Podcast Guests

Mike and Brian are joined by Paul Hansen, Director of Client Services at SouthWest Landscape, Inc. Growing up as a son of a contractor, Paul went right to work for his dad’s company after college only to leave and work for a competitor soon after. Developing some unique skillsets and tools while away, Paul came back to SouthWest and immediately implemented them. With some strong pricing and client renewal strategies, not to mention hiring practices in the midst of a pandemic and labor shortage, you’ll want to put this one on repeat!

Mike and Brian are joined by Lance Smith, CEO of Smith & Son Construction, Inc. Growing up with a roofer as a father, he learned the value of grit and hard work very early in his life. So excited to go to work at 17, he lied about his age on a job application so he could get started, until of course, the company found out and had to let him go! But it’s this determination to move forward despite the obstacles that has propelled Smith & Son Construction forward despite the current pandemic. Learning to pivot in the midst of Covid, not only are they rapidly growing, they now have huge opportunities on the horizon that will help them to continue their meteoric rise! If you’re interested in learning from someone with hunger and a determination to get the job done right, this is your man. Thank you Lance for joining us!

Mike and Brian are joined by Kaitlin Frank, Superintendent of Dome Construction and Co-Founder of eMOD by BuildSafely, LLC. Kaitlin grew up on the jobsite in Boston while her dad worked. He’d toss Pepsi cans off the roof and it was her job to get rid of them. That love of construction carried her through college with her Masters in Construction Management and eventually to the warmer climates of California working with Dome Construction as a young female Superintendent – not an easy role to fill, but leading with positivity and a quick “Thank you” to her contractors on the jobsite has changed the day-to-day environment. Add to the fact that she’s spearheading the creation and utilization of eMOD, software created for Dome employees and eventually the construction world, which has transformed the way construction safety is managed. Her daily goal, like Rick Fisher, to have a place to work that is enjoyable and positive and, most importantly, to ensure her people go home to their families that night.

Mike and Brian are joined by Darren Keefe, Instagram’s new dancing carpenter sensation, founder and owner of Drumcree Designs and designer with HGTV’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Born in Northern Ireland, he and his family moved to Ohio as a child and fell in love with drawing and design. Pursuing his love of acting, he moved to Los Angeles in 1998, and like most aspiring young actors, started a survival job in construction working for a local General Contractor. Coupling construction and his love of design, he opened Drumcree Designs and in 2019, the two passions came together with HGTV’s revamp of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. He loves people, loves helping those in need, has an eye for space and design, and has a talent for bringing joy to others. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did making it!

Mike and Brian are joined by Anthony Graves, President of Graves Construction. Coming from a construction family growing up, it only made sense to build log cabins during the summers while in college in Northern California. That love for building and a degree in Construction Management led him to managing large capital projects as a Construction Manager and then, in 2015, setting out on his own with his wife Jasmine to start Graves Construction. Listening to the episode, you’ll see and hear Jasmine’s and his methodic approach to starting the business in 2015 and how they cleared $5 million in their first year! Now with a goal, just 6 years later, of $50 million in annual revenue, Graves Construction is still intentionally and methodically making those same moves they made to hit the ground running in 2015.

Mike and Brian are joined by Rick Fisher, Senior Superintendent of Robins & Morton. If you’ve listened to the show in any capacity, you’ve probably heard Mike mention this ethereal uncle out in Florida that builds hospitals and other ginormous capital projects. Today, you’re in for a special treat because we finally have him as a guest on the show! Rick runs huge jobs, including a current hospital project in Miami to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. But, you’ll see and hear very quickly, his management style and how they get these projects done, and even more importantly, his love for his people and his concern for their well-being – especially their safety on the job. Check out his story of the iron worker and his wife around the 26:30 section of the episode… the example is so simple, it’s brilliant. In fact, check out the whole episode. It’s so chalk full of stories and wisdom, you’ll want to put this one on repeat.

Mike and Brian are joined by Jeff Colton, President of Jensen Landscape – A Monarch Company. Jeff grew up working in the family landscaping business that quickly grew to be one of the largest in California. With his prior experience at Valley Crest running the Northern California operations and after the company sold in 2016, he was recruited to lead Jensen Landscape as President – one of the largest landscaping companies in Northern California. With a measured method of controlled growth, they’ve adopted the famous coach Marv Levy’s way of thinking – “Plan your work, work your plan” and that will lead to success.

Mike and Brian are joined by Charlie Evans, President of California Rock Crushers. Starting as a kid working for his dad’s company, Charlie and his brother were the default rock crushers simply because his dad hated it! That small task became a company and an obsession in 2000 and now with 12 different plants, and revolutionizing the industry by bringing rock crushing to the jobsite, not only are they more efficient, but they’re actually helping the environment. In fact, you could say they’re crushing it! Sorry… we couldn’t resist. But seriously, check out Charlie’s episode and learn how hard work, faith, and integrity changed the course of Charlie’s business!