Unlock the secrets behind marketing's transformative power in the construction industry with our esteemed guest Chelsea Roth, a marketing maven with an insider's perspective on branding, storytelling, and building client relationships. As Roth peels back the layers of this intricate field, we move past the notion that marketing is confined to social media, diving into the science of understanding the customer's 'why' to create consistent outcomes. Her journey from the Department of Defense to the heart of construction marketing is a testament to the diverse paths that lead to this dynamic realm, showcasing the impact marketing has on securing projects and shaping our communities.
Step into the evolving world of construction marketing where the fusion of technology and creativity is reshaping the industry. With Chelsea's guidance, we unpack the importance of community, networking, and professional organizations, like SMPS, in honing marketing skills. We also explore the essential tools and soft skills required to excel in this field, such as Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, and emotional intelligence. Whether you're seeking to transition into construction marketing or simply aiming to refine your expertise, this episode is brimming with actionable advice and the joy of sharing the stories behind significant construction projects.
Delve into the future as we discuss how advanced technology, including iPads and AI, is revolutionizing construction practices and travel experiences alike. I open up about my own pursuits, from reaching personal travel milestones to leveraging video editing and social media skills in my professional life. For those drawn to the visual arts or keen on deep industry insights, we extend an invitation to mentorship and connection. Additionally, we offer a call to action for military veterans and supporters in the construction industry to amplify their voices through the Construction Vet Podcast platform. Join us on this episode to navigate the intersection of marketing, technology, and personal growth within the construction industry.
Unlock the secrets behind marketing's transformative power in the construction industry with our esteemed guest Chelsea Roth, a marketing maven with an insider's perspective on branding, storytelling, and building client relationships. As Roth peels back the layers of this intricate field, we move past the notion that marketing is confined to social media, diving into the science of understanding the customer's 'why' to create consistent outcomes. Her journey from the Department of Defense to the heart of construction marketing is a testament to the diverse paths that lead to this dynamic realm, showcasing the impact marketing has on securing projects and shaping our communities.
Step into the evolving world of construction marketing where the fusion of technology and creativity is reshaping the industry. With Chelsea's guidance, we unpack the importance of community, networking, and professional organizations, like SMPS, in honing marketing skills. We also explore the essential tools and soft skills required to excel in this field, such as Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, and emotional intelligence. Whether you're seeking to transition into construction marketing or simply aiming to refine your expertise, this episode is brimming with actionable advice and the joy of sharing the stories behind significant construction projects.
Delve into the future as we discuss how advanced technology, including iPads and AI, is revolutionizing construction practices and travel experiences alike. I open up about my own pursuits, from reaching personal travel milestones to leveraging video editing and social media skills in my professional life. For those drawn to the visual arts or keen on deep industry insights, we extend an invitation to mentorship and connection. Additionally, we offer a call to action for military veterans and supporters in the construction industry to amplify their voices through the Construction Vet Podcast platform. Join us on this episode to navigate the intersection of marketing, technology, and personal growth within the construction industry.
I may have a controversial opinion, but I think that those who learn how to use AI will not be replaced by AI. I think that those that don't know how to use AI will be replaced by those that do.
Speaker 2:
This is the Construction Veteran Podcast. Construction Veteran Podcast Connecting and celebrating veterans in construction. Now here's your host, scott Friend.
Speaker 3:
Welcome back to the Construction Veteran Podcast. I'm Scott Friend. Today I'm excited to bring to you guys another non-vet guest. Today we're going to be talking about marketing and the construction industry with Chelsea Roth. Let's dig into it. Hey, chelsea, how's it going?
Speaker 1:
Great, how are you?
Speaker 3:
Good, I'm really excited to have you on. So Chelsea and I work in the same industry, in companies that do very similar things. We kind of run in the same circles. I'm sort of a superintendent marketing nerd. She caught on to what I was doing and I'm glad to finally get you on here. Chelsea, tell me a little bit. I know you have a brief connection with the service itself, even though you didn't serve. What about members of your family?
Speaker 1:
Though I did not serve myself, I did work for the Department of Defense for three years out of college, so I got to set pay for civilians that worked on military bases all across the country. That was an amazing experience. Then my grandfather on my mother's side was also in the Air Force, so have a little bit of a connection to the service industry.
Speaker 3:
Very cool. So what do you do in our industry, chelsea?
Speaker 1:
So I am the marketing manager for Tally Riggins Construction Group. I help us win new work with writing proposals and managing our website, our social media, things like that Just helping find stories that inspire people and win new work.
Speaker 3:
Very cool. Yeah, I would say marketing has had a boom in the last five years, at least in the industry. The role that you take has gotten a lot more specialized. What have you seen that has changed?
Speaker 1:
I think people are starting to recognize the value that marketing brings to the construction industry more than ever now. It's about branding, and marketing is more than just social media. It's about how your job site looks and what it says about your company. It's about finding those compelling stories to explain why you're the best team for the job. It's about branding and recognition. So we are finally being recognized for being able to find that why for the customer and really blend the science of selling with the artistic side of creating beautiful marketing collateral.
Speaker 3:
Very cool, so I want to hear what do you think are some common misconceptions about what marketing does in this industry?
Speaker 1:
I think a lot of people are confused as to what marketing does. They think it's just social media and just kind of a fun job that doesn't do as much, but really there's a lot of science to it. You're trying to figure out the why of your customer and you're defining what you're good at and how it helps your customer. It's all about the customer and it's also about creating realistic and predictable outcomes for your client and helping break down really technical information to be easily digestible and we are being hired as the experts in our field and how do we break down that information to be understandable for the client and to know that they're making the best decision?
Speaker 3:
Yeah, very cool. So what would you say is like, what gets you up in the morning, what gets you going, and excited to you about what you do?
Speaker 1:
I think that you know I'm excited to go to work and I really enjoy the people that I work with. It's a great culture here and you know it's a competitive spirit too of I want to win that next job and drive past something on the freeway and say, oh, I had a hand in winning that job and helping make it a real play thing. So I think that you know I get just as excited as somebody that's actually building the project to. You know we're making a difference in our communities.
Speaker 3:
So you came into this really with no construction background, is that right?
Speaker 1:
That's right. Yes, I came straight from working at the Department of Defense and I was doing HR at the time, so I didn't even have any marketing experience. Actually, my degree is in strategic communication, focusing on PR and advertising, but I never had the work experience until I went to a mechanical and plumbing contractor in the Dallas area, and that's where I kind of got my you know start in the construction industry.
Speaker 3:
So how did you stumble into that? With no, no background.
Speaker 1:
My aunt actually worked for that company and she worked them out, I guess.
Speaker 3:
So the relationships and community is a huge thing and speaking of that, I've noticed, at least from my point of view, the community within marketing is really tight, whereas you don't see a bunch of project managers or superintendents hanging out together all the time and kind of bouncing ideas off each other. What do you think?
Speaker 1:
causes that. I think that there's some really great organizations, such as SNPS. It's a really great organization that I've learned a lot from, I've done a lot of trainings, that I've learned my technical skills from and done a lot of networking with other marketers in the industry, and so I think that that's a huge piece of it. I've also done their mentor protege program for a few years, and this year is my first year as a mentor. So I think that we all learn from each other and we all have thanks to share, and so, you know, I'm even a part of a social media networking group from all competitors really, actually and I think that we have a lot to learn from each other and it's, you know, a creative space that you don't have to be too competitive around, because there's room for everyone.
Speaker 3:
Focusing on the veteran community. I think there's a common misconception, and I know you agree, that that construction is just like operations and in the field or pushing projects in the office. What would you say to somebody that maybe likes to do the things that you do social media or graphics, or you know all the stuff that I see you doing online for your company? What would you say to those people that would want to encourage them to get into this specific industry with those skill sets?
Speaker 1:
I think that there's so many opportunities in the construction industry. It goes beyond operations. If you have that desire to network with people, there's opportunities in sales and marketing as well. If you want to be more behind the scenes, there's opportunities to flex your creative skills in marketing and things like that. I like to say it's a blend of science and art. There is a science to selling. There's a science to why we like the things that we like, what our customers truly want. Out of the experience and building trust, we combine that with beautiful marketing materials to help tell a story. I think if you have a creative side to you, there's so many opportunities beyond operations as well.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, I'd say a lot of the people that are getting out. They tend to be in their early 20s after a single enlistment for their first go-round. A lot of those people are a lot more skilled at this stuff than we are because they're more in touch with the new technology coming out. I want to touch on the soft skills, though. What would you say makes a really good marketing manager on the soft skills side?
Speaker 1:
A little out of left field, but I would say emotional intelligence is a very important skill to have knowing what motivates people, what doesn't, and being able to pick up on why people do the things that they do, focusing on relationships. The construction industry is so relationship driven and your networking should really go in all directions. You should be networking in your community for sales purposes, of course, and you should also be networking with competitors and people in the industry to keep building on your knowledge and help your career in that way. You should also be networking within your company, within departments, so that you can really understand what your company does and how they make money and how they're successful. I would say somebody that is a forever student is a great skill to have, because I had no construction experience and I'm still learning the technical side of things. There's never going to be a day that I don't learn something new here.
Speaker 3:
One thing I'll say that I'm a little jealous of you guys is that you get to really go around and experience all the really cool stuff about the job without the stress of having to push the work. Sometimes it's neat some of the stuff that you get exposed to, and I personally will try to step back when I'm having a tough day on site and go man, look at what we get to do, look at what we get to build, and you get to share that with the world the cool stuff that we get to do, because sometimes we get so bogged down that maybe we can't snap that photo to our Instagram or whatever. I think that's a really cool skill to have and a really good opportunity for anybody.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, you all are doing some amazing work out there and really making a difference in our communities, and so it's exciting that we get to jump in and share that and really just highlight the teams that are doing the work.
Speaker 3:
If I'm somebody in the service or out of the service that thinks, hey, this might be a good thing for me to go into. What are some practical steps that they can take? Is it schooling, certifications, or let's say they don't know anybody and that in that part of the industry, what would you suggest for them?
Speaker 1:
I would obviously recommend school. I studied communications and I would think that marketing is a great area to focus on school. Also, there are plenty of trainings. I would focus on learning the Adobe Creative Suite In design, illustrator, photoshop, things like that. Learning Canva that is a huge resource for us and it's pretty intuitive to learn on your own as well. I think that if you have those skill sets, that you know how to use the software and things like that, you're already 10 times ahead of your competitors. I would focus on learning the softwares and then everything else is teachable and really just applying yourself. Even when you May not be qualified, you know you should always, always apply and get the interview and see if it's worth while, and you never know what you can get until you put yourself out there.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, I'm glad you mentioned the software too. I mean, I personally use Canva for all the stuff that I do for the show and, and it's so user-friendly and there's a lot of programs out there like that. I think they just all have their little pros and cons, right, but was such an easy to use tool like that that's got all these resources in it. Now I pay for like a premium subscription, I think it's I don't know 12, 13 bucks a month, whatever. Using those programs to make things just pop, I think is great. And you know, start with your Instagram, start with your, your tick tock, whatever, and use these programs to build a cool Marketing tool for yourself, I think, and that'll help just kind of get in the groove. Make the mistakes now before you're in the industry, right?
Speaker 3:
Yes absolutely as far as school and go, so you did communications. Is there anything else out there, degree-wise, or maybe certification wise, that you would try to steer people toward?
Speaker 1:
the next certification that I would be interested in, or in my my own career would be CPSM certified professional services marketer and that you can take classes from SMPS, which is the organization I mentioned earlier, and you can really Make a name for yourself in this industry. But that takes time and it's not something that you would earn. You know Right off the bat. You should get into the industry and then kind of earn that. But another Area of focus for certifications that I haven't really seen as much people or as many people do is like Google ads Certifications and things like that. Not a lot of people in our industry have them and I think they could be A differentiator for those entering the industry.
Speaker 3:
So the some of the certifications are like time-driven right, you had to have so many hours Within the industry.
Speaker 3:
Is that what you're getting at? Okay, yeah, that makes sense and and things are changing so rapidly. I want to talk about AI a little bit. Lots of people have been focusing on that. So you know, differentiating between how do I know this is a real person doing this? Is this just a computer-generated image? I know, I have my thoughts, I want to hear yours, but we have such a special industry that we can still share the real stuff. So what's your take on AI, kind of taking over marketing, if that's going to happen?
Speaker 1:
I may have a controversial opinion, but I think that those who learn how to use AI will not be replaced by AI. I think that those that don't know how to use AI will be replaced by those that do. So I think it's coming. It's something we have to adapt to in our industry. Obviously, there will forever be a need for physical work being done we can't build a building with AI but I think that AI is a helpful tool in the marketing space. I have used it for brainstorming tools and I still prefer to write our material from ourselves, but I think that it's a helpful tool to brainstorm and organize your ideas and use as a research tool as well.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, I think that might have been a controversial view for a while, but I do agree with you on that. I look at it as a decade or so ago when we started integrating all of our drawings into working off an iPad or working off of a system. There was a lot of pushback at first. I still like having a set of drawings, but it's such a pain in the butt to try to update that with new RFIs and things like that when I could just go to my iPad and click a button. So I think we're going to get to that point where people are just realizing this is just another tool that we use in the industry, Some of the stuff that we build.
Speaker 3:
I don't want to say you can't, but it's going to be hard to replicate some of the stuff that we do. As far as the shots that we have and I think AI still has a long way to go too, because there's little things that you can pick out and realize obviously that's a fake image, but when it comes to conceptual, like you said, I think it is a really good tool. Do you see anything else coming up in the industry that might be a big game changer?
Speaker 1:
I do try to avoid relying on AI for the actual content generation and things like that, but I think that there's some really cool tools for video editing and even podcast editing and things like that that will help save time and energy, to not only relieve a marketer's duties, but help them focus on something else that will help bring revenue. It's not going to take somebody's job, it's going to help them do more. So I think that the video editing software is really interesting and that's probably, I think, the biggest opportunity for us.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, I think, kind of related to your company. So, jim, he's a big pusher and I'll tag him in this episode. He's a big pusher of the lean movement and even five, ten years ago, lean was a really dirty term, but when people started realizing, hey, this method makes my life so much easier. It's not replacing when I do, it's not completely changing everything. It's allowing me more freedom to do what I need to do throughout the day, and I think the technology as it comes is doing the same thing. It's not going to replace me, but it's going to make my life so much easier so I can accomplish more in the same amount of time. I don't want people to get the wrong mindset that this is adding more to my plate. It's just making things so much easier, so why not adopt it?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that's exactly my thoughts. It's just to help you accomplish more and focus your actual efforts on something more strategic.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, I'm going to take a step back here in your background. So you're a huge traveler. I want to talk about that real quick. Yeah, that is a huge passion of yours, so you have been gosh all over the place. I think you had a goal. Was it like a 30 before 30 type deal? Let's talk about that a little bit.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, so I turned 30 last year and I, whenever I was 25, I created a 30 before 30 bucket list of 30 things that I wanted to accomplish before turning 30. And I had a lot of random goals on there. A lot were travel related. Whenever I was working for the Department of Defense, I got to travel to all the different military bases across the country, so I visited 26 states on 26 business trips during that job, and so I think by that time I visited 30 something states, and so I just figured I might as well finish it. So my goal was to visit all 50 states before I turned 30 and go to Europe and visit five different countries and pay, serve or 100% tip and, you know, make Christmas stockings for the homeless population and things like that. Just all different things. But I had some really big travel goals on there as well.
Speaker 3:
So, with what you do as a career, how has that helped you achieve those goals?
Speaker 1:
I think I have the flexibility to travel on my own time, which is fantastic. And as far as sharing my experiences, I have a little bit of experience in video editing. I have a little experience in trying to make things grow. It's all kind of chance on social media. It really just is, but I think that it is a helpful tool to practice what I've learned throughout the years and before I take it to my company.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, and you've had some really cool travel videos and shots. So if people want to look at that, where can they go to Follyah, whether it's Instagram, linkedin or how to get a hold of you, maybe if they've got some questions about the industry?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, feel free to add me on my LinkedIn, but the best way to see the travel stuff is through my Instagram, which is wwwchelseaaroth. Same thing on TikTok as well, but, yeah, really excited to be able to share that stuff.
Speaker 3:
So if I've got somebody listening that says, hey, I really enjoy this, I like to do the visual arts, what's the best way to pick up? Maybe a mentor? I have people that will contact me about getting into operations, but what if they want to go into what you do? How can they reach you?
Speaker 1:
Feel free to reach out on LinkedIn or even Instagram, send me a message and I would be happy to talk to you about that. And there's also opportunities. Like I mentioned, SNPS has a mentor protege program if you joined, and I did that for four years as a protege and now I'm finally serving as a mentor but just finding getting involved in those kind of organizations that are focused on that and community in that industry. But also just reach out to me and I'm happy to help.
Speaker 3:
You know, one thing I was thinking about we're very fortunate that we live in a huge metropolitan area, so if I do have people listening because there's a lot of bases out there and a lot of communities out there that are kind of hidden, small areas that may not have those organizations Can somebody get involved in those from afar?
Speaker 1:
I am not 100% sure, but I think you would be able to. You can at least sign up for their communications. So I was considering moving to Denver at one point and so I signed up for the Colorado SNPS it's all one organization for the entire state and I signed up for their communications. They let me know job openings, things like that. So you can definitely get involved and at least stay up to date on what they're doing. They're available trainings, they're available job postings, things like that. So there's definitely and there's definitely virtual options as well. So if you did enroll in that organization, you can access a library of online trainings and things like that.
Speaker 3:
Cool. Yeah, I like that so you can key into the market maybe that you want to go into. It might not be where you're at now and I think a lot of young folks that are getting out of the service have a great opportunity. I mean, I look back and I've told people man adore my wife and my kids, so don't get me wrong. But if I went back, I could be Elkhound hunting in the mountains somewhere right now, like you have the world at your fingertips and you can go anywhere. So I think that's really cool. Chelsea, what's on the plate for you in 2024? Any big things coming up, anything you want to share?
Speaker 1:
That is a great question. We are, you know, having some big goals. We want to apply for several awards and get more recognition in that sense, we haven't won a project award yet and growing our LinkedIn followers and really just getting involved with SNPS and taking more trainings things like that. I'm a big, big proponent of trainings and continued education. I think that we can always learn something new, and so really focusing on that and I'd love to break out into a new market this year so we're a six year old company this year, so we're still growing a lot, and marketing has a huge role in that, so that is one of our goals.
Speaker 3:
You guys are crushing it out here. I mean thank you. So I will tag Chelsea's company in the post when I finally come out with the episode. But man, they've just you've got a collection of really great folks from a lot of really good companies that came together and are really doing a good thing and have a great heart behind them. A lot of them I know personally from either working with them or have become acquaintances with them through different events. So I am so happy to finally get you on there on the podcast, chelsea.
Speaker 3:
We've been chit-chatting for I don't know months at this point. We kind of run in the same circles so almost had an interview with them, but that fell through. So, for those who don't know, I haven't really announced it on the show yet, but I did. I recently made a job change to another company, same position, but if anybody's in the Dallas Fort Worth area, I highly would suggest checking out Tally Riggins. It's a fantastic company, fantastic leadership in people. So, chelsea, thanks again for coming on. I really appreciate your insight into marketing and shedding light onto just a different part of the industry that we don't really talk about too much.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, absolutely, it's been great. Thank you for having me on. It's been a pleasure to get to talk about this and talk about the additional opportunities in our field.
Speaker 3:
Very cool. We'll keep Jett set and Chelsea. I love the photos.
Speaker 1:
I will I will.
Speaker 2:
If you're a military veteran in the construction industry or you're in the construction industry and support our military vets and you'd like to be a guest on the podcast, you can find me at constructionvetpodcastcom or send me a message on LinkedIn. You can find me there at Scott and Fran. Let's share the stories and motivate others.