Audio

When Construction Meets Technology with Eric Fortenberry – [The Tim Faller Show] S4 E21

September 11, 2023 0:44:07

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Tim and Steve talk to Eric Fortenberry, the Founder, and CEO of JobTread Software. While working as a CEO for a General Contracting company, Eric built the first version of JobTread due to the broken processes at the company. Eric gives insights on how he turned the company around using data from the first version of JobTread. Eric also discusses how JobTread differs from other software applications on the market.

Eric Fortenberry is a passionate entrepreneur who founded JobTread, a construction estimating and project management software company, in 2019 after serving as CEO for a General Contracting company where he built the first version of JobTread to help streamline and remedy their broken processes. JobTread has grown to help thousands of builders and contractors sell and manage over $1 billion in construction jobs and has been recognized as a Top 100 Product by ProRemodeler for the past two years.

Eric has been named to Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30 List of the World’s Coolest Young Entrepreneurs under the age of 30 and received awards at the White House and United Nations after being named to the Empact 100 List, showcasing the Best Companies Started and Run by Young Entrepreneurs. JobTread is located in Dallas, TX, and has been recognized as a Best Place to Work by the Dallas Business Journal.

Tim, Steve, and Eric talk more about:

Job costing and estimating
The creation of JobTread
JobTread’s long-term plan
And more…

The Client Experience Part 2 with Camille Jenkins – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

August 28, 2023 0:40:19

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Camille Jenkins joins the show to discuss the importance of the client experience and how it differs from satisfaction. Simply put, customer satisfaction is how happy your customers are while using your company’s products and services and how well you are fulfilled their expectations. Customer experience refers to customers’ interactions with a brand’s products and services during all stages of their purchasing process.

Camille Jenkins is a results-oriented, customer experience consultant, keynote speaker, and realtor. With a decade’s worth of real estate industry experience and operational knowledge, Camille brings a real-world approach to setting and delivering on expectations. Camille served as the Vice President of National Customer Relations at Meritage Homes Corporation. During her tenure, the organization annually delivered upwards of nine thousand new homes, and customer satisfaction improved from 70% to 90%. Currently, Camille Jenkins is the owner of Camille’s Keys located in Goodyear, Arizona.

Camille, Tim, and Steve talk more about…

Surveys for clients post-project and how to use them to impact change
How communication and education work together in the client experience
And more…

Using QR Codes for Field Communication with Nick Sandifer – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

August 22, 2023 0:28:55

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Nick Sandifer details a new way to communicate in the field to help his team navigate the small details in elaborate projects. Nick and the Sandifer team use QR codes to help communicate better on the job site. The QR codes allow the project manager to view the electrical fixtures, architectural plans, and other information about the project. Nick discusses the effectiveness of the QR codes that lead to fewer phone calls from the team because all the data is in the QR code.

Nick Sandifer is the owner of Sandifer Design Build in Jacksonville, Florida. Nick is a graduate of Florida State University with a degree in Real Estate Finance, Appraisal and Feasibility. He started his building career with a large national builder, Centex Homes. Later he worked as a project manager for local custom home builder Benchmark Luxury Homes. His experience working for both national and local custom builders has allowed him to focus on the schedule and the details.

Nick, Tim, and Steve talk more about…

Benefits of using QR codes
Changing plans while using the QR code
The work that goes into making the QR codes for all the projects
And more…

Contracts for Contractors with Nisreen Hasib – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

August 14, 2023 0:44:22

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Nisreen Hasib joins the show to discuss contracts for contractors. Nisreen discusses the importance of having contracts and some of the important items to put into those contracts. She also gives examples of bad and good contracts she has seen over the years and how they impacted the project. Nisreen also talks about revisiting contracts to stay up to date with state and national regulations.

Nisreen Hasib is the founder and CEO of Basil. Basil makes it easy for builders, remodelers, and general contractors to generate the documents they need at the click of a button. She is based out of New York. Prior to starting Basil, Nisreen was a labor and employment attorney and an executive at different venture-backed companies based in New York. Nisreen started Basil in 2022 after finishing her first remodeling project in the Catskills. She saw that a lot of contractors were using out-of-date contracts or contracts that had not been appropriately drafted, leaving them vulnerable to legal liability.

Nisreen, Tim, and Steve talk more about…

Do the contracts get more complex the more expensive the project is?
Reframing contracts
And more…

Design and Production: What Happens When the Job Starts? with Morgan Thomas and Candice Rania – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

August 7, 2023 0:38:22

Candice Rania and Morgan Thomas rejoin the Tim Faller Show for a follow-up from their last episode, Design and Production: Can we really get along? In this episode, Candice Rania and Morgan Thomas join the show to discuss what happens once the job is started. They discuss challenges at the job site, whether it is unforeseen circumstances or supply chain delays. Candice and Morgan discuss how they resolve these challenges with the communication between the design and the production teams during the job.

Morgan Thomas started at Leff Design Build in Sonoma County, California 5 years ago as a project manager and was then promoted to her current role as the production department manager. She is excited and proud of her team’s input to the project’s budget, which she thinks has created an improved sense of ownership among her coworkers. Candice Rania is the President of Leff Design Build and works closely with Morgan.

Tim, Steve, Morgan, and Candice talk more about:

How the production team helps with client experience
Connection between design and production during construction
Limiting slippage
Design’s impact on change orders
And more…

The Reputation Economy With Tess Jezek – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

July 31, 2023 0:36:19

Tess Jezek joins the show today to discuss the importance of your company’s reputation in the reputation economy. In fact, Forbes reports that 60% of consumers are willing to pay more if they believe they will receive a better service. Tess discusses how an accurate description of your business online is smart business practice. In addition, good social status leads to robust pricing power, and client loyalty can lead to return clients, referrals, and new business.

Tess is the Director of Sales for Customer Engagement Solutions of Evercommerce. She manages the sales teams for GuildQuality, PulseM, and Customer Lobby. With close to a decade’s worth of experience in the industry, she understands the importance of customer experience, customer engagement, and customer retention as the most important drivers for your business.

Tess, Tim, and Steve discuss:

The importance of client feedback and when to solicit it
How to take control of the online narrative
How to use your online reputation to build a stronger business

Time Management for Project Managers with John Vendafreddo – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

July 24, 2023 0:32:29

Today on the Tim Faller Show, we welcome guest John Vendafreddo to discuss time management. John talks about how to organize jobs based on importance or urgency and how planning can help with time management. John also discusses how to handle in-office meetings while working on job sites. John finished the show by giving some advice to new project managers.

John has been interested in building since he received his first Fisher-Price toolset. Upon graduating high school, there was no question about what field John would enter. John joined the Hogan Design Build team as a laborer, but his drive and eye for perfection helped develop him into the company’s head trim carpenter. As Hogan Design Build grew, John’s attention to detail led to him being promoted to Project Manager and now Senior Project Manager. John is married and has three sons. He lives in a house that he built from the ground up in Batavia.

Tim, Steve, and John talk about:

How to prioritize your time
How much time to spend with clients
On the job site, time management
And more…

Culture in Practice with Chris Stebnitz – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

July 17, 2023 0:40:28

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Chris Stebnitz joins the show to discuss building a culture in a remodeling company and the impact it has on the client experience. Chris talks about how building trust with your employees can enhance the company culture. While building a culture is important, there are also ways you can destroy your company culture including gossip or being a demanding leader. Chris says if the business owner is the only way the company succeeds, you will never build a culture.

Chris Stebnitz is the owner of Stebnitz Builders located in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Chris is a Third-generation owner of Stebnitz Builders. He started as cheap labor for the family when he was in his teens. Chris then moved into sales in his 20s, marketing shortly thereafter and then focusing on sales management before purchasing the company in 2008 from his father and uncles.

Chris, Tim, and Steve talk more about:

How Stebnitz Builders built a company culture
Why trust is important for a company culture
and more…

The Tricks of a Lead Carpenter with Doug Horgan – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

July 10, 2023 0:44:29

Tim and Steve welcome Doug Horgan to the show to discuss the role of a lead carpenter. Doug talks about his responsibilities, including research, being an internal “help desk,” managing people internally and externally. He also manages scheduling and explains the meaning behind the saying “make ready planning” and why it’s essential for a lead carpenter.

Doug Horgan is Vice President–Best Practices at BOWA, the Washington DC area’s premier custom and remodeling builder. In this training, quality, and troubleshooting role, Doug’s goal is reducing construction defects through sharing knowledge. Doug’s thirty years of tools-on carpentry, warranty troubleshooting, and instruction experience, are the foundations for visually rich presentations on how to build properly and avoid construction problems.

Tim, Steve, and Doug talk more about

Having an organized job site
Client relations and communication
Advice for a lead carpenter
And more…

Getting Some Help with Alan Hendy – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

June 26, 2023 0:28:43

One of the biggest challenges for contractors, other than labor shortages, is the fact that many face the process of building a business in isolation and their experience is often graded as pass or fail.

When they pass they are happy, but when they fail it causes many issues for them and the families that they support. But where do they turn for help? Using the Power of Peers or hiring a consultant are both great approaches, and guest Alan Hendy joins this episode to help listeners explore the possibility of bringing a consultant in to assist in their business.

Alan is the CEO of Neals Design Remodel in Cincinnati, Ohio, a company that offers full-service design, estimating, and production of projects that transform their clients homes. He graduated from Miami University and spent time working in the insurance industry until 28 years ago when he returned to the family business to become the second generation owner of Neals Design Remodel.

Tim, Steve and Alan talk more about:

The benefits of hiring a consultant
Receiving and utilizing a consultants advice
Advice for those considering hiring a consultant
And more…