FMBGN-BIZ-Miniopolis Builders-Small Footprint, Big Impact

What happens when you reimagine coastal living from the ground up? Brian Sodre of Miniopolis Builders joins us to share a revolutionary approach to beach homes that's changing how we think about paradise.

Breaking away from the conventional wisdom that bigger is better, Sodre reveals how his company creates small footprint homes specifically designed for coastal living. "You can have more by owning less," he explains, describing how this philosophy emerged from his global travels where he discovered that well-designed, efficient spaces enhanced rather than limited his experiences. These aren't the stereotypical tiny homes on wheels—they're permanent, hurricane-resistant structures built to appreciate in value while withstanding Florida's challenging climate.

The conversation dives deep into the innovative construction methods setting Miniopolis Builders apart. From 3D concrete printing to insulated concrete forms and locally-sourced fiber-reinforced polymers, Sodre's approach addresses both the housing shortage and coastal resilience challenges. "It's easy to make things beautiful," he notes, "but what's behind the walls is really what's going to determine the longevity." These homes exceed Florida building codes, offering peace of mind for coastal property owners concerned about increasingly severe weather events.

Beyond the technical aspects, Sodre touches on something more profound—how smaller, thoughtfully designed homes foster community connections that massive properties often fail to create. "You don't need the big McMansion by the beach," he says. "You just need a place to be close to the beach and enjoy the beach for its natural beauty." Ready to reimagine your slice of paradise? Visit Miniopolis Builders online to discover how smaller footprints might lead to bigger living.

Miniopolis Builders
Brian Sodre
12734 Kenwood Lane, Unit 23 Fort Myers, FL 33907
[phone]
[e-mail]
miniopolisbuilders.com

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Fort Myers Beach Good Neighbor
Podcast, where the sun's alwaysshining and the stories are even
brighter.
Each episode we bring youcloser to the neighbors, local
legends and beachside businessesthat make Fort Myers Beach the
slice of paradise we all love.
Pull up a beach chair, grab adrink and let's meet the people
who make this island feel likehome.
We want to send out some islandlove to Eric Tibbs from Edward

(00:35):
Jones State Insurance USA andHome Well Care Services Fort
Myers.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Welcome to Fort Myers Beach Good Neighbors, where we
offer.
What do we offer here?
We offer no shade, justsunshine.
That's it.
The sun is shining today, sothat's a good thing, but today
we have Fort Myers Beach GoodNeighbor, brian Sodre from
Miniopolis Builders.
Welcome, thank you.
Thank you, yeah, pleasure tohave you on and share your story

(01:04):
with our listeners.
So I'm going to guess you're abuilder, but why?

Speaker 3 (01:12):
don't you explain a little bit about Miniopolis?
Miniopolis was founded on theconcept that you can have more
by owning less, and buildingsmall footprint homes that are
built well specifically for thecoastline is what we really
thrive on.
We're excited to share somestories of how this all came
about today.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yeah, let's back up our story a little bit.
How did you get involved in allthis?

Speaker 3 (01:39):
My wife and I had traveled quite a bit around the
world, we realized at first,staying in five-star hotels,
having valet, having check-ins,having your nice little room
that was all nice, but there wasnothing until we were exposed
to something like Airbnb thatallowed us to rent an entire

(02:01):
home, to have a kitchen, to hostguests without them having to
check in, to have a parking spot, right, right, and some
experiences that really definedwhy we're doing.
What we're doing now is thetype of places that we stayed.
They were smaller, they wereefficient, they had everything

(02:30):
you needed that allowed you togo enjoy what you wanted.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
And that's, that's base, the base, the foundation
of how it all got started,absolutely, I guess.
I kind of compare it a littlebit like going to Vegas Do you
spend a lot of money on a hotelroom?
No, because you want to be outand you want to be enjoying
everything around you, correct?

Speaker 1 (02:45):
That is it.

Speaker 2 (02:46):
I love it.
So we all face challenges alongour journey.
Obviously we've had a lot ofchallenges down here in
Southwest Florida, but gettingthe business going and growing,
have there been certainstruggles that you've made it
through that you can look backat now and say you know what?
I'm in a better place now andthings are looking great.

Speaker 3 (03:04):
Red tape I mean there's no secret that small
footprint homes, while they werevery common in the 50s and 60s,
somehow, some magical way therehas been policy reforms that
have required us to build biggerhomes.
It's really taken away fromthat homey feeling, that home

(03:28):
away from home, that nicewaterfront property cottage
where you can just get away,take off those sandals and enjoy
the sand and the beautifulsunsets like your background.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
So, yeah, you're touching it on here briefly here
, but are there any maybe mythsor misconceptions surrounding
what you do that we can maybeclear up for our listeners
options?

Speaker 3 (03:53):
surrounding what you do that we can maybe clear up
for our listeners.
Yeah, tiny homes doesn'tnecessarily mean what many think
.
The stigma is that these homesare manufactured, that they're
on wheels, that they're notsomething that's sustainable,
reliable.
Rated for the Florida elementsyou know we've got heat and
hurricanes, it's a fact.
Rated for the Florida elementsyou know we've got heat and

(04:15):
hurricanes, it's a fact.
Our tiny homes, at least, arebuilt to withstand all that and
still be able to have a homethat appreciates value, where
you don't have to hide from theelements.

Speaker 2 (04:26):
Absolutely so are you from Southwest Florida
originally.

Speaker 3 (04:30):
Not originally.

Speaker 2 (04:31):
No.

Speaker 3 (04:32):
Miami, native originally.

Speaker 2 (04:34):
Okay, so Florida.

Speaker 3 (04:36):
Yes, but I moved around quite a bit trying to
implement our concept of thesmaller footprint homes and we
ended up in Southwest Floridaand I couldn't be happier to be
here.
It's got everything my familyand I would want.

Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yeah, we definitely love our paradise over here.
So what brought you over here?
Just the calmer side of thestate, the, the beautiful
beaches, the sunsets.

Speaker 3 (05:01):
I have to say a little bit of everything, but
the driving factor wasdefinitely opportunity.
The fact that the governmenthad lifted the red tape while
surrounding municipalitiesrestricted us.
Lee County really welcomed usand we're excited to be here for
that.

Speaker 2 (05:19):
Very nice, very nice, and it's great to have you down
here as well too.
So I know owning a business canbe very demanding of your time,
but when you do get a moment offree time, what do you enjoy
doing outside of work?

Speaker 3 (05:32):
Oh, that's a great question.
You got me dreaming here.

Speaker 2 (05:35):
Right right right.

Speaker 3 (05:45):
my biggest passions, I always say is, my two favorite
places to be, are up in the air, uh flying a small aircraft, or
uh down underwater scuba diving.
Those are my, and what betterplace to do that in southwest
florida?

Speaker 2 (05:55):
right, high or low right.

Speaker 3 (05:56):
You see it all nice and silent, peaceful, and you
get to enjoy nature's beauties.
I love it.
I love it.

Speaker 2 (06:04):
So is there one thing you wish our listeners knew
about Miniopolis builders thatmaybe they wouldn't be too aware
of?

Speaker 3 (06:13):
Innovation.
I mean, there's such a highdemand for construction in
general, specifically new homes.
We're at a shortage right now,greater than ever, and that's
really because of the lack ofskilled labor, and if we don't
introduce innovation, we're onlymaking it more expensive and
more delayed to fulfill thedemand, like using 3D concrete

(06:40):
printing, insulated concreteforms or even fiber-reinforced
polymer from a localmanufacturer here.
So the way we build is not justefficient, but it's resilient.

Speaker 2 (06:54):
And that's the important part, especially if
you're close to the coast, whichI'm assuming you've probably
done a number of homes close tothe coast here, right, yeah,
just a couple.
Right yeah, just a couple.
Right, just a few.
So if somebody is interested inlearning a little bit more
about the types of homes youbuild, how would they go about

(07:16):
finding you or contacting you?

Speaker 3 (07:19):
We've got an excellent website that really
breaks down education, so thesehomeowners that are investing a
significant amount into buildinga home of their dreams really
understand what they're getting.
You know, it's easy to makethings beautiful.
I always say you can putlipstick on a pig, but it's

(07:42):
still a pig and what's behindthe walls is really what's going
to determine the longevity, themaintenance and just the
overall feeling of safety.
It's what's behind those walls.
So the way that you build thehouses are the most important
part to any investment,especially along the coast.
So checking us out on ourwebsite, following us on our

(08:06):
podcast social media reallyprovide education so you can
feel inspired to make the rightdecision.

Speaker 2 (08:13):
So I know there's some new regulations as far as
building, you know, close to thecoastline and things like that.
So are your homes raised acertain level as well, then, too
?

Speaker 3 (08:30):
Yeah, we exceed any Florida building code
requirements.
So as long as they provide uswhat the project goal is, we'll
meet or likely exceed theirexpectations in terms of
requirements.

Speaker 2 (08:39):
So people can rest assured that their home is as
safe as can be, for, you know,anything that comes our way and
we have a lot of things thatcome our way down here that
indeed we do Any last words forour listeners that you'd like to
share?

Speaker 3 (08:58):
If you're looking for that second home, that place
where you can really enjoywhether it's retirement, whether
it's that getaway, whether it'ssnowbird season I really
encourage you to learn moreabout our small footprint homes.
Not only are they comfortableand resilient and safe, but they
really create a community, acommunity feel that I think

(09:22):
places like Fort Myers Beachneeds more of that independence.
Contact us, feel free to reachout to us our website, our email
, phone number.
I'm sure that Jim will post itsomewhere on the podcast.
But at minimum.
All we can do is teach yousomething new.
We will fulfill our mission.

Speaker 2 (09:45):
And then that's what a lot of it's about is educating
people, making them aware whattheir options are out there.
You don't need the bigMcMansion by the beach.
You just need a place to beclose to the beach and enjoy the
beach for its natural beauty.
That it is correct.
Yes, and get some good pictures,absolutely.
That's what it's all about.
Watch the sunset.
That's what it's all about.

(10:05):
So, hey, brian, it's been apleasure getting to know you.
Thank you for being such a goodneighbor, and we'll see you at
the beach here real soon.

Speaker 3 (10:14):
Yes, thank you again.

Speaker 1 (10:16):
Thanks for tuning in to the Fort Myers Beach Good
Neighbor Podcast, wherecommunity meets paradise.
If you love what you heard,share it with a friend and keep
the good vibes going Until nexttime.
Stay sunny, stay salty and keepbeing a good neighbor.
Also, to nominate your favoriteneighbors, local legends,
heroes or island businesses tobe on the show, go to
CaboWaboJim.
com.
That's CaboWaboJim.

(10:37):
com, or call 239-427-4100.
We want to send out someviolent love to Eric Tibbs from
Edward Jones State Insurance USAand Home Well Care Services
Fort Myers.
They are the businesses thatallow us to share the soul of
our community with everylistener, from local stories to
the positive vibe of island life.
Here's to celebrating all thatmakes Fort Myers Beach the slice

(10:58):
of paradise we all love.