Episode Summary:

In this episode, we welcome Alexandra McMyler, CEO of Archer Specialties and Business Development Director at Sirius Building Company. Alexandra shares her unique journey from a rugby player and stay-at-home mom to a dynamic leader in the construction industry. Her story highlights the value of building relationships and embracing challenges in both personal and professional growth.

Key Topics Discussed:

Introduction to Season 2: Hosts share excitement about the new season and their team, with shoutouts to the Dell management team and this week's show sponsor, Alt CMO.

Guest Introduction: Alexandra McMyler discusses her roles at Archer Specialties and Sirius Building Company, emphasizing her passion for the construction industry and her journey from an admin to CEO.

Career Path and Industry Insights:

* Transition from rugby and stay-at-home mom to the construction industry in 2020.

* Learning and growing from administrative roles to business development.

* Founding Archer Specialties due to a market need for reliable subcontractors in Division 10 commercial accessories.

Challenges and Achievements:

* Balancing roles as CEO and Business Development Director.

* The importance of relationships and customer service in business success.

* Navigating industry challenges like material financing and scheduling.

Women in Construction: Alexandra's involvement in various women-centric construction groups and the importance of networking and support among women in the industry.

Future Goals: Excitement about growth opportunities for Archer Specialties, hiring a project manager, and focusing on business development.

Watch the interview on YouTube:

About Alexandra McMyler:

Alexandra McMyler is the dynamic CEO of Archer Specialties and the Business Development Director at Sirius Building Company. A proud Texas Aggie and former rugby player, Alexandra discovered her passion for the construction industry in 2020. With a knack for building relationships and thriving in high-energy environments, she quickly transitioned from admin roles to leadership positions. At Archer

Specialties, she brings style and functionality to Division 10 commercial accessories, ensuring smooth installations and happy clients. Known as the "Latrine Queen," Alexandra is always on the lookout for exciting ventures and collaborations. Connect with her to explore new opportunities and witness her unstoppable energy in action!

Connect with Alexandra McMyler:

Email: Alexandra@ArcherSpecialties.com

Website: https://archerspecialties.com/

Instagram: @archer.specialties

In Episode 38 of The CM Mentors Podcast, Matt Graves and Kyle Grandell chat with Eric Anderton, Founder of Construction Genius.

Topics Include:

* Favorite Sports

* Making the Shift from Leading Projects to Leading Companies

* The “E.A.R.” Framework for Communication

* How to Teach Someone what you know Instinctually

* Construction Genius the Book

* How to Run a “Kick-Ass” Meeting

* How to Lead the “Older” Generation

* How to Lead your Old Peers After a Promotion

* Top Skills to Develop Early in your Career

* What is “Good Enough” and Who Defines it?

* Advice for the Next Generation

Watch the interview on YouTube:

About Eric:

Eric Anderton teaches construction executives how to tackle the biggest challenge they face when they get promoted into leadership roles: shifting from project management to leading teams of people. Eric began working with construction companies in 2004 and founded his own company—Construction Genius—in 2013.

His background includes over 25 years of public speaking, small group facilitation, and one-on-one mentoring experience.

In addition to working with his clients that range from $25m-$1B+ in annual revenue, he is also the host of the top-rated podcast: Construction Genius

And the bestselling book: Construction Genius: Effective, Hands-On, Practical, Simple, No-BS Leadership, Strategy, Sales, and Marketing Advice for Construction Companies

When not helping his clients be better leaders, Eric likes spending time with family, deadlifting, reading, and attempting to play guitar.

To Connect with Eric:

https://www.constructiongenius.com/contact

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andertoneric/

Podcast: https://www.constructiongenius.com/podcast/

Book: Construction Genius: Effective, Hands-On, Practical, Simple, No-BS Leadership, Strategy, Sales, and Marketing Advice for Construction Companies: https://amzn.to/3FynRkF

In Episode 37 of The CM Mentors Podcast, Matt Graves and Kyle Grandell chat with Adeel Pirzada, CEO of Pircon Group. With a special guest appearance by Kevin Padillo.

Topics Include:

* The different “types” of Commercial Construction

* Seft-Perform vs. Subcontract

* Success with Design-Build Work

* Differences Between Canadian and American Construction

* Are Electricians the “smartest” trade?

* Next Generation not interested in Construction?

* How to be Successful in Commercial Construction

* Ask the Stupid Question

* Hire Fast, Fire Faster, Promote Fastest

This week we even got wild up with 2 of Kyle’s meme games. So hang on til the end to see/ hear the second.

Watch the interview on YouTube:

About Adeel & Pircon Group:

Experienced Project Manager in Land Development and 100 Commercial Construction Projects Completed

To Connect:

https://pircongroup.com/

https://www.instagram.com/pircongroup

https://www.linkedin.com/company/pircon-group/

In Episode 36 of The CM Mentors Podcast, Matt Graves and Kyle Grandell chat with Jack Rowe, Director of Land Entitlement and Development at Taylor Morrison.

Topics Include:

* What is Land Development?

* The hardest part of the Job

* How to be Successful with Utility Companies

* spoiler: We wish we had better answers

* What it was like entering the Industry

* Working through the Bureaucracy of Cities

* How to get started in Land Development

Watch the interview on YouTube:

About Jack:

Jack is a family man, real estate development professional, and proud Aggie — an alumnus of Texas A&M University’s Master of Land and Property Development program.

His educational background spans architecture and urban design, real estate finance, land development, management, and negotiation — all of which he uses day-to-day as real estate development professional.

Jack is also the proud husband of an entrepreneur. When he’s not at work developing communities in North Texas, you’ll find him helping his wife, Kimberly, with her business, PWR WMN (pronounced “Power Woman”), reading about history, philosophy, or personal development, or spending time with his family and friends.

Finally, Jack is an avid promoter of construction industry careers, giving back to the community via individual mentorship and his service to his alma mater as Vice President of Texas A&M’s Development Industry Advisory Council.

To Connect with Jack:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrowe

https://www.pwrwmn.shop/

In Episode 35 of The CM Mentors Podcast, Matt Graves and Kyle Grandell chat with Jonathan Cor, President of Customer Growth.

Topics Include:

* The legit opportunity to build a Personal Brand RIGHT NOW

* Why do it? Tangible benefits?

* Meme Marketing

* Using Opus Pro for turning long-form videos into short viral clips with AI

* GC bashing posts? Good or bad?

* Thoughts on using ChatGPT for marketing purposes

* Using your perspective to stand out

* Some tactical tips

Watch the interview on YouTube:

About Jonathan:

I grew up in construction. My dad was a commercial and residential painting contractor. Then I became an in-house marketer for a commercial construction company in Washington years later. And now I'm building a social media marketing agency helping commercial contractors build their brands online.

To Connect with Jonathan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-cor/

https://www.customergrowth.co

In Episode 34 of The CM Mentors Podcast, Matt Graves and Kyle Grandell chat with Evan Oates, Vice President at EOS Builders, LLC.

Topics Include:

* EOS Internship Program

* What a Project Engineer can expect on Day 1

* Teaching the Basics First

* Concentrating on Soft Skills First

* Kyle Bails on the Meme Game

* Innovation Possibilities to Help the Workforce Gap

Watch the interview on YouTube:

About Evan:

Evan Oates is a seasoned construction manager with over 20 years of industry experience of successful project completion. Evan’s experience is diverse including the management of multi family, commercial, institutional and government projects. Evan has key experience in the administration of projects resulting from surety bond claims and expertise in all phases of project administration.

To Connect with Evan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-oates-60b92a36/

https://eosbuilders.com/

Join 1,365 others and be notified of new CM Mentors Podcasts and receive the weekly Construction Curiosities Newsletter:

In Episode 33 of The CM Mentors Podcast, Matt Graves and Kyle Grandell chat with Kyle Nitchen, Senior Project Manager at Layton Construction.

Topics Include:

* Getting Interested in Construction

* Our Coolest Projects

* Kyle Describes the Meme Game: Literal Cloud Revision

* What defines an Influential Project Manager

* 7 Archetypes of an Influential Project Manager

* Communicator

* Enforcer

* Builder

* Leader

* Attorney

* Accountant

* Business Developer

Watch the interview on YouTube:

About Kyle:

Kyle is a driven and disciplined professional, committed to delivering predictable outcomes through his expertise in managing large, complex projects.

Utilizing lean thinking and principles, he has successfully executed over $300M+ in complex construction projects, unlocking additional benefits through Lean Construction, Last Planner System, Early Design Involvement, A3 Thinking, Building Information Modeling (BIM), Target Value Design, and Visual Management.

Starting his career as a laborer, Kyle gained a comprehensive understanding of both working on and managing construction projects. His diverse project experience spans land development, commercial hospitality, and healthcare, with a focus on leading state-of-the-art HCAI projects on active campuses.

Beyond construction, Kyle launched a brand, 'The Influential Project Manager', with a newsletter covering the principles, strategies, and frameworks of successful project leadership.

To Connect with Kyle:

👋 Follow Kyle on LinkedIn for actionable Leadership, Project Management, & Lean construction insights.

🏗 Project Portfolio: https://kylenitchen.com/projects

📧 Newsletter: https://kylenitchen.substack.com/

📗 Website: https://kylenitchen.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylenitchen/

In Episode 32 of The CM Mentors Podcast, Matt Graves and Kyle Grandell chat with Seth Gehle, Builder at David Weekley Homes.

Topics Include:

* The Power of LinkedIn

* Helping Veterans

* Hustling to Build a Network

* Getting Giants on Your Resume

* Tips for Being a Great Communicator

* Running Your Own Race

* Being the Best at EVERYTHING You Do

* Blind Faith & Not Getting Caught Up in the Machine

* Paying It Forward

Watch the interview on YouTube:

About Seth:

Born and raised in Ohio, I joined the Army at 17 and eventually got into the Infantry and in the 82nd Airborne Division. I have been all around the world and now that I am out of the Army, I have been in the residential construction industry for 3 years. I have spent a lot of my time training BJJ, mentoring veterans and anyone else who needs it while raising two kids, and winning construction awards at the same time.

To Connect with Seth:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethgehle/