In this episode of the Build Guild Podcast, Mark Bates, a local carpenter who has spent the last thirteen years operating his own business. Mark’s clientele comes from a mix of referrals from Lowe’s™ and word-of-mouth around the community. Mark began working in the contracting industry working as an installer for Lowe’s™, and then became an installer himself. New to social media, Mark is learning how to advertise his business by showcasing his projects for both his business and his own home.
Similar to Coty’s family, Mark’s family is involved in the foster care system. Recognizing the juggernaut of emotions surrounding a foster child’s first day in his or her new home, Mark constructed a castle at the front of his house to make that difficult first day a little easier. The second floor of his home contains a hidden passage, spiral staircase and hidden room to add a whimsical touch to his children’s childhood.
 Mark’s perspective is completely unique from the other makers of the Build Guild podcast. Most notably, Mark’s tools differ from the fine woodworking tools the other Build Guild makers utilize in their daily business. As a general contractor, Mark’s tool investments occur often and are focused on transportation and durability, whereas Ben, Brian, and Coty all see their tools as lasting investments that can (hopefully) last for years before being passed on to novice makers. 
 Mark is an incredible example of how making isn’t limited to fine woodworking but is an all-encompassing field with room for anyone with an idea or just a little bit of whimsy. His 9-5 work is impeccable, but after hours he’s created an environment where his children have a place to make their daydreams a reality.
 Episode 4 brings us up to speed with Coty’s journey in the Small Business Revolution™, Brian’s current (secret) projects he’s spending the summer on, and Ben’s hair-brained YouTube ideas for Mark’s house. 

 

It’s all about family for Peter Romano. Growing up in Delaware, Peter’s father and mother operated a successful masonry business. Peter’s father ran the business ends and contracts, and his mother kept the books. At its peak, Romano’s Masonry had around sixty employees. Today, the business has shifted its business model to include subcontracting but manages to maintain its identity.
Peter left Delaware to attend Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. After meeting his wife at Harding, Peter and his wife moved to Colorado for a few years before Peter returned to the family business. Working at Romano’s Masonry for a few years expanded the knowledge Peter had gained through his childhood. However, after returning to Delaware, Peter felt God calling him to raise a family elsewhere. Peter and his family left Delaware to move back to Searcy with little planning and a whole lotta faith. He had no job secured, no leads on any open positions, and eventually he and his family were able to move into an old family home. The home had been in his wife’s family since the 1940s and was in desperate need of renovations. Determined to make the best of life in Searcy, Peter began teaching high school history, became a volunteer fireman, attending graduate school for his master’s degree in counseling, and renovating the family home. When Peter was unsure about how to properly renovate his home, he often turned to YouTube to help guide him along.
This week’s guest host talks shop with The Build Guild about being raised by parents who owned a successful business, how YouTube has evolved the world of making, and even how each of the guys asked their girlfriend’s dad for permission to marry his daughter.
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