Introduction Is Tyler Irrelevant? That’s where we start out today. From there, we conclusively demonstrate our shared lack of connection with today’s youth. We zone in on the term skibidi. Here’s the Urban Dictionary definition . Then we move on to Ohio , rizz , and sigma . Aren’t you glad you joined us? A new generation in construction The reason we’re discussing this linguistic nonsense is that construction is changing. We asked the LinkedIn community to share what they feel has been lost as t...
Aug 07, 2024•57 min•Ep. 229
Tyler’s been hiring. In the process, he’s had the opportunity to meet a lot of great people. One guy in particular checked in toward the end of the scheduled interview time slot and asked thoughtfully whether Tyler had a few more minutes. Proactively consider the needs, desires, and circumstances of the people you work with on a daily basis. Doing this on a consistent basis will help them know they can trust you. Check out the partners that make our show possible. Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com...
Aug 02, 2024•4 min
Introduction Today we welcome Joe Purtle, who is here to talk to us about concrete forms. Joe has been in construction for well over two decades, and he’s currently the COO of Doka, which specializes in forming and shoring. Eddie shares a bit about his experience in construction back in the 2x4 and plywood days. He shares how cool it’s been to see the complexity of forms increase over time and to see how those forms have become woven into BIM software. We discuss how designers and other stakehol...
Jul 31, 2024•44 min•Ep. 228
We’re always trying to help. This week we have a memory Tyler shares about the invisible tattoo he mentally cut into his arm–the message (in its family-show iteration): “Don’t be a jerk.” He reads this tattoo to himself at work and at home. Frustration awaits you at every turn in this industry and in life. Establish the neural pathways needed to avoid falling into bad, adrenaline-fueled habits. Check out the partners that make our show possible. Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtu...
Jul 26, 2024•5 min
00:00 - Intro We start out today reflecting on Lee Evey, an interesting guest from a couple former episodes ( part one , part two ). Then we get going on the conversation with today’s guest, Matthew Byrd, who started the Reality Capture Network . Matthew gives us a run-down of his career preceding RCN and what drove him to start this conference. He talks about the lack of equipment knowledge he saw among reality-capture practitioners. Matthew already had a podcast and an active LinkedIn presence...
Jul 24, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 227
Yes, it’s another quote. This week, Maggie Thatcher speaks to us through Eddie. She says, “Keep Fighting the Good Fight.” Tyler adds to that. Learn to love the “no” he says. Great things can come if you are willing to fail more. Eddie shares about RFIs that you know are a sign of something that’s going to become a bigger deal. Sometimes you need to set aside your own interests and do something for the good of the project. Do the right thing. If it doesn’t work, keep on trying. Check out the part...
Jul 19, 2024•6 min
A discovery Tyler shares about the blueprints he and Eddie’s dad found in their grandfather’s house. They were prints for a relatively simple house, but still Tyler was overwhelmed by the artistry of the prints. Eddie recalls the values and the social dynamics of work crews in that generation. Core values Tyler shares about an exercise that Chat GPT gave him when he asked for help clarifying the core principles of his business. It suggested that he ask himself “five whys”--five layers of examini...
Jul 17, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 226
Nuances matter. Today, Eddie focuses on a specific language nuance and encourages us to be kind, not nice. In explaining the distinction, he suggests that niceness involves telling someone what they want to hear.Kindness, on the other hand, is speaking the truth in a way that respects the person. Tyler latches onto this distinction as an opportunity to extend some kindness to Eddie. We take a bit of a turn as we spend some time listing things that make us want to eagerly share some kindness. Go ...
Jul 12, 2024•6 min
This week we're re-airing a conversation with had with Melanie Ford last year. Introduction - Melanie’s backstory Melanie Ford is the Senior Director of Construction for the University of Georgia Office of the University Architects. Before her move to the university, she worked for 20 years as a contractor and a Vice President of Whitsel Construction Services. She’s the Georgia Chapter President for the Construction Owners of America and one of the co-founders and current President of Athens Are...
Jul 10, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 225
No tips and tricks today. Just a list of things we love about the good ol’ US of A. We touch on sports, fireworks, greasy grub, flags, and more. Eddie shares about his love of baseball and small-scale explosives. Tyler focuses on food, with some thoughts about deep-fried fair food and pool beer. Are we thankful to live in ‘Merica? Youbetcha, yeah, yeah . Check out the partners that make our show possible. Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddi...
Jul 05, 2024•7 min
This week we revisit a conversation we had with DPR's Chris Bell and Will Sheane last October. Today we welcome Chris Bell and Will Sheane, two members of the team at DPR Construction . We start with some multi-generational hard hat chat. If you’re interested, check out the helmet conversation we mention with Dr. Bottlang . DPR and Recruiting We ask Chris and Will to talk about how DPR is recruiting and training young workers. They talk us through the variations between states in regard to union...
Jul 03, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 224
Eddie’s going deep for today’s quote–all the way back to Sun Tzu’s Art of War (which you can hear for free on Youtube if you can spare 72 minutes.)“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” Sometimes people will use these two words interchangeably. Here’s the difference: Strategy is the long-term plan. What you plan to achieve in the distance. Tactics are the thoughtfully crafted short-term methods for working out that strateg...
Jun 28, 2024•8 min
We might be just a bit late for graduation in some parts of the country, but this week we’re awarding some senior superlatives for the construction industry. Here are the categories. You’ll need to listen to hear the winners. Best partner for a zombie apocalypse: We ponder who would be best able to help us survive an onslaught of the undead. We ponder weapons, transportation, and power distribution. Most likely to do best on Naked and Afraid: We ponder (trying to keep our imaginations in check) ...
Jun 26, 2024•38 min•Ep. 223
Eddie’s got another quote. This one is attributed to historian Daniel J. Boorstin. “The greatest obstacle to discovery is ignorance. It is the illusion of knowledge.” Sound applicable? We think so. Eddie looks back to the early days of the podcast. We thought we knew a lot. We did not. Fast-forward five years, we now find ourselves fully aware of our ignorance. Our advice based on our experience? Admit that you don’t know much. Ask the stupid questions. You won’t know more unless you ask more qu...
Jun 21, 2024•6 min
00:00 - Ennui and another Tyler We know that you come here for philosophical insight and existential explanations, so today we’re discussion ennui. Tyler shares… tries to share about this state of listlss… listsles… listlessness and dissatisfaction. After this fun, we welcome our new vocal presence, Tyler Cook. Tyler shares about the secret to connecting with Zoomers. It’s all about tier lists and brackets. So today we’re going to do a tourney bracket. 05:23 - The bracket Today we’re exploring n...
Jun 19, 2024•42 min•Ep. 222
Tyler’s struggling today, but Eddie’s bringing the wisdom. Actually, he’s passing along wisdom from John F. Kennedy. Here’s what JFK had to say: “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” Eddie shares about lessons Dad passed along about how to use down time. If things are slow but you know the time is coming when they won’t be… Then use that time to do the things that you know will need to be done. Tyler recounts examples of times when he’s experienced this phenomenon. The bros t...
Jun 14, 2024•9 min
He brought us coffee. 00:00 - Introduction Today we welcome Jay Jenkins. Jay is Principal in charge of Higher Education and Operations at May Architecture. We invited him to the studio to learn about building a team that’s equipped to handle the unique challenges of college and university construction. Jay points out that colleges and universities are little cities unto themselves. Eddie brings up the fact that Jay’s teams have worked on projects at the University of Georgia and at Georgia Tech....
Jun 12, 2024•45 min•Ep. 221
Can you think of a more difficult decision than the one that President Truman had to make in 1945? We can’t Sometimes sitting still and not doing anything is the riskiest thing to do. Tyler recalls a conversation with friend of the show Henry Nutt III. Henry recounted a situation where his boss left him in a room and told him to sit tight until the boss returned. Henry sat around for a while and then decided to go ahead and do what it was that he thought had to be done in this room. His boss ret...
Jun 07, 2024•7 min
Check out this link to learn more about the tools discussed in this episode. 00:00 - Introduction Rob Coakley is the equipment manager at Lithko Contracting. He’s here today to discuss a decision familiar to every construction business owner: to rent or to buy. Rob shares some of Lithko’s history in order to set the stage for the complexity of the rent/buy decision. It boils down to this: Having a capital constraint along with a scalability issue put Lithko on the path toward rentals–more out of...
Jun 05, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 220
You are surrounded by people. You’ll be affecting these people in one way or another. You can choose what that effect will be. You can treat them kindly. You can show them grace. Or you can step on them. You can rip on them. You can take advantage of them. Today Eddie encourages you to be an encouraging presence in the lives of the people around you. It’s not always easy to do this in a competitive industry, but it’s also not impossible. Do everything you can to be as good as you can be to the p...
May 31, 2024•4 min
00:00 - Introduction We’ve doubled our Tyler count today by inviting Tyler Williams to the studio. We start with some car talk: plug-in hybrids, 81 Chevies, and manual F-150s. Tyler W says he’s not loaded, but he’s keeping his eyes open for used trucks anyway. Everything is for sale. Eddie flashes back to being stranded in banjo country in his Brown Bomb Sierra. Tyler W shares about a conversation with the guy who developed the Raptor for the border patrol. This prompted him to pursue another pr...
May 29, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 219
This week Tyler hits us with a quote from Ronald Reagan: “There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit.” Tyler thinks this quote is one that has incredible relevance to the construction industry. Eddie points out that this is a trait of good leadership, but he does slightly counter Tyler’s commentary. Eddie focuses on the fact that leaders should shift their focus from individual ladder-climbing and aim instead to maximize growth. Tyler connects this t...
May 24, 2024•5 min
00:00 - Introduction We open with coffee talk today–and sugar intake, including some beverage shortcuts. Tyler calls it cheaping out; Eddie calls it hillbilly lemonade. We also reminisce about our favorite waitress, 4’10” Miss Connie with the beehive haircut. Oh yeah, also pickle races. Poor Miss Connie. 08:05 - Entrepreneurship: A Good Idea? A few weeks ago , guest Matt Aston recommended the book The E-Myth Revisited (now available in an updated version ). Tyler shares that this book hit him in...
May 22, 2024•51 min•Ep. 218
Today’s PSA: You should read more. And here’s Eddie’s claim: Reading an hour a day will put you at the top of your field within 10 years. What’s that you say? You don’t like to read? Eddie points out that Spotify Premium now has audiobooks. There’s also Audible , Libby (through your local library), and other audiobook apps. Eddie shares that he’s on his third audiobook this year. This fact leads Eddie and Tyler to debate whether audiobook listening should be considered reading. The bros discuss ...
May 17, 2024•10 min
00:00 - Introduction Tyler’s got rib issues. Yes, of course it’s from pickleball. Yes, the injury was earned during a match against an 80-year-old lady. Would we all love to hear her account of the story? Very much. This leads us into a brief sharing session about embarrassing recreational injuries. We also talk about what catches our gaze as we drive through unfamiliar areas. 08:50 - Getting to know Chris and Trevor Anyway… Today we welcome Chris Patton and Trevor Owen from Rogers-O'Brien Const...
May 15, 2024•52 min•Ep. 217
Would you guess by the title that Tyler picked today’s topic? He’s got a new paddle. We’re all very excited. In his extensive on-court experience, Tyler has learned that he plays better when he just doesn't beat himself up. His takeaway: When you’re excessively hard on yourself, you lose focus. When you just try to appreciate the experience and the opportunity to play, you play better. Eddie refers to Max Homa’s post-Master’s interview. Homa said that he’d played gratefully that day. Tyler break...
May 10, 2024•6 min
00:00 - Introduction It’s been a long day full of recording. Eddie starts out by hashing out an unsettled issue about crabs. He’s not a licensed crabberman. He pulled a Kramer and harvested without a permit. This sets Tyler off on some reflections about The Little Mermaid and lobster zombies. 05:40 - Anyway, about family businesses… Surely you’re still interested in advice from these guys. Eddie asks Tyler if he’d choose to join a family business even knowing what he knows about the challenges. ...
May 08, 2024•43 min•Ep. 216
The conversation that Tyler and Eddie refer to in this episode is part of Empower 2024, and you can register here: http://www.quickbase.com/empower24/constructionbros Tyler’s concerned about his hair again, but he’s more concerned to let you know about an upcoming opportunity. Tyler and Eddie recently recorded an episode with Rob Coakley of Lithko Contracting on the topic of renting equipment vs. buying. We’ve all experienced the hunger to buy a new toy when a project justifies it, but Rob makes...
May 03, 2024•4 min
00:00 - Introduction We start out today with some small talk–or maybe short talk–about online meetings. We share our complicated experiences with meeting people in person after establishing relationships online or over the phone. We also share some speculations about how avatars may affect this in the future. Then, of course, we express our affection for Bluey because… well, because he’s Bluey. Then things briefly take a dark turn as Tyler shares some of his own dog blues. 06:22 - Welcome, Ken K...
May 01, 2024•52 min•Ep. 215
This is repost details one of Eddie's best pieces of advice to date. Eddie’s stealing this week’s insight from Micah Piippo (See episode 180 ). That insight? Think ahead–way ahead. Plan long. Dad said it too. Don’t just think about this week, this month, or this year. Plan out 20 years. Where do you want to be? Tyler mentions how quickly you see time pass when you’re a parent. That’s part of the point, but not all of it. Eddie points out how few people there are who can stick with a plan of acti...
Apr 26, 2024•5 min
