LivLive: Design, Building, and the Business of Remodeling

LivLive Ep. 0000044 - Glen Dall

LivLive Episode 44: Glen Dall — The Three Things That Make Remodeling Companies Scale Episode Description What separates remodeling companies that plateau from those that continue to grow? This week on LivLive, Dave sits down with business coach, former CEO, former remodeler, and NARI X keynote contributor Glen Dall for a wide-ranging discussion on leadership, growth, strategy, client experience, and building high-performing teams. Glen shares his journey from barely graduating high school and working on a Ford Bronco assembly line in Detroit to helping grow a company from $400 million to $2.3 billion, leading a public company turnaround, building a remodeling business, and ultimately becoming a business coach. The conversation explores one of Glen's core beliefs: growth is not the goal—building a better business is the goal. Growth is simply the result. Dave and Glen dive into strategy, differentiation, EOS versus Metronomics, leadership team development, niche positioning, and why so many companies struggle when owners become the bottleneck. The episode concludes with a preview of the upcoming NARI X event and the three themes Glen will be teaching: * Profitability * Client Success * Teamwork & Trust Together, they discuss why profitability is more than margins, why client success is different from client satisfaction, and why trust is the foundation of every successful team, trade partner relationship, and homeowner experience. Whether you're a remodeler, builder, entrepreneur, or business leader, this episode delivers practical ideas you can immediately apply to improve your company. Chapters00:00 Introduction and how Dave met Glen through NARI 01:00 From Ford assembly line worker to CEO 06:00 Growing companies, culture shifts, and leadership lessons 10:00 Building and exiting a remodeling company 15:00 Why business owners hit growth ceilings 20:00 Growth isn't the goal—building a better business is 24:00 EOS vs. Metronomics and the role of strategy 30:00 Becoming "the only" instead of competing on price 36:00 Finding your niche and defining your ideal client 42:00 Building leadership teams and avoiding owner bottlenecks 48:00 NARI X Preview: Profitability as a business discipline 52:00 Client Success vs. Customer Satisfaction 56:00 Teamwork, Trust, and the Five Dysfunctions of a Team 1:00:00 Why trust accelerates business performance 1:03:00 NARI X event details and final thoughts

LivLive Ep. 0000045 - Will Boland

In Episode 45 of LivLive, Dave Pollard sits down with Will Boland, co-founder of Henry Homes, to explore why owning a home is still more complicated than it should be—and how technology can make it dramatically easier. Will reflects on the entrepreneurial journey that began with launching CarLotz, the challenges of raising capital and scaling an early-stage business, and the lessons that shaped his newest venture. The conversation then shifts to Henry Homes, where Will and his team are building a platform designed to help homeowners organize maintenance, understand their home's condition, connect with trusted professionals, and make smarter long-term decisions. Along the way, Dave and Will discuss AI, customer experience, hiring great people, founder psychology, and why curiosity and persistence matter more than having all the answers. It's an insightful conversation for homeowners, entrepreneurs, remodelers, architects, and anyone passionate about building businesses that genuinely improve people's lives. * Why today's homeowner experience is still fragmented and reactive * The vision behind Henry Homes and creating a digital home for every homeowner * How AI can help homeowners prioritize repairs and maintenance * Why inspection reports, manuals, warranties, and service records should all live in one place * How trusted contractors can build lifelong relationships instead of transactional projects * Lessons learned from launching and scaling startups * Why customer feedback matters more than perfect ideas * What the future of homeownership could look like over the next decade 00:00 – Welcome & Introducing Will Boland 01:10 – Growing Up Together in Richmond & Early Career Paths 02:30 – The Idea That Sparked CarLotz 05:40 – Reinventing the Used Car Buying Experience 08:29 – Returning to Richmond & Launching CarLotz 13:20 – Raising Capital and Scaling an Early-Stage Startup 18:30 – Lessons Learned from Entrepreneurship and Exits 23:20 – Why Homeownership Inspired Henry Homes 26:00 – The Problem with Inspection Reports and Home Maintenance 30:50 – Helping Homeowners Get Unstuck 35:45 – Building Trust Through Skilled Service Professionals 41:45 – Founder Lessons: Letting Go, Hiring, and Building Teams 47:50 – Designing Better Experiences for Technicians 53:40 – Home Improvements vs. Home Maintenance 59:45 – Communicating Difficult News to Homeowners 1:04:00 – Curiosity, Hard Work, and Advice for Entrepreneurs 1:08:00 – Final Thoughts & The Future of Henry Homes

LivLive Ep. 0000043 - Matt Cross

Hockey, Coaching, Leadership & Life with Matt Cross This week on LivLive, I sat down with Matt Cross—hockey coach, trainer, nonprofit leader, cancer survivor, and one of the most influential mentors in youth hockey in North Carolina. What started as a conversation about hockey quickly became a discussion about leadership, culture, parenting, resilience, and the lessons that connect great teams to great businesses. Matt shares stories from growing up in Toronto, building elite hockey programs through Prime Time Hockey and the Raleigh Raptors, overcoming cancer, and launching the Raleigh Testicular Cancer Foundation to help men take ownership of their health. Whether you're a coach, business owner, parent, athlete, or leader, this episode is packed with practical insights on developing people, building culture, and focusing on the process that drives long-term success. * Growing up in hockey-crazed Toronto * The differences between coaching players and leading employees * Why culture matters more than systems * Parenting high-performing young athletes * Building confidence without entitlement * The role of adversity in personal growth * Lessons learned from surviving cancer * The mission behind the Raleigh Testicular Cancer Foundation * Why great leaders focus on process over outcomes * How sports prepare young people for life and business #LivLive #Leadership #Hockey #Coaching #Business #Culture #YouthSports #PrimeTimeHockey #RaleighRaptors #Entrepreneurship #PersonalDevelopment Chapters 00:00 Welcome & Why Hockey Matters Beyond the Rink 01:15 Meet Matt Cross: Coach, Leader, Survivor 05:40 Growing Up in Toronto's Hockey Culture 12:30 Lessons Learned Through Youth Sports 18:45 Coaching vs. Managing People in Business 27:10 Building Team Culture and Accountability 36:20 The Parent-Coach-Athlete Dynamic 46:55 Developing Confidence and Character in Young Athletes 58:40 Cancer, Perspective, and Life Priorities 1:10:15 The Raleigh Testicular Cancer Foundation Story 1:19:00 Leadership Lessons from Sports and Business 1:28:30 NHL Stories, Hockey Community, and Giving Back 1:35:00 Final Thoughts and Where to Find Matt

LivLive Ep. 0000042 - Nick Ruffini

LivLive Episode 42 | Nick Ruffini – Hospitality, Storytelling, and Building Businesses People Actually Care About This week on LivLive, Dave sits down with longtime friend Nick Ruffini for a wide-ranging conversation about hospitality, storytelling, entrepreneurship, customer experience, and the power of human connection in an increasingly automated world. Nick's career has taken him from his family's restaurant business in Philadelphia to professional music, media production, podcasting, brand strategy, and now consulting through The Ruffini Group. Drawing on lessons from hospitality, entertainment, and real estate development, Nick helps organizations create stronger narratives, more memorable customer experiences, and deeper connections with the communities they serve. The conversation explores why hospitality isn't limited to restaurants and hotels, how every business tells a story whether it realizes it or not, and why the companies that win in the future will be the ones that prioritize people over processes. Dave and Nick also discuss entrepreneurship, charging what you're worth, building authentic brands, creating meaningful experiences, the dangers of over-automation, and how business can be a vehicle for serving communities and improving people's lives. Whether you're a business owner, developer, designer, contractor, entrepreneur, or simply interested in creating better experiences for the people around you, this episode offers practical insights and thought-provoking perspectives that extend far beyond business. * Why hospitality is a competitive advantage in any industry * How storytelling influences customer decisions and brand loyalty * The concept of "narrative continuity" across every customer touchpoint * Lessons from the restaurant industry that apply to all businesses * Why many entrepreneurs struggle to charge appropriately for their expertise * The role of human connection in an AI-driven world * How developers, businesses, and communities can benefit from stronger storytelling * The difference between transactions and memorable experiences * Why serving people well remains one of the strongest business strategies available * How business can become a force for community building and positive impact 00:00 Introduction and reconnecting with Nick Ruffini 02:10 The Ruffini Group and helping businesses tell better stories 08:30 From restaurants to music, media, and entrepreneurship 15:20 Life as a professional musician and the realities of the industry 22:15 Building a career through curiosity and reinvention 27:45 Entrepreneurship, pricing, and charging what you're worth 34:20 Hospitality as a business philosophy 39:15 Why customer experience matters more than ever 44:30 Human connection in an increasingly automated world 49:15 Reviews, customer feedback, and authentic brand building 54:00 Storytelling, real estate development, and community engagement 58:30 Business as a tool for serving people and strengthening communities 1:02:00 Final thoughts and where to find Nick Ruffini This is one of those LivLive episodes that moves beyond tactics and gets into bigger ideas about how we build businesses, communities, and relationships that people genuinely want to be part of.

LivLive - Ep. 0000041 - Jef Forward

In Episode 41 of LivLive, Jef Forward joins Dave Pollard for a deep conversation about the evolution of design-build, leadership, company culture, and the future of client experience in the remodeling industry. Jef shares the origin story behind Forward Design Build — from paying his way through architecture school building decks, to realizing traditional architecture firm life wasn’t the right fit, to taking a leap in 1997 after discovering the concept of “design-build” in a magazine article that changed his career trajectory. The conversation explores how personality profiling through DISC has shaped Forward’s internal culture and client communication systems, and how Jef is now integrating AI tools to create more empathetic, personalized communication experiences for both clients and team members. Dave and Jef also discuss scaling a creative company, hiring and leadership challenges, architecture school versus entrepreneurship, and the realities of building a people-first business in a high-stress service industry. This episode is packed with insights for architects, remodelers, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in leadership, culture, and the intersection of design, technology, and human connection. * How Jef Forward transitioned from architect to design-builder * Why DISC personality profiles transformed team communication at Forward Design Build * How AI can enhance empathy and client experience in service businesses * The realities of scaling from a small team to a 47-person company * Lessons learned from hiring, leadership, and company culture * Why architecture school often prepares people to create — but not necessarily to run businesses * How design-build reshaped the relationship between architects, builders, and homeowners * The importance of creating a stress-free remodeling experience for clients * Why humility and failure often become the foundation for growth Chapters 00:00 – Introduction to Episode 41 00:42 – Meeting Jef Forward Through Remodelers Advantage 02:11 – Using AI to Automate Empathy and Improve Communication 03:10 – DISC Personality Profiles and Client Communication 05:07 – Building Team Culture and Managing a 47-Person Company 07:00 – Architecture School, Creativity, and Deadline Culture 08:08 – Creating a Stress-Free Client Experience 08:33 – Connecting DISC to Leadership and Client Experience Roles 15:04 – The Origin Story of Forward Design Build 19:51 – Discovering Design-Build Through Remodeling Magazine 20:33 – Quitting Architecture Firm Life and Taking the Leap 21:30 – Learning Construction, Remodeling, and Entrepreneurship in Real Time 34:50 – Marketing, Reputation, and Standing Out in Ann Arbor 36:40 – Architecture School vs. Business Ownership 37:30 – Final Reflections on Creativity, Leadership, and Building a Company