Build Perspectives Podcast

We bridge Wall Street and Job Sites. Real stories, real numbers, real consequences. Hosted by Carolina Baffigo and Tim Seims. https://tinyurl.com/Build-Perspectives

How Subs Get Blindsided: Contract Risk & Jobsite Secrets (with attorney Megan Shapiro) 11/17/2025

Reducing the building products sales cycle and other existential questions 11/04/2025

We're Back! The Real ROI of Job Site Visits (And Why Your Reps Aren't Going) 10/09/2025

We're Back! The Real ROI of Job Site Visits (And Why Your Reps Aren't Going) We're back! And we're starting with the uncomfortable truth: your salespeople might be collecting hotel points instead of closing deals. Join Tim and Carolina as they unpack why job sites are where the real intelligence lives, how to get out of industry echo chambers, and why curiosity is your competitive advantage. After taking a break, Tim Seims and Carolina Albano are reuniting to bring you fresh perspectives on the ConTech and building products industry. In this relaunch episode, they tackle one of the industry's biggest challenges: getting salespeople out of the office and onto job sites where the real opportunities live. In This Episode: Why job site visits are the most underutilized sales tool in building products The shocking gap in sales training that's costing manufacturers millions How to break out of industry echo chambers and avoid the "rut" trap Why software salespeople need job site skills too The difference between commission breath and actually adding value How curiosity and learning create competitive advantages Insights from the Venveo Building Products Customer Workshop The timeless fundamentals that AI and software can't replace Key Takeaways: Manufacturers are sitting on 70,000+ leads without a strategy to work them The building owner, GC, architect, and installer all speak different languages—and you need to learn them all "Don't assume other people know what you know"—your experience is someone else's gold A rut is just "a grave with the ends kicked out" Whether you're in commercial, residential, sales, technical, or leadership, this episode will challenge you to think differently about how you engage with customers and invest in your own growth. This episode is brought to you by Job Site IQ - Take the assessment at JobsiteIQ.scoreapp.com to discover your job site intelligence and learn how to add more value on every visit. Connect with us: Email: or Find us on Subscribe and leave a review to help us grow! /episode/index/show/buildperspectives/id/38529800

The Musical Chairs of Building Products - Why Everyone's Changing Jobs (And What It Means for Our Industry) 06/06/2025

The Musical Chairs of Building Products - Why Everyone's Changing Jobs (And What It Means for Our Industry) The Musical Chairs of Building Products - Why Everyone's Changing Jobs (And What It Means for Our Industry) Recorded Live at AIA 2025, Boston Featuring special guest Michael Russo, National Sales Manager at Longboard Architectural Products The Big Idea The building products industry is experiencing a massive talent shuffle. From the Rockwell acoustic booth at AIA (where you can literally hear the difference good products make), to LinkedIn feeds full of job announcements—everyone's moving. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. What You'll Experience in This Episode We recorded this live from the Rockwell booth at AIA 2025—the first time any of us had been to the show in 6+ years. You'll hear the actual difference between being inside an acoustic booth and walking onto the noisy show floor. Because some things you just can't market—you have to experience them. The Career Carousel: Where We All Landed 2019 vs 2025 - The Shuffle: Tim: Nichiha → Nichiha (leading Interiors Strategy) Carolina: Porcelanosa Facade → Nichiha → StoeCorp (leading VTECH team) Michael: Nichiha (13.5 years) → Longboard Architectural Products We're all competitors now. Same customers, same projects, different products. But that doesn't mean we can't talk about what's really happening in our industry. Why Everyone's Job-Hopping (And Why It's Actually Good) The Family Decision Reality Moving companies isn't just a career move—it's a family decision. Michael's perspective after 13+ years at one company: the first 60-90 days define everything. You're not just learning products; you're establishing pace and direction. The Win-Win Dynamic When experienced professionals move, both sides win. Companies get proven expertise. Veterans get validation and appreciation for their accumulated knowledge. It's not just about changing jobs—it's about leveraging your "body of work." What We All Have in Common: Pumpkin spice lattes (Carolina always sends the first text) Fall season excitement 15+ years of relationship-building in a tight-knit industry The ability to spot our cladding systems on family road trips The Long Game That Keeps Us Here Why We Stay: Always work: Construction happens everywhere Making a difference: Helping architects, designers, building owners create better spaces The relationships: Small industry, long relationships, specification sales The payoff: Driving by buildings you helped create The Industry Reality: People don't leave architecture to become builders. Builders don't become architects. Building products people stay in building products. It's hard to get out because once you're in, you see the impact. The Talent Problem Nobody Talks About Everyone discusses labor shortages on job sites. But what about us? Building products manufacturing, sales, and marketing face the same challenge. How do we attract young talent to careers they don't know exist? The Solution: Have these conversations publicly Share the rewarding reality of the work Show the financial mobility possible Highlight the gratification of seeing your work built Walking through AIA 2025, we saw plenty of young professionals asking questions and moving with purpose. The next generation is here—we just need to be more vocal about the opportunities. The Experience Economy in Action You can't print or market the acoustic difference you experience in the Rockwell booth. You have to be there. That's why events like AIA matter—not just for networking, but for experiencing what products actually do. After a day of "constantly grinding" and networking, the unexpected reward: 12 genuine hugs from industry relationships built over 15 years. That's the human infrastructure that makes this industry special. The Bottom Line With $5 billion in commercial facades construction over the next 3-4 years, there's plenty of work to go around. The career mobility we're all experiencing isn't disruption—it's evolution. The industry is strengthened when experienced professionals bring their expertise to new challenges. We might be competitors, but we're all trying to create better spaces for customers. And in a relationship-driven industry built on specification sales, collaboration makes everyone stronger. About Our Locations Tim: Interiors Strategy at Nichiha USA Carolina: Leading VENTEC team at StoCorp - High-performance building envelope solutions Michael Russo: National Sales Manager at Longboard Architectural Products - Expanding into interiors and landscape architecture applications Sponsor Spotlight Advancing Prefabrication: Unitized Façades & Panelization June 9-11, 2025 | Dallas, Texas Part of the Hanson Wade suite of construction innovation events Use code BP10 for 10% off any Hanson Wade event registration Build Perspectives explores the innovations, relationships, and career realities shaping construction. Sometimes recorded in acoustic booths, sometimes on noisy show floors—always authentic to the industry we love. "Perspectives - something my dad says you can never have too much of." /episode/index/show/buildperspectives/id/36889005

The $2.2 Trillion Venn Diagram - Why Everything You Know About Construction Silos Is About to Change 05/29/2025

The $2.2 Trillion Venn Diagram - Why Everything You Know About Construction Silos Is About to Change The Big Idea The construction industry's 40-year experiment with specialization is ending. What I'm calling "encroaching vertical integration" isn't just a trend—it's a fundamental reshaping of how projects get built. And the companies that miss this shift will find themselves squeezed out of the value chain entirely. Why This Matters Now Most commercial construction projects finish over budget and over schedule. That wasn't happening 40 years ago when GCs self-performed everything from grading to casework. The "ballooning" of our industry through specialization created layers of margin, scope gaps, and coordination nightmares that are finally forcing a correction. The Three-Front War for Control 1. GCs Going Rogue Companies like Swinerton, DPR, and Windover aren't just managing projects anymore—they're bringing building envelope, carpentry, and concrete work back in-house. They're buying panel machines, butterfly tables, and steel rollers. Why? Because being a project manager with no control over performance is the least profitable way to build. 2. Trades Playing Offense Drywall contractors aren't content being subs anymore. They're positioning themselves as prime contractors, offering GC services to owners directly. The specialists are becoming generalists again. 3. Manufacturers Thinking Like Boeing Take Sango Ben's prefab partnerships. Manufacturers who traditionally just made "stuff" are now doing full wall assemblies. They're moving from component suppliers to system integrators—and that's where the real margins live. The Dark Horse: Distribution's $100B Opportunity Here's what nobody's talking about: QXO's acquisition of Beacon isn't just about scale. It's about positioning for the biggest disruption in construction distribution since Home Depot. Imagine ABC Supply or QXO calling on architects like manufacturers do. Running lunch-and-learns. Writing specs. Building primary demand instead of just fulfilling orders. Most distributors are glorified logistics companies collecting AR. The winners will become strategic partners who can prove ROI to manufacturers through specification influence. The math is simple: If you control specification, you control everything downstream. Case Study: The Future Happened in Dallas A 1000-room resort north of Dallas proved the concept. They built an assembly line right on the job site—welded tables, crane-ready facades with windows, waterproofing, rock wool, and cladding integrated. Two and three-story unitized assemblies installed like Lego blocks. This wasn't just efficient construction. It was manufacturing mindset applied to building. And it's scalable. What This Means for You If you're a manufacturer: Start thinking assembly, not components. The companies buying just your product are becoming your competitors. If you're a GC: The question isn't whether to self-perform more. It's which trades to bring in-house first. If you're in distribution: You're either becoming a strategic partner or a commoditized middleman. There's no middle ground. If you're an investor: Look for companies crossing traditional boundaries. The biggest returns will come from businesses that control more of the value chain. The Bottom Line We're watching a $2.2 trillion industry reorganize itself in real time. The silos that defined construction for 40 years are converging into something that looks more like manufacturing. The companies that understand this shift aren't just adapting—they're designing the future of how we build. Sponsors & Partners Nichiha USA - Where I lead Interiors Strategy, focusing on mass timber integration and adaptive reuse projects. Our fiber cement architectural panels are enabling the prefab revolution. Advancing Prefabrication: Unitized Façades & Panelization June 9-11, 2025 | Dallas, Texas The event where these ideas get turned into action plans. Use code BP10 for 10% off: Build Perspectives explores the technologies and strategies reshaping construction. Hosted by someone who's spent years in the trenches—from swinging hammers to building go-to-market strategies for the industry's most innovative companies. Subscribe, rate, and share if this resonates. The construction industry deserves better than "that's how we've always done it." /episode/index/show/buildperspectives/id/36771125

Inside the Mass Timber Performance Index: Redefining Construction Value Beyond Cost 03/06/2025

Inside the Mass Timber Performance Index: Redefining Construction Value Beyond Cost In this illuminating episode of Build Perspectives, we bring together two mass timber industry veterans to break down the economics, challenges, and future of this growing sector. Erica Spiritos and Roy Anderson to offer invaluable insights into the nuanced world of mass timber pricing and market dynamics. Episode Highlights: Understanding the Mass Timber Performance Index: Discover how the index helps quantify costs in an industry where traditional pricing models don't apply https://masstimberconference.com/report/content/mass-timber-price-index-2024/ Debunking the "Commodity" Myth: Learn why mass timber is a value-added product rather than a commodity, despite some industry confusion Capacity Reality Check: Current manufacturers are operating at under 50% capacity - addressing the "supply stalemate" holding back wider adoption Regional Mass Timber Ecosystems: Why building with locally-available species is crucial for sustainability and market growth The Complete Value Chain: From raw lumber to fabrication services, understanding the full cost structure of mass timber projects Supply Chain Challenges: Issues with lumber thickness, moisture content requirements, and forest management policies affecting the industry Future Outlook: Predictions on vertical integration, standardization, and the breaking of the "supply stalemate" Key Quotes: "Mass timber accounts for 0.5% of softwood lumber consumption in North America - it's a drop in the bucket." "I think our climate crisis and our housing crisis together are demanding [standardization] of us." "In the next couple years... we're going to see a 25-50% increase in capacity in the United States with new facilities coming online on both coasts." Connect With Our Guests: Erica Spiritos: VP at Timber Lab and Director of Washington Mass Timber Accelerator https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-spiritos-7b34051b/ Roy Anderson: VP at Beck Group and author of the International Mass Timber Report https://www.linkedin.com/in/royanderson1968/ Resources: Last year's 2024 Entire Mass Timber Report https://masstimberconference.com/report/ Use discount code Build-Timber to register for only $995 ($380 savings!) https://masstimberconference.com/register/ www.Nichiha.com Episode Sponsor - Episode Sponsor A special thanks to Craig Rawlings and Arnie Didier for connecting us and supporting this important industry conversation. Don't miss our next episode! Subscribe to Build Perspectives and leave a review - as Tim's dad always says, "You can never have too much perspective." /episode/index/show/buildperspectives/id/35558155

LIVE at Advancing Prefab: Amy Marks, Industry Legend 03/19/2024

LIVE at Advancing Prefab: Amy Marks, Industry Legend Great to catch up LIVE at with from and Whats your next event? Chapter 1: Intro 00:00: Tim introduces the event, "Build Perspectives," and his interest in the building products industry. 00:48: Amy Marks introduces herself as the Executive Vice President of Global Strategy at Symmetry, AKA the Queen of Prefab! Chapter 2: Advancing Prefab Event Overview 02:31: Amy Marks discusses the unique aspects of the Advancing Prefab event, emphasizing its focus on authentic conversations and business connections. 03:30: The event is described as a platform for making valuable business connections and fostering collaboration within the construction industry. Chapter 2: Advancing Prefab Event Overview 04:54: The event's evolution over the years is noted, with increased participation from architects, engineers, and general contractors. 05:44: Amy mentions the diverse audience and the positive impact of having decision-makers from various sectors present at the event. Chapter 4: Importance of Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing 07:45: Amy emphasizes the significance of sharing knowledge and experiences within the construction industry. 08:25: The discussion shifts to the need for companies to engage with social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok to attract a more diverse workforce. Chapter 5: Encouraging Diversity in the Construction Industry 09:48: Amy highlights the importance of promoting diversity in the construction industry, particularly in attracting more women and young talent. 10:41: The conversation extends to the role of social media influencers in showcasing diverse careers in construction and related fields. Chapter 6: Amy's Advocacy for Change and Industry Engagement 12:33: Amy encourages companies to actively engage in social media platforms and support initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion in the industry. 13:25: The importance of providing platforms for change agents and fostering an environment of courage and openness is emphasized. Chapter 7: Connecting with Amy Marks and Conclusion 14:43: Amy shares ways to connect with her on social media platforms and through Symmetry for further engagement and collaboration. 16:05: Tim acknowledges Amy's contributions and the value of her insights in driving positive change and innovation in the industry. /episode/index/show/buildperspectives/id/30442238