Transcript
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Welcome to this week's episode of the Molded Life podcast, a live show featuring your questions about all things landscaping, equipment, business and life. Join our live show weekly on Instagram oderoutdoors Monday nights 8:30pm Central Standard Time to ask your questions or tune in here for the replay.
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And now from the Incon Studios Incon, a world leading manufacturer of tilt rotators and attachments enhancing your business. Here's your host, Andy Mulder.
A (0:40)
What's going on everybody? Welcome back to another episode of Motor Life podcast. We are live here in the Ncon Studios n contil rotators. Big shout out to them for being our student studio sponsor. Also Pave Tool innovators, go check them out. Pave tool.com use the code molder outdoors 50 save yourself $50 off of $500 or more when you check out. And also synced up project management software syncedup.com go check them out. Thanks to them for being our studio, for being our sponsor this week. I'm so thankful for these companies. Something to go on with Pave Tool I wanted to talk about. Over the last couple of weeks we've been using the Pave Tool hybrid edging. And I gotta say guys, I know I've talked about this in the last couple of weeks. I don't remember when I talked about it, but I know I talked about it. And I gotta say it's, it's the real deal, man. I, I've been very happy with it. It's very strong, very nice edging and I, I can see us using it moving forward. It's legit. The way that the stakes that they have, that, that kind of go into the open graded base. We use do a lot of open graded base systems and so just the way that the stake locks into the stone, it's very impressive. So I, yeah, I definitely would put my stamp of approval on it. And you go check that out. And again, pave tool.com and don't be afraid to use that Coupon code molder outdoors 50 saves yourself $50 off of $500 or more. So shout out to Pave Tools. So thank you guys. We'll take questions like we do every single week. I know there's just a few of you watching tonight, but we've had more people tuning in, watching or listening to the podcast. Not as many watching live as it just seems like now. Also, we're in the busy season so there's lots of people that are, are working late and all that stuff and I understand that. And you know, we're getting into, you know, we're. We're full on spring right now, so. And that's good. So we've been super busy as well. We're working on our hardscape project still. Today. We uncovered a area that was. We had to do a soil correction actually today. And that's pretty rare by us. We don't do a lot of those specifically rare where we are working in a lot of sand. And it was very strange, but we. We had to dig out, dig down about four feet, and we dug it all out and then filled it back in and compacted it. And we're good now. But, yeah, it was something that we just were not expecting. We went to go excavate for this patio, and the dirt was just. Or the sand was just super mushy. It was very weird. So not sure what happened there, but we got that fixed and we're back at it. So that's good. Maintenance team is going. We have another crew that's been doing spring cleanups and mulching and bed edging and all that stuff. And so we're just running hard. It's really, really cool. We are definitely having the busiest spring we have ever had in the history of the company. And so I'm very excited about that, very proud of that. And we're. We're going hard, so it's pretty awesome. I wanted to pull up some questions from earlier today that came in, and I thought they were good. Something we could talk about. Somebody asked, how do you build. How do you build a company with. To have good culture? And I think that's a really good question we've talked about a little bit. I can't say that I'm like, this genius on culture, but here's the main thing for me, like, I try to treat my employees how I want to be treated and try to promote understanding of them and their life. They have a real life. They have problems, they have things. They need to do all these different types of things. And just like you and I. So it's. I've tried to promote that kind of a thing, but then also, like a culture of hard work and going the extra mile and doing what we say we're going to do. I just. I try to lead by example. And. And that has worked well, I believe. At this point. I think we have a pretty good company culture. I think there's still things we could work on, but we get to work and we get after it. You know, it's. Everybody wants to do a good job. Everybody wants to show up on time. Everybody wants to do what has to get done. This past Saturday, we worked a Saturday, this past Saturday for the first time doing landscaping work in a long time. And we had to do it on the shop. And I asked the guys, I said, listen, I need to get this work done around the building. We had to get these downspouts lines in for the eventual apron that's going to be put on the front of the shop. And excuse me. And I asked them like, does anybody want to work? We really need to get this done. It's not mandatory. And everyone was like, yes, we want to work. So I really appreciated that. And you know what? They, they got, they worked an eight hour day. They got all the work done that we needed to get done for that day. And it was awesome. And I wasn't even there. I stopped there in the morning after, right before I had to go somewhere else with my son. I told them that I wasn't going to be there, but I would love for them to come and do it. And they did it. And it's phenomenal. So I just think that shows, like, they care. Of course they want to make money. It's all overtime at this point by Saturday. So they are obviously excited about that. But yeah, it's just something that, the culture thing, I just try to make it a company that's, it's fun. I'm not overbearing. And we're all kind of, we're a small company, so we're a team. When I always tell everybody, like, listen, like when you're slacking or if you decide you're not going to show up or whatever you decide you want to do that day, like, it affects the whole team because we're small, it's not a big company. We're not like, every single person matters and they do. And I care about them all. And so I guess that's kind of how I've tried to build it. Our free lunch Fridays, I think is a cool thing that we've done for our culture. It's something that everybody looks forward to. And it's just. They care about it. They care about it more than I ever thought they did. I mean, I know they like it, but like, if I'm not there, like, they want to know, hey, like, are we gonna be able to get lunch on Friday? Absolutely. So like, those kinds of things are just, I don't know, it's just little things about our company that I think goes a long way. I supply them with a lot of merch and I don't ever make them pay me for it. I supply them with boots. And I try to just treat everybody how I want to be treated. And I think that's gone a long way in our company, and I think that's helped with our employer retention. And people are happy coming to work every day and they're ready to get going. And I don't. I don't have to babysit. I really don't. I don't think there's. I really. Everybody at the company, like, I know that they're getting work done even when I'm not there. And that means a lot. It really does. It's just, it's a blessing. My team is a blessing. And, and specifically right now, with how busy we are, I think it's. It's so nice to know that we have a good core and we have good, even new guys that I know are there to work. They just want to work. They want to get it done. They want to. And so then it's up to me, especially with the new guys, is to continue to train and to mold and to shape and to make sure that they know how we want things done and what matters and what we need to watch out for and the little nuances to our business and how we're differentiating ourselves from other companies. And I've said it before on here a hundred times that, like, it's not the big things that differentiate us, it's the little things, right? It's the little stuff. It's the little stuff day in and day out that make a big difference. And how we treat our customers and how we treat our customers, job site and their, you know, their, potentially their home or whatever. Like, it's just really all those little things are so important. And I think that rubs off on the team. I also think, like, lately, and I knew that this would maybe be a thing, but, like, I really noticed it is, like, they're really excited about the shop. Like, they're really excited. And I think it's the shop, like, whenever it gets done, is really going to be something that I think will help a lot even more with our company culture and allow us to have more company gatherings or end of the day dinners or breakfasts or whatever. Like, there's so many things that I'm excited about with that. You know, I want to get there early and cook them a bunch of eggs and bacon or something. Like, I'm just, I'm excited for that. It doesn't take a lot of time, but, like, we're Going to have our place to do that. And I'm just like, so excited about those types of things. I think all of that is just going to continue to improve our company and to make it better. And we'll be able to attract better, even better employees and more employees if we need them. And like, I just think it's going to be amazing. So I don't think. I know it's going to be amazing. So I guess a little bit update, if you want to have a shop update, something that we can talk about for sure. So last week I think I already talked about this, but we did have our epoxy floor done in the offices. That's all done. The drop ceiling started going in last week. The whole grid is done in the whole office. Some of the ceiling tiles are in and cut in, like the cuts or whatever, like the edges or whatever H VAC company has been in today. And they were putting in Johnson Construction. That's what we're talking about right now, the drop ceiling. So the, the H VAC guys have been putting in the venting in the drop ceiling, like the two by two vents, and they ran lines to those today. There's a few other plumbing things that they did today. I noticed they put together the wash sinks or the slot, whatever, like a. It's like a laundry sink or whatever that's in the laundry room that's not hooked up, I would imagine, I think. So tomorrow they're coming to put in. Tomorrow they're coming to put in the rubber baseboard, the. The molding or whatever you want to call it. So that's going in tomorrow. Right after that, then toilets can go in. Sinks can go in. I mean, sinks could go in. Now, technically, toilets can go in. I can get my appliances delivered, I believe. So two weeks ago, I went to one of my local appliance shops and I got all of. Actually did it all online. And then I called them on the phone and placed the order. I didn't even go to the place. I did all my research and then went online, found them. I knew who I wanted to order it from. They made it super easy. And anyways, so I got all my appliances figured out. They're gonna deliver those. I mean, the washer and dryer, the stackable washer and dryer can go in after this baseboard goes in, the fridge can go in. So. So let me back up. So today the kitchen cabinets started going in, which is amazing. So kitchen cabinets, I would say, are three quarters of the way in or halfway in from What I understand they are there was the kitchen cabinet company sent them a wrong panel on the one side and they were short one other thing from the order. Let's see. So that's awesome. They can come and put in the baseboard now around the kitchen cabinets, wherever they need to do that. Electrician, I'm assuming can come back and put in all the outlets in the whole office. And really the offices are going to come together pretty quick. So I'm very excited about that. Again, we continue to wait for, for the Amish company to come back and do the work on the inside of the shop. It has been just agonizing how long this has taken. I'm not gonna lie. I've kind of like started to get annoying. Annoyed with annoying to my builder, asking them as much as I can, like when are they coming. But they'll come. I know they will. All the material for the inside of the shop got delivered last week, so that is a good sign. We have plywood and two by fours and all the, all the metal is there, all the screws are there, Everything is there to do the inside of the shop. It's just we need the crew to get there and do it.