are a few things we cover in this episode!
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How Jaibot improves site safety
-
Features you didn't know about
-
What happens when the drill runs into something?
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Have you ever been called a hypocrite? In this week's Five Minute Friday, we cover some topics over hypocrisy. In the construction industry, it's really easy to have a "do as I say, not as I do" mindset, but little things that even children understand can cause us to stop and think.
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After a month off, WE ARE BACK! On today's episode, Tyler and Eddie discuss the people problems in the BIM Industry. Is driving more detail into design really possible considering the employment issues we're facing?
We address these topics:
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Eddie talks about how automation in BIM is the future, not people.
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Industry expectations on BIM departments
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Where do we find people do the work?
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In this week's five minute Friday, we discuss the golden rule and the many ways that it can be perceived.
We also discuss about in some situations, how the customer is not always right.
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How do we pass down knowledge efficiently? This week we sit down with Randy Collins and figure out how to implement training that truly works. We talk about how to set expectations, how to build a training program, and how to normalize training. Randy brings up some interesting points on how training affects both those new and experienced in the industry, and why you should continue training.
Related Links Randy’s LinkedIn Strategies Group’s Website
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The boys are taking a break and re-tooling, so we're revisiting another episode this month. We're going to be coming at you with some new stuff in December!
What comes first, the Lego bricks or the Lego master?
The modular construction movement is trying to figure out this very same issue. What comes first, is it the modules or the modular design? Construction already uses modular or unitized building materials as its basis for the design. Whether you are dealing with a literal brick, lumber, plywood, or piping we use predictable sizes and shapes that complement each other and fit together well.
The big question is, how do we encourage more companies to go into modular building components?
Eddie and Tyler dive into an interesting discussion based around a blog post Eddie has been working on.
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In this week's five minute Friday, Tyler and Eddie discuss the outcome of taking the time to fulfill a project until you are 100% satisfied. We also hit a few topics such as not settling for the minimum, but going above and beyond.
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We talk to the founder of Dusty Robotics! Tessa brings insight of how CAD drawings have more use cases than we currently use them for and has designed a robot that takes these drawings and prints them on a site. While Tyler draws up his BattleBot, Tessa talks about how humanitarian issues created a desire to enter the robotics field and finding creative ways to help people. Designated as a Chief Robot Whisperer, Tessa’s goal is to create robots that can do the things we can’t or don’t want to do.
Related Links: Dusty Robotics Tessa's LinkedIn
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!! RFI !! Love them or hate them they are a part of the construction process we know today. Listen today as we give you a little glimpse into the brokenness of the process and challenge you to think of a better way.
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Recently we had the opportunity to put our hands on Hilti's Exoskeleton and Jaibot. We share some thoughts from that experience.
Thank you all for being with us for this many episodes. 👊🏻👊🏻
We are so thankful for you keeping us going and inspiring us with new ideas every week.
NOW GO BUILD SOMETHING AWESOME. 💪🏻💪🏻
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In this week's 5 Minute Friday, we give a little insight on some of the things that we have learned over the course of interviewing people on our podcasts.
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Why should we care about carbon emissions? How can you determine how much embodied carbon is in the materials you’re using on your job site?
Our guest this week is Stacy Smedley. Stacy is the Director of Sustainability for Skanska USA and the Executive Director for Building Transparency which developed an amazing tool to help combat climate change caused by embodied carbon generated by the construction industry.
Here are a few things we asked her!
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What is embodied carbon?
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Why should we care?
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What can we do to improve the sustainability of the materials we’re using
Relevant Links
Stacy's LinkedIn Skanska Building Transparency EC3 Tool 99 Percent Invisible Episode
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Have you ever stayed in a Marriott, Hilton, or Hyatt Hotel? There's a high likelihood that you've used one of these bathroom pods. But how is it done? Tyler had the opportunity to go visit SurePods, which is a prefabrication company here in the U.S. Their Vice President, Bill Seery, walked Tyler through the plant and showed him how it all comes together.
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Productivity - The work is in front of you, and you almost always have the next thing to be working on. This reduces the number of people in "Wandering Mode" which is what you'll see frequently on job sites.
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Safety - Since everything is in a controlled environment, it's easier to keep things closer to the ground and in a place that's safer for all employees. In some cases, they have the walls up on tables so they're really comfortable to work on. Each task can be reviewed by a safety officer and adjusted on the fly if needed.
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Waste - Every piece of light gauge they roll has a purpose. They don't just buy light gauge in stock lengths and cut to size, they roll the studs as needed and to the correct length.
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Finish - The finished product is immaculate. Multiple people are at the end of the line cleaning every speck of dust off of the tile, sink, mirrors.
If you want to learn more about the prefabrication process, go check out the full interview with Bill right here!
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Clifton Harness joins us once more! Clifton happens to be the 1st guest ever to be on the show. (See Episode 2) He is the CEO and Co-Founder of TestFit, which helps Developers and Architects solve site plans for multifamily, hotel, parking or garden apartments in seconds.
Clifton is one of our favorites to have on the show because we always walk away with food for thought.
In this episode, we cover:
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Testfit's breaking news (someone is joining the team)
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Clifton's theory of how to fix the industry
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Is a completely 3D workflow a pipe-dream?
Also, quite possibly the most off-the-rails intro to a show we've ever had. Blame Tyler's coffee addiction.
Relevant Links
Testfit Clifton's LinkedIn
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Losing your temper happens to the best of us. Recently, Eddie lost his temper. Hilariously it happened right after he taught everyone how to deal with conflict, but never mind that. We're covering this topic to remind everyone that mistakes happen and we should always be working to improve how we deal with other people.
Just because we teach it, doesn't mean we're the best at it, though.
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Everyone hates repetitive tasks. Our guest, David Burczyk is the Construction Robotics Lead at Trimble. He is responsible for integrating the Boston Dynamics Spot platform with Trimble's hardware like the X7 laser scanner, which we have some personal experience with.
We dive into what the use cases are for this integration, what the workflow looks like, how far away you can be to operate Spot and how much the platform costs.
Relevant Links
David's LinkedIn Trimble & Boston Dynamics
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In this week's episode of Five Minute Friday, Eddie talks about delegated design and why it is a concern in the construction industry.
Thanks for joining us this week!
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Anne is an engineer who has spent more than three decades designing things like casinos, hospitals, academic facilities, corporate offices and transit facilities, bridges and tunnels.
She is actively working with the Charles Pankow Foundation as Executive Director and NIBS (National Institute of Building Sciences) as a Board Member. Also, at one point she was the President of ACI (The American Concrete Institute).
We have no idea what glitch in the matrix occurred to allow us to speak with her, but we are so grateful. She is such an incredible person with amazing insights into our industry!
Here's what we covered!
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The pace of technology adoption in the industry
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Investing into non-proprietary technologies that aid the entire industry
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What the Charles Pankow Foundation does to facilitate growth in the industry
Relevant Links
The Charles Pankow Foundation NIBS ACI Anne's LinkedIn
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When was the last time you took a step back and looked at the people you're working with or even hiring? In short - The mirror effect is when you hire people that remind you of yourself. This unconscious bias causes you to end up with a team that looks and acts exactly like you. Don't believe us? Take a look around at the people you're surrounded by, and who hired them. You'll most likely see a pattern.
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What does love and being neighborly have to do with the construction industry? We welcome Pete Dumont, the CEO of PrairieDog Venture Partners. Pete is a leader in the OS 2.0 ideology, whose goal is to get rid of waste in the industry. This starts in insurance, delaying pay, and other forms of overused safety nets that create frozen funds. The next step is to create healthy external relationships. Pete talks about the two most unhealthy business relationships and what OS 2.0 is pushing towards. To start fostering these relationships now, OS 2.0 has looked outside the industry to find inspiration in smart contracts and blockchain.
Related Links:
Prairie Dog’s WebsiteCII’s OS 2.0
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Some of the biggest regrets we both have are from early in our career. Don't make the same mistakes as us. If you're currently doing one of these things, take it as a message to slow down and reset.
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Stop Taking Things So Personal
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Keep A Reasonable Schedule
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Learn to say NO (This can't be overstated)
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Watch Your Screen Time
We appreciate you guys. Thanks for being here. 👊🏻👊🏻
Thanks for joining us this week!
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It's a variety show this week! Eddie's finally back in the office, and we had a lot of catching up to do.
Here is what we cover!
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Tyler leaving ABSI
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Office or Remote?
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New hard hats!?
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Laser scanning status report.
-
What's making us think?
Relevant Links
Tyler's New Company
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We have conflict daily on job sites, but what is the best way to get a resolution? You should have a goal keeping things out of the courtroom at all cost.
Eddie drops some biblical knowledge on how to best approach resolving conflict. It's based on Matthew 18:15-20.
If you're interested, here's the scripture he's basing it on -
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
Thanks for joining us this week!
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Tim is the director of offsite manufacturing for Factory Blue, a prefab company based out of Fort Worth, Texas. Factory Blue specializes in bathroom pods, multi-stall bathroom pods, prefabricated elevator units and other specialty pieces that are architectural in nature.
We dive into the logistics of installing prefabricated bathrooms into a terminal at DFW airport, what they mean by prefabricated elevators (which is sick by the way), and some of the unforeseen things that happen when you're installing things on site.
We walked away with so much food for thought after this episode, and we know you will too!
Relevant Links
Factory Blue Website Tim's LinkedIn
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These things take practice, but they are all qualities you should strive for as a leader.
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Show your humanity. Don't be afraid to show your emotions.
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Remember the golden rule
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Make others successful, and you will be successful.
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If you're offering a reward, make sure it's in reach and winnable.
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If you want good performance, pay well. Be there waiting with the check when the job is finished and people will love you for it.
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People want to be heroes, not villains.
Credit to Lee Evey for helping us out with these tips!
Thanks for joining us this week!
Make sure you check out our sponsor Trimble ProjectSight! - https://projectsight.trimble.com/
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Lien's are common in the construction industry, but what the heck are they? How can you use them to get paid as a sub-contractor? We break it down for you and give you resources to better understand this valuable tool. We invite attorney, Karalynn Cromeens, writer of “Quit Getting Screwed” and more recently "Quit Getting Stiffed" to teach us all about Liens and how you can use them to get paid as a subcontractor.
Tyler Asked -
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What is a lien?
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Why and when were liens invented?
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Give us some history
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Why are liens needed in the construction industry?
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What rights do contractors have to collect their money without a lien?
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How can contractors use their lien rights to combat the pay when paid clause?
Also, guess what!? Eddie's back for this week's intro!
Related Links
Karalynn’s LinkedIn
“Quit Getting Screwed”
"Quit Getting Stiffed"
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LinkedIn is one of our favorite platforms to post on. It's relatively easy to get organic traffic for your company page or personal page. Here are a few tips you can implement this week to start slaying LinkedIn.
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If you have people you can tag, make sure you tag them. This is a free boost on your post. Just make sure that you’re not spamming people, and if you tag them it’s legitimate. For example. You worked with a project team that did a great job and you’re proud of them. Take a photo, and tag everyone that is in the photo, their businesses, their mom, their dad, their auntie. Everyone that would love to see that photo. Boom. Who needs to boost with money.
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Video is the king. If you can, make sure you’re posting videos. They have a tendency to get more traction than photos. Also, pro tip. Make sure you’re wearing PPE. For some reason, when I wear PPE in my videos it grabs the target audience's attention.
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Use the featured section! Go to your profile and click on the “Add section” button and enable the featured section. I want you to show off your highest performing post first, and then a link to any relevant projects or businesses that you’re a part of. and then some social proof (if you have it) that you have a legitimate offering.
Check out my LinkedIn profile for ideas on how to set it up! - Tyler's LinkedIn
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This is the second part of our conversation with the Program Manager of the Pentagon Renovation, Lee Evey. Our guest, Lee Evey, was the program manager of the Pentagon Renovation from 1997 - 2002. When Lee arrived on the Pentagon project, it was in chaos. He tells us about how he got offered the job, his first day on-site, and how he was able to rally the troops around one singular purpose.
Here are some facts about the project -
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$1.22 Billion budget from congress to renovate all 5 wedges of the pentagon
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25,000 people working in the building, who could not be disturbed.
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4,000,000 lbs of asbestos per wedge
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A national tragedy happened on site.
You’re going to hear very little from us during this interview. We were so interested in what he was saying, we just let Lee go and tell us what he wanted to tell us. When you get in a room with someone like Lee -- You shut up and listen.
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We’ve been producing this podcast every single week for almost 2 years. Fun fact, though, before we started The Construction Brothers, Tyler was a marketing nerd. It’s been a passion of his for quite a number of years. Because of that passion, he gets asked a lot how people can best market their construction company, and there’s one piece of advice that will change your entire business.
That’s what Tyler’s talking about today.
It doesn’t matter how much knowledge you have of video, photo or graphic design. Or what trade you work in, within the construction industry. Follow this advice, and you will get results.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Our guest, Lee Evey, was the program manager of the Pentagon Renovation from 1997 - 2002. When Lee arrived on the Pentagon project, it was in chaos. He tells us about how he got offered the job, his first day on site, and how he was able to rally the troops around one singular purpose.
Here are some facts about the project -
-
$1.22 Billion budget from congress to renovate all 5 wedges of the pentagon
-
25,000 people working in the building, who could not be disturbed.
-
4,000,000 lbs of asbestos per wedge
-
A national tragedy happened on site.
You’re going to hear very little from us during this interview. We were so interested in what he was saying, we just let Lee go and tell us what he wanted to tell us. When you get in a room with someone like Lee -- You shut up and listen.
Thanks for joining us this week!
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After reviewing hundreds of Architectural sets over the years, here are the main pain points we see most often.
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Stair stringers have width
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Do final coordination with your engineer before issuing the documentation
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Use grids (and coordinate)
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Know the actual dimensions of materials like masonry
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Dimension walls to face of stud
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Be a builder. Not an artist.
Thanks for joining us this week!
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Do your people fall asleep during their safety orientation? Tyler watched that happen this week.
Construction accidents are something we take really seriously as a family. We've grown up being a part of, or hearing stories of fatalities on job sites. This week, though, we both had to sit down and get our OSHA 10 training done in order to go out on a job site to do some work.
We have some thoughts, to say the least.
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Eddie offers his insights on how to be a better employer.
Here’s what he covers!
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Delegation (hand over the full process)
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Communication tips
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Do your homework on time
________
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We invited Dan Conery on the podcast for a conversation about the importance of connecting the industry through data. Dan is a Product Strategy Manager with Trimble’s E-Builder Enterprise and ProjectSight. He operates his day-to-day thinking the opposite of “if it ain't broke don’t fix it”. Through this lens, Dan brings some interesting views to how we can look at addressing connecting as an industry through a legal framework, personal connections, and data flow.
Related Links Dan’s LinkedIn Trimble’s E-Builder EnterpriseTrimble’s ProjectSight Broken Buildings Busted Budgets Apple Fires Two General Contractors
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Having trouble getting responses to your emails? Try some of these tips out and see how it goes!
-
Use Bullets
-
Be Concise
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Put your major point up front (BLUF - Bottom Line Up Front)
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Use Grammarly
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Take 5
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Don’t use an email; when you need to use your phone.
________
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The topic on the table this week is all things Entrepreneurship. Our guest, Tats, gave us so many great nuggets of wisdom that we're excited to share with you!
Tatsuya "Tats" Nakagawa has launched hundreds of products and services, co-authored Overcoming Inventoritis: The Silent Killer of Innovation with a foreword by Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, spoken to a variety of industry groups including The American Chamber of Commerce. He's also written articles for Fast Company and Industry Week. Tats is going on CBS News in order to share his story with the world!
Beyond that, he is the CEO of Castagra. Castagra helps contractors and commercial property owners solve difficult roof coating challenges, mainly with tar and gravel. One of their products, Ecodur, is used by companies all over the world. Ecodur has also been voted top "Greenvention" by the entrepreneur reality show Dragon's Den. (It's like Shark Tank)
Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating or review and follow us on our social accounts!
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Tyler steps in to share his favorite leadership podcasts!
All It Takes Is A Goal
Jocko Podcast
John Maxwell Podcast
Akimbo (Seth Godin)
How I Built This
_________
In Other News
We have been posting more on YouTube about our field experience with the Trimble X7 scanner. Make sure you go check it out and subscribe to that channel if you want to see some more content like that in the future! - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7OcpEn4q1_4yWXIY9Zuyiw
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We start this episode rating coffee and talking about pre-fab, then end up with a "whiskey talk" on where we need to go as a whole in the construction industry. We see hundreds of projects a year, so we see lots of mistakes as well as those who are pushing to innovate. Dream, imagine and disrupt. Innovators WILL change the way we build. Are you ready?
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Sometimes, you just need to rile up the office every now & then. We like to complete the week with shenanigans when we can! Take some of these tips (or all of them) and let us know which on is your favorite.
_________
In Other News
We have been posting more on YouTube about our field experience with the Trimble X7 scanner. Make sure you go check it out and subscribe to that channel if you want to see some more content like that in the future! - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7OcpEn4q1_4yWXIY9Zuyiw
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We went did some field testing with the Trimble X7 Laser Scanner. Do you think we mastered it or did we need extra training on day 2? Get behind the scenes of our latest YouTube video and first test experience with awesome equipment.
We have been posted more on YouTube about our field experience with the Trimble X7 scanner. Make sure you go check it out and subscribe to that channel if you want to see some more content like that in the future! - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7OcpEn4q1_4yWXIY9Zuyiw
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We’ve learned a lot about this over the past two years of producing this podcast and we wanted to share the biggest tip to help you grow you brand or business.
_________
In Other News
We have been posting more on YouTube about our field experience with the Trimble X7 scanner. Make sure you go check it out and subscribe to that channel if you want to see some more content like that in the future! - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7OcpEn4q1_4yWXIY9Zuyiw
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Have you ever stayed in a Marriott, Hilton, or Hyatt Hotel? There's a high likelihood that you've used one of our podcast guest's bathroom pods.
Bill Seery is the Vice President of Business Development and Marketing at SurePods. SurePods is the leading producer of prefabricated modular bathrooms in North America.
SurePods has been implemented into over 100 new construction projects in the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere in North America with over 30,000 pods in use currently.
It's no surprise that we're fans of prefabrication around here. If you've listened to the show at any point, you know this about us.
Here are a few questions we asked Bill
-
What is this whole “Don’t ship air” thing?
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Do we need to work prefab into the design early?
-
What do you do to overcome that there aren't many install companies out there?
We've wanted to do a podcast episode on this for quite a while and we're pumped we got to talk to Bill about this!
Related Links
SurePods Website Bill's LinkedIn
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Special thanks to Karalynn Cromeens for providing these awesome tips for us this week!
Here's what we're covering.
-
READ. THE. SCOPE. The scope you are hired to do is not the same as the bid. Make sure you know what work you are agreeing to do.
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Don’t agree to the terms of the prime contract. 99% of all subcontracts make you responsible for the prime contract as well as your subcontract. Cross out the part that says you are responsible for the prime contract or at least get a copy of it before you agree to it.
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Add language to any contract that you sign that will allow you to get paid for any increased cost in materials. For specific language see Karalynn's blog!
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Don’t agree to a schedule you can’t complete. Delay damages are based on the date you agree to in the schedule. Any contract you sign should also include a clause that will give you extra time due to delays in getting materials or finding qualified workers. For exact language see my recent blog article.
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Do not do extra work without a signed change order BEFORE starting the work. Before you sign the contract review to see how this particular company agrees to the amount of any change order and the process required to get it signed. If you do the extra work without a signed change order you will not get paid for that extra work.
Related Links
The Subcontractor Institute The Cromeens Law Firm Karalynn's LinkedIn Quit Getting Screwed!
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What is the best way to implement technology in your company? We asked the man who has dedicated his life to helping construction companies do just that.
James Benham is the host of the Contech Crew Podcast and is also the owner of JBKnowledge. We had the pleasure of sitting down and talking about implementing construction tech into your company.
We asked him questions like -
-
How do I convince people who are set in their ways?
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What do I do if I don’t have a massive budget?
-
How do I know if one of our new solutions isn't working and I need to change it?
We also deep-dive into some 90's grunge. 😂
Related Links
JBKnowledge James' LinkedIn Contech Crew Podcast
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This week we are going over 4 Tips For Project Managers!
Here's a list of what we cover.
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Don’t be a project pile-it. Don’t hit forward on the email saying “Please advise” before you understand and clarify the request.
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Stay in front of the airplane.
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Don’t be a box checker.
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Have integrity. Never lie to get somebody to do something for you.
Thanks for joining us this week!
Make sure you check out our sponsor Trimble ProjectSight! -https://projectsight.trimble.com/
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Amy Morin has one of the most popular TEDx talks of all time called “The Secret Of Becoming Mentally Strong,” with over 17 million views. The talk was based on her first book, 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, which was featured on USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestsellers lists.
She has also been featured on media outlets like Good Morning America, Business Insider, Fox News, Time, CNBC, and Today.
If that wasn’t enough, Inc. Magazine featured her as a top 100 leadership speaker in 2018.
Here is what you’re going to learn from listening to this podcast episode!
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What is the difference between mental strength & mental health?
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What’s the difference between being mentally strong and acting tough?
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What are some exercises for building mental strength?
Related Links
Amy's TEDx Talk Amy's Podcast 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do What Construction Workers Could Teach Other Industries About Mental Health Awareness
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Welcome to 5 Minute Friday! Where we tell you our best tips and tricks to help you and your team get a little bit better every single week.
This week we are going over 3 Tips for Engineers! Call a subcontractor and schedule a field trip, put your hands on it and learn how to build. Be more than a button-pushing analyzer. It’s probably why you started in the industry anyway.
Stop putting “See Arch” on your contract drawings. Try your dangdest before you do this to make sure you have done your due diligence and have tried to get this scope coordinated.
Stay humble.
Special thanks to our sponsor Trimble ProjectSight! -https://projectsight.trimble.com/
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Have you ever heard the phrase "They don't build 'em like they used to"? Well, let's find out how they used to build 'em. Our Grandpa and our Dad join us this week to talk about what building was like in the 50s and 60s. It's fascinating!
Related Links
Millett Hall Messer Construction (We have family still working there. Shoutout to Dan and Steve!)
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Angie Simon dives into how communication within team sports mimics the communication necessary to build a successful construction team. As CEO of Western Allied for over three decades and President of the Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA), Angie drops some serious truth bombs about communication, project management, & diversity within the construction industry. As a bonus, we discuss the workforce shortage within the trades and the creative way Angie plans to tackle it head-on.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone in the construction industry, young or old. Plus, Eddie gets to talk about his favorite thing - baseball!
Related Links
Angie's LinkedIn Western Allied SMACNA
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Don't put your glass on the line! In this episode, we talk with Jeff & Ben about a certification program for glaziers and important information for the general contractors who hire them. The North American Contractor Certification Program for Architectural Glass and Metal Contractors (NACC) and The Architectural Glass and Metal Technician (AGMT) Certification Program are focused on not just the company level certification, but individual glaziers as well. "It is intended to provide certification recognition as a means of creating a baseline for competency, business practices, and adherence to industry-accepted guidelines for glazing contractors participating in the program."
Not having your building watertight is one of the top litigated issues and one of the largest insurance claims there is. As modern construction continues to grow, we are seeing more & more glass being used. If you ever work with glass, this is an eye-opening episode.
Related Links:
NACC North American Contractor Certification Program for Architectural Glass and Metal Contractors
NACC Twitter
NACC Glazing Contractor Certification LinkedIn
AGMT Glazier Certification LinkedIn
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We have something new coming your way in July and we wanted to give you a little taste of what's to come!
Text us! 478-221-7009
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We wanted to bring attention back to our awesome conversation with Ken Rusk. It was a really wholesome talk about something really near and dear to our hearts, and we were excited to bring him on the show!
Related Links Original Episode Ken’s LinkedIn Ken’s Website Order His Book Ken’s Episode on Art of Manliness
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Life isn’t in our control. Shocked? Neither are we. How does that affect this idea of “work-life balance”? It is important to realize how to deal with the things, not in our control. We tackle the importance of realizing work-life balance isn’t obtainable, but what is obtainable is making sure we don’t become overwhelmed by the things we enjoy and the things life deals. If you have been here for longer than 30 seconds, you know we aren’t advocating for 20-hour workdays, but rather an understanding that the idea of “perfectly balanced” isn’t obtainable and may doesn’t need to be obtained.
Related Links: Door 1 - Quality Control Door 2 - Comedy
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This week we brought on Hal Macomber, the Executive VP at Touchplan, to talk about something that has been around for a while! Lean Construction. We look into the practices, called Katas, that Hal has implemented in his leadership that helps that happen. While chatting, we were super pumped to realize that Hal is very people-centric and loved to see how he implements his person-first view of leading in his life.
Related Links Hal's LinkedIn Hal’s Book Pocket Sensei Toyota Kata
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Meirav Oren is the founder and CEO of Versatile. They specialize in crane data and being non-intrusive to job flow. They set up the job site’s cranes with data sensors to measure customer set metrics to help benchmark and gamify job speed! We talk through use cases, current implementation, and how they hope to move forward.
Related Links: Meirav’s LinkedIn Versatile’s Website Turner Construction Case Study
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Tyler makes it back in the booth this week, and we get to talk about something that has been on his mind these past two weeks. Mental Health. A lot of times, we are our own worst critics; we bring our pocket jury with us everywhere and are ready to let them condemn us as guilty the moment we think our actions aren’t good enough. How do we overcome that guilt? How do we strive for becoming better without having to micro-analyze every action we take?
Related Links: Charlie Gilkey’s Episode Jon Acuff’s “Soundtracks” Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”
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We welcomed Charlie Gilkey to talk about projects and productivity! We redefined what a project is to see how many projects we are actually handling, and wanted to see if we need to drop projects to make room for what is already on our plate! We talked about how the importance of creating healthy habits and controlling how things like email impact your morning routine. Charlie talked about some of the bigger topics in his book “Start Finishing” and we got to discuss how to put ourselves in a place where we can succeed!
Related Links Productive Flourishing Start Finishing Charlie’s LinkedIn Digital Minimalism
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On our second episode ever, we sat down with TestFit CEO, Clifton Harness and discussed the topic of generative design. TestFit designs building diagrams in milliseconds--so architects and developers can process deals more quickly. During our conversation, we dive into what automation in construction will look like in the future and how TestFit can be used today.
Related Links: TestFits Website Clifton's LinkedIn
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Howie Ferguson is the executive director of the Construction Owners Association of America, and we bring him on to talk about the scariest thing in construction, owners. We talk about how to stop the choose two mentalities of scope, schedule, and budget. We look at how approval speed affects the perfect triangle of building and how to get there. Once we got into job sites, Howie brought how employee retention helps you help owners.
Related Links Howie's LinkedIn COAA's Website
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This week we had on Issa Ramaji. We dive into digital twins and how they are more than a snapshot of what the building looks like. We talk about the functionality of digital twins and how they bring value to the table. We look at the move towards automation of the monitoring and operation of a building and how digital twins enable us to create historical and real-time data about the functions within the building.
Related Links Issa’s LinkedIn
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Robert Salvador is the CEO and co-founder of DigiBuild, a construction management software based out of blockchain technology. We get educated on what blockchain is, how it works, and how it empowers its users. Robert grew up in construction, and we really felt that from him! Robert wants to bring trust into the construction industry by building it into the software. With “built-in trust”, the hope is to reduce the amount of time and money spent on getting and verifying information.
Related Links
Robert’s LinkedIn
DigiBuild’s Website
Pete Dumont’s Episode
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Chris Wilocki joins us and makes us feel right at home while we talk BIM. Chris is the Operations Manager at Sturgeon Electric and we just get to be BIM Nerds with him. We chat through the pressure points of a recent project Chris was on, how to leverage data, and how he views BIM in a value-add. We talk about the importance of time when working with revisions and issuing drawings.
Related LinksChris’ LinkedInSturgeon ElectricDenver Airport Expansion
**Text us and let us know what you thought of this episode! 478-221-7009
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Eddie talks about wanting shingles, but we really wanted to focus on creating sustainable building programs that recycle non-renewable resources, focus on energy conservation, and create value for the owner! Chris Peterson is the Assistant Director of Anthesis Group and the Executive Director of Electric Utility Industry Sustainable Supply Chain Alliance. His goal is to see the construction industry head towards sustainability while also pushing for quality delivered to the owner! How do we balance being good stewards of the world while also creating quality structures?
Related Links:
Chris's LinkedIn
Anthesis' Website
Electric Utility Industry Sustainable Supply Chain Alliance' Website
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Today, we take a day to reflect on the importance of knowing the pros and cons of college and apprenticeships. Ken Rusk really inspired us to give our personal experiences with these paths and what worked for us! We look at the cost of college and where that can lead. Our goal isn’t to say one is better than the other but to remind the future that they have more than one choice.
Related Links
Intern Garrett’s Episode
Order Ken’s Book
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Arash is an e-permitting advocate based out of Toronto, Canada. He has created a network of businesses, builders, owners, and architects that are pushing for the ability to approve building permits through PDF documents and from the model. E-permitting would allow for automation to be increased in checking requirements and codes and speed up the overall process from design to build. He brings some awesome insight to what we hope the future of permitting can look like in America!
Related Links
Arash’s LinkedIn
AECO Innovation Labs
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Hamzah brought us a non-bias view of technology. We get to take a look into digital reality, 360 imaging, and other technologies and what is really under the hood of these techs. Hamzah’s position with Haskell’s Disrupt Tech puts him in a great position to be an authority on how these technologies can truly empower businesses and individuals. We broke out into a really awesome rabbit trail about implementation and how to create value in tasks that may feel menial.
Related Links
Hamzah’s LinkedIn
Haskell’s Website
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We welcome René Morkos of ALICE Technology to talk about the next step in digitizing the construction industry. René inspiration came from seeing the underutilization of construction sites and a desire for it to be done better. He is doing to scheduling what BIM did to design. ALICE is parametrizing scheduling down to three algorithms that finds processes that will be part of the critical path even if the scheduling order changes. ALICE, at its core, is beneficial to any site that is constantly in flux… so all of them.
Related Links
René’s LinkedIn
ALICE Technologies
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Our conversation with Dan Conery was so good that we just kept talking! Here is our bonus round with Dan. This is content we couldn't fit into our episode, that was just too good to pass up!
Related Links
Dan’s LinkedIn
Trimble’s E-Builder Enterprise
Trimble’s ProjectSight
Dan's Episode
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Ken Rusk is the owner and founder of Rusk construction and author of “Blue Collar Cash”. We asked Ken to come and chat about something he is passionate about, making a living doing what you love. We were listening to The Art of Manliness podcast, and we knew we wanted to bring on Ken to talk to parents and mentors of youth, the college graduates who have lost their passion, and business owners looking to create a healthy culture. Ken opens up strong talking about the wrong reasons to go to college.
Related Links
Ken’s LinkedIn
Ken’s Website
Order His Book
Ken’s Episode on Art of Manliness
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We invited Dan Conery on the podcast for a conversation about the importance of connecting the industry through data. Dan is a Product Strategy Manager with Trimble’s E-Builder Enterprise and ProjectSight. He operates his day-to-day thinking the opposite of “if it ain't broke don’t fix it”. Through this lens, Dan brings some interesting views to how we can look at address connecting as an industry through a legal framework, personal connections, and data flow.
Related Links
Dan’s LinkedIn
Trimble’s E-Builder Enterprise
Trimble’s ProjectSight
Broken Buildings Busted Budgets
Apple Fires Two General Contractors
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We invite an attorney to talk about how to protect yourself as a subcontractor. Karalynn Cromeens, the writer of “Quit Getting Screwed”, talks about how to keep from agreeing to put your company out of business. We ask about liens, bonds, and how to leverage those things to help your employees and keep your company from no longer being a company. Karalynn brings some amazing points about how to read and look for parts of a contract that are there to push the burden to subcontractors and suggest other options to negotiate to receive.
Related Links
Karalynn’s LinkedIn
Karalynn’s Book - “Quit Getting Screwed”
Electric Crane - Construction Junkie
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We look into fun new technologies and take a new look at some old technologies. This is a grab bag episode, there is a little bit of something for everyone! We talk about the logistics of Amazon Lockers and how cell phones are changing the scanning process. We end our discussion taking a step back and evaluating prefab and modularization. Is this just buzz? Is there truly validity? Are we as an industry doing it well?
Related Links
Reality Capture Network
Augmented Reality with Jordan Lawver
Send Us an Audio Message
The CAT Phone
The House that Sears Built
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We wanted to start up 2021 with something we can all get a little better doing. Let’s treat it like a resolution. David Stutzman from Conspectus shows us how to use specifications like a tool for success rather than a baseball bat to beat each other over the head with.
For our subcontractors and general contractors out there, David brings a view on how to use specifications without drowning in a sea of pen strikes. For specification writers, David talks about how to help out the people that have to follow the specifications. For architects and owners, he brings how to cut cost, add value, and simplify life for everyone involved in the project.
Related Links
David’s LinkedIn
Conspectus
“Architects’ Specifications - How to Write Them” by Godwin Goldsmith
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We're revisiting our episode with Bryan Kaplan this week! We welcomed Bryan Kaplan of Construction Consulting to talk about relational selling and how, when done properly, clients can turn into a free salesforce. Storytelling, believe it or not, is another valuable asset to have in the world of sales. But first things first, we talk about the stereotypes surrounding video conferencing and some of the best fails we've seen and heard of while people are chatting on Zoom.
Related Links
Bryan’s Website
Bryan’s Instagram
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Start with Why by Simon Sinek
Simon Sinek’s Ted Talk
Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller
Trello (just get it)
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This week we revisit our conversation about Gripes for Architects.
As people who see over 100 drawing sets a year cross our threshold, you better believe we've found a few things Architects do that are pain points. So this week, at the request of an Instagram follower who is an Architect, we dive into some issues that we commonly run into as modelers. This isn't meant to slam architects, but to inform and try to spur conversation.
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This week we revisit our conversation with PBS Legend, Roy Underhill.
Roy Underhill has been the host of the Woodwright’s Shop for almost four decades and has been an inspiration to many craftsmen throughout the construction industry. Eddie and Tyler were giddy to have him come on the show and talk about the way things used to be done and why we should be proud of our heritage as builders.
Make sure you stick around until the end. Roy absolutely kills the answer to our megaphone question. We came out of this interview with inspiration and a renewed sense of purpose.
Related Links
The Woodwright’s School
The Woodwright’s Shop on PBS
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With 2020 coming to a close, we continue to reflect over the year. Today, we talk about our interviews from last year. And there are a lot of them.
Related Links
January’s Eric Reinholdt
February's Todd Dawalt
March’s John Reid
April’s Charlie Gilkey
May’s Steven Brooks
June’s Donnie Williams and Peter MacKeith
July’s Roy Underhill
August’s Gripes for Architects
September’s Kelly Doyle
October’s Tessa Lau
November’s Greg Sizemore
December’s Randy Collins
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Get a sneak-peek into the highlights of Construction Junkie’s Best of 2020. Between brotherly roast sessions, Shane brings us some of his favorite things from 2020… we mean 2020 may not have been the best, but there were some really cool things that happened this year! Robots, technology adoption, telecommuting, and AI, Shane leaves no stone unturned.
Related Links
Construction Junkie
Shane’s LinkedIn
TyBot Automated Rebar
SPOT the RoboDog
Hilti JaiBot
Hadrian X
BONUS ROBOTS: Hilti Exoskeleton & Colas Exoskeleton
SmartVid.io AI Safety Compliance
StructionSite Production Tracking
OpenSpace.ai 360 Searchable Photo Documentation
Fat Truck
Building Just Walks Away
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How do we pass down knowledge efficiently? This week we sit down with Randy Collins and figure out how to implement training that truly works. We talk about how to set expectations, how to build a training program, and how to normalize training. Randy brings up some interesting points on how training affects both those new and experienced in the industry, and why you should continue training.
Related Links
Randy’s LinkedIn
Strategies Group’s Website
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We talked live at the CURT Keynote this past week about the importance of data-rich procurement. We wanted to explore how removing unknown variables from the bidding process cuts cost for both the owner and for the fabricators. We explore simple tricks to maintain productivity while cutting overhead. We also discuss the only way we see this working in the long run, and it could create upset in the industry to companies who are just lining their pockets instead of being a value-add to the industry.
Related Links
Smoke and Mirrors
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Ever lose a tool? Us too! How do we fix that? Asset management. A way to track what you have, where it is, who has it, and if it was broken by Eddie the last time he used it. We talk with Tammy Bauer and Marko Milosevic about all the various use cases of the Bosch Bluehound system.
From tracking one specific type of asset to tracking a whole business of assets from consumables to long-term assets to auditable assets. We look into how asset tracking has been received by foremen and project managers and how it can be customized to fit the business's and individual users’ needs.
Related Links
Blue Hound Bosch Tools
Tammy’s LinkedIn
Marko’s LinkedIn
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Ever have problems with project scheduling? So do we. This week we bring on Chase to talk about his passion, job scheduling. The value added to how we do business was incredible, learning about what non-schedulers need to know about scheduling, what makes a schedule harder to follow, and how much detail is too much detail. Chase shares his predictions of the future problems of scheduling and how that will affect the industry as a whole.
Related Links
Chase’s LinkedIn
Capo Projects Group
Oracle’s Primavera P6
PlanLess.io
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Greg Sizemore, the founder and Executive Vice President of the Construction Users Roundtable, joined us in a live CURT seminar to talk about how to be a good leader, mentor, and friend. He specifically liked this quote: “People with purpose do incredible things”. It’s the first smart thing Tyler has said on the podcast. The jury is still out on who he stole it from, but for now, we will let him have it. It seems like no matter what part of the industry we are in, the overarching theme is to be real and to be honest, and we talk about how Greg has done that in his career.
Related Links
Greg’s LinkedIn
CURT
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We just really love our post-show conversation with Brian. So, we thought we would share it will you. This episode builds off of Episode 55. It also includes Brian's full (not-so-60-second Megaphone Question).
Related Links
Lean Robotics by Samuel Bouchard
Digital Minimalism by Lee Sebastian
Essentialism by Greg McKeown
Brian's LinkedIn
Brian's Instagram
Brian's Twitter
Boston Dynamics
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This week we talk to Brian Ringley, a man who works with robots that can work in the human work environment and don’t need special treatment for their job. SPOT is a quadruped automated robot that can traverse the standard construction site without special accommodations. Personally, we just wanted an opportunity to pack-bond with a robot dog so we can have a friend when the robots take over. Brian brings some really awesome concepts about how SPOT’s vision helps it traverse, how SPOT is being used, and non-construction applications that teach us how to expand our use case.
Related Links
Brian's LinkedIn
Brian's Instagram
Brian's Twitter
Boston Dynamics
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Chris talks about how to connect with people in a value-adding way. He talks about how superficial relationships affect your business, and how to avoid the pitfalls of creating an inactive network. We found Chris through one of his events! Eddie learned so much from this event that we had to bring him on to talk about some of the things that Eddie wanted to hear more about. Towards the end, we get into some of the practical ways to be real and genuine when you network!
Related Links
Cooper and Co
Chris’s LinkedIn
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What does love and being neighborly have to do with the construction industry? We welcome Pete Dumont, the CEO of PrairieDog Venture Partners. Pete is a leader in the OS 2.0 ideology, whose goal is to get rid of waste in the industry. This starts in insurance, delaying pay, and other forms of overused safety nets that create frozen funds. The next step is to create healthy external relationships. Pete talks about the two most unhealthy business relationships and what OS 2.0 is pushing towards. To start fostering these relationships now, OS 2.0 has looked outside the industry to find inspiration in smart contracts and blockchain.
Related Links:
Prairie Dog’s Website
CII’s OS 2.0
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We talk to the founder of Dusty Robotics! Tessa brings insights into how CAD drawings have more use cases than we currently use them for and has designed a robot that takes these drawings and prints them on a site. While Tyler draws up his BattleBot, Tessa talks about how humanitarian issues created a desire to enter the robotics field and find creative ways to help people. Designated as a Chief Robot Whisperer, Tessa’s goal is to create robots that can do the things we can’t or don’t want to do.
Related Links:
Dusty Robotics
Tessa's LinkedIn
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This week, how to go from $0 to $14 billion. Daniel Groves joins us to talk about risk management. How do you leverage risk management as a selling point when doing business? Daniel knows how and talks about the current and future importance of risk management. We then zoom out and look at the whole industry discussing mitigating labor shortages as a risk. How does all of this start? It starts with companies being willing to share information.
Related Links:
Daniel’s LinkedIn
Construction Industry Resources
Construction Users Roundtable
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Decisions, decisions, decisions. How do we make the right one? How do we know the direction to go? Is there a right and wrong decision? We sit down and talk with Nathan Clark about choosing technologies that work. We learned about Nathan through LinkedIn where he shared a blog post he wrote about the philosophy behind decision making. We enjoyed reading it so much that we thought we would bring him on the show!
Related Links:
Nathan's LinkedIn
Nathan's Blogpost
Fonn Construction
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Go ahead and pick up an 8-count chicken nugget meal with a sweet tea, because this episode is going to make you hungry. We talk about Chick-Fil-A’s extreme ability to go the extra mile, try a new service idea, and make customers happy. We dig into how we can apply Chick-Fil-A’s workflows and ideologies to the construction industry to make our industry a better place to work and to create value in the exchange. We look into the idea of switching mindsets from providing a service to providing a product. We talk about innovation and its root in the past and how an appreciation of the past helps us move forward.
Related Links:
Adam Savage on Testing Ideas
Truett Stole from the Ritz Carlton
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In today’s episode, Trimble’s very own Amy Northcutt. Amy is the Senior Education Program Manager which means she gets to help schools implement classes and training that translate well to the field. We get to talk with her about a lot of the programs offered to educate students to become future industry leaders. Her goal is to serve not only students but educators through Trimble’s grant program for both primary and secondary education which allows for schools to have easier access to Sketch-Up and Tekla.
Related Links:
Amy’s LinkedIn
Trimble’s Education Program
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Have you ever had a busy week where it's hard to fit everything in? Well... That happened to us this week.
Because of the slammed schedule, we decided to sit down and talk about interesting things happening in the industry and reflect on the past year of recording our show. Grab your cup of coffee and kick back, we're just chilling this week.
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Is your information available to all of the people in your organization? How does your team manage their data?
This week, we take a Tactical Pause and evaluate some of these questions. One of the biggest things that grind our gears around the office is the assortment of applications we have to deal with working with different contractors.
Kelly Doyle is the C.O.O. of ProjectReady, a platform that connects various project management tools together and allows teams to see all of their information in an easily accessible way. We dive into how information silos are formed by our companies unknowingly, choosing your apps wisely, and how to get started selecting what tools your team will use.
Relevant Links
Kelly's LinkedIn
Project Ready Website
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As people who see over 100 drawing sets a year cross our threshold, you better believe we've found a few things Architects do that are pain points. So this week, at the request of an Instagram follower who is an Architect, we dive into some issues that we commonly run into as modelers. This isn't meant to slam architects, but to inform and try to spur conversation.
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This week we revisit our conversation with Eric Reinholdt.
If you enjoy going down YouTube rabbit holes as Tyler does, you've most likely stumbled across the 30X40 Design Workshop's channel. The 30X40 channel was started by Architect, Eric Reinholdt, to give a behind-the-scenes look at his design process. It is now one of the most successful architecture channels with over 600K subscribers.
We loved hearing the passion for craftsmanship and art as he talked about what he gets to do every day. We couldn't be more excited about this episode and hope you go check out his channel as a result!
Special thanks to Eric for taking the time to chat with us!
Links for Eric!
30X40 Design Workshop on YouTube
30X40 Website
30X40 Instagram
30X40 Facebook
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This week we talked with Matt Byrd. We had the pleasure of working with Matt and the Nexus team on a project and wanted to walk through the job we worked on together.
What are some common misconceptions of point clouds?
How do the trades use point clouds differently?
We talk about how to use point clouds appropriately when point clouds work, and even our own personal pinch points in using point clouds. Laser scanning is cool, but let's talk about implementation and use cases.
Related Links
Matt’s LinkedIn
Nexus Website
The Breakers Hotel in Long Beach (the project we worked on)
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(Our day job)
Amazon is a behemoth in the retail marketplace. Continually evolving and getting more precise. And people love it, too. Nearly half of all American citizens have a Prime account. We're willing to wait the two extra days for the convenience of not having to get off the couch and turn off the next episode of Jack Ryan. We love it. The market has changed so rapidly because of Amazon. In the early 2000's you would have opted for the in-store experience over ordering online, but through time and fantastic service, they have changed the consumer mindset.
So what does all of this have to do with construction? Turns out, quite a bit.
Perfection was not the name of the game for Amazon in the beginning; the goal was to start something they knew would change the way the world purchased goods.
Related Links
Atomic Habits - James Clear
Tyler's Blog Post
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We have something special for you this week.
Barbie Parsons is an artist, welder, public speaker and social media influencer.
If you’ve hung around on in the welding hashtag on instagram, you’ve for sure seen her work.
Which is what initially caught Tyler's eye and caused him to approach her for an interview.
Now usually, when we ask someone to come on the show we do some digging on them to find out more about who they are and what they’ve been through.
During this research, Tyler heard her referring to a few of the things she’s been through to get to where she’s at today, but the curiosity was too much and he wanted to know more.
This is the story of Barbie the Welder.
Just a warning, this episode has the explicit tag on it for a reason. There’s a lot of adult language in it, so if you have the kids around you might want to stop it right here and come back to it later.
Places to get help if you need it!
Suicide Prevention Hotline - 1-800-273-8255
Alcoholics Anonymous
Want to learn to weld? Locate a school near you!
Careers in Welding - Welding School Locator
Follow Barbie on Social Media!
Barbie on Instagram
Barbie on LinkedIn
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(Our day job)
David Moody is the owner of CD Moody, one of Atlanta’s Top 25 Commercial Contractors. If you live in or visited Georgia, you’ve been impacted by some of the projects he's been involved with. Projects include the Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta History Center Cyclorama, and Turner Field just to name a few.
After going to school to be an architect, he later decided that he didn’t want to just sit and draw all day, and he wanted to be outside in the field and putting the project together. So he decided to be a builder instead!
He is also a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. Since being open and sharing his story with others, he has been an advocate for sexually abused children. He continues speaking up and being there for others who are survivors.
He is an incredible person and we were honored to chat with him for a little while!
Make sure you check back in on July 24th for our special with Barbie the Welder!
Related Links
CD Moody Construction
David on LinkedIn
Atlanta History Center Cyclorama
Mercedes Benz Stadium
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(Our day job)
We’re talking about Steel this week!
Eddie kicks off the show by talking about the Eads Bridge in St. Louis, Missouri. He breaks down why it was a critical project for the steel industry. Also, we talk about why they walked an Elephant across it as a PR stunt!
Our guest this week is Alex Morales, who is a Structural Steel Specialist with AISC (The American Institute of Steel Construction.) He has a long history of working with designers and integrating it into structures all over the United States.
He also dives into how sustainable steel really is and breaks down some of the misconceptions around it!
Full disclosure, we make our living off of steel. So we LOVE this material!
Related Links
American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)
SpeedCore
Alex on Linkedin
The Men Who Built America
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We don't know many people that enjoy putting together a company website. It can be a challenge getting the team on the same page so you can create something that will actually generate sales.
That's where Spencer Powell comes in. He specializes in helping Construction Companies grow their online presence so they can close more sales and build relationships with their customers. A big factor in this conversation is your SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Spencer educates us on building our SEO so that we come up in search results when people are looking for someone like us.
SEO is a great thing to have a basic understanding of as a business owner, of course you don't have to be an expert, but at least having a foundation to work off of is an advantage!
Related Links
Builder Funnel
Builder Funnel Radio
Spencer on LinkedIn
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We are joined by a PBS legend this week!
Roy Underhill has been the host of the Woodwright’s Shop for almost four decades and has been an inspiration to many craftsmen throughout the construction industry. Eddie and Tyler were giddy to have him come on the show and talk about the way things used to be done and why we should be proud of our heritage as builders.
Make sure you stick around until the end. Roy absolutely kills the answer to our megaphone question. We came out of this interview with inspiration and a renewed sense of purpose.
Related Links
The Woodwright’s School
The Woodwright’s Shop on PBS
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What's a triple bottom line?
Why was Mass Timber the “Right Material” for Adohi hall at the University of Arkansas?
Our guest, Peter MacKeith, is Dean and Professor of Architecture at the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas and was intimately involved in the building of Adohi hall.
We're also joined, again, by our friend Donnie Williams. Donnie has some questions for Peter about the supply chain on this particular project!
Related Links
Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design
Adohi Hall
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What comes first, the Lego bricks or the Lego master?
The modular construction movement is trying to figure out this very same issue. What comes first, is it the modules or the modular design? Construction already uses modular or unitized building materials as its basis for the design. Whether you are dealing with literal brick, lumber, plywood, or piping we use predictable sizes and shapes that complement each other and fit together well.
The big question is, how do we encourage more companies to go into modular building components?
Eddie and Tyler dive into an interesting discussion this week based on a blog post Eddie has been working on.
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What can we learn from Walmart?
Our friend, Donnie Williams, is the Executive Director of the Supply Chain Management Research Center at the University of Arkansas. He also happens to have a background as a Construction Project Manager!
His background provides incredible insights into how big businesses use logistics and supply chains to gain a competitive edge. He also walks us through how we can map our own supply chain!
Grab your coffee and settle in, there’s a lot of good stuff in this one!
Related Links
The Sam M. Walton College of Business
Donnie’s LinkedIn
Staple Yourself to an Order - Harvard Business Review
SCMR - Research Summaries
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What is Mass Timber? Why is Katerra using it for Construction? Our guest, Pete Kobelt, holds the answers to these questions along with incredible facts about Mass Timber. Here are a few of the things we dive into!
-
What is Mass Timber Construction?
-
Is Mass TImber fire resistant?
-
What made Katerra choose Mass Timber?
-
What kind of insulation advantages are you seeing from using this material?
Related Links
Katerra's Website
Pete's LinkedIn
80 M Street Washington, DC
"First Approval Granted for Possible Tallest Mass Timber Building in North America"
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Eddie talks about one of his favorite history topics, The Civil War, and how that relates to the construction industry. Also we establish why Blockchain could help us answer RFI quicker!
He has made the connection and walks us through how the changes and advancements in technology can cause gaps in our tactics. He shows some examples from the Civil War on how educated people can make poor decisions because technology has passed them by. Don’t let technology make what you are doing obsolete. Improvise, adapt, and better yourself to fulfill needs and widen margins.
Related Links
Tech and Tactics Blog Post
Cold Form Wall Panels - Howick
Trello
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Let’s make the robots do the hard work. Why do we expect glass and glazing contractors to lift heavy sheets of glass into place, and we don’t expect steelworkers to carry around beams and columns? This week, we talk to Steven Brooks about the Smart Lift. The Smart Lift can increase longevity for glaziers in the glass industry and decrease injuries on the job site. We also chat about autonomy in the glass and glazing industry, and why it won’t be replacing people any time soon.
Also, Eddie shows us what the Amish do when they need to move something heavy. It's pretty spectacular. Check it out in the link below!
Related Links
SmartLift Website
Steven’s LinkedIn
SmartLift’s Instagram
Steven’s Twitter
An Amish Barn Move
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We sit down with Todd Weyandt of the "Bridging the Gap" podcast to talk about communication in the construction industry.
Eddie brings an interesting find our way and tells us where we need to be buying running shoes for discounts and perks.
Related Links
Bridging the Gap Website
Bridging the Gap LinkedIn
Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller
Roadrunner Sports (Not a sponsor, but should be)
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We welcome Bryan Kaplan of Construction Consulting to talk about relational selling and how, when done properly, clients can turn into a free salesforce. Storytelling, believe it or not, is another valuable asset to have in the world of sales. But first things first, we talk about the stereotypes surrounding video conferencing and some of the best fails we've seen and heard of while people are chatting on Zoom.
Related
Bryan’s Website
Bryan’s Instagram
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Start with Why by Simon Sinek
Simon Sinek’s Ted Talk
Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller
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We loved this conversation with Kimon, so here it is again in case you missed it!
This week we sit down with Kimon Onuma. Kimon is an Architect, Building Information Modeling (BIM) specialist, creator of the Onuma Planning System and BIM Storm. Eddie was lucky enough to hear Kimon speak at the CURT conference in 2018, where he immediately was drawn to Kimon's ideas on platforms, like Amazon. We dive into what platforms are and how they can be used in building design and construction.
Related Links
Onuma Website
Kimon's LinkedIn
Check out the latest BIMStorm Workshop!
BIM Storm
Kimon's Talk at CURT
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How long has prefab been around? Turns out, a pretty long time. This week we dive into a quick history of prefab and go through the reasons why the prefabrication process needs to be used more.
Related Links
99% Invisible "The House that Came in the Mail"
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We welcome Charlie Gilkey to talk about projects and productivity! We redefine what a project is to see how many projects we are actually handling, and to see if we need to drop projects to make room for what is already on our plate! We talk about how the importance of creating healthy habits and controlling how things like email impact your morning routine. Charlie talks about some of the bigger topics in his book “Start Finishing” and we get to discuss how to put ourselves in a place where we can succeed!
Related Links
Productive Flourishing
Start Finishing
Charlie’s LinkedIn
Digital Minimalism
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Instant office? Yes, please! This week we talk to Studio Shed founder, Mike Koenig, about his journey building up a prefabrication business that ships backyard structures all over the United States.
Related Links
Mike's LinkedIn
Studio Shed Website
Also check out their online design tool!
Photos from Eddie's home marathon
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Being a good parent is hard. Justin Batt, the founder of the Daddy Saturday Foundation, joins us for a conversation about how to be an intentional parent. He gives tips for how to create one on one moments with your children, and what to do now that most of them are home from school. We also wanted to help you out and give you some April Fools pranks you can pull on those unsuspecting family members.
Related Links
Justin Batt's LinkedIn
Daddy Saturday
Team Girl Dad
Daddy Saturday’s Instagram
Daddy Saturday’s Facebook
"Get Out of Your Own Way" by Dave Hollis
"The Power of Habits" by Charles Duhigg
"The Power of Moments" by Chip and Dan Heath
April Fools Ideas
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This week, a steel fabricator speaks! Sam Perossa is the Vice President of Ogeechee Steel and has been in the steel industry for over twenty years.
We believe that he has the ability to educate us on how to operate better in our respective fields. If you're a General Contractor, Architect, Engineer, or even another Steel Fabricator you'll find this conversation extremely helpful. We aim to create a feedback loop through episodes like this so everyone can benefit and get better!
Questions include -
-
What is the number one RFI you chase?
-
What would you tell a structural engineer if you could give advice?
Related Links
Sam Perossa LinkedIn
Ogeechee Steel
Preeminence: What It Means and How to Sustain It by Glen Jackson
Construction Dive - Cellphones are Evil
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What the heck is BIM anyway? This week, Eddie and Tyler sit down for a conversation about their day job.
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What would happen if Indeed and Uber had a baby? John Reid of Faber talks about the gig platform connecting contractors directly to labor in a symbiotic relationship. Contractors get to cut down on their onboarding cost, verify laborer’s skill set, and endorse laborers for future jobs. Laborers get to cut out the back and forth of hiring, showcase themselves, and have a transparent service that wants them to succeed. We also discuss how Faber came to market, what they are doing to expand, and what job Tyler would have if he wasn’t working with us.
Related Links
John Reid’s LinkedIn
Faber’s Website
Faber’s Instagram
The Weirdest Jobs
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Beam us the internets. We sit down and talk with David Smigel to discuss how getting internet access to job sites is much harder than it sounds. With a wide variety of options for the internet, David uses the best options for getting the internet to remote job sites. Whether it be 5G, satellite, fiber, or some other link system. David also talks about how trailer cities need consistent internet that isn’t interrupted by power outages, changes in layout, or other normal construction happenings. Also, be careful; Eddie had the flu during part of this recording and we wouldn’t want to spread that virus.
Related Links
Customs Seizes Contraband
David’s LinkedIn
Construct Edge Technology
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Measure, cut, walk, remeasure, repeat. If that sounds fun, then Ben Blumer of ShapeMeasure isn’t the interview you want to turn on. Ben sits down with us to discuss the automation of floor cutting, specifically stairs. If you've ever laid any type of flooring, you know stairs are the least forgiving area of the project. Ben talks about how we can increase profitability by increasing cutting efficiency, and accuracy of quotes while decreasing the experience needed. His background with robotics and algorithms has turned point clouds into touchdowns and we love it.
Related Links
Construction Junkie Article
Tech Crunch Video - ShapeMeasure
Ben’s LinkedIn
ShapeMeasure
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Is there a labor shortage? What are disruptions in construction that aren't as noticeable? These were the questions we brought our guest, Todd Dawalt, this week. His answer to these questions is an incredible reminder of where your priorities should be as a company. Before we get to our interview with Todd, we discuss robots being fired from their jobs at a fully robotic hotel in Japan.
Todd Dawalt is the host of "The Construction Leading Edge" podcast. His show has the goal of teaching contracting professionals how to be more effective entrepreneurs and business leaders. Make sure you check him out!
Related Links
Todd's LinkedIn
The Construction Leading Edge Podcast
Todd's Website
Japanese Robot Hotel
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Why is it important to plan your week out? Why are post-it notes important in the construction industry? What is fugacity? Ed Anderson joins us this week and brings the Lean approach to increasing an individual’s potential for being reliable in a way that increases communication, transparency, and consistency. He does this all with the power of the post-it note. To our amazement, Ed delivers all of this without touching a computer. So, grab a post-it note, find a place to listen, and get ready to get your socks knocked off!
Related Links
Ed’s LinkedIn
The Last Planner Guide
Lean Construction Institute
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This week, we are joined by Mark Fly the "BidCoach"; he reminds us of where technology in construction started, where we are today, how we got there, and where we are going. We discuss how information silos are being connected and what we need to do to continue that process. Data access is important to be able to ensure the smoothest processes on site. Somehow we end up off track (not shocking) and talk about platform loyalty and the hidden cost and trade-offs of choosing the cheapest bid.
Also - What are the protective perks of living in south Georgia? Find out when we bring something to your attention.
Related Links
Monkeys in Florida
Mark’s LinkedIn
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Our guest for the week is Tyler Pare'. Tyler works with FMI Corporation to provide consulting services to the "Built Environment". He works with contractors, engineers, building product manufacturers, and construction material producers to provide advisory services for leadership, strategy, and performance. We start our conversation with what he thinks of when someone says "Prefab" and move into what FMI's research is telling him about labor shortages and the upcoming recession everyone likes to talk about.
Links for Tyler!
FMI Website
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If you enjoy going down YouTube rabbit holes as Tyler does, you've most likely stumbled across the 30X40 Design Workshop's channel. The 30X40 channel was started by Architect, Eric Reinholdt, to give a behind-the-scenes look at his design process. It is now one of the most successful architecture channels with over 490K subscribers.
We loved hearing the passion for craftsmanship and art as he talked about what he gets to do every day. We couldn't be more excited about this episode and hope you go check out his channel as a result!
Special thanks to Eric for taking the time to chat with us!
Links for Eric!
30X40 Design Workshop on YouTube
30X40 Website
30X40 Instagram
30X40 Facebook
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Josh Bone is the Director of Industry Innovation for NECA. We asked Josh to join us to discuss Building Information Modeling (BIM) and how it's changing the way projects are built.
Josh brings insight to educating contractors, owners, designers, and architects on designing efficiently without losing the ability to create. While talking, we explore topics ranging from DFMA, modular design, and how to adopt technology in ways that allow everyone to have a pleasant experience. Josh’s perspective of the MEP side of construction brought a great view to the table.
We open up this week's episode with a story about an emotional support robot. (Link below)
Related Links
Josh's LinkedIn
Support Robot for All Your Needs
Construction Progress Coalition
Change Agent - Issue 31 by Seth Godin
Powershift: Knowledge, Wealth, and Violence at the Edge of the 21st Century by Alvin Toffler
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What were the best/coolest things that happened in the construction industry in 2019? The creator of the blog "Construction Junkie", Shane Hedmond, joins us this week to share!
More about Shane - "Shane is an active construction project manager. In his career, he has managed interior remodel projects, site development, construction safety, governmental project compliance, and facility maintenance. He has a strong passion for construction technology and safety, as well as sharing the knowledge or insights he has gained throughout his career."
Check out the Construction Junkie Blog!
The 11 Most Interesting Construction Technology Stories of 2019
The Top 7 Demolition Videos of 2019
The 12 Coolest Construction Projects of 2019
Your Favorite Construction Junkie Articles in 2019
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Merry Christmas! This week, we wanted to tell you about our favorite things this year. From tech, to books, we cover a lot.
We're going to be taking a break next week to spend some time with our families. We'll be back to regularly scheduled programming on January 6th.
Also, we just launched our new website! Check it out here - www.brospodcast.com
Links to Eddie's top five(ish)
-
Rogue Gym equipment
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Ping pong table
-
Scribd
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Leaders Eat Last
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Entre Leadership
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Band of Brothers
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Construction Brothers Podcast
-
St. Simons Island
Links to Tyler's top five(ish)
-
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
-
Apple AirPods
-
Simple
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Essentialism
-
Elon Musk
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Ridge Wallet
-
Medium
-
Calendly
-
Zoom Meeting
-
Uplift Desk
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This week, we have Dr. Ajibade Aibinu, a Senior Lecturer from the University of Melbourne on the show!
Dr. Aibinu led the charge on a research paper to finally give us an answer on how much RFI (Requests For Information) are costing us as an industry. The answer is a shocker.
Related Links
-
University of Melbourne
- Ajibade's LinkedIn
- Articles
- Ajibade's Current R&D Work
- Ajibade's Profile with a list of all scholarly work
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This episode is complete chaos, but we hope you enjoy it nonetheless.
Our other brother, Andy, joined us in the podcast booth during Thanksgiving week to tell childhood stories about ourselves. Growing up in a house full of boys means there is a lot of action happening under one roof and a ton of crazy stories. So kick back in your comfy pants and enjoy.
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This week, Rob McKinney is on the show!
Eddie and Tyler start this week's episode talking about Tesla's newest release, the Cybertruck. Link Here - Tesla Website
They then interview Rob about how teams can stop fatigue that comes from massive amounts of documentation, tech trends we should be watching, and what opportunities we still need to chase in the construction industry.
More about Rob -
Rob McKinney, also known as the ConAppguru, serves as the curator of the www.conappguru.com blog site. Where he publishes weekly blog articles about new apps and how to solve workflows in the construction industry. He’s a founding member of the ConTechCrew podcast. Each week they interview a software developer or user about how technology can improve various workflows. He assists general contractors and subcontractors who are interested in using apps and software to improve their processes and deliver a higher level of service to their clients.
Related Links
-
ConAppGuru Website
- Rob's Instagram
- Rob's LinkedIn
- Rob's Twitter
- Check out Rob on the Contech Crew podcast!
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This week Eddie and Tyler sit down with Marian Rafael of One to One Displays, out of Melbourne Australia!
Marian has been floating in and out of our news feeds with videos of people walking around an open space with projectors showing a home floor plan at full scale. If you haven't seen this, you need to go check it out in the links below. We get the chance to talk about where the idea came from, how it works and what they're doing to take the idea to the next level.
Here's a summary of what One to One Displays specializes in (from their website) -
"One to One Displays is a floor plan projection center, set up in a large warehouse with the latest projection technology, we provide you the opportunity to walk through your plans in a 1:1 scale to fully understand the dimensions and details of your build before any work begins. It’s important to actually SEE your floor plan in real-life scale with furniture to give you a 3D feel and have the confidence in knowing that every centimeter is checked. You want your REAL home to be as close as possible to your DREAM home. Let us help you turn ethereal into reality."
This was a phenomenal conversation and we're so excited for you to hear it!
Related Links
-
One to One Display's Website
- One To One Display's Instagram
- One to One Display's LinkedIn
- Angry Pelican
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This week Eddie and Tyler sit down with Benjamin Crosby of Yates Construction to talk about VDC (Virtual Design and Construction) and BIM (Building Information Modeling). Since Eddie and Tyler both make their living in the BIM/VDC world, it's good to have a reality check every once in a while. Benjamin provides that insight!
Benjamin's focus is to build a unified team to complete a successful project. He believes that a high level of communication and cooperation are produced with VDC, which brings all the players together to focus on the project as a whole.
As Director of BIM (Building Information Modeling), Benjamin is responsible for all the BIM projects Yates is currently completing. He is also educating Yates' management in the general application of BIM policies, techniques, and benefits. As Yates is fully embracing BIM, they have seen that there are greater benefits to be gained the more other team members join in the process.
As a result, Benjamin spends much of his time teaching VDC/BIM classes, hosting online education, and traveling to projects to help not only Yates but all the project team to gain the benefits that result from a collaborative BIM process.
Related Links
Yates Website
Benajmin’s LinkedIn
Guy blowing up his backyard
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This week Eddie and Tyler sit down with Mani Golparvar of Reconstruct and John Jurewicz of Wallbridge.
Reconstruct is a platform that allows its users to easily combine data from various sources. All of your 3D models, point clouds and 360 videos can be put into the same platform and stitched together using artificial intelligence. One of the key benefits of doing this is the transparency it can provide in progress monitoring. Scans can be done more often since the process can be as simple as walking around with a 360 camera. Since they’re using AI to get the heavy lifting done, the result is a quick turnaround so you can use those 3D files before the job site has changed making the scans obsolete.
John dives into his real real-world experience and gives us a good perspective on where Reconstruct has improved his projects and where he’s excited to see more development done.
Related Links
Reconstruct Website
Mani’s LinkedIn
Reconstruct Linkedin
John's LinkedIn
Wallbridge LinkedIn
Wallbridge Website
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This week, we springboard off of our conversation with Brent Darnell and give our take on how we can change the construction industry. From leading by example, mental health, and a few book recommendations we cover a lot in this episode.
Books mentioned in this episode -
The Bible
Leaders Eat Last - Simon Sinek
How To Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie
Essentialism - Greg McKeown
The 4-Hour Work Week - Tim Ferriss
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This week, we sit down with Brent Darnell. Brent is a best-selling author, speaker, coach, consultant, and emotional intelligence specialist. A few years ago, Eddie was able to hear Brent speak and was able to chat with him at a CURT conference. Eddie has been talking about Brent since then, so we wanted to get him on the show to talk about what he’s doing to change how we work with each other in construction.
BRENT'S BIO -
"The man Engineering News-Record describes as transforming the construction industry’s Alpha Males into service-focused leaders. Brent Darnell is an international best-selling author and leading authority on Emotional Intelligence. He is President and owner of Brent Darnell International, a training and consulting company that maximizes companies’ success by tapping into the “soft” skills, or the Emotional Intelligence of each employee. Brent has been awarded the prestigious honor of being named among Engineering News-Record’s Top 25 Newsmakers for his transformation of the construction industry’s Alpha Males. His best-selling book, The People-Profit Connection: How Emotional Intelligence Can Maximize People Skills and Maximize Your Profits has sold over 30,000 copies worldwide. In this book, Brent introduces his unique approach to teaching Emotional Intelligence skills in technically trained professions. He has been called “…relevant to performance on every job and any industry, by Emotional Intelligence pioneer Kate Cannon and is a recognized expert in his field. Clients include Skanska, Clark, McCarthy, Hunt, Hardin, Balfour Beatty, Truland Electric, Guarantee Electric, Jacobsen Construction, Kiewit, Granite, Brasfield & Gorrie, Caddell, WS Nielsen, Nobia, Langan Engineering, S&ME Engineering, Cousins Properties, Lyles Construction, and Geotechnical Services, Inc. (For all clients, visit: http://www.brentdarnell.com)”
Related Links
Brent’s Website
Brent’s LinkedIn
Brent Darnell International LinkedIn
BRENT’S FREE BOOK
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This week we sit down with Jordan Lawver of Trimble, Inc. Jordan is the Portfolio Manager for Mixed Reality, which means he knows his stuff when it comes to AR, VR, and Mixed Reality systems. We discuss Trimble's newest release, the XR10 with Hololens 2, and what has changed since version 1 of the Hololens. Jordan also gave us a tour of the XR10, which we will be posting on our LinkedIn and Facebook pages!
Related Links
Trimble Mixed Reality Website
Jordan's LinkedIn
Trimble LinkedIn
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This week we sit down with Scaled Robotics CEO, Stuart Maggs. Stuart specializes in construction robotics and brings really interesting perspectives on the building processes we use today and where the strengths of robotics are in our industry.
Excerpt from Scaled Robotics website - "Scaled Robotics was founded by a multidisciplinary team of experts in construction and robotics. The founders met in 2014, quickly becoming friends. Sharing a common vision to reduce the waste and inefficiency in the industry, the founders embarked on a journey to modernize construction. Bringing to bear years of experience in construction and robotics, Stuart and Bharath are passionate about transforming the entire industry with new processes and tools."
Related Links
Scaled Robotics Website
Stuart's LinkedIn
Scaled Robotics LinkedIn
TechCrunch Article
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This week we sit down with TestFit CEO, Clifton Harness and discuss the topic of generative design. TestFit designs building diagrams in milliseconds--so architects and developers can process deals more quickly. During our conversation, we dive into what automation in construction will look like in the future and how TestFit can be used today.
Related Links
TestFit Website
TestFit LinkedIn Page
Clifton's LinkedIn
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In our inaugural episode, we‘re having a round-table discussion with our intern, Garrett Blackstock, about the differences in generations. Primarily Generation Z, which has been getting a lot of attention as of late. We try to unpack what to expect from the new generation entering the workforce and provide insights on how to motivate them.
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We are super excited to announce the launch of our brand new podcast! Eddie and Tyler Campbell are 4th generation builders who currently own a virtual building and modeling company called ABSI. Each week, Eddie and Tyler will explore ideas both directly and indirectly related to the construction industry.
We are so excited to release our first episodes on September 23rd! Please go ahead and subscribe to get notified when the first episodes launch!