Friends of Build Magazine

Kenny Anderson of Highland Custom Homes in Park City Utah

Episode Summary

Today Ted speaks with Kenny Anderson of Highland Custom Homes. With over 20 years of experience in the real estate space, Kenny made the foray into home building just after the 2008 Recession when he met a custom builder known for their quality craftsmanship but had lacked in the marketing department. That company was Highland Custom Homes.

Episode Notes

Kenny, along with his business partner Matt Yates, offered to collaborate with Highland and offer their expertise. In 2016, the two bought out their original partner, giving Kenny and Matt 50/50 ownership of the firm.

Listen in as Kenny does a deep dive into what drives him as a business owner in the real estate world. He speaks on his core values, decision-making framework, and how he balances an incredibly busy schedule and time with the family.

He then gives his thoughts on the future of home building and how company owners and those in the trades can adapt to changes in technology and consumer trends.

Topics Discussed: 

• [02:33] Kenny’s background and how he got involved with Highland Custom Homes
• [05:53] Overcoming rejection
• [06:57] Highland Custom Homes’s core values
• [08:00] Kenny’s ventures outside of Highland Custom Homes
• [09:27] Why Kenny loves real estate
• [10:37] What Kenny is most excited about right now
• [12:05] How Kenny makes big decisions
• [13:15] Achieving work-life integration
• [14:55] Kenny’s advice to young entrepreneurs
• [15:12] Why Kenny loves travel
• [17:24] The most special thing about being in Park City
• [19:21] Building in the valley versus building in Park City
• [20:32] Changes in technology for home builders
• [22:03] Architects that inspire Kenny
• [23:23] Kenny’s predictions about the market and supply chain for the next three years
• [26:24] Qualities that Kenny looks for in trade partners
• [27:19] The next stage for Kenny
• [27:50] Kenny on how anyone can live the American Dream
• [31:20] What Kenny learned about success from interviewing countless leaders

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Key Quotes from Episode:

• Each person has their strengths. I’m good at some things. I’m not good at everything. When you can surround yourself with people who are experts in what they do, it makes the whole so much better than the individual parts.
• You have to know what you believe in, and when you believe in something strong enough, you can get through any kind of rejection.
• I’ll always be advancing different business interests throughout my life; but, the core of all that will always be people.
• A big part of my life is focusing on the positives. [...] There is so much good in the world, and I choose to focus on those things.
• Success is not a matter of chance—it’s a matter of choice. [...] The world would define success by money and fame; but, real success has a lot more to do with what you can give than what you can gain.