After reviewing hundreds of Architectural sets over the years, here are the main pain points we see most often. - Stair stringers have width - Do final coordination with your engineer before issuing the documentation - Use grids (and coordinate) - Know the actual dimensions of materials like masonry - Dimension walls to face of stud - Be a builder. Not an artist. Thanks for joining us this week! Make sure you check out our sponsor Trimble ProjectSight! - https://projectsight.trimble.com/ Please ...
Nov 11, 2022•6 min
(This episode is a rebroadcast of an interview we did in 2020.) Brian Ringley is the Construction Technology Manager Boston Dynamics. Much of his work centers on the Spot robot. You could call it an “agile mobile robot” or a “quadraped.” Or you could just call it a robot dog. But it’s more than just a robot dog, and it’s more than just an agile quadraped. It’s a platform for all kinds of functions. Spot can carry various payloads that serve a range of functions: Autonomous laser scanning Continu...
Nov 09, 2022•44 min•Season 2Ep. 55
This week we are going over 4 Tips For Project Managers! Here's a list of what we cover. - Don’t be a project pile-it. Don’t hit forward on the email saying “Please advise” before you understand and clarify the request. - Stay in front of the airplane. - Don’t be a box checker. - Have integrity. Never lie to get somebody to do something for you. Thanks for joining us this week! Make sure you check out our sponsor Trimble ProjectSight! -https://projectsight.trimble.com/ Please consider subscribin...
Nov 04, 2022•8 min
Take me out to the ballgame! Today we’re re-airing a really fun conversation we had last year with Angie Simon. Angie can hit a nasty curveball, but when she’s not standing at the plate, she’s working in one of these roles: Advisor to the Board at Western Allied Mechanical . (She was CEO when we recorded this interview last year.) Immediate Past President Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA)When we conducted this interview, she was WAM’s CEO. President and ...
Nov 02, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 82
Do you love the undo button as much as us? This week we are talking about mistakes that happen and what we can do to make the situations better. Topics that we cover: Mistakes happen! How to compare mistakes to baseball Slow down, think- then act! Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating or review and follow us on our social accounts! SUBSCRIBE! Like us on LinkedIn! Like us on Facebook! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Oct 28, 2022•5 min
Some people call it by name, and some people refer to it less directly, but anxiety is a real thing. And it can keep you from doing your best work and living a full life. The experiences we describe in this episode might seem totally unfamiliar to some of you. But we’d bet that some of you are going to find yourself saying, “Hmm. Yup. I’ve experienced that…” The anxiety we’re talking about in this episode isn’t just the general, mild sense of anxiousness and unease that arises in specific, somew...
Oct 26, 2022•45 min•Ep. 140
Work, family, finances–all of these things are wonderful, but they also cause stress. Sometimes, that stress can accumulate to the point where it becomes something more substantial and name-able: anxiety. It can be easy to downplay symptoms and brush aside concerns, but you’re not doing yourself any favors when you do that. Today we discuss some signs that might indicate a level of anxiety worth discussing with a health care provider: Nervousness and irritability Difficulty sleeping Avoidance of...
Oct 21, 2022•9 min
We’ve talked about some complicated things over our 138 episodes. Everything from laser mapping equipment to $15 billion petroleum-processing factories. The complexity of today’s topic exceeds all of those. Today we talk about parenthood. Since we’re the Construction Brothers, our focus is primarily on fatherhood. Between the two of us, we have eight kids. That’s a bunch of years to travel that long learning curve. We start by touching on some of our parenting highlights: A gross-out story invol...
Oct 19, 2022•45 min•Ep. 139
Today we build on last week’s FMF episode, when we discussed the importance of approaching your work like you’d approach a game of chess rather than Fortnite. It’s about being deliberate–thinking several steps ahead. As a manager, it’s easy to get caught up in the expectation that all progress is visible to an outside observer. The problem is that different human workers function differently. Those who appear to be working the hardest may not be working most intelligently. Let people take the ti...
Oct 14, 2022•6 min
Sometimes you hear a podcast that’s so good you want to produce your own version of it. This episode finds us reflecting on an Entreleadership podcast with Dr. Henry Cloud. Cloud is a bestselling author, psychologist, and leadership expert. He is best known for his popular book Boundaries. (You can see the video version of this podcast here .) Before we get into all of that useful stuff, though, we watch a dude get reckless and almost blow himself up. It’s another of Ed Davidson’s videos . We th...
Oct 12, 2022•54 min•Ep. 138
Today we channel our inner Kasparov to discuss the fact that things are better when you think several moves ahead. Whenever possible, it’s best to be methodical and avoid the need to make decisions on the fly. We discuss how we’ve seen people do this effectively–including a former colleague who would occasionally head to the back room, pop in his earbuds, and do the dishes. Sometimes it even bothered us because not doing anything doesn’t feel or look like hard work. But thinking is doing somethi...
Oct 07, 2022•7 min
We’re just sitting here talking… but it’s different. For those of you who are listening to the podcast rather than watching the Youtube video: We’ve redesigned our recording space to allow for more movement and some occasional video integration. We’re experimenting with a slightly different format that will hopefully involve some in-person interviews among other things. Watch the video: https://youtu.be/7yKIf6FrwhU Also, there might be nachos. Today, we use our new space to test the new style of...
Oct 05, 2022•32 min•Ep. 137
Tyler shares about a recent experience with creative shutdown. His new role required a different form of insight than his previous role, and he needed to figure out how to shift gears. What he learned is that it’s okay to step away from the situation. Get outside. Get away from the pressure and create space for the ideas to grow. It takes both discipline and openness. And a playful attitude. And also time. Give yourself the time and space to innovate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...
Sep 30, 2022•7 min
Jeff Sample is known to many as The Ironman of IT. That title is not metaphorical. He’s an actual “Ironman” athlete and he works in construction-related IT. Jeff has worn many hats within the construction world, but he’s currently the primary host of the ContechCrew podcast and the “Industry Evangelist” for Join , which specializes in helping owners, designers, and contractors improve workflow through increased collaboration. Information Jeff is all about data. Well, to be more precise, Jeff is ...
Sep 28, 2022•46 min•Ep. 136
Today we’re going all-out with the construction analogies. Yes, it’s poetic. But it’s also pretty darn insightful and valuable. When you’re a part of an organization, you pass information up and down the line all the time. If you fail to be a reliable link in that information chain, things fail to function smoothly. In electrical terms, if you fail to ensure that the current of information moves efficiently up and down the wire, you’re causing impedance. When you notice this, seek to resolve the...
Sep 23, 2022•7 min
If you need to learn a construction skill or train an employee on a specific skill, Jordan Smith has you covered. Jordan is the Head of Education of MT Copeland (in addition to owning and operating his own design/build firm ). MT Copeland provides affordable, professional-grade video courses for specific construction skills. Jordan does several of the videos, but a whole array of specialized instructors also share what they’ve learned in their many years on the job. Jordan shares how the crazine...
Sep 21, 2022•43 min•Ep. 135
Biff is back. This time he’s creating chaos in the water fountain line. Since Tyler was homeschooled, he never had to deal with the complex social dynamic of “Give me fronts!” The thing is… None of us should have to deal with that in the world of construction. So Eddie has a message to the general contractors out there: When you tell me that you’ll be done with something on a certain date and then you shift that schedule around–don’t gripe about the fact that my resources are now directed somewh...
Sep 16, 2022•9 min
There’s a gap in the industry. Few people are doing more to fill that gap than Lydia Burns. Lydia is known as a senior manager with Allied Construction Industries , a trade group that works on advocacy, networking, and solutions for a variety of parties within the construction industry. Last time we met with Lydia, we discussed her work with K-12 programs that familiarize students with various aspects of construction. Today, we talk about her ambitious work with She Builds a division of ACI that...
Sep 14, 2022•47 min•Ep. 134
Nobody’s going to make sure that you do it. It’s the advance preparation required for a project. And it’s your responsibility. You’ll see that Eddie feels pretty strongly about this–understandably so. It’s simply not fair to show up unprepared and then expect someone else to step up and fill the gaping chasm you’ve created. Take responsibility for your own failures. Admit it. Then you may politely ask for help. Don’t be a Biff. Find Us Online: Website - LinkedIn - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's ...
Sep 09, 2022•8 min
We all see communication disconnects between designers and builders every single day, so today we talk to one of our Dad’s old work buddies, Chuck Colwill. Why Chuck? Because Chuck is an expert in the design-build approach that produces a much more nimble and efficient building team. Chuck’s work with his firm, Colwill Engineering , is a great example of how to gracefully, creatively navigate the complications that come with supply-chain problems, bureaucracies, labor shortages, and other challe...
Sep 07, 2022•45 min•Ep. 133
Yup. Just two brothers talking about fartlek. Life is busy. It’s easy to let physical fitness fall by the wayside. Today we step aside from professional concerns and into this area of personal improvement. We share a bit about our own experiences with physical training–specifically running. Fartlek is a Swedish term. It refers to a kind of training that involves varying the pacing, intensity, and length of workouts. We’ve both experienced the benefits of this and other deliberate approaches to o...
Sep 02, 2022•10 min
Eddie wore khakis and a button-down shirt to the office every single day for his first couple years in the office. He felt like this was a necessary part of showing that he took his role seriously. Tyler followed Eddie’s fashion leadership… for about a month. Now, both of us wear jeans and a t-shirt to the office every day. And there is purpose behind this choice. This isn’t an episode about fashion, but more an episode about questioning your motivations for doing things. Here are some touchpoin...
Aug 31, 2022•43 min•Ep. 113
When we focus exclusively on the price of the bid, we risk finding ourselves working with people we can’t depend on. At the same time, we all know that our industry is built around profit. Teams work best when there is balance between profit and relationship. This requires trust. When trust is present within and between crews, a project runs more efficiently and results in a better end product. On top of that, the process is more enjoyable for everyone. Find Us Online: Website - LinkedIn - Insta...
Aug 26, 2022•8 min
If you work in construction, you know that we have a problem. We need more young people! Someone needs to connect the countless dots of classroom learning, workplace skills, career awareness, and student interests. Lydia Burns is that connector of dots. More formally, Lydia is known as a senior manager with Allied Construction Industries , a trade group that works on advocacy, networking, and solutions for anyone within the construction industry. Lydia’s specific focus is on the Construction Car...
Aug 24, 2022•48 min•Ep. 132
Unclear expectations, scope creep, “Dude, that’s not my job!” Regardless of the phrasing, you’ve experienced it if you’re a contractor or a sub. Today we discuss how to avoid it. What’s the answer? Refine. Be clear. Empathize. Find individuals who are masters of their specialties. Define the job you need each person to do and then hold yourself to those boundaries. That’s the message of today’s Five-Minute Friday. Find Us Online: Website - LinkedIn - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyl...
Aug 19, 2022•5 min
Wally’s range of experience is more diverse than most. Who would have guessed that the Notre Dame leprechaun (yes, he was the official leprechaun for a year) would work his way to the rank of commander in the marines and pilot AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters? Eventually, Wally worked his way into construction leadership with FMI Consulting. Now Wally works as a public speaker and consultant, inspiring people in various fields to become better leaders. In our chat with Wally, we discuss the leaders...
Aug 17, 2022•43 min•Ep. 131
Nature’s timelines can seem unfair. The same is true of professional timelines. It can leave you feeling left behind. Our message: Cut yourself some slack! Stay the course! Don’t rush it! Keep learning, and watch for opportunities to combine your passions, skills, and experience into something meaningful. That’s the nugget of insight we offer in today’s Five-Minute Friday. Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the pod...
Aug 12, 2022•6 min
When we don’t have a guest, it’s a bit like Dwight and Jim when Michael’s out of town. Today we confront the reality that we’ve talked out of both sides of our mouths. As we reflect on that, we touch on blood, politics, and mouse-movers. Do we un-contradict ourselves? You make the call. Be warned: our dander gets up a couple times. Wait. Before we go any further… In case you came to the show notes for the Mike Rowe sheep-castration link (which is likely), here it is . Here are some of the contra...
Aug 10, 2022•44 min•Ep. 130
A few months ago, after a decade of the two of us working closely together, Tyler left ABSI to start his own company. What has Eddie learned from losing his right-hand man? Help them leave well. Celebrate their wins with them. Be genuinely happy for them. Do your best to put yourself in their shoes. Recognize and acknowledge that this separation is a form of loss, and with loss comes emotions you may not have accounted for: Shock, disbelief, or denial Anxiety Distress Anger Periods of sadness Lo...
Aug 05, 2022•12 min
Supply-chain challenges are certainly nothing new, but they’ve grown increasingly complicated over the last few years. Today we discuss how you as a contractor can approach these challenges whether you’re working on a local and global scale. We get several helpful supply-chain insights from our guest Ernie Maschner. Ernie has been an influential presence in the construction industry for more than 30 years. He now works as a VP with Victaulic, a manufacturer of engineered couplings and valves. Er...
Aug 03, 2022•35 min•Ep. 129
