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.
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60 recent
November 2, 20261 hr 22 min
424 Residential Builders Responsibility to Develop Leaders In The Field
Download your free Vision & Scaling Plan here modern-craftsman.kit.com/vision-worksheet Nick and Tyler sit down with Ryan Sweenor to talk about what it takes to build a strong field crew, develop future leaders, and maintain high standards while the work keeps moving. Ryan breaks down how his role has shifted from doing everything himself to feeding information, setting expectations, planning ahead, and trusting other people with more responsibility. The conversation also gets into framing tolerances, speed versus quality, family business succession, and what it looks like to prepare for leadership without skipping the years of field experience that make it possible. Ryan Sweenor https://sweenorbuilders.com/ Partners: Andersen Windows The Modern Craftsman: https://moderncraftsman.co/ Find Our Hosts: Nick Schiffer Tyler Grace Podcast Produced By: Motif Media
October 26, 20261 hr 30 min
423 The Responsibility Problem In Residential Construction
Download your free Vision & Scaling Plan here modern-craftsman.kit.com/vision-worksheet Nick and Tyler sit down with Ryan Surette of RMS Ironworks to talk about what happens when small coordination misses become expensive field problems. Using structural steel, anchor bolts, base plates, and layout as the starting point, Ryan explains why residential construction so often falls into a gray area where responsibility gets passed between the GC, concrete crew, surveyor, and steel contractor. The conversation expands into preconstruction, 3D modeling, schedule impacts, building a high-performing crew, creating a culture where mistakes are communicated early, and what Ryan has learned while growing RMS to several times its previous size. Ryan Surette https://www.rmsironworksllc.com/ Join the Modern Craftsman Community 👉🏻 https://modern-craftsman.kit.com/8ddec2da05 Partners: Andersen Windows The Modern Craftsman: https://moderncraftsman.co/ Find Our Hosts: Nick Schiffer Tyler Grace Podcast Produced By: Motif Media
October 19, 202631 min
422 Why Do Residential Builders Struggle To Delegate?
Download your free Vision & Scaling Plan here modern-craftsman.kit.com/vision-worksheet Tyler uses the challenges of building his own house to confront a problem a lot of residential builders eventually create for themselves: becoming the person every decision has to run through. After realizing he had treated his personal build differently than a client project, Tyler breaks down why accountability only works when roles, expectations, authority, processes, and communication are clearly defined. If everything stops when you leave the job, the problem might not be your team—it might be the system you gave them to work within Join the Modern Craftsman Community 👉🏻 https://modern-craftsman.kit.com/8ddec2da05 Partners: Andersen Windows The Modern Craftsman : linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Hosts : Nick Schiffer Tyler Grace Podcast Produced By: Motif Media
October 12, 20261 hr 18 min
421 How Residential Builders Balance Craft And Profit
Download your free Vision & Scaling Plan here modern-craftsman.kit.com/vision-worksheet Nick and Tyler catch up with Colby Blauvelt four years after he began transforming his family's production plastering company into a highly specialized, craft-driven business. The work has changed, the team has grown to 15 people, and now the challenge is figuring out how to protect the standard that built the brand while creating a business that can actually scale profitably. They get into pricing complex work, saying no to the wrong projects, tracking labor, building better field systems, choosing the right level of finish, and the uncomfortable reality that craftsmen can sometimes care more about perfection than the client is willing to pay for. Colby Blauvelt https://www.instagram.com/trowelincplastering/?hl=en Join the Modern Craftsman Community 👉🏻 https://modern-craftsman.kit.com/8ddec2da05 Partners: Andersen Windows The Modern Craftsman : linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Hosts : Nick Schiffer Tyler Grace Podcast Produced By: Motif Media
October 5, 20261 hr 7 min
420 What Wealthy Clients Actually Expect From Residential Builders
Download your free Vision & Scaling Plan here modern-craftsman.kit.com/vision-worksheet Nick and Tyler sit down with Grant Bowen of Peak Projects to unpack what an owner's rep actually does and what builders can learn from projects where the stakes, budgets, and client expectations are exceptionally high. Grant explains how to manage complex residential projects from due diligence through construction, how high-net-worth clients evaluate builders, why concise communication and transparent financial reporting matter so much, and how trust is built long before construction begins. The conversation makes one thing clear: on high-end projects, great work is expected—the differentiator is how well you manage the entire experience. Grant Bowen https://www.peakprojects.com/ Join the Modern Craftsman Community 👉🏻 https://modern-craftsman.kit.com/8ddec2da05 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
September 20, 20261 hr 29 min
419 How Maturity Changed The Way Gary Katz Sees Architecture
Download your free Vision & Scaling Plan here modern-craftsman.kit.com/vision-worksheet Nick and Tyler sit down with Gary Katz to talk about American Mantelpieces, a project that began nearly three decades ago and became something much bigger than a book about fireplaces. Gary reflects on craftsmanship, architectural proportion, rejection, persistence, and how years of studying the work helped him understand not just what looks right, but why it looks right. The conversation expands into how a craftsperson's perspective changes with experience, why finishing imperfect work can be more valuable than chasing perfection, and how understanding the history behind what we build can completely change the way we see our own work. Gary Katz https://garymkatz.com/new-book Join the Modern Craftsman Community 👉🏻 https://modern-craftsman.kit.com/8ddec2da05 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
September 13, 202649 min
418 Knowing how to utilize in-house labor in residential construction
Download your free Vision & Scaling Plan here modern-craftsman.kit.com/vision-worksheet Nick and Tyler sit down with Jeff Sweenor to talk about what it actually takes to keep framing, finish carpentry, cabinetry, masonry, and other trades in-house. Jeff breaks down the constant balance between quality, productivity, overhead, scheduling, hiring, and knowing when a specialized subcontractor can simply do the work more efficiently. The conversation also gets into how Sweenor Builders tracks each division, develops skilled craftspeople, and decides which capabilities are worth continuing to own. Join the Modern Craftsman Community 👉🏻 https://modern-craftsman.kit.com/b41e44fc86 Sign up for the newsletter: https://modern-craftsman.kit.com/1cc009f591 Video Notes: Self-Performing vs Subcontracting (3:30) Managing Labor Productivity (7:23) Competitive Advantages in Framing (13:12) Logistics of Custom Builds (27:36) Hiring and Market Positioning (33:40) 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
September 7, 202642 min
417 Building My Own House Without Chasing Perfection
Download your free Vision & Scaling Plan here modern-craftsman.kit.com/vision-worksheet Tyler is back with an update on where his house build actually stands, what has gone according to plan, and where he has intentionally chosen practicality over perfection. He gets into framing the house, crawl space and insulation decisions, managing costs, working alongside a framing crew, upcoming windows and rough-ins, and the lessons he is learning from being both the builder and the client. It is also a look at everything happening around the project, from TRG and Modern Craftsman to family, work, and trying to keep all of it moving at once. Join the Modern Craftsman Community 👉🏻 https://modern-craftsman.kit.com/b41e44fc86 Sign up for the newsletter: https://modern-craftsman.kit.com/1cc009f591 Tyler is back with an update on where his house build actually stands, what has gone according to plan, and where he has intentionally chosen practicality over perfection. He gets into framing the house, crawl space and insulation decisions, managing costs, working alongside a framing crew, upcoming windows and rough-ins, and the lessons he is learning from being both the builder and the client. It is also a look at everything happening around the project, from TRG and Modern Craftsman to family, work, and trying to keep all of it moving at once. Video Notes: House Build Details and Challenges (3:17) Foundation and Crawl Space Preparation (5:09) Framing and Subcontracting Decisions (12:10) Next Steps and Project Management (19:24) Challenges and Learnings (23:12) Personal and Professional Updates (38:44) 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
August 31, 202645 min
416 Nick And Tyler Walk Through 45WO & The Reality of Building A Home without Compromise
Download your free Vision & Scaling Plan here modern-craftsman.kit.com/vision-worksheet This house looks calm. Precise. Almost effortless. Behind that simplicity is an enormous amount of coordination, fabrication, experimentation, and restraint. Nick and Tyler walk the completed home from front door to mechanical room, breaking down the details that made it possible, from full-height doors and flush transitions to custom millwork, stone fabrication, integrated ventilation, dropped framing, hidden storage, and thousands of hours of finish work. Nothing here happened by accident. It was a prototype in nearly every sense, built around the idea of seeing how far a team could push residential construction when compromise was taken off the table. Join the Modern Craftsman Community 👉🏻 https://modern-craftsman.kit.com/8ddec2da05 VIDEO NOTES Entryway and Initial Impressions (0:03) Cabinetry and Material Coordination (2:47) Kitchen and Material Consistency (4:50) Detail and Execution in the Kitchen (8:05) Dining Space and Skylight (13:08) Living Room and Outdoor Spaces (18:23) Staircase and Second Floor Details (20:23) Primary Bedroom and Bathroom (26:11) Secondary Bedrooms and Bathrooms (34:29) Basement and Mechanical Room (36:42) Garage and Mechanical Room Details (37:57) Final Thoughts and Reflections (40:11)
August 24, 2026Episode 4151 hr 19 min
415 Custom Residential Building Doesn't Have To Mean Expensive
Download your free Vision & Scaling Plan here modern-craftsman.kit.com/vision-worksheet Nick and Tyler sit down with Architect David Hornstein to talk about what has been lost as residential construction has become more specialized, more layered, and more expensive. Drawing from decades as a carpenter, builder, architect, and product designer, David makes the case that highly custom work can still be efficient if the people doing it understand the entire process. They get into the master builder mindset, the value of having experienced people on site, why communication gets diluted through layers of management, and how relentless attention to small efficiencies can dramatically change the cost of custom construction. David also shares how that same mindset eventually led him to create Dura Gutter. David Hornstein https://www.light-house-design.com/ https://www.duragutter.com/ Join the Modern Craftsman Community 👉🏻 https://modern-craftsman.kit.com/b41e44fc86 Sign up for the newsletter: https://modern-craftsman.kit.com/1cc009f591 Video Notes: David Hornstein's Background and Initial Impressions (0:00) Challenges of Modern Construction (9:21) Efficiency and Specialization in Construction (10:25) The Role of the Master Builder (10:42) The Impact of Product Development on Craftsmanship (10:59) The Evolution of Construction Management (11:11) The Importance of Building Experience (11:44) The Development of Dura Gutter (11:58) Architectural Details and Product Evolution (12:32) Insulation and Exterior Details (72:16) Efficiency in Construction (74:10) Challenges of Modern Construction (76:57) 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
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