Dirt Talk by BuildWitt

Eric Jumper (@eric_jumper on Instagram) and I sat down at my kitchen table last week to discuss his upbringing in the dirt world, why building terrain parks makes for a wild job, how dredging works, and why / why not you should operate equipment with the doors and windows open.While thrilling isn't a word I'd use to describe our conversation, it was indeed dirty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Gardocki, known as the Dirt Ninja online, co-owns a residential excavation company in New Hampshire.If you've ever perused the internet for dirt related photos and videos, odds are you've ran across Tom's stuff at some point. He's shared his daily excavation-related adventures online for ten years now.Starting at his parent's landscaping business, he still works there a few days a week while he spends all his other days working at his own business. It's a crazy schedule, especially with a newborn now in the mix.Tom and I talk about how he started his business, why he invests in technology and equipment as a small contractor, and some of the experiences he's had thanks to social media.You can find Tom everywhere online by searching "the dirt ninja!" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After many (at least two) requests, I reached out to Garret Wilson, who's said to be the world's best operator, and asked if he'd like to be on the podcast. He said no, but I managed to get him on anyway.While we start with antique heavy equipment, we eventually touch on mental health issues, parenting, starting as an operator, and a whole lot more. For a nervous wreck who has never done a podcast, Garret did pretty damn good.I enjoyed my talk with Garret and learned a lot, so hopefully, you enjoy it too! If you have delicate ears, this ain't the podcast for you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Meeker is a Caterpillar dozer extraordinaire and is formally a Product Application Specialist for Track-Type Tractors.Starting in the agriculture world, he found his way into dirt with Caterpillar and quickly took to track loaders and now dozers.While he doesn't have a formal operating background like his excavator counterpart Mr. Ryan Neal, Sam knows more about Cat dozers than just about anyone. I've always enjoyed his love for these machines, and it's quite apparent in this episode.To follow along on Sam's dozer and combine adventures, follow him on Instagram at @yieldmap! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Dirt Talk, I talk with Mike Willhite, owner of Willhite Grading and Excavation, about his past controversies, life lessons, and business experiences.Most people know Mike from social media as he's shown off his Santa Barbara-based excavating business day to day for years now online.While he's spoken openly about some of the recent rough life experiences, we dive into it all, and I have a lot more respect for him after this conversation. We talk about anything from jail time to parenting, and it's a conversation I'll no doubt remember."It broke me for quite a while. I had one employee I basically paid to relay my orders every day because I was buried in a bottle for five weeks. I was so utterly distraught and destroyed that I lost my family. I don't have anything to hide. I kept him there, so I didn't go out and do something stupid and lose my kid."To learn more about Mike, check him out on Instagram at @willhitegrading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dane started his Bozeman, Montana-based excavation business a few years ago when he grew tired of his job. He abruptly quit, financed a skid steer the same day, and he was off to the races to build a business from nothing.While DC Excavation is small, they have an incredibly slick fleet with all the gizmos and gadgets imaginable from engcons to Trimble 3D GPS.Dane and I talk life, business, equipment, and of course, dirt.Learn more about Dane and DC Excavation by following them on Instagram @dcexcavation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is a whole new world for Dirt Talk! We finally took the podcast on the road to interview RAWSO Constructors foreman/superintendent Brett Baker on his site development project in Antioch, Tennessee.Brett is a self-proclaimed red neck from West Tennessee who now manages entire projects at only 24-years old. Initially studying nursing in college, he dropped out of school two semesters short when he had a child to rejoin the construction industry.We go into his story, what he does day to day at RAWSO, why the grass ain't always greener on the other side, and what advice he has for other youngins looking to move up in the world of construction.Learn more about RAWSO Constructors at RAWSO.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, learn how Matt Moldenhauer went from big-time business consultant to southern logging business owner (Bellwether Forest Products).Even though he knew nothing about logging when he started, thanks to his consulting skillset combined with humility, Bellwether moves five times the wood than it did just a few years ago when Matt joined the business.Since Bellwether was one of the first-ever businesses I visited with BuildWitt, I have a soft spot for the company. Not only do I have fond memories, but it's a great company filled with remarkable people. The Southern blue-collar culture is unlike anything I've ever experienced before in the best of ways.Learn more about Bellwether's operations on Instagram @bellwether_fp or by following Matt on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-moldenhauer-16b92411/. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This past weekend, I made a post via Instagram stories asking for questions that I'd answer on an upcoming podcast episode. To my surprise, people actually submitted somewhat thoughtful questions.With that, I turned on the microphone and went down the list of questions cold-turkey. From business ownership to whether I believe mayonnaise is an instrument, I answered each as genuinely as I could.Hopefully, you enjoy -- if people like this, maybe we'll do it again sometime! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I stayed up well past my bedtime to talk dirt with Jimmy Starbuck, owner of Starbuck Excavation in Melbourne, Australia.If you're on social media, you've likely seen Jimmy's diggers with the enormous "STARBUCK" logo on the boom and counterweight.We get into how he went from working in a soap factory to buying an excavator with a car loan, how he's grown his business, how he's become vertically integrated, and how COVID is affecting Australian businesses.Not only is this interview a damn good lesson in entrepreneurship, but Jimmy is pretty damn funny too.You can find Jimmy online at @starbuckexcavation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices