LivLive: Design, Building, and the Business of Remodeling

LivLive is a conversation-driven podcast about design, building, real estate, and the business behind it all.Hosted by Dave Pollard, architect and co-founder of LivCo, LivLive brings together architects, builders, developers, and industry leaders to talk honestly about how projects really come together — from early ideas and design decisions to construction, ownership, and long-term value.Each episode blends professional insight with real-world experience.

LivLive: Design, Building, and the Business of Remodeling is a business podcast hosted by David Pollard, with 47 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

David Pollard hosts LivLive: Design, Building, and the Business of Remodeling, a business show with 47 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #50

  LivLive Ep. 0000050 - Reflections on the First 49

  Aug 27, 202651 minS1

  50 episodes. 49 guests. One year of conversations. For this milestone episode of LivLive, Dave flips the format and takes a look back at the first 49 episodes of the show — the people, conversations, ideas, and unexpected connections that have shaped LivLive so far. What started as a simple idea born out of great conversations during COVID has evolved into discussions with architects, builders, designers, entrepreneurs, coaches, athletes, technologists, creators, and business leaders. Along the way, some themes kept showing up: the importance of systems and processes, continuous improvement, authentic creativity, great leadership, embracing new technology, building strong teams, and actually making the things we imagine. Dave revisits each of the first 49 episodes, shares some of his favorite takeaways, and reflects on what he has learned from a year of completely unscripted conversations. Chapters 00:00 Episode 50: Looking Back at the First 49 02:16 How LivLive Started 04:04 The LivCo Team & the First Episodes 06:51 Architects, Designers & Creative Thinkers 13:31 Authenticity, Marketing & Building a Brand 15:02 Systems, Processes & Making Room for Creativity 18:08 Teams, Hockey & Lessons Beyond Business 24:29 Makers, LEGO & Creative Entrepreneurship 27:01 Architecture, Culture & Designing Experiences 32:41 AI, Technology & the Future of Building 37:01 Architects Who Build & Design-Build Thinking 39:16 Fintech, Entrepreneurship & Continuous Improvement 42:43 Hockey, Leadership & Building Great Teams 44:19 Growth, Strategy & Scaling Companies 45:58 AI, Automation & the Back End of Business 46:38 Lessons from Recent LivLive Guests 48:36 Episode 49 & “Systems Set You Free” 49:18 Reflections on the First 49 49:35 Season 2 Begins with Episode 51 50:29 Thank You & What’s Next for LivLive

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  Episode #49

  LivLive Ep. 0000049 - George Hodges-Fulton: Freedom Through Systems

  Aug 19, 202652 minS1

  Professionalizing the Business of Construction | George Hodges-Fulton What does it actually take to turn a construction or remodeling company into a professionally run business—without losing the creativity, entrepreneurship, and people that made it successful in the first place? In Episode 49 of LivLive , David Pollard sits down with George Hodges-Fulton , business coach, former construction executive, Pinnacle Business Guide, and advisor to LivCo's leadership team. George shares lessons from his career in construction and remodeling, including his years at BOWA, where he helped build a small-project division into a roughly $15 million business within the larger design-build company. David and George dig into business operating systems, quarterly planning, leadership teams, accountability, the labor shortage, developing tradespeople into leaders, and why owners themselves can eventually become one of the biggest constraints on growth. They also explore one of the toughest challenges in design-build: how do you create systems and accountability around creative work without trying to turn design into an assembly line? George shares one of the biggest mistakes of his career—trying to manage architects and designers like production teams—and what it taught him about the difference between structure and control . Along the way, they discuss: Why complexity kills growth How business operating systems create alignment When the owner becomes the bottleneck Developing great craftspeople into great leaders Hiring and managing for both performance and cultural fit Why processes can actually protect creativity Creating frameworks that give talented people room to do their best work Learning from failure and continually investing in yourself A candid conversation about building stronger companies, stronger leaders, and a more sophisticated construction and remodeling industry. Chapters: 00:00 Meet George Hodges-Fulton 02:45 Business Operating Systems 06:20 The Power of Quarterly Planning 10:00 When Owners Become the Bottleneck 13:00 George's Construction Journey 17:00 Is Construction Really Organized Chaos? 19:00 Construction Management & Education 23:40 George's Start at BOWA 25:30 Building a $15M Division 27:45 Where Growing Companies Struggle 29:25 Solving the Skilled Labor Problem 30:50 From Doer to Leader 32:15 Evaluating Talent & Cultural Fit 37:30 Learning Through Failure 39:45 Why Systems Protect Creativity 42:00 George's Biggest Leadership Mistake 45:00 Managing the Design Process 47:00 Structure Creates Creative Freedom 49:15 George's Final Advice

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  Episode #48

  LivLive Ep. 0000048 - Lance Cayko: Architect, Builder, Developer & Entrepreneur

  Aug 12, 202650 minS1

  In this episode of LivLive , Dave turns the tables on Lance Cayko , co-founder of F9 Productions and co-host of the Inside the Firm podcast. Lance is an architect—but that barely scratches the surface. He’s also a builder, developer, entrepreneur, podcaster, and someone who has spent nearly two decades challenging the traditional boundaries of architectural practice. Lance shares how he and his partner Al started F9 during the Great Recession with little money, few industry connections, and not even enough experience yet to call themselves licensed architects. Rather than waiting for the perfect opportunity, they figured things out as they went—using detailed 3D modeling, hands-on construction knowledge, experimentation, and a willingness to do things differently. Dave and Lance talk about the realities of starting an architecture firm, overcoming “analysis paralysis,” learning the business skills architecture school doesn't teach, and why simply getting started is often more important than having everything figured out. The conversation then moves into the evolution of F9: architecture, interiors, construction, and eventually real estate development. Lance explains why selectively building their own architectural projects has helped create a more resilient business—and how a recent adaptive-reuse project in downtown Longmont brought him back into development as both architect, builder, and investor. They also explore the future of the profession, including Matterport and LiDAR scanning, virtual reality, adaptive reuse, mixed-use development, and why Lance believes architects should be willing to wear more hats. It’s a wide-ranging conversation about architecture, entrepreneurship, risk, technology, development—and the value of putting yourself out there and simply doing the work. Chapters: 00:00 — Meet Lance Cayko 01:34 — Starting Inside the Firm 05:00 — Inspiring Others to Take the Leap 06:50 — Starting F9 During the Recession 10:20 — “Model It Like It’s Built” 14:55 — The Advantage of Not Knowing 18:15 — Just Start 21:15 — Learning the Business of Architecture 24:15 — The Mentor Who Changed Everything 25:50 — What Should Architects Charge? 29:55 — F9 Productions Today 33:00 — Architecture + Construction + Interiors 35:55 — Getting Into Development 38:00 — Architect, Builder & Investor 39:40 — Sweat Equity & Playing the Long Game 42:35 — Technology & the Future of Architecture 45:00 — The Opportunity in Adaptive Reuse 47:00 — Find a Mentor 49:00 — Closing & Where to Find Lance

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  Episode #47

  LivLive Ep. 0000047 - Dave Payne: Leadership, Innovation & the Curiosity Mindset

  Jul 29, 202655 minS1

  What happens when two mechanical engineers decide to reinvent the remodeling business? In this episode of LivLive , David Pollard sits down with David Payne , co-founder of Payne & Tompkins Design-Renovations, for a conversation that goes far beyond construction. Dave shares how an engineering mindset, relentless experimentation, and a commitment to continuous improvement have helped build one of the industry's most respected design-build firms. Rather than chasing perfection, Dave explains why the best companies constantly test, learn, and improve. From Lean manufacturing principles and value stream mapping to leadership, company culture, AI, and developing future leaders, this episode is packed with practical lessons for entrepreneurs in any industry. Whether you're building homes, leading a team, or growing a business, you'll walk away with actionable ideas on creating systems that allow people—and organizations—to continually improve. • Transitioning from a family homebuilding business into remodeling• How engineering principles influence leadership and operations• Lean thinking, experimentation, and continuous improvement• Building systems instead of relying on heroics • Developing people and creating accountability • Innovation, AI, and the future of business • Lessons from decades of entrepreneurship 00:00 Welcome back to LivLive 02:15 Dave's transition from family homebuilding to Payne & Tompkins 06:30 Why engineers think differently about business 11:45 Lean manufacturing and constant experimentation 18:30 Systems versus personalities 24:50 Leadership and building better teams 31:20 Company culture and accountability 38:10 Innovation, AI, and what's changing 46:15 Advice for entrepreneurs 52:30 Closing thoughts David Payne explains why the best businesses never stop experimenting. Drawing from his engineering background and decades of experience building Payne & Tompkins Design-Renovations, he shares lessons on leadership, systems thinking, continuous improvement, company culture, and entrepreneurship that apply far beyond the remodeling industry.

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  Episode #46

  LivLive Episode 0000046: Jordan Hayashi — AI Isn't Replacing Contractors. It's Giving Them Their Brain Back.

  Jul 8, 202652 minS1

  Episode Description Artificial intelligence is everywhere—but how much of it is actually useful for contractors? This week on LivLive, Dave sits down with AI entrepreneur and Bizzen founder Jordan Hayashi to separate the hype from the practical applications that are already changing the construction industry. Jordan has spent nearly a decade building AI solutions long before ChatGPT made artificial intelligence a household term. Rather than chasing flashy demos, his philosophy is simple: find the work that frustrates people most, then eliminate it. The conversation explores why contractors should think of AI as delegated brainpower instead of automation, how companies can capture tribal knowledge before it walks out the door, and why voice, photos, and field documentation are becoming the new interface for construction management. Dave and Jordan also discuss AI hallucinations, trust, document management, estimating, proposals, daily logs, financial workflows, and where construction software is headed over the next five years. They explain why the winners won't simply use ChatGPT—they'll build systems that remember everything, connect every piece of project information, and allow teams to spend less time searching for answers and more time solving problems. If you've been wondering whether AI is worth paying attention to—or are trying to figure out where to start—this episode delivers one of the most practical conversations we've had on the subject. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Jordan Hayashi and Bizzen 01:15 Why Jordan calls himself an AI "BS meter" 02:30 "Tell us what sucks" — solving real contractor frustrations first 05:00 Why construction has been underserved by software 07:45 Building AI years before ChatGPT 10:20 How AI learns from documents, photos, and company knowledge 13:00 Capturing tribal knowledge before employees leave 16:00 AI as delegated brainpower—not a replacement for people 20:00 Freeing your brain from repetitive information retrieval 22:30 Why document trust is everything in construction 26:00 From checklists to intelligent project management 29:00 AI for job costing, receipts, and financial workflows 31:30 Daily logs, reports, proposals, and administrative automation 34:00 Creating proposals from existing project knowledge 39:00 Separating AI facts from clickbait and hype 42:00 Where AI is actually heading over the next five years 45:00 The "compressed air" analogy for AI adoption 48:00 Why the future belongs to companies that capture knowledge 50:00 Final advice for contractors adopting AI today

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