PowerTips Unscripted
Episodes
Ep.142: Common Remodeler Mistakes that are Hitting Your Bottom Line with Alan Hanbury
04 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, guest Alan...
Ep.141: The Remodeler Marketing Blueprint with Spencer Powell
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For many remodelers, digital marketing is the “voodoo” magic. With so many options, where do you b...
Ep.140: What Dealers Say Behind Your Back with Bradley Hartmann
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Learning the best way to work with purchasing managers can help create great outcomes for both sides o...
Ep.139: Creating Great Compensation Programs that Help Grow Your Company with Tom Miller
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For many, determining the compensation for an employee is nothing more than doing a quick google sear...
Ep.138: Focusing Your Communication Style on Customer Satisfaction with Dave Yoho
04 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Effective communication is measured by outcomes. Communication without an outcome is like traveling wi...
Ep.137: Selling to Design, Not Designing to Sell with Jan Neiges
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we take a closer look at the sales process. We are always looking for fresh ideas and...
Ep.136: How to Build, Accelerate and Harvest the Value of a Company with John Warrillow
21 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Small business owners spend a lifetime building a company and have one shot at getting their exit righ...
Ep.135: The Introverts Guide to Networking with Matthew Pollard
14 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Networking has been called the number one rule of business success. That’s fine for those outgoi...
Ep.134: Preparing a Successful Exit Strategy with Dave Leff
07 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Have you given any thought to your exit strategy? How are you going to leave your business when you’...
Ep.133: Harnessing the Power of 3D Visualization with Dave Pollard
17 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dave Pollard, Co-Founder & Design Director of Liv Companies outside of Chicago, joins the show to ...
Ep.132: How to Shatterproof Your Business with America’s Legal Coach
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There are many legal challenges that can appear suddenly for remodelers, builders and business owners....
Ep.131: All About LEAN and Value Stream Mapping with Dean Tompkins
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Increasing efficiency is one of the easiest ways to increase your company’s profitability, and L...
Ep.129: Are Your Employees Stealing From You? With Vicki Suiter
12 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The latest statistics on fraud should be a wake-up call for every small business owner. According to a...
Ep.128: Demography is Destiny with Kenneth Gronbach
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As a remodeling business owner, you have likely heard of demographics and you have probably looked at ...
Ep.127: Engaging Employees in the New Normal with Rick Bowers
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Working remotely, working on-site with clients and adhering to CDC restrictions, an upcoming election,...
Ep.126: Off-site Planning for the Coming Year with Robert & Evelyn Lenton
15 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As remodeling business owners, many of us do long-term planning, but is there a detailed strategic pla...
Ep.125: Building Meaningful Customer Personas with Aimee Pagano
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The concept behind developing a customer persona is pretty simple – get to know your audience be...
Ep.124: Applying What You Have Learned with John Lessick
24 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Conferences, blog posts, podcasts, webinars, roundtables peer groups, consulting, coaching… informat...
Ep.123: Ever-changing Compliance and How it Impacts Your Small Business with Stuart Jackson
17 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Human Resources Compliance is a massive undertaking and as small business owners, most of us can’...
Ep.122: Growing a High Volume Remodeling Business with Jake Schloegel
10 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Many remodelers dream of one day building a high volume remodeling company. Others aren’t sure i...
Ep.121: Creating Your Own Economic Recovery with Wayne Ottum
03 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Seemingly everywhere you turn these days, you hear the phrase “survive and thrive” as it relates t...
Ep.120: Personal Wealth Building for Business Owners with George Kall
27 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As a remodeling business owner, building wealth and financial security is something everyone wants to ...
Ep.119: Creating Rapid Financial Results and Lasting Cultural Change with Steve Baker
20 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
“The high cost of replacing employees means it’s important to find ways to retain the best per...
Ep.118: How to Use Podcasting to Further Your Brand and Fuel Your Pipeline with Phil Pelucha
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Because of the success of our podcasts (PowerTips Unscripted and The Tim Faller Show) we are often ask...
Ep.117: The Six Habits That Can Change Your Life with Laura DiBenedetto
06 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
“The Six Habits are behaviors that we act out every day, minute to minute. These are the habi...
Ep.116: Getting the Biggest Bang Out of Your Marketing with Susan Raisanen
30 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If you have more than one salesperson, then odds are you have a round-robin policy of lead assignment....
Ep.115: Using Public Speaking Skills to Master Any Sales Pitch with Brenden Kumarasamy
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As a business owner, you have undoubtedly read plenty of books and maybe even taken a course or two on...
Ep.114: What Bull Durham Teaches Us About Achieving Goals
16 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Goals are critical to success in business—they focus atten...
Ep.113: Fighting the Labor Shortage with In-house Training with Dan Hurst
09 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The demand and absence of skilled labor is a huge challenge for remodelers across North America. We he...
Ep.112: Discovering New Revenue Streams With Chris Landis
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We are all so busy running our businesses that we often don’t realize that there are other poten...
Ep.111: Using Mindful Meditation to Deal with Clients and Employees with Peter Feinmann
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We have covered the dangers of stress and anxiety for you and your business a few times; most recently...
Ep.110: Making powerful emotional connections using empathy-based marketing with Tanya Bamford
17 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Current events have created an environment of incredible stress for homeowners across the globe. Remod...
Ep.109: How Getting Off Email Can Dramatically Improve Your Internal Communication
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Email is the default communication tool in business, there’s no denying that. But there is good ...
Ep.108: How to Cope with Stress
03 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How stressed are you? Pandemics, demonstrations, economy, health… It’s not uncommon to feel stress...
Ep.107: How to Know When to Trust Your Gut
27 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve all had a gut instinct at one time or another. But do you trust your gut? Do you often rely on your intuition when making decisions? How d...
Ep.106: Six Words That Will Destroy Your Business (and what to do about it)
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Are you resistant to change? Do you believe that because something has always worked for you, it’...
Ep.105: Break all the Rules and Close More Deals with Jeff Borovitz
12 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The world is rapidly changing, and many of the old rules no longer apply. It is imperative that we change how we sell our services to stay ahead of th...
Ep.104: [Unscripted Back-Up] How to Hit Healthy Net Profits in any Economic Climate with Mike Medford Sr.
25 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Editor’s note: We’re all working from our homes, away from the friendly confines of the office and its podcasting studio. So we dug into the virt...
Ep.103: Positive Growth in Difficult Situations with Kathy O’Brien
11 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about the J Curve a lot around here — picture a lower-case J. When you apply change principles to your business — new people, systems, an...
Ep.102: Developing a Sustainable Niche to Support Your Passion with Wright Marshall
04 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
One of the strongest ways to differentiate your business in your market is to have a niche. Wright Marshall’s company, Revival Constructio...
Ep.101: The Delicate Art of Qualifying Remodeling Leads with Chip Doyle
26 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Leads! Lead! Leads! Business is good, leads are coming in. But are you over-qualifying, under-qualifying, or doing it just right? Chip Doyle...
Ep.100: The Drivers that Make for a Successful Exit with John Warrillow
19 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s our 100th episode, and to mark the occasion, we’re welcoming back our first guest ever to talk about how to leave your business behind happi...
Ep.99: Adapting and Leading Through a Health Crisis with Jef and Monica Forward
12 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Being able to adapt and lead through a crisis — personal or business — is a critical skill for any business owner. After their best year...
Ep.98: How to Structure and Run a Profitable Design Department with Chris Landis
05 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jobs are won or lost during the design process. With so much on the line, it’s clear that your design department should be running at peak performa...
Ep.97: The Magic of Disney’s Customer-Service Strategies with Pete Blank
29 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever visited any Disney theme park across the globe, you may think nobody does customer service and experience like Disney. Although the ...
Ep.96: Tiered Growth: Understanding Metrics and Recognizing Signs to Set Profitable Sales Goals with Michael Hodgin
22 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Most people would consider a company jumping from $1.5 million to $3 million in revenue a growing organization. However, when we look beyond gross sa...
Ep.95: Being Honest Online with Taylor Rennick
15 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Honesty is truly the best policy when it comes to your website and social media presence. In a sharing economy, your prospects want to know everythin...
Ep.94: Improving Your Bottom Line with Green Upgrades with Doug Selby
08 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Many of your customers will pay more for items that improve the health, comfort, and efficiency of their homes. As one of the few things that pay for...
Ep.93: [Unscripted Back-Up] How LEAN Principles Have Improved My Business with Paul Kowalski
18 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As 2019 draws to a close, we’re taking a look back at some of our more popular episodes, and this episode explains how LEAN principles really w...
Ep.92: The Dangers of Burnout and How To Promote Individual Resiliency with Marian Faller
11 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
No matter how well your remodeling company is doing, how well organized you are, life can get hectic at times. You work through it all, but this can ...
EP.91: [Unscripted Back-up] Expert Panel at Extreme Business Makeover Shares Insight
04 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As we wrap up 2019, we’re looking back at some of our more popular episodes and this one was a huge hit. For our 50th episode in January, we...
Ep.90: Inside the Design-Build Movement with David Supple
27 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
You may have thought that the design-build business model is a recent phenomenon. But years ago, all builders practiced design-build, but something h...
Ep.89: Focusing on Clarity in Communication with Jeremy Steinruck
20 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’re under an almost-constant barrage of information from every angle. As leaders in our business, it’s imperative that our messages are clearly...
Ep.88: All Help Is the Same, Isn’t it? with Allison Iantosca
13 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As a seasoned business professional, you’ve probably been on both sides of the equation when it comes to giving and getting help. Get advice, give ...
Ep.87: Partnership — Creating a Unified Vision for your Company’s Future with Matt Carlson
06 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Having a business partner can be an enormous advantage if you approach it correctly. Most people underestimate the commitment and work that goes into...
Ep.86: Connecting with a Few Good Realtors with Kathi Fleck
30 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Working with just a few Realtors can bring additional jobs to your remodeling company. It’s not about appealing to the masses, but about develo...
Ep.85: Unraveling the Undervalued “Proactive Outbound Sales Call” Metric with Abe Degnan
23 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Our Roundtables members share their financial metrics at every meeting, in what we call the composite report. But there’s one field that’s al...
Ep.84: Crafting a Strategic Marketing Plan with Mark Harari
16 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s that time of year — it’s time to put together your company’s marketing plan for next year. If you don’t know where to start or what yo...
Ep.83: Using Trade Area Analytics to Grow Your Business with Nick Ogle
09 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There’s not much that’s more frustrating than missing out on business opportunities close to home. Understanding the numbers that surround yo...
Ep.82: What Can Be Learned from Success with Wayne Rivers
02 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’re just back from the 2019 Remodelers Excellence Week, Remodelers Summit, and Roundtables meetings, and our opening video was about thinking lik...
Ep.81: The Department Your Company Doesn’t Have, but Should with Alex Raisanen
18 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
All remodelers have a sales department. All remodelers have a production department. But few officially recognize a human resources department. ...
Ep.80: Bridging the Skills Gap from an Economist’s Perspective with Mischa Fisher
11 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
An aging skilled workforce is retiring, and there’s a shortage of younger people taking their place. It’s a hot topic among remodeling compan...
Ep.79: Helping Veterans Remodel with SAH Grants with Jay Latona
04 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Caring for our veterans should be a national priority when they come back home. The Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) program offers grants to service ...
Ep.78: The Most Powerful Competitive Advantage with Steve Anderson
28 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In a low-unemployment economy, recruiting and retaining the best talent is a continuous effort. You need a powerful competitive advantage — one tha...
Ep.77: Recession-Proofing Your Company with Dave Edwards
21 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s easy to be successful in a great economy. You can get away with a lot of bad habits, lack of systems, and high overhead when jobs are large an...
Ep.76: [Unscripted Back-Up] Managing Your Customers with Chip Doyle
14 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s time for another Unscripted Back-Up. It’s a chance to revisit some of our best and most informative episodes. They’re jam-packed with info...
Ep.75: Cash Flow: The Silent Killer
07 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s incredibly busy in the remodeling world at the moment — leads are pouring in, proposals are flying out, and jobs are being scheduled like cr...
Ep.74: Pheel the Love — How the Most Powerful Force in the Universe Builds Great Companies with Tom Burgoyne
31 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone would love to have raving fans — and today’s guest is the most popular mascot in sports. Tom Burgoyne has had a 30-year career ...
Ep.73: A Leader’s Inactions Are Just as Important as Actions with Wayne Rivers
24 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Victoria and Mark are just back from their own peer group meeting, and were inspired by what they learned. In particular, they were excited by someth...
Ep.72: [Unscripted Back-Up] Building a Successful, Profitable Remodeling Company with Brandon Bailey
17 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s time for another Unscripted Back-Up. It’s a chance to revisit some of our best and most informative episodes. They’re jam-packed with info...
Ep.71: Strategy Isn’t Enough with Brian Gottlieb
10 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A successful remodeling business isn’t only dependent on tactics or the larger strategy behind them. A company’s culture plays a crucial role in ...
Ep.70: The Most Important Part of a Remodeling Project with Robert Kauffman
03 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
So many things go into a successful remodeling project — the design, the materials, the actual build — but what’s really the most important par...
Ep.69: How to Protect and Grow your Business with Performance Testing with Corbett Lunsford
26 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Physics and chemistry affect the interior of every home, every day. Performance testing can enable remodelers to predict and prevent health, safety, ...
Ep.68: Managing Your Sales while Wearing Many Hats with Chip Doyle
19 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Most remodelers wear many hats, and sales management is only one of them. So you have to handle sales functions on a part-time basis. As you grow and ...
Ep.67: Kicking Off Slippage Awareness Month with Tim Faller
12 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Here at Remodelers Advantage we set aside the month of June to focus on an issue that plagues most service-based businesses, but can be a critical met...
Ep.66: How to Get Employees to Think and Act Like Owners with Steve Wheeler
05 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
If everyone in your remodeling business feels like they’re invested in your company — so invested that they think and act like owners — they’l...
Ep.65: How to Turn Your Travel into an Epic Marketing Opportunity
22 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There’s an overlooked opportunity for you to shine in your marketing. For some of you, this opportunity only comes once a year. For others (like man...
Ep.64: What Healthcare Can Teach Remodeling about LEAN with Liz Moisan
15 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Toyota pioneered the LEAN manufacturing system, and we know — houses aren’t cars. But neither are people, and the LEAN concept of continuous impro...
Ep.63: How To Fire Up Your Referral Engine with Tanya Bamford
08 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Research proves referred clients cost less to acquire, are easier to close, and are more valuable to your business over time. So why don’t more com...
Ep.62: [Unscripted Back-up] Employment Law: The Good, Bad and Downright Scary, with Jen Cornell
01 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’re introducing a new feature — the Unscripted Back-Up. It’s a chance to revisit some of our best and most informative episodes. They’re jam...
Ep.61: How I Revamped My Design Process with Chris Fox
24 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Systems and processes rarely scale when your business grows. So you have to go back and create new ones that will — at least for now. Your design pr...
Ep.60: How to Manage Your Online Reputation Using Google Reviews with Russell Fuller
17 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Your reputation is your most valuable business asset — but don’t think for a minute that doing high-quality work and providing top-notch service i...
Ep.59: Empower Your Team to Help You Build a Great Business with Jason Blenker
10 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re going to build something — a building, a company, a team — you owe it to the world to build something great. Identify what makes y...
Ep.58: How LEAN Principles Have Improved My Business with Paul Kowalski
03 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve talked about LEAN before on the show with our own experts, but you may wonder what it looks like in the real world. Today we’ll hear about u...
Ep.57: How to Capture Cost-Effective, Exclusive Leads by Blogging with Mike Foti
27 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’re big believers in the power of blogging to generate interest and business. Today we’re talking to someone in the trenches who’s also a ...
Ep.56: The Secret to Successful Employee Reviews with Allison Iantosca
20 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to performance reviews, the times, they are a-changin’. Though some managers and employees might still like a good old-fashioned numer...
Ep.55: Why and How to Start Your Own Podcast
13 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In an extremely meta podcast today, we talk about podcasting — and the top reasons you should start your own. We were prompted by an email from a Ro...
Ep.54: Solving the Labor Shortage with Paul Eldrenkamp
06 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Regional remodeling companies are desperate for more good labor. Regional carpentry programs are constantly on the lookout for good jobs for their stu...
Ep.53: Growing a Company from Stage 3 to Stage 4 with Jef Forward
27 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There are five stages of company growth, according to Judith Miller, one of our consultants and facilitators. Transitioning from Stage 3 to Stage 4 is...
Ep.52: Changing of the Guard: The Unfortunate Side Effect of Growth
20 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Most entrepreneurs want to build a bigger company, but understand that many of their existing processes don’t scale. You go back to the drawing boar...
Ep.51: Deploying the Elam Ending in Your Business
13 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’re getting esoteric today — applying a sports concept to business. Not too long ago, Mark read an article and shared it with Victoria about fix...
Ep.50: LIVE from the Extreme Business Makeover in Baltimore
06 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For our 50th episode, we gathered a panel of industry experts and took questions from the audience at the Extreme Business Makeover in Baltimore at th...
Ep.49: How, Who, and Why to Build a Leadership Team with Steve Barkhouse
30 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
You’re not running a successful company unless you have a good work/life balance. But there’s only one way to sustainably grow your company withou...
Ep.48: How to Hit Healthy Net Profits in any Economic Climate with Mike Medford Sr.
23 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
One of our core principles is that remodeling companies should make a good net profit, after paying the owners an above-average salary. When the econo...
Ep.47: How Social Proof Can Ignite Massive Growth with Josh Kelly
16 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Reviews are the lifeblood of any remodeling company. But are you getting the best social proof of your company’s performance from your clients? Soc...
Ep.45: Using Tools to Find the Best Talent with Rick Bowers
19 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
You know all about the labor shortage, you’re living with it every day. But there are tools that can help you find the right person for the right jo...
Ep.44: Building a Remodeling Sales Team with Andy Wells
12 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Most remodelers start as the sole salesperson for their companies. Stepping out of that role is arguably one of the hardest things you can do — but ...
Ep.43: The Power of Public Relations with Jim Zack
05 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As remodelers, public relations is often an overlooked part of your marketing mix. We spend so much time and money on online marketing, PR is an after...
Ep.42: How and When To Hire a General Manager with Aaron Enfinger
28 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As companies experience growth, there are tipping points where changes need to be made. One of those points is when you realize you need additional ma...
Ep.41: Using Virtual Reality to Grow Sales and Profits with Chris Katkish
21 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Virtual reality creates immersive environments in real time. For remodelers, that means your clients could preview and even “walk-through”...