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In this episode Casey describes the Pros and Cons of Solar Energy. 0:00 Introduction 0:30 Pros 3:00 Cons  5:48 Solar Opportunity To learn more about installing solar on your home visit: https://www.theconsciousbuilder.com/solar.html#/   MORE FROM THE CONSCIOUS BUILDER:  Academy: https://www.consciousbuilderacademy.com Website: https://www.theconsciousbuilder.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_conscious_builder/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theconsciousbuilder LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-conscious-builder/?viewAsMember=true Twitter: https://twitter.com/BuildConscious        

In this episode Serial Entrepreneur and Business Coach Randy Stanbury explains how he looks at construction companies to simplify how to approach them, the importance of creating 90-day business plans, where most holes are found in business and what you need to focus on if you want to have a business that truly has value.   3:00 We’re in the logistics business  6:40 Where do you want to be in 5 years  7:58 Focus on the how; build the system  13:20 Most common construction business problems 21:30 Selling your construction business  27:15 How to value your business Show Links:  https://calendly.com/4levelcoach/business-assessment https://4levelcoach.com/ https://www.facebook.com/4LevelCoach/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/freedombuildersgroup4lc https://www.instagram.com/4levelcoach/  

Cian Brennan is the CEO of Quantum Contract Solutions. His firsthand experience of witnessing some of the devastating effects of contracts on businesses has led him to his mission of helping contractors navigate their contracts and protect their businesses in this challenging industry. Cian explains why standard contracts are becoming extinct, how cost-plus contracts can be beneficial, and why white-collar jobs are more at risk than blue-collar jobs. 1:38 Introduction  3:48 Common contract pitfalls and cost plus contracts  17:00 What most successful Businesses do 23:27 AI technologies influence on HR and contracts    FOR MORE FROM Cian:  Website: https://quantumcontractsolutions.com/ Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/construction-secrets-w-cian-brennan/id1631306206 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLrQJhXFso-EeDnebvW_uXQ    

On this week's podcast, we're trying something a little different!  Rather than a live interview format, Casey is talking right to you - about the most important thing you can do for your business - Getting the right people. He shares lessons and experiences, common pitfalls to avoid and what's working for The Conscious Builder now, so you can benefit from the mistakes TCB has made in the past and be more confident when building your team. THE ULTIMATE HIRING HANDBOOK https://www.consciousbuilderacademy.com/hiring-handbook MORE FROM THE CONSCIOUS BUILDER: Academy: https://www.consciousbuilderacademy.com Website: https://www.theconsciousbuilder.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_conscious_builder/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theconsciousbuilder LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-conscious-builder/?viewAsMember=true Twitter: https://twitter.com/BuildConscious  SHOP TCB APPAREL: https://www.theconsciousbuilder.com/shop  

Ben Juncker is the co-founder and CEO of Craftsman’s Choice, a leading exterior remodeling contractor in Minnesota and one of the highest volume James Hardie siding installers in the United States. As a result of his success in the residential home improvement industry, Ben has been tapped many times by major home improvement brands, including James Hardie, to help up-and-coming contractors overcome their growth challenges so that they can scale into profitable 8-figure construction businesses. In 2021, Ben wrote the book The Minnesota Homeowner’s Guide to Exterior Siding, an Amazon #1 bestseller in the home improvement category. When he’s not coaching other contractors or helping people fall in love with their homes again, you can find Ben playing an active role in his community as a minister at his church.   2:06 Getting Started in the Business  3:48 Why James Hardy Siding  6:04 Business Structure and Growth  13:18 Ben's Biggest Challenge Today in the Business  22:00 Managing Client Expectations  28:04 James Hardy new product line and a new sales process  30:00 Best advice for Contractors   FOR MORE FROM BEN:  Twitter Handle: @CraftsMNsChoice Website: https://craftsmanschoice.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-juncker-54256034/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Craftsmans-Choice-143846665627086/

As a 4th generation mason, Matt DiBara took over a very successful company and made it even more successful in the Los Angeles area. Matt used his degree in construction management and environmental design from UMass to earn a reputation for high-quality craftsmanship and impeccable service by bringing a fresh perspective to an old-school industry. In doing so, Matt discovered the answer to the biggest single challenge all contractors are now facing: recruiting. He also offers co-founded The Contractor Consultants, a service offering education, consultation and outsourced hiring for contractors. In this episode, Matt shares some serious wisdom for contractors and business owners, how improper recruiting almost bankrupted his company, what he did to flip this around, what their greatest marking strategy is, and so much more.  0:27 - Introduction 5:10 - The challenge of modernizing, should be difficult, shiny object syndrome  6:32 - Keeping a good balance of tradition and modern, approach 7:33 - Strategic thinking  11:34 - Modernizing approach, process improvements creating exponential growth  14:10 - Venn diagram exercise  15:16 - Almost went bankrupt/Recovering sales junkie 17:20 - Recruiting: 4 key parts 21:09 - Skills Assessments  27:47 - Marketing: One of the best tools  29:45 - Timing: How to Meet Contract Deadlines  32:30 - Process Innovation & solving problems in the future Reach Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewdibara/ https://www.thecontractorconsultants.com/   The Conscious Builder Academy https://www.consciousbuilderacademy.com  

David Neagle is the founder of the multimillion-dollar global consulting company, Life Is Now, Inc, and host of the Business Daily News ranked podcast - The Successful Mind. Being in the personal and professional development industry for more than 20 years, David has worked alongside other well-known mentors like Bob Proctor and Tony Robbins, and his clients include many well-known people, including New York Times #1 best-selling author Jen Sincero. David has helped tens of thousands of students from across the globe, and is one of the architects of the personal growth industry.  In this conversation we talk about what you need to do in order to find more opportunities, how to bring A+ people into your business, the principles of leverage, the 4 things you need to learn how to leverage, and a lot more!  2:46  Intro  8:00 Triple Income  15:30 Challenges  18:20 Hiring process 24:40 Leadership  31:00 Coaches/consultants  39:00 website assessment    For more from David:  https://www.lifeisnowinc.com/vla-grow https://www.instagram.com/david_p_neagle/ https://www.instagram.com/lifeisnowinc/ https://www.facebook.com/DavidNeagleCommunity/ https://www.youtube.com/c/LifeIsNow https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedavidneagle/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/life-is-now-inc/mycompany/  

David Vauthrin co-founded FinalCad 15 years ago. Since then, he has been committed to supporting the modernisation of construction. He is based in France but is now looking to bring FinalCad to the global market. In this episode we talk about how selling from the bottom up can be more impactful than going right for the CEOs, how to use AI within your business and other software that can help you succeed. Enjoy this conversation with David Vauthrin. 2:07 Intro  7:46 FinalCad 17:500 Challenges in the Business  21:40 AI Technology  For more from David: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/finalcad-international/ https://www.finalcad.com

Maria Coulter is the Founder of Construction Coach. With a career spanning over 20 years in the industry as a Quantity Surveyor, Project Manager and Risk Manager, Maria’s interest in personal development led her to become a qualified Personal and Business Coach in 2012. Maria launched Construction Coach in 2014 working with SME’s and micro-businesses to build stronger, more profitable and happier businesses. She also hosts the Construction Revolution podcast where she interviews change makers from inside and outside of the industry. To influence change Maria is also a Non-Executive Director on the Construction Industry Council national board, Chair of the CIC Diversity and Inclusion Panel, Chair of the CLC RMI Skills Group and member of the CLC working group, Skills for a Modernized Industry. In this episode we chat about the biggest hurdle that most contractors face, why working on yourself needs to come before working on the business and how to design your business for a successful life.   2:36 Intro  8:30 Challenges in Business  18:40 Creating Community  For more from Maria: https://www.facebook.com/constructcoach https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-coulter-bem/ https://www.instagram.com/construction_coach/ https://twitter.com/constructcoach    

Craig Toohey directs Business Development at Collective Carpentry, a custom home wood product-based prefabrication company in Invermere, British Columbia focusing on super-insulated assemblies, low carbon materials, and off-site Passive House construction. Craig has been certified by both the Passive House Institute and PHIUS, and currently works remotely from Europe where he is closely connected to the European industry for prefabricated Passive House construction. Craig has worked with Passive House practitioners across North America, using his background in sustainable business strategy and technical product sales to simplify, communicate, and put into action the solutions that developers, architects, and builders need to meet their business challenges, regulatory requirements, and their own ambitions for providing effective radical building efficiency and carbon mitigation solutions. This episode is all about prefab construction. We chat about when it’s best to use Prefab, how Collective Carpentry is achieving Passive House Certification, how the industry is going to benefit from technology and so much more.    3:33 What got you into Pre Fab? 9:05 Getting to Scale  20:02 Wall section details  26:09 Biggest challenge in the industry    For more from Craig:  https://www.instagram.com/collective_carpentry/?hl=en Website: https://collectivecarpentry.com/    

This is part two of chatting with Sigi Koko, principal designer at Down to Earth Design, which she founded in 1998 to help people achieve their dreams of living in natural, healthy homes. (Part one is episode #201) In this episode, we touch on things like what the key to straw bale construction is, why she never uses a vapour barrier, what a waddle and dobb wall is, why ducts are unhealthy and so much more.  Sigi translates each client’s vision into a unique building design that reflects their personality and lifestyle, while responding to the surrounding landscape and climate. Her uniquely collaborative design process provides a high level of information and support, encouraging her clients to engage fully throughout design and construction. She also teaches natural building workshops that empower her clients to contribute meaningfully during the construction of their own home.  2:57 What is the structure? 9:42  Foundation to wall transition  13:55 Tips for straw bale  17:00 Vapour Barrier  26:35 Roof ceiling connection  30:45 Electrical  42:45 HVAC  For more from Sigi https://www.facebook.com/buildnaturally https://www.instagram.com/buildnaturally/ https://www.youtube.com/user/sigikoko https://twitter.com/buildnaturally

Allison Bailes is the Chief Troublemaker at Energy Vanguard, a building science firm located in Decatur, Georgia. The company’s focus is on residential HVAC design, consulting, and training. Dr. Bailes has a PhD in physics from the University of Florida and has been involved with the field of building science since 2001, when he built a high-performance home out of structural insulated panels. He is the author of a popular building science book titled A House Needs to Breathe…Or Does It? He also is well known for writing the Energy Vanguard Blog and a weekly newsletter. This episode is all about HVAC. We chat about what systems seem to be popular and why, the best place to filter the air for your central forced air system and the biggest mistake people make when designing a home from the perspective of an HVAC designer.   2:26 Intro 3:15 Catalyst into building science  6:01 Lessons learned from building house  7:00 Heat Load Calculation  10:00 Current challenges  14:26 SIPS - why  16:35 A House needs to breath or does it?  26:40 Electrification 29:00 High Humidity    For More From Allison https://www.energyvanguard.com/book-house-needs-breathe-or-does-it https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonabailes/ https://twitter.com/EnergyVanguard  

Andreas M. Benzing is a practicing architect, teacher, and social entrepreneur. He is a distinguished faculty member and Part-Time Assistant Professor at Parsons School of Design, teaching Environmental Design and Design Studio to the next generation of architects. He is also a co-founder of New York Passive House where he serves as President and Executive Director. Andreas developed his tireless work ethic at the famous Bauhaus University in Weimar, Germany, where he received his Master of Architecture degree in 1998. He was awarded the European Erasmus Scholarship and established his career at Oswald Mathias Ungers, and Hans Kollhoff in Berlin, Germany, learning the craft of the architectural profession. He then founded his company in 2006. Now he is licensed to practice Architecture in New York State, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Germany, and became a Certified Passive House Designer in 2009. In this episode we discuss why LEED certified buildings do not necessarily equal a better buildings, whether or not Passive House is picking up traction and recommendations for people interested in designing Passive Houses.   2:30 How did he get into Architecture 5:30 LEED  8:50 why build better 10:10 Current challenges 14:35 Passive house value in New York  23:56 products recommended     For more from Andreas check out:  https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7000466831228424192/ Andreasbenzing.com  

Brad Leavitt is President and Founder of “A Finer Touch Construction” - a Scottsdale based luxury residential and commercial builder. AFT Construction, as known throughout the industry, is an award-winning construction firm and has been nationally published in magazines such as: Fine Home Building, Luxe Interiors and Design, and Professional Builder. Brad was awarded as an “Icon” in the AZ building industry by Sources for Design in October, 2019. He was also recognized as a 2022 Phoenix Titan 100. The Titan 100 program recognizes Phoenix’s Top 100 CEO’s & C-level executives. They are the area’s most accomplished business leaders in their industry using criteria that includes demonstrating exceptional leadership, vision, and passion. Brad is an energetic public speaker and ambassador for many national brands. He completed a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from BYU in 2005 and worked on notable projects around Phoenix, including the Omni Montelucia in Paradise Valley. His Podcast, “The AFT Construction Podcast”, is focused on bringing value to its listeners, no matter their industry. The topics are focused on marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, organization, building science and construction.  In this episode we discuss what Brad did to build his company from scratch to do doing large multi-million dollar projects, how to manage the fluctuating prices, and what and how you should be charging for your services. 3:36 Starting in the Business  6:10 What does it take to become a contractor  10:03 Breaking into the high end luxury market 13:59 Business challenges today 19:30 Net Zero High Performance 20:47 Cost Plus 31:36 Current developments and changes in the industry   For more from Brad and AFT: social media: @aft_construction  AFT Construction Podcast www.aftconstruction.com  

Nick Schiffer founded NS Builders and has turned it into one of Boston's most sought-after builders; uncompromising on quality & craftsmanship to always provide a better product. His philosophy is to showcase his building and business practices across social media to share knowledge with the building industry, and provide transparency for potential and current clients. We chat about how creativity is a must for a business to excel, how technology is shifting craftsmanship and how collaboration over competition will improve your business.   1:50 Introduction 10:30 $70,000 mistake 27:27 Thought leadership 35:50 creativity in the workforce 47:50 Technology in the industry For more from Nick and NS Builders:  https://www.instagram.com/nsbuilders/ https://www.youtube.com/c/NSBuildersLLC https://www.linkedin.com/company/nsbuilders/ https://www.instagram.com/nickschiffer/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickschiffer/

*CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains explicit language Jonathan Cinelli is a Project Management Professional and an Associate Certified Coach with decades of industry knowledge in the construction field. He utilizes s a very specialized, forward-thinking approach to business, designed for sustainability, with emphasis on continued growth and adaptability. Today, Jonathan helps construction professionals create sustainable business growth by building teams who buy in and execute at 100%. He coaches leaders to create cultures where people truly have each other’s backs. For more from Jonathan:  www.jonathacinelli.com IG: @jonathanacinelli Linked in: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-cinelli-pmp-acc-103b841ba/   1:50 Intro 6:18 People first 11:30 Tough conversations  19:30 Inspiring creativity in the workplace 23:50 Technology in construction    

Priscille Joseph is the principal designer and founder of LPD Studio, an interior design studio located in Canada’s capital, with a focus in biophilic design and wellness. She’s a wife, mom, entrepreneur, plant parent, tea lover and podcast host of the Designing Wellness Podcast. Priscille has been working in the field for almost ten years with experience in residential and corporate design. In this episode we discuss topics such as how to connect nature with your design, what the WELL Building Standard is and whether or not spaces should be separated for their different functions.  2:06 Intro into design 9:00 Biophilic Design  18:00 WELL Certification  23:29 Design preferences residential 25:15 quote how we sit in a chair  32:50 AI Technology in Design  38:44 Closing words and advice    For more from Priscille: instagram: @designingwellnesspodcast  www.lpdstudio.ca/podcast

Tim Swakhammer from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, is the owner of Mold Medics, a company providing services in mold removal, air duct cleaning, mold and radon testing and mitigation.  We discuss common mold and indoor air quality issues in the home, including radon testing and mitigation and what contractors can do to improve indoor air quality during new construction and renovations.  For more from Tim and Mold Medics:  https://www.moldmedics.com/mold-education/ ​https://youtube.com/@moldmedics  http://moldmedicsfranchising.com/   2:30 Introduction 5:00 Indoor Air Quality  7:10 Types of Mold  13:20 No ventilation/ac high humidity solutions 16:00 Mold Testing  19:00 Symptoms from mold  20:45 Radon 31:24 Prep for renovations

Jeff Shore is the co-author of the new book "From Contract to Close" which focuses on how to earn referrals through outstanding customer care. Jeff is a 35-year real estate veteran and the founder of Shore Consulting, offering sales strategy, training and coaching to builders around the world. If you’re involved with sales or customer service in your business, this is the episode for you. We discuss topics such as understanding how people make decisions, how to deal with couples when selling and how focusing on customer satisfaction will not help your business.  For more from Jeff Shore: Jeffshore.com facebook.com/jeffshorecommunity twitter.com/jeffshore youtube.com/jeffshoretraining linkedin.com/jeffshore  instagram.com/jeffshoreconsulting    1:48  - Why sales  10:27  Tips strategies for working with Couples  15:30 The Customer satisfaction problem  29:30 Sales are down, how do you grow 33:30 The sales process - When to ask what’s your budget  38:50 Closing Questions

Manny Neves studied Film and TV and worked in Commercials and Film before coming back to construction. He jumped back into construction in 09 and started sharing the real side of construction online with "The Construction Life". Manny was approached by several producers to do a show but never agreed with the message portrayed by the usual construction shows you see out there and instead focused on building his own content. He shares a lot in this conversation, but a few things we discuss are: How to vet clients, the number one thing young trades need to know and the difference between a great client and a difficult client!   For more from Manny:  https://www.instagram.com/tcl_theconstructionlife/ https://www.youtube.com/user/HardcoreRenos/featured https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-construction-life/id1480122326 https://open.spotify.com/show/7Gi73hVsoxOuaiFDExuk5D?si=f684fb97f278430f   2:00 Introduction into Construction 8:00 Starting a Podcast 14:30 Work Life Balance 17:40 Running a Construction Company 22:25 Working with Clients 33:00 Advice for getting into the Business 38:00 Where is the industry Going