Podcast Summary: Dale Carnegie and Learning Cultures (BuildWitt Update #27) — DT 391

Podcast: Dirt Talk by BuildWitt
Host: Aaron Witt
Date: November 17, 2025
Episode: #391 – "Dale Carnegie and Learning Cultures"

Episode Overview

In this update-focused episode, Aaron Witt, founder of BuildWitt, shares recent developments within the company and reflects on personal growth following an immersive Dale Carnegie leadership course. The conversation highlights BuildWitt’s commitment to fostering better communication, advancing industry training, navigating internal change, and driving forward with quality sales strategies and event planning.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Impact of Dale Carnegie Training (00:40–09:30)

• Personal Experience & Endorsement:

  • Aaron attended a 3-day Dale Carnegie course on leadership and communication, describing it as his “all-time favorite training.”

  • Course covered essentials: remembering names, relationship building, disagreeing kindly, clear communication, and storytelling.

    "The dirt world's problems would go away...if everyone attended." — Aaron Witt (01:09)

• Course Dynamics:

  • Attendees were seasoned leaders, mostly in their 30s to 50s, from various businesses in Tennessee and Ohio.

  • Despite the basic nature of early exercises (like remembering names), Aaron found these foundational skills invaluable for influence and relationship-building.

    "You can't build relationships, you can’t influence people without first knowing someone’s name." — Aaron Witt (05:11)

• Ongoing Relationship with Dale Carnegie Org:

  • BuildWitt’s roots with the organization stretch back several years, including direct collaboration with CEO Joe Hart.
  • Aaron plans to enroll in a public speaking course next year for further development.

• Recommendation to Industry Leaders:

  • Highly recommends the Dale Carnegie course for anyone in leadership, emphasizing the necessity of “getting uncomfortable” to grow.

2. Building Learning Cultures in Construction (09:31–15:15)

• BuildWitt as an Industry Guide:

  • The team is synthesizing training best practices into guides for the broader industry.
  • Emphasizes that “training and development should not be proprietary” — aiming to share learnings to collectively elevate the dirt world.

• Training Program Observations:

  • On-the-job training remains the default, which Aaron characterizes as "code word for non-existent training program."

  • Industry faces mounting challenges as more workers without prior experience enter, with growing gaps in leadership skills and field feedback.

    "We've got more people than ever before entering the industry with no prior experience at all... We've got to get them up to speed." — Aaron Witt (13:24)

• Commitment to Change:

  • BuildWitt is pushing for systemic improvements, including their own ‘Bill Witt Improve’ offering.
  • Focus is shifting to better product implementation and support to guide lasting organizational learning.

3. Navigating Internal Change & Knowledge Gaps (15:16–18:10)

• Team Turnover & Retooling:

  • Ongoing team changes have left knowledge gaps — Aaron acknowledges the discomfort but calls it necessary for progress.

    "Retooling teams always takes longer than anticipated, but it's always worthwhile." — Aaron Witt (16:11)

• Change Management Challenges:

  • Many companies resist change, holding onto loyal but potentially misaligned team members to avoid disruption.
  • Aaron stresses that enduring short-term chaos is the only path to significant growth, even if it's “not ideal” and tests his impatience.

4. Sales & Customer Support Strategy Shifts (18:11–21:55)

• Renewal Focus:

  • With a large volume of Q4 renewals, the sales and support teams are proactively managing accounts rather than reacting at the last minute.

    "Renewals are key for a software company... recurring revenue." — Aaron Witt (19:31) "This is the first quarter we're default aggressive, getting really proactive..." — Aaron Witt (20:42)

• Quality Over Quantity:

  • The weekly meeting goal for the sales team has been reduced to favor higher value prospects instead of chasing volume.

  • Prefers engaging with organizations that are a strong fit for BuildWitt’s offerings for long-term retention.

    “Larger deals with the right companies are far more productive than many small deals, which is quite obvious. It’s a quality over quantity type situation.” — Aaron Witt (21:23)

5. 2026 Dirt World Summit Planning (21:56–24:45)

• Event Registration Updates:

  • Registration for the 2026 event is complete, allowing for early ticket promotion during this year's summit.

  • Notably scaling the event size back to increase exclusivity and support a focused pre-sale strategy — aiming to sell out early (by summer or sooner).

    "This year we’re dialing the scale of the event back... the first year we're shrinking in size." — Aaron Witt (23:10)

• Impact on Business Operations:

  • Early ticket sales bolster cash flow and enable BuildWitt to dedicate more resources to event quality rather than sales.
  • Improved integrations promise an easier registration experience and reduce team workload.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Essential Leadership Skills:

  “You can’t build relationships, you can’t influence people without first knowing someone’s name and knowing how to communicate with them in a very simple way.” — Aaron Witt (05:11)

• On Industry-Wide Development:

  “A rising tide lifts all ships. We have to elevate the entirety of the industry—for us not to just survive, but to thrive and ensure the future is better than it is today, which should be the goal.” — Aaron Witt (11:45)

• Change Is Uncomfortable, But Necessary:

  "Retooling teams always takes longer than anticipated, but it's always worthwhile. There's not really a good way to do it—it sucks." — Aaron Witt (16:10)

• Renewals and Sales Approach:

  "Renewals are key for a software company... If your renewal rate is strong... you’re stacking revenue on top of existing renewal revenue. Bingo, bango. You see how this is going." — Aaron Witt (20:10, 21:44)

• On the Future of the Summit:

  "Next year we won’t have to be selling tickets... we'll then, instead of sell tickets, be able to focus on making the event great, which is where we want to be." — Aaron Witt (23:56)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Dale Carnegie Training Experience & Takeaways: 00:40 – 09:30
• Developing Learning Cultures Industry-wide: 09:31 – 15:15
• Team Change Challenges: 15:16 – 18:10
• Proactive Sales & Renewal Strategy: 18:11 – 21:55
• 2026 Summit Planning & Strategy: 21:56 – 24:45

Conclusion

This candid, insightful episode underscores BuildWitt’s evolving approach to leadership, training, and business strategy—anchored by Aaron Witt’s commitment to transparency and continuous improvement. The value of strong human connection, open communication, and a willingness to embrace change stands out as a through-line, offering listeners both practical advice and inspiration for cultural transformation in the dirt world and beyond.