Modern Craftsman

The Modern Craftsman is a podcast for builders who think beyond the jobsite. Hosted by Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace, this show explores what it takes to build a better business, a stronger team, and a more sustainable career in the trades.Each episode features real conversations about leadership, project management, client communication, team culture, mental resilience, and long-term success in construction. Whether you're a carpenter scaling your company, a remodeler refining your process, or a builder navigating burnout, you'll find insight, support, and hard-earned lessons from those who've lived it.

Modern Craftsman is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 592 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Modern Craftsman, a business show with 592 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Modern Craftsman

  414 Who Should Carry The Cash Burden In Residential Construction? with Shane Durkin

  Aug 16, 20261h 29m

  Nick and Tyler bring Shane Durkin back, with Brad Leavitt joining the conversation, to challenge one of construction's most persistent problems: how project money moves and who should actually carry the financial risk. They get into deposits, escrow accounts, credit card rewards, cost-plus construction, project-level accounting, lien waivers, trade payments, and the hidden complexity that comes from running millions of dollars of client funds through a builder's business. Shane explains how LedgerWise separates project finances into their own accounts while Brad, Nick, and Tyler push on the tradeoffs, risks, and real-world practicality of the model. Ultimately, the conversation asks whether builders should be spending their energy managing cash flow and financial workarounds at all, or whether a simpler system could let them get back to building. From Contractor to Company Workshop: https://www.moderncraftsman.co/workshop-registration Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Shane's Websites: https://www.buildpatriot.com https://www.ledgerwise.com ShowNotes: Cash Flow Challenges in Construction (0:00) Introduction of Ledgerwise and Construction Accounting (0:39) Discussion on Construction Accounting Models (4:24) Details of the Escrow Model (6:41) Benefits and Challenges of the Escrow Model (6:58) Case Study: Handling Project Cancellations (9:27) Conclusion and Final Thoughts (10:28) Minimum Balance and Client Trust (10:42) Payment Process and Trade Onboarding (11:19) Lien Waivers and Preliminary Notices (11:37) Cost and Revenue Model (74:47) Builder Testimonials and Industry Challenges (79:27) Upcoming Events and Final Thoughts (83:04) Partners: Andersen Windows Harnish Workwear Use code H1025 and get 10% off their H-label gear The Modern Craftsman : linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Hosts : Nick Schiffer Tyler Grace Podcast Produced By: Motif Media

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #413

  413 The Five Systems Every Construction Company Needs

  Aug 9, 202641 min

  Most builders start by taking every job, doing everything themselves, and figuring out the business after the work is already underway. Nick & Tyler pull together the five systems that helped them move from owning a job to building a company: pre-construction, numbers, production, lead vetting, and team. From Contractor to Company Workshop: https://www.moderncraftsman.co/workshop-registration Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up This episode was compiled from conversations originally heard in episodes 380, 384, 387, 390, 394, 399, and 410. Show Notes: 00:00 Coming Up 00:35 Where Most Builders Start 05:36 System 01 - Clarity Before Construction 14:31 System 02 - Know Your Numbers 19:32 System 03 - Run the Build 23:38 System 04 - Attract the Right Work 30:54 System 05 - Build the Team 36:25 Teaching From the Scars 40:25 Free Workshop August 11 Video Version: https://youtu.be/PjjwwTEz3TM Partners: Andersen Windows Harnish Workwear Use code H1025 and get 10% off their H-label gear The Modern Craftsman : linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Hosts : Nick Schiffer Tyler Grace Podcast Produced By: Motif Media

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Modern Craftsman

  Offcut 412: Why Builders Keep Going When the Job Should Stop

  Aug 5, 20269 min

  A job can turn into a completely different house when major design changes arrive after framing starts. Charles Ochello, Nick, and Tyler talk about the pressure to keep moving, the cost of avoiding a full stop, and why the big decisions need to be settled before construction begins. Charles' Website: https://www.vitruviusbuilt.com From Contractor to Company Workshop: https://www.moderncraftsman.co/workshop-registration Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Show Notes: 00:00 Bringing the Design Team in Too Late 01:34 A Beautiful House Delivered a Year Late 02:50 Why the Project Needed a Full Stop 07:43 Preconstruction Is Everything Full Video Version: https://youtu.be/Dvm4c6QxY5I Partners: Andersen Windows Harnish Workwear Use code H1025 and get 10% off their H-label gear Bolster The Modern Craftsman : linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Hosts : Nick Schiffer Tyler Grace Podcast Produced By: Motif Media

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #412

  #412 Leaving Medicine to Build Homes with Charles Ochello

  Aug 2, 20261h 31m

  Charles Ochello walked away from emergency medicine to build luxury homes in Park City. He talks about the financial runway, the insecurity of starting over, and how lessons from the ER shaped the way he manages high-stakes projects and clients. Charles' Website: https://www.vitruviusbuilt.com From Contractor to Company Workshop: https://www.moderncraftsman.co/workshop-registration Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Show Notes: 00:00 The Work You Wake Up Thinking About 02:29 The Financial Reality of Leaving Medicine 06:57 When People Think You're Crazy 17:51 How Insecurity Fuels the Chase 27:39 Why Park City 43:28 Managing Homes Like Family Office Assets 53:32 The Project That Should Have Been Paused 1:06:36 Learning the Language of Luxury 1:12:23 The Emotional Weight of High-Stakes Work 1:17:35 Chasing Consistency Instead of More Video Version: https://youtu.be/Dvm4c6QxY5I Partners: Andersen Windows Harnish Workwear Use code H1025 and get 10% off their H-label gear Bolster The Modern Craftsman : linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Hosts : Nick Schiffer Tyler Grace Podcast Produced By: Motif Media

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Modern Craftsman

  Offcut 411: The Real Midlife Crisis Is Giving Up

  Jul 29, 202613 min

  A midlife crisis might not be losing control. It might be reaching a dead end, quitting on creativity, and deciding there's no better version of yourself left to build. Mark D. Williams talks about risk, fulfillment, expensive lessons, and why the next bet can matter even when it doesn't fully check out on paper. Full Episode: https://youtu.be/A6S_eqGEstA Mark's Website: https://www.mdwilliamshomes.com Mark's Podcast: https://www.curiousbuilder.com From Contractor to Company Workshop: https://www.moderncraftsman.co/workshop-registration Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: MC Community Sign-up Sign up for the newsletter: Newsletter Sign-up Show Notes: 00:00 There's Never Enough Time Anyway 01:22 The Entrepreneurs Who Couldn't Give Up Their Phones 02:11 When the Project Doesn't Pencil 04:40 The Guy in the Mirror Can Sell You Anything 05:32 What If You Lose $2 Million? 08:34 The House Became a Reflection of Himself 10:24 What a Midlife Crisis Really Is Video Version: https://youtu.be/BKTU_Q47TfA Partners: Andersen Windows Harnish Workwear Use code H1025 and get 10% off their H-label gear Bolster The Modern Craftsman : linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Hosts : Nick Schiffer Tyler Grace Podcast Produced By: Motif Media

  ListenShow Notes

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.