The Outdurable Living^® Show

Second-generation deck builder Mike Mitchell of Mitchell Construction sits down with us at the NADRA Summit in Clearwater to discuss what it takes to build a more focused, efficient outdoor living business. Mike shares why narrowing his company’s focus helped create better systems, tighter scheduling, and smoother project execution. As an industry writer and contributor to Deck Specialist Magazine, he also talks about the tools and technology shaping today’s deck industry, along with his passion for helping contractors improve their craft and grow stronger businesses.

24 MIN

Joe Matersanti of Outdoor Space Builders joins us from the NADRA Summit in Clearwater to talk about building smarter, protecting your reputation, and delivering complete outdoor living solutions. In this conversation, Joe shares how Fortress® plays a role in their approach, why an informed customer leads to better outcomes, and how staying aligned with proven products helps contractors maintain trust. He compares reputation to a credit score, emphasizing that while it takes time to build, it can be lost quickly without consistent effort and the right partners.

41 MIN

Jim Gaudette of Northeast Deck & Black Barn Contracting joins us at JLC to share his take on Evolution. Hear how he went from attending one Master Class to building his first 600 ft deck, 8.5’ off the ground … all by himself. If that doesn’t speak to the ease of installation, we don’t know what does!

18 MIN

We sit down with Scott Kelly of Precision Construction during a live Master Class. He shares how building with Evolution is now driving customer demand and generating leads, plus his commitment to rucking, a full-body workout with a weighted backpack he has not missed in more than two years.

22 MIN

Hear from Robin Havasi of More Design & Build as he talks about how he got from Sweden to Redondo Beach, California, and how like his skydiving, he went headfirst into smarter deck building with steel deck framing.

23 MIN

Brianna and Rich Villandry discuss the challenges and benefits of building a family business, and how choosing the right products sets a standard and protects the family name.

44 MIN

In this podcast, we hear how Allison Verma went from a Bollywood dancing group, to where she met her now husband on stage, to now running the show at Lakeside Decking. Plus, we get her take on a recent Master Class and her views on steel deck framing and the future.

27 MIN

In this episode we chat with Josh Ferri at his international headquarters in "maybe Minneapolis", as he talks about pushing boundaries and taking risks in business.

41 MIN

Hear from Cody Blake from Legacy Decks as he talks about going from being a bowling mechanic to bowling over customers in the decking industry.

19 MIN

We chat lakeside with Alex Larson of TL Decks as he talks about taking risks and trying something new, like introducing steel deck framing to his market.

18 MIN

Meet Mark Wille, The Author of You Can Too! The ABCs of Construction Tech, who discusses the benefits of introducing kids to the trades and building a new generation of builders.

20 MIN

We sit down with Tony McKlem of Hollywood Decks to talk about his journey, why shows like JLC Live matter, and the endless opportunities construction offers. From teaching in Spanish to sharing insights on distribution, sales, and the importance of simply being good people, Tony brings a fresh perspective.

26 MIN

Following a successful Fortress® Master Class in Northern California, we chatted with Joe Frith of Mountain Decks about his background and why Evolution steel deck framing is different.

15 MIN

At JLC, we talked with Tim McNamara of McNamara Contracting and founder of the Young Craftsman Foundation about getting more people into the trades.

11 MIN

Levi Tippetts from T.C. Decks sat down and talked with us about using steel deck framing for the first time, building award-winning decks, creating new tools for the jobsite and more.

37 MIN

Hear from Marshall and Jordan Smith of The Deck Supply as they share insights from the supply side of the business. We talk about the role showrooms play in helping contractors showcase products, plus other trends and changes shaping the industry … all from this longstanding, family-run Fortress® partner.

33 MIN

In this episode, we speak with a California Fire Safe Council expert about wildfire-ready construction, meeting code requirements, and how changing behaviors can drive stronger fire mitigation in our communities.

28 MIN

In this episode, we chat with Matt from “Working with Matt,” who’s built a massive social media following by sharing outdoor living tips, advice, and entertaining content.

37 MIN

Join a dynamic conversation with partner builders from the U.S. and Canada as they share insights on creativity, standing out from the competition, and building with premium framing and railing products backed by a limited lifetime warranty. Hear how this Alliance of builders collaborates, inspires each other, and explores what it takes to build projects that truly last.

41 MIN

In this episode, we introduce the purpose and future of the Outdurable Living® Show. The show will connect builders across regions and create a space to share ideas, challenges, and solutions. Learn how pros from across the country are using Fortress products to achieve Proven Performance and Smarter Solutions, while getting to know the people driving innovation in the industry.

12 MIN