The Contractor's Daughter Podcast

Are you falling short of your forecasted business numbers right now? You’ve probably felt the possibility of a downturn coming, and you’re not alone. In the last few weeks, folks across the industry have been having tough conversations about being off track in their business. But why? As the recent good times rolled on, many started slacking off in one key area–their sales team. They’ve reduced them or stopped providing ongoing training. Now that things are slowing, it’s time to get back to some basics! In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll hear about the importance of having a strong sales strategy and system in place for your business. I’ll emphasize questions that help you understand your buyers […]

Last week, you heard me talk about why understanding your workforce is important to recruiting and retaining top talent in your construction company. Now you need to know how implementing the data gathered from those employee interviews and surveys can affect your results and how to measure their impact. In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll hear part two of my interview with CONEXPO where I discuss the influence of your employee research on your company and how to analyze your implementation to see whether it’s working or not. I’ll also share why we need to rethink recruitment in construction and a couple of strategies that can aid your company’s retention efforts. 4:00 – The importance of having […]

CONEXPO isn’t just the largest construction show in North America. It also has an incredible amount of content on its website with articles, interviews, and other very helpful resources. So when they asked if I was willing to be interviewed for an article, I jumped at the chance. In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll hear part one of my interview with Gregg, where I talk about understanding your workforce and improving your recruitment, development, and retention through gathering and implementing valuable feedback from employees. 4:23 – How I’d characterize the labor crunch today versus in 2022 and why it’s different 12:50 – How to use surveys and interviews to figure out what you need to do to […]

When you look up at the end of the week, does it feel like it’s gotten away from you? You put in work, but you don’t necessarily feel like it was the most efficient use of your time. You want to do more with less and ensure you and your team are focusing your time (and energy) and where it’s needed most. But how? There are micro-specific ways you can leverage as part of your process. I’ve been working on something inside my business to restructure my workweek that works great for those I challenge to try it. In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll learn about the concept of an ideal week and how creating one can […]

You’re at the point where you need to get serious about marketing. Yet, you feel like marketing can be a real drain on your resources. And it can be, unless it’s done right.  So how do you do it in a cost-effective and adaptable way? Bringing on board a fractional chief marketing officer (CMO) might be the right avenue for your business. In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll hear examples of how a fractional CMO can help with the marketing side of your business. I’ll also reveal more benefits of working with a fractional CMO and what you need to look for when hiring one to ensure they’re a good fit. 3:17 – How a fractional CMO […]

“If we’ve lost an employee in a really significant role, should I use a headhunter?” This question often comes up when we’re focused on workforce strategy with businesses, and there are both positives and negatives to hiring a headhunter or recruiter to replace a key employee. So how do you decide if it’s the right thing to do for your company? In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll learn some of the pros and cons of using a headhunter to recruit someone to fill a key role in your organization. I’ll also reveal some questions to ask yourself to help you discover whether it’s the right move for you to make right now. 2:20 – Why using a […]

How do you increase the percentage of closes you get during the proposal phase? An often overlooked but important element can shorten your sales cycle and make it easier for your construction sales team to close the deal. It helps extract the information you need and is something your competition isn’t likely to do. You simply have to appeal to the emotional things that trigger people into making decisions through the power of storytelling. In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll learn about how you can set your construction business apart with your proposal through story. I’ll teach you step-by-step how to incorporate story elements into your offer and give a couple of tips for streamlining the process […]

You’ll be hard-pressed to find anybody who doesn’t like rewards. Having incentives in compensation packages for your employees helps you grow your highway construction business. You increase the likelihood of hiring and retaining workers who’ll want to show up consistently and perform their best, stay and evolve with the company, refer others, and more. However, you might need to get creative and think outside of the box a bit. And you need to avoid some of the pitfalls and challenges when coming up with incentives you want to give workers. In this episode of the Contractor’s Daughter podcast, you’ll learn about common mistakes with compensation inside the industry, key components of creating successful incentive packages, and how to structure incentives […]

Explore the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on the highway paving industry. AI is more than just a trendy concept; it’s a potent instrument that requires a well-thought-out strategy for it to be a boon for our businesses.  My own company’s experience served as a case study, highlighting how AI integration, when aligned with our overarching business objectives, can significantly boost efficiency and foster growth. We delve into the ways AI can address some of the pressing challenges in the industry, such as labor shortages, by automating tasks and optimizing data entry processes. Additionally, AI’s role in refining supply chain management, showcasing its potential to streamline operations and reduce bottlenecks. In this episode of The Contractor’s Daughter Podcast, I spotlight […]