EP35 – Scale Without Chaos: Smarter Order Management with CAL

Are disconnected spreadsheets, double entry, and slow RTO approvals holding your shed or steel building business back? In this episode of The Steel Kings Podcast, we sit down with Tristan Klesick, co-founder of CAL, to break down how smart order management is transforming the way dealers close sales and deliver buildings.

Built specifically for shed and steel pros, CAL connects your workflow—from lead to delivery—into one seamless dashboard. Whether you’re using IdeaRoom, Shed Pro, or other platforms, CAL gives you the tools to streamline checkout (cash, financing, or RTO), track orders in real time, and auto-generate contracts with e-sign functionality.

What You’ll Learn in Episode 35:

• How to eliminate slow, manual processes with a unified system
• Real-time tracking and inventory visibility for faster delivery
• Instant RTO approvals with built-in term options and contract automation
• Simplified team communication across sales lots, office staff, and manufacturers
• How CAL’s pricing model helps you scale without adding admin overhead

Whether you’re a dealer, manufacturer, or someone just looking to cut the chaos in your workflow, this episode delivers actionable insights to help you sell smarter—and faster.

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Watch this episode on YouTube > https://youtu.be/nEi5RiXHUB4?si=of3nlzrPRnfYG_Qo

🎙️ Episode 34 — From Pole Barns to Partnerships

Featuring: Jared Ledford & Eric Olson | Five Rivers Pole Barns

In this episode, the Steel Kings take a step back to share the origin story of one of their own—Five Rivers Pole Barns. What started as a side hustle quickly evolved into a regional force in the post-frame industry. Co-host Jared Ledford opens up about the lessons learned, risks taken, and the intentional partnerships that helped scale the business without losing its soul.

Whether you’re a builder, entrepreneur, or steel shed dealer, this episode is packed with value—from marketing insight and branding tips to behind-the-scenes stories of growth, grit, and getting it done.

✅ Topics Covered:

• Starting a pole barn business from the ground up

• Why branding matters more than ever in the trades

• Building smart partnerships with installers, suppliers, and marketers

• Lessons from Dayton Barns, Five Rivers, and beyond

• How sheds, steel, and pole barns all connect in today’s market

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Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-steel-kings-podcast/id1849738908

Watch this episode on YouTube → https://youtu.be/b4bto1qlXKY?si=O4uf9SnRMBY-HE_d

From Lost Leads to Loyal Buyers with Velocity360
Your inbox is full, your lot is busy, and buyers are slipping away while messages sit unanswered. We sat down with Velocity360’s Joe Ignace and Brandon Tobin to solve the most expensive leak in sheds, steel buildings, and pole barns: slow follow‑up and scattered systems. They lay out a practical sales equation—leads × conversion × average price—and show how to raise the middle term by reaching new inquiries in 60 seconds, following up for days (not minutes), and keeping your best sellers focused on real conversations.

We walk through the “digital lot greeting,” a simple shift that makes online buyers feel the same welcome they’d get on your gravel. Velocity360 centralizes texts, phone, email, and Meta messages in one place, with a native phone system that auto‑texts missed calls, drops voicemails, and assigns leads to the hungriest rep. Once a prospect replies, automations pause so the personal touch takes over. After the sale, a second sequence captures reviews and photos—fuel for local SEO and the next buyer—without another tool or login. E‑signature, calendars, and review replies are built in, so you can ditch stacked subscriptions that drain budget without lifting close rates.

If integrations worry you, we cover how webhooks connect to 3D configurators like Idea Room, Shed Pro, Meta, and Google—plus the reality that open partners make it easy, and closed platforms can be worked around. The payoff is clarity: an analytics dashboard that shows which ads and sources actually convert, letting you double down where ROI is real. Whether you’re a single lot or a 33‑location network, permissions, routing, and white‑glove migration make the switch manageable. The question isn’t how attached you are to your current setup—it’s whether your CRM actually drives revenue.

Ready to stop letting great leads die quietly? Tap to listen, then try a demo at velocity360crm.com. If this helped, follow the show, share it with a builder who needs it, and leave a quick review so more owners can find tools that actually sell.

Watch On YouTube: https://youtu.be/dm3-C88vwmk?si=MzO-UC2hNT-9nU6D

Why knowing who you are changes how you lead, sell, and build community
What if your worth came before your work—and that changed everything about how you lead, sell, and show up? We sit down with JMAG’s Chief Branding Officer, Craig Felker, to unpack “wild leadership,” a simple framework that starts with identity and turns it into action: know your worth, initiate brave conversations, lead with energy that gives more than it takes, and dare to dream bigger than what’s comfortable.

From the Shed Expo floor to everyday lot life, we explore culture as a practical business strategy. Craig breaks down how JMAG’s family-first values shaped a booth experience people couldn’t stop talking about—ice-cold drinks, a family zone, and the Gravity Grab that sparked real conversations without a hard sell. We dig into disruptive marketing that actually fits: define who you are, then create moments and media that express it. That’s how a rap video about 16” on center (“Flawless”) turned core values—approachable, best-in-class—into shareable momentum. Some loved it, some didn’t, everyone noticed.

We also go personal. Jared shares a sobriety-driven “honesty tour” that reset priorities, deepened partnerships, and brought purpose back to the work. We talk faith, authenticity, and why vulnerability isn’t a tactic but a trust engine. Along the way, the Savannah Bananas show up as a playbook for reimagining “boring” categories: test boldly, keep what works, and be relentlessly present—on your lot, online, and in your community.

By the end, we’re looking ahead: sharpening short-form vertical content, widening the audience beyond sheds and steel while staying true to a service-first mission, and building relationships that last. If you’re a builder, dealer, or leader who wants to stand out without selling out, this conversation will give you clarity, courage, and a few ideas you can ship by Friday. If it resonates, subscribe, share with a friend, and tell us: what’s the bold move you’re making this week?

Watch On YouTube: https://youtu.be/zaeemuH-_Tw?si=fZpn1GAXrFcVGogx

From Expo Floors to Real-World Wins
Trade shows can blur together—until they don’t. Knoxville’s Shed Expo and the post frame show in Dayton delivered a clear message: owners are hungry for practical marketing, respectful tech, and partners who actually solve the problems builders face every day. We came home with full notebooks, a heavier contacts list, and a sharper roadmap for how the shed and steel world can grow without losing its human core.

We unpack what the Q&A revealed about the state of marketing: rising ad costs, vague targeting, and funnels clogged with unqualified clicks. Then we lay out a cleaner path—on-page SEO tuned to real buyer intent, location pages that mirror how you do business, and content that answers questions people actually ask about delivery, permitting, RTO, and warranties. You’ll hear why this shift is winning for dealers and manufacturers who care about qualified leads over vanity metrics, and how to measure success in calls, quotes, configurator starts, and closed revenue rather than impressions.

We also dig into tools that earned our trust. Idea Room’s 3D engine continues to be a force multiplier for metal buildings and pole barns, turning visualization into confident quotes. Velocity 360 brings CRM workflows that fit how teams really sell. Shed Pro stands out for shed configurators that stay simple for customers. Smart Build is pushing integrated back-end logic while partnering to improve front-end experiences. On RTO, we compare Heartland, Easy Pay, and Platinum and explain how fit varies by product and process. And yes, we celebrate the best booths, builds, and the legendary hat haul—because culture and community still matter when you’re choosing who to bet on.

If you want marketing that respects your values and tools that make your team faster without replacing them, this conversation is your field guide. Subscribe, share this with a colleague who’s rethinking their lead strategy, and leave a review with your biggest growth question—we’ll tackle it on a future show.

Watch On YouTube: https://youtu.be/She6tkEQWY0?si=PVXrntuB99sKGDIM

Rise Above The Race To The Bottom
A lot of builder's chase price. We decided to chase standards. We’re joined by Darren Warren of Stor-Mor Outdoor Products to break down a simple but uncommon playbook: build consistent quality at scale, answer the phone, quote fast, train your dealers, and treat permits as value—not a nuisance. When you put people, process, and pride in the product first, customers stop shopping you like a commodity and start trusting you like a partner.

Darren takes us inside Stor-Mor’s operating partner model across 26 states: engineered drawings, construction manuals, and spotless facilities that signal care before a single board is cut. We talk about creating speed-to-quote by pre-building 3D configurations, so a rep can customize a shed, pole barn, or garage live on the call and email a complete bid before hanging up. We get candid about the carport segment’s revolving door—why underpaying installers breeds fragmentation—and how fair splits, real partnerships, and coaching culture keep talent and quality in-house.

We also reframe permitting as a service and a revenue line. Instead of dodging compliance to win on price, we show how handling permits, communicating site work clearly, and delivering engineered structures builds long-term property value and customer confidence. Along the way, we dig into Stor-Mor’s dealer support and training approach, the mantra of quality–customer service–communication, and a mindset shift from scarcity to abundance that lifts the entire industry.

There’s purpose here too. Darren shares his St. Jude story and why raising hundreds of thousands for the hospital fuels the team with meaning beyond revenue targets. If you care about building better—stronger systems, faster responses, and happier customers—you’ll leave with a clear blueprint you can apply this week. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a builder who needs a nudge, and leave a review with the one process you’ll improve next.

Watch On YouTube: https://youtu.be/vGbEgLK3v_k?si=0ne6YvwHihMzRPUG

The Future of Steel Business Marketing
The metal building industry stands at a pivotal crossroads, and those who fail to recognize the shifting landscape may soon find themselves struggling to survive. In this candid, no-holds-barred conversation, we peel back the curtain on what's really happening with marketing in the metal building space.

Facebook Marketplace, once the golden ticket for metal building dealers, is rapidly losing effectiveness. We share our firsthand experience watching costs climb while lead quality plummets – a dangerous combination that's forcing smart businesses to pivot their strategies. If you are not transitioning toward organic SEO or a fully functioning website, you better have a backup plan, we warn, speaking from years of trial and error.

The transition is not easy. We discuss the uncomfortable reality of temporarily losing lead volume while building sustainable marketing infrastructure. This digital transformation requires patience – our SEO journey took 18 months before bearing significant fruit – but the rewards are undeniable: qualified leads arriving 24/7 without constant advertising spend.

Beyond marketing channels, we explore how customer expectations are evolving. Manufacturers offering permitting packages (like Carolina Carports) are gaining market share by addressing pain points that traditional dealers often ignore. Quality and reputation matter more than ever in an increasingly sophisticated marketplace where buyers research extensively before making decisions.

We also tackle the thorny subject of marketing companies, sharing our experiences with firms that promised the moon but delivered disappointment. Their job is not to score you points or get you sales – their job is to sell you marketing, we explain, while highlighting how industry-specific partners like Shed Geek Marketing understand the unique challenges metal building businesses face.

Whether you are a seasoned dealer or just starting out, this episode provides actionable insights on navigating the changing metal building landscape. The race to the bottom is being challenged, and those who position themselves strategically now will thrive while others struggle to keep pace.

Watch On YouTube: https://youtu.be/qhWKALYFXYY?si=wt5n_wyHQzXNLeT-

Insider's guide to Shed Expo 2025
Shed Week 2025 is almost here, and we're bringing you the ultimate guide to making the most of this industry-defining event in Knoxville. From the Shed Sales Summit to the exhibition floor, we're breaking down everything you need to know to navigate this jam-packed week like a pro.

The excitement kicks off Monday with the Shed Sales Summit featuring industry leaders including Andrew Boyle, Jim Kuhlmann, Gary Boyle, Richard Mashburn, Shannon from Shed Geek, and our very own Eric Olson on the Q&A panel. This powerhouse event runs from 1:00-7:30 PM.

Tuesday brings the NSRA Conference focusing on rent-to-own partnerships - a critical component for shed dealers looking to maximize sales. While requiring a separate ticket, this gathering connects you with serious players in the financing space who can transform your business model.

The main event unfolds Wednesday and Thursday with over 100 vendors showcasing the latest innovations across every facet of the shed industry. From component suppliers like Graber Post and WEH Supply to service providers like Shed Suite and J Money financing, the exhibition floor represents a one-stop opportunity to forge relationships that will benefit your business all year.

We're particularly excited about Stor-Mor Portable Buildings' booth, where they're raising funds for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Having already raised over $250,000 in 2024, their commitment showcases how our industry extends beyond business to make meaningful community impacts.

Stop by the Shed Geek booth to meet us in person! We'd love to hear your feedback on the podcast and discuss potentially featuring your business on a future episode. The connections you make during Shed Week can transform your business - don't miss this opportunity to shake hands with the people behind the products and services that power our industry.

Watch On YouTube: https://youtu.be/aXsJQcBDeLI?si=din8rNZvQOvE04RZ