April 29, 2024
TecHome Builder Summit 2024
Builder Nuggets
Experience the life changing breakthroughs that builders and remodelers across North America are using to create the most rewarding businesses in the industry.
We work with award winning builders, remodelers, business coaches, industry experts, and fellow podcasters that share a desire to elevate their game. We do this by focusing on collaboration over competition.
Coaching • Consulting • Speaking Engagements • Workshops
New to Builder Nuggets?
Here are some great episodes to start with.
Jan. 4, 2021
EP 01: Under Construction
Entrepreneurship can be a lonely and difficult journey. But it doesn't have to be! In this premiere episode of the Builder Nuggets podcast, hosts Duane Johns and Dave Young tell the story behind the podcast and discuss the importance of creating a business that thrives using less of your time...
May 30, 2023
Ep 126: Building Science Recalibrated
The term building science was born in the 80s, and today high-performance homes and energy efficiency are buzzwords used throughout the custom home building industry. Building science is the understanding of air, heat, and moisture flow. It’s been a...
June 1, 2021
EP 22: The Roaring 20's
Few young economists present their insights with the authority, accuracy, and humor that this episodes guest brings to the stage. He delivers with charm and candor, rousing and enlightening all who attend his talks. Join us as we have a conversation...
Sept. 12, 2023
Ep 141: The Flip Side
Any business owner in this industry has struggled to build a good team, to scale, or to step away from the daily grind. Today, a familiar voice joins us to share his personal struggles through his seemingly meteoric rise through the ranks as a young...
Oct. 17, 2023
Ep 146: Housing 2.0
The myriad of problems facing the housing industry can sometimes feel insurmountable. The push towards high performance, the need for affordability, and the continuing rise of inflation and costs for business owners might leave you feeling like...
Sept. 3, 2024
Ep 165: Getting Intentional
Today’s guest shares his journey from the family chocolate business to becoming a sought-after builder in Rhode Island. Jeff Sweenor, founder of Sweenor Builders, delves into the evolution of his business, the importance of intentional client...
Recent Episodes
Nov. 5, 2024
Ep 167: A Path for Veterans
Every job candidate has a set of hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills can be trained, but soft skills are natural inclinations that are difficult to teach. This episode explores how the soft skills that veterans have cultivated in their service...
Oct. 1, 2024
Ep 166: Indoor Environmental Quality
HVAC design and indoor environmental quality is an often overlooked part of home design and construction. Code continues to sluggishly push forward, but doesn’t reach a high standard for comfort and efficiency in most home builds. Today’s guest is...
Sept. 3, 2024
Ep 165: Getting Intentional
Today’s guest shares his journey from the family chocolate business to becoming a sought-after builder in Rhode Island. Jeff Sweenor, founder of Sweenor Builders, delves into the evolution of his business, the importance of intentional client...
Aug. 6, 2024
Ep 164: Paradigm Changers with Jenny Pippin
Human-centric, sustainable, green, high-performance and fully-supportive are the buzzwords of the last few years in custom home design. Today’s guest has been incorporating these elements into her home designs for decades - before there were labels...
July 2, 2024
Ep 163: NAHB Economic Update 2024
We’ve invited back a special guest to give our annual economic update on the housing industry. Danushka Nanayakkara, Assistant Vice President for Forecasting and Analysis at the NAHB, joins the podcast again to share the annual outlook....
June 4, 2024
Ep 162: The Importance of Home
These two childhood friends took a leap of faith and started their own custom home building business over two decades ago and never looked back. Weathering the turbulent Great Recession in ‘08 and, now, Covid, these two home builders have joined us...
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About the Hosts
Duane Johns
Builder | Remodeler | Coach | Consultant
Duane entered the construction industry over 30 years ago working on oceanfront estates in The Hamptons on Long Island, New York. From laborer to craftsman to business owner he was always honing his skills and immersed himself in all aspects of high end custom construction. In 1996 he moved to Charlotte, North Carolina and started a general contracting business with Roger Ketchum and the two achieved success right away, winning industry awards and earning rave reviews from clients, designers, and trade partners. That relationship continues to this day.
Today, as a builder, remodeler, coach, & consultant, he is dedicated to elevating professionalism in the construction industry. Having built an all star team that runs his construction business, he has now shifted his focus from the day to day aspects of building and remodeling award winning homes to helping others build more rewarding and more valuable businesses. He believes the key ingredients to success are continuous learning, strategic planning, collaboration with like minded peers and the elimination of egos. He believes that if you fail to do these things the industry will reduce you to a commodity and leave you alone on an island.
When he is not talking shop you will most likely find him outdoors. He and his family love to travel, hike, explore, and discover new places and new things. "Enjoy life by living in the moment and try not to take yourself too seriously."
Kolbe: 7•4•6•3
• Builder & Remodeler (Licensed in NC & SC)
• Co-owner of JK Design Build dba Alair Homes
• Regional Developer for Alair Homes
• NAHB Custom Homebuilders Committee
• NAHB Remodelers Council Board of Trustees
• HBA of Greater Charlotte - Builder Board Member
• Member of the Kohler/Sterling Pro Council
• HBA of Lake Norman - Board Member 2002 - 2014
• LKN Remodelers Council - Chairperson 2008 - 2012
• NARI/Charlotte - Board Member 1999 - 2012
• Member of Vistage Worldwide 2014 - 2017
Be sure to listen to Episode 01 to learn more about Duane and the story behind Builder Nuggets.
Dave Young
Connector | Coach | Consultant
Dave grew up in a small town on Georgian Bay, Ontario Canada but always had big ideas and dreams. As a teenager he became fascinated with Real Estate and bought his first apartment building at age 25. While developing a real estate portfolio Dave launched a real estate technology company to help shift the organized real estate community. A chance phone call in 2013 led to Dave becoming a Regional Partner with upstart custom home building network, Alair Homes. Today he's the regional partner and business coach in 5 different Alair Homes regions covering North Carolina, South Carolina, Manitoba, and Eastern Ontario. In 2021, Dave and co-host Duane Johns, launched The Builder Nuggets Podcast. Each week they bring together thought leaders to help contractors everywhere build more rewarding businesses.
Dave has been married to Terrilynne for 17 years. They have three teenage daughters and live in Newmarket, ON, Canada. The family enjoys spending summers in Muskoka and escaping to the Exumas, Bahamas in the winter. Dave loves playing hockey, skiing, boating, going on spontaneous adventures, and 'thinking about thinking'.
Kolbe: 4•3•10•2
Other stuff:
Cliffton Strengths - Strategic, Ideation, Futuristic, Positivity, Input. (Great with ideas - horrible with implementation!)
Part of Strategic Coach 10x
Big believer in personal development and surrounding yourself with inspired experts.
Favourite books:
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Godfather
Who Not How
Be sure to listen to Episode 01 to learn more about Dave and the story behind Builder Nuggets.
