Hosts Drew Dargen and Scott Moehlenbrock sit down with Bryce Thompson, Owner of CORD Construction Services, to discuss his experiences developing his own projects including The Patriarch Craft Beer House & Lawn, Social Capital, and 1884.
Show Notes
Urban Dirt Podcast | 1: Building Community Through Beer w/ Bryce Thompson
Connect with Bryce Thompson via the links below!
Bryce Thompson: Email / Instagram / LinkedIn
CORD Construction Services: Website / LinkedIn
The Patriarch Craft Beer House & Lawn: Website / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter
Social Capital: Website / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter
SHOW NOTES
[00:00] Introduction
[02:21] The best birthday gift Bryce has ever received
[03:13] Bryce and Scott discuss their experience as home brewers
[04:02] Gail at The Brew Shop OKC
[06:30] Bryce describes his signature brew, a pale ale named Not Wasting Time, and his custom golf course distribution setup
[08:23] The discussion shifts to the impact home brewing has had on craft beer culture, specifically in the Oklahoma market
[09:51] Scott explains the unique environment created by Oklahoma’s old-school liquor laws, which surprisingly resulted in ideal market conditions for home brewers to build their brands
[10:58] A few of our favorite Oklahoma-based breweries are mentioned, including Prairie Artisan Ales, Roughtail Brewing, Coop Ale Works, Stone Cloud Brewing, Frenzy Brewing
[12:08] Bryce talks about growing up a small-town preacher’s kid, moving around a bit, and landing back in Fort Gibson, OK after his sophomore year in high school
[12:57] Bryce tells a surprisingly adorable story about Junior Prom
[14:23] Bryce’s first day on a construction site
[16:14] The moment Bryce comes to the realization that construction is what he’s meant to do
[16:50 Construction Science becomes Bryce’s new major at The University of Oklahoma
[17:20] The unorthodox class scheduling strategy that results in more hours on construction sites than in the classroom
[17:50] Bryce wins his first attempt at bidding a construction project – and somehow convinces his new client to front the money for materials
[19:03] The value of hands-on experience in the construction industry
[20:40] Bryce gets a job offer he can’t refuse during his junior year, which includes a unique signing bonus
[21:59] The unsuccessful attempt to drop out of college in order to get a jumpstart on his career
[23:06] Transitioning from a role at a large-scale construction company doing $300MIL per year to becoming the fifth employee in a family-owned business doing $5MIL per year
[24:00] Tripling the size of the company within a single year at the age of 26
[24:25] Drew articulates the value of the head start Bryce has unwittingly created for himself; Bryce’s unique advantages begin to emerge
[26:00 Bryce’s family is growing, and he and his wife decide they need to get back to Oklahoma
[26:17] The unexpected strategy Bryce deploys to get out of Texas, which includes a regular 200-mile commute
[26:41] “Every business in the world has one thing in common – it’s people.” Bryce goes all in on “just meeting people.”
[27:20] The value of relationship building begins to emerge.
[28:25] “Spending more time on the business side of construction, not the construction side of business.”
[29:03] Geeking out on company culture, vision, and strategic planning
[29:15] Despite opening and growing the company’s Oklahoma operation, Bryce still hasn’t even considered striking out on his own
[30:50] What happens when Bryce’s vision for his ideal company culture begins to diverge from that of his employer
[32:00] An amazing offer is bestowed upon Bryce, but he turns it down
[33:05] Bryce launches another operation – again, for someone else
[33:39] Finding peace, taking the leap into ownership
[34:54] The conversation shifts to the story of The Patriarch Craft Beer House & Lawn
[35:22] Scott gives perspective on simplifying the definition of real estate development
[36:44] Bryce’s future business partner walks into a church group gathering (and Bryce’s life) with a growler of home-brewed porter
[37:18] Rainey Street in Austin, TX
[37:48] Oak Street Draft House in Denton, TX
[38:36] A bullshit text message leads to a meeting at Jersey Mike’s
[39:14] 9 East Edwards Street – “This. Is. Perfect.”
[39:27] Drew provides context on the market in downtown Edmond, OK
[41:55] “Walking through open doors,” one of Bryce’s foundational principles
[42:39] Bryce describes the property and why it was the perfect fit for their vision
[42:55] The pursuit of a “disarming” atmosphere. “I can’t go build that feeling anywhere. You have to buy old.”
[44:24] Getting cold feet and nearly convincing themselves the deal was destined to fall apart
[45:38] “It got really real, really quick.”
[46:00] “Okay, I’m gonna need some money. I don’t have any.”
[46:35] Structuring the ownership of the property versus structuring the ownership of the business
[50:20] How Bryce single handedly raised his half of the $500,000 required to build out The Patriarch
[52:49] Why Bryce took on an investor who only had $1,500 in capital available
[54:40] “People invest in people and passion and vision more than anything.”
[57:26] The entitlement process. “I didn’t know you could just call up a City Council Member and go have coffee with them.”
[58:39] Drew discusses the nuances of dealing with local government stakeholders
[1:01:15] The challenges in educating the public on what you’re actually trying to accomplish with your project. “How are you guys gonna handle the red solo cups rolling down Broadway?”
[1:02:12] Solving the often-overblown public concerns about parking – Bryce’s Custom Parking Guide
[1:03:23] Begging a reporter NOT to write a story about their project
[1:06:10] Digging into the construction and rehab strategy
[1:08:10] Re-purposing 95-year-old solid slate chalkboards from McKinley Elementary
[1:10:49] Beer Education becomes a priority
[1:12:50] Drew’s brother Max describes his ordering strategy at The Patriarch
[1:13:39] Bryce discusses the types of beer you can and CANNOT find at The Patriarch
[1:14:23] Scott explains the unicorn-like Brewer’s Union in Oklahoma
[1:15:23] Frenzy Brewing goes from a launch at The Patriarch to building out a 6,000 square foot brewery operation in the heart of Downtown Edmond
[1:17:07] Budweiser, Coors, and other “American Staple Brands” aren’t actually even American-owned companies?
[1:17:40] The diabolical scheme that almost landed Bud Light on The Patriach’s menu
[1:18:58] The Patriarch’s legacy as a key player in the revitalization of Downtown Edmond
[1:19:11] Drew highlights projects that have materialized since The Patriarch planted its flag, including Sunnyside Diner, Citizens Bank, Vault 405, Cafe Evoke, Ellis Island
[1:20:02] Lessons learned from The Patriarch Project
[1:20:55] Drew and Scott pitch Bryce on a business development idea
[1:21:36] Bryce feels compelled to take on another project in an attempt to leverage the knowledge he’s gained
[1:23:00] Community Through Beer Group is formed
[1:24:00] CTB Group goes big on their second concept, Social Capital
[1:24:31] Bryce’s sister describes the niche CTB Group has created in “dating terms.”
[1:26:12] Scott breaks down “The Billion Dollar Corner” in OKC and the 70 acre Scissortail Park, Grand Opening 9/27 with Kings of Leon Concert (free to public), Downtown Convention Center, Omni Hotel, Chesapeake Energy Arena, Thunder Alley, Boulevard Place, Fairfield Inn, Oklahoma City Streetcar, #billiondollarcornerokc
[1:30:07] Social Capital versus The Patriarch
[1:31:37] 120 craft beer taps at Social Capital
[1:32:20] Industry knowledge gained as a carhop at Sonic in high school
[1:32:57] The importance of tying Social Capital into Scissortail Park
[1:34:21] “Also, punchcards.”
[1:34:40] Edmond Railyard Project and Concept #3: 1884
[1:37:24] Rail Spur Project, Stephenson Park, Park 17
[1:38:14] The power of what Bryce has unknowingly pieced together by walking through open doors
[1:41:00] “Sometimes you’ve gotta jump into a hole knowing there’s only one way out.”
[1:41:42] Stinkin’ Thinkin’
[1:42:20] “You’ve gotta jump and wait for the parachute to open; you don’t open it, and then jump.”
[1:42:52] “You have to fear regret more than you fear failure.”
[1:43:15] “What’s the worst that could happen?”
[1:44:34] Team as the most important factor in the success of The Patriarch
[1:45:34] Bryce imparts wisdom on the younger version of himself
[1:47:22] Bryce shares the single purchase of less than $100 that has had the biggest impact on his life
[1:48:20] Cory Morrow – “I’m too young to have a point of view”
[1:48:56] Bryce makes a couple of book recommendations, including The Go-Giver by Bob Burg & John D. Mann and Start With Why by Simon Sinek
[1:50:45] In closing
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Urban Dirt Podcast is produced and hosted by Drew Dargen and Scott Moehlenbrock, with production support by Max Dargen.
Please visit us at www.urbandirtpodcast.com, email us at info@urbandirtpodcast.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Instagram