The Curious Builder

Latest Episodes:

#186 | Melissa Oholendt and Karl Adalbert | Mysa Hus | The Mistakes, Risks, & Big Ideas Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

Two years, 32+ brand partners, 3,700 visitors, countless design debates, and enough Diet Cokes to fuel a small construction crew. Mark Williams sits down with Karl Adalbert and Melissa Oholendt to reflect on the wild ride that was Mysa Hus, from pitching the original vision to watching the team turn that vision into something far bigger than a spec home. They talk creativity, wellness, craftsmanship, healthy tension, and why the relationships built along the way may be the best part of the whole project.

Support the show - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/shop

See our upcoming live events - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/events

The host of the Curious Builder Podcast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. Williams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you're looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Website: https://www.pella.com/ppc/professionals/why-wood/

Olive and Vine Socials Website: https://oliveandvinesocials.com/

Where to find the Guest:

Melissa Oholendt Website: http://ohointeriors.com/ Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/oho_interiors

Karl Adalbert Website: https://www.karladalbert.com/

Where to find the Host: Website - https://www.mdwilliamshomes.com/ Podcast Website - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/markdwilliams_customhomes/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MarkDWilliamsCustomHomesInc/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-williams-968a3420/ Houzz - https://www.houzz.com/pro/markdwilliamscustomhomes/mark-d-williams-custom-homes-inc

Losers are Winners | Trapper Roderick and the $4.4M Problem Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

What do you do when your investor relationship goes sideways halfway through a spec home? Trapper Roderick joins Mark for a very honest Losers Are Winners conversation about refinancing mid-build, pricing a $4.4M Park City spec, walking away from the wrong client, and how some of the biggest wins in business start with things going spectacularly wrong.

Support the show - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/shop

See our upcoming live events - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/events

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Website: https://www.pella.com/ppc/professionals/why-wood/

Olive and Vine Socials Website- https://oliveandvinesocials.com/

Where to find the Guest: Website: https://roderickbuilders.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roderickbuilders/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trapper-roderick/

#185 | Ryan Rutzick | All, Inc. | Ryan Rutzick on Owning the Mistake & Winning the Customer Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

Ryan Rutzick took a third-generation family business, helped turn it into an ESOP, and then dropped millions on a second showroom. Totally normal Tuesday, right? Mark and Ryan dig into succession, big business bets, leadership, and why sometimes the biggest risk isn't making the wrong decision, it's refusing to make one at all.

Support the show - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/shop

See our upcoming live events - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/events

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Website: https://www.pella.com/ppc/professionals/why-wood/

Olive and Vine Socials Website- https://oliveandvinesocials.com/

RealWoodFloors Website: https://realwoodfloors.com/

Where to find the Guest: Website: https://www.allinc.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allincmn/

Losers are Winners | Jeremy Huson on Getting Hacked, Losing Data, & Fighting Back Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

Jeremy Huson joins Mark for a Losers Are Winners episode full of cybersecurity horror stories, hard-earned lessons, and a few "please don't click that" moments. From phishing scams and ransomware to AI-powered attacks and the importance of backing up your data, Jeremy breaks down how small businesses can protect themselves before the bad guys come knocking.

Support the show - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/shop

See our upcoming live events - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/events

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Website: https://www.pella.com/ppc/professionals/why-wood/

Olive and Vine Socials Website- https://oliveandvinesocials.com/

RealWoodFloors Website: https://realwoodfloors.com/

Where to find the Guest: Website: https://cardenitservices.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cardenllc/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cardenitservicesllc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-huson/

#184 | Nick Schiffer | NS Builders | Nick Schiffer Did WHAT? The Business Decisions That Changed Everything Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

What happens when you put Mark and Nick Schiffer in a room with 12 unanswered questions and absolutely no plan? A Curious Builder variety show, obviously. The two builders riff on everything from social media and business growth to conflict, trust, money, ego, family, and the wildly questionable decision that became Nick's 45 White Oak project.

Support the show - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/shop

See our upcoming live events - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/events

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Website: https://www.pella.com/ppc/professionals/why-wood/

Olive and Vine Socials Website- https://oliveandvinesocials.com/

RealWoodFloors Website: https://realwoodfloors.com/

Where to find the Guest: Website: https://www.nsbuilders.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nsbuilders/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickschiffer/

Losers are Winners | Mark on Big Goals & the Post-Mountain Blues Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

Big goals are great until you actually accomplish them. In this solo Losers are Winners episode, Mark talks about the strange emotional hangover that can follow a massive project, a 50-mile race, or any other mountain you've spent months climbing, and what he's learning about finding purpose on the other side. Expect some honesty, some philosophy, and at least one questionable analogy involving hay, caves, and being a shark who can't sit still.

Support the show - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/shop

See our upcoming live events - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/events

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Website: https://www.pella.com/ppc/professionals/why-wood/

Olive and Vine Socials Website- https://oliveandvinesocials.com/

RealWoodFloors Website: https://realwoodfloors.com/

#183 | Melissa Oholendt | Oho Interiors | The Great Mysa Hus Chopping Block Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

Two years, one incredible house, and Melissa Oholendt and Mark decided the perfect way to reflect on Mysa Hus was to draw up a chopping block for $500,000 worth of cuts. The pool goes, the wellness studio nearly goes, and the plumbing fixtures take a serious demotion from luxury unlacquered brass down to something considerably less fancy. It closes with a surprisingly emotional detour into why finishing this house felt like raising a very expensive, very beautiful fourth child.

Support the show - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/shop

See our upcoming live events - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/events

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Website: https://www.pella.com/ppc/professionals/why-wood/

Olive and Vine Socials Website- https://oliveandvinesocials.com/

RealWoodFloors Website: https://realwoodfloors.com/

Where to find the Guest: Website: http://ohointeriors.com Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/oho_interiors

Talking Shop | Brad Robinson on the AI Habit That's Getting You Ghosted Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

Brad Robinson is putting AI to work, but he's not letting the robots take over just yet. He and Mark Williams talk about AI bots, automated CRMs, financial reporting, and the surprisingly powerful art of picking up the phone. Plus, they explore why authenticity, hospitality, and wellness may be the next big competitive advantage in custom home building.

Support the show - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/shop

See our upcoming live events - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/events

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Website: https://www.pella.com/ppc/professionals/why-wood/

Olive and Vine Socials Website- https://oliveandvinesocials.com/

RealWoodFloors Website: https://realwoodfloors.com/

Where to find the Guest: Website: https://bradfordbuilds.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradfordbuilt/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bradfordcustomhomesandremodeling

#182 | Billy Beson | Billy Beson Co. | Building a Design Empire on Trust, Not Trends Sep 07, 2026

Show notes

Billy Beson returns with a résumé that includes decorating an actual presidential palace, mentoring half of the design world, and somehow still finding time to launch a brand new art gallery in his "retirement." He and Mark dig into what makes interior design an emotional art, why hoarding trade secrets is a losing strategy, and why kindness might be the most underrated business skill there is. It wraps with a story about paper clips being declared "dangerously low," which is somehow one of the funniest lines in Curious Builder history.

Support the show - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/shop

See our upcoming live events - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/events

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Website: https://www.pella.com/ppc/professionals/why-wood/

Olive and Vine Socials Website- https://oliveandvinesocials.com/

RealWoodFloors Website: https://realwoodfloors.com/

Where to find the Guest: Website: https://www.theartemaxgallery.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BillyBesonCo

Losers are Winners | The Construction Mistakes Brad Leavitt Won't Make Twice Sep 03, 2026

Show notes

Brad Leavitt is finishing his own house, past his original move-in date, and has never felt more empathy for his clients in his life. He and Mark cover the SOP gaps that keep showing up project after project, why ghosting in real estate is somehow legal and completely maddening, and what it actually costs when a spec home sits longer than expected. Also: scorpions versus mosquitoes, and Minnesota wins.

Support the show - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/shop

See our upcoming live events - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/events

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Website: https://www.pella.com/ppc/professionals/why-wood/

Olive and Vine Socials Website- https://oliveandvinesocials.com/

RealWoodFloors Website: https://realwoodfloors.com/

Where to find the Guest: Website: https://www.aftconstruction.com/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/aft_construction/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@aft_construction

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