In this episode, Greg Woleck explores a recurring theme in residential remodeling: the tension—and the potential—for collaboration between design and production teams. Drawing from his nationwide experience working with remodelers and the latest insights from Remodelers Advantage Roundtables, Greg outlines the small but powerful habits that can transform conflict into cooperation. Whether it's scope creep, last-minute changes, or mismatched expectations, most issues trace back to missed opportunities for early alignment.

With references to Dan Heath’s Upstream, Greg urges remodelers to solve problems before they show up on-site. From shared walkthroughs to weekly design-production check-ins and field feedback loops, this episode is packed with practical steps you can take to unify your team and improve the client experience.

Episode Outline

• Intro to the Podcast
  • Purpose: Build a community for remodelers, designers, and production pros
  • Call for listener feedback, stories, and guest ideas
• Greg’s Industry Insights
  • On-the-road observations: same friction, different zip codes
  • Shared challenges between design and production
  • Both sides want a great project—just approach it differently
• Common Challenges
  • Scope creep, unclear expectations, late-stage changes
  • Communication gaps leading to frustration and finger-pointing
  • Friction born from assumptions, not intent
• Building Better Collaboration
  • Debunking the myth of “creatives vs. pragmatists”
  • Highlighting mutual creativity and problem-solving
  • Real-world strategies from high-performing firms
• Upstream Thinking
  • Inspired by Dan Heath’s Upstream: fix it before it’s a problem
  • Start collaboration in the pre-construction phase
  • Use early meetings to align expectations and ask the hard questions
• Habits That Make It Work
  • Shared pre-construction walkthroughs
  • Quick weekly check-ins between design and production
  • Buildability reviews during design development
• Feedback and Language Matter
  • Encourage field teams to share photos, videos, and solutions
  • Create feedback loops so designers understand what gets changed
  • Language shift: “we” over “they” to reinforce shared ownership
• Final Takeaway
  • Collaboration isn’t a department—it’s a habit
  • Ask your counterpart: “What’s one thing I can do to make your job easier?”
  • Trust is built in small steps

Action Items

• Start one new collaborative habit this week
• Reach out to your design/production counterpart
• Share your story or question with Greg for a future episode

Links & Resources

• Book Mentioned: Upstream by Dan Heath
• Learn more: www.whywebuild.com
• Connect with Greg: greg@remodelersadvantage.com

Stay Connected

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your team. Got an idea for a guest or topic? We’d love to hear from you.

In this episode of The Why We Build Podcast, host Greg Woleck and co-host Steve Wheeler sit down with Jon Pereira, Production Manager at MAK Design Build, to talk about crew culture — that hard-to-define jobsite magic that makes the workday flow better, teams feel stronger, and clients feel more confident.

Jon shares practical, low-cost ways to build jobsite engagement and morale through intentional leadership and simple human moments — like sharing a burrito at a concrete pour or role-playing tough conversations during Taco Tuesday (spelled TALK-O Tuesday for a reason).

From modeling great client communication to integrating trade partners into the company culture, Jon offers a masterclass in leadership from the jobsite out.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Crew Culture = Jobsite Family: Culture isn’t a buzzword at MAK Design Build — it’s a daily practice rooted in trust, laughter, mutual support, and respect among carpenters, PMs, designers, and trade partners.
• Burrito Days & Milestone Meals: A concrete pour isn't just a production milestone — it’s Burrito Day, where team members (including clients and kids!) gather, break bread, share stories, and align goals. It’s simple, memorable, and reinforces schedule accountability and camaraderie.
• Talk-O Tuesday (Taco Tuesday): This initiative brings production team members into the office for lunch and role-playing sessions on handling tough client conversations. It’s training disguised as tacos — building emotional intelligence and shared language.
• Integrating Trade Partners into Culture: Even though 85% of MAK’s work is completed by trade partners, they’re treated like family — invited to events, engaged in team rituals, and included in communication loops.
• Communicating with Clients: Jon coaches his team using templates and validation techniques to defuse tense moments. Core message: validate first, answer later. Avoid cornering yourself with premature promises.
• Using Numbers to Drive Ownership: Through the Great Game of Business framework, team members learn how their roles directly impact profitability. This creates healthy accountability and team incentives (like lunch and bonuses).

🛠️ Best Quote:

“The magic you’re looking for is in the work you’re not doing.” — Unknown

📚 Lightning Round with Jon Pereira:

• Favorite Book: The Hobbit
• Famous Builder to Lunch With: Frank Lloyd Wright
• Dream Superpower: Invisibility
• Random Skill to Learn: Fly fishing
• Cats or Dogs? Dogs
• Favorite Vacation Spot: Hawaii

📣 Call to Action:

If you’re a production manager, design lead, or company owner in the remodeling space — this episode is a must-listen. Share it with your team and ask: What’s our burrito day?

Related Resources:

• Learn more about Remodelers Advantage Roundtables
• Connect with Greg: greg@remodelersadvantage.com
• www,MAKdesignbuild.com
• Discover how you can bring culture, accountability, and momentum to your remodeling team

Episode Summary: In this episode, host Greg Woleck welcomes Ian Schwandt, a 20-year construction veteran and passionate advocate for financial literacy in the remodeling industry. Ian shares how understanding numbers and fostering financial transparency can strengthen companies through both good times and bad. From open-book management to key financial metrics, Ian offers valuable insights into building resilient businesses—and resilient teams—through a deeper understanding of money. Plus, Ian talks mentorship, mental health in the trades, and his favorite books and movie picks.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Why financial literacy is foundational for a sustainable remodeling business
• How momentum can mask financial fragility in the industry
• Creating a culture of financial transparency within a company
• Tools and metrics Ian uses to manage projects and forecast performance
• The importance of mentorship, mental health, and continual learning in the trades
• Translating economic theories into real-world project management practices

Guest Bio: Ian Schwandt is a 20-year construction professional whose career has spanned union carpentry, site supervision in healthcare projects, architectural woodworking, and leadership roles in high-performance homebuilding. Ian is passionate about building systems, teaching financial literacy to production teams, and ensuring the long-term health of construction businesses. When he’s not managing projects or spreadsheets, Ian enjoys gardening, woodworking, and living in the high-performance home he built on his family's farm in Wisconsin.

Memorable Quotes:

"Knowing your numbers goes beyond just making a profit—it's what helps you stay strong through ups and downs and build a business that lasts." "Focus on gross profit. Revenue is almost meaningless on a day-to-day operational level." "Take care of your mental health. You can't take care of your team if you don't take care of yourself first."

Resources & Tools Mentioned:

• Books:
  • The Most Important Thing by Howard Marks
  • Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits by Greg Crabtree
  • The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek
  • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Financial Tools:
  • Volume-per-week tracking for project forecasting
  • The “Big Board” KPI tracking spreadsheet
  • Direct Labor Efficiency Ratio (DLER) for understanding labor profitability

Fun Facts About Ian:

• If his life were made into a movie, he’d want Harrison Ford or Liam Neeson to play him.
• His dream casual dinner would be a shawarma on the streets of Midtown Manhattan with a favorite mentor from the architecture world.
• Believes that mentorship and peer support were critical influences on his career trajectory.

Where to Connect with Ian: 📸 Instagram: @ijswoodworking – Reach out via DM to talk life, building, or business!