Today we’d like to introduce you to David Blacklock
Hi David, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Abilene Christian University in 2005 and a master’s degree from the University of North Texas in 2011. The following year I launched my construction career at CGI Construction Group. I worked as an estimator, project assistant, project manager, superintendent and warranty director. In 2019, my wife and I built our home and loved the process of designing and executing a project from start to finish. I founded BT Builders and began to explore a different aspect of the construction industry: the project vision. I enjoy brainstorming with clients, exploring design styles, drafting home plans and overseeing the jobsite construction. We have chosen to work with wonderful subs that I trust and highly admire for their skills and integrity, and I get to work with my wife, Brenna, as she has taken on the role of design director. Together, we are honored and proud to help our clients create a unique home that will serve them well and reflect who they are. Our motto has become, and we encourage those seeking a custom home, to build well….and live!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There are always entrepreneurial challenges that you face and you must address them quickly to keep the business going strong. You must wear many hats in the beginning and determine where your strengths and weaknesses are. Lean into those strengths and give yourself the time and responsibility to build those up. This means you must let go and delegate roles that you admit aren’t as strong to others. You have to trust people and you must earn their trust as well.
Another opportunity for growth lies in your relationship with your clients. Keeping your clients pleased while also making sure the integrity of the project is maintained and you remain the expert in the construction. This needs to be done in a confident yet humble way. You must allow each client to express their expectations of you and the building process early on and communicate clearly how and why your process either aligns with theirs or differs. Transparency and honesty is key and when you gain their trust as a person, they will respect your opinions and are more likely to defer to your expertise when situations arise, and they will! It is worth the struggle in the end, and when you deliver a home that both of you are proud of, all of the challenges and hard discussions fade away.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
BT Builders is a small family run business and we are dedicated to providing an exceptional custom home building experience to families. We believe that the success of the project lies in our focus on one main thing: communication! There are 2 parts to communicating; listening and advising. In the beginning stage of the project, listening to our clients is our priority. With both our eyes and our ears we give attention to their expectations of us, the desired end result and their hopes of how the process will go. One of the advantages of being a “small outfit” is we are able to focus our attention on each client’s unique needs and wants. We encourage them to express their thoughts through words and pictures as we begin to understand their style aesthetic and the way they want to live. We strive to offer humble expert advice to improve upon the functionality of their future home while keeping costs low, and creative ways to achieve the effortless high end luxurious look we all want without breaking the budget. The architectural design phase is my favorite because it allows us all to collaborative towards an end goal. That goal is achieved throughout the build process as we continue to maintain the balance of listening and advising. The end result is a beautiful and well-appointed home that both our company and our clients are very proud of!
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Although it may sound cliche to some, we believe that everything we do should glorify God; our Creator and our Savior. It is by His amazing grace that we are able to even live and He alone deserves all the praise for our efforts. We are convicted that he has called us to love and serve others in many ways. One of those ways is to help others create a home that enables their family to thrive and abide for many years and to invite others in to gather and be inspired. ” For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.” Hebrews 3:4
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.btbuilderstx.com
- Instagram: btbuilderstx
- Facebook: btbuilderstx
Image Credits
Jess Collins – photographer
Lauren Sellari – photographer
