Left Handed Hammers

James G

About Left-Handed Hammers Remember your first day on a job site? Maybe someone sent you looking for a left-handed hammer, a bucket of steam, or striped paint. That moment when you realized you'd been had? That's when the real learning began. Left-Handed Hammers is where construction professionals share the hard-earned lessons you can't learn from a manual—real talk about risk, safety, culture, and what it actually takes to build safely and profitably in today's world. Your Hosts: James Gurule, CLCS, PWCA - From swinging hammers on job sites to advising C-suite executives on complex risk. With 12+ years in risk management spanning underwriting, client advisory, and now specializing in construction and M&A at IMA Financial Group, James knows what it takes to protect both people and profits. A former wrestler and youth advocate, he brings grit, heart, and a servant-leader mentality to every conversation. Nathan Miller, CSP, CRIS - Risk Control Manager with over 21 years of safety expertise spanning construction, aviation, and industrial environments. As an OSHA Certified Instructor with a Master's in Industrial Safety, Nathan has dedicated his career to keeping workers safe and helping companies build cultures where everyone goes home at the end of the day. Perry Silvey, CHST (Contributing Host) - Safety Manager at BT Construction and proud NUCA representative who's lived every side of the construction equation—from operating equipment and laboring on sites, to estimating multi-million dollar projects, to leading safety programs across multiple companies. With over 15 years in safety leadership and a background in earthwork and utility construction, Perry brings the voice of the field and the practical reality of making safety work on real job sites every single day. Our Approach: James = Business/Risk lensNathan = Technical/Regulatory lensPerry = Field/Practical lens + NUCA specialtyTogether, we bring you conversations with the people who know construction best: the C-suite leaders making strategic calls, the safety directors transforming culture, the field workers living it every day, and the industry experts solving the problems that keep us up at night. What We Cover: Real incidents and the lessons they taught usSafety trends and best practices that actually workThe culture shifts transforming our industryRisk management strategies that protect your bottom lineStories from the industryConstruction business acumenWho This Is For: Whether you're a CEO thinking about big picture and culture trends, a CFO measuring total cost of risk, a safety director building culture, a superintendent managing crews, an estimator pricing risk into bids, or a tradesperson who wants to go home safe every day—this show is for you. Because in construction, we learn by doing. But the smartest operators learn from others who've already been there, made the mistakes, and figured out what works. Get better every day and move the industry forward. New episodes twice monthly. Let's build smarter, safer, and stronger—together. 🔨

Episodes

  1. 6d ago

    Your Hamburger's Still in the Freezer: HB26-1311: Colorado's New Retainage Bond Law - Part 2

    Send us Fan Mail Part 2 of our conversation with Luke Miller (Colorado Pavement Solutions) and Rob Slauson (VP of Operations, ESI). If you missed Part 1 — their backgrounds, company culture, and why they invest in NUCA of Colorado — start there first. This half is a full breakdown of HB26-1311, Colorado's new retainage surety bond law, effective August 2026. Retainage is a form of risk transfer — owners and GCs hold back a percentage of a contract as assurance the work will be completed to standard. Luke and Rob aren't arguing against that mechanism; they're walking through what happens when it's held well past its purpose, and the new tool the law gives contractors to manage it. Covered in this half: what retainage actually is and why it exists (told through a King Soopers grocery analogy you won't forget), how a surety bond works as an alternative form of security, the real legislative process behind getting a bill passed — sponsors, lobbyists, committee hearings, and the case made by those opposed — and what's still unresolved on the public-works side. Plus two hard-lesson stories that'll make you appreciate a clean job site: the time Luke's foreman dropped asphalt into a sanitary manhole, and Rob's unforgettable morning waist-deep in a force main. This one's for the C-suite, the CFO managing cash flow and total cost of risk, the estimator pricing risk into a bid, and anyone — GC, owner, or sub — who wants to actually understand how this new law works before it shows up in their next contract.

    1h 34m
  2. Jun 29

    From Asphalt Crews to the State Capitol: Culture, Associations, and ROI (Part 1 of 2)

    Send us Fan Mail Part 1 of a two-part conversation with Luke Miller (Colorado Pavement Solutions) and Rob Slauson (VP of Operations, ESI) — two very different paths into the same industry. Rob grew up on an asphalt crew in Wisconsin, paid in cash at 12 years old, and has been on the construction side ever since. Luke studied political science and public policy, worked in local government, then found his way into the industry almost by accident before co-founding Colorado Pavement Solutions in 2017. James, Nathan, and Perry dig into how those two backgrounds shape the way they each think about leading people. This episode covers what separates companies that run well from the ones that don't, how culture actually gets built (and why it's easier to see when you leave a bad one), mentorship and career-pathing for a generation that isn't sticking around like it used to, and the generational gap between the 30-year field veteran and the kid who started yesterday. We also get into industry associations — why NUCA of Colorado matters beyond writing a dues check, what real involvement looks like versus just showing up to the Christmas party, and the ROI question every owner and VP of Ops should be asking about their membership. Part 2 picks up with how Luke and Rob took a problem they were both frustrated with and turned it into HB26-1311, Colorado's new retainage surety bond law — plus a couple of hard-lesson stories you won't forget. This one's for the C-suite thinking about culture and talent, the owner wondering if association dues are worth it, and anyone trying to figure out how to build a team that actually sticks around.

    56 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

About Left-Handed Hammers Remember your first day on a job site? Maybe someone sent you looking for a left-handed hammer, a bucket of steam, or striped paint. That moment when you realized you'd been had? That's when the real learning began. Left-Handed Hammers is where construction professionals share the hard-earned lessons you can't learn from a manual—real talk about risk, safety, culture, and what it actually takes to build safely and profitably in today's world. Your Hosts: James Gurule, CLCS, PWCA - From swinging hammers on job sites to advising C-suite executives on complex risk. With 12+ years in risk management spanning underwriting, client advisory, and now specializing in construction and M&A at IMA Financial Group, James knows what it takes to protect both people and profits. A former wrestler and youth advocate, he brings grit, heart, and a servant-leader mentality to every conversation. Nathan Miller, CSP, CRIS - Risk Control Manager with over 21 years of safety expertise spanning construction, aviation, and industrial environments. As an OSHA Certified Instructor with a Master's in Industrial Safety, Nathan has dedicated his career to keeping workers safe and helping companies build cultures where everyone goes home at the end of the day. Perry Silvey, CHST (Contributing Host) - Safety Manager at BT Construction and proud NUCA representative who's lived every side of the construction equation—from operating equipment and laboring on sites, to estimating multi-million dollar projects, to leading safety programs across multiple companies. With over 15 years in safety leadership and a background in earthwork and utility construction, Perry brings the voice of the field and the practical reality of making safety work on real job sites every single day. Our Approach: James = Business/Risk lensNathan = Technical/Regulatory lensPerry = Field/Practical lens + NUCA specialtyTogether, we bring you conversations with the people who know construction best: the C-suite leaders making strategic calls, the safety directors transforming culture, the field workers living it every day, and the industry experts solving the problems that keep us up at night. What We Cover: Real incidents and the lessons they taught usSafety trends and best practices that actually workThe culture shifts transforming our industryRisk management strategies that protect your bottom lineStories from the industryConstruction business acumenWho This Is For: Whether you're a CEO thinking about big picture and culture trends, a CFO measuring total cost of risk, a safety director building culture, a superintendent managing crews, an estimator pricing risk into bids, or a tradesperson who wants to go home safe every day—this show is for you. Because in construction, we learn by doing. But the smartest operators learn from others who've already been there, made the mistakes, and figured out what works. Get better every day and move the industry forward. New episodes twice monthly. Let's build smarter, safer, and stronger—together. 🔨