January 25, 2025 • 48 mins
Full show from the Donovan & Jorgenson Heating & Cooling Studio: Saturday, January 25th, 2025
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Creative Construction of Wisconsin home improvement show
on Fox Sports nineteen twenty and your iHeartRadio app coming
live from the Donovan and Jorgenson Heating and Cooling Studios.
Any issues you have with that HVAC system go to
Donovan Jorgenson dot com, the largest owned, employee owned HVAC
company the state of Wisconsin. I am Mike McGivern to
(00:22):
my coast, just back this week.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yeah, and I'll bring up talking about Donovan Jargason, right, Yeah,
I know. It's a person that didn't use Donovan Jargason
and their thing broke a year later. Yeah, and they said, oh,
you know what the guy did install that did it wrong? Right,
So then they charged them, right, they charged them to
fix it. That's somebody wrong, he is, Well, we're not
gonna try your parts because those are mistake.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Oh boy, that was this horrible.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Horrible Well I had them out two Saturday nights ago,
and you were in here last week. But I woke
up and I thought I woke up at like two
and more. I thought, did Terry turn down that thermostat?
And so I went over and I put my phone
to the thermostat and I had it at seventy one
and it was at sixty four. I thought, uh oh,
(01:08):
woke up now it was at sixty two Sunday morning,
getting ready for church, I thought, So I called Scott Fisher,
a Downovan Jorgensen. They sent somebody out, got fixed pretty quick.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
So but that's what you called for Zach's problem too, right,
and when Zach was doing his thing yep. So so
can everybody call Scott Fisher or just you, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
I can just give his name and phone number, I
give you home address, all of that.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Stuff, because that's I mean, you know, it was pretty
chilly last week.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Oh it was cold.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Scott Fisher must have been really busy.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Yeah, they you know what they do, very busy. Yeah.
They had a good week for sure. How you been good?
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Doing good? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Doing good? Yeah? I missed you last week, but you
had Aaron.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Yeah, he couldn't wait to do the show.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
He did great.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yeah, because you know that that got cabinet maker. That'shere
he get all the horse shavings from man.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
What a good guy he is. Yeah. Yeah, he a
lot of pride in what he's doing. And it's good
to hear that a company that just started as busy
as he is, which is awesome. Hey, I'm excited about
today's show and a number of reasons I'm excited about
today's show. We get a chance to talk a little
bit about stepping Stone Homes and Eva Friar, she's the
(02:11):
division president, is in studio with us along inside jenn
Or Jennifer. I'm going to call her Jennifer. I guess
she's shaking her head. Yeah, okay, Coteney. She's the sales
manager for stepping Stone Homes. Go to Steppingstone Homes dot
net to learn more about these guys. E. It's nice
to meet you. How are you.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
I'm great.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
How are you?
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Yeah, I'm good. Not bad for your girl from Indiana.
Now you're now you're a chief head, right I am.
Speaker 6 (02:39):
It's hard not to be when you move here.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
That's awesome. How long have you been with stepping Stone Homes?
Speaker 6 (02:45):
Just over three years? And things going well, Things are
going great.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
It's a good company. I've done a lot of research
on this company. Yeah that sounded Go Wait a minute,
it comes and goes this company and we're going to
get into that servant leadership part the mission of this
company and some of the things that you guys believe
in and give back to our community. One of the
things that one of the main reasons we wanted to
(03:10):
have you in is you guys have teamed up with
Saint Juds Children's Research Hospital and we're building a home
that the proceeds are all going to go to Saint
Jude's and I think that's really commendable and I thank
you guys for that. When people ask you about Stepping
Stone Homes, you being the division president for them, talk
(03:33):
to me a little bit about the mission statement? What
made you come and work for them?
Speaker 5 (03:38):
Well, stepping Stone Homes is just such a great company,
probably about seven years old. So we're a newer company
and we're part of Home Path Financial and the owners,
Jeff and Tracy Kleiner, are just great people, and really
we are. We want to build a quality home and
that is through and through, and we want to make
(03:58):
sure that we have happy because so it's pretty easy
to do what I do when that's our mission.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Hey, what what keeps you up at night? What part
of the gig? And the reason I ask is we
had a home builder in not that long ago, and
I will tell you what his answer was. Finding finding
space right, finding places to build our home absolutely is
the most difficult part, and that's what keeps him up
at night. And I'm wondering if that's the same for you.
Speaker 5 (04:26):
It is the same for me. It's really hard to
find land these days. And so we're going to I mean,
hopefully we don't run out. We've got a lot of
great properties coming up, so we're excited about that. But definitely,
I think that's probably number one on most of the
home builders lists.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
And you've got and when I said, hey, you've got
open houses today, you go, yeah, we we have a
lot of open houses. But there's two Menominee Falls open
houses today from eleven to three. If people want to
see the kind of work that you guys do, what
a perfect time to be able to get out and
just walk through the Lauren or the Clara, both the
Menominee Falls again eleven to three. And if you go
(05:04):
to Steppingstone Homes dot net Steppingstone Homes dot net and
look up open houses and you can you can take
a drive today and go see these beautiful homes that
they have built in some really nice areas and get
a feel for what this company is all about if
we can move the mic a little bit. Jen Cotney,
(05:25):
who's a sales manager for stepping Stone Homes, Hey, Jen,
talk to me a little bit about day to day
for you as a sales manager for stepping Stone Homes.
What's a day like for you?
Speaker 7 (05:36):
Well, good morning. The day for me is pretty fast paced.
We're super busy right now, which was really great. We
have a great sales team who really take pride into
putting people in, you know, their homes, and it's super
rewarding for us.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
How many how many salespeople?
Speaker 4 (05:56):
We have about eight salespeople right now.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Wow. So you're managing that, Ye're in charge of it?
Speaker 7 (06:03):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Yeah, yeah? Do you like the I tried management one time.
I didn't. I don't like it. I didn't like it. No,
I like no. I just like to kind of fly
to the radar, hit my numbers and just leave me alone.
Don't ask what I'm doing. I don't think I would
like to manage a person like me, to be honest
with you, because I just I get things done. I
just I'll hit the numbers that you want. But let's
(06:25):
not let's not spend a ton of time in salesforce.
You know that kind of. I'm kind of old school.
I take a lot of notes and yeah, that kind
that kind of stuff. But what is your background? Where
did you grow up? And I know we talked a
lot about the East Side. We I mean, you live
there now and I live there for a long time.
And we're both leased as pizza.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
We are.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
We like Saphiros. We'll lead Saphiro's pizza. We will, we
will lead, I will. I don't know about you. What
is your background? Where'd you grow up?
Speaker 5 (06:55):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (06:55):
I grew up in Illinois. I've been in Wisconsin for
twenty plus years.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
He said, now, oh something like that, had a girl
a girl? Yeah.
Speaker 7 (07:04):
My background real estate and real estate agent and broker.
Prior to that, I was in the satellite industry, worked
for Dish Network in sales for fifteen years.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
You've been selling for a bit and selling for a
little bit. The difference between being in real estate now
developing real estate, big difference, not huge, not huge, no, man, that.
Speaker 7 (07:27):
I mean we're still building homes and selling homes for families.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Yeah, and you're building one. I am, and I know
who's building it. Yeah, you're pretty comfortable with the company
building that.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
What area you discount.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Maybe maybe is there a friends and family discount or
just family?
Speaker 4 (07:47):
We always try to help our friends and family.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
There you go in in what area? Are you building?
Speaker 4 (07:53):
Monominy falls?
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Good for you? Excited?
Speaker 4 (07:56):
I'm super excited.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
How far along is the project? Oh?
Speaker 4 (07:59):
We did on Monday?
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Can you dig nowadays? Well, we frost, you're gonna rip
the frost? When when is moving day? Do you think?
Speaker 4 (08:12):
Well, that's a really good question. Hopefully this summer?
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Wow? Yeah? And and the plans are all set? Are
you are you? Is it? Is it custom? Is it
more of one that you guys build? What what you're laughing?
Is it a little of both?
Speaker 4 (08:27):
It's a little of both.
Speaker 7 (08:28):
It's uh primarily one of our uh signature floor plans,
the Prescott.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Do you do you have that that gift that I
do not have where you can see things happen before
they happen. Maybe, like if somebody says we're gonna paint
that wall green, can you see it before they paint it?
Because I can't. Even if they take three different greens
and put them on the wall and say which one
(08:54):
do you want? I have no idea. My final decision
is always maybe that's again not only would you hate
the manage a guy like me, You would hate to
build a home for me because I'd be like, I
don't know one Kelly Kelly Green, Yeah, the last time
mcgiffern just put it all over her. Yeah, my wife
wouldn't be so happy, but that's okay. She's been with
(09:14):
me a long time. Not leave it now because I
built a house that's Kelly. Well, maybe she would, I
don't know. So you have that gift and and it's
something that people like Bingo had and you guys have
and I don't.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
But if you don't have that gift, you know they
do have four play You can actually look at their
models for people that need to go see it.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Well, in today's world, everybody wants an open concept, right,
they do, everybody And with this kind of that we
have now is more of an open concept, and there
are some drawbacks to that. In my world there are
and and it's kind of like everybody wants that open
concept so that when you're cooking you can be part
(09:54):
of everything. But the sound and the smell of having
an open concept is a little bit different than when
you don't have it. Sure, but everybody because of those
TV shows everybody starts with I need an open concept.
We want an open concept. By the way, do you
watch those shows fix you know? Uh? List I love it?
Or list it?
Speaker 4 (10:14):
Of course I engage in some of those shows. Yes.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Can you go to an open house party one of
your friends buys a new place? Can you go without
looking around? Going? Oh? I would have done it this way?
And I don't know if it okay? Can you just
go and enjoy yourself? No, no, you cannot. Can you know?
Uh huh, that's awesome? Hey, Eva, if we can move
(10:39):
the microphone. The second and third segment, we're going to
talk a lot about the Saint Jude. Talk to me
about how that came about. And again, if you go
to their website Steppingstone Homes dot net. And the first
thing I did was I went to about us and
I went to the giving back tap and I immediately thought,
(11:01):
so the mission statement and the heartbeat behind this Stepping
Stones Homes is this servant leadership heart because they are
not afraid to say, look, this is who we are,
and we're giving back and we want to give back.
And I reading what some of the quotes were, I
just thought, my goodness, these guys talking about not being
(11:22):
afraid of Look at it. This is who we are.
At the heart of what we do, and this is
right off your website. At the heart of what we
do is genuine desire to help others. When we say
we want to help, we mean making a real difference
in people's lives and communities. And that servant leadership heart
is not something we're born with, but it's something that's learned.
And the president owner of this company has it, and
(11:45):
he has it in a big way, and I commend
him for that. That is that how the whole Saints
You thing came to be.
Speaker 5 (11:53):
Yeah, he and Jeff and Tracy are just they're great
at giving back. They've been fortunate in their lives and
I think it's a big part of who we are
and our company.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Yeah, they're not just donating. Donating whole house.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
A house, right, It's not like, Okay, let's uh, let's
let's make some some bread and we'll donated to get
sold at a you know, at some fundraiser. This is
a whole house. The last sentence in that paragraph that
I was reading, that's why we are committed to giving
a portion of our profits to charities to share the
(12:27):
same values of kindness and support to put that up
on your website. Look, you guys are not running from that.
That's just kind of what the mission statement is and
it's very commendable and the same Jude part about giving
away the profits of an entire house to I have
six grandkids and I'm not, thank God yet and hopefully
(12:51):
never super familiar with Saint Jude. I know enough about
him to be able to carry on a conversation because
I know they do great work and they're helping people
all over the country. But for us, for us now,
I'm part of this. For us to be given this
home away, Okay, for you guys to be given the
home away and the profits of that to Saint Jude,
(13:13):
it is just unbelievable to me that the part of
do you remember when the conversation started in the office
of hey, we should maybe do this.
Speaker 5 (13:23):
I do, actually, so prior to coming to Wisconsin, I
spent a little over twenty years in Saint Louis, and
I was introduced to Saint Jude and with the builder
I was with their paining family homes.
Speaker 6 (13:37):
We actually started doing the home.
Speaker 5 (13:40):
So we built a Saint Jude dream home and so
I was able to kind of lead the charge there
for about eight years and really got to know the
folks at Saint Jude. I've been fortunate enough to visit
the hospital several times and just really became a huge
part of you know, giving back.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
Boy that that experience is something that you will never forget.
I'm sure that first. And look to have these these
grandkids that I have that are children's hospital once in
a while. And you know, I've got five grandsons and
a one year old granddaughter, and I pray that we
(14:19):
can help places like Saint Jude though, and I also
pray that I, you know, I never have to go
there to visit one of my grandkids. And that first
time that you went there had to leave a lasting
impression on not only your heart but your head. Right.
Speaker 6 (14:36):
Absolutely, yes it did.
Speaker 5 (14:37):
And honestly, I was going in there thinking this is
going to be really sad. I don't know what I'm
going to experience, and it wasn't.
Speaker 6 (14:47):
It wasn't sad. These kids there's no wheelchairs, they have.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
Little red wagons. They're going around in red wagons. They're happy.
They make it the most comfortable experience that they can
possibly make.
Speaker 6 (14:59):
It while they're going through these treatments.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
With with other kids going through the same I do
you know, I can I can see kids that age going, Okay,
this is what my day is now. It's it's the
parents and the grandparents and the and the family and
the friends that are all you know going home. And
when when I asked you what keeps you up at night?
(15:22):
That's what keeps them up at night. And the more
money we can give to this research hospital, the better
the stay is for these kids. And the fact that
you brought that with you means it tells me what
that that that trip to Saint Jude's Research Hospital, that
that first trip that you went on, what that did
(15:44):
for you and to get involved in that and then
to bring that with you to hear I'm sure that
this company that you work for jumped up and down
said perfect. That sounds just like what we're all about.
How is this going to work? Now? When when does
that house? Is that house built? Now?
Speaker 6 (16:01):
It is?
Speaker 5 (16:01):
Actually we had our kickoff meeting on Wednesday. It was
called a bricks and Sticks meeting, and at that meeting
we invited all of our trade partners to come and
Saint Jude talked. We actually had a patient family right
from a Nomini Falls, little Colton. He's eleven years old
and he was there when he was seventeen months old,
(16:23):
had a very rare cancer in the brain and he's
now cancer free and has been for a while. So
it was really cool to hear and his mom share
that story. So but yeah, we kicked it off on Wednesday.
We actually broke ground on Wednesday.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
What did you say, do you move the frost around
or you actually broke ground? We did.
Speaker 6 (16:45):
We did.
Speaker 5 (16:46):
The frost is pretty deep right now. It's I think
it's a little over three feet right now. But yes,
so we ripped through the frost and dug a basement.
And the other cool thing about this home is it's
going to be part of the NBA Parade of Homes.
So that's going to kick off on August ninth and
everyone will be able to come see this home.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Yeah, we we do. We we spend and Bigo and
and Sam set it up that we spend one week,
sometimes two weeks talking.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
We'll spend if we had the first two weeks, although
we'll be live on the here talking about home.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Yeah, and we will. We reach out to a few
people and they'll come on via cell phone and we'll
make sure that we reach out to you guys to
be able to do that. How how much help have
you gotten from from some of your trade partners?
Speaker 5 (17:34):
Oh wow, the commitment has been truly unbelievable.
Speaker 6 (17:40):
Unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
And then and the reason that that's important is the
more trade partners you can get to help, the more
profit there is at the end of this for Saint Jude. Absolutely,
And and do you know it's it's interesting doing this
show and getting a chance we've been doing it for
a long time, getting a chance to meet a lot
of people in this field. Boy, there are some people
(18:01):
with big hearts. Man, there are some people that understand
the importance of things like this. So I'm happy to
hear that the trade partners have jumped in with you.
Speaker 5 (18:11):
They have, they have, And I just wanted to clarify
this home. So this home will be part of the
paray to homes and then it'll be on the market.
So we're actually going to sell this home and then
all the proceeds will go to Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
You can get done by August, of course.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Of course, of course, going to those places like two
weeks before the homes.
Speaker 6 (18:34):
At Yeah, you can't really get through the streets, but there's.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
A lot of action. Well, yes, in twenty twenty five,
the NBA Parado homes will be in August and that's
when this it's a dream home show showplace, right, that's
going to help children, and is it Saint ju does
this with other markets? Correct?
Speaker 6 (18:54):
They do? They do?
Speaker 5 (18:55):
They have I want to say around thirty ish other
markets that they do. This in Wisconsin is a little
unique because normally what they do in other markets is
they sell tickets for one hundred dollars and then they
raffle it off and someone actually wins the home. In Wisconsin,
there's some lottery laws with real estate that you know.
(19:17):
So now we have to do the show place home
where we actually sell it and then the proceeds go
to Saint Jude.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Boy, it'd be interesting to see which way works better
for Saint Jude. Right, And you'll know, you'll know, I
would think you you have a pretty good idea on
this spreadsheet right now on what you're hoping the profit
will be. You won't know until it's sold, but you'll
have a pretty good idea with how much people are
helping your vendors, how much they're helping and suppliers to
(19:46):
at least you know, have an idea by July. Okay,
if we if we sell it for what we think
we can get for it, this is the amount going.
Do you have any idea throughout that? Like in Saint Louis,
what was what would be the average pro and the
check that would go to Saint You do you think?
Speaker 6 (20:03):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (20:04):
So every year they capped the number of tickets that
they sell and it was around one point five million
a year that we would.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Raise Jen, Jen and I did. Jen and I had
the same reaction. We both almost fell back out.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
Of our chair.
Speaker 5 (20:20):
But we we were able to donate the home one
hundred all of the trades. UH actually donated all the
materials in labor and I think we might be able
to do that here as well.
Speaker 6 (20:30):
And what we can't get anybody.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
We need to put a little pressure on. No, I'm kidding, don't,
let's not. Let's not. That was me to you.
Speaker 5 (20:36):
No, No, we're hoping to maybe offset some of those
with some monetary donations.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
Wow, moved the microphone. If you can, Jen, even you
you went, wow, that's that's impressive. It's got to feel
really good. And and to run a sales meeting with
eight salespeople that you're in charge of to be able
to say, look, this is this is what we're doing.
Is a company, so understand what Look this, this is
(21:03):
where we need to be as a sales staff. We
need to be, you know, make sure that we're doing
things one hundred percent correctly because and this is going
to get you, guys, a lot of people like me
talking about your company because of what you're doing for
Saint Jude. Got to feel pretty good to be a
manager of a sales team for a company like that. Oh.
Speaker 7 (21:23):
Absolutely, we are super proud and super excited to be
a part of it. The sales team fully embraces, you know,
everything that we're about, and we're really excited for this
experience and honored just to really partner with Saint Jude.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Hey, what what keeps you up at night with this?
Speaker 7 (21:40):
Just making sure we're super intentional about this space. It's
very family centric and you know, it's really anchored in
the notion of family and making sure we achieve that
that it's warm, that it's you know, inviting, and it
inspires togetherness, just a space that's really special.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
And we're going to get to break in this second.
But as a salesperson, do you sell the homes that
are already built or are you walking the people through
the process. As far as these are some the land
that we have, pick the land and will build.
Speaker 4 (22:11):
The house, we do both.
Speaker 7 (22:12):
We saw a lot of spec homes that are already built,
and we do a lot of pre built homes and
that's a really cool process to start with a family
from start to finish and have them super excited and
happy at the end.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
You guys are dating for a body. We are dating
dating for a while, and sometimes when you're dating things,
I think you have to be really intentional. And that's
where that you used intentional to say. Look, during this
dating process, there's ups and downs, right. People are like
I thought i'd be further along and you're looking at like,
(22:44):
we're like three weeks. I had a schedule. But that
happens in your world, of course it does.
Speaker 7 (22:48):
You just have to manage expectations and you know, roll
with it and make sure they're comfortable and just communicate
everything that's going on.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
I think people understand.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
To me, I was like I don't know. I guess
the husband and wife.
Speaker 7 (23:02):
Right.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Husband comes in and says, I want this wife shows up?
Why are you doing this?
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Right? But did you? Did my wife call you this morning?
Speaker 3 (23:11):
That's why? Yeah? Well, you know, yeah, my.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
Wife has like Bingo and Zach and not Sam yet
on speed out because when I try to fix something
at our home or our condo, she just calls them
and says, all right, he's trying again. Get ready, you're
gonna have to come fix this. Guys. We are talking
with Eve Fryer, she is the division president for stepping
Stone Homes and and Jennifer Cotney, she's the sales manager
(23:37):
for stepping Stone Homes. Go to stepping Stone Homes dot
net and next segment we're to talk more about this home.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
Is that if somebody's listening, where could they donate to?
Speaker 1 (23:47):
I got it? Should I you know? I mean answer
if you go to stepping Stone Homes dot net. When
you go to that that website up on top, it
says we we are honored supports Saint Hu's Research Hospital
by building Milwaukee, Wisconsin's first dream home. Learn more if
you click on learn more, and when you go on
that website there's a place right there that you can donate.
(24:10):
Consider donating to Saint Jude. Hit that tab and if
you're feeling led to give back and help this research hospital.
It does so much great work for children and that
are going through childhood cancer and life threatening disease, and
you're going to be able to donate. If it's twenty
bucks or if it's a thousand bucks, go on this
(24:32):
website and help them. And by doing that, you know,
the people over at Steppingstone Homes understand that you're part
of their team and they're going to be giving back
to Saint Jude's Children's Hospital, the Research Hospital. And we'll
continue to talk about this throughout between now and August
for people that want to go out and see this
home with the NBA parade of homes, and we'll do
(24:53):
that throughout between now and then. And I know Bingo
is a huge supporter of all of this, so he'll
like keep me in line to make sure that we're
talking about it back.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
We'll bring them back again the summer to remind people
that this is coming.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
Up and and maybe they'll be posting pictures of the
development of that home and will we'll make sure that
we continue to promote it. We'll continue our conversation with
Eva and Jen after this break. This is the Creative
Construction Wisconsin Home Improvement Show on Fox Sports nine twenty
and your iHeart Radio App. Welcome back to the Creative
(25:29):
Construction Wisconsin Home Improvement Show on Fox Sports nine twenty
and your iHeart Radio App. Coming live from the Donovan
and Jorgensen Heating and Cooling Studios. I Mike be giver
her alongside my coast. He's Bingo Emmons, the owner of
Creative Construction of Wisconsin, and our special guest in studio
for the entire hour, Eva Friar, She's the division president
(25:50):
for stepping Stone Homes. And Jennifer Cotney, the sales manager
for stepping Stone Homes. As we talk a lot about
the Saint Judy, these.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
Are really homes. They can't be that hard to sell.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
I will get to I think Jen. I think Jen
might disagree with you, but you know that she is
the sales manager over there. They're beautiful homes. We talked
a lot, and I made a comment to you during
the break that talking about Saint Jude, you got emotional,
and I got emotional because you got emotional and I
(26:26):
have these grandkids. But during the break, you said, look,
I am a big fan of what they do, and
I'd like to tee you up a little bit to
talk about Saint Jude. And the reason we're talking about
them is in August for the NBA Paray to Homes,
there is going to be a home that that you
can buy and it's going to be called The Jude.
And I don't know if that's public yet, and I
(26:48):
apologize if it's not, but I brought it up anyway.
The home will be called the Jude. And we're going
to talk a little bit later with Jen to talk
about what that home is going to be, the size
of it, and what's going to be in it. But
that's why we're talking about Saint Jude right now because
one hundred percent of the proceeds going to be donated
to Saint Jude from Stepping Stone Homes. And the first segment,
(27:11):
if you missed it, we talked about that servant leadership
part that the owners of this company, Stepping Stone Homes,
have and the fact that they're giving back and they
give part of their proceeds back to to nonprofits in
our community and it's something they do part of their
missions too.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
It's also you know, the trade partners. There's a lot
of people involved in this, you know, this whole big
wheel thing spinning.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
And when they come back, everything will be locked in
and we can start to name some of those guys.
But until we get all of it names, let's let's
because we don't miss anybody. But next time you come in,
if you can give me the approval to let you
tee those guys up, we will do that.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
Put and put it right in and you can see
how this print is.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
Yeah, you can put it huge. I just ordered more
classes that are coming because these are starting to get
not I think it's the glasses, not my eyes. By
the way, tell me why Saint Jude has captured your
heart like it has. Well.
Speaker 5 (28:08):
For those of you who don't know, Saint Jude Children's
Research Hospital is in Memphis, Tennessee. Danny Thomas had a
vision and open that hospital back in nineteen sixty two.
And in nineteen sixty two, the childhood cancer survival rate
was only twenty percent and they have been a huge
part of that survival rate now today being eighty percent,
(28:30):
and that is absolutely huge, unbelievable, and what they do
a lot of what they do is research, and that
research helps the children with cancer all across this world.
But in Memphis at the hospital, no child receives a bill.
They don't receive a bill for travel, for food, for lodging,
for their.
Speaker 6 (28:49):
Care, for their haircuts, for their.
Speaker 5 (28:51):
Schooling, for you know, anything you can think of includes
the Wagon family to the family, and it's just it's
really awesome.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
Do you know the TV commercials they have if their goal,
and I'm sure being a marketing guy, their goal is
to reach out our heartstrings? They do, they are it is.
You can't stop watching it. And there's enough commercials that
there's ways to give. This thing that you guys are
(29:23):
doing that you brought with you from Saint Louis, I
think is phenomenal and it's going to be really fun
to continue the progress you guys broke around. If we
can move the microphone real quick, Jen, can you tell
us a little bit about the Jude and how many
bedrooms and baths and size wise, what we got what
we're looking at.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (29:42):
Absolutely, Well, first of all, the home is just so
much more than the construction.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
Of four walls and a roof.
Speaker 7 (29:49):
It's really about where you know, families can celebrate life's
wins and kind of find comfort in the lows. And
that's why we named it The Jude. Thanks for revealing that.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
Sorry by that we should have had breaking news. Our
producer could have had that breaking news kind of, but
called called the Jude. And I think that's really smart
because it's going to this is going not going to
be just another home. This is there's a lot behind
this thing. And I love when you said it's more
(30:21):
than the walls.
Speaker 7 (30:22):
It is it is you know, this home features a
lot of a lot of special key features and like
I said, it's a family centric space with the expansive design.
It is a two story modern farmhouse design. Four bedrooms,
three full baths, two powder rooms, uh ten foot ceilings
(30:43):
on the main floor. It's got this really cozy wrap
around porch uh to sit on an idea. Yeah, it's
it's gonna be gorgeous.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
How fun? And and and when you guys, how with
this work? Will will will it just be okay now
it's done, we'll do open houses until somebody makes an
offer that is acceptable or will it be a bit
like will people be able to bit against each other?
How is that going to work.
Speaker 4 (31:11):
Well, it will.
Speaker 7 (31:12):
As soon as the pre to Homes launches on August ninth,
we will put the home on the market on the
MLS and so it will be for sale.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
For taking aution time I think, I mean, I mean,
if I would like to be the person, you know what,
you want to be the person that bought what a
good cause? You say I bought a house, Not only
it is I bought this house look at a good cause?
Speaker 1 (31:30):
Right? Yeah, yeah, I agree with that. When and I
don't know how this business works, so you're gonna have
to help me with it. You'll put you'll have a
price tag on it. And if August night somebody comes
and offers the price that you're looking for, it's then
off the market essentially.
Speaker 4 (31:45):
Yeah, if we.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Do you know what what it's going to be priced at.
Speaker 4 (31:51):
We do not know yet.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
Okay, they're good, that's all right. And if you do,
you're not telling me because you already know I've got it.
Speaker 7 (31:56):
Next time round, you can do it your big next
may get closer to August.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
We should have I know that you guys have an
idea because you looked at each other and giggled, and
don't tell me because again I'm a radio guy, but
that whole off the record thing sometimes just goes in
one ear and out the other. So you're really smart
and not Jen. We've known each other twenty minutes. But
you you already you got me. You got me figured out.
You're an east Side girl. That's that's how that that works.
(32:25):
Will as as part of the sales team, will they
be there? Like how do you how do you work
the open houses? By the way, and is your sales
the sales team, Like, somebody's got to be there today.
Somebody's going to be there Sunday. That's part of the gig, right, Yeah.
Speaker 7 (32:40):
We work seven days a week. Yeah, we will be there,
you know, the entire time of them.
Speaker 3 (32:46):
This open house is tomorrow too.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
Oh there there are open house today. Yeah, the two
of the nominee falls that we had talked about that
are going on today. But man, when you go to
Steppingstone Homes dot net and you look at open houses,
I just talked about the ones tomorrow, but then you
can look for the there's three on Sunday, four, five, six, seven,
eight on Sunday. Sorry about that. I think eight salespeople
(33:10):
in eight open houses. I know what they're doing on Sunday.
Speaker 4 (33:15):
Yes, right, they're working hard.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
They're working not to watch backers anymore. We're done with that.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
No, but the Buffalo Bills. Look at yeh even I
are like, yeah.
Speaker 4 (33:24):
I mean the Chiefs.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
We're part of the Buffalo Bills.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
Locky that what this is Buffalo Bills?
Speaker 1 (33:29):
Well I did just pure fantasy football? Is that?
Speaker 3 (33:32):
What this is?
Speaker 2 (33:32):
The Buffalo Wings and against against the Kansas City Ribs
or something?
Speaker 1 (33:36):
Yeah, something like that. Yeah, yeah, the Wings against the Ribs.
I anytime I win anything in the fantasy football league,
I get the third to my son and the third
to my daughter and then I keep it third. So
all of a sudden, now my daughter never asks my
son about midway through the football season, how is our
fantasy team doing? Right? And now they know in this
(33:56):
this this playoff one, they're like, hey, who were for
I go, We're Bill's fans. We're part of them mafia
right now. So let's hope Josh Allen, he was on
your fantasy team even last how'd you do? By the way,
bring the microphone over by you. I took second of mine.
How'd you do in your Ah?
Speaker 6 (34:12):
You know, what's the next question?
Speaker 1 (34:16):
The only question you were good answer. I love that. Hey,
where is the nearest Saint Jude's hospital to us?
Speaker 6 (34:23):
There's there's just one and it's in Memphis, Tennessee.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
There's just the one, just the one in so they
people from all over the country travel there. How many
times have you been there?
Speaker 6 (34:33):
I believe for Wow.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
And that was part of what you were doing in
Saint Louis. Did you feel a need to get your
feet there to be able to walk through to understand
the importance of what you guys were doing.
Speaker 5 (34:48):
Yes, And actually Saint Jude does a great job of
bringing all of the builders together throughout the country that
build these homes. They bring them to Saint Jude once
a year so we can all get toge other. We
can bounce ideas off each other and figure out a
way to raise more money collectively for the children of
Saint Jude.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
Hey, Jackson, Wisconsin, by the way, is a big part
of you guys. Got some homes in Jackson You're gonna
be shown on Sunday. And the one on Poppy Road
I'm looking at and I don't like that one? Did
she bringing my wife over there? She likes the condo,
But this place Villa's at Morning Meadows. That's awesome. Most
(35:29):
of the homes one floor. I know that the Jude
is going to be. I think, Jen, you said two floors.
Most of most are they ranch they tell me about.
Is there kind of a template on the kind of
homes you guys built.
Speaker 5 (35:43):
We run the gamut a little bit, so on our
single family homes, we build ranches and two stories. Some
of our two stories have the master down. And then
we also have villas. So we've got one car garage
villa's you had mentioned the villa's Morning Meadows that you
can see that product there in Jackson. And then we
(36:03):
also have some other villas that are two car garage,
two bedroom, and those you can find down in Pleasant
Prairie at Summon at Bain Station.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
So my wife and I moved into a condo I
guess two years ago a little bit. And I think
if we move again, and we've only moved once, I
mean we're on eighty eighth and Lisbon for thirty years,
we've moved once. But now it would be real easy
because we got rid of like yeah, and I like
the side by side condos. I think that would be
(36:36):
my next You guys have a lot of success with
those at bet Huh.
Speaker 6 (36:40):
We do we do. Yeah, they're great.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
I'd really like them. She would want more than you.
We have two bedrooms.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
She wants as she wants a basement.
Speaker 5 (36:51):
We have basements. They all have basements, and you can
finish the basement.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
An anytime there's bad we there tornado, especially if there's
a warning. She's like, build me a basement now, and
we end up. Her sister lives like a mile from
us and she has a basement, so I'll just sit
and watch the thing. And Terry's like, no, we're getting
in the car right right now. So she just wants
a basement. These condos have basements.
Speaker 6 (37:18):
Yeah, can Jen get your wife's number. We'll talk to her.
Speaker 1 (37:25):
Jen, you're getting nowhere near my wife, because I just
I could do the move a lot easier this time.
I just just so you know, hey, that first trip
that you that you took to Saint Jude to talk
to me about knowing what you were doing for the
company in Saint Louis and then bringing it here, how
(37:47):
how much you were benefited and how much you wanted
to be more part of it once you got a
chance to meet some of the kids and and walk
through that that facility.
Speaker 5 (37:56):
You know, it's just we talk about tugging at your
heart strings. But you know, these children, they're so young,
they could be anywhere from you know, just a few
months old or.
Speaker 6 (38:05):
You know, all the way up to eighteen.
Speaker 5 (38:06):
But being able to to fight a cause that's greater
than you is just really something that is great. And
I think these these children need help and if you
can help them, then we need to help them. And
that's the reason. You know, Saint Jude with all of
their research that they're doing, I mean, that is a
(38:28):
big part of this cancer survival rate going from twenty
percent all the way up to eighty percent.
Speaker 1 (38:34):
It's an incredible Danny Thomas would be so proud. He
would be so proud that this vision that he had
has continued. His daughter big part of it, right she
is still is and he would be so happy that
this idea of doing this has grown to the point
(38:54):
that you know, a builder in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is doing
ah for it, you know, for this cause, and there
are other obviously, there are a number of builders throughout
the country that do this. Correct, that is correct.
Speaker 6 (39:10):
Do you know how many I want to say in
the thirties.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
Boy, that's a huge number. And for them to be
able to meet their their fundraising goals and what they
need to survive because, like you said, nobody gets a
bill for this, for any of it. So they get
the transportation, they stay, they eat, they and all of that.
And I think it's so important that people understand that
(39:34):
the money they're giving goes to help these families. It's
not where you know, eighty percent of it is going
to go to somebody who's sitting on a board somewhere.
It's going to continue the mission statement with Saint Judian
stepping stone homes. I've got a feeling that if given
the opportunity, this won't be the only time you guys
do this, that is correct? Is that breaking news as well?
Speaker 6 (39:58):
No? No, I mean if we.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
All the second one we called this breakdown Saint you too, Danny, Oh,
there you go, there it is.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
That's why she's the sales manager. They have to be creative. Guys.
Let's get to a break. Let's send the break. We
will continue as we're talking. Guys, if you're feeling led
to give to this this great cause of Saint Jude,
you can go to stepping go to Steppingstone Homes dot
net and and right on the top it says it
(40:28):
talks about how honored they are to support this research hospital.
You can click on learn more and and write down
on the second page or the first page it said
considering donating Saint Jude. There's a big tap. Just click
on it and whether it's twenty bucks or a thousand
bucks doesn't matter. If you're feeling led, there's a nice
easy way for you to help out in this mission.
(40:50):
And Eva Frar, she's the division president for stepping Stone
Homes and Jen Courtney. She's a sales manager and very creative.
By the way, she should work for you within the
creative construction. Instead, she's not talking to my wife. Steppingstone
Homes dot net is where you're going to want to go.
We'll continue our conversation with Eva and Jennifer on the
(41:12):
other side. This is the Creative Construction Wisconsin home improvement
show on Fox Sports ninety twenty in your iHeart Radio app.
Welcome back to the Creative Construction of Wisconsin home improvement
show on Fox Sports nine twenty and your iHeart Radio app.
Coming live from the Donovan and Jorgensen Heating and Cooling Studios. Bingo.
We during the break, you've gotten a couple of text messages,
(41:35):
people saying, look, if we want to donate the Saint Jude,
what's the easiest way to do it? And I think
for me, this gives you a nice way to to
to look at Steppingstone Homes by going to their website
Steppingstone Homes dot net and then go to promotions and
events or right on the top it says, you know,
learn more about this this dream house that Steppingstone Homes
(41:59):
is building, selling and giving one hundred percent of the
profits to Saint Jude's children's research. There is a way
to you can click there or go to promotions because
right under that tab Sat Jude dream House, and just
scroll down a little bit and it says consider donating
to Saint Jude. And I think that the people that
listen to this show understand and the next show, because
(42:22):
it's a high school sports show, understand the importance of
continuing to support a place like Saint Jude. Bingo.
Speaker 2 (42:29):
Right, you know, so I just need to go to
Steppingstones dot net and then what it's right there in
the front page.
Speaker 1 (42:34):
Yeah, right there, yeah, consider donating Saint Jude. If you
click on it will give you everything you need.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
I don't want to rip on this guy's name, but
he's like, I don't see a link.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
Oh, it's right there, and and look we I would
love for people to start to donate on that page.
That would be awesome. So you just go again, just
go to Steppingstone Holmes dot net and you will be
able to find it. It's right there at the time.
And does this guy work for you?
Speaker 2 (43:02):
No, No, he's kind of like a brother, you know,
he could.
Speaker 1 (43:07):
He could swing by the station. Just had had hand
off one hundred to one of these girls and they'll
do there. You go, yeah, we can. We could certainly
do that. Hey, this time of year, if if, Jenn,
if you can grab the mic. Is there a better
time of year to sell homes than than you know
I Once the holidays are over, do people start regoing
(43:30):
and looking again? Or is December a tough month in
January much better month? Or is every month kind of
the same.
Speaker 7 (43:38):
No, definitely a great question. January, you know, springs off
the spring market. People are out and ready to get
in their new home by the summer, so we tend
to be pretty busy in the spring market.
Speaker 1 (43:50):
So spring March April. Yeah, you like it when it
starts getting a little bit, just a little bit warmer.
Speaker 4 (43:57):
Yeah, people start getting it in February too, did a.
Speaker 3 (44:00):
Rip through to frost then they just rightually right.
Speaker 1 (44:04):
Hey, do you the the condo part of it? Is
that a busy? Is that like an upswing? Or is
it kind of flat? Look, we never thought about moving
to a condo, and it took me two and a
half years talk my wife into it, and I really
I love it. She kind of likes it. She hasn't
(44:25):
fallen in love with the condo life yet. She she
misses our standalone home and and looking at these side
by sides, I love them. That business. Is that a
good part of your business?
Speaker 4 (44:37):
Yeah, it's a great product mix. It's a good part
of our business.
Speaker 7 (44:41):
Really attracts the the move down buyer, but also some
of the first time home owners as well.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
On your website, you've got when you look at our homes,
it's moving ready homes, condos, floor plans, visual tours, smart
home features. Yes, that part of or world. Like old
guy like me, I you know, I don't know how
to do a lot of that stuff. So smart home
features have gotten to be such a big part of
(45:10):
what you do that it's on your website. It's one
of the features that people can go to. That's just
second nature to you. Now when you when you have
to show a conda with smart home features to to
people like me, you got it. There's a lot of
explaining to do. But boy, it sure makes it easy, right.
Speaker 7 (45:28):
It does make it easy. It's they're smart homes, they're
intelligent homes. It makes it really easy for you. I mean,
our our homes are jam packed with with smart features,
smart locks, smart you know, doorbells, smart appliances, smart garage doors.
I could go on and on, but they really are
pretty simple.
Speaker 1 (45:46):
Hey, how many employees do you guys have for with
with stepping Stone Homes? You know, just bring the microphone
over that handsignals I'm not I didn't have my classes.
I have no idea. I thought you were doing some
gang single What how many employees.
Speaker 5 (46:04):
For the stepping Stone Homes division? There's around thirty five?
Speaker 1 (46:08):
Wow, I believe. And it is that stepping Stone Homes
is under the.
Speaker 6 (46:13):
Umbrella of Home Path Financial.
Speaker 1 (46:16):
And so that's how this all started. And looking at
at at the owner's background. That's kind of where it started.
And there's three or four things under that umbrella, right.
Speaker 6 (46:27):
There is so under Homepath Financial.
Speaker 5 (46:29):
Not only is stepping Stone homes under that umbrella, but
also home Path window and door, so they do they
actually install all of our.
Speaker 6 (46:37):
Window indoors, but they also do retail work.
Speaker 5 (46:41):
And then there is the home Path Property Management, which
is they have a few hundred I think rentals around
the area. And then Mark Winter Holmes, which is another
home building company up in the Appleton Fox Valley area.
Speaker 1 (46:55):
Hey, do me a favor and tell Jeff and tell
Tracy that I don't know them, but I'm a huge
fan doing the research. I've done the background with him
and with her, and and her and I are twins,
just so you know, we're such twins when I look
at first of all, she's really smart and she's very
(47:15):
much into reading, hiking, kayaking, skiing, and fitness. What are
you laughing at? You? Her and I are twins. I
would I would love.
Speaker 3 (47:24):
One Dazza pizza.
Speaker 1 (47:28):
I'm one day I want to meet them in person,
and I just want to give them a hug and
say thank you from just a grandfather in this area.
I want to say thank you for the work that
they do. It's so nice to meet you guys. You
guys did great. And when you guys come back, we've
got some some other things that we need to talk about.
And and when you come back, this house will be
(47:49):
about halfway built, if not further. And I look forward
to that. And and again if you get yet Tel
Tracy and and Jeff and tell everybody over there that
they've got some old grandfather six that's a big fan
of the stuff that they do. Jenny's good to meet
you even, thank you so much, Bingo. Thanks, have a
(48:11):
good weekend. Yeah you too, Yeah, yeah, behave.
Speaker 2 (48:13):
You know, hope hopefully it warms up and tick next week.
Hopefully we got a whole house that's complete in a
big bubble now, trying to get it done in time.
Speaker 1 (48:21):
Are the boys working today? Just one is, and that's good.
Tell him, I said, thanks, guys, have a great weekend.
So good to meet you. This is the you bet.
This is the Creative Construction Wisconsin Home Improvement Show on
Fox Sports ninet twenty. In your iHeart radio app
Welcome to the Creative Construction of Wisconsin home improvement show
on Fox Sports nineteen twenty and your iHeartRadio app coming
live from the Donovan and Jorgenson Heating and Cooling Studios.
Any issues you have with that HVAC system go to
Donovan Jorgenson dot com, the largest owned, employee owned HVAC
company the state of Wisconsin. I am Mike McGivern to
(00:22):
my coast, just back this week.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yeah, and I'll bring up talking about Donovan Jargason, right, Yeah,
I know. It's a person that didn't use Donovan Jargason
and their thing broke a year later. Yeah, and they said, oh,
you know what the guy did install that did it wrong? Right,
So then they charged them, right, they charged them to
fix it. That's somebody wrong, he is, Well, we're not
gonna try your parts because those are mistake.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Oh boy, that was this horrible.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Horrible Well I had them out two Saturday nights ago,
and you were in here last week. But I woke
up and I thought I woke up at like two
and more. I thought, did Terry turn down that thermostat?
And so I went over and I put my phone
to the thermostat and I had it at seventy one
and it was at sixty four. I thought, uh oh,
(01:08):
woke up now it was at sixty two Sunday morning,
getting ready for church, I thought, So I called Scott Fisher,
a Downovan Jorgensen. They sent somebody out, got fixed pretty quick.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
So but that's what you called for Zach's problem too, right,
and when Zach was doing his thing yep. So so
can everybody call Scott Fisher or just you, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
I can just give his name and phone number, I
give you home address, all of that.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Stuff, because that's I mean, you know, it was pretty
chilly last week.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Oh it was cold.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Scott Fisher must have been really busy.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Yeah, they you know what they do, very busy. Yeah.
They had a good week for sure. How you been good?
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Doing good? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Doing good? Yeah? I missed you last week, but you
had Aaron.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Yeah, he couldn't wait to do the show.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
He did great.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yeah, because you know that that got cabinet maker. That'shere
he get all the horse shavings from man.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
What a good guy he is. Yeah. Yeah, he a
lot of pride in what he's doing. And it's good
to hear that a company that just started as busy
as he is, which is awesome. Hey, I'm excited about
today's show and a number of reasons I'm excited about
today's show. We get a chance to talk a little
bit about stepping Stone Homes and Eva Friar, she's the
(02:11):
division president, is in studio with us along inside jenn
Or Jennifer. I'm going to call her Jennifer. I guess
she's shaking her head. Yeah, okay, Coteney. She's the sales
manager for stepping Stone Homes. Go to Steppingstone Homes dot
net to learn more about these guys. E. It's nice
to meet you. How are you.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
I'm great.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
How are you?
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Yeah, I'm good. Not bad for your girl from Indiana.
Now you're now you're a chief head, right I am.
Speaker 6 (02:39):
It's hard not to be when you move here.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
That's awesome. How long have you been with stepping Stone Homes?
Speaker 6 (02:45):
Just over three years? And things going well, Things are
going great.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
It's a good company. I've done a lot of research
on this company. Yeah that sounded Go Wait a minute,
it comes and goes this company and we're going to
get into that servant leadership part the mission of this
company and some of the things that you guys believe
in and give back to our community. One of the
things that one of the main reasons we wanted to
(03:10):
have you in is you guys have teamed up with
Saint Juds Children's Research Hospital and we're building a home
that the proceeds are all going to go to Saint
Jude's and I think that's really commendable and I thank
you guys for that. When people ask you about Stepping
Stone Homes, you being the division president for them, talk
(03:33):
to me a little bit about the mission statement? What
made you come and work for them?
Speaker 5 (03:38):
Well, stepping Stone Homes is just such a great company,
probably about seven years old. So we're a newer company
and we're part of Home Path Financial and the owners,
Jeff and Tracy Kleiner, are just great people, and really
we are. We want to build a quality home and
that is through and through, and we want to make
(03:58):
sure that we have happy because so it's pretty easy
to do what I do when that's our mission.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Hey, what what keeps you up at night? What part
of the gig? And the reason I ask is we
had a home builder in not that long ago, and
I will tell you what his answer was. Finding finding
space right, finding places to build our home absolutely is
the most difficult part, and that's what keeps him up
at night. And I'm wondering if that's the same for you.
Speaker 5 (04:26):
It is the same for me. It's really hard to
find land these days. And so we're going to I mean,
hopefully we don't run out. We've got a lot of
great properties coming up, so we're excited about that. But definitely,
I think that's probably number one on most of the
home builders lists.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
And you've got and when I said, hey, you've got
open houses today, you go, yeah, we we have a
lot of open houses. But there's two Menominee Falls open
houses today from eleven to three. If people want to
see the kind of work that you guys do, what
a perfect time to be able to get out and
just walk through the Lauren or the Clara, both the
Menominee Falls again eleven to three. And if you go
(05:04):
to Steppingstone Homes dot net Steppingstone Homes dot net and
look up open houses and you can you can take
a drive today and go see these beautiful homes that
they have built in some really nice areas and get
a feel for what this company is all about if
we can move the mic a little bit. Jen Cotney,
(05:25):
who's a sales manager for stepping Stone Homes, Hey, Jen,
talk to me a little bit about day to day
for you as a sales manager for stepping Stone Homes.
What's a day like for you?
Speaker 7 (05:36):
Well, good morning. The day for me is pretty fast paced.
We're super busy right now, which was really great. We
have a great sales team who really take pride into
putting people in, you know, their homes, and it's super
rewarding for us.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
How many how many salespeople?
Speaker 4 (05:56):
We have about eight salespeople right now.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Wow. So you're managing that, Ye're in charge of it?
Speaker 7 (06:03):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Yeah, yeah? Do you like the I tried management one time.
I didn't. I don't like it. I didn't like it. No,
I like no. I just like to kind of fly
to the radar, hit my numbers and just leave me alone.
Don't ask what I'm doing. I don't think I would
like to manage a person like me, to be honest
with you, because I just I get things done. I
just I'll hit the numbers that you want. But let's
(06:25):
not let's not spend a ton of time in salesforce.
You know that kind of. I'm kind of old school.
I take a lot of notes and yeah, that kind
that kind of stuff. But what is your background? Where
did you grow up? And I know we talked a
lot about the East Side. We I mean, you live
there now and I live there for a long time.
And we're both leased as pizza.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
We are.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
We like Saphiros. We'll lead Saphiro's pizza. We will, we
will lead, I will. I don't know about you. What
is your background? Where'd you grow up?
Speaker 5 (06:55):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (06:55):
I grew up in Illinois. I've been in Wisconsin for
twenty plus years.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
He said, now, oh something like that, had a girl
a girl? Yeah.
Speaker 7 (07:04):
My background real estate and real estate agent and broker.
Prior to that, I was in the satellite industry, worked
for Dish Network in sales for fifteen years.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
You've been selling for a bit and selling for a
little bit. The difference between being in real estate now
developing real estate, big difference, not huge, not huge, no, man, that.
Speaker 7 (07:27):
I mean we're still building homes and selling homes for families.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Yeah, and you're building one. I am, and I know
who's building it. Yeah, you're pretty comfortable with the company
building that.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
What area you discount.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Maybe maybe is there a friends and family discount or
just family?
Speaker 4 (07:47):
We always try to help our friends and family.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
There you go in in what area? Are you building?
Speaker 4 (07:53):
Monominy falls?
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Good for you? Excited?
Speaker 4 (07:56):
I'm super excited.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
How far along is the project? Oh?
Speaker 4 (07:59):
We did on Monday?
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Can you dig nowadays? Well, we frost, you're gonna rip
the frost? When when is moving day? Do you think?
Speaker 4 (08:12):
Well, that's a really good question. Hopefully this summer?
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Wow? Yeah? And and the plans are all set? Are
you are you? Is it? Is it custom? Is it
more of one that you guys build? What what you're laughing?
Is it a little of both?
Speaker 4 (08:27):
It's a little of both.
Speaker 7 (08:28):
It's uh primarily one of our uh signature floor plans,
the Prescott.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Do you do you have that that gift that I
do not have where you can see things happen before
they happen. Maybe, like if somebody says we're gonna paint
that wall green, can you see it before they paint it?
Because I can't. Even if they take three different greens
and put them on the wall and say which one
(08:54):
do you want? I have no idea. My final decision
is always maybe that's again not only would you hate
the manage a guy like me, You would hate to
build a home for me because I'd be like, I
don't know one Kelly Kelly Green, Yeah, the last time
mcgiffern just put it all over her. Yeah, my wife
wouldn't be so happy, but that's okay. She's been with
(09:14):
me a long time. Not leave it now because I
built a house that's Kelly. Well, maybe she would, I
don't know. So you have that gift and and it's
something that people like Bingo had and you guys have
and I don't.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
But if you don't have that gift, you know they
do have four play You can actually look at their
models for people that need to go see it.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Well, in today's world, everybody wants an open concept, right,
they do, everybody And with this kind of that we
have now is more of an open concept, and there
are some drawbacks to that. In my world there are
and and it's kind of like everybody wants that open
concept so that when you're cooking you can be part
(09:54):
of everything. But the sound and the smell of having
an open concept is a little bit different than when
you don't have it. Sure, but everybody because of those
TV shows everybody starts with I need an open concept.
We want an open concept. By the way, do you
watch those shows fix you know? Uh? List I love it?
Or list it?
Speaker 4 (10:14):
Of course I engage in some of those shows. Yes.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Can you go to an open house party one of
your friends buys a new place? Can you go without
looking around? Going? Oh? I would have done it this way?
And I don't know if it okay? Can you just
go and enjoy yourself? No, no, you cannot. Can you know?
Uh huh, that's awesome? Hey, Eva, if we can move
(10:39):
the microphone. The second and third segment, we're going to
talk a lot about the Saint Jude. Talk to me
about how that came about. And again, if you go
to their website Steppingstone Homes dot net. And the first
thing I did was I went to about us and
I went to the giving back tap and I immediately thought,
(11:01):
so the mission statement and the heartbeat behind this Stepping
Stones Homes is this servant leadership heart because they are
not afraid to say, look, this is who we are,
and we're giving back and we want to give back.
And I reading what some of the quotes were, I
just thought, my goodness, these guys talking about not being
(11:22):
afraid of Look at it. This is who we are.
At the heart of what we do, and this is
right off your website. At the heart of what we
do is genuine desire to help others. When we say
we want to help, we mean making a real difference
in people's lives and communities. And that servant leadership heart
is not something we're born with, but it's something that's learned.
And the president owner of this company has it, and
(11:45):
he has it in a big way, and I commend
him for that. That is that how the whole Saints
You thing came to be.
Speaker 5 (11:53):
Yeah, he and Jeff and Tracy are just they're great
at giving back. They've been fortunate in their lives and
I think it's a big part of who we are
and our company.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Yeah, they're not just donating. Donating whole house.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
A house, right, It's not like, Okay, let's uh, let's
let's make some some bread and we'll donated to get
sold at a you know, at some fundraiser. This is
a whole house. The last sentence in that paragraph that
I was reading, that's why we are committed to giving
a portion of our profits to charities to share the
(12:27):
same values of kindness and support to put that up
on your website. Look, you guys are not running from that.
That's just kind of what the mission statement is and
it's very commendable and the same Jude part about giving
away the profits of an entire house to I have
six grandkids and I'm not, thank God yet and hopefully
(12:51):
never super familiar with Saint Jude. I know enough about
him to be able to carry on a conversation because
I know they do great work and they're helping people
all over the country. But for us, for us now,
I'm part of this. For us to be given this
home away, Okay, for you guys to be given the
home away and the profits of that to Saint Jude,
(13:13):
it is just unbelievable to me that the part of
do you remember when the conversation started in the office
of hey, we should maybe do this.
Speaker 5 (13:23):
I do, actually, so prior to coming to Wisconsin, I
spent a little over twenty years in Saint Louis, and
I was introduced to Saint Jude and with the builder
I was with their paining family homes.
Speaker 6 (13:37):
We actually started doing the home.
Speaker 5 (13:40):
So we built a Saint Jude dream home and so
I was able to kind of lead the charge there
for about eight years and really got to know the
folks at Saint Jude. I've been fortunate enough to visit
the hospital several times and just really became a huge
part of you know, giving back.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
Boy that that experience is something that you will never forget.
I'm sure that first. And look to have these these
grandkids that I have that are children's hospital once in
a while. And you know, I've got five grandsons and
a one year old granddaughter, and I pray that we
(14:19):
can help places like Saint Jude though, and I also
pray that I, you know, I never have to go
there to visit one of my grandkids. And that first
time that you went there had to leave a lasting
impression on not only your heart but your head. Right.
Speaker 6 (14:36):
Absolutely, yes it did.
Speaker 5 (14:37):
And honestly, I was going in there thinking this is
going to be really sad. I don't know what I'm
going to experience, and it wasn't.
Speaker 6 (14:47):
It wasn't sad. These kids there's no wheelchairs, they have.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
Little red wagons. They're going around in red wagons. They're happy.
They make it the most comfortable experience that they can
possibly make.
Speaker 6 (14:59):
It while they're going through these treatments.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
With with other kids going through the same I do
you know, I can I can see kids that age going, Okay,
this is what my day is now. It's it's the
parents and the grandparents and the and the family and
the friends that are all you know going home. And
when when I asked you what keeps you up at night?
(15:22):
That's what keeps them up at night. And the more
money we can give to this research hospital, the better
the stay is for these kids. And the fact that
you brought that with you means it tells me what
that that that trip to Saint Jude's Research Hospital, that
that first trip that you went on, what that did
(15:44):
for you and to get involved in that and then
to bring that with you to hear I'm sure that
this company that you work for jumped up and down
said perfect. That sounds just like what we're all about.
How is this going to work? Now? When when does
that house? Is that house built? Now?
Speaker 6 (16:01):
It is?
Speaker 5 (16:01):
Actually we had our kickoff meeting on Wednesday. It was
called a bricks and Sticks meeting, and at that meeting
we invited all of our trade partners to come and
Saint Jude talked. We actually had a patient family right
from a Nomini Falls, little Colton. He's eleven years old
and he was there when he was seventeen months old,
(16:23):
had a very rare cancer in the brain and he's
now cancer free and has been for a while. So
it was really cool to hear and his mom share
that story. So but yeah, we kicked it off on Wednesday.
We actually broke ground on Wednesday.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
What did you say, do you move the frost around
or you actually broke ground? We did.
Speaker 6 (16:45):
We did.
Speaker 5 (16:46):
The frost is pretty deep right now. It's I think
it's a little over three feet right now. But yes,
so we ripped through the frost and dug a basement.
And the other cool thing about this home is it's
going to be part of the NBA Parade of Homes.
So that's going to kick off on August ninth and
everyone will be able to come see this home.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Yeah, we we do. We we spend and Bigo and
and Sam set it up that we spend one week,
sometimes two weeks talking.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
We'll spend if we had the first two weeks, although
we'll be live on the here talking about home.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Yeah, and we will. We reach out to a few
people and they'll come on via cell phone and we'll
make sure that we reach out to you guys to
be able to do that. How how much help have
you gotten from from some of your trade partners?
Speaker 5 (17:34):
Oh wow, the commitment has been truly unbelievable.
Speaker 6 (17:40):
Unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
And then and the reason that that's important is the
more trade partners you can get to help, the more
profit there is at the end of this for Saint Jude. Absolutely,
And and do you know it's it's interesting doing this
show and getting a chance we've been doing it for
a long time, getting a chance to meet a lot
of people in this field. Boy, there are some people
(18:01):
with big hearts. Man, there are some people that understand
the importance of things like this. So I'm happy to
hear that the trade partners have jumped in with you.
Speaker 5 (18:11):
They have, they have, And I just wanted to clarify
this home. So this home will be part of the
paray to homes and then it'll be on the market.
So we're actually going to sell this home and then
all the proceeds will go to Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
You can get done by August, of course.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Of course, of course, going to those places like two
weeks before the homes.
Speaker 6 (18:34):
At Yeah, you can't really get through the streets, but there's.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
A lot of action. Well, yes, in twenty twenty five,
the NBA Parado homes will be in August and that's
when this it's a dream home show showplace, right, that's
going to help children, and is it Saint ju does
this with other markets? Correct?
Speaker 6 (18:54):
They do? They do?
Speaker 5 (18:55):
They have I want to say around thirty ish other
markets that they do. This in Wisconsin is a little
unique because normally what they do in other markets is
they sell tickets for one hundred dollars and then they
raffle it off and someone actually wins the home. In Wisconsin,
there's some lottery laws with real estate that you know.
(19:17):
So now we have to do the show place home
where we actually sell it and then the proceeds go
to Saint Jude.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Boy, it'd be interesting to see which way works better
for Saint Jude. Right, And you'll know, you'll know, I
would think you you have a pretty good idea on
this spreadsheet right now on what you're hoping the profit
will be. You won't know until it's sold, but you'll
have a pretty good idea with how much people are
helping your vendors, how much they're helping and suppliers to
(19:46):
at least you know, have an idea by July. Okay,
if we if we sell it for what we think
we can get for it, this is the amount going.
Do you have any idea throughout that? Like in Saint Louis,
what was what would be the average pro and the
check that would go to Saint You do you think?
Speaker 6 (20:03):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (20:04):
So every year they capped the number of tickets that
they sell and it was around one point five million
a year that we would.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Raise Jen, Jen and I did. Jen and I had
the same reaction. We both almost fell back out.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
Of our chair.
Speaker 5 (20:20):
But we we were able to donate the home one
hundred all of the trades. UH actually donated all the
materials in labor and I think we might be able
to do that here as well.
Speaker 6 (20:30):
And what we can't get anybody.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
We need to put a little pressure on. No, I'm kidding, don't,
let's not. Let's not. That was me to you.
Speaker 5 (20:36):
No, No, we're hoping to maybe offset some of those
with some monetary donations.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
Wow, moved the microphone. If you can, Jen, even you
you went, wow, that's that's impressive. It's got to feel
really good. And and to run a sales meeting with
eight salespeople that you're in charge of to be able
to say, look, this is this is what we're doing.
Is a company, so understand what Look this, this is
(21:03):
where we need to be as a sales staff. We
need to be, you know, make sure that we're doing
things one hundred percent correctly because and this is going
to get you, guys, a lot of people like me
talking about your company because of what you're doing for
Saint Jude. Got to feel pretty good to be a
manager of a sales team for a company like that. Oh.
Speaker 7 (21:23):
Absolutely, we are super proud and super excited to be
a part of it. The sales team fully embraces, you know,
everything that we're about, and we're really excited for this
experience and honored just to really partner with Saint Jude.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Hey, what what keeps you up at night with this?
Speaker 7 (21:40):
Just making sure we're super intentional about this space. It's
very family centric and you know, it's really anchored in
the notion of family and making sure we achieve that
that it's warm, that it's you know, inviting, and it
inspires togetherness, just a space that's really special.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
And we're going to get to break in this second.
But as a salesperson, do you sell the homes that
are already built or are you walking the people through
the process. As far as these are some the land
that we have, pick the land and will build.
Speaker 4 (22:11):
The house, we do both.
Speaker 7 (22:12):
We saw a lot of spec homes that are already built,
and we do a lot of pre built homes and
that's a really cool process to start with a family
from start to finish and have them super excited and
happy at the end.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
You guys are dating for a body. We are dating
dating for a while, and sometimes when you're dating things,
I think you have to be really intentional. And that's
where that you used intentional to say. Look, during this
dating process, there's ups and downs, right. People are like
I thought i'd be further along and you're looking at like,
(22:44):
we're like three weeks. I had a schedule. But that
happens in your world, of course it does.
Speaker 7 (22:48):
You just have to manage expectations and you know, roll
with it and make sure they're comfortable and just communicate
everything that's going on.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
I think people understand.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
To me, I was like I don't know. I guess
the husband and wife.
Speaker 7 (23:02):
Right.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Husband comes in and says, I want this wife shows up?
Why are you doing this?
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Right? But did you? Did my wife call you this morning?
Speaker 3 (23:11):
That's why? Yeah? Well, you know, yeah, my.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
Wife has like Bingo and Zach and not Sam yet
on speed out because when I try to fix something
at our home or our condo, she just calls them
and says, all right, he's trying again. Get ready, you're
gonna have to come fix this. Guys. We are talking
with Eve Fryer, she is the division president for stepping
Stone Homes and and Jennifer Cotney, she's the sales manager
(23:37):
for stepping Stone Homes. Go to stepping Stone Homes dot
net and next segment we're to talk more about this home.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
Is that if somebody's listening, where could they donate to?
Speaker 1 (23:47):
I got it? Should I you know? I mean answer
if you go to stepping Stone Homes dot net. When
you go to that that website up on top, it
says we we are honored supports Saint Hu's Research Hospital
by building Milwaukee, Wisconsin's first dream home. Learn more if
you click on learn more, and when you go on
that website there's a place right there that you can donate.
(24:10):
Consider donating to Saint Jude. Hit that tab and if
you're feeling led to give back and help this research hospital.
It does so much great work for children and that
are going through childhood cancer and life threatening disease, and
you're going to be able to donate. If it's twenty
bucks or if it's a thousand bucks, go on this
(24:32):
website and help them. And by doing that, you know,
the people over at Steppingstone Homes understand that you're part
of their team and they're going to be giving back
to Saint Jude's Children's Hospital, the Research Hospital. And we'll
continue to talk about this throughout between now and August
for people that want to go out and see this
home with the NBA parade of homes, and we'll do
(24:53):
that throughout between now and then. And I know Bingo
is a huge supporter of all of this, so he'll
like keep me in line to make sure that we're
talking about it back.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
We'll bring them back again the summer to remind people
that this is coming.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
Up and and maybe they'll be posting pictures of the
development of that home and will we'll make sure that
we continue to promote it. We'll continue our conversation with
Eva and Jen after this break. This is the Creative
Construction Wisconsin Home Improvement Show on Fox Sports nine twenty
and your iHeart Radio App. Welcome back to the Creative
(25:29):
Construction Wisconsin Home Improvement Show on Fox Sports nine twenty
and your iHeart Radio App. Coming live from the Donovan
and Jorgensen Heating and Cooling Studios. I Mike be giver
her alongside my coast. He's Bingo Emmons, the owner of
Creative Construction of Wisconsin, and our special guest in studio
for the entire hour, Eva Friar, She's the division president
(25:50):
for stepping Stone Homes. And Jennifer Cotney, the sales manager
for stepping Stone Homes. As we talk a lot about
the Saint Judy, these.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
Are really homes. They can't be that hard to sell.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
I will get to I think Jen. I think Jen
might disagree with you, but you know that she is
the sales manager over there. They're beautiful homes. We talked
a lot, and I made a comment to you during
the break that talking about Saint Jude, you got emotional,
and I got emotional because you got emotional and I
(26:26):
have these grandkids. But during the break, you said, look,
I am a big fan of what they do, and
I'd like to tee you up a little bit to
talk about Saint Jude. And the reason we're talking about
them is in August for the NBA Paray to Homes,
there is going to be a home that that you
can buy and it's going to be called The Jude.
And I don't know if that's public yet, and I
(26:48):
apologize if it's not, but I brought it up anyway.
The home will be called the Jude. And we're going
to talk a little bit later with Jen to talk
about what that home is going to be, the size
of it, and what's going to be in it. But
that's why we're talking about Saint Jude right now because
one hundred percent of the proceeds going to be donated
to Saint Jude from Stepping Stone Homes. And the first segment,
(27:11):
if you missed it, we talked about that servant leadership
part that the owners of this company, Stepping Stone Homes,
have and the fact that they're giving back and they
give part of their proceeds back to to nonprofits in
our community and it's something they do part of their
missions too.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
It's also you know, the trade partners. There's a lot
of people involved in this, you know, this whole big
wheel thing spinning.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
And when they come back, everything will be locked in
and we can start to name some of those guys.
But until we get all of it names, let's let's
because we don't miss anybody. But next time you come in,
if you can give me the approval to let you
tee those guys up, we will do that.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
Put and put it right in and you can see
how this print is.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
Yeah, you can put it huge. I just ordered more
classes that are coming because these are starting to get
not I think it's the glasses, not my eyes. By
the way, tell me why Saint Jude has captured your
heart like it has. Well.
Speaker 5 (28:08):
For those of you who don't know, Saint Jude Children's
Research Hospital is in Memphis, Tennessee. Danny Thomas had a
vision and open that hospital back in nineteen sixty two.
And in nineteen sixty two, the childhood cancer survival rate
was only twenty percent and they have been a huge
part of that survival rate now today being eighty percent,
(28:30):
and that is absolutely huge, unbelievable, and what they do
a lot of what they do is research, and that
research helps the children with cancer all across this world.
But in Memphis at the hospital, no child receives a bill.
They don't receive a bill for travel, for food, for lodging,
for their.
Speaker 6 (28:49):
Care, for their haircuts, for their.
Speaker 5 (28:51):
Schooling, for you know, anything you can think of includes
the Wagon family to the family, and it's just it's
really awesome.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
Do you know the TV commercials they have if their goal,
and I'm sure being a marketing guy, their goal is
to reach out our heartstrings? They do, they are it is.
You can't stop watching it. And there's enough commercials that
there's ways to give. This thing that you guys are
(29:23):
doing that you brought with you from Saint Louis, I
think is phenomenal and it's going to be really fun
to continue the progress you guys broke around. If we
can move the microphone real quick, Jen, can you tell
us a little bit about the Jude and how many
bedrooms and baths and size wise, what we got what
we're looking at.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (29:42):
Absolutely, Well, first of all, the home is just so
much more than the construction.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
Of four walls and a roof.
Speaker 7 (29:49):
It's really about where you know, families can celebrate life's
wins and kind of find comfort in the lows. And
that's why we named it The Jude. Thanks for revealing that.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
Sorry by that we should have had breaking news. Our
producer could have had that breaking news kind of, but
called called the Jude. And I think that's really smart
because it's going to this is going not going to
be just another home. This is there's a lot behind
this thing. And I love when you said it's more
(30:21):
than the walls.
Speaker 7 (30:22):
It is it is you know, this home features a
lot of a lot of special key features and like
I said, it's a family centric space with the expansive design.
It is a two story modern farmhouse design. Four bedrooms,
three full baths, two powder rooms, uh ten foot ceilings
(30:43):
on the main floor. It's got this really cozy wrap
around porch uh to sit on an idea. Yeah, it's
it's gonna be gorgeous.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
How fun? And and and when you guys, how with
this work? Will will will it just be okay now
it's done, we'll do open houses until somebody makes an
offer that is acceptable or will it be a bit
like will people be able to bit against each other?
How is that going to work.
Speaker 4 (31:11):
Well, it will.
Speaker 7 (31:12):
As soon as the pre to Homes launches on August ninth,
we will put the home on the market on the
MLS and so it will be for sale.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
For taking aution time I think, I mean, I mean,
if I would like to be the person, you know what,
you want to be the person that bought what a
good cause? You say I bought a house, Not only
it is I bought this house look at a good cause?
Speaker 1 (31:30):
Right? Yeah, yeah, I agree with that. When and I
don't know how this business works, so you're gonna have
to help me with it. You'll put you'll have a
price tag on it. And if August night somebody comes
and offers the price that you're looking for, it's then
off the market essentially.
Speaker 4 (31:45):
Yeah, if we.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Do you know what what it's going to be priced at.
Speaker 4 (31:51):
We do not know yet.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
Okay, they're good, that's all right. And if you do,
you're not telling me because you already know I've got it.
Speaker 7 (31:56):
Next time round, you can do it your big next
may get closer to August.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
We should have I know that you guys have an
idea because you looked at each other and giggled, and
don't tell me because again I'm a radio guy, but
that whole off the record thing sometimes just goes in
one ear and out the other. So you're really smart
and not Jen. We've known each other twenty minutes. But
you you already you got me. You got me figured out.
You're an east Side girl. That's that's how that that works.
(32:25):
Will as as part of the sales team, will they
be there? Like how do you how do you work
the open houses? By the way, and is your sales
the sales team, Like, somebody's got to be there today.
Somebody's going to be there Sunday. That's part of the gig, right, Yeah.
Speaker 7 (32:40):
We work seven days a week. Yeah, we will be there,
you know, the entire time of them.
Speaker 3 (32:46):
This open house is tomorrow too.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
Oh there there are open house today. Yeah, the two
of the nominee falls that we had talked about that
are going on today. But man, when you go to
Steppingstone Homes dot net and you look at open houses,
I just talked about the ones tomorrow, but then you
can look for the there's three on Sunday, four, five, six, seven,
eight on Sunday. Sorry about that. I think eight salespeople
(33:10):
in eight open houses. I know what they're doing on Sunday.
Speaker 4 (33:15):
Yes, right, they're working hard.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
They're working not to watch backers anymore. We're done with that.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
No, but the Buffalo Bills. Look at yeh even I
are like, yeah.
Speaker 4 (33:24):
I mean the Chiefs.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
We're part of the Buffalo Bills.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
Locky that what this is Buffalo Bills?
Speaker 1 (33:29):
Well I did just pure fantasy football? Is that?
Speaker 3 (33:32):
What this is?
Speaker 2 (33:32):
The Buffalo Wings and against against the Kansas City Ribs
or something?
Speaker 1 (33:36):
Yeah, something like that. Yeah, yeah, the Wings against the Ribs.
I anytime I win anything in the fantasy football league,
I get the third to my son and the third
to my daughter and then I keep it third. So
all of a sudden, now my daughter never asks my
son about midway through the football season, how is our
fantasy team doing? Right? And now they know in this
(33:56):
this this playoff one, they're like, hey, who were for
I go, We're Bill's fans. We're part of them mafia
right now. So let's hope Josh Allen, he was on
your fantasy team even last how'd you do? By the way,
bring the microphone over by you. I took second of mine.
How'd you do in your Ah?
Speaker 6 (34:12):
You know, what's the next question?
Speaker 1 (34:16):
The only question you were good answer. I love that. Hey,
where is the nearest Saint Jude's hospital to us?
Speaker 6 (34:23):
There's there's just one and it's in Memphis, Tennessee.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
There's just the one, just the one in so they
people from all over the country travel there. How many
times have you been there?
Speaker 6 (34:33):
I believe for Wow.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
And that was part of what you were doing in
Saint Louis. Did you feel a need to get your
feet there to be able to walk through to understand
the importance of what you guys were doing.
Speaker 5 (34:48):
Yes, And actually Saint Jude does a great job of
bringing all of the builders together throughout the country that
build these homes. They bring them to Saint Jude once
a year so we can all get toge other. We
can bounce ideas off each other and figure out a
way to raise more money collectively for the children of
Saint Jude.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
Hey, Jackson, Wisconsin, by the way, is a big part
of you guys. Got some homes in Jackson You're gonna
be shown on Sunday. And the one on Poppy Road
I'm looking at and I don't like that one? Did
she bringing my wife over there? She likes the condo,
But this place Villa's at Morning Meadows. That's awesome. Most
(35:29):
of the homes one floor. I know that the Jude
is going to be. I think, Jen, you said two floors.
Most of most are they ranch they tell me about.
Is there kind of a template on the kind of
homes you guys built.
Speaker 5 (35:43):
We run the gamut a little bit, so on our
single family homes, we build ranches and two stories. Some
of our two stories have the master down. And then
we also have villas. So we've got one car garage
villa's you had mentioned the villa's Morning Meadows that you
can see that product there in Jackson. And then we
(36:03):
also have some other villas that are two car garage,
two bedroom, and those you can find down in Pleasant
Prairie at Summon at Bain Station.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
So my wife and I moved into a condo I
guess two years ago a little bit. And I think
if we move again, and we've only moved once, I
mean we're on eighty eighth and Lisbon for thirty years,
we've moved once. But now it would be real easy
because we got rid of like yeah, and I like
the side by side condos. I think that would be
(36:36):
my next You guys have a lot of success with
those at bet Huh.
Speaker 6 (36:40):
We do we do. Yeah, they're great.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
I'd really like them. She would want more than you.
We have two bedrooms.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
She wants as she wants a basement.
Speaker 5 (36:51):
We have basements. They all have basements, and you can
finish the basement.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
An anytime there's bad we there tornado, especially if there's
a warning. She's like, build me a basement now, and
we end up. Her sister lives like a mile from
us and she has a basement, so I'll just sit
and watch the thing. And Terry's like, no, we're getting
in the car right right now. So she just wants
a basement. These condos have basements.
Speaker 6 (37:18):
Yeah, can Jen get your wife's number. We'll talk to her.
Speaker 1 (37:25):
Jen, you're getting nowhere near my wife, because I just
I could do the move a lot easier this time.
I just just so you know, hey, that first trip
that you that you took to Saint Jude to talk
to me about knowing what you were doing for the
company in Saint Louis and then bringing it here, how
(37:47):
how much you were benefited and how much you wanted
to be more part of it once you got a
chance to meet some of the kids and and walk
through that that facility.
Speaker 5 (37:56):
You know, it's just we talk about tugging at your
heart strings. But you know, these children, they're so young,
they could be anywhere from you know, just a few
months old or.
Speaker 6 (38:05):
You know, all the way up to eighteen.
Speaker 5 (38:06):
But being able to to fight a cause that's greater
than you is just really something that is great. And
I think these these children need help and if you
can help them, then we need to help them. And
that's the reason. You know, Saint Jude with all of
their research that they're doing, I mean, that is a
(38:28):
big part of this cancer survival rate going from twenty
percent all the way up to eighty percent.
Speaker 1 (38:34):
It's an incredible Danny Thomas would be so proud. He
would be so proud that this vision that he had
has continued. His daughter big part of it, right she
is still is and he would be so happy that
this idea of doing this has grown to the point
(38:54):
that you know, a builder in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is doing
ah for it, you know, for this cause, and there
are other obviously, there are a number of builders throughout
the country that do this. Correct, that is correct.
Speaker 6 (39:10):
Do you know how many I want to say in
the thirties.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
Boy, that's a huge number. And for them to be
able to meet their their fundraising goals and what they
need to survive because, like you said, nobody gets a
bill for this, for any of it. So they get
the transportation, they stay, they eat, they and all of that.
And I think it's so important that people understand that
(39:34):
the money they're giving goes to help these families. It's
not where you know, eighty percent of it is going
to go to somebody who's sitting on a board somewhere.
It's going to continue the mission statement with Saint Judian
stepping stone homes. I've got a feeling that if given
the opportunity, this won't be the only time you guys
do this, that is correct? Is that breaking news as well?
Speaker 6 (39:58):
No? No, I mean if we.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
All the second one we called this breakdown Saint you too, Danny, Oh,
there you go, there it is.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
That's why she's the sales manager. They have to be creative. Guys.
Let's get to a break. Let's send the break. We
will continue as we're talking. Guys, if you're feeling led
to give to this this great cause of Saint Jude,
you can go to stepping go to Steppingstone Homes dot
net and and right on the top it says it
(40:28):
talks about how honored they are to support this research hospital.
You can click on learn more and and write down
on the second page or the first page it said
considering donating Saint Jude. There's a big tap. Just click
on it and whether it's twenty bucks or a thousand
bucks doesn't matter. If you're feeling led, there's a nice
easy way for you to help out in this mission.
(40:50):
And Eva Frar, she's the division president for stepping Stone
Homes and Jen Courtney. She's a sales manager and very creative.
By the way, she should work for you within the
creative construction. Instead, she's not talking to my wife. Steppingstone
Homes dot net is where you're going to want to go.
We'll continue our conversation with Eva and Jennifer on the
(41:12):
other side. This is the Creative Construction Wisconsin home improvement
show on Fox Sports ninety twenty in your iHeart Radio app.
Welcome back to the Creative Construction of Wisconsin home improvement
show on Fox Sports nine twenty and your iHeart Radio app.
Coming live from the Donovan and Jorgensen Heating and Cooling Studios. Bingo.
We during the break, you've gotten a couple of text messages,
(41:35):
people saying, look, if we want to donate the Saint Jude,
what's the easiest way to do it? And I think
for me, this gives you a nice way to to
to look at Steppingstone Homes by going to their website
Steppingstone Homes dot net and then go to promotions and
events or right on the top it says, you know,
learn more about this this dream house that Steppingstone Homes
(41:59):
is building, selling and giving one hundred percent of the
profits to Saint Jude's children's research. There is a way
to you can click there or go to promotions because
right under that tab Sat Jude dream House, and just
scroll down a little bit and it says consider donating
to Saint Jude. And I think that the people that
listen to this show understand and the next show, because
(42:22):
it's a high school sports show, understand the importance of
continuing to support a place like Saint Jude. Bingo.
Speaker 2 (42:29):
Right, you know, so I just need to go to
Steppingstones dot net and then what it's right there in
the front page.
Speaker 1 (42:34):
Yeah, right there, yeah, consider donating Saint Jude. If you
click on it will give you everything you need.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
I don't want to rip on this guy's name, but
he's like, I don't see a link.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
Oh, it's right there, and and look we I would
love for people to start to donate on that page.
That would be awesome. So you just go again, just
go to Steppingstone Holmes dot net and you will be
able to find it. It's right there at the time.
And does this guy work for you?
Speaker 2 (43:02):
No, No, he's kind of like a brother, you know,
he could.
Speaker 1 (43:07):
He could swing by the station. Just had had hand
off one hundred to one of these girls and they'll
do there. You go, yeah, we can. We could certainly
do that. Hey, this time of year, if if, Jenn,
if you can grab the mic. Is there a better
time of year to sell homes than than you know
I Once the holidays are over, do people start regoing
(43:30):
and looking again? Or is December a tough month in
January much better month? Or is every month kind of
the same.
Speaker 7 (43:38):
No, definitely a great question. January, you know, springs off
the spring market. People are out and ready to get
in their new home by the summer, so we tend
to be pretty busy in the spring market.
Speaker 1 (43:50):
So spring March April. Yeah, you like it when it
starts getting a little bit, just a little bit warmer.
Speaker 4 (43:57):
Yeah, people start getting it in February too, did a.
Speaker 3 (44:00):
Rip through to frost then they just rightually right.
Speaker 1 (44:04):
Hey, do you the the condo part of it? Is
that a busy? Is that like an upswing? Or is
it kind of flat? Look, we never thought about moving
to a condo, and it took me two and a
half years talk my wife into it, and I really
I love it. She kind of likes it. She hasn't
(44:25):
fallen in love with the condo life yet. She she
misses our standalone home and and looking at these side
by sides, I love them. That business. Is that a
good part of your business?
Speaker 4 (44:37):
Yeah, it's a great product mix. It's a good part
of our business.
Speaker 7 (44:41):
Really attracts the the move down buyer, but also some
of the first time home owners as well.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
On your website, you've got when you look at our homes,
it's moving ready homes, condos, floor plans, visual tours, smart
home features. Yes, that part of or world. Like old
guy like me, I you know, I don't know how
to do a lot of that stuff. So smart home
features have gotten to be such a big part of
(45:10):
what you do that it's on your website. It's one
of the features that people can go to. That's just
second nature to you. Now when you when you have
to show a conda with smart home features to to
people like me, you got it. There's a lot of
explaining to do. But boy, it sure makes it easy, right.
Speaker 7 (45:28):
It does make it easy. It's they're smart homes, they're
intelligent homes. It makes it really easy for you. I mean,
our our homes are jam packed with with smart features,
smart locks, smart you know, doorbells, smart appliances, smart garage doors.
I could go on and on, but they really are
pretty simple.
Speaker 1 (45:46):
Hey, how many employees do you guys have for with
with stepping Stone Homes? You know, just bring the microphone
over that handsignals I'm not I didn't have my classes.
I have no idea. I thought you were doing some
gang single What how many employees.
Speaker 5 (46:04):
For the stepping Stone Homes division? There's around thirty five?
Speaker 1 (46:08):
Wow, I believe. And it is that stepping Stone Homes
is under the.
Speaker 6 (46:13):
Umbrella of Home Path Financial.
Speaker 1 (46:16):
And so that's how this all started. And looking at
at at the owner's background. That's kind of where it started.
And there's three or four things under that umbrella, right.
Speaker 6 (46:27):
There is so under Homepath Financial.
Speaker 5 (46:29):
Not only is stepping Stone homes under that umbrella, but
also home Path window and door, so they do they
actually install all of our.
Speaker 6 (46:37):
Window indoors, but they also do retail work.
Speaker 5 (46:41):
And then there is the home Path Property Management, which
is they have a few hundred I think rentals around
the area. And then Mark Winter Holmes, which is another
home building company up in the Appleton Fox Valley area.
Speaker 1 (46:55):
Hey, do me a favor and tell Jeff and tell
Tracy that I don't know them, but I'm a huge
fan doing the research. I've done the background with him
and with her, and and her and I are twins,
just so you know, we're such twins when I look
at first of all, she's really smart and she's very
(47:15):
much into reading, hiking, kayaking, skiing, and fitness. What are
you laughing at? You? Her and I are twins. I
would I would love.
Speaker 3 (47:24):
One Dazza pizza.
Speaker 1 (47:28):
I'm one day I want to meet them in person,
and I just want to give them a hug and
say thank you from just a grandfather in this area.
I want to say thank you for the work that
they do. It's so nice to meet you guys. You
guys did great. And when you guys come back, we've
got some some other things that we need to talk about.
And and when you come back, this house will be
(47:49):
about halfway built, if not further. And I look forward
to that. And and again if you get yet Tel
Tracy and and Jeff and tell everybody over there that
they've got some old grandfather six that's a big fan
of the stuff that they do. Jenny's good to meet
you even, thank you so much, Bingo. Thanks, have a
(48:11):
good weekend. Yeah you too, Yeah, yeah, behave.
Speaker 2 (48:13):
You know, hope hopefully it warms up and tick next week.
Hopefully we got a whole house that's complete in a
big bubble now, trying to get it done in time.
Speaker 1 (48:21):
Are the boys working today? Just one is, and that's good.
Tell him, I said, thanks, guys, have a great weekend.
So good to meet you. This is the you bet.
This is the Creative Construction Wisconsin Home Improvement Show on
Fox Sports ninet twenty. In your iHeart radio app
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.