Facilities Five and Dime: The Podcast on Church Facility Stewardship
Facilities Five and Dime: The Podcast on Church Facility Stewardship isn’t your typical podcast. Like the old five-and-dime stores—where merchants had to know a little bit about everything—we step into the world of facility stewardship with curiosity, grit, and a touch of storytelling flair. Each episode digs into real stories, lessons learned, and surprising turns behind the buildings we use every day. From unseen risks hidden in cooling towers to potential poor communication within a maintenance team, we uncover how small details and overlooked systems can have significant consequences. Along the way, we tie in history, best practices, and practical wisdom that will equip facility teams, leaders, and everyday stewards to care well for the spaces entrusted to them. Think of it as a place where curiosity meets expertise, and where every aisle is stocked with a new story you didn’t expect—but one you’ll never forget. To jump-start your facility into efficient, intentional stewardship, check out eSPACE at www.smartchurchsolutions.com
Episodes
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In this episode of Facilities Five & Dime, we take a step back and challenge one of the most common assumptions in facility management—that the best solution is always the one that’s worked before.
Through familiar stories—from the accidental invention of Post-it Notes at 3M to the 39 failed attempts behind WD-40 and even the persistence of Thomas Edison—w...
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In this episode of Facilities Five & Dime, we step away from tools and techniques and focus on something deeper—the difference between maintaining a facility and truly leading it.
On paper, everything can look right. Staffing levels are adequate. Budgets are in line. There are no obvious red flags. And yet, when you walk the space, something feels off. Not...
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In this episode of Facilities Five & Dime, we take a closer look at something most people associate with stage effects and shipping coolers—dry ice—and uncover its surprising role as one of the most effective and environmentally responsible cleaning methods available today.
What begins as a simple look at frozen carbon dioxide quickly turns into a deeper e...
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For decades, cleaning meant one thing: work harder, scrub longer, and reach for stronger chemicals. But some messes always fought back—returning stains, lingering odors, and irritated hands that told the real story.
In this episode of Facilities Five and Dime, we dig into one of the quiet revolutions in custodial care: enzymatic cleaning.
Enzymes aren’t fragran...
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For most of history, the secrets of our buildings were scattered everywhere.
Property lines in filing cabinets. Utility maps rolled up in tubes. Old blueprints fading, outdated, or missing altogether. When something broke—or a project started—facility teams often had to guess what was underground and behind the walls.
In this episode of Facilities Five and Dime...
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For centuries, walls have been quietly losing battles.
Mildew, mold, soot, staining, and graffiti slowly break down surfaces—and the solution has always been the same: scrub it, wash it, repaint it… then do it all again next year.
In this episode of Facilities Five and Dime, we explore how wall maintenance evolved from wire brushes and lime wash to modern coati...
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The barcode represents "stewardship through visibility". When you can see and track what you have, you can care for it. Barcodes, QR codes, and asset tags are "descendants of Woodland's line in the sand". These tools help facilities move from chaos and memory to order and accountability, turning an idea like "someone should fix t...
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The ultimate goal of facility stewardship, in maintenance, is to provide as much information as possible to be effective and efficient, and to set up the next generations for success rather than continuing the reactionary maintenance paradigm. It is time to "get out of the paper and pen" and into the computer age.
This podcast focuses on the history ...
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It didn’t come from a janitor’s closet — it came from a lab. In this episode of Facilities Five and Dime, we pull back the curtain on how microfiber technology jumped from high-tech textiles to everyday mops and cloths, quietly rewriting the playbook for custodial care.
What started as a quest for lighter, stronger fibers turned into one of the greatest leaps ...
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Who would’ve thought the same technology that once sealed the decks of warships would later seal the hallways of your local church or school? In this episode of Facilities Five and Dime, we trace the unlikely journey of epoxy flooring—from battlefield innovation to maintenance mainstay.
We’ll unpack how a chemical born from necessity became the unsung hero of ...
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“You never know what you might find in aisle five—a bargain, a surprise, or in this case, a hidden danger lurking in plain sight. Join us as we open Season 3 with a story of mystery, science, and stewardship.”
Full Episode Description
Season 3 of Facilities Five and Dime opens with a mystery that changed the way the world thinks about building systems. In...
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"Most of us aren't defeated in one decisive battle. We are defeated one tiny, seemingly insignificant surrender at a time that chips away at who we should really be." Jocko Willink
This weeks episode is a story of war. One that some of you may relate to. We hope you enjoy what it brings. Be sure to check out our previous episodes if you are one ...
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Hold on to your masks this week, we gotta talk about something that has always put a burr in my saddle. IT may stink to some folks, but we gotta flush this issue out and deal. We also are going to look at how welcoming you are...to those that have mobility issues. Is your facility equipped to allow someone to park, enter, and attend without relying on someone...
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We took a little break, and now we are back! Ok really just a week off. This week we are looking at what is going on, and how we directly influence he mood and the emotions of those around us. As a facility steward, you can impact the mood of the facility more than you may realize. Sit back and relax as we go through some easy steps, remember to take a gander...
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This week we talk a bit about change...and how we engage with it. We hope you enjoy this little bit laid-back presentation. We would love to hear from you regarding topics, guests, and anything else you would like to share. Email us at info@smartchurchsolutions.com. We also want to make sure you check out the newest book by Tim Cool, "Entrusted". Yo...
We would love to hear your thoughts and requests for topics, text us here!
Join us this week as we chat with Donovan Loomis. Donovan has several years experience working with church facility stewards in incorporating Computer Maintenance Management Systems into their facility. Currently Donovan is working with an internationally known networking hardware company helping companies with their high tech needs. For a great read from Don...
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This week we have a conversation with Mr. Troy Pollock, who serves as Chief Ambassador for Pushpay. He has championed strategic initiatives such as Summit Conference, Pushpay University, and most recently Church Disrupt. We are honored that he joined us for some conversation surrounding how virtual generosity has seen a jump during our current situation. For ...
We would love to hear your thoughts and requests for topics, text us here!
Welcome to this week's episode! We know cleaning is on your mind, so we are here to drop some knowledge on you. This week we introduce some fun facts about cleaning, especially what it means to clean properly. With Covid-19 on everyone's mind, and areas starting to open back up, keeping everything clean and tidy is very important. The great thing is...
We would love to hear your thoughts and requests for topics, text us here!
This episode we focus on two areas that are intimately intertwined for the facility steward - data collection for bench-marking and honest facility condition assessments. This comes as we release our free Church Facility Bench-marking report, available here. We hope you take a look at the information and consider how you can use it to be a more effective and ...
We would love to hear your thoughts and requests for topics, text us here!
Well, we did it. We finally tracked our own Mr. Tim Cool down and had a conversation. Join us as we talk about our facilities,stewardship, and what we may see in the future. Whether you have heard Tim before, or this is your first introduction, you will learn and hear something new. For additional information regarding ways to partner with Smart Church Soluti...
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