LivLive Ep. 0000003 - Russell Head

In Episode 0000003 of LivLive, Dave sits down with LivCo Co-founder Russ Head for a personal, behind-the-scenes conversation about how he found his way into construction—and how that background shaped the way he thinks about building, problem-solving, and partnering with design.Russ starts with his Chicago upbringing (including the “kids taking the bus + the L to Cubs games” era), then walks through a surprisingly non-linear path: a vague-but-useful communications degree, early twenties in California’s Bay Area doing union drywall/carpentry-company grunt work (“drywall scrapper and stocker”), and eventually moving into project management. From there, he returns to the Chicagoland area to run a production subdivision, shifts into commercial work in Chicago (including his memorable “suit story”), and even shares what it was like to build his own house in under three months while still working a city job (with Connie doing daily site check-ins and Russ managing the coordination).A key section dives into a formative project during a down market—building 26 city-style “row house” single-family homes on 25-foot lots—and how that’s where Russ and Dave’s partnership truly began. The episode lands on the healthy tension between design and construction: function vs. fashion, and why the push-and-pull is often what makes the final work better.Listeners will learn:How Russ went from a communications degree to a real construction career path (and why it worked)What early “boots-on-the-ground” work looked like: union drywall/carpentry firm, deliveries, cleanup, and being the “gopher”How he transitioned from field support into project managementWhat it’s like running a production home subdivision (and how that differs from custom work)The reality of commercial work in Chicago—including the culture of “the suit,” and Russ’s infamous first-day suit storyHow Russ built his own house fast—under three months—and the practical coordination that made it possibleA real example of old-house chaos: “owner completion” logic and discovering things like a floor joist cut through for a tubHow a downturn-era opportunity led to building 26 narrow-lot, city-style homes—and how that project connected Russ and DaveWhy the design/construction relationship works best as a productive friction: “function over fashion” vs. design ambition, with the goal of a better finished product