For the last couple of years, building and maintaining relationships has been harder than I have ever seen in my career. Zoom, along with its video conference first cousins, has been a bandaid for our mental health, but these have eliminated a lot of sidebar and casual conversations that use to take place while walking …
Quality, value and price are often big deciding factors as to what lands a job. If those things are equal, or close to it, what drives the transaction? The answer might be simpler than you think. We all would rather do business with people we like. In my book, likability–being relatable and making that personal connection–is one of …
Several years ago, when eBooks came on the scene, I remember most everyone predicting the demise of both the corner bookstore and national bookstores. It did not happen. There is something special about holding a book or conversations in a bookstore. When eCommerce started accelerating, we heard about the total demise of bricks and mortar …
How do you hire the right group to build your project? In many ways, it’s like any other major purchase decision. Price, financial stability and reputation are always a factor. Beyond these basics, to me, there are two things that prospective buyers of construction services sometimes overlook: Culture. Does the contractor’s general approach to business …
When it’s time to bring on additions to our management group, the person we hire often depends on the need. It might be a highly experienced and specialized candidate, or it could be one who shows more raw talent, street smarts and desire. We’ve learned that going with the most experienced candidate generally has the …
Too often, I have seen folks change jobs because they think the grass is greener only to find out they have made a mistake. It’s been happening even more in these recent times, and I always counsel people to proceed with caution. Instead, I would like to make the case for “stickability,” where one finds …
Over our decades in business, I’ve learned a thing or two about business models, especially in regards to the best approach to project sizes being a fit. I recently explained it like this: We build $40-50 million dollar projects and also the $1 million and up projects. They all work in unison, being somewhat like …
Last weekend marked an important date–20 years since the September 11 Attacks. Like many, I spent some time re-watching the coverage and remembering. One of the things that stood out for me was the unity that our country felt in the fall of that year. In the shadow of that dark day, Americans felt less …
Recently, my daughter, Chappell, had a chance to listen to a panel discussion led by Dr. Raphael Bostic, President & CEO of the 6th District of the Federal Reserve regarding racial inequities in our economy. We had the opportunity to discuss what she learned. While the chief goal of the Central Bank is to create …
We have a project underway that is adjacent to the Civil Rights District in our city. It will be a catalyst for change among entrepreneurs, small businesses and startups alike. This project is more than just “space to rent.” It is a place where there is daily social interaction among like-minded individuals, sharing ideas and …
In the real estate world, commodity pricing is a hot conversation. There was a point this year that dimension lumber was up about 300%, with a bright spot that it’s now back down to summer 2020 prices. Plywood and OSB have been a bit more stubborn. Copper is up 43%. In steel, deck and joist …
I was at a job site not too long ago and spotted this shovel. When it was brand new, it had been painted gold and used for a groundbreaking ceremony. Several months later, the paint had chipped and worn away from frequent use. I have been to a few groundbreakings in the last 40 years. …