00:00:00:19 – 00:00:17:03
you can go anywhere in the world. I can even go to Antarctica and get a job because of the skills I have, and I can be able to work and provide no matter what, because every place on the world needs somebody with skills to be able to do something.

00:00:17:03 – 00:01:14:18
Welcome to the Builder Hacks podcast, your go to destination for cutting edge strategies, time tested systems, and invaluable insights to revolutionize your construction business and elevate your life. Join your host, Nate Piper and Keith Mills. Seasoned contractors who are not just in the trenches, but are also pioneering the future of the industry through Concord University. In each episode, we dive deep into the minds of the industry’s most accomplished building professionals, uncovering their secrets to success and sharing actionable tips to help you thrive. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or just starting out, our goal is to empower you to build a brighter future for yourself and for America. Tune in. Level up and let’s build a better tomorrow together. This is the Builder Hacks podcast. Build your future. Building America.

00:01:14:18 – 00:01:41:27
And on today’s episode, one of the things that we wanted to get into but was why would you want to do this? So what are the good things about being in the industry and what challenges come from being in any of the trades? How one of those types of things I know, that’s the big question for so many people whenever they’re looking at this, because, I mean, like Nate and I have talked about before, one of the biggest challenges you get so is that programing that we all had whenever we went to school of, you’ve got to go ahead and go to college.

00:01:41:29 – 00:01:55:07
Well, and so why would you ever consider going ahead and doing something like the trades. So we figured, you know, well let’s give you a few reasons. So we’ve given you like some of the industries you could be in and some of the things that you might want to think about there. But let’s actually dive in. What does this mean?

00:01:55:07 – 00:02:10:18
How can it be a better life for you? What? You know, what are those rewards? So a Nate, I got a challenge for you today. All right, well, we’re doing these rewards, so I think we can get at least ten rewards for everybody that’s listening. So you go for the challenge, and then we’ll just go back and forth, I think is what we’ll do.

00:02:10:18 – 00:02:29:12
So you probably get more than ten. But let’s let’s start off with ten. We’ll set that. We’ll set the bar easy. So as far as that goes and then we’ll just keep raising it. How’s that sound? Perfect. Awesome. So why don’t you go ahead and and kick it off? So what is one of the biggest rewards? Well, it’s always my favorite.

00:02:29:18 – 00:02:50:06
It’s called money. Money, money, money. I love money, right? But the reality of it is, is that in the trades, you get paid for your time, your efforts, your energy, your dollars and all that above. And you’re not you’re not capped out like you are if you went to Starbucks and became a barista, right? Yeah. So you can have a lot more earning potential.

00:02:50:06 – 00:03:15:03
And that’s that’s the biggest one for me. It’s like you’re not capped. You have on unrestricted abilities to be able to have higher, higher money and be able to earn more, more just off of your your knowledge and your skills. So for me, number one is high earning potential. So I totally agree with that piece. And it’s one of those things where like you’re talking about some of the other big companies in the United States, like Starbucks and things like that.

00:03:15:06 – 00:03:31:18
When you go in a job in your big company, they’ve got that salary structure. If this is what you’re going to get. The nice thing about this is even if you’re working, like, let’s say you go into being a plumber and you learn how to be a plumber, you go ahead and take your test and get licensed. So then that’s whenever that that unlimited ceiling that Nate’s talking about comes in.

00:03:31:18 – 00:03:46:13
Because now you can go ahead and open up your own business. And that’s really where you get to go ahead and create something. So it’s huge magnitude literally you set wherever you want to be on that end. So I want you to go ahead and create. So I love that hiring potential I think that’s that’s a good one.

00:03:47:04 – 00:04:15:20
let me see. So for the first one for me, I think I’m going to go for job security Nate. That’s a good one. And and the reason why I say that is there’s so many different industries inside of construction. There’s always something there. And we’ve talked about this before because we’ve had people and I know you and I have done kind of the same thing where we’ve worked in different parts of the industry itself, and they’re more than willing to go ahead and take you on because of the fact that you already have some industry experience.

00:04:15:23 – 00:04:37:07
And that’s what they love, because they don’t have to explain everything to you. They you know, you may know how to read prints. You already know how to conduct yourself on a jobsite or in front of homeowners and things like that. So those skills are transferable, which is awesome. so that job security that you get from that, you know, if you go ahead and you decided, hey, I’m looking for something new or I’m looking for a better opportunity, maybe it is the money piece that you’re talking about.

00:04:37:10 – 00:04:58:07
You know, I’ve been with this company, and it maybe it’s a smaller company, and they can only go so far with what they’re looking to pay me. You know, there’s some other companies out there. You may be able to go ahead and take advantage of that. So I move. There’s always a demand. So and that demand is getting even bigger though now because we’re starting to get more and more people retiring out of the industry and less and less people coming in, which means that job security.

00:04:58:10 – 00:05:13:12
So you go ahead and do a good job. I guarantee you’ll have a job. Well, it’s one of those things where I, I actually brought that up to my in-laws when I was talking to them before I got married. And I, you know, because, you know, they were worried about and me being a husband and being able to take care of my daughter.

00:05:13:17 – 00:05:35:03
Yeah. And I told him, I said I will have consistent job security no matter what. I will not go into a rut and be out of that industry where I can’t afford to make money. Right. And so that was a big one for me, too. So I I’m right there with you guys. I think job security is, is, at the top of the list.

00:05:35:05 – 00:05:53:10
All right. Balls back on your side of the net. Well, when we follow up with job security, right, we follow up with career advancement, right? So you get you get another job. I felt like I set you up like a tee ball game, and I set the bar. Yeah, I was thinking about that the whole time, and it was like.

00:05:53:10 – 00:06:10:23
Well, then I already know, like, if we have jobs, security, you’re going to have job advancement, right? Because you’re not going to be stuck or pigeonholed. Right? So if you’re in there and you’re moving up and everything’s going, the sky’s the limit. And that kind of goes back to the earning potential and the job security, like all those things kind of work together.

00:06:10:26 – 00:06:30:25
So definitely career advancement. Awesome. Well, since I, since I gave you a big old watermelon to hit. So I’m going to go ahead and take one of myself. From what I had said on the job security side of things, the diversity of opportunities, your ability to be able to get into an industry, well, let’s say, like I started off as a framer.

00:06:30:27 – 00:06:44:28
So that was how I started off. Now, even for us with the company that I worked with, we did a little bit of everything. So like we did all the masonry stuff. we went ahead and did the framing. We went ahead and did all. We ran all of our like all of our mechanicals so that we have in the house.

00:06:45:03 – 00:07:02:19
So the maps is what we call them. So when we were in mechanical, we ran electrical, we were in plumbing. So we had, licensed tradespeople come inspect everything, make sure that we had it the way we needed to have it. So to go ahead and follow code and everything. But like we did all of that. And that’s the great part about it, is I got to see the things that I got different parts of the industry.

00:07:02:21 – 00:07:16:10
So and that to me was fun. So because there are so many different ones and you’re able to jump around. So if you do one for a while, like, well, I think I’ve told this story before, one of my guys is now one of my flooring guys, my one of my tile guys. So he used to work as a framer.

00:07:16:10 – 00:07:36:25
He used to work as a term carpenter. So, you know, he’s done multiple different things throughout his life because of the fact that there’s so much opportunity out there and we’re always looking for good people. There’s no question about that. If you’re if you work hard so and you’re easy to get along with, well, and you have attention to detail, so any of the industries will be more than willing to go ahead and hire you.

00:07:36:25 – 00:08:01:04
No question about it. Yeah, I think that’s a great one. You know, having diversity is always is always the key to being able to be happy and, and really learn and, and just have it have different experiences. Yeah. Well I’m going to follow that one up. I’ve got one that’s probably it’s probably even my favorite even above the money piece.

00:08:01:04 – 00:08:21:28
Right. Like I love the money tree. I don’t believe this, Nate. You don’t have to kill me with this one. Well, it it’s the tangible results, right? So what do you mean when you say tangible results? Okay, what I mean by tangible results is that I get immediate gratification, okay? I get to build something that wasn’t there before and turn it into something else.

00:08:22:05 – 00:08:44:03
I get to take something that was dirty and then turn around and make it clean. Right? Like I get to see immediate gratification and immediate results and they’re tangible. And I could go home at the end of the day and say, you know what I did that I did. And and that’s probably the biggest piece for me. I mean, I think I probably falls ahead of money, even though I like money.

00:08:44:05 – 00:09:01:18
Tangible results. That’s that’s, that’s a big one. and I love that saying, because I’m the same way you are. It’s one of those things I love to be able to drive through communities and things like that, especially ones where I’ve done lots of work and you could drive past multiple houses like I built that, I built that, I did this to that house, you know, and that’s, I mean, I decades later, I still do it.

00:09:01:22 – 00:09:15:01
Yep. Exactly that one. It’s fun because when you go to a community, once you’ve been in their work working and then they call you somebody else calls you in the community to go ahead and do a renovation or something like that, or in addition. But when you’re coming in to do that, it’s like they always go, hey, well, you know, what have you done?

00:09:15:01 – 00:09:27:14
So who can we talk to type of thing? I was like, well, let’s go talk to this neighbor, that ember, that neighbor, that neighbor. So that’s what I did on their house, that I built their whole house from the ground up. So if you like what you saw in there, then that’s very indicative of what we do. Yeah.

00:09:27:16 – 00:09:44:20
All right. So that I think that puts us at five Nate. Yeah. If I can correctly. Yeah. Five more to go. So we’re halfway home. So all right. One of the things that I love and this is whenever I was younger, one of the biggest challenges that I had. And my mom used to get on me all the time about this.

00:09:44:28 – 00:10:04:03
So is I would bounce job. The job, the job every 2 to 3 years maximum. I’d be looking for a new job, and most of the time it was changing industries entirely. So back at that point, I didn’t realize that I wanted to become an entrepreneur. And that’s why I was literally acquiring skills. So for me, it’s continuous learning and skill development is one of the big things that happens.

00:10:04:14 – 00:10:23:16
and it’s like, whatever you’ve talked on previous episodes, like whenever you first come out and get started, you’re the laborers for what you are, you know? So your biggest thing is you pay attention to safety. You pay attention to keeping things clean. You pay attention to having materials there for the guys when they need them. So it’s those little pieces that you start paying attention to then is you’re there a little bit longer and I’ll use the framing.

00:10:23:19 – 00:10:41:19
I, for instance, I like the framing ones. That’s what I used to do now is then they’ll start having to do cut and you can start doing some of the cuts, so on. It’s that continuous advancement. Even then when you’re doing cuts like as a framer, there’s so many different types of cuts depending on what you’re doing. If you’re doing a roof, so you’ve got plumb cuts.

00:10:41:19 – 00:11:01:09
So whenever you got the square cuts, whenever you doing, a framing on the interior of the house. So there’s so many different little things that you can go ahead and do. And that to me is a fun thing because I love the learning. I love it being different. The same thing every day drives me crazy. and that’s what’s definitely different about construction, about any of the trades, any of the industries.

00:11:01:12 – 00:11:18:12
There’s always going to be new challenges that arise. So especially if you do if you either do renovation work. So or if you do retail work, like if you’re the plumber or the electrician. So the Hvac, there’s always challenges that show up. You’re like, how the heck did this happen? And you’ve got to figure out a way to make it now work again, the way it’s supposed to work.

00:11:18:21 – 00:11:39:18
so to me, that’s constant skill development. When you’re doing that. Yeah, I love skill development. I was I hate being bored. It’s one of the reasons why I couldn’t sit in an office, and so I couldn’t sit in a cubicle. I couldn’t wear a tie. It’s like, I cannot do that. I have to be challenged daily. And, and that comes with skill development, you know, you know that piece right there.

00:11:39:18 – 00:11:51:21
And that’s what if anyone was looking at this and you are like, what Nate and I are as far as that park goes, where, you know, whenever someone goes, oh, you your job is going to be to sit in this cubicle and do this all day long. And all you can think of is that’s literally like prison. It is.

00:11:51:23 – 00:12:07:02
So if that’s not that. Yeah, that’s what I see it too. I hate whenever I have to have office days where it’s the whole day drives me crazy. and in those cases, that’s what like, if that’s you, construction could be an option for you. There’s no question about it. Because of that get you that opportunity to be out there.

00:12:07:04 – 00:12:43:00
Yeah. All right Nate you’re up. All right. Well I want to follow on the back of of skill development. And I’m gonna go with independence. Right. And go you. What do you mean? To have the autonomy to be able to pick and choose in which there really is entrepreneurship, right? Where you get to pick and choose which jobs you do and which ones you don’t do, and you get to pick out like which customers you want, which customers you don’t, you know, and and that independence is a lot better than having someone that, just tells you, hey, you have to go do this and do this and do this.

00:12:43:00 – 00:12:57:11
And yeah, you get to have some opinion of what did I do with it or don’t know it. And even if you’re in a low mental totem pole, you can make a decision of, do I want to do this job or do I not want to do this job? And then do I want to work for this guy or do not want to work for this guy?

00:12:57:16 – 00:13:17:16
Because once you have the skills now, you can kind of make decisions about what you want for your future. And so yeah, independence, entrepreneurship. I think that’s another great big plus. and I agree with you because you’re exactly right. There’s so many different ways that you can take that. You have a huge amount of choice that goes into that, whether it’s starting your own business.

00:13:17:16 – 00:13:32:25
So once you get to that point or whether it is just doing different things in the industry and making a choice, I mean, it’s like I look at things like my, like my flooring installers, they can make the choice on jobs where, hey, you know, this is a huge job. And like, my flooring installer is a great he’s a he’s a two man operation.

00:13:32:28 – 00:13:48:19
So they’re great with with bathroom renovations without a challenge. They can do flooring throughout the main house as long as we’re not underneath a huge crush. But there are certain things that they won’t do so. And whenever we talk about like they don’t want to do anything, that’s mud set as far as floor tile goes. So and that’s usually when you’re on stone and marble and stuff like that.

00:13:48:19 – 00:14:03:25
It’s like it doesn’t make sense for me to do. That said, I’ll never get it done in the timeframe that you’re happy with, so I don’t want to be underneath that pressure. So don’t call me if you have that, which is perfectly fine. No, I know that he tells me that I go ahead and make the choice, but that kind of independence is an awesome thing to have for sure.

00:14:03:25 – 00:14:27:11
So to get to do more of the things you want to do. All right. So I guess for back to me, I’m gonna you know what? Actually, that’s a good one. So one of the things that we’ve been seeing a lot, because I do in Orlando, there’s some areas that are older areas and all that old for Orlando at least, down here and we are able to go ahead and, and we’re able to, to redevelop the community.

00:14:27:15 – 00:14:48:16
So and that to me, so is a lot of fun because you get to bring houses up to date on the outside and the inside. Sometimes that means additions, sometimes that means new exteriors. Well, you know, it could mean going ahead and just redoing the inside, but changing the way the looks are from previously like that whole piece where you get the change, the way the community looks so is so much fun.

00:14:48:16 – 00:15:05:10
And it kind of goes back to that, being able to to see what you’ve done, type of thing. And a lot of times so many times, you know, when you get into things like gentrification and things like that, once it starts to happen in one spot in the community, then other people start doing the same thing and you can literally watch what is all become new again.

00:15:05:12 – 00:15:23:01
So to me, that’s great because that’s literally like the city’s living and breathing. So in the area you’re living in is living and breathing because it’s constantly changing. and that’s something that I love being able to be a part of. because it is, it’s that it’s a big impact. So and I love that impact piece. It’s constant change.

00:15:23:01 – 00:15:43:26
Right. And it’s constant, you know, evolution of of advancement. And there’s some areas that that advance and there’s some areas that decline. And, and it’s kind of weird where you get to, you know, do the advancements and then go back to the ones that are declining and start working on those. And so it’s like a never ending cycle of projects that are coming in.

00:15:43:26 – 00:16:06:08
It’s like, I don’t know, I, I enjoy that part too. I enjoy, you know, making things great and do it again. Yeah, that’s definitely a good time. So for me, kind of comes back to that same thing, right? It’s a variety of work environments. Right. So you can be, you know, over here, like for us, we can be in a, in a $3 million home one day.

00:16:06:08 – 00:16:31:08
And then we could be in a hotel another day, and then we could be in a $200,000 house the next day, and then an apartment complex. And then so the variety of work environments that we get to be able to, to be exposed to is is great. you know, I been in stadiums and, you know, been in hotels and, and high rises and all these different places that you never get to go to.

00:16:31:08 – 00:16:56:20
And so when you get to see them from a different perspective, it’s pretty fun. I mean, I enjoy walking down the, the hallways behind the curtain of all the, all the. Yeah. And things, you know, it’s it’s different. So work environment I love that piece. I agree that same piece that you brought up, it’s like the thought that popped off in my head and it was like for us down here in Orlando is being backstage at Disney.

00:16:56:22 – 00:17:16:21
So because everybody sees what the park is like, because they’re in the park, they’re in the, the hotels and things like that. So but they never actually get to see what’s going on. Well, and what it all looks like in the back. And that’s the piece that I love, that same thing and that it’s so different, whether if you’re in a stadium or you’re in a hotel or you’re in a home, I mean, it’s all very, very different.

00:17:16:21 – 00:17:33:12
So and that again, keeps it fun. Kind of goes back to what we’re talking about before we’re on the same. Righty. You know, and then it comes back to us telling us that, you know, if you like if you like the mundane day to day in the same thing, you know, you’re not going to get that in the trade.

00:17:33:18 – 00:17:49:25
So just know that it’s not going to happen. You might if you stay in the office and work in somebody’s office, okay. And you might get there you go. There are options for that. There’s less options. Yes, I agree with you. Most of this is definitely an industry where people get to go out and do different things all the time.

00:17:49:28 – 00:18:05:17
Well, all right I love that. All right. So that’s nine. So we’re at number ten Nate I’m getting the feeling we might be able to go past ten. What are you thinking. Oh all right I, I you saw me on that before we even got started. Because I’ve got about 50 in my head. Right. Perfect. All right.

00:18:05:17 – 00:18:30:17
Well, I’m going to I’m going to give number ten and then we’ll see how far we can take this. Okay. for me, one of the things I love, and it goes back to the whole change piece that we’re talking about in the variety, so is technological advancements. So it’s one of those things, I’m a Gen Xer, which means that I was around and had a childhood without all the computers and all the gadgets and all the smartphones and all the tablets and all that kind of stuff.

00:18:30:19 – 00:18:46:03
So but we got to see all of that tech coming and we got to start using it. And we’re the first generation that really started implementing those pieces. So to get everything moving to some of the places where they are now. so to me, seeing the technology come in and that’s, you know, different ways of managing things.

00:18:46:03 – 00:19:09:03
So smart systems for homes. So to go ahead and manage everything literally from, hey, turn the lights on and adjust the AC for you before you get home. You know, they go ahead and open the garage door whenever you’re getting close. So those are all of those types of things are cool and fun little pieces. So they go into it and we know over time they’re going to be able to go ahead and implement some of the things like robots to a certain degree.

00:19:09:03 – 00:19:30:06
I mean, certain things like I’ve seen, for pavers. So I’ve seen the big paver machines where they just load them with pavers and it lays the pavers, you know, type of thing. I mean, there’s, there’s some of those pieces that are coming out and they’ll get more and more. It’s just biggest challenge that they’ve it’s cool seeing what they come up with because they face some unique challenges on the construction side of being able to handle those diverse work environments.

00:19:30:06 – 00:19:50:06
Nate was talking about. because that’s that’s the big thing. You know, humans were able to adapt to those things, machines, they may get there at some point, but they’re not there yet. But we get to see it. We see drones. Yeah. You know, I mean, like my inspectors, the inspectors that come out, especially the home inspectors that come out for the homeowners and things like that, they drone, they actually check the roofs so they don’t hop up on the roof anymore for the most part.

00:19:50:13 – 00:20:10:04
So they’ll go ahead and walk over, you know, and do that. So seeing those kinds of things come in is cool. I know we’ve got photographers that we use for the business that do that same thing, you know, so I can get that, that up, that above shot. So especially whenever you’re doing new construction things. So it was really good to be able to document and be able to show that great gift to give the homeowners whatever you can give them those kinds of things to know.

00:20:10:07 – 00:20:35:29
So that those technological advancements to me are always fun to watch, come in. And because they help us out in so many different ways, bring costs down. So make things easier. Well, the technical, the technological advancements, for me is a big one because like you, I’m a Gen Xer, right. And getting to see all these things, well, you know, there’s been some evolutions in the construction industry that I’ve got to be a part of, and that’s been really fun.

00:20:36:01 – 00:20:59:22
Yeah. From the standpoint of like going from copper line to now PEX line, which is, which is plastic, it’s because sweating copper is not the easiest thing in the world. And I’ve actually caught a few houses on fire like that. So as I say especially, I don’t ever deal with houses that people are living in. But yeah, you know, you’re sweating copper around a pipe and you got like this much room to work in and, and you know, you’re, it’s a, it’s a wood frame.

00:20:59:22 – 00:21:21:27
So what are you doing? so being able to do the transfer between copper to now pex line where I just drill some holes and run run pipe through. It’s flexible and it moves and I don’t have to like make 90 degrees and make sure everything’s sweated in properly. Shark bites. That’s another one for plumbing, right? You didn’t have to sweat it any more and just pop it on and wrap it up to it.

00:21:21:29 – 00:21:49:01
And it was great. And so there’s a lot of these, you know, technical advances that are small pieces that we get to experience just in the evolution of construction, that that is before we even get to all the big robotic pieces. But I didn’t see a cool one. a couple days ago where it’s actually a roof, installer where he goes and he just lays the shingles down, and he’s just he hangs on to the roof and then starts, started talking it.

00:21:49:01 – 00:22:11:00
So there’s some big ones out there that are coming up. Yeah, I’m, I’m kind of curious how it’s going to handle a 1212 pitch, but yeah. But we’ll see. Those are the challenges we’re talking about in that county. They’re working on them. They’ll start with the easier ones. First is what’ll happen, and then they’ll get to the ones where there’s more, more things they’ve got to bring in to figure out to make it work.

00:22:11:00 – 00:22:36:08
Right. So yeah. Okay. So we’ve got ten now we want to go into the bonus round. Let’s go. Bonus. We always love bonuses. What are the things that I one of the things that I really enjoy is that I get my physical exercise in daily and and I’m staying active. And I could still bend over even with my, you know, extra weight and, and, tire around my belly.

00:22:36:08 – 00:23:01:16
I can still touch my toes. Right? I can still climb 4 or 5 stairs, you know, heights and stairs. And I don’t have any issues, and I and I’m, I’m physically able and maintaining and I don’t even have to go to the gym. So physical exercise for me and activity is, is another big plus. It’s I agree and I know one of our first got started in the industry.

00:23:01:20 – 00:23:18:27
So one of the big three pluses for me was the, you know, the fact that I was active. So I mean, I didn’t have to go workout because everything that I was doing all day long was working out. So I was in some of the best shape of my life when my brother was actually a carpenter. And you’re still right, even at this point right now, it’s that ability, since I’m up and down, you know, in and out.

00:23:18:27 – 00:23:35:14
So I still run up on ladders and run around on a roof. So I’m still crazy like that. you know, but for doing those kinds of things, I haven’t noticed anything. And, you know, I’m in my mid 50s now, so as far as that part goes and I haven’t noticed any slowdown on my end. So in any way, shape or form into it carries through.

00:23:35:15 – 00:23:47:04
So is what it comes down to. And I mean, for all those of you who worry about steps and things like that, you know, if that’s what you’re worried about. Yeah, my steps have got to be somewhere between 8 and 10,000 a day is typically what they average. So especially when we’ve got a lot of jobs going on.

00:23:47:07 – 00:24:02:22
And that’s and you figure that’s me doing those steps while also driving between jobs. Exactly. Going out to check up on things. So there’s a lot of activity out there and it definitely helps you feel better. So and and stay I mean even some of the guys I we look at it, hey not everybody that walks out there.

00:24:02:25 – 00:24:24:14
So is, you know, Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime, you know, whenever they’re on the job site. But even all the guys who are out there, even the ones who aren’t in what you consider regular shape or really good, you know, athletic shape like that, they’re still able to get around and do everything because of the fact that they do this on a daily basis, not activity on a daily basis makes a huge difference in your health.

00:24:25:13 – 00:24:44:27
yeah. All right. So physical activity, honey. All right. Yeah. you know, one of the things that I like and it’s, it’s funny because whenever we’re out there, one of the biggest pieces that goes ahead and lifts everybody up, so is the teamwork and the camaraderie that you end up getting on the the job side, like joking around with everybody.

00:24:44:27 – 00:25:00:22
Yeah. And especially when you work with the same guys all the time, you get to know their stories, which means you also get to know their pain points, which turns into fun at times. and it’s and you get those things that happen on the job that no one else knows. You can make that little, you know, that little comment type of thing.

00:25:00:22 – 00:25:16:12
And they all get it. And they smile and those types of things. And there’s so much with this industry so that, I mean, even for me, you know, and I don’t like I have my internal team so that I’ve got the people who work for my company. So but the majority of the people that work with me are all my business partners.

00:25:16:14 – 00:25:33:05
And there’s things with each one of them that I know. I feel like they’re all a part of my life, you know? And that to me is huge. So as to get to have that and they all pitch in and want to help each other out. So and that’s one because they all know each other. My guys have all been working together for, you know, well over a decade for most of them.

00:25:33:08 – 00:25:43:28
So they know it. They take care of the other person. They let them know if they come in there like, hey, I’m doing this, but I’m going to be out of your way in a few minutes. Like they work together that way and they’ll joke around too. I mean, they come in and bust on each other. That’s all part of the fun.

00:25:43:28 – 00:26:01:06
And having a fun workplace, is having that that camaraderie that comes out of working as a team. So and definitely working on on projects together and making things happen whenever it doesn’t seem like everything’s going our way, but all that stuff goes ahead and contributes to that piece. I always feel like it’s a, you know, extended family, right?

00:26:01:06 – 00:26:22:06
And it’s like all my cousins and fun people I get to hang out with are just family members, right and right. And, and, you know, you get in there and you get to know like, hey, what is your story? How many kids you have? What do you have in your next kid? Oh, your wife’s pregnant. Oh, hey, you know, I was on the phone the other day with with one of my guys, and, and he says, oh, you know, you know, my wife is pregnant.

00:26:22:06 – 00:26:46:05
I was like, no, I didn’t know. He was like, yeah, she’s having, our boy in, in next month. And, and this is his third kid. And, and I remember when he started, he didn’t have any kids. And yeah, going through this evolution, we’ve had conversations about, you know, life and marriage and kids and and now he’s on his third child and, and, you know, those are the those are the things that you get to be a part of each other’s lives.

00:26:46:05 – 00:27:20:01
Yeah. I really enjoy that piece. It’s one of the best ones for me. Definitely. All right. You’re 10th. What you got? You have anything else? Yeah. How about, environmental impact? Okay. What do you mean by that? Environmental impact. Meaning you get to, you know, have a decision on what is done in the environment, right? Meaning if you are building something or creating something, you have the choice of like, am I going to do this in a green fashion or am I going to do this in a like a wasteful fashion?

00:27:20:04 – 00:27:45:13
You also, you know, if it’s sustainable and all, or if it’s long lasting or how to make it sustainable, long lasting. Because when you’re in the construction industry, my goal always is to build something that is as grand and that will last and stay the test of time. Like that one, like the pyramids, right? I don’t want to put my hard, my effort, my energy into something and it lasts for, you know, two years and then it’s gone.

00:27:45:18 – 00:28:01:24
I want to build something that’s going to last forever. But you get to make those choices and not every, not every project’s going to last for, you know, thousands of years. But you get to be able to have some decisions of like okay can I make this the best it’s going to be. Can I do this right?

00:28:01:24 – 00:28:22:10
Can I do an environmental study and kind of understand what’s going on with this construction so that I can make it as as eco friendly as possible? And so being able to have that environmental impact and be able to get back into, you know, your back into the community like you did, is a big thing. So now I love that.

00:28:22:10 – 00:28:40:23
And it is you really do get them to help, form and actually bring to life. So a lot of the ideas that people have so on how to go and do things more effectively, like you’re talking about on the green side of things. So that’s sustainable. we actually get to bring all that stuff to fruition. All those dreams get to become reality based on what we do.

00:28:40:23 – 00:29:01:14
And that that to me is, is fun to be able to go ahead and upgrades. I agree with the entire list just to like, bring them full circle. I was watching, the NBA playoffs against the Timberwolves, and they had a big, big shot of the the target Stadium. And on top of the Target Stadium, they have it’s grass.

00:29:01:21 – 00:29:19:21
So they have now the, a great initiative to make that stadium into a green building, which most people didn’t even see it. They didn’t even acknowledge it. They don’t even know it’s there. Right. But for me, I was able to see it and be like, you know what? That’s pretty cool. I’m glad that they’re bringing down the temperature inside the building.

00:29:19:21 – 00:29:45:23
I’m glad that they’re being able to use eco friendly stuff to be able to to do those things. And so for me, you know, having an environmental impact is awesome. No question about it, though. All right. Here’s one of the things. And this for me is, is a great thing about this industry, because whenever you first think about construction, a lot of times people have that impression that it’s all about how young you are, how strong you are.

00:29:45:29 – 00:30:03:11
So you know, how you’re being able to do everything physically in the field. And for a lot of the pieces in this and a lot of the different paths inside of construction, that’s definitely the case of how you get started. But one of the great things about it is there’s a diversity to what ends up happening as you are in the industry longer.

00:30:03:21 – 00:30:17:22
Nate’s already talked about a little bit. You know, you get the chance to be if you want to be the business owner, entrepreneur, which when you start doing those things. So there’s a lot more forward facing things where you’re in front of homeowners doing sales, you’re going in and creating teams, keeping people moving along on the project management side of things.

00:30:17:24 – 00:30:38:27
So where you’re not necessarily using that is you’re not using the physical skills that you had there, but you’re using the knowledge that you gained and still applying it. So and making things, typically making things better. I mean, I know that’s one of the big things that I do. It’s one of the reasons why I love what I do is because I’m able to take all of those experiences, and even the ones we’re having now on current jobs and apply them and make future jobs even better.

00:30:39:07 – 00:30:59:07
and that same thing, there’s different opportunities out there to on those career paths. I mean, I’ve had people that have been in construction before and then have gone into, you know, being, the home inspector like we talked about before, or whether it’s someone who goes into a real being, a real estate agent. So because they really like, they started doing this, you know, like, hey, we’ve worked for some investors that that’s kind of interesting.

00:30:59:07 – 00:31:14:01
They want to go down the investing route. So and they actually take for what they started in this industry and apply those skills that are project manager. You’re great project manager. You can be effective on the real estate investing side because you’re able to handle a diverse number of things going on at the same time, helped guide them to a finish point.

00:31:14:09 – 00:31:36:17
So there’s so many different ways to take what you can go ahead and pull together. So in the construction fields and apply them in other ways. As you grow, as you learn and as your interest change. So over the years, so that that diverse set of career paths that come out of working in construction, so whether it’s staying in the industry itself or getting into other industries that are close to it, that’s a great one.

00:31:36:19 – 00:32:30:23
You know, it’s nothing like being able to diversify a little bit. Yeah, definitely makes a big difference. All right Nate. So you got anything else I got another he give us one more thing. So I’ve got I’ve got one more big one. And I think this is a I think this is probably it’s definitely in my top five. and it is global opportunities. And I personally like to travel and I like to see different places of the world. and I could do it inside the United States, but I’m going to say global opportunities. But with having skills and trained and knowledge, you can go anywhere in the world. I can even go to Antarctica and get a job because of the skills I have, and I can be able to work and provide no matter what, because every place on the world needs somebody with skills to be able to do something.

00:32:31:01 – 00:32:55:23
And so, being able to travel and work and be able to live in different spots. I spent five years, traveling around the U.S chasing storms and working in disaster zones, and I had I had an amazing experience. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world, and I got to live in different cities. I got to meet different people.

00:32:55:23 – 00:33:17:20
I had to I got to, you know, experience different foods and, and different cultures and, and that was so impactful for me. And then I’d taken that and I’ve gone and I’ve gone overseas and I’ve done some projects in Europe and then some over in Saudi Arabia. And, and some of those projects were, were small and they’re quick and in, in and out.

00:33:17:27 – 00:34:05:25
And, but there’s opportunity for me to go back. I was in Doha and also in the Middle East, and they were just building like crazy. And I had an opportunity. I wish I had taken it, but then we didn’t want to move to Doha, but it was doing a high rise and it could have been a 4 or 5 year long project and a great, you know, city in, in the middle, right. And then a part of the world. So there are opportunities to grow and go beyond your city, your state, your country. and that is a big, a big plus. And, and I love that piece. I know, I think I talked to Nate about this a little bit already today. So is that my nephew right now works for a company, and that’s one of the things that he does.

00:34:05:27 – 00:34:24:06
So he goes ahead and he travels for his job. He works locally. But yet a few weeks out of the month, they’re a national company and he’s one of the people, that works really well on the service side. And they send him out to go and help repair equipment. So and he gets the chance to go all over the United States, to be able to do that.

00:34:24:08 – 00:34:41:28
So and that’s, it’s a that’s in the construction industry is what it is. So he gets, great time. I know even same thing like what Nate was talking about. They did it a lot more extensively than I did. But I’ve had people I’ve had literally friends and family who lived in the northeast. So back in, oh nine, in 2010, whenever the economy had gone ahead and, and dropped down.

00:34:42:00 – 00:35:02:00
So I had friends who lived in the northeast that were doing stuff to their homes up there, and they actually brought me and my crews up there. How’s those fellows so and paid us for doing the work up there, because even by doing all of that and assuming those cost, it would still more cost effective for them than hiring the local people, that were up there just because of the cost differences.

00:35:02:00 – 00:35:17:25
So in the areas, I don’t know, that would work as much anymore, because Florida has definitely taken a jump up, though, on that side of things from where it used to be, but it’s gave me the opportunity to go up there and same thing. It’s there’s tremendous opportunities, whether it’s in the United States, whether it’s traveling overseas.

00:35:18:05 – 00:35:33:10
I’ve got neighbors talking about all of this Doha opportunity. There’s a lot of those. If that’s something you love to do, you can set yourself up that way by learning the skills, getting really good at what you do well, and then look for those international operators, look for companies who who do work internationally. Got to put something that you like to do.

00:35:33:12 – 00:35:50:00
Yeah it’s a great opportunity to see the world. No question about it. Well hey Nate I think we did really well. So I mean I was 15 so maybe, maybe we artificially set the bar a little bit low. We could have had known that we were going to go higher than that. But I thought it was a good a good starting point at least.

00:35:50:06 – 00:36:07:01
So to get us kicked off. Well, I always enjoy having these conversations because it just we get to open it up and and span and and think about things a little bit. So no question that’s it. I love that that back and forth piece for sure. and I will say I know the next one we want to get into.

00:36:07:01 – 00:36:23:21
And we’re probably going to hold this for another episode at this point. So is the challenges from the industry. But because right now, you know, hey, we had a good episode here. So I think we’ll go ahead and drop those and another one you guys should be able to catch in that. So in the future. So and and of course, one of the big things we go ahead and look at is if you got value from this.

00:36:23:21 – 00:36:40:29
So make sure to share these hacks. So with other people in the industry now or future builders make sure to like this episode. Take 10s to give us a review or rating. So obviously the more reviews we get, the higher the ratings we can help out more current and future builders of America, and that’s really what we’re looking to do.

00:36:40:29 – 00:36:54:24
That’s what Nate and his mission is with this piece. So we want to know what other topics you might want to hear more about. So if there’s other things, do you know you’re going to hear about the challenges in the construction industry? But if there’s other things inside of construction, you’ve got questions about the industry, about certain trades.

00:36:54:29 – 00:37:09:09
So send those over to us, put them in the comments. So down below. We’d love to be able to go ahead and do that well. And then make sure if you take this episode, if you love this episode, screenshot this. So post it on your social media. So to let other people know about it. So that’s a great thank you to us.

00:37:09:09 – 00:37:24:27
And and I both appreciate that, to be able to keep building this whole movement so that we’ve got so we can go ahead and get some new people in. Well, to Concord University to be able to help train some people for the industry, because one of the future episodes is also going to talk about what we’ve got coming in this industry.

00:37:25:06 – 00:37:38:17
there is a huge number of opportunities, and that’s all I want to say right now. We’re going to tease you a little bit with that one, but let’s just keep on building our future building America. So talk to you on the next podcast coming up real soon.