In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk welcomes Akul Modi, Vice President of Estimating and Business Development at EDA Contractors, to explore a practical relationship model Akul and his team use every day: the cold–warm–hot relationship playbook.
With more than 18 years of experience in construction, architecture, estimating, and business development, Akul shares how EDA turns what many consider “soft skills” into a disciplined business strategy for winning work, serving clients, and building high-performing teams.
Randy and Akul break down what it really means to move a relationship from cold to warm to hot, why non-transactional relationships are critical in a small industry, and how values like humanity, humility, honesty, and “selling real” build trust over time. Akul also introduces the concept of “WNGO – When Nothing Going On” as a way to stay genuinely connected even when there’s no active project, and he offers candid insight on what to do when relationships go south, how to protect your reputation, and how courage and acceptance can help repair damaged trust.
In this episode, listeners will learn:
- The “Cold–Warm–Hot” relationship model and how it works as a business strategy.
- How to assess the “temperature” of a relationship (cold, warm, hot) with clients, partners, and coworkers.
- Why non-transactional relationships matter and how “your network is your net worth” in business development.
- Practical ways to move from cold to warm.
- What truly defines a “hot” relationship, and why it is rare.
- Key behaviors that build strong relationships.
- How to move from warm to hot.
- When and how to walk away from a relationship.
- Managing relationships that go south.
- Protecting your reputation in a small industry.
- How to repair damaged relationships.
- Insights into EDA Contractors’ culture (“the EDA way”).
Resources
Akul Modi
Vice President of Estimating and Business Development at EDA Contractors
