PODCAST · business
Construction Genius | Construction Leadership
by Eric Anderton | Construction Leadership
Construction Genius is a construction leadership podcast for owners and senior leaders of commercial general contractors and specialty contractors.Host Eric Anderton interviews construction owners and executives about how they run their companies. Solo episodes break down one leadership or management problem at a time.Topics include developing project managers and superintendents, construction business development and negotiated work, succession planning and ESOPs, construction accounting and bonding capacity, and AI in construction.Eric has worked only with construction companies for more than 20 years. His coaching clients run firms from $10M to over $3B in revenue, and he facilitates their strategic and succession planning.
Episodes
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How to Hire Business Developers Who Can Sell Large Commercial Projects
Most contractors hire a business developer on one trait. Then they wait a year to find out it didn't work. Neal Glatt is a sales and leadership coach who helps companies hire and develop salespeople. He explains what to test before you make the offer, and how to know within six months whether a…
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Year-End Close for Contractors: Check Your Numbers Before You Pay Bonuses
You pay the Christmas bonuses. Then January hits, more job costs come in, and the profit you paid them on starts to shrink. In part nine of the construction accounting series, Kathe Barrington, CPA, of KB CPA walks through a contractor's year-end close. She covers how to test your numbers before...
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Your Field Problems Start in Design: What the Suffolk and MIT AI Report Means for Contractors
Suffolk and MIT just released a white paper on AI in construction. It estimates 17 to 20% in potential cost savings and 22 to 25% on schedule. In this solo episode, Eric Anderton reads it for a contractor running a $25 to $500 million company and pulls out the applications worth testing now. He...
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The $20 Million Job You Should Walk Away From
A $20 million project lands in your lap with three or four red flags attached. You want the revenue. You want the backlog. In this solo episode, Eric Anderton walks through the three-for-three test he uses with his coaching clients: right client, right project, right location. He also tackles a...
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Construction Projections: Seeing Cash and Margin Trouble Before It Costs You
Your WIP shows today. Your backlog shows what's booked. Neither tells you where your cash and crews are headed. That's what projections do, and most contractors either do them badly or skip them. In Part 8 of the series, CPA Kathe Barrington shows construction owners how to build projections that...
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Fixing Performance Reviews for the Field with Ryan Englin
Ryan Englin, founder of Core Matters and creator of the FieldCon software platform, returns to talk about the two things most construction leaders dodge: accountability and performance reviews. Ryan and Eric get practical about why these conversations feel so hard and how to make them routine.…
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You're the Bottleneck: Building the Banks of the River So Your Team Can Flow, with Scott Borroughs
A superintendent's wife wakes up at 2 a.m. to find him pacing the bedroom for the third night straight. She tells him, "This isn't going to work. For anybody." That superintendent was Scott Borroughs, and the project was Deep Space, Epic Systems Systems850,000 square foot auditorium, built 80…
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ChatGPT in Construction: A Working Contractor on What Works, What Fails, and What to Do First
You're a contractor, you're busy, and you're tired of LinkedIn consultants telling you that you'll be left behind if you don't embrace AI right now. Smart move to tune out the hype — but here's the catch: while you're waiting for the noise to die down, a few of your competitors are quietly using...
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How to Grow Bonding Capacity: Banking and Tax Moves for Contractors
Every construction company answers to three masters. The bank. The bonding company. The taxman. Same financial statements, three different things they want from you. Kathe Barrington is a CPA who builds the construction accounting that bankers and bonding agents actually read. In Part 7 of our...
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How MEP Contractors Make Money With Prefab
Prefabrication won't save your MEP company on its own. Run it wrong and it quietly bleeds you. In this episode, Jake Olsen, CEO of Stratus, explains how to make fab actually pay off. He's a structural engineer with more than twenty years in construction and construction tech, and he's blunt about...
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Selling to Your Employees: How ESOPs Work for Construction Company Succession
Most construction owners think they have four exit options. Pass it to a kid. Sell to an employee. Sell to a competitor. Sell to private equity. The reality is harder. Private equity passes on most contractors. Competitors often aren't buying. That's why ESOPs are now the fastest-growing…
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Question Everything: How to Innovate Construction Materials and Methods
Sam Fertik went from running a 20-course tasting restaurant in Manhattan to building homes out of concrete and steel that he says last a thousand years. He's the CEO and Founder of Carbon Custom Builders. In this episode, Sam and Eric trace the chef-to-contractor journey and the one question that...
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Get Off the Bid List: Build a Construction Business Development System That Wins Negotiated Work
Most contractors are stuck on the bid list and don't know it. They tell themselves they're a preferred contractor. The numbers say otherwise. In this episode, Matthew Neuberger of Neuberger and Company joins Eric to break down why business development inside most construction companies fails, and...
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How to Read Your Backlog Like a Banker: Timing, Diversification, and Gross Profit Discipline
How's your backlog right now? In Part 6 of the Construction Accounting Series, Eric sits down again with CPA Kathe Barrington to unpack what backlog really is, and what it isn't. They dig into why committed-but-unstarted jobs belong on your WIP the day you're awarded, how to use backlog to…
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Get the Most Out of Every Project Meeting: ChatGPT 201 for Construction Leaders
Your meeting transcripts are the most valuable data set your company throws away. This is ChatGPT 201, part two of our AI for construction companies series with Dylan Davis, AI consultant and coach and my collaborator on the Construction Genius GPT course. We take one task every contractor has…
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Unapologetically Hardcore: Applying Elon Musk's Algorithm to Construction Leadership, with Eric Jorgenson
Elon Musk builds rockets. You build buildings. Different industry. Same problems. Bad requirements, bloated processes, too many parts, slow cycle time. Eric Jorgenson is the CEO of Scribe Media and the author of The Book of Elon, a curated collection of Elon Musk's most useful ideas drawn from…
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AI Won't Fix a Badly Run Company: AI 101 for Construction Leaders
AI won't fix a badly run company. But if you're already running a good one, it can save you hours every week on the work that eats your time: RFIs, change order drafts, meeting summaries, estimating. Dylan Davis is an AI consultant and coach, and my collaborator on the Construction Genius GPT...
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Pick Up the Phone, Win the Client: How to Build a Client-First Company
Daniel McCaulley, P.E., is the founder of Ultimus Engineering, a faith-based engineering firm in Texas delivering MEP, aquatics, and structural engineering across 22 states. On this episode, Daniel shares what he learned from his first failed hire, how he transitioned from corporate engineering…
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Why Your Team Isn't Executing (The Simple Fix Most Construction Leaders Miss) with Jon Dario
Jon Dario is an author, speaker, and retail leadership expert who has held leadership roles with some of the top companies in the retail and financial services industries including Macy's, Gap, and Bank of America. He is currently CEO of a real estate company in the metro NY area. Jon is the...
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How Slowing Down at the Start Saves Time and Money on Complex Projects
Melissa Drew is the Founder and President of InSite BUILD, a construction management firm based on Maryland's Eastern Shore that specializes in complex state-procured projects. After 20 years with national contractors including Holder Construction and Gilbane, she started her own firm to bring...
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The First 45 Minutes That Can Change Your Entire Project with Kyle Majchrowski
Every project team says they're going to communicate well. Then the project starts, and it falls apart. Why? Nobody stops to unpack what communication actually means for the people in the room. Kyle Majchrowski, author of Powerful Conversations and founder of Next Intent, has spent 20+ years on…
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How Pre-Con Mistakes Become Jobsite Rework — and What to Do About It with Scott Reynolds
A $1 mistake in pre-con becomes $10 on the jobsite and $100 after occupancy. That's the 1-10-100 rule — and it's why upstream coordination failures are the most expensive mistakes in construction. Scott Reynolds, co-founder and CEO of UpCodes, joins Eric to break down where compliance mistakes...
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Body Language Is a Leadership Skill
Your body language on the jobsite isn't just showing how you feel. It's shaping how you feel, how your team performs, and whether your project partners want to work with you again. In this solo episode, Eric breaks down the research behind body language and leadership — from the NFL to the…
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Legacy Is Built in People, And Projects: 46 Years of Construction Leadership with Alton Tew
What does success look like to your best PM right now? Do you know? Alton Tew spent 46 years in construction — 25 of them building Samet Corporation's multifamily division into a $500 million operation that turned over 3,500 units a year. In this conversation, he shares the leadership principles...
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Flow State for Construction Leaders: Your Best Idea Is One Hour Away
What if the thing holding your construction company back isn't lack of effort — it's lack of deep thinking? In this episode, I sit down with Steven Puri, former EVP at DreamWorks, former VP at 20th Century Fox, and CEO of The Sukha Company — to talk about flow state: what it is, why the best...
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The Cost of Building: Brand Clarity, Constraint, and What Entrepreneurship Actually Requires
What happens when outworking everyone stops working? In Episode 379, Justin Ricklefs — founder of Guild Collective and author of Give a Damn — gets honest about the moment things broke down: his business, his relationships, and himself. He shares the framework that rebuilt everything, why...
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How Project Executives Drive Disciplined Execution
Only 2.5% of construction firms consistently complete projects on time and on budget. Not because their people lack skills. Because discipline breaks down under pressure. In this solo episode, Eric Anderton breaks down FMI's 2026 project management study (Part 2) and shows how your Project...
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Why Your Jobs Look More Profitable Than They Are: Indirect Allocations and Overhead in Construction
If your indirect costs aren't tracked—they're hiding. And what they're hiding is your true profit margin. In this episode of Construction Genius, Eric sits down with Kathe Barrington, CPA and fractional Controller/CFO with 20 years of construction experience, to break down one of the most...
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From Napkin Sketch to Shovel in the Ground: The Pre-Con Process That Sets Your Field Teams Up to Win
Most construction companies treat pre-construction as an estimating department. That mindset is costing them projects. In this episode, Eric sits down with Sam Potts, Director of Pre-Construction at JP Cullen—a $900M family-owned, self-performing GC out of Wisconsin. Sam explains why pre-con...
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Only 2.5% of Contractors Finish on Time. Here's What They Do Before the Job Starts
Only 2.5% of contractors finish on time and on budget. Here's what they do before the job starts. In this episode, Eric Anderton breaks down Part 1 of FMI's 2025 Project Management Study — 243 executives, 84 PMs, real contractors, real numbers. What they found isn't revolutionary. It's the same...
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How DPR Built the Discipline That Protects Construction Companies in Every Cycle
Construction companies don't go out of business because they lack work. They go out of business because they take on too much work and lose discipline. In this episode, Eric Anderton talks with DPR Construction leaders Camilo Garcia and Mike Humphrey about how DPR built the discipline that…
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A Smarter Way to Comply With Apprenticeship Requirements
The Inflation Reduction Act is driving massive investment into construction—but the registered apprenticeship requirements tied to those tax credits are creating confusion and risk for many contractors. In this episode, Eric Anderton talks with Andy Seth, founder of Apprentix, about a smarter...
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From Apprentice to General Superintendent: 30 Years of Construction Leadership
Doug Ransom began his construction career at 18 as a union carpenter apprentice. Thirty years later, he serves as General Superintendent at JP Cullen & Sons, a fifth-generation commercial construction company. Learn more: https://jpcullen.com/ In this episode, we discuss: Transitioning from…
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How DPR Develops the Next Generation of Construction Leaders
What does it really take to become a high-performing construction leader? In this episode of Construction Genius, Eric Anderton talks with Katharine Hamer, Project Manager at DPR Construction (San Diego), about leadership development, accountability, and culture in the field. From her background…
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Estimating: The Art, the Science, and the Risk Margin Contractors Miss
Estimating isn't just math—it's how contractors decide which risks they're willing to own. In this episode of the Construction Genius Podcast, Eric Anderton talks with Chris Clausing, Director of Program and Curriculum Innovation for Construction at Colibri Group, about why estimating is still…
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Integrated Design-Build: Speed, Quality, and Cost - Without the Tradeoffs
Can you really deliver speed, quality, and cost in construction—without tradeoffs? In this episode of Construction Genius, Eric Anderton sits down with Ryan Teicher, CEO of REDCOM Design & Construction, to unpack how a fully integrated design-build model eliminates silos, accelerates delivery…
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Underbillings Bad. Overbillings Better: The Cash Flow Truth Construction Owners Can't Ignore
Kathe Barrington is a CPA specializing in construction. Before finding her true passion in cost accounting and then the construction industry, Kathe worked in different industries, including software, hardware, real estate, retail, and non-profits. Working directly with owners, banks, bonding...
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From Builder to Leader: The Hardest Shift in Construction
The hardest transition in construction isn't technical—it's moving from building projects to leading people. In this episode, Eric Anderton talks with leadership expert Joel M. Hilchey about why so many construction leaders struggle once their hands come off the tools. They explore career...
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Bonding Capacity: Why Contractors Break Through or Get Stuck
Bonding is one of the biggest bottlenecks in construction growth—and most contractors misunderstand it. In this episode, Eric Anderton talks with Gary Eastman, President of Swift Bonds and Access Surety, about what sureties really look for when deciding whether to bond a contractor. They break…
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From Civil Engineering to Superintendent: The "Field-First" Pivot
Construction doesn't solely rely on blueprints and hard hats; it also relies on curiosity, hands-on learning, and people who make the buildings come to life. For those who step into job sites, success is measured by attitude, adaptability, and willingness to ask questions. From building...
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Physical Progress vs. Financial Reporting in Construction Projects
The field says the job is further along. Accounting says it's not. In this episode, Eric Anderton and Kathe Barrington, CPA explain why that disconnect exists—and why both sides are right. The field measures physical progress. Accounting measures financial reporting. When those systems fall out…
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Mental Health in Construction: The Safety Issue Nobody Wants to Talk About (But Everyone Lives With)
Dan Lester returns to Construction Genius for Episode 2 — and the numbers are getting louder. Clayco's latest Combating Stigma findings show 64% of construction workers report anxiety or depression in the last 12 months, up from 54% the year prior. Eric and Dan go upstream: schedules, client...
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Stop Bidding Everything: The 10 Roadblocks Killing Your Construction Sales
Construction sales feel like a grind because the root problem isn't sales — it's the business infrastructure underneath. In this episode, we unpack the 10 structural roadblocks that make selling construction work under $100M so difficult. These issues include unclear vision, missing strategy…
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Buyer-Ready in 12 Months: How to Make Your Construction Company Sellable
Most contractors wait too long to prepare their business for a sale—and lose millions because of it. In this episode, I talk with Cameron Bishop, Managing Director at Raincatcher, about what it really takes to make your construction company buyer-ready in the next 12 months. Cam brings 40+ years…
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What Secular Leadership Models Reveal About Jesus (and Your Business)
Most leadership discussions avoid the most uncomfortable question: 👉 What actually makes a leader good? In this episode, I sit down with Father Daniel Brandenburg, author of Leader Like No Other: What Secular Leadership Models Reveal About Jesus, a book that flips the usual leadership…
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How to Use Your WIP to Protect Cash and Grow Profitability
In Part 2 of our WIP Mastery Series, CPA Kathe Barrington returns to show contractors how to use the WIP as a strategic decision-making tool. We dig into the three numbers every owner must check first, how underbilling reveals deeper project or client issues, and how the WIP exposes PM discipline...
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Build Trust, Win Work: How the Doer–Seller Model Helps Construction Firms Thrive
Construction BD expert Ken Harms joins me to break down the rise of the Doer–Seller model — a relationship-driven approach where project managers and superintendents help win work by serving clients, asking better questions, and building long-term trust. We unpack how owners' expectations have...
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WIP Reports Made Simple: The Key to Stopping Hidden Job Losses
Most contractors think they understand their WIP reports—but few actually use them to stop hidden job losses. CPA Kathe Barrington joins Eric Anderton to explain how to simplify your WIP, prevent fake profits, and keep your cash and bonding capacity intact. You'll discover: • Why bad budgets...
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From Superhero to System Builder: The Key to Leading a Scalable Company
Hero culture caps growth. Eric and process-improvement pro George Pesansky show you how to trade capes for systems using a no-BS What–Why–How framework. Define the what (outcome), clarify the why (priority), then let your people own the how. We unpack faster bad-news communication, direct vs.…
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Turn Your Website Into a Growth Engine
Most construction companies treat their website like a digital brochure. Big mistake. Rob Murray from Intrigue Media joins Eric to explain why even $50M buyers do Google contractors—and how a smart, strategic website builds trust and drives real opportunities. You'll learn how to position your...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Construction Genius is a construction leadership podcast for owners and senior leaders of commercial general contractors and specialty contractors.Host Eric Anderton interviews construction owners and executives about how they run their companies. Solo episodes break down one leadership or management problem at a time.Topics include developing project managers and superintendents, construction business development and negotiated work, succession planning and ESOPs, construction accounting and bonding capacity, and AI in construction.Eric has worked only with construction companies for more than 20 years. His coaching clients run firms from $10M to over $3B in revenue, and he facilitates their strategic and succession planning.
HOSTED BY
Eric Anderton | Construction Leadership
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How many episodes does Construction Genius | Construction Leadership have?
Construction Genius | Construction Leadership currently has 407 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Construction Genius | Construction Leadership about?
Construction Genius is a construction leadership podcast for owners and senior leaders of commercial general contractors and specialty contractors.Host Eric Anderton interviews construction owners and executives about how they run their companies. Solo episodes break down one leadership or...
How often does Construction Genius | Construction Leadership release new episodes?
Construction Genius | Construction Leadership publishes regularly with 407 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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You can listen to Construction Genius | Construction Leadership on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Construction Genius | Construction Leadership?
Construction Genius | Construction Leadership is created and hosted by Eric Anderton | Construction Leadership.
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