Mike Keane has seen post frame grow from horse barns and hobby shops into multi-million dollar barndominiums, airplane hangars and light commercial buildings. Over 20 years in the industry, he’s watched homeowners, social media and better building practices move post frame into city limits, up to code, and into designs nobody would have attempted two decades ago.

Brad and Mike dig into what’s really shifting in post frame. They talk through new foundation options, metal profiles that go way past the old ag panel, and a panelized wall system made for crews that are short on labor. They also break down which trends will stick and which ones won’t. Mike shares why some builders burn out in a few years while others last for decades, and what advice he’d give his younger self.

In this 38-minute conversation, Brad and Mike cover:

• The moment he locked in: Why he spent years just getting by, and what changed once he started to care.
• Learning by choice: He didn’t care about school, and now he’s the guy studying other builders’ methods on the road.
• Evolve or get left behind: Why builders who think it’s “just a building” and undercut quotes by a hundred bucks don’t last.
• Building faster with fewer hands: Pre-panelized walls that cut install time roughly in half for crews short on labor.
• The hill he’ll die on: Why three-ply laminated columns outperform solid sawn 6x6 posts.
• What to guard for the next 20 years: Your name, and keeping even the small promises.

Key Quote from the Episode:
“If you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backwards. It’s like being on a treadmill. If you’re just holding still, you’re going backwards.” — Mike