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.
55episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
409 Five Takes on Building a Better Business
3w ago00:44:43Tap to summarizeThis compilation pulls from recent guest conversations with Mark O'Brien, Shane Durkin, Mike Romanowicz, Morgan Molitor, and Michael Holmes Jr. Five different perspectives, but a shared thread runs through all of them: risk, money, systems, tools, identity, and what it really takes to build a better business. Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: 👉🏻 MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Show Notes: 01:00:00 Five Takes on Building a Better Business 01:00:35 EP 406 Mark O'Brien 01:06:47 EP 407 Shane Durkin 01:18:00 EP 403 Mike Romanowicz 01:24:49 EP 402 Morgan Molitor 01:33:27 EP 401 Michael Holmes Jr. 01:43:37 You Need the Backbone Before You Scale Video Version:https://youtu.be/aU1xKwkUOsE 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 →Building the House Between Jobs | Midweek with Tyler
4w ago00:26:57Tap to summarizeTyler gives another update on the house build while juggling client work, family, site prep, foundation details, and the next round of framing decisions. He gets into the reality of self-performing a build while life, work, and money keep moving. Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: 👉🏻 MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Video Version: Show Notes: 0:14 Midweek From the Build 1:15 Working Around the House 4:43 Foundation & Crawl Space 10:15 Framing the Floor 13:02 Exterior Plan & Windows 17:37 Partners & Products 22:19 Building a Real House 24:02 Course & Community Updates 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 →408 Why Builders Need the Right People Around Them
Jul 500:59:04Tap to summarizePutting yourself out there comes with opinions, cheap shots, and plenty of people who think they know the whole story from one post. Nick and Tyler talk about online criticism, support systems, comparison, family, friends, and finding the people who actually want to see you win. Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: 👉🏻 MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Show Notes: 00:00 Who Said I Invented This? 00:13 Pretending Everyone Else Has It Figured Out 03:38 Getting Lit Up on Facebook 06:35 When Online Comments Don't Hurt Anymore 10:44 When People Close to You Question It 14:56 Cutting Out the Wrong Support 18:05 Giving People Ammunition 20:55 Fighting Better Two Days Later 24:03 Don't Send the Text 28:56 Comparing Generations 35:48 Just Working Should Be Enough 40:31 Paying for Convenience 43:37 Everything Costs More Now 51:55 Calling Out the Trolls 54:34 Finding the People Who Have Your Back Video Version:https://youtu.be/5gxZ8n2ksos 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 →407: Why Builders Shouldn't Be the Bank with Shane Durkin
Jun 2801:53:06Tap to summarizeA lot of builders run millions of dollars through the business without a clear view of what they actually make. Shane Durkin talks through construction finance, project money, cash flow, profitability, and why builders need better systems than acting like the bank for every job. Shane's Websites: https://www.buildpatriot.com http://www.ledgerwise.com Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: 👉🏻 MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Show Notes: 00:00 The Builder's 16% Slice 00:23 Meet Shane Durkin 05:14 Tyler's Superior Walls Foundation 10:37 From Maryland to Coronado 16:03 Engineering, Lacrosse & the Naval Academy 20:41 9/11 and the Pull to Serve 25:35 What the Naval Academy Was Really Like 32:37 Leaving the Military 38:00 Getting Back Into Building 42:00 The Value of Higher Education 50:00 Business School Meets Construction 54:50 Construction Fund Control 60:00 The Missing Piece in Construction Finance 65:20 Why Builders Shouldn't Be the Escrow 74:30 Revenue, Profit & the Financial Tornado 80:10 Selling Financial Stability to Clients 84:10 Building a Better Pay Chain 98:20 How LedgerWise Came Together 102:30 Let Builders Be Builders 108:20 Why More Work Doesn't Always Mean More Money Video Version: https://youtu.be/JcYe0DN0Om8 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 →406 Hard Lessons From Big Risks with Mark O'Brien
Jun 2201:26:42Tap to summarizeSome projects stop making sense on paper long before the story is over. Mark O'Brien talks through bankruptcy, real estate risk, New York red tape, private equity, treehouses, 45 White Oak, and why the experience can still be worth chasing. Mark's website: https://buildmeabrownstone.com Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: 👉🏻 MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Show Notes: 00:00 The Treehouse That Sold the House 00:15 Meet Mark O'Brien 03:52 Losing It All and Starting Over 22:54 New York Red Tape and Carrying Costs 33:15 Why Keep Taking the Risk? 47:02 Private Equity Changes the Game 54:50 Sometimes It Doesn't Have to Pencil 61:34 Bootstrapping and Hard Lessons 68:29 What Do You Worry About? 79:23 45 White Oak and the Dream Build Video Version:https://youtu.be/G9Rw3-TsqiY 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 →What the House Build Is Teaching Me | Midweek with Tyler
Jun 1800:31:50Tap to summarizeTyler's house build is moving from layout and excavation into foundation prep, and every step is teaching him something new. This one gets into site work, drainage, equipment costs, and the real stress of building your own place while learning the land as you go. Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: 👉🏻 MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Video Version:https://youtu.be/rW_7THRb8Bw Show Notes: 0:13 Project Update 2:05 The House Build So Far 7:31 Superior Walls Prep 14:36 Crawl Space & House Plan 18:03 What the Build Is Teaching Me 21:54 Getting to Foundation 24:42 Family, Stress & Support 27:41 What's Next 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 →405 Real Questions Builders Are Asking Right Now
Jun 700:59:30Tap to summarizeSome of the best builder questions are the ones that do not always get asked out loud. This episode has questions that come straight from the MC Community and gets into pricing tiers, labor rates, first admin hires, dead leads, subcontractor agreements, and the systems that help make a construction business easier to run. Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: 👉🏻 MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Show Notes: 00:00 Square Foot Pricing Has Limits 00:28 Questions From the Builder Community 02:13 Tiered Pricing in Precon 09:35 Can Square Foot Pricing Work? 11:37 Cost Plus, Labor Rates & Markup 17:01 Billing the Same Rate for Different Carpenters 21:39 The Real Cost of an Employee 26:14 When to Make Your First Office Hire 33:58 Fixing Dead Lead Flow 43:04 Tracking Leads That Actually Convert 51:57 Master Sub Agreements & Work Orders 58:00 Why the Community Matters Video Version:https://youtu.be/vwGv8aE8Jio 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 →404 Trying Not to Slip Back Into Grind Mode
May 3100:49:29Tap to summarizeSome seasons get heavy fast, even when you built the business to avoid that. This episode gets into Tyler's house build, money pressure, family guilt, decision fatigue, and trying not to fall back into the old grind-at-all-costs version of yourself. Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: 👉🏻 MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Show Notes: 00:00 When It Feels Impossible to Move Forward 00:12 Guest Fell Through 04:05 Calling the Vendor 06:00 Life Hits 110 MPH 08:14 Avoiding Old Grind Habits 10:03 Carrying the Weight After the Job 13:17 Cutting the List Down 15:38 Decision Fatigue on the House Build 22:26 Just Make Progress 29:35 When Hard Things Motivate You 33:16 Sleep, Work & Second Winds 39:11 Family, Guilt & Being Present 42:06 Opening the Conversation Video Version:https://youtu.be/GD208zeQtew 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 House Build Just Got Real
May 2800:32:55Tap to summarizeTyler gives an update on his personal home build, from permit headaches and erosion control to layout, equipment, and finally moving dirt. This one gets into the pressure of building your own house, self-performing as much as possible, and turning years of trade experience into a family home. Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: 👉🏻 MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Video Version:https://youtu.be/YFG1z032FkQ 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 →403 Stop Building Every Job From Scratch with Mike Romanowicz
May 2401:19:31Tap 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 →