Landon Royals, like many entrepreneurs, enjoyed his business, his people, his clients and his lifestyle. What he didn’t have was a plan that allowed him to get the money out of his business while remaining a vital part of its future. All that changed when he decided to “explore options” that would allow him to achieve his goals for him and his family. The interview does a deep dive into the process of selling his business. Landon opens up about his initial concerns regarding the impact o...

As the finale for Season 3, Dave decided to compile excerpts of interviews and solo efforts during the first 3 seasons into a single episode, the “Best of”. These clips embody the main reason behind the podcast; “to enlighten everyone from the owner to intern, through interviews of industry leaders and solo efforts about all aspects of the business, so you can make the best decision about where you want to go in the industry and how to get there”. Dave hopes you enjoy this episode and are ins...

The interview with Pastor Dan Crow is a major deviation from our typical business podcast. We talk about everything from heaven, hell, and redemption to poverty and the Church’s role in it. During the intro, I mention that it’s more of a life issue and it is a risk mixing things like religion with a business podcast. I’m doing it to see if it makes sense to continue on a broader, more life-based podcast. Dan Crow answers very difficult questions and I must say, he does a great job a...

As he did in Season 1 and 2, Dave caps off this season by answering many common questions and concerns about the commercial construction industry. The answers are consistent with his podcast series and daily interactions in the business. These questions are relevant to everyone in the industry, from owner to intern, and can serve as a guide on how to move forward in the business. Dave answers these questions with both passion and realism, mostly from his personal experience. This is a great e...

Charbel has evolved STI into a leading company that provides passive fire protection in commercial buildings throughout the world. You may not see it but there are products making up tested systems built into the building that are designed to keep smoke and fire “compartmentalized” for a specific period. STI focuses on only firestop and has by far the most tested systems in the industry. Charbel explains how his company has realized, often through catastrophic events, just how important that ...

Dave has been after Brian now for two years for this interview because he knew it would be special. Brian, the driving force behind the extremely successful development company, opens up about the many challenges and successes he has encountered for more than 25 years in business. Brian explains how he got into the business and shaped it into a “brick and mortar” giant in a time when online shopping seems to be the future for most retailers. He explains how his business works and the impact o...

In this seriously introspective solo effort, Dave compares the ways and reasons structures are built with building the best version of oneself. This is, after all a construction podcast and the parallels are amazing. Dave begins the episode by assuring the listeners that he is a “work in progress” and has many of the same questions and struggles everyone does. His role here is to simply pose the right questions and offer some perspective that may be helpful to the listeners.He walks you ...

Brian, a nationally recognized construction attorney and association executive, is a perfect fit for our audience. He understands the nuances of the legal and practical side of being in the construction business and explains them in a way that is both understandable and usable.Brian discusses the first thing every manager should do when getting a contract and he calls it “RTFC”… he details the basic issues subcontractors face in the litigious society we live in. He talks about how different p...

Virginia (Ginny) is the CEO and Scott; her son is the President of the Cameron Group. The Cameron Group of companies is a specialty contractor providing everything from insulation in residential homes to insulation, firestop and rainscreen systems in commercial buildings. The company was started in 1907, yes that’s right, 1907, over 121 years ago. Ginny represents the 3rd generation and Scott is the 4th. It’s inspiring to hear how Ginny grew in the business, starting at the bottom counti...

In this solo episode, Dave discusses the benefits and challenges faced when getting out of one’s comfort zone. It’s defined as “A place where you feel comfortable, and your abilities are not being tested” – or – “A place where you don’t do anything new or different” … If this sounds like something you want to change, Dave does a deep dive into what it is, how it can manifest in us, and the simplest way to overcome it. Staying in one’s comfort zone is based in fear of the unknown or the ...

Don Fries who is “here to help”, shares his thoughts on what a good coach provides to those who want to improve their life. He believes that the coach, different than a mentor or consultant, allows the client to lead and reinforces why it needs to be that way. Don talks about the stigma that too often inhibits people to engage a coach – a specialist trained to work with people to achieve the goals that they establish. Don uses his experience to highlight issues encountered by those at all lev...

Every business, regardless of the industry, must navigate the world of risk management. In commercial construction, Property Casualty insurance is a “must have”, not only for the protection of the company assets, but also for clients to even consider you for the project award.In this episode, we are fortunate to have Joe Wolf, the Sr. Vice President Alliant Insurance Services, Inc. Alliant is a full-service broker with over 7,000 employees nationally. Joe details how this company, with its br...

As the CEO of the non-profit Open-Door America, Bill Simpson is a foremost expert on something no one wants to talk about, Intergenerational Poverty. Bill traces back decades to the root problems in Baltimore and details how and why poverty is getting worse, not better. Bill believes that government is well intentioned but highlights why things like drugs and lack of jobs, all related to poverty, continue to feed this downward spiral. He discusses his interactions with Bill Clinton, the ...

In this brief promo, I will share with you what the first episode of Season 3 will look like. See you on 2-22-22

I am so excited to release season 3 of my podcast series Elevate The Industry. Tune in on 2-22-22 to learn about Selling Your Business.

Dave walks you through the three basic types of exit plans. He discusses the reality of winding down a business and the pitfalls one will face. He then takes you through the nuances of an internal sale, one where management buys out the owner. On a subsequent podcast, Dave interviews experts in “Exit Planning” that does a deep dive into everything from grooming your staff to setting up a sale that will enable the company to do its business while offering the seller the best tax treatment on t...

As he did in Season 1, Dave caps off this season by answering many common questions and concerns about the commercial construction industry. The answers are consistent with his podcast series and daily interactions in the business. These questions are relevant to everyone in the industry, from owner to intern, and can serve as a guide on how to move forward in the business. Dave answers these questions with both passion and realism, mostly from his personal experience. This is a great episode...

In this episode, Dave interviews Darren Magarro, President and Founder of DSM, a full-service marketing company based in New Jersey. Specializing in everything from Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to Social Media Marketing, Darren focuses on Branding in construction in this interview. Darren points out the many nuances of branding, how to properly achieve a strong brand, why it matters as well as some common mistakes many companies make in the process.Darren relates to the family-owned ...

In this episode, Dave interviews a long-time associate and friend Ray Picone who has been in the exterior wall business for over 40 years. Ray shares his story of how he grew in the business and how the business has evolved since the early days. From prefabricated EIFS panels to curtainwall and now onto rainscreen design, Ray has been busy throughout.For the last several years, Ray has been involved in the “rainscreen” business. Ray explains the building science behind rainscreen façade desig...

In this episode, Dave interviews building envelope specialist Jeff Heymann, currently the Vice President of Building Envelope Solutions for MiTek and long since the business development point person for Benson Industries. Jeff shares his experience that begin as a small business owner to working for Benson Industries, long recognized as a leading curtainwall manufacturer in the US. In his understated way, Jeff describes what it takes to be a leader in the industry, iconic projects ...