Podcast
Modern Craftsman
Hosted by Modern Craftsman · EN
The Modern Craftsman is a podcast for builders who think beyond the jobsite. Hosted by Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace, this show explores what it takes to build a better business, a stronger team, and a more sustainable career in the trades.
Each episode features real conversations about leadership, project management, client communication, team culture, mental resilience, and long-term success in construction. Whether you're a carpenter scaling your company, a remodeler refining your process, or a builder navigating burnout, you'll find insight, support, and hard-earned lessons from those who've lived it.
43episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
403 Stop Building Every Job From Scratch
2w ago01:19:31Tap to summarizeCustom building gets messy fast when every project starts from a blank page. Mike Romanowicz talks through Den, prefab housing, better lead qualification, and what builders can learn from a product-based approach to pricing, systems, and client expectations. Den Outdoors: https://denoutdoors.com Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: 👉🏻 MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Show Notes: 00:00 Productized Housing 00:20 Meet Mike Romanowicz 03:59 Product First, Founder Second 05:45 Building in Public 09:22 The A-Frame Kit Lesson 14:11 The First Product Bet 20:30 Making Better Housing More Accessible 23:40 What Fasten Does 25:50 From Software to Homebuilding 30:17 The Power of Pre-Designed Plans 31:43 Starting From 100% 35:36 Why Customization Gets Hard 40:47 Where the Process Breaks 47:31 The Business Finally Clicked 55:25 How the Prefab Model Works 57:07 Designing Around Real Materials 61:06 What Tech Teaches Builders 66:33 Turning a Website Into a Booking Engine 71:04 Leading With Price 75:16 Cutting Out Bad Leads Video Version:https://youtu.be/WOyN-PR9mHs Partners: Andersen Windows Harnish Workwear Use code H1025 and get 10% off their H-label gear The Modern Craftsman: linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Hosts: Nick Schiffer Tyler Grace Podcast Produced By: Motif Media
Transcribe →The Most Human Use of AI
2w ago00:30:37Tap to summarizeMost people talk about AI like it's just there to save time, write faster, or build better systems. This episode gets into the quieter side of it: using AI to organize your thoughts, cut down the mental noise, and get clearer before the day runs you over. Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: 👉🏻 MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Video Version:https://youtu.be/NUkdSkNq8QU Show Notes: 0:19 AI Beyond Productivity 2:37 The Mental Load 5:04 Organizing the Chaos 12:15 Clearer Thinking 21:16 AI as a Mirror 25:21 Getting Your Day Back 29:44 Wrap & Community Partners: Andersen Windows Harnish Workwear Use code H1025 and get 10% off their H-label gear The Modern Craftsman: linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Hosts: Nick Schiffer Tyler Grace Podcast Produced By: Motif Media
Transcribe →402 How Builders Should Actually Use AI
3w ago01:11:14Tap to summarizeAI is not just for writing nicer emails or cranking out generic captions. This episode gets into how builders can use AI, construction software, agents, and connected tools to clean up admin, qualify leads, track money, improve communication, and make the business side less of a mess. Morgan: https://construction2style.com Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: 👉🏻 MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Show Notes: 00:00 AI Is Already Doing the Work 03:47 Where Builders Should Start 06:54 Chat, Claude & Better Prompts 11:32 AI Inside Construction Software 12:35 Agents Are Employees 16:36 Setting Up AI to Work for You 27:49 Connecting Tools & Automating Follow-Up 31:11 Better Communication With Less Admin 37:09 Start With a Brain Dump 49:07 Using AI to Qualify Clients 54:21 Catching Misses Before the Next Job 57:43 Estimating From Real Job Data 61:23 Comparing Bids & Educating Clients 67:41 Why Builders Need to Start Now Video Version:https://youtu.be/w5XwumOO1cE Partners: Andersen Windows Harnish Workwear Use code H1025 and get 10% off their H-label gear The Modern Craftsman: linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Hosts: Nick Schiffer Tyler Grace Podcast Produced By: Motif Media
Transcribe →401 Building a Name That's Actually Yours
4w ago01:04:50Tap to summarizeWorking in a family business comes with a lot of pressure, especially when your last name already means something in the industry. Michael Holmes talks through the Holmes legacy, finding his own lane, taking risks, and what it looks like to build something that actually feels like his own. Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: 👉🏻 MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Show Notes: 00:00 Who Michael Holmes Is Now 04:53 Growing Up Without Dad Around 10:29 Being the Dad He Needed 18:08 Getting His Dad Back 20:15 Stepping Out of the Family Shadow 29:00 Building Something for Himself 36:07 Hummingbird Hill Blue Mountain 40:15 How the New Division Works 45:16 Media, Builders & Skilled Trades 54:18 Living His Own Dream 60:38 Why Taking Risks Matters Video Version:https://youtu.be/bAZJ2FTJTLU Partners: Andersen Windows Harnish Workwear Use code H1025 and get 10% off their H-label gear The Modern Craftsman: linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Hosts: Nick Schiffer Tyler Grace Podcast Produced By: Motif Media
Transcribe →Build a Business That Gives You a Life
4w ago00:32:00Tap to summarizeThis Midweek is about what happens when life forces you to step back and ask what all the work is actually for. Tyler talks about loss, family, and building a business that creates enough freedom to be present for the parts of life you don't get back. Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: 👉🏻 MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Video Version:https://youtu.be/fALKjhyTuLo Show Notes:00:43 Time Moves Fast 02:57 A Wake-Up Call 07:31 Making Better Decisions 12:06 Learning From Loss 14:20 Work Isn't Everything 16:43 Building Around the Life You Want 21:10 Don't Wait Until Later 23:37 Let the Business Serve You 29:01 More Than Paying Bills 31:16 Do It Now Partners: Andersen Windows Harnish Workwear Use code H1025 and get 10% off their H-label gear The Modern Craftsman: linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Hosts: Nick Schiffer Tyler Grace Podcast Produced By: Motif Media
Transcribe →400 Where Modern Craftsman Goes From Here
May 301:05:03Tap to summarizeAfter 400 episodes, the conversation shifts toward what Modern Craftsman should become next. This episode gets into why the show is moving away from surface-level interviews, what kind of guests and stories they want to bring in, and how deeper conversations can create more value than another round of standard industry talk. Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: 👉🏻 MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Show Notes: 00:00 A Curveball at 400 02:33 Why the Podcast Is Changing 09:23 Why the Old Guest Model Fell Flat 14:11 The Kind of Conversations We Want 23:41 What We Can Learn Outside Construction 26:48 Who Makes the Best Guests 34:40 The Stories Worth Telling 43:08 The Why Behind the Work 52:28 Why This Matters Now 57:32 Send Us Guest Ideas Video Version:https://youtu.be/q9yxzp9HVqY Partners: Andersen Windows Harnish Workwear Use code H1025 and get 10% off their H-label gear The Modern Craftsman: linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Hosts: Nick Schiffer Tyler Grace Podcast Produced By: Motif Media
Transcribe →Know Your Numbers or Stay Stuck
Apr 3000:37:11Tap to summarizeToo many builders are working harder every year without really knowing which jobs are making money and which ones are just eating time. This episode is about using your tax return and a few basic numbers to get clear on what's working, what's not, and where to tighten things up. Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: 👉🏻 MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Show Notes: 0:24 Know Your Numbers 5:30 What Work Costs 10:14 Start With Taxes 16:37 Which Jobs Pay 25:56 Spend Less First 33:00 Build From There Video Version:https://youtu.be/MqUP2ZtGOAU Partners: Andersen Windows Harnish Workwear Use code H1025 and get 10% off their H-label gear The Modern Craftsman: linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Hosts: Nick Schiffer Tyler Grace Podcast Produced By: Motif Media
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Why Free Estimates Hurt You
Apr 2300:32:20Tap to summarizeTyler breaks down the line between being helpful and giving away work you should be paid for. This one is about protecting your time, charging for the planning, and stopping the habit of solving the hardest part of the job for free. Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: 👉🏻 MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Show Notes: 0:33 Stop Giving It Away 8:02 Helpful vs Free 16:36 Your Brain Has Value 25:25 Draw the Line 32:26 Sell the Process Video Version:https://youtu.be/n4BcvhRcZkw Partners: Andersen Windows Harnish Workwear Use code H1025 and get 10% off their H-label gear The Modern Craftsman: linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Hosts: Nick Schiffer Tyler Grace Podcast Produced By: Motif Media
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399 What We Got Wrong Starting Out
Apr 1901:01:46Tap to summarizeNick and Tyler look back on the early years of running their businesses and talk through the mistakes, blind spots, and lessons that shaped how they work today. From underpricing and freebies to confidence, process, and figuring things out without a playbook, this episode is a straight conversation about what starting out really looks like. Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: 👉🏻 MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Show Notes: 00:00 Looking Back at the Early Years 02:51 Freebies, Ghosting & Early Mistakes 06:17 First Jobs, Permits & Winging It 09:46 The Educational Tax 14:41 Getting Better Gets More Expensive 17:28 Honesty, Pricing & Client Optics 24:50 Ego, Confidence & Early Pushback 29:52 When Your Old Clients Stop Fitting 35:17 What Clients Actually Value 38:25 Why Most Builders Still Lack Process 46:03 The Playbook We Wish We Had 52:34 Why This Work Matters 57:08 Why the Newsletter Exists Video Version:https://youtu.be/7q6ffiowVOQ Partners: Andersen Windows Harnish Workwear Use code H1025 and get 10% off their H-label gear The Modern Craftsman: linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Hosts: Nick Schiffer Tyler Grace Podcast Produced By: Motif Media
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Your Pipeline Is Costing You Money
Apr 900:31:55Tap to summarizeTyler talks about messy lead flow, weak intake systems, and skipping steps in your process are quietly draining small construction businesses. This one is all about building a better funnel, protecting your time, and qualifying clients before they cost you money. Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: 👉🏻 MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Show Notes: 2:19 Protect Your Time 4:49 Your System Is the Problem 9:36 Every Step Needs a Gate 18:37 Stop Skipping Steps 27:54 Refine Your Funnel Video Version:https://youtu.be/8ljXzyHLdek Partners: Andersen Windows Harnish Workwear Use code H1025 and get 10% off their H-label gear The Modern Craftsman: linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Hosts: Nick Schiffer Tyler Grace Podcast Produced By: Motif Media
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