The really ugly truth is that most of us who are struggling in our business have not just one problem that's contributing to that, but a whole host.

And so it's not just a single diagnosis, unfortunately, I wish it was.

But it's, you know, an unraveling of things

and trying to get to either the root problem or that lead domino that needs to fall.

Welcome to the Fine Home Building Pro Talk podcast, a regular discussion with building industry

professionals.

This is Fine Home Building Contributing Editor and Production Manager at TDS Custom Construction, Ian Schwant.

Today I am joined by Jared Gossett, owner and president of Gossip Company, and the host of the Building Optimal podcast.

You can find the Fine Home Building Pro Talk podcast and the original fine homebuilding podcast at finehomebuilding.com slash podcast. You can leave feedback and ask

questions there too. Jared, thanks for joining me today. I've been a longtime listener of your show.

Ian, thanks for having me. Glad to be on.

To give our listeners an overview of the work that Gossett and Company does.

Yeah, so we're a custom home builder in Austin, Texas. We focus primarily on homes in the $3 to $7 million range, homes close into downtown, so in urban infill neighborhoods, primarily in West Austin, but we've built a little

bit all over. And we do about 12 to 15 homes a year. That's kind of our start target.

And of those about 75% are going to be spec developments and about 25% custom for clients.

So you came to this industry from working in the finance sector and even obtaining a CFA certification.

What does a CFA do and how is that experience set you up for success and being a builder?

Yeah, it's funny because they're two pretty disparate paths.

When I first got out of college, I thought, well, I wanted to be a hedge fund manager,

you know, kind of young, young, dumb, and ambitious.

And I didn't have the university pedigree that you need for that.

So had some good people counseling me at least, and they said, well, you know,

...