The Contracting Handbook: Builder & Trades Construction Podcast

W/ Mike Knoche of Straight Ahead Construction
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Facilitating new construction company startups, supporting the building community with new ideas and affirmation, and ushering in the next generation of builders is the mission of The Contracting Handbook podcast. Through sharing information about how we operate our businesses and live our construction lives around the world, we elevate the construction life. Please leave a review on iTunes, your Apple podcast app, or if you’re in the android world, rate it on Spotify and leave a review on Podchaser or directly on the website.

  1. Yahara Vasquez of Built By Her Construction: Architectural Engineer to Spec Homes & Breaking with Tradition

    06/19/2023

    Yahara Vasquez of Built By Her Construction: Architectural Engineer to Spec Homes & Breaking with Tradition

    Yahara Vasquez owns and operates Built By Her Construction @building_by_her out of Carson, Washington. With a degree in architectural engineering, she’s decided that the jobs that came with the degree were not for her. She loves working with her hands. Between that and wanting to be more available for her children, Yahara built her own home and she started a contracting company. She’s doing some work for the public but venturing into spec home building. While she says her role at home is fairly traditional, her career path is anything but traditional given her Mexican heritage. She  doesn’t care because she wants young girls to see her in that position and is organizing to have young women to work Saturdays on her spec to learn skilled trades. I can’t wait to check in with Yahara Vasquez in a couple years to see where she’s gone!     Host: Mike Knoche   Website: The Contracting Handbook Instagram: @thecontractinghandbook YouTube: @thecontractinghandbook TikTok: @tchmikeknoche   Contribute: Venmo: Mike-Knoche-1   Email: info@thecontractinghandbook.com   Guest: Yahara Vasquez Instagram: @building_by_her   Facilitating new construction company startups, supporting the building community with new ideas and affirmation, and ushering in the next generation of builders is the mission of The Contracting Handbook podcast. Through sharing information about how we operate our businesses and live our construction lives around the world, we elevate the construction life. Please leave us a review on Apple  Podcasts if you have an iPhone or on Podchaser if you are an Android to help spread the word about this 100% Independently Recorded and Produced Construction Podcast! Rate us on Spotify!

    33 min
  2. Furious Fifteen: Randy Jones returns to talk company growth, adding a sales manager, and his biggest challenges at 12 years...

    06/12/2023

    Furious Fifteen: Randy Jones returns to talk company growth, adding a sales manager, and his biggest challenges at 12 years...

    Randy Jones revisits @thecontractinghandbook for a quick catch-up on the growth of his construction company @fineremodeling.de in this episode of Mike Knoche’s Furious Fifteen. Randy was my second guest on the podcast back in May 2021… We hit upon: -relying on a sales manager -qualifying subcontractors -challenges to growth -“letting go” -his most challenging project to date   It’s an action packed 19 minutes with a bunch of random, yes/no, non-quantifiables at the end! It’s another great episode with a ton of insights for anyone operating a construction company, be it general contracting or specialty trade contracting.   Host: Mike Knoche Website: The Contracting Handbook Instagram: @thecontractinghandbook Venmo: Mike-Knoche-1 info@thecontractinghandbook.com Guest: Randy Jones Instagram: @fineremodeling.de   Facilitating new construction company startups, supporting the building community with new ideas and affirmation, and ushering in the next generation of builders is the mission of The Contracting Handbook podcast. Through sharing information about how we operate our businesses and live our construction lives around the world, we elevate the construction life. Please leave us a review on Apple  Podcasts if you have an iPhone or on Podchaser if you are an Android to help spread the word about this 100% Independently Recorded and Produced Construction Podcast! Rate us on Spotify!

    21 min
  3. Kyle Stumpenhorst on "What's good enough?", Saying "No", and Red Flags

    06/05/2023

    Kyle Stumpenhorst on "What's good enough?", Saying "No", and Red Flags

    Post frame builder, Kyle Stumpenhorst @rrbuildings, joins Mike Knoche @thecontractinghandbook where we hit upon, not only always doing our best but: -creating enduring video content that will always help -using social media to link up with the right customers -the incorporation of building science into the workflow and fiscal tradeoffs -having more knowledge than the inspector -why he no longer subs out work -not heeding the red flags   It’s another great episode with a ton of insights for anyone operating a construction company, be it general contracting or specialty trade contracting.   Host: Mike Knoche Website: The Contracting Handbook Instagram: @thecontractinghandbook Venmo: Mike-Knoche-1 info@thecontractinghandbook.com Guest: Kyle Stumpenhorst Instagram: @rrbuildings YouTube: @rrbuildings Facilitating new construction company startups, supporting the building community with new ideas and affirmation, and ushering in the next generation of builders is the mission of The Contracting Handbook podcast. Through sharing information about how we operate our businesses and live our construction lives around the world, we elevate the construction life. Please leave us a review on Apple  Podcasts if you have an iPhone or on Podchaser if you are an Android to help spread the word about this 100% Independently Recorded and Produced Construction Podcast! Rate us on Spotify!

    1h 23m
  4. Joe Canning, The Canadian Carpenter: The Impact of Influencers and His Entrance Into Trades

    05/22/2023

    Joe Canning, The Canadian Carpenter: The Impact of Influencers and His Entrance Into Trades

    Meet Joe Canning aka @canadiancarpenter and hear the story of how a guy with a degree in 3D graphic arts leaves that life behind for a career in skilled trades. With a wife, four mouths to feed, and no work available in his field, Joe went to work as the laborer under 13 framers..it’s another case of the 4-year degree fallacy. So tune into to hear about Joe as an apprentice and the journey to the beard we all know and love.   Then, we take a stab at the impact of Instagram influencing on the industry as a whole. At the end of the day, Joe wants to make the framing process easier for anyone willing to listen and learn. He’s been reviewing tools long before Instagram was a thing and points out some flaws in that sort of promotion. Is he teaching the kids if its cool to be in the trades or that its cool to be an influencer.   We don’t dwell on the labor deficit but take a look the reasons why it seems like “everyone is soft”. We were raised to be tough but that has lead to a generation of parents that don’t challenge their kids.    Joe is not afraid to talk about his ADHD. It’s not a block. It’s just a different way of thinking. He also empathizes with those suffering from anxiety but you got to deal with it in what ever way possible. Bottom line: Discipline, people!     Please leave us a review on Apple  Podcasts if you have an iPhone or on Podchaser if you are an Android to help spread the word about this 100% Independently Recorded and Produced Construction Podcast! Rate us on Spotify!   Host: Mike Knoche Website: The Contracting Handbook Instagram: @thecontractinghandbook Venmo: Mike-Knoche-1 info@thecontractinghandbook.com   Guest: Joe Canning Instagram: @canadiancarpenter   Music Credit: Tell Nobody (The Contracting Handbook theme) by Tiny Pancake Breakfast Drew Frick- lead guitar Scott Crass- bass Brady Anderson- drums Mike Knoche- rhythm guitar and vocals

    1h 16m
  5. Joe Mitchell of Finish Point Trim: Crew Leadership and Client Conflict

    05/15/2023

    Joe Mitchell of Finish Point Trim: Crew Leadership and Client Conflict

    Talk about dedication to team building, creating opportunity to learn skilled trades, and the future of craftsman, carpenter by trade, Joe Mitchell of Finish Point Trim.     Finish Point has an incredible apprenticeship program and, if you think it sounds great, they are happy to share their blueprint with you. A testament to their dedication to recruiting more young people into the skilled trades.     We dive into the idea that some people are unteachable, what it takes to coach, and why it ultimately boils down to our leadership. Joe Mitchell believes in having employee agreements instead of the standard set of rules. It there is a rotten apple, they escalate quickly to place them back in the open market rather than “horde a problem”.   On clients, its on us to learn to serve them how they want, intently listening and executing. We serve to educate as well, and when they are wrong, we let them be wrong with dignity.   This is one of the most inspiring talks about leadership and the need to focus on skilled trades that I have had to date. Don’t miss it and please leave a review!     Host: Mike Knoche Website: The Contracting Handbook Instagram: @thecontractinghandbook Venmo: Mike-Knoche-1 info@thecontractinghandbook.com Guest: Joe Mitchell Instagram: @joe w mitchell Facilitating new construction company startups, supporting the building community with new ideas and affirmation, and ushering in the next generation of builders is the mission of The Contracting Handbook podcast. Through sharing information about how we operate our businesses and live our construction lives around the world, we elevate the construction life. Please leave us a review on Apple  Podcasts if you have an iPhone or on Podchaser if you are an Android to help spread the word about this 100% Independently Recorded and Produced Construction Podcast! Rate us on Spotify!

    1h 11m
  6. The Siding Guy, Desmond Tse: "Best practices for trade contractors"

    05/08/2023

    The Siding Guy, Desmond Tse: "Best practices for trade contractors"

    Facilitating new construction company startups, supporting the building community with new ideas and affirmation, and ushering in the next generation of builders is the mission of The Contracting Handbook podcast. Through sharing information about how we operate our businesses and live our construction lives around the world, we elevate the construction life. Please leave us a review on Apple  Podcasts if you have an iPhone or on Podchaser if you are an Android to help spread the word about this 100% Independently Recorded and Produced Construction Podcast! Rate us on Spotify!   Host: Mike Knoche Website: The Contracting Handbook Instagram: @thecontractinghandbook Venmo: Mike-Knoche-1 info@thecontractinghandbook.com   Guest: Desmond Tse Instagram: @thesidingguy

    1h 39m
  7. S5: E1 The Nuance of Navigating Clients

    05/01/2023

    S5: E1 The Nuance of Navigating Clients

    The Contracting Handbook podcast is all about the builders and skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen in the construction industry from all over the world and has recently reached the Top 2% of all podcasts globally. Here you’ll meet the tradespeople who took a leap of faith from working their craft to running the own construction company. You’ll meet people who left lucrative careers to enter the trades. For newcomers to running a construction business, there is a ton of advice on “how to” run your contracting company. For established contractors, you get to meet other industry leaders and get behind the scenes of their business and stay up to date with industry change. Mike Knoche, your host, keeps the conversation interesting. He’s been operating his contracting business for over 15 years in the oddly wonderful, Fairbanks, Alaska. Mike’s philosophy is “we are all experts in how we build where we live, but the business basics and business management are universal”. Join us for this global conversation on operating a construction company, mental health, cool projects, and construction industry progress.   Please leave us a review on Apple  Podcasts if you have an iPhone or on Podchaser if you are an Android to help spread the word about this 100% Independently Recorded and Produced Construction Podcast! Rate us on Spotify!   Host: Mike Knoche Website: The Contracting Handbook Instagram: @thecontractinghandbook Venmo: Mike-Knoche-1 info@thecontractinghandbook.com   Music Credit: Tell Nobody (The Contracting Handbook theme) by Tiny Pancake Breakfast Drew Frick- lead guitar Scott Crass- bass Brady Anderson- drums Mike Knoche- rhythm guitar and vocals

    25 min
  8. Freddy Roman, The Period Craftsman, talks craft, how operating a business detracted from his art, and why we can't let correct terminology go.

    04/10/2023

    Freddy Roman, The Period Craftsman, talks craft, how operating a business detracted from his art, and why we can't let correct terminology go.

    The Contracting Handbook podcast is all about the builders and skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen in the construction industry from all over the world and has recently reached the Top 2% of all podcasts globally. Here you’ll meet the tradespeople who took a leap of faith from working their craft to running the own construction company. You’ll meet people who left lucrative careers to enter the trades. For newcomers to running a construction business, there is a ton of advice on “how to” run your contracting company. For established contractors, you get to meet other industry leaders and get behind the scenes of their business and stay up to date with industry change. Mike Knoche, your host, keeps the conversation interesting. He’s been operating his contracting business for over 15 years in the oddly wonderful, Fairbanks, Alaska. Mike’s philosophy is “we are all experts in how we build where we live, but the business basics and business management are universal”. Join us for this global conversation on operating a construction company, mental health, cool projects, and construction industry progress.   Please leave us a review on Apple  Podcasts if you have an iPhone or on Podchaser if you are an Android to help spread the word about this 100% Independently Recorded and Produced Construction Podcast! Rate us on Spotify!   Host: Mike Knoche Website: The Contracting Handbook Instagram: @thecontractinghandbook Venmo: Mike-Knoche-1 info@thecontractinghandbook.com   Guest: Freddy Roman Instagram: @periodcraftsman   Music Credit: Tell Nobody (The Contracting Handbook theme) by Tiny Pancake Breakfast Drew Frick- lead guitar Scott Crass- bass Brady Anderson- drums Mike Knoche- rhythm guitar and vocals

    1h 45m
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Facilitating new construction company startups, supporting the building community with new ideas and affirmation, and ushering in the next generation of builders is the mission of The Contracting Handbook podcast. Through sharing information about how we operate our businesses and live our construction lives around the world, we elevate the construction life. Please leave a review on iTunes, your Apple podcast app, or if you’re in the android world, rate it on Spotify and leave a review on Podchaser or directly on the website.

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