Sharing Trade Secrets
Lately, it feels like my life is an open book—it's almost a full-time job keeping up with posting new and engaging content and videos across all of the NS Builders social media platforms. (Seriously, Doug, I couldn't do this without your expert help.) Our viewers have questions ranging from how to take over a partially completed project to accurately estimating costs to—weirdly enough—what I'm wearing. Luckily, I'm not a shy guy and am happy to share life lessons I’ve learned.
And this episode of the Nick Schiffer Podcast is no exception—I'm sharing some of NS Builders trade secrets, and I’m joined by Ken DeCost from our millwork shop.
REVEALED
Our YouTube presence is rapidly growing, and we decided to venture out into new territory and felt the audience would love it. Hosted by Ken, Revealed takes you behind the scenes of our weekly operations. Revealed dives deep—Ken not only tells you about current projects we're working on, but he explains how we do it or why we use a specific tool or product. You'll learn the secrets behind our process of crafting high-end custom cabinetry and millwork.
Nick Schiffer Podcast: Sharing Trade Secrets
COLLABORATION OVER COMPETITION
Sharing trade secrets so freely may seem counterproductive to some—I've even questioned it myself on more than one occasion. Why am I giving away so many tips and great advice for free? Am I inadvertently giving my competitors an advantage? Why help others in the same trade learn to do the work just as well as we do?
And then I think back to the impact of these videos, blogs, and podcasts, such as The Modern Craftsman, and I see the bigger picture. We get a ton of positive responses and appreciative feedback from other builders—they love the content we put out and ask for more. And this spurs me on to keep sharing. Collaboration benefits so many people—even my competitors. Sharing knowledge makes us collectively improve at what we do. It benefits us and, by extension, our clients.
YOU GIVE, YOU GET
Picture your hand tightly closed—nothing can fall out of it. Whatever you are holding is safe. But, if your hand is open, palm facing up, you'll be in a position to accept what someone else might want to give you.
The same is true with sharing knowledge. I'm always amazed by what gems and nuggets I get in return. It might be information on a superior product or a piece of machinery that can make a tough job so much easier. Or a way to resolve a problem with a difficult client or a fabrication method that saves hours of labor. When you view information as a two-way street, you'll be much more likely to benefit from the wisdom of the crowd.
AND THEN THERE'S THE HATERS…
Taylor Swift hit the nail on the head—"The haters gonna hate, hate, hate... I'm just gonna shake, shake… shake it off."
I don't allow the "haters" to ruin my day. Not everyone likes what we put out there; we get some negative feedback. But you can't let it bother you. And although some remarks are snarky (jealousy isn’t pretty, people), I try to see their perspective. I don't immediately go on the defensive; maybe they are right about a particular aspect. It's unfortunate for them that they don't know how to express their point of view without tearing down someone else, but that's their problem—not mine.
So I will keep doing what I'm doing, and Ken will continue with Revealed to inspire others to take millwork to the next level. We've got great content planned for future episodes across all our channels, and a lot of the concepts come from you—the viewers. Your comments and questions are the fuel that keeps this fire going strong. So keep those great questions coming in! And we'll do our part in sharing our collective knowledge and perspective.
It's time to discover what NS Builders can intentionally craft for you! Contact us today to get started on your custom dream home. Together, we can make it happen.
—Nick Schiffer