Most builders hit a wall. They work 80-hour weeks, carry tools, manage crews, chase payments, and somehow still struggle to make ends meet. Sound familiar? That was Duane Johns twenty years ago, grinding it out in Charlotte, North Carolina after moving from the Hamptons.
Then 2008 hit. While other builders went under, Duane used the crisis as a mirror.
"I think that that too, one thing that happened in that 2008 environment, especially the few years after, was everyone got reduced to a commodity, you know, I mean, the builders or modelers, they had the lower hand, no doubt."
The shift from thinking like a builder to thinking like a business owner changed everything.
In this conversation with Michael Krisa, Duane walks through that transformation. He talks about the moment he tracked his time for two weeks and discovered he was doing 75% of tasks that weren't moving his business forward. Joining a Vistage group opened his eyes to what real business owners were doing across industries.
"I started thinking differently, really approaching it as a business, just lots of different opportunities seem to arise from that, and I think what people need to know that doesn't mean you're giving up your respect for the craft or your quality or any of that."
We dig into the financial reality most builders face. When you actually calculate your hourly wage against all the hours you put in, McDonald's starts looking competitive. Duane explains why most builders leave money on the table by not charging for all their time, and how understanding your numbers becomes the foundation for everything else.
"People simply are not charging for all the hours they're working. It's really that simple. That's the biggest area that I've found across the board where people can, if they put some attention, immediately add to their bottom line."
The conversation moves into systems and scaling. Duane joined Alair Homes as a franchise partner, initially skeptical about how a franchise model could work in custom building. But he discovered that having proven systems meant he could focus on building his business instead of building the business itself.
"A lot of times I equate it to it's using the mousetrap versus building the mousetrap."
Duane shares his approach to protecting calendar time like it's sacred, ending each day organized so he can actually disconnect, and setting boundaries with clients about when emergencies are really emergencies. The goal isn't working less – it's working on the right things.
The conversation also addresses the skilled trades perception problem. He's passionate about changing the narrative around construction careers, showing young people that building offers real opportunities for entrepreneurship and wealth building.
We talk about vision and leadership. Many builders struggle to think beyond next year, but Duane pushes them to imagine where they want to be in ten years.
This episode is about fundamentally changing how you think about your role in the construction industry. The principles Duane shares apply to anyone ready to stop being a builder and start being a business owner.
About Duane Johns
As COO of Alair, Duane oversees operations, implements strategic plans that align with the company’s vision, and ensures the entire organization is communicating and functioning at a high level. He works closely with the executive team and department leaders on research and development and systems optimization.
Duane joined Alair in 2016 as a Builder/Partner and became a Regional Partner in 2017. He was instrumental in incorporating EOS into the Alair culture.
Duane entered the construction industry over 30 years ago, working on oceanfront estates in The Hamptons on Long Island, New York. In 1996 he moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, and started a general contracting business.
Links:
* Alair Homes website: https://www.alairhomes.com
* Alair Homes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@alair_homes