Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace‘s construction conversation, built around the realities of craft, company building, and life in the trades, is recognized among the industry’s most influential podcasts for making room for the work professionals often avoid discussing: money, pressure, mental health, mistakes, and what it takes to sustain a career.
August 29, 2026 – HG HomeClub, a national media platform dedicated to curating the most valuable stories, rankings and resources for the home improvement, home services and outdoor living industries, today announced that Modern Craftsman, the craftsmanship, construction-business and professional-identity podcast hosted by Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace, has been named the No. 25 most influential podcast serving home improvement, home services and outdoor living professionals. The recognition places Modern Craftsman alongside business, technical and trade-specific programs, and identifies it as a distinctive long-running forum for builders, remodelers, carpenters, architects, project managers and craftspeople who want to build stronger companies and more sustainable careers.
A curated media platform built on “informed transparency” chooses the podcasts that actually move the trades forward
HG HomeClub was created to address a gap its founders identified in home improvement media: too much noise, not enough signal. According to the organization’s own description of its mission, HG HomeClub was “created from identifying a need in the home improvement media space to champion media back to its original purpose of ‘informed transparency.’” The platform pursues that mission by curating the top stories, headlines and “can’t miss” information across the home improvement, home services and outdoor living industries, spanning articles, videos, podcasts, webinars, events and product recommendations from working professionals, in one easily consumable destination for homeowners and contractors alike.
In the construction trades, informed transparency requires more than explaining how a company wins work or manages a project. It also means acknowledging the pressure behind the work: the financial uncertainty, burnout, family strain, anxiety, mistakes, leadership challenges and personal identity questions that can come with building a career in a demanding industry. HG HomeClub created this ranking to recognize programs that bring useful industry knowledge forward while making the human side of contractor life easier to discuss.
The criteria behind the list: practical value over download counts, and why an honest trade conversation earned No. 25
That mission extends to original editorial rankings, including HG HomeClub’s list of the 25 most influential podcasts serving contractors and home-service business owners. Rather than ranking shows purely by download counts, figures that are inconsistently reported and rarely independently verified across the podcast industry, HG HomeClub’s editorial team evaluated each show on practical value to contractors, industry influence and recognition, the credibility of hosts and guests, depth and originality, consistency and longevity, and reach across audio, video, social media and industry events.
Applied to Modern Craftsman, those criteria reward a program with an unusually broad definition of professional value. Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace cover craftsmanship, quality, materials, construction operations, project management, sales, marketing, leadership, technology and business growth. They also bring money, mental health, work-life balance, burnout, family responsibilities, anxiety and lessons from failure into the same conversation.
The No. 25 placement reflects the show’s sustained run since 2017, an archive of 590 episodes on Apple Podcasts, strong listener engagement and a dedicated community across construction professions. It also reflects the ranking’s broad editorial field. Programs placed above Modern Craftsman hold different advantages in specialist technical instruction, operating-company scale, more concentrated business frameworks, large trade-media platforms or audience reach across home services. HG HomeClub’s editorial assessment recognizes Modern Craftsman for a different reason: it has built a durable conversation around what it actually means to do the work, lead the work and live with the consequences of the work.
Why the trade needs a place to discuss craftsmanship, company building and the life behind both
Construction professionals are frequently measured by what is visible: the completed project, the quality of the finish, the size of the company, the next job won or the revenue target reached. Those outcomes matter. But they do not tell the whole story of a career in the trades. Behind them are the decisions and pressures that shape whether a professional can keep doing good work over time: hiring, pricing, client selection, schedule pressure, team communication, family commitments, financial anxiety, the emotional cost of mistakes and the need to find meaning in the work.
Modern Craftsman is built around that fuller conversation. Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace do not separate business mechanics from professional identity. The show can move from construction technique or project management into an honest discussion of money, leadership, burnout, decision-making or the cost of trying to carry too much responsibility alone. That range makes the program feel less like a narrowly defined business show and more like a continuing conversation among people who understand the trade from the inside.
This is where the show’s influence is most distinct. Contractors and craftspeople need tactical education, but they also need a professional culture where the difficult parts of the work can be named. A builder who understands project management still has to lead a team. A carpenter with strong technical skill still needs to navigate client expectations, family life and career choices. Modern Craftsman earns its place in the ranking by treating those issues as relevant to quality construction rather than distractions from it.
Since 2017, Modern Craftsman has turned field experience into a long-running professional archive
Modern Craftsman was founded in 2017 by Nick Schiffer, Tyler Grace and Johnny Hourihan. The current show is hosted by Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace, while Johnny Hourihan remains part of the program’s founding history. The show is available through the Modern Craftsman website, its Apple Podcasts page, Spotify and the Sources: Modern Craftsman YouTube channel.
The Apple Podcasts listing lists 590 episodes and a 4.8-out-of-5 rating from 1,138 ratings. That scale gives the program a substantial archive of professional conversations across construction and craftsmanship. Episodes cover building techniques, quality, materials, business growth, delegation, systems, profitability, client qualification, referrals, brand building, preconstruction, estimating, scheduling, production, cost control, team culture, hiring, communication, construction technology, artificial intelligence and the personal demands of a trade career.
The long-running format gives listeners permission to return to recurring questions at different stages of their professional lives. A new business owner may come to the show for guidance on pricing or client selection. A project manager may find a conversation about systems or team communication. A craftsperson may listen for technical insight and stay for the discussion of burnout, confidence or the meaning of building a career around the work. Modern Craftsman has become a durable resource because it does not assume the professional journey can be reduced to a single type of problem.
Listener engagement across audio and video shows a focused professional audience, not just a content channel
Modern Craftsman‘s Apple Podcasts listing lists a 4.8-out-of-5 rating from 1,138 ratings across 590 episodes. Its Spotify page lists a 4.7-out-of-5 rating from 208 ratings. These public ratings are meaningful indicators of listener engagement for a construction-focused program, although they are not a complete independently audited measurement of audience size.
The Modern Craftsman YouTube channel lists approximately 6,100 subscribers, 815 videos and more than 592,000 views. These are channel-level figures and should not be treated as podcast-only totals. HG HomeClub did not rank Modern Craftsman by subscribers, ratings or video views alone. The No. 25 placement reflects the show’s practical value, longevity, credibility, depth and ability to build an engaged community of builders, remodelers, carpenters, design professionals, architects, project managers and craftspeople.
The significance of this community is not merely numerical. The show brings together professions that often work alongside one another but do not always have a shared forum for discussing the realities of business, craft, leadership and personal sustainability. Modern Craftsman gives those professionals a place to compare experience and develop a broader language for quality work and durable careers.
Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace make the case that craft and business cannot be separated
Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace host Modern Craftsman from a shared interest in the relationship between construction craft and construction business. The program treats quality as more than a technical outcome. High-quality work depends on sound decisions about materials, process, estimating, client communication, scheduling, team standards, leadership and the ability of the business to remain financially healthy enough to support the people doing the work.
This framing makes the show relevant to a wide group of construction professionals. Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace can discuss a technical detail, then connect it to the business processes that make execution reliable. They can explore a company-growth story, then ask whether the growth preserves the craft, the team and the life of the owner. The core question is not simply how to get bigger. It is how to build a professional life and a company worth sustaining.
The founding role of Johnny Hourihan remains part of the show’s history. Modern Craftsman was created through the perspectives of three people, and its continuing conversation reflects a professional community broader than any one host. This collective orientation helps explain why the show has developed a reputation for candid, real-world dialogue rather than a single rigid operating philosophy.
Guests from construction ownership, high-performance building and design show the many paths through the trade
Modern Craftsman features builders, designers, craftspeople, manufacturers and construction leaders whose experience reflects the range of the professional community it serves. Guests and collaborators include Brad Leavitt, owner of AFT Construction; John Deans, a high-performance building and construction educator; and Morgan Molitor, a construction entrepreneur and designer. Per client instruction, company names without verified official URLs are mentioned without hyperlinks, while each guest is linked to the supplied LinkedIn profile.
The guest roster also includes prominent construction professionals identified by Modern Craftsman as notable guests: Norm Abram, Gary Katz, Tom Silva, Brent Hull, Tim Uhler, Jeff Sweenor and Kevin O’Connor. These names are included as plain text because direct verified individual URLs were not supplied. Their presence illustrates the kind of range the show can hold – craftsmanship, building, design, media, historic-trade knowledge, construction business and professional identity all appear in the same broader conversation.
This diversity is one of the program’s practical strengths. A builder can learn from a designer’s approach to client expectations. A carpenter can hear how another professional built a business around craft. A project manager can consider how high-performance construction changes coordination and communication. Modern Craftsman uses its guest platform to show that the trades are not a single career path but a connected set of professions that can learn from one another without losing their distinct roles.
Money, mental health and family pressure become professional issues when a business owner carries the work home
The construction industry has long valued toughness, self-reliance and the willingness to work through difficult conditions. Those traits can be valuable. They can also make it harder for professionals to discuss burnout, anxiety, financial pressure, family demands or the emotional effects of failure. Modern Craftsman makes room for those conversations without disconnecting them from the business and craft responsibilities that contractors carry.
Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace address mental health and work-life balance as part of a sustainable career. A contractor may be overwhelmed because the company’s finances are unclear. A builder may be burned out because every client decision returns to the owner. A craftsperson may struggle with confidence after a mistake or feel caught between the standards they care about and the time pressure of a job. These are not separate from professional performance; they affect the judgment, relationships and capacity that quality work depends on.
The program’s willingness to include this subject matter is a meaningful part of its influence. It does not replace professional mental-health support or reduce complex experiences to business advice. It helps normalize the fact that construction professionals are people whose health, family life and personal identity matter alongside their productivity. In an industry where many careers are built through endurance, Modern Craftsman offers a more sustainable definition of what success can look like.
Preconstruction, project management and cost control connect craft standards to a viable business model
Craftsmanship depends on business conditions. A company that does not estimate accurately, qualify clients well, schedule work realistically or manage costs clearly may struggle to protect the time and attention quality work requires. Modern Craftsman connects the beauty and technical integrity of construction to the systems that make those outcomes possible: preconstruction, estimating, scheduling, production planning, client communication, cost control, delegation and clear leadership.
This connection is practical for builders and remodelers. A client may want a high-quality project, but the contractor needs a process for defining scope, pricing the work, planning trades, documenting changes and managing expectations. A team may want to uphold a high standard, but it needs enough time, materials, information and leadership to do so. Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace use Modern Craftsman to examine how professionals can create those conditions rather than relying on individual effort alone.
The result is a more complete view of quality. Quality is not just a finished detail; it is the outcome of a business capable of protecting standards under real pressure. That includes the willingness to select the right clients, communicate clearly, price honestly, manage time and develop a team that understands why the work matters. Modern Craftsman earns its ranking by keeping these practical links visible.
Technology and AI can support the trade, but they cannot replace professional judgment or pride in the work
Construction technology and artificial intelligence are increasingly part of the professional conversation. Tools can help contractors organize information, improve project documentation, analyze options, support estimating, communicate with clients and reduce administrative friction. Modern Craftsman addresses these changes through a craft-centered perspective: technology is useful when it supports better work, clearer decisions and healthier businesses, not when it becomes a substitute for judgment, skill or responsibility.
Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace connect AI and new construction technology to the practical questions facing professionals. Does the tool make a workflow clearer? Does it help a team preserve the information needed to build well? Does it reduce waste or rework? Does it make customer communication more accurate? Or does it add another layer of complexity without addressing the underlying problem?
This is a useful question for a trade in which the human element remains central. A good tool can make a carpenter, project manager or builder more effective. It cannot replace the ability to read a situation, lead a team, communicate with a client or care about the quality of the work. Modern Craftsman contributes to the industry by placing technology inside that larger professional responsibility.
LBM Expo appearances bring a digital construction community into the places where professionals meet
Modern Craftsman has expanded its reach beyond podcast and video channels through industry-event appearances. At LBM Expo, Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace presented educational content on building brands and businesses through social media. The appearance illustrates how the show’s conversations about craft, business and professional identity can extend into a live setting for construction and building-material professionals.
The event connection matters because many industry questions are best developed through direct exchange. A contractor may learn about client qualification, brand building or business systems through an episode, then refine the idea through a peer conversation or an in-person session. A builder may see how other professionals are using social media to document their work, attract better opportunities and make the value of craftsmanship visible. Modern Craftsman helps create this bridge between digital education and professional community.
The appearance should not be treated as an award or direct measure of podcast audience. It is evidence of the program’s standing within a wider construction conversation. HG HomeClub considered the show’s practical content, longevity, audience engagement and industry presence when assigning its No. 25 placement.
Why the methodology rewards a program that makes the trades more honest about what a sustainable career requires
HG HomeClub’s No. 25 placement reflects the way Modern Craftsman performs across the ranking’s editorial criteria. Its practical value comes from connecting construction craft, business operations, project management, leadership, marketing, technology and professional well-being. Its credibility is rooted in Nick Schiffer, Tyler Grace, founding contributor Johnny Hourihan and a guest roster spanning construction ownership, design and high-performance building. Its consistency is demonstrated by a 590-episode Apple Podcasts archive since 2017.
The program ranks at No. 25 because the broader list includes shows with more concentrated operational frameworks, deeper technical curricula, larger home-service platforms, wider executive access and greater reach across multiple contractor categories. Modern Craftsman earns its place because its contribution is different: it provides a sustained, candid and professionally relevant conversation about how skilled people build quality work, viable businesses and lives that can remain whole around the work.
Its breadth is also its boundary. A contractor looking for a single narrowly defined sales method, software tutorial or specialized technical certification will need additional resources. But for builders, carpenters, remodelers, project managers, architects and craftspeople who want a more complete conversation about quality, leadership, money, mental health and purpose in the trades, Modern Craftsman offers a distinctive and durable platform.
What the recognition says about the construction professionals who are building both projects and careers
A career in construction is made of more than completed projects. It is made of the relationships professionals build with clients, teams, suppliers, mentors, families and themselves. It is shaped by whether a person can develop technical skill without losing curiosity, build a company without losing the craft, pursue growth without losing health and find pride in the work without pretending the work is always easy.
Modern Craftsman is influential because Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace make space for that full reality. The program connects construction techniques and business systems to the personal and cultural questions that determine whether professionals can sustain a meaningful career. The No. 25 recognition reflects the importance of a trade-media platform that treats craftsmanship not only as a technical standard, but as a way of working that depends on stronger people, stronger teams and healthier businesses.
The wider lesson for home improvement, home services and outdoor living is that the industry’s future depends on more than growth statistics. It depends on whether the trades can attract, develop and retain people who see a future in the work. The programs with lasting influence will be those that make the work more understandable, the business more manageable and the career more sustainable for the professionals who build the places where people live.
The complete ranking: HG HomeClub’s 25 most influential podcasts serving home improvement, home services and outdoor living
The full list of shows recognized by HG HomeClub, in ranked order:
- The Home Service Expert – hosted by Tommy Mello
- Owned and Operated – hosted by John Wilson and Jack Carr
- PowerChat – hosted by Greg Cummings
- Contractor Evolution – hosted by Danny Kerr
- Toolbox for the Trades – hosted by Jackie Aubel and Amanda Salvatore
- To The Point: Home Services Podcast – hosted by Chris Yano and Chad Peterman
- Waste No Day – hosted by Brian Burton and Nate Minnich
- Service Business Mastery – hosted by Tersh Blissett and Josh Crouch
- The Wealthy Contractor – hosted by Brian Kaskavalciyan
- HVAC School – hosted by Bryan Orr
- Roofing Success – hosted by Jim Ahlin
- The Strong Roofer – hosted by Adam Bensman
- Remodelers on the Rise – hosted by Kyle Hunt
- Can’t Stop the Growth – hosted by Chad Peterman
- PowerTips Unscripted – hosted by Victoria Downing and Mark Harari
- Contractor Growth Network – hosted by Logan Shinholser
- Hammer & Grind – hosted by Brad Huebner
- Roofing Road Trips – hosted by Heidi J. Ellsworth
- The Green Industry Podcast – hosted by Paul Jamison
- Contractor Fight TV – hosted by Tom Reber
- Pest Control Legends – hosted by Dan Leibrandt
- Profits for Sanity Podcast – hosted by Dominic Caminata
- The Construction Leading Edge – hosted by Todd Dawalt
- The Build Show Podcast – hosted by Matt Risinger
- Modern Craftsman – hosted by Tyler Grace, Nick Schiffer and Johnny Hourihan
About HG HomeClub
HG HomeClub is a national media platform serving the home improvement, home services and outdoor living industries. Created to champion media back to its original purpose of informed transparency, HG HomeClub curates the top stories, headlines, rankings, videos, podcasts, webinars, events and professional recommendations across the industry and presents them in one consolidated, easily consumable destination, helping both homeowners and professionals make better-informed decisions. More information is available at Sources: hghomeclub.com.
About Modern Craftsman
Modern Craftsman is a construction podcast and media platform for builders, remodelers, carpenters, architects, project managers and craftspeople. Founded in 2017 by Nick Schiffer, Tyler Grace and Johnny Hourihan, the current program is hosted by Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace. The show covers craftsmanship, building techniques, business operations, leadership, project management, client relationships, technology, financial realities, mental health and sustainable trade careers. Modern Craftsman is available through its official website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. More information is available at Sources: moderncraftsman.co.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is HG HomeClub?
HG HomeClub is a national media platform focused on the home improvement, home services and outdoor living industries. It was built to curate the most valuable stories, rankings, videos, podcasts and events across those industries in one place, with a stated mission of restoring “informed transparency” to home improvement media, helping both homeowners and professionals make better decisions. More detail on its mission is available on the Sources: HG HomeClub About page.
2. Why did Modern Craftsman rank No. 25 rather than higher or lower on the list?
Modern Craftsman earned No. 25 because HG HomeClub’s editorial assessment recognized its long-running, candid contribution to construction craft, business and professional identity. Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace combine construction and business education with open discussions of money, mental health, burnout, family pressure and sustainable careers. Its 590 Apple Podcasts episodes, strong public ratings and multi-platform community supported the placement. Programs ranked higher have different advantages in business specialization, multi-trade reach, technical curriculum or larger industry platforms. The No. 25 position recognizes distinct value within a broad editorial field.
3. Who hosts Modern Craftsman, and what are their backgrounds?
Modern Craftsman is currently hosted by Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace. The program was founded in 2017 by Nick Schiffer, Tyler Grace and Johnny Hourihan. The hosts focus on the intersection of construction quality, craftsmanship, business operations, leadership and personal sustainability. Their conversation reflects the realities facing builders, remodelers, carpenters, architects, project managers and craftspeople who want to develop both stronger companies and enduring careers in the trades.
4. What kind of content does Modern Craftsman produce?
Modern Craftsman produces construction conversations, interviews, video content and professional education around craftsmanship, building techniques, materials, business growth, delegation, systems, profitability, lead generation, client qualification, referrals, brand building, preconstruction, estimating, scheduling, production, cost control, leadership, team culture, communication, mental health, work-life balance, technology and artificial intelligence. Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace have featured guests including Brad Leavitt, John Deans and Sources: Morgan Molitor.
5. How large is Modern Craftsman’s audience?
Modern Craftsman‘s Apple Podcasts listing lists 590 episodes and a 4.8-out-of-5 rating from 1,138 ratings. Its Spotify page lists a 4.7-out-of-5 rating from 208 ratings. The Modern Craftsman YouTube channel lists approximately 6,100 subscribers, 815 videos and more than 592,000 views; these figures are channel-level, not podcast-only totals. HG HomeClub did not rank Modern Craftsman by raw audience size alone, instead assessing practical value, longevity, credibility, depth and professional influence.
6. What makes Modern Craftsman different from other construction podcasts?
Modern Craftsman is distinct for combining practical construction and business content with candid conversations about the human side of a trade career. Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace discuss craftsmanship, systems, client relationships and growth alongside money, burnout, anxiety, family responsibilities, mental health and work-life balance. This gives builders, remodelers, carpenters, architects, project managers and craftspeople a forum that treats professional sustainability as part of quality work. The show’s value is not only in teaching how to build a better company, but in asking what kind of career and life the company is helping its people build.
7. Has Modern Craftsman received other industry recognition?
No major external award specifically for Modern Craftsman was verified for this release. Its industry standing is reflected in its 590-episode Apple Podcasts archive, 4.8 rating from 1,138 ratings, 4.7 Spotify rating from 208 ratings, and industry-event appearances including LBM Expo. Modern Craftsman also identifies notable guests including Norm Abram, Gary Katz, Tom Silva, Brent Hull, Tim Uhler, Jeff Sweenor and Kevin O’Connor. The No. 25 ranking from HG HomeClub is an editorial recognition based on practical value, influence, credibility, depth, consistency and reach.
8. What role do the hosts’ broader construction platforms play in Modern Craftsman’s credibility?
Modern Craftsman is built around the construction experience, media work and professional networks of Nick Schiffer, Tyler Grace and founding contributor Johnny Hourihan. Their wider presence in construction and industry events gives the program access to builders, designers, craftspeople and other professionals whose perspectives shape the conversation. It also provides important context: Modern Craftsman is a media platform with a particular cultural and professional point of view. HG HomeClub considered that perspective alongside the show’s practical value, candor and long-running relevance to construction professionals.
9. Where can people listen to or watch Modern Craftsman?
Modern Craftsman is available through its official website, its Apple Podcasts page, Spotify and the Modern Craftsman YouTube channel. The Modern Craftsman website is the central destination for the show and wider community, Apple Podcasts and Spotify provide audio access, and YouTube provides video conversations and related construction content.
