keep craft alive

Mike established Shepherd PMC with Fred in 2010, when an owner reached out for help on a massive renovation project in Westchester, NY. Over the past 10 years he has worked with Owners, architects, and builders to bring together teams to deliver successful projects. Mike started out as Carpenter over 35 years ago and was fortunate to learn from a true craftsman who taught him the value of a job well done. He appreciates the craftsmanship the tradesman put into every project and the effort and dedication that goes along with that and the challenges architects face in getting the design just right. Today we discuss these topics in detail.

Fred Gutierrez is the host of "Home Owner's Institute" , podcast, and runs the company ShepherdPMC with Mike. Fred was a licensed architect who worked as a custom home builder in Boston MA. ShepherdPMC has dedicated their consulting services to help engaged owners lead the realization of their dream homes confidently and with purpose.  

If you or a friend would like to share what made your project successful, we would love to hear from you.

If you would like to contribute to the podcast with question or comments you can find us here at ShepherdPMC.com

Home Owner's Institute is now on Instagram 

Johnny Hourihan is the co-owner of Vintage Builders, the co-host of The Modern Craftsman Podcast, and one of the four brand ambassadors for Fine HomeBuilding Magazine by The Taunton Press.

What are those things we wish we had known when we started in business? What are things we’re doing now that we would have fast-tracked had we known their importance from the beginning? For instance, when is the right time to hire for certain roles, or how much should certain staff members be paid? We discuss questions like these and other specifics that all business owners should know and understand in order to have a thriving company.

Listen in as Johnny discusses how to deal with the drastic lead times companies face today as a result of COVID-19, dealing with team members and clients as people instead of as procedures, and managing your finances as you hire and scale up your business.

Topics Discussed:

• 04:21 How Johnny built his construction company
• 18:29 How having a strong brand allows you to have more effective loss leaders
• 26:11 The importance of looking at all the financial considerations when hiring
• 29:27 Justifying your price to a prospective customer
• 32:40 Which part of the business does Johnny focus on the most now, three years in?
• 43:12 Hiring the right people and retraining them as the business grow
• 57:59 Treating your team and clients like your family
• 1:09:07 Knowing when you have enough of a cushion to take a financial risk
• 1:17:01 Building your credit and risk tolerance
• 1:24:15 Promoting the trade to the next generation

Connect with Guest:

• Website
• Instagram Vintage Builders
• Instagram Vintage Development INC
• Instagram The Modern Craftsman
• Instagram John Hourihan
• Facebook
• The Modern Craftsman Podcast

Connect with Brad Leavitt:

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

Resources & People Mentioned:

• Wentworth Institute of Technology
• Great Recession 2007-2009
• Benny Fuller Instagram 
• TRG Home Concepts Instagram
• Linkedin
• Architectural Digest
• Kuiken Brothers
• Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek
• Aluminum Shortage
• Stairs
• Builder Trend
• Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss & Tahl Raz
• Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
• Keep Craft Alive
• Fine Home Building

Key Quotes from Episode:

• Know your numbers, track your numbers, and evaluate them as you bring employees into the mix. Do those numbers still work after you’ve begun to hire?
• Only the top 10% of our industry gets repeat business.
• Finding the right hires is like finding the right clients. It’s not just about checking off the boxes. Find the little things, the idiosyncrasies, that reveal each person’s character.
• Adhering to the letter of the law instead of the spirit of the law with regards to your processes only gives you a false sense of security as a business owner.
• We’re not in the business of finding problems. We’re in the business of finding solutions.
• Before leaving any conversation with any client, ask them questions to make sure you’re both on the same page.

In this week's episode of Better Construction, I talk with Brent Hull from Hull Millwork and the Build Show Network about restoration, being an author and a builder, and his 3000 book collection!

Hull Homes: https://hullmillwork.com/
Brent on the Build Show: https://buildshownetwork.com/go/brenthull
Brent on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hullmillwork_hullhomes/