This week, Aaron and Alex discuss for a second the challenges of recording 4 podcasts in a day before they do a recap on Aaron's recent travel to North Dakota and Ohio. Then, they dig into a question about how lower-ranking crew members can make suggestions to leadership that are more likely to be well-received. To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation. If you have questions/comments/concerns, reach out ...
Jan 31, 2022•38 min
Early in life, Tyson Smith (of TJS Excavation ) had lived a common Dirt World story: grew up obsessed with building things in the sandbox and started working in construction before he started high school. But unlike many who end up jumping right into the Dirt World, Tyson's path took a few turns. He went to college on an athletic scholarship and studied computers. He then proceeded to build a career in the tech industry for almost 20 years before EVENTUALLY deciding that his childhood love was c...
Jan 27, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 104
This week on Dirt Talk: Monday Edition, Aaron and Alex talk about making a podcast, Aaron's camera in Africa, and his recent travel to Saudi Arabia and UAE. Then, they dig into a question about why some brands of equipment get unnecessary shade (like LinkBelt!). To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation. If you have questions/comments/concerns, reach out to DirtTalk@buildwitt.com . Stay Dirty!...
Jan 24, 2022•45 min
Fan-favorite Kimo Clark is back on Dirt Talk . When we first chatted with Kimo, he was planning to sell his company Truth Excavation and semi-retire and move on to the next phase of life. But fast forward 2 years, and Kimo's journey has been admittedly winding. Though this conversation starts with Kimo and host Aaron Witt discussing doing 10 burpees every 10 minutes of the conversation, the guys get into a wide range of topics and Kimo shares the progress of his journey in the Dirt World. Kimo s...
Jan 20, 2022•58 min•Ep. 103
In this week's episode of Dirt Talk: Monday edition, Aaron and Alex chat about getting negative comments online before Aaron launches into an impromptu book report on the old out-of-print book Foremen: Leader or Drivers? that was published 80 years ago. Aaron gets pretty passionate about the lessons he learned from the book and how we could all apply them to the Dirt World today. Afterward, the guys talk about why some companies could have employee turnaround issues even as they invest in traini...
Jan 17, 2022•33 min
James Devinney is a college-educated PM/Estimator for Evans & Associates Construction Co. in Ponca City, OK... and will be the first to tell you that he doesn't know much. This week on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Witt chats with James about how James learns what his teammates need from him to be successful and how that helps him do his job better. They also dig into what estimators actually do (and don't do) and the pros and cons of having not grown up around construction. Thanks to James Devinney...
Jan 13, 2022•44 min•Ep. 102
This week's Monday edition of Dirt Talk catches Alex and Aaron discussing gas station food stops and Savannah, GA vs Charleston, SC before digging into questions about emissions requirements in California and some of Aaron's most memorable trips of 2021. To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation. If you have questions/comments/concerns, reach out to DirtTalk@buildwitt.com . Stay Dirty!...
Jan 10, 2022•36 min
We've got a GREAT episode for you today: introducing Taylor White. He's the Director of and handles business development for Ken White Construction in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He's a second-generation owner of the business and has big plans. We were lucky enough to have him on the pod to talk about his experience in the Dirt World. This week, Aaron and Taylor covered a multitude of topics but spent a lot of time on the importance of the boss spending time on job sites getting to know the employe...
Jan 06, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 101
Welcome to the first episode of Dirt Talk of 2022! Thanks to the Dirt Talk community for being a part of this thing and for sharing the podcast. This week, Aaron and Alex talk about the need for equipment to have updated radios and sound systems. Then, they broach a sensitive topic responding to a listener's question regarding racism and discriminatory behavior in the Dirt World. To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on ...
Jan 03, 2022•42 min
EPISODE 100! Holy cow. (Pun not intended) Thank you SO much to this dirt-loving community. We can't begin to fully convey how grateful we are to be a part of this with all of you, so we'll just simply say... thanks. This week on Dirt Tak, it's an old-school Q + A with Aaron Witt. He asked the Instagram audience for some questions to address for a podcast, and he was overwhelmed with 100s of solid questions. So he took some time to answer as many questions as he could in 90 minutes. He discusses ...
Dec 30, 2021•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 100
We get a lot of questions about how to actually use social media in the Dirt World, so without further ado... [cue Alex clearing the floor for Aaron to go iso] This week on Dirt Talk, the guys take a moment to reflect on the past year's travel before diving into an actual gosh darn plan that folks in the Dirt World could use to start building their online presence via a website and social media accounts. Aaron pretends that he's starting a dirt contracting company (which he's clearly never thoug...
Dec 27, 2021•36 min
On this Christmas(ish)-themed episode, Aaron and Alex look back on the past year. BuildWitt has doubled the size of the team, the structure of the company has shifted a few times, but the commitment to the Dirt World (and you) has only been strengthened. So the guys talked about what's happened in 2021 and some of the plans for 2022. The Dirt Talk crew wishes you all a great Christmas holiday weekend with your family and we look forward to catching up with you in 2022 to make the Dirt World a be...
Dec 23, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 99
This week, Aaron and Alex discuss how the Dirt World can better treat and welcome new people to the industry. Later, they get into how it can be difficult to grow one part of a business to match the success of another and a basic example of the relationship between contractors and subs. To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation. If you have questions/comments/concerns, reach out to DirtTalk@buildwitt.com ...
Dec 20, 2021•52 min
Anna Johnson is the founder and owner of AQUIP , "the first and only known independently female-owned vacuum truck and environmental products dealership in the United States." In the last few years, she's been burning up the interstates in the Southeast US, building her business from the ground up. Anna was kind enough to swing through Nashville and be a guest on Dirt Talk. In this week's episode, host Aaron Witt and co-host Alex Horton chat with Anna about how she got into the Dirt World, what ...
Dec 16, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 98
Alex and Aaron are gassed after last week's 3-day BuildWitt team meeting, but after a restful week, the fellas are back ready to roll. This week, the DT guys talk about their team meeting and the future direction of BuildWitt, and then talk about how our industry can start reaching students in effective ways, both large scale and small. To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation. If you have questions/comm...
Dec 13, 2021•43 min
Denzil and Brandon McNeilus are brothers. They're also both executives in the Rochester area of Minnesota. AND they were a part of the family business that sold in the late 90s. Back then, the family business was manufacturing concrete mixers and trash trucks. Now, Brandon is the President of Ready Mix Concrete , and Denzil is the CEO at Sterling State Bank . Even with all those accomplishments, Denzil and Brandon were kind enough to chat about the Dirt World and their journey in it. This week o...
Dec 09, 2021•52 min•Ep. 97
This week, Aaron and Alex talk about the importance of well-thought-out office space for companies in the Dirt World. Later, they address a few listener questions about how small companies can build good relationships with larger contractors and the question of joining the Dirt World without coming in on "the ground floor". To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation. If you have questions/comments/concerns...
Dec 06, 2021•45 min
Language Warning. The people have spoken, so we've done the impossible and brought Garret Wilson back on the Dirt Talk podcast. He's known for being an expert operator and expert buster of chops. In this episode, he didn't hold back! This week, Garret sat down with Aaron and Alex to discuss working for himself, being true to yourself, and the power of swearing. To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation. I...
Dec 02, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 96
This week on the Monday edition of Dirt Talk, hosts Aaron Witt and Alex Horton talk about the upcoming BuildWitt company meeting in Nashville and equipment training. They then chat about safely knocking over trees (note: they're not experts in this) and why it's important to represent your company/team/group all the time. To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation. If you have questions/comments/concerns, ...
Nov 29, 2021•47 min
There's often been comments and questions about the BuildWitt Internal Podcast, but since it's just for our team, it's always seemed a little strange and unnecessary to share it with the greater audience. But... after recording this one, Aaron and Alex looked at each other and immediately said, "we should put this episode on Dirt Talk, too". So without further ado, we're sharing the most recent episode from the BuildWitt Internal Podcast. We use this format to communicate with our team across mu...
Nov 25, 2021•46 min•Ep. 95
This week on the Monday edition of Dirt Talk, Aaron and Alex chat about bird dogs and swearing, before discussing how dirt contractors can initially get their name out there and how companies can breed a culture where everyone is more invested in the mission, work, and the care of the equipment. To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation. If you have questions/comments/concerns, reach out to DirtTalk@build...
Nov 22, 2021•41 min
Dan MacArthur is the COO of Berg Construction , an excavation/site work contractor based in Morgantown, PA. They have five specialized divisions, and Dan has had his hand in all of them over the years: commercial, waste management, residential/special projects, paving/concrete, and golf courses. Dan was kind enough to hop on a call with the DT guys and talk dirt and a whole mess of other things. This week, host Aaron Witt (with co-host Alex Horton) chatted with Dan about why Berg still does smal...
Nov 18, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 94
On this Monday edition of Dirt Talk, Aaron and Alex talk about professional wrestling before discussing questions about project managers, helping people who are a pain in your a$$ to succeed, and why leadership is a skill to be learned and re-learned. They also felt a huge blast from a job-site next door that was kind of crazy. To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation. If you have questions/comments/conc...
Nov 15, 2021•39 min
Bryan Peters has spent his entire career around heavy equipment, so when he decided to start his company AdvanceTrac Equipment , he knew that even though he wanted to get into helping companies optimize their heavy iron fleets, he knew he'd want to do things differently. Though he admitted that he has "audacious goals" for where he wants to go, he's also fully present in the current grind of building a business. Bryan made a pit stop in Nashville on his way to Indiana to pick up a trailer (a goo...
Nov 11, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 93
On this week's episode of Dirt Talk: Monday Edition, hosts Aaron and Alex talk podcasts, Dozers with rippers vs. without rippers, and the most recent repair update on the BuildWitt Skid Steer. Then, the guys discuss a few listener-submitted questions about Aaron's favorite podcasts and how to best communicate with and lead older/more experienced employees. To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation. If you...
Nov 08, 2021•44 min
On this week's episode of Dirt Talk, the DT guys keep it in the BuildWitt family: our guest is none other than BuildWitt Creative President Laurie SantaLucia. This week, hosts Aaron Witt and Alex Horton chat with Laurie about the kinds of learning and understanding it takes to work in the Dirt World, why it's important to be transparent and open with the people that we work with in the Dirt World before we expect them to be open with us, and what she's learned so far that is just effin' cool. To...
Nov 04, 2021•52 min•Ep. 92
Aaron and Alex are back with another Monday edition of the Dirt Talk podcast. This week, Aaron addresses previous comments he has made about "cheating" in college (way more nuanced than you think). Later, he and Alex consider the approach of hiring retirees of the Dirt World to help train new people and then discuss the importance of continuing to develop yourself, especially in a leadership position. To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdir...
Nov 01, 2021•48 min
Jordan Hillstrom came onto the Dirt Talk radar through BuildWitt's own Benjamin Holmgren. Benjamin introduced Jordan like this: "He and Aaron would have a great conversation about their Dirt World philosophies." Can't beat that! Jordan is VP of Business Development at Xeratec , a software company based with offices in Michigan and South Carolina. He's also a co-owner of LoadTraxx , a company built on fixing issues in the shorthaul trucking process. But in addition to the software, Jordan was als...
Oct 28, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 91
This week on the Dirt Talk podcast, Aaron and Alex talk about being on a rocket ship. They then discuss how to start getting into reading books and the challenges contractors face (and will face) if a large infrastructure bill gets approved by Congress. To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation. If you have questions/comments/concerns, reach out to DirtTalk@buildwitt.com . Stay Dirty!...
Oct 25, 2021•30 min
It's always fun to have the experts on Dirt Talk - not only do co-hosts Aaron Witt and Alex Horton learn about the guest, they learn an extraordinary amount in general. And on episode 90 of Dirt Talk, the guys definitely learn tons from Johnathan More. Johnathan is the Chairperson & CEO of Starr Peak Mining Ltd, a Canadian-based company focused on exploratory mining and land acquisition. Johnathan also now lives in Aaron's hometown (Scottsdale, AZ) and sends one of his kids to Aaron's old sc...
Oct 21, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 90
