Connecting construction to the diverse talent of today

Zach Wojtowicz:

It’s “The Building Code.” Zach Wojtowicz.

Charley Burtwistle:

And I’m Charley Burtwistle.

Zach Wojtowicz:

Charley, how you been, man?

Charley Burtwistle:

Zach, I’ve been doing fantastic.

Zach Wojtowicz:

It’s good to see you.

Charley Burtwistle:

It’s good to see you too. I love with the change of our new schedule, we’re in here far more often with the weekly episodes.

Zach Wojtowicz:

That’s right. We’re really just fulfilling the Buildertrend buds prophecy.

Charley Burtwistle:

Yeah. A 100%. We manifested it and that’s what I’m going to keep telling myself when I keep pitching ideas of places I should go. But Zach, tell the listeners who we have in the studio today.

Zach Wojtowicz:

Yeah. We’ve got Paul Robinson, founder and CEO of ConstructReach and we’re going to talk a little bit today about some really interesting topics in the construction industry such as the labor shortage and diversity.

Charley Burtwistle:

Yeah, and the cool thing about Paul is he actually started in the industry and then kind of got away from it and then was kind of pulled back in to start this consulting business and tackle some of these huge issues. He has experience on the, actually the industry side of things and also from the consulting side of things. It’ll be fun to get his perspective on what he saw and experienced and what he’s kind of doing to change it. And I’d also like to tee up, we’re going to talk about some data, I think. That was kind of Paul’s first big step when he stepped into this role is, let’s just understand the current landscape. What is the average age of a contractor out there today? What is the diversity rate across the industry? Really trying to zero in on what’s the problem so that he could figure out what’s the best approach to a solution. Anytime we get to talk about data, you know I get excited.

Zach Wojtowicz:

Yeah. When they initially launched ConstructReach, they kind of did some study to kind of look at the market and to see what people we’re like in the construction industry. And so some little bits here that we’ll kind of tease out later is over half of the construction workforce is over 46 years old. Compared to other industries, they’re skewing a little bit high as far as the median age. 44% of millennials and 49% of Generation Z people are non-white. And so his mission from an organization standpoint is to try and help really use construction as a catalyst of opportunity for a lot of up and coming youth that are looking for those opportunities but traditionally haven’t been fulfilled through the minority population. We’re going to get into all these diversity initiatives and strategies that he’s kind of done within his community and really talk a little bit about what can employers do in order to improve and increase their diversity acquisition of talent and really invest in them.

Charley Burtwistle:

Yeah. Obviously it’s a major topic and it’s great that he’s thinking about it now, as we’re getting ready to kind of have this next wave of employees in the construction industry and making sure that we’re thinking about that and planning for it in advance. It’ll be really interesting to see his takes. Let’s go ahead and get him in here.

Zach Wojtowicz:

All right, Paul, welcome to “The Building Code.” Thanks for joining us. We’re so excited to have you here. We always like to ask our guests when we’re getting started, just tell us a little bit about your backstory and how you found your way to starting a company and ConstructReach.

Paul Robinson:

Yeah. No, thanks for having me guys. Super excited to be on today. Oh man, so my journey, well, I actually went to school for this profession, which is kind of rare. I went to Kansas State University for construction science management and went straight into the industry from there. Various internships and I knew that this was a career path that I wanted to pursue. And so was in the industry for about six or seven years as a construction project manager, kind of in various capacities, if you will, working throughout different regions in the United States or what have you. And it was something that I absolutely loved. And for me though, I wanted to actually also be a tangible example in my community. And so after about six years I made a huge decision, sort of unconventional. I gave it up, and I moved back home.

Paul Robinson:

Me and my wife moved back home and really wanted to have an impact kind of serving our community a bit, be tangible examples. For us, we thought that that was just more powerful to walk alongside individuals that a lot of times were kind of becoming products of their environment. We kind of knew that there could be more. And so did that, but the industry called me back to start kind of consulting around galvanizing younger people, if you will, and introducing them to the industry of construction. And so from there, I kind of began to be in some focus group meetings that would have strategic ideation sessions, if you will, with companies that wanted to have their construction teams be more representative of the area that they were building in and more representative of the working class. But of course, coming from the industry, I knew that that was going to be hard to tackle because it was an industrywide problem where we’re just not seeing the representation from a minority standpoint within this industry and it’s such a large industry.

Paul Robinson:

And so just from those strategic kind of sessions, focus group sessions or what have you, I knew that what we were talking about kind of on a company by company basis, demanded a larger business model, a national effort. And that’s how ConstructReach was started. We started ConstructReach back in 2018. Almost say whopping four years.

Zach Wojtowicz:

Wow.

Paul Robinson:

It’s been light speed, just how much we’ve been able to accomplish thus far. And just looking back, man, it’s only been four years, but that’s how ConstructReach was started. Was in the industry, left the industry, came back to consult and now building a consulting company to help the industry.

Charley Burtwistle:

Just couldn’t get away. That is interesting.

Paul Robinson:

Couldn’t get away.

Charley Burtwistle:

We’ve had a couple guests on here before that talk about kind of hard it is to retain really talented employees. And I think it’ll be interesting to talk to you because you’re almost going one step above that, is how do we even get the top of the funnel, a wide grasp and a diverse grasp across the entire country of really, really talented individual into this new construction field. My dad actually teaches construction tech out of high school.

Paul Robinson:

Oh wow.

Charley Burtwistle:

He meets with local kind of colleges and businesses a lot on just, ‘Hey, who do you have graduating this year? Is there any chance they’re looking for internships?’ And makes his job pretty easy because it is definitely pretty highly in demand right now. I love your focus and I’m sure ConstructReach is going to do fantastic things in this area.

Charley Burtwistle:

Transitioning from working in the industry, as you talked about leaving, coming back and now as a consultant, what things have changed or what things did you experience in your time in the construction industry that you’re taking and learning from and kind of actively trying to change? Where would you say your kind of main focus areas are that you experienced?

Paul Robinson:

Yeah. No, very good question. Of course, over the last two years, a lot has changed. Just with work and how we approach it. But there are some things that are still the same. For me coming up in the industry, and majoring in this industry as well and seeing the disparity in the numbers. Not really seeing any other person that looked like me. And that’s definitely something that I had a firsthand experience with and in my professional career, I was very fortunate to be surrounded by individuals that poured into me, that were great mentors or what have you, that I still maintain relationships with. But having that sense of connection, being able to really see yourself in positions, entry level positions and not even just entry level positions, but decision making positions as well. That was something that was kind of far and few between.

Paul Robinson:

And being younger, coming into the industry a lot of times, I kind of, I was the youngest one. And so it’s like, oh my gosh, what do I do out here with all these grown men? And it was interesting, man, from that perspective and that capacity, not really seeing as much representation but then also not having other peers that you could kind of connect and relate to as you were entering into your professional career. And with ConstructReach that’s one of the things that we try to do is to, for one, allow others to see themselves in this industry. Because if you can’t see yourself, then you can’t see yourself actually being in it. And so understanding the importance of being able to identify with others, not just those entry level positions, but seeing how far you can go.

Paul Robinson:

And seeing yourself represented in the very highest positions that this industry has to offer but then also creating a sense of community as well, to where young people that are transitioning from adolescence into young adulthood, that’s already a big transition in and of itself. Now you put a new career onto that as well. That could be a very pivotal time for a young person transitioning into young adulthood and their career and having that support system, having other peers that are going through a similar experience, a shared experience. There’s a lot that you can glean from that, where you get that type of support. And so those are just a couple of the things that we’ve tried to implement and address based on just my personal experience and what a lot of others have experienced as well, coming up through this industry.

Zach Wojtowicz:

That’s super interesting. And I want to get into your strategies and ConstructReach a little later in our interview and talk about kind of what you guys do. I know from your experiences, we talked at the start of the show, kind of the research that you do though, to kind of understand the data behind the construction industry. Charley’s a data scientist as we like to always point out, so it really stuck with us and some of the numbers that were really interesting. You mentioned how old they are, so you found that 44% of millennials and 49% of generation Z are non-White, there’s not a lot of diversity in construction and this is an industry that’s booming. It’s just teaming with opportunity. Is that what kind of led you to go and found ConstructReach? Or what was kind of the genesis of when you looked around and you see the age gap and you see, you talked about what people don’t look like you. Is that what inspired you to go and take the leap?

Paul Robinson:

Absolutely, man. It’s a lot of moving parts. And it’s not to say that diversity initiatives have not been taking place right prior to ConstructReach. We didn’t recreate the wheel by any means. There’s a lot of efforts that have been taking place but one of the things that we have realized just historically speaking, is that it’s been very siloed. You’ll have a lot of different efforts that are taking place but there’s no continuity. There’s no collective effort. And for us, before we even really positioned ourselves in the marketplace, before we even begin to actually do business, if you will, we did the research. And one of the things that we wanted to do was to hear people’s take on the construction industry pipeline and the state of the industry from all of the stakeholders.

Paul Robinson:

That includes brands, that includes the employers within the industry, whether you’re a GC, a subcontractor, architectural engineering firm, surveyor, what have you, developer. But then also another major stakeholder being educators. Educators, especially since a lot of the kind of public funding was taken out of public schools years back as we were trending toward more technology and rightfully so, but those jobs didn’t go anywhere. And so when you saw the construction specific educational courses kind of get taken down or cut down a bit in public schools, the relationships between educators and industry also started to widen and educators felt like they were not in a position to speak in an informed way about the industry, in a very updated way about the industry to their students and not just to their students, but also to their parents and to their guardians as well.

Paul Robinson:

Because educators kind of see themselves as those gatekeepers. You have parents, you have students that are really depending on them and their guidance, if you will, hence guidance counselors, to provide some sort of direction about what’s possible and what’s feasible. And what are some next steps that one can take post high school. And then of course the young talent that’s out there, a lot of untapped potential. And so when you have all of these moving parts that have a perspective about the industry and getting them around the table to talk through their various perspectives and then to get their buy in to say, “Hey, well, you know what? Well, if we remained siloed, then things are going to stay the way that they are.” The industry won’t be sustainable because there is a lot of demand and you have a lot of untapped potential that’s out there that we really could be getting in front of.

Paul Robinson:

And if we replicate this, not just changing knowing how much the industry pays, knowing that you can have a successful career, so not just changing one person’s life but if we’re replicating that, changing families and then communities and then getting to the equity that now has become a more mainstream conversation. And so for us, when we began to take all of that inventory, look at the research, talk to the stakeholders that represent the entire construction industry pipeline, from there, we were able to formulate kind of how we want to position ourselves in the marketplace as that facilitator uniting all of the stakeholders and also making sure that there’s alignment between those stakeholders. For us, we try to be as ubiquitous as we can, meet a younger demographic where they are, knowing that this industry is booming, knowing that there’s a lot of demand, knowing that there’s a retirement crisis hovering over this industry, there’s a lot of positions that are available, but you can’t just fill them.

Paul Robinson:

You can’t just fill them because this younger generation is the most diverse that it has ever been. And the industry has had a long standing area of opportunity to create a culture that is conducive to a minority success. And so now you’ve got to address what’s historically been a problem, while still trying to make sure that you’re sustainable, but being able to position yourself that is attractive to a younger, diverse demographic. And so for us, that’s where you had all of the moving parts that’s kind of really shaped this holistic and kind of full service, if you will, or A to Z approach with attacking this problem, with making sure that the industry is in a place to receive this young talent but then also meeting that young talent where they are, introducing them to the industry of construction, educating them on the various career pathways that exist, affirming them kind of where they are, and then connecting the dots so that they do have an experience that matches what we’re communicating on the front end.

Charley Burtwistle:

I love that approach and it definitely resonates with me a little bit when you’re talking about the disconnect between the educators and the industry. Before I came to work at Buildertrend, I had no idea all the different roles and opportunities that they were just in the broad landscape that is construction. To me, it was always construction, I’m going to go out with a hammer.

Zach Wojtowicz: To build stuff.

Charley Burtwistle: And build stuff. But now, you listed a ton of different ones. You got architectural engineering, you got people that do all your landscaping, your selection coordinators, purchasing. There’s all these roles that fill the pipeline that I was just blatantly unaware of. That those were even opportunities before I started working at Buildertrend.

Zach Wojtowicz:

Yeah. It’s really interesting, Paul. I’m an ex-teacher actually. I taught for seven years in public schools here in Nebraska. And I would be the first to admit, we didn’t talk about construction opportunities to our students. It was about going college and getting them there. Then you go look at the data of number of students who go to college and don’t get a degree. And there’s this unique opportunity of we could have probably been more strategic about, is it the best thing to go to college when you can go learn a lot of the skills in construction that are business skills. There is so much investment that can be made. And I’ve seen it in my time. I was a consultant traveling for Buildertrend and I would talk to people and their backgrounds. And so many of them started as a field crew worker but have worked their way up to a project manager or a scheduler or they do handle procurement and it is incredible to see and learn from people, their stories. It sounds like your mission is to kind of expose that gap to the population about what that opportunity provides.

Paul Robinson:

Yeah, absolutely man. And that’s definitely something key that you said, especially coming from education. That’s one of the things that we’re starting to see change a bit, with the different CTAE or CTE career pathways that are being introduced now in schools, because for a long time it was about going to college and getting that four year degree. And when you didn’t do that, that’s when construction was presented. That’s when construction was offered as this alternative. And so it was almost like you failed into this industry.

Paul Robinson:

And that’s something that school is really trying to combat and come against and create a different narrative to where they’re celebrating different steps that a young person can take that celebrates college but as well as taking a different route and going straight into a career or getting a certification. And celebrating that, just as they would a four-year degree. And so, we’re beginning to see more and more states adopt the career pathways into the high school level and celebrating some of those and really beginning to be more proactive in developing those relationships with industry and with corporations to expose young people to the different career pathways that exist.

Charley Burtwistle:

You’ve spoken kind of on fixing the funnel leading into the industry and changing the narrative, which I think is great. Are you also working with people in the industry on how they should approach hiring and approach marketing and recruiting different talent in an industry that historically has lacked a lot of diversity?

Paul Robinson:

Yes, yes, yes, yes. All day, every day.

Charley Burtwistle:

There you go.

Paul Robinson:

That is definitely something that we spend a lot of time doing. And that’s where the kind of the consultation comes within the confines of the industry, making sure that they understand that

Because a lot of times you have, whether it’s the field or the office or whomever those direct managers would be for interns and new hires that are coming in, a lot of times they’re the face of the company for this young and fresh talent. How are we putting them in a position to really lead in a very intentional way, allow them to understand who their audience is, because that matters. Understanding who you’re leading matters and really putting them in a position to succeed, which builds an affinity for the company and the industry so that we can retain some of this talent as we begin to be more strategic and intentional about how we attract them and then how we develop them.

Charley Burtwistle:

Yeah. And I think so, I mentioned when we were talking before this, that Zach and I were listening to one of your episodes of your podcast before this, and you talk about that a little bit. It’s like, well historically, if I don’t know anybody that wants to work in construction or doesn’t kind of view it as an industry that you fail into, that you mentioned earlier, how do I go about even changing that problem, or starting to change it. I think that’s great advice. Do you want to talk a little bit about your new podcast, iReach? That was the episode that we were kind of mentioning there.

Paul Robinson:

Oh man, yes, yes, yes, yes. iReach, brand new podcast, man, and this is where we get a chance to just chop it up, talk just like we’re doing now with various folks throughout the industry that represent the entire pipeline. It could be brands, it could be educators, GCs, young people, you name it. Where we’re hearing their perspectives about this industry, success stories and making sure that we are presenting this industry of construction as a viable career choice. And hearing it from different perspectives, hearing it from people that maybe sometimes you don’t get a chance to hear. And so amplifying some of those voices from a brand that builds right across the nation to a GC that may be building for various brands and companies, to educators that are partnering with those companies that are building for those brands, to young people who may be in the classroom.

Paul Robinson:

And so it’s making that connection between all of those different stakeholders, man, to show how this is an industry that you can really be proud of and that you should be pursuing because it’s one that definitely pays off. And so we air episodes every Tuesday, so on a weekly basis, man. I am in you guys’ seat now interviewing various folks but it’s an absolute pleasure, man. I love it. It’s definitely something that has been in the works for a while because I’m always having conversations with various folks. We do a lot of things within the community that we try to bring visibility to and raise awareness because exposure is key. And I think doing a podcast is another way of exposing what this industry has to offer, the different career pathways that exist that you wouldn’t know about. And so we just, we really try to live out the words in the company, ConstructReach, building reach, building reachable opportunities through construction. And of course the outreach podcast, let us reach you where you are.

Zach Wojtowicz:

I love it. Well, let’s dive in a little deeper about kind of some specific success stories with ConstructReach. And you mentioned that you talk about that on the podcast. We’d love to give our listeners a little preview of some of the things that you’re doing in your community about how we’re growing this construction industry and the labor that fills it.

Paul Robinson:

Yeah. Yeah. One of the things that we started back in our very first year was this community outreach event that was called I built This. And since then, it’s kind of become our national flagship, if you will, community engagement event, where we’re able to partner with some of our brands to turn construction into more of a communal event, if you will. To get behind the construction fence, per se, and we partner with the surrounding schools, school districts, workforce development organizations, nonprofit organizations that are trying to introduce and prepare young people for successful careers. And for two days, man, we take two different groups, maybe different high schools or what have you, to introduce them to the different career pathways that exist. They participate in hands on activities that actually correlate to the construction and or design of the project that is going on.

Paul Robinson:

And it’s more than just, I would call it more than just the field trip but it’s a very immersive experience for them because everything is tailored around the young person. The entire day, the entire experience is. And we keep a lot of things kind of close to the vest because we like to witness the journey of them experiencing this. They come in at first, they’re kind of shy, try to play it cool. But by the end of the day they let their hair down, man. They are excited, they’re yelling. But you have hands on activities that are taking place. You’ve got giveaways, you’ve got prizes, man. You may have dance competitions. You’ve got inspirational messages that are being given, there’s scholarship as well, that are being presented.

Paul Robinson:

We love to partner with different schools that have scholarships available that the students may not know about. If we are doing things and partnering with a union as well, we’re talking about how they could enter into the union. We’re talking about pre-apprenticeship programs, providing sponsorship, providing scholarships into that entry level position’s internships. All of that stuff is available on site because we don’t just want to get them excited about this industry but we want to introduce this industry in a different light, affirm then where they are, allow them to experience the fact that they do have the skills and they do have the ability and they do have the potential to be successful within this industry for whatever career path they get exposed to but then not to just leave them there, but to actually have next steps and a variety of different next steps.

Paul Robinson:

If it’s a career pathway that requires a degree, being able to have those opportunities there on site. If it’s something that can lend itself to an internship because of an interest that has been sparked, we have that there. If it’s pursuing a program or getting into a pre-apprenticeship program, or what have you, we have those op opportunities there as well. And so, it’s definitely been something that we’ve been able to hang our hat on. We’ve gotten very, very good feedback. You’re talking about 80% of the students who are attending are responding saying now they are considering a career within this industry and beforehand they had not.

Zach Wojtowicz:

Wow.

Paul Robinson:

And you have educators saying, “Never before have I been able to allow my students to be part of something like this.” And so it’s just been a blast and we show a consolidated effort, really from an industry standpoint. You have the buy in from the brand and really being able to allow things to take place that really demonstrates that community engagement, that social commitment. You have the general contractor that is leading that particular project. You have the subcontractors who are participating in that. They get a chance to participate as well. Other industry partners that we have. And so you have this collective front that we put on to showcase the solidarity that we have in supporting them and meeting them where they are. And it’s just it’s an amazing time, man.

Charley Burtwistle:

Yeah. It sounds like an amazing time. I was wondering if there was an age limit on it.

Zach Wojtowicz:

I knew Charley was about to ask for an invite. I was just like, when is it coming?

Paul Robinson:

You got there man, absolutely.

Zach Wojtowicz:

It’s kind of a thing, Paul, we got running bits on the podcast and we’re trying to get Charley out of office. We always try to send him out to whoever will take him, frankly.

Charley Burtwistle:

Yeah. It’s a bit for Zach, but for me, it’s just it’s just a struggle.

Zach Wojtowicz:

It’s reality.

Paul Robinson:

We got to get you out there with us.

Charley Burtwistle:

It’d be great. Work at a construction tech company, that’s another opportunity for people that want to get into the industry.

Zach Wojtowicz:

It’s a whole other opportunity, world of opportunity. That’s awesome. That 80% number is insane. One of our favorite sayings, men lie, women lie, but data doesn’t. 80% of people that attend these things are actually changing their mind. That’s an incredible stat and definitely something to be really proud of.

Paul Robinson:

Yeah, I am.

Charley Burtwistle:

Sorry. I just saying it strikes, it just takes a lot of effort to put those events on and coordinating it and time to continue to grow, but been around for four years now and it probably feels like you’re just getting started.

Paul Robinson:

Yeah. Yeah. It does, man. We’ve been able to really grow this and have this type of impact even during a COVID environment. And so a lot of the events have been scaled down, but now we’re kind of beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. That is picking up. You have more and more schools and school districts in cities that want to participate. And so we’re super excited, man, about this. And so we’re on a wave now, man, so we’re going.

Zach Wojtowicz:

That’s awesome. Well Paul, as we’re getting close to time here, I want to give you one last opportunity. Obviously we have a lot of people in the construction industry listening to this podcast and people that run their own business that are trying to fill that demand and from an employee standpoint. Is there any advice you could give them or places that they should look to get started if they’re wanting to tackle some of these diversity initiatives that you’ve mentioned throughout this episode?

Paul Robinson:

Yeah. Yeah. Well of course, but outside of ConstructReach, that’s where you want to go. No, but I would say on a serious tip, man, if you are an employer and this is definitely something that is top of mind and it probably is right for most of your audience, because this is an industrywide kind of dilemma that we are in. It’s making sure that you do the proper assessment internally first. There’s nothing like putting forth a lot of effort and going through all of the steps to get in front of young talent that you’re not ready for. And so that’s one of the things that we like to stress. It’s not a cookie cutter approach, it’s not a cookie cutter model so you’re not going to do these 10 things and then magically see this pipeline and this diverse pipeline grow overnight.

Paul Robinson:

It is really looking at how you do business, understanding that DEI is something that should be interwoven into the fabric of the company, but making sure that you are healthy to receive them. You’re not going to be perfect. If there’s a person there it’s not perfect. But we can be healthy. And it’s making sure that companies are healthy and ready to receive the young talent that’s out there, building and establishing relationships that gets you in front of this younger pipeline, if you will. And taking it from there, understanding that everything is not going to change overnight but you have those building blocks that are in place, building that rapport, building those relationships and then just leading with vulnerability.

Paul Robinson:

I know that can be hard at times, but you don’t have to have it all together either before you begin to bring in young talent. But if you let them know what you are trying to do and how they play a key part in that and you affirm them and then you allow them to add value and they can see that there’s an upward trajectory for them and you do that in a very authentic way, now you are building very intentional. And now you are building future advocates for your company that can go and speak to their community about not only what this industry has to offer, but the amazing employer that they’ve been able to have success with. And now that begins to shine a positive light for you. And that’s how you build that pipeline. And so it’s just that intentionality, relational and owning kind of where you are.

Charley Burtwistle:

Yeah. That seems like a fantastic place to start. And then obviously we’ll also link ConstructReach and iReach into show notes as well too, if people are wanting to do kind of one step further. But thank you so much, Paul, for coming on today. I feel like this was super, super informative and I’m sure our listeners will the same way. And I’ll see in a, whenever the next event is that you’re putting on, I’ll be there.

Paul Robinson:

Yes. Sounds good. No, thanks for having me guys. I appreciate it.

Zach Wojtowicz:

Thanks, Paul.

Zach Wojtowicz:

All right. We just had Paul Robinson from ConstructReach on. Charley, as always, I’d love your perspective on what we talked about.

Charley Burtwistle:

I appreciate you asking for my perspective, Zach.

Zach Wojtowicz:

That’s why I’m here.

Charley Burtwistle:

I don’t know about that, but that was a really interesting podcast episode. And I say that because I feel like this is the first time we’ve really addressed the issue of one, just having enough employees.

Zach Wojtowicz:

Yeah, the labor shortage.

Charley Burtwistle:

To fill the labor shortage but then two, making sure that that labor funnel is a diverse funnel in that we’re accessing kind of areas and diversities that we haven’t historically in the past as a construction industry. I mentioned in the show, we’ve talked about people before how to retain good employees or even how to hire good employees but going all the way back to how do you let kids and students know what the possibilities they have in the industry are, and kind of fixing the funnel or fixing the problem all the way at the very, very top and planning for kind of the downhill effects of that, I thought was a really unique perspective and one that I’m interested to continue to talk to Paul about and see how it goes.

Zach Wojtowicz:

Yeah, that was fantastic. It’s really interesting when you start to delve into these, where do the core problems lie? And what are solutions that we can actually take to solve them? And the thing that I have a lot of respect for Paul on is he’s doing it in a way that is, he mentioned the grassroots element to it. And so he’s really starting in his own community. And that has such a dramatic impact on the people around him. I really respect the notion of taking a risk, starting over, giving something up and sacrificing because it calls you from a higher purpose. And this is a place that could really change people’s lives. And that’s pretty incredible. And organizations like this are rare.

Zach Wojtowicz:

And so we highly encourage you to explore ConstructReach, to learn more about them, check out their website, listen to Paul’s podcast, iReach, to learn more about the initiatives that they’re taking in their communities and just shows that any industry can make an impact with the right people who have good intentions and want to make a difference in construction. Who kind of has feel of you’re building homes and place for people to live and it takes people who are also thinking about how do we even get people into the industry to continue to help the industry thrive. I really enjoyed talking to Paul and I’m definitely going to be a subscriber to his podcast.

Charley Burtwistle:

Absolutely. And on the topic of, this is actually a really neat segue into this will go live at the end of March, March was Women’s History Month and Buildertrend did a really, really cool kind of blog series on women in construction. And so when you listen to this episode, feel free to go out to the buildertrend.com\blog as well too and read some of the things that we posted there as we’re thinking about people that historically haven’t been on the front of mind from a hiring and from a construction standpoint, women in the workplace and women in construction is something that is definitely changing throughout the times. And so it’s cool to recognize that as we’re finishing up the month and I think it ties in really, really nicely with this episode.

Zach Wojtowicz:

Yeah. We hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for joining us as always. I’m sure Charley would love to plug our like, comment, subscribe.

Charley Burtwistle:

Absolutely.

Zach Wojtowicz:

Check us out on Facebook.

Charley Burtwistle:

Yep. The Building Code Crew on Facebook and on YouTube. We made a joke about this the other day that we don’t plug our YouTube nearly enough, but we do release full episodes on YouTube with video. If you ever wanted to see just how silly Zach looks.

Zach Wojtowicz:

Wow.

Charley Burtwistle:

Feel free to go out there and check that out as well too.

Zach Wojtowicz:

I was going to say just the chemistry between Charley and I, but just take a low blow.

Charley Burtwistle:

Yeah, my bad. That’s all the shameless plugs I have. I’m Charley Burtwistle.

Zach Wojtowicz:

I’m Zach Wojtowicz.

Charley Burtwistle:

See you.