Women in Construction Week: Breaking Barriers with HydroBlok

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1:04podcast. With expert advice that's helped millions tackle everything from remodels to repairs. Hosts Sarah G and John Dudley have got you covered with the best advice and information about your home. Now let's get this hour started. Welcome to the around the house show your trusting source for everything about your home. Thanks for joining us today. Dudley is off on a assignment today, but we have a great guest here in the studio. And what I love it's women in construction week this weekend as well. So we've got Lisa Nelson from Hydroblock who I just met down at design and construction week. Lisa welcome to around the house show. Thank you so much for having me. This is going to be a lot of fun because what we're going to talk about with you today is something I think so many contractors and homeowners lack in education from everything to inside. Maybe a shower to the exterior house and you guys are really doing so much innovation out there and it's a lot of fun.

2:06What got you started with Hydroblock? Well, it's kind of it was an interesting journey to get to Hydroblock. So I've been in sales. Oh gosh, it's embarrassing to admit how long so decades has been my experience. And in the building material space, probably a little over a decade. So I was in interior. So cabinets, countertops, flooring, learned how to design, doesn't it? Yeah, it was awesome. I really loved it. It was a great space. And because of that experience, we got connected through some travel back overseas just looking at different manufacturing facilities happen to meet one of the owners of Hydroblock and got to know what he was doing in terms of distribution for the backerboard in the shower space. It's actually, it's really impressive what that team has done over the last 10, 11 years. So they have installed over 200,000 shower installations with our tile backerboard without a single warranty claim. And so when we met this partner, he said, you know, I really would like to scale this in the US. Is that something that you could potentially help with?

3:06So we started looking at just where it was offered. Did contractors know about it? What was the opportunity and what we found every single time we talked to a contractor just to get some feedback and kind of feel it out what that opportunity would look like? Every single one of them, they appreciated how we protected that interior wet wall space. But they said, there's a bigger problem that we face and that's on the exterior wall. So it was conversation after conversation where they wanted to know where else can we use it. So from the very beginning, from those introductions, it's kind of how we have built to where we are today was just basically listening to what the contractor needed. That is awesome. And I tell you what, with shower systems, it is a game changer. And I can't believe how many times, and I'm on so many different, like, I'm an expert in so many different Facebook groups for homeowners out there. You know, I come in and check it out and the people that are administrators are like, oh, you want to be the expert? And I'm like, well, I don't know if I want to be, but I'll jump in when I can, you know,

4:08and oh, my gosh, how many people out there are building showers? Like it's 1972 with greenboard drywall in there and they're throwing up hardy backers. Sorry, hardy backer, but you're throwing it up in there. And I'm just like, well, you're going to be doing that in three years, whether you want to or not. Yeah. Well, I mean, this is a couple years ago. I knew nothing about waterproofing a shower, literally nothing. And so we just kind of dove in and I talked to anybody that I could and I still admittedly, I know very little about how to waterproof a shower because we've got a great team that does a phenomenal job and provides phenomenal service. Finding out that they're still hot mopping in California. I mean, at the time, I didn't even know what hot mopping was. Now that I know what it is, it's insanity, you know, it's so doomed. You're such a terrible way to do to do a shower. But, you know, our team found a really great way to get a great gain a good reputation in the space, which was helpful for us to be able to obviously launch into different applications. And how they did that was in the hospital hospitality space. Like I mentioned, all of the installs. So we have several hundred rooms in Vegas as an example.

5:10So you think about seven, 800 pounds of like a traditional mortar bed system for a shower, right? You have to remodel that entire hotel. Think about that service elevator. Like how do you even line up and stack people up to be able to use the elevator to get that amount of material up to renovate those rooms? And so that is really where we gained a foothold and really established that reputation that we could mobilize super quick. We could get the jobs done super fast with better material, with better warranty services as well. And, you know, not a single warranty claim in all of that time kind of proves itself out. It does. And you think about it. That's the ultimate test because one, you have to work clean. It's vaguities. You're in there. You know, some of those hotel rooms, it costs them a million dollars per room to build those places out. Yeah. So they got to have rent and that thing fast. They got to have that booked. Yep. You're not going to do a liner and know you're not going to get in there. With your system, get in there, get out.

6:13And it's so efficient and quite frankly, just a way better sealed system when it comes down to it. Yep. You are 100% right. And you got to high rise. It's always moving. Yes, high rises move. If you've ever worked in high rises, they move. You've got to have something in there that's going to have a little bit of give to it because windstorms, earthquakes, all those kind of things. Those buildings move around a little bit. I've done some high rise projects before. And it's like, that building moves more than you think it does. You are exactly right about that. So that's what we've, yeah, they've done a really phenomenal job. So, you know, what was interesting and what has been so fun for us over the last, the last couple of years is finding people that look at building materials in a different way. Because like you said, you know, we started looking into this business as a potential to scale the shower systems. Well, we had someone on the shower team who literally was sitting in his house. I think in, you know, his home office was watching out the window and saw his neighbor's house getting the stuckle redone.

7:15And it was like a light bulb moment for him because our tile backer board is, it can be 100% waterproof and it is direct bond applications. So he, you know, looked at the traditional way that they were doing and all of the layers that they were doing. And he started kind of like looking into that as a potential. So what we were able to do, my business partner and I, when we came in was to give him, you know, the resources to kind of build that out. Meanwhile, we were getting all of this validation from contractors that said, there's a better, bigger place for this product to be used. Well, in building code, for all the people out there that don't really know what we're talking about, building code now is requiring or going to require, depending where you're at and who's taking what in. But building code is now going to require an insulation product on the outside of the structure. So if you're putting down, for instance, you've got your framing, you've got your sheathing on the outside, they want to have another insulation barrier on the outside of that

8:16because unfortunately, studs are not insulation. They take up a spot and that's where the weak point is. So they want to put some insulation on the outside of that. So building code is now requiring that in a lot of places in the country. This is the perfect application for that because one, you've got an insulating value. Two, you've got waterproofing. Yep. Yeah, you're exactly right. So our backer board for the exterior is actually it's a four-in-one product. And all of our technology that we innovate at HydroBlock is all based on HB1 as the threshold. So we believe that you can combine multiple layers, put them into one product so that you're simplifying your labor, you're simplifying materials, you're getting your jobs done faster, you're taking out complexity for crews on the job site. So with our exterior backer board to your point, it is a continuous insulation board, but it also replaces your last code, your last your scratch code. And it gives you also that second WRB as well. So we're four products in one solution.

9:18That is great because you just took like four days of work off the list. Yeah. Because all that stuff takes time and it's thick too. So that's the other part is it changes how things go. Because if you have to put on that exterior insulation, maybe you're putting in, sorry, Rockwell, I'm going to mention you guys, you got to put in two inches of Rockwell on there. Now, how is your window's going to look? It was all this stuff going to play together. And when you can take half or three quarters of an inch out of this mixture or more, there really changes the overall look and the architectural look of the house, especially if you're doing a remodel on something older. Yep, yep, you're absolutely right. So I mean, it's what's also really great about it is that there's not a big learning curve for this. You know, it's a tried and true product in the industry. So we already know that it performs phenomenally well. But it also, there's not a learning curve for the installation of it. So people are already accustomed to using continuous insulation boards for all of the points that you just made. But we're just adding in some additional layers on top of that that R5 XPS foam so that it cuts down on all of the finishing processes that come after that.

10:22Well, you think we're stuck out so many years you've seen that, you know, the non-durable white foam board go up that punch it and it falls apart. We will see if Eric's voice will hold up and make it through this episode. Around the house will be right back with Lisa Nelson from HydroBlock. Around the house will be right back. Hey everyone, this is Jim, producer of the Around the House Show Podcast. If you're listening right now, you already know we bring you the best tips, tricks and expert advice to fix, upgrade and maintain everything in your home, without the headaches or the huge bills. But if you're catching us on the radio or borrowing a friend's phone, you're missing out on new episodes dropping straight to your device every week. So do yourself a favor, hit pause for just a second, grab your phone and subscribe to Around the House Show on your favorite podcast player. Whether it's Apple podcasts, Spotify, YouTube music or wherever you listen,

11:29it's completely free and you'll never miss an episode again. Thanks for supporting the show. Now let's get back to making your house work for you. Hey guys, it's Eric G from Around the House and I am thrilled to announce that our massive back catalog nearly 1900 episodes packed with home improvement tips, DIY hacks and expert advice is now available for free. Dive into years of inspiration to tackle on your next project. And just a heads up, some podcast players limit how far back you can go. So if you can't find it all, just head straight over to our website aroundthehouseonline.com and listen to every episode there. Don't miss out, start binging today. And thanks for tuning in to Around the House.

12:30What's up, this is Dixandania and Satchel from Steel Panther and you are listening to Around the House with Eric G. Yeah, we love Eric G and you should too. Welcome back to the Around the House show with Eric G. Eric is fighting a cold so he is attempting to power through this great discussion with Lisa Nelson from HydroBlock. I told Eric six and a half hours on a plane was going to make him sick and it happened right on schedule. Let's get back to the conversation. Well, you think with Stucco so many years you've seen that, you know, the non durable white foam board go up that you put it and it falls apart. And now you're putting up something that is going to and it's not waterproof. It's just kind of there is a filler basically. And wow, that's a game changer because now you're putting up something that's way more durable underneath. Yeah. And with that extra WRB which is for you guys out there that don't know

13:33we're talking about that's our weather resistant barrier. That is what's going to keep that water from going inside the house. It makes a lot of sense especially when you're talking like I'm in the Pacific Northwest. So wind driven rain is huge. If you're on the in the Gulf Coast states where you're getting hurricanes, that's a big deal. Yeah, yeah, it absolutely is. So yeah, we've traveled the country finding out, you know, how every different Stucco system is done. And so it's different in every corner of the country. So we're located in Salt Lake. That's where our headquarters are. So we do a lot of traditional three-code systems. So it's a massive ordeal to put that Stucco on a home. So you've got between seven and eight different layers. This winter has been a little bit of an anomaly. We're not very cold and we're not very snowy this year. But most of the time. Yeah, most of the time, you know, we've got those houses and those buildings tinted and heated. And now there's a fight between the installer and the building owner. Who's going to pay for the tinting? Who's going to take the liability? It's just it's not it's not a sustainable solution. So this speeds the process

14:37up tremendously because you don't have as much product that has to cure on top of our board. It's already pre-cured with that scratch code on it. So it helps simplify that wall a whole lot. Well, and then of course it's designed as a shower system. So when you think about it every faster to go through there, you're dealing with it correctly. Yeah, yep. Well, we've been in the place where it rains and floods every day for a decade. So we kind of know what we're talking about. That's the key right there. So I think it's super smart. And now you guys are building or wrapping up your building in Utah. So you can produce stuff locally. I love that. Well, thank you. I mean, this is where I get to brag on our team a little bit. So we have we've produced our product. Like I mentioned for over a decade and it's been produced in Asia. And they have produced a phenomenal product. Obviously, you know, we've got the history to prove that. But what we obviously were dealing with, this is no different than anyone else is the fluctuation in freight. You know, we had gosh, anywhere from $3,000 a container up to $20,000 a container during COVID. And sometimes we were paying more for the freight, you know, than we would get the

15:41landed cost of our product. So we started looking at that. Actually, I'm going to look back on my timeline probably a year and a half ago. Just how do we ensure that? How do we bring that all to the US so that we have better controls over the product itself? And we're, yeah, we're holding our grand opening here in the next few weeks. So that's been, it's been a very big lift for our team. We've had some huge challenges to overcome. It's not an easy thing to do, but we're really proud of it. Well, that's awesome. And you know, with with everything from, you know, and did tariffs play any part in that? I mean, of course, it's got to be interesting coming spring and stuff over there. And you guys probably, you don't just go, Hey, tomorrow we're building a factory. So you've had to probably have that plan. And for years, yeah, I'm sure the whole tariff situation, whether I'm sure that made it easier, you know, easier time. Okay, we have, we need to have more control. We were already well down the path. So what it did for us was just validate that we had made the right choice. So tariffs actually didn't play a part in us making that initial decision. Just helped us hurry it along a little bit quicker. But we had some really interesting challenges. It

16:44took a lot longer than we anticipated, because all of the, all of the equipment that we ordered was to replicate the process that we were doing overseas. Sure. Well, we got 17 containers worth of equipment. Wow. Not one single piece of it was you well certified for the United States. Of course. Yeah. So oh my gosh. Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah, you order it. It's like, let's go. Yeah. Oh, I can't put into this anything in the electrical systems. You are 100% right. So we had, I think it was 110 motors on our first line that had to be replaced. We had to completely redo every single electrical wire in all of that machinery to make it work. So we, we have a, we have a team that is just committed like no other. It was daunting, but they have done a phenomenal job. And what they did was actually really cool, because, you know, our team, we just, we always have innovation at heart. And this was the perfect challenge,

17:46instead of saying, you know, throwing our hands up in the air. And you know, what do we do? They said, okay, well, this gives us an opportunity to actually change our product and make it better. And the way that they did that was originally our line, I think, was about 600 feet long. It took up a pretty big footprint. Yeah. So on top of the challenges of not having everything you all certified, we also got a really nice surprise with our first lease agreement that that building could not provide the power for us. So they canceled our lease. We had to go for another, we had to go look for another location. Crazy. Yes. Meanwhile, you know, finding out exactly what power was going to be required to run the line here in the US versus, you know, in Asia, where it's not a problem to get utility. Yeah. We had to reformulate the cementitious coating that's on our board so that it would take less power. So we actually could operate here in the state of Utah with the power, you know, the power amount that we could get. We, we engaged with one of the top cement scientists. He's got, he's like a double PhD. He works on, you know, when a bridge gets

18:48damaged or something, you know, he's the guy that goes in and knows the formulation to get it repaired quickly. So we started working with him on, how do we cure our cement coating on our board? How do we cure that faster so that we don't have to have as long of a line and draw so much power? So I think we shortened it by, I think we're only about a fifth of the length of the line that it originally was going to be, which is pretty phenomenal. And not only that, we actually have a stronger compressive strength. Our board is already really strong, but now being here in the, what we're doing here in the US with that new formulation, got a higher compressive strength as well. And the other thing that we're really proud of is that we are sourcing all of our raw materials for our board from the US. And actually a lot of them come from Utah as well, which is pretty cool. Well, that's awesome. Yeah. Yeah. So it's a good story. You guys had just everything thrown at you. And I don't think people realize out there. If you don't have those UL listings, a building inspector just walks in and goes, no, let's figure it out. It's a no. And then you're

19:52standing there with manuals going, oh gosh, what do we have to do? Then you have to figure it out. Yeah, I mean, manufacturers going, hey, we sold you the equipment and you're in the middle. So yeah, I mean, the money's already been spent. So we had to figure it out. And it was like, it was like getting the most complicated piece of furniture at IKEA with no instructions. It was, so it was a really, really big challenge. But we had the right team to figure it out. And the cement part too is big because you got to have a, you got to find that really thin fine line of workability and curate. So it's not, you know, setting up in the machine, right? Oh gosh. Oh, we went through a lot of iterations like, you know, full scale panic on the line when it's set too fast. And we had to hurry up and get, get everything cleaned out and save the pipes and save the machines. And so it was a madhouse for a minute. I can only imagine. So that's, that's super cool. But that's really going to give you guys that flexibility. And the cool thing too is as, as you guys innovate, because you guys never stand still. So as

20:55you innovate, it's so much easier having the building in, it's in your backyard right there. You can walk down and change those. Yeah, it's like 10 minutes from the Salt Lake Airport. So we're, we are just right around the corner and we will be right back with more from Lisa Nelson and Hydroblock after around the house returns. Don't change that dial. Quick question. How long does it take you to put together a contractor estimate? If it's more than five minutes, you're probably losing jobs to whoever gets their first. We built Instabid after losing a $13,000 job because my quote was too slow. Now I generate a professional PDF estimate, real home depot pricing, real labor costs for your zip code in under five minutes. Painters, roofers, all the trades. Try it free at Instabid.pro. Use code ATH50 for 50% off your first month. That's Instabid.pro code ATH50.

22:02Hey everyone, it's Eric G from Around the House. I'm teaming up with Cam Anderson. Yeah, the epoxy live edge master from blacktail studio for his biggest project yet. A full home remodeling on his stunning blacktail ranch. We're talking about this charming but dated farmhouse from lead paint sheet to a modern functional dream home. Structural fixes, smart layouts, custom woodworking flare, real budgets, hiccups, pro tips, all documented step-by-step. If you're a blacktail fan or love epic renovations, this is your series. Head to my YouTube channel right now, search Around the House, Eric G, subscribe and check out the blacktail ranch playlist. Cam's intro video is live, and a fresh episode will be dropping very soon. Don't miss this transformation and subscribe to dev. Welcome back to the Around the House show with Eric G. Eric is fighting a cold,

23:08so he is attempting to power through this great discussion with Lisa Nelson from HydroBlock. So far, so good. A special thanks to Eric's hot toddy for doing the brunt of the work in this episode. Hmm, we might need a sponsor for that. Let's get back to the conversation. You know, we'll go down, we'll go down every lane that is a viable, you know, solution to help the contractor out, but it takes a lot of testing, it takes a lot of time, takes a lot of a lot of cash for all of those testing facilities, you know, to get certified for other applications. So we're really excited that we are more, you know, our facility here is ICC certified. We've got that all off off our flight now where you have our ICC certification for the exterior backer board, and then we've got some other things up our sleeves that are going to be pretty exciting animations that will come in the next coming months. That's cool. And it's got to be interesting when from taking that interior product to the outside because all of a sudden, people are like, okay, worked great inside. I'll set outside with the weather, UV, all those different things. Yeah. And trying to navigate that. Yeah. And we had most of that testing was already

24:13done for our ICC listing for the interior. We just had to add in a few extra to your point for the exterior for exposure rating. So we got all of that done. And yeah, we're just, we're excited to be on houses all across the country. We've spent, you know, the better part of the last two years doing pilot projects to test that out. So we've done projects in Northern Canada where, you know, I don't even know how many freeze-thaw cycles they have. But it's a lot. So we tested in Northern Canada with some stucco systems. We've done some in Arizona and southern Utah with the really hot desert climates. We've got some on the coasts that are starting soon. So we've had really, really great feedback. And the thing for me, you know, that's most important for me because I run all of our strategic relationships is it's important to me that if a contractor tries it out, they come back and they ask for it again. So that's the biggest piece of validation. And that's what we're always working for. Of course. Yeah. I mean, and it's so interesting like you, like you just brought up, I mean, there's so many different climates, climate zones in the US of how things

25:16react from where we were, you know, just a few weeks ago in in Florida, to getting up into the corners of the of the US, just here and even in my area where we've got, you know, the organ coast, for instance, beach house out there. That takes a beating out there and everything you do out there has to be so well thought out. But I love this for that because, you know, it's just one of those things that we've really finally, I think we're getting into where science is getting into the exterior of the house. It's been a battle here, you know, across the country. And with building code changing, I'm so happy to start seeing these things working together. And we're finally getting to a point, you know, in the 80s, we built houses that were, that were just rotting from the inside out. Now finally in 2026, I think we're getting to a point now that we're actually building smarter and healthier buildings. I think this is going to be a great part of that. Yeah, we're getting a little, we're getting closer day by day. I think, you know, looking at the history of the exterior wall and why this is such a great solution, you know,

26:22you're talking about building codes. We had the eaves or ephus, who knows how you say it. We had that system that had so many failures because it was so complex for the installation. So there was water intrusion and, you know, litigation that happened for years and years and years. And that's still a four letter word in the industry to even bring that up. It's gotten better for sure. And there's a lot of commercial projects that are using it again. But that was born out of the necessity to help with energy demands. So that was one thing. And then we saw the influx of cement boards. So trying to get a direct to board finish so that you could solve for labor problems. Well, that was great. But it is really, really, really heavy. And it's really brittle. And a lot of it is lost in transport because of breakage. So it, both of those work to solve a problem that we get to kind of come in and deliver on the promises of both. So we provide that continuous installation. But we also help with the labor because we're a direct to board finish. And we do it at about 60 to 70% of the weight. So we're our four by eight half inch board. It's 23 pounds. So

27:28crews love it because they can carry it around. No problem. They can carry multiple of them around. And we find more and more with builders that we meet. How much more committed they're becoming to taking care of their crews and making sure that their crews are not breaking their bodies to go to work every day. So we're happy to play a little part of that as well. That is so smart because yeah, I mean, as I'm sitting here with a cold in my arm and a sling, I get that taking care of yourself. It's been a battle out there for people. And especially with people in construction out there that are working. It's one of those things that, you know, we've got a whole other generation getting ready to, you know, getting ready to retire. And when you've got people out there that have been doing it for 30, 35, 40 years, safety 40 years ago wasn't what it is. And even then we've got people at that point that are hitting their 40s and stuff are going, I want to go in the office because I can't get people that I couldn't do back then. And I think it's really smart, you know,

28:29with women in construction week, I love seeing women coming into the trades as, you know, as much as we're seeing, you know, when we're sitting there by your booth and I got to see my really great friend, Kayleen McCabe, you know, come in. That was awesome. Her and I go way back. And that's one of the fun things about that show is it's just, you know, you get to see all your friends that you don't get to see all year round. And, yeah, it's so fun. You know, and I love what she does of just getting people into the trades and getting that younger generation going. And so anytime I can help her lift her up and go, hey, let's, let's do something together. It's great. She's a rock star out there with the kids in high schools that are going to trade. I love to see her working with stuff, but this is one of those things that is just working smarter. Yeah. Well, and I think, you know, we know that kids are not, that they're not leaving high school looking to work harder. We know that. And I can say that because I've got, I have four kids in my own, but three of them are out of the house and figuring out adulthood. And they're faced with so many

29:30challenges right now. Number one is, is AI going to take my job? So that's why I love people that are working to help kids show them how, how successful they can be in the trades. Number two is, how can they ever afford a house? So that is a consistent message that we hear and I'm feeling it in my own home right now as well too. You know, how are we ever going to be able to launch on our own and be able to provide for ourselves? So we've worked with a lot of people. We met with a lot of people at the show. We've met with a lot of contractors that are working here in Utah with our governor's initiative to be able to help builders find a way to build more affordable homes. I think everybody agrees that it shouldn't be the burden only of the builder to do it. But in whatever ways we can find to help the builder, you know, provide number one better performing products for their homes that they build. But also, if there's a way that they can save on their on their labor and materials to help bring the cost of those the housing down, maybe we make some kind of an impact for these kids. We'll see. Yeah, I mean, and it's smart because you know,

30:32every time that somebody gets hurt on a job site, that costs that builder a lot of money. It's just a lot. Yeah. And if you can give them a lighter, more durable product, that's a win all around. Yeah, there's a lot to tackle, but I'm so appreciative of everybody in our in our industry that is trying to find ways to make an impact. So we had several conversations at the show about different creative mortgage lending, right? If you're using green and materials, and if you're, you know, building a home that's going to be more energy efficient, how you can maybe get lower mortgage rates. I think it's a collective conversation that we can we can find some solutions if everybody's willing to work on it. Yeah, here in our area, I've been really fighting to get to get kind of government out of the way because we had a problem here. They finally have done something this last, I think it was August, like city of Portland, for instance, and I've railed on them a lot on this show because they were adding $100,000 in fees to a house instruction. And I'm like, for what? So what they would do is, and so let's say we had a great example, if you had a 1939 house that was half burned down or was sitting there and you were

31:38going to put a nice, you know, single or a double, you know, residence on this piece of property. Since it was built before 1940, you would have to hand disassemble the house and try to use it. So now you've got an extra $30,000, $40,000 that people come in with hammers and saws and literally take this thing down. But then you had to have the lead pain abated, abated, this past is taken out. So all of a sudden you could have a bunch of money in that. Then they had all these development fees. It would be $18,000 to the urban forestry, $12,000 to transit as much as you in the parks department. And it was just, there was a house there that utilities were already there. And it was like, guys, you're somebody to come in there and build a 2200 square foot house. You could easily be over the six figures. And it was like, that's not how we're going to get affordable housing. If we have to throw an extra $100,000 on it, we will be right back with Moa from Lisa Nelson and Hydro Blog. After around the house returns, don't change that dial.

32:56Hey everyone, this is Jim, producer of the Around the House Show podcast. If you're listening right now, you already know we bring you the best tips, tricks, and expert advice to fix, upgrade and maintain everything in your home without the headaches or the huge bills. But if you're catching us on the radio or borrowing a friend's phone, you're missing out on new episodes dropping straight to your device every week. So do yourself a favor. Hit pause for just a second. Grab your phone and subscribe to Around the House Show on your favorite podcast player. Whether it's Apple podcasts, Spotify, YouTube music, or wherever you listen, it's completely free and you'll never miss an episode again. Thanks for supporting the show. Now let's get back to making your house work for you. Hey, it's Eric G from Around the House. Quick favor. If you're enjoying the show, the absolute best way you can support us is by leaving a quick review on your

33:59favorite podcast player, Apple podcasts, Spotify, whatever you're listening to. It literally takes 30 seconds and here's why it matters so much to us. Those reviews help new listeners discover the podcast. Tell the algorithms we're worth recommending and give us the feedback we need to bring you even better episodes. More of the topics you love and guess and actually move the needle for you. That helps us help you. It's as simple as that. So if the show's been useful, funny or just made your day a little better, pop over right now, drop a star rating and a couple of sentences. We'll be genuinely grateful. Thanks for being a part of the Around the House crew and let's keep that conversation going. Welcome back to the Around the House show. It looks like Eric G is going to make it though with this cold he is fighting. Let's get back and wrap up the discussion with Lisa Nelson from Hydro block. It has been as archaic as it gets forever. Somebody come up with the new next level of drywall because I'm sick of it. So messy. It's

35:03no time consuming and I'm like, okay, that's a step. It's true. No, we get asked that all the time. I'll tell you, we've had some we've had some real interesting requests for our board. So one of them has been a drywall replacement. The challenge is that drywall is so so cheap and as long as that cheap, it's going to be really hard to disrupt that one. But it is. You know, we have some ideas. We've had people want to use it for pools, for hot tubs, for, you know, koi ponds outside. We've had someone say that it's a phenomenal board for, I'll get this one, Eric, for making caskets. So we've had to tell them, I know exactly. We've had to tell them we don't have a listing for that for our board. That's an interesting test. I know. I don't know how we would do that one. But yeah, so it's, yeah, it is pretty funny. There's a lot of people that want to find better ways to do things. So we're happy and proud to be part of that group. Yeah, that is awesome. But yeah, it's one of those things that I'm happy to see products coming out of it. And again,

36:04this show this year was so great for that to go through and see. All right. You guys were what again, one of the bright spots. I thought, okay, there is an innovative product that is feeling in need that literally no one else is tackling. Yeah, no, you're a hundred percent right. We every show that we attend, we always come away with just more and more people that come out of the woodworks that are interested in what we're doing. And we feel very confident in the direction that we're going and the impact that we're going to make. And we've had some really, really great partners along the way that have wanted to move the industry forward as well. So we're happy to partner with the people that we have that will help with both in our product development and in our distribution. And it's been we've collected a really great group around us. That is awesome. Because yeah, and the other thing is that you guys have to battle as well is on the construction side of things, people get so brandy. It's like the Ford and the Chevy and the Dodge truck guy standing around of who's better. Oh, they do. Yeah, they really do. We're in a really unique place

37:10right now because we are the only product right now that has a listing for that use case with the composite board like ours. So we've got some good runway. But we, you know, we really do believe that a rising tide lists all shifts. We know that there are ships. We know that we can't we can't cover every home and every building across the country. And then, you know, especially when we have these big trade shows, we have people from all corners of the world that want access to the product as well. So it's always never fails. We've got central South America, the Caribbean, you know, because of all the mold and water issues in those areas. So they want access to the product. We get it from a lot of Canadians. I don't know if you ran into a lot of Canadians at the show always there as well. Yeah, they need a lot of insulation in their areas. So we're a great fit for that as well. So we've got plenty of region. It'll be, you know, we'll we'll take help along the way to be able to meet demand. Yeah, I get it's interesting. So when you get into these kind of things with when you get overseas, even into Canada, where certifications, it's like, okay, what's your certification need? And yeah, the Caribbean, like Columbia and some of those

38:13places down there where they're like, you don't need any. You get it here, you can use it, you know. Yep, you're 100% right. But we have so much demand, you know, we're really excited. We we provide the most labor and material savings in Stucco and Stone applications. And so we've got a lot of demand in the Southwest that we're that we'll be meeting. Your area is really great for direct applied stone, obviously, you know, we've got a lot of opportunity up there in your area. And we've got a great team forming for Pacific Northwest to help out with those efforts. So we'll do the best we can to provide as much product wherever is wanted. Yeah, and it's so cool because you can really start to use some of these newer materials out here for the exterior. Like if you had this amazing facade coming up to the front door and you wanted to wrap, let's say you wanted to wrap columns with with slab porcelain, for instance, right? Yeah. It's perfect for that. It's meant for that. Yeah. Yep. You are exactly right. It goes up there. It's not coming off there. Yeah. It's yeah, it's done. Yeah. I mean, this is 10 years in the shower space where your tile ready in a couple of hours. There's no additional

39:16water proofing that needs to be done on top of it. So you just get your mortar ready and pick out your fancy tiles. You're ready to go ready to go. Yeah. And that's the fun part, too, is we're seeing so many, you know, technology and tile didn't change forever. And over the last like 10 years, we've really seen, you know, this technology gets so much better as far as what, you know, some of the stuff that they're making look like wood, for instance, on the outside. That's cool. It looks like wood until you touch it and go, oh, wow. But now you have to put something out there that's fireproof because I tell you what, you're not hurting that porcelain when you put flame to it. Nope, nope, not at all. We love being a part of those kind of stories where we're, you know, environmentally friendly for that reason. We're not chopping down trees and we're doing something that is higher better performing and is going to protect your home. I mean, that's what everybody, they worked their whole lives to be able to have a home of their own. And so you might as well use the right products that are going to take care of it. Amen. So Lisa, how do people find your product out there? So if there's contractors, whether

40:17they're into your exterior, whatever they're working on, how do you find your stuff? Well, a couple different ways. You can go to our website. You can submit a form if we don't have product right in your area. We're setting up new distributors every single day. So we would love to put them in the place that you love to buy from. So we'll start those relationships as soon as possible. You can get them readily available through a lot of tile shops. Daltile is one of our biggest carriers. We've got tile shop as well. A lot of independent dealers as well that carry our shower products for the exterior. We are finalizing those distribution agreements right now, but we'll be available nationwide. You can just submit a form and we'll make sure that it gets to the closest location to you. Nice. Yeah, it's got to be different going from the tile to, oh, we got to be at our lumber yard now. It's different conversations for sure. And we spent a lot of time making sure that we picked the right partners and the right channels to get the product to downstream to the contractor. That's like speaking English in the tile stores. Okay, going to go and be arts. Now we're going to speak French today.

41:18Yep, you're 100% right. And the person with the lumber counters going, tell me why I need this, you know, yep, there's a lot of that. There's a lot of that. But that's awesome. And you know, the distribution down tile, we just had them on the show last week. You know, I broadcast from their booth every year at Design and Construction Week, I work a lot with them, which is fun. And talk about a one-stop shop for people out there that can jump in there and go, hey, yeah, I want to, I need two slabs of this. I need this. And then they can get to your product as well, which is very, yeah, everything wants. They've been a phenomenal partner. We love working with them. Yeah, and they've got all those distribution kind of warehouses. They've got that dialed in where they've got good warehouses around the most major markets. So it's nice. Yeah, we agree. Well, we don't think it's necessary to reinvent the wheel. So we love those kind of partners that can provide that kind of service for the contractor. That is awesome. At least, so one more question before we go, because we are running out of time. But I wanted to make sure we hit on this since it is, you know, women in construction week. What advice could you give people, you know, women that are coming up, whether it's in construction, whether it's in business,

42:22what insight, what have you learned over the years of the path that you've gone to get there? Oh gosh, that is a, that's a great question. A couple of things that I would say, don't be afraid to work really hard and show your value. Because I think, you know, I've been, I've been really lucky to be on the team where I am where my voice as a woman is respected. They want to hear what I have to say. They want to hear my point of view. We all get better when we are willing to listen to sit outside, outside feedback. I've never wanted anyone to outwork me, you know, being a mom of four kids. You know, my time has always been limited. There were a lot of my years in sales where it was commission based only. So I had to work my tail off to make the money that I needed to make. And that's what helped me help me move forward in my career. So don't be afraid to work really hard. Don't be afraid to ask questions. I'm in an industry that, you know, I've had to learn everything from scratch. But I just asked all of the questions I had to get uncomfortable being in rooms where I was the only woman. And that's not uncomfortable anymore. But it sure started out that way.

43:26And just don't be afraid to speak up to show up. It's needed. Hey, man. And I think the other thing is, is something I learned in my design skills, what I was younger, when you don't know, say you don't know and go find out. Yep. Yep. I 100% agree with that. That's one of those things. Nobody knows everything. So if you're new to the job side, if you're new getting into this industry, tell you what, just that. Yeah. You know, I don't know. But let's find out together. Yep. And go find it. And today's age, it's so much easier than it was 30 years ago. That's great advice. You know, the other thing I think I will say is that oftentimes the things that you've had to deal with in your life and, you know, day to day or big challenges, they're all a great contribution for how you can benefit this industry. So I mean, you could be great at project management because you're, you've been used to dealing with a household full of kids and managing schedules and messes and, you know, surprises. Don't shortcut all of the things that you have done in your life that can be beneficiary towards this industry and help lift it up. You know, that is a great one because some people have had really hard roads to get to where they

44:30are today. Yeah. Some people have had it a lot easier. Everybody has their own challenges. But the ones that have had more challenges, if you can sit there and twist that into going, all right, I've had the hard road, but I know I can deal with it. I figured it out. Yep. That's where you get really get to shine because you've already learned those hard skills and you're already 10 steps ahead of somebody else. You're absolutely right. Lisa, this is great. How do people find you guys? What's the best website to go? www.hydroblock.com. That's h-y-d-r-o-b-l-o-k.com. There we go. Lisa, thanks for coming on today. This has been great. It was great seeing you at the show and seeing what you guys had in there. And I know it had to have been a lot of people walking by and go, oh, wait a minute. What is this? We get that all the time. Well, thank you so much for your time. It was really fun to visit with you. I was great. Thanks for the time. I'm Eric G guys and you've been listening to Around the House. Hey, it's Eric G with Around the House. Are you looking to grow your business?

45:33Need a spokesperson for your company, maybe an MC for an upcoming trade show, or maybe you want to up your game and shoot some promotional videos? My team of experts would love to chat with you. Head to Around the House online.com and fill out the contact us form and we'll set something up. Thanks for listening to Around the House.