This week on The Home Builder Digital Marketing Podcast, Jim Work of Silverthorne Homebuilders joins Greg and Kevin to discuss how learning from other home builders’ knowledge and experience can improve business.
Taking advantage of the vast expertise in the home building industry can help home builders accelerate the efficiency and growth of their businesses. Jim explains,
“So, you can get there on your own, you’re going to get there eventually, it’s going to take a little bit longer, or you can pay somebody to help you…And even if that person isn’t somebody you’re paying, maybe if it’s a mentor or an older person that’s been through it, somebody that can help you get out of your own way and ask you those questions and go, Hey, why are you doing that yourself?”
It’s important to be willing to reach out to and learn from other home builders. Jim says,
“…for any guys or girls that are out there building 10 homes, 15 homes, and they want to try to grow, I mean, find some smart people, some consultants, maybe a business coach and just be open to learn.”
There is no shortage of experts in the home building industry who are ready and willing to help others learn and progress. Jim says,
“So, I would just encourage those people in that part of their career to just keep learning and soak it up. There’s so many great people in this industry that you can learn so many things from. And you could just call up a lot of these people, and even though they might have a business charging you for that, they’ll talk to you for two hours and give you some free advice. That’s the cool part about this industry, in my opinion.”
Listen to this week’s episode to learn more about the benefits of learning from others in the home building industry.
About the Guest:
As Founder of Silverthorne Homebuilders, Jim Work has helped create from scratch a talented team of 34 people who have risen to be the largest private builder in the Chicago housing market.
Jim learned AutoCAD at 14 years old and worked during high school and college for a civil engineering firm and finally a builder. He worked full-time during college, attending Northern Illinois University for Accounting taking classes afternoons and evenings, summers, and online as needed to accommodate a schedule in the start of the homebuilding business. Jim began college in the Engineering program but found that he enjoyed the construction business and shifted his focus to an Accounting education that has served him well as President of Silverthorne. Jim worked for small builders before the 2008 recession and found himself unemployed in 2009 when he founded Silverthorne Homebuilders in the western suburbs of Chicago.
Jim has grown Silverthorne from just 2 homes closed in 2009 to just shy of 100 closings (92) in 2022. Silverthorne is on track to close about 110 homes this year and was recognized by Crains Chicago Business Journal in mid-2022 as the largest private homebuilder by closings in Chicagoland. Tracy Cross and Zonda have ranked Jim’s company in the top 3 private homebuilders in Chicago in the last 3 years. Many public and private companies have left the Chicago market but Jim has led his team to find solutions and niches within the market to continue to grow the business. In 2015, Jim expanded operations to Eastern Iowa and in 2023 expanded further into Iowa to the Iowa City/Coralville market.
Jim is married to Michelle with 2 young boys, Jake (9) and Cash (6). In Jim’s not so spare time he likes to fish & boat with his family, fly airplanes, and collect classic cars.