PODCAST · business
The Construction Corner
by Dillon Mitchell
We Cover Commercial Construction. If you are in commercial construction as an Architect, Engineer, Contractor or Owner, this is the show for you. Hosted by Dillon Mitchell, PE, Founder of Kowabunga Studios
Episodes
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#465 - Arc Flash Compliance: What's Actually Required Under NFPA 70E
Ever wondered which arc flash study recommendations are legal requirements versus nice-to-haves? In this episode, we break down everything you need to know about NFPA 70E compliance — from labeling three-phase equipment and reducing hazards through breaker adjustments, to the three core power...
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#464 - The New Starting Salary: Why $80K is the Baseline and What Changed
Fifteen years ago, $65K went a long way. Today, that same lifestyle costs $85K+. Dillon breaks down how housing, groceries, and fuel have shifted pay expectations, why minimum wage hikes led to self-serve kiosks, and what the rising cost of living means for hiring in engineering and construction.
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#463 - Data Centers vs. Factories: What Happens When Industry Comes to a Small Town?
Not all industrial growth impacts communities the same way. Dillon compares how data centers and traditional industries like factories and mining affect small-town infrastructure, population, and budgets — and why data centers offer high tax revenue with remarkably low ongoing community costs.
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#462 - Tribal Sovereignty: The Shortcut for Data Center Development?
A quick-hit episode exploring how tribal lands in the West could become the fast lane for data center construction. With tribal sovereignty bypassing lengthy permitting processes and ROI timelines measured in months, Dillon lays out why tribes are uniquely positioned to capitalize on the data...
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#461 - The Construction Market is Booming — Prices, Lead Times & Why You Need to Start Now
Material costs are climbing, lead times are stretching (medium voltage cable jumped from 30 to 52 weeks), and data centers are reshaping the labor market. Dillon gives a blunt market update on why waiting to build will cost you more, then pivots to a sharp critique of AI doomerism and NIMBYism...
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#460 - Hiring & Interview Etiquette: What Gets You Hired (or Rejected)
Dillon shares lessons from a whirlwind travel and recruiting season, breaking down what makes candidates stand out — and what gets them instantly disqualified. From incomplete applications and AI-generated responses to failing to research the company, this episode is a frank guide for anyone...
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#459 - AI, Data Centers, and the Future of Construction
Inspired by a Travis Kalanick interview, Dillon discusses managerial capacity and delegation before diving into AI's massive impact on the economy — including how data center construction now represents roughly 3% of GDP. He makes the case for why data centers (and AI broadly) deserve more nuance...
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#458 - Building the Playbook: A Founder's Retreat with Peers
Ahead of a founder retreat with fellow construction entrepreneurs in Denver, Dillon talks about the deep work of documenting VDS's business playbook — from financials and org structure to client onboarding — and the clarity that comes from being brutally honest about a company's strengths and gaps.
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#457 - Why Speed Wins in Construction
Dillon breaks down why responsiveness — getting back to clients quickly with pricing, proposals, and answers — is one of the biggest differentiators in the construction industry. He walks through the real financial cost of delays in the field and discusses how VDS is building its team and…
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#456 - How do you show clients you actually care?
In this episode, Dillon explores what it really means to show clients and employees you care — arguing that actions, not words, are what build trust. He connects this to his own demanding travel schedule and the day-to-day work of showing up, answering the phone, and following through.
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#455 - Our Growth Trajectory: Lessons from Bezos's 1997 Letter
Dillon reflects on VDS's explosive growth — tripling, then nearly 8x'ing revenue year over year — and the challenge of writing a founding document to guide the company's future. Drawing inspiration from Jeff Bezos's 1997 shareholder letter, he discusses why concise, well-considered writing…
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#454 - Summer Internship Recap
In this episode, host Dillon reflects on VDS's first summer hosting two engineering interns, from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Michigan State University. He shares how the interns toured a range of live projects — from a massive million-square-foot warehouse to a gymnasium, a brewery,...
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#453 - Deadlines, Hiring, and Surviving the Growth Curve
Dillon shifts from macro trends to the day-to-day realities of running a construction engineering firm. He talks through how his team stays ahead of aggressive project deadlines, his philosophy of growing talent through internships rather than poaching senior engineers, and the balancing act of...
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#452 - Data Centers, Power, and the Race to Space
The demand for AI compute is exploding, but is growth truly exponential? Dillon breaks down why power generation — not construction — is the real bottleneck holding back data center expansion, and how that ripple effect hits memory production, GPUs, and fab manufacturing (Micron, TSMC, NVIDIA).…
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#451 - The Real Bottleneck: Why Power, Not AI, Will Decide the Next Decade
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, Dillon dives deep into the AI-driven data center boom and what's really holding it back. He argues that while demand for electrical engineers and construction is set to grow significantly, the true bottleneck isn't chip supply or capital — it's...
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#450 - The PE Path: Is a Four-Year Commitment Worth It?
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, host Dillon shares a candid look at his own engineering career path — from two internships and full-time work at a small electrical safety firm, to transitioning into the A&E industry and eventually earning his PE license. He breaks down the...
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#449 - Leadership, Growth, and Grit: What the VDS Summit Is All About
Dillon shares everything you need to know about the Vertical Design Build Summit, returning October 1st in Chicagoland. With speakers from Quanta Services, Helix Electric, McCarthy, and a Green Beret leader, the intimate 100-seat event covers workforce, pre-construction, leadership, and company...
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#448 - Cutting the Noise: Social Media, the Economy, and Staying Focused on What You Can Control
In this episode of The Construction Corner podcast, Dillon shares a broad business update and discusses his decision to remove himself from social media in February. He explains how tuning out cultural noise has improved his focus and operational mindset by keeping his attention on factors he can...
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#447 - Why Electrical is the Trade of the Decade — And What That Means for Your Career
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, host Dillon breaks down why electrical is arguably the fastest-growing and most future-proof trade you can enter right now — and what aspiring tradespeople need to consider before choosing their path. Dillon opens with a striking data point:...
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#446 - Building Client Relationships in a Labor-Short World
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, Dillon and John pull back the curtain on what drives Vertical Design Services — and what drives them personally. With 15 years of experience in electrical engineering, Dillon shares why he thrives on the front end of projects: crafting…
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#445 - Vertical Design Build Summit: Innovation, Networking & Leadership for Every Contractor
In this episode of Construction Corner, Dillon and John give a full breakdown of the Vertical Design Build Summit 2026 — coming to Chicagoland on October 1st. Fresh off a successful inaugural event in Madison with nearly 70 contractors in attendance, they're leveling up with an incredible speaker...
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#444 - Seizing the Opportunity: From Apprentice Electrician to Engineering Entrepreneur
In this episode of Construction Corner, host Dillon sits down with his business partner John Molak, who took anything but a traditional path — from a short stint in college to becoming a licensed journeyman electrician, then pivoting into lighting sales, and eventually co-founding a fast-growing...
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#443 - Inside VDS: Automating Construction Engineering from the Ground Up
In this episode of Construction Corner, host Dillon sits down to discuss how Vertical Design Services (VDS) is redefining what an electrical engineering firm can be. From vertical integration and AI-powered workflows to accelerating the learning curve for engineers, Dillon breaks down the…
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#442 - The Future of Construction: AI, Prefab, Design-Build & Why Contracts Change Everything
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, host Dillon looks ahead at what the construction industry will look like over the next decade. He breaks down why licensed professions — engineers, lawyers, doctors — aren't going away despite AI, and how the real shift will come from better...
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#441 - Plugged In or Gassed Up: America's Energy Debate
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, host Dillon dives into the rapidly shifting energy landscape — starting with a fresh FERC press release that brings new regulatory guidance on how data centers and large power users connect to the grid. From there, the conversation covers the...
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#440 - Big Firm vs. Small Firm: What Actually Matters for Your Career
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, host Dillon sits down to discuss the big firm vs. small firm debate in engineering — breaking down what each type of company actually offers early-career professionals, how culture and company values shape your experience more than size alone…
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#439 - Off the Grid in Oregon: How Living Without Power Shaped an Electrical Engineer
In this episode, Dillon traces his path to electrical engineering back to an unusual origin: growing up off the grid on 38 acres in rural Oregon. He walks through the real-world mechanics of running a homestead on wind, solar, hydro, and propane — and why the math on green energy rarely pencils…
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#438 - Almonds, Aqueducts, and Air Boards: Water West of Colorado
In this episode, the host digs into a LinkedIn argument that got under his skin — people applying Midwest logic to Western water problems. He breaks down why water rights in the West are a completely different beast: from California's century-old water accords and LA's dependence on Lake Mead, to...
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#437 - Your Personal Economy: Why the Headlines Don't Determine Your Success
Dillon makes the case that the economy you should care most about isn't the one on the news — it's your own. Whether the market is up or down, your personal trajectory is determined by what you're doing, who you're selling to, how you're spending, and what you're building. He draws the parallel…
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#436 - Workforce Development, Prefab & Leadership: What's Coming to the VDS Summit
Dillon gives a preview of what's coming at the next Vertical Design Build Summit — speakers covering workforce development, prefab, design-build, and leadership — before diving into a candid conversation about what it really takes to build a career in the trades. He breaks down the reality behind...
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#435 - The Grid, the GPUs and the Gap
Dillon connects the dots between the aging power grid, the AI boom, and what it all means for construction. He traces the arc from EV adoption to data center explosion — and why today's power demands from AI infrastructure dwarf anything the grid has faced before. He also gets into the...
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#434 - Advanced BIM, Automation, AI, and the Future of Construction
Recorded live at the Vertical Design Build Summit 2025, Dillon Mitchell delivers a presentation on AI, BIM automation, and the future of construction. He shares how his firm built automation tools that can place thousands of devices in a 320,000 sq ft building in minutes instead of months, why…
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433 - AI Won't Replace You: Construction & Engineering Jobs Are Here to Stay
With AI reshaping every industry, a lot of engineers and construction professionals are wondering if their jobs are at risk. Dillon breaks down why the answer is no — and why careers in construction and engineering are more secure than ever. From the legal and licensing frameworks that require...
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#432 - The Infrastructure Behind AI: Power, Data Centers & the Future of Construction
In this episode of Construction Corner, host Dillon breaks down the massive infrastructure transformation sweeping America — and what it means for the construction industry. Dillon covers: The power grid under pressure — Why the surge in data centers and reshoring of manufacturing is driving...
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#431 - Check It Twice: How to Eliminate RFIs and Engineering Failures
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, host Dillon breaks down the most common failure points in the traditional plan-and-spec process and explains why some projects end up buried in RFIs. He pulls back the curtain on the two sides of the RFI problem — engineering teams that don't...
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#430 - Big Projects, Big Lists: The Secret to Scaling as an Engineering Firm
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, host Dillon pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to manage large-scale construction and engineering projects. He talks about why mega projects are exciting but often come with confidentiality agreements that limit what firms can…
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#429 - Coordination & Clash Detection: How to Build It Right Before You Break Ground
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, host Dillon breaks down the importance of coordination and clash detection in Revit-based construction projects. He explains how modeling every trade's systems — conduit, duct, pipe, hangers, sprinkler heads, and more — in a shared virtual...
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#428 - Design Build Done Right: Procurement, Partnerships & Pitfalls
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, host Dillon dives into the growing trend of design build projects and why more owners are choosing it over traditional plan-and-spec engineering. He breaks down the biggest advantage — procurement timelines — explaining how getting electrical...
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#427 - Remote vs. On-Site: Building a Winning Culture in Construction
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, host Dillon breaks down the pros and cons of remote vs. on-site employees in construction. He makes the case for in-person work as the most effective way to build a strong company culture — especially in the early stages — sharing real examples...
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#426 - AI, Starlink, and the Future of Engineering
In this episode, host Dillon riffs on Starlink, full-time RV living, and what it all signals about the future of work — then dives into an honest take on AI: where it's actually helping (accounting, media production, content creation) and where it still falls flat (complex customer service…
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#425 - More Than Drawings: Spending Time Adds Real Value
In this episode of the Construction Corner Podcast, host Dillon dives into what truly sets an engineering firm apart — and it comes down to one thing: time spent with people. Dillon explores the idea that great engineering isn't just about calculations and drawings; it's about curation,...
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#424 - All in Before the Win: Hidden Effort behind Design Build
In this episode of the Construction Corner Podcast, host Dillon pulls back the curtain on what really happens inside an engineering firm when chasing a major project. He shares the story of a grueling two-to-three week sprint to put together a full set of 200 drawings — mechanical and electrical…
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#423 - Run Your Own Race: Lessons from the Zion 100
In this episode of the Construction Corner Podcast, host Dillon recaps his attempt at the Zion 100-miler — and the hard-earned lessons that came with a DNF at mile 52. After months of training through travel, holidays, and illness, Dillon and a training partner flew out to Utah only to face a...
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#422 - Furnished Finders & The Office Ego Trap
In this episode of the Construction Corner Podcast, host Dillon shares his experience hunting down furnished housing for summer interns — discovering that Furnished Finder is a surprisingly affordable alternative to Airbnb for monthly stays. He then dives into a broader lesson learned over his...
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#421 - Real World vs. the Classroom: Training, Processes & Life at an Engineering Firm
Dillon covers three topics in one: how to build real training systems for your crew, what a day in the life actually looks like running an engineering firm, and how the real world stacks up against what you learned in school. He breaks down why contractors need documented processes for even the...
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#420 - Face to Face: How Showing Up Sets Us Apart
Dillon makes the case for why showing up in person is still one of the most powerful things you can do in business. In a world of Zoom calls and virtual meetings, he shares how consistent travel — from quick 24-hour turns to cross-country client dinners — has become Vertical Design Services'...
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#419 - Why We Choose Design-Build: Faster Timelines, Better Teams
Dillon breaks down the design-build delivery method and why it beats traditional plan-and-spec contracting. From cutting months off the submittal process to building high-trust relationships between engineers and contractors, he walks through how integrated teams move faster, fight less, and...
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#418 - Building the Future: Housing, Company Towns & Community Anchors
Dillon breaks down why California's housing crisis is so hard to fix — from CEQA environmental red tape to landlord laws that drive away investment. He draws on history to make the case for company-built housing, explores how anchor tenants revive struggling communities, and shares his vision for...
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#417 - Buried or Overhead: The Pros, Cons, and Costs of Underground Utilities
After losing power for nearly a week following a massive snowstorm — complete with exploding trees, a fallen line ripped from a neighbor's weatherhead, and Caltrans traffic control on a state highway — host Dillon digs into one of the most debated topics in utility infrastructure: should power...
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#416 - Volunteer, Donate, Show Up: The Business Owner's Guide to Giving Back
In this episode of Construction Corner, host Dillon makes the case that blue collar businesses — contractors, engineers, electricians, and tradespeople — are the real backbone of community giving. From sponsoring youth soccer teams and buying 4H animals at the county fair, to volunteering on...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
We Cover Commercial Construction. If you are in commercial construction as an Architect, Engineer, Contractor or Owner, this is the show for you. Hosted by Dillon Mitchell, PE, Founder of Kowabunga Studios
HOSTED BY
Dillon Mitchell
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Construction Corner have?
The Construction Corner currently has 463 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Construction Corner about?
We Cover Commercial Construction. If you are in commercial construction as an Architect, Engineer, Contractor or Owner, this is the show for you. Hosted by Dillon Mitchell, PE, Founder of Kowabunga Studios
How often does The Construction Corner release new episodes?
The Construction Corner publishes regularly with 463 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Construction Corner?
You can listen to The Construction Corner 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 The Construction Corner?
The Construction Corner is created and hosted by Dillon Mitchell.
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