In this episode, Henry Harrison welcomes Eric Helitzer, the founder and CEO of SubBase.io, a groundbreaking software platform for the construction industry. Eric shares his journey from a background in construction management to becoming an entrepreneur and launching SubBase.io. The discussion dives into Eric's early influences, his educational background, and the experiences that led him to create a solution for digitizing and streamlining construction material management.

Episode: https://henryharrison.com/subbase-ceo-eric-helitzer/

Key Topics:

Eric's Background:

Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from the University of Florida
Early career in large construction companies
Influence of his family's multi-generational involvement in the construction industry
Journey to Entrepreneurship:

The decision to leave a stable job and start SubBase.io
Challenges faced in the early stages of the startup
The importance of addressing pain points in the industry to gain traction
SubBase.io Overview:

The platform's role in digitizing material management workflows
How SubBase.io connects various stakeholders in construction projects
The impact of the software on efficiency and profitability for subcontractors and vendors
Challenges in Technology Adoption:

Resistance to change within the construction industry
Strategies to overcome these challenges and demonstrate value
The importance of providing a 10X improvement to encourage adoption
Success Stories and Lessons Learned:

Real-life examples of SubBase.io's impact on construction companies
Lessons learned from early mistakes and the importance of continuous improvement
The role of early investors and the recent institutional round of funding
Future of Construction Technology:

Eric's vision for the future of construction technology
The potential for further innovation and adoption in the industry
How SubBase.io plans to continue driving change and efficiency
Contact Information:

Website: https://www.subbase.io/
Email: eric@subbase.io
LinkedIn: Follow Eric Helitzer on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/erichelitzer/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/subbase/

Revolutionizing Construction with Technology: An Interview with SubBase CEO Eric Helitzer | S:3 E:3

Discover Angelina Mena’s expert advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, including key strategies for success, overcoming challenges, and building a strong business foundation. Learn how to navigate the entrepreneurial journey with confidence and resilience. Follow this link for more details https://shorturl.at/Hl4g4

Angelina Mena’s Top Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Discover how Angelina Mena highlights the transformative role mentors play in guiding entrepreneurs through challenges, accelerating growth, and shaping visionary leadership. Her insights reveal why mentorship is a vital asset for success in today’s business landscape. Follow this link for more details https://shorturl.at/nyCCH

Angelina Mena Explores the Power of Mentorship in Entrepreneurial Growth

Through audacious innovation, astute strategic insight, and inspiring mentoring, visionary leader Angelina Mena is transforming the business landscape and changing how entrepreneurs develop, lead, and prosper in the dynamic business environment of today. Follow this link for more details https://shorturl.at/eV08U

Discover How Angelina Mena Is Transforming Modern Entrepreneurship

In this episode of Entrepreneurs, Business, and Finance, host Henry Harrison sits down with bestselling author Harry Hunsicker, a Dallas native with a fascinating journey from commercial real estate appraiser to full-time novelist. With nine published crime thrillers—including the gripping The Life and Death of Rose Doucette—Harry shares insights into the business of fiction, the craft of storytelling, and the perseverance required to break into the publishing world.

About the Guest – Harry Hunsicker:
Harry is the bestselling author of nine crime thrillers and a lifelong Dallas resident. His latest book, The Life and Death of Rose Doucette, has been praised for its realism, twisty plots, and vivid Texas settings. Formerly a commercial real estate appraiser, Harry is now a full-time writer, speaker, and literary force in the crime thriller genre.

https://harryhunsicker.com/

Whether you’re a budding author, a lover of mysteries, or just someone chasing a lifelong dream, this episode offers practical lessons and real-world wisdom on turning passion into a profession.

Key Topics Discussed:

    Second Career Success: How Harry transitioned from real estate to writing while managing both for nearly two decades.

    The Business Side of Writing: Finding an agent, getting published, and why he opted not to self-publish.

    Childhood Dreams Realized: Harry’s lifelong desire to write fiction and his very first story written on a typewriter at age 10.

    Craft vs. Creativity: The importance of outlining, revising, and writing books he would personally want to read.

    Research and Realism: How Harry blends deep research, Texas history, and real-world details into thrilling crime fiction.

    Facing Rejection: The truth about sending out 117 query letters and learning to embrace persistence.

    The Power of Place: Why all of Harry’s books are set in Dallas and how that adds authenticity to his storytelling.

    AI and the Writing World: His perspective on using ChatGPT as a research tool but not for writing fiction.

    Legacy and Lineage: As a 6th-generation Texan, Harry’s roots run deep—and they often show up in his work.

    Advice for Aspiring Authors: Practical encouragement and life lessons on following your dream no matter your age.

Connect with Henry Harrison and the Show:
Host Henry Harrison brings deep business insight and real-world experience to every episode. Tune in weekly for engaging conversations with authors, founders, financial experts, and entrepreneurs from all walks of life.

https://henryharrison.com/harry-hunsicker/

Harry Hunsicker joins Dallas' Henry Harrison on "Entrepreneurs, Business, and Finance"

In this episode, Henry Harrison welcomes Alexandre Teplitxky, a veteran in construction technology marketing with more than a decade of experience at industry leaders like Procore, Autodesk, and AI startups. Today, he leads marketing at SmartPM Technologies, a company revolutionizing construction project management through AI-driven schedule analytics.
Together, Henry and Alexandre dive into the challenges of delays in construction, why they’re the root cause of cost overruns, and how SmartPM uniquely addresses these issues by providing neutral, data-driven insights. Alexandre shares the founder’s journey of transforming 20 years of manual consulting work into a powerful software platform, giving project owners and contractors the ability to identify and address risks before it’s too late.
This episode explores not only the technology shaping construction but also Alexandre’s personal journey into marketing, his passion for optimization, his angel investing in prefabrication startups, and his adventurous hobbies like paragliding and traveling to over 60 countries.
 
Key Topics Covered
•	Alexandre’s background: from Procore and Autodesk to SmartPM Technologies
•	Why construction delays are the biggest cost driver in the industry
•	How SmartPM’s AI transforms raw schedule data into actionable insights
•	The importance of ease of adoption for construction software
•	Missteps of many tech startups: disrupting vs. understanding the industry
•	Real-world examples of how SmartPM saves time, money, and relationships
•	Alexandre’s entrepreneurial mindset and investment in prefabrication technology
•	Personal passions: travel, paragliding, and building empathy through new experiences
 
Memorable Quotes
•	“SmartPM’s mission is really to fight delay in construction. Delay is the root cause of many issues—cost overruns, strained relationships, and lost time.” – Alexandre Teplitxky
•	“We’re not trying to disrupt. We’re trying to understand. Construction needs solutions built by people who’ve lived the pain.” – Alexandre Teplitxky
•	“Our system brings a neutral, data-driven approach so owners and contractors can talk about facts, not finger-pointing.” – Alexandre Teplitxky
 
About the Guest
Alexandre Teplitxky is a marketing leader with over 10 years in the construction tech industry. He has held roles at Procore, Autodesk, and AI startups before joining SmartPM Technologies. Passionate about optimizing workflows, Alexandre has also invested in prefabrication startups and continues to support entrepreneurs shaping the industry. Beyond business, he’s an avid traveler (60+ countries) and paragliding enthusiast based in Santa Barbara, California.
 
Resources & Links
•	Learn more about SmartPM Technologies - https://smartpm.com/
•	Connect with Alexandre Teplitxky on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexteplitxky/
•	Follow Henry Harrison and the Entrepreneurs, Business & Finance Podcast at https://HenryHarrison.com


Alexandre Teplitxky, Marketing Leader at Smart PM Technologies

Construction payroll is brutal: dispersed crews, changing sites, language barriers, thin margins, and paper timecards that bleed profit. In this episode, Albert Bou Fadel explains how SmartBarrel combines rugged jobsite hardware with software to capture time at the source (worker check-in/out), automate approvals, and flow clean data straight to payroll/ERP—reducing risk and making labor cost visible in real time. Albert also shares the grind behind building hardware, raising capital, and why “it just has to work” is non-negotiable on a jobsite.

https://smartbarrel.io/

About the Guest
Albert Bou Fadel is a construction entrepreneur who previously built a glazing company before founding SmartBarrel, a field-first labor management and timekeeping platform purpose-built for construction.

Key Takeaways
Field-first beats office-first. SmartBarrel was designed around the hardest part—jobsite capture—so implementation spreads upward smoothly.

Time equals survival. In construction, small daily productivity leaks compound into seven-figure losses over long projects.

Hardware is hard. Prototyping, reliability, and iteration cycles are slower and costlier than software—plan accordingly.

Implementation risk is better than the subscription price. Failed rollouts damage credibility and careers; buyers are de-risking, not penny-pinching.

Fast start. Teams can be live in 2–3 days (simple setups) to a couple of weeks with integrations.

Memorable Quotes
“Price is only a problem in the absence of value. Buyers are de-risking, not haggling.”

“In construction, we don’t have the luxury of failing twice—on the third try the device ends up in a lake.”

“You pay for 40 hours but get 35—over 18 months that’s seven-figure leakage.”

Resources Mentioned
SmartBarrel – Field-first labor management/timekeeping for construction (hardware + software + mobile).

Integrations with common payroll/HR/ERP systems (e.g., Procore, Vista, CMiC, etc. referenced broadly).

Connect
Guest: Search Albert Bou Fadel on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/albert-boufadel/

Host: Subscribe to Entrepreneurs, Business, and Finance with Henry Harrison on your favorite podcast app. https://henryharrison.com/

Automating Construction Timekeeping with SmartBarrel - Conversation with Albert Bou Fadel

In this episode, Henry sits down with long-time friend and fellow EO Forum member James Poen, President and part-owner of Richardson Saw & Lawn Mower. James shares his remarkable story of taking over his family’s outdoor power equipment dealership, growing it into a thriving business, and eventually partnering with Graycliff Partners, a New York–based private equity firm, to launch a multi-store acquisition strategy.

From early days working alongside his father, to navigating manufacturer changes, to managing the complexities of a nine-month equity sale process, James offers listeners a behind-the-scenes look at running — and selling — a successful family business. He discusses how he learned financial discipline, implemented systems and processes to scale, balanced customer service with operational efficiency, and now helps other dealership owners explore selling while staying involved in their businesses.

This conversation is packed with lessons for entrepreneurs considering succession planning, private equity partnerships, or simply looking to run a tighter ship.
Key Takeaways

    Family Business Legacy: How Richardson Saw evolved from a small Garland, TX shop into a premier outdoor power equipment dealership.

    Operational Excellence: The importance of systems, processes, and retaining long-term employees to maintain efficiency and customer service.

    Private Equity Insights: What it’s like to sell to private equity, stay on as president, and transition into a new role focused on acquisitions.

    Financial Discipline: Why monthly books, asking questions, and surrounding yourself with smart peers are essential for business growth.

    Navigating Change: Adapting to online sales expectations, manufacturer restrictions, and generational shifts in customer behavior.

    Succession & Exit Planning: Why entrepreneurs should start preparing 18 months ahead of a potential sale — from tightening processes to choosing the right partners.

Links & Resources

    Visit Richardson Saw & Lawn Mower: https://www.richardsonsaw.com

    Learn more about Henry Harrison: https://henryharrison.com/

James Poen’s Journey with Richardson Saw & Lawn Mower: From Family Business to Private Equity

In this episode, Henry Harrison sits down with Jack Carrere, the founder and CEO of Prokeep, a fast-growing software company transforming how distributors communicate with contractors. From a startup born in New Orleans to a nationwide organization with more than 100 employees, 1,000+ distributors, and 40,000 active users, Jack shares his entrepreneurial journey — including scaling through challenges, harnessing AI, and raising over $37 million in venture funding.

Together, they discuss how Prokeep unifies communication channels for distributors, what it takes to survive market shocks like COVID and Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse, and why empowering counter staff through technology can drive entire industries forward.

Key Topics Discussed
🧩 Building Prokeep
Prokeep was founded over ten years ago to simplify the complex communication flow between distributors and contractors.

Its platform integrates text, email, fax, and phone into a single unified inbox, helping distributors manage orders, improve efficiency, and strengthen customer relationships.

Recently launched “Order Engine”, enabling counter teams to proactively generate orders and connect directly with contractor needs.

🚀 Scaling & Growth
Headquartered in New Orleans with an additional hub in Portland, Oregon, plus a remote workforce of “Prokeepers.”

Serves over 1,000 distributors and 3 million contractor interactions through its platform.

Transitioned from a small two-location pilot customer to working with major national distributors like Ferguson, ABC Supply, and PoolCorp.

💡 Innovation in Distribution
Prokeep’s biggest competitor? Sticky notes and fragmented communication.

The platform consolidates disjointed workflows and improves collective intelligence across teams.

New ERP integration automatically generates quotes and shortens response time — a major advantage in winning orders.

⚙️ Adapting Through Challenges
Survived the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank by acting fast.

Navigated COVID-19 by helping distributors stay operational when walk-in counters shut down — enabling contractors to text orders and remain productive.

Learned to innovate under pressure and embrace agility during times of uncertainty.

🤖 AI and the Future of Prokeep
Prokeep now uses AI to analyze over 80 million customer messages, identifying trends and improving marketing response rates.

AI assists in suggesting targeted audiences, optimal send times, and message templates for promotions.

Jack views AI as an accelerant — both internally for team productivity and externally to help customers communicate smarter.

💼 Entrepreneurial Journey
Initially focused on helping contractors manage their workflow before pivoting toward distributors.

Spent years refining the product through trial, error, and perseverance.

Believes success comes from “surviving as long as you can — and letting hard work compound.”

💸 Raising $37 Million in Venture Capital
Early years were bootstrapped before securing major investments.

Seed Round: Led by Iron Spring Ventures and S3 Ventures (Austin, TX).

Series A: Led by Dalia Equity (San Francisco, CA).

Funding enabled expanded product development, engineering talent, and the rollout of Order Engine.

Jack humorously recalls signing funding documents during Mardi Gras — dodging parade crowds to find phone service!

Notable Quotes
“Our biggest competitor is the sticky note.”

“AI is an accelerant — it helps our customers work smarter, not harder.”

“If you can find an industry where technology hasn’t caught up, you can have an outsized impact.”

“It’s not always the first idea that works — sometimes it’s the 20th.”

Guest: https://www.prokeep.com/ — Jack Carrere, Founder & CEO

Host: https://henryharrison.com/ — Entrepreneurs, Business & Finance Podcast

Jack Carrere of Prokeep with Henry Harrison from Dallas TX

In this episode, Henry Harrison sits down with Chaitanya NK, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Track 3D, an AI-powered construction technology company revolutionizing how job sites are monitored and managed. With over 15 years of experience across AI, 3D vision, robotics, and IoT, NK shares how his team is transforming the trillion-dollar construction industry through “reality intelligence”—the seamless fusion of reality capture and artificial intelligence.

Listeners will gain insight into how Track 3D is helping construction companies stay on schedule, on budget, and ahead of risk by automating project tracking and progress documentation—all from a simple camera walk-through.

Key Topics Discussed
🚀 The Origin of Track 3D

Founded by three lifelong friends with a shared background in software engineering and AI.

Inspired by the inefficiencies in how construction data is collected and shared.

Evolved from earlier startups in smart cities, robotics, and 3D modeling to solving one of the biggest problems in global construction: manual, inconsistent field data.

🧠 How Track 3D Works

Uses mobile devices, drones, or robots equipped with cameras to scan job sites.

AI automatically reconstructs the space in 3D and identifies what work has been done—down to specific materials, placements, and quantities.

Provides real-time progress tracking, early error detection, and precise visual data for all stakeholders.

Enables field teams to spot issues before they become costly rework problems.

📈 From Seed to Series A

Track 3D has raised over $14 million to date from top construction tech investors.

The focus of their Series A round is on scaling go-to-market efforts—expanding sales, marketing, and U.S. operations.

Now active on 400+ job sites, from data centers and hospitals to single-family homes.

🧩 Ease of Adoption

Designed for zero learning curve—onboarding takes just minutes.

Users simply upload drawings and start walking the site with a camera.

Built to integrate smoothly with existing workflows, ensuring fast field adoption rather than top-down resistance.

🤖 The Future of “Reality Intelligence”

Track 3D’s platform combines AI, robotics, and computer vision into a “reality intelligence” system that documents and analyzes every inch of a job site.

The company’s long-term vision: become the operating system for every physical asset across its full lifecycle—from construction to maintenance.

🌎 AI + Robotics = The Next Construction Revolution

With advancements in autonomous drones, robotic site walkers, and improved camera resolution, Track 3D leverages cutting-edge hardware and software to scale globally.

NK sees construction as a data problem—and Track 3D’s mission is to make that data accessible, actionable, and automated.

🔗 Learn More

Guest Website: https://track3d.ai/

Host Website: https://henryharrison.com/

Chaitanya NK, Track 3D CEO Joins Henry Harrison on the Entrepreneurs, Business & Finance

PLANO, TX: Entrepreneurs, Business & Finance — Episode: Glenn Poulos on Building (and Rebuilding) Winning Sales Organizations

https://henryharrison.com/glenn-poulos/

Guest: Glenn Poulos
 — founder, 3× company builder, LinkedIn Top Voice, author of Never Sit in the Lobby

Episode Snapshot

What we cover: Selling without being “that salesperson,” buying a business under non-competes, the power-utility pivot, recovering from a zero-to-hero-to-zero moment, enterprise deal strategy, and practical ways Glenn uses AI daily to win more bids.

Why listen: Glenn has built and sold companies across telecom and now power utilities. He’s candid about a painful, all-stock exit that went to zero—and exactly how he bounced back to $84M revenue before his next sale.

Quick Bio

Glenn sold GAP Wireless (telecom distribution) to private equity in 2022, then acquired Prog USA (power-utility test & measurement distributor) in January 2024 to stay clear of non-competes—switching tech (telecom → power), customers (telcos → utilities), and country (Canada → U.S.) while running the same style of business. He’s an active LinkedIn Top Voice and the author of Never Sit in the Lobby.

Key Takeaways

“Nothing happens until something gets sold.” Sales is the starting point of the value chain—and it’s a craft worth defending.

Customer-first systems win. Build repeatable ways to get, act, and stay in front of customers and be a “pleasure to do business with” even when you lose a deal.

Map the money machine. Learn how your customer actually makes money (e.g., some “hardware” firms are really finance companies).

Enterprise deals require altitude. Start at the highest relevant level; know exactly who signs at each $ tier.

Resilience is a skill. Glenn once sold for stock, got locked up, and watched it all go to zero—then founded a new company within days and grew it to $84M before selling.

AI as a force multiplier. Use AI to mine tenders, summarize 80-page contracts, craft (then humanize) outreach, and spot cash-flow patterns.

Standout Stories

The Dofasco Steel Mill “door-knock relay.” In 24 hours, Glenn and his president went from plant floor → Toshiba integrator → electrical distributor → VP approver and closed the largest order of his career, no emails, no quotes—just live, high-altitude selling.

The painful exit that reset everything. After a stock-only sale to a public company, Glenn became an insider, couldn’t sell, and lost everything when the acquirer imploded. He turned that failure into the launchpad for GAP Wireless, later sold to PE.

How Glenn Uses AI (Practically)

Tender discovery: Data-mines gov/utility bid portals for relevant RFPs.

Bid acceleration: Summarizes long specs, extracts requirements, drafts response scaffolds from prior proposals.

Legal & finance: Flags indemnities/insurance thresholds in contracts; reviews financials and cash-flow patterns.

Marketing & ops: Generates campaign ideas and draft copy—then human edits before sending.

Who Prog USA Serves

Investor-owned and major utilities (e.g., transmission & distribution, substations, battery banks, transformers, breakers) needing test & measurement and diagnostic solutions.

Favorite Lines

“Start and finish at the highest possible level relative to the size of the deal.”
“People want to buy—but not from a pain in the butt.”
“I call it poverty avoidance—it keeps me moving.”

Book: Never Sit in the Lobby — 57 sales tips to be “a pleasure to do business with.” https://www.amazon.com/Never-Sit-Lobb...

Connect with Glenn

Website: https://glennpoulos.com/
LinkedIn:   / glennpoulos  

Connect with Henry

Website: https://henryharrison.com/

Podcast Hub: Entrepreneurs, Business & Finance (subscribe, rate & review!)

Glenn Poulos on Henry Harrison Podcast Entrepreneurs, Business & Finance

Welcome to the Henry Harrison Entrepreneurs, Business, and Finance Podcast, where insightful conversations unfold at the intersection of innovation, commerce, and financial prowess. I'm your host, Henry Harrison (Dallas, TX), and I invite you to join me on a journey through the dynamic world of entrepreneurship and the ever-evolving landscape of business and finance.

Revolutionizing Construction with Technology: An Interview with SubBase CEO Eric Helitzer | S:3 E:3

Henry Harrison Podcast | Dallas Texas

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