Reviews

if you looking for open and genuine podcast about the buildings trade then look no further. I have discovered over many great conversations many great tid pids of great knowledge and wisdom that goes beyond the trades. I am a carpenter and someday looking to run my own business and through this podcast I have gain great insights to how to run a business. Beyond on the business I have discovered great wisdom on many aspects of the trades and how to work more professional. And finally it has shown that we in trades we are not alone

Every episode is chocked full of unsurpassed knowledge. Mike and his guests give out so many golden nuggets of information. I wish that I had these knowledge bombs 20 years ago! It certainly would have rid my company of years of being stuck in the mud. I encourage everyone reading this to take a deep dive into every episode starting with the first. You won’t want to miss a single bit of the gracious wisdom that Mike and other contractors share. I promise you’ll be a better contractor/business owner as a result!

Mike Knoche is the consummate podcast host. He thoughtfully chooses guests who are genuinely interesting, who add value to the industry, and who are excited to share their story. It’s obvious that he takes the time to research and understand his guests so that he can shine a light on what makes them unique in the industry. Instead of just running through cookie cutter questions, his questions are tailored specifically to each guest which gives listeners a fresh take with every episode. He draws attention to different frames of mind, perspectives and ideas. By doing so, the pod doesn’t get repetitive or stale. On top of that, his intros are always expertly crafted to encapsulate the essence of each and every guest’s personality. I’ve learned so much already as a new remodeling contractor and business owner to give me the leg up, and to prepare me for a long lasting and successful career as a remodeler. The thing that makes the show so relatable to me personally, is hearing other successful folks in the trades talking openly about their struggles, it unifies us and helps to diminish stigma surrounding the industry. Whether it’s experiences with financial stability, emotional and mental well-being, physical health, or family and relationships, Mike jumps right in and asks the hard questions. He also asks the business and trade specific questions that we may be embarrassed to admit that we don’t know, whether we’ve been in the industry for one year, or 20. Through this podcast, Mike gets at the heart of what it means to be in this type of work- we are all builders, creators and artists. By collecting these stories, lessons learned, and knowledge, we can all help to elevate the field by staying on the cutting edge of building science, being transparent and ethical in our day to day, and we don’t have to choose between caring about the client’s project OR our mental and physical health, we can do BOTH. It is clear that goal of this podcast is to make the industry better. He wants the those in the trades to be more welcoming to newcomers and women, he urges us all to be curious about new methods, and to think critically about the way things have always been done. In this way, he is a catalyst for positive change within the industry and that ripple effect can be seen far and wide with his international guest list. I love this podcast!!

It was great to Fiona’s take on custom work and you could hear the pride in her voice about repurposing older pieces! I loved the part about rehearsing the conversations and trying to relate it to something the customer will understand! And it’s definitely becoming a time where a firm no will save you from a lot of headaches! Great job y’all!!

Every time I listen to an episode, no matter the guest, I always take away a valuable nugget to use within my own business. I love hearing how each individual guest operates. You never know what new perspective could illuminate a solution to a problem you’ve been dealing with as a contractor. The content is informative rather than promotional and feels genuine and authentic - which seems rare nowadays. I look forward to listening every week.

Great podcast as always Mike! This was great and very informative for me, I’m a small guy doing remodeling and some estimates just make me scratch my head! Michael gave a lot of insight into how to cover the aspects of getting the estimate right and building a repartitionas a trustworthy company! I can’t wait for the live on Thursday!

As a tradesman and business owner I strive to always remain teachable and willing to learn. Resources like your podcast give me that opportunity. Thank me for supporting the industry and supplying us that opportunity to better ourselves and our trades.

Absolutely love Mikes podcasts! I’ve been listening from the start and every episode gets better. As a small business owner, the tips I’ve learned from people he’s interviewed have been insanely helpful. Not only did it push me to start my own business, but has helped me every step of the way to progress. Big thanks to Mike for the amount of work he puts into every episode!

I’m a finish carpenter. I’ve listened to Spencer Lewis and Tom Lawson interviews. They were both excellent! Your show is easy to listen to because you’re super real. Please keep them coming!!! Thanks for helping all of us trades.

We love the interaction with the guests & the creator. A wonderful listen each time. This podcast hits right to the point. You should download, you will love it.

Mike , this was awesome! Brandt did not disappoint! Great stories!

It’s good to hear Harvey’s thoughts on the issues we encounter daily!im glad to see him touch on the cutting the phone off at night and the weekends! It seems to be a time when everyone is thinking about their project and I’m trying not to think about a project! Great talk, great guy! And as always, way to get them talking mike!

One of the best so far! Tom is such a genuine and straight forward person I’ve had the privilege to meet on ig! You can hear the passion in his voice and see it in the details in his work! If you can’t get inspiration from watching and talking to Tom you might need to rethink your process! And mike you killed it again with an awesome interview! Thank y’all for taking the time to give advice, inspiration and direction!

Love the one on one long format. Mike is quite good as an interviewer.

Hey Mike Just read your post … I really can’t wait to hear these interviews Coming in for season 3 It’s so exciting I am really looking forward to the discussions on how not to run your business Reason being …. I’m 37 Working for my father Home builder/renovation! Been here all my life ,he still runs the company like it’s 1985 It drives me absolutely crazy . Yes I works but with today’s technology and the awareness surrounding workers rights and the importance of employees feeling valued and not just a “worker” I am just starting to take on more of the business side of the company as the word “retirement “ is being thrown around a lot lately.. He’s not retiring because he want to relax and enjoy life . He’s retiring because he’s tired of dealing with people !!! I am so ready to take the business over and involve our employees a little more and have some special days throughout the year to show them I appreciate them !!! The trades have so be much room to grow. We have been kept low on the totem pole in society But I relate that statement too.. The lowest on the pole must be the strongest.. and must hold everyone else up or the pole falls over ! You are doing a really good thing here !! Keep up the good work!!

👏You always have the best conversations and articles. Thanks for sharing.

I actually had an opportunity to converse with Mike. Off the bat, I can say he is a stand up professional. I wrote this down on my yellow legal pad (thanks Mike) just to make sure I can convey what I feel I NEED to. The advice and tips he provides in The Contractors Handbook are invaluable. Mike is generous enough to provide the best information some won’t share. The Contractors Handbook gives a great outline to stay on track and be successful. There are so many factors in this complicated industry. Mike Knoche brings forward all of the aspects that professionals can easily overlook. Interviews are well spoken, thought out, and to the point. Everybody IN this industry or contemplating joining this industry has to get real, get serious, and be professional. The contractors Handbook will help everyone who listens do just that. Mike and I touched on how stressful contracting can be. Accidents, deadlines, and a pile of office work WILL happen. In episodes 25 & 26, Mike interviews health coach Vinnie Vecchio. These episodes give you the basic ingredients to be fruitful. One has to be healthy and manage stress to be able to focus on your work. Doing so will minimize unforeseen circumstances. The fight or flight response is real, very real. Dealing with people in general, this response can escalate situations rapidly. Learn to deal with that response, and you will minimize exponentially compounding and undesired situations. Me listening to Mike’s solid information and my own hard lesson, I was able to comprehend this absolute fact. Mike, I wish you a happy and healthy life. I sincerely mean that. Thank you. - Craig SFC

I'm almost through the second season and have been really enjoying the content. Mike and his guests are knowledgeable, relevant, very helpful, relatable and fun to listen to! I've been in construction for about 13 years and am in my third year of running my own small business as a one man show. Can definitely relate to some of the struggles he talks about with wearing all the hats! Thanks Mike for creating a great podcast!

Wish this was here when I started out. Mike and his guests inform and entertain. Always look forward to the next

Mike, I downloaded iTunes just so I can write you this review. 🙂🙂 I listen to your podcast on Spotify. It gets me trough LA traffic on the daily. I’ve tried listening to other podcasts about the trades and it’s not the same. Most of the time the hosts have no idea what’s the difference between a screw and a nail. It’s so nice that you actually are a GC and have done practically any job there is. It shows how much you’re able to relate to the guest and ask the right questions to keep the conversation going. Thank you for what you’re doing! Keep it up! It’s always great to listen!

I have never bean able to really listen to podcasts, or audiobooksand stay productive at work. However the contracting handbook had me all in for days! So much great information and great perspectives on what being in the construction industry can look like. . I have really enjoyed the episodes ive listened to and im looking forward to getting my headphones back on and hearing more. Great podcasts and great content. This is exactly what i needed to be listening too.

As a carpenter in their late 20s, it’s very refreshing and encouraging to listen to people talk positively about the trades as a profession. Mike does a fantastic job of sparking conversations that aren’t being heard enough. Believe it or not, there are plenty of us young guys out there ready to take the torch and we want to be seen as professionals with skills that matter. I encourage people of all ages to listen and participate in this podcast. Cheers.

I've been listening to the podcast since half way through season 1, and there is so much knowledge throughout. Not just sprinkled in, absolutely overflowing with pearls of wisdom. Starting my own business is something I want in my future, so being able to gain this information from so many different perspectives and years of hard earned experience is such an incredibly valuable resource to have! Keep killing it Mike, cause whether it is just you speaking or one of your fanstastic guests, we're all learning a lot.

As someone who is in the second year of running a sub contracting business the topics Mike covers really make you think about how and why you are running your business. I recommend new contractors and even those with decades of experience giving these a listen, we are in game of learning and this podcast definitely has information to learn from and implement.