Full Transcript for The Builder Upper Show Ep. 37 feat. Chris Estrada from Team Extreme

the to the drywall commercial drivewall industry, I knew 77 00:03:58.039 --> 00:04:00.439 that I was good. And then I became better than 78 00:04:00.479 --> 00:04:04.759 everyone really fast, and so I knew eventually it was 79 00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:05.919 gonna happen. You know. 80 00:04:06.520 --> 00:04:06.639 Now. 81 00:04:07.159 --> 00:04:08.759 What I didn't know is how hard it would be, 82 00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:11.759 right because you know, we're you know, I'd look at 83 00:04:11.800 --> 00:04:13.639 my bosses or whoever and be like, oh, they can 84 00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:15.439 do it. I can do it, just like everyone looks 85 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:18.240 at me and says the same thing. And so I 86 00:04:18.319 --> 00:04:20.480 didn't know how hard it would be. But I, you know, 87 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:22.480 it got as I got better and better and better. 88 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:26.399 About about year nine I think of being in an industry, 89 00:04:27.839 --> 00:04:30.519 maybe eight year eight eight or nine, I knew I 90 00:04:30.639 --> 00:04:34.600 was going to do something. And then when I met 91 00:04:34.680 --> 00:04:39.519 my my my current wife, my wife, I knew I 92 00:04:39.560 --> 00:04:40.720 had the write partner to do it. 93 00:04:42.600 --> 00:04:43.279 That's awesome. 94 00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:47.240 So as far as like, you know, perfecting your craft 95 00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:49.800 is it was it something that you've always been passionate 96 00:04:49.879 --> 00:04:53.160 about when you started, Like what what about the craft 97 00:04:53.360 --> 00:04:57.319 is that gets you so excited and going yeah, and 98 00:04:57.560 --> 00:04:57.879 this is. 99 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:02.079 This, this this commused for anything. But it's just you know, 100 00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:04.319 for me, like say, what you know. I remember walking 101 00:05:04.360 --> 00:05:06.879 on a commercial job site for the first time and 102 00:05:08.560 --> 00:05:11.480 I seen all the metal studs and back then it 103 00:05:11.720 --> 00:05:16.120 was today, they're all galvanized like silver. Looking back then 104 00:05:16.160 --> 00:05:20.000 there were some silver and then there were red. They 105 00:05:20.199 --> 00:05:22.560 used to paint the galvanized, and now they're dipped. The 106 00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:26.759 coil comes dipped already ready. And so I remember seeing 107 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:28.839 all these studs standing up and they weren't wood. And 108 00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:31.360 I already I was already good at wood as a kid. 109 00:05:32.279 --> 00:05:33.959 I can build the house, I can build anything. But 110 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:37.160 when I seen the metal, I was like, oh my gosh, 111 00:05:37.240 --> 00:05:39.519 I like fell in love them instantly, right, And so, 112 00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:42.360 and I knew in order, like I knew like I 113 00:05:42.600 --> 00:05:44.920 liked what I seen, and I liked the process. But 114 00:05:44.959

--> 00:05:46.959 I knew in order to get better, I had to 115 00:05:47.079 --> 00:05:50.800 do something to get better, right, because there's there's a 116 00:05:50.879 --> 00:05:53.680 lot of competition. And so what I started doing is 117 00:05:53.720 --> 00:05:59.360 I started getting books and looking up architecture and and 118 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:01.920 and so I was getting these architecture books and they 119 00:06:01.920 --> 00:06:04.560 would have details in them. I go to the library, 120 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:08.079 granted I was on drugs doing this, and I'd go 121 00:06:08.120 --> 00:06:10.920 to library and get these architecture books and look at 122 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:13.759 like framing details and stuff, and then I would draw them. 123 00:06:14.040 --> 00:06:16.600 I started drawing them. It's pretty good drawer, and I 124 00:06:16.639 --> 00:06:21.199 would draw details, and so it helped me to like 125 00:06:21.360 --> 00:06:23.800 understand how something was being built. Then I would go 126 00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:26.920 and drive and I would look at a building and 127 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:31.600 then like go home and draw the building in three 128 00:06:31.720 --> 00:06:34.720 D but like metal stuff framed. So I knew to 129 00:06:34.759 --> 00:06:36.560 get better at my craft, I had to get better 130 00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:40.839 everywhere and more like not necessarily to work like with 131 00:06:41.000 --> 00:06:43.639 your hands. You know, you're gonna get good with your hands, 132 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:45.600 but it's more of the brain. How can I use 133 00:06:45.639 --> 00:06:48.240 my brain to get better? And that's what I was doing, 134 00:06:48.279 --> 00:06:50.519 is I was challenging different things so I could learn 135 00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:52.120 how to read blueprints faster, so I can learn how 136 00:06:52.160 --> 00:06:55.079 I was drawing them, so I can understand them even better. Right, 137 00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:56.439 and then I could be on the job site and 138 00:06:56.519 --> 00:06:59.639 draw details, you know. So that's kind of you know, 139 00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:03.439 it just learning growing learning, and then you know, if 140 00:07:03.480 --> 00:07:06.199 you can ask someone I asked a lot of people, 141 00:07:06.360 --> 00:07:08.160 you know, what they were doing, why they would do it? 142 00:07:08.360 --> 00:07:11.560 You know, you know my peers at that time is 143 00:07:11.639 --> 00:07:14.639 a different different. Uh, the industry was much different. It 144 00:07:14.720 --> 00:07:17.480 was hardcore, it was it was it was, it was good. 145 00:07:19.519 --> 00:07:21.199 But yeah, I just wanted to learn and grow. And 146 00:07:21.560 --> 00:07:24.079 I challenge myself, you know, with. 147 00:07:24.399 --> 00:07:28.360 Where construction is today, like do you see you know, 148 00:07:28.439 --> 00:07:31.639 I guess where are you at today with your company 149 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:35.199 and what you're doing? And you know, not to ask 150 00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:37.839 too deep of a question, but where do you see 151 00:07:37.920 --> 00:07:38.800 construction going? 152 00:07:39.959 --> 00:07:43.000 Yeah? So today, I mean we operate over one hundred employees. 153 00:07:44.160 --> 00:07:47.959 You know, we've we've averaged you know, over eight figures 154 00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:55.480 the last six years probably, and you know, construction, you know, 155 00:07:55.639 --> 00:07:58.040 for us, it's it's getting better with you know, in 156 00:07:58.120 --> 00:08:02.480 the construction space. And there's a tech coming in. You know, 157 00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:04.800 it's still it's been here for a minute, but it's 158 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:08.680 it's starting to become popular, right, AI is popular. Everyone 159 00:08:08.759 --> 00:08:10.720 wants to build something and wants to do something now, 160 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:14.480 and and so the tech is here. I don't think 161 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:16.759 it's that advanced it I think we're getting there, right 162 00:08:16.920 --> 00:08:20.519 and with guys like you, that's gonna help get there 163 00:08:21.279 --> 00:08:25.720 and possibly me. But and for the industry, I think, 164 00:08:25.879 --> 00:08:28.120 you know, like there's always something that has to be built. 165 00:08:29.920 --> 00:08:32.159 You know, now who's gonna build it and what's gonna 166 00:08:32.159 --> 00:08:35.480 build it is the question, right, But you could be 167 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:37.559 a part of that too, you know, an industry. But 168 00:08:37.559 --> 00:08:39.039 there's always gonna be something that's got to be built. 169 00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:41.399 It's got like we're always going to need a building, 170 00:08:41.480 --> 00:08:45.440 a house, a structure, something, you know what I mean, 171 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:48.320 And so someone or something has to build it, and 172 00:08:48.440 --> 00:08:49.320 you want to get behind that. 173 00:08:50.519 --> 00:08:51.240 Yeah, I'm with you. 174 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:55.519 I feel like there's always a better way to do things. 175 00:08:56.679 --> 00:08:59.080 It's never gonna end that. I mean, that's why innovation 176 00:08:59.519 --> 00:09:01.360 is here, and that's why there's people like you and 177 00:09:01.480 --> 00:09:02.840 me where we want to be. 178 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:04.240 Part of that change. 179 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:09.960 And has there ever been any like tough projects that 180 00:09:10.080 --> 00:09:13.320 you've worked on where you know you'll never forget that 181 00:09:13.480 --> 00:09:16.080 project or was there anything that just comes top of 182 00:09:16.159 --> 00:09:18.879 mind where you're like, wow, that project was a big 183 00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:22.240 one or a tough one that you know you made 184 00:09:22.279 --> 00:09:23.960 it through it, but it was it was a good 185 00:09:24.039 -->

00:09:24.679 learning for you. 186 00:09:25.799 --> 00:09:28.919 Yeah, that's a good question. I think it's all like 187 00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:33.559 relevant to the time in our in our company, right, 188 00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:36.799 and so every you know, every you know, I remember 189 00:09:36.840 --> 00:09:41.639 when we started. When I started, I couldn't get my license. 190 00:09:41.679 --> 00:09:44.679 I had I have a felony. Right now, I since 191 00:09:44.720 --> 00:09:48.600 got it kind of recouped. It's called it's called a 192 00:09:49.120 --> 00:09:51.519 set aside here in Arizona. It's kind of like an expungement. 193 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:53.919 But at the time, I couldn't get my license, my 194 00:09:54.519 --> 00:09:57.879 contractor license. And I remember getting the first job, and 195 00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:00.200 it was the most important job. It was the hardest job, 196 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:04.519 you know, it was it's it's it's so we're gonna 197 00:10:04.759 --> 00:10:07.440 you know, as a company, you're going to come across 198 00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:10.080 these periods of time where it's always going to be 199 00:10:10.159 --> 00:10:12.279 the hardest and if you don't then you're not trying, 200 00:10:12.360 --> 00:10:14.759 you're not doing it right. And so we've come across 201 00:10:14.879 --> 00:10:19.440 these times where you know, I remember we did like months, 202 00:10:19.720 --> 00:10:23.440 like the first year, we got this apartment job and 203 00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:29.200 it was thirty two units and drywall only, and uh, 204 00:10:29.960 --> 00:10:33.399 the contractor got fired, a general contractor. And I'm in 205 00:10:33.480 --> 00:10:36.360 the middle of this lawsuit right I'm just starting. We 206 00:10:36.519 --> 00:10:40.919 owe no one's getting paid. The contractor basically scammed the 207 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:44.919 owner and was uh like overcharging for all the scopes 208 00:10:44.919 --> 00:10:48.279 and stuff like that, and so he got caught and 209 00:10:48.480 --> 00:10:50.360 wasn't in the I when they did an audit, there 210 00:10:50.360 --> 00:10:52.919 were you know, these items weren't finished, right. And so 211 00:10:52.960 --> 00:10:55.879 I'm in the middle of this lawsuit just getting going. 212 00:10:56.039 --> 00:10:59.440 We're not getting paid. We owe we owe the guys 213 00:10:59.679 --> 00:11:05.320 because money, we owe the vendors, right, And so I'm 214 00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:07.399 getting you all that by everybody, like everybody wants to 215 00:11:07.399 --> 00:11:10.600 assume me, and I'm like, hey, guys, just relax, like 216 00:11:10.799 --> 00:11:13.320 this is not my fault for sure, and let me 217 00:11:13.440 --> 00:11:17.000 work through this. That was a hard one, you know, 218 00:11:17.080 --> 00:11:19.559 but like we're you know, we're real heavy in our faith. 219 00:11:19.639 --> 00:11:22.200 And I was just like believing, like all right, God, 220 00:11:22.279

--> 00:11:24.320 like you brought me here, you know. And so I 221 00:11:24.440 --> 00:11:29.159 remember during the lawsuit, the owners came to me and said, Chris, 222 00:11:29.240 --> 00:11:32.279 you're the only one that didn't cook your books. I'm 223 00:11:32.320 --> 00:11:35.279 saying it, you know, I'm paraphrasing it. And you can 224 00:11:35.320 --> 00:11:39.159 finish the job with the new contractors, but I'm not 225 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:42.279 giving you the money back that was pulled from your scope. 226 00:11:43.720 --> 00:11:47.120 And I'm like, what, and so have I have guys 227 00:11:47.200 --> 00:11:49.480 I owe here. I have vendors over here, and if 228 00:11:49.519 --> 00:11:52.600 I screw this up, the vendors like I'm done at 229 00:11:52.639 --> 00:11:56.639 the beginning of my career, right, and so I had 230 00:11:56.679 --> 00:11:58.480 to make a quick decision and they're like, I need 231 00:11:58.519 --> 00:12:01.039 a decision. And you know, back then it was a 232 00:12:01.080 --> 00:12:02.799 lot of money. I think the whole contract will say 233 00:12:02.879 --> 00:12:07.720 like one hundred thousand bucks or something whatever, and and 234 00:12:08.519 --> 00:12:11.600 it was like ten thousand dollars and they're like, he 235 00:12:11.919 --> 00:12:14.200 he took on top, he took part of your scope, 236 00:12:14.759 --> 00:12:17.960 and that money's gone. If you want to finish and 237 00:12:18.039 --> 00:12:22.039 not be part of this lawsuit, that money's gone. And 238 00:12:22.080 --> 00:12:24.879 you still got to finish the scope. And I'm like, 239 00:12:25.200 --> 00:12:27.080 I'm like, oh my gosh. So that was like hard, 240 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:28.840 and so I had to make the decision. I said, 241 00:12:28.840 --> 00:12:31.200 all right, I'm going to finish, you know, because one 242 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:32.679 I'm a man of my word, and two is I 243 00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:36.200 knew like I had to finish, like I didn't do 244 00:12:36.279 --> 00:12:38.799 nothing wrong, you know, and I'd be protected. And so 245 00:12:39.240 --> 00:12:42.759 as soon as I said I had to finish, I 246 00:12:42.879 --> 00:12:46.000 remember I went back to the vendor and I'm like, hey, 247 00:12:46.159 --> 00:12:47.759 I got the money. You're gonna get paid in a 248 00:12:47.799 --> 00:12:50.759 week or whatever it was. And they're like, f you, Chris, 249 00:12:50.960 --> 00:12:52.960 And I'm just looking at I'm like, are you guys 250 00:12:53.039 --> 00:12:54.960 kidding me? Like I didn't do anything wrong with you guys. 251 00:12:55.320 --> 00:12:57.639 You knew, you know, I'm a startup. You know, I've 252 00:12:57.639 --> 00:12:59.279 been in the industry. I've known you guys for ten 253 00:12:59.360 --> 00:13:02.759 years already. And they're like, f you. And I remember, like, 254 00:13:03.639 --> 00:13:05.519 you know, I was praying and stuff and my wife 255 00:13:05.559 --> 00:13:07.960 and and I went to and I walked into another 256 00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:11.240 vendor and I was like, listen, this happened. This happened. 257 00:13:11.240 --> 00:13:13.960 This happened, this happened. And the guy was like, I 258 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:15.639 mean it was God sand and I'm so friends with 259 00:13:15.879 --> 00:13:20.320 the gentleman. He goes, Chris, let us, let us go 260 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:22.559 look at it. And I think I can help you. 261 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:25.799 And so he walks the site and all the by 262 00:13:25.879 --> 00:13:28.519 this time the months have passed, all the mud, the drywall, 263 00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:32.399 mud was molded, the drywall was damaged. It was a mess, right, 264 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:35.159 And he goes in walks it. He gets like, uh, 265 00:13:35.559 --> 00:13:39.159 the manufacturers of the brands of the materials, and they 266 00:13:39.240 --> 00:13:41.679 come and walk it and they switch everything out for me. 267 00:13:41.960 --> 00:13:44.720 They put it exactly where it needs to be, right. 268 00:13:45.000 --> 00:13:47.679 And so I literally had all the material redone and 269 00:13:47.879 --> 00:13:53.159 organized a refresh basically for for free and then he's like, hey, 270 00:13:53.399 --> 00:13:56.240 we're going to give you credit, uh, you know, to 271 00:13:56.320 --> 00:13:58.799 finish this job, and we're going to help you build 272 00:13:58.840 --> 00:14:02.440 your company with credit, the line of credit, and and 273 00:14:02.600 --> 00:14:04.600 so we we you know, he's like, don't screw me. 274 00:14:04.679 --> 00:14:06.480 I go, I will never screw you that. My job's 275 00:14:06.480 --> 00:14:08.000 not here to screw it. Like I lived a bad 276 00:14:08.080 --> 00:14:10.480 life prior, Like I made some mistakes, but I'm not 277 00:14:10.559 --> 00:14:13.679 a bad dude. And so that saved us. But that 278 00:14:13.840 --> 00:14:17.200 was a really hard time, you know, because like it's 279 00:14:17.240 --> 00:14:21.200 something that was out of my control. Right. But we've 280 00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:24.159 seen we've had some big jobs, you know. You know, 281 00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:25.679 every time we got a big job, it was like 282 00:14:25.759 --> 00:14:27.919 the first time we got a one hundred and fifty 283 00:14:27.960 --> 00:14:29.399 thousand dollars job, that was a big one. The first 284 00:14:29.399 --> 00:14:30.960 time we got a million dollar job, that was a 285 00:14:31.000 --> 00:14:34.759 hard one, right, you know. The first time we did 286 00:14:34.799 --> 00:14:37.480 a three million dollar job, it was hard, you know. 287 00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:40.279 And it's scary because it's something unknown. The work is easy. 288 00:14:40.360 --> 00:14:43.120 Anybody can do the work. It's the rest of the stuff. 289 00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:46.960 It's the paperwork, it's the logistics, you know, it's the 290 00:14:47.039 --> 00:14:50.159 lines of credit, it's the manpower, you know. And so 291

00:14:50.440 --> 00:14:53.919 each time we made a step in growing our company. 292 00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:55.039 It was scary. 293 00:14:56.120 --> 00:14:57.159 I was gonna say wow. 294 00:14:57.480 --> 00:15:00.559 I mean, first of all, thank you for sharing like 295 00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:03.840 a real story, like the that's so, that is a 296 00:15:04.200 --> 00:15:10.480 real story. And to go from where you were to 297 00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:15.039 where you're at today sounds like a dramatic difference. And 298 00:15:15.159 --> 00:15:19.759 then I'm just taking this Gus, you found faith along 299 00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:20.159 the way? 300 00:15:20.960 --> 00:15:24.799 No, no, no, So so I'll tell you quick stories 301 00:15:24.919 --> 00:15:28.480 like I grew up with out a dad. My mom 302 00:15:28.600 --> 00:15:30.639 was a drug addict. She gave me up at seven 303 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:34.960 to my stepdad that raised me. He kind of kidnapped 304 00:15:34.960 --> 00:15:37.559 me to save me. But so, but I was involved 305 00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:40.320 my whole family's drugs and everything. And so I was 306 00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:42.840 in and I did heavy drugs from thirteen to twenty three. 307 00:15:43.480 --> 00:15:45.879 And then when I started making changes at twenty five, 308 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:48.879 I was watching TV and I give myself to God 309 00:15:49.480 --> 00:15:53.480 found my faith watching Joel Olstein. So it was like 310 00:15:53.639 --> 00:15:57.360 a poor setting before everything was about to happen. There 311 00:15:57.440 --> 00:16:01.440 was like this, like I'm a believe were like God 312 00:16:01.519 --> 00:16:04.480 will only give you what you can handle. Is you 313 00:16:04.600 --> 00:16:05.960 have to show what we can handle. And at that 314 00:16:06.120 --> 00:16:09.240 moment in my life when I became saved, is I 315 00:16:09.440 --> 00:16:11.960 was ready to handle more. And what he had in 316 00:16:12.039 --> 00:16:15.039 store for me was greater than a lot of people 317 00:16:15.080 --> 00:16:18.279 could imagine. And so I found my faith before that, 318 00:16:18.360 --> 00:16:20.720 way before that, but definitely got closer to God because 319 00:16:20.960 --> 00:16:24.159 when you're getting whacked, like you need something, you know 320 00:16:24.200 --> 00:16:27.279 what I mean, Like and as part of entrepreneurship, like 321 00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:29.679 it doesn't matter what industry you're in, you're gonna get whacked, 322 00:16:29.720 --> 00:16:32.519 you know what I mean. And so it's like for us, 323 00:16:32.639 --> 00:16:34.879 for my wife, myself and my family, we stand on 324 00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:35.960 our faith for sure. 325 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:43.080 I love that definitely saved through suffering. And I could 326 00:16:43.120 --> 00:16:45.559 tell you prepared your heart for where you're at today, 327 00:16:46.440 --> 00:16:50.080 and I can definitely see you know how you're handling 328

00:16:50.200 --> 00:16:53.960 the big stuff today. You definitely do it and probably 329 00:16:54.840 --> 00:16:57.879 a way different way than what you would do from before, 330 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:02.519 you know, making the change from going to like one 331 00:17:02.639 --> 00:17:07.559 hundred and fifty thousand dollars job to three million? You know, 332 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:12.279 were you prepared to bid that correctly? 333 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:13.039 You know what I mean? 334 00:17:13.160 --> 00:17:14.519 Like, how did that look? 335 00:17:14.599 --> 00:17:15.359 Did you? You know? 336 00:17:15.799 --> 00:17:18.160 Have you been battle tested enough where you can be 337 00:17:18.279 --> 00:17:21.759 pretty accurate and making sure that you know, you guys 338 00:17:21.799 --> 00:17:23.359 are going to be making some money and you weren't 339 00:17:23.359 --> 00:17:25.480 going to be losing out, yeah. 340 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:28.960 You know, making those changes, and like the bid process 341 00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:32.079 is it's scary, right because one is if you make 342 00:17:32.119 --> 00:17:34.680 a mistake, that's it. You're you're done. You know. Then 343 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:37.000 you hire estimators and they can make a mistake, right. 344 00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:41.440 I remember we would bid. We were getting up to 345 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:44.000 like five hundred thousand dollars jobs. I'm bidding and stuff, 346 00:17:44.039 --> 00:17:46.119 and we're doing you know, one hundred and fifty jobs. 347 00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:48.799 These are commercial jobs and not little residential jobs. We're 348 00:17:48.839 --> 00:17:50.359 doing a lot of jobs. You got to have super 349 00:17:50.400 --> 00:17:52.559 a foreman on each one and all this stuff. And 350 00:17:53.920 --> 00:17:56.640 so we were starting to plug away and I started, 351 00:17:57.240 --> 00:17:59.519 you know, I was like I want to do bigger jobs, 352 00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:03.279 you know, because I felt like myself, I was better 353 00:18:03.319 --> 00:18:06.960 with a bigger job. And I knew that the amount 354 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:08.839 of took to do ten jobs, I could do one job. 355 00:18:10.359 --> 00:18:12.200 And then how we have a saying is how you 356 00:18:12.279 --> 00:18:15.119 do anything is how do everything. And so every job, 357 00:18:15.559 --> 00:18:18.240 every project we set up, they're all the same, right, 358 00:18:18.359 --> 00:18:20.680 And so it became to where like, Okay, it's the 359 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:23.000 same setup for a million dollar job as it is 360 00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:26.400 for a thousand dollars job, same exact paperwork, same everything. 361 00:18:26.920 --> 00:18:31.160 Then I realized, like, okay, if I can have you know, 362 00:18:32.480 --> 00:18:36.440 a foreman and ten guys, they can do you know, 363 00:18:37.960 --> 00:18:41.359 say a five hundred thousand dollars job versus the same 364 00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:43.480 format and two guys do a fifty thousand dollars job. 365 00:18:43.799 --> 00:18:47.160 I'm gonna choose a five hundred thousand dollars job right now. 366 00:18:47.240 --> 00:18:49.960 It's scary because as you get you know, into these 367 00:18:50.039 --> 00:18:53.960 bigger bids, you know, there's more logistics involved, right and 368 00:18:54.160 --> 00:18:57.000 so you know there's there's you know, get in and 369 00:18:57.039 --> 00:18:59.839 out of the project. There's storage, there's you know, there's 370 00:19:00.519 --> 00:19:03.839 there's all the paperwork, whether it's on tablet it should 371 00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:07.039 be on tablet today, you know, all the paperwork that's 372 00:19:07.079 --> 00:19:09.119 involved in it, the meetings and you know, so all 373 00:19:09.160 --> 00:19:13.160 those logistics really matter as you start growing. But those 374 00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:15.240 are those are you know, those are scary times too, 375 00:19:15.440 --> 00:19:19.240 you know, changing you know what we're looking at, you know, 376 00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:21.839 you know, bidding that first big job and landing the 377 00:19:21.880 --> 00:19:24.559 first big job, and then you know, we just we're 378 00:19:24.599 --> 00:19:27.039 wrapping up a data center right now that's like four 379 00:19:27.079 --> 00:19:30.440 and a half million dollars, you know, and it's in 380 00:19:30.759 --> 00:19:34.160 you know, I hope we can do bigger projects that 381 00:19:34.200 --> 00:19:38.440 are more profitable. You know, I don't know, but I'm 382 00:19:38.519 --> 00:19:43.960 not afraid. I just bid one yesterday, like twelve million bucks. Wow, 383 00:19:44.039 --> 00:19:46.680 we haven't we haven't landed anything like that. And and 384 00:19:47.240 --> 00:19:49.799 and if we land something like I'm like I said, 385 00:19:49.839 --> 00:19:51.599 I'm a believer of God's gonna only give us what 386 00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:53.599 we can handle. You know, as long as we do 387 00:19:53.680 --> 00:19:55.839 what we're supposed to do and double check, triple check, 388 00:19:55.920 --> 00:20:01.079 you know, keep everything in line, it'll fall in place. 389 00:20:02.799 --> 00:20:05.559 Oh man, I like that. You, I mean, your your 390 00:20:07.160 --> 00:20:10.480 mindset on all of this is it sounds like it's 391 00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:11.799 just right where it needs to be. 392 00:20:12.599 --> 00:20:12.960 I would. 393 00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:18.400 I was like curious while you were speaking, going from 394 00:20:18.839 --> 00:20:23.279 you know, small jobs to like bigger jobs. How do 395 00:20:23.400 --> 00:20:27.160 you transition as a CEO from you know, getting your 396 00:20:27.240 --> 00:20:31.440 hands dirty in the field to putting on that white 397 00:20:31.480 --> 00:20:34.839 collar shirt and getting getting ready to get in the 398 00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:37.720 office and get to work on the paperwork. So do 399 00:20:37.839 -->

00:20:41.480 you you know, do you make that transition today? You 400 00:20:41.559 --> 00:20:43.359 know where do you feel like you spend most of 401 00:20:43.440 --> 00:20:44.359 your time these days? 402 00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:48.359 So these days look different, you know, like today looks 403 00:20:48.359 --> 00:20:52.079 different than it did eight months ago. But you know, 404 00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:55.680 I've one thing I learned early on. So the first 405 00:20:55.799 --> 00:20:59.720 you know, I became a foreman at twenty, and you know, 406 00:20:59.759 --> 00:21:01.519 from there, I was always telling people what to do 407 00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:05.640 in the industry. And so it's it's a matter of 408 00:21:05.759 --> 00:21:07.519 how good did I want to get, right, and so 409 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:12.359 the transition of and I tell people like, you got 410 00:21:12.440 --> 00:21:15.000 to be able to go from you know, walk walking 411 00:21:15.160 --> 00:21:18.279 to sprinting back to running America. You gotta be able 412 00:21:18.279 --> 00:21:21.960 to do everything, like change the pace of what you're doing. Now. 413 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:24.480 I don't get dirty too much these days, right, I 414 00:21:24.519 --> 00:21:29.279 have superintendents, foremans, you know, a lot of different people, pms, estimeanors. 415 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:35.200 But I am involved, right, and so that's my dirtiness, right. 416 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:40.839 But so it's it's I'm very involved every day. But 417 00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:45.319 these days, you know, I'm kind of trying different things 418 00:21:45.400 --> 00:21:49.759 now entrepreneurial wise, you know, I got I've started a 419 00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:52.599 couple of other companies. You know, I waited seventeen years 420 00:21:53.480 --> 00:21:56.480 to get into other things, right, and so it's, uh, 421 00:21:58.039 --> 00:22:00.359 you know, some some people want to get into thirty 422 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:03.200 thousand businesses right up front, but I literally was in 423 00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:06.720 the same business for seventeen years before I've started branching 424 00:22:06.759 --> 00:22:11.160 off into other businesses and so yeah, now we have 425 00:22:12.279 --> 00:22:17.640 the Extreme Print Lab is where we're doing like streme printing, embroidery, 426 00:22:17.839 --> 00:22:21.799 detailed stuff, and you know, we're going after construction companies 427 00:22:22.119 --> 00:22:27.359 and corporate corporations. We have Extreme uh Ppe where we 428 00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:33.400 have a line of safety where gloves, glasses, vests, hard 429 00:22:33.440 --> 00:22:37.519 hats all branded Extreme Ppe. So I'm trying to integrate 430 00:22:37.960 --> 00:22:42.480 within the industry. And so we're looking at some tech 431 00:22:42.519 --> 00:22:46.920 stuff which you and I talked about, and yeah, that's 432 00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:49.440 what we look like today's you know, still operating the company. 433 00:22:50.319 --> 00:22:52.720 And again I think like I'm in a new season 434 00:22:52.759 --> 00:22:55.640 on My Life. It looks different. Everyone, everyone who's looking 435 00:22:55.680 --> 00:22:58.079 at me is like, this looks different than what we're 436 00:22:58.160 --> 00:23:01.920 used to on Chris. You know, obviously I'm wearing glasses now, 437 00:23:02.279 --> 00:23:06.319 and so I look like It's funny because so I'll 438 00:23:06.359 --> 00:23:08.680 tell you something. It is like I grew up in 439 00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:11.920 the hood, like kind of bad, and I'm still kind 440 00:23:11.960 --> 00:23:15.359 of ghetto. And so but I can, like you said, 441 00:23:15.359 --> 00:23:18.880 I can put on the caller and walk in any 442 00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:24.440 meeting and school anybody in the meeting. But so it's 443 00:23:24.480 --> 00:23:27.480 funny because all these guys, the tech guys that were 444 00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:29.720 nerds when they were kids. They're trying to take off 445 00:23:29.759 --> 00:23:33.079 their glasses, right, and I'm literally trying to put them on, 446 00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:37.240 and so it's different. It's a different mindset for me, 447 00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:39.720 you know what I mean, Like I've already done all that, Like, 448 00:23:40.279 --> 00:23:42.480 you know, I've partied, I've went out with different women 449 00:23:42.799 --> 00:23:46.119 and you know the stupid stuff. Right. I thought I 450 00:23:46.279 --> 00:23:48.200 was cool, and now it's like, I just want to 451 00:23:49.519 --> 00:23:51.839 take care of my family and build a legacy for 452 00:23:51.960 --> 00:23:54.680 my children's children. You know, That's where I'm at. 453 00:23:55.480 --> 00:24:01.559 It's definitely you see more value when you're talking to 454 00:24:01.680 --> 00:24:05.200 somebody that has jumped into tech or something like that 455 00:24:05.319 --> 00:24:08.680 that's aligned with the industry, that came from the industry, 456 00:24:09.440 --> 00:24:11.319 like the as that experience. 457 00:24:11.400 --> 00:24:12.599 So I'm with you on that. 458 00:24:12.759 --> 00:24:16.279 I really like that you mentioned that. I liked how 459 00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:19.240 you positioned it too. They're trying to take their glasses 460 00:24:19.319 --> 00:24:20.440 off and you're putting yours on. 461 00:24:21.079 --> 00:24:26.440 That was really funny. And would you consider yourself a mentor? 462 00:24:28.200 --> 00:24:32.079 Yes? Yeah, I mean I actually like charge people to 463 00:24:32.759 --> 00:24:36.000 mentor them sometimes not mentor, but consult and stuff like that. 464 00:24:36.160 --> 00:24:39.519 But yeah, I help teach a lot of people, especially 465 00:24:39.559 --> 00:24:41.799 if they're around. I tell everybody, like I'm not the 466 00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:44.240 brightest dude. Like there's harder worker. I don't know if 467 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:47.440 there's harder

workers, probably not, but there's probably smarter workers 468 00:24:47.480 --> 00:24:51.319 that make more money. But I tell everyone like that's 469 00:24:51.359 --> 00:24:53.680 around me in my circle, or that comes around us 470 00:24:53.759 --> 00:24:55.559 and stuff like that, Like if you hang around me 471 00:24:56.160 --> 00:24:58.240 and you work for us, if you come to office more, 472 00:24:58.960 --> 00:25:01.400 you will learn a lot. Just get around me and 473 00:25:01.440 --> 00:25:03.960 ask me one or two questions every day, because I 474 00:25:04.680 --> 00:25:06.559 all I do is learn, you know, and I have 475 00:25:06.680 --> 00:25:09.920 a wealth of knowledge, especially in the construction industry, and 476 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:11.720 I want, you know, I watch a lot of podcasts 477 00:25:11.720 --> 00:25:15.960 that listen to ebooks. I'm just constantly learning stuff. So 478 00:25:16.079 --> 00:25:18.920 I definitely help mentor people guide them if I can, 479 00:25:19.799 --> 00:25:22.960 you know, not everybody, but definitely I definitely think, yeah, 480 00:25:23.160 --> 00:25:24.400 I'm I play a good role with that. 481 00:25:25.799 --> 00:25:26.400 That's great. 482 00:25:26.599 --> 00:25:26.759 You know. 483 00:25:26.920 --> 00:25:32.400 How how do you feel like technology has helped improve 484 00:25:32.640 --> 00:25:35.119 your processes businesses? 485 00:25:35.359 --> 00:25:39.960 Just in general? Like taking advantage of technology is is 486 00:25:40.599 --> 00:25:44.319 it's a game changer. I remember like when COVID came 487 00:25:45.920 --> 00:25:48.680 is the time I made a decision to uh. I 488 00:25:48.720 --> 00:25:51.200 think it was twenty twenty one, beginning twenty twenty one, 489 00:25:51.240 --> 00:25:54.319 probably twenty twenty I started looking at different things, and 490 00:25:54.799 --> 00:25:56.160 and twenty twenty one is the time I made the 491 00:25:56.200 --> 00:25:58.960 decision to put our form in our supers and iPads 492 00:26:00.599 --> 00:26:05.079 and so like bringing in the tech. It helped immensely 493 00:26:05.119 --> 00:26:09.519 because the communication from from field to office really started 494 00:26:09.559 --> 00:26:12.119 to get better. Right, you know, before you had to 495 00:26:12.200 --> 00:26:15.079 wait on Some people still do this, you know, carbing 496 00:26:15.160 --> 00:26:19.599 copy paper and and it takes a week to get there. 497 00:26:19.680 --> 00:26:22.279 The guys lose it, they left it at the job side, 498 00:26:22.440 --> 00:26:25.400 the water on it, whatever the hell they dogated. And 499 00:26:25.519 --> 00:26:30.480 so tech helps that communication happen in seconds, right, And 500 00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:35.000 you know it helps with you know, payroll, with you know, 501 00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:38.640 any kind of project management stuff, CRMs, whatever you're involved in. 502 00:26:39.920 --> 00:26:42.279 But the tech is, it's it's you've got to integrate 503 00:26:42.359 --> 00:26:45.440 tech into your business. Not every business needs a ton 504 00:26:45.480 --> 00:26:48.240 of tech, but every business needs some kind of tech 505 00:26:49.079 --> 00:26:52.440 for sure, even if it's the minimal stuff. Like some 506 00:26:52.559 --> 00:26:55.319 of these people I run across in my industry, it's like, 507 00:26:55.400 --> 00:26:58.160 oh my god, you're like a dinosaur bro like settle down. 508 00:26:59.160 --> 00:27:01.680 I mean, I know you're, but just buy a freaking 509 00:27:01.759 --> 00:27:03.799 software and you get some other d to run. 510 00:27:03.720 --> 00:27:07.160 It something, just at least get it going better. 511 00:27:07.400 --> 00:27:09.359 Yeah, something bro come on, like get rid of the 512 00:27:09.400 --> 00:27:10.200 paper time cards. 513 00:27:11.119 --> 00:27:14.319 Oh yeah that h you'd be surprised. I feel it's 514 00:27:14.319 --> 00:27:17.440 still it's crazy. It is still, it's still. 515 00:27:17.559 --> 00:27:20.559 Oh my god, it's crazy. I don't understand it. I don't. 516 00:27:20.640 --> 00:27:22.079 I don't think I don't understand it. 517 00:27:22.720 --> 00:27:26.160 Yeah you mean, but I'm personally trying to change that. 518 00:27:26.480 --> 00:27:29.240 So yeah, please, you are You're not You are changing it, 519 00:27:29.319 --> 00:27:31.079 and that's why you know I do that little plug 520 00:27:31.119 --> 00:27:33.160 out like you are changing it with the tech you 521 00:27:33.519 --> 00:27:34.039 got coming. 522 00:27:35.039 --> 00:27:40.960 Uh would you say, do you know anything now that 523 00:27:41.119 --> 00:27:42.720 you wish you knew when you started? 524 00:27:46.279 --> 00:27:49.440 I mean I know a lot now. You know everything, 525 00:27:50.599 --> 00:27:53.799 not everything, but I know a lot. Like I don't 526 00:27:53.839 --> 00:27:58.160 know because like like like most guys, most men are 527 00:27:58.279 --> 00:28:04.200 arrogant and and and selfish, and I am as well. 528 00:28:05.680 --> 00:28:07.960 Now I'm also a giver, you know, hard worker, all 529 00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:11.079 that stuff, but I am arrogant and selfish and most 530 00:28:11.160 --> 00:28:13.119 guys are that way. I don't know who's wired up 531 00:28:13.119 --> 00:28:14.559 because we're warriors, and so you've got to be a 532 00:28:14.680 --> 00:28:17.599 bad season. My namies like a badass. That's how wired 533 00:28:17.640 --> 00:28:19.599 God made us that way. So part of that is, 534 00:28:19.680 --> 00:28:22.759 like I am a badass, Like you know, it's all 535 00:28:22.759 --> 00:28:26.960 about me, right, And so I think, like what I 536 00:28:27.079 --> 00:28:30.680 know now, I don't think I like I would change 537 00:28:30.680 --> 00:28:33.680 anything because it's allowed us to get to where we are, 538 00:28:33.880 --> 00:28:36.240 you know. And I think sometimes when when you're too 539 00:28:36.359 --> 00:28:40.160 good for your own good, it it becomes a

detriment. 540 00:28:40.240 --> 00:28:42.359 You know. I fired so many guys throughout the last 541 00:28:42.359 --> 00:28:45.200 twenty something years that had a really good talent and 542 00:28:45.240 --> 00:28:48.799 they just can't get past themselves, you know. And so 543 00:28:49.519 --> 00:28:53.240 you can, like I can work and get past my 544 00:28:53.400 --> 00:28:58.799 own my deficiencies of being arrogant or whatever selfish because 545 00:28:59.000 --> 00:29:01.839 I know how to to you know, move around, and 546 00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:05.559 you utilize my skill sets properly these days, you know 547 00:29:05.559 --> 00:29:10.359 what I mean. And so like I mean, you know, 548 00:29:10.440 --> 00:29:12.319 it's it's a different time too. When I started a man, 549 00:29:12.359 --> 00:29:15.599 the tech wasn't here, you know. It's just the the 550 00:29:15.680 --> 00:29:18.039 industry is different. The guys today or they don't work 551 00:29:18.079 --> 00:29:21.720 as hard. You know, it's a different time. So I 552 00:29:21.799 --> 00:29:24.079 don't know that I wish I knew something different. You know, 553 00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:27.359 I went through you know, I've been in divorce, bankruptcy, 554 00:29:28.279 --> 00:29:31.759 early twenties, you know, the drugs and stuff, and so 555 00:29:31.839 --> 00:29:34.440 I think all that shaped me to who I am. Now. 556 00:29:35.680 --> 00:29:38.279 I'm not perfect, I'm kind of screwed up, you know, 557 00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:42.680 fifty one fifty, but it's helped me become who I am. 558 00:29:42.839 --> 00:29:46.279 And you know, so if I die and I changed 559 00:29:46.359 --> 00:29:49.720 one person to two people whatever, like I did my job, 560 00:29:50.079 --> 00:29:52.200 you know what I mean? Yeah, that's that's really what 561 00:29:52.319 --> 00:29:52.519 it is. 562 00:29:53.640 --> 00:29:57.519 If anybody were to just want to reach out to 563 00:29:57.640 --> 00:30:00.839 you for more information or just anything, your company, how 564 00:30:00.920 --> 00:30:02.400 they get in touch with you? 565 00:30:02.640 --> 00:30:06.039 How do they reach out to you and talk to you? Yeah, 566 00:30:06.160 --> 00:30:13.880 so me personally, so you can I'm on LinkedIn and Instagram. 567 00:30:14.440 --> 00:30:17.160 I don't go on TikTok too much, but LinkedIn or 568 00:30:17.200 --> 00:30:22.319 Instagram official chriss Strata so spelled normally official christ deals 569 00:30:22.319 --> 00:30:25.200 Strata or maybe it's Christi Strata on LinkedIn. There's a 570 00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:27.599 couple of Chris des Strata. There's like a pastor Christis Strata, 571 00:30:27.720 --> 00:30:30.480 comedy Christi Strata. But they can find me. There are 572 00:30:30.559 --> 00:30:34.640 extreme drywall concepts, like it said, the Extreme print Lab, 573 00:30:35.599 --> 00:30:39.240 so they can find me any one of those. You know. Yeah, 574 00:30:39.559 --> 00:30:42.799 like I said, you know, I help consult with different 575 00:30:42.839 --> 00:30:46.680 companies in the commercial construction space. I don't. I can't 576 00:30:46.759 --> 00:30:48.799 help home services because I don't want to deal with 577 00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:50.400 the homeowner, so I'm not going to tell you how 578 00:30:50.440 --> 00:30:52.799 to deal with them, But I can tell you how 579 00:30:52.839 --> 00:30:53.880 to deal with a business person. 580 00:30:55.759 --> 00:30:57.240 It's a it's a different animal. 581 00:30:57.759 --> 00:30:59.519 It's a it's all different bro. And I like to 582 00:30:59.599 --> 00:31:02.839 keep it for professional, safe, clean, all that stuff. 583 00:31:03.359 --> 00:31:06.720 Love that, love that. So you know, before we wrap up, 584 00:31:06.759 --> 00:31:08.200 I want to ask you one more question. 585 00:31:08.960 --> 00:31:13.559 If you had any advice for somebody that was considering 586 00:31:13.640 --> 00:31:17.200 getting into the construction industry, what would that be. 587 00:31:19.200 --> 00:31:23.400 So like I would say, like, don't just chase it 588 00:31:23.480 --> 00:31:26.440 because you see it's glitz and glamor and there's money involved. 589 00:31:26.680 --> 00:31:29.039 Especially in the services industry. You see companies being sold 590 00:31:29.079 --> 00:31:32.200 for one hundred million. It's hard building a business. Know 591 00:31:32.319 --> 00:31:34.079 that you're going to go to the long route, right, 592 00:31:34.279 --> 00:31:38.079 It's it's sometimes people get lucky. Yeah, most of the time. 593 00:31:38.160 --> 00:31:41.880 It doesn't happen. If you're a good salesman, it could 594 00:31:41.880 --> 00:31:44.480 probably happen faster. If you're not a good salesman, it's 595 00:31:44.480 --> 00:31:47.160 gonna happen slower. So when you're getting in, you've got 596 00:31:47.240 --> 00:31:48.799 to be ready to learn. You got to be ready 597 00:31:48.799 --> 00:31:52.160 to go through the fire. It's not pretty. You're gonna 598 00:31:52.160 --> 00:31:54.480 get beat up. You're gonna get battered. You know, you're 599 00:31:54.559 --> 00:31:57.079 you're gonna put strain on your marriage, You're gonna put 600 00:31:57.079 --> 00:32:00.359 strain on being a dad. This is a truth things. 601 00:32:00.799 --> 00:32:05.839 These are things that happened with me. When you love it, 602 00:32:06.039 --> 00:32:10.400 possibly will you hate it, most likely, But you know, 603 00:32:10.799 --> 00:32:12.240 if you get good at it, it can be a 604 00:32:12.319 --> 00:32:15.359 blessing to you, right. You know, we like we've been blessed. Man. 605 00:32:15.400 --> 00:32:17.759 We have a few houses, a couple of buildings. You know, 606 00:32:17.960 --> 00:32:19.920 I've helped a lot of people. I've made like forty 607 00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:23.160 or fifty four men, made like twenty superintendents, five business 608 00:32:23.200 --> 00:32:25.720 owners came out of our company, started drive a companies. 609

00:32:27.000 --> 00:32:29.319 You know, it's a blessing to be a part of 610 00:32:29.400 --> 00:32:32.160 those things. To see a guy get his first house 611 00:32:32.319 --> 00:32:34.799 or buy his first new truck or you know, those 612 00:32:34.799 --> 00:32:37.960 are super cool things. You gotta be ready to grind, 613 00:32:38.519 --> 00:32:42.000 you know, Like I always tell people like, uh, you know, 614 00:32:42.039 --> 00:32:46.039 I at the very minimum, I work half part time, 615 00:32:46.160 --> 00:32:48.119 you know, and for me, my part time is half 616 00:32:48.200 --> 00:32:50.839 day and a half day for me is twelve hours. 617 00:32:51.519 --> 00:32:53.480 And so at the very least I'm working twelve hours 618 00:32:53.480 --> 00:32:56.160 a day, very least every day. 619 00:32:57.039 --> 00:32:59.759 I've never heard anybody put it that way before that 620 00:33:00.440 --> 00:33:03.200 that's a yeah, way, yeah, because they're like, I want 621 00:33:03.240 --> 00:33:05.359 to work half a day, and everyone thinks it's four hours. 622 00:33:05.559 --> 00:33:07.680 For me, it's twelve hours, twenty four hours in a day, right, 623 00:33:07.839 --> 00:33:11.000 So I average twelve hours. I work usually about sixteen hours. 624 00:33:12.200 --> 00:33:14.519 I'm doing different things now, you know, like we said, 625 00:33:15.319 --> 00:33:17.759 but twelve hours is an average. You know in our church. 626 00:33:17.799 --> 00:33:19.359 We work in our church as well, so I count 627 00:33:19.440 --> 00:33:23.799 those hours as well. But yeah, twelve hours. Man, if 628 00:33:23.839 --> 00:33:25.839 you can't put in twelve hours a day, just get 629 00:33:25.880 --> 00:33:29.680 out of it. Just go work for somebody. Simple, don't good? 630 00:33:30.079 --> 00:33:32.880 Which church do you go to? So so we run 631 00:33:32.960 --> 00:33:35.839 our church. My wife is the pastor. She took over 632 00:33:35.880 --> 00:33:38.599 from her parents. It's called the Movement Church here in Phoenix, Arizona. 633 00:33:39.519 --> 00:33:42.079 And we're actually out of a theater every amc Arrowhead, 634 00:33:42.400 --> 00:33:44.680 you know, so we rent the actual theater, the seating 635 00:33:45.079 --> 00:33:47.960 we set up every Sunday, and she rocks it. She's 636 00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:51.400 getting really good. She's really pretty. She's way pretty, too 637 00:33:51.440 --> 00:33:56.519 pretty for me, and I was blessed her. But yeah, 638 00:33:56.680 --> 00:33:58.559 so it's called the Movement Church, and you know, we 639 00:33:58.799 --> 00:34:02.319 we rebranded that, and so it's super cool because we 640 00:34:02.359 --> 00:34:04.759 got a lot of young adults. We teach them about entrepreneurship, 641 00:34:04.759 --> 00:34:06.480 we teach them about God, what God wants for you, 642 00:34:07.319 --> 00:34:10.400 you know, and so it's just good stuff, man, you know. 643 00:34:10.840 --> 00:34:13.599 That's that's where we're at. But we can I ask 644

00:34:13.639 --> 00:34:17.039 you question. You can ask you a question. I do 645 00:34:17.119 --> 00:34:22.280 a lot. Uh So, like what what your tech? You 646 00:34:22.360 --> 00:34:24.320 haven't got into your tech man, Like let's talk a 647 00:34:24.360 --> 00:34:28.480 little bit about it, of course? What what? Uh So? 648 00:34:29.119 --> 00:34:32.639 Like how can I utilize it more in my company? 649 00:34:33.679 --> 00:34:38.079 Oh man, you're you're gonna get me going here. So 650 00:34:39.440 --> 00:34:46.079 lumber is a workforce management platform built for contractors, and 651 00:34:46.920 --> 00:34:49.960 you know, the biggest piece and focus when we started 652 00:34:50.840 --> 00:34:55.639 was creating a field I won't even say field centric, 653 00:34:55.840 --> 00:35:01.400 field friendly application that the workers act actually want to 654 00:35:01.639 --> 00:35:06.559 use and don't mind opening and grumble about it. So 655 00:35:07.480 --> 00:35:11.760 using the application to gather the data so that it 656 00:35:12.039 --> 00:35:16.960 flows into the admin side, the office person side, so 657 00:35:17.039 --> 00:35:21.679 that they can actually do payroll simpler, especially if they're 658 00:35:21.760 --> 00:35:27.280 dealing with compliance and projects that include prevailing wage, certified 659 00:35:27.360 --> 00:35:31.679 payroll reporting, anything where it's they need that job costing. 660 00:35:31.760 --> 00:35:36.360 You could almost say it's like payroll to accounting, where 661 00:35:36.840 --> 00:35:40.199 you're having the cost codes and the job costing flow 662 00:35:40.639 --> 00:35:44.360 the way that it should flow, in a construction specific way. 663 00:35:44.559 --> 00:35:49.840 Having project based software that nobody else understands unless you're 664 00:35:49.920 --> 00:35:54.119 from the industry and you get it that it makes 665 00:35:54.199 --> 00:35:55.760 sense to contractors. 666 00:35:56.519 --> 00:36:00.400 That is what we developed, and in the day and 667 00:36:00.599 --> 00:36:02.039 age of AI. 668 00:36:02.480 --> 00:36:07.760 We acquired an AI team before chat GBT even launched, 669 00:36:08.440 --> 00:36:11.559 so that we could overlay AI over all the modules 670 00:36:11.639 --> 00:36:17.000 to make it the smartest software ever invented and help 671 00:36:17.119 --> 00:36:21.800 automate compliance so that it's a lot simpler and easier 672 00:36:21.920 --> 00:36:24.280 for that back office person and they're not going to 673 00:36:24.320 --> 00:36:26.000 get in trouble when they get audited. 674 00:36:26.400 --> 00:36:30.719 So you as a contract to know audits come and 675 00:36:30.920 --> 00:36:31.960 they're not fun to deal with. 676 00:36:32.320 --> 00:36:35.719 So you know, we're really trying to actually help and 677 00:36:36.000 --> 00:36:41.719 serve and assist the contractors, the workers and the back 678 00:36:41.760 --> 00:36:44.000 office folks and the owners in general, just so that 679 00:36:44.079 --> 00:36:45.360 they can move their business forward. 680 00:36:46.360 --> 00:36:48.519 This is crucial. Like if you guys are watching this 681 00:36:48.679 --> 00:36:52.559 and you're a young entrepreneur, young contractor just getting ready 682 00:36:52.559 --> 00:36:57.800 to going on thinking about it, what lewis saying is essential. 683 00:36:58.280 --> 00:37:02.519 You need to get the proper software and their software 684 00:37:03.159 --> 00:37:08.079 is legit, Like you cannot do payroll without a paro software, 685 00:37:09.119 --> 00:37:11.079 Like you need a CRAM if you want to be 686 00:37:11.119 --> 00:37:14.559 efficient and effective. And not only that is like we're 687 00:37:14.599 --> 00:37:18.280 not in a dinosaur age. Like today you go on 688 00:37:18.320 --> 00:37:21.239 a job site and you have tech behind you, the GC, 689 00:37:21.559 --> 00:37:23.559 the owners, they look at you like you're a professional. 690 00:37:24.760 --> 00:37:26.440 You know. So you got your guys in tablets, you 691 00:37:26.519 --> 00:37:29.920 got their tech, the lumber tech, and you're running and gunning. 692 00:37:30.480 --> 00:37:32.000 And so if you're going to start a job, you've 693 00:37:32.000 --> 00:37:34.280 got to get with lou and you got to get 694 00:37:34.320 --> 00:37:35.559 on board playing simple. 695 00:37:36.360 --> 00:37:39.360 You're the You're the first guest that has ever asked 696 00:37:39.440 --> 00:37:44.039 me a question. I've done a lot of podcasts. I 697 00:37:44.119 --> 00:37:48.880 have two podcasts rooms, So this is super cool. Yeah, 698 00:37:49.039 --> 00:37:51.760 but like it's cool man, Like I appreciate you. You 699 00:37:52.000 --> 00:37:54.199 allow me to come on in your space and talk 700 00:37:54.440 --> 00:37:58.639 and that texts ultra important. Learning is ultra important for 701 00:37:58.840 --> 00:38:03.119 me and my house. God first is altra important. And 702 00:38:03.199 --> 00:38:06.639 for you guys watching like challenge yourselves. Challenge yourselves. 703 00:38:06.880 --> 00:38:08.840 The more you learn, the more you grow. Like I said, 704 00:38:08.880 --> 00:38:11.039 God will give you what you can handle. It's no 705 00:38:11.199 --> 00:38:13.719 different than your kid. You don't trust your kid until 706 00:38:13.719 --> 00:38:15.760 you know they can handle something more, and then you 707 00:38:15.840 --> 00:38:17.960 give them more. And so it's up to us to 708 00:38:18.079 --> 00:38:21.519 learn and grow and show we can handle more. Love that. 709 00:38:22.000 --> 00:38:24.880 Thank you Chris for being a guest on our show, 710 00:38:25.480 --> 00:38:31.239 and please everyone like, subscribe, comment, and share the Builder 711 00:38:31.320 --> 00:38:34.920 Upper Show with everyone in the construction industry and we 712 00:38:35.039 --> 00:38:36.639 will see you next time. 713 00:38:36.800 --> 00:38:38.400 Thank you, Chris, Be blessed. 714 00:38:49.360 --> 00:38:51.760 If you're a construction contractor and would like to appear 715 00:38:51.760 --> 00:38:54.000 as a guest on our podcast, write us an email. 716 00:38:54.199 --> 00:38:55.880 It's Lou at lumberfi dot com.