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BusinessManagement

Construction Hot Takes

Ascent Consulting

Hosted by Adam Cooper, CEO of Ascent Consulting, alongside Senior Consultants Gregory Gorman and Jeff Robertson, Construction Hot Takes show dives into the gritty, unfiltered realities of building a profitable construction company. With nearly 100 years of combined experience, they’ve been there—from carrying gear on job sites to leading Ascent, a consulting powerhouse that exclusively serves construction companies across North America.

Each episode is packed with insights, strategies, and insider knowledge from the industry’s top consulting firm for contractors. Discover what big national contractors know about growing a business, get actionable advice on boosting efficiency, and learn how to supercharge your project pipeline. Tune in, get inspired, and gain the knowledge to take your construction business to the next level.

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  • 25 episodes
  • Avg 24 min
  • English

Episodes 25

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  • #43
    May 14 · 24 min

    How To Achieve Your Construction Company’s Growth Targets In Months, Not Years (Strategic Planning)

    In this episode of Construction Hot Takes, our hosts, Adam Cooper and Jeff Robertson, break down why strategic business planning is often the first thing construction leaders ignore—and why it’s the most critical for long-term survival. From the "engineering mindset" trap to identifying actionable milestones, learn how to move past reactive decision-making and build a roadmap that survives economic shifts. Hope you enjoy this episode! Chapters: 00:00 The "Day-to-Day" Trap: Why Leaders Avoid Strategic Planning 04:09 The Role of Third-Party Facilitators in Construction 06:33 The "Book Report" Method: Prepping the Team for Strategy 17:15 Actionable vs. In-Depth: Gradient Levels of Planning 18:50 Accountability: Ensuring the Plan Doesn't Gather Dust Check out our whole catalog of Construction Hot Takes episodes on our website! https://ascentconsults.com/construction-hot-takes-podcast/ Interested in learning how Ascent's consulting services could potentially help improve your business's operations? 📈 Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with one of our expert construction consultants: https://info.ascentconsults.com/meetings/acooper/30-minute-performance-consultation Follow Ascent Consulting on social media! 🤳 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-consulting-inc-/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentconsult/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentconsults/ X: https://x.com/ascentconsults/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel for alerts on our new episodes! https://www.youtube.com/@constructionhottakes

  • #42
    May 1 · 31 min

    3 Reasons Your CFO Hates You (And It’s Costing You Money)

    If your CFO feels like the enemy… it’s probably not them. Most business owners unknowingly create friction with finance—and it shows up in missed profits, bad decisions, and constant tension. In this episode, we break down the 3 biggest mistakes leaders make that drive their CFO crazy—and how fixing them can unlock serious growth. Chapters: 0:00 – Introduction: The CFO-Ops Dynamic 1:39 – Forecasts as a "Contract with the Future" 6:58 – Understanding "Potential Costs" vs. Real Risks 14:21 – The Friction of "Taking Profit" Early 25:31 – Bridging the Communication Gap 31:13 – The Most Expensive Sentence a PM Can Say 35:14 – Final Thoughts: Same Team, Different Languages Interested in learning how Ascent's consulting services could potentially help improve your business's operations? 📈 Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with one of our expert construction consultants: https://info.ascentconsults.com/meetings/acooper/30-minute-performance-consultation Follow Ascent Consulting on social media! 🤳 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-consulting-inc-/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentconsult/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentconsults/ X: https://x.com/ascentconsults/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel for alerts on our new episodes! https://www.youtube.com/@ascentconsults?sub_confirmation=1

  • #41
    April 23 · 19 min

    Construction Industry HOT TAKES REACTIONS: Part 2

    Everyone loved Part 1, so we are doing Part 2! In this episode, Adam, Jeff, and Greg react to five HOT TAKES about the construction industry and decide whether they agree or disagree. You’re not going to want to miss this one. Comment with any takes you feel like deserve a reaction and dissection! Chapters: 0:00 – Introduction: The Reaction Segment Returns 0:48 – Topic 1: The Lowest Bidder Mindset 5:22 – Topic 2: Ego vs. Technology Problems 7:57 – Topic 3: Superintendents and Company Culture 11:21 – Topic 4: Project Manager Retention and Ownership 16:56 – Topic 5: The Danger of the Growth Phase 21:14 – Wrap-Up: The Importance of Shared Language Interested in learning how Ascent's consulting services could potentially help improve your business's operations? 📈 Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with one of our expert construction consultants: https://info.ascentconsults.com/meetings/acooper/30-minute-performance-consultation Follow Ascent Consulting on social media! 🤳 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-consulting-inc-/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentconsult/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentconsults/ X: https://x.com/ascentconsults/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel for alerts on our new episodes! https://www.youtube.com/@ascentconsults?sub_confirmation=1

  • #40
    April 16 · 31 min

    3 Systems to Scale Your Construction Company (in 2026)

    In this episode, Adam Cooper and Jeff Robertson bring their decades of experience to lay out 3 of the top processes necessary for a construction firm to grow. We hope you enjoy this one! Chapters: 0:00 – Scaling Preconstruction & Estimating 7:30 – Systems for Operational Performance 15:18 – The Strategic Role of the Back Office 20:33 – Comparing GC vs. Trade Contractor Scaling 31:43 – Specialization & Future Growth Check out our whole catalog of Construction Hot Takes episodes on our website! https://ascentconsults.com/construction-hot-takes-podcast/ Interested in learning how Ascent's consulting services could potentially help improve your business's operations? 📈 Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with one of our expert construction consultants: https://info.ascentconsults.com/meetings/acooper/30-minute-performance-consultation Follow Ascent Consulting on social media! 🤳 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-consulting-inc-/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentconsult/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentconsults/ X: https://x.com/ascentconsults/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel for alerts on our new episodes! https://www.youtube.com/@constructionhottakes

  • #39
    April 9 · 21 min

    Construction Industry HOT TAKES REACTIONS: Part 1

    In this episode, Adam, Jeff, and Greg react to four HOT TAKES about the construction industry and decide whether they agree or disagree. You’re not going to want to miss this one. Comment with any takes you feel like deserve a reaction and dissection! Chapters: 0:05 – Segment Intro: The Rules of Engagement 1:06 – Statement 1: Labor vs. Leadership 9:47 – Statement 2: Subcontractors vs. GCs in Creating Chaos 15:09 – Statement 3: Did BIM Really Fail? 17:31 – Statement 4: Safety as a Culture or a Shield 21:14 – Outro and Where to Find More Interested in learning how Ascent's consulting services could potentially help improve your business's operations? 📈 Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with one of our expert construction consultants: https://info.ascentconsults.com/meetings/acooper/30-minute-performance-consultation Follow Ascent Consulting on social media! 🤳 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-consulting-inc-/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentconsult/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentconsults/ X: https://x.com/ascentconsults/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel for alerts on our new episodes! https://www.youtube.com/@ascentconsults?sub_confirmation=1

Showing 21–25 of 25 episodes