company culture

Using the Financial Review to Pivot to Profitability with Michael Hodgin – [PowerTips Unscripted S4 E9]

January 12, 2023 Financial Management 00:38:49

Today on PowerTips Unscripted, Mark and Victoria are joined by Michael Hodgin to discuss using the financial review to pivot to profitability. A complete understanding and review of your company’s financials is a practice that requires a disciplined effort. However, with this practice in place, an owner will be able to use the information from these reviews to pivot when and where necessary to be more profitable year over year. Using his expertise as a former business owner and a business coach, Michael talks about how he examines a company’s financial statements, including what KPIs to review and whom to review the financials with.

Michael was an owner of a successful remodeling company for over 22 years. He has since left and is the owner of Maestro’s Toolbox, where he works with owners of design-build companies across the country to help them build better companies and, therefore, better lives. In addition, Michael has been part of the roundtables as an owner, a facilitator for roundtables meetings, and part of the Remodelers Advantage Business Coaching team.

Victoria, Mark, and Michael talk more about:

  • When is it best to review financials
  • What should be getting reviewed
  • What is the next step after reviewing
  • And more…

The Magic of Disney’s Customer-Service Strategies with Pete Blank – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]

January 5, 2023 Business Management, Company Culture, Customer Service 00:36:27

In this episode, Pete Blank shares customer-service strategies from Disney with Victoria and Mark, and discusses how to apply these lessons to your remodeling company to boost your own team’s customer-service performance. 

Pete has been developing leaders and improving service levels of organizations for the past 25 years — 13 of those with the Walt Disney Co. and the past 12 in local government. He loves inspiring others with ways to enhance their organizational culture. You can learn more about Pete Blank at his website: www.peteblank.com, or on his LinkedIn page. 

Growing up near Disney World in Orlando, FL., Pete says he knew he always wanted to work there. After a few years as a sportscaster in Alabama, Pete went to Florida and began working for Disney. After 13 years, he and his family moved back to Alabama so he could start working in the local government.

Blank said that the biggest challenges to providing outstanding customer service and experiences are speed and expectations. Technology has changed the speed and convenience with which goods and services can be delivered, so you have to align your client’s expectations with what you can actually deliver. 

Mark, Victoria, and Pete talk more about:

  • The difference between customer service and customer experience
  • How social media amplifies all experiences —good and bad
  • Making customer service part of your mission
  • How emotional connections create relationships
  • How to measure your customer-service success
  • The power of follow-up surveys
  • And more …

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Fighting the Labor Shortage with In-house Training with Dan Hurst – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]

December 22, 2022 Business Management, Hiring, Recruiting 00:27:59

The demand and absence of skilled labor is a huge challenge for remodelers across North America. We hear it from our Roundtables Members as well as from our associates, sponsors and Podcast guests.

In this episode Victoria and Mark explore different ways to tackle the issue, and welcome Dan Hurst to the show to talk about how his firm effectively creates a culture and career path that provides opportunities for his staff to learn and develop new skills.

Dan is the President / General Manager of Hurst Design Build Remodel in Westlake, OH and is actively involved in NARI as well as a Master Certified Remodeler and Certified Lead Carpenter.

Dan, Victoria and Mark talk more about:

  • Things you can do to create a culture and provide a path to grow your own skilled workforce
  • Why there is a need to develop your own staff vs. hiring
  • Creating opportunities for your employees to learn and develop new skills
  • What a typical career path might look like
  • Managing and helping your staff achieve their career goals
  • The fear of investing time and energy into developing someone, only to have them leave

How To Double The Number Of Top Leaders In Your Remodeling Comapny: Hire And Train More Women, Featuring Iris Harrell – [PowerTips Unscripted] S4 E8

December 15, 2022 Business Management, Company Culture, Human Resources, Personal Development, Recruiting 00:23:46

In this episode of PowerTips Unscripted, Iris Harrell discusses the importance of having women in key positions within remodeling companies. They make up half of the US workforce, so there is a sizeable recruitment pool, and they also relate on a deeper level with female customers, who often drive decision-making. Women are multi-taskers, organizers, collaborators, and task-oriented, making them assets to any organization. 

Iris founded Harrell Design Build, a large, female-led, employee-owned, full-line remodeling company.  Harrell has consistently committed to high-quality design and craftsmanship and conscientious customer care since their inception in 1985. They also employ only people who share these ideals, including their reliable, rigorously selected subcontractors, and they are very proud of their commitment to women and diversity in the workplace.

Iris, Victoria, and Mark discuss:

  • Women in key positions in your company are a competitive advantage
  • Overcoming internal (and inherent) biases
  • And more…

Listen…

Strategy Isn’t Enough with Brian Gottlieb – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]

November 17, 2022 Business Management, Company Culture, Personal Development, Productivity 00:30:45

A successful remodeling business isn’t only dependent on tactics or the larger strategy behind them. A company’s culture plays a crucial role in executing any business strategy. 

In this episode, Brian Gottlieb discusses the key steps needed for a business to implement their desired strategy with Victoria and Mark.

Brian Gottlieb is the founder and CEO of Tundraland Home Improvements, which serves all of Wisconsin. He started his business on a plastic folding table, with just $3,000 in cash. Today, Tundraland employs more than 220 people, and revenues  are in excess of $42 million. 

He defines strategy as an integrated set of choices an organization makes to position against the competition, add value to their customers, and add value to the company. Brian’s “a-ha” moment came last summer, when he understood that when a community is at its full potential, we’re all in a better place; and when an organization is at its full potential, we’re all in a better place.

He calls Tundraland a training organization — developing an employee to his or her full potential is a key point of the company’s  strategy. Brian describes the four ways to define your culture, and how to make it stronger, including:

  • How building a strong culture is like building a ship
  • How realizing potential depends on others
  • Examples of the wrong strategies
  • And more …

Will Your Personnel Files Survive a Legal Trial with Jody McLeod – [PowerTips Unscripted] S4 E5

November 10, 2022 Legal 00:39:04

On this episode of PowerTips Unscripted, Jody McLeod joins the show to answer legal questions, including whether companies are set up to withstand a legal challenge. Jody discusses the best way to ensure having a complete personnel file for each employee, including documentation of conversations and key facts,  so that you can support yourself and your company during a legal trial. Jody also advises business owners to help them avoid lawsuits through a complete onboarding process and proper training for all managers.

Jody, an attorney, and former Fortune 500 legal executive is the Founder and Principal of McLeod Legal Solutions (MLS). MLS partners with business owners to protect their business during HR and employee relations disputes with direct access to litigators, employment lawyers, and legal executives from Fortune 500 companies.  Jody specializes in employment law, litigation and litigation management, compliance, investigations, and training.

Jody, Mark, and Victoria talk  more about:

  • Complete personnel files 
  • Best practices to avoid legal trial 
  • Inappropriate or incomplete personnel files 
  • And more… 

Pheel the Love — How the Most Powerful Force in the Universe Builds Great Companies, with Tom Burgoyne – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]

November 3, 2022 Company Culture, Customer Service, Personal Development, Sales 00:23:42

Everyone would love to have raving fans — and today’s guest knows the feeling. Tom Burgoyne has had a 30-year career as the person behind the Phillie Phanatic — the most popular mascot in sports. 

In this episode, Tom talks to Victoria and Mark about what the Phanatic has taught him about the importance of customer service — and how it can be a great differentiator.  Tom has learned, while in costume, that the love people have for the Phanatic, and the love the mascot shares, can be applied to your everyday working life. 

Tom was working in sales when he answered a blind ad to become the backup to the original Phanatic. He was the backup for four years before assuming the primary role. He’s also the author of Pheel The Love!: How the Most Powerful Force in the Universe Builds Great Companies — Phillie Phanatic Style!  He applied this principle to improving customer service through love and fun, including:

  • Being authentic
  • Deciding to be loving
  • Noticing opportunities to share the love
  • Acting on the opportunities
  • The big smooch — making people feel special
  • Being consistently optimistic as a company
  • The Love 15 evaluation
  • And more …

Tom shares some of his most enduring memories as the Phanatic, including leading the 2008 World Series parade, how hot it gets in the costume, and what the Phanatic and Remodelers Advantage have in common.

Tom also has a podcast called Phillies Backstage with Brazer and Burgoyne. And you can check out his page on LinkedIn.

This episode was initially posted in 2019.

Using Kaizen to Improve Your Business with Michael Sauri [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]

October 20, 2022 Business Management, Company Culture, Personal Development, Production, Productivity 00:35:02

In today’s episode of PowerTips Unscripted, we are featuring one of our more popular episodes. If you have topic ideas for an episode or a guest we should be interviewing, send an email to victoria@remodelersadvantage.com.  Enjoy!    

The Kaizen practice focuses on improving existing, standardized processes by eliminating waste and was first practiced in Japanese businesses after World War II.  Kaizen translates to “Change for Good,” and that can mean many great things for your growing remodeling company. The process of constant improvement, with every team member participating, allows your company to constantly raise the bar on its target metrics.  

In this episode, Victoria and Mark learn more about the Kaizen practice of process improvement by welcoming Michael Sauri, CEO of TriVista USA, to the show.

Michael and his wife Deborah started TriVistaUSA in 2005 with the goal of providing an outlet for creativity and a Ritz Carlton-level client experience. “Our Thoughtful Design Builds Fine Living,” is their mission statement and their mantra as they bring phenomenal, award-winning design to the Design/Build community in the Washington DC area.

Victoria, Mark and Michael talk more about:

  • The background of Kaizen and how TriVista got involved
  • Hiring and developing a team within the Kaizen structure
  • The differences between Kaizen and other process improvement practices
  • And More…

Building a Culture of Support in Construction with Steve Barkhouse – [Powertips Unscprited] S4 E2

October 6, 2022 Business Management, Company Culture 00:29:49

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 and a 15-year member of the Mentor group Remodelers Advantage Roundtables Peer Group.

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…

Helpful Tips on Hiring with Mike DiFabion – [Best of Powertips Unscripted]

September 8, 2022 Business Management, Company Culture, Hiring, Human Resources, Personal Development 00:32:10

Hiring is on everybody’s mind these days.  But, utilizing the proper tools in the hiring process is key to ensuring you’re creating a great team.  Guest Mike DiFabion is here to share over 20 years of experience in the remodeling industry and the tips and tricks to creating a smooth, efficient hiring process.

Mike started DiFabion Remodeling, Inc. in 2000, intending to become the best local mid-sized remodeling firm in the Charlotte market. By providing superior customer service and controlled growth, the company now boasts a reputation beyond reproach and is enjoying its 16th year in business.

Victoria, Mark, and Mike talk more about:

  • Hiring timeframes
  • Character traits to look out for
  • Experience Vs. Ability to learn
  • And more…
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This website is part of the Remodelers Advantage Network.

Visit our other properties: