Shows / The Construction Corner
The Construction Corner
We Cover Commercial Construction. If you are in commercial construction as an Architect, Engineer, Contractor or Owner, this is the show for you. Hosted by Dillon Mitchell, PE, Founder of Kowabunga Studios
Episodes
- The Construction Corner
#469 - The Prefab Dilemma: Scale, Cost, and the Future of Electrical Fabrication
Prefabrication promises lower costs and higher margins — but only if you have the scale to justify the multi-million-dollar investment. In this episode, we…
- The Construction Corner
#468 - From Bluebeam to BIM: How VDC Is Changing Electrical Layout
Most electrical foremen are still grinding through layout drawings in Bluebeam, leaving them no time to actually plan and execute the job. In this episode, we…
- The Construction Corner
#467 - The Electrician Shortage: What It Means for Your Next Project
With 349,000 net new construction jobs needed and data centers now driving 3% of GDP, the demand for electricians has never been higher — and the supply has…
- The Construction Corner
#466 - Why Value Engineering Doesn't Belong in Mission-Critical Facilities
In mission-critical facilities like data centers and 911 call centers, the word "value engineering" rarely comes up — and for good reason. This episode…
- The Construction Corner
#465 - Arc Flash Compliance: What's Actually Required Under NFPA 70E
Ever wondered which arc flash study recommendations are legal requirements versus nice-to-haves? In this episode, we break down everything you need to know…
- The Construction Corner
#464 - The New Starting Salary: Why $80K is the Baseline and What Changed
Fifteen years ago, $65K went a long way. Today, that same lifestyle costs $85K+. Dillon breaks down how housing, groceries, and fuel have shifted pay…
- The Construction Corner
#463 - Data Centers vs. Factories: What Happens When Industry Comes to a Small Town?
Not all industrial growth impacts communities the same way. Dillon compares how data centers and traditional industries like factories and mining affect…
- The Construction Corner
#462 - Tribal Sovereignty: The Shortcut for Data Center Development?
A quick-hit episode exploring how tribal lands in the West could become the fast lane for data center construction. With tribal sovereignty bypassing lengthy…
- The Construction Corner
#461 - The Construction Market is Booming — Prices, Lead Times & Why You Need to Start Now
Material costs are climbing, lead times are stretching (medium voltage cable jumped from 30 to 52 weeks), and data centers are reshaping the labor market…
- The Construction Corner
#460 - Hiring & Interview Etiquette: What Gets You Hired (or Rejected)
Dillon shares lessons from a whirlwind travel and recruiting season, breaking down what makes candidates stand out — and what gets them instantly disqualified…
- The Construction Corner
#459 - AI, Data Centers, and the Future of Construction
Inspired by a Travis Kalanick interview, Dillon discusses managerial capacity and delegation before diving into AI's massive impact on the economy — including…
- The Construction Corner
#458 - Building the Playbook: A Founder's Retreat with Peers
Ahead of a founder retreat with fellow construction entrepreneurs in Denver, Dillon talks about the deep work of documenting VDS's business playbook — from…
- The Construction Corner
#457 - Why Speed Wins in Construction
Dillon breaks down why responsiveness — getting back to clients quickly with pricing, proposals, and answers — is one of the biggest differentiators in the…
- The Construction Corner
#456 - How do you show clients you actually care?
In this episode, Dillon explores what it really means to show clients and employees you care — arguing that actions, not words, are what build trust. He…
- The Construction Corner
#455 - Our Growth Trajectory: Lessons from Bezos's 1997 Letter
Dillon reflects on VDS's explosive growth — tripling, then nearly 8x'ing revenue year over year — and the challenge of writing a founding document to guide the…
- The Construction Corner
#454 - Summer Internship Recap
In this episode, host Dillon reflects on VDS's first summer hosting two engineering interns, from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Michigan State…
- The Construction Corner
#453 - Deadlines, Hiring, and Surviving the Growth Curve
Dillon shifts from macro trends to the day-to-day realities of running a construction engineering firm. He talks through how his team stays ahead of aggressive…
- The Construction Corner
#452 - Data Centers, Power, and the Race to Space
The demand for AI compute is exploding, but is growth truly exponential? Dillon breaks down why power generation — not construction — is the real bottleneck…
- The Construction Corner
#451 - The Real Bottleneck: Why Power, Not AI, Will Decide the Next Decade
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, Dillon dives deep into the AI-driven data center boom and what's really holding it back. He argues that…
- The Construction Corner
#450 - The PE Path: Is a Four-Year Commitment Worth It?
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, host Dillon shares a candid look at his own engineering career path — from two internships and full-time…
- The Construction Corner
#449 - Leadership, Growth, and Grit: What the VDS Summit Is All About
Dillon shares everything you need to know about the Vertical Design Build Summit, returning October 1st in Chicagoland. With speakers from Quanta Services…
- The Construction Corner
#448 - Cutting the Noise: Social Media, the Economy, and Staying Focused on What You Can Control
In this episode of The Construction Corner podcast, Dillon shares a broad business update and discusses his decision to remove himself from social media in…
- The Construction Corner
#447 - Why Electrical is the Trade of the Decade — And What That Means for Your Career
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, host Dillon breaks down why electrical is arguably the fastest-growing and most future-proof trade you can…
- The Construction Corner
#446 - Building Client Relationships in a Labor-Short World
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, Dillon and John pull back the curtain on what drives Vertical Design Services — and what drives them…
- The Construction Corner
#445 - Vertical Design Build Summit: Innovation, Networking & Leadership for Every Contractor
In this episode of Construction Corner, Dillon and John give a full breakdown of the Vertical Design Build Summit 2026 — coming to Chicagoland on October 1st…
- The Construction Corner
#444 - Seizing the Opportunity: From Apprentice Electrician to Engineering Entrepreneur
In this episode of Construction Corner, host Dillon sits down with his business partner John Molak, who took anything but a traditional path — from a short…
- The Construction Corner
#443 - Inside VDS: Automating Construction Engineering from the Ground Up
In this episode of Construction Corner, host Dillon sits down to discuss how Vertical Design Services (VDS) is redefining what an electrical engineering firm…
- The Construction Corner
#442 - The Future of Construction: AI, Prefab, Design-Build & Why Contracts Change Everything
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, host Dillon looks ahead at what the construction industry will look like over the next decade. He breaks…
- The Construction Corner
#441 - Plugged In or Gassed Up: America's Energy Debate
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, host Dillon dives into the rapidly shifting energy landscape — starting with a fresh FERC press release…
- The Construction Corner
#440 - Big Firm vs. Small Firm: What Actually Matters for Your Career
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, host Dillon sits down to discuss the big firm vs. small firm debate in engineering — breaking down what…
- The Construction Corner
#439 - Off the Grid in Oregon: How Living Without Power Shaped an Electrical Engineer
In this episode, Dillon traces his path to electrical engineering back to an unusual origin: growing up off the grid on 38 acres in rural Oregon. He walks…
- The Construction Corner
#438 - Almonds, Aqueducts, and Air Boards: Water West of Colorado
In this episode, the host digs into a LinkedIn argument that got under his skin — people applying Midwest logic to Western water problems. He breaks down why…
- The Construction Corner
#437 - Your Personal Economy: Why the Headlines Don't Determine Your Success
Dillon makes the case that the economy you should care most about isn't the one on the news — it's your own. Whether the market is up or down, your personal…
- The Construction Corner
#436 - Workforce Development, Prefab & Leadership: What's Coming to the VDS Summit
Dillon gives a preview of what's coming at the next Vertical Design Build Summit — speakers covering workforce development, prefab, design-build, and…
- The Construction Corner
#435 - The Grid, the GPUs and the Gap
Dillon connects the dots between the aging power grid, the AI boom, and what it all means for construction. He traces the arc from EV adoption to data center…
- The Construction Corner
#434 - Advanced BIM, Automation, AI, and the Future of Construction
Recorded live at the Vertical Design Build Summit 2025, Dillon Mitchell delivers a presentation on AI, BIM automation, and the future of construction. He…
- The Construction Corner
433 - AI Won't Replace You: Construction & Engineering Jobs Are Here to Stay
With AI reshaping every industry, a lot of engineers and construction professionals are wondering if their jobs are at risk. Dillon breaks down why the answer…
- The Construction Corner
#432 - The Infrastructure Behind AI: Power, Data Centers & the Future of Construction
In this episode of Construction Corner, host Dillon breaks down the massive infrastructure transformation sweeping America — and what it means for the…
- The Construction Corner
#431 - Check It Twice: How to Eliminate RFIs and Engineering Failures
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, host Dillon breaks down the most common failure points in the traditional plan-and-spec process and…
- The Construction Corner
#430 - Big Projects, Big Lists: The Secret to Scaling as an Engineering Firm
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, host Dillon pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to manage large-scale construction and…
- The Construction Corner
#429 - Coordination & Clash Detection: How to Build It Right Before You Break Ground
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, host Dillon breaks down the importance of coordination and clash detection in Revit-based construction…
- The Construction Corner
#428 - Design Build Done Right: Procurement, Partnerships & Pitfalls
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, host Dillon dives into the growing trend of design build projects and why more owners are choosing it over…
- The Construction Corner
#427 - Remote vs. On-Site: Building a Winning Culture in Construction
In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, host Dillon breaks down the pros and cons of remote vs. on-site employees in construction. He makes the…
- The Construction Corner
#426 - AI, Starlink, and the Future of Engineering
In this episode, host Dillon riffs on Starlink, full-time RV living, and what it all signals about the future of work — then dives into an honest take on AI…
- The Construction Corner
#425 - More Than Drawings: Spending Time Adds Real Value
In this episode of the Construction Corner Podcast, host Dillon dives into what truly sets an engineering firm apart — and it comes down to one thing: time…
- The Construction Corner
#424 - All in Before the Win: Hidden Effort behind Design Build
In this episode of the Construction Corner Podcast, host Dillon pulls back the curtain on what really happens inside an engineering firm when chasing a major…
- The Construction Corner
#423 - Run Your Own Race: Lessons from the Zion 100
In this episode of the Construction Corner Podcast, host Dillon recaps his attempt at the Zion 100-miler — and the hard-earned lessons that came with a DNF at…
- The Construction Corner
#422 - Furnished Finders & The Office Ego Trap
In this episode of the Construction Corner Podcast, host Dillon shares his experience hunting down furnished housing for summer interns — discovering that…
- The Construction Corner
#421 - Real World vs. the Classroom: Training, Processes & Life at an Engineering Firm
Dillon covers three topics in one: how to build real training systems for your crew, what a day in the life actually looks like running an engineering firm…
- The Construction Corner
#420 - Face to Face: How Showing Up Sets Us Apart
Dillon makes the case for why showing up in person is still one of the most powerful things you can do in business. In a world of Zoom calls and virtual…
- The Construction Corner
#419 - Why We Choose Design-Build: Faster Timelines, Better Teams
Dillon breaks down the design-build delivery method and why it beats traditional plan-and-spec contracting. From cutting months off the submittal process to…
- The Construction Corner
#418 - Building the Future: Housing, Company Towns & Community Anchors
Dillon breaks down why California's housing crisis is so hard to fix — from CEQA environmental red tape to landlord laws that drive away investment. He draws…
- The Construction Corner
#417 - Buried or Overhead: The Pros, Cons, and Costs of Underground Utilities
After losing power for nearly a week following a massive snowstorm — complete with exploding trees, a fallen line ripped from a neighbor's weatherhead, and…
- The Construction Corner
#416 - Volunteer, Donate, Show Up: The Business Owner's Guide to Giving Back
In this episode of Construction Corner, host Dillon makes the case that blue collar businesses — contractors, engineers, electricians, and tradespeople — are…
- The Construction Corner
#415 - Audit Your Calendar: Time Management Lessons from a Rapidly Growing Engineering Firm
In this episode of Construction Corner, host Dillon gets candid about the challenges that come with rapid business growth — and how he's been forced to…
- The Construction Corner
#414 - Building the Future: How AI Is Reshaping Construction's Workforce
In this episode of Construction Corner, host Dillon breaks down the massive workforce shifts happening across America — from the $600 billion data center…
- The Construction Corner
#413 - Electrical Safety & Arc Flash
In this episode, Dillon breaks down the major shift in electrical safety standards — NFPA 70B is now an enforceable standard, and it affects every facility…
- The Construction Corner
#412 - Beyond the Trail: Building Teams Through Extreme Endurance
This episode is about using ultra-distance hiking and trail running as team-building experiences, sharing stories from 100-mile races, and planning intern…
- The Construction Corner
#411 - Trust the Man on the Ground: Building Teams That Make Fast Decisions
In this episode, Dillon shares insights from a book that's transforming how he leads Vertical Design Services: "The Mission, The Men and Me" by retired Delta…
- The Construction Corner
#410 - Speed to Market: Why Decision-Making Velocity Beats Everything in Mega Projects
In this episode, Dillon dives into what it really takes to run an engineering firm working on mega projects like data centers. He explores the massive…