Most construction companies treat pre-construction as an estimating department. That mindset is costing them projects.

In this episode, Eric sits down with Sam Potts, Director of Pre-Construction at JP Cullen—a $900M family-owned, self-performing GC out of Wisconsin. Sam explains why pre-con managers should be treated like project managers, how to align budgets around what actually matters to the owner, the power of a "yes-if" mentality when clients make unexpected requests, and what separates a good estimator from a great pre-construction leader.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why pre-con's real purpose is setting your project teams up to win

• How discovery meetings and the right questions unlock owner priorities

• The Risk Opportunity Log: a tool to eliminate budget surprises

• Why cost transparency is the fastest way to build trust

• How AI is starting to impact takeoffs—and the risk to junior estimator development

• The leadership shift from directing to coaching that changed Sam's career

If you want pre-construction to become a true competitive advantage for your company, this episode is a must-listen.

Only 2.5% of contractors finish on time and on budget. Here's what they do before the job starts.

In this episode, Eric Anderton breaks down Part 1 of FMI's 2025 Project Management Study — 243 executives, 84 PMs, real contractors, real numbers. What they found isn't revolutionary. It's the same truth Vince Lombardi was teaching in 1959. Preparation before the work starts. Accountability to a consistent standard. Everyone owning their role before the first crew hits the job site.

The three things separating high performers from everyone else: PM involvement in estimating, structured pre-execution planning, and field buy-in before mobilization. The one role responsible for making all three happen — or failing to — is your project executive.

Three Numbers Every Owner Should Know

• PM involvement in estimating → margin attainment jumps from 55% to 78%

• Thorough pre-execution planning → profit margins hit 81% vs. 50% of the time

• Strong field alignment → on-time/early completion 76% vs. 58% of the time

Hosted by Eric Anderton — leadership coach, executive coach, and 20+ year veteran of the construction industry.

FMI 2025 Study: https://fmicorp.com/insights/thought-leadership/2025-project-management-study-part-1

Executive coaching for your PX — book a call: https://10minuteswitheric.youcanbook.me/

Construction Genius book: https://www.amazon.com/Construction-Genius-Effective-Hands-Leadership/dp/B0BHTRDY1T/

The Shift leadership course: https://theshift.constructiongenius.com/

Construction companies don't go out of business because they lack work. They go out of business because they take on too much work and lose discipline.

In this episode, Eric Anderton talks with DPR Construction leaders Camilo Garcia and Mike Humphrey about how DPR built the discipline that carried the company through multiple boom-bust cycles—from early hypergrowth to market volatility in the 2000s, the 2009 downturn, and today's AI-driven data center surge.

They explain how DPR protects its culture through disciplined hiring, empowers teams with freedom within a framework, stays selective with customers and markets, and scales using operating ranges based on people—not just revenue.

If you're leading a construction company in a high-demand market, this episode shows how DPR stays disciplined while growing.

Resources:
DPR Construction: https://www.dpr.com/
Connect with Camilo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camilo-garcia-pineros-79172ba/
Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-humphrey-b589695/