The Siding Guy, Desmond Tse: "Best practices for trade contractors"

Furious Fifteen: "Setting Boundaries w/ Clients" Kali Sudbrook and Allyson Anderson Return: Today I'm joined by Kali Sudbrook and Allyson Anderson to talk about setting boundaries with clients. Recently, Kali reached out to me to ask about contract language to mitigate for client interference in the progress of work. She was conserned about a "Chatty Cathy" distracting her on an upcoming job. Allyson and myself share some advice and some of oour own experience. by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

21 min listen

Furious Fifteen: Ella Star of Plumberella, Christchurch, NZ returns!: This is the maiden voyage of Mike Knoche's Furious Fifteen where I catch up with a previous guest for 15 minutes to find out whats new, how ya been, what are you up to before asking 15 non-qualifiable yes/no questions. Tune in, listen, laugh, write a review (links below), TELL A FRIEND that needs to hear this podcast! Check out Ella’s Stars first appearance, link in the episode notes below! by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

19 min listen

Furious Fifteen: Rachel Taylor of Rachel Builds out of Los Angeles returns!: Rachel Taylor pays Mike a second visit to talk about where her construction buisness is headed, one strong held belief that she's jettisoned, and asks Mike why he thinks its important to host women in construction on the podcast. To hear more about Rachel Taylor, check out out first episode in Season 2, Episode 21. by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

32 min listen

Janeen Oliver is a Third Generation Family Concreter and Advocate for Trade Recruitment: Janeen Oliver is “not your average concrete rep” because it’s all about being hands on, boots on the ground with the crew and then working her day job. You already know this if you follow @concrete_diva and if you don’t, today Mike Knoche of The Contracting Handbook podcast hosts Janeen to hear her story as a third generation concreter, leaving the family biz, returning after a couple few careers and repping for the company that eventually bought her dad’s company. The labor deficit in North America (and everywhere) fueled Janeen’s push to help found the Crew Collaborative @the.crew.collab , an organization formed to recruit more youth into the trades through classroom talks and outreach programs. Janeen is all about her relationships on the ground. She shows up before the (mega) pour starts, helps keep the ball rollin’, keeps the crew fed with food and support and it does not go unnoticed when by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

76 min listen

Krystal Brookes of ASC Painting talks lining up your values for success, social presence, expectation management, her worst client, hiring, leadership and staying mentally fit.: “My values are in the right order… my children come first, above anything else and that is why I went into business, to create freedom in my world, to turn up better as a mother.” If you know Krystal Brookes, you know she values family first and being balanced. Line up your values in the right order. In this now available podcast episode between painter, Krystal Brookes, and Mike Knoche of The Contracting Handbook podcast, the conversation hits upon those values, the side hustle, the nuance of relationships, mental health, leadership, scaling up via hiring and the best tools! While Krystal acknowledges that the movement to support women in the trades, Krystal gives a shout out to the men who have passed their knowledge to her. We dive straight into her growing social media presence, is it Affordable Sunshin by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

92 min listen

The Nuance of Navigating Clients: The Nuance of Navigating Clients 1. When I started out in Season 1 of the podcast, I said I learned through trial by fire, I’m not from a construction family. It was the school of hard knocks all day long. I always strove for definition in my work so I could express what I was doing for clients i.e “know what you’re selling” and understand why I was doing it for myself i.e. a need to understand purpose. 2. When I started my business I wanted to be different. Yeah yeah, don’t we all but I meant in the sense that I wanted people to think about contractors differently where I live. To remove the stigma on some level. Was that idealistic, yes. Naïve, a bit. How exactly was I going to do this? Not be a sleazy contractor? Do good work? Follow through with what I said? Be reliable? That’s what everyone says. And, also, those were already characteristics I had. I’ve always been an if you’re on time you’re late kinda guy. Ok, I wanted to create a positiv by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

25 min listen

Jeff Kelley of JK Woodworks and Timber Framing shares how he's carved out a life through his craft, why going to college helped, and his process: In Episode 108 of The Contracting Handbook podcast, Jeff Kelley of Jeff Kelley Woodworks and Timber Framing joins Mike Knoche for another look inside the life of a builder. Jeff lives his life how he wants to but, like many, he came into the trades and construction a bit later. He doesn’t regret going to Uni and finds much of what he learned there applicable to his contracting business. He keeps things simple with the construction business and taps builder buddies for help on left days. As always, there is so much more in getting to know one of my guests, so please download this construction podcast episode that is NOW LIVE on all podcast platforms. by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

67 min listen

Kali Sudbrook of Beachside Interiors: how her previous career experience makes her a better contractor, how her wife deals with her, fitness, leadership and tools.: Join Kali Sudbrook of Beachside Interiors and Mike Knoche for Episode 110 of The Contracting Handbook podcast where we talk about the importance of bringing her previous career experience and expertise into her new venture as a contractor. As a former professor of fitness, we get some real insight into the working of the tradespersons body and a bit of advice. We get personal quick and take a look at how she and her wife navigated the career change together. Of course, we drop into the business side of things and where she acquired her skills to do the dirty work. What about being LGTBQ in construction? She loves her life and if you don’t like it, that’s on you. The fun, caffeine fueled questions at the end are a riot. It was a great way to start our Sunday and, for you, on Monday. by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

96 min listen

Freddy Roman, The Period Craftsman, talks craft, how operating a business detracted from his art, and why we can't let correct terminology go.: Today, Freddy Roman @theperiodcraftsman and Mike Knoche @thecontractinghandbook podcast get into one of the most difficult parts of being a tradesman business owner, the business side interferes with the creativity. You already know Freddy is a diligent student and teacher of historic furniture restoration but in this episode, Freddy drops the most gangster statement on clients, or anything, ever said on a construction podcast before! This is a deep dive into Freddy’s journey and a bit more about my own. Too much to put on this caption. Spoiler at one hour I ask, “how are you doing on time, we are only about halfway through my questions”. Please join us! Freddy’s question: “Do you still love it?” by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

105 min listen

Allyson Anderson, Founder and CEO of Integro Builders, talks client archtypes, project influence vs. management, the nuance of contracting and at least one change order more!: Allyson Anderson of at Integro Builders @integro_builders is now LIVE on @thecontractinghandbook podcast! In Episode 116: - an explosive backstory and rising from the ashes - laughing in the face of jobsite adversity - The Big Four characteristics of bad clients - the greatest achievement - favorite type of project - greatest challenge in leadership as she nears ten years in business - then, the fun questions Follow @thecontractinghandbook for more stories from real builders and trades in the construction industry from all over the world, building cool stuff and loving it! Please share this in your stories and/ or leave us a review (LINK IN BIO) by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

116 min listen

Allison Iantosca, Owner & President of FH Perry Builder talks humanity in business, leading by example, authenticity, optimism, emotional intelligence, mutuality in age, hard converstaions, and more...: President and Owner of Award Winning FH Perry Builder, Allison Iantosca @fhperrybuilder , joins Mike Knoche on @thecontractinghandbook podcast for a dive into the humanity of business. Authenticity, optimism, emotional intelligence, age, applying values, perfection, and hard conversations are just a few of the hooks, but it’s a deep dive for Mike and Allison after one set of email exchanges. Our conversation is not the typical “how to” run a multi-million-dollar construction company. It’s and exploration of her views, perceptions, and insights on “humans interacting with humans” as a focal point in developing and operating her construction business. In my recent call for stories of the event or moment you got into trades, I want you to hear what Allison said about “why do skilled trad by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

91 min listen

Kyle Zanetto of Zanetto Builders: Luxury homebuilding in Tasmania, self improvement, and preliminary planning: This week, in Episode in 117 of @thecontractinghandbook podcast, I am joined by Tasmanian luzury homebuilder, Kyle Zanetto of @zanettobuilders. Kyle always strives for perfection and keeps a close watch on the new potential clients. While the labor deficit pandemic has not left Tasmania unscathed, Kyle Zenatto and company have recently landed some new crew with values that align. Finding that help is key with a ~2 year wait list and 8-10 builds on deck for this year. What it really boils down to is preliminary planning and, you guessed it, client expectation. You know there’s aways more to each pod! Kyle’s question: “Where do you find the most value in business development?” by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

52 min listen

The Roofer Girl, Samanntha De Coteau on finding her trade, how it lifted her up, and being bags on!: Samanntha De Coteau @the.roofer.girl of Summit Sister’s Roofing is now LIVE on @thecontractinghandbook podcast! In Episode 114: - representing and endorsing products - being a bags-on-contractor - operating as a partner - hiring roofers - leadership - being a mom in construction - overcoming adversity - then, the fun questions by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

37 min listen

TCH Podcast re-Introduction, "they only say it once", and a question for you.: Episode 110 of The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction podcast: I’m going to streamline your listening experience for the time being and put the intro to the upcoming shows here and kind of update you. This here episode will provide my personal take on the intro to TCH for the foreseeable future or until I something changes. If it’s your first time listening to The Contracting Handbook podcast, I’m your host Mike Knoche, formerly known as the man who’s seen it all from season 1. I own and operate Straight Ahead Construction in Fairbanks, Alaska. Strictly ZONE 8 residential. I’m a fool construction sites. I can’t look away. I always want to know more about whats going on over there even if I come off like I don’t care. What can I say, I’m busy! This podcast is now the distillation of nearly 1000 years of collective construction industry knowledge and experiences through discussions with my gu by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

12 min listen

Aaron Butt: Deconstructing the 4 year college scheme, benefits for tradespeople, the mentor/mentee realtionship: “I think we are currently deconstructing the concept that a 4 year degree is the only way” Your guy, Aaron, and I launch into a talk about the labor crisis. I’m deeply concerned, he thinks its going to work itself out. Find out his source of hope in the pod. We dive into the mentor/ mentee relationship. As a teacher, his vision is crystal clear. As a site supervisor and lead carpenter with vast experience, I ask what he (or you) should look for in a good employer. Then we hear what his employer offers. We end up in a social media/ mental health talk. Then its tool talk and mentors. What do you look for in an employer? by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

68 min listen

PodcastAI; Fountain; Podcast Guru; and Apple's effect on downloads by Podnews Weekly Review

100 min listen

Vasco Pedro: CEO and Entrepreneur: An interview with Vasco Pedro by New Books in Economics

92 min listen

I was hacked, what's next, and how to protect yourself from these predators: My IG was hacked Remember those phishing scams where a Nigerian Prince would tell you that he wanted to share his fortune with you, just send bank information.. Well, he’s got a new focus! Alas, the Nigerian Prince has taken over my Instagram account. I never thought it could happen to me. By the end of this pod, I’ll make sure you know how to not let it happen to you. But first, let me tell you what its like to have your IG get hacked… BTW- I’m currently seeing the importance of my newsletter. Keeping in touch with you all. My website and email are secure, so please go to thecontractinghandbook.com now where to will be prompted to join my crew. I wont spam you, ever. Just occasional updates and behind the scenes stuff. If you did sign up and didn’t get an email announcing this episode titled “I was hacked, what’s next and how to protect yourself”, please check spam folder Now back to that hack If you’re l by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

11 min listen

Barbie the Welder: The Art of the Business and The Business of Art: “I’m only as good as the last thing I did, that’s the only thing that matters to me” Is it the Art of the Business or The Business of the Art? Today, the tale of a woman who started her trade career in a vocational program for auto mechanics then found her passion as a self-taught welder. Listen for the aha moment when Barbie knows its not just something she made, it’s art. Now, she believes all tradespeople are artists. Do you guys know Barbie has pieces in 15 different countries worldwide? She’s not the type to tell you how to live, but as a community, she believes we need to honor our skills by making sure we’re compensating part for our time. Michelangelo might have had a small army of sculptors under him but, not Barbie. Her creations, her hands! We get into some cool mentors in this one! What a real pleasure we had killing an hour for this podcast. Please join us! Please save this post so you can come ba by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

52 min listen

International Flashing Awareness Day with Big Dog Construction and The Life of Bub by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

68 min listen

Interview with Andrew Itnyre of Masters Roofing, Memphis, Tennessee: Andrew starts off explaining the structure of Masters Roofing and how they came to be. In 13 short years they have done 9000 roofs with annual sales in the 8-9M range. Mike and Andrew talk about customer care, warranty of work, what it takes to have an edge on your competition, and the current economy. Trying to make sense of the current economy draws question marks for all of us. Listen as two industry veterans give their take on it and listen to Andrews advice for the next generation of roofers! by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

46 min listen

Fiona Plett of Herself Contracting: House healing and a builder at a crossroads: “Learn from everything, every experience is an opportunity to learn.” Fiona Plett @herselfcontracting loves working close with her clients to heal their homes. She wants to rid them of the “irritants” that plague their space. Upcycling and re-purposing materials rank high in what to use for projects, but you know the catch, it costs more than buying that factory built hollow core door, 100%. So how to do you get the client on board with the idea? Physical time: Waste time- your choice On communication: anticipating the conversation and scripting in a sense. Lessons: Bookeeping Time off Buy the stuff you need The goal: Making “one of’s” The direction? Getting more creative with what she knows which may incorporate the new timber framing. Advice: don’t volunteer your time, get paid for your time. Join us for another podcast episode on self-determination! by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

57 min listen

E.S. Sparks: Service manager in title, COO in function! The life of an unlicensed sparky.: “Get good at your trade and then worry about how you’re going to manage people. If I didn’t know what to do in the field, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing now” You guys might know Evan Sparks @e_s_sparks from his previous handle where he was a budding IG influencer, but did you know he’s reluctant to call himself an electrician? Since many of you last saw him publicly, life has changed for Evan. He got this new andthought he was going to be a service manager leading a couple dudes. It turned into bids, chases down regulations, hiring & firing, negotiating with clients and essentially running the company he works for. It’s not where he thought he’d be right despite always knowing that he would one day make moves to climb the ladder in addition to learning his trade. Managing people is different today than it was just a short time ago. Evan’s first boss used the brutal techniques of lead by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

99 min listen

Harvey Jesso of Maritime Carpentry & Maritime Electrical talks running two construction companies, stepping away from work at night, the retirement plan and more: “It’s important to build a strong reputation and do such good work so you don’t have to work for the sheep.” For those of you who know Harvey Jesso, you know he’s a positive force and reputable contractor, for those who don’t, you’re in for a treat. He’s running two contracting businesses, loves what he does and takes weekends off for family time. He started in the business at 9 y.o., so it’s in his blood. I (Mike) want to know why clients are perfectly happy to pay electrical quotes but balk at the price of custom carpentry. Harvey generates quotes for both trades but agrees that carpenters are under-rated! We hit on the greatest challenge of a tradesman becoming a businessman. Harvey seems comfortable in his shoes today and has a plan to retire. Harvey’s father-in-law showed up at the BBQ fully decked out in Maritime by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

52 min listen

Jason Bekebrede of Monticello Custom Homes on non-competitive bidding, non-negotiable components of a custom home, building a legacy and more.: “I’ve got two kids and when they are my age, I want them to be able to drive by the houses and show their kids, Grandpa built that. That’s as important to me as anything.” Jason Bekebrede, of Monticello Custom Homes, has his client process dialed. He likes to get with the clients before the design process starts. They save time on client intake with detailed videos of expectations on their website. He knows the challenges of budget tracking and has honed his team to keep up with them. Some components are nonnegotiable such as wall assemblies and rain screens. The homes we leave behind are our part of our legacy. The client chooses the bells and whistles but leaves the basic components up to us. The clients choose Monticello because they know the other builders aren’t offering the same product. The value of an office manager, one more ste by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

52 min listen

Greg Eicher of Consiglio Builders talks building luxury homes, the clients, self improvement, and his favorite tool: “Throw fear out the window, there’s so much more to live for than worrying about what might happen.” With 300-400 line items in the contract, a contract must fiercely manage expectations, in my opinion. For Greg Eicher, partner at Consiglio Builders, expectation management is at the forefront of the process. As I learned in my interview with Greg, building luxury homes ranging in the $2,800-3,200 sq foot price range, is different than my experience as a smaller custom remodeler and homebuilder. The details of these houses are many, we all know that it’s a rare bird that maintains there home, but with a price tag like this, there must be a plan…listen to the lengths they go to. Changes orders are par for the course for everyone involved…. Same old story, he’s not seeing interest in the trades despite high wages where he lives. We hit upon what he sees as the greate by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

79 min listen

Jake Bruton of Aarow Building: Act like a real company!: “I want my employees to retire happy someday, same as I do.” Are you acting like a real company? You guys that know your guy, Jake Bruton, know he does so with his company @aarowbuilding . For the rest of you who don’t know him… Jake is a high-performance home builder, and he knows and wants it to be clear to everyone that tradespeople should be treated as professionals. Flex week Paid time off Paid training Truck, phone, and tools Retirement account My market won’t support it!!?! How can I afford to act like areal company AND build high performance homes? That’s a lot of money, Jake! He quotes buddy Steve @stevebaczekarchitect “Is there a Mercedes dealer within 100 miles of the house? If there is, then your market is supported by people that want something that costs more because they seek value…” Look out! LIVE CALCULATIONS (insert nerd face) of additional overhead costs of the benefits package relative to gross income per by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

63 min listen

Dan Ford of Ford Custom Renovations: Removing himself from the field and scaling up: “If you think you’re there, then you need to check yourself because you’ll never be, there’s always new materials comin out, new ways of doing things, a new trick… always learning.” For those of you that don’t know Dan Ford, Dan started as a one-man freelance carpenter band and now he’s got a design build firm. I love that Dan describes being a GC as chaos! It’s familiar because I always say it’s “trying to control chaos”. There is no one I’ve had on that I feel more parallels the experience as a GC. This is a tale of scaling up, building relationships and nurturing those relationships. Self-observation and personal growth (check) Learning trust and delegating (check) Cooperation and respect for the knowledge of the staff Diet, sleep, and stress Checking ego at the door And the last one rings true throughout this podcast episode. Dan knows he’s a work in progress and he’s humble when he shares his by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

90 min listen

Adam Corneil Of Unbuilders: Deconstructing the Demolition Mindset: “We know that people make the decision based on money and not the environment but there is this beautiful environmental narrative that is very impactful” This is a talk how the building industry decided that installed resources no longer had value. It was a time of abundance. It’s the economics of “unbuilding” instead of going to the landfill. It’s not a new idea, but a return to a lost practice. Getting contractors on board takes a while. If you’ve gutted a place, you can understand why. Price, but will it become affordable? Adam doesn’t just see the money, it’s a passion for salvage and preserving the earth’s resources and best illustrated by his teaching classes that will educate his competition in the industry. Adam is at the frontier of, not just waste, but standards of practice for abatement. His crew goes into buildings after asbestos has been removed, but current standards are not high enough to protect his by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

49 min listen

Michael Anschel of OA Design+ Build talks client perception, are contracts negotiable, the path to contracting and more...: In this episode, Mike welcomes Michael Anschel of OA Design Build and they go deep right away. Do we tell our clients how good we are? Does it sound arrogant? How do we move past our insecurities as professionals? Then, they blast into Mike treatise on contracts, "this is not a negotiation". But, Michael has considered this and parses the "my way or the highway" attitude vs. charging for your work and the duties that are assigned to that- guiding and teaching your clients. They revisit the importance of relationships from trade partners to family and friends. Michael And Mike discuss how they ended up as contractors bc it wasn't the original trajectory and how their prior experience helps them in their businesses. Then, on to the resources that they used to build upon and get to where they are today. There's a lot of laughs at the parallels in their lives. It's by The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

57 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

The Siding Guy, Desmond Tse: "Best practices for trade contractors"

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

Related podcast episodes