The Contractor Commute

The Contractor Commute

Welcome to the Contractor Commute, a podcast by ConGenius that you can enjoy during your daily commutes. Join us as was discuss the construction industry, small business owning, and how to be a better leader in the industry, no matter what your position is.

The Contractor Commute
2023-09-19 - 36 Minutes

Ep 32: Working with Your Family

Caleb and Ben worked together for a few years and still have a really good relationship...so how did they do it and should you do it?

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The Contractor Commute
2023-09-05 - 38 Minutes

Ep 31: Customers Not Paying? Resolving Payment Issues in Construction

What do you do when you've submitted an invoice and customers don't want to pay? In this episode, Ben and Kinsey dive into what to tangibly do to help you get paid AND what to do to stop it from happening again.

Contracting is hard enough, so make sure you're set up to inform customers and get paid!

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The Contractor Commute
2023-08-08 - 33 Minutes

Ep 30: Growing Your Construction Business

This episode of The Contractor Commute is a special one! Drew makes his final run as our co-host as he and Ben talk about how to grow and improve your construction business.

If you're just getting started or have been running your own business for a while now, it's still good to set goals and markers for yourself. We want contractors to win!

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The Contractor Commute
2023-08-08 - 42 Minutes

Ep 29: What Type of Insurance Do Contractors Even Need? | Interview with Mr. Insurance

We snagged Mr. Insurance for our podcast and he breaks down what insurance you might need, why you need it, and the best practices to save your business in the long run.

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The Contractor Commute
2023-07-25 - 28 Minutes

Ep 28: Running a Successful Construction Business | Being Confident in Your Costs

Whether your business is large or small, you need to know at what point you can start making money on projects. You have to know your overhead, what you want to pay yourself, and you need to know what the base needs of the project will cost. Material costs are just one aspect. We'll dig into the "why" and "how" in this episode!

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The Contractor Commute
2023-07-11 - 58 Minutes

Ep 27: Business Tips from a Craftsman | Interview with Mike Farrington

Drew sat down with Mike and learned all about how he runs his business. Mike is a unique business owner in that he has set his business up to thrive with him as the sole source of revenue. He has thought out and planned what he needs to consider himself successful and he has made strides to achieve it without ever needing to hire employees.

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The Contractor Commute
2023-06-27 - 57 Minutes

Ep 26: Creating a Leading Construction Business | Millworks by Design Interview with Dan Parish

On this episode of The Contractor Commute, Drew got the chance to chat with Dan Parish, the founder of Millworks by Design. Dan runs a large construction company out of California and shares the values, decisions, and heart that helped him get to where he is today.

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The Contractor Commute
2023-06-13 - 18 Minutes

Ep 25: It Doesn't Matter What the Competition Charges

When you have confidence in your costs, customers can have confidence in you and your value. Chasing the going rate won't help your business truly succeed. Focus on providing more value, establishing yourself as a reliable and quality business, and earn what you're worth.

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The Contractor Commute
2023-05-30 - 63 Minutes

Ep 24: Our Interview with Joe Everest: The Fence Expert

Joe is humble, wise, and a really great leader that knows how to make interviews fun. If you want to learn about taking over a construction business, building culture, and the realities of a growing business, this episode is for you!

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The Contractor Commute
2023-05-16 - 28 Minutes

Ep 23: Why It's Fair to Charge Material Markups in a Construction Business

Whether you make it up in your hourly rate or in your markup percentage, there are business costs that need to be accounted for throughout your various projects. It's fair. Let's talk about why.

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The Contractor Commute
2023-05-02 - 45 Minutes

Ep 22: Interview with Richard McMurray: Finish Carpentry TV

Drew had a great time sitting down with Richard McMurray and learning about how he got started, what prompted him to start recording and posting his work, and any advice he had for others like him.

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The Contractor Commute
2023-04-18 - 37 Minutes

Ep 21: Interview with Jeremiah Lee: Rock Solid Renovations

Drew sits down with Jeremiah Lee, a designer, estimator, and overall jack-of-all-trades for his father's company, Rock Solid Renovations.

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The Contractor Commute
2023-04-04 - 33 Minutes

Ep 20: Why Every Contractor Needs a Proposal Process

There are so many benefits when you focus on investing and establishing a proposal creation process. Let's check them out!

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The Contractor Commute
2023-03-21 - 40 Minutes

Ep 19: Interview with Mark Olson: Successful Contractor

Mark has valuable insight into how to run a contracting business, how to start all over in a new place, and how to pivot to become the premium choice in your location.

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The Contractor Commute
2023-03-07 - 36 Minutes

Ep 18: Building Accurate Estimates: A Winning Sales Process Part Two

Every estimate needs to be rock solid if you are going to charge correctly and ensure profits.

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The Contractor Commute
2023-02-21 - 30 Minutes

Ep 17: Building Accurate Estimates: A Winning Sales Process Part One

Every successful sale should be built around an accurate estimate with excellent customer service.

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The Contractor Commute
2023-02-07 - 30 Minutes

Ep 16: Building Accurate Estimates: Finding the Right Pricing Model

Every pricing model has pros and cons, so expect to hear their victories, their defeats, and more stories about each.

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The Contractor Commute
2023-01-24 - 30 Minutes

Ep 15: How to Navigate Conflict

If you work with people, especially in construction, you'll run up against conflict.

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The Contractor Commute
2023-01-03 - 21 Minutes

Ep 14: Contractors and Organization

Staying organized on the job site and beyond will help make you a more successful contractor!

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The Contractor Commute
2022-12-22 - 21 Minutes

Ep 13: Building a Reliable Team of Contractors

Loyal contractors and team members will help make you and your business more successful. In this episode, Drew and Ben talk through some things that you can do today to start building a reliable team or lean on the one that might be around you already.

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The Contractor Commute
2022-12-13 - 21 Minutes

Ep 12: Preparing Your Construction Business for Changing Market Conditions

The economy will always have ups and downs, but there are steps that you can take while the economy and your business are thriving that will help set you up for success.

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The Contractor Commute
2022-11-29 - 19 Minutes

Ep 11: Why Every Construction Business Needs an Accountant

The unfortunate reality about most self-operated businesses is that you can't do everything yourself. In ways large and small, construction professionals need someone to help fill in the gaps in their business, and this often showcases itself in the finances of a business.

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The Contractor Commute
2022-11-15 - 40 Minutes

Ep 10: Key Traits of Successful Contractors

Focusing on these traits will have clients view you in a more professional light, ultimately leaving a positive impact on your business.

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The Contractor Commute
2022-11-01 - 23 Minutes

Ep 9: Lessons Learned: Mistakes to Avoid in Owning a Small Construction Business

Drew and Ben have a tough, but fun, discussion about the mistakes they've made as business owners and leaders in construction.

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The Contractor Commute
2022-10-18 - 37 Minutes

Ep 8: How to Build a Healthy Sales Pipeline in Construction

Drew and Ben discuss the practical steps and practices that you can begin to build out a full and healthy pipeline. With a client pipeline prepared, your construction business can begin to thrive at a pace that you can manage.

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The Contractor Commute
2022-10-04 - 27 Minutes

Ep 7: What is a Healthy Sales Pipeline?

In this episode, Drew and Ben talk about the need for a healthy sales pipeline in every construction business. Over the course of their discussion, they share what makes a healthy sales pipeline, what makes an unhealthy one, and points of consideration for every job and customer.

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The Contractor Commute
2022-09-20 - 37 Minutes

Ep 6: Establishing a Financially Healthy Contracting Business

In this episode of The Contractor Commute, Drew and Ben discuss key mindsets, leadership tips, and business practices that will help you build a business that will survive for years to come.

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The Contractor Commute
2022-09-06 - 27 Minutes

Ep 5: Leading Well in Construction

While becoming your own leader in the construction space can provide a lot of freedom, there are also challenges to overcome and some helpful mindsets that will help set you apart. Let's take a look!

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The Contractor Commute
2022-08-23 - 22 Minutes

Ep 4: Why Good Guys Fail: Overhead, Profit, and Margin

In this episode, Drew and Ben are continuing in the series "Why Good Guys Fail" to discuss why so many construction and contractor professionals that are good at what they can do can fail.

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The Contractor Commute
2022-08-09 - 20 Minutes

Ep 3: Why Good Guys Fail: Managing Expectations in Construction

In this episode of The Contractor Commute, Ben and Drew discuss why good contractors can run businesses that fail. One of the root causes of business failures is unset and unmet expectations. Together, they talk about business practices and steps that will help you begin to set realistic expectations for yourself, your team, and your clients.

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The Contractor Commute
2022-07-26 - 36 Minutes

Ep 2: Making the Leap: Starting Your Own Construction Business

Drew and Ben discuss pitfalls, benefits, leadership thoughts, and business principles that will help you prepare yourself to take the leap and start your own construction company.

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The Contractor Commute
2022-07-12 - 26 Minutes

Ep 1: Interview with Ben Walsh

In our first episode of The Contractor Commute, Drew Williams interviews ConGenius CEO and Founder, Ben Walsh, on his construction journey so far and how that influenced him to create a new preconstruction software.

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