Q & A Episode 22 - Can Saying "Thank You" Transform Your Business?
Episode #22 | Q&A with Mark D. Williams | Can Saying "Thank You" Transform Your Business?
In this special Thanksgiving edition of "Q & A with Mark D. Williams," Mark reflects on gratitude, sharing heartwarming stories of clients, friends, and colleagues who have profoundly impacted his life and career. He emphasizes the importance of relationships, community support, and the timeless value of saying thank you. Join us for a heartfelt episode filled with appreciation and inspiration!
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About The Curious Builder
The host of the Curious Builder Posdast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. WIlliams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you’re looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.
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Mark Williams [00:00:00]:
We started a small group a year and a half ago called the S7. We just get together a couple times a year just to talk about business practices. And it was really, it was sort of a beginning seed of why I even started the Curious Collectives to bring builders together, to bring designers together, to bring architects together. It was really, we have so much to learn from one another. And I'm somebody that's constantly reaching out to people and as long as they keep picking up the phone, I guess they're going to continue to be my friend and vice versa. Welcome to Cure Spirit podcast. I'm Mark Williams, your host. Today is Thanksgiving, and we have a question that has been in is what are you thankful for? So obviously Thanksgiving is a pretty good time to think of all the things we're thankful for.
Mark Williams [00:00:49]:
And certainly I'm going to leave people out, so I'm going to apologize on the front end here, but just thinking off the cuff of just all that we have to be thankful for and maybe I'll start it with this is I have a longtime client, Sandy th is her name. I met her in 2007. We remodeled her home in 2008. We did a new home for her in 2014 or 15, I think it is. And. And she had a traumatic brain injury a couple years ago and I haven't seen her. I know she's spent a lot of time in Florida and anyway, she walked into my office this morning right before this podcast, and I was just absolutely amazing to see her. We've worked together professionally.
Mark Williams [00:01:29]:
I've worked on a couple of her homes, and she's been just a super fan of my career, my whole life, of my family. She knew me before I was married, as I've had kids. And it was just this really outpouring of thankfulness to see her healthy and doing well again. And it was just amazing to just spend a half hour catching up and talking. And so it kind of changed what I was going to talk about on this podcast. And obviously just being Thanksgiving, it's one of my favorite holidays of the year and I think we can all spend more time saying thank you. So I'm just thankful for the people that have had a huge impression on my life. And I'll keep this mostly on the business side, but it's going to go personal as well, because I'm a very personal person.
Mark Williams [00:02:10]:
I was thinking just about clients that I've had in my two decades of building, and there's a handful of them that really stand out and maybe I'll Leave off last names. It's not really that important. You know, I think of people like Carla and Ed, who I've done a couple homes for as well and are huge fans of what we do and what we continue to do and now are going to work on a project coming up. And I think what happens is as you have your career and you see the people that stand with you and not only in encouraging you to along in your career, but encouraging you as a person, as a husband, as a father, as a business person, it's really gratifying. And it's just going to go into next week's question which is what is your legacy or what do you want your legacy to be? And I'll pin that for next week's discussion. But I feel like it sort of evolves when you're around really good people. I feel like at least for myself, I look at other people that I'm inspired by and I just want to spend time with them, I want to interact with them. I don't have any sort of master plan.
Mark Williams [00:03:12]:
It's just I want them in my orbit. And as I take a minute to stop and look around, I have so many incredible people that are there to thank and there to help. And I remember a good friend of mine, Laura, one time saying that if you're going to have a big friend garden, you have to spend a lot of time watering. And so I just think about all the friendships that you have that you have to feed their buckets as well. It can't be a one sided street. And I just think of these amazing people. The reason you have such close relationships and such big super fans is you. The more you genuinely care about other people, obviously that gets reflected back.
Mark Williams [00:03:49]:
And so I think you see your values and your value statements as a business and as a person and as an entrepreneur in the friends that you surround yourself with. And so during this holiday season we're actually heading out to thanks or when this episode airs will be in Colorado with my sister. And I want to just take a journal and just write things that I'm thankful for. And I'm going to make a commitment. Sometimes putting it out in the air makes it happen. A couple years ago I had this deal where every Thursday we would post a thank you Thursday post. And it was, I really liked doing it and just with a lot of commitments that we had on social media, we sort of fell out of practice. But I'm going to get back to writing thank you cards.
Mark Williams [00:04:27]:
I used to write two thank you cards every Thursday to just people that did something thankworthy that week. It could be something really simple. And I liked it to be a handwritten card. I feel like we. I know I love a handwritten card. I really appreciate it when I get it. And so I'm going to make a commitment now for the next year to every Thursday mail out to thank you cards. Not an email, but really take the time to write a card.
Mark Williams [00:04:50]:
So anyway, just want to set that a goal for myself. Other clients that I've had, I think of even our brand or a company. I mean, I could not have been in business for 20 years without clients that are passionate about what we do, that care about what we do. So really, this is really a thank you to anyone who has ever worked with Mark Williams Custom Homes and our team. I'm thankful for it. You know, we have a good lifestyle. I get to do what I love. I get to surround myself with people that I care about.
Mark Williams [00:05:20]:
And I couldn't do it if people didn't find value in not only the homes that we produce. That's a big part of it, but I think how we produce it and the team that we have that interact with our homeowners, I think that's what makes building so special and so intimate. You know, I think it's very cathartic sometimes to talk about the things that we struggle with. And certainly anyone that's been in business long enough have had a few difficult experiences, but you have to take the good with the bad. And it's really like 90, 10, maybe not even that low. It's maybe 99 and 1. It's just like we have so many wonderful people that have been in our corner that have come along at the right time when we really need it to build a home, to buy our spec homes, to, you know, say, hey, can you remodel our home? And it was just at the right time that you needed it. And that relationship maybe led to another relationship, specifically for this last year of being thankful.
Mark Williams [00:06:09]:
A few people really come out. Um, last spring I was at IBS and I got a chance to meet Mike Weaver with Emz or Tyrell. And we've. We. I think the first time we were joking the other day, we were having lunch and someone said, you know, you guys have very similar energies. And I asked Mike, I said, I. I think for the first time I ever met you, I knew instantly we were going to be really good friends. And, you know, we probably talk three, four times a week.
Mark Williams [00:06:33]:
It's a little ridiculous, frankly. Both our wives are frankly concerned and as well they should be. And not only has Mike become a great friend, but, you know, obviously they're going to be a huge sponsor of ours in 25 m s or tile. And. But it's so much more than that. It's, it's the camaraderie. It's. You're dealing with something, you have friends that are in the trenches with you or there's something that you're really passionate about.
Mark Williams [00:06:54]:
And you know, with the curious collectives as we go into other states next year, you know, Mike's relationships and his passion and his support for that have been, have been great. So thank you, Mike. I appreciate our friendship and I appreciate what you do. And it will tie into Mike and some of our other stuff a little bit later. A big shout out to my friend friend, Drew Beeson. Drew's an artist. He's actually coming on the podcast in December. His episode will air in January.
Mark Williams [00:07:19]:
Drew is that friend that everybody needs. I have a couple of them and I feel very fortunate to have more than one. To have even one is fortunate enough, but it's someone that you can always depend on. When they say that they'll be there, they're not only there, but they're there all in with a moving truck and arms. And you know, Drew and I, our parents were really close, or our mom specifically. In the last couple years we've become really close and our worlds interact. Just me building homes and him doing high end art. And we've done the Joy collaborative.
Mark Williams [00:07:48]:
We did a charity this last spring and we did this cool art experiment which was really gratifying and rewarding. But what really stands out to me is his warmth of character and his ability to support other people and really put other people in front of himself. And so we were getting ready for the artisan home tour about a year ago actually it was a remodel and we had to make some last minute sort of changes to make sure it was, it was going to be great for the tour. And Drew was there hanging art and I need to help just bringing stuff in. I mean, I didn't, I don't think I even asked him. I think he offered and he spent the entire day helping me stage the house. He didn't have to do that. He had other things to do.
Mark Williams [00:08:28]:
And I'm not sure if the roles were reversed if I would have done it. And I've thought about that a lot and obviously now it makes me want to be the friend that can do that. And so know that's a professional as well as a personal thing. I just, I really appreciate the people that are willing to pitch in like that and go all in.
Karen Steckel [00:08:50]:
Lake Society magazine is Minneapolis premier target market boutique lifestyle and design publication. It embodies the unique lifestyles and design of the Minneapolis City Lakes neighborhoods from Lake of the Isles to Lake Harriet. It showcases the best in local design projects by both premier builders, architects and interior designers in this area. Lake Society magazine has the look and feel of a national publication with glossy covers, high end finishes. It's mailed directly to upper bracket single family homeowners in the City Lakes area and it's the perfect local coffee table top publication. Subscriptions can also be available through the website lakesocietymagazine.com Additionally, publisher and founder Karen Steckel has over 27 years in the local magazine publishing industry and has a passion for high end photography and quality graphics. Her commitment to quality, visual simplicity and beauty are strongly reflected in her beautiful Lake Society magazine.
Mark Williams [00:09:45]:
I think of people here locally as well like Danielle Yegge, Joe Braun, Morgan Molitor, Randy Janell. These are builders and some trade partners that I spend a lot of time with, talk to a lot. They've been hugely supportive of my ideas and I thank them so much for or I'm thinking of now for know, answering my calls. I often call them when I'm out running. Randy actually runs with me and you know, I've sort of gotten him on the bug now. He's turning into a trail runner and his first ultra here coming up for sure next year. But you know, just calling these people with all these ideas that I have and you know, being able to have friends in your group that understand where you're at and these are my peers and I mean sure you can even say sometimes they're your competitors but honestly I think it's so much bigger than that. People that are going to give you valuable insight, you have a question, run it by somebody.
Mark Williams [00:10:34]:
And for me, you know, Danielle and Joe and Morgan in particular, Katie, Kath and Jesse, they've been amazing as well with JCATH and design. You know, every one of them has a really unique ability about business and a really unique perspective and I really value that about each one of them. We started a small group a year and a half ago called the S7 and anyway we just get together a couple times a year just to talk about business practices and it was really, it was sort of a beginning seed of why I even started the Curious Collectives to bring builders together to bring designers Together, to bring architects together. It was really, we have so much to learn from one another, and I'm somebody that's constantly reaching out to people and as long as they keep picking up the phone, I guess they're going to continue to be my friend and vice versa. I feel like I want them to know that they can call me and many times they do and say, hey, we're dealing with this situation, or, you know, there's something that we need help with. Would you help us? And that's really validating in any sort of friendship. This year, Sean and Tom from Aspect Design Build, a local builder here in Minneapolis. They asked me to partner with them on Honey Hill, and that was really neat.
Mark Williams [00:11:42]:
They didn't have to do that. They could have picked a lot of other builders and they chose me to partner with. And that's just really thank worthy. I've gotten so much gratification. I've mentioned many times in the podcast that being a small company of four or five individuals that I really like when I interview people on the podcast, I often think like, I'm like part of their team. It's like during that interview, for that brief hour, I'm on their team, and that feels really good. But in this particular case, you know, we're doing a development together. We're cultivating relationships with architects and with designers and with other people in the community.
Mark Williams [00:12:16]:
And it feels like we're a single company. You know, right now we've got someone that's interested in one of the lands and so they could pick either builder. But, you know, Tom, Sean and I are. We just. We're happy that the development would succeed. And I honestly believe, like, whether the client builds with them or whether they build with me, like, they're going to get a great experience and like, we're happy for each other. And I feel like that's really special. And that's really worth taking a minute to say thank you for.
Mark Williams [00:12:41]:
You know, obviously I have to say thank you to my team. You know, Michael Waggy, Joel Rowdy and Leah Koshak. I mean, they're amazing. They put up with my, you know, insane energy or these random ideas. Leah's laughing because I always call her. With Leah, I have an idea and somehow she's is sane or she's taking therapy outside because she probably needs it after dealing with me. And so, you know, my team keeps me grounded and I feel very, very fortunate to have such a dedicated team that. Yeah, I just really appreciate this time of year.
Mark Williams [00:13:12]:
Actually next week. This is a Shout out to a friend of mine, Tony, what they did with UnitedHealth. But we're going to go for our Christmas party. We're going to do something a little different this year. We're going to go to Red Wagon Pizza in southwest Minneapolis, and we're with our spouses and we're gonna make a pizza. Everyone's gonna make their own pizza. Kind of a social hour in the back kitchen. I didn't realize that this was something you could even do.
Mark Williams [00:13:32]:
So kind of a shout out to Red Wagon and just have a time together where you share a meal. I think that's what's really special about this time of year when you do your company outings. You're sharing a meal with your team, with the people that you care about, with their families, and you're just saying thank you. I think that's really what breaking bread is together, is saying thank you. And I love that. You know, recently we were actually. Last night, we were at dinner for 40th and someone at the table and I was really glad they. They did.
Mark Williams [00:13:58]:
Sometimes you don't really know what other people believe or don't believe. So I always bow my head and just pray to myself or. And, you know, if I don't know the group and this woman, Susie, I think her name was, said could she pray for the whole meal? And I often. I love it when people are willing to say thank you. And she knew the group much better than I did, and it was very appropriate that she offered a prayer. And as I teach my kids, like, why do we pray? Or why do we. It's really. We're just saying thank you.
Mark Williams [00:14:25]:
And whether you. Whatever you believe, that's not really the point of it. It's like you're saying thank you. And I feel like it's always appropriate to say thank you. I don't think you're ever going to. My mom used to always say that, you know, thankfulness never goes out of style, and our kindness never goes out of style. And I think really thankfulness is that. And there's just so much to be thankful for.
Mark Williams [00:14:44]:
So I really appreciate those around us that are willing to express their thankfulness, whether it's to God, whether it's their friends, their family. I just think in this world we need more people saying thank you. It's a. It's a wonderful thing. And as a parent, it's something that you constantly are telling your children, but it's something that we can, you know, lead by example as well. Obviously, my personal family, you know, My wife, Melissa, she's amazing. She helps so many things behind the scene, kind of. I think I imagine many of us use our spouses as kind of like a sounding board, and so I really appreciate the suggestions.
Mark Williams [00:15:19]:
I don't always do it graciously. Sometimes she'll give me a suggestion that I'm not ready for, but in the end, she's almost always right, and so I'm thankful for that. Thankful for. For my. My. My daughter, May, Simon and Tate there in the studio the other day. In fact, we're going to do a Curious Kids episode where May is going to interview my mom and dad, who used to be builders. And I just thought it'd be really interesting to hear the perspective of a child interviewing entrepreneurs that were builders.
Mark Williams [00:15:45]:
In this case, it's her grandma and grandpa. But I'm just. I'm. I love their enthusiasm, their care, and I love how they, you know, they ask questions about other people. You know, when we have, you know, some of our trade partners or subcontractors in the house, like, we've had the painters over or whoever might come over, and they're very curious about what they do, and I love that and something that I'm. I'm really proud of and very thankful for. I've spoken to this quite a bit in the last while, just why we started sauna camp and why we're doing boot camp. But, you know, I get so much energy out of training, whether it's running for a race or whether it's.
Mark Williams [00:16:22]:
Right now I'm doing this hard 75 with a bunch of builders. And. And really, it started with, you know, Mike Weaver, Brad Robinson and Brad Levitt and I, and sometimes Michael Gutelli. We would basically send a text to each other in the morning and say, hey, this is what we're doing for a workout. What are you doing? And after a while, we said, yeah, you know what? We should do this hard 75 thing. I don't know if it was my idea or whose idea it was probably mine. I'm always coming up with dumb ideas. And so I said, let's put this on Instagram and see what other builders want.
Mark Williams [00:16:49]:
Well, we've got 13 builders across the country now that are doing it. And it's so cool to see this community of people come together and support each other, and that's. That's worthy of being thankful for. And so I'm thankful for that group of. That camaraderie that comes with that of, you know, kind of finding your vibe, attracting your tribe and pushing each other to be better versions of yourself with a common goal. You know, a lot of them have families, if not all of them. And so we're balancing our work, our schedule, but still managing to fit in. Um, you know, what the circumstances of this hard 75, you know, workout challenge is.
Mark Williams [00:17:22]:
And, you know, some of them haven't been able to make it, and that's okay. And rather than cutting them out of the group, it's, you know, get back to day one and let's do this again. And so I just think it's really powerful to have a community like that. My. I have to give a shout out to the guys that I train with. Carl, who's also with K Designs, architect that I'm working on a house right now, and he does number one of my remodels. He's also my neighbor, Tony Kaganda. He's amazing.
Mark Williams [00:17:47]:
I probably spend more time with Tony than anybody else in the group or honestly, almost anybody. You know, pretty much four or five days a week. You know, we're either running or biking. And next year we're doing. He's going to do an Ironman. I think I'm going to do a half. And so we're going to spend a lot of time in the pool and bikes and running together. Charlie Nathan, Paul Krummich from Greenway Solar and Donkey Label and making sure we stay outfitted.
Mark Williams [00:18:12]:
I mean, there's these people that come into your world that support your career, support who you are as a person, and again, I'm just so thankful for these people that help you. I think of, like, Adam and Anthony Jankela from Alpine Hardwood. Actually, today they dropped off a really cool gift. Basic saying, thank you. You know, early on, they were one of the first supporters of the Curious Builder podcast. Before we had any vision of what it was going to be or what we were going to do with it, they were just simply, we're in, you know, we, We. We love how you care for other people. We love how you care for us, and we want to show you that we care for you.
Mark Williams [00:18:48]:
You know, I think of Pella Windows, both Pella Northland, as well as Pella Corporate. You know, early on when I had this idea of, like, let's make this podcast something that brings our community together, they were right there. They said, let's do it. You know, we'd love to support you. You know, you've supported us for two decades. You know, we're happy to, you know, support your endeavors. And so I'm very thankful for you know that kind of a relationship. There's so many other sponsors I could think as well they know who they are and these are just some that come to mind as we approach Thanksgiving time with your families.
Mark Williams [00:19:19]:
And so if this episode airs and you happen to be listening to it, I hope you're walking outside after your post turkey nap, getting a little exercise in and hope everyone can tell people in their office, in their communities, in their workspace that they're thankful for who they get to be and who they get to show up for. And I hope wish you all a happy Thanksgiving. Thanks for listening to the Curious Builder podcast. If you like what you listen to please give us a five star rating and write us a review. It really means a lot. It's a great way for us to just understand what you like about the podcast and what we can keep doing. So like and review and please share with your friends and family. Find out more@curiousbuilderpodcast.com.
