Builder Straight Talk Podcast

Don Bronchick has been in residential construction for 30 years. He's touched 68,000 new homes, signed over $300 million in contracts, and worked with close to 400 builders. He started in the hurricane shutter business in South Florida after Andrew changed the building codes, grew that company to $24 million a year, then moved into windows and doors. He's been a subcontractor, a dealer, and a general contractor. So when Don sits down with Michael Krisa, he's not theorizing. He's telling you what actually works. Don tells us how he got into construction through a side gig at Home Depot, and the hiring philosophy he learned early: character over resume. Don has a memorable story about a young man named David who had no experience and no tools, but came back days later with a brand new F-250 and a commitment that couldn't be taught. David eventually became an area manager. From there, the conversation digs into what builders actually want from subs. Don's take: most get it wrong. "If you were to ask a hundred subcontractors what's the biggest hurdle to getting into a builder, I think 90 percent would say price. They don't understand what builders truly want. So they default to price as an issue, and that's their crutch." Builders want consistency, communication, and no grief. Don shares his policy of never charging dry run fees across 68,000 homes. His reasoning: "If you get hired on price, you get fired on price." We also cover company culture, transparency with employees, and the difference between trade partners and transactional vendors. Don's core message to subcontractors: "You're in the service business. And the sooner you embrace that concept, you're going to be stuck." The contractors who win invest in relationships, communicate constantly, own their mistakes, and resist the urge to squeeze every dollar out of every interaction. "This industry is the proverbial marathon. It is never a sprint. Your reputation is your resume." About Don Bronchick Don Bronchick is the founder of BuilderBeast Consulting LLC and author of Built from the Ground Up. He has sold over $300 million in contracts and led organizations that installed work in more than 68,000 new homes. He has built and scaled multiple construction businesses from startup, spanning manufacturing, distribution, subcontracting, and direct-to-builder operations. Don holds general contractor licenses in multiple states and speaks nationally for home builder associations and industry conferences. Built from the Ground Up is available on Amazon. Website: https://builderbeastconsulting.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-bronchick-7968436 Follow Builder Straight Talk: Web: https://BuilderStraightTalk.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelkrisa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BuilderStraightTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/builderstraighttalk Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:58 Sound Capital 01:15 Welcome Don Bronchick 02:00 Don's Journey into Construction 04:06 Lessons from the Hurricane Shutter Business 06:39 Hiring for Character Over Resume 09:17 Building a Strong Company Culture 25:36 Consistency in Construction 28:29 Hiring the Right Subcontractors 35:23 Service vs. Experience: A Restaurant Analogy 36:14 Builder and Subcontractor Relationships 37:28 Service in Trades 39:25 Consistency in Construction 44:38 Handling Mistakes and Building Trust 56:04 Marathon of Construction Industry 01:01:10 Final Thoughts