From Loss To Launch: Building A Life And A Business After A challenging Year

What happens when a year punches you in the gut and you still have to build? We open the door to a season shaped by loss, honesty, and a stubborn belief that construction businesses can be both profitable and humane. From saying goodbye to parents and a family tragedy to walking away from a steady paycheck, we talk about the choices that forced us to redefine success and rebuild our workflow from the ground up.

We break down the moment that pushed Josh out of a leadership role and into entrepreneurship, and why coaching—not consulting—became the tool that actually changes builder outcomes. If you’ve ever struggled with breakeven math, overhead percentage, or what margin should look like in a live bid, this conversation is a playbook. We cover annual budgets, pricing with confidence, and the courage to say no when a client or project doesn’t fit. You’ll hear how the Builder’s Edge grew from years of helping for free into a focused program that helps builders and remodelers protect profit and momentum.

On the building side, we share two spec-lot war stories. One “turd lot” hid utility costs that would have wiped out profit, and we explain how transparent exit strategies saved the business. The next lot was pricier and scarier, but proper due diligence and execution turned it around. Along the way, we tackle the real friction at home: design selections, deadlines, and staying in our lanes while running a construction company together. We end with a look at 2026: active customs, new specs, a tribute plan we’re proud of, and a disciplined pre-construction process that screens for client fit and keeps chaos out of the schedule.

If you’re a builder, remodeler, or trade pro who wants better systems, cleaner numbers, and a business that actually fits your life, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a fellow builder, and leave a review with your biggest pre-construction question—we’ll tackle it in a future episode.

Transcript

New Year, New Season

Josh McMahon 0:02

Oh I love that. I love that.

Carolyn McMahon 0:05

Hey y'all, and we're back with another episode of Feed Me Your Construction Content. I am Carolyn McMahon.

Josh McMahon 0:12

I'm Josh McMahon.

Carolyn McMahon 0:13

Boo. What day is it?

Josh McMahon 0:14

January 1st, 2026.

Carolyn McMahon 0:18

And we were just talking, I believe it was one year exact to the date that we recorded our last podcast.

Josh McMahon 0:24

Holy crap, you're exactly right. It was January 1st, 2025, that I recorded the final episode with Matt Powers.

unknown 0:32

Oh.

Josh McMahon 0:33

And and then uh the world changed.

Carolyn McMahon 0:37

The the world as a whole, or the world just for us?

Josh McMahon 0:41

Just for us. This is not our our world changed drastically. And it required a lot of focus from us. And uh um we needed to put our attention in other places.

A Year Of Loss Begins

Carolyn McMahon 0:54

Well, let's get into it. Uh let's do a recap of 2025.

Josh McMahon 0:59

I think it's perfect. So everything started for us 2025, and really the weekend after Thanksgiving of 2024. Because that's when I got the call when we were at the um what store were we at? I don't remember what store it was, but I got the call from my mom, and usually when my mom calls, there's something wrong, because my mom never calls. Right. And she didn't disappoint. There was something wrong. She was diagnosed with stage four cancer and pancreatic cancer, and uh everything changed quickly.

Carolyn McMahon 1:30

And it was just so bizarre, and it's so like your mom to downplay it.

Josh McMahon 1:34

Oh my god, she didn't even say it was cancer, nothing of that nature. It was just there's something wrong, and the doctors don't really know what it is.

Carolyn McMahon 1:43

Right. She thought that she, you know, what had the flu or something. Oh my god, yes. You know, and and things progressed. And so in January uh 2025, uh, we lost Kathy.

Processing Grief And Redefining Success

Josh McMahon 1:55

Yeah, really quickly too, right? So it was probably six weeks from the time that she said something to us. I went up there the second week of December and spent time with them, and uh it was there that she started to open up more about it being cancer, didn't say stage four, didn't say really anything, and then things started to dawn on me more. I'm very intuitive. I started to pick up things, and uh it was clear that our focus needed to be on that. I think very soon after the new year, she had a stroke, and I think that was around January 5th time frame that she had a stroke. I flew to New York that very next day, and then spent I don't know, the next seven days sitting beside her in the hospital as she uh she laid there on her deathbed. So it was uh the worst thing you can possibly imagine watching your mother as she's passing away and you can't do a damn thing about it.

Carolyn McMahon 2:52

Right. And that uh was on the heels of my dad dying in October.

Speaker 2 2:57

Yes.

Carolyn McMahon 2:58

So we know my mom and uh my dad had moved out to the sticks, you know, after leaving a 55 plus community, right? And then and then he left us. And so it's on the heels of that. We're like, okay, you know, bad things come in threes, you don't want to think about that. Uh so two losses, and uh then in February, rather suddenly, my son lost his dad, my ex-husband. Um horrible, horrible circumstances. Um it's uh it still rocks me to this day. I still think about John, and it's just um, you know, just a really shitty start to 2025.

Josh McMahon 3:44

It was uh it was really bad. It's not uh well, you never plan for things to be that way. Um we actually had plans to for me to quit my job and to go out full-time and and run my own home building business. That was our real plan. And man, we got punched in the face really early in 2025, and it was like, where do we put our focus? Where do we put our attention? And uh it became really difficult to kind of get that year going. And you know, we persevered, but it wasn't easy, right?

Carolyn McMahon 4:15

And so, you know, some things started shaking loose. You know, I'm still where I am uh professionally. Um and happy, and and and happy.

Josh McMahon 4:25

It's you got a great place at work.

Carolyn McMahon 4:26

It's it's a good job. We've um, you know, we support each other. You know, listen, um, you know, building homes um personally and professionally is not for the week. So I say that often and loudly. Um, it has its own challenges, just the ridiculousness of our business. Uh, always think that I cannot be surprised. And on a daily, I am surprised um by folks and and how they act. Um, so we'll get into that uh a little more. But Joshua, you've had some big changes uh professionally.

Josh McMahon 5:05

Professionally, I definitely have big changes. So the the big thing that I learned with my mom's passing, I I really was was reflecting as I was sitting beside her and I was thinking about how fortunate we've been in our lives. That we we've worked hard, we've invested our money smartly, we we've been very successful, and I just didn't see my mother being successful or like just kind of living to the full extent of what she could have had, and I kind of felt guilty about it. And then in the moment though, I realized that everybody has a purpose, everybody's here for a purpose. And and I it dawned on me that her purpose was to have the three boys support us, support her her husband, and to really do that. And I think to the best of her ability, that's what she did. And I I said that to her as we were sitting there too, so it's not just my own reflection.

Carolyn McMahon 5:54

Well, but but don't you think it's interesting that point is that um you know, typically you hear parents who want the best and success for their children, but it can work the other way too, right?

Speaker 2 6:06

Sure.

Carolyn McMahon 6:06

And you know, with Justin's passing, you know, several years ago, uh we talk about what success looks like and how it is different for everyone.

Josh McMahon 6:16

Absolutely, right?

Carolyn McMahon 6:18

So your mom um, you know, had a job that she loved, she was respected, and it was her level of happy and comfort.

Speaker 2 6:28

Yeah.

Carolyn McMahon 6:29

Right. So um, she didn't make a bunch of money, her husband didn't make a bunch of money, but their you know, their house was almost paid off, and they lived the life that they wanted. And I think that that is so important.

Josh McMahon 6:40

100%.

Carolyn McMahon 6:40

And we lose sight of that um your measure of happiness and success is not someone else's, and you just have to learn um to have some acceptance on them.

Josh McMahon 6:54

Well, and I think that's what the the losses have have helped us to better understand was that we really don't need more. And we've been in a real big downsizing movement over the last year, reducing our real estate portfolio and other things. Because for me, I'm built to be an entrepreneur, and that's difficult, right? Because I want to work for other companies and I want to help other people grow their businesses, and the and the struggle is that my ambition gets out in front of maybe myself and them, and and then things don't work out the way that you want them to, at least not for a very long time, because I can't table my ambition.

Carolyn McMahon 7:32

Right. You you cast a very large shadow, hon. Sometimes it is, I don't know, I feel I feel sometimes for me it is crippling your ambition. All you know, and all in good ways, for sure, but you drive me nuts.

Josh McMahon 7:54

I I mean I know that I drive you nuts. I drive I drive a lot of people nuts. I'm I'm very driven in that way. I'm I'm it's not that I'm not satisfied with what we have or what what we're doing or what we're accomplishing. I just I don't know. I I think maybe it's just I want to do it my way. And and I've learned from a lot of people some some good things and some bad things from people, and I've learned along the way, and every stop that I've had in my career has prepared me for entrepreneurship and doing my own thing.

Leaving The 9–5 For Entrepreneurship

Carolyn McMahon 8:24

Well, sure. And so that's a great segue into, you know, uh, you know, fast forward uh through 2025 and what career changes you you did make.

Speaker 2 8:36

Yeah.

Carolyn McMahon 8:37

And uh, you know, sacrifices in a way, anytime you lose kind of that steady nine to five job, steady paycheck, benefits. Um, when you're put in the position, you know, to voluntarily take yourself out of that role, yeah. Um, it it's a struggle and it's not one that you haven't done before.

Speaker 2 9:00

Sure. Yep.

Carolyn McMahon 9:01

Um the decision, you know, was made to leave that that professional job where you were, you know, respected. Um again, just a change uh professionally for you that scared me.

Speaker 2 9:16

Oh yeah.

Carolyn McMahon 9:17

It continued to scare me, you know, thinking about the the spousal support um to your to your person that does this, like, oh shit, how am I gonna pay the bills? What do we have going on? You know, how can I support the family financially? And listen, I I've never not been supportive or knew that you wouldn't take care of us. We we we don't forget our hustler roots.

Josh McMahon 9:45

Uh yeah, I I've I've never forgotten that piece, but it it's certainly a valid concern. I mean, I I made the decision. I really made the decision probably a year before I finally pulled the trigger to leave. And and some things just we we needed things to fall in place. We were buying land, we were getting houses started, we we we had a custom in motion. So it was like once those pieces started to line up and the timeline started to make sense, then it made more sense to to move on. And and quite frankly, um, when my mother was on my on her deathbed and the owner of that company that I worked for called me. And mind you, I'm I'm running the company, I'm the general manager, and he calls me to say, Hey, condolences about losing your mother. Um, now let me spend 45 minutes telling you all the stuff that you need to be focused on. I spent the next 24 hours sitting beside my mother working on the computer because the owner of the company felt it was more important for his business to move forward than me to grieve my mother or be in that position where I needed to be. And so I knew in that moment I needed to move on because there was a no respect, and I I've learned this twice.

Carolyn McMahon 10:57

Right.

Josh McMahon 10:57

When when Justin passed away, the company that I worked for did the same thing. We got your back, whatever you need, we got you. And I'm like, great. How about these 17 homes that I'm managing, along with managing the team? Can anybody step up? Well, nobody's here to help you with that part. I'm like, well, what exactly are you trying to help me with then? So it was it was really eye-opening. So on April 1st, April Fool's Day of all days, I gave my 30-day notice and I happily worked that 30 days, and and I worked until the last day trying to ensure we were putting that company in a strong position. But as of May 1st, I've been self-employed. And that's uh uh you know, if you have ambitions to do that, you know, good, it's scary as hell. You need to realize that there could be 12 months to 18 months to 24 months where you don't get a paycheck, and that's been our life. We've lived that since May 1st. We haven't received a paycheck.

Carolyn McMahon 11:57

Well, to be fair, because you hustle, what were you doing? What was your side hustle?

Coaching vs Consulting In Construction

Josh McMahon 12:05

Because because I hustle, uh, because I have a passion for coaching, I also got my certification in coaching um in in early 2025. I think March, I became certified coach.

Carolyn McMahon 12:16

This is a big deal.

Josh McMahon 12:18

And this is something that I've wanted to do for years, and I just I never understood how to do it, what it meant, how to sell it. I didn't understand any of it. So I've been giving away coaching for free for forever.

Carolyn McMahon 12:28

Well, right. So anyone close in you know Josh's circle knows that about him. Yeah, right. So it's it's always been a help um kind of mentality. Where are you struggling? And you know, like, what is it? Why why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free? Is that right?

Josh McMahon 12:48

That's 100% accurate, right?

Carolyn McMahon 12:50

So I'm like, dude, start charging. Let's let's do this.

Josh McMahon 12:55

But I I didn't know how to charge. So in my my drive to move on from that company, we needed to try and find some way to generate cash flow. And uh I uh connected with a coaching firm out of Canada, and I actually went and I was a uh a coach, uh subcontract coach you were uh for this group, and man, I learned a lot of what not to do in a coaching business, but I also learned how to do some of the things that I I just didn't understand. I didn't understand how to sell it, I didn't understand how to price it, I didn't understand how to help. And I really learned that piece. So I guess maybe I guess I did that for three or four months. Something like that. And then just things um, the the chaos of the company, uh the the lack of budget, the latch of lack of structure, the constant changing of gears. It was just it was time to start my own coaching venture, uh, which is called the Builder's Edge, which uh happily sponsors Feed Me Your Construction Content Podcast.

Carolyn McMahon 14:00

Yeah, so uh follow the Builder's Edge, please.

Josh McMahon 14:03

Yes, uh Builder's Edge, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok. I'm uh I try to post videos on on different coaching methods or or things to help you get focused and uh and move your business forward. I'm all about giving back and giving things away.

Carolyn McMahon 14:17

Well, right, and you we know that every encounter gives us something.

Speaker 2 14:24

Absolutely.

Carolyn McMahon 14:25

You know, good or bad, and I'm grateful for each step of the process. Um you know, you you talk about imposter syndrome. I mean, you had it, we still have it.

Speaker 2 14:36

Oh yeah.

Carolyn McMahon 14:37

Um, but every day you you get better. Um it's funny when you when you can celebrate those small wins. So when you started, you know, doing your um coaching business full time without you know the help of someone else's business. I mean, you get that one client and you get a taste of it and the second one, yeah, and you really start getting in buy-in. I mean, heck, we um, you know, so what you were doing is you know, kind of a three-month program.

Josh McMahon 15:06

Yes, that's right.

Carolyn McMahon 15:07

Not understanding if if people would sign on again. Right. And they did.

Josh McMahon 15:11

Yeah.

Carolyn McMahon 15:11

And so that makes mama happy because then, you know, still gets a paycheck to, you know, you know, run things. Um, but every person um is has taught us something al along the way. I mean, I I still learn to this day, but I'm very proud of you.

Josh McMahon 15:28

Oh, thank you.

Carolyn McMahon 15:30

And I think it's important to note that you are not a consultant.

The Spec Lot That Went Sideways

Josh McMahon 15:34

No. No, I don't think so. I think there's a drastic difference between consulting and coaching, and and that that's what that coaching company was really missing was that they felt like we need to do more for the clients. I'm like, coaching's not doing for the clients, coaching is more helping you unlock questions that that you're struggling with or breaking through glass ceilings. It's really something completely different than physically doing and preparing things for you. Now, I do do some of that for clients, especially annual budgets. I mean, the number of builders and remodelers in trades that don't have a budget, don't understand their break-even number, don't understand their overhead percentage, how it bakes into their margin and how to price jobs accurately, it's it's a little scary, but really once you get wrapped into that annual budget and how it all works, it's really empowering because you understand your numbers. And I can tell you this project's gonna cost you twelve thousand five hundred dollars with confidence. So when you come back and say, Can you do it for 11? You're like, oh yeah, I'll do it for 11. Well, are you sure you can do it for 11? If you don't understand the numbers, it's hard to say, yes, I can do it. So to that extent, I'll do some consulting because I I want them set up for major success. So we really need those fundamentals in place. But outside of that, it's it's really coaching and unlocking things that that are there for you, or or maybe you just don't understand where to focus and what to what to to target, and I help you with that.

Carolyn McMahon 17:05

Yeah, so folks, you call them, I'm I'm gonna charge you.

Josh McMahon 17:11

It's uh it's lawyer rates. Every 15 minutes is gonna be charged.

Carolyn McMahon 17:15

Yeah, exactly. Perhaps not at that rate, but you know, it's close, you know, pay my electric bill.

Josh McMahon 17:22

Pay the yeah. No, for sure. But you know, the the coaching program, we're gonna get into that as this season progresses, and we'll talk more about the coaching. And the great thing about being completely on my own and doing my own stuff is that I'm gonna bring some of the coaching clients on to the the podcast from week to week just to talk about how are we helping you win? Where what are we doing to help you become successful? Because listening to other people's stories will also help you unlock your potential, right?

Carolyn McMahon 17:54

Well, and you know, so that's just a a small piece of of the change, right? So last year we did start a spec home.

Josh McMahon 18:03

We did, yes.

Carolyn McMahon 18:04

Right, for folks that remember, and that was our first kind of on our own, you know, bank loan and construction loan to build a house. It sold very quickly.

Speaker 2 18:13

Yep.

Carolyn McMahon 18:14

Things kind of slowed down. As you know, uh procurement of land is is a tough, tough process, and it takes a long time to find uh a piece of property that will actually do what you need it to do.

Josh McMahon 18:30

Well, that's super difficult. Momentum is the key to success. And for us, we're we're a custom home builder, that's our primary focus, and we build starter home specs is our cash flow. That's kind of what drives and fuels the business year over year.

Carolyn McMahon 18:49

Right. So that so that happened. Uh we you know, we did hit pause because you know we couldn't find a piece of land.

Josh McMahon 18:56

Well, no, full transparency, we bought a lot that that was buildable, but the the county required us to bring utilities, water, and sewer to the lot because it was within a certain amount of feet.

Carolyn McMahon 19:09

Right. 300 feet equaled $80,000.

Josh McMahon 19:14

$80,000, and that wasn't a guarantee. Like if there were any issues, they hit something, it was gonna be more. $80,000. If you don't know, that might be your potential profit on this type of build. Meaning that's an expense that wasn't baked into the budget. We had a chance of making zero dollars on that lot.

Carolyn McMahon 19:34

Right. And and that one taught us a lot, you know. So typically you buy you buy a lot, you've got uh a period. Well what due diligence. Yes, you're due diligence.

Josh McMahon 19:46

Typically thirty to sixty days of whatever you negotiate.

Carolyn McMahon 19:48

Right. You're gonna do um survey, soul test, you know, all the things. Yeah, that lot purchase taught us a a tremendous thing. I mean, it taught me that I I had to be supportive, even though we completely screwed that one up. Um I can laugh now. I still give myself brownie points for not having a complete meltdown.

Josh McMahon 20:14

I I mean, I do too.

Carolyn McMahon 20:16

I mean, because I'm like, what do you mean that we bought a $25,000 lot and we can't build on it and we probably can't sell it again?

Josh McMahon 20:24

I I was okay, so the business bought the lot, which was the which was the upside of the whole deal. So it didn't come out of our pocket, so that was my only saving grace in my mind.

Speaker 20:35

Sure.

Josh McMahon 20:36

But I was completely gutted when I was talking to every single person at the county, I was doing everything I could to make it happen, and then I was like, this is not gonna happen. And I had to tell Carolyn, and I'm like, this is the end of the business. I'm gonna have to go back to work for somebody else, and I don't want to go back to work.

Carolyn McMahon 20:52

Yeah, and so and so for those for folks that have construction loans, you're like, okay, well, you know, we're just gonna keep on stroking a check for the interest on this.

A Riskier Lot That Worked

Josh McMahon 21:01

I I was I was honestly, I was happy to keep the lot on the books. I was gonna pay it off with the next couple of builds because eventually I said, Well, how we'll we'll be in a position where we can build it.

Carolyn McMahon 21:12

Right. And so, you know, then comes the summer, and then the you know, you get that call that one of the asshole neighbors called the county on us because of tall grass.

Josh McMahon 21:24

Oh, yeah, that was infuriating.

Carolyn McMahon 21:26

Infuriating. So that was the last straw, and then we sold the lot.

Josh McMahon 21:30

Yes, absolutely, and sold it pretty quickly. And and and we were extremely transparent with the buyer. This is what it's gonna cost you to bring utilities to it. This is what you're gonna need for this. If you want us to help you build the house, we're happy to do it. And we'll reduce our costs, everything. Because we just we wanted to build the starter home because there's a need for it in our market. It's not just the money, that's not just what drives us.

Carolyn McMahon 21:55

And you know, and I know you struggled with it because you're like, oh my god, well, I can't sell this, knowing you know, the the uphill battle on this. And I'm like, why why can't you? And not that we had a struggle about that, but you know, in our business, um, you know, we joke that buyers are liars. Yeah, but good lord, sellers? Holy crap. Yeah, sellers of property. Come on, don't tell me that they don't know about this stuff. Or I mean, maybe some do, some don't, but we've had you know multiple deals where I mean surveys are wrong, falling through. I I mean, just what it gets, what you have to do to get a lot.

Speaker 2 22:43

Yeah, right?

Carolyn McMahon 22:44

It took us six to seven months to to buy another lot, and that one was a turd as well. I did not want it.

Josh McMahon 22:54

You were not happy.

Carolyn McMahon 22:55

Uh no, not not happy. Um, I think I was still reeling from from the first one, and then I don't know. Don't ever get so backed into a corner that you are willing to not do due diligence, not do the things.

Josh McMahon 23:17

We we did the due diligence on it. You you're more risk averse, so that any I I think if there are things that suggest that maybe this is not good, you would bail. And I'm like, there's a way to get get through this thing.

Carolyn McMahon 23:34

Yeah, so but let's just talk about that for a second. So the first turd lot was twenty-five thousand. Well right, right. Fair point, thank you very much. What was the cost of this turd lot?

Josh McMahon 23:46

95.

Carolyn McMahon 23:47

95. Oof yikes. And for folks who have construction loans, how much money do you typically have to put up for a for a ninety-five? Let's just call it a hundred thousand because that's easy math.

Josh McMahon 24:00

I don't know. I think it was twenty five grand.

Carolyn McMahon 24:01

Yeah, so twenty-five grand versus six thousand on the other. I I was sweating a little.

Josh McMahon 24:09

And and again, the business paid for it, so it it didn't come out of our pockets. You know, the other side is that we also haven't paid ourselves in eight months now.

Design, Selections, And Roles At Home

Carolyn McMahon 24:17

So I mean, come on, it's it's the same. The business pocket versus we still fund it.

Josh McMahon 24:24

I mean, we still are but no, but it doesn't come out of our savings account, which is our our nest egg that gives us the confidence and the and the comfort to do this.

Speaker 24:35

Like the first one that we did came out of our pocket.

Josh McMahon 24:38

The first, the first lot, we paid cash for it. Yeah. I mean, you you know, you you gotta do it if if you wanna if you wanna take the chance, you gotta put some money in the game, and that and that's hard.

Carolyn McMahon 24:50

Yeah, I just think that I need to be medicated.

Josh McMahon 24:53

And you were not happy about that lot for sure. But that one turned out really good.

Carolyn McMahon 24:59

It was great, and I and and thankful that that one did go so well. You know, it's it's hard because when you have your first one that was a success, and then now all subsequent deals, it's like that is the that's the bar, right? Yeah. So uh this other spec that we're getting ready to build, and we're excited about it.

Josh McMahon 25:20

Oh, yeah, so it's gonna be a great build. We we actually uh designed a set of plans. We took a plan uh from a draftsman and we completely redid it to make it uh more what it needs to be, if we're honest. And uh we name it the Kathleen after my mother, which is uh which which is a great, it's a tribute lot, and um, you know, we'll build it for years to come.

Carolyn McMahon 25:40

Yeah, so that's that's exciting. Um, you know, getting back into the selection process. Josh and I still butt heads about staying in each other's lanes, and but you're getting better. Can't you are you saying that I am the only one that comes out of my lane?

Josh McMahon 25:59

I don't like to get in the design lane. I don't like it. I don't want I don't understand it. I'm like, I trust you a hundred percent on all the design stuff.

Carolyn McMahon 26:07

I know, I know, but I'm one of those folks, and I am like this at work where I don't like selections lagging. I don't care about a due date or when you need them. I need to get it done so I can focus on something else. I'm a very forward person.

Speaker 2 26:23

Yep.

Carolyn McMahon 26:24

So because you know my process doesn't fit in my love's timeline, he doesn't want to talk about it.

Josh McMahon 26:31

Um I I am very similar. I just find what's the highest priority to bring the most value to the business or our family in that moment.

Carolyn McMahon 26:40

Oh, he has to put the for our family.

Josh McMahon 26:43

I had to add that for you.

Carolyn McMahon 26:44

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, however, if we don't talk about then he's like, Well, what I need this. And I'm like, Well, well, well, you can't just drop this on me. I have a full-time job. So that's been fun. Um, you know, kind of working around that, uh, working in on the evenings uh on holidays.

Josh McMahon 27:05

But it's not, you know, the the nice thing is it's not a lot, and and you enjoy selections and design. So it's it's really it's like me coaching on the side and and not being paid for. Like I enjoy it, I get a lot of joy uh passion. I I have a lot of passion for it and get a lot of joy from it. You're very similar when it comes to selections and design, so this is kind of filling your your love tank in a sense. Yes. So you're welcome.

Family Milestones Amid The Chaos

Carolyn McMahon 27:29

I'm thankful every day. Every day. So that's uh that was the big thing, you know, going into to 2025 for sure. Um you did have um and and still um your uncle now you know was diagnosed with with cancer. Your your mother's um brother.

Josh McMahon 27:52

Yeah, Uncle Bob, stage four cancer.

Carolyn McMahon 27:54

Yeah, so you know, that's kind of a blow. Um yeah.

Josh McMahon 28:00

It's not been a good year for our family.

Carolyn McMahon 28:02

Right. And uh, you know, we're just hoping, knock on wood, that everybody stays healthy this year. Um we we have you know big things planned. Um, but you know what, you know what really good thing happened though last year?

Josh McMahon 28:15

What's that?

Carolyn McMahon 28:16

Our son got married.

Josh McMahon 28:17

He did craziness.

Carolyn McMahon 28:20

Right. He married his high school sweetheart.

Josh McMahon 28:22

Yep.

Carolyn McMahon 28:23

And uh, you know, we shared uh Christmas with Taylor this year.

Josh McMahon 28:27

Yeah, which is great. It was a lot of fun.

Carolyn McMahon 28:29

So that was a big deal, and I'm not sure if you were involved in the conversation. They're actually talking about children.

Josh McMahon 28:35

Yeah, I I heard something about it in my peripheral, but I I ignored it.

Carolyn McMahon 28:39

Pretended it it it wasn't gonna happen. Uh yeah, so I'm not quite ready to be our grandmother, but I will welcome it. Yeah, yeah.

Josh McMahon 28:49

You don't have any say in it. Is that the the more you push and say, hey, you shouldn't do it, you're not ready, take your time, the more they're gonna do it.

Carolyn McMahon 28:58

You know, I just want them to enjoy the themselves and you know, kind of navigating being a couple and and being married.

Josh McMahon 29:07

I I'm I'm the same way. I feel like give it a few years, you're still young, just just feel through life. There's so much going on. You're you're but you know, the thing is, our parents gave us the same advice and we ignored it. Their parents gave them the same advice, they ignored it. This is the this is the cycle that never gets broken.

Carolyn McMahon 29:26

But uh we just want um healthy baby boy or baby girl.

Josh McMahon 29:30

Exactly.

2026 Pipeline And Focus

Carolyn McMahon 29:31

So uh we'll keep you posted on that front. Um but what else we've got going on in 2026?

Josh McMahon 29:39

2026 is gonna be a really good year. I mean, we you know from the business side really stayed focused on where we needed to be. So we've got um two houses under construction currently, a custom build, and uh another spec lot that we're building. We've got another spec that we're waiting on the permit from Goochland County on that we'll have started hopefully in January. Um then we've got four more specs that we are uh in negotiations with. So and uh um another custom, and then two more customs in pre-construction. So we've done really good to uh to generate the business, a lot of networking, really focused on our process. That's that's where we've really been focused at is um understanding our system, how you go from cradle to grave through the home building process, because if you don't know, it's a lot. And a lot of people think it's not that bad, it's pretty easy. Yeah, the construction side is very easy if that's what you know. Construction for me is very easy. The pre-construction side that takes some effort.

Carolyn McMahon 30:42

Well, right. And I think I I think in subsequent uh episodes we need to dig into that uh pre-construction, you know, the planning agreement, the value of it, value and and who we are and why we don't deviate doing what we do.

Josh McMahon 30:56

It it's you know that point right there is so critical. We know exactly who we are, we know what type of buyer we're looking for, and if they don't fit that, we we're okay saying no. Right.

Pre‑Construction Discipline And Fit

Carolyn McMahon 31:09

So let's let's talk about that in an episode, another episode, because it's a lot to unpack. Um, I I think it's it's part coaching, part just understanding and being okay with with who we are uh as builders. Um, we're really excited about the build that just started. We just started uh grading the yard, right? Or clearing, excuse me. Clearing, yep, clearing, and that house is two houses down from us.

Josh McMahon 31:34

Yes.

Carolyn McMahon 31:35

So we can walk to the job, and that's got some really, you know, great potential. Man, we better not screw it up. They are our neighbors.

Josh McMahon 31:45

We're not gonna screw it up. We we do we know building, we understand the field side, and yeah, it's the people side, it's the people side that's hard. Uh and we'll we'll dig into that in the future. But I'm I'm excited about that build.

Carolyn McMahon 31:56

Yeah, I think it's it's really cool. Um they are asking for things that are somewhat unfamiliar to us. I love that. So you you really you love that and and embrace it, and it just terrifies me. So um we'll we'll see how that that comes together. Um, but we're gonna try to we said it last year that we were gonna go, what, bi-monthly for the podcast?

Josh McMahon 32:23

Yeah, so every every other week we're gonna drop a new episode, and and and I I think we're gonna I feel like we're gonna be on that this year. I mean, we really needed to step back last year with everything going on, personal, professional, and we just really need to get focused. And and we did a really good job of that, so I think we're in a much better position today that we can recommit to this because we we enjoy doing this and and obviously uh the fans enjoy it.

Carolyn McMahon 32:48

That's right. So we're gonna wrap it up. I know, we're gonna wrap it up.

Josh McMahon 32:53

Yes.

Carolyn McMahon 32:54

Until until next time.

Josh McMahon 32:56

Until the next time. See ya later. Yeah.