The Owner’s Toolset: Cost and Process Management Systems with Ian Parr - CCS International

Ian Parr joins the conversation to share insights from his extensive background in construction and the founding of CCS International. He delves into growth strategies, emphasizing the distinction between cost management and estimating, and the integral role of the owner in successful construction projects. Ian discusses early project planning, cost savings, and risk management, illustrated through a senior facility project case study. The episode explores the development and application of Tenzing software, the evolution of construction technology, and the importance of cross-training and staffing. Ian reflects on his career, offering advice to his younger self, and shares final thoughts on business scaling.

Redefining Design-Build With An Architect-Led Mindset with James Trahan - 180 Degrees Inc.

Join James Trahan as he discusses his journey in architecture and founding 180 Degrees Inc. He shares insights on risk-taking, design-build challenges, and revenue goals. The conversation touches on community involvement, philanthropy, and lessons from recessions. James highlights managing risks in unique projects, aligning client expectations, and using innovative technologies for challenges. Dive into project selection, competitive bidding, and the demands of residential vs. commercial projects. Sustainability, material upcycling, and historical preservation are emphasized, alongside leveraging technology in construction. James offers advice for aspiring AEC professionals.

Find What You Love and You’ll Never Work a Day in Your Life with Walt Brown Jr. - Diversified Partners

Walt Brown Jr. shares insights from his career journey, beginning with the impact of his first deal and the founding of Diversified Partners. He emphasizes the role of communication in business growth and the importance of building a strong team. The episode explores leveraging technology in commercial real estate, goal setting, and managing challenges in the AEC industry. Walt discusses the effects of the pandemic, the significance of training the next generation, and strategies for nurturing young talent. He also covers compensation strategies for retaining high performers, evaluating real estate investments, and measuring success. Reflecting on his experiences, Walt offers valuable advice for future leaders.

Maintaining Company Culture During Leadership Transition with Chris Kottra & Kami Farahmandpour - BTC

In this conversation, Justin Neagle and Will Foret speak with Kami Farahmandpour and Chris Kottra from Building Technology Consultants, Inc. (BTC) about their experiences in the engineering industry, the founding of BTC, and the importance of company culture, leadership transitions, and quality in their work. They discuss the challenges of hiring in a niche market, the significance of training for autonomy, and the role of litigation in honing expertise. The conversation also touches on reflections and advice for future leaders in the industry.

Understanding BIM: A Toolbelt for Collaboration with Jacob Hansen and Colten Browning - Hansen Consulting Group

Join Jacob Hansen and Colton Browning as they delve into their backgrounds in the AEC industry, emphasizing the importance of relationships and strategies for scaling firms. They explore the evolution of services with Building Information Modeling (BIM), discussing its purpose, application, and the need for buy-in and communication. A case study on BIM at TSMC highlights its practical use. The episode addresses challenges in scheduling, cost, and collaboration, stressing early involvement and coordination between contractors. Listen in for BIM war stories and success tales, offering insights and advice for newcomers to the field.

The Importance of Understanding Team Dynamics with Mark Davenport - SPS+ Architects

Mark Davenport discusses his career journey in architecture, from intern to managing partner at SPS+ Architects. He covers the firm's leadership structure, managing transitions, and role fit challenges. The conversation delves into business operations, including EOS integration for efficiency and the firm's evolving focus and expansion. Mark outlines future growth through studio specializations and examines how contract types are impacting the industry. He highlights using culture index for team dynamics, strategic planning, and process automation. Emphasizing growth strategies and technology's role in scaling, the episode concludes with ERP implementation lessons and time management advice.

AI's Role in Modernizing the Construction Industry with Adam Krob - Boh Brothers Construction

Dr. Adam Krob explores AI's transformative potential in construction estimates. He discusses challenges and opportunities in construction technology, focusing on data governance, legacy systems, and risk management. Key topics include overcoming data storage issues, leadership buy-in for tech adoption, and AI's role in safety-sensitive industries. Dr. Krob also addresses AI's impact on labor shortages, value engineering, and lean scheduling. The episode concludes with insights on selecting AI platforms, building a tiered AI model, and understanding shadow IT.

From Dirt to Dollars: A Family Business Journey with Jenny Williams - WDS Contracting

Jenny Williams discusses her journey in the family construction business and the significance of assembling the right team. She explores the CMGC delivery method, emphasizing its benefits in balancing work-life and technology adoption in construction. Jenny shares strategies for attracting and training new employees, highlighting the role of community engagement through events like construction rodeos. The conversation shifts to the evolving mindset in construction management, moving away from low-bid work, and the importance of building partnerships. Jenny also touches on the impact of DBE recognition and new growth opportunities in the industry, wrapping up with her closing thoughts.

Unlocking Success with Lean Construction and IPD with Darlene Cadman - Weft Strategies

Darlene Cadman joins Justin Neagle to discuss Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) in the AEC industry. They explore IPD contracts, focusing on collaboration, risk, and reward sharing, and emphasize target value design and team selection in lean construction. Darlene shares insights on lean practices, including respect for people and understanding flow, as well as pull planning, visual planning, and collaboration. The episode highlights the importance of leadership, accountability, and structured planning in both work and personal life. It concludes with Darlene's contact information and productivity hacks.

The Art of Talent Acquisition in Construction with JP Jaramillo - Nox Group

JP Jaramillo discusses his extensive experience in talent acquisition and recruitment, beginning with an introduction to Building Scale and his role at Nox Group. The conversation covers leadership's influence on recruitment, evolving technology, and the sales aspect of recruiting. JP delves into compensation strategies, growth opportunities, and balancing internal equity. He highlights the costs of turnover, recruitment metrics, and onboarding challenges. The episode emphasizes setting realistic expectations for long-term commitment, simplifying recruitment, and identifying and retaining top candidates. JP shares insights on leveraging technology, the importance of personality profiling, and offers reflections on his 20-year career in the industry.

Breaking Barriers: Women Thriving in Construction with Dr. Gretchen Gagel

Dr. Gretchen Gagel shares her journey in the construction industry, focusing on her role in industry committees and promoting diversity. She discusses technology's impact on scaling AEC businesses, overcoming gender biases, and the importance of diversity and organizational agility. Dr. Gagel reflects on leadership differences in various-sized companies and her chair role at Brinkman Construction. The episode explores strategies for attracting women to construction, addressing labor issues, and the role of cohorts in leadership development. It concludes with Dr. Gagel's insights on AI's impact, influential leaders, and organizational culture.

The Recruitment Dating Game: Self-Awareness & Authenticity Are Key with Jennifer Bookspan

Jennifer Bookspan joins the discussion to explore the candidate experience in corporate America, emphasizing hiring the right person and role alignment. The conversation delves into the book "Who Not How" and the challenges of rapid company growth, identifying candidate stages, and being honest about growth trajectories. Jennifer highlights the importance of core values and true company culture representation, along with recruiting improvements and the impact of effective onboarding. The episode also covers signs for employment change, succession planning, and transitioning identity for business owners. Addressing labor shortages and AI's impact in the AEC industry, the discussion concludes with talent development and employee assessment methods.

Carve Out Your Name: Why Branding is a Must for AEC Companies with Nicole Rodriguez - John Delano

Nicole Rodriguez shares her marketing journey, emphasizing understanding client needs and the evolution of content creation. She discusses advanced analytics, strategic thinking, and the importance of aligning sales with marketing. The episode covers building client relationships, identifying target markets, and crafting effective marketing plans. Nicole also explores SEO, PPC strategies, and the influence of company culture on marketing. She touches on applying B2C strategies in B2B contexts, promotes the AEC Growth Summit, and offers advice to her younger self.

The Importance of Team Dynamics in Architecture with Otis Odell - HED

Otis Odell joins the conversation to discuss his career and transition to HED, highlighting the merging of roles in business and architecture. He emphasizes the importance of core values and team performance, strategic planning, and organizational restructuring in AEC businesses. Otis explores adapting to virtual work, fostering a remote work culture, and maintaining connectivity. He provides market insights, including the launch of a Denver office and expanding project scopes. The discussion covers evolving business development strategies, sector-focused development, and resource sharing. Otis reflects on the future and offers advice, concluding with closing remarks and contact information.

A Different View: Challenging the Status Quo in Construction with Zach Simmons - Stronghold Construction

Zach Simmons from Stronghold Construction shares his journey from his origin story to founding the company. He emphasizes the importance of building trust and selecting the right partners in the construction industry. The discussion covers managing relationships with subcontractors, fostering leadership, and the role of data-driven decision-making. Zach reflects on legacy and work-life balance while navigating industry challenges and delivery models. He explains the role of an independent cost estimator and managing change orders, as well as pre-construction cost structures and achieving project savings. The episode also addresses overcoming resistance to change and offers industry advice, concluding with Zach's closing thoughts and contact information.

Optimizing Operations: Using Automation for Time & Cost Savings with Jessie Terry - BlueOcean Edge LLC

Jessie Terry shares insights on transitioning from employee to business owner and the challenges of post-holiday work. He discusses business planning, execution, and the impact of construction innovations and disruptions. Jessie provides an overview of Optimly and strategies for enhancing client experience. The episode delves into construction forecasting challenges, addressing labor shortages, and the importance of time management for entrepreneurs. Jessie emphasizes building and managing teams, continuous learning, and shares exciting projects and future plans. The conversation highlights the role of delegation and automation in job satisfaction, Jessie's positive influence, and concludes with his closing thoughts and a recap.

More Profit and Fun: Embracing Change in New Diverse Leadership with Jeff Meyers - DS Architecture

Jeff Meyers discusses the evolution of DS Architecture and its new partnerships, emphasizing the importance of embracing diverse ownership and transitioning business roles. He explores leadership dynamics and the firm's office culture, highlighting the evolution of decision-making processes. The conversation delves into embracing change for growth, teamwork, and navigating business cycles, along with strategies for conflict resolution and client evaluation. Jeff shares insights on market strategy development, diversity inclusion, and process refinement through EOS implementation. He also discusses adapting to prevent operational fractures, the development of the 8 Ball software, and the future vision for scaling the firm.

The Things No One Teaches You About Becoming a Partner with Chris Hamer and Megan Walsh - Aria Group

Chris Hamer and Megan Walsh from Aria Group share their career origin stories and the team culture at Aria Group. They discuss the path to becoming a partner or shareholder and address common misconceptions about bringing in new shareholders. The episode delves into strategic planning, partner responsibilities, and the role of structure and consultants in business growth. Chris and Megan explore growth strategies, company culture, and the alignment of performance reviews with core values. They emphasize the importance of core values in hiring and HR processes and how these values guide strategic business decisions.

Strategic Growth, Team Building, and Leadership Lessons with Tyler Sease - Southern Steel Engineers

Tyler Sease discusses his background in structural engineering and the niche of Southern Steel Engineers, exploring the impact of large corporations on its culture and operations. He shares insights on balancing roles in different business cultures, hiring practices, team building, and ensuring safety and accuracy in engineering amidst growth. The episode covers strategic hiring, process evaluation, growth planning, and role redundancy. Tyler highlights training and retention strategies, managing people and processes, and documentation methods. He also addresses remote work dynamics, team communication, assessing new hires, and sustainable growth, offering leadership advice and closing thoughts.

Defying All The Odds: Continuing Success With Longterm Thinking with Kendra Dinkins - Taylor Electric

Kendra Dinkins shares her journey and the history of Taylor Electric, highlighting the role of family and the challenges of market diversification. She discusses partnering with larger contractors and navigating MBE/WBE obstacles while emphasizing the importance of building trust in business partnerships. Kendra talks about proving worth as a minority-owned business, evaluating customer fit, and the significance of learning to say no. The episode delves into family business dynamics, decision-making, and managing economic downturns, including the impact of COVID-19. Kendra addresses employee loyalty, overcoming imposter syndrome, and leadership as an introvert, offering advice on self-care and work-life balance.