Podcast: Episode #008

Subtitle: CONSTRUCT 2018 Preview

Post Date: September 18, 2018

Hosts: Eric D. Lussier and Cherise Lakeside

Show Notes: Co-founders of Let's Fix Construction, Eric D. Lussier and Cherise Lakeside, host the latest episode and start talking about the Summer construction season

Summers as a contractor, as Eric's company is, is typically filled with project management and the physical construction of a building. However, this Summer of 2018 was filled with a heavy bidding climate for Eric, as well as many other contractors that he spoke with. Cherise, in contrast, who works in a design studio, found that 2018 has found that projects are not bidding when they would typically bid. Owners are looking for alternative methods to save money and get their projects built, including looking for alternative schedule to build. 

As a finish trade, Eric bemoans how the construction schedule typically squeezes the Division 9 contractors, especially the flooring guy, who are forced to work with other trades in the room in sub-par conditions such as non-weather tight rooms or with HVACs not running.

The skilled labor workforce is discussed briefly as Eric spoke to a large Northeast General Contractor who is tackling not one, but two large projects in Burlington, Vermont.  They presently don't envision having a labor problem themselves, but they do foresee that many of their specialty subcontractors will have issues staffing their work. The wages are out there, especially on prevailing wage projects.

Turning the page on the Summer, Fall is quickly approaching. Typically in September, CSI's annual convention and affiliated tradeshow, CONSTRUCT is held. Eric and Cherise met at CONSTRUCT in Phoenix in 2012 and then went on to attend Nashville in 2013, Baltimore in 2014, St. Louis in 2015, Austin in 2016 and Providence in 2017.  

This year CONSTRUCT moves to October 3rd to the 5th in Long Beach, California and is coming up in just two short weeks. As Eric and Cherise outlined previously on the Let's Fix Construction blog, they find themselves quite busy in 2018.
 
A new presentation debuts in 2018 for Eric and Cherise, titled 'Facing Danger: Public Speaking for Non-Public Speakers' and Eric wrote the concept for this session around Cherise's public speaking career, which launched at CONSTRUCT in Nashville five years ago.  You can read more about the CONSTRUCT session here.

The next presention hosted at CONSTRUCT will be the flagship presentation, 'Let's Fix Construction: An Interactive, Problem Solving Workshop'. CONSTRUCT in 2017 hosted an abbreviated version of this workshop, with about 150 attendees in 45 minutes.  Being given twice the amount of time in 2018, many interesting conversations will be held about hot-button issues in the industry, and given the opportunity to talk to other disciplines outside of the contract, open conversations are typically held and enjoyed.

In this year's Luncheon session is the 'Archispeak Interactive Luncheon: Real Talk About Challenges, Opportunities & Innovations Surrounding AEC Teams' hosted by Evan Troxel, Neal Pann, and Cormac Phalen. Cherise met Evan, Neal and Cormac through Twitter a handful of years ago and as a member of the CONSTRUCT Education Advisory Council, Cherise offered their name to speak at CONSTRUCT. You can check out their podcast at www.archispeakpodcast.com and more on the session here.

Cherise hosts the fourth annual Young Professionals Program on Wednesday, October 3rd, which was built for those 35 and under to provide the attendees with the training, networking, mentoring, and education that they need to boost their careers to the next level. The core session of YP Day is the two hour speed mentoring session where the attendees will meet one on one with leaders in the industry. Each party takes turns to learn more about their career paths, challenges they have overcome, and advice they have for each other. There is still time to attend YP Day at a discounted rate. Check out www.CONSTRUCTshow.com/YPday for more details on the schedule. 

The last CONSTRUCT 2018 session that Cherise is involved in is the 'POWER PANEL--Millennials as Successors: Misconceptions & Realities - Hear it from them!'  Joined by Michael Riscica (aka Young Architect), Cam Featherstonhaugh, Kyhla Pollard and Tiffany Coppock on stage, Cherise is hoping to dispel some commonly held beliefs about their generation and what they want for the future of the industry. Read more about this panel here.

Thursday night, October 4th will be the second annual Partners and Pints event with our friends at Clark Dietrich. We hosted year one at Narragansett's production brewery in Pawtucket, RI and this year we will be taking over Gladstone's at the historic Pike Pier.  FREE to attend, Partners and Pints features food, drinks, games, and giveaways and another chance to hang out with friends new and old. There is still space and still time to register at www.PartnersandPints.com

Speaking of still time to register, there is still space to attend CONSTRUCT.  All new registrants can save 20% on the education package or receive a FREE Expo pass You can use the promo code SMFB06 or visiting here.

Podcast Introduction and Outro By Mel Allen www.therealvoice.com

Podcast Theme: "Let's" is performed by Milton Busker www.miltonbusker.com 

Listen on YouTube here: ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY-VSdZ4300&

Podcast: Episode #007

Subtitle: LinkedIn Lost, Socially Found

Post Date: July 16, 2018

Hosts: Eric D. Lussier and Cherise Lakeside

Show Notes: Co-founders of Let's Fix Construction, Eric D. Lussier and Cherise Lakeside, host the latest episode about social media, concentrating on the LinkedIn platform, which was the topic of the latest LFC blog post.  

Eric's social media history stretches back 10 years, starting on LinkedIn and Facebook and just about as long on Twitter. Cherise has about six years of experience and she was introduced to the benefits of social from Joy Davis, former Marketing and Communications Manager for the Construction Specifications Institute, after attending one of her presentations. Cherise states that social media is "one of the single biggest benefits to her career and her network in the last six years that she could have ever dreamed was possible"

Eric's pointer before anyone dips their toes into the water on a social platform they don't use is to listen first and interact second. A 101 level of instruction for even the most common social media platforms is needed, even in 2018, and that is what LFC offers with our 'Social Media & AEC' presentation, that alike the Specs 101 (on architectural specifications) workshop that we offer, is needed in the AEC community, and tends to be much more than a traditional 101 class. 

Cherise talks about how she sees Facebook (NOT for business), how she views Twitter for relationships, and how she first started with LinkedIn, including sending out "about 6,000 connection requests" right off the bat.  Going into LinkedIn jail for 3 months, barring her from sending out new requests, demonstrated to her how to properly listen in and engage with those connections that were accepted. 

Eric gives his biggest LinkedIn tip and that is personalizing your connection request. Make sure you have a profile picture and then be sure to add a personal note. So few people set themselves apart by customizing their LinkedIn invitation. 

After being downsized in August of 2017, Cherise had a first-hand experience about the power of LinkedIn and how just updating your headline and then an official post about a job loss can lead to hundreds of messages and tens of thousands of views. These messages and views led to job offers and the realization that even when you think people aren't watching or listening, that is certainly not the case.

Eric discusses the importance of being found when you're in sales. Utilize your profile to detail product lines that you represent, including your contact information and more.  Ultimately, you want to be found when your business is in sales. And if you want to be found, then LinkedIn is your friend, because Google LOVES LinkedIn, yet not all professionals are using LinkedIn properly, and some not AT ALL.

Cherise was recently at a conference in Maine that involved a number of construction product representatives and 30-50% of the attendees she could not find on LinkedIn.  As a construction specifier, LinkedIn is the number one location Cherise uses to find a contact. 

Cherise relays a story about how she needed to make a last-minute specification design change for a window and she couldn't get the spec online without registering on the manufacturer’s website, which took days for approval, nor could she find a proper contact on the company website. This company lost millions of dollars in business because they chose to be hidden rather than be found.

Eric discusses how websites by nature are very static and not typically kept up-to-date, unlike social media channels, especially Twitter. Eric relates how he found out about a new product line from a manufacturer that was posted on Twitter, yet the company website had nothing listed at all. Twitter is a great search engine for instantaneous results, but YouTube is better for indexed results. YouTube is the second most used search engine in the world and is owned by Google. 

Eric relays the importance to know that if you are relying on Facebook for your social media usage, that only a very small percentage of your likes see your posts. So, be diverse in your usage and engage!

One of the final thoughts from Cherise is that you can make a real impact in just five minutes a day on social media, should you so choose.

Podcast Introduction and Outro: By Mel Allen www.therealvoice.com

Podcast Theme: "Let's" is performed by Milton Busker www.miltonbusker.com 

YouTube: Stream or listen on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/Pr2QV64u4fg

Soundcloud: Stream or listen on Soundcloud:https://soundcloud.com/fix-construction/episode-007

Podcast: Episode #006

Subtitle: Playing Catch Up

Post Date: June 30, 2018

Hosts: Eric D. Lussier and Cherise Lakeside

Show Notes: Co-founders of Let's Fix Construction, Eric D. Lussier and Cherise Lakeside, host the first podcast in five months! Where does the time go?  2018 is half done and we've had the opportunity to speak at numerous locations. This episode looks back at the past five months and the live workshops that Eric and Cherise have hosted since the last episode went live.  

It started with the 'Communication & Ramifications of Specifications (Part 1) at the FCICA Annual Convention in Biloxi, MI, on March 20th at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, which was the 'Specs 101' workshop renamed. Delivered to flooring contractors, distributors, manufacturers and installers, this presentation was extremely well received. The Specs 101 is needed as architectural specifications are not being introduced to design professionals in architecture school and are certainly not being given or even discussed to industry professionals.  More information on Specs 101 can be found at www.letsfixconstruction.com/specs101.html 

After Biloxi, Eric and Cherise visited the CSI South Central Region Conference in Frisco, TX on April 6 and delivered 3 presentations, including the Let's Fix Construction Workshop, ​Social Media & the AEC Industry and a brand new workshop, Protectors of the Future: Empowering and Engaging Tomorrow's Leaders.  Cherise revisits how she was introduced to the industry as a young professional and how she feels the need to give back. We felt the need to put together this new presentation to get the people to understand that the information they're reading & hearing has existed about every generation before them. 

The 'Social Media & the AEC Industry' may in essence be a 101 course, but from experience, we know that this information is still needed, especially for those that only dip their toes in social.  LinkedIn is the most important professional network, and it is a MUST to be found as Google loves LinkedIn. It is not just for job seekers.

Quickly following Frisco, we were back on a plane for the CSI Southwest Region Conference in Las Vegas from April 19 - 21, 2018. Our friend, Robin Snyder of Spectra Consulting put together an outstanding conference and had us host FOUR programs, including an impromptu Empowering Young Professionals roundtable discussion, as well as the pre-planned Specs 101, She’s a Specifier, He’s a Product Rep: Different Roles, Same Goals Workshop and our flagship Let's Fix Construction Workshop.

Eric and Cherise had a chance to go international when they presented to the CSC Conference (Construction Specifications Canada (www.csc-dcc.ca) in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on May 24th.  This workshop was followed by a special PROSOCO Round Table Discussion at the IA Conference 2018 in New York, NY on June 22. 

No further workshops are on the schedule until CONSTRUCT in Long Beach, California, from October 3 to the 5, but Eric & Cherise will be heavily involved. In addition to being on the Education Advisory Council for the second consecutive year, they'll be hosting and or moderating five different sessions.  The fourth annual Young Professionals Day kicks off CONSTRUCT (www.CONSTRUCTshow.com/ypday) with Cherise leading the way and Eric being one of many mentors during the speed mentoring sessions. In addition to the Let's Fix Construction workshop, Eric and Cherise will be delivering a new presentation called 'Facing Danger: Public Speaking for Non-Public Speakers', which speaks from Cherise's non-traditional background. 

Cherise will be moderating two different programs, including the Archispeak Interactive Luncheon titled 'Real Talk About Challenges, Opportunities & Innovations Surrounding AEC Teams'. Archispeak is an architecture podcast hosted by Evan Troxel, Neal Pann, and Cormac Phalen who offer their brand of real talk on everything from design, tools, and work/life balance to generational differences, mentoring, job hunting and more. Check out www.archispeakpodcast.com 

Cherise will also be moderating the POWER PANEL at CONSTRUCT, 'Millennials as Successors: Misconceptions & Realities - Hear it from them!' Conceived after the impromptu millennial conversation in Las Vegas, four industry young professionals will speak directly about their experiences in AEC.

CONSTRUCT is CSI's annual meeting and affiliated tradeshow and is THE place to be this October.  Be sure to check out CONSTRUCTshow.com for more details.

Podcast Introduction and Outro: By Mel Allen www.therealvoice.com

Podcast Theme: "Let's" is performed by Milton Busker www.miltonbusker.com 

YouTube: Stream or listen on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOtlpTd0FjA

Soundcloud: Stream or listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/fix-construction/podcast-ep-006

Podcast: Episode #005

Subtitle: Just Like Groundhog Day

Post Date: February 2, 2018

Hosts: Eric D. Lussier and Cherise Lakeside

Show Notes: Co-founders of Let's Fix Construction, Eric D. Lussier and Cherise Lakeside, open by discussing the movie 'Groundhog Day' and its premise of reliving the same day over and over again is much like construction and how we do the same things over and over again and expect different results: the definition of insanity!

Cherise kicks off by talking about how one of her major peeves is the lack of coordination with keynotes on the architectural drawings and the disconnect between the design team and the architectural specifier or whomever is taking lead on the standards.

Eric's first Groundhog Day insanity is how the typical building product marketer leads off a typical sales call by regurgitating marketing speak: the age of their company, how they've never had a product failure and how wonderful their warranty is.  Meanwhile, they aren't achieving what they should be tackling: ensuring that they answer the questions and delivering the answers that the designer wants to hear. Cherise is able to offer the importance of billable time when it comes to her role as an architectural specifier and how crucial observing timeframes are when she allocates 15 minutes to a building product marketer who is making a sales call. 

Coordination with consultants and Division 01 General Requirements, a topic that is touched on in the Let's Fix Construction Episode 3 (http://www.letsfixconstruction.com/podcast/ep-003) is echoed as the next part of Groundhog Day insanity.  This topic was what kicked off Cherise's public speaking career and is an LFC workshop: http://www.letsfixconstruction.com/aecoordination.html 

Eric closes the podcast by discussing his biggest issues that he deals with as a sports flooring subcontractor: concrete moisture and condition of the concrete. For 12 years, Eric deems concrete as the bane of his existence and seemingly from job to job, he deals with the same issues with concrete. He suggests that having a conversation about expectations up front will save lots of headaches and money at the 11th hour.

Podcast Introduction and Outro: By Mel Allen www.therealvoice.com

Podcast Theme: "Let's" is performed by Milton Busker www.miltonbusker.com 

YouTube: Stream or listen on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/zYa3YjYgIoc

Soundcloud: Stream or listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/fix-construction/podcast-ep-005

Podcast: Episode #002

Subtitle: Geared for the Young Professional

Post Date: November 28, 2017

Hosts: Eric D. Lussier and Cherise Lakeside

Show Notes: Co-founders of Let's Fix Construction, Eric D. Lussier and Cherise Lakeside introduce the Young Professionals Day workshop.  Cherise speaks about getting involved as a young professional (commonly identified as 35 years old or younger) herself in the architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) industry.

Cherise was the lead instructor for the official Young Professional's Day at CONSTRUCT (CSI's annual conference and affiliated tradeshow in 2015, 2016 and 2017) and goes into the background of how "YP Day" came about and her involvement.

As a former participant in Young Professionals Day, Eric speaks on the speed mentoring session that typically transpires and identifies the need for young professionals to get up speed not only as fast as possible, but faster than possible.  

Introduction: By Mel Allen www.therealvoice.com

Theme: "Let's" is performed by Milton Busker www.miltonbusker.com 

YouTube: Also stream or listen on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/f7G7LzIBNWs

Soundcloud: Also stream or listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/fix-construction/podcast-ep-002