387 Busy Isn't Productive, Stop Multitasking Your Business
Modern Craftsman
Nick breaks down why his calendar can look “full” while the real priority list stays untouched, and how hiring an assistant forced him to protect time instead of feeding distractions. Tyler pushes on the bigger question: are we building systems to grow, or just cramming more into the same day for no payoff. Show Notes: 00:00 Too many balls 03:29 Inbox takeover 08:58 One thing focus 16:47 Busy vs productive 27:35 Precon time sinks 35:23 Buying your way in 44:05 Risk stories 50:33 Simple systems win 1:00:18 AI, but for what 1:06:15 Wrap and tease Video Version: Partners: ...
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How to Track a Job Budget in Real Time
Modern Craftsman
Stay out of the cold with these hot budget tips as Tyler breaks down exactly how he budgets a real porch job, from the precon fee and deposit strategy to tracking every cost day by day. The big takeaway is how to communicate “extras” without panic, keep cashflow protected, and still finish strong without rushing. Show Notes:00:00 Cold office, hot topic 02:05 Precon fee and setting the budget 05:15 Deposits and staying out of the red 08:40 Daily tracking and invoice cycles 13:55 Calling out extras without change-order chaos 20:45 Reconciling budget vs real costs 27:35 Don’t rush the...
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386 Jobsite Photos That Actually Work For You
Modern Craftsman
Builders already have thousands of jobsite photos on their phones, but most of those shots are not protecting them, selling future work, or showing what they really do. In this episode we break down a simple way to use your phone, a few habits, and better organization so your photos become insurance, a sales tool, and a real portfolio instead of digital clutter. Show Notes: 00:00:00 The Shot That Saves You 00:04:20 Meet Dave 00:08:00 How This All Started 00:10:28 Photos That Win Work 00:12:47 CYA Before You Demo 00:17:03 Your Phone Can Do This 00:23:32 Make It Look Expensive 00:39:16...
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385 Stop Letting “Cool Details” Kill Your Margin
Modern Craftsman
Nick and Tyler break down how line item budgets, tiered estimates, and value engineering actually protect you when clients start pushing on price and scope. From losing out on a five million dollar job after an eleven hour estimate to using that same work to land better projects, they talk through transparency, expectations, and how not to let your own standards wreck your profitability. Show Notes: 00:00 Cold Open, Winter 05:04 Sponsors and Setup 13:09 Cordless Tools Talk 15:19 Precon Tier 1 21:55 Dropbox Wipeout 29:54 Line Items and Trust 42:09 Cheaper Builder Choice 47:11 Cool Work vs...
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Why Two Owners Need More Than 1.5x Work
Modern Craftsman
Tyler answers a listener's question about two belt-on GCs teaming up in a 50-50 partnership and trying to keep things simple while still making real money. He breaks down how to price owner labor, define roles, track time, and protect both your margins and your friendship when you run a tiny company with two owners. Show Notes:00:00 Two owners, tiny company 05:26 Ryan’s email setup 08:00 One and a half myth 10:19 Where you make money 13:00 Self perform vs subs 15:00 Pros and cons of partners 17:20 Roles, risk, resentment 19:59 Tool belt vs business 25:01 Staying niche, lean overhead 29:29...
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384 Too Tired For Precon, Too Broke To Skip It
Modern Craftsman
Nick and Tyler break down how they use preconstruction to protect the architect’s vision, keep clients on budget, and avoid the usual bid and bleed disaster. They get into real numbers, value engineering that is not just stripping scope, and how to track the everyday inefficiencies that quietly kill your profit. Show Notes: 00:00 Hidden inefficiencies 00:18 Precon and race recap 01:18 Sponsor break 08:47 Tyler’s race story 16:12 What precon really is 18:42 Design build vs precon 22:10 Tier one pricing 29:22 Why plans don’t get built 33:41 Architect types and bids 41:18 When budget...
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What I'd Do Differently If I Started My Business Today
Modern Craftsman
Tyler answers a listener email about what he’d do differently if he were starting his business today, beyond just setting up insurance, lawyers, and an LLC. He digs into why chasing “sexy” high-end projects can crush your margins, how T&M and paid pre-con changed his business, and why the less you work, the more you can actually make when your systems and numbers are dialed. The Preconstruction Course: Show Notes: 00:00 What I’d Do Differently Starting Today 03:59 Chasing Sexy Projects Instead Of Profit 08:42 Scaling Back And Resetting The Business 12:30 Dialing In Pre Con...
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383 Money, Anxiety, and Mental Health in the Trades
Modern Craftsman
This episode gets real about money stress, comparison, and the head noise that comes with trying to run a construction business and still show up at home. We talk through how we handle the dark season — from boundaries and better systems to finding people you can actually be honest with. Show Notes: 00:00 Intro, sponsors and setup 04:10 Why we are talking about mental health 05:35 Comparison trap and feeling behind 09:44 Money stress and your relationship with cash 16:07 Why this season hits builders so hard 24:20 Taking inventory, boundaries and time off 30:14 All in on the 45 White Oak...
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382 Stop Wasting Time on the Wrong Leads
Modern Craftsman
Nick and Tyler sit down live at CCS in Chicago to walk through how they go from 100 inquiries to one real client and why risk is the number one reason people never build. They break down self-qualifying leads, budget reality checks, and using precon and VE to protect both your business and the homeowner before anyone signs. Show Notes: 00:00 Why clients don’t build 04:48 Live from CCS in Chicago 05:58 From lead gen to lead conversion 09:28 Getting clients to self-qualify 18:00 When the budget and scope don’t match 22:09 Using precon to de-risk the job 30:33 Converting right way Video...
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It’s Not the Lattes. It’s the Math.
Modern Craftsman
Tyler tears into the “stop buying lattes” take and runs the numbers that actually break buyers and clients. The squeeze lands on builders too - changing bids, quality, and what projects even pencil out. Show Notes: 00:00 The meme and why it’s off 04:00 Life costs vs “coffee” costs 06:30 1981 starter home vs today’s code & specs 07:25 Rates, prices, and the real math 10:35 How this hits builders and quality 12:05 Healthcare, childcare, and budgets 13:45 Remodel numbers that don’t work 16:10 Myths Tyler hears vs reality on site 20:00 The human toll and what needs to...
info_outlineNick and Tyler get into Jeff Bezos’s original playbook from ’97 and pull out what actually works for the trades. It’s about taking the best ideas, tossing the fluff, and making them fit our world.
Show Notes:
00:00 From Broke to $178M
07:18 It’s Always Day One
13:06 Obsess Over Customers, Not Competitors
20:25 Stubborn on Vision, Flexible on Details
25:40 Build for the Long Term
37:02 Focus on What Won’t Change
46:36 Use Data, Trust Your Gut
49:38 Innovate, Even When It’s Risky
54:59 Be Frugal — Constraints Breed Resourcefulness
61:01 Move Fast — Speed Matters
67:08 Adopt High Standards
74:38 Outro — Thanks & What’s Next
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