Everything I Needed to Know About Managing Subcontractors, I Learned as a Band Director

Before I was a contractor, I was a middle school band director. I earned a degree in Music Education from Florida State University back in the dark ages and fully expected to spend much of my career in the classroom. I organized concerts, led fundraisers, coached students, navigated parent expectations, and managed the daily unpredictability of “tweeners” — those 10–13-year-olds who are some of the most exciting creatures on the planet… including the animal known as the 7th-grade boy. Somewhere along the way, one of my band parents pulled me aside and said, “You’re a strong manager. Have you ever thought about using those skills in business?” He eventually invited me to bring those leadership skills into his construction company — and that conversation changed the trajectory of my career.

What I didn’t realize at the time was just how transferable those classroom management lessons would be. Today at Ryerson Brothers Construction, managing subcontractors feels surprisingly familiar. There are strong personalities, tight timelines, shifting priorities, and a lot of coordination required to keep everything moving in the right order. Our subcontractors are trusted trade partners — many have been with us for years, some since our start nearly 17 years ago. We value them and are genuinely grateful for the craftsmanship they bring to our homeowners. But construction is complex. Trades are balancing multiple projects. Schedules shift. Rain happens. Inspections move. Surprises pop up. Communication has to stay tight in the middle of all those moving parts. Keeping everything aligned requires steady leadership, patience, and clear expectations.

And it’s not just about subcontractors. It’s about leading our internal team as well — our field superintendents, project managers, and support staff who carry the daily responsibility of serving our clients well. At Ryerson Brothers, one of our key culture words is Accountable. We hold ourselves accountable to our homeowners, and we expect our team and trade partners to do the same. That means returning calls, showing up when we say we will, owning mistakes, and following through. We work hard to create a culture where people know they are valued — but also understand the standard we’re committed to uphold.

In the end, construction isn’t that different from music. When everyone knows their part, follows direction, stays in rhythm, and takes ownership of their responsibilities, the result is something solid, ordered, and well-built.