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Listen in as Darrel looks back on his 30+ year journey in the world of cabinetry and how he came to lead Westwood Fine Cabinetry.

He discusses the continued challenges of operating the business in a post-COVID world, stressing that finding creative ways to communicate with clients and vendors on a personal level has been one of the main reasons for Westwood’s continued success.

Finally, Darrel explains what sets Westwood kitchens apart from all the rest, as well as his tried-and-true approach to taking a client’s vision and making it real.

Topics Discussed:

• [02:24] About Westwood Fine Cabinetry
• [06:01] How the industry has navigated economic turbulence over the past two years
• [08:35] The importance of communication
• [14:15] What makes Westwood unique
• [24:02] Changing trends over the years
• [27:13] About the different species of wood for cabinets
• [34:46] How often trends change
• [41:04] How Westwood kitchens set themselves apart from the rest
• [43:43] Common problems that Darrel contends with on almost every project
• [53:21] Where Darrel sees Westwood in ten years

Connect with Westwood Fine Cabinetry:

• Website - https://www.westwoodfinecabinetry.com/
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/westwoodfinecabinets/?hl=en
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/westwoodfinecabinets/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/westwood-fine-cabinetry/

Connect with Build Magazine:

• Website - https://rebrand.ly/bmweb
• Instagram - https://rebrand.ly/bmigweb
• Facebook - https://rebrand.ly/bmfbweb

Key Quotes by Darrel:

• Cabinet-making is not for the faint of heart. I’ve never seen a business like it.
• Engineering: Pay attention, because the minute you don’t, the minute you mail it in on something, something is going to go wrong.
• Appliances with supply chain right now are over-the-top. People are ordering appliances that aren’t coming for a year.

Duane entered the construction industry over 30 years ago working on oceanfront estates in The Hamptons on Long Island, New York. After honing his skills and being involved in all aspects of high end custom construction, he moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 1996 and started a general contracting business with Roger Ketchum and the two achieved success right away, winning industry awards and earning rave reviews from clients. That relationship continues today.

For over three decades, Duane has been dedicated to elevating professionalism in the construction industry. He believes the key ingredients to success are continual learning, strategic planning, collaboration with like minded peers, and the elimination of egos.

Listen in as Duane gives the secrets behind Alair’s success in the homebuilding and renovation industry, and explains the ins-and-outs of the company’s unique franchise model.

Topics Discussed:

• [03:25] Working with Alair Homes
• [13:43] Running a better contracting business
• [19:52] Learning from Blair McDaniel, founder of Alair Homes
• [21:50] Overcoming preconceived notions about the Alair’s franchise model
• [24:41] The right way to demonstrate transparency as a business
• [26:29] Staying consistent across all of Alair’s locations
• [34:52] What’s next for Alair
• [39:44] The value of working in the trades
• [45:17] Duane’s biggest fear for the next ten years
• [50:26] Providing more education on the business side of the building industry
• [53:32] Lessons learned from working with ultra-wealthy clients
• [55:08] What Duane is most proud of

Connect with Duane Johns:

• Website Podcast - https://www.buildernuggets.com/
• Website Alair Homes Charlotte - http://www.alairhomes.com/charlotte/
• Website Alair Homes - https://www.alairhomes.com
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/buildernuggets/
• Instagram Alair Homes Charlotte - https://www.instagram.com/alairhomescharlotte/
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/buildernuggets
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/duanejohns/

Connect with Build Magazine:

• Website - https://rebrand.ly/bmweb
• Instagram - https://rebrand.ly/bmigweb
• Facebook - https://rebrand.ly/bmfbweb

Key Quotes by Duane Johns:

• It’s very easy, as a builder or remodeler, to think that way. In other words, you really start thinking, “I’m a craftsman,” or, “I’m a builder,” when at the end of the day, we’re businesspeople.
• It doesn’t matter the size of the business or the type of business—the problems are the same.
• People are very passionate in this industry. I love this industry. It’s a very rewarding industry. But it’s a very fragmented industry. There are a lot of people throwing stuff against the wall trying to figure things out. They might be passionate about the building side or the relationship side; but, when it comes to the behind-the-scenes side, [...] I haven’t found a builder yet that likes that stuff.

Jim’s family had an architectural background and, alongside Kristy, started building custom homes as speculative projects as they transitioned the family to Central Oregon, where the two eventually developed Pacwest Builders, a full service design/build firm.

Kristine Yozamp is an innovative award winning interior designer who blends the creativity of design with the practicality of Bend living. Kristine’s passion for new residential construction is balanced by her passion to create beautiful homes throughout Central Oregon.

Topics Discussed:

• Jim’s early career and foray into the building industry
• Common features in a home that may soon become archaic
• How Jim and Kristy know whether or not a potential client is the right fit
• Getting through the Global FInancial Crisis
• How Jim and Kristy stay level-headed
• How clients today differ from those previous decades
• The American Dream according to Jim and Kristy
• Jim and Kristy’s thoughts on the future of younger generations
• What’s next for Jim and Kristy
• The future of the Pacwest brand and what Jim and Kristy are most proud of

Connect with Jim & Kristy:

• Website - https://www.pacwesthomes.com/

Connect with Build Magazine:

• Website - https://www.buildmagazine.com/
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/buildmags/?hl=en
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BuildMags/

Key Quotes:

• The fewer issues you have with specification, pricing, and timing, the better the process. If you get somebody that wants to be oversold in any one of those three areas, run. If they want price promises that don’t exist and won’t exist, they’re just going to be a complete nightmare to collect your money from. And if they have expectations of that finish that doesn’t align up with their budgets, you need to make that clear upfront. ~Jim
• We’re big on underpromising and overdelivering, and if they want it the other way around, we’re not your people. ~Jim

From early 2016 through mid-2021, Win was the Director of Marketing at London Bay Homes. Today, he consults a variety of builders and developers, and also keeps his Realtor's license at John R. Wood Properties' 5th Avenue South office in Naples, FL.

Today’s conversation focuses heavily on the timeless principles of brand development and longevity. Win also speaks on the art of value proposition, in which the key is “to touch someone’s identity, and how they wear the brand for themselves.”

Through leading campaigns for some of the biggest brands in the world today, Win has learned to always steer the conversation away from, “What’s in it for the company?” to, “What’s in it for the consumer?”

In a similar vein, he criticizes businesses who have strayed too far into the realm of political correctness at the expense of their brand identity. Companies who embrace pure, unadulterated authenticity fare far better, especially in the long-run, than those who rely on hollow messaging in an effort to ride on the coattails of certain cultural trends.

Brand is the cornerstone of longevity. To build repetitional excellence, especially as a service business, it all stems from doing what you say and say what you do, and simply being transparent and authentic.

Topics Discussed:

• [05:47] What brought Win to Naples from New York and his early successes
• [14:51] Marketing “affordable luxury”
• [17:09] Other prestigious companies and individuals that Win has worked with
• [21:06] What sets a brand apart
• [28:51] Lessons learned from working with some of the biggest brands of our time
• [33:01] Hollow messaging from businesses and Ronald Reagan’s authenticity
• [37:30] How Red Bull developed an incredible culture
• [39:04] What is on the horizon for the Naples real estate market
• [46:39] Solidifying your brand for generations to come
• [53:52] How best to interact with your team and your customers or clients
• [58:22] The future of the trades

Connect with Build Magazine:

• Website - https://www.buildmagazine.com/
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/buildmags/?hl=en
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BuildMags/

Key Quotes by Win:

• Pricing power is what Wall Street wants to see. [...] The big winners that can defend their pricing power are the brands that have the loyalty from the consumers that have an association with it.
• Who are we talking to? What do they think about us? What will they think about us after this piece of communication? We need them to have a deeper loyalty.
• The creative matters. It isn’t creative if it doesn’t sell.
• Take out the marketing-ese. Develop colloquialism and ease of messaging. Tone it down: Use layman’s language when you’re talking to consumers. They’re a lot smarter than you think they are.

Today Ted speaks with Trisha Isabey, Creative Director and Principal Designer at Isabey Interiors, an award winning design company based in Kelowna, BC specializing in both residential and commercial designs.

The mom of two has loved design for as long as she can remember, but it was only in October 2012 when she established her own company. She sees her background as a professional stockbroker and financial planner as having paved the way for her current career, when her business acumen finally caught up with her passion for interior design.

Today, Isabey Interiors has grown into a team of 27 and is now ranked as the largest interior design firm in British Columbia. Trisha has since expanded into offering a furniture and home decor store called Furnish by Isabey Interiors, and a gift box business called Furnish for You.

Trisha is a regular columnist in Reno & Decor magazines, and the team’s work is regularly featured in both local and national design and lifestyle publications.

Topics Discussed: 

• Why Trisha got into interior design and her experience starting her own business
• Trisha’s core values and inspiring her team to adopt them
• Lessons learned from her husband Kevin, who leads a team of 500
• The power of habit and sticking to the process
• The mentality of the youth towards failure
• Staying on top of client wants between Trisha’s four companies
• Working with draftsmen in Kelowna
• Achieving synergy between different departments on a project
• The difference between a good designer and a bad designer
• Whether Trisha imagined that she would have the success she has today
• Lessons learned in her second marriage
• How Trisha mentors her kid

Connect with Trisha Isabey Interiors:

• Website: https://www.isabeyinteriors.com/
• Instagram: isabeyinteriors
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isabeyinteriors
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TrishaIsabey
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzsgl0apA6EnhDIKaVz2vRQ

Connect with Build Magazine:

• Website - https://www.buildmagazine.com/
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/buildmags/?hl=en
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BuildMags/

Key Quotes by Trisha:

• My core values are kindness and respect. I don’t believe in getting things in a way that hurts somebody.
• The process is how you’re going to get there. You have to stop focusing so much on the goal, because if you know what the goal is, then it’s all about building a daily framework to get to the goal, and you will get there. Stop worrying about how fast it’s going to be because you have no control over that.
• I don’t think you can be a perfectionist when you are a visionary. Otherwise, you wait for your vision to be perfect and it’s never going to be perfect.
• It doesn’t matter how good your builder is. If your design sucked or wasn’t properly planned, you’re in trouble.

Leslie and Catherine reflect on their partnership and passion for their work. To them, “a door is functional art,” and that “not every door has to make a statement, but every door serves a purpose.” The door is a piece to showcase personality and architecture, and they believe that it is an often overlooked part of the home.

The two met and went into business together for their shared love of furniture and design. Prioritizing collaboration over artistic ego, Leslie and Catherine believe in relying on the synergy of their individual styles to elevate the design of each and every single one of their doors.

Topics Discussed: 

• [03:06] The story behind Lecate
• [09:03] How Leslie and Catherine met
• [13:58] Leslie and Catherine’s design process
• [19:19] Leslie and Catherine’s toughest moments in business
• [28:49] How Leslie and Catherine make big decisions
• [31:50] Keeping things in perspective
• [37:38] The tipping point in Leslie and Catherine’s business
• [41:06] Staying focused to be able to create but also execute
• [43:11] How climate influences Lecate’s door designs
• [45:03] What Leslie and Catherine are most excited for
• [50:11] Staying hungry and balancing family and business
• [55:47] What the American Dream means to Leslie and Catherine

Connect with Guest:

• Website: https://www.lecatedesign.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lecatedesign/

Connect with Build Magazine:

• Website - https://www.buildmagazine.com/
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/buildmags/?hl=en
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BuildMags/

Key Quotes by Leslie and Catherine:

• When you walk through the door, that’s your first impression. That’s where people get a sense of what they’re going to get on the inside. They get to touch this piece of art. So, in our world, a door is functional art. ~Catherine
• There is no ego in our designs. If I’m a lead on a project, I want to take it to Catherine and say, “What do you think? Could this be better? What can we do to improve this?” ~Leslie
• We create inspired and innovative designs to elevate the art of living. ~Catherine
• Not every door has to make a statement, but every door serves a purpose. ~Catherine
• America was founded on dreams and hard work. I think it’s important that we protect those freedoms so that future generations have those same opportunities. ~Leslie

Rod kicks off the conversation by expressing his thoughts as to why he believes the construction industry is “broken”. Namely, he believes that small custom builders are lacking proper mentors that can help them scale their careers.

He says that the industry is seeing a decline in artistry, particularly among trim and finish carpenters, because certain skills are not being passed down to these younger trades.

However, regardless of what the future brings and what technologies get introduced into the industry, building a home will always be a “handcrafted experience”—even if it comes to the point where 3D printed homes become the norm.

Rod goes on to reflect on how his upbringing informs the vision-mission, values, and company culture at Cullum Homes. He touches on “The Cullum Difference”, which is to say, “How we communicate with our clients and how quick we are to bring the challenges to the surface.”

Finally, Rod speaks on the most important factor in his life: family. He shares his belief that strong family ties translate positively into every aspect of a person’s life.

He also believes that every single individual who refers to themselves as“American”—no matter how they look or what they believe in—can find success if they embrace the fact that anyone who puts their entire self into their dreams can become whatever they desire to be in the United States.

Topics Discussed: 

• [02:15] Why the construction industry is in dire need of mentorship
• [11:40] Why the level of artistry, especially among finish carpenters, is declining
• [18:32] The return of bigger houses and a wider array of home amenities
• [26:02] Who is Rod Cullum and what led him to establish Cullum Homes?
• [34:31] How Cullum Homes selects their customers
• [40:30] The foundational importance of family
• [51:59] What gets Rod out of bed in the morning?
• [1:00:53] Rod on how anyone can live the American Dream

Connect with Cullum Homes:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Pinterest
• Houzz
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

Connect with Build Magazine: 

• Website
• Blog
• Contact Us
• Instagram
• Facebook

Key Quotes from Episode:

• I’ve always believed that the construction industry, overall, is broken. [...] There are no real, strong mentors for small custom builders.
• The design development is the dream. The construction document is how that dream gets executed.
• This industry is about relationships. It’s a very small town. You can’t burn bridges. It’s about making sure you commit to your trade partners and you commit to your customers. You honor that agreement and you expect the same back from them.
• It’s not that we are exceptional; it’s the ideal of America that makes us exceptional.

Today Ted speaks with Brad Leavitt, Founder and President of A Finer Touch Construction—also known as AFT Construction—an award-winning custom home firm based out of Scottsdale, AZ.

Born into a family of tradesmen, Brad has been immersed in the world of construction all his life. For young Brad, there was no question that, whatever he would eventually do as an adult, it would have to involve creating things with his hands.

Listen in as Brad discusses the road to building his own construction business, the lessons he has learned from living abroad, the tangible value of building your personal brand no matter your profession, navigating difficult conversations with your clients, and adapting to changes in the architecture and design space.

Topics Discussed:

• [01:38] How Brad got started in the world of construction
• [03:31] What living in Argentina for a period of time taught Brad
• [07:31] The importance of building your brand as a tradesperson
• [15:11] Why Brad decided to move to Scottsdale from San Diego
• [17:29] Who does Brad consider his greatest mentor?
• [19:13] The purpose of work and how Brad’s early years of being a business owner
• [26:00] Interacting with clients looking to build a home versus clients looking to remodel
• [29:49] Setting expectations with clients
• [34:44] Legacy builds
• [36:45] AFT preferred suppliers/vendors
• [37:49] AFT home in next Build Magazine issue
• [39:27] AFT home in Build Magazine video
• [42:02] How Brad has adapted his work to ever-evolving smart home technology
• [43:40] Achieving work-life balance
• [45:58] Brad on his philanthropic ventures
• [48:25] Brad on his reputation as a shoe nut

Connect with Brad Leavitt:

• Website
• Instagram 
• Facebook 
• Houzz 
• Pinterest 
• YouTube
• Podcast

Connect with Build Magazine:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Email: ted@buildmagazine.com 
• Phone: (541)312-8072

Key Quotes by Brad Leavitt:

• Personal brand is permanent job security.
• In any business, it doesn’t matter whether you’re in apparel or clothing, or products, or service, or construction—how do you create a workforce of people that believe in what you’re doing?
• The more determined you are and the more you understand your business or your prospective client, the more successful you’ll be as a business owner.
• A project can be successful, or fail, in the pre-construction stage. The more time I can sit down with the client and make sure we’re prepared, when it comes time to break ground, we’ve now built this collaboration and game plan. We have everything figured out, so we can build efficiently.
• When you pay it forward, it will always come back tenfold.

Resources & People Mentioned: 

• Brigham Young University
• Travis Mathews
• Builder 20 Group
• Scott & Richard Jaffa of Jaffa Group
• Rob & Shane of Woods Design Builders 
• Jenny Haire of Stfft Cooney Architects
• RJ Gurley Construction
• Kilbane Architecture
• Omni Montelucia Resort & Spa Scottsdale
• Pella Windows & Doors
• Sub-Zero, Wolf & Cove
• Kohler 
• Ketra Lighting
• Crestron
• Tom Brady
• AQ Shipley 
• Dave Clark