Be the Builder of Choice
by Emma Jane Wildermuth
This podcast will give you tips to becoming a builder of choice to your trade partners, customers and your employees. We will discuss topics from management philosopies to how to maintain strong relationships with your trades. These concepts will not only help you become a better builder but also become more profitable.
Episodes
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Ep. 40 | The Missing Conversation in Housing: How Builders Win Beyond Price
In this episode of Builder of Choice™ Insights, host Emma Jane Wildermuth speaks with Rachel Peters, National Account Director, Realtor.com New Construction, and Sarah Titus, Director of Marketing at Eastbrook Homes, about how private builders can differentiate themselves through smarter…
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Ep. 39 | Courage, Grit and Mentorship
What does it take to build a winning home building company? In this episode of the Builder of Choice™ Insights Podcast, Emma Wildermuth, President, Shinn Group interviews Cooper Conger, President, NewPad Building Company, on what it truly means to become a “Builder of Choice™ ” in today’s...
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Ep. 38 | The Connected Builder: The AI Advantage Builder Can't Afford to Ignore
Emma Wildermuth, President of Shinn Group, brings together Danny Lowery, President of Tim O’Brien Homes; Bogdan Constantin, President of Brown Haven Homes and Founder of Oasis; and Thomas Berrington, Director of Information Systems, Shinn Group, for a conversation about technology, data, and AI…
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Ep. 37 | The Cycle Time Advantage: More Profit, Less Chaos
Emma Wildermuth welcomes Dwight Sandlin, Chairman and Co-Founder of Signature Homes, to discuss how a deliberate focus on cycle time reshaped the company's operations and financial performance. After beginning to rigorously measure build times, Signature Homes reduced its cycle time from 135 days...
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Ep. 36 | Homeownership, Community and the American Dream: Thinking Outside the Box to Make Homeownership Possible for More Families
Emma Wildermuth sits down with David Battany, Director of Capital Markets at Guild Mortgage and former chair of the Mortgage Bankers Association's Residential Board of Governors, to unpack what's driving the housing affordability crisis. David breaks it down to a "math problem": rising home…
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Ep. 35 | From Success to Significance: Building a Legacy Through Homes for HOPE
Emma Wildermuth, President of Shinn Group and host of the Builder of Choice™ Insights Podcast, welcomes Jeff Rutt, Founder, President & CEO of Keystone Custom Homes and Founder & Chair of Hope International, along with Matthew Baehr, Executive Director of Homes for HOPE. Together, they share how…
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Ep. 34 | The Magic Behind Builder–Trade Partner Relationships
On today’s episode of Builder of Choice™ InsightsPodcast, with host Emma Wildermuth, President, Shinn Group, she is joined by Ben Minks, CEO, Capstone Homes and Kenny Siggs, 3rd Generation Owner/Operator, Siggs A/C. Together, they take a practical look at the relationship between builders and…
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Ep. 33 | AI: Applying Data Analytics in Construction Operations
In this episode of the Builder of Choice™ Insights podcast, Emma Wildermuth, President, Shinn Group is joined by Thomas Berrington, Director of Information Systems and Business Technology, Shinn Group. Thomas discusses how technology, data analytics, and artificial intelligence are shaping...
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Ep. 32 | Leading With Technology
In this episode of the Builder of Choice™ Insights podcast, Michael Bergen, co-founder and VP of Special Projects/AI at Higharc, discusses with Emma Wildermuth, President of Shinn Group, how technology and AI are reshaping the way homes are designed and built. Drawing on his background in...
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Ep. 31 | Courage, Grit and Mentorship: What it Takes to Build a Winning Home Building Company
In this episode of the Builder of Choice™ Insights Podcast, Emma Wildermuth, President, Shinn Group interviews Cooper Conger, President, NewPad Building Company, on what it truly means to become a “Builder of Choice™ ” in today’s competitive labor and market environment. They discuss how...
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Ep. 30 | Selling the Dream: How Strategic Alignment Drives Home Sales
In this episode of the Builder of Choice™ Insights Podcast, host Emma Wildermuth speaks with Michael Welty, Consultant at Shinn Group, about his background and experience within the home building industry. Michael outlines his professional path and the work that led him into his current role,...
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Ep. 29 | The Leadership Edge: Culture + Profit for the Winning Advantage
Control What Counts and Lead without Compromise. This episode features a conversation with host Emma Wildermuth and Chris Laping, founder of People Before Things and a former four-time Fortune 500 CIO. Chris shares his leadership journey and outlines his philosophy that leadership is a…
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Ep. 28 | Competing, Adapting, and Standing Out Under Pressure
In this episode, Emma Wildermuth sits down with Dave Barnhart, President of First America Homes, for a focused conversation on differentiation in challenging times. Together, they explore how economic uncertainty, heightened competition, and operational constraints are making it increasingly...
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Ep. 27 | 2026 Housing Outlook: What Builders Must Know with Chuck Shinn
In this episode, Emma Shinn sits down with her dad, Chuck Shinn — co-founder of the Shinn Group and one of the industry’s most respected financial and operational voices — to break down what’s really happening in the 2025 housing market. Chuck shares decades of perspective as he analyzes…
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Ep. 26 | Building a Builder of Choice™ Culture with Paul Winegar: Breaking Down Silos
Emma Wildermuth sits down with Paul Winegar, COO of Willow Branch Homes, as he explains how his team breaks down silos and unites every department into a single, cohesive operating system. He shares how strength-based roles, process-driven headcount planning, and clearly definedhandoffs create...
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Ep. 25 | Women Building America: Empowering the Next Generation of Industry Leaders
In this inspiring episode of Builder of Choice™ Insights, Emma Wildermuth sits down with Kelly Zitlow (EVP of Marketing & Sales) and Lisa Cortez (National Director of Builder Outreach) from Cornerstone Home Lending to discuss Women Building America — a movement dedicated to empowering women in...
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Ep. 24 | Interview with Bob Mirman, CEO & Founder of Eliant
In this episode, Emma Jane interviews Bob Mirman, CEO & Founder of Eliant, to explore his journey into the homebuilding industry and his lifelong commitment to improving the customer experience. Bob shares how Eliant helps builders strengthen relationships with trades, employees,...
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Ep. 23 | Interview with Kody Smith, President and Co-Founder, NoviHome
In this episode, host Emma Wildermuth sits down with Kody Smith of NoviHome for a candid, in-person conversation about what’s changing in homebuilding, why marketing matters more than ever, and how builders can improve the buyer experience from first contact through warranty. Kody shares his...
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Ep. 22 | Building Ahead: Economic Outlook After Feds Forecasted Rate Cut
This high value session to cut through the noise, understand what the Fed’s decisions mean for the housing and mortgage industries, and provide home builders with clear, actionable insights on what to expect for the rest of 2025 and into 2026. Most importantly, we’ll explore what builders should…
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Ep. 21 | From Plans to People Guiding Your Production Team to Success
Building More Than Homes: Leadership, Culture & Communication with Kim Cobb. In this episode of the Builder of Choice Insights podcast, Kim Cobb, Director of Field Operations and Warranty at Green Tech Homes, joins us for a powerful conversation on what it really means to be a Builder of Choice....
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Ep. 20 | Supercharging Product Development for Private Home Builders
In this episode, join our host Emma Jane Wildermuth and guests Ed Hauck, Senior Consultant, Shinn Group and Jennifer Hoops, Solutions Consultant, Higharc, as they unpack what it really takes to become the Builder of Choice. Ed Hauck and Jennifer Hoops walk through practical product-development...
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Ep. 19 | The Builder’s Blind Spot: How Visionary Thinking Can Compromise Execution
In this episode of the Shinn Group’s Be the Builder of Choice™ Podcast, Emma Jane Wildermuth, President of Shinn Group, and Lake Coulson, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Chief Lobbyist for the at NAHB, team up for a thought-provoking discussion on the current political and...
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Ep. 18 | Leading With The Numbers: Empower Your Team For Lasting Success
Join us for a podcast-style presentation followed by a Q&A session with Emma Jane Wildermuth and special guest, Kevin Jewell, President, French Brothers Homes. In today's environment, it can be a challenge to keep your team focused on a common goal. Strategic leadership is essential. A clear...
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Ep. 17 | Design for Success - Part 2: Performance Review, Elevations and New Product
In today's environment it is essential to stay relevant to your target market. In this webinar/podcast, Emma Jane and Ed will discuss with Eric how to improve the product development process by focusing on cost reduction and creating maximum value for your buyers at a price they are able and...
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Ep. 16 | Design for Success Part 1: Develop Product to Meet Your Buyer's Budget
In today's environment it is essential to stay relevant to your target market. In this webinar/podcast, Emma Jane and Ed will discuss how to improve the product development process by focusing on cost reduction and creating maximum value for your buyers at a price they are able and willing to…
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Ep. 15 | Tipping Momentum to Create Positive Change
As a leader, navigating change is always a challenge. Join April and Emma Jane as they discuss how to tip the odds of change in your favor by managing change and leading people. Understand how leadership is essential to impact the direction you envision for your organization by being the role…
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Ep. 14 | Builders’ Show Recap: IBS 2024 Tips and Takeaways
Presentation with Emma Jane Wildermuth, Ed Hauck and our guests: Monica Wheaton, NAHB Woman of the Year, ECI, Joshua McMahon, Bramante Homes, and Josh Pomerleau, JP Brooks. Are you curious what happened at the Builder Show this year? Join us as we hear from various perspective what was learned…
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Ep. 13 | Leading Ladies: The Pioneers of Home Building
Join Emma Jane Wildermuth, to hear from women who have impacted the home building industry over the years. Carol Smith, Lita Dirks, and Emma Shinn will share their journey and tips on becoming a Builder of Choice by cultivating relationships with customers, trades, employees and create efficient...
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Ep. 12 | Designing an Efficient Home your Buyers will LOVE!
Evaluating the design of your homes is essential to continue building homes that your buyers love and that accommodate their budgets. Performance engineering is important for maintaining good margins. As a Builder of Choice™, you want to maintain a high level of quality for your market. We will...
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Ep. 11 | Fireside Chat with Chuck Shinn
Join us for a podcast style presentation followed by a Q&A session with our founder Chuck Shinn as he shares some of the history of homebuilding and the importance of focusing on becoming a Builder of Choice™. Chuck will share stories of the journey he and Emma have taken in homebuilding and...
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Ep. 10 | Proven Financial Strategies to Attract Home Buyers
In this episode, we will discuss strategies to help make financing easier for your home buyers. You will learn to about valuable tools you can use to create a frictionless buying process that will help ease the financial process of buying a home. Our panel will also give you tips to know when and...
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Ep. 9 | Designing Beautiful Homes with Your Customer's Budget in Mind
We discuss strategies to build a beautiful home that your customers will love and can afford. Knowing what your customers truly want is essential for selling homes. With today's market you need to build value and "right price" your homes for your buyers without losing your margins. Join us as we...
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Ep. 8 | The Power of Checklists
Join us for a Podcast style presentation followed by a Q&A session with our senior consultant Ed Hauck and guests Jeremy Knicely from StyleCraft Homes VA and Ed Caldeira from FTQ360. Ed and our guests will discuss the power of using checklists throughout your build process to ensure better...
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Ep. 7 | Reliable Schedules = Superior Cash Flow
Jim & Ed will discuss the relationship your schedules have on your cash flow. Being disciplined with efficient schedules will lead to more predictable cash flow, allowing you to make better decsions for your organization. Superior cash flow gives you the power to finance your business easier. Be...
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Ep. 6 | Working with Existing and New Trade Partners to Right Size Costs
Senior consultant Ed Hauck and guest Keith Schneider from Sierra Data Systems. Ed and Keith will discuss the issues of price escalation and lack of cost reduction.How do builders and trade partners work together to right size cost so everyone wins.
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Ep. 5 | Understand WHY You Want to be a Builder of Choice™
Emma Jane Wildermuth and Ed Hauck discuss why you want to become a builder of choice. What is in it for you , the builder, when you incorporate a Builder of Choice Strategy. When you are the Builder of Choice™ in your market, you will attract the best trades, the best suppliers, and the best...
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Ep. 4 | Transforming your Home Building Business - 3 Tips to Improve Profitability Today
Originally presented as a webinar for in July. Jim Weigel shares how to manage People, Processes, and Product to make an impact on your overall profitability. He has 3 valuable tips to transform your business for profitable today with 3 commonly overlooked tools that are simple enough to apply...
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Ep. 3 | Performance Excellence Powered By Data & Reporting
Join us for a short presentation followed by a conversation with SKUWorld and Davis Homes on using accurate data to drive excellence in a home building company. Davis Homes has partnered with SKUWorld to help streamline data and create valuable reports that help make decision making more…
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Ep. 2 | Purchasing Best Practices
Originally recorded as Webinar Wednesday. Kim discusses how builders can incorporate new systems to improve the performance in Purchasing from updating Scopes of Work to Managing Resourses to Managing Variances to Onboarding Trade Partners. Be sure to take notes so you can implement improvements...
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Ep. 1 | Designing Homes to Beat High Interest Rates
Originally presented as a webinar, Ed talks about strategies to design a home to keep costs down giving you, the builder, an opportunity to price to the market.
About this show
This podcast will give you tips to becoming a builder of choice to your trade partners, customers and your employees. We will discuss topics from management philosopies to how to maintain strong relationships with your trades. These concepts will not only help you become a better builder but also become more profitable.
Hosted by
Emma Jane Wildermuth
Categories