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Episode 364: Designing For Life Ahead with Christie Fleming
Douglas DuVall Douglas DuVall

Episode 364: Designing For Life Ahead with Christie Fleming

Brad sits down with Christie Fleming, owner and principal designer of Lennon Nora Interiors, to talk about how her background in occupational therapy reshaped the way she thinks about residential design. From builder designer collaboration and client relationships to aging in place and universal design, Christie explains how thoughtful decisions around layout, materials, hardware, thresholds, lighting, and furniture can make a home easier to live in without sacrificing luxury. The conversation is a reminder that a truly custom home should serve the people living in it today and as their needs change over time.

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Episode 363: Owning What Came Before with Noah Bergland
Douglas DuVall Douglas DuVall

Episode 363: Owning What Came Before with Noah Bergland

Brad sits down with Noah Bergland, co-founder of Neon Lion Media, for a conversation about what it takes to build forward after starting over. Noah shares how aggressive marketing, consistent visibility, sales training, and stronger systems have helped him grow businesses across roofing and residential construction. But the bigger story is how Noah rebuilt his life after addiction and seven years in federal prison. He opens up about sobriety, rebuilding relationships, making amends, confronting his past, and why he now chooses to use that story rather than hide from it.

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Episode 362: The Hard Things That Build You with Daniel Fessler
Douglas DuVall Douglas DuVall

Episode 362: The Hard Things That Build You with Daniel Fessler

Brad sits down with Daniel Fessler, founder of Compound Concrete, to talk about how difficult work, challenging projects, and the obstacles that come with entrepreneurship can shape the way you lead, serve clients, and build a business.

Daniel shares how a side project making concrete countertops grew organically into a specialty business, and why relationships, client education, problem solving, and knowing when to say no have shaped the company along the way. They also explore rammed earth, building a strong team, mentoring others, and learning to see the opportunity hidden inside the challenge.

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Episode 361: Navigating Growth While Building The Business with Zach Patton
Douglas DuVall Douglas DuVall

Episode 361: Navigating Growth While Building The Business with Zach Patton

Brad sits down with Zach Patton, COO of Black Wolf Build, to talk about what it takes to grow a construction company without letting growth outrun the systems behind it. Zach shares how clear roles, EOS, weekly meetings, after-action reports, one-on-ones, and a culture of continuous improvement have helped their team turn lessons from each project into better processes for the next. They also get into client expectations, decision-making, protecting quality on spec homes, and why building a stronger company often comes down to getting a little better every time something goes wrong.

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Episode 360: Success Shouldn’t Cost Everything with Mike Pinkey
Douglas DuVall Douglas DuVall

Episode 360: Success Shouldn’t Cost Everything with Mike Pinkey

Brad sits down with Mike Pinkey, managing partner at ProGuard Building, for a conversation about career reinvention, leadership, and redefining what it means to succeed. Mike shares how he went from the golf industry into construction, built credibility by listening and staying consistent, and learned how easily values can erode through small compromises. They also discuss the isolation that can come with leadership, the importance of reaching out to people, and why ambition does not have to come at the expense of relationships, integrity, or peace.

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Episode 359: Building The Future Of The Trades with Maria Ford
Douglas DuVall Douglas DuVall

Episode 359: Building The Future Of The Trades with Maria Ford

Brad sits down with Maria Ford, president of commercial and industrial sales at Stanley Black & Decker, at the DeWalt Innovation Center to discuss how the company is helping shape the future of the trades.

Maria shares how DeWalt develops tools with productivity, safety, and profitability in mind, and how battery technology, robotics, AI, and prefabrication are changing the way work gets done. They also discuss DeWalt’s $60 million Grow the Trades commitment, Maria’s 28-year career with Stanley Black & Decker, and why consistently showing up remains one of the simplest ways to stand out as a leader.

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Episode 358: Your Identity Sets the Direction with Nathan Wheeler
Douglas DuVall Douglas DuVall

Episode 358: Your Identity Sets the Direction with Nathan Wheeler

Brad sits down with Nathan Wheeler, founder of a full-service financial services brokerage and a leader within the Abundant Man Project, to explore how identity shapes the direction of your life, leadership, and business. Nathan shares lessons from Ranger School, his difficult transition out of the military, and the habits that helped him rebuild his life and career. They also discuss choosing opportunities that align with who you want to become, separating productivity from busyness, protecting wealth outside the business, and planning for an eventual exit.

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Episode 357: The Courage To Build Less with Gabe Norcross
Douglas DuVall Douglas DuVall

Episode 357: The Courage To Build Less with Gabe Norcross

Brad sits down with Gabe Norcross of Norcross Builders to talk about what happens when the business you built begins taking more than it gives back. Gabe shares how burnout, a financially devastating project, and the words of his young son pushed him to leave California, rebuild in Louisville, and create a smaller company around his family and mental health. They explore the discipline of turning down the wrong work, building systems that protect both profit and peace, and using honest conversations to confront the mental health crisis in construction.

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Episode 356: Who You Build With Matters with Tyler Farrell
Douglas DuVall Douglas DuVall

Episode 356: Who You Build With Matters with Tyler Farrell

Brad sits down with Tyler Farrell of Killowen Construction to discuss what it takes to stop being the builder who does everything and become the leader a growing company needs. Tyler shares how delegation, repeatable systems, honest client communication, and clearer career paths have helped Killowen scale without losing the care behind the work. They also explore the emotional weight of leadership, protecting client relationships, and building something that can thrive beyond its founder.

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Episode 355: How Process Protects Client Relationships With Ben Tarwater
Douglas DuVall Douglas DuVall

Episode 355: How Process Protects Client Relationships With Ben Tarwater

Brad sits down with Ben Tarwater, COO of Bickimer Homes, for a practical conversation about why process, communication, and expectation setting matter so much in semi custom home building. Ben shares how weekly updates, selection deadlines, clear parameters, and strong client relationships keep projects moving without turning the customer experience into chaos.

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Episode 354: The Trust Behind Great Design with Denise Scott Weber
Douglas DuVall Douglas DuVall

Episode 354: The Trust Behind Great Design with Denise Scott Weber

Brad sits down with Denise Scott Weber, owner and principal designer of DSW Design, to talk about trust, communication, and what it takes to guide clients through complex design projects. Denise shares lessons from residential and commercial work, including five-story brownstones, med spas, idea homes, and long-term repeat clients. The conversation covers designer-builder collaboration, asking better questions, setting expectations, managing timelines, and staying professional while building real relationships.

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Episode 353: Leaving Comfort To Build With Purpose with Daniel Preston
Douglas DuVall Douglas DuVall

Episode 353: Leaving Comfort To Build With Purpose with Daniel Preston

Brad sits down with Daniel Preston, owner of Deer Creek Custom Homes, for a conversation about leaving a comfortable role to build a company rooted in purpose, relationships, and integrity. Daniel shares his family’s adoption and foster care journey, the moment his son challenged him to follow his own dream, and how he launched a custom home business in a new market.

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