Dirt Talk by BuildWitt

This week on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Witt is joined by BuildWitt’s own Eric Jumper to dive into the dark web of construction. They make predictions about ConExpo 2023, virtual equipment training, and why “more robots” is a poor solution to the workforce issues facing the Dirt World. If you have any questions or feedback, email the Dirt Talk crew at [email protected]. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shane Patterson started his career selling tires and making good money. Life was good… until he realized that the Dirt World was calling. So he took a job as a haul truck driver to get out from behind a desk, and over the span of 18 months, he earned more and more responsibility (and the accompanying skills) by asking directly for it when he saw how he could help the team. Shane would go on to realize that he could take the soft skills learned from sales and the technical experience he was learning from his construction job and build something for himself. So with a total of 2 side jobs under his belt, he took a chance with his wife and started Patterson Excavating in Zionsville, Indiana. With a focus on growing and leading the people that he brings into the company, he’s been able to experience firsthand just how hungry the new generation coming into the Dirt World is to build things that last. This week on Dirt Talk, Shane Patterson joined host Aaron Witt in the BuildWitt HQ to discuss the importance of asking for what you want, communicating to a team the specifics of why growing a company helps everyone involved, and why Shane is so passionate about instilling in his employees the drive to accomplish huge goals. The guys also discuss a boots-on-the-ground perspective of the challenge and opportunity of bringing young people into a more traditional industry. Check out more about Patterson Excavating at pattersonexcavation.com or follow them on IG at @pattersonexcavating. If you have any questions or feedback, email the Dirt Talk crew at [email protected]. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron and Alex are back answering good questions with questionable answers. The guys dig into questions on topics like hard hat stickers, using LinkedIn to build a business, and discussing where a 22-year-old should start when coming into the industry to start a career. Aaron also reflects on the most important decision(s) that have had the biggest positive impact on BuildWitt’s culture. Thanks to the folks who sent in questions! If we didn’t get to your question, Alex will try to get to it on the next Q+A episode. Unless it’s very clearly not for public ears (you know who you are, fellas!). If you have any questions or feedback, email the Dirt Talk crew at [email protected]. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carson Mediate is interesting. Multiple times during the podcast, host Aaron Witt exclaimed, “no shit!” Carson is from south Georgia, and didn’t grow up in the Dirt World, in that neither of his parents worked in the industry. However, he DID start his own landscaping business when he was 14 and was running crews of his friends and managing at a Chik Fil A all while going to high school. He always had an interest in agriculture work, and after high school, he had to decide if he was going to focus on landscaping as a career or move on to something bigger. He moved to Savannah, GA in his early 20s and had an opportunity to start a trucking company focused on dump trucks in the area. As that business grew, he became immersed in the Dirt World, and from those experiences, Carson knew that he wanted to focus on starting his own excavation and grading company. Fast-forward a few years to today as he and his team are constantly learning and adapting to the needs of the Dirt World. Today on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Witt and Carson Mediate chat about why college wasn’t the right path for Carson (and why diving into work was the correct way), why the trucking industry is a red-tape nightmare that is systemically built to make it harder and harder for new people to enter it, and why it can be so valuable to do the kinds of work that aren’t “sexy” to build relationships in the Dirt World. To keep up with Carson’s story, check him out at @brackishconstruction. If you have any questions or feedback, email the Dirt Talk crew at [email protected]. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Being in the family business… I'm lucky for that because a lot of people don't have the opportunity. I have it. I want to take advantage of it.” Kevin Tompkins grew up in the family business, going to work with his dad when he was 2 years old. He started working weekends and summers when he was 10, but ended up going away to college for civil engineering. After just one year of school, however, he knew deep down that he wanted to go back home and help his family run Tompkins Excavating. He was doing bidding and estimating while still in school, and once he graduated in 2019, he was all-in full-time with the family company. But to get to that point, he first worked for other companies, and even though he got good experience, he knew he’d maximize his career by diving into the family business. This week on Dirt Talk, Kevin joined host Aaron Witt to discuss the value of learning a large variety of skills in the Dirt World, why embracing technology allows you to stay ahead of the times, and why it’s important to realize that it’s getting harder and harder to hire elite talent in the field (and why you’re better off developing the talent from the ground up). Thanks to Kevin and the team at Tompkins Excavating! To follow their story, you can go follow them on IG @tompkins_excavating or visit tompkinsexcavating.com. If you have any questions or feedback, email the Dirt Talk crew at [email protected]. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the first official episode of Dirt Talk: Travel Reports with Aaron Witt and Chase Lyons. Chase is the director/videographer of the Aaron Witt vlog. Check that out at youtube.com/@AaronWitt. This week, Aaron and Chase recount the week they recently spent in the Western US in California and Colorado. They only got to see a few job sites in California before the uncharacteristic rain forced a change in plans. In addition to the classic construction content, they also were lucky enough to see a Cal Fire training session, Winter X Games construction in Aspen, and the guys got to spend a day with action sports star Jarryd McNeil on his farm. They ended the trip hanging with old BuildWitt friend Shay Stutsman from Stutsman Gerbaz Inc Earthmoving. If you have any questions or feedback, email the Dirt Talk crew at [email protected]. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back on Dirt Talk this week is Randy Blount, former owner of Blount Contracting and now current CFO(!) at BuildWitt. He was the first investor at BuildWitt and has been a valuable advisor over the years, and we’re stoked to have him leading our finance arm into the future. This week on Dirt Talk, Randy and host Aaron Witt chat about why the construction industry's stuck in the old ways, using a traditional command and control structure. They also get into the Dirt World's low-profit margins, the importance of the office even though it's not revenue-producing, and why internal conflicts are both natural and a problem that must be addressed culturally. They also discuss the Dirt World’s crucial role in shaping society's future and leveraging good economic times to make big changes. If you have questions or feedback for the Dirt Talk crew, email us at [email protected]. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the first episode of 2023, Aaron and Alex take a look back at 2022. They discuss the progress and successes of BuildWitt over the past year. The guys mention that their marketing services have had remarkable success and that they have been able to engage with high-quality companies. They also mention that the BuildWitt Training software, while successful, has not had the expected speed of adoption and the cost of that overestimation. Aaron also shares his struggle to talk about successes and tends to focus on what they can do better and the next steps for the company. They also discuss the way their company organizes and prioritizes its goals, using the "rocks" system in which each level of the organization has goals that feed up to the larger goals. Aaron expresses his concern that the "rocks" system may constrict their ability to create and do things that have never been done before. He also mentions that they've had to correct course in the past year due to mistakes of thinking they were smarter than they were and growing too fast. And those mistakes cost us. Thankfully, there were also plenty of lessons to be learned, especially in the hard stuff, and so we march forward with both momentum and lessons learned in tow. If you have feedback or questions, reach out at [email protected]. Thanks! Lots of exciting stuff ahead for Dirt Talk and the greater BuildWitt mission, so for now… Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Building BuildWitt! For the last 4 weeks, we’ve published pieces of a 4-part story chronicling Dirt Talk host Aaron Witt’s upbringing far away from the Dirt World and how a series of disconnected experiences and decisions led to the formation and growth of the company that became BuildWitt. In the final episode of this season, we’ll hear how and why Aaron started hiring people, how he almost got arrested in Saudi Arabia, and why its so vital to tell the stories of the Dirt World. Thanks for listening. If you have any questions, stories, or feedback, don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected]. Listen to Dirt Talk: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2GK5UWkulNJ6tNFXvWngMt?si=2332acb8e2954301 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirt-talk-by-buildwitt/id1494235724 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnV6enNwcm91dC5jb20vNzc5NjAz Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Building BuildWitt! For the next 4 weeks, we’ll be bringing you pieces of a 4-part story chronicling Dirt Talk host Aaron Witt’s upbringing far away from the Dirt World and how a series of disconnected experiences and decisions led to the formation and growth of the company that became BuildWitt. In episode 3, Aaron tells of his experiences working for Kiewit (and why he turned down their full-time job offer), why he moved to Texas, and why he left construction altogether. Thanks for listening. If you have any questions, stories, or feedback, don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected]. Listen to Dirt Talk: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2GK5UWkulNJ6tNFXvWngMt?si=2332acb8e2954301 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirt-talk-by-buildwitt/id1494235724 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnV6enNwcm91dC5jb20vNzc5NjAz Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Building BuildWitt! For the next 4 weeks, we’ll be bringing you pieces of a 4-part story chronicling Dirt Talk host Aaron Witt’s upbringing far away from the Dirt World and how a series of disconnected experiences and decisions led to the formation and growth of the company that became BuildWitt. In episode 2, Aaron tells of the punch in the mouth that came in the form of “going to college for engineering”, what he realized that he loved about working in the field, and why he came in last place in an estimating competition. Thanks for listening. If you have any questions, stories, or feedback, don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected]. Listen to Dirt Talk: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2GK5UWkulNJ6tNFXvWngMt?si=2332acb8e2954301 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirt-talk-by-buildwitt/id1494235724 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnV6enNwcm91dC5jb20vNzc5NjAz Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Building BuildWitt! For the next 4 weeks, we’ll be bringing you pieces of a 4-part story chronicling Dirt Talk host Aaron Witt’s upbringing far away from the Dirt World and how a series of disconnected experiences and decisions led to the formation and growth of the company that became BuildWitt. In episode 1, Aaron shares the story of his childhood love of the trash truck (and its driver), his formative years working on a ranch in Montana, and the career-shifting experience of his first construction job. Thanks for listening. If you have any questions, stories, or feedback, don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected]. Stay dirty! Listen to Dirt Talk: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2GK5UWkulNJ6tNFXvWngMt?si=2332acb8e2954301 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirt-talk-by-buildwitt/id1494235724 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnV6enNwcm91dC5jb20vNzc5NjAz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nate Emerson runs Armadillo Excavation in Chattanooga, TN. Nate grew up on a 100-acre farm in Giles County, about an hour south of Nashville. After 2 years of college studying construction management, Nate knew that it wasn’t for him, and made a hard pivot to working in the music industry, selling merchandise, and doing stagehand work. After some office work experience, Nate found himself staring out the window into the Chattanooga mountains and realized that was where he needed to be. So he started chatting with local contractors and before he knew it, he was digging a basement on the side of a mountain. The rest, as they say, is history. This week on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Witt and Nate Emerson of Armadillo Excavation discuss the primal instinct to want to get out in the dirt, learning the hard lesson that building a business is mostly just making it up as you go, and doing hard things for your own mental wellness. Follow along with Nate’s story on IG at @armadilloexcavationllc. — DirtWorld.com Let’s build a BETTER DIRT WORLD Without the Dirt World, we wouldn’t have the food, clean water, electricity, roads, or shelter required for survival. Demand for the industry is growing, yet over 40% of our workforce will retire by 2031. We must add hundreds of thousands of people every year only to keep up... So let’s fix that. What if society viewed our profession as noble? What if parents were proud when their kids declared they wanted to be in the Dirt World? What if a workforce shortage was no longer a worry? Now is the time for us all to work together to build a movement. We need to tell our industry's story, further care for and train our existing workforce, and create clear pathways for people to join and succeed in the Dirt World. It's all possible, but only together, and time is of the essence. Help us secure the future of the Dirt World. Listen to Dirt Talk: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2GK5UWkulNJ6tNFXvWngMt?si=2332acb8e2954301 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirt-talk-by-buildwitt/id1494235724 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnV6enNwcm91dC5jb20vNzc5NjAz Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron and Alex ditch the original topic planned as they have a frank and honest conversation about the complications of serving an industry without being in the industry directly, why the work in the Dirt World is SO vital, and why the narrative about Blue Collar work in today’s society must change. If you’ve been following along with BuildWitt and care about the Dirt World, you know that the narrative shift must start with us. Stay Dirty! Listen to Dirt Talk: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2GK5UWkulNJ6tNFXvWngMt?si=2332acb8e2954301 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirt-talk-by-buildwitt/id1494235724 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnV6enNwcm91dC5jb20vNzc5NjAz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron and Eric discuss strange emissions laws, plus answer questions about Whistlin’ Diesel, patching highways, and the Dirt World effects of increased interest rates. — DirtWorld.com Let’s build a BETTER DIRT WORLD Without the Dirt World, we wouldn’t have food, clean water, electricity, roads, or shelter required for survival. Demand for the industry is growing, yet over 40% of our workforce will retire by 2031. We must add hundreds of thousands of people every year only to keep up... So let’s fix that. What if society viewed our profession as noble? What if parents were proud when their kids declared they wanted to be in the Dirt World? What if a workforce shortage was no longer a worry? Now is the time for us all to work together to build a movement. We need to tell our industry's story, further care for and train our existing workforce, and create clear pathways for people to join and succeed in the Dirt World. It's all possible, but only together, and time is of the essence. Help us secure the future of the Dirt World. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DirtWorld.com Without the Dirt World, we wouldn’t have the food, clean water, electricity, roads, or shelter required for survival. Demand for the industry is growing, yet over 40% of our workforce will retire by 2031. We must add hundreds of thousands of people every year only to keep up… So let’s fix that. What if society viewed our profession as noble? What if parents were proud when their kids declared they wanted to be in the Dirt World? What if a workforce shortage was no longer a worry? Now is the time for us all to work together to build a movement. We need to tell our industry's story, further care for and train our existing workforce, and create clear pathways for people to join and succeed in the Dirt World. It's all possible, but only together, and time is of the essence. Help us secure the future of the Dirt World. Let's build a better Dirt World — together. Listen to Dirt Talk: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2GK5UWkulNJ6tNFXvWngMt?si=2332acb8e2954301 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, hosts Aaron Witt and Alex Horton laid out the plans for Aaron’s trip to Germany with Chase Lyons, a Director/Videographer at BuildWitt. Those guys are now back stateside and they uh… got into some stuff over there. Aaron lays out their time at the bauma trade show, a construction and mining machinery trade fair held every three years in Munich. It’s the largest tradeshow in the world, but the guys got to spend a lot of time meeting folks in the Dirt World and seeing some badass machines. Keep an eye out for the vlog on Aaron’s YouTube channel. This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron shares his experiences in a MASSIVE underground salt mine, the joys of watching a crew work a marble quarry, and riding in an “elevator” on the end of a crane arm. — DirtWorld.com Let’s build a BETTER DIRT WORLD Without the Dirt World, we wouldn’t have food, clean water, electricity, roads, or shelter required for survival. Demand for the industry is growing, yet over 40% of our workforce will retire by 2031. We must add hundreds of thousands of people every year only to keep up... So let’s fix that. What if society viewed our profession as noble? What if parents were proud when their kids declared they wanted to be in the Dirt World? What if a workforce shortage was no longer a worry? Now is the time for us all to work together to build a movement. We need to tell our industry's story, further care for and train our existing workforce, and create clear pathways for people to join and succeed in the Dirt World. It's all possible, but only together, and time is of the essence. Help us secure the future of the Dirt World. Listen to Dirt Talk: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2GK5UWkulNJ6tNFXvWngMt?si=2332acb8e2954301 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirt-talk-by-buildwitt/id1494235724 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnV6enNwcm91dC5jb20vNzc5NjAz Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jennifer Todd has quite a varied background, but saying it that way doesn’t really do her story justice. She is the Founder and President of LMS Contractors (with offices in FL and GA), graduated from law school while starting a business, was the youngest Black woman to acquire California’s CSLB General Engineering (A) license, multiple college degrees… AND was a contestant on NBC’s The Weakest Link (watch a clip here). And that’s just getting started. So obviously, the Dirt Talk crew was thrilled when she agreed to come to BuildWitt HQ in Nashville, TN to do a podcast. It only took a few minutes of podcasting for host Aaron Witt to mutter “whoa…” as Jennifer was describing what she’s working on and how she got to where she is. HUGE thanks to Jennifer Todd for the educational and inspiring conversation. On this episode of Dirt Talk, Aaron Witt and Jennifer Todd dig into why Jennifer got a law degree while starting a construction business, the challenges of starting and growing a minority business, and why she has such a passion for “the advancement of women in construction and minority inclusivity into the skilled trades workforce.” If you want to follow along with Jennifer Todd’s story, she is on LinkedIn and on IG as @constructionlawgal — DirtWorld.com Let’s build a BETTER DIRT WORLD Without the Dirt World, we wouldn’t have the food, clean water, electricity, roads, or shelter required for survival. Demand for the industry is growing, yet over 40% of our workforce will retire by 2031. We must add hundreds of thousands of people every year only to keep up... So let’s fix that. What if society viewed our profession as noble? What if parents were proud when their kids declared they wanted to be in the Dirt World? What if a workforce shortage was no longer a worry? Now is the time for us all to work together to build a movement. We need to tell our industry's story, further care for and train our existing workforce, and create clear pathways for people to join and succeed in the Dirt World. It's all possible, but only together, and time is of the essence. Help us secure the future of the Dirt World. Listen to Dirt Talk: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2GK5UWkulNJ6tNFXvWngMt?si=2332acb8e2954301 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirt-talk-by-buildwitt/id1494235724 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnV6enNwcm91dC5jb20vNzc5NjAz Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron lays out the trip itinerary to Europe for late October 2022. He and Chase Lyons (Field Producer at BuildWitt) will be spending a few days at bauma 2022 in Munich, Germany, before a 2 day break in Austria. After the Austrian weekend, the guys will head back to Germany for a few days with the folks from Zeppelin Caterpillar. Stay tuned for the update podcast about bauma (it’s been nuts over there!) as well as a breakdown of the trip in a few weeks. Listen to Dirt Talk: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2GK5UWkulNJ6tNFXvWngMt?si=2332acb8e2954301 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirt-talk-by-buildwitt/id1494235724 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnV6enNwcm91dC5jb20vNzc5NjAz Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Dirt Talk, we were delighted to host Aric Smith, Safety Manager at Achen-Gardner Construction out of Chandler, AZ. Aric has done it all in the Dirt World: he started running tractors in high school, pouring concrete, digging ponds, pipelayer… and this was before even becoming an operator! Also to note: Aric used to run a crew that included none other than 18-year-old (and future Dirt Talk host) Aaron Witt himself. Aaron and Aric dig into Aric’s background cutting his teeth on farm equipment on his grandparent’s hobby farm before jumping into a career in the Dirt World. He recounts stories of past road work projects, his affinity for strong unions, and the frustration that comes when people don’t respect construction zones on the highway. This episode is particularly technical, so for the folks who ask for these types of convos: we got you. — — Let’s build a BETTER DIRT WORLD DirtWorld.com Without the Dirt World, we wouldn’t have food, clean water, electricity, roads, or shelter required for survival. Demand for the industry is growing, yet over 40% of our workforce will retire by 2031. We must add hundreds of thousands of people every year only to keep up... So let’s fix that. What if society viewed our profession as noble? What if parents were proud when their kids declared they wanted to be in the Dirt World? What if a workforce shortage was no longer a worry? Now is the time for us all to work together to build a movement. We need to tell our industry's story, further care for and train our existing workforce, and create clear pathways for people to join and succeed in the Dirt World. It's all possible, but only together, and time is of the essence. Help us secure the future of the Dirt World. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aron Nick was recommended to us with a simple message: “He has been kicking ass trying to make the Dirt World a better place.” Since that is about as good of an intro as any: Aron Nick is an Equipment Trainer at Strack, Inc out of Fairburn, GA. He’s been around the block in the industry: shoveled fly ash at a coal power plant, helped build the 5th runway at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and has built a reputation as an elite operator. He’s spent time as a supervisor, thought he wasn’t cut out for leadership and tried to stay out of leader, but was immediately identified over and over again as someone who knows their stuff and has the patience to teach that to others. In the last few years, Aron has dived head-first into developing effective training programs to bring new folks into the industry and train them to become highly valuable team members. With a background like that, what’s not to like? This week on Dirt Talk, Aron joins host Aaron Witt in the Dirt Talk Studio for a vulnerable and transparent conversation about his winding road through the Dirt World, what he’s discovered many people miss when it comes to training new people, and how leadership doesn’t just come from your job title — everyone can be a leader. Follow the Strack Inc story at strackinc.com or @strack_inc on IG. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Although social media has been almost universally adopted for personal use worldwide, it can still sometimes be a polarizing topic when it comes to its use in business. This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron and Alex discuss the value that comes from using social media to tell the world who your business is and what you’re all about. A majority of this week's conversation centers around the idea that treating social media as a way to get more clients misses tons of its value and only scratches the surface of the idea that building and engaging online communities can make us all better. Aaron and Alex also have some equipment talk at the beginning of the episode. Stay Dirty! Listen to Dirt Talk: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2GK5UWkulNJ6tNFXvWngMt?si=2332acb8e2954301 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirt-talk-by-buildwitt/id1494235724 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnV6enNwcm91dC5jb20vNzc5NjAz Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Aaron Witt found out that Priestly Demolition’s VP of Operations Brian Priestly & President Ryan Priestly would travel south to Nashville from Ontario, Canada, Aaron immediately reached out to the rest of the Dirt Talk crew with a simple message: “get these guys on the podcast.” Fortunately for us, they came down to the BuildWitt HQ, and we had a ball talking demolition… because who doesn’t enjoy a little demo, now and then?! After a quick tour of the office, the guys settled into the studio, and the conversation was off to the races. We’ll say this: this episode features a LOT of conversation about demolition. Ryan and Brian have over 50 years of combined experience in the industry, and not only do they know their stuff, they clearly have a heart for the work and the folks that do the work. This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron Witt chats with Ryan Priestly and Brian Priestly of Priestly Demolition about how the demo business got started, the humbling nature of doing demolition work, and their plans to grow internationally. They also touch on their experience with having their company be featured on the History Channel’s “Salvage Kings” for 2 years. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aaron and Alex are back in the studio, but this Monday the audience members are the ones truly in the driver's seat. That’s right we are doing another question-and-answer episode and touching on some great submissions from our amazing Dirt Talk fans. The questions touch on recognizable iron, how rewarding a career in the Dirt World can be, running one-hundred miles, our core values, and lessons from starting a company. Thank you to everyone who submitted questions. Keep on sending them to [email protected] and you just might hear them on the next Q&A episode. Stay dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we bring you the very first edition of Dirt Talk: LIVE where Aaron, Alex, and Eric take the Dirt Talk show on the road. Aaron lays out the story below: “Months ago, organizers from the ECC (The Association for the Capital Projects Engineering and Construction Community) asked us to speak to 200 of their future leaders at their annual conference in San Antonio. Think key future leaders from companies like Chevron, Shell, Fluor, and Kiewit. While I figured I’d prepare another speech about workforce development and what everyone can do to help solve the problem, the event organizers had a different idea… They wanted us to take the Dirt Talk Podcast on the road. After hundreds of podcast episodes, Alex, Eric, and I are pretty damn comfortable talking dirt, but we always do it within our small Nashville studio. To do it on stage in front of 200 important people? That’s a different ballgame. And one more detail… The speaker before us was a retired U.S. Army general. What the heck were they thinking of inviting us? We gave it the ol’ college try, and I’m happy with how we did. We talked about our travels, explained the importance of storytelling, and answered audience questions. We debriefed at the airport after and have a long list of lessons learned, but we may be onto something. Stay tuned… the Dirt Talk Podcast might be coming soon to a conference near you!” Thanks for listening and following along on the BuildWitt journey. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Dirt Talk, Aaron and Alex are joined by Eric Jumper. The guys are coming right off of a full company BuildWitt meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, and they examine why it makes sense to spend money on a company meeting when you’re in growth mode. They discuss the value of educating each person in the company understanding how each team works and why each piece is important to the larger mission to make the Dirt World a better place. Enjoy this Behind the Scenes peek into #buildingbuildwitt. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode is a special treat for Dirt Talk listeners (and maybe especially the Dirt Talk host): Aaron’s mother Carolyn MacDonald is the guest! She gives the dirt (pun intended?) on Aaron’s obsession with construction and its equipment from a very young age as well as gives context (and corroboration) for many of the memories that Aaron has shared over the years about his earliest memories of the Dirt World. This week on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Witt and guest (and mother of the host) Carolyn MacDonald reminisce on Aaron’s earliest Dirt World experiences, contextualize some of Aaron’s more common stories he tells from when he was young, and explain the incredible opportunities Aaron had to learn from smart people as a child. Thanks to Carolyn for coming on the podcast (and to Aaron for allowing it!). Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the Dirt Talk podcast, Aaron, Alex, and guest-host Eric Jumper revisit their recent experience doing the Dirt Talk podcast LIVE in front of a large audience at the ECC Conference in San Antonio, TX. They discuss the challenges of changing up the approach and why it was both fun (and intimidating) to talk about the Dirt World to a room of folks from the energy sector. Later, they chat about the interesting dynamic of some folks in the industry not believing in the BuildWitt mission. Listen to Dirt Talk: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2GK5UWkulNJ6tNFXvWngMt?si=2332acb8e2954301 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirt-talk-by-buildwitt/id1494235724 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnV6enNwcm91dC5jb20vNzc5NjAz Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brent Rasmussen might have the title of Project Manager on LinkedIn, but he’s got his hands all over the family company, Rasmussen Excavation LLC. Rasmussen was started almost 50 years ago with a focus on excavation, but in the years since, they’ve branched out into utilities, sand/gravel, rentals, and their most niche offering: solar projects. This week on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Witt is joined by Brent Rasmussen. The guys chat about building solar farms (12:54), keeping younger guys motivated (37:32), and the importance of giving people the choice to work for you (48:16). Later, they discuss why it’s vital to get “out of the weeds” when leading a business (58:23) and the problems that come when trying to hire from an older generation’s perspective. You can learn more about Rasmussen Excavation by following @rasmussen_excavation or visit their website at rasmussenexcavation.com. Listen to Dirt Talk: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2GK5UWkulNJ6tNFXvWngMt?si=2332acb8e2954301 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirt-talk-by-buildwitt/id1494235724 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnV6enNwcm91dC5jb20vNzc5NjAz Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week begins a new phase on Dirt Talk: Each Monday, we’ll be releasing episodes with new formats, new guests, and new stories! This week on Dirt Talk, the OG Dirt Talk crew (Aaron Witt and Alex Horton) is here with a Q+A. The guys chat about “hidden gem” locations in the Dirt World, book recommendations for young people in the industry, and “chasing the dozer dream”. They also discuss the right time to specialize equipment, keeping morale up on a long slog of a job, and Aaron’s “insistence” (read: demand) to always drive on road trips. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Because September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, we’re featuring a few experts on the topic to share information and tools to help make the Dirt World a better place for all of us. Today, Michelle Walker, founding chairperson of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention, is back on the Dirt Talk podcast for her second episode. She was first featured on episode 41 way back in November 2020. You can find that episode here: buildwitt.com/dirt-talk/podcast/suicide-prevention-in-construction-with-michelle-walker-of-ssc-underground This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron Witt is joined by Michelle Walker to discuss the work that goes into suicide prevention in construction, an essential model for solving the workforce problem, and why caring for people is the most important thing you can do for them. They also touch on navigating tricky work relationships and why it’s so vital to understand and value different experiences that people bring to their work. If you want to learn more or get involved in the essential work, go to preventconstructionsuicide.com for more information. Thanks SO much to Michelle Walker for coming back on the pod. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’ve got Aaron, Alex, and frequent guest Eric Jumper talking about jobsite mistakes and the lessons learned (or not learned). Aaron shares a story from his time working on the railroad, and Eric realizes once he starts telling one mistake story how many others begin flooding his memory. We all make mistakes on the job, and it’s time we admit that mistakes are part of the pathway to growth and getting better. A (semi-) famous quote: “Dude, sucking at something is the first step towards being sorta good at something.” - Jake the Dog from Adventure Time If you’ve got a lesson you’d like to share with the Dirt Talk guys, email us at [email protected]. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas sees issues of suicide prevention and mental health promotion from a host of perspectives. Clinical psychologist. Mental health advocate. Faculty member. Researcher. And suicide loss survivor. She has earned an international reputation as an entrepreneur and innovator in social change. Along the way, she’s helped establish many large-scale, gap-filling mental health efforts, including Man Therapy (www.ManTherapy.org) and National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. In 2016, she was invited to speak at the White House on men’s mental health. And somehow, we were lucky enough to get 90 mins of her time. This week on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Witt chats with Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas about a heavy topic: suicide prevention, especially in the workplace. Dr. Sally shares what led her to the mission of suicide prevention education, what suicide prevention actually looks like, and the challenges of managing mental health in the Dirt World. Dr. Sally clearly has a passion for the work, and we appreciate all of the wisdom, data, and tools that she shared with us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron Witt and Alex Horton are joined by Dirt World “Expert” Eric Jumper. Eric complains about not getting paid after working at BuildWitt for two years (editor’s note: this is not true) before the guys address internet trolls who complain that every video Aaron posts doesn’t show every step of every process, people putting RAM-NEK in the back of an excavator to warm it up in the cold months, and the time Eric brought 10 feet of sewer pipe into the BuildWitt office. Later, they answer questions about how Aaron should be approached in public, now that he’s famous (editor’s note: he absolutely hated this question), and how, after the People Problem, material shortages might be the Dirt World’s next colossal problem. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sophie Coleman (of Victoria, Australia) was raised around the Dirt World as her father built up his career before he started MC Earthmoving. Sophie had thought joining the family business would be for her other siblings, and ended up moving to New York City. But after working a few jobs and traveling a good bit around the US, she started feeling the pull to go back to Australia. And after working part-time at MC Earthmoving as she built her freelance graphic design business, she started to find she wanted to spend more and more time working on the construction business. Fast forward a little bit, and she’s now the “Operations Manager of sorts” for the family business. This week on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Witt is joined by Sophie Coleman as she graciously stopped by the BuildWitt office during her whirlwind tour of the US. They dug into the opportunities and challenges of working for your father, why it’s sometimes okay that people assume she’s a man on the company's social media accounts and the value of approaching efficient practices one tiny step at a time. You can learn more about MC Earthmoving at mcearthmoving.com.au or @mc_earthmoving. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Aaron recounts his recent travel through Canada as he visited an oil sands mine site, the largest Caterpillar dealership in the world, Fort McMurray, Calgary - a wide-ranging trip with some badass earthwork. Aaron weighs in on the negative perception (and the importance today) of oil and the role it plays in society before he and Alex discuss questions about how some employers are providing work-life balance opportunities for their people and why some companies who do the actual earthwork are also required to finance the project before getting paid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The only way to have a more sustainable world is through infrastructure.” Will Paddock is the Managing Director of WAP Sustainability based in Tennessee, a team of sustainability professionals who help clients both in and out of the Dirt World achieve their sustainability goals. To say “the world of sustainability is complex” would be an understatement, as evidenced by the conversation Will had with Dirt Talk host Aaron Witt, but Will has spent his entire career in the space and was able to connect a lot of dots with the role that sustainability plays in the Dirt World. This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron Witt and Will Paddock dig into the world of sustainability in the U.S. and how it plays a role in the Dirt World. Aaron and Will discuss the meaning of LEED, measuring the concrete carbon footprint, and why cement production has had to drop off (and the problems that causes!). Thanks to Will for coming on the podcast. You can learn more about his company at wapsustainability.com. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron and Alex check in on the joys of running and the utter terror of a bathroom emergency in the middle of a long run. Naturally, they transition to the topic of “Perseverance”. Later, they answer questions about staying in the Dirt World while striving for a healthy work-life balance and how to work through relational issues with difficult crew members. Don’t forget to check out the video of this podcast on the Dirt Talk YouTube channel or on the BuildWitt app! To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Dirt Talk, the DT crew has collected some of the most asked-about topics and combined them into one episode to answer YOUR questions about the importance of training and leadership in the Dirt World. Spanning over six months of conversations, we hope that every listener learns something new or sees a new perspective that they hadn’t considered before. Questions/topics discussed include: “Why is it so hard to train my team and get them to work quickly?” Asking yourself why other team members act a certain way when presented with a task “How do I hire and lead my first employee?” Relating to People vs Managing Them “Should trade schools teach Dirt World classes?” “Is a$$-chewing an appropriate leadership and training tactic?” A handful of other points, as well Thanks to all of the listeners of Dirt Talk. You’re the reason we get to do what we do. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron Witt and Alex Horton are back at it, catching up after another long stretch of travel for Aaron. The guys discuss the Appalachian Trail and the “time warp” of living on the road before diving into this week’s topic: Interns. They discuss the value of skipping the unpaid internship and just getting out in the field and working. Then, they answer a question about the value of outward-facing branding and why it works for some companies to paint all of their equipment. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

George Marsh is a collector at heart. Recently, he’s begun hunting for and collecting chain saws. Why? “Why not?!” he says. But because this is a podcast about construction, George’s most obvious (and precious) collection is the armada of heavy equipment that he and his father have accumulated over the years. According to George, a self-proclaimed “old iron enthusiast,” they have something like 70 pieces on their property… and most of them still run! But in addition to the old equipment, he’s also quite the Dirt World historian and an old soul, especially when it comes to being a dragline operator. This week on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Witt and George Marsh dig into why George believes in the power and education that operating only old equipment can provide. George also shares the history of earthmoving in his own family before laying out what drew him to draglines and why it’s such a good fit for the work he wants to do right now. Later, he and Aaron discuss some of the downsides of using and relying on GPS and the pride and level of expertise that can be gained by learning operator skills on older equipment. The guys also discuss the lack of tolerance for mistakes in the industry, the shortage of entry-level positions, and the fulfilling nature of manual labor. If you want to learn more about the equipment that George collects, he’s @oldschoolgeorge on IG. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Witt is joined by Eric Jumper to talk equipment (of course), but the conversation quickly evolves into a conversation on how you approach valuing your work abilities and how to use certain tools to develop yourself and your career. The guys also touch on landfills, meat processing, and machine rental. Later, Aaron and Eric answer questions like “what is strip mining?” and “how do you determine how much you should be paid?” Don’t forget to check out the video of this podcast on the Dirt Talk YouTube channel or on the BuildWitt app! To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve spent any time working in or around the Dirt World, you know this one thing to be true: there is a labor shortage. And if you’ve been listening to Dirt Talk for any length of time, you know that host Aaron Witt is very passionate about working with folks in the industry to fix that issue. Enter Tyler Robertson: CEO of Diesel Laptops. In addition to being a badass company name, it’s also precisely what the company sells. Diesel Laptops “originally set out to help clients with their diagnostic tool needs. As trucks and emission technology became more advanced, a demand was placed in the market for diagnostic tools to meet those needs.” It’s a fascinating technology and the Dirt Talk crew enjoyed chatting with Tyler. This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron Witt is joined by Tyler Robertson of Diesel Laptops to talk diesel engines (insert Tim Taylor from Home Improvement’s grunt here) and the tricky diagnostics and maintenance that come with them. Tyler shares why he started the company in the first place, how it helps with the diesel tech shortage, and what, exactly, “predictive maintenance” is. Later, Tyler and Aaron dig into the disconnect between OEMs and dealers, the future of trucking, and why change starts with responsibility. Thanks to Tyler for coming on the podcast. Go check out Diesel Laptops at diesellaptops.com. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’ve got a special edition of Dirt Talk: host Aaron Witt and producer Alex Horton are joined by BuildWitt Co-President Dan Briscoe to discuss what’s been going on lately on the business side of BuildWitt. Suppose you’ve been following along with the BuildWitt story for the last few months. In that case, you know that we’ve been working on rolling out BuildWitt Training, a software platform built for the Dirt World to address the “people problem”: how can our industry better attract, train, and retain our people? BuildWitt Training was built to make training content easily accessible and easily digestible. We’ve been building the software AND the content and partnering with industry experts to ensure the training content is valuable and first-class. Aaron and Dan discuss why it made sense to go this route as a business and why it’s becoming a rallying cry throughout the industry to get other folks to step up to the plate and double down on training their people. There’s a lot of good information here, whether you’ve been following BuildWitt for years OR you’re new to the BuildWitt story and are just learning about everything the BuildWitt crew is working on. Remember that you can watch/listen to episodes on the BuildWitt app and on our Dirt Talk YouTube Channel. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reilly Sasse gives a sh!t about the blue collar world. You can see it on his company Red River’s website, you can see it on his LinkedIn, and you’ll pick up on it quickly when you chat in person… and luckily, Reilly was kind enough to come hang with the Dirt Talk crew at the BuildWitt HQ last week. Reilly is CEO of Red River, a company in Wyoming that does manufacturability and fabrication for the oil and gas industry. This week on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Witt and Reilly Sasse dig deep on the state of oil and gas in America. Reilly shared why he wanted to go to work at such a young age, his background working for Tapani for many years, and why he places such an emphasis on humility in his own life. Later, he and Aaron chat about the disconnect between the blue collar world and the folks who think blue collar workers don’t care about the environment and why it’s important to not reject emotion for the sake of business. Don’t forget to check out the video of this podcast on the Dirt Talk YouTube channel or on the BuildWitt app! To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron gives a preview of his upcoming trip to Canada. Among other things, he’s pumped to go see the oil sands at Fort McMurray. Later, he and Alex discuss public work vs private work and the complications and opportunities that come with each. They then speak a little about joining a union before addressing BuildWitt’s future plans regarding getting involved in government. Don’t forget to check out the video of this podcast on the Dirt Talk YouTube channel or on the BuildWitt app! To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Senior year, I made a million dollars.” When the BuildWitt crew is universally pumped to have a guest in the studio for Dirt Talk, you know you’ve got a good one. Will Schuler is CEO of Will Power Excavation, based near Indianapolis, IN. He’s only just entered his 20s, but had already built a great business. From the beginning, Will has made it clear that taking care of his employees and ensuring everyone is well-trained are very high on his priority list. He was kind enough to travel down I-65 to Nashville to record a podcast at BuildWitt HQ, and we’re sure it won’t be the last time! Will shared how and why he got started in the Dirt World at such a young age, how he started pricing work when he was just getting started, and he was very open about the challenges of balancing high school and work. This week on Dirt Talk, Aaron Witt and Will Schuler weigh in on what being young in the Dirt World means (and what opportunities that creates), how the Dirt World can better attract more young folks and the challenge (and benefits) of being a young leader. Don’t forget that you can watch the Dirt Talk podcast on the Dirt Talk YouTube channel. Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just like Kevin McCallister got Lost there in Home Alone 2 and The Muppets took Manhattan, Aaron Witt and Eric Jumper went to New York and saw some iron. They braved the streets, they saw the dirt, and it was good. They sat down to debrief the trip and weigh in on what it’s like to drive in New York City. Additionally, like usual, there are gas station reviews followed by dozer talk. Don’t forget: you can watch Dirt Talk on the BuildWitt App AND our YouTube Channel. To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CJ Shade of Shade Farm Management is a 6th-generation California family farmer from Santa Barbara, CA. In addition to being an avocado guy, he’s also spent plenty of time in equipment, mainly in the agriculture sector. He was kind enough to hop on a call to talk dirt and California farming. This week on Dirt Talk, host Aaron Witt chats with CJ Shade about working hard when you’re young, land clearing, and avocados (of course). Later, they discuss the challenges of growing your business AND growing yourself simultaneously, as well as how CJ financed his first pieces of equipment. To follow along with CJ’s story, follow @sfm.inc on IG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Dirt Talk, the guys discuss a pressing question from the internet: what is a motor grader? Aaron also digs in on the importance of our teams traveling the Dirt World before weighing in on the “perception” of consolidation in the Dirt World. Don't forget you can watch or listen to Dirt Talk on the BuildWitt app! You can learn more about it at buildwitt.com/buildwitt-app. To connect with other people who listen to this show, use and search for the hashtag #betterdirtworld and join in on the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices