Professional Builders Secrets

Professional Builders Secrets brings you an exclusive episode featuring Chris Guilbert, founder of Tenfold Homes, and Helena Tivey, co-founder of Arrow Agency. Over the past 12 months, Helena and the team at Arrow Agency have been working closely with Chris to build a predictable marketing system for Tenfold Homes, and the results speak for themselves, culminating in Chris taking out the HIA National Emerging Builder Award. Together, they pull back the curtain on exactly what they did, why it worked, and what other builders can take from it.

This episode is sponsored by Apparatus Contractor Services, click the link below to learn more:hubs.ly/Q02mNSsG0

INSIDE EPISODE 239 YOU WILL DISCOVER
How Chris went from scattered leads to a refined niche and quality pipeline
Why most builders have a strategy problem, not a lead problem
What winning a national emerging builder award actually comes down to
How to know when it's time to move from in-house marketing to an agency
Why your avatar and messaging need constant refinement
How paid advertising, organic content and AI search are all changing the game

ABOUT HELENA TIVEY

Helena brings over 15 years of experience in media and marketing, co-founding The Arrow Agency to help builders grow with transparent, results-driven strategies. Passionate about client success and work-life balance, she combines sharp strategic thinking with real-world insight, empowering both businesses and her team to thrive.

Connect with Helena: linkedin.com/in/helena-tivey-845057a1/

ABOUT CHRIS GUILBERT

Chris Guilbert is the founder and director of Tenfold Homes, a Perth-based building company specialising in lightweight construction, custom homes and large scale renovations. With a focus on systems, client experience and continuous improvement, Chris recently took out the HIA National Emerging Builder Award — recognition of the significant growth and transformation his business has undergone over the past 12 months.

Connect with Chris: linkedin.com/in/chris-guilbert-42a3641a4/

TIMELINE
4:07 Why Chris switched agencies and what made Arrow Agency stand out from the rest
6:32 Helena's take on why most builders have a strategy problem, not a lead problem
8:07 Chris's honest journey from crappy site photos to a refined marketing system
15:20 How winning the HIA National Emerging Builder Award came down to systems and growth
19:50 Why Chris rebranded from Gilbert Construction to Tenfold Homes and what it symbolised
37:31 The one piece of advice Chris gives every builder looking to grow their business

LINKS, RESOURCES & MORE

APB Website: associationofprofessionalbuilders.com

APB Rewards: associationofprofessionalbuilders.com/rewards/

APB on Instagram: instagram.com/apbbuilders/

APB on Facebook: facebook.com/associationofprofessionalbuilders

APB on YouTube: youtube.com/c/associationofprofessionalbuilders

Professional Builders Secrets brings you an exclusive episode featuring Carl Edwards and Annameika Curtis from Edwards Family Homes, a residential building company based in New South Wales, Australia, specialising in custom homes and second-story extensions. They share their honest marketing journey, from doing it all in-house to outsourcing it to an agency they trust, and the incredible results that followed.

This episode is sponsored by Apparatus Contractor Services, click the link below to learn more:hubs.ly/Q02mNSsG0

INSIDE EPISODE 238 YOU WILL DISCOVER
Why Carl believes margins are directly linked to marketing
Why Edwards Family Homes pivoted
What the journey from in-house marketing to agency looked like in practice
Why letting go of control was the hardest but most valuable step they took
How content marketing builds trust before a client ever picks up the phone
And much, much more.

ABOUT CARL EDWARDS

Carl Edwards is the founder of Edwards Family Homes, a residential building company based in New South Wales, Australia. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Carl has built a family-run business specialising in custom homes and second story extensions, with a reputation for quality workmanship and honest client relationships.

Connect with Carl: linkedin.com/in/carl-edwards-8a2771206/

ABOUT ANNAMEIKA CURTIS

Annameika Curtis is the systems manager at Edwards Family Homes, where she has spent over 10 years helping shape the company's brand, processes and growth. With a deep understanding of both the business and its values, Anamika leads the company's content marketing strategy and internal systemisation efforts.

TIMELINE
2:36 How Edwards Family Homes evolved their business
8:39 Why Carl, a tradesman at heart, finally understood the importance of marketing
11:12 The challenges of handing over marketing to an agency and why it was worth it
13:52 How Carl tracks marketing performance
18:53 Why more marketing means more choice and how that directly protects your margins
20:54 Final advice for builders thinking about taking the next step with their marketing

LINKS, RESOURCES & MORE

APB Website: associationofprofessionalbuilders.com

APB Rewards: associationofprofessionalbuilders.com/rewards/

APB on Instagram: instagram.com/apbbuilders/

APB on Facebook: facebook.com/associationofprofessionalbuilders

APB on YouTube: youtube.com/c/associationofprofessionalbuilders

Professional Builders Secrets brings you an exclusive episode featuring Russ Stephens, Co-founder of APB, and Cameron Jahn, Product Marketing Lead at Houzz Pro. Together they dive deep into why so many builders deliver great homes but still end up with frustrated clients, and what the best builders are doing differently to fix that.

This episode is sponsored by Apparatus Contractor Services, click the link below to learn more:hubs.ly/Q02mNSsG0

INSIDE EPISODE 237 YOU WILL DISCOVER
Why unrealistic client expectations are the number one challenge
How to set expectations before problems arise
Why being the single point of contact is a single point of failure
Why poor communication is quietly destroying builders' net profit
How AI is transforming the client experience for builders of all sizes
What the best builders are doing differently to keep clients happy
And much, much more.

ABOUT RUSS STEPHENS

Co-founder of the Association of Professional Builders, Russ is a data analysis expert who has introduced data-driven decision making to the residential construction industry. Russ is also a proud member of the Forbes Business Development Council.

Connect with Russ: linkedin.com/in/russstephens

ABOUT CAMERON JAHN

Cameron Jahn leads product marketing at Houzz Pro, a construction management platform helping builders simplify processes, scale operations, and deliver a standout client experience. Based in San Francisco, Cameron works closely with builders across North America and brings a deep understanding of how technology and systems can transform the way builders communicate with and retain their clients.

Connect with Cameron: linkedin.com/in/cameronjahn/

TIMELINE
7:23 Why great builders still end up with frustrated clients
9:30 How the best builders use their process as part of their sales pitch
19:17 Why owners become the bottleneck
27:49 The hidden cost of poor communication
38:16 What the best builders do differently to keep clients happy
44:09 Why you need to systemise and how AI agents are changing everything

LINKS, RESOURCES & MORE

APB Website: associationofprofessionalbuilders.com

APB Rewards: associationofprofessionalbuilders.com/rewards/

APB on Instagram: instagram.com/apbbuilders/

APB on Facebook: facebook.com/associationofprofessionalbuilders

APB on YouTube: youtube.com/c/associationofprofessionalbuilders

Professional Builders Secrets brings you an exclusive episode featuring Clint Best, Executive Business Coach at APB, and Hill Dickerson, co-founder of BuilderPad, a construction management platform designed to help builders improve communication. With over 20 years of experience each, Clint and Hill dive deep into why communication is the foundation of every successful building company, and what happens when it breaks down.

This episode is sponsored by Apparatus Contractor Services, click the link below to learn more:hubs.ly/Q02mNSsG0

INSIDE EPISODE 236 YOU WILL DISCOVER
Why communication is the foundation of any building company
How fear inside your team is silently killing your margins and morale
What the signs of poor communication look like in a building company
How to create a culture where people feel safe to speak up
Why emotional intelligence is a learnable skill every builder needs
And much, much more.

ABOUT CLINT BEST

Clint was trained and certified by the world’s largest business coaching team and was eventually named the Canadian Coach of the Year in 2006, before leaving to form Kaizen Business Development in 2007. He has been successfully coaching business owners in Canada and the United States for 18 years and now forms part of the Executive Business Coaching Team at APB.

Connect with Clint: linkedin.com/in/clintbest/?originalSubdomain=ca

ABOUT HILL DICKERSON

Hill Dickerson is the co-founder of BuilderPad, a construction management platform designed to help builders improve communication and streamline their projects. With over 18 years running a fireplace distribution company working alongside 500+ custom home builders, Hill brings a unique on-the-ground perspective to what great builder communication looks like in practice.

Connect with Hill: linkedin.com/in/hill-dickerson/

TIMELINE
11:02 The data that proves daily huddles directly improve gross margins and owner returns
14:09 Why fear is the root cause of communication breakdown in most businesses
21:44 The warning signs that communication in your building company is failing
29:00 How poor communication leads to burnout, stress and working excessive hours
38:31 Why technology is now a must-have, not a nice-to-have, for builder communication
42:35 The practical systems and meeting rhythms every builder should put in place

LINKS, RESOURCES & MORE

APB Website: associationofprofessionalbuilders.com

APB Rewards: associationofprofessionalbuilders.com/rewards/

APB on Instagram: instagram.com/apbbuilders/

APB on Facebook: facebook.com/associationofprofessionalbuilders

APB on YouTube: youtube.com/c/associationofprofessionalbuilders

Professional Builders Secrets brings you an exclusive episode featuring Tony Marnella, founder of Marnella Homes, a health-focused luxury home builder operating in the Pacific Northwest. After facing a serious personal health crisis, Tony completely transformed the way he builds, diving deep into building science, indoor air quality, and what it truly means to create a healthy home.

This episode is sponsored by Apparatus Contractor Services, click the link below to learn more:hubs.ly/Q02mNSsG0

INSIDE EPISODE 235 YOU WILL DISCOVER
How a personal health crisis changed the way Tony builds forever
What the invisible details are and why they matter more than finishes
How niching down to health-focused builds simplified his entire business
The sales approach that turns education into trust and trust into contracts
Why having a clear purpose aligns your team, trades and clients
And much, much more.

ABOUT TONY MARNELLA

Tony Marnella is the founder of Marnella Homes, a health-focused luxury home builder based in the Pacific Northwest. After facing a serious personal health crisis, Tony transformed his approach to construction, specialising in high-performance custom homes that prioritise clean air, clean water, and healthy indoor environments for the families that live in them.
TIMELINE
7:32 How a serious illness sent Tony down the path of building science and healthy homes
10:09 The invisible details: air sealing, intelligent air management and water quality explained
16:01 Why health and wellness features deliver a better return than a countertop upgrade
23:59 How niching down narrowed the field but transformed the quality of clients
29:54 Why Tony's sales conversations are completely different to every other builder
34:48 What Tony gets out of business coaching and why he keeps renewing with APB

LINKS, RESOURCES & MORE

APB Website: associationofprofessionalbuilders.com

APB Rewards: associationofprofessionalbuilders.com/rewards/

APB on Instagram: instagram.com/apbbuilders/

APB on Facebook: facebook.com/associationofprofessionalbuilders

APB on YouTube: youtube.com/c/associationofprofessionalbuilders