Explore every episode of the podcast The Construction Leading Edge Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How You're Accidentally Making Your Team Resist Change | Ep. 465 | 12 Oct 2026 | 00:59:05 | |
Your team keeps resisting new processes and software, and the way you roll out change might be the reason. Dr. Anna Hunter, Director of Learning & Development at JobTread, breaks down why teams resist change and how to lead them through it so it sticks. ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE 👉 You introduce a new process or a new piece of software, and within a week the team is right back to the old way of working. You've explained it three times. They nodded along in the meeting, and then nothing changed. Before you blame the team, sit with the harder possibility: the way you're leading the change could be the thing producing the pushback. Todd sits down with Dr. Anna Hunter, Director of Learning & Development at JobTread and author of "Adapt to Adopt: A Human Approach to Software Implementation." Anna works with contractors on the people side of change management, and she explains how capable leaders accidentally manufacture the resistance they're fighting. They dig into idea dumping, organizational whiplash, the difference between reluctance and resistance, why AI has become a shortcut around your own team, and the reason change can feel like a grieving process for the people living through it. You'll also get a practical walkthrough for rolling out something new, from a software system to a simple daily log. Anna lays out how to earn real buy-in and build a team that stays steady when things shift, along with what to do about the person who refuses to come along. Whether you lead a crew of three or an entire company, leading people through change is most of the job. Listen to the full episode for how to make the change actually stick. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Are You Creating Resistance Without Knowing It? 03:52 Introducing Dr. Anna Hunter of JobTread 05:00 How Leaders Create Organizational Whiplash 08:52 Belay: Reclaim Your Time 10:28 Why AI Quick Fixes Leave Your Team Behind 21:22 Reluctance vs. Resistance: Know the Difference 24:28 Business Evaluation Call 26:08 Why Pushing Past Reluctance Backfires 29:00 Change Is a Grieving Process 36:06 When Someone Just Will Not Get on Board 42:00 Crash Course: Rolling Out Something New 54:00 Where to Find Adapt to Adopt Additional Resources: ⚡Check out JobTread: HERE ⚡Adapt to Adopt: A Human Approach to Software Implementation: HERE ⚡Get started with Belay: HERE ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: https://constructionleadingedge.com/ The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! #ConstructionBusiness #ContractorMindset #GeneralContractor #BuilderCEO #ConstructionSales #ConstructionLeadingEdge #ContractorGrowth | |||
| You're Solving the Wrong Problems in Your Construction Business | Ep. 464 | 05 Oct 2026 | 00:25:07 | |
In this episode of the Construction Leading Edge podcast, Todd Dawalt explains why construction business owners keep solving the wrong problems, and how looking upstream at your pre-construction process fixes the chaos at its root cause. ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE 👉 Years ago, the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC was slowly being damaged by its own cleaning crew. The stone kept getting dirty, so the obvious fix was to clean it harder and more often. But the real cause was nowhere near the stone, and it took someone asking a completely different question to find it. Todd Dawalt uses that story to explain a pattern he sees in construction businesses all the time: owners work hard to solve the exact problem in front of them and end up making things worse. Your project managers feel overwhelmed, so you look for ways to improve their performance. Clients make selections too slowly, so you go hunting for a better way to track allowances. These responses sound reasonable, but the problem showing up in the field usually started weeks earlier, upstream in pre-construction. Answering the surface question just helps you get better at solving the wrong thing, which can cost you months of effort and real profit while the chaos keeps coming back. In this episode, Todd breaks down the "just enough to start" trap and why your business produces exactly the results it's designed to produce. He also gets into what it really takes to nail the handoff between pre-construction and the build. If it feels like problems are always landing on your desk, this one will help you see where they're actually coming from. Key Takeaways: 00:00 The Jefferson Memorial Bird Poop Problem 02:20 Free Resources: Builder CEO System and Buyout Playbook 04:00 When Solving the Wrong Problem Makes Things Worse 05:46 The Just Enough to Start Trap 08:10 Nail the Handoff: What It Should Look Like 09:32 Belay: Reclaim Your Time 11:06 The Ten Most Common Wrong Questions in Construction 20:08 Step 1: Build a Strategic Blueprint for Your Business 21:44 Step 2: Become a Great Pre-Construction Company 23:18 Step 3: Build Your This Is How We Do It Playbook Additional Resources: ⚡Download the How to Buyout a Construction Project Playbook - HERE ⚡Builder CEO Weekly Operating System - HERE ⚡Get started with Belay - HERE ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel: HERE ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: https://constructionleadingedge.com/ The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| Stop Putting Out Fires by Building a Real Pre-Construction Process | Ep. 463 | 28 Sep 2026 | 00:22:39 | |
On this rerun episode of the Construction Leading Edge podcast, custom home builder Eric Brownson sits down with our Director of Customer Success, Leyah Hostetter, to talk about how he used to wake up three hours behind, stuck in reactive mode and buried in daily firefighting. Here's how building a real pre-construction process changed how he runs his construction business. ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE 👉 For twenty years, Eric Brownson ran his construction business the way a lot of custom home builders do: as the backstop for everything, taking on all the work his crew could handle and waking up most mornings feeling three hours behind before his feet hit the floor. The days were reactive, the stress never let up, and he'd convinced himself that hair-on-fire pace was simply the cost of building high-end homes in the mountains of Colorado. A couple of realizations flipped how he saw the whole operation. First, he wasn't alone in it; builders everywhere were fighting the same fires. Second, and harder to swallow, the chaos traced back to one part of his business he'd spent decades treating as an afterthought: pre-construction. Naming that gap was one thing. Doing something about it is where this episode really opens up. Eric gets candid about what he had to let go of and what shifted once he put a real pre-construction process in front of his projects. If you're a custom home builder or remodeler stuck in reactive mode, starting jobs before scope and selections are fully dialed in, his story is a look at what's waiting on the other side. Hit play to hear how he's climbing out, in his own words. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Introducing Eric Brownson of Sweet Homes Additional Resources: ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: https://constructionleadingedge.com/ The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! #ConstructionBusiness #ContractorMindset #GeneralContractor #BuilderCEO #ConstructionSales #ConstructionLeadingEdge #ContractorGrowth | |||
| Why Generic Business Coaching Never Works for Your Construction Company | Ep. 462 | 21 Sep 2026 | 00:17:26 | |
Kris Miller runs a commercial, multifamily, and residential construction company in Denver, and he is on his way to cutting his workweek from 80 hours down to 10. In this episode, he shares the construction business systems that got him moving, from a simple weekly client update to an accountability chart that finally put the right people in the right seats. ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE 👉 For years, Kris and his two partners treated the rough handoff between preconstruction and the field as just part of the job. They would get enough information to start a project, then spend the build tracking down answers they should have had on day one. It worked well enough, but it came with long hours and a steady stream of fires to put out. A few changes started to move the needle. The first was a weekly update his team now sends to every client, an idea so simple that Kris and his partner Mike wondered why they had not done it years earlier. The second was mapping their whole process onto a whiteboard and getting honest about who really belonged in each seat. Leyah and Kris get into what those shifts did for the team, and why the easiest one had the biggest effect on customer questions. Underneath the systems sits a bigger goal. Kris has already brought his own hours from 80 a week down to 40, and he is aiming for 10 by the end of the year. He talks about why he never bought into the grind, and what it felt like to take his first real trip since finishing the program. He is not all the way there yet, but he is close to running the company without being in the middle of every decision. If you are tired of running your construction business on guesswork and long hours, this conversation is worth your time. Let's get into it. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Introducing Chris Miller of KLM Construction 03:14 Life Before the Program 05:38 Construction Does Not Have to Be Chaotic 07:26 The Weekly Report That Killed Client Questions 09:28 Why Generic Business Coaches Failed Him 11:52 The Accountability Chart Light Bulb 13:06 Nailing the Handoff 14:08 From 80 Hours Down to 10 15:32 Done With the Work Work Work Mentality 16:14 Closing and Next Steps Additional Resources: ⚡Get started with Belay: HERE ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: https://constructionleadingedge.com/ The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| How to Turn Customer & Employee Excuses Into Action | Ep. 461 | 14 Sep 2026 | 00:40:03 | |
Every construction business owner hears the same objections: now isn't a good time, this will take too long, and it's too big to tackle. In this episode, Todd Dawalt breaks down the three excuses that keep customers and employees from taking action, and the calibrated questions that get them to move. ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE 👉 If you run a construction company, you already know the moment. A prospect tells you now just isn't a good time, and the job stalls out and dies. Or you ask an employee to take on a new process and they say they don't have time, so the change never happens. Push too hard and they dig in. Back off and nothing moves. You can tell there's something underneath the excuse, but you can't quite name it, and you definitely can't get past it. In this episode, Todd Dawalt walks through the three excuses that show up again and again in the construction sales process and any time you try to get your team to change something. The catch is that these excuses don't sound like excuses when you're the one making them. They sound like facts. Todd breaks down the distortion of reality hiding behind each one, and the kind of questions that get the other person to inspect their own thinking rather than dig in and defend it. And there's one more place these excuses show up that hits a lot closer to home than most owners expect. If there's a decision you keep pushing to January, a hard conversation you keep putting off, or a project that feels too big to start, this one is for you. Give it a listen before your next sales call or team meeting, and see how many you catch yourself making. Key Takeaways: 00:00 The Excuse That Killed the Deal 01:20 Excuse 1: Now Is Not the Right Time 05:08 The Doctor and the Busy Schedule 06:04 Jedi Questions for the Timing Excuse 08:02 Excuse 2: It Is Going to Be Too Hard 10:12 Belay: Get Your Time Back 11:48 The Real Cost of Doing Nothing 13:20 Jedi Questions for the Inconvenience Excuse 14:02 Excuse 3: It Is Too Big to Tackle 16:44 The Mount Everest Problem 20:12 What Construction Business Owners Do to Themselves 22:36 Now Is Not the Right Time for You 26:02 This Is Going to Be Too Hard for You 29:18 This Is Too Big for You 33:24 Three Steps to Break the Pattern 38:46 Which Excuse Are You Using Most? Additional Resources: ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: https://constructionleadingedge.com/ The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| Why Starting Projects Too Soon Is Killing Your Profit | Ep. 460 | 07 Sep 2026 | 00:34:02 | |
Todd Dawalt explains why starting construction projects before they're fully ready creates "dead days," the hidden overhead that bleeds profit out of your business. This episode breaks down the "just enough to start" trap and how a complete pre-construction handoff and buyout protect your schedule and margins. ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE 👉 Most construction companies are rewarded for movement. Everybody wants to see sawdust and smell diesel, so jobs kick off the moment there's "just enough to start." Todd Dawalt calls this the just enough to start trap, and it's where dead days come from: working days on an active project when real production could have happened but didn't. Nobody's doing billable work, yet your overhead keeps burning. On a company spending $2,000 a day just to exist, those hidden losses stack up fast. Here's the part most owners miss: a dead day shows up in production, but the cause almost always lives back in pre-construction, sometimes months before the job site ever goes quiet. Todd breaks down the five root causes of dead days and why the empty job site you're staring at was almost never created on the job site. Chasing the fix during production means barking up the wrong tree. The fix runs counter to instinct. Todd makes the case that starting sooner rarely means finishing sooner, then walks through what it takes to hand a job off complete, so your field team isn't finishing the planning while they build. He also shows why throwing more sales and more people at the problem only makes it worse as you grow. If your jobs start loose and finish late, this episode shows where that profit is going and what to change first. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Starting Sooner Is Why You Finish Late 01:00 What a Dead Day Costs You 07:26 Free Buyout Playbook 08:14 The Hidden Profit Bleed Nobody Tracks 09:50 Your Daily Overhead Burn Rate 15:38 Belay: Get Your Time Back 16:30 Stop Blaming Your Subs and Super 17:32 Five Root Causes of Dead Days 24:00 Start Slow to Finish Fast 24:54 Step 1: Finish Selections Before Handoff 25:50 Step 2: Buy Out Before Production Starts 26:40 Step 3: Own Pre-Construction Accountability 28:32 Why Growth Makes It Worse 32:28 Business Evaluation Call
Additional Resources: ⚡Download the How to Buyout a Construction Project Playbook - HERE ⚡Get started with Belay: HERE ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| How to Design Your Construction Business for Growth, Profit, and Freedom with Tom Raisanen | Ep. 459 | 31 Aug 2026 | 00:51:05 | |
Designing a construction business with the right systems and processes from day one is how you build for lasting profit and freedom. New Hampshire home builder Tom Raisanen shares how he set up pre-construction, project handoffs, a CEO schedule, and his first hire so the company can eventually run without him. ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE 👉 Here's how to build a construction business that runs without you, starting with the systems most owners wait too long to put in place. After 15 years in his family's construction business, Tom Raisanen struck out on his own and launched Raisanen Home Builders in Southern New Hampshire. Most builders chase projects first and deal with the business side once chaos and burnout force the issue. Tom built the systems and processes to grow before he hired anyone or broke ground on his first new home. On this episode, Todd Dawalt and Tom get specific about what that looked like. They dig into charging for pre-construction as a profit center, and why a paid process filters out tire-kickers and funds real planning. They break down nailing the handoff from estimating to the field, with drawings and selections locked in up front so the schedule doesn't stall. Tom explains why he gets every selection made before the build starts, and how carrying allowances sets builders up for change-order fights later. From there, they get into how Tom runs his week like a CEO, planning each day ahead so he does owner-level work instead of grabbing a hammer because it's the easy thing. He shares why a virtual assistant was his first hire and how she keeps him accountable to protected CEO time. Narrowing his focus to the Big Five keeps him out of the hundred-item to-do trap. If you want more control and fewer costly mistakes while you build a company that can eventually run without you, this one's worth your time. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Building the Business Right From the Start 02:28 Free Resources: Builder CEO and Buyout Playbook 06:16 Introducing Tom Risanen of Risanen Home Builders 09:34 Business Evaluation Call 12:06 Why Tom Built Systems Before Projects 15:22 One Estimating Mistake Can Cost You Everything 17:00 How Tom Started Charging for Pre-Construction 21:10 No More Free Estimates 22:26 Nailing the Pre-Construction Handoff 28:06 How to Get Clients to Make Selections on Time 30:28 The CEO Schedule and Staying in Your Lane 33:00 Why a VA Was the First Hire 37:46 The CEO Alliance and the Power of a Peer Group 43:08 Construction Does Not Have to Be Chaotic 47:28 One Piece of Advice Before You Make the Jump Additional Resources: ⚡Builder CEO Weekly Operating System - HERE ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| What To Do When Your Construction Business Finally Runs Without You | Ep. 458 | 24 Aug 2026 | 00:43:30 | |
You systematized your construction business and now it runs without you, so what do you actually do next? Todd Dawalt and CEO Alliance coach Monish Khadye break down the operator-to-owner shift and how to build a construction business that supports the life you want.
👉 Most construction business owners spend years chasing the same goal: a company that runs without them. But what happens once you actually get there? In this episode, Todd Dawalt sits down with Monish Khadye, a coach who leads the CEO Alliance member team, to talk through the problem that shows up when the systems finally work and the phone stops blowing up. You've made the shift from operator to owner, and now you're staring at your calendar asking who you are without the business. Todd and Monish dig into the head trash that keeps owners glued to the day-to-day. Fear that hides behind procrastination. The belief that nobody can do the work as well as you can. An identity that got wrapped up with the company over decades of building it. They also name a warning sign Todd calls the firefighter who becomes the arsonist, where owners who miss being needed start creating the problems they used to solve. Then the conversation gets practical. Monish lays out the pieces that let a construction business run without its owner, from the right people in clearly defined seats to documented processes and a financial dashboard that projects the next twelve months. Todd shares the federal prison thought experiment his members used to expose how dependent their businesses still are on them, and how the same answer solves business continuity if something ever happens to the owner. Real builders are already doing this, taking long trips while their companies keep turning a profit. Consider this your starting point. Key Takeaways: 00:00 When the Business Runs and You Don't Know What to Do 04:00 What Actually Keeps Owners Stuck 06:50 The Hidden Fears Behind Procrastination 11:24 Your Business Should Not Be Your Identity 13:32 Real Client Stories: Travel, Racing, Missions Work 16:46 The Firefighter Who Becomes the Arsonist 22:36 The Federal Prison Thought Experiment 25:04 What Happens If the Owner Is Gone 30:06 The Power of a Peer Group 38:40 Design the Life You Actually Want Additional Resources: ⚡Register for The Construction Leadership Advance - October 22-23, 2026 in Nashville -HERE ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: https://constructionleadingedge.com/ The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! #ConstructionBusiness #ContractorMindset #GeneralContractor #BuilderCEO #ConstructionSales #ConstructionLeadingEdge #ContractorGrowth | |||
| The Skywalk Collapse & The 5 Decision Questions Every Construction Leader Must Train Their Team On | Ep. 457 | 17 Aug 2026 | 00:38:17 | |
The 1981 Kansas City Hyatt skywalk collapse came down to one unchecked decision, and it holds a hard lesson for every construction business owner. In this episode of the Construction Leading Edge podcast, Todd Dawalt shares a decision-making framework of five questions and four tips to train your team to make better calls in the field and in pre-construction. ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE 👉Your team makes dozens of decisions a day, and most were never trained on how. In this episode I break down the five questions and four tips that help construction leaders make sharper calls under pressure, before the pressure hits. Give it a listen, then share it with whoever on your team needs it most. On any given day, the people on your construction team make dozens of calls that touch your money, your schedule, and your safety. Most of them have never been trained on how to make a decision well. Todd Dawalt opens this episode with the 1981 Kansas City Hyatt skywalk collapse, a disaster that traces back to a single design change nobody stopped to question, and uses it to show what happens when decisions get made on gut feel instead of a framework. From there, Todd lays out a practical decision-making framework any construction leader can teach: five questions to run before acting, and four tips for moving faster without moving recklessly. You'll hear where Colin Powell's 40/70 rule fits, why thinking three steps ahead saved one company from serious liability, and how the cost of indecision stacks up while you wait. The through-line is pre-construction. The more decisions your team locks in before a job starts, the fewer expensive fires they fight once it's running. If your project managers and superintendents keep winging it in the field, this is the episode to share with them, and a preview of the exact skills Todd is training at the Construction Leadership Advance in Nashville this October. Key Takeaways: 00:00 The Collapse That Started With One Bad Decision 03:54 How Many Decisions Your Team Makes Daily 06:26 Construction Leadership Advance in Nashville 07:34 Five Questions for Better Decisions 08:42 Question 1: When Does the Risk Profile Change? 10:02 Question 2: Do You Even Need to Decide? 11:22 Question 3: Who Should Be Involved? 13:28 Question 4: What Is the Desired End Result? 14:44 Construction Leadership Advance: Second Mention 16:36 Question 5: What Is the Cost of Indecision? 19:44 Business Evaluation Call 23:22 Tip 1: The Colin Powell 40/70 Rule 24:50 Tip 2: The Lynyrd Skynyrd Three Step Rule 28:02 Tip 3: Set a Decision Deadline 30:18 Tip 4: Decisions Take Seconds 34:24 Construction Leadership Advance: Final Mention 35:04 Recap and Closing Additional Resources: ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| How To Hold Employees Accountable: The Big 5 System | Ep. 456 | 10 Aug 2026 | 00:32:52 | |
Todd Dawalt breaks down how to hold employees accountable in your construction business using the Big 5 Accountability System. It's a simple, repeatable way to build ownership across your team without micromanaging or hovering all day. ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE 👉If you're constantly repeating yourself and correcting the same mistakes, this episode hands you a five-step system to hold your team accountable without chasing everyone down. Hit play to build accountability into your business instead of carrying it on your shoulders. If you've ever felt like you hired adults but you're still babysitting them, this one's for you. Todd digs into the story of J.R., a construction business owner who brought on a new office hire and immediately felt buried. He was repeating himself, following up, fixing mistakes, and wondering why nobody would take ownership. J.R. said he didn't want to be corporate or micromanage his people. But here's the uncomfortable truth Todd unpacks: when you have no systems, micromanagement becomes your only management system. From there, Todd walks through the Big 5 Accountability System, a five-step approach that moves accountability off your plate and into a repeatable machine. It starts with fixing the structure instead of the person, then defining what winning looks like for each role in three to five clear outcomes. Since results like 'on schedule' and 'on budget' are lagging indicators, he shows you how to reverse-engineer them into leading indicators of success: the daily and weekly activities, like daily logs and two-week look-aheads, that actually drive the outcome. He rounds it out with the pieces most owners skip: a checklist for what 'done right' actually looks like, training built on real examples, then a trust-but-verify rhythm to inspect and reinforce the work. The big reframe? Most people problems in construction are really systems deficiencies. Fix the system and you stop playing whack-a-mole with your team. If your business still runs through your head, this episode is where you start getting your time back. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Why you're still babysitting your team 03:28 No systems means constant micromanaging 06:02 Accountability starts with clarity 06:56 Step 1: Define roles and responsibilities 09:04 Step 2: Define what winning looks like 10:38 Step 3: Create leading indicators of success 15:28 Step 4: Build a checklist and train your team 19:34 Step 5: Inspect and reinforce (trust but verify) 22:00 How to delegate accountability 26:38 Most people problems are systems problems Additional Resources:
⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: https://constructionleadingedge.com/ The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| How Builder CEOs Get Sh*t Done (Without More Willpower or Fixing Your ADHD Brain) | Ep. 455 | 03 Aug 2026 | 00:47:44 | |
If you stay busy all day but the work that actually grows your construction business keeps getting pushed to tomorrow, the problem probably isn't your willpower or your ADHD brain. In this episode, Todd Dawalt breaks down the deep work system builder CEOs use to cut interruptions, protect their time, and get the important work done. ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE 👉 You start the week knowing exactly what you need to work on, then somehow reach Friday having answered every email and put out every fire while the work that actually moves your business never got touched. Todd Dawalt calls the hidden culprit the Owner Interruption Count: the running total of calls, texts, job site notifications, and questions that land on you in a single day. Once that number climbs past 75 or 100, the issue isn't your personal discipline. Your business has been designed so every decision flows back to you. The answer Todd lays out is the deep work session: one or two protected blocks each week, each pointed at a single concrete outcome. He reframes what your time is actually worth, shows why scattered five-minute pockets never add up to real progress, and explains how attention residue drains your focus every time you switch tasks. From there he shares ten field-tested tips, from getting out of your usual office and putting your phone on airplane mode, to using a virtual assistant to protect the block, leaning on accountability, and treating AI as a thinking partner. The point of every session is to solve a recurring problem at the root so it stops returning, and to free up more hours for the high-value work only you can do. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Why Good Intentions Don't Get Things Done Additional Resources: ⚡Builder CEO Weekly Operating System: HERE ⚡The Remote Assistant Playbook: HERE ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| How Cody Scaled His Custom Home Business to Increase Profit and Win Back His Life | Ep. 454 | 27 Jul 2026 | 00:46:37 | |
Custom home builder Cody Reimer went from a burned-out two-man crew to running a 12-person company that operates without him in the day-to-day. Todd Dawalt breaks down the construction business systems and the paid pre-construction process that moved Cody out of the field and into a real CEO role. ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE 👉When Cody Reimer reached out to Todd Dawalt, he was close to hanging up the belt. He had a two-man operation and a crew that had left one guy at a time. Worse, he was starting to see that he was the bottleneck. As long as every decision ran through Cody, the business had no room to grow. The turnaround started with systems. The first real one was a paid pre-construction process, which became Oaken Builders' biggest sales and marketing tool. Instead of giving away free estimates, Cody learned to sell on value. He asks clients about their past building experiences and what they're really afraid of, then shows how planning the house on paper protects both their budget and their peace of mind. Clients say yes. He also built an accountability chart and a CEO calendar so his hours stay on the work that moves the business forward. The results show up in the numbers and at home. Top-line revenue and margins are both up, and the team has grown to twelve people in defined seats. Cody now works under forty hours a week, and he recently took a full week off on short notice without anything falling apart. A lot of that traces back to a who-not-how shift: stop asking how you'll get it all done and start asking who's built to do it. Key Takeaways: 00:00 From Two Man Operation to 12 Person Team: Cody Reimer's Story 01:06 Free Assessment: Is Your Construction Business Ready to Scale? 04:02 Introducing Cody Reimer of Oaken Builders 06:00 The Low Point: Close to Quitting and Considering a Career Change 09:16 The Big Realization: You Are the Problem in Your Business 12:36 Why Entrepreneurs Chase New Ideas Instead of Building One Thing 14:48 The E-Myth Light Bulb Moment 15:38 The First Monday the Phone Was Quiet 17:40 The Three Systems That Changed Everything 20:00 Business Evaluation Call 22:28 How Cody Sells Pre-Construction as a Paid Service 25:40 Pre-Construction Happens Whether You Plan It or Not 29:10 How the Business Runs Without Him Now 31:24 Who Not How: Hiring the Right People for the Right Seats 35:00 The Mental Malware That Keeps Owners Stuck 37:10 Keys to Actually Implementing Change in Your Business 40:06 CEO Alliance: What It Is and What It Did for Cody 42:26 From Sanding Nail Holes to Strategic Planning Sessions Additional Resources: ⚡Is Your Construction Business Ready to Scale [Free Assessment]: HERE ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| Why Waffle House Is More Systematized Than Your Construction Business | Ep. 453 | 20 Jul 2026 | 00:31:19 | |
If you're a contractor working 60 to 80-hour weeks and still putting out fires, here's an uncomfortable truth: Waffle House is probably more systematized than your construction business. Todd Dawalt sat at the counter during a lunch rush and walked out with four systems lessons that show exactly where your company is bleeding time and profit. ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE 👉 It started with a cook's shirt that read "$2 Million Club." That sent Todd down a rabbit hole into how Waffle House runs its line with no iPads, no kitchen displays, and no software, just a grill and a process most contractors can't match. He breaks down the "pull, drop, mark" order handoff and why a real-time, face-to-face handoff kills the ambiguity that buries your project details in Dropbox folders and email threads. From there Todd unpacks the "magic marker" plate code that lets any cook run the line at any location, and what it teaches you about building a "this is how we do it" playbook so your project managers and supers stop running five different versions of your company. He also makes the case for radical transparency, moving from a black box to a glass box, and why letting clients see how the sausage gets made earns you trust and far fewer fights over price. The last lesson is the one Todd says might be the most valuable, and it comes back to that $2 Million Club shirt. Status and recognition move people harder than a small raise ever will. He shares how his own Extra Mile Club changed behavior across a 50-person company, and how to build your version so your best people feel seen before they go looking elsewhere. Key Takeaways: 00:00 What a Waffle House Shirt Taught Me About Construction 01:38 Free Training: Get Out of Your Construction Business 02:22 Lesson 1: The Pull Drop Mark Method 05:50 Why Most Handoffs Break Down 08:04 Lesson 2: The Magic Marker System 13:30 Business Evaluation Call 16:02 Lesson 3: Radical Transparency 20:30 How Clients Fill Silence With Their Worst Fears 21:58 Lesson 4: The Two Million Dollar Club 24:00 The Extra Mile Club and the Poker Chip Story 27:00 Four Waffle House Lessons Recap Additional Resources: ⚡How to Use the Moneyball Strategy to Run Your Construction Business Like a Machine: HERE ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| The 5-Step Hire Right System: How Construction Business Owners Can Hire Better with Justin Landry | Ep. 452 | 13 Jul 2026 | 00:54:37 | |
Hiring for your construction business shouldn't feel like an emergency every time you do it. In this episode, Todd Dawalt sits down with JL Talent Solutions founder Justin Landry to break down a five-step system for hiring better construction employees without leaning on gut feel. ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE 👉 Most construction owners only start hiring when someone quits or the team is already stretched past its limit. Justin Landry calls this the reactive hiring trap, and it's why so many builders end up hiring for skills when the thing they were really missing was fit. Justin has spent ten years helping high-end construction companies across North America make data-driven hires instead of gut-feel gambles. In this conversation, he and Todd dig into why the "all the good people are gone" story is usually fear doing the talking, and why your strongest candidates are almost never the ones actively scrolling job boards. Todd also makes the case for what an owner's time is actually worth, and why "I'll just do it myself" tends to cost far more than it looks. From there, Justin walks through his Hire Right System, moving from how you build a candidate pipeline before you ever have an opening all the way to the structured, scorecard-based interview that takes the guesswork out of who you bring on. He also gets into why a fat paycheck alone won't land great people, and how a smaller company can put together an offer that beats what the big firms are waving around. If hiring has felt like a fire drill every single time, Justin and Todd lay out a calmer, repeatable way to get it right. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Why Hiring Feels Like an Emergency Every Time 01:54 Free Masterclass: How to Escape Day to Day Operations 03:14 Introducing Justin Landry of JL Talent Solutions 04:50 The Reactive Hiring Trap and Why It Keeps You Stuck 06:00 Gut Fit vs. Right Fit: How to Hire for Culture 09:00 Why You Should Be Recruiting Even When You Have No Vacancies 13:10 Your Time Is Worth $1,000 an Hour 18:12 Business Evaluation Call 20:44 Scarcity Brain: The Real Reason Owners Avoid Hiring 22:16 Step 1: The Magnet: Build a Pipeline Before You Need It 25:44 Step 2: The Filter: Screen Smarter With Assessment Data 27:22 Step 3: The Blueprint: Match the Person to the Role 31:56 Step 4: The Walkthrough: Structured Scorecard Interview 39:20 Step 5: The Close: Make an Offer Built Around the Whole Person 43:44 Client Results: Andrew at GDG and Jeremy the Estimator 48:08 Three Options When You Know You Need to Hire 50:36 Free Hire Right System Scorecard and How to Reach Justin Additional Resources: ⚡Escape from Day to Day Operations So You Can Focus on Being a Visionary CEO [Free Masterclass] - HERE ⚡Hiring System Scorecard & Checklist: HERE ⚡Learn more about JL Talent Solutions: HERE ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! #ConstructionBusiness #ContractorMindset #GeneralContractor #BuilderCEO #ConstructionSales #ConstructionLeadingEdge #ContractorGrowth | |||
| Crossing the Rubicon & the Desperate Ground Principle for Builders | Ep. 451 | 06 Jul 2026 | 00:30:45 | |
The year is half over. Are you halfway to your goals, or halfway to another year of almosts? In this episode, Todd DeWalt breaks down why so many construction business owners stay stuck overthinking the decision they already know they need to make, still camped on the wrong side of their own Rubicon, waiting on a little more research and a little more certainty before they move. ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE 👉 Todd pulls from three places to make the point: Caesar crossing the Rubicon with no plan B, Sun Tzu putting his own troops on desperate ground so they'd fight with everything they had, and Colin Powell's 40/70 rule for when to stop gathering information and decide. The through-line is simple: most construction business owners don't have an information problem, they have a decision problem. He breaks down why you save your sharpest problem-solving for emergencies you didn't choose, the angry client, the payroll you have to make, while you let the decisions that would actually change your life sit and gather dust. The fix isn't trying harder or reading one more book. It's flipping the order. Successful entrepreneurs commit first, then calculate the rest as they go. You'll walk away knowing how to name the one decision you've been circling, how to run the 40/70 check on it, and how to take one visible action with real consequences before the episode is over. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Halfway to Your Goals or Another Year of Almosts? 01:32 Download the Free Strategic Planning Guide 02:36 Why Caesar Crossed the Rubicon 06:22 Sun Tzu's Desperate Ground: No Plan B Changes Everything 08:34 The 40/70 Rule: When to Pull the Trigger 11:00 The Commit Then Calculate Strategy 13:28 The Extra Gear That Only Shows Up With No Plan B 18:42 Why You Save Your Best for Emergencies You Didn't Choose 21:36 Name Your Rubicon: The Decision You Have Been Avoiding 27:08 Your Business Is Designed to Fail Without You 29:46 Cross Your Rubicon and Take Action Additional Resources: ⚡Create your Strategic Plan for the Next 12 Months: HERE ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| AI Is Lying, Customers Aren't: Radical Transparency and Culture-Building with Eric Fortenberry | Ep. 450 | 29 Jun 2026 | 01:08:22 | |
Why are you still stuck in the middle of everything, even with the best tools, a solid team, and steady projects coming in? In this episode, Todd DeWalt sits down with Eric Fortenberry, founder and CEO of JobTread, to dig into the real reasons contractors stay under-profitable and overworked, and what it takes to finally get off the hamster wheel. ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE 👉 Eric has worked with over 12,000 construction businesses, and he sees the same pattern over and over: owners who don't know their numbers, won't delegate, and treat AI like an easy button. In this conversation, he and Todd break down the job costing most contractors skip, how to delegate so your team actually takes ownership, and why "don't trust and verify" is the rule for using AI on your projects. Eric also gets candid about JobTread's culture and why he only hires people who've lived through the chaos of construction, how he built radical transparency into the company, and why he keeps turning down the private equity offers piling up in his inbox. If you're a CoConstruct user staring down the sunset, he explains why moving on your own timeline beats getting forced over at the last minute. You'll walk away with a clearer view of where you're the bottleneck, where AI helps and where it quietly costs you, and what the next three to five years look like for an industry full of more informed, more demanding homeowners. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Why You Are Still the Bottleneck Even With Good Tools 03:14 Free Buyout Playbook 04:10 Introducing Eric Fortenberry Founder and CEO of JobTread 05:46 The Single Biggest Reason Contractors Stay Stuck 09:14 Why Delegation Fails Without Clear Outcomes 13:20 How JobTread Practically Teaches Delegation 17:30 AI in Construction: The Real Benefits and the Hidden Risks 27:14 The AI Bubble: Is It About to Burst? 36:36 How the Construction Industry Will Change in the Next 3 to 5 Years 41:14 JobTread Culture and the Power of Radical Transparency 47:26 How JobTread Decides Which Features to Build Next 50:54 CoConstruct Is Shutting Down: What Users Should Do Now 57:34 Why Eric Will Never Sell JobTread 01:01:46 Radical Transparency as a Business Philosophy 01:05:18 Closing and Where to Find Eric
Additional Resources: ⚡Download the How to Buyout a Construction Project Playbook - HERE ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| The Hidden Design Shift That Unlocks Growth, Profit, and Free Time in Your Construction Business | Ep. 449 | 22 Jun 2026 | 00:25:17 | |
Can you grow your construction business, pay yourself real profit, and still work a normal 40 to 50 hour week? Most construction business owners are working harder than ever and going backwards. ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE 👉 If you're grinding 60-hour weeks and every decision still runs through you, the problem isn't what you think. If you own a construction business, this is the question that keeps you up at night: how do you grow, pay yourself real profit, and get back to a normal week? Todd Dawalt has helped hundreds of contractors work through exactly that, and in this episode he reframes the whole thing. The long hours and the constant firefighting aren't the real problem. They're symptoms of something underneath. Todd uses a story every contractor will recognize to show why working harder, hiring more, or buying another piece of software won't move the needle. There's a reason your best people don't step up and every decision still lands on your desk, and it has nothing to do with effort. Whether you're a custom home builder, remodeler, general contractor, or trade business doing $3 to $10 million a year, this episode will change how you see what's holding you back. Listen in, then take the five-minute action item Todd lays out at the end. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Can You Actually Grow and Still Work 40 Hours a Week? 01:22 What Business Owners Tell Todd Every Week 03:36 Your Business Is Producing Exactly What It Was Designed To Produce 07:58 The Difference Between Symptoms and the Real Problem 10:00 The Shift From Being the Machine to Designing It 12:26 What It Looks Like When It Works: John Springstead and Darren Yester 15:16 Download the Free Strategic Planning Guide 16:08 How Andy Kulp Took Two Weeks Off and Barely Got a Phone Call 17:34 Why Pre-Construction Is the Secret Profit Phase 21:44 Business Evaluation Call 24:16 Five-Minute Action Step
Additional Resources: ⚡Download your Strategic Planning Guide: HERE ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| The One Question That Finally Gets Your Clients To Follow Your Process | Ep. 448 | 15 Jun 2026 | 00:39:34 | |
Got construction clients who miss selection deadlines, go around your communication process, then blame you when the schedule slips? In this episode of the Construction Leading Edge Podcast, Todd Dawalt shares the one question that gets your team to hold clients accountable to your process without sounding rigid. ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE 👉 You'll walk away with a simple three-step framework for getting clients to follow your process: find the parking brake, ask your team one question, and build your "This Is How We Do It" playbook. When a client misses a selection deadline or texts the superintendent to get the answer they want, that's rarely where it ends. It becomes a materials delay that forces you to reschedule trades and eats into your profit. Todd breaks down why clients miss their commitments while your company takes the blame, and how every exception your team makes weakens the process until there's no real process left. The reason your team struggles to hold clients accountable usually comes down to what Todd calls a competing commitment. Your project managers and selections coordinators may want to enforce the process, but they're also committed to avoiding conflict or not making the client feel rushed. That's the parking brake. Until you find it and release it, reminders and pressure won't move anything. Good leadership means locating the blocker and removing it, not pushing harder on the gas. That leads to the one question Todd put in front of 20 leaders at an 800-person construction company in Guatemala: "How does it benefit our clients to follow our process?" Once your team connects your process to what the client actually cares about, their budget and their own schedule, they enforce it with confidence instead of reacting to it. Todd closes by showing you how to build a "This Is How We Do It" playbook, with scripts for late selections, change orders, and side-channel conversations. Key Takeaways: 00:00 When Clients Ignore Your Process and You Take the Blame 02:00 Why One Late Decision Creates a Domino Effect 07:12 When Your Team Handles Client Pushback Differently 09:36 Business Evaluation Call 12:40 Step 1 Find the Parking Brake 17:18 Step 2 The One Question That Changes Everything 19:50 Whats in It for the Client to Follow Your Process 22:34 Step 3 Build Your This Is How We Do It Playbook 26:00 Set Client Expectations Early Before Theres a Problem 29:12 Give Your Team Scripts for Predictable Situations 35:18 Recap and Five Minute Action Step Additional Resources: ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| Short-Staffed or Just Disorganized? 5 Tests Before You Hire | Ep. 447 | 08 Jun 2026 | 00:41:13 | |
Before you hire your next superintendent, project manager, or estimator, you need to know whether you have a capacity problem or a process problem. Todd Dawalt walks construction business owners through a five-step hiring framework to make smarter, more strategic staffing decisions. ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE 👉 If your PMs are stretched thin, your supers can't be everywhere, and every question still finds its way back to you, it's easy to assume you need to hire. But in a lot of construction businesses, the bottleneck isn't headcount. It's a pre-construction deficiency, a fuzzy accountability chart, or a performance issue everyone's been working around. Todd walks through the five things you need to do before you bring anyone on: confirm who's actually accountable for what, audit your handoff process, run the math on real management hours, have the honest conversation about whether someone on your current team isn't owning their role, and forecast the full cost of the hire, not just the salary. The goal isn't to avoid hiring. It's to hire at the right time, for the right reason, with the financial data to back it up. Because adding headcount to a broken system doesn't fix the system. It just gives the chaos more room to spread. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Short-Staffed or Just Disorganized? 01:40 When Hiring Makes Things Worse 04:08 The Five-Step Framework 07:50 Business Evaluation Call 10:42 Step 1: Clarify Accountability First 14:32 Step 2: Fix Pre-Construction Before You Hire 18:44 Step 3: Do the Math on Hours 21:22 Step 4: Is It a Capacity or Performance Problem? 24:50 Step 5: Know the True Cost of the Hire 31:14 Three Hiring Pitfalls to Avoid 37:54 Five-Minute Action Step Additional Resources: ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| The 4 Questions to Ask Before You Try to Fix What's Not Working | Ep. 446 | 01 Jun 2026 | 00:33:38 | |
Something feels off in your construction business but you can't pinpoint it. Sales are slipping, the team's out of sync, or projects feel chaotic, and your instinct is to add more meetings, more software, more hours. In this episode, Todd Dawalt breaks down why throwing action at the problem usually makes it worse, and walks through four diagnostic questions that help you find the real issue before you spend energy in the wrong place. If you've been running with your feet in quicksand and can't figure out what's really wrong, this episode gives you a simple way to diagnose it before you waste another month. 👉 If you're tired of throwing action at problems that won't go away, tune in. ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE Most business owners think the answer is more. More meetings, more software, more hours, more oversight. Todd makes the case that the real problem is asking the wrong questions. When you default to addition every time something feels off, you end up with a heavier business and the same underlying issue you started with. Todd walks through what to ask, starting with what you stopped doing that was working, then what you should stop doing altogether. You'll hear a real story about a custom home builder in Virginia who eliminated a painful step in their process. He also breaks down the 80/20 principle and why Steve Jobs cut 70% of Apple's products when he returned in 1997. The framework closes with the fourth question most owners never ask, the one that pulls you out of the DIY box. If you've been trying to figure it all out alone, this is the shift that changes Key Takeaways: 00:00 When Something Feels Off and You Can't Put Your Finger on It 02:04 Why Adding More Is Usually the Wrong Move 05:54 The Simple Framework: Pause Before You Act 07:42 Business Evaluation Call 10:42 Question 1: What Did You Stop Doing That Was Working? 12:44 Question 2: What Should You Stop Doing Altogether? 19:44 The Steve Jobs Subtraction Lesson 23:54 Question 3: What Is Actually Working? Find the Formula and Turn the Crank 27:34 Question 4: Who Can Help You Figure This Out? 32:04 Five Minute Action Item and Recap Additional Resources: ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| How to Sell on Value Instead of Price | Ep. 445 | 26 May 2026 | 00:31:40 | |
If your prospects are ghosting you, dragging their feet, or making the final decision based on whoever has the lowest number, the problem probably isn't your price. It's that you're selling the plunger. In this episode, Todd Dawalt breaks down why most contractors spend too much time talking about their company and not enough time talking about what the client actually wants. He shares a four-step sales framework for getting prospects to make faster decisions, stop hiding their budget, and see you as the obvious choice. Todd walks through how to uncover the desired end result, identify the risks and obstacles standing in the way, position yourself as the path of least resistance, and introduce the investment only after the value is fully established. If you've been winging the sales process and wondering why deals keep stalling out, this episode gives you a repeatable framework you can put to work right away. 👉 If you're tired of putting in the work only to get ghosted at the finish line, tune in. Most contractors think they lose deals on price. Todd makes the case that the real problem is leading with the wrong thing. When you talk about your company history, your core values, and your fleet of trucks, you turn yourself into a commodity. Clients aren't buying a plunger. They're buying a result, and the contractor who figures out what that result actually is will win the job every time. Todd walks through four steps for shifting from commodity to trusted advisor. It starts with asking the right questions to identify what the client truly wants, then uncovering the risks and landmines they may not have considered. This is where you separate yourself from the competition, not by pitching harder, but by listening better and showing them you understand their project at a level nobody else has. The framework closes by helping you create urgency without pressure. Todd shares how to get clients to articulate the cost of doing nothing, why price should always come last, and how positioning yourself as the path of least resistance changes the entire dynamic of the sales conversation. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Why Prospects Ghost You and Deals Fall Apart at the Finish Line 03:00 Your Business Is Like a Toilet Plunger 05:00 Selling the Plunger vs. Selling the Result 08:10 The Four-Step Sales Framework Overview 09:00 Step 1: Identify the Desired End Result 12:00 Future Pacing and Flipping to the Back of the Book 14:00 Step 2: Uncover the Pitfalls, Risks, and Obstacles 17:30 How to Create Urgency by Pointing Out the Cost of Inaction 20:15 Step 3: Position Yourself as the Path of Least Resistance 22:10 People Buy on Emotion and Back It Up With Logic 24:05 Step 4: Introduce the Investment After the Value Is Established 26:20 What Your Pipeline Looks Like When You Stop Competing on Price Additional Resources: ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE ⚡ Free Training "How to Build a Sales System That Fills Your Pipeline with High-Margin Work" HERE ⚡ Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: HERE Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. | |||
| The Toyota "Pull the Cord" Method Your Construction Business Is Missing | Ep. 444 | 19 May 2026 | 00:40:12 | |
Most construction business owners think their job site fires are operations problems. They're not. They're pre-construction problems that nobody caught in time. In this episode, Todd Dawalt breaks down the Toyota manufacturing concept of Jidoka and what it means for your construction business. He walks through why bad information keeps moving downstream undetected, how the "just enough to start" trap creates chaos on every job, and what a real validation process looks like inside pre-construction. Todd shares a four-step framework for identifying critical control points, creating second-set-of-eyes checks, applying the Missouri Standard, and fixing root causes instead of just the immediate fire. He also covers how weak controls open the door to fraud, including a real case where an office manager embezzled over $1.7 million from a home builder over eight years. If your business is still running on memory, good intentions, and tribal knowledge, this episode is a hard look at what that actually costs you. 👉 If you've been moving projects forward before they're actually ready, this episode will change how you think about pre-construction. Tune in. Most fires on a job site don't start in the field. They start weeks or months earlier, when a vague scope moved forward, a selection wasn't confirmed, or a handoff happened before the project was actually ready. By the time the problem shows up, the meter's running, and it's expensive to fix. Todd uses Toyota's manufacturing concept of Jidoka to explain why catching defects downstream is a losing game, and why validation has to be built into the process earlier. Todd walks through two critical control points every construction business needs to focus on: the buyout phase and the handoff from pre-construction to production. He lays out a four-step framework for identifying where errors turn into defects, building second-set-of-eyes checks at those points, applying the Missouri Standard ("show me it's done"), and fixing root causes so the same problem stops reappearing on every job. Key Takeaways: 0:00 The Root Cause Behind Most Job Site Fires 03:05 Why Your Team Keeps Missing Problems 07:45 When Your Client Catches the Mistake First 09:10 Toyota's Jidoka and the Pull the Cord Method 11:05 The Two Pre-Construction Control Points 13:10 Step 1: Where an Error Becomes a Defect 19:25 Step 2: Validation and the Second Set of Eyes 23:05 The $1.7 Million Embezzlement Case 25:05 Step 3: The Missouri Standard 27:25 Step 4: Fix the Root Cause Additional Resources: ☎️ Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE ☎️ Schedule a free Business Evaluation Call with the CLE team → HERE ⚡ Download the How to Buyout a Construction Project Playbook: HERE ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: https://constructionleadingedge.com/ The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| The Firing: A Business Parable for Construction Owners | Ep. 443 | 11 May 2026 | 00:23:36 | |
EPISODE 443: Jake spent three years running a construction business that felt like waist-deep mud. He blamed the labor market. He blamed the economy. He blamed himself. Then he found a signature at the bottom of a stack of invoices — and everything clicked. His chaos had a name. And it had been there the whole time. In this solo episode of The Construction Leading Edge Podcast, Todd Dawalt tells the story of Jake a fictional composite built from real conversations with hundreds of construction business owners to illustrate one of the most common reasons construction businesses stay stuck: the people, patterns, and gray areas that quietly block every attempt to grow. Jake's story isn't real. But the moment of recognition probably will be. 👉 If you've been telling yourself things will calm down soon, this episode is for you. Tune in. Jake had Charlie a 30-year veteran who kept things murky, kept Jake in firefighting mode, and had a quiet interest in keeping the business exactly where it was. He had Sarah, whose passive resistance and finger-pointing turned every attempted change into a confrontation. And he had a vision he couldn't seem to move toward, no matter how hard he pushed. The story is a vehicle for three questions Todd puts directly to the listener: What's the biggest gray area in your business right now? Is your business designed around the people you have, or the vision you want to achieve? And how long have you been telling yourself you'll fix it when you have time? These aren't rhetorical. They're diagnostic the same questions Todd has used working with over 400 construction companies to identify what's actually holding the business back. Jake's turning point wasn't a new hire or a better system. It was a decision. He stopped waiting to feel ready, stopped designing his business around the people he happened to have, and started building toward a destination he'd actually defined. Three months later, he was at his kid's soccer practice. He was the coach. Key Takeaways:
Additional Resources: ☎️ Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: HERE ☎️ Schedule a free Business Evaluation Call with the CLE team → HERE ⚡ Download the How to Buyout a Construction Project Playbook: HERE ⚡Follow us on Facebook Instagram LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| The Nail the Handoff Framework: 4 Crucial Handoffs to Increase Profit and Eliminate Chaos | EP 442 | 04 May 2026 | 00:46:44 | |
EPISODE 442: Most construction business owners are managing 20 things at once and wondering why the job still falls apart. They've got good people, solid clients, decent projects — and somehow it still ends in chaos, rework, and fires they didn't see coming. The problem usually isn't the building. It's the handoff. In this solo episode of The Construction Leading Edge Podcast, Todd Dawalt breaks down a framework he calls Nail the Handoff — a simple way to identify the three or four points in every construction project where the most damage happens and where your time and energy will have the greatest return. Drawing on 30 years in construction and work with over 400 companies, Todd walks through each handoff point: customer to contractor, sales to estimating, estimator to subs and suppliers, and pre-construction to operations. At each stage, he shows what breaks down, what it costs you, and what one tool can fix it. 👉 If your jobs seem to start smooth and then deteriorate — or if you're still the person holding all the pieces together — this episode is worth your full attention. Tune in. Key Takeaways: 00:02 The 20-plates problem — why construction chaos isn't random 01:20 Introducing the Nail the Handoff framework 02:20 The 2020 Olympic relay disqualification and what it means for your business 04:45 What botched handoffs actually look like in construction 10:45 Handoff #1: Customer to contractor — needs assessment and expectation setting 17:30 Handoff #2: Sales to estimating — what a complete handoff looks like 21:15 Handoff #3: Estimator to subs and suppliers — bid packages and scope clarity 27:15 Handoff #4: Pre-construction to operations — the loan closing model 36:05 Bonus move #1: Work right to left 37:35 Bonus move #2: Build processes with your team 38:30 Bonus move #3: Get paid for pre-construction 40:10 Real results — Andy Culp and John Springs on what changed 44:20 Grade your handoff — and what a weak one is actually costing you Additional Resources: ☎️ Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE ⚡ Download the How to Buyout a Construction Project Playbook: HERE ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| The Cost‑Plus Contract Trap: 3 Simple Moves to Prevent Budget Blowups and Legal Nightmares | EP 441 | 27 Apr 2026 | 00:37:02 | |
EPISODE 441: Most builders assume cost plus is the safe play. No locked-in price. No exposure if materials spike or scope grows. But according to the author of Markup and Profits, cost plus contracts end up in lawsuits two to three times more often — and in arbitration nine times more often — than fixed-price contracts. That's not a pricing problem. It's a process problem. In this solo episode of The Construction Leading Edge Podcast, Todd Dawalt breaks down why cost plus contracts are far riskier than most builders realize — and what actually creates that risk. He walks through the hidden traps that turn cost plus jobs sideways: the "just enough to start" trap that lets you move forward without real clarity, the budget heart attack that hits clients at the 60-80% mark, the microscope effect that turns every invoice into a negotiation, and why cost plus limits your upside while doing almost nothing to protect your downside. 👉 If you've been using cost plus as a safety net, this episode will change how you think about it — and show you what actually keeps you protected. Tune in. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Intro 03:05 Why builders think cost plus limits their risk — and why it doesn't 08:45 Cost plus contracts end up in lawsuits 2-3x more often than fixed-price 12:55 The "just enough to start" trap and how cost plus enables it 17:15 Real legal case study: consumer fraud, treble damages, and what triggered it 24:25 The budget heart attack — what happens at the 60-80% mark 29:20 The microscope effect and the $40,000 Snickers bar 32:25 How billing disputes slow cash flow after your leverage is already gone 36:10 Cost plus limits your upside while barely protecting your downside 38:00 What real transparency looks like vs. open-book exposure 41:20 The three things to do right now if your pre-construction process needs work Additional Resources: ☎️ Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| 3 Keys to Operating from a Position of Strength in High-End Remodeling with Andy Kolp | EP 440 | 20 Apr 2026 | 00:51:44 | |
EPISODE 440: Andy Kolp had clients, projects, and a reputation worth protecting. He also had gaps in his process — vague scope, trade bids coming in by text with no context, and jobs where the client ended up running the show. The projects finished. The clients were happy. But Epic Building Company had bent more than it should have. So Andy set a goal for 2025: operate from a position of strength. In this episode of The Construction Leading Edge Podcast, Todd sits down with Andy Kolp, owner of Epic Building Company in Columbus, Ohio, to break down what it actually looks like to tighten up every phase of your construction business — from pre-construction through closeout. Andy shares how he overhauled his scope development and trade bid process, why fixed-price contracts require more upfront work but protect everyone in the end, and how a simple weekly client update called the Epic Weekly Rundown nearly eliminated weekend calls and client surprises entirely. 👉 If you're tired of making decisions from the defensive, this episode shows you what it looks like to get ahead of your projects before they start. Tune in. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Intro 03:05 Meet Andy Kolp of Epic Building Company 04:10 Why Andy made "position of strength" his 2025 focus 08:45 What happens when you let clients run your process 12:55 Why pre-construction is the foundation of every successful project 15:00 The problem with vague trade bids — and how to fix it 17:15 What to say to contractors who skip straight from sell to build 20:15 Why fixed price beats cost plus for remodeling projects 24:25 What clients are actually paying for in pre-construction 29:20 Scope development and the three-part spec system 32:25 Trade partner site visits during pre-construction 36:10 The Epic Weekly Rundown — what it is and why it works 41:20 What freedom looks like after six years of systems work 46:50 What the CEO Alliance is and why it's hard to describe Additional Resources: ☎️ Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE: ⚡Follow us on Facebook , Instagram and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! #ConstructionLeadingEdge #PreConstruction #ConstructionBusiness
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| 3 Keys to Taking Back Control of Your Construction Business with Daaron Yester | EP 439 | 13 Apr 2026 | 00:53:33 | |
☎️ Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE EPISODE 439: Daaron Yester has been framing custom homes in Southern California's Coachella Valley for nearly 30 years. He had loyal crews, a strong reputation, and clients who kept coming back. He was also borrowing money to keep the business alive, undercharging on jobs, and trying to run every part of the company himself. Something had to change. In this episode of The Construction Leading Edge Podcast, Todd sits down with Daaron Yester, owner of DYC Framing Inc., to trace the turning point that took him from financial stress and operational chaos to a business with clear roles, tighter numbers, and a schedule that actually leaves room for his life. Daaron shares how getting into his numbers revealed the markup problem he'd been avoiding for years, why clarifying roles for people already on his team was the move that freed him up most, and what it really looks like when your GCs are running your company instead of you. 👉 If you've been in business for decades and still feel like you're holding everything together yourself, this one's worth your time. Tune in. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Intro 00:02:20 Meet Daaron Yester – DYC Framing and 30 years in the Coachella Valley 00:03:05 The scale of high-end custom work in Southern California 00:04:05 Misconceptions about wealthy clients 00:05:15 How Daaron got started in construction 00:07:05 Company size, team tenure, and rebuilding after 2008 00:08:10 Lessons from multiple downturns 00:11:05 How Daaron has kept crew members for 15–20 years 00:13:50 What led Daaron to reach out to CLE 00:16:35 Joining Systematize Your Construction Business – the decision to commit 00:18:25 The moment the program clicked 00:21:00 Clarifying roles: putting the right people in the right seats 00:23:05 Who was actually running the business 00:25:35 Why systems make you more professional with clients, not less 00:28:45 The two most impactful changes Daaron made 00:33:05 How Daaron's daily schedule has changed 00:36:30 Advice for owners who feel like they have to be everywhere 00:39:35 Keys to implementing systems and getting your team on board 00:43:35 What the CEO Alliance has meant for Daaron 00:45:10 Highlights from the Cancun live meetup 00:48:30 What Daaron would tell someone considering SYCB 00:49:45 One unconventional thing Daaron believes about business 00:52:15 Why construction owners try to do it alone 00:53:35 Where to go if you're ever passing through the area Additional Resources: ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading EdgeTeam: HERE ⚡Follow us on Facebook Instagram and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information: HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! #ConstructionLeadingEdge #PreConstruction #ConstructionBusiness
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| Your Customers Experience Your Systems, Not Your Intentions | EP 438 | 06 Apr 2026 | 00:32:44 | |
☎️ Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE EPISODE 438: Why do construction business owners with real integrity still end up with frustrated clients? In this episode, Todd Dawalt breaks down the systems gap between what you promise and what your customers actually experience — and why pre-construction is the fix. ☎️ Schedule a free Business Evaluation Call with the CLE team → https://go.constructionleadingedge.com/qualification You can be a builder with high standards and real integrity and still deliver a customer experience full of confusion, delays, and broken promises. The issue isn't character — it's that your business has outgrown the point where personal integrity alone can carry the load. Todd walks through the trust erosion cycle that plays out on construction projects and explains why most financial surprises on a job weren't really surprises at all. They were problems your process didn't catch early enough. The fix starts with pre-construction. Todd lays out the three pillars every builder needs locked down before signing a contract — a fully defined scope, a real project schedule, and an anticipated cost report based on actual buyout pricing. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Intro 00:50 Your customers experience your systems, not your intentions 06:10 How trust erodes on a construction project 08:05 The avoidance spiral and what silence costs you 11:45 What it looks like when systems support your integrity 16:40 Pre-construction is the lead domino 18:55 Pillar 1: Scope — what are you actually building? 21:35 Pillar 2: Schedule — build the job on paper first 23:20 Pillar 3: The anticipated cost report 26:35 At least 75% of your financial surprises were already there 29:55 Your five-minute action item Additional Resources: ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE
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| What the P-38 Fighter Plane Can Teach You About Business Strategy | EP 437 | 30 Mar 2026 | 00:35:54 | |
☎️ Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE EPISODE 437: In 1937, the U.S. Army Air Corps sent out a design proposal with a set of detailed performance specifications for a new pursuit aircraft — one that didn't yet exist and that no plane at the time could match. That proposal eventually produced the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, a fighter that flew over 130,000 missions and, according to some historians, helped tip the balance of the war in the Pacific. In this episode of The Construction Leading Edge Podcast, Todd breaks down the business lessons hidden inside that story — and why the way the Army Air Corps built the P-38 is exactly how successful construction business owners should be thinking about strategy, vision, and delegation. Todd walks through three core lessons: how to establish performance specifications for your business instead of just reacting to whatever comes at you, why the visionary's job is to define the what and then hand the how to the people who know best, and why the time to develop your strategy is long before you actually need it. He also walks through two detailed business examples — including how to design a pre-construction handoff process and how to build an organization chart for a company targeting $13M in revenue. 👉 If you've been running on instinct instead of strategy, this episode gives you a framework to change that. Tune in. Key Takeaways:
Additional Resources: ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| How John Springstead Doubled Revenue While Cutting His Work Hours | EP 436 | 23 Mar 2026 | 00:47:38 | |
☎️ Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE EPISODE 436: John Springs has been in construction since 1991. For most of those years, everything lived in his head — no written systems, no pre-construction process, no clear handoffs. He was the first call for every problem, working 60-hour weeks, and couldn't step away without something falling apart. Three years ago, that started to change. In this episode of The Construction Leading Edge Podcast, Todd sits down with John Springs, owner of John Springs Construction in Glen Rock, New Jersey, to break down exactly how he transformed his business from a one-man operation held together by hustle into a systematized company that grew from $1.7M to $3.1M in revenue — with two fewer employees. John shares how implementing a pre-construction process eliminated chaos before jobs even began, how he handed off field operations to his superintendent Jonathan, and why he now leaves the office every day at 4:00 PM. 👉 If your business still depends on you for everything, this episode shows you what's possible on the other side. Tune in. Key Takeaways:
Additional Resources: ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| Mental Malware | EP 435 | 16 Mar 2026 | 00:31:41 | |
☎️ Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE EPISODE 435: There's a belief running in your construction business right now that sounds completely responsible. Maybe it's "now's not a good time." Maybe it's "when things calm down, I'll fix it." Maybe it's "we just need to hire more people." It sounds like you're being smart and protecting your business. And it's the exact thing that's keeping you stuck. That gap between what you tell yourself and what's actually holding you back — that's where the real problem lives. In this episode of The Construction Leading Edge Podcast, Todd introduces the concept of mental malware — belief patterns running silently in the background of your mental operating system, capping your growth without you knowing they're there. He walks through 11 of the most common mental malware files he's heard from hundreds of construction business owners, the one deeper program running underneath all of them, and 3 steps to start identifying and deleting the beliefs that are keeping your business dependent on you. 👉 If this episode stings a little, that's your signal. Tune in and find out what's really been capping your construction business.
Key Takeaways:
Additional Resources: ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| The Solution Is Inside the Problem | EP 434 | 09 Mar 2026 | 00:27:50 | |
☎️ Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE EPISODE 434: And that gap between recognizing a problem and actually engaging it is the breeding ground for fear, anxiety, and 2 a.m. wake-ups. In this episode of The Construction Leading Edge Podcast, I borrow a lesson straight from Navy SEAL tactics: the answer is in the room. The solution to the problem is inside the problem, so speculation, hesitation, and waiting for more information won't get you closer to solving it. I share 3 steps to stop standing outside the problem and start solving what's in front of you. 👉 You don't get to decide if you address the problem. You only get to decide when. Tune in and make it now. Key Takeaways:
Additional Resources: ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| 5 Decisions That Free the Overworked Construction Owner | EP 433 | 02 Mar 2026 | 00:29:30 | |
☎️ Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – EPISODE 433: Construction business owner buried in reactive mode, watching your business grow while your stress grows with it? Working 60+ hour weeks, stressed about profit, team management, and scaling your construction company… and still feeling behind? If that hits a little too close to home, this episode is for you. Most construction business owners who feel overwhelmed assume they need more people, better software, or tighter time management. But that's rarely the issue. What's really happening is that you've outgrown the current design of your business, and more effort will only increase stress instead of freedom. In this episode of The Construction Leading Edge Podcast, I break down the five decisions that determine whether growth creates real freedom or a larger, more chaotic operation. I talk about eliminating root cause problems, designing around results, and systematizing your construction business so you stop being the bottleneck. You don't need to work harder. What got you here won't get you there. If you want to scale, it's time to redesign the system. 👉 Listen now and start building a business that can run without you. Key Takeaways:
Additional Resources: ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE ⚡Download the How to Buyout a Construction Project Playbook HERE – ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode!
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| This Is How We Do It Builders: Leading Clients With a Proven Process | EP 432 | 23 Feb 2026 | 00:30:18 | |
☎️Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – EPISODE 432: What if the real issue is that you've been letting your clients run your business and, without meaning to, have adopted what I call the Burger King philosophy? In this episode of The Construction Leading Edge Podcast, I break down why letting clients run your business is costing you big time, and how to take back control without losing the relationships you value. You'll learn a clear framework to set boundaries that protect your time and profit, and build a rhythm where clients follow your proven process instead of running your schedule. 👉 If you're ready to take back control, tune in! Key Takeaways:
Additional Resources: ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode!
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| Is Indecision Crippling Your Construction Business? | EP 431 | 16 Feb 2026 | 00:33:37 | |
☎️Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – If you've been listening to podcasts, reading books, going to conferences, and consuming business content for months, but your business still looks the same… this one's going to sting. In this episode of The Construction Leading Edge Podcast, I break down how construction business owners use podcasts, webinars and "research" as a way to numb the frustration of being stuck, instead of making the decisions that would actually change their business. I explain why waiting for perfect information is a myth, how indecision creates paralysis, and why the real risk isn't making the wrong move, it's making no move at all. This episode is especially valuable for those of you who are working 50, 60, even 70 hour weeks, those who know they need to hire, raise prices, systemize, or get help, but keep pushing the decision down the road in the name of being "responsible." Remember: you don't have a knowledge problem. You have an action problem. 👉 Stop using information as a painkiller. It's time to take action. Tune in. Key Takeaways:
Additional Resources: ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information HERE -- The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| Nail the Handoff System: Build a Rock‑Solid Preconstruction Checklist Your Team Actually Follows | EP 430 | 09 Feb 2026 | 00:25:38 | |
EPISODE 430: If your construction projects feel chaotic before they even start, the problem isn't execution, it's the handoff. In this episode of The Construction Leading Edge Podcast, I explain how a weak preconstruction handoff creates scope gaps, delays, missed details, and profit bleeds long before work begins. He breaks down why many builders rely on "figuring it out later," how urgency addiction keeps owners stuck in firefighting mode, and why starting jobs with incomplete information guarantees chaos in the field. You'll learn how to design a simple, practical preconstruction checklist that locks in decisions early, clarifies scope, and sets your team up for success from day one. I also share how to involve your team in building the process so it actually gets followed, not ignored. If you're a builder, remodeler, or general contractor who wants smoother projects, fewer surprises, and better margins, this episode will show you how to nail the handoff from office to field. 🎧 Listen now and start eliminating chaos before the job starts. Key Takeaways:
Additional Resources: ☎️Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| Grow Your Profit Without Growing Your Team | EP 429 | 02 Feb 2026 | 00:28:13 | |
☎️Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – EPISODE 429: If you're hiring more people but your profit still isn't moving, this episode is for you. Many construction business owners assume the only way to grow profit is to add headcount. More project managers. More superintendents. More office staff. But in reality, hiring too early often creates higher overhead, more chaos, and flatter margins. In this episode of The Construction Leading Edge Podcast, I explain how to increase profit without growing your team, and why talent density beats talent volume every time. You'll learn a three-step framework used by private equity and venture capital firms to strip out wasted effort, refocus your team on revenue-producing work, and build a lean, high-performance operation. I break down how to eliminate low-value tasks, load-shed non-essential work, and create specialists instead of "everyone-does-everything" teams. If you're a builder, remodeler, or general contractor who feels maxed out, overworked, and underpaid for the risk you're carrying, this episode will help you rethink how your business is structured before you make your next hire. 👉 If adding people hasn't fixed the problem, listen closely. Key Takeaways: Why Hiring More People Isn't Increasing Your Profit (00:00) The Real Cost of Growing Headcount (06:45) Step 1: Eliminate Low-Value and No-Value Work (08:35) Step 2: Load Shedding and Treating Time Like Capital (13:00) Step 3: Create Specialists (and Why Pre-Construction Must Be Separate) (19:45) The 3 Foundations Required to Unlock Hidden Profit (26:15) Next Steps: How to Find Hidden Profit in Your Business (28:45) Additional Resources: ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| Scale Without Sacrificing Profit, Control, Or Freedom: The 3-Legged Stool Every Builder Needs | EP 428 | 26 Jan 2026 | 00:39:57 | |
☎️Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE 🚀Is Your Construction Business Ready to Scale? Take the free online assessment HERE – EPISODE 428: Trying to scale your construction business in 2026 but feeling stretched thinner than ever? Many builders, remodelers, and general contractors try to grow by hiring more people or chasing more work, only to see construction profit margins shrink and chaos increase. In this episode of The Construction Leading Edge Podcast, Todd DeWalt breaks down three construction business mistakes that quietly hold contractors back as they try to scale. These issues don't always show up on financial statements, but they directly impact control, capacity, and long-term construction business strategy. You'll learn why scaling a contracting business without clear systems and accountability often makes things worse, how weak pre-construction processes create field problems, and which leading indicators in construction actually signal whether growth will help or hurt your business. Todd also explains the 3-legged stool every builder needs to scale without sacrificing profit or freedom. If you're a construction business owner doing solid revenue but still feeling overwhelmed, this episode will help you simplify operations, remove chaos, and rethink how to grow sustainably in 2026. 👉 If growth feels harder than it should, listen closely. Key Takeaways: Scale Without Sacrificing Profit, Control, or Freedom (00:00) Pitfall #1: Hiring More People Without Systems (04:07) The 3-Legged Stool: Accountability Chart (04:49) The 3-Legged Stool: Playbook (07:10) The 3-Legged Stool: The Big Five (09:06) Hidden Metric #1: Owner Interruption Count (19:30) Pitfall #2: Chasing More Work Too Soon (20:40) Pitfall #3: The "Just Enough to Start" Trap (25:41) Hidden Metric #2 + How to Scale the Right Way (34:12) Recap and next steps (35:09) Additional Resources: ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information HERE The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| 4 Hidden Metrics Top Builders Use to Boost Profit and Freedom | EP 427 | 19 Jan 2026 | 00:29:35 | |
☎️Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE 🚀Is Your Construction Business Ready to Scale? Take the free online assessment HERE – EPISODE 427: If it feels like something's off in your construction business, like you're working your butt off, but profit isn't where it should be, jobs are dragging on, and you are always being pulled into every little decision, you need to listen to this episode. It might sting a little... but it could change everything. I'm breaking down 4 simple, unconventional metrics that explain a scary amount of what you're dealing with. They don't show up on your P&L, your balance sheet, or in a report from your CPA. These are the reasons you don't have time: you're stuck putting out fires, and your business feels like it can't run without you. Each one of these metrics relates directly to a design problem in your business. I'll walk you through how to measure them, why they matter, and how they reveal the root causes behind the chaos. 👉 Tune in and let's get to work. Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00) Owner interruption count (04:53) Handoff completeness score (09:11) Dead day count (16:13) Daily overhead burn (22:09) Recap and next steps (24:31) Additional Resources: ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE ⚡Is Your Construction Business Ready to Scale? Take the free online assessment HERE – ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information HERE -- The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode!
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| How We Found $400,000 of Hidden Profit in A Custom Builder's Business | EP 426 | 12 Jan 2026 | 00:28:12 | |
🚀Download your free Strategic Planning Guide HERE ☎️Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – EPISODE 426: Mike was running a $5 million custom home building company, but it felt like he was running on fumes. Even with steady referrals, a solid team, and growing demand, he and his VP were stuck in chaos. Firefighting every day and turning away work they wanted to take. The bank account did not match the effort. After a single evaluation, we unlocked $400,000 in hidden profits, all without adding a single new project. The fix was systematization, better pre-construction planning, documented handoffs, and getting the leaders out of the operations. If your construction business is doing $2 million or more but still feels chaotic, make sure to listen to this episode. It will change the way you think about growth. Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00) Real-life signs your goals are disconnected from reality (02:09) Focus on one mission instead of a wish list (14:31) Identify what would break if your goal succeeded (17:24) 5-minute action plan to identify your constraint (20:52) Additional Resources: ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE ⚡Download your free Strategic Planning Guide HERE – ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information HERE -- The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time.
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| Stop Setting More Goals. Fix One Constraint | EP 425 | 07 Jan 2026 | 00:31:12 | |
☎️Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – EPISODE 425: You have always started the year with clear goals to grow revenue, increase profit, and finally step out of operations. If you're being honest, 2026 is no different; you're just reliving the same year over again with different job numbers on the whiteboard. In this episode, I unpack why goals fail. It's not because you are bad at goal-setting; it's because your goals are ignoring the real constraint that's actually running your business. You'll get a simple, powerful framework you can use to identify the single constraint that's holding you back and what you should be focusing on instead. 👉 Stop setting the same goals and expecting a different result. Listen now and learn how to fix the one thing that's really in your way. Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00) Real-life signs your goals are disconnected from reality (04:22) Focus on one mission instead of a wish list (11:14) Identify what would break if your goal succeeded (14:44) 5-minute action plan to identify your constraint (26:27) Additional Resources: ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information HERE -- The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| Average People: The Secret for Profitable Construction Business Growth | EP 424 | 29 Dec 2025 | 00:27:02 | |
🚀Watch the Get Out of Your Construction Business Masterclass - HERE ☎️Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – EPISODE 424: If you're constantly hunting for that one dream employee, the unicorn who can wear all the hats and solve all your problems, you are doing it wrong. Building your business around unicorns isn't smart. It's risky and keeps you stuck. In this episode, I'll walk you through why relying on rare "superstars" is a losing game and how a mindset shift can help you build a construction business that runs predictably without you in the middle of everything. You'll learn what it looks like to design roles and how to build a system that gets exceptional results from average people. We'll also talk about the "special snowflake" mindset that holds so many owners back, why you might be the biggest single point of failure in your company, and the four key steps to build a business that's scalable, sellable, and less dependent on you. 👉 Hit play to learn how to get out of the weeds and into a business that runs without you. Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00) Daily struggles and chaos in construction businesses (01:56) Single points of failure in your business (04:43) Four structural traps in construction businesses (13:52) Options for business owners to improve their business (22:57) Additional Resources: ⚡ Watch the Get Out of Your Construction Business Masterclass - HERE ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE
– ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information HERE -- The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode!
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| Your Construction Business Is Doing Exactly What It's Designed To Do | Ep 423 | 22 Dec 2025 | 00:21:10 | |
🚀Download the How to Buyout a Construction Project Playbook HERE ☎️Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – EPISODE 423: Does this sound familiar? You set goals every year, swear you'll fix the chaos in your business, and then 12 months later, you're still firefighting, still stuck in the same mess, and all you have is a stack of "almosts." In this episode, I am breaking down why so many construction businesses hit the same wall over and over again no matter how hard the owners work. You'll hear the 4 structural traps that are secretly holding your business hostage and how to break out of them. Once you see the real problem, the path forward becomes shockingly clear. 👉 Don't let another year slip by, tune in, and let's fix the chaos.
Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00) Daily struggles and chaos in construction businesses (01:27) Unmet goals and embarrassment of business operations (03:21) Four structural traps in construction businesses (05:31) Impact of structural traps and the root cause (13:25) Options for business owners to improve their business (17:29)
Additional Resources: ⚡Download the How to Buyout a Construction Project Playbook HERE ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE ⚡ Download your free Strategic Planning Guide - https://go.constructionleadingedge.com/strategic-planning – ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information HERE -- The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| How Elon Musk Would Streamline Your Construction Business: 5 Steps | E422 | 15 Dec 2025 | 00:19:36 | |
☎️Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE 🚀Is Your Construction Business Ready to Scale? Take the free online assessment HERE – EPISODE 422: If you're a general contractor, and you feel like you're buried under processes, stuck in the weeds, and constantly spinning to keep things moving... this episode is going to give you the roadmap to simplify, systematize, and scale without burning out. I will be diving into Elon Musk's 5-step algorithm for making complex systems work better and show you exactly how to apply it to your construction business. Here's the deal: most people think the solution is adding more and more. More software, more steps, more tools, but the real breakthrough comes from removing what's not working. I'll walk you through how to:
👉 Hit play and let's talk about what you can delete to build a better business.
Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00) Simplifying business with Elon Musk's algorithm (00:49) First principles thinking and questioning assumptions (01:27) Deleting unnecessary processes and overcoming additive bias (04:58) Simplifying and optimizing systems (09:36) Accelerating cycle times (10:38) Automating processes (14:53)
Additional Resources: ⚡Is Your Construction Business Ready to Scale? Take the free online assessment HERE ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information HERE -- The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode!
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| The Builder Identity Crisis: What Got You Here Won't Get You There | Ep 421 | 08 Dec 2025 | 00:38:24 | |
🚀Download the How to Buyout a Construction Project Playbook HERE ☎️Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – EPISODE 421: If you feel stuck in your business, the problem might not be your team, your schedule, or your subs… it might be your identity. In this episode, I'm discussing one of the biggest hidden growth killers I've seen in the construction world. The version of you that got your business to this point likely won't get you to where you want to go. In fact, it might be the very thing holding you back. I will unpack 4 old identities that keep contractors stuck and walk through the new mindsets that will actually free you up to scale. You'll learn how to stop being the bottleneck, how to think like an investor when hiring people, and how to redefine success in a way that actually serves your life. 🎧 Listen now to start thinking differently, building differently, and leading differently.
Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00) The identity crisis no one talks about (01:04) You're not in the business you think you're in (04:33) Build the business that builds the projects (06:28) Your job isn't to be the leader (10:16) How to create leaders on your team (14:20) You don't need to be right every time (20:13) Think like an investor, not an operator (23:41) When your business becomes your identity (29:02) Questions to redefine your identity (33:12)
Additional Resources: ⚡ Pre-construction playbook: https://www.constructionleadingedge.com/apply ⚡Download the How to Buyout a Construction Project Playbook HERE ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE ⚡ Is Your Business Ready to Scale? Take the free assessment - https://todd-rofimfx4.scoreapp.com – ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information HERE -- The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| Cut Preconstruction Timelines in Half: 6 Strategies From Managing $300M | E420 | 01 Dec 2025 | 00:31:52 | |
EPISODE 420 If pre-construction is dragging on, you're not just losing time but also revenue, team capacity, and control. In this episode, I'm going to show you how to cut your pre-construction timelines in half and finally get your projects to the starting line on time. Here's what we're going to cover:
If you're tired of stalled jobs and projects that keep slipping into next quarter, don't miss this. 🎧 Hit play now and let's get your pre-construction process dialed in. Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00) The secret profit phase (05:34) Go slow to go fast (08:12) Work plan tracker (12:45) Ask for commitments (15:23) Think in sprints (18:50) Use meetings as anchors (22:07) Weekly updates that matter (26:15) Documented process is the keystone (29:08) Additional Resources: 🚀Download the How to Buyout a Construction Project Playbook HERE ☎️Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE ⚡ Pre-construction playbook: https://www.constructionleadingedge.com/apply ⚡Download the How to Buyout a Construction Project Playbook HERE ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE ⚡ Is Your Business Ready to Scale? Take the free assessment - https://todd-rofimfx4.scoreapp.com – ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information HERE -- The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode!
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| Repossess Your Time by Fixing These 3 Hidden Design Flaws in Your Construction Business | Ep 419 | 24 Nov 2025 | 00:33:59 | |
🚀Download the How to Buyout a Construction Project Playbook HERE ☎️Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – EPISODE 419: You're regularly putting in 70-hour weeks, but the needle still isn't moving. Calls. Texts. Problems. Decisions. It all falls on you. It may not be a time management problem but a design problem. In this episode, I'll explain why your business keeps pulling you back into chaos, and how to finally break free from the day-to-day firefighting. Here's what we'll cover:
…and more. If you're constantly overwhelmed, feel like your business can't run without you, and want your life back, tune in now!
Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00) Overwhelm from texts, calls, and low-value tasks (00:24) CEO time should be spent on $1,000/hour tasks (05:56) Visualization of business without constant interruptions (10:28) Root Cause #1: The "Just Enough to Start" trap (17:36) Root Cause #2: Poor business design that relies on the owner (22:01) Root Cause #3: Business runs on tribal knowledge (26:43) How to identify which root cause affects you most (30:34) Call to action for qualified business owners (31:47)
Additional Resources: ⚡Download the How to Buyout a Construction Project Playbook HERE ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE ⚡ Is Your Business Ready to Scale? Take the free assessment - https://todd-rofimfx4.scoreapp.com – ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information HERE -- The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode! | |||
| Accountability Requires Clarity: How to Get Your Team to Take Ownership | E418 | 17 Nov 2025 | 00:38:36 | |
🚀Download our FREE Strategic Planning Guide HERE ☎️Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – EPISODE 418: Are you tired of chasing your team for every little thing? Getting your team to take ownership is one of the most common frustrations I hear from construction business owners. But here's the truth: your team isn't lazy, and it's not a people problem. It's a clarity problem. In this episode of The Construction Leading Edge podcast, I'll explain why the real barrier to accountability is often a lack of clear expectations, processes, and vision. Here's what we'll cover:
…and more. If you're overwhelmed, stretched too thin, and tired of doing everyone else's job, this episode is for you. Tune in now!
Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00) Symptoms that your team lacks accountability (02:09) The real cost of low accountability (04:24) What does it look like to have a culture of accountability (07:33) Thinking traps that keep construction leaders stuck (09:46) Clarity of results: define what winning looks like (14:27) Clarity of process: build your playbook (20:55) Clarity of vision: connect work to purpose (25:06) Real-world impact stories (29:44) Quick recap (32:36) Final thoughts (35:31)
Additional Resources: ⚡Download our FREE Strategic Planning Guide HERE ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information HERE -- The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode!
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| Get Out of the Builder Trap with Daniel Queen | E417 | 10 Nov 2025 | 00:50:30 | |
🚀Download the How to Buyout a Construction Project Playbook HERE ☎️Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – EPISODE 417: Are you tired of doing everything in your construction business and still feeling stuck? Most construction business owners believe that working harder will solve everything. However, Daniel Queen, founder of Built by Coalition, a custom home building company in Charlotte, North Carolina, discovered that by wearing too many hats, he became the bottleneck in his business. In this episode of the Construction Leading Edge podcast, Daniel shares his transformative journey from a burned-out solo builder to a strategic leader. Today, you'll hear…
…and more! Are you ready to systematize your construction business and reclaim your time? Tune in now!
Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00) The story behind "Built by Coalition" (02:39) Struggles with doing everything solo (04:28) Implementing systems and processes (17:39) How clarifying everyone's role is crucial (19:50) Wearing many hats isn't serving your clients (23:12) Results of focusing on pre-construction (25:57) Keys to implementing changes in your business (32:21) Let your team help design systems (35:38) The real value of the CEO Alliance group (37:33) Gaining understanding of everything (39:42) Why join the SYCB program (42:32) Final question (43:47) Episode wrap-up (47:06)
Additional Resources: ⚡Download the How to Buyout a Construction Project Playbook HERE ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – ⚡Check out Built by Coalition's website HERE ⚡Follow them on Facebook and Instagram – ⚡Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information HERE -- The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode!
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| Scaling Fast? Stop Chasing Sales and Fix THIS First with Cole West | E416 | 03 Nov 2025 | 00:51:49 | |
🚀Download our FREE Strategic Planning Guide HERE ☎️Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – EPISODE 416: Is your construction business always in firefighting mode? As a project manager turned integrator at Matchless Concrete Construction, Cole West knew they were growing too fast, but they were also bleeding money, missing deadlines, and drowning in chaos. In this episode of the Construction Leading Edge podcast, Cole shares how he and his team have dramatically reduced chaos, boosted margins, and reclaimed lost time. Today, we'll talk about…
…and more! If you're ready to stop firefighting and finally build a construction business that runs smoothly, this episode will show you what's possible when you systematize your business. Let's dive in!
Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00) Cole West's role and shift to integrator/strategic planner (01:49) Why Cole left corporate retail for construction freedom (04:40) How construction business owners can attract corporate talent (07:14) The problem with rapid growth without proper systems (08:56) What chaos looks like in construction (14:35) Importance of simplifying job descriptions (20:24) The CEO Schedule and Revenue Maximizer tools (26:32) What does the business look like now? (29:20) Cole's most powerful scripted question (32:02) Achieving historical wins for the company (36:41) Last piece of advice (42:40) What's next for Matchless Concrete? (47:36) Episode wrap-up (48:42)
Additional Resources: ⚡Download our FREE Strategic Planning Guide HERE ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team HERE – ⚡Visit Matchless Concrete Construction's website for more information HERE ⚡Follow them on Facebook HERE – ⚡ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ⚡ Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE ⚡Visit The Construction Leading Edge for more information HERE -- The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode!
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