SQ.FT Stories

sqftstories

SQ.FT Stories host Callum Foy welcomes guests within the construction sector to share their personal & business careers, alongside offering their opinions on the construction industry. Powered by Jade Aden Interiors. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Plus watch on YouTube! Youtube | TikTok | Apple | Amazon

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    Why Good Contractors Are A Project Manager’s Best Asset - Adam Green - EP 35

    Adam Green is a project management consultant working in commercial fit-out, with a focus on public sector and educational projects across London. Before founding Ninety Four Group, Adam spent years inside one of the industry’s larger consultancies, a family business with over 700 employees, giving him a ground-level understanding of how project management works at scale, and more importantly, where it doesn’t. In this episode, Adam brings a perspective you don’t often hear. An honest account of what separates the contractors who make a project run smoothly from those who create more problems than they solve, and what that means for the PMs working alongside them. We explore: • Why good contractors don’t just deliver, they make the whole project team look better • What client-side PMs actually need from contractors that most never provide • How information flow between PM and contractor makes or breaks a project • The loyalty question and whose side the PM is really on when things get difficult • What procurement gets wrong and why the lowest price almost never means the best outcome Adam is direct, experienced and has sat on both sides of the table. This isn’t a theoretical conversation about best practice. It’s a frank discussion about how the PM and contractor relationship actually works on the ground, and what good really looks like when you find it. If you work in fit-out, whether you’re a contractor, a PM, or a client, this one will resonate.

    1hr 6min

  2. 2 MAR

    The AI Shift That Will Re-Define the Construction Industry - Simon Buck - EP34

    Simon Buck is a business coach who works with the construction industry and a strong advocate for the practical adoption of AI within growing businesses. Having worked with contractors at every stage of their journey, Simon has seen a recurring pattern in construction: growth that happens by accident rather than by design. Many business owners start as tradespeople, take on more work when they’re busy, hire reactively when they’re overwhelmed, and repeat the cycle without ever building the systems needed to scale sustainably. In this episode, Simon shares why that model eventually breaks and how AI could be the biggest opportunity (and threat) the industry has seen since the dotcom boom. We explore: • Why most construction businesses hire at 120% capacity instead of planning at 80% and how that limits growth • The difference between being busy and being scalable • How established £3–5m businesses can grow to £10–20m with structure and strategy • Why AI isn’t just ChatGPT and how it can be embedded into existing systems • How AI can improve consistency, follow-up, data handling, and decision-making • Why early adopters of AI will create a significant gap between themselves and late adopters Simon makes a compelling case that AI isn’t optional. It’s not a gimmick, and it’s not just a marketing tool. When properly integrated into your processes, it can think in the context of your business, analyse information, clean data, and strengthen workflows in ways most construction firms haven’t yet considered. If you run a construction business and want to stay ahead of the curve, this episode is essential listening.

    59 min

  3. 16 FEB

    What Client Side Project Managers Wish Contractors Knew - Ben Cliffe - EP33

    Ben Cliffe is a Project Manager and business owner who understands the construction industry from both a delivery and commercial perspective. Having worked closely with clients, contractors, and subcontractors, Ben has developed a clear view on where projects succeed and where relationships quietly break down. His experience navigating procurement models, retention clauses, and supply chain dynamics has shaped a practical, balanced approach to project management. In this episode, Ben shares his perspective on retention, risk allocation, and why stronger alignment between project managers and contractors is essential if we want a healthier industry. We explore: • Whether retention is still fit for purpose and why, if it’s due, it should simply be paid • How fluctuating material and labour costs have reshaped commercial risk on projects • The impact different procurement models have on contractor and subcontractor relationships • How PMs and clients can unintentionally create tension through unrealistic programmes and risk transfer • Why strong working relationships sometimes allow flexibility and when that flexibility becomes dangerous This is an honest, commercially grounded conversation about retention, risk, and responsibility in modern construction. A practical listen for project managers, contractors, and anyone navigating procurement, commercial pressure, and partnership in today’s industry.

    1 hr

  4. 2 FEB

    How We Create a Better Construction Industry For Everyone - Lauren Rimmer - EP32

    Lauren Rimmer is the Founder and CEO of Construct Change, a business focused on strengthening delivery, supporting supply chains, and improving culture across the construction industry. Lauren started Construct Change after seeing first-hand how often projects don’t fail because of technical ability, but because of poor communication, weak culture, lack of inclusion, and insufficient support for the people delivering the work. Her mission is simple but ambitious: help construction businesses operate more responsibly, sustainably, and humanely. In this episode, we have an open and honest conversation about the parts of construction that are rarely spoken about publicly. From non-payment and commercial pressure, to suicide, mental health, and the challenges faced by women and underrepresented groups in the industry. Lauren explains why culture, communication, and inclusion aren’t “nice-to-haves”, but the foundations on which successful projects are built. She also shares how Construct Change works with contractors to embed better ways of working into everyday decisions, improving delivery, protecting supply chains, and building reputations that actually last. We explore: • Why poor culture and communication sit at the heart of so many project failures. • The real impact of non-payment and commercial pressure on people and businesses. • Suicide and mental health in construction, and why silence makes the problem worse. • Inclusion in construction and why the industry still has work to do. • How better leadership, accountability, and communication can genuinely change outcomes. This is a deep, honest, and at times uncomfortable conversation but a necessary one.

    47 min

  5. 20 JAN

    Where Construction Projects Go Wrong And Why - Damien Clifford - EP31

    Damien Clifford is the founder of Ethos EQ and a specialist in early-stage cost consultancy, operating across RIBA Stages 0 to project completion. With experience managing large-scale developments as a surveyor, Damien has seen first-hand how projects succeed or fail long before anyone steps on site. That early exposure to cost, procurement, and decision-making has shaped a very honest view of why so many construction projects struggle financially. In this episode, Damien breaks down where things commonly go wrong between clients, consultants, and contractors and how better alignment at the front end can prevent cost overruns, disputes, and commercial breakdowns later on. We explore: • How managing global portfolios has shaped Damien’s approach to cost control • Why margins are so thin in construction and how alternative procurement routes could improve them • How costs and budgets spiral out of control on projects, often earlier than people realise • What contractors get wrong when engaging with surveyors and project managers — and how to improve their chances of securing work • Why turnover is often chased at the expense of profitability, and whether ego plays a role • How final accounts can be manoeuvred within contracts, leading to disputes and non-payment This is a practical, straight-talking conversation about money, risk, and behaviour in construction and how the industry can do better with clearer thinking, stronger procurement, and more honest engagement at the early stages. A must-listen for contractors, surveyors, project managers, and anyone involved in controlling cost and risk on projects.

    59 min

  6. 29/12/2025

    Margins, Money, And Messy Realities in Construction - Ollie Plastow - EP30

    Ollie Plastow returns to SQ FT Stories for a second episode, but this time, the format is different. Rather than a full life or business journey, this episode is a candid catch-up between two people actively working in the Design & Build and construction industry, reflecting on what’s changed since Ollie’s last appearance and what’s really happening on the ground right now. We talk openly about the realities of running businesses in today’s market, the pressures across the supply chain, and the topics that keep coming up in conversations behind closed doors. In this episode, we explore: How Ollie’s business has evolved since his last time on the podcast. What good business development in construction actually looks like and why it’s still misunderstood. Why subcontractors continue to struggle with payment and where responsibility sits. How tight margins shape behaviour across the industry. The knock-on effects these pressures have on people, projects, and relationships. To finish, we switch things up with a quick-fire round, ten rapid questions each covering industry frustrations, opinions, and lighter moments that anyone working in construction will recognise. This episode is honest, unscripted, and very much rooted in real experience. If you work in Design & Build, construction, or the wider property sector, this one will feel familiar and probably spark a few strong opinions of your own.

    59 min

  7. 08/12/2025

    Breaking the Silence on Suicide in Construction - Steve Kerslake - EP29

    Steve Kerslake is the founder of Construction Sport and one of the leading voices fighting to improve mental health across the construction industry. Before launching Construction Sport, Steve worked on the tools and experienced first-hand the pressures, the culture, and the hidden struggles happening every day on building sites. His own journey includes major personal challenges from a life-changing acid attack to serious health issues that pushed him to breaking point and it shaped his mission to support those who feel they have nowhere to turn. In this episode, Steve opens up about the realities behind the UK’s construction suicide crisis why it’s happening, what’s being missed, and the cultural issues that continue to put workers at risk. He also shares why he launched Construction Sport and how the organisation is now helping vulnerable people across the industry. We explore: Why suicide rates in construction remain the highest of any UK sector The pressures, behaviours, and cultural norms that often go unnoticed Steve’s own journey through trauma and how it shaped his purpose Why the industry’s current systems aren’t enough to protect workers What construction companies can do to create safer, stronger environments How Construction Sport is providing support where traditional routes fail This is one of the most honest and emotional conversations ever recorded on the podcast and an important one for anyone working in construction, managing teams, or trying to create positive change in the industry.

    1hr 28min

  8. 24/11/2025

    The Relationship Between PM & Contractor Explained: How D&B Really Works - Fraser Munro - EP28

    Fraser Munro is the Founder of Mfive Consultancy and one of the rare people in our sector who truly understands Design & Build from both sides of the table. Fraser started his career in pre-con at LiquidSpace before becoming part of the founding team at ThirdWay, helping grow it into one of the leading Design & Build firms in London. After travelling the world and returning post-COVID, he launched Mfive Consultancy, a business that blends project management with deep D&B experience. Because Fraser has sat in both chairs, contractor and consultant - there’s no pulling the wool over his eyes. He’s seen the tricks, the tactics, the commercial manoeuvres and the subtle ways both contractors and project managers can influence cost, programme, and decision-making. In this episode, we explore: • How Fraser helped build ThirdWay and what he learned from scaling a D&B business • The difference between how contractors think vs how consultants think • The tactics used on both sides of the table and why transparency matters • What’s changed in the D&B world over the last decade, and what still needs to change • Why the industry desperately needs more forward thinkers taking a lead role in shaping its future Fraser brings experience, honesty, and a perspective that cuts through the noise. A brilliant conversation with someone who’s seen the industry from every angle and isn’t afraid to say where it can be better.

    1hr 5min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

SQ.FT Stories host Callum Foy welcomes guests within the construction sector to share their personal & business careers, alongside offering their opinions on the construction industry. Powered by Jade Aden Interiors. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Plus watch on YouTube! Youtube | TikTok | Apple | Amazon

Information

  • Creator
    sqftstories
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    SQ.FT Stories