Bridging the Gap: Insights & Innovations in Construction

The Future of Skilled Trades Labor

What is the future of the skilled labor trades market? Why do younger workers seem to be moving away from it? Join host Todd and guest David Broomhead as they discuss making the skilled trades more attractive to the younger generation, the opportunities for change that arise with “the great resignation,” the role that technology plays in the industry’s future, and more.
David Broomhead is the CEO and Founder of Trade Hounds, a construction-only platform that allows Tradespeople to network and improve their craft through engaging our community. David likes the mighty North Queensland Cowboys, the New England Patriots, surfing, traveling and spending time with family and friends.
TODD-TAKES
We have talked about it before but there is a great need in the industry for everyone to come together and share a collective message that resonates with those outside the industry. The labor shortage is a problem the effects all of us and so all of us need to band together to solve it.
I think it is time to do away with the outdated “blue collar” vs. “white collar” branding divide. It creates a false perception and does not adequately show the full extent of options and possibilities in the construction industry.
Be proactive in reaching out to the younger generation. David and I talked about creating apprenticeship programs to provide exposure to the industry. I think that is a great idea to get people excited and knowledgeable on what is happening in this great industry.

How Empathy and Data Impact Your Strategy

What does it mean to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and understand their pain points when it comes to data strategy? Is this important? Join host Todd and guest Justin Fellows as they discuss starting with the right mindset, how to change from being reactive to proactive, common hurdles in tech adoption, developing the right data strategy and much more.
Justin Fellows is the Founder and Claims Consultant at 53 Quantum LD. He helps senior commercial directors, contract directors, planners and lawyers in the construction industry clarify construction data, minimize exposure to future disputes and financial risk, reduce delays and overruns and minimize the costs associated with them by using emerging technology such as machine learning and AI to provide results faster and more accurately.

What Wine and Construction Have in Common

What is the importance of social dynamics in the industry? Are those dynamics underrated? Join host Todd and guest Carole Filion as they discuss the dreams versus realities of the construction industry, how to engage in company-wide efforts in “broadening your scope,” and the surprising commonalities between wine and construction.
Carole Filion is a Construction Technology Specialist and Marketing Director. She is a fluently bilingual (French and English) creative problem-solver, trainer, coach, and writer for both technical and marketing communications to B2B audiences and internal business units. Her strengths are inter-personal, technical, marketing, leadership, and motivational skills. She claims focused vertical expertise in both the construction technology sector and wine industry. In addition, she is a strong strategic planner with proven results in creating measurable ROI for organizations.

The State of Leadership Development in Construction

What should leadership development look like? Does it need to involve a change in mindset? Join host Todd and guest Nanette Miner as they discuss job-hopping, how to know the difference between positive change and “indoctrination,” how to “step up” in your industry, what a good leader looks like, and much more.
Nanette Miner is a Consulting Manager/Learning Officer at The Training Doctor, LLC. She has additional experience as a Contributor to Leadership Development for Forbes Coaches Council and a Facilitator for the Association for Talent Development. She is passionate about developing leadership in organizations. She has spent 20+ years consulting to the Fortune 500.
 
TODD-TAKES
Every company wants to have great leaders throughout the organization. However, too many organizations are not intentional about investing and developing people to become those great leaders. Nanette said we should almost think of leadership development as our insurance policy, in that if we properly investing in our people, it is there when we need to rely on it.
As the younger generations are coming more into the workforce, it is becoming even more critical to explain the why behind why every job matters to the mission of the company and the positive impact it is having.
Down with silos across the board! We need cross-collaboration, especially in this industry. The more viewpoints and knowledge the better.

Avoiding the “Kodak Moment” in Construction

When it comes to how things “used to be done,” what should we retain and from what should we move on? Join host Todd and guests Nolan Browne and Diana Fisler as they discuss bringing a high-level attitude into the construction industry, how we’re accomplishing “incremental innovation,” encouraging growth mindsets, systemic barriers in the industry, and much more.
Diana Fisler is a Sr. Principal at ADL Ventures. She is an experienced industrial scientist and a variety of materials-related fields with a demonstrated history of working in the building materials industry and managing laboratories.
Nolan Browne is the Co-Founder of FieldNav, Inc. and the Founding Partner of ADL Ventures. Nolan combines his deep background in CleanTech and BuildingTech commercialization for the Fortune 1000 with nearly a decade of venture-backed founder / executive experience in Silicon Valley and Boston to help the world’s leading companies find, develop and scale deployment of CleanTech and AI solutions to simultaneously become more profitable and sustainable.
 
TODD-TAKES
Create a culture of continual improvement and innovation. When you give people not only the space but the permission to explore and test ideas, you will be amazed at the creativity and the initiatives that will come back. I was recently at the AEC iSummit presented by the Construction Progress Coalition where teams where essentially tasked with this mission. It was inspiring to see people throughout the industry come together to innovatively address and seek to solve systemic problems in workflows. It is possible.
Avoid the “Kodak Moment” in construction. As we discussed at length in this conversation, Kodak made the mistake of playing it too safe instead of playing to win. Instead, you should seek for daily small improvements that add up. I get it changing a mindset and process is really hard and uncomfortable. However, it pays dividends in the long run against your competition.
It may seem like looking back change happens with a “poof”, but as Diana said “when you are in the middle of the poof it feels like a series of pressures instead.” I love that line but it is so true. We are in the middle of the construction poof. There are so many internal and external pressures being placed on the industry to change. It is going to be exciting to look back and know we thrived in and after the “poof” of change.
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Other Relevant Links:
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Uncomplicating Construction

What is an EOS? How does it impact you, and how do you leverage it? Join host Todd and guest Mel Towey as they discuss maintaining “a grip” on one’s business, the six components we use to define our business issues, how to best utilize each and every tool that is available to us in the industry, and the importance of strategy.
As a Professional EOS® Implementer and Business Coach, Mel Towey acts as a teacher, coach, and facilitator, helping business leaders transform their companies and, ultimately, their lives. She helps to implement a complete, proven system with simple, practical tools to help business leaders achieve three things: vision, traction and health.
 
TODD-TAKES
I talk a lot about taking time to think through your thoughts. It is so important to allow yourself some “white space” time to proactively assess where you are and where you need to go.
Mel said “less is more with accountability”. You cannot have 20 top priorities and effectively execute on them all. It is impossible. Identify what your top 3 are and then develop an accountability component to your goals in order to provide the best chance of success.
When you are organizing your workflows, time and priorities, start with the big “rocks” that are must dos. After you have put those in your vase, you can add in some smaller rocks. Finally, you will be able to fill in the rest of the vase with everything else that needs to be done. When you organize in this, you assure the main essentials are completed first. You will also be amazed at how much more you will be able to accomplish.

The Theories and Realities of Technology Adoption

What is the future of construction? Are we able to see where technology will take us? Join host Todd and guest Jorge Tubella as they discuss theories and realities of technology adoption, the solutions that the industry is truly looking for versus the ones they are discovering, taking the “leap of faith” when it comes to tech, and much more.
Jorge Tubella is a creative technologist who combines his interest in robotics, artificial intelligence, and design to research construction technology systems. He was a founding member and formerly the Coordinator of the Robotics and Digital Fabrication lab at Florida International University. Jorge has published his work in conferences, delivered workshops on robotics, and has collaborated on a National Science Foundation grant to develop robotic operation courses for the AEC industry using Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality learning platforms. He holds a Master of Architecture and a Master of Arts in Architecture from Florida International University.
 
TODD-TAKES
We are experiencing the beginning of the golden age of construction. This is an amazing time to be exploring and adopting ConTech. I am excited for the future of this wide-reaching industry.
It is important to develop an innovation incubation team within your company that is willing to try new things. Yes, innovation comes with an inherent risk, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. When you have a mindset to try new things you will discover powerful things you didn’t know before.
Micro-credentialing is an interesting trend to keep taps on. The potential to unlock greater flexibility in order to explore your technical interests and be rewarded is there, if we can collectively approach it with the right mindset.

Bridging the Analog and Digital Gap

Join host Todd and guest Paul Collart as they discuss turning “the complex” into “the simple,” where we’re at in the construction industry when it comes to tech adoption, the future of digital twins, and how to cross-communicate important concepts between each industry.
 
Paul Collart is VP, Strategic Engagement of San Jose, California-based Cupix, a pioneer of cutting-edge 3D digital twin solutions for the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industries and building owners. Paul joined Cupix in 2017 and formerly served as the company’s Head of Product Strategy. In a technology-focused career spanning more than 25 years, Paul has held executive positions focused on the development and implementation of mobile & terrestrial 3D scanning, 3D tours (real estate & construction), 360 imagery platforms, 3D web platforms, virtual staging, machine learning, commercial real estate (CRE) & test fits, indoor mapping, BIM/VDC, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), photogrammetry and reconstruction technologies.
 
TODD-TAKES
Having a detailed plan with champions at the ready is a key ingredient to successfully implementing new technology. Make sure you are taking time to map it out before you really dive headfirst into the process.
Once you are ready to implement, start with something simplistic and scale up in complexity from there. You don’t have to eat the whole elephant in one bite.
Finally ask yourself are you providing business value with your technology. You should be. Merging the analog and the digital worlds through digital twin technology could be your answer to that question.

The Importance of Branding in Construction

What does your marketing team focus on? Are you paying attention to what reels in a consumer? Join host Todd and guest Tim Brown as they discuss Tim’s transition from web design into the world of contracting, unique challenges that are present in the construction industry, how to provide your company with a strong and communicative brand, pushing quality over quantity, and more. Tim Brown is the CEO and Founder of Hook Agency. He is an experienced Technical Director, Director of Marketing and Strategy, and Web Designer.
Todd Takes
If you don’t have clarity around what your brand is and more importantly how others perceive your brand, stop what you are doing and find out. Having a strong brand is one of the most important things you can do for your business in generating leads and revenue.
Don’t overthink and therefore overcomplicate your marketing, especially when it comes to video. Your iPhone camera will provide a good quality video. The important thing is to start posting content to see what is going to resonate with your audience.
I am a big believer in fostering a natural sense of curiosity. What do you find interesting about your industry, work, and clients? Then lean into that and learn more.

Blue-Collar Cash: How to Recruit for Construction

When you picture “blue collar” jobs, what comes to mind? Do you carry any misconceptions with that term? Join host Todd and guest Ken Rusk as they discuss the “blue-collar crisis,” how to get more people interested in construction as a concept, how to take control of and manage our careers in the best way possible, and much more.
Ken Rusk is the President of Rusk Industries and the author of Wall Street bestselling book, “Blue Collar Cash.” He describes himself as a professional ditch digger, entrepreneur, and proud advocate of following your dreams.