Podcast
Builder Stories
Hosted by Eric Fortenberry · EN
Welcome to Builder Stories, the podcast where builders, remodelers, and contractors share their personal and business journeys. Come learn from the stories of successful entrepreneurs who share how they got started, how they found success, and the lessons learned along the way.
Your host, Eric Fortenberry, has successfully built two businesses, one in software and one in construction. He is now the Founder and CEO of JobTread Software, a construction estimating and project management platform that has helped thousands of builders and contractors sell and manage over $1 billion in construction jobs.
13episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
How Contractors Get Found Online, Straight From Google | Jane Dzielski of Google
1w ago00:58:51Tap to summarizeJane Dzielski has spent nearly a decade at Google turning massive datasets into answers about how consumers make decisions. She knows what people type when they need a contractor, and that behavior is changing fast. In this episode she breaks down search, reviews, ads, and AI for the home services industry. Contractors will walk away seeing their own marketing differently. In this episode you will learn: Why showing up in fewer searches can win you better clients The one thing customers search for most, and why leaving it off your website costs you jobs What AI can and cannot read in your Google reviews The way your paid ads and organic results boost each other Which type of content to make first when you can only make one Resources: Learn more about Jane's work here.
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The Three Moves That Got Him Out of the Weeds and Back to Building | Dustin Hippensteel of True Grit Roofing
2w ago00:50:30Tap to summarizeDustin Hippensteel spent years convinced he had to do everything himself. Then three decisions quietly changed how his entire business runs. None of them cost much, and none were the flashy fixes most owners chase first. In this episode he breaks down what they were and why they mattered. In this episode you will learn: The hire he was sure wouldn't work that now handles the load he used to drown in How to tell a coach worth paying for from one who just has good marketing The first system he wrote down that made every customer call land the same way The mindset he had to kill before any of it could actually stick How his wife turned days of software setup into twenty minutes Resources: Learn more about True Grit here.
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How to Step Back From Your Business Without Watching It Fall Apart | Felipe Freig of Versa Method Coaching
3w ago00:29:59Tap to summarizeAs the leader of Versa Homes, Felipe Freig builds multimillion dollar homes for executives and entrepreneurs. He dialed in the systems behind those builds so completely that he was able to step back from the daily grind. So he launched Versa Method Coaching to hand that same playbook to other contractors. In this episode he gets specific about what actually keeps a building business profitable. In this episode you will learn: Why Felipe calls "transparency" a "crock" in the construction industry Why Felipe commits to a fixed price on multimillion dollar custom homes when almost no luxury builder will What luxury clients actually want instead of a line by line breakdown The one number Felipe says no client should ever see, and why showing it loses you the job The full SOP library running Felipe's company, and how a builder could soon have it dropped straight into their own system Listen to the episode to learn more. Resources: Learn more about Versa Method Coaching here.
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How to Turn a Stalled Business Into Your Most Profitable Year | Corey Plourde of Core Remodeling Services
Jun 1701:00:34Tap to summarizeCorey Plourde spent eighteen years climbing the corporate sales ladder before walking away to build his own remodeling company. Years later he hit a wall he could not see past and finally admitted he had run out of answers. In this conversation he opens up about the moment everything turned around and the year that followed became his most profitable ever. He also reveals why the change he feared most was the one that finally unlocked his growth. In this episode you will learn: Why his most uncomfortable decision became his biggest breakthrough The mindset shift that finally helped him understand his true numbers How he nearly tripled his average job size in a single year What he wishes he had stopped spending money on in the early days The leadership blind spot he is still working to fix today Listen to the episode to learn more. Resources: Learn more about Core Remodeling Services here.
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How to Grow Your Profits Without Growing Your Team | Todd Dawalt of The Construction Leading Edge
Jun 1000:53:09Tap to summarizeTodd Dawalt spent more than 30 years in construction learning expensive lessons the hard way. In this episode, he reveals the one stage of every project where the most profit slips away, usually long before work even begins. He shares the counterintuitive shift that helps companies make more money without adding to the team. Todd also explains how one builder was leaving $400,000 on the table every year without knowing it. In this episode you will learn: Why hiring more people often makes a struggling business worse The part of a job where most inefficiencies hide, and why owners keep missing it What turns a fumbled project handoff into a smooth one The question that gets clients to gladly pay for work most contractors give away Where AI helps your business and where it can secretly hurt it Listen to the episode to learn more. Resources: Learn more about The Construction Leading Edge here. 00:00 Show Introduction 00:18 Meet Todd Dawalt 00:50 Todd Origin Story 02:33 Launching The Podcast 05:37 Cash Flow Wake Up 06:21 Coaching Operating System 07:31 Market Shifts After Covid 09:08 Profit Without Hiring 15:41 Find The Bottleneck 17:36 Why Change Now 19:42 Mental Malware Mindset 26:25 Lesson Without Scar 29:32 Systems Beat Intentions 32:49 Preconstruction Handoff 39:36 Paid Preconstruction Phase 44:08 AI Benefits And Risks 49:17 Resources And Wrap Up 52:45 Final Outro
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How to Rebuild Your Construction Business Around AI | Jake Gosselin of Churchfront
Jun 301:01:34Tap to summarizeJake Gosselin built Churchfront into one of the most innovative AV firms in the country, all fueled by a 300,000 subscriber YouTube channel and a relentless drive to automate the work that used to drain his time. In this episode, he pulls back the curtain on the AI agents now running his business behind the scenes, including budgeting, procurement, and payroll. Jake also gets real about the security risks of connecting AI to your operations and the smart moves every owner should make first. This is the episode that will change how contractors think about AI inside their business. In this episode, you will learn: The surprising path Jake took from YouTube creator to multi million dollar design build firm Exactly what Jake's AI agents are doing inside his business every day The bold claim Jake makes about AI and why he stands behind it The security playbook every business owner needs before connecting AI to their software The one task Jake says every owner should hand off to AI right now Listen to the episode to learn more. Resources: Learn more about Churchfront here.
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How to Turn Indecisive Clients Into Confident Ones | Liz Davies of ESD Homes
May 2700:42:44Tap to summarizeLiz Davies built a "small but mighty" luxury building and remodeling firm in Atlanta, and she did it without ever letting a project run on guesswork. In this episode, she pulls back the curtain on the pre construction approach that puts the right people in charge of the right decisions long before the first wall goes up. She reveals the one thing she says to hesitant clients that finally gets them off the fence. And she shares the single reel that hit nearly five million shares, plus the kind of content that keeps the right clients coming to her. In this episode you will learn: The mindset shift that stops clients from blaming you for their own indecision Why passion beats budget every time you size up your next project How one unexpected hire became the engine behind years of growth The kind of social content that makes clients say "I want to work with you" What Liz is building now that goes far beyond any single project Listen to the episode to learn more. Resources: Learn more about ESD Homes here.
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Create An AI Twin For Your Business | Phil Parsons of KP Homescapes
May 2000:55:38Tap to summarizePhil Parsons of KP Homescapes shares how he moved from engineering and house flips into a focused outdoor living business built for profitable growth. In this episode, he reveals what happened when he created an "AI twin" for his business and how it transformed sales, training, and business strategy. Phil also shares how coaching helped him think bigger, why job costing changed the way he leads, and what happened when he stopped being the answer man for every problem. In this episode, you will learn: How an "AI twin" can help your business repeat what works Why thinking too small can hold your business back How to choose coaching that fits your real constraints Why knowing your numbers creates better decisions What changes when you stop being the answer man Listen to the episode to learn more. Resources: Learn more about KP Homescapes here.
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How to Turn Happy Customers Into Your Most Powerful Marketing Engine
May 1300:53:48Tap to summarizeFrank Llaneza went from buying a pool for his own family during COVID to running a franchise that has installed more than 300 pools across two states. Frank also shares why he chose to join a franchise instead of going it alone, and what that decision unlocked for his growth. In this episode, he reveals the surprisingly simple gift that has driven a 30% jump in reviews and helped fuel a 60% lead increase in a soft market. He breaks down how to stay human in an AI driven world without losing your edge on automation. In this episode you will learn: Why the fastest sales cycles often come from a specific type of buyer most contractors overlook The mindset shift Frank gives every customer before the build begins How to re engage past customers and turn them into a referral force years later The signal that tells you when a customer is finally ready to leave a five star review What Frank wishes he knew before starting a construction business from scratch Listen to the episode to learn more. Resources: Learn more about River Pools of the Carolinas here.
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Remove The Work Holding You Back | Zac Liquori of ConstructAid
May 600:50:28Tap to summarizeContractors are not usually stuck because they cannot build. They are stuck because too much of the business still depends on memory, follow up, and the owner carrying every decision. Zac Liquori of ConstructAid shares how construction companies can create stronger systems, bring in better operational support, and finally remove the admin work that keeps owners buried. In this episode you'll learn: Why adding another person will not fix a broken process How to find the work you should stop doing this week Why JobTread works best when your data stays clean How operators can help create clarity across the business Why AI should support a strong process, not replace one Listen to the episode to learn more. Resources: Learn more about ConstructAid here.
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