Chad Hillweh builds decks in one of the most challenging construction environments in America. Based on Oahu's windward side, his company Hawaii Deck Builders faces 8-month permit waits, materials that cost double the mainland price, and freight timelines that stretch 6-8 weeks for basic supplies.

In this conversation, Chad shares his unlikely path from Vermont-born son of a Palestinian refugee to psychology graduate to licensed general contractor. You'll hear how his father's convenience store in Waikiki funded the family's real estate investments, why his graduating class had only 12 students, and the dangerous surf breaks where locals learn respect for the ocean.

Chad explains how he spent seven years turning over 26 new home builds for another contractor before starting Hillweh Builders in 2019—right before COVID hit. His wife Liana, a licensed CPA, handles everything from taxes to website design to social media. Together they've built a company that's now booked 4-5 months out despite being in business only a few years.

This episode covers island life, construction realities, and what it takes to build a deck business in paradise.

Levi Tibbetts from TC Decks joins Dr Decks to share his remarkable journey from Mormon missionary in Brazil to building a million-dollar deck company in Utah. This conversation goes deep into the personal side of construction entrepreneurship.

Levi opens up about his darkest days during the 2008 recession when he lost vehicles, equipment, and nearly everything he built. He shares how growing his framing company to 50 employees actually made less money than when he had six, the breaking point that almost ended his marriage, and the single deck project that redirected his entire career. You'll hear about his two-year mission in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, how an Ambien-fueled idea saved his business, and why he finally walked away from framing after 15 years.

This episode offers real talk about employee management struggles, the hidden costs of rapid growth, and finding your actual niche after years in the trades. Perfect for contractors questioning their current path or anyone interested in the human side of building a construction business.

Meet Marcello Guimarães, whose path through Brazilian advertising's highest levels led him to become marketing director for GMX Group and the brands underneath that umbrella including Maximo Wood. In this first hour, Marcello shares his unconventional upbringing; growing up as the son of a video rental empire owner in Brazil, spending two years in Orlando learning English through immersion and Hot Wheels rewards, and watching his family go from penthouse to sleeping on office floors after bankruptcy.

You'll hear about his father's pioneering video rental business (modeled after Blockbuster before Blockbuster came to Brazil), the decision to stay in Brazil for love while his entire family moved to the US, and his rise through Brazilian advertising agencies to win international awards. Marcello also shares the story of starting his own creative boutique and why he ultimately chose to leave that behind for a marketing role with a lumber company, a decision that seemed crazy at first.

This conversation covers international upbringing, creative excellence, family resilience through financial collapse, and choosing love over opportunity. Whether you're interested in advertising, Brazilian culture, or just appreciate stories about building a career across continents, Marcello's journey offers unique insights.

Meet Steele Roberts, whose name alone makes him unforgettable, but his story is what keeps you listening. Growing up in Eastern Washington's Tri-Cities with brothers named Stone and Sterling, Steel's mom knew exactly what she wanted when picking names for her sons. In this first hour, Steel shares his journey through Richland High School football (2017 state champions), his early days working demo on apartment complexes, and what it's like working for the family construction business. You'll hear about winning the Super Bowl in fifth grade peewee league, being the biggest kid in junior high before everyone caught up, and graduating in the largest class in Richland High history. Steel also talks about his first job right out of high school, just one week of summer before diving into construction full-time, and how the business grew during Covid when apartment work kept the crew busy with three major projects. #drdecks #drdeckspodcast #SteeleRoberts #RobertsConstruction #TriCities #EasternWashington #DeckBuilder #ConstructionStory #RichlandBombers #StateChampions #FamilyBusiness #ConstructionCareer #WashingtonBuilder #TradesLife #ConstructionBusiness #DeckConstruction #BuilderStory #ConstructionIndustry #PacificNorthwest #CareerJourney #ConstructionPodcast #TradesCareer

Meet Chad Furley, whose 30-year journey through lumber, windows, packaging, and engineered wood products led him to become Pacific Wood Tech's outdoor living specialist. In this first hour, Chad shares his path starting with a paper route at age 8 in Nebraska, running cross country in high school, and attending trade school where 98% job placement was guaranteed, not something you get with a four-year degree. You'll hear about his time managing 40 employees at Menards, selling Pella windows to architects and landing a $2 million dorm project by simply fixing a homeowner's service issues, and his decade in the packaging industry where he built businesses from $200k to over $1.4 million. Chad also shares the story of getting fired and immediately taking $1.6 million in clients with him, proving that relationships matter more than company loyalty when you treat customers right. This conversation covers entrepreneurship, sales mastery, and the power of building genuine relationships in business. Whether you're in sales, construction, or just appreciate stories about building your way to success, Chad's journey offers valuable lessons about persistence and customer service.

Meet Lainie Slevin, whose 25-year journey through the decking industry has taken her through manufacturing, distribution, and now territory sales for Decks and Docks. Lainie shares her unconventional path growing up taking city buses to school in Queens, moving to Lake Hopatcong where water sports became her passion, and eventually finding her way into the construction industry through a job selling contractor leads. You'll hear about her early days at Trex when composite decking was plagued with mold and mildew issues, her transition to distribution at Parksite, and the competitive drive that led her to bodybuilding competitions for six years. Lainie opens up about the extreme discipline required to compete: eating precisely weighed meals for 16 weeks, painting herself with tanning solution, and the moment she broke someone's arm during arm wrestling practice that ended that competitive chapter. This conversation covers career evolution, competitive sports, and the determination it takes to succeed in a male-dominated industry. Whether you're in the trades or just appreciate stories of perseverance and finding your niche, Lainie's journey offers insights about building expertise over decades while maintaining passion for life outside work.

Meet Jason Varney of Docks And Decks, whose journey through the construction trades led him to a unique specialty: building custom boat docks on Tennessee's waterways. Jason shares his path through framing carpentry in upstate New York, surviving the 2008 recession with eight employees, and discovering his niche in the specialized world of marine construction.

You'll hear about his childhood building tree forts and flying RC airplanes, leaving college to pursue framing full-time, and the pivotal moment when someone asked him to build a boat dock; a request that changed everything. Jason opens up about starting with just a pontoon boat, slowly acquiring the barges and excavators needed to drive pilings into river bottoms, and developing a business model that now ships pre-cut dock systems nationwide.

This conversation covers finding your specialty, the equipment investment required for marine construction, and building a social media presence that led to becoming a Stabila ambassador. Whether you're in construction or just appreciate stories about finding your niche, Jason's journey shows how specialization can set you apart in a crowded industry.

Meet Clint Holsing, a third-generation contractor whose path through the construction industry took him from framing and siding to becoming one of the top Aero Barrier dealers in the United States. Clint shares his unconventional upbringing, moving 11 times before age 15 as his builder father sold the family home repeatedly, always living in show-ready houses that felt like museums.

You'll hear about his early passion for dirt bikes, his brief stint learning welding in Arizona, and the pivotal moment he cut off two fingers on the last day of his first custom home build. Clint opens up about working alongside his brother and the devastating loss when his brother died in a motorcycle accident in 2009, just as the economy crashed. These experiences shaped not just his career, but his approach to business and life.

This conversation covers family legacy, personal tragedy, and the resilience needed to keep building when everything falls apart. Whether you're in the trades or just appreciate stories of perseverance, Clint's journey offers raw honesty about the highs and lows of a construction career.