LIVE EVERY TUESDAY
The better you are at your job, the more your company leans on you. Every question, every decision, every “got a sec?” lands on your desk.
That’s why Christene Marie of The Knowing Agency and I started a live workshop series. Every Tuesday, we tackle one real problem builders face with systems, AI, and growth. Bring your questions. We build the sessions around them.
Yesterday, Brian Turmail of AGC of America joined Christene Marie and me for Part 1 of What’s Next for Construction? We expected to talk about AI. We ended up talking about the people the AI is supposed to help.
YESTERDAY: THE LEAKY BUCKET
Brian’s biggest point was that the industry is filling a leaky bucket. Superintendents, PMs, estimators, and electricians are the hardest roles to fill. Some electricians get poached two or three times, and some firms hire two people for every open seat.
Recruiting is fixable. Retention is a culture problem, and culture is hard to build when your crews change from job to job.
Brian’s one big change: rethink the on-site model. Give mid-career people room for parent-teacher conferences, the DMV, and the rest of their lives.
Nobody experiments with AI when they’re worried about their job or their super’s mood. Safety comes first. Innovation follows.
Part 2: Planning for 2027 + AI
Next Tuesday, Brian returns and we get into the AI side. We’ll cover how to plan your company for 2027, how personal AI assistants take work off an owner’s plate, and Claude for Construction, shown live.
Christene raised an idea we’ll pick up: using AI to tailor work to what actually motivates each person on your team.
What we cover
Where the industry is headed in 2027, from AGC of America
How to plan your company for next year
Personal AI assistants and Claude for Construction, live
Using AI to fit the work to your people, not the other way around
The EQ Foundation
Christene explained emotional intelligence as having two parts:
Self-awareness. Notice something is off before it shows up in how you treat people.
Empathy plus wisdom. Care about people and hold the line. Empathy alone builds a soft culture.
EQ is the foundation. Mission, vision, and values are what you build on it. Skip the foundation and the rest cracks.
Want to go deeper?
The weekly workshop also introduces our Contractor Operating System, a six-month cohort that builds six core systems into your business: Vision & Strategy, Finance & Reporting, Marketing & Sales, Production, Operations & Automation, and HR & Leadership. It starts January 7, 2027. We’re taking 20 companies, and only one per trade in each area, so you won’t sit next to your competition.
Steal this for your company
Before Tuesday, ask one person on your team one question: “If we started using AI tomorrow, what would worry you most?” Write down the answer and bring it to the session. That worry is where your rollout plan starts.
THE VALUE VAULT
SkillMatch — AI Estimate Tool
Answer 26 questions. Get a prioritized list of the AI skills that will have the biggest impact — personalized to your revenue, team, and project mix.
Beyond the Bid — YouTube
Every episode, uncut. Watch full conversations with the operators, consultants, and builders who've already figured it out.
Claude — AI Writing Tool
Draft review responses, client communications, and SOW language using your own project context.
What’s one thing your crew deals with that you’d never hear about unless you asked?
Grant
