238: Blue Collar Warrior Series: The Rain Man of Construction

James Casanova, Principal at Collaborate Builders, joins us for episode 238 of Art of Construction and episode 4 of our Blue Collar Warrior Series. James is relentless in his pursuit of excellence. He was an aspiring Olympic athlete before an 80mph launch off of a three story building, while on skis, slowed him down. Growing up just outside of Aspen, he worked in the trades to support his ski habit. He can pour concrete, weld, frame, pull wire, run pipe, hang ducts, and execute finish carpentry with the best of them. Think Rainman of the construction world. He trained in architecture and ran a Design/Build firm for 15 years. He did take a break from construction in the late 2000’s in order to become National Champion as a Three Gun (look it up – it is interesting!) target shooter. Despite the sponsorships and lots of free stuff, he came back to his roots and co-founded Collaborate Builders in 2016. Join Devon, Jon and James as they discuss what it means to balance the wisdom of the warriors with the stresses of leading a business and managing a project team, how to set proper expectations with your client, and how to truly understand and execute a vision in high-end, custom home construction.