company culture

Cultivating Growth: Integrating Employee Development into Your Business Strategy with Peg Buehrle – [PowerTips Unscripted] S5 E8

April 11, 2024 Company Culture, Human Resources 0:27:50

Today’s episode of PowerTips Unscripted features Peg Buehrle as a guest. During the show, she discusses the significance of team development for business growth. The growth of a business depends on the growth of its key leaders and their respective teams. Therefore, it is crucial to have a development plan for each team member. Peg will shed light on how to ensure that this remains a top priority.

Peg is a co-managing partner of ActionCOACH Columbus, the co-author of The Honest Truth about Leadership, and an internationally recognized speaker. She has 17 years of coaching experience and has helped hundreds of businesses grow. Peg is also a Remodelers Advantage consultant and specializes in team development. If you are interested in scheduling an appointment, click here: https://remodelersadvantage.com/coaching/

Peg, Victoria, and Mark talk more about:

  • Common omissions that business owners have about their teams
  • What gets in the way of business owners of actually doing a development plan
  • How do you create the discipline to make sure you execute your people plan?
  • And more…

Bridging the Skills Gap from an Economist’s Perspective with Mischa Fisher – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]

March 28, 2024 Business Management 0:31:54

An aging skilled workforce is retiring, and there’s a shortage of younger people taking their place. It’s a hot topic among remodeling companies, who are still searching for the right answers to solving their labor shortage.

In  this episode, Mischa Fisher, Victoria, and Mark discuss what you can do to bridge the skills gap, and how to change deep-seated perceptions around joining the home-services industry. 

Mischa Fisher is the chief economist at ANGI Homeservices, representing the HomeAdvisor and Angie’s List brands. Prior to this role, Mischa was chief economist for Illinois, where he served as the economic policy advisor to the governor; he is also a former legislative director for the United States Congress in Washington, DC, and is currently an instructor in applied quantitative analysis at Northwestern University. 

Mischa says the labor shortage starts with s a simple fact of demographics, where an aging workforce is getting ready to retire, and the Millennials and younger Generation Z aren’t in the pipeline to replace them. Compounding that, there’s already a shortage of skilled labor. An internal HomeAdvisor poll showed 65 percent of their members could not fill a position, says Mischa, and it’s getting worse. Mischa shares his insights into what’s causing the labor shortage, and how we can all go about fixing it, plus bonus advice from his dad, including:

  • Why talking about it is a great start
  • Raising awareness inside and outside the industry
  • Best practices to fill your open positions
  • How to appeal to Millennials and Gen Z with a rewarding workplace
  • The importance of building a real team
  • Recognizing generational differences and how to work with them
  • How to create a clear pathway to learning
  • Recruiting older, experienced people
  • Using the student loan crisis to your advantage in recruiting
  • Appealing to the entrepreneurial spirit
  • Working with industry, government, and educational leaders
  • Educating parents about the advantages of learning a skilled trade
  • And more …

Partnership — Creating a Unified Vision for Your Company’s Future with Matt Carlson – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]

March 14, 2024 Business Management 0:23:17

Having a business partner can be an enormous advantage if you approach it correctly. Most people underestimate the commitment and work that goes into a partnership. Ensuring that you’re on the same page and share the same vision goes far beyond having a plan on paper.

In this episode, Matt Carlson shares his story with Victoria and Mark, and what he’s learned as the minority partner in his business in making the relationship work.

Matt is the general manager and co-owner of Fox Home Innovations in Manhattan, KS. After 10 years in the business, and nine as an owner he has a unique perspective on the lessons he has learned from growing FHI alongside his business partner Chris Fox.

Matt and Chris met in college, and worked on several projects together there while both where studying entrepreneurship. Matt then joined Chris in his new remodeling company. He started out working in the field, and Chris proposed the partnership idea quickly. It started as a trial run for a year, while he was still considered an employee. They made it official after the trial period. Matt talks about what you need to do to create and maintain a successful partnership, including:

  • Making the commitment
  • Being open and honest
  • Putting egos aside
  • How to maintain an equal partnership regardless of ownership stake
  • The importance of having open books
  • Delegating duties and responsibilities
  • Keeping egos out of it
  • Resolving conflicts
  • Speaking with one voice
  • Taking a thoughtful approach to long-term company health
  • And more …

If you’re in a partnership, or are considering one, Matt says the biggest thing to remember is to put the business first — above any personal relationship you share.

Focusing on Clarity in Communication with Jeremy Steinruck – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]

March 7, 2024 Business Management 0:29:33

We’re under an almost constant barrage of information from every angle. As leaders in our business, it’s imperative that our messages are clearly understood. But it’s equally important, if not more so, that we get messages clearly. 

In this episode, Jeremy discusses how to make your communication skills better with Victoria and Mark, what it will take, and how it will help your business and your life.

Jeremy is co-owner and vice president of Axis Construction in Wichita Falls, TX, a company he and partner Jeff Miller started 13 years ago. Jeremy holds a master’s degree in human resource management, but he is most thankful for the influence of incredible mentors and friends who have shared their wisdom freely. 

Learning to be a better communicator is possible, even if it’s not in your native skillset. Jeremy says the first part, for him, was getting rid of his “head trash.” He had to get rid of limiting beliefs, only hang on to ideas that could be proven true, eliminate his assumptions of what someone else believes, and not let any of those things influence his decisions. He talks about how to get past that and boost your communication and listening skills, including:

  • The basic rules of engagement
  • Facing fears
  • Placing yourself in someone else’s comfort zone
  • How to plan your conversations
  • Understanding you can’t convince someone else
  • Asking questions to get to others’ needs
  • Setting goals at the beginning of the conversation
  • Communicating with intent
  • The four things to do before having a tough conversation
  • And more …

Empower Your Team to Help You Build a Great Business with Jason Blenker – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]

February 22, 2024 Business Management, Company Culture, Human Resources 0:27:04

If you’re going to build something — a building, a company, a team — you owe it to the world to build something great. Identify what makes you exceptional and empower your team to help you build a great business.

In this episode, Jason Blenker tells Victoria and Mark about how and why he put his organization on the path to greatness, how he defines the term, and inspiring your team to carry out that mission.

Jason is the president of Blenker Companies Inc., a Midwest provider of housing solutions designed to make the building process easier, faster, and better with one mission — to Build Something Great® — great buildings, great communities, great companies, great leaders, and great team members.

About five years ago, he set out to grow his business and build a leadership team around him to make it happen. Jason looked at what world-class companies do, reached out to mentors and coaches, and got to work. A great organization is one that people want to work with and for, and is active in the communities it serves, he says. Getting everyone on the same page is the first step, and he talks about how he did that, including:

  • Creating your roadmap
  • Planning for success
  • Communicating to get employee buy-in
  • Breaking down what it means to individuals
  • Evaluating who does what best and letting them
  • Overcoming the fear of change
  • The changes coming to the industry
  • Why profit isn’t the only driver for success
  • The time you need to take to work on the organization
  • How to let go and  trust others to make great decisions
  • Getting past analysis paralysis
  • And more …

Taking the time to invest in yourself may mean taking time away from working in your business, Jason says, but it’s the only way to propel your organization forward.

Building a Culture of Support in Construction with Steve Barkhouse – [Best of PowerTips Unscprited]

December 21, 2023 Company Culture 0:29:49

Steve Barkhouse joins PowerTips Unscripted to discuss how to create a culture of mental health support in the remodeling industry. In the post covid era, Mental health has affected many employees and business owners, so Steve and his team created a framework for dealing with the added stress that comes from covid. This support framework includes a video and a full-day training session to help employees work on and improve their mental health. Steve talks about how this initiative of offering additional support has helped his company build a healthy culture.

Steve is the owner of the award-winning remodeling firm Amsted Design-Build in Ottawa, Canada. Over the past 33 years, Steve has grown Amsted into a 50-person team with over $20 million in revenues. He is a past Impact Award winner.

Steve, Victoria, and Mark talk more about:

    • The impact of mental health on the employees
    • Why mental health is crucial right now
    • Mental health in the remodeling industry
    • And more…

An Etiquette and Manners Guide for Remodelers with Daniel Post Senning – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]

December 14, 2023 Customer Service, Personal Development 0:33:11

Do you remove your shoes when you visit a customer’s home?  How do I control others’ first impressions of me? Is it ever appropriate to begin eating before everyone is served?  Find the answers to these questions and more when Daniel Post Senning joins the show.   

Daniel is the great-great-grandson of Emily Post and discusses the importance of etiquette and how you can use it while interacting with affluent clients who expect a certain standard of conduct.  He explains that etiquette is really a combination of manners (language), plus principles (consideration, respect, and honesty), and how they guide behavior and how that behavior impacts others. 

Daniel Post Senning is from the Emily Post Institute, which is a fifth-generation family business that promotes etiquette tips and techniques based on consideration, respect, and honesty. Daniel is also an author and co-host of the Awesome Etiquette podcast. 

In this informative and fun podcast, Victoria, Mark, and Daniel talk more about: 

  • Table etiquette for any setting 
  • Business advice that can help you control customer impressions 
  • How good etiquette can be great for business 
  • And more… 

Boost Lead Gen Results with Better Reputation Management with Tanya Bamford – [PowerTips Unscripted] S5 E6

November 30, 2023 Business Management 0:29:56

High interest rates and other market conditions have caused the remodeling market to contract across many regions, resulting in lack luster lead flow for home remodeling companies. As the U.S. heads into a presidential election year, which has the potential to cause further market erosion, remodelers need to protect their market share. By taking steps now to boost their online reputations, home remodeling companies can keep their pipelines full and successfully weather these adverse market conditions.

In this Podcast interview, we chat with Tanya Bamford, Managing Director of R/A Marketing, about the steps remodelers should take to improve their lead generation by leveraging the voice of their clients in an effective reputation marketing program.

Tanya Bamford is the Managing Director of R/A Marketing–A Remodeler’s Best Friend. Exclusively serving home remodeling companies across North America, R/A Marketing helps remodelers grow and thrive by delivering marketing programs which yield a positive return on investment.

Tanya, Mark, and Victoria talk more about:

  • What are they reporting in terms of market conditions? Is there cause for remodelers to be concerned?
  • Many remodelers have cultivated reviews on Houzz or Guild Quality and are concerned about review fatigue. How real is this concern, and what can remodelers do to overcome this challenge?
  • And more…

Tips For Hiring People Who Fit Your Culture with Erin Longmoon – [PowerTips Unscripted] S5 E4

November 9, 2023 Hiring 0:26:10

Is your company struggling to attract top-tier employees? Joining us today on PowerTips Unscripted is Erin Longmoon, the founder of Zephyr Connect. Erin will share some valuable insights into how to hire people who align with your company’s culture. She will discuss the strategies and tactics that have played a pivotal role in Zephyr’s 98% placement rate for their Residential Remodeling clients.

Erin Longmoon is the founder of Zephyr Connects. After a number of years as an Interior Designer, then turned business coach, Erin designed Zephyr Connects to solve the grueling hiring challenges of the Residential Remodeling industry. Zephyr is also an RA Preferred Member Benefit Partner.

Erin, Victoria, and Mark talk more about:

  • Why hiring for culture fit so important?
  • Can we really hire carpenters and laborers for culture fit?
  • Interview tips
  • And more…

Improve Team Performance with Virtual Ride-Alongs with Jef Forward – [PowerTips Unscripted] S5 E1

October 12, 2023 Business Management, Company Culture 0:38:36

When it comes to the employees who are responsible for onboarding and managing your clients, providing consistent coaching and training to your team is crucial for achieving success. One of the most effective techniques for training your team is through the ‘ride along’ or shadowing method. Although this process can be time-consuming, Jef Forward has introduced a new approach to the ride-along. Additionally, he discusses how he employs AI during training and the sales process to help improve the effectiveness of their sales team.

Jef is the Owner of Forward Design Build located in Ann Arbor, MI. He has been a facilitator for Remodelers Advantage Roundtables for numerous years and has been a member of the Roundtables family for even longer. Jef is known as a visionary, an idea guy, and ahead of the curve in most things tech.

Victoria, Mark, and Jef talk more about:

  • How has the use of AI affected the business?
  • AI trackers and how to use them effectively?
  • Using AI apps in a face-to-face meeting
  • And more…
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MASTER NAVIGATION

This website is part of the Remodelers Advantage Network.

Visit our other properties: