The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis
Podcast details
Technical and general information from the podcast's RSS feed.

The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast
W/ Mike Knoche of Straight Ahead Construction
Frequency: 1 episode/6d. Total Eps: 124

Recent rankings
Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.
Apple Podcasts
🇨🇦 Canada - management
12/07/2025#93🇨🇦 Canada - management
11/07/2025#53🇨🇦 Canada - management
13/06/2025#65🇨🇦 Canada - management
16/05/2025#91🇨🇦 Canada - management
15/05/2025#66🇨🇦 Canada - management
29/03/2025#52🇨🇦 Canada - management
23/03/2025#88🇨🇦 Canada - management
17/02/2025#90🇨🇦 Canada - management
16/02/2025#52🇨🇦 Canada - management
10/02/2025#63
Spotify
No recent rankings available
Shared links between episodes and podcasts
Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.
See allRSS feed quality and score
Technical evaluation of the podcast's RSS feed quality and structure.
See allScore global : 72%
Publication history
Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.
Yahara Vasquez of Built By Her Construction: Architectural Engineer to Spec Homes & Breaking with Tradition
Season 5 · Episode 7
lundi 19 juin 2023 • Duration 33:10
Yahara Vasquez owns and operates Built By Her Construction @building_by_her out of Carson, Washington. With a degree in architectural engineering, she’s decided that the jobs that came with the degree were not for her. She loves working with her hands. Between that and wanting to be more available for her children, Yahara built her own home and she started a contracting company. She’s doing some work for the public but venturing into spec home building. While she says her role at home is fairly traditional, her career path is anything but traditional given her Mexican heritage. She doesn’t care because she wants young girls to see her in that position and is organizing to have young women to work Saturdays on her spec to learn skilled trades. I can’t wait to check in with Yahara Vasquez in a couple years to see where she’s gone!
Host: Mike Knoche
Website: The Contracting Handbook
Instagram: @thecontractinghandbook
YouTube: @thecontractinghandbook
TikTok: @tchmikeknoche
Contribute:
Venmo: Mike-Knoche-1
Email: info@thecontractinghandbook.com
Guest: Yahara Vasquez
Instagram: @building_by_her
Facilitating new construction company startups, supporting the building community with new ideas and affirmation, and ushering in the next generation of builders is the mission of The Contracting Handbook podcast. Through sharing information about how we operate our businesses and live our construction lives around the world, we elevate the construction life. Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts if you have an iPhone or on Podchaser if you are an Android to help spread the word about this 100% Independently Recorded and Produced Construction Podcast! Rate us on Spotify!
Furious Fifteen: Randy Jones returns to talk company growth, adding a sales manager, and his biggest challenges at 12 years...
Season 5 · Episode 6
lundi 12 juin 2023 • Duration 20:31
Randy Jones revisits @thecontractinghandbook for a quick catch-up on the growth of his construction company @fineremodeling.de in this episode of Mike Knoche’s Furious Fifteen. Randy was my second guest on the podcast back in May 2021…
We hit upon:
-relying on a sales manager
-qualifying subcontractors
-challenges to growth
-“letting go”
-his most challenging project to date
It’s an action packed 19 minutes with a bunch of random, yes/no, non-quantifiables at the end! It’s another great episode with a ton of insights for anyone operating a construction company, be it general contracting or specialty trade contracting.
Host: Mike Knoche
Website: The Contracting Handbook
Instagram: @thecontractinghandbook
Venmo: Mike-Knoche-1
info@thecontractinghandbook.com
Guest: Randy Jones
Instagram: @fineremodeling.de
Facilitating new construction company startups, supporting the building community with new ideas and affirmation, and ushering in the next generation of builders is the mission of The Contracting Handbook podcast. Through sharing information about how we operate our businesses and live our construction lives around the world, we elevate the construction life. Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts if you have an iPhone or on Podchaser if you are an Android to help spread the word about this 100% Independently Recorded and Produced Construction Podcast! Rate us on Spotify!
Allyson Anderson, Founder and CEO of Integro Builders, talks client archetypes, project influence vs. management, the nuance of contracting and at least one change order more!
Season 4 · Episode 10
lundi 27 mars 2023 • Duration 01:56:28
The Contracting Handbook podcast is all about the builders and skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen in the construction industry from all over the world and has recently reached the Top 2% of all podcasts globally. Here you’ll meet the tradespeople who took a leap of faith from working their craft to running the own construction company. You’ll meet people who left lucrative careers to enter the trades. For newcomers to running a construction business, there is a ton of advice on “how to” run your contracting company. For established contractors, you get to meet other industry leaders and get behind the scenes of their business and stay up to date with industry change. Mike Knoche, your host, keeps the conversation interesting. He’s been operating his contracting business for over 15 years in the oddly wonderful, Fairbanks, Alaska. Mike’s philosophy is “we are all experts in how we build where we live, but the business basics and business management are universal”. Join us for this global conversation on operating a construction company, mental health, cool projects, and construction industry progress.
Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts if you have an iPhone or on Podchaser if you are an Android to help spread the word about this 100% Independently Recorded and Produced Construction Podcast! Rate us on Spotify!
Host: Mike Knoche
Website: The Contracting Handbook
Instagram: @thecontractinghandbook
Venmo: Mike-Knoche-1
info@thecontractinghandbook.com
Guest: Allyson Anderson
Website: Integro Builders
Instagram: @integro builders
Music Credits:
"Tell Nobody (The Contracting Handbook theme)" original by Tiny Pancake Breakfast
Drew Frick- lead guitar
Scott Crass- bass
Brady Anderson- drums
Mike Knoche- rhythm guitar and vocals
Getting Organized 102: Diet, Sleep, and Stress
Season 1 · Episode 24
lundi 5 juillet 2021 • Duration 18:51
The Contracting Handbook podcast discusses the behind the scenes running of a small contracting company. Your host, Mike Knoche, has been running his small contracting company for 16 years. Here he shares what worked for him, mistakes he made along the way, and his “aha” moments. It’s everything from starting up, working with employees, subcontractors, and client. He’ll get into proposals, contracts, marketing and much more. It won’t just be Mike’s perspective as he will talk to contractors from all over the world of any variety of size and structure because through his travels in the off season he’s come to see that contractors everywhere have similar business needs, struggles, and ideas in common. Contact Mike at info@thecontractinghandbook.com for questions, comments, or to be interviewed.
Please hit the subscribe button, leave a review, comment or question. I want your feedback.
Bryan Kaplan founder of Construction Consulting out of Toronto, Ontario
Season 1 · Episode 23
jeudi 1 juillet 2021 • Duration 50:21
The Contracting Handbook podcast discusses the behind the scenes running of a small contracting company. Your host, Mike Knoche, has been running his small contracting company for 16 years. Here he shares what worked for him, mistakes he made along the way, and his “aha” moments. It’s everything from starting up, working with employees, subcontractors, and client. He’ll get into proposals, contracts, marketing and much more. It won’t just be Mike’s perspective as he will talk to contractors from all over the world of any variety of size and structure because through his travels in the off season he’s come to see that contractors everywhere have similar business needs, struggles, and ideas in common. Contact Mike at info@thecontractinghandbook.com for questions, comments, or to be interviewed.
Please hit the subscribe button, leave a review, comment or question. I want your feedback.
Getting Organized 101: Daily Operations
Season 1 · Episode 22
lundi 28 juin 2021 • Duration 17:14
The Contracting Handbook podcast discusses the behind the scenes running of a small contracting company. Your host, Mike Knoche, has been running his small contracting company for 16 years. Here he shares what worked for him, mistakes he made along the way, and his “aha” moments. It’s everything from starting up, working with employees, subcontractors, and client. He’ll get into proposals, contracts, marketing and much more. It won’t just be Mike’s perspective as he will talk to contractors from all over the world of any variety of size and structure because through his travels in the off season he’s come to see that contractors everywhere have similar business needs, struggles, and ideas in common. Contact Mike at info@thecontractinghandbook.com for questions, comments, or to be interviewed.
Please hit the subscribe button, leave a review, comment or question. I want your feedback.
Aron Jones of Big Dog Construction out of Grand Manan, New Brunswick (Part 2)
Season 1 · Episode 21
vendredi 25 juin 2021 • Duration 41:43
The Contracting Handbook podcast discusses the behind the scenes running of a small contracting company. Your host, Mike Knoche, has been running his small construction company for 16 years. Here he shares what worked for him, mistakes he made along the way, and his “aha” moments. It’s everything from starting up, working with employees, subcontractors, and client. He’ll get into proposals, contracts, marketing and much more. It won’t just be Mike’s perspective as he will talk to contractors from all over the world of any variety of size and structure because through his travels in the off season he’s come to see that contractors everywhere have similar business needs, struggles, and ideas in common. It's all about construction! Contact Mike at info@thecontractinghandbook.com for questions, comments, or to be interviewed.
Please hit the subscribe button, leave a review, comment or question. I want your feedback.
Guest: Aron Jones
Insta: @bigdogconstruction.gm
Host: Mike Knoche
Website: The Contracting Handbook
Instagram: @thecontractinghandbook
Venmo: Mike-Knoche-1
Aron Jones of Big Dog Construction: Tradesmen to businessmen? Not so fast!
Season 1 · Episode 20
jeudi 24 juin 2021 • Duration 40:23
The Contracting Handbook podcast discusses the behind the scenes running of a small contracting company. Your host, Mike Knoche, has been running his small construction company for 16 years. Here he shares what worked for him, mistakes he made along the way, and his “aha” moments. It’s everything from starting up, working with employees, subcontractors, and client. He’ll get into proposals, contracts, marketing and much more. It won’t just be Mike’s perspective as he will talk to contractors from all over the world of any variety of size and structure because through his travels in the off season he’s come to see that contractors everywhere have similar business needs, struggles, and ideas in common. It's all about construction! Contact Mike at info@thecontractinghandbook.com for questions, comments, or to be interviewed.
Please hit the subscribe button, leave a review, comment or question. I want your feedback.
Guest: Aron Jones
Insta: @bigdogconstruction.gm
Host: Mike Knoche
Website: The Contracting Handbook
Instagram: @thecontractinghandbook
Venmo: Mike-Knoche-1
The 4 Types of Human Time Wasters: Tirekickers, Lowballers, DIYer's, and the General Public
Season 1 · Episode 19
lundi 21 juin 2021 • Duration 16:46
The Contracting Handbook podcast discusses the behind the scenes running of a small contracting company. Your host, Mike Knoche, has been running his small contracting company for 16 years. Here he shares what worked for him, mistakes he made along the way, and his “aha” moments. It’s everything from starting up, working with employees, subcontractors, and client. He’ll get into proposals, contracts, marketing and much more. It won’t just be Mike’s perspective as he will talk to contractors from all over the world of any variety of size and structure because through his travels in the off season he’s come to see that contractors everywhere have similar business needs, struggles, and ideas in common. Contact Mike at info@thecontractinghandbook.com for questions, comments, or to be interviewed.
Please hit the subscribe button, leave a review, comment or question. I want your feedback.
Tim Waring of Arden Vale Homes talks the client screening process
Season 1 · Episode 18
jeudi 17 juin 2021 • Duration 27:52
The Contracting Handbook podcast discusses the behind the scenes running of a small contracting company. Your host, Mike Knoche, has been running his small contracting company for 16 years. Here he shares what worked for him, mistakes he made along the way, and his “aha” moments. It’s everything from starting up, working with employees, subcontractors, and client. He’ll get into proposals, contracts, marketing and much more. It won’t just be Mike’s perspective as he will talk to contractors from all over the world of any variety of size and structure because through his travels in the off season he’s come to see that contractors everywhere have similar business needs, struggles, and ideas in common. Contact Mike at info@thecontractinghandbook.com for questions, comments, or to be interviewed.
Please hit the subscribe button, leave a review, comment or question. I want your feedback.