Podcast Recap: Ryan McCue from Tiny Home Connection
Every week, Heidi and Rachel from Market Boulder will be sitting down with the entrepreneurs, owners, makers, and builders of Boulder. They’re getting behind the scenes of the market with these unique and inspiring stories that will help everyone see our community in a brand new light. Check out all the Market Meets Podcasts.
We are sure that you have heard about Tiny Homes. Whether you’ve noticed them around town, seen them on TV or even done some research of your own, I think we can agree that what might have started as a potential fad, is here to stay. Heidi and Laura had a chance to sit down with Ryan McCue, co-founder and creator of Tiny Home Connection. Ryan has been building and creating since he was in diapers and now he’s focused on an entirely different lifestyle and an entirely different type of construction.
Born and raised in Golden, Colorado, McCue is no stranger to the quick and fast development that the state has seen over the last few years. One of his first jobs put him in the heart of new builds and developing neighborhoods as a home inspector. Very quickly he saw the lack of quality and craftsmanship in these homes that seemed to be growing exponentially, since they were being built by large companies that only seemed focused on land grabbing and fast ROI. There was no consideration for what’s going on around the development or the communities that they impacted.
Seeing both the building and developing side, McCue wanted to find a happy medium that allowed development over our landscapes. After feeling significantly burnt out in the corporate world, McCue began looking at what his life would entail if he left the country to build a surf bed and breakfast in Panama made from shipping containers. While this is still in the process and perhaps a distant dream, McCue was quickly made aware of the world of tiny houses. While this was happening, he often found himself sitting in an empty 4-bedroom home simply waiting for Monday to come around because he had no money, and wanted to get right back to work.
While learning the basics of tiny home building, McCue worked alongside a builder. He quickly saw that there was a huge part of the market that included people who were strictly DIY’ers– so he moved into private consulting to empower the people who wanted to accomplish their dreams of living in a tiny house. Of course, one can learn anything these days on Youtube, but for specific questions and needs, McCue became the man.
3 years ago he began the Tiny Home Connection, which is a multi-pronged business that provides consulting solutions, space to actually build (since you can’t really do that in a condo in downtown Denver), materials, and most importantly, the power to navigate the difficult red tape of zoning, regulations, and permits. This has by far been the most difficult piece for McCue and other tiny home builders, and unlike other consulting companies, McCue and his team make sure you have a space (legally!) for your tiny home. They are the one stop shop for anything tiny home related.
“Driven by community” is the tiny home connection motto. Not only does McCue create a space where any questions or concerns can be addressed, but he’s also working on creating communities of tiny homes that are made for the people inside and outside of the community, not greedy developers. That’s what separates a tiny home community from a trailer park– the residents take accountability for what happens within the tiny homes and have a vested interest in seeing it thrive.
What’s next for McCue and Tiny Home Connection? A double-decker bus for McCue, and even more personal builds and consulting for those who want to join the lifestyle. Every tiny house should have its own personal touch, because you’re not accounting for square feet, but square inches, in such a space.
You can keep up with Tiny Home Connection at their awesome website here.
