Can a fresh coat of paint really transform the health of your home? Join us as we explore this and more with Rusty Stout, founder of JS2 Partners and co-founder of Healthier Homes. Rusty's inspiring mission to create toxin-free living spaces was sparked by his wife Jen's battle with mold and chemical sensitivities.
Discover how Rusty's & Jen's construction techniques, designs, and building philosophies provide a safer in-home environment for their clients. We also discuss the challenges and successes of building JS2 Partners, and Rusty's unique collaboration with his wife in co-writing the book 'Healthier Homes'.
Learn how this dynamic duo approaches site selection, design, and client collaboration to create homes that meet their clients' needs and provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
As we wrap up our enlightening conversation with Rusty, we uncover exciting developments in promoting healthier living spaces, including launching their website and formulating their paint to lock in fumes and other volatile organic compounds (VOC). Rusty also shares the potential applications of their products in the hospitality industry and their involvement in sustainable and green building communities. Don't miss out on this episode, and join us on this journey to better health through home transformation!
To connect with Rusty and Jen and learn more about their strategies, visit HealthierHomes.com.
Subscribe to BUILDCast on your favorite podcasting platform or visit us at https://buildcast.buzzsprout.com. For questions or to suggest other topics you'd like to hear more about or to learn more about Thrive Mortgage, please contact us at BUILD@ThriveMortgage.com. You can also see the video of all BUILDCast episodes on our YouTube channel at YouTube.com/ThriveMortgage. Thanks for tuning in!
Thrive Mortgage is an Equal Opportunity Lender, NMLS ID #268552.
Can a fresh coat of paint really transform the health of your home? Join us as we explore this and more with Rusty Stout, founder of JS2 Partners and co-founder of Healthier Homes. Rusty's inspiring mission to create toxin-free living spaces was sparked by his wife Jen's battle with mold and chemical sensitivities.
Discover how Rusty's & Jen's construction techniques, designs, and building philosophies provide a safer in-home environment for their clients. We also discuss the challenges and successes of building JS2 Partners, and Rusty's unique collaboration with his wife in co-writing the book 'Healthier Homes'.
Learn how this dynamic duo approaches site selection, design, and client collaboration to create homes that meet their clients' needs and provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
As we wrap up our enlightening conversation with Rusty, we uncover exciting developments in promoting healthier living spaces, including launching their website and formulating their paint to lock in fumes and other volatile organic compounds (VOC). Rusty also shares the potential applications of their products in the hospitality industry and their involvement in sustainable and green building communities. Don't miss out on this episode, and join us on this journey to better health through home transformation!
To connect with Rusty and Jen and learn more about their strategies, visit HealthierHomes.com.
Subscribe to BUILDCast on your favorite podcasting platform or visit us at https://buildcast.buzzsprout.com. For questions or to suggest other topics you'd like to hear more about or to learn more about Thrive Mortgage, please contact us at BUILD@ThriveMortgage.com. You can also see the video of all BUILDCast episodes on our YouTube channel at YouTube.com/ThriveMortgage. Thanks for tuning in!
Thrive Mortgage is an Equal Opportunity Lender, NMLS ID #268552.
I think to know your strengths, you got to know your weaknesses. My weakness sometimes is is like the finish line. Yeah, i'm more. I love the thought process and imagination of building a deal and making or creating some new product or you know a new business, and then you know hoping somebody's there with me. that can, that, can see it, because I get my energy comes from that next creating that next thing. So that's probably my passion.
Speaker 2:Welcome back Season three of Bill Cast. We are on episode 100, right, James Four running. Up for episode four And four. We are an episode four. Um, brian heard here with my good friend and co-host, natalie Roberts Good to be here And we have a repeat Rusty Stout, founder of JS. Two partners and co-founder Yeah, Jen is watching So and author of healthier homes. Yeah, Rusty, really good to have you back.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Great to great to be back.
Speaker 1:It's been two years. I think longer maybe, I don't know.
Speaker 2:It may have been a little longer. Yeah, right in the middle of COVID, for sure, lots happened A lot.
Speaker 1:I had to give you guys a hug, so that was nice Yeah.
Speaker 2:Really kind of excited to hear everything that you've been doing, But for those that may not have seen the original episode, shame on you for that. Um, tell us a little bit about your journey. You know what's your inch, what. What is your inspiration? Why did you start? healthier homes, jazz two, whatnot, Yeah?
Speaker 1:The inspiration is very easy It's my wife, jen. She is the reason why we do what we do. She's the reason why I sold my commercial building company and started building houses. She quick backstory of how she we got to where we're at. She was an SMU getting her MBA And she started getting real sick and couldn't figure out why And eventually found out there was black mold.
Speaker 1:She was, her workstation was in a little closet in her apartment And it backed up to the shower and the shower pan was leaking And so it was full of starchy botchers, mold, and she got really sick really fast and lasted for quite a while And she became a sensitive to everything like chemicals, fragrance, clothes, food, and so she really needed a place that she could heal and be stress free.
Speaker 1:And that place didn't exist And so she did all the research around all these materials that she could tolerate And she did her first home in Houston. You know, before her and I met And so you know, fast forward a few years, we met in Horseshoe Bay and got married and then wanted to build a house and people started hearing about it, one and one for themselves, and day as two was born Super happy to have the book so Jen can really share her story, because I think that's been good for her and for me as well, because I've been super proud of her for so long and how strong she is, and so it's great to be able to share that with everybody else. A little piece of her for everybody else.
Speaker 2:Next time we do a podcast with Rusty, you need to bring Jen. Jen must come. Okay, she sounds pretty amazing.
Speaker 1:I mean, you're not bad either, but yeah, we like you too.
Speaker 2:So did you have any concept that you wanted to do a healthier home prior to meeting Jen? No, no concept. That's 100%.
Speaker 1:No, thought I was doing. Government construction, department of Defense, it's about as unexciting and sexy as you can think I joke that I used to build square boxes with gray walls and I was excited to get in residential and now everybody makes the modern homes, and so I'm still building square boxes with gray walls.
Speaker 3:All the sick locals, but at least they're healthy. Now That's good.
Speaker 2:Well, we don't have to mention any specific names, but I think you know, the goal of this is obviously to bring awareness to what you're doing, but also to your brand? Yeah, and how do we do that For us?
Speaker 1:It goes beyond building. You know I can't build a house for everybody, but everybody has a table like this in their home, and so if I can put the coatings on it that are safe and make money, you know why not? And the book on that table.
Speaker 2:I would think that, especially as we're starting to see a lot more people do renovation, you know, just because the cost to land and all that stuff is so expensive Plus you know, nobody wants to give up that shiny two and a half percent interest rate. Yeah That you know if you've got older houses and Lord knows what sort of toxins are in the walls and all that, this would be really, really beneficial.
Speaker 1:And that you know. That's what's really neat about our paint is that it basically acts as a blocker, encapsulates whatever we put it on. It'll just seal it in and it will no longer off. Like I could put it on oil based paint and it won't ever off gas that oil base anymore. And so that's. We tell people all the time like what is the biggest fundamental change you can make to your home? And you think what's the biggest surface that your walls and your ceilings play? Just paint it. You go to a big box store and you buy a zero VOC paint and you actually dig into the ingredients, what you know, vocs don't really mean anything like vinegars, the VOC, but it's there's nothing. What is VOC? It's volatile organic compound. It's like what comes out of it.
Speaker 2:Like I'm dumb.
Speaker 1:And so what we really, what you really should be looking at, is the haps, or hazardous air pollutants, and most of the big box paints that are zero VOC are full of that, and so we're different in the sense that we don't have any of that. I mean, i, you know, and I get that part.
Speaker 2:It's just, is it? what's the differential in cost between regular paint and So?
Speaker 1:it depends on the level, like we're going to be right there with, like Sheryl Williams high end paint, like they're super paint or something like that. That's, that's our price point. I mean, we're at about $82 a gallon paint.
Speaker 2:So then the hotel I mean they almost use, they would make sense for them to use it in their branding, yeah, because otherwise why pay?
Speaker 1:I mean I'm sure the colors are the same as I mean as a hotel, and you want 500 gallons of paint, obviously you're going to get a better deal. Sure, And then.
Speaker 2:But But I mean they need to let people. I mean, you're not going to spend that kind of money on all this paint. If it's not a substantial benefit to the clients.
Speaker 1:I know they say that the end game for us is to get to the point where, instead of people are paying us for our paint, they're paying us to put our name on the hotel by health their homes. I sure that way I don't really have to do anything like, yes, you could use my name healthier homes by Hilton Yeah.
Speaker 3:Once you get one eco, environmentally driven brand hotel, they're all going to jump on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if you're missing out. it's like, well gosh, they're doing this, I better do it, I better do it. but what's really cool about our manufacturers? they love trying new stuff. So this hotel they're about, they're right on the ocean and where we sent it to first, and he's like, but your paint, stand up? because people like to open the doors and you know, to all the salty air and luggage. And so we said, all right, we went to our manufacturer, told them what we're going to do. within a week They had reformulated and sent us a sample. I'm like, here's this hotel's paint. But you know, it's things that are way down the road. I mean, we're, but we can certainly talk about it, in that there's lots of stuff that we're working on with different furniture manufacturers, that we're trying to change the game.
Speaker 3:Y'all need to get into. I just got this like download. If it just hearing all this, i wonder if have you tapped into hospitals?
Speaker 1:No, that's. That's something a little. I think they require a little bit more control over the red tape.
Speaker 2:I would imagine it would be It seems like they would need it. Totally agree, because it's you know you think all the hospitals in the medical industry need a lot of stuff.
Speaker 3:You just like, just like make it safe?
Speaker 1:No, I know Just build a special company, just build a hospital, yes, and so I know all about the and I'm like I would. I don't really want to deal with what Brian says, 100%.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you don't want to deal with that. Oh, that's like Fred, he's got a, he has a place down in the valley. that um, it just supports like a mental um health rehab center and the amount of red tape and government and I go. I don't even know why you're doing that.
Speaker 2:Once again. I mean how old is that facility?
Speaker 3:Yeah, they brought, they bought the ranch, I want to say like 20 years ago and then they've just been building on is that they need more beds.
Speaker 2:But that old part, it's, it's, it's shady, Much of retrofit needs to be done in order to, you know, maintain the standards that the paint was designed to maintain.
Speaker 1:Not, not really much. I mean, we, we have a, like it's called we call it a Renault renovation primer And so it's designed to. It's very, very sticky and tacky. So no matter what your substrate is, this, this primer will stick to it and then our coatings can apply and it's essentially locked everything behind it in. So it's no, you don't have to sand it down, you don't have to do any of that stuff. I mean, it's designed specifically to encapsulate whatever's there and then accept the new coating.
Speaker 2:And no worry about it degrading over time.
Speaker 1:I mean well, I mean, I'm just within reason.
Speaker 2:I don't expect you know we're not putting a 200 year disclaimer on there.
Speaker 1:Interesting thing that we had come up when we did the sustainable podcast was our webinar was you know, they opened it up for Q and A and there's always one right, you know, and, and so they're like how can you be on a sustainable, how can you be on a sustainable podcast when you have acrylic in your paint? Acrylic is plastic. And Jen actually had like the perfect answer, because if I would have said it it would have sounded so smart ass and snarky that we probably would have been kicked off. But she was like you know, paint. It's not like you paint it and then you tear it down and throw it away. You paint it and it stays there for years and years or so and effect is sustainable. You know it's not like. You know you can't be everything all at once Like, you can't always just like zero, this zero, that.
Speaker 2:Well, I don't know what would technically go into a sustainable paint anyway. I mean, what are other?
Speaker 1:options. So there's, they have milk paint, which is horrible It looks horrible, it doesn't, and? then they have some that's like, just like clay, or I think it's called earthen, and is it cost? effective? Is it scalable? I don't think so, but if you're into that kind of old world, italy look kind of a translucent thing.
Speaker 2:Okay, pastel looking. Yeah, okay, i got you.
Speaker 1:And this I mean some people are so sensitive that that's what they feel that they need And I mean at least it's there for them. That's no point, yeah.
Speaker 3:We said old world on design. Yeah, i checked out. I think Texas and builders have built enough.
Speaker 2:Tuscan, yeah, last well help country Tuscan was a curse word for well, it kind of still is, but oh Mike we've.
Speaker 1:It's everywhere. We've been one in the Juliet balcony. I'm like never be able to see this site. This was just a leak waiting to happen and sticking out of the hips out of the roof.
Speaker 2:So where's your passion at Us? I mean, you know, you're a home builder, you're an entrepreneur, you're a co-author. Yeah 21, the most.
Speaker 1:I think, just finding the next deal, you know, i think, to know your strengths, you got to know your weaknesses. My weakness sometimes is like the finish line. I'm more. I love the thought process and imagination of building a deal and making or creating some new product or a new business. And then, you know, hoping somebody's there with me that can see it, because I get my energy comes from that next, creating that next thing. So that's probably my passions.
Speaker 2:Which is the way I am. I mean, i like to say I'm strategic, and then you surround yourself with very tactical people.
Speaker 1:Oh, to me like my business is nothing without the people that are around me. To me, one of the biggest qualities of a leader is selecting people and hiring the right people. surrounding yourself with people that are much smarter than you sometimes, And fortunately I married one and we work well together, because not only is she smarter than me, but she's like once her nose is down into something, she's not pulling up until it's done.
Speaker 2:So, So let's dig into that a little bit, since you know this new book, specifically, was co-authored by the two of you. Let's back up a little bit, because you know when we talked last I think it was a couple of years ago how did that connection happen And how did you guys decide to start your own company?
Speaker 1:Well. So the book came about. We did a house for a guy in Las Vegas And he was very ill him and his wife both And they had lived in a moldy house, similar to what Jen went through And the house that they built in Vegas. Jen and I knew that obviously this guy was very successful. We had no idea what he was doing, but I mean, the house was amazing, we had a great time doing it And we became friends and he's like you know, you guys, there's a book in here, because we shared Jen's story and we're like yeah, ha ha. Well, he owns a publishing company And so, like the next week we get email to the contract for a book and I'm like what the hell?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's like work sometime. What is it?
Speaker 1:Well, like, really like, and so you know, fast forward, you know a year and a half late nights they put us with a great editor, thank God, and so you know. Then the book came out And I'm sure there's an English teacher back in texture, canada going what the white real rest of the out come on This is that writing a book with your wife? Yeah great question. So it's a loaded question, but I think, I'm doing my best.
Speaker 2:Jen is going to be so few hours or so, taking every moment.
Speaker 1:Fortunately, we worked so well together that I was more like the idea person, like we were talking about it's, like you know I think this is a good way to talk about this And then Jen would bring it to life, and then we'd send it to the editor and he would say this is great. The editor became a friend. The editor bought a house while we were doing this book and was completely freaked out, like, oh my God, what do I look for? And so part of the book, too, was to make we're not looking to scare anyone, right, like you know, live your life, enjoy it. But there are things that if you can just do half of it, you're bettering yourself or in your environment. And so the editor like looking through the stuff that we had already written the manuscript and he made some changes to the house he bought. It was really cool, that's cool, yeah.
Speaker 1:But to go back how we started JS2 Partners, the business was when Jen and I met. She was in the process. She had just bought some land and was going to build a house, a healthy house, and I was out on the commercial construction company at the time And so I was helping her along And a lot of people started reaching out to her that she knew through her health journey And it's like hey, i heard your building this house, could I get one of those? And it just, and I was like you know, light bulb, i'm like you know, help people make money, do something with your wife. Great, let's do it.
Speaker 2:So the advanced the building industry.
Speaker 1:Yes, To be honest, like we weren't even thinking about that at the time. We didn't realize how. We thought this would be like a little niche thing, And so I sold my commercial company and then we started JS2 Partners. How long ago was that? 2018. 2018. And so, in COVID hit. It was like bam, Like now, now we're. You know, we feel like we're changing an industry.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was interesting timing, you know, because when we last met that was literally in the heart of COVID. I mean we were just talking earlier. we literally had to show up in masks or walk through the building to get to the studio wearing masks, and that was an interesting I mean it seems like so long ago.
Speaker 3:Feels like a decade.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a lot of things have happened since then. But one thing I mean just coming to see you guys and like hugging you and like embracing, it was like so much better this time. Had a great time last time, but it was weird, right.
Speaker 3:Like when you get people's like it's like do you take the hand Like what do you do?
Speaker 2:I think there's. I think there's a much more of a craving for that now, especially because I think COVID made us realize real human interaction is so important. You know, and I won't go down that rabbit hole too far but you know everything was social media. That was it, and that helped us a lot too. You know we still do a lot virtually, but I think that we so needed that. You know that touchy-feely stuff. As much as that pains me to say Connection, you're digging. I said that.
Speaker 3:But how do you stamp that? There you go.
Speaker 2:James can edit it out.
Speaker 3:No we can't.
Speaker 2:Oh well, i'm not with it, but I mean, yeah, it's just, you're right, though I mean it was better this time because, gosh, i've not seen you in two years.
Speaker 3:That's bad on me. It felt like two years, you know, i think with time on that. And another question starting in 2018, understanding COVID. how did you navigate?
Speaker 1:Well, good question. Fortunately, like coming from a commercial background, the schedule is everything, and so I brought that to our custom home business, and so we were already set up to like we wouldn't start a build into. All selections are made. I know some other companies like do it as they go And we just never did that, and so it was like I wouldn't say we were smarter, it's just the way that we did it. And so when COVID hit, we were prepared because we were already set up, like we had a warehouse full of drywall insulation and all this stuff Very few Because.
Speaker 1:I mean, we just we'd like, we'd like trying to build as fast as we can while still maintaining quality, And so that was just something that was.
Speaker 3:Ahead of the game coming in. Yeah. I guess Well dumb luck, maybe not a lot of things where you warehousing, like windowbackages and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:Our drywalls pretty specialized insulation appliances when we could get them. We're there. Garage doors were a huge problem.
Speaker 2:No, i mean the door is very huge problem. The ice maker refrigerator.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So you know, wish I would have just bought like a hundred acres and put lumber on it. You know I'm probably wouldn't have to be built.
Speaker 2:We all do, Rusty, we all do.
Speaker 3:Somebody should have done that after the ice storm. That's very true, yeah, going back. But you just mentioned something as well And I know the last time we talked with you it came up and personally I talked about it for two months and it was the drywall How you source it, where you get it. I know we were both blown away because it's such a departure from what we see in production or even custom home building.
Speaker 1:And departure might be, i guess, an interesting term because the drywall to get is not any more expensive. It's not anything. It's just actually telling a supplier like, i don't want this from a fly ash source, i want natural gypsum. I mean, it's simple as that. It's just taking that next step. Production guys, they don't think about next step, they think about bottom line. That's their business. For us it's the next step. I mean, we're to the nth degree about the details. And I mean and that's all credit to Jen too When she was going through her health journey, instead of giving up and laying around and being tired, she researched and researched and researched and found all of these products and how to create this healthy environment.
Speaker 1:And so that's kind of how, and now it's the second nature really. But there's still challenges. Everybody's different. What works for me or what works for Jen or what? and unfortunately we do see people that you can't really help, you, just you can't do it, and that's the hardest part. It's like, well, you build healthy homes, but I'm just their situation is a little different, Right?
Speaker 3:everyone's so different.
Speaker 2:Well, and we definitely want to get to the healthier homes part. But before we move on from the home building side, quickly walk us through what goes into the design and building of a healthier home.
Speaker 1:So it starts a little sooner than that, if we can. And I mean we talk about that as, like site selection, a lot of our clients are kind of sensitive to electromagnetic type deals And so it's maybe finding a lot that's not under a power line, which I would hope everybody wouldn't want to do that.
Speaker 2:Is that a common thing, And how do you do people know that ahead of time? I don't know how they know.
Speaker 1:Jen is another one, that's, you know, our canary in the coal mine, as we call her. She's sensitive to. Thanks for Jen It's interesting how it affects people, for Jen And it's almost like a bluttering of our heart. And when we first met I would forget and I would turn like leave my wife on or something like that, and she would say your wife is on. I'm like no, it's not. And now I look at my phone like, oh my.
Speaker 2:God.
Speaker 1:Very attuned, yeah. So it's interesting the people that we get, some of them that maybe it doesn't affect physically, they're still in tune with it And most of them just want to shut down at night and not have all that stuff going on around them and stuff.
Speaker 3:So was that more like the EMFs and whatnot?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. And so site selection, you know, trying not to get at the bottom of the hill where you have everybody's water coming. And then design, you know it's really not a lot different than designing a conventional home. I don't know how to say our homes aren't weird or anything but the. I mean all the framings the same, the foundation is the same. We take it to the next level with, like our poly that we use underneath the foundation. It's it's really thick versus like the stuff that most other people would use. But I mean it's just, it's just really paying attention to the products and their ingredients, not necessarily how So actually?
Speaker 1:yeah, because our whole goal was to we didn't want your house to be like on the block, to be like, oh, that's the, that's the healthy home. We want people like, wow, look at that house. And then when they go in there it's like the air is different here. It's the house that's on the cover of this book. We just finished it and we did a showing a couple of weeks ago and somebody said it was like getting a hug when they walked in the house And I'm like fumbling, i'm like hold on.
Speaker 2:I haven't even recorded that.
Speaker 3:That's fantastic. I wonder, in coming up with or talking about how the homes are built, you mentioned that you tapped into a warm hug right. What are? what is your top success or favorite story of somebody share after living in your home for a year?
Speaker 1:Oh gosh, they're all so different, And what's interesting too is a lot of times that doesn't come until several months after, because I mean, you guys are in the industry, you know, by the time you get to that moving date there's been delays, there's been overages And a lot of time you just kind of want to never kind of just want to like they definitely don't want to see me the way that, the way that we set up our company is, is I'm the bad news guy. Handle the financing and the scheduling that way.
Speaker 2:Basically the grammar Yes And.
Speaker 1:I do that so the guys in the field don't have to be the bad guy. I want them to have those good relationships And so they generally don't want to speak to me for a few months after. But then we do get those calls or we get those emails where, like my daughter, her asthma is not flaring up as bad. Or we, you know, we had a couple move from New Mexico And they we saw them twice before they actually moved in and to get that level of trust from someone. And then when they move in, to talk about how they were just blown away with what we were able to do via face, i see I get to talk about that.
Speaker 1:It's like we did that whole thing via FaceTime with them And like for them and this lady was really really sensitive And for her to walk in and not have any reactions to it whatsoever. I mean that's, that's probably a really good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because usually the home, the owners, are there all the time And so they see it, and then we want them to want them to see behind the walls. Most good builders can make it look pretty, but like we want it to see what goes on behind the wall, and so I think that one was probably cool to get that level of trust.
Speaker 3:Yeah Well, and my marketing brain is going off now and the question. I know it's like. So I think what we're hearing is people are coming to you. They've got you know they've, either through a referral or the efforts that you guys are making. Is that the number one driver of your business?
Speaker 1:Yeah, i think the efforts of marketing a custom home business is hard, because anybody can throw pretty pictures up and say I built this house and you know and I tell people this, like you can line up five good builders and we can all build you pretty much the same house with a good set of plans. It comes down to who can you spend a year of your life with and trust them with your biggest investment you've ever made? And so I think where we're able to separate is that the level of care that we're putting into this house And we build it every one of them, as if my wife had to walk into it, and she is one of the most sensitive people I've ever met. That's why we joke She's a canary in the coal mine and she's with us the whole, the whole way through these builds.
Speaker 1:And I think that gives our clients a level of comfort to know that, okay, this person went through what I'm going through Exactly And there's light at the end of the tunnel And if she cosigns it and she's comfortable with it, i can be too. But then it goes even further than that, because when we started we were getting those clients that were ill or maybe been sick. Now we're getting young families that are don't have any issues, they just want this, they want the healthy stuff. They want their kids to grow up.
Speaker 2:So you're finding that they come to you already knowing essentially what you do?
Speaker 1:Yes, I, you know, i think in the last three years and I don't say this to brag, but I think it's okay, you can probably we've probably had to do bids on two houses, like actually bid against another contract. Most people just come to us and they're ready to sign up.
Speaker 3:Well, and it's a trend right? We're, i think, nationally, globally, we're moving towards what's in my food, what's in my home, and now you're ahead of the curve and Hedah.
Speaker 1:Well, that's what Jen actually you and Jen would probably talk for hours. She's a, her background is in marketing as well, And so she came up with whole foods for your house. That's what she calls our stuff.
Speaker 3:Oh, i love it. I don't know for a. It's so embarrassing coming out.
Speaker 1:You know the Bezos wants to come over. We can talk. He doesn't have that out, Okay.
Speaker 3:Quick get a trademark on it There, you go Good.
Speaker 2:Well, let's, let's move over to, you know, the more entrepreneurial side. You know, and, and the book that you wrote, healthier Homes and then the website Talk. Talk a little bit about that. So, first of all, why, what was, what was so important that you needed to write a book about?
Speaker 1:So well, the important thing for me I don't think Jen knew it at the time, but certainly for her was to share her story Okay, perfect And to share it with other people. To know that it was important for us to for people to know that we're not writing a gimmick, that we're not trying to be this niche market, even though we are And it's you know, the riches are in the niches. I think most people would say that. But to know that we're doing it for a reason, yes, and so a big part of this book is her story and what she went through and how you know her health journey. And then we we treat it kind of like a spec book in construction, where you start a site selection and you start with foundation framing, when you know you can just follow along.
Speaker 1:It's not meant to be a technical manual. I think it's more like a reference. So if you're thinking, well, i want to paint my house, well, you know you can. Just, you know it's right in here, you can go to the paint section and it talks about paint and I mean what you can do, the different methods, the different materials and all that stuff. So it's really about sharing how to start that conversation for your project or for your with your builder, of how to approach a healthy home.
Speaker 2:So you launched a website, yeah.
Speaker 1:So entrepreneur go back? Yeah, i'm sorry, no you're good.
Speaker 1:So the title I don't even remember the original title of the book, but we were thinking it's like we're talking about all this stuff in the book and telling people like this is what you should do. But then we realized it's really hard to find. Like Jen has spent hours and hours of her life trying to find these materials and these products And so you know, light bulb again. It's like, well, let's create a website that's called healthier homes And most of the stuff that we talk about in there you can find it on that website.
Speaker 1:Our paints are available, we have a cleaning product of real popular thing that we have for people that maybe can't paint or like they have an old piece of furniture that stinks or something, and as we have a fumes and formaldehyde blocker and you can spray it, as clear Oh, you can spray it on there and encapsulates everything and locks in all those fumes and formaldehydes and everything in construction. I mean it is like the favorite thing And it's a naturally occurring substance in wood, so formaldehyde is tough, and so we came up with this, this sealer that will encapsulate it all.
Speaker 3:So encapsulate a 13 year old boy. after a family I'm going to try.
Speaker 1:I have a three year old, so we'll try.
Speaker 3:I'll do some R and D And if actually you don't get the next one. They would expect this from you and Jen.
Speaker 2:Yes, so let's talk about applications outside, just regular residential homes.
Speaker 1:So yeah, i mean you like, specifically paints or just Only in all of?
Speaker 2:it, i mean paint, i think is probably the most universal of all the products that I could see from your website. But you know what applications does that have? you know in other industries and whatnot.
Speaker 1:So the hospitality industry for sure.
Speaker 2:I think is a good one.
Speaker 1:A lot of hotels are really trending into the health and wellness space. I don't know if you guys read any of the trade magazines and building, but it was really interesting. Like COVID and literally every ad in the Texas Builder magazine is healthy This, healthy that. And so we're like, wow man, our timing is great, like we're. This is coming And so I think our paints good for hospitality. We're working with some furniture manufacturers They're biggest, they're all switching to sustainable methods and they're getting away from VOCs where they have issue, or the varnishes or like the urething coatings on the top. And so we're working with I don't know all the terminology. I think they're called like a big five, and so we're trying to come up with a top coat for them, and so that would be a. That's something I hope, maybe next time I come back in two years that we can be like yes, let's hope it's not two years.
Speaker 2:We can do this, but you got to find something really cool to come back, right.
Speaker 1:So you know, we're just, we're constantly thinking, and the fortunate thing about this is just meeting all the people And it's funny You'll probably relate to this is in the marketing brain. It's like everybody has an idea for what you should do And I find that if you just are open to that and accept it, like a lot of people become your, your think tank for you, and they don't even realize it, and so we are thinking Yes And so, and we you know we talk to people.
Speaker 1:We go to a lot of trade shows. We've been in the high point in North Carolina twice. We've been to the Atlanta market. We're going to New York in August or it's called Sharp object. Can you edit that? I just said.
Speaker 1:I just said, i'm saying but we meet these people and they're into like sustainability in green, and which we are too. But there are people are starting to learn that that doesn't necessarily mean healthy, that, okay. I have this nice recycled beam in my house. Well, it came out of a fertilizer factory, you know they spilled round up.
Speaker 3:I mean it's really every point.
Speaker 1:So I mean, it's just things like that, just talking to all the people.
Speaker 2:Are we going to see an IBS this year?
Speaker 1:I don't know about IBS. I will be at TAB next month. We're actually speaking at TAB. We're doing an education seminar at TAB.
Speaker 3:I mean IBS is only 350,000 people You could potentially reach. We'll be. We're selling it.
Speaker 1:It's in Orlando or Vegas.
Speaker 2:It's only Vegas. now We'll be there.
Speaker 1:Now we're. The Texas Association of Builders Ask us to do a seminar at Sunbelt this year. We're doing that next month And curious to see how that's received by the other builders. You know, honestly, when we first did this being at the time I was the president of the Hill Country Builder Association and caught a little stick for it you know people are like well, what are you trying to say about how we build this?
Speaker 2:I'm not saying you're a somewhat conservative neck of the woods out there. Yes, Yeah. And so this is the construction industry as a whole, though Yeah, politically I mean no.
Speaker 1:I'm going to pretend I know what you mean, and so the answer was we don't. We're not saying anything about. This is what we're doing. I don't spend time thinking about what you're doing, yep. And now, now that people are moving to the Hill Country, people are moving there for us. Like we had the couple from New Mexico, i'm finishing a house next month for a couple from Columbia, the country, Not ever.
Speaker 3:You're seeing an input of international. Well, that's fascinating, yeah.
Speaker 1:And so I think these other guys are like wow, he has people moving, like specifically for this product. And so now we have several builders that offer our paint as part of their package and love it. Yeah, And we get calls all the time. I'm like Hey, can you tell me how to do this?
Speaker 2:And I'm like, no, that's what we were talking about offline. You know who your target audience is. I mean home builders, designers, you know. I mean there's so many different parts of our industry that could be impacted by this. Yeah, you know.
Speaker 1:I think the remodel and we talked about this offer remodel markets about to explode. I mean we know, we know John Winsborough, i mean they're probably going to be. he'll be driving a Lamborghini.
Speaker 2:Because, you know, nobody wants to get rid of that shiny little 2.5% interest rate. But there may be things that they want to do. They want to update, you know, or you know, make it healthier, more modern, so on and so forth. So yeah, i could see where this is.
Speaker 3:Because we're spending more time at home, even post COVID, And although you know there are many large corporate employers that are asking to come back in, There's big ones that are not.
Speaker 2:The ones that are getting a lot of resistance. There we are A lot of resistance.
Speaker 1:So it's funny you mentioned that when we do customs used to having an office was like, well, if it'll fit in the budget or in the form, and now it's like I need to. Yeah, i want offices, or I want one, and then in my pantry I need a noot or a desk.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's cool, we had that architect from Florida. That was our first season. Oh gosh, that was maybe three or four episodes in.
Speaker 2:But that was a big thing And this was interesting. You know, going back because we are first season really was during that first eight, nine months of COVID. But what she was talking about exactly what you're saying. I mean, you know, not just having one workspace, because you know usually you want to have a home office and you might use it occasionally, But now you have spouses that both work and you got kids that need a workspace, all that kind of stuff. So we're even having exactly You got me, You got it.
Speaker 1:I took it a step further And because you know we had to. We had to. People want to come and see where we live and stuff, and you know I don't mind people coming to my house but I didn't like having to make it look like they live there And so yeah and so Jen and I built a home, like we have a model home and that's our office, so it's it's like working from home, but it's a different home, and so people can come and, and you know, and be in one of our homes.
Speaker 2:I think that means a field trip, please, hey, i mean come on, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:We can we can we just finished that one there, that rendering on the cover, So y'all can come check that one out? Yeah, we want to get.
Speaker 3:Brian to buy it.
Speaker 2:I mean I may need to move, you know so.
Speaker 3:Everyone needs a lake house, exactly, or?
Speaker 2:by the lake. What's next?
Speaker 1:Yeah, Gosh, I don't know. We're really, you know, really trying to grow healthier homes of the website, Still focusing on our custom builds. We're fortunate that we haven't seen that much of a downturn. I mean we're, we're booked up through next year, So I mean that's, that's good. I we have visions and have been approached different investors to do like developments, And we talked about that a little bit where it's kind of a split between build the rent and then you know, like not custom homes.
Speaker 2:but I'm okay.
Speaker 1:I mean, if we do, i would never call it production or track. It's still going to be custom, but maybe semi-custom. Yes, there you go, i like it. See them, send me a bill.
Speaker 2:I work for everyone.
Speaker 1:It's a I call it the chicken or the egg problem, because it's like do I go buy the land and then come to the investors and cause we can't afford to do a development, or do I Get the investors to come buy the land And so, what's interesting, a lot of our past clients have have you know they're the ones that want to invest in it. So that's that's kind of a cool deal to know that you know they're. They believe in what we're doing. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, the cool thing is we're seeing a lot of now is builders that are doing community developments. You know, not not just your production and track guys, but you know your custom builders. You know where they yes, they'll come in and they'll purchase the land. They'll probably fund, finance the horizontal piece, but then what they're doing is funding the vertical piece in the buyer's name. Yeah, you know, and you can do economies of scale, you can keep costs where you need to be, because you know you got 50, 60, 70 houses that you're building, but the cool thing is is funded in the buyer's name.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean we probably need to have a chat off. I mean, that is what we do, that's right. I think you had our phone call last time that you had some things that you guys can do in that.
Speaker 2:And so you know program she doesn't allow me.
Speaker 3:No, it's a boy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, i'm raised on this show, i'm going to tell you that, but it's, and it's also a bit I'm more optimistic than I probably should be, because I'm kind of like, oh, let's do it. And then I'm like I'm heading head first into it. She heads in the back, crunching number, yeah, and she's like, no, we need older horse.
Speaker 3:Let's think about this.
Speaker 1:So we balance each other out pretty well. We have opportunity in Salado. right now We're on some acreage, but I don't know much about that area. We're going to have to talk after because we've got some acreage.
Speaker 3:We've got some acreage as well. That is very true. We know of some things. for you, it's good timing.
Speaker 2:Well, rusty, really appreciate you making the trip out. Yeah, i'm so sorry. It's been two years. We got to make sure it's less than less than that this next time. Yeah, and really look forward to coming out and seeing the property. Yeah, love it.
Speaker 1:Best way to reach you Health. There are homescom. You can get the book there You can get Yeah, where do we get the book? other book is Amazon, barnes and Noble, local bookstores. We always like the local, the local bookstores Yeah, the shameless plug. I'm terrible at that. And then, of course, healthier homescom there. And then there's all kinds of other free info. There's some e guys. There's all kinds of a couple of podcasts out there. There'll be the way you have podcasts. This one will be on there, so, yeah, Well, again, trusty, appreciate the time You bet.
Speaker 2:Thanks, guys.
Speaker 3:Thanks for watching.
Speaker 2:Bye, bye, bye, no-transcript, bye you, you, you, you app it, you, you the.
Speaker 1:Welcome back.
Speaker 2:I just leaked.
Speaker 1:That is so standard. I just won't. I haven't heard that in the 80s.
Speaker 2:I haven't heard their face. I didn't want to say I spit everywhere. We are talking about healthy, it's not like that.
Speaker 3:Oh boy, okay, let me see.
Speaker 2:I like to make people laugh. Welcome back Season 3, episode 100. James says it's good.
Speaker 3:I wanted to go Centennial.
Speaker 2:We probably should be a little bit serious about the games.
Speaker 1:We just leave that.
Speaker 3:Right now I'm going with the first one.
Speaker 2:Pick it up from there. Welcome back.
Speaker 3:This is Bill Cassin. I'm checking myself out. There you go.
Speaker 2:Thanks you, descartes. This is making it worse.
Speaker 3:We're good.
Speaker 2:Welcome back Season 3 of Bill Cassin.
Speaker 3:I'm going to pee my throat. I kind of hurt it.
Speaker 2:I just go with the first one.
Speaker 3:We know if you made me laugh, this already Take a deep breath.
Speaker 2:I got the giggles. now Welcome back. Season 3, episode 100.
Speaker 1:Will we have?
Speaker 2:James. Episode 4 of Bill Cassin. Natalie, i can't do this anymore.
Speaker 3:This is like the last day of IVS. You guys could have stopped laughing. I can't feel home. It's been five days.
Speaker 2:I know your name. I'm in the middle of it.
Speaker 3:Wait, do I need to? introduce you, i'm going to introduce your title. We've got this.
Speaker 1:I think that's probably good I think that makes for a pretty easy transition When you started talking more in depth about what he's doing.
Speaker 3:I got into the discussion.
Speaker 2:How do you feel about it?
Speaker 1:I love it. I really like this type of format They send us a list of questions. I'm like I won't look at them. It doesn't stress me out. It automatically goes into prep mode.
Speaker 3:We learned that the hard way.
Speaker 2:I think when you came, we had questions for you. That was episode 4. Episode 100?.
Speaker 1:As soon as I was done that day, i was like this is the best one I've done so far. It was a conversation. I talked to you about it.
Speaker 2:If you get through two, I feel like that's a success.
Speaker 3:It's more organic. The people outside of you that we gave the questions to it almost felt robotic.
Speaker 2:We started asking our own questions. We do some of these separate.
Speaker 3:We try to do most of them together.
Speaker 1:She's definitely the one. She likes to be prepped a little bit. She's not quite the bullshitter like me. I talk about whatever you want to talk about. Thank you.