Episode 48 - Mental Health, Boundaries, and Self-Care: Morgan Molitor Discusses Lessons Learned from Burnout
Episode #48 | Morgan Molitor | Mental Health, Boundaries and Self-Care
This episode of the Curious Builder Podcast features a conversation between host Mark D. Williams and his very first returning guest: Morgan Molitor. Morgan shares lessons learned from challenges over the years and discusses the importance of setting boundaries and prioritizing self-care for entrepreneurs.
Listen to the full episode:
About Morgan Molitor
Morgan Molitor, co-founder of construction2style (c2s), a dynamic design and build firm, alongside her husband Jamie, has been keeping it real since 2012.
As a wife, mother of three, and c2s co-founder, Morgan embodies creativity and innovation. Starting with a humble blog, their journey has blossomed into a thriving design + build firm, construction2style. Expanding further, they launched Neon Lion, a dynamic media company, and championed second chances through the non-profit initiative, resilience2reform. Spanning nearly a decade, these endeavors showcase Morgan's commitment to transformative design, media, marketing, and community impact.
With an academic background in fashion merchandising and marketing, Morgan's years in the corporate world paved the way for her venture into the home industry. At c2s, she juggles multiple roles, managing content creation, marketing, brand partnerships, and leading interior design and styling. Her passion for community over competition is evident in initiatives like online courses, in-house marketing workshops, and the national Contractor Coalition Summit, which she spearheads with two industry colleagues.
A forward thinker and risk-taker, Morgan finds joy in contributing to people's dreams and lives. Her infectious positive energy resonates through their work, whether crafting dream spaces for clients or guiding colleagues through marketing endeavors. With Jamie, they've revolutionized the industry, sharing home lifestyle insights and providing invaluable guidance on design, construction, marketing, community, and team lifestyle. Their dedication to authenticity and transparency has been a guiding principle of construction2style since 2012.
Resources
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Mark Williams:
This episode is brought to you by CBUSA. For nearly two decades, CBUSA has been helping independent home builders better their businesses, and it all began with a group of industry leaders just like you looking to do just that. As the nation's largest group purchasing organization in the residential construction industry, they're able to bring home builders together to compete, frankly, on a national scale. By getting builders to group together, you're creating a buyer group that is now going to help you negotiate better deals and better rebates, even nationally. If you're a local builder here in Minnesota, you're in luck, because CBSA is proud to announce that in Q one of 24 they're coming to Minneapolis. So if you'd like to know more about this journey and be part of the builders here that are going to have advantages being the first ones in, please reach out to Ryan Lipcheck from CBOSA. You can also listen to his story on episode 26 of the Curious Builder. This episode is brought to you by adaptive, the software for builders that automates draws budgets and bookkeeping with AI.
Mark Williams:
For over a year now, I've been partnered with Adaptive and they've just been an amazing game changer in terms of efficiency in our time, in all our bookkeeping. From the time we get an invoice, we import it into their system. The AI codes it, cost codes it, job codes it. All we have to do is review it, pass it through the people internally in the office, all digitally, and then it gets approved and paid all via Ach. It's becoming extremely fast and saving us countless hours a day and a week. When it comes to draws, all of our budgets now are set in adaptive as well. So now when we costco against the draws, we can do our change orders. And then with a click of a button, we can submit these draws to our title companies or to our homeowners for faster pavement.
Mark Williams:
If you're looking to save time, and if you're looking to be accurate, I highly recommend adaptive. Additionally, if you'd like to listen to one of their founders share the story of adaptive, you can listen to episode number 15 on the Curious Builder podcast.
Morgan Molitor:
Oh gosh. Well, I don't know. It was the winter and the spring, but obviously it was a carryover from many years and many things and doing things and growing pains and exploring through things. And I think the biggest thing for me, like last year, what I felt that I see now was like I was just getting sucked is the best way to explain it by a lot of people that are literally soul suckers and my brother gave me this book. It's called give or take. And I read through it, and I have now done the audiobook. And I'm just like, it was one of the best books I ever read. And it really talked about how people can show up as givers, but really they're takers, and they might not realize it either.
Mark Williams:
Welcome to the Curious Builder podcast. I'm Mark Williams, your host. Today I'm joined with Morgan Molliter again, from construction to style. She was on a year ago, and this marks our first repeat guest. So thanks for coming on, Morgan.
Morgan Molitor:
Thanks for having me back. And when was it?
Mark Williams:
I actually would have to look, I want to say you were, like, in the first five episodes. So you were pretty early on, probably December, January, basically a year ago.
Morgan Molitor:
Okay, well, just thinking about. Because we're going to talk about last year. And I was like, oh, my gosh. What point of my highs or lows was that?
Mark Williams:
Well, and it's funny is that you and I talk probably weekly or several times a week. So then for us to think like, oh, it was a year ago that we had. Because I don't know about you, but I can't really spatially analyze all the times that we talk. So we're pretty aware of what's happening in each other's lives because of how often we blur together. Well, obviously, this particular episode, we won't dive into construction to style so much. I thought kind of as the end of the year wraps up, 23 was kind of a rough year for me. It was one of the more challenging years in business I've had. There were some real highs and significant lows, and I thought we'd kind of just talk a little bit about.
Mark Williams:
I love it, what it's like owning a business and how it's really difficult. It would resonate with a lot of people, and if nothing else, it's therapy for you and I. Yeah.
Morgan Molitor:
How it's a roller coaster, right? I think you and I and colleagues, everyone is just like, even within one day, it's just like, up, down, up, down.
Mark Williams:
That's a very accurate, even a day.
Morgan Molitor:
Very aggressive, too.
Mark Williams:
Very analogous for an entire year.
Morgan Molitor:
Yeah, I know.
Mark Williams:
Why don't we start with that? Why don't you tell us a little bit about some of your highs and lows for this year?
Morgan Molitor:
Yeah, well, last year. Last year, right. I know. I'm like, yeah, last year. But it's kind of crazy to think back on last year because I'm like, I just even rewind to the spring and everything before that honestly feels like five years ago. I'm like, it feels like such a lifetime ago. And it was just last year. It's like, for how much happened last year? Of good things.
Morgan Molitor:
We did a lot of things to take, new challenges, new risks, new opportunities. Some were successful, others miserably failed. And we had many jobs that were amazing and successful and a couple that weren't. That really put us on. I don't even know the word of how to describe it, but just really checked us and what we're doing and what we want to be doing. And it just made us take some time to slow down, to really think about just, like, clarity, and to be doing only the things that we want to be doing within our life, too.
Mark Williams:
You know what I am referring to? So you can talk about it directly if you want, but sometimes there's a marketing opportunity that you take, and you think, this is going to be a great move for my career, and then it turns out to be a terrible venture. But yet when you're done with it, and in some ways, sometimes you're never done with some of these things, you look back and you're like, it was really painful, especially because you had all these hopes and expectations of what it could be.
Morgan Molitor:
Right.
Mark Williams:
But then the reality is that even through that disappointment, you learn a lot.
Morgan Molitor:
Yeah.
Mark Williams:
Would you feel like that's accurate?
Morgan Molitor:
Yes, 100%. And actually, I was talking with someone yesterday about resilience to reform our nonprofit, and we were just talking about different things that's come up for myself and for this specific person. And they were incarcerated. But anyway, we were just talking through what we put our families through and all that. Never do we want to think about it again. But at the same time, we're so glad the pain is there, because then it just kind of checks you to never redo things in your life again. And that comes with opportunities, too. Like, when we fail miserably, it's like we have that moment to be like, okay, we learned so much.
Morgan Molitor:
And, yeah, that really sucked and hurt financially or personally or whatever it is. But it's like, I'm just thankful for pain that I've went through in my life because it's made me the person I am. And people that haven't went through any pain, those aren't my people. And when I meet them, sometimes I'm like, gosh, what a nice life, but also what an awful life to live.
Mark Williams:
I think you're right. Let's call them emotional scars, emotional trauma. I think that means different things. Obviously, to different people. But I think, like, a physical scar. Like a physical scar. Like, I have a scar in my hand, actually. I remember, I think I was, like, ten years old and I had a big knife and I was cutting through a water bottle, and I went right through it and went right into the beat of my hand.
Mark Williams:
But every time I look at this hand, I see the scar and I'm reminded of that. I wonder if businesses isn't like that a little bit. Sometimes we need a painful experience to kind of be a reminder of it. Kind of helps keep safety rails on us in the future.
Morgan Molitor:
Oh, my gosh.
Mark Williams:
And I think our family and our team and those around us, our close confidence, our mentors, I think they can also act as those sounding boards for sure, as well. Because sometimes you're about to launch into a new endeavor and you're like, well, I better check this with a few people, right?
Morgan Molitor:
And we use that for one another, like me and you, we'll call each other and be like, does this sound like an awful idea or is this a good idea? However, we probably shouldn't be each other.
Mark Williams:
You and I should not be each other's sounding board. As I told you before the post, my wife said that you and I are spirit animals to each other. And so you and I pretty much will always encourage the other to do whatever the person's saying. Take the risk. We don't have veto power because the only thing that we see is green light.
Morgan Molitor:
Yeah. However, we have good morals, ethics, values, and we always check those for one another to make sure the decision is a reflection of that.
Mark Williams:
Yeah, for sure.
Morgan Molitor:
But I would say going back to your scar thing, even driving here, I took back roads because it's rush hour time right now and I live far away, but I'm driving here and, like, love that route from Elk river to excelsior on the back roads. But as I was coming here, I was like, client, client, client, and all these triggers were coming into play. Like, oh, I loved driving when I took a right there. I love that. Or, oh, I took left there. I'd never want to make that left turn again.
Mark Williams:
It's. Folks, it's been a couple of years now past a very difficult situation for me. And it's one thing that nobody ever tells you until you own a business or until you go through a difficult trial period is. And I'm someone that can. I'm pretty resilient to a lot of this, but no one's above it. And I'm going to call it emotional. I don't know. Again, emotional trauma, what the word is.
Mark Williams:
But you look at your phone and somebody calls, and maybe you've dealt with this client, trade partner, whoever it might be. But it's like even the sight of their name sort of triggers a physiological response. Right.
Morgan Molitor:
You sweat, get sick to your stomach. You get physically ill.
Mark Williams:
I get it. I'm not much of a dreamer because I just sleep so hard. But sometimes, especially if things are coming to a head, there's something, a difficult situation. Like, you know how you have that light rem sleep early in the morning, and I'll wake up and I'll be dreaming about it? That's when I know I have to deal with it, because it's so rare that that happens. And so I'm like, okay, this needs to be kind of put to rest and dealt with whatever it is.
Morgan Molitor:
Yeah. That's one thing, too, because of last year that I'm really focusing on this year is, like, I would say, clearing the clutter, clearing the noise, clearing the chaos. Like, everything that made my life chaotic, whether that comes to work or personal, anything, I'm just like, put it to rest, get rid of it, and make it just done forever. And for that to be known, too, so that it doesn't resurface or try to come into your life. And I'm just like, I'm closing a lot of doors and being aware of why and then being very hesitant for new doors to.
Mark Williams:
I think, you know, when we first met, it's only been two years. Doesn't it seem like a. But, you know, we met two years ago at the contractor coalition in Nashville, and we talked about that a bit on our last episode, and we'll touch base a little bit about it because we have some news to share this spring for Minneapolis. But before we get there, I had remember asking you, you had said one of the reasons that you had gotten to where you felt you were today was saying yes to every opportunity.
Morgan Molitor:
I know.
Mark Williams:
And over the last year, I'd say, let's call it middle of summer, you started reversing that. Started. And finding liberty and saying no.
Morgan Molitor:
Yeah.
Mark Williams:
Walk me a little bit through that change in mindset, because is it fair to say that it wasn't wrong to say yes? It led you to a certain place, and now it's just the right time to start saying no. Walk us through how you balance that.
Morgan Molitor:
Well, I think, and I'm still learning this, but I'm like, the biggest thing is just, like, boundaries and what those boundaries are and protecting those boundaries again, to make sure that everything's related back to your bigger picture vision. So at the beginning of this year, or I guess last year, and throughout the year, like the last couple quarters of last year, Jamie and I just really dialed in what our life goals are, but what our life goals are first, and then how our brands and businesses can support our life goals to be living that sort of lifestyle. And so I think just having that clarity, and we wrote them down. I have it hanging up on my wall. And just for that to be a reminder of everything I say yes to, it really has to be a reflection of to get us to that goal. If it's not going to get us to that goal, there's really no point of it. And I think just with that clarity, too, a lot of things that get presented to me, I'm just looking at them and I'm like, is this just to do another thing, or is this just to a lot of things, too, that have been like, eye awakening is because I'm a projector. If you do all those tests, and one of the things, good and bad things about a projector is that a lot of people lean on you for a lot of different support, and they know that you have potentially the resource or another person to connect them to, or you just project good energy to.
Morgan Molitor:
And so a lot of times what I was realizing is people are coming to me for these ideas for themselves, but they didn't know it either. And I'm like, it really had no benefit for the long term game for me. So I'm like, what am I doing?
Mark Williams:
It's interesting. So if I can understand that or recap that. So you and Jamie kind of came up with a sort of a master lifestyle life plan and then basically use that framework as you make business decisions. You are saying, does this in line with my master life plan? And if it is, you accept it or move forward with that opportunity, and if it's not, you're using it as a template to essentially say no to it.
Morgan Molitor:
Right.
Mark Williams:
Are you having success with that? Because it's a noble, but it's still really hard.
Morgan Molitor:
So I'm always like, I'm slowly doing it. Yeah, I'm practicing. And I think, too, a lot of the work is like, it's kind of like with your business. Like when you start a new company, you see the profits. What do they say? Like three to five years after that? So I'm kind of like, okay, I'm probably not going to see all this hard work that I'm doing now. Immediately. And it's going to take this slow time to also clear the noise that I have welcomed in. But yeah, I'm already seeing it.
Morgan Molitor:
I feel it just every day just feels so much lighter. Why didn't I do this a million years ago?
Mark Williams:
And this is a question I guess I can only heart because you and I do have some similar characteristics and personality. So I'll use this for myself and see if you have it with you. Do you find that? I call it the chase of the sale. Like those first couple of meetings with whether it's the brand, the pitch, it's really exciting to get that first sale. Almost like there's an emotional high to getting it. Would you say it's almost more powerful than actually doing the work? Have you ever thought about in that terms? No, I haven't in the sense I love design. Someone mentioned the other day, what do you like most about building? Or why do you build? And I've been doing it for 20 years, and I love the camaraderie with our trade partners, and I love seeing the home come together. But if I am being really honest, I think my favorite part is meeting the clients the first time, getting them really excited, getting into architecture, getting into design, seeing nothing come into something beautiful.
Morgan Molitor:
Right.
Mark Williams:
I'm less enamored at the process now because it is very arduous. It's a lot of work. I really like the front end of it. I guess that's what I'm saying. So it's kind of like the sale. It's akin to essentially dating. It's like you like the first couple of dates, but it's not a full relationship.
Morgan Molitor:
Right.
Mark Williams:
And anyway, I'm just curious if that resonates with you or not, really, if.
Morgan Molitor:
That'S no, for sure. And I think for me, the biggest thing is the communication side or not communication, like relationship side, which comes down to communication. But that's what I've realized that I love the most, is our relationship with our clients, our relationships with colleagues, our brands that we work with, all the different events we put on, just the relationship and also seeing others thrive, really. I love that now that I would.
Mark Williams:
100% say amen to that part.
Morgan Molitor:
Really? Yeah, same. And so I'm like, what I was realizing is that's the kind of life I want to be living. Because also even our financial advisor asked us the other day, if you didn't have to live, like, if paycheck wasn't a means, how would you be living your life? And I'm still thinking about that because I'm like, I love working. I think I will always be working. But then he would challenge me with, like, if it's working, then what do you want to be doing? That literally makes you feel like it's Christmas every single morning. And I'm like, that's how I want to be living my life. So just thinking about, like, if I love the relationship side, if I love that process, and probably just like what you're saying, it's like just ensuring then every single one of those is with someone that wants to flourish and see it win, too. Like, I don't want to be chasing a sale.
Morgan Molitor:
I don't want to be chasing the money. I don't ever want to convince someone why they need to hire us or why they need to come to one of our events. I'm like, I don't know.
Mark Williams:
So I'm like, no, isn't it funny, too? Because how long have you been building number one? And then two, how long have you been doing, let's call it event structures?
Morgan Molitor:
So 2012 is when we started construction of styles that was, like, our brand, and when we started working with brands, building out websites, learning, affiliate, all that. 2015 is when Jamie got his contractor's license. So building since then. And then what was the last one?
Mark Williams:
Well, no, events, like, when Bizcoms and the contractor coalition I know is a couple of years old, but when did you really start to take sale on a lot of these events and organizing?
Morgan Molitor:
I would say 2017, and I was actually working at a digital marketing agency in Minneapolis, and I started putting on events for them, for people to come in and learn marketing tips and tricks. And then once our second kid was born, then I quit and then just continued doing them on my own.
Mark Williams:
I mean, just this thought of, you get so much joy and satisfaction that you love that. Like, that is your joy. Do you find that when you're at home, like, with the kids? I mean, one of the things that I struggle with is, like, being present. Like, I want to play with the kids, and I do, and I do my best, but, you know, there's so there's never enough time, right? And I think any business owner, I mean, frankly, almost every person, but for sure business owners, you know, it's like sometimes you're at dinner table and I'll be looking off out nowhere, and my kids or my wife will be like, what are you looking at? You're, like, completely zoned out, thinking about how to deal with this. And you're there physically but emotionally, and you're not present in that very moment. Do you struggle with that?
Morgan Molitor:
I struggle with that all the time. I would say, too, going back to just the boundaries and time management and stuff. Like, like one thing Jamie and I actually did last year was every weekend or every Sunday is a no plan Sunday, no matter like, we are home, whether we're working or doing other things. But as a family unit, we're home. And I think that was such a game changer for our family. And one thing I'm learning, and especially with entrepreneurs, is our weekends are times where it needs to be our time, even though that sounds really selfish, but we need to recheck ourself. We need to rest. We need to have family time or what have you.
Morgan Molitor:
But I think that, too, when friends or whatever, even other family will reach out and be like, let's do this, and whatever, you're free. And I'm like, yeah, I'm free, but I'm not free. I need that time to mentally just.
Mark Williams:
Be here and be home as a supercharged extrovert. And I've mentioned this before, but if plans were canceled, let's say my wife was like, I'm going to be gone with the kids. This never happens, but let's just say they were gone for like a weekend. I would fill it to the brim with all these people. As I get older, I find that having that time, I would still maybe do one thing or two things, but not ten things. I agree with you because our weekends is you have your kid events and things like that, but we're both runners, my wife and I, right? So she'll do a couple of hour run, I'll do a couple of hour run. Maybe take a nap on a Sunday or something like that. But you kind of need that downtime.
Mark Williams:
What I find is I'm not able to keep up with what's happening during the week, so I feel like it sort of creeps in on the weekends. And it's so nice because people aren't emailing you. So it's like a war of who's filling up whose inbox. I'm going to fill up their inbox so they don't fill up my inbox. I know, but it's like this vicious cycle. And then during the week we have all these meetings and then I feel like you get behind the ball, if you will. How have you navigated that? Because you mentioned something right before we got here, is that you are trying to dial down the sense of urgency so that you don't anxiety, stress. How have you been able to sort of flip the switch on that.
Morgan Molitor:
Yeah, well, that's another one that's been hard. But the biggest thing that's been huge for, and we all have anxiety and we all have stressors and all that, but the sense of urgency would just kill me because I would be like, yes, I will do this. I'll get it back to you. And then I'm like, what am I doing this for? No one's going to die. And then I started realizing when I let it go, when I didn't have this timeline constraint, I would always get back to them in a respectful timeline, too. But I was like, nothing happened even when I didn't. And I'm like, why am I putting all this pressure on myself? Why are other people putting this pressure on me? And that comes down to new leads that are coming in. Can you get us a quote by? And it's like, oh, my gosh.
Morgan Molitor:
And you try to say within three weeks. Well, three months later, you're kidding, because I'm like, you want to get them an accurate one? So you're, again, not wasting all this time, and you're wasting time just throwing numbers together. And so that I finally let go and we started telling people, we'll get it to you when we get it to you. We want to be dialed in. We want this to be accurate. And we're not going to put this timeline on ourselves and on other people, too, because that stresses other people out. And then I think with other brands and companies and everything like that, it's made me realize, why am I putting a timeline on other people? So instead, when things need to be done and when I need answers, because obviously you need to keep your businesses going, then I just say, I do have to have an answer by this date, but totally respect if you can't get it to me by then, and then you just know it's fine. And then when people do that to me, too, I'm like, yeah, when a new client comes in and they're like, we're getting bids for multiple people, I need to buy it next Friday.
Morgan Molitor:
I'm like, cool, good luck to you. Because I don't need that stress. And what I've realized with that, I'm like, we still have the same amount of money profiting. We still have the same people on our team, in our circle. I'm like, nothing has changed, and I've let all that go.
Mark Williams:
That's a healthy perspective over the last year, year and a half, and I've learned a lot from you. Both at contractor coalition and just in our personal dynamic of learning how to work with sponsors and bigger companies. Because as a small entrepreneur company of five now three, I feel like the benefit of a small company or a small team is we can move quite quickly. You can pivot extremely fast because you don't have this big organization. One of the benefits of a big organization, at least with a small company working with them, it's also a frustration is that you're right about urgency because let's say if you're going to do a live event in July, you might not get an answer for a couple of months. Even starting now, it's a lot longer play, so there's less urgency. And I get it. They have a lot of other things going on.
Mark Williams:
The benefit of that is I don't feel like I need to. If I meet with them and I say, hey, we need our pitch within the next, normally I would say, okay, you're going to need it in the next week. But it'd be fine with saying, when do you need to spy? And like, oh, well, our manager meeting is it could be 30 days. And it's not that you're putting off, it's more like, okay, this is not a tier one priority.
Morgan Molitor:
Right.
Mark Williams:
And so it just helps you kind of fit it in when you have a little bit more space to do that. So I've appreciated that with the bigger companies. I think with our clients. We have one home under construction right now where, and we've done this for a long time, where we keep a bi weekly meeting. So every two weeks we're meeting with the client at a set time for a couple of hours. And I found that I'm trying to not get into this email game all the time because someone once shared, if you want less emails, send less emails. And I am very guilty of sending, I'm guilty of sending a lot of emails. But my point with this client is, and I think it's also because they like meetings in person better.
Mark Williams:
So what I'm trying to do is save up all the questions and save up all my information for those in person meetings and then trying to train them early on in the process, that you're obviously welcome to call me or email me with questions, of course, but let's try to save the most of the questions for when we have this time dedicated just to you. And I'm curious. I don't want them to feel like I'm putting them off or like I'm ignoring them, but I want them to know that that time is theirs and.
Morgan Molitor:
Then you're going to be fully present and you're there. And it's important too, because I think that's another thing is like, I am so done with meetings about meetings. I am so done with having conversations for no point. I'm so done with surface level conversations with anyone in my life. So all that. And when you start doing that, then it's like that time, your meetings, your time with your family, you're way more present and more dialed in. Not to say we're not still out there dreaming and looking around and thinking about our to do list.
Mark Williams:
Right? No, I think you're accurate. I think the hard part is balancing. You mentioned just meetings. I get a lot of requests now to chat, to talk. And I do love to do that. It's just not in the top five of my priority list. If I'm looking at my priorities, like what's my hot items for today or the week?
Morgan Molitor:
Right.
Mark Williams:
I found for me personally, it's funny, my calendar is a pretty crazy thing to look at, but I have found that on Mondays I have now kind of like a planner I just keep next to my computer. I still like to handwrite things.
Morgan Molitor:
So do I.
Mark Williams:
And so I will list all the things that week and there's four things I'll put at the top. I just started this, so I'm pretty new into this. And it's like these are my four things I have to do this week. And then I'll put just kind of my brain dump on Mondays of everything else that I need to get done and kind of new ideas. And then my goal is if I can look back and if I kind of hit 80, 90% of those things, for sure, I've got to hit the top four. What's funny? So in the one week I did this, I only hit one of my top four, but I hit all the other things. And so it's kind of interesting. Well, some of them were two really big things, I think it was.
Mark Williams:
I knew I had to create a couple of hours for each item of just dedicated think time on a kind of a controversial thing. And it's just like, right. I didn't really want to deal with it and I didn't like how I had to deal with it, so I sort of just didn't do it. Yeah, but it's still there. It's not going away until I deal with it. And I know Brad has often mentioned before when I asked him how he would have way more homes than I have and a much bigger team. His advice is ringed in my head a few times, which is just don't let it simmer, deal with it immediately. Move on.
Mark Williams:
Don't let it live rent free and just move on. Right or wrong, just move it along. Move it all along. And anyway, I can see the wisdom in that.
Morgan Molitor:
Well, yeah, 100%. And I'm like, so going back to your list, too. So every Sunday, that's my day to dial things in, too. So I get ahead on household things, I get ahead on family things, I get ahead on work things. And again, everyone's leaving you alone. But I look at my calendar for the week, and if there's one thing that I'm even slightly like, well, first I look to see if it's serving again the lifestyle I want to live. And then if there's anything where I'm just like, I'm like, I just take off my calendar and half the time I'm not rescheduling because I look at it and I'm like, do I need this? Why did I say yes to this? Why do I need this in my life? If I reschedule, I'm probably not going to want to do it then either. So I'll literally just say like, oh, I'm sorry, I just did this last week.
Morgan Molitor:
It was a coffee date. And I'm like, I can't make this work this week. And honestly, my schedule coming up is just not aligning. And I just left it at that. No hard feelings at all. And she wrote back to me actually on my way here and was like, no problem. I'm sure our lives will over whatever in the future and overlap and we'll get back together again. And I was like, God bless.
Mark Williams:
That's kind of liberating.
Morgan Molitor:
Yeah.
Mark Williams:
It's funny you say that. Everyone talks about how the holidays can be such just a lot. You have a lot of family stuff, a lot of business stuff, year end stuff. Everyone knows that there's a vast amount of time that nothing's going to happen. So they try to do a lot of stuff. So this December, I really went into it where I didn't take any meetings in December, and it felt really good when I say no meetings unless it was like an active client or something like really urgent. All the coffee meetings and lunches, random meetings, I wanted to respect other people's time and I just wasn't going to fill it up. And we were dealing with some major changes in the company.
Mark Williams:
We can talk about that, I guess, if we want, but the consequence and that felt great. The consequences is that people would say, well, when can you get together? And I am somebody that can't. I cannot not close the loop. It's like fundamentally impossible for me not to respond or tie it off. Really hard for me to say no or just leave it out nebulous because I can't stand flaky people personally. And so it's something, that's why you.
Morgan Molitor:
Got to close the door then, too.
Mark Williams:
Well, I know I'm not good at that. Anyway, the bottom line is I lined up January and February with all these meetings that I put off in December. So guess what? January and February now completely slammed with all these meetings that I placed, and so I delayed it for a month. Yay for me. But the bad news is I've sort of just kicked the can down the road. I haven't got to the point yet because I don't know how to tell someone that, no, I'm not, because it's also opportunity. I mean, between the two companies, it's hard. Mark Williams custom homes and the curious builder.
Mark Williams:
I mean, it's a lot of people.
Morgan Molitor:
And a lot of working, and that might come back know. And I'm a gut person, too. And I'm like, I also had a happy hour that I said yes to last week. And for a moment, I was should, is this a good yes? And I was like, you know what? It is. Because it was a brand. It was a development. It will lead back to what I love the most is the relationship building. And after that happy hour, I'm like, it was supposed to be an hour and a half.
Morgan Molitor:
We sat there for 3 hours. It led to so many other things about what she does in her personal life that there's so many other overlaps that we shared and that I was like, I knew it. I knew there was a reason. So I'm just, like, leaning into that. But then I think, you know, the ones that you should be and you shouldn't be.
Mark Williams:
Yeah. I think the hard part is I'm an optimist by nature. I think it's one of the things that makes me very good at remodeling. And I use that loosely because I think in relationships, too, it's like, well, this could go someplace great. So I'm always thinking, like, you don't know where. And I do believe that fundamentally, that's a part of my core. So I have a hard time of like, well, maybe this coffee leads to a build or hire them or I just don't know where it's going. To go, like the other day, there's someone who's been very patient reaching out to me, and I always felt terrible.
Mark Williams:
I had to cancel on them twice, and we got together, and it was amazing. I'm really glad that we talked. I found out all kinds of interesting things, and if and when the right project comes along, I might even hire them. If I had said no to that, now, that's not the norm. That's the one out of 50. And so I have a hard time balancing that, my overall demands on my time.
Morgan Molitor:
Right. But then also, you're saying you hate to be a flaky person, and then you have to cancel twice. So if you're more intentional about when and who and how, then that's my goal, too, is like, if I say yes to something, I'm doing it. Like, no rescheduling, no whatever in the reschedule.
Mark Williams:
I have a very firm policy on this. Well, it's actually gotten looser, but it used to have a very firm policy. It was given to me, and I've appreciated it with actually personal life, probably more than even business, and it was, honor your first commitment. So if someone says, hey, we're going to have lunch with the kids on Sunday at 01:00 and then someone else calls you that, maybe you want to hang out with more, or whatever it is like, hey, I want to go to the Vikings game or a wild game or whatever, at 01:00 no, I'm sorry. We honor your first. It sounds simple, but it actually has been super powerful for me in my life. I don't know how necessarily to apply it business wise, because I still apply it to that lens. For instance, the reason I moved on, this one gentleman was.
Mark Williams:
His was just a coffee, but I had clients who moved it, so it's like it was. People are very understanding. Sorry, I have a client who's requested to come in. Obviously, they understand that the client is paying the bills. You have to honor that flexible schedule, if you will. This episode is brought to you by Pella Northland. For 19 and a half years, I've been building homes, and 95% of all of my homes have used Pella windows. I couldn't be happier to call them a partner in our builds and our remodels.
Mark Williams:
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Mark Williams:
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Morgan Molitor:
Well, so one thing, and I talk about this at Contractor Coalition, I think we've talked about it too, but I'm a huge tools person and so for me, so I use calendly link and I have that up to date at all times. And even now I'm integrating it more with my social life too. But I have it blocked off. And Jamie and I are like true partners when it comes to our kids and business and everything like that. But we drop off our kids at 09:00 in the morning for school, and we, you and Jamie, no one or the other. Okay, sorry.
Mark Williams:
Now that is a teammate.
Morgan Molitor:
Absolutely not. We'd never see each other during the day. We're like off on our own. So our kids get dropped off at nine. They have to be picked up at 345. We live far, usually within an hour of any client or relationship we have. So anyway, my window always is ten to two. Is it that every day? No, because Jamie, half the time is doing it or I'm whatever.
Morgan Molitor:
But regardless, I have it blocked off on my calendar because I also really enjoy picking up our kids and I love to be home with them after we get them. And I love mornings with them and Jamie loves mornings with them. So all that to be said is like, I have a window from ten to two every day. And so if someone were to contact me and say like, hey, let's do this.
Mark Williams:
I would probably be podcast at nine.
Morgan Molitor:
But again, this is serving so many layers. But then I know right then he's in charge and I put on his calendar and all that. But with that to be like, we, I block. I'll say like, and this started again because I'm an extrovert and I would get too carried away, but Jamie would be like, can you please just. There was a lot of conflict, intention about how much I was doing at night or whatever, and I was like getting way carried away, which last year led to me having a total mental breakdown. But I just felt like I had to show up. And I was always like, well, it's work, it's work. This isn't even my friend time or my fun time.
Morgan Molitor:
This is literally work. But I was saying yes to all these things and I'm like, what am I doing? Why am I going to these, like, all of them? And so finally Jamie was like, just say yes to one a week. And so I started that now. Anyway, fast forward after last year, I'm like, even when it's work related, if it's after five, it's very rare I'm going. Even if I'm very involved, very rare. And so just that too. Now I'm like, no, unless it's a big ask or whatever. And it serves, like a lot of different categories.
Morgan Molitor:
But so anyway, I'm putting limits on the number of times I do things after hours, like how many per month or coffee dates, two per month. That's it. And so I have it all synced on calendly and I have them set up because you can set up with your calendar, your workflow, different things like that. But even new client meetings or running a job sites, I have that on there, how many times I do it, and the rest is blocked off. So when it comes to a lot of these asks or requests or coffee dates or phone calls, immediately I send it to them. And sometimes, too, they'll be like, wow, you're booked out for six months. And I'm like, am I going to be home next week for three days with nothing on my calendar? Yes. But yes, I'm booked out for six months when it comes to this specific topic.
Morgan Molitor:
So I think just having that in place and honoring it and keeping yourself in check with that.
Mark Williams:
How do you not break the rule? Because I understand how you could set it in place because I have blocked it out in my calendar, let's say new clients. So my new year's resolution, if you will, was kind of more calendar management. So Friday mornings I keep every week from like ten to noon.
Morgan Molitor:
Yeah. Time blocking it.
Mark Williams:
Right. But then it comes up and a client says, hey, can you meet Wednesday afternoon?
Morgan Molitor:
I don't even look at my calendar. And I'm like, here's my link.
Mark Williams:
I see.
Morgan Molitor:
Because I know I'll say, sure, I'll make it work. And again, I'm learning.
Mark Williams:
That's a good way to do it. Don't even look at it.
Morgan Molitor:
Don't even look at it for you. Yeah. And the benefit with that, too, is if it's a phone call and stuff like that, I have prompts in there that automatically do the zoom for me, automatically get the address for me. So there's a lot of back and forth now that I'm not wasting. So I'll even say that just out of convenience, to keep this work flowing while we're driving around and doing all the things we're doing, that kind of work gets done. So that's a huge benefit, too.
Mark Williams:
Interesting. I have to put some of those.
Morgan Molitor:
The workflows.
Mark Williams:
Yeah, the workflows would be critical. Like you, I've put things in place. I've talked about them many times as well, and I think a lot of it. I think this is where a good partner, in this case, my spouse, has helped a lot for sure, in prioritizing your kids and prioritizing your family. And if you can't be re energized there, you can't really show up at work. No, it's in everyone's best interest. And no sane person, I mean, obviously an insane person would ask this, but no sane person is going to ask you, nor should they. Or if it is, it's a big red flag to walk away from to subjugate your family for them.
Mark Williams:
If anyone asked you that or expected that.
Morgan Molitor:
No. It's funny is last year this happened to me, and we had a client that went online, went in our emails, and we have a content lifestyle side of our business that we make money from. So it is a legit know. It's not just doing it for fun, but we were doing something for Beckham, and it was content wise, it was for a brand. And she saw that and she thought that we should be working on her project. And we were working on her project. We were fully invested in her project, but there was something that she had asked that we said no to. And then we're online showing that what we were doing that day.
Morgan Molitor:
Anyway, she went online and said, they are doing that over client first. And I was like, that was another just like, huge check for me of like, yes. And it felt, like, powerful, honestly, to be like, yes, that is exactly what we're doing. And this is exactly the type of people we are, the type of brand that we are, like, families first before a client, period. And it's interesting because even last week, Jamie goes, have you ever looked at our yelp? I was like, no. And he's like, we have a really bad review on there from last year. And I go, what? And we've only got one bad review. And I went on there, I was like, it's freaking patty.
Morgan Molitor:
And went on about. And the funny thing of it all, too, is we worked with her for a year. We gave her 100% of her money back because at the end of the day, we were like, this is not a good fit. And it was that last straw for me where I was like, what am I doing? Literally, what am I doing? Gave her all of her money back and she continued to write a review like that. And I was like, again, working with the people that understand us and don't cause unnecessary chaos like that. Done.
Mark Williams:
Don't you think it goes both ways? I'm fine if a client emails me, I don't have any notifications on my phone. That's been really helpful.
Morgan Molitor:
I did that too. Isn't it helpful even, like, text?
Mark Williams:
I don't get any dings, nothing of that stuff. It's so disruptive to your mental space.
Morgan Molitor:
It is.
Mark Williams:
If you call me, my phone will ring. Shocking. Guess what? A phone rings. You can use a phone. And if I turn it off, that means I'm not calling you right now. But people have gotten so carried away.
Morgan Molitor:
With texting and it's that sense of urgency again.
Mark Williams:
Yeah. And so just kind of figuring it out. But where I was going with this is respecting the client as well. I guess on the early front, as you're interviewing them, kind of walk them through your workflow. Hey, I'm available. For me, it's usually 830 to 430. That's kind of my window. I don't do nights and I don't do weekends.
Mark Williams:
Send me an email. If there's something urgent or not urgent, send me an email and I will deal with it on the next business day. That is a reasonable expectation. We've talked about building because it's so intimate into your home, but it is still a business. I mean, you don't email your dentist on a Saturday and be like, I think next time I come in. I'd like a fluoride treatment or something like that. So again, emergency is different. I get it.
Mark Williams:
It's raining. You have a hailstorm, a window, something broke. You have water coming in. Text me, let me know it's an emergency. We'll obviously broke the protocol for that, so no problem. Yeah. No different than a medical emergency, right? Yeah, absolutely. They usually tell you call 911.
Mark Williams:
That actually would be a hilarious voicemail. If this is an emergency, please call your local authorities.
Morgan Molitor:
Topher actually put that as his autoresponder. It was sometime this year, but anyway, all of a sudden, I got it, and I was like, looked at it. I'm like, as his boss was like, should I be mad about this? And I was like, no, because this is who he is. And I'm like, this is really funny because it said, like, in emergency, and he was doing a mentorship for a boys camp and gone. And that's really important to him. And I'm like, this is so funny because he was, like, in emergency. And obviously our clients know Jamie and they also know Topher and his personality. But he put on there, call 911.
Morgan Molitor:
I was like, oh, my God.
Mark Williams:
That's pretty great. I love that a lot. Speaking of, how have you found last year was a pretty big burnout year for you? And I would say my burnout was a little bit different. I had something that was, well, the podcast was really energizing. It helped me balance out kind of some burnout. But how did you manage through burnout where you are right now? You're much calmer. You can just see it in your demeanor. You just seem more still.
Morgan Molitor:
A crazy bet.
Mark Williams:
Yeah, well, we have a lot of energy. That's how it goes. But anyway, walk us a little bit through how you realized you were burned out, what you did about it, and reflecting back, what would you tell God if you could go back in time and talk to Morgan a year and a half to two years ago? What would you say?
Morgan Molitor:
Oh, my gosh, that was so many. That could be a whole tv show in itself. Oh, gosh. Well, I don't like it was the winter and the spring, but obviously it was a carryover from many years and many things and doing things and growing pains and exploring through things. And I think the biggest thing for me, like, last year, what I felt that I see now was like, I was just getting sucked is the best way to explain it by a lot of people that are literally soul suckers. And my brother gave me this book. It's called give or take. And I read through it and I have now done the audiobook and I'm just like, it was one of the best books I ever read.
Morgan Molitor:
And it really talked about how people can show up as givers, but really they're takers and they might not realize it either. And then I just started auditing and thinking about all the people in my life that truly were that. And sadly, again, they don't know that and just rethinking what we had just talked about. But anyway, all that, it's like I was making a lot of bad decisions, one, you know, too, like drinking too much and stuff like that. And it just all came crashing down at the same time. You were with me through all of that. So. Yeah.
Morgan Molitor:
And I honestly just totally, thanks to good people that I have surrounded by and mentors and just friends, just had a hard conversation and just took time off life. Like, literally, my phone, the Internet, my work, everything, I checked out completely. I left. And with all that, too, I'm like, that was a good reminder of, again, sense of urgency. Nothing stopped. Everything still got taken care of. People did more, stepped up in more ways than I could ever realize. And I don't want to talk about it too much or I'll start crying.
Mark Williams:
As your friend, having been there and also watching go through it to the level that I did, I'm really proud of you as a friend, not only for going through it and coming through as a better person and more present, but also kind of facing it head on. And I don't know that much about, obviously, your past because our friendship is pretty young, if you will, in this span of time, but sunlight on something, honesty is never the wrong thing. And I think one thing that not only resonates when people chat, when people are real and when people tell you that they've struggled and they look you in the eyes, there's a connection between humans, that it's not about clients, it's not about any of those things. It's just like this is a person connecting. And it is a beautiful thing to watch people rise to help. And I was reminded years ago that as somebody, like, if you were to call me and ask for my help, well, you and I are good friends, so this is not even a good example because we ask our friends for help. But let's say you have a c level friend, and this analogy is an a friend, b friend, c friend, or someone you didn't even really know as your friend and called you out of the blue and said, morgan, I really need your help. The feeling of validation that they thought you were a friend that they could depend on is an incredible experience.
Mark Williams:
It's happened a few times in my life, and you drop everything you're doing and you go. And it's funny how someone. It's really hard for people to ask for help at baseline. In general, however, the feeling that you get as the person who gets to help somebody is a feeling that I don't know how, really to describe it.
Morgan Molitor:
Yeah.
Mark Williams:
And I guess where I'm going with this is don't be afraid to humble yourself and ask for help, because two things are going to come out of it. One, you're going to make someone else feel really good. Really good. And two, it does something to you when you've come to the place to ask for help, that it makes you a better person.
Morgan Molitor:
Yeah.
Mark Williams:
I fundamentally believe that that's true.
Morgan Molitor:
And it's really hard because even that last question you said, what would you say back to yourself? And it's like, I've went through this so many times, too, and thinking back, and it's almost like you're, and I think this for anything with mental health, too, is just like, you don't even realize because you're not clear minded, that potentially you need help. Or I think about just like, suicide and stuff like that. When people are like, oh, my gosh, I didn't know, or why didn't they say something? And I'm like, because they don't know either. They literally don't know until something happens where you kind of get shaken and woken up or someone shakes them, maybe. But, yeah, definitely I could have, again, leaned on my husband more, stuff like that, or had conversations, but instead it's like you deflect or you move on or you just focus on. That's like, me, too. It's like, head down. I'm focused on whatever.
Morgan Molitor:
I am focused on that day, and I'm just like, whatever. Oops. Okay.
Mark Williams:
Are you a very self reflective person?
Morgan Molitor:
Yes.
Mark Williams:
A little bit too deep sometimes I'm not at all.
Morgan Molitor:
Oh, you're not?
Mark Williams:
I don't really think about myself in terms of deep thought at all. And so the reason I'm bringing this up is it takes a big event, I need to be hit by a tree sometimes to realize, I'm sure my wife gets fatigued with doing it, but sometimes I really need a heavy log over the head to be like, oh, okay. That's what I was not seeing. That's why I was asking. Yeah, if you need, like, where I was going is like, the experiences that you went through last year, they sort of had to hit you over the head for you to realize that?
Morgan Molitor:
Yeah, I think so. But, yeah, so maybe I'm not either. And I think I am. But one thing that a professor told me in college that I repeat it to myself every day, but is perception as reality. And so I think every day that's the sort of self reflection I do is like when I don't agree or see something differently, I always try to be like, okay. Or what I'm doing, I'm like, this is the way I'm perceiving it doesn't mean it's right or wrong. So that's kind of the way I self reflect, I guess.
Mark Williams:
Yeah. Do you find that going back to this burnout and how you've kind of recovered so you've had obviously the last six, seven months have been a great process. You've gone through some amazing life changes. I know you can't speak all that much about it, but coming up here whenever it is in the spring, you're doing a female led ownership, I think it's called build her kind of a retreat just to kind of detach, have some mental resets. Can you speak a little bit to that?
Morgan Molitor:
Yeah, well, this actually, and maybe it'll be more public once we air. Um. So two people that came to contractor coalition again, talking about contractor coalition, the opportunities and the networking and all that have just been super cool. And throughout last year, the people from contractor coalition, you right included, I'm just like, these are honestly the people who have shown up the most. And I'm like, yeah, it's kind of crazy because I'm like, this is how I've formed these friendships. But they get it, they get what we go through. They get all that. So all that to be said, two female builders here, we got on because they know exactly what happened to me.
Morgan Molitor:
But through lovely conversations and everything, it's like this industry is hard and we're like moms and we're entrepreneurs and we're wives and just trying to keep up with the Joneses and all of the things. And so anyway, all that to be said, we were like, we need something for just a small, intimate, again, not something super overly aggressive talking like 1015 females builders to just reset and refocus. I also think men need this, but we're starting. But I told Nick and Brad, I'm like we should spin off something with. Right.
Mark Williams:
But I think that's amazing. I talked off grin a little bit more about that. Well, it's funny because when we. Maybe we'll talk at the end of this episode here about the contractor coalition and what's coming up here in the spring a little bit. But before we do a few alumni's and I, after we had gone through the first two, I think I woke up one morning early 5530, whatever I think was out in California, so Minnesota time. It wasn't that early.
Morgan Molitor:
2 hours on the beach.
Mark Williams:
Yeah, but Caleb McDonald, a builder from Canada, was a big runner. And he and I got up and we ran down the beach together and we went to the gym and there were builders. And anyways, this point of it, there's this stereotype that builders. This is a stereotype because I don't think it's true. I actually don't even know any builders like this hardly. It's the black and red flannel, bearded, ripped, jean, beer guzzling handyman who does.
Morgan Molitor:
It all for sure.
Mark Williams:
They obviously exist, but everyone at the coalition and all the builders I network with, for sure pretty, they're into working out, they're into athletics, we did yoga, whatever it is. And I guess what we were left with after doing that is like there's enough people just in the 30 people sample size. Imagine the whole country. We talked about doing sort of an add on day. At that time it was actually Michael Gutelli and Nathan Marsal. And I had kind of said, hey, when we go down to Austin for the contractor coalition, which ended up being my birthday.
Morgan Molitor:
You didn't come.
Mark Williams:
I didn't come. And so I kind of petered out. But the point was we were going to come up with kind of like an add on day. I mean, it's one of the things you're telling me to say. No, the problem is I have like five business ideas a week, and it's like, which one do I actually pursue? Because one of them has long been what you're doing with this build her program, which is I want to do something that's less about building. Because the time that we went out to California, one of the early days, it was Brad, Nick, myself, it was Patterson custom homes. We went surfing for a couple hours, and I stink at surfing, but I love the water. And so it was just nice to be with people together in sort of a healthy, then, you know, you get together and you chat and I think there would be a great community around that for sure.
Mark Williams:
And it'd be interesting. Anyway, I'm very interested to see how successful build her is, and I would like to do something like that as well. Yeah, I don't think so.
Morgan Molitor:
We're going to Costa Rica.
Mark Williams:
Yeah.
Morgan Molitor:
To get our mental health in check.
Mark Williams:
Yeah, I love.
Morgan Molitor:
It's going to be great.
Mark Williams:
That's great. Let's talk about the contractor coalition. So this spring, it's coming to Minneapolis.
Morgan Molitor:
I'm so excited.
Mark Williams:
Yeah.
Morgan Molitor:
So, yeah, it's coming to Minneapolis. He'll be in our hometown in May. And then, yeah, I'm excited because we're moving into our third. We're in our third year, and everyone has been successful. It's sold out again. It's just brought in the best. And I always say I'm biased, but I'm like, I mean, every word. I'm like every person in every group that we've had, these conferences, they're so incredible.
Morgan Molitor:
I think they truly are wanting to change the industry and they're doing it. And I honestly think, too, what I'm realizing the more with Contractor coalition moving on and stuff, just, again, some local, because really it's not nationally, because any national person I surround myself is like, us and doing more and more and thinking bigger and broader. But now it almost shocks me when people live in this scarcity mindset or I hear it from anyone locally, they're like, oh, how's business? Are you scared? And I'm like, wow, I haven't heard that in forever. Because I'm literally surrounding myself with contractor coalition people. And I'm like, these people will never go out of business ever. I'm like, because there's so much opportunity and they see it and they're doing it and they're implementing it. So, anyway, I'm super pumped about Minneapolis.
Mark Williams:
I think the secret there, those people, that group, is they're constantly evolving. They're constantly trying and failing. Yeah, I know.
Morgan Molitor:
And learning and sharing and sharing it. We don't have to.
Mark Williams:
You've coined it for me. And whether you heard it or made it up, it doesn't matter, but it's the collaboration over competition.
Morgan Molitor:
I've used that line definitely from someone.
Mark Williams:
Else, but I just love it. But I love it. And I love it that you embody it. And so I think that's given. It's funny how people, especially our age group, are more, seemed more apt to just share. And I think there is so much power in the collective mindset and what we can learn from each other. Why do we all feel like we have to be little islands and learn all this stuff on our own? And we're doing our first pilot test for this networking group locally, and we'll talk more about it if we're going to launch it. But my plan is to launch like a series of networking events, just like a three hour deal.
Mark Williams:
It's like not contractor coalition, but it's in that vein of collaboration here, locally, nationally, you have the builder 20 groups. Contractor coalition is like three days of intense business scrutiny and knowledge. So it's like getting a master's degree in three days. Highly worth it for anyone listening that hasn't gone. I've gone twice. This will be my third time. So even if you've gone before, it's amazing how many people want to go again. I interviewed Meg Billings from Meg custom Homes.
Mark Williams:
Shout out to her, but she's gone twice and trying to get her to come to a third time. But she said that it's right after ibs. She's got something else going on.
Morgan Molitor:
I know she gave me her agenda and I was like, don't like one of those. Have to be a no. So here I'm pushing my agenda.
Mark Williams:
She told me she'd get divorced if she came. So I said no. Family first. I said, babe, you can hit up the next. Where's the fall one going to be.
Morgan Molitor:
In Boston, which we already are well underway. Planning. We already have sponsorships for it. We already have our website live. So pumped about and we're already planning 2025 working with builder trend. They're going to do something really cool. Can't share too many details, but to every alumni they're going to be doing something really cool. So I'm like just that too.
Morgan Molitor:
I feel like we're forming this bigger network.
Mark Williams:
It is. And I think right there's for those that don't know about it, you can head to our link and we obviously post a lot about it and so does Morgan on her feed. We're actually going to be having. The curious builder is going to do a live podcast. I think it's on May 16. It's that Thursday. I think the contractor coalition kicks off on a Wednesday night and goes through Saturday or Friday.
Morgan Molitor:
Yeah, well, this one too, being it's in my hometown. And then it's like, oh, we could do this, that, that. And poor Nick and Brad and their wives because they're like, morgan, we got to rein in a little bit and they have families, but we are going to do some brand tours beforehand, which is really fun. So all that is, I always say, optional, but everyone comes to everything. And then Thursday we'll do, which I'm pumped about and what I'm already saying and telling people I'm like, these are three, in my opinion, the best contractor podcasts out there. You guys all have also the same producer, right? And I'm like, all them are going to be in the same room. I mean, locally here. You're silly if you do not show up for this.
Mark Williams:
Yeah, it's going to be pretty amazing. It'll be Brad Levitt at the AFT Construction podcast, now renamed the Brad Levitt podcast. We've got the modern craftsman with Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace. And then we have you and then we have me playing host. Yeah, you've got a bunch of alphas in the room. So it's like we're going to need a lying taming whip, too. It'd be very interesting. I was thinking about this morning, actually.
Mark Williams:
It'd be very interesting to see how you keep all, if everyone is interviewers, how a panel, this thing could go off the rails. I know.
Morgan Molitor:
It's going to be great.
Mark Williams:
It is going to be great. Oh, there's so much knowledge.
Morgan Molitor:
So much. Yeah. We have a great lineup of sponsors, too, and more that are coming, but it's going to be at the north house in Minneapolis, which is a great. And so this will lead into our opening welcome party, if you will, for contractor coalition. And they have golf simulators in there, they have couches. All the food and drinks will be covered. It's just going to be an awesome evening.
Mark Williams:
I think it'll be a fantastic networking event. I mean, obviously the things that will be shared will be pretty amazing from each one of those individuals. But then just the after networking side. I mean, you're dealing with people from all over the country, some of the biggest names and building on top of it.
Morgan Molitor:
Well, and that are coming in. Like, people already signed up for contractor coalition, all of them as of right now. Besides you and Jay Cath are all national builders, big builders, already flying into twin Cities for this. So I'm like just that alone and they're like Uber successful and they're coming to this.
Mark Williams:
Is there room for more tickets? I know the tickets are not sold out yet.
Morgan Molitor:
Yeah, we have like ten left. I mean. Yeah. Again, in three weeks from now. I don't know.
Mark Williams:
Yeah. The live, though, the live will be available to, I think maybe 100 to a couple of hundred.
Morgan Molitor:
Yeah, a couple hundred.
Mark Williams:
That's kind of an add on. But the actual coalition itself, if anyone's interesting, to kick starting their business, going to start a business I was building for 18 years and I learned more in the first, I would say half day. I mean, it was incredible. Even today I'm still implementing. In fact, I'm doing my first pull plan in a couple of weeks. I was talking to billings about it. I'm like, oh man, I've kind of put it off. It's like, I'm going to do it, so we're going to do it here.
Morgan Molitor:
Well, that's another thing I say, too. And I've had a ton of conversations with people here locally and nationally about contractor coalition. And half the time they're like, oh, I might be too young. And I'm like, if I were to tell anyone, I'm like, launch a business and do this or do this and then launch a business, I'm like, you will have all the tools set up for success for this price point. I'm like, I can't even begin to say how much money we have burned and also super valuable too, but invested in to get what we share that you will have access to. Or like you said, you've been in business for 18 years. I'm like, there's so much new information or yes, sometimes we repeat content, but even from what I did in what month is it, I don't know. But this past fall in Austin, the content that I shared when it comes to marketing, I've been reworking all my decks now because I'm like, marketing changes so fast and also there's so much more and new opportunities now where I'm like, I need to share this or maybe simplify this or maybe do 2.0 of this.
Mark Williams:
I think it speaks to that collective mindset of evolution. I mean, as we all follow each other, their Instagram feeds, their LinkedIn feeds, their business, their websites. And it's from not a competition standpoint, but from an encouragement standpoint, especially because I used to for so long. I build in Minnesota. I don't build in California, Malibu or Seattle or Austin or Phoenix or any of these cool places. But my mindset was too narrow. And realizing now that really the world's your oyster and you can gain knowledge from everybody, it's a super elixir to your company. And I would say that just thinking about for myself, I feel like in my career I've taken several steps up.
Mark Williams:
I've taken some steps down and then usually a step down preceded a step up. Right now I would feel like I had to let two people go right before the new year, and we had two jobs that canceled high interest rates and we just couldn't support that type of overhead. But I feel like 24 and 25. I'm actually very excited about.
Morgan Molitor:
I am, too.
Mark Williams:
And I feel like there's a lot of opportunity. So I feel like right now it's a step down, but I feel like the step up to kind of another level is coming quickly.
Morgan Molitor:
I do too well. And that's one thing, too, of what anything last year taught me with clarity and purpose and living intentionally because some things people will say is like, oh, weren't you supposed to slow down? It looks like you're speeding up. And I'm like, no, but now I'm like, I am balls to the wall, head down focused. And this might sound aggressive, but I truly think anything I want to do this year, I'm going to do it. And I'm like, you just ask something you need or you need a connection to. I'm like, I have two big lofty goals that are two year goals, but I just met with someone the other day and I was like, I'm just going to ask them if they know of anyone that is a buyer for X, Y and Z. Because one of my big things is like, I want a product line and I want it within the next two years, and I want it in big box retailers. And I'm like, what am I afraid of? Why don't I just start asking someone, hey, who's the buyer at Target? I want to know their name and I want to get one degree of separation connection.
Morgan Molitor:
So I'm like, why not? What do you have to lose?
Mark Williams:
Perfect fit. I can't imagine any brand saying that they wouldn't want to get behind that. If anything, it seems like, why didn't you do this five years ago?
Morgan Molitor:
I know, but things like that now I'm like, okay, now I can focus on the things that I truly want to be focused on. But yeah, when you're dialed in like that and you are surrounded by people like that, show up at Contractor coalition. I'm like, you have the support, you have the resources. Everyone's an open book. Start asking the questions, be vulnerable, show up, and vice versa. Yeah. So I just think it's an amazing group in that way, too.
Mark Williams:
Yeah, well, if you're listening locally, there's plenty of opportunity to either join it or join that live podcast that I think is May 16. And if you're from outstate, come on in. Minnesota in the springtime is not a bad spot.
Morgan Molitor:
I know, I was a little nervous about that. Nick and Brad are like Minneapolis, and I'm like, I want people to show up in Minneapolis in the best light. I'm like, is May could be a.
Mark Williams:
Little dicey, but mid May, it should be fine.
Morgan Molitor:
It's going to be great.
Mark Williams:
It's fine. It'll be warm.
Morgan Molitor:
We're going to be golfing.
Mark Williams:
Yeah. I mean, considering the weather we're having right now.
Morgan Molitor:
I know.
Mark Williams:
It'll be just fine.
Morgan Molitor:
Yeah. Very weird.
Mark Williams:
Thank you very much for coming on.
Morgan Molitor:
Thank you.
Mark Williams:
It was awesome. You're the official first alumni to the podcast. Yeah, no pressure. Hopefully people were able to find some commonality. I love it in this messaging. So I appreciate you for being vulnerable, for being brave, and for sharing your story and friendship.
Morgan Molitor:
I made it without crying. That's so good.
Mark Williams:
Very good. Thanks for joining in to the Curious Builder podcast. Till next time, thanks for listening to the curious Builder podcast. If you like what you listen to, please give us a five star rating and write us a review. It really means a lot. It's a great way for us to just understand what you like about the podcast and what we can keep doing. So like and review. And please share with your friends and family.
Mark Williams:
Find out more@curiousbuilderpodcast.com.
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