Shed Geek Podcast

STEEL KINGS: From Pole Barns To Partnerships

• Shed Geek Podcast • Season 5 • Episode 93

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Ready for a clearer path through post-frame and metal buildings? We dig into what actually builds trust—real accreditation, transparent design tools, and partnerships you can visit, walk, and verify. Fresh from a plant tour at Graber Post and gearing up for the NFBA Conference, we map out how dealers can stay indispensable while manufacturers inch toward direct sales.

We start with the practical: NFBA dates, hotel tips, and why the association’s classes and accreditation raise the bar for pole barns. Then we get hands-on. SmartBuild lets us design to the screw so change orders don’t derail budgets, and IdeaRoom brings customers into the 3D process without confusing the scope. Watching trusses move from pre-cut lumber to finished assemblies inside a clean, organized facility made one point impossible to miss—quality is a system. When your operations, subs, and suppliers are aligned, turnkey stops being a promise and becomes the only way you work.

We also face the hard truths. In a market where four quotes cluster around 20k and one outlier dangles 16.5k, the risk isn’t just price—it’s lost time, weak engineering, and vanished refunds. That’s why we push for standards in metal buildings and sheds, similar to what NFBA has done for post-frame. Until a strong association exists, dealers must self-govern with clear scopes, milestone payments, documented engineering, and consistent updates. Pair that with disciplined geography, vetted subs, and SEO that brings in qualified buyers, and you’ve got an engine that survives manufacturer shifts.

Along the way we share new partnerships sparked at trade shows, our expanding content plans, and a few personal notes on community work and staying focused through slow season. If you sell sheds, carports, or pole barns, this is a roadmap for 2026: get accredited where possible, design transparently, manage projects tightly, and build alliances that last. Enjoy the ride, then help us raise the standard across the industry.
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Solar Blaster

Jared:

Hey, hey, what's going on, guys? This is Jared and Eric. We are the Steel Kings. We're back at you with another episode. Gonna get into it, man. Episode 34. It is Monday, October the 27th, and we are checking in with you guys. It has been a busy couple of weeks, a busy couple of months for Steel Kings, but we are checking in with you. Eric, my brother, what's going on, man? How are you?

Eric:

Oh, I'm cold and I'm busy. I'm busier than two squirrels wrestling in a wool sock.

Jared:

Ha! Shout out of a canon, Eric.

Eric:

Yeah. No, no room. We're getting around. There's no room, man.

Jared:

Before we dive in, before we dive in, quick shout out to the team at Cold Spring Enterprises makers of the Versa Bend. This machine bends two inch, two and a half inch, square tubing up to two and three, uh, two and three inches, uh rectangular tubing and three bins, no tools needed just to switch sizes. It's precision built in. If you're still using the five-bin method, you're behind, check them out. Cse carport.supply or call 864-446-3645. Tell Wendell and the team that the Steel Kings sent you over. Eric man, we are jumping into it. We have been to the Shed Expo, we've been to the role forming show, and I have to tell you guys, we've got another one coming up. It's right around the corner. Um, we're gonna talk about NFBA today. So that's the National Frame Builders Association. They've got a upcoming trade show for those of you that are in the industry and want to attend will be February the 25th and the through the excuse me, February 25th through the 27th at the Oklahoma City Convention Center. So definitely traveling south, Eric. What about you, man? I know you'll be there. I'll be there. Looking forward to it.

Eric:

I mean, honestly, I'm hyped.

Jared:

Heck yeah, man. I want to drop the yeah, I want to drop the details for you guys. NFBA conference and NFBA conference and expo, February 25th through the 27th, 2026, Oklahoma City Convention Center. Um, they do have some hotel rooms blocked, so get in on those. Um, the hotel room block is for the omni, so the omni is a nice hotel. Um, I've not been to the omni in Oklahoma City, but I have attended an omni before and uh enjoyed my stay. So I can tell you guys if you guys are looking for something to do in late February before the busy season ramps up, get to NFBA conference and expo. Gotta go. You will not be disappointed. It's one of the bigger events of the year, and the Steel Kings will be there and we will be excited. Eric man, what's been going on, dude? Anything?

Eric:

Oh, not too much. Um, just uh work, church, sleep, you know it.

Jared:

And um the normal, the normal cycle, the normal cycle of things.

Eric:

Yeah, look really, really honestly looking forward to that trade show. I um we haven't been solo before, so we're going on a solo trip and we're gonna have a boot space. It's not gonna be Steel Kings, but it will be something. And uh we'll be there. We're meeting with NFBA in a week and a half, so super excited to have lunch with those guys. Um it just so happens, they're like down the street.

Jared:

So they're like 10 minutes from a house, so yeah, so we're excited about that relationship. Yeah, it's good to connect with those in the industry. The uh the Frame Builders Association is a is a trade association, obviously, for those of us in the uh the post frame world who are doing pole barns and things. They've got classes and all kinds of things that you can do, but they also do an accreditation program where you can become an accredited uh Postbuilder. So, I think that that's a really cool program. It was something that we were not aware of when we started getting into uh postframe and pole barns late last year. Um, you know, like we've talked about, we've been doing that for a while, but we finally decided we wanted to organize it, get a little bit more uh official, if you will. So I think that as you are growing your businesses, if you're out there doing pole barns, NFBA is a very good organization to uh throw some time behind. It's nfba.org. So national framebuildersassociation.org, nfba.org. Um, what I'll tell you, dude, is I am beyond excited. I just got back, so it's not very often that that I get to take a trip. So I got to go spend a couple of days with our friends over at Graber Post, um, tying this back into we're gonna do a kind of a pole barn episode today, I think. Um got to spend some time with Graber, man, and I can tell you.

Eric:

Yeah, tell us uh tell us about that. Tell us about that.

Jared:

I can tell you, man. Um Kenny and the team over at uh at Graber are doing a great job. Kenny's one of the sales managers there, and we work with the team. Uh you know, obviously we're 3D designing these buildings. We're working on a tool called Smart Build. So, Smart Build is something that we've just gotten used to this year that is so much more involved. Um it calculates the components of the building. Um, and for those screw, right? Yeah, to the screw, to the screw, whatever.

Eric:

Adam got a big liken to he likes that.

Jared:

He likes that kind of gotta we've got a guy in our office named Adam who's really taken the lead on our pole barn side. Um, this guy's just as black and white as it gets. And what I can tell you is the team over at Graber, man, they just welcomed us in. Um, we got to spend as much time with them as we as we needed to. They hooked us up with swag bags. It was just a really good time. And what I'll tell you is they're doing it the right way. They've got a world-class facility there in Montgomery, Indiana, and I can tell you, man, it it's something to see from somebody who's in the industry like me to actually go to a facility that is clean, neat, organized to follow the whole process. Um, watching them make trusses was just something else. You know, you got these 10 guys on a on a on a table, and they're basically taking these pre-cut pieces of lumber and they're forming trusses, and then they have a big machine that comes over and kind of laminates, not an actual laminator, but it kind of puts everything together, and then they lift the truss up and it goes outside. And then you drive through that process and you get to see all the trusses that are ready to go for different customers and things. But I can tell you, I enjoyed my time. And if you guys are in the market for any kind of post-frame building materials, uh, I can't recommend Graber Post Frame enough. They are absolutely um one of our preferred partners, not only at Dayton Barns, but at Five Rivers Pole Barns. And I can tell you, you know, no advertisement needed. They uh they know what they're doing. So I can tell you we really appreciate them and I appreciate that time. Opened up their doors for myself and Adam to come spend a couple days and really just uh enjoyed that time. But I can tell you, dude, that leads everything back to where we're going with the 3D design process too. So, for those of you that are in the post-frame world and those of you that might be using Graber, now they're starting to implement forward facing to the customer with Idea Room. And that's another thing that Eric and I just love is we love the guys at Idea Room too. And I feel like we're getting a little bit ad advertising heavy here, Eric. But I mean, I think we're trying to catch up on everything that we've learned over the last few weeks and months with all the trade shows and expos, right? Just trying to catch everybody up. It's um it's been a weird couple months, right?

Eric:

I uh yeah, I think my thought is I'm normally in control of who I meet. Like you just you just meet. If you want to meet somebody, you can go meet, you know, and we've been blown away. I mean, you guys, you guys are watching this on November 3rd. Today, you watched October 27th, you watched Craig Felker's interview with us, and man, we're getting into rooms with the charisma, with the ribs, with the people that love people, the people that love industry, they're set up, they're professional. Like, man, and I just feel like you know, the uh God is just putting us in rooms in conversations that that uh that we couldn't get to if we didn't take some leaps of faith. And so, I think that the trade show stuff, man, is just paying off, you know. I think I agree with that.

Jared:

I think it's awesome that we get to relay this stuff, you know, and if it's if there's anything that you want to know about specifically, definitely reach out to myself or Eric. Um, you know, it's just one of those things where if we can all work together, I know we've been talking about this for months on the podcast, but it's really one of those things where if you make yourself available and you make yourself the obvious choice, you're gonna get yourself into meetings where you didn't think that you'd have an opportunity to have meetings. Uh two years ago, I would have never thought I'd be visiting Graber Post and having the opportunity to visit their facility and see what kind of world-class materials and operation that they have there. I mean, I just never would have thought that two years ago. Never would have thought that we would be having a meeting with the National Frame Builders Association. And these are all people that are really, really, really tied up in the industry of post-frame buildings and really doing next level things to make it easier for dealers like us to have the experience and the tools necessary, obviously, to sell their products, right? That's what that's what it's all about. But that's what makes us money. And you know, I wish that the shed industry and the carport industry would take a would take a leap of faith, sort of like the post frame. You know, I think that's the thing that that I have personally figured out about working in post frame now almost a year.

Eric:

Um, maybe we're the ones supposed to put it on, man.

Jared:

Yeah, I mean it's possible. We've talked about it, right? We've talked about, you know, industry uh like a trade association for metal buildings. I think sheds are the same way. I think that they are really, really, really in need of something that organizes the group of people that not only sell, manufacture, build, deliver, all of it. And I think that until we have that in the carport and uh shed industry, we're still gonna have this disorganized chaos. Some people love it, some people hate it. And I can tell you, I love the industry, I love metal buildings for specifically metal buildings and carport buildings. I have a real passion for, and I can tell you, man, we have a long way to go in that industry to catch up with post-frame. And if we want to be treated the same way that people treat a pole barn, because I know there's a lot of you guys out there that are selling metal buildings, just like we are. How many people in a day do you service that's like, man, I want a pole barn? And a lot of you guys can't sell them because you're just selling carport buildings, and it's like you know what people want, they want pole barns, period. You have to overcome the initial objection of hey, I want a pole barn. Well, I can get you a tubular steel building. Well, I want a pole barn. I mean, it's just not the same thing, and I can tell you, you know, air.

Eric:

You know, you know the slow the look the long-term you can't just take somebody's money on a pole barn and run. Yeah, because you gotta go to the no but nobody's gonna nobody's gonna give you their down payment over the phone on a pool barn, yeah. Unless it's a kit specifically. So I think the industry bleeds uh seriously with the metal buildings because um there's so much opportunity for fraud. I mean, we got that guy in Wisconsin that I was hoping to get on here that like bought a bought a freaking building. I mean, it horror stories of giving 5k over the internet and then you just never get the building. I think with pole bars, it's just a little more insulated because it's a higher end, careful customer. There's not a ton of online game going on, yeah. And which is good for us because we're more of a you know, you're definitely a more delicate salesperson in like the time that it takes. You like the slow burn. And I'm more like a I like I like the quicker ones, and so people take advantage of it, but you can't do it at pole barns, so poll barns take longer to sell.

Jared:

Pole barns are a more they absolutely are a longer, longer process from start to finish because there's so much that goes into it, especially the way that we do it. So we're doing it. Um I think a lot of people sell pole barn kits, and I want to take away from that. Um, but it's hard to sell pole barn kits, in my opinion, unless you're really, really, really good at it. Um, and at least do it in a way where you know the customer is gonna get what they deserve. Um, what we're doing is we're doing the project from start to finish. So we're generating the lead, we're selling the lead, and then we work with subcontractors to actually get the buildings installed, and we do that, you know, within a certain location, it's around 150 miles from our home base. Um, so we're doing that, and it's going well. And so far, the projects have been fruitful, customers are happy, and we're super thankful. Um, but taking that taking that next step took a lot of um it took a lot of guts, to be completely honest. It's a totally different mindset that you have to be in when you're selling pole barns. And for those of you that are on here and like, man, you know, I'm selling carport buildings and I'm selling sheds, pole barns are just a natural transition, whether it's kits or doing the whole builds, but you don't want to get ahead of yourself, man. I'm telling you right now, you need your ducks in a row and you need to be working with good partners and good suppliers, number one, to get your materials sourced at a at a decent rate. And then from there, if you are going to be doing the whole install, you have to worry about who's putting that building up and how much it's gonna cost you. You have to determine that every step of the way. And I think that's been it's been a hindrance, but it's also been a blessing because we've been able to take our time a little bit and really get to know the process inside and out so that we're not making a bunch of mistakes. Um, I mean, is that the way you see it, Eric?

Eric:

I mean, maybe I'm just maybe I'm just being um, I think our you know, our it's the post frame is a big blue ocean for us.

Jared:

Sure.

Eric:

Because we can leverage Dayton Barns customer service history. We're adding pole barns to our website literally as we speak, it'll be done this week. Um we're not gonna do kits anywhere, we're just gonna do turnkey in like a hundred mile bubble of Dayton, Ohio. Maybe it's I think actually I did 60 mile bubble when I set it up. So we're really gonna try to build one project at a time. You know, once we do 50, I think we'll just be off to the races. But then there's the Steel Kings podcast aspect, and then there's the NFBA show, which is local. You know, I kind of feel like we're gonna partner with them in hopefully, hopefully they can.

Jared:

Would like to, yeah. Would like to.

Eric:

I mean, uh, you know, I think what we want, well, okay, let me say this and then I'll pass it back. What we want out of the metal building industry, which is a cohesive industry where it's trustworthy and it's governed by its own self in custom, you know, and what where the post-frame lacks, we don't know where it lacks. We're gonna go and hopefully become, you know, a good strong media source and a networker and those types of things, what the metal building industry needs, but we just don't have a lane to do it unless we're the ones that start it, which I think is complicated. You know, with the metal buildings, you got everybody and their mamas related that's that owns the and a lot oftentimes it's like they're bitter. Yeah. Yeah, no, the advocacy.

Jared:

Like, I think our biggest thing is we want to be we want to be advocates. So I think we not only want to be advocates for the people who listen to this podcast, we want to be advocates for the industries in which we serve. And that's the way that Eric and I look at things. I I can, I mean, that's what we've talked about in private off this podcast is that we want to be good stewards and advocates for the things we believe in. I believe in metal buildings and carports. I'd be the first one. If you're listening to this and you're considering doing a trade organization, give me a phone call, shoot me an email. I will be there, I will help you. Um, I don't have the bandwidth to start a trade organization. I don't have the bandwidth nor the desire. What I can tell you is I love what the NFBA is doing in the industry. Um, looking over, you know, what comes with a membership, looking over some of the qualifications and some of the things that they offer you is just it's better than nothing. And I think that with sheds, it let me say this, it's far better than nothing. It's superior. And with carports and metal buildings and sheds, there's just none of that. You know, we build these things however we want. The engineering's all over the place. And like Eric said, you know, a lot of the companies are, let's just say, interesting, interestingly developed. Um, you know, I think the thing that that I struggle with currently in my mind is the dealer model. We we've talked about this, Eric. You know, if you're listening to this and you're selling metal buildings and you're thinking that it's just gonna be the same old, same old until the end of time, you're literally missing it. You're watching the train roll by. And what Eric and I have figured out, no, no short order. I mean, we've sold a lot of metal buildings over the last five, six years. Metal building manufacturers are gonna start selling buildings, it's just all there is to it. And dealers are gonna be the ones who are hurting. And if you don't have some sort of backup plan, if you're not selling wood sheds or pole barns or playsets or hunting blinds or whatever it is, you better get yourself a second income coming in quick. Because I'm telling you, I mean, we can see the trends. I talk to people, and I can tell you, it is not a far-fetched concept to think that in three or four solid years the metal building and carport industry is going to be turned upside down. I love it, and I would be the first one to sign up to to try to broker some sort of agreement where we can all go after online dealers who are less than less than relevant. I mean, I can't tell you how many times I I got guys, guys and gals in my shop here, they'll bring me a deal, and let's just say, let's say we're all working on a $20,000 building, right? We're working on a $20,000 building. I've got five quotes lined up here, and and four of the five quotes are $20K, give or take $500. So now you're looking at the quality, you're looking at the business that's selling it, you're looking at all those things, but there's one quote that sticks out that's like $16.5 and that customer is just bound and determined. I'm gonna pay $16.5 for this building. Well, you can pay $16.5 for this building, and you can let me know when it gets there. And these are the customers who end up calling back and saying, Hey, I got you know, I got taken, or hey, it's been a year now and I still don't have a building. Well, can you guys help me out? Unfortunately, when you put your money down, you know, and there might be some people who are listening to this, there are just not a lot of folks out there in the refund business. You know, I'm in the resolution business, I'm not in the refund business. We do refund occasionally when the situation comes up. There's there's some situations that you just can't get around. But I can tell you, man, the metal building in Carport space is in is in a is in for a rude awakening. I can tell you that. I believe it in my heart, I believe it with every ounce and fiber of my being, and I love it like right now. Eric can attest to this. Eric doesn't, I don't think Eric, you don't love it, right? I mean, it's it's what pays our bills, but I mean, you know I love it, and it disappoints me. Yeah, yeah. Um, there's a difference, right?

Eric:

I mean, you love it, but like I really you know, I've passed the steering wheel to you, bro. Yeah, it's one of the I'm just in the back, I'm just in the back with a laptop, bro. Yeah, trying to keep trying to make leads. We got a million index pages.

Jared:

I'll tell you what. Yeah, it's a heavy load, man. It's a heavy load to love. You want to know that you feel is struggling sometimes, right?

Eric:

The thing, the thing that I've learned the most is that I can help Dayton Barns the best by giving getting leads to Dayton Barns. That's my I think my lane with Dayton Barns is to be the face, be a face, and and make leads happen. Today we crossed over a million index pages. We're still getting a cranking amount of uh uh clicks and leads. I mean, we woke up today, I think right over 50 leads ready from over the weekend that just happened from the website. So um if you need SEO help, hit me up.

Jared:

Yeah, check out uh you know, yeah, we'll get we'll give the hype we'll give the hype right now. Email Jared or uh Eric um about defined SEO. If you guys want help with your SEO or marketing needs, um, we're not making a huge big deal or anything about it, but it is one thing that is we will one day. One day. Right now, we're looking for the right partners who want the right help. We're not looking for anything cookie cut or anything like that. We want to help you guys do the things in this industry that you want to do, whether that's woodsheds, metal buildings, hunting blinds, whatever it is, pole barns. We want to help you guys get to your goals. We definitely want to hear about your wins and losses. We want to know what works and what doesn't work.

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Jared:

Because I can tell you, I've got a megaphone, and if something ain't working and there's an issue, we'll come to bout. We actually just uh we just started working with a with a team, and I'll and I'll leave that team's name out because I'm not sure if they want us talking about it. But we just brought on a uh a pretty sizable wood shed company to work with us on some things, and one of those things is selling metal buildings, and you know, I think that they were shocked when Eric and I we actually met at the roll forming show. So this is all something that's come about in the last couple of months, and you know, that we were talking about, you know, hey, why are you selling you know, they were having an issue with their manufacturer on metal buildings, and I said, Well why don't you just switch your manufacturer? And they they wanted to be done selling metal buildings completely, going away. I think we're just gonna be done with it. They can come get their demos and we'll go back to selling sheds. And I'm like, why? Why would you not sell metal buildings? Ah, there's a hassle. Well, there's roads to there's roads to uh resolution, so they're gonna sell metal buildings with us, we're gonna process their orders and we're gonna help them out on their website, we're gonna do some things for them. And at the end of the day, that was a relationship that was really breathed and born through this podcast, honestly. So that's one major win for one pretty sizable shed company that is going to be selling metal buildings in a way they never have been before, and they're gonna get help on their website and help with different things. And again, this is not something we're gonna talk about at length or go crazy about, but Eric and I have a real passion. I want you guys to really hear it in my voice. We have a passion to help people like us because if somebody would have been along the road four or five years ago and helped us, maybe we'd be further than we are now, and if we can all lock arms and be in agreement for just a second, say we want the industry to do better. Metal building dealers in particular, and shed dealers in particular, really need to heed what I'm saying. We really need to work together to ensure that our livelihoods are safe because if manufacturers decide they don't need us anymore, um that's gonna be disappointing. I mean, we have other verticals and other avenues. Jared and Eric are fine. Now I don't know about my team. These are meetings that I have fairly often, quite honestly, about hey, sell which can right now, get your leads in the pipeline, get them cooking, touch your leads all the time. You never know when we're gonna have an issue with a manufacturer. We've had, gosh, seems like every year, man, we we run with we run with the hot hand. We sell with who we can sell with, and then we have to switch off. And I know you guys are experiencing this. Like, I know it. I know we're not the only game, I know we're not the only team in town that struggles with keeping a metal manufacturer. We went to a role forming show that had nothing to do with woodsheds, really nothing to do with metal buildings. It was about large-scale, really commercial roofers. That was like a commercial roofing show, if anything else. But I mean, we met these guys and they recognized us from the podcast, immediately struck up a real good conversation, and here we are. Now we're working together on some projects and hopefully making both of our businesses better. And again, if we can do that, that will make everyone better. Is that kind of the way you see it, Eric? I mean, I mean, that's what we're doing.

Eric:

Yeah, it's like uh we just put all the ingredients in the slow cooker.

Jared:

Yeah, and we want everybody to come get it.

Eric:

And it's soup season, and we just want it to simmer and see what happens because all the flavors together are gonna lead to something, yeah. You know, um, we are we are you know, as the Steel Kings, we are growing our audience, we are growing our um our stretch, our reach. Um, we will be going to at least three trade shows that I can count next year. Yep. Um, most likely four, honestly, because roll form, shed show. Um, there's a you know post-frame, the post-frame, the rural builder show.

Jared:

And then you got York, you got York PA in June. You've got Gatlinburg in September.

Eric:

Yeah.

Jared:

Um, Gatlinburg is the one I think that we're kind of up in the air about, honestly, because it's around the same time as the Shed Expo. Yeah, the three that we will absolutely be at is the National Frame Builders Association show in Oklahoma City. We will absolutely be at the rural or the I believe it's the rural builder show. Let me, I've got it pulled up. It's the rural builder show in uh York, PA. Because that one there is gonna be another one with our buddies over at Shield Wall. Yeah, so the post-frame rural plane builder show, that's the former garage carport shed expo. That one's gonna take place in York, PA. That should be a really good one. Um, probably a lot of our friends uh near the York, PA area, but that's in June. And then we've got Shed Expo, which is obviously in September. Yeah, and I can tell you, those are the three that we'll absolutely be at. I don't know that we'll make it to the role for me show in Gatlinburg. Um, that one's just it's too close to Shed Expo.

Eric:

Might go just as a tender, maybe one of us might go. We we have just so you guys know if you're listening, we we've um we're gonna be really taking a front-facing approach, and so looking forward to trade shows, and we're trying, you know, we're trying to do what we can tossing around booth space and different things, and one thing I definitely want to invite you guys to do is check out our social medias.

Jared:

Um we're gonna start posting on there regularly. Um, check us out on Facebook, X, um, Threads, wherever you guys get your social media content, Instagram. Um, we're also cleaning up and modernizing our website, thesteelkings.com, and also going to be uploading all of our back episodes to YouTube. So we will have our own you know stream for you guys to come back and listen to our episodes. Um, we're gonna continue working with the guys at Shed Geek. We love Shannon and his team, they've been great to us. Um, we're gonna keep plugging along and continuing to work alongside of and in support of Shed Geek as things continue to move within the industry. Um, I think 2026 is gonna be an interesting year, man. I've just got this like I've just got this like collected feeling that 2026 is gonna be impactful, not just for the Steel Kings, but for everybody. I feel like everybody's kind of on edge to figure out let's get through the holidays. Like I already feel like, man, it's gonna be Thanksgiving before we know it, Christmas, and then it's a new year. So I feel like 2026 is like on us.

Eric:

It's getting to be slow season, and I know that you know, no number seven is a is a it's our seventh year. Yeah, it's my seventh year, and so that means you know, we're we've crossed over six over uh 12 days ago. We celebrated year six completion, or it's our birthday, so now we're in year seven and um perfection and Completion is the number seven. And so I just know if you do something for seven years, you know, you've heard that kind of like weird thing. They say if your marriage makes it past seven years, you're locked in.

Jared:

Yeah.

Eric:

And um, so in my mind, I'm like, if you've been doing something for seven years, you've had the good, the bad, the ugly, you have enough wisdom to kind of take into the rest because it you're not at 10, but you're not at like three anymore where you're still trying to. I think we've got a beat and some confidence in some things um that could really, really um take off.

Jared:

We want you guys to come along for that journey. Yeah, we want you to come. You guys have already been on the journey with us this year, and we are so thankful that you guys have. I mean, this is episode 34, and I'll be honest with you, didn't think we'd make it to episode one. I I never dreamed in a hundred years that we'd be on a podcast um filming content with my best friend, doing the things that I love to do, talking about metal buildings, sheds, now getting into post-frame. And I mean, what we've what we have gathered is that there is a desire for more information about pole barns, it's just needed in the industry, and we're gonna try to provide it alongside of all the information we provide on you know, metal buildings, sheds, industry trends, just normal, you know, you guys have heard us get on and talk about lots of different things, but specifically right now, you know, I think what Eric and I are doing is we're getting into hibernation mode a little bit. We're getting into man, we're gonna have to grind right now. This is grind time, you know. And you guys have heard me say it. There's really not a time that we don't grind. I'm just gonna give you a little peek behind the curtain. We almost never stop grinding, we work hard all the time, we very rarely take breaks, we very rare, very rarely rest. But I can tell you, we do it because we love what we do. I truly do. And I know that there are a lot of you guys out there that are really thinking along the same lines as me, man. Like, man, my sales are down. This has been a bad year. Well, right now is the time to try to figure out what you're gonna do in 2026, not to sulk about it. Because what's gonna happen is in a couple of weeks, you're gonna get into Thanksgiving mode. And once you're in Thanksgiving mode, you ain't gonna be right until after the first of the year. You might as well just write that down. If you don't continue to focus and really, really, really focus on what you're doing, you're gonna lose a couple months of time. And then 2026 is gonna be here and you've got no game plan. No game plan. And you don't want to be like that. I can I can tell you if you are listening to my voice and I make headway with you, resolve yourself to fix it. Because I can tell you, that's the feedback we're getting. That's the feedback we're getting from you guys, is you want straightforward, honest, and that's what we're gonna give you. I'll give it to you every time because I really appreciate you guys giving us the time to listen to us. Eric, you were like clicking away, brother.

Eric:

You were like, I'm literally like I got I've bought a bunch of irons and I've put them in the fire.

Jared:

I'll tell you what, dude. I don't know.

Eric:

So let me show you guys what I'm doing. Today I'm driving to Minerva.

Jared:

So you're going to plain community?

Eric:

I'm going to Alliance. I'm going, I'm literally, it's 2.19 p.m. I will be in the truck on the way by 3 p.m. I will be staying the night and hanging out with honestly, dude. We met him at the roll form show. Great guys.

Jared:

Yeah.

Eric:

Great guys. And we're doing some business with them. And I'm going up to further the courting process of it and take some footage and different things. And um, man, I'm just excited. Excited for that partnership. And honestly, making friends who are like-minded in in the community and uh in our industry. And um I think that's a good thing.

Jared:

I'm just thinking about that.

Eric:

And I'm thinking about thinking about all the crap I did last night. I preached at a prison. I don't know if I said that earlier, but I was at the Warren County. I was at the I was at the Warren County Correctional Institute last night, right there when you get off the highway and you're going to like the uh the outlets that are down there.

Jared:

And yeah, I know right where you're at.

Eric:

Yeah, yeah, it's like a big grab. So I was in there and so I was at I taught Sunday school yesterday morning, went to regular church, then I went to two o'clock service at the West Campus, and then they're the ones that took us. So, I went to five church services yesterday and preached at three of them. And I'm so I'm like, I'm tired. And so, but you know what, you want to know something? Let me just say this. Let me touch your hearts with something kind of unique today. I was nervous because I'd never been there before. You know, who you know, you don't every day you don't get just go to a prison and walk in there. And so I was in there and they had maximum security first, and so it was a super small group, it was like 10, maybe 10 people, and we were late, and I walk in, and it's three guys like doing life in prison, and they're singing worship on a microphone. And like, yeah, I walk in and they're like, Hey man, how's it going? I'm so bro, unbelievable humility to you know, and we put on a church service, it was great. I got to pray with a lot of the guys there, and then Gen Pop came, like the normal, you know, the three three-year people, like whatever, they're not in there forever, you know. Yeah, not sure the offense is none of my business, but bro, they took it seriously, man. It was like 150 men, all vulnerable, all crying, all listening. I didn't, and it was just it was touching because like they don't number one, they don't have to do it, but like number two, you know, think of all the stuff they wrestle with, you know, all the things they've done, the regrets, the rewinding, the stuff that's going on, and I don't know, man. It was just touching. That's so that's part of my vulnerable side there, but yeah, no, I think that that's higher from it.

Jared:

I'm trying to catch up, but you know, I think that that it puts a personal face on it, right? So, I mean, Eric does a lot of ministry stuff, he's you know, doing so much stuff outside of the steel buildings and post-frame and sheds, you know, like me, when you guys hear this Monday, November the third, tomorrow is election day here in Ohio. I'm actually on the ballot for the first time on the ballot for uh city council in my in my community. Um I'm a park, I'm on the park board, I'm on the chamber of commerce board of directors, and this is kind of a penultimate moment for me, is it's something I've dreamed of, right? And I finally took so you guys saw us talk to Rodney Creech uh a couple months ago now. We talked about steel tariffs and different things. So if you get a chance, go back and check out our episode with Rodney. Uh it was a really good conversation. But I've known Rodney now for a couple years, and he just motivated me. He said, Jared, you know, you do a lot of talking, but not a lot of doing. And he's like, you know, why don't you just do it? Why don't you just run for council? Why don't you get involved? So here I am. I'm running for city council, um, looking good right now. So, you know, wish me wish me some luck. We'll get you guys an update, you know, next week on the podcast. We'll let you know how things are going. Um, but I can tell you, man, I stay busy too. I've got three daughters that I love, and volleyball and basketball, and all the things. I mean, just keeping me busier than a one-armed man in a wallpaper factory. I can tell you. And for me specifically, man, I think that we can relate to so many people out there, Eric, you and I. We're the we're the we're the we're the uh perfect, we are the perfect example of what you do in this industry when you're a metal building dealer, shed dealer, pole barn dealer. We've got lives outside work, we've got things that we have to handle. Some of us have kids, some of us have lives, some of us have ministry projects, some of us are on city council, some of us have all kinds of struggles we're dealing with, some of us have great lives, some of us don't have great lives. What I can tell you is if you're listening to the Steel Kings, we want to reach you in whatever way we can. Check us out. I think that's I think on that note, man, we're gonna wrap up for today. I think that's a really good idea.

Eric:

Thanks for checking that. I mean, that is, man. You said do stuff nice for your community.

Jared:

All right, yeah, yeah. Here we are, man. I mean, it's literally what it's literally what I say every episode, guys. And we're gonna finish up this episode the same way we always. We're gonna turn the music on. We're gonna get amped up for another. Bengals got beat by the Jets. By one point, we are gonna get out in our communities and we're gonna do something special, something for somebody else. It'll make you feel good, man. I'm telling you. I can tell you I am super thankful for you. I'm super thankful for you listening. I'm super thankful for you, Eric. We will be back at you this time next week with another episode of the Steel Kings Podcast. Anything else, Eric, on the way out, brother? I'm in. Sling some sheds, cling some metal buildings, get motivated. Don't go on Thanksgiving break quite yet. All right.

Eric:

Talk at you soon.

Jared:

That's right. Later on, guys, travel safe, Eric.