PowerTips Unscripted

10 Episodes
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By: Remodelers Advantage

Industry leaders Victoria Downing and Mark Harari of Remodelers Advantage host this weekly podcast to bring you, the professional remodeler, tips, tactics and techniques to build a strong, profitable remodeling company. Every week we'll bring you in-depth interviews with leading business experts, best-selling authors, and owners of multi-million dollar remodeling companies from across the US and Canada. Oh, and there's a British lady, too.

Bridging the Skills Gap from an Economist’s Perspective with Mischa Fisher – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]
Today at 1:49 PM

An aging skilled workforce is retiring, and there’s a shortage of younger people taking their place. It’s a hot topic among remodeling companies, who are still searching for the right answers to solving their labor shortage.

In  this episode, Mischa Fisher, Victoria, and Mark discuss what you can do to bridge the skills gap, and how to change deep-seated perceptions around joining the home-services industry. 

Mischa Fisher is the chief economist at ANGI Homeservices, representing the HomeAdvisor and Angie’s List brands. Prior to this role, Mischa was chief economist for Illinois, where he serve...


Using Virtual Reality to Grow Sales and Profits with Chris Katkish – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]
03/21/2024

Virtual reality creates immersive environments in real time. For remodelers, that means your clients could preview and even “walk-through” their projects to see if they like what they’re seeing. 

Guest Chris Katkish says VR can help remodelers streamline their sales and design process, trim the length of the sales cycle, and boost production efficiency by reducing change orders. All of which leads to more sales and more profit.

In this episode, Chris talks to Victoria and Mark about using VR technology to help clients confidently make decisions more quickly in the sales and design process...


Partnership — Creating a Unified Vision for Your Company’s Future with Matt Carlson – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]
03/14/2024

Having a business partner can be an enormous advantage if you approach it correctly. Most people underestimate the commitment and work that goes into a partnership. Ensuring that you’re on the same page and share the same vision goes far beyond having a plan on paper.

In this episode, Matt Carlson shares his story with Victoria and Mark, and what he’s learned as the minority partner in his business in making the relationship work.

Matt is the general manager and co-owner of Fox Home Innovations in Manhattan, KS. After 10 years in the business, and ni...


Focusing on Clarity in Communication with Jeremy Steinruck – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]
03/07/2024

We’re under an almost constant barrage of information from every angle. As leaders in our business, it’s imperative that our messages are clearly understood. But it’s equally important, if not more so, that we get messages clearly. 

In this episode, Jeremy discusses how to make your communication skills better with Victoria and Mark, what it will take, and how it will help your business and your life.

Jeremy is co-owner and vice president of Axis Construction in Wichita Falls, TX, a company he and partner Jeff Miller started 13 years ago. Jeremy holds a master’...


Improving Your Bottom Line with Green Upgrades with Doug Selby – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]
02/29/2024

Many of your customers will pay more for items that improve the health, comfort, and efficiency of their homes. As one of the few things that pay for themselves over time, green upgrades can also boost your average project revenue and make you stand out in your market.

In this episode, Doug Selby talks to Victoria and Mark about how green upgrades can improve your remodeling company’s bottom line.

Doug is a co-founder of Meadowlark Design+Build in Ann Arbor, MI, and recently graduated from the CEO role to to focus on long-term strategy and...


Empower Your Team to Help You Build a Great Business with Jason Blenker – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]
02/22/2024

If you’re going to build something — a building, a company, a team — you owe it to the world to build something great. Identify what makes you exceptional and empower your team to help you build a great business.

In this episode, Jason Blenker tells Victoria and Mark about how and why he put his organization on the path to greatness, how he defines the term, and inspiring your team to carry out that mission.

Jason is the president of Blenker Companies Inc., a Midwest provider of housing solutions designed to make the building process easier...


Tiered Growth: Understanding Metrics and Recognizing Signs to Set Profitable Sales Goals with Michael Hodgin – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]
02/15/2024

Most people would consider a company jumping from $1.5 million to $3 million in revenue a growing organization. However, when we look beyond gross sales, those numbers don’t necessarily mean it grew. It could even mean the company is less profitable — and ultimately less successful — than it was before. 

Michael Hodgin says planning for, and implementing, tiered advances are a better strategy for deliberate, healthy growth.

In this episode, Michael discusses his tiered increase growth strategy with Victoria and Mark. For healthy growth, he says you have to set and meet certain goals for sales, job costs, sy...


How to Embed Innovation into Your Remodeling Company with Ben Bensaou – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]
02/08/2024

Many people believe that innovation comes from a sudden “aha!” moment, but, that is rarely the case.  So, guest Ben Bensaou is here to share how to continuously embed innovation into your company using a systematic approach.

Ben Bensaou is a professor and former Dean of Executive Education at INSEAD. As an innovation consultant, he has helped some of the world’s leading companies build innovation into their corporate DNA. He has been a visiting professor at Harvard Business School, and a research fellow at Wharton.

Victoria, Mark and Ben talk more about:

The types of...


The Seven Deadly Sins of Negotiating with Jeff Borovitz – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]
02/01/2024

A remodeler who fears negotiation, is like a roofer who is afraid of heights.

Negotiation skills are necessary for success in the field of remodeling.  However, a lot of remodelers are unaware of how to even approach the subject. 

Guest Jeff Borovitz joins Victoria and Mark in this episode to talk about how to be an efficient negotiator and how to avoid the seven deadly sins of negotiation that stand in the way of success.

Jeff is a franchise owner of Sandler Training and the Remodelers Advantage Sandler Sales Trainer. He has advised, train...


How To Double The Number Of Top Leaders In Your Remodeling Company: Hire And Train More Women, Featuring Iris Harrell – [Best of PowerTips Unscripted]
01/25/2024

In this episode of PowerTips Unscripted, Iris Harrell discusses the importance of having women in key positions within remodeling companies. They make up half of the US workforce, so there is a sizeable recruitment pool, and they also relate on a deeper level with female customers, who often drive decision-making. Women are multi-taskers, organizers, collaborators, and task-oriented, making them assets to any organization. 

Iris founded Harrell Design Build, a large, female-led, employee-owned, full-line remodeling company.  Harrell has consistently committed to high-quality design and craftsmanship and conscientious customer care since their inception in 1985. They also employ only people who...