Construction Genius

Question Everything: How to Innovate Construction Materials and Methods

July 28, 2026·48 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Sam Fertik went from running a 20-course tasting restaurant in Manhattan to building homes out of concrete and steel that he says last a thousand years. He's the CEO and Founder of Carbon Custom Builders. In this episode, Sam and Eric trace the chef-to-contractor journey and the one question that reshaped his whole business. Why are we still building houses the way we did in 1850? What you'll learn: What ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) is and why it turns homebuilding into a repeatable science Why the average home lasts 30 years and how concrete-and-steel construction changes that How a chef's recipe mindset applies directly to running a construction company The "go to the biggest problem" lesson and why owners have to be both visionary and implementer Why Sam says sales is the one thing that kills a small business   Connect with Sam Fertik and Carbon Custom Builders: Website: https://www.carboncustombuilders.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-fertik/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carboncustombuilders/

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