KCB Boiler Room Podcast

Kevin Cradock Builders
  • 5.0 (3)
  • BUSINESS

From the After Hours to the Breakfast Clubs, host Kevin Cradock, along with his In-House Storyteller Corey Nuffer, resurrect the Boiler Room events with a hard listen to the recordings of the events. From there we pick key moments we wish we could have asked guests to say more. We’ll also record Boiler Room-adjacent episodes featuring our own team, our mill shop, and other germane content.

  1. Re-release—Episode 10: J. B. Clancy Discusses the Architecture of Jamaica Plain

    DEC 18

    Re-release—Episode 10: J. B. Clancy Discusses the Architecture of Jamaica Plain

    We're re-releasing an episode in which good friend and partner on numerous projects architect J. B. Clancy cited making his first mixtape as part of why he became an architect. OMD's album, "Architecture and Morality" also played an important role. Building science, beautiful design, and historic preservation also come up, as well as that moment where J.B. Clancy realized that he wanted to get to know Kevin better. Here's our original write-up: Architect J.B. Clancy, of ART Architects, holds the record for guest spots on Boiler Room panels. Along with his work on the SUNFLOWER, an historic stick-style Victorian, J.B. shares a love of Jamaica Plain, the neighborhood in Boston that Kevin has called home most of his life. Cue: “The Renaissance of Jamaica Plain,” a panel discussion we put on during Design Week 2022. J.B. debuted “Setting the Stage: Jamaica Plain Architectural History” for this event. Since then he’s been fine-tuning his presentation, including expanding it to all of New England. This is one amazing episode, where we talk to J.B. about his original presentation and the architecture of Jamaica Plain and more. He also shared his mixtape story, which unexpectedly revealed the origins of his interest in becoming an architect. For anyone who finds music and the curation of playlists an important part of their lives, this will really hit hard.  Original date of event: 4/26/22 Media partner: New England Home

    1h 30m
  2. AKA—Ask Kevin Anything: Goals, Difficulties, and Materials

    DEC 12

    AKA—Ask Kevin Anything: Goals, Difficulties, and Materials

    We’ve started a new series, “AKA” or “Ask Kevin Anything.” And wow, did our listeners deliver! From Kevin’s most difficult issue concerning running a business and then the mantra Kevin uses during dark times to how Kevin goes about creating goals for the future, to a technical question involving external wall material, we had a nice range of subject matter for this first episode, along with many more questions we’ll address in future episodes.  Follow the link in the bio for our AKA form if you have a question or would like Kevin to comment on something.

    44 min
  3. Georgia Zikas Discusses "Applied Optimism"

    NOV 21

    Georgia Zikas Discusses "Applied Optimism"

    While I haven’t been able to work with Interior Designer Georgia Zikas yet, she’s been a familiar face for years. At this past Luxury Home Design Summit, we bonded over a presentation involving what Summit presenter Seth Cohen calls “Applied Positivity.” Georgia approached us with coming on the pod to discuss this in more detail, especially with how Cohen employs “hope” as a design construct. We also brought up his approach to curiosity as “the most honest form of optimism.”  Georgia’s origin story of how she became a designer allowed for us to explore further this topic in unexpected ways. Notebook culture—writing things down—creativity, and client questionnaires came up, along with so much more. We also got to Georgia’s music story, allowing us to travel back to classic rock on the Cape for bonfires on the beach, Bonnie Raitt, Air Supply, grunge—the list is long! Original Presentation: “Designing With Purpose: The Power of Applied Optimism to Maintain Resilient, Visionary Businesses in Uncertain Times” by Seth Cohen | The Luxury Home Design Summit | May 20-22, 2025

    1h 44m
  4. ICAA Presents: Preservation vs. Performance

    NOV 7

    ICAA Presents: Preservation vs. Performance

    On October 29th, we hosted the New England Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art in a Boiler Room panel discussion titled, “Preservation vs. Performance: Renovation in the Modern Era.”  Builders Stephen Payne of Payne | Bouchier and Nick Schiffer of NS Builders, along with Kevin as moderator, took part in a conversation that was so timely, with just the right amount of technical detail and controversy, that we’ve decided to devote an entire podcast episode to it. The audience participation was invaluable here. What an amazing night. We hope to capture more of these panels live so folks who missed them can tune in. Special thanks to our sponsors: Boston Glass Group, Lavallee Systems, and US Green Insulation, along with our courtyard sponsor, a Blade of Grass.  Original Presentation: “Preservation vs. Performance: Renovation in the Modern Era” | October 29, 2025

    1h 8m
  5. Steve Siegel on Storytelling and Structural Engineering

    OCT 24

    Steve Siegel on Storytelling and Structural Engineering

    This past May at the Luxury Home Design Summit Steve Siegel had a bit of a “moment.” With about sixty seconds to spare at the mic, he rolled out a description of what he and his company does—structural engineering—in a way that set the room of about 400 designers, builders, architects, and trade partners abuzz. It was great writing and a great delivery, making the work of structural engineering feel like something altogether new. While KCB has worked with Steve on several projects and has known of him for decades, this experience got us thinking that we’d love to hear more. Along with his origin story of how he became an engineer, our conversation with Steve also involved him once again reciting those memorable words at the mic, delivering on subjects like over-engineering, prescriptive principles, navigating the builder relationship, advanced framing, company culture, and more. Steve’s boombox story also included a very cool “way-back” to using cassettes as a way to protect your vinyl. Queen, Jim Croce, Elvis Costello, Carly Simon, and Springsteen also play a huge role for Steve, with a special name drop of Croce’s “Walking Back To Georgia.” Kevin’s song drop was “Death on Two Legs” by Queen. They also went deep with their first vinyl record purchases and, sadly, how Kevin learned the word “warp.”  Steve’s one-minute-at-the-mic explanation of structural engineering happened during the Luxury Home Design Summit, Chatham, MA, that took place May 20-22, 2025.

    1h 34m
  6. Adam Japko Discusses Risk and Positivity

    OCT 10

    Adam Japko Discusses Risk and Positivity

    From his role as both managing partner of New England Home magazine and co-founder of the Luxury Home Design Summit, Adam Japko is a force in Boston’s build-design community. With personal interests like fishing and wine tasting rounding him out, Adam is a genuine one-of-a-kind presence. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to hear him present, you know he’s not only comfortable in front of an audience, he’s a serious thinker with a great sense of humor. At this past Luxury Home Design Summit in Chatham, MA, we recorded one of his presentations—two dramatic example stories involving risk, along with one story about positivity. As usual, we played these clips on our boombox and asked Adam to elaborate on what he said. He did not disappoint. We also tried to get Adam to share more about his love of music, but all we got was more about the Grateful Dead…and it blew our minds.  Original presentation: Luxury Home Design Summit, Chatham, MA | May 20-22, 2025

    1h 36m
  7. Meg McSherry Discusses Builder & Designer Relationships

    SEP 25

    Meg McSherry Discusses Builder & Designer Relationships

    On June 14th, 2023, we hosted a PRO New England panel in our Boiler Room on why builders should work with interior designers. Meg McSherry, owner and principal designer of Meg McSherry Interiors in Newton, was one of the designers on the panel. Of all the discussions we’ve hosted, this one stuck out as not just unique but also evergreen; builders and designers are from two very different worlds. This makes the conversation really amazing when we all get together to talk it out. We played one moment from this panel, a comment from a builder who was curious about what he called the “feedback loop” that he encounters, when a plumber, for instance, has to install a toilet that’s spec’d out by a designer, knowing that the toilet has “had problems” and that the “plumber doesn’t want to talk to you,” the designer. “Neither does the electrician. Or my plasterer. Or my painter. He wants to talk to me.” Meg and Kevin revisit this moment during the panel, along with adding fresh perspective gained over the past two years since, including a deep dive on their process, what role ego plays in what they do, and ever-evolving issues revolving around taste and aesthetics. Meg also shared her boombox story. Debbie Gibson, Boys to Men, Bangles, Eminem, Lauren Hill, TLC, and even Janis Joplin were mentioned, but Lizzo made an appearance as well.  Original presentation: PRO NE June Meeting: "Remodelers + Interior Design Panel" Original date of panel: 6.14.23

    1h 22m
  8. Architect Matthew Arnold Discusses Starting a New Business

    SEP 12

    Architect Matthew Arnold Discusses Starting a New Business

    We all know Kevin loves people who put themselves out there. He won’t pass up a chance to talk with someone who is doing new things and not playing it safe. He also values people doing it the right way, with attention paid to detail and focus on an individual’s strengths. Architect Matthew Arnold has been a familiar face in the homebuilding community. Recently, Kevin had a conversation with him where he shared that he left a firm he had been with for 15 years, to strike it out on his own. His new business is called ArnoldAnd.  We thought he’d be a great podcast guest and were excited to get to know him better. Little did we know that Matthew’s dad, Les Arnold, was an audio engineer for the likes of Aerosmith and Boston. Matthew discusses the impact that his father’s work had on him and how music plays a role in his life. We also get into what influence from some of his favorite bands, such as Phish, have on the way he views his work. Matthew made the bold move to hang his own shingle after an inspirational trip, with the full support of his wife. Kevin helps him answer questions about growth, staffing, timing and goals in this lively conversation.

    1h 28m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

From the After Hours to the Breakfast Clubs, host Kevin Cradock, along with his In-House Storyteller Corey Nuffer, resurrect the Boiler Room events with a hard listen to the recordings of the events. From there we pick key moments we wish we could have asked guests to say more. We’ll also record Boiler Room-adjacent episodes featuring our own team, our mill shop, and other germane content.

Information

  • Creator
    Kevin Cradock Builders
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 KCB Boiler Room Podcast
  • Show Website
    KCB Boiler Room Podcast

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