
Advertise on podcast: Learnings and Missteps by Depth Builder
Rating
5from
This podcast has
250 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
JesseExplicit
Yes
Date created
2020/09/22
Latest episode
2026/10/01
Average duration
52 min.
Release period
7 days
Description
The Learnings and Missteps Podcast is about unconventional roads to success and the life lessons learned along the way.You will find a library of interviews packed with actionable take aways that you can apply as you progress on your path to Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be.Through these interviews you will learn about the buttons you can push to be a better leader, carve your own path, and build your influence. Find yourself in their stories and know that your path is still ahead of you.
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Check latest episodes from Learnings and Missteps by Depth Builder podcast
Mistakes, Lessons, and the Mud: What 250 Interviews Taught Us with Rene Duron
2026/10/01
Six years after episode zero, Jesse is back with his original co-host (and baby brother) Rene for a 250th episode full of laughs. They recorded at 6 a.m. on a Sunday, with Rene hiding out at his office so his four kids, the "raptors," wouldn't crash the interview.
Rene explains why he stepped back from co-hosting, and he shares the whiteboard drawing behind his advice for new podcasters: a pipe full of mud, with clean water waiting behind it. They look back at the messy early days, including the conversation Jesse forgot to record. Rene admits what he was really doing with some of his questions ("let me get some air time"). He also tells how he ended up editing five podcasts at once and making the most money of his life, and why that taught him he isn't driven by money. Jesse explains why the guest list grew beyond tradespeople, and why he'll keep doing the show even though it costs him money. Along the way, Rene says Jesse is secretly showing guests the Dragon Scroll from Kung Fu Panda.
Then Rene throws Jesse a curveball on the closing question: What is the promise you are intended to be? The answer involves a goofy lizard named Rango.
00:36 250th Episode Reunion
02:44 Starting the Podcast Messy
07:02 Pipe Full of Mud Advice
10:58 Confidence and Questions
13:10 Stepping Back to Edit
15:44 Values Beyond Money
18:23 Career Growth and Connections
20:53 Big Guest Takeaways
23:45 Unicorns and Caring Leaders
24:56 Family Life and Editing Time
25:43 Family Support and Diapers
26:28 Podcast Guest Shift
28:30 Finding Guests Gets Hard
30:44 How to Ruin It
31:58 Why Keep Going
36:27 Same Format Debate
37:24 Dragon Scroll Metaphor
40:55 Future of the Show
42:07 The Promise Question
47:15 God Given Purpose
48:28 Becoming the Hero
Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab
Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be
"Nobody Wants Your Elevator Pitch": Neel Zbinden on Field Marketing, Integrity, and Ending the War Between Sales, Ops, and Brand
2026/09/24
Sales blames marketing. Marketing blames ops. Ops blames sales. Neel Zbinden says it usually starts at the top.
After 30 years in restaurants, Neel quit on April 1st with no plan. A few months later she was in construction marketing, teaching herself the job through trial and error. Today she's the founder of Z Collab Group and co-founder and president of Contractors, Closers, and Connections (CCC) Fort Worth. She fixes the disconnect between sales, marketing, brand, and operations, and she won't work with anyone who lies, cheats, or steals. She tells them on the first call.
In this episode:
Why service-industry people make great hires in constructionWhat field marketing really is (hint: the extra mile)Why departments battle, and why great people get fired for bad leadershipQuarterly reviews, simple CRMs, and cutting the busy workWhy "What's in it for me?" loses the room
00:00 Leadership Sets the Tone
06:04 From Restaurants to Construction
12:20 Service Mindset and Transferable Skills
15:39 What Field Marketing Really Is
22:35 Aligning Teams and Fixing CRM Chaos
29:41 Integrity and Ops vs Sales Disconnect
32:56 Speaking Up at Work
34:36 Consulting Gets Heard
37:00 Sales Marketing Reality Check
39:10 Delegation and Giving Value
40:43 Training as Retention
44:07 Bachata Training Lesson
47:38 Owning Your Voice
Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab
Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be
Built Not Forced: Jody Fitzgerald on Ownership, Flow, and Building People (Not Just Buildings)
2026/09/17
Most superintendents don't run jobs; they survive them by firefighting their way to the finish line. Jody Fitzgerald did it that way for 40 years, until it cost him more than he was willing to keep paying. In this week’s conversation with Jesse, he breaks down what separates a superintendent who protects tomorrow's work from one who's just good at creating the next fire.
What you'll get out of this one
Why most jobs have zero flow — superintendents run on personality, not a system, because nobody ever taught them the why behind the steps.The five pillars of Built Not Forced — identity, preparation, flow, standards, stewardship. Everyone talks about the middle three; Jody explains why the bookend pillars are where all the money actually is.A one-sentence definition of the job that'll stick with you: protect tomorrow's work. Everything inside the fence is his to own.The "dummy tax" is real. Jesse confesses exactly how trade partners quietly price bad superintendents differently than good ones — and Jody's reaction says it all.Ownership can be taught — and Jesse gets vulnerable about the moment it finally clicked for him.Technology gave us speed and stole our communication. Why instant information created an expectation of instant, "complete" answers — and why that's wrecking decisions in the field.The 23-year-old kid Jody handed a job to — proof of what it looks like to actually build someone up. Connect with Jody:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-jody-fitzgerald-73235843/
00:00 People Build Buildings
00:33 Meet Jody Fitzgerald
03:16 Why Jobs Lack Flow
05:42 From Screamer to Leader
13:56 Built Not Forced Origins
15:21 Five Pillars Framework
16:05 Superintendent Role Defined
19:12 Ownership and Self-Improvement
20:27 Tech vs Real Communication
22:53 Teaching Ownership the Why
28:08 Dummy Tax and Trade Respect
30:54 Industry Perfect Storm
32:08 Training and Listening Fix
34:26 Listen Not Apps
35:24 Translation On Site
37:20 Huddles And Systems
38:17 Surface Problems Safely
40:44 Trust And Standards
42:50 Mentoring The Next
47:58 Tech And Expectations
50:35 Drawings Owners And No
Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab
Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be
Why Your Best Employees Clock-in and Coast (And How to Fix It)
2026/09/10
Every leader has that employee who clocks in, does the bare minimum, and clocks out. Jesse says that's not a "them" problem — it's a "you" problem. In this episode, he flips the script on who your most important customer really is (hint: it's not the one paying the invoice) and breaks down why the people on your team who seem checked out are actually starved for two things: autonomy and critical thinking.
Jesse gets brutally honest about his own journey, reframes why some people show up guarded and afraid to make decisions, and shares the exact reflective questions he uses to turn hesitant "doers" into confident decision-makers. Plus, he tackles two pop-up questions: what to do when your boss is underutilizing you, and how to "manage up" without becoming a bootlicker.
If you've ever thought "why won't they just think for themselves," this episode will make you rethink who's really responsible for that.
00:00 Failure Fuels Growth
00:14 Your Most Important Customer
01:00 Internal Customers First
02:01 Activating the Doers
02:58 You Are Not Paying Them
06:18 Autonomy Explained
08:50 Stop Overreacting
10:01 Reinforce with Reflection
16:42 Critical Thinking Muscle
23:34 Fear Based Backgrounds
25:23 Underrated by Your Boss
30:01 Managing Up Without Sucking Up
36:33 Fulfillment Beyond Work
37:20 Fernando’s Wake Up Call
Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab
Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be
From Cheat Codes to Self-Trust: Stefanie Reichman on LinkedIn, Identity, and Building a Life Outside Your Job Title
2026/09/03
Stephanie Reichman has done everything "right". She is the co-founder of AEC Tech Jobs, creator of More Than an Engineer, a stage speaker, and a customer success manager at Bluebeam. So why did hitting a major follower milestone leave her flat instead of fired up?
In this episode, Stephanie returns to unpack the moment she stopped chasing "cheat codes" for success and started building her own definition of it instead. A cross-country move from Las Vegas to the Midwest cracked open questions she hadn't let herself ask: What pace of life actually fits me? What happens after I hit the goal? And who am I if it's not exciting anymore?
Jesse and Stephanie get into:
Why can a big milestone feel like nothing, and the one thing that changes thatThe real reason she left Las Vegas, and what it forced her to confront about her valuesHow showing up on LinkedIn became less about growth and more about connection, fun, and impactThe blunt truth about employers who shut down employees who create content (and why that's a mistake)Why content creation quietly makes you better at your job, and more valuable to your companyHer take on AI and tools lowering the barrier to start, and the one thing that still separates people who succeed from people who don'tWhat "More Than an Engineer" really means, and the identity work behind reclaiming a labelThe promise she made to herself: to become the person her younger self neededIf you've ever hit a goal and felt strangely underwhelmed, or you're an engineer (or anyone) quietly wondering if there's more to your identity than your job title, this one's going to hit close to home.
00:00 Taking Back Control
00:26 Meet Stephanie Reichman
02:00 No Perfect Plan Confession
06:46 Redefining Success After Moving
09:18 Finding Your Pace
12:35 Celebrating Goals Without Parades
17:39 Followers Versus Purpose
20:27 Keeping Content Fun
23:10 LinkedIn Impact at Work
26:14 Employers and Employee Advocacy
31:14 What Community Means
33:11 More Than an Engineer Origins
34:03 Turning Ideas into Action
34:44 AI Lowers the Barrier
36:13 Building A Personal App
38:18 Iterate and Improve Fast
40:26 Marketing and Distribution
43:32 Choosing Projects Wisely
45:49 Fun Versus Practicality
49:26 More Than an Engineer Meaning
56:00 Momentum Train Mindset
49:27 The Grand Slam Question
Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab
Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be
Dino DePasquale on Construction's Mental Health Crisis, Burnout, and the Steel Erector's Playbook
2026/08/27
A 31-year ironworker doesn't scare easily. But ask Dino DePasquale what keeps him up at night, and it's not the job site; it's the industry's silence around mental health.
Dino built DePasquale Steel over 21 years and created the Steel Erector's Playbook along the way. In this episode, he goes to the side of construction leadership nobody puts on a business card: the suicide and overdose statistics haunting the trades, the impossible task of "shutting work off," and why connection might be the most underrated safety equipment on any crew.
Jesse and Dino don't stay in the dark for long. They dig into why leaders hesitate to teach and mentor publicly because of confidence, added responsibility, and the fear of getting it wrong out loud; and how Dino turned his own mistakes into the systems now running his company. His answer to burnout and bottlenecks? "Clone yourself" through documentation and training, so the business doesn't live and die by one person's memory.
Then things get real when Dino walks through a recent job that went sideways, and what it actually looks like to earn trust when you own the problem instead of hiding from it. He also previews his plans to help lead a construction-focused peer group on mental health.
If you run crews, run a business, or just run yourself into the ground more often than you'd like to admit, this episode’s for you.
In this episode:
The mental health and addiction crisis hiding in plain sight across constructionWhy "shutting off" work is a skill most leaders never learnBuilding a peer support network for an industry that doesn't ask for helpTurning mistakes into systems: how to document, train, and clone yourselfWhat it really takes to earn trust after a job goes wrongProtecting focus time and staying resourceful enough to climb the ladder
00:00 Industry Pain Opens
00:14 Meet Dino DePasquale
02:17 How Hard Is It
02:59 Steel Life Story
04:59 Mental Health Crisis
08:46 Peer Group Plans
09:23 Addiction And Overdose
11:19 Jesse Recovery Story
15:23 Why Share A Playbook
18:55 Cloning Yourself Systems
21:00 Confidence To Teach
26:39 Document Your Day
28:26 Track Your Time
29:00 Stop Answering Every Call
29:31 Delegate With Clarity
32:15 Progress Over Perfection
32:55 Being Real Online
36:24 Job Went Off Rails
37:58 Own The Fix
41:35 Purpose Beyond Hard Work
46:42 Resourcefulness To Advance
51:46 Where To Find Dino
53:32 Why Converge Hit Different
Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab
Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be
How to Say No Without Guilt: A Simple Framework for Builders and Leaders
2026/08/20
Here’s a test for you: write down every single thing on your plate today and tomorrow. Now circle only the ones that would fall apart if someone other than you did them.
Most people circle almost nothing. And that's the problem.
In this episode, Jesse breaks down "strategically selfish"; a framework for builders and leaders who can't delegate, can't say no, and are quietly running on tasks that were never actually theirs to carry. He walks through the exercise in real time, then shows you what to do with everything left uncircled: reduce it through optimizing or automating, delegate it, or extinguish it outright, and why time deserves more vigilance than money ever will.
The twist: he says you don't build this skill in the high-stakes moments. You build it at home, in the small stuff, asking for help before you need to; so when it counts in your business or on the jobsite, saying "not me" is second nature instead of a crisis decision.
If you've ever ended a workday exhausted but couldn't name what you actually accomplished, this one's for you.
00:00 Focus on What Matters
01:25 Framework Overview
02:30 Step One Write It Down
04:33 Step Two Circle Only You
07:11 Why Delegation Feels Hard
11:37 Step Three Reduce Tasks
19:34 Extinguish Nonessential Work
21:09 Outsource and Guard Time
24:15 Ask for Help and Communicate
29:09 Final Recap and Homework
Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab
Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be
From Backhoes to CEO: How Tim Tuoni Built a Site Development Company from the Ground Up
2026/08/13
Tim Tuoni went from riding backhoes as a kid to running Tuoni Site Development, and he's got zero patience for people who think construction guys are just difficult for the sake of it.
In this episode, Tim breaks down what actually gets mislabeled as "a-hole energy" in this industry: it's standards. It's direct communication. It's not tolerating half-effort on a highway job where mistakes cost real money and real safety. He and Jesse dig into what it's like building a company under public scrutiny, including dealing with the YouTube and social media critics who've never swung a hammer but have plenty of opinions.
Tim also gets real about the moment that changed his trajectory: walking off a job after a safety incident and taking a leap into subcontract work before he was "ready." He talks about the mechanical skills that saved him money and made him dangerous in a good way, how he uses LinkedIn every single day to market himself and scout opportunities, and why he now shows up for Crew Collaborative classroom talks to give students a real alternative to the college-or-bust narrative.
If you need a reset on what actually matters in this trade, Tim's closing line says it all: "It's just f*ing dirt. You're never above a shovel."
Connect with Tim
https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-tuoni-16730893/
https://tuonisitedevelopmentllc.com/
In this episode:
Why the industry's reputation for being "difficult" is really about standardsBuilding a business in the age of social media criticsThe safety incident that pushed Tim into entrepreneurshipUsing LinkedIn as a daily marketing and research toolWhy he's showing up in classrooms to change how kids see this career path00:00 Just Dirt Mindset
00:18 Meet Tim Toonie
02:09 Construction People Standards
05:41 Mentors And Online Critics
09:52 Why Equipment Life Chose Him
13:03 First Machines First Memories
15:24 Skid Steer Lessons And Antics
18:25 Getting Hired Certified Today
21:09 Starting His Own Company
24:39 Resourcefulness Under Pressure
30:27 Saving Money With Repairs
33:03 Time Versus Money Skills
33:59 DIY Marketing Learning Curve
35:28 LinkedIn Outreach Playbook
39:28 Creative Prospecting For Contractors
42:35 Why He Volunteers
44:02 Trades Versus College Paths
51:27 Where To Connect Online
54:48 Promise Intended To Be
58:00 Never Above A Shovel
Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab
Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be
Construction Leadership Lab: The Room Where the Real Talk Happens
2026/08/06
Leadership in construction is lonely. The 2 a.m. gut-check calls. The mistakes nobody at the office needs to know about. The moments where "fake it till you make it" stops working and you just need someone who gets it.
This episode, Jesse opens the door to something new: the Construction Leadership Lab: a peer community built for leaders who are done pretending they have it all figured out.
This isn't a networking group. It isn't a highlight reel. It's a room for GCs, subs, owners reps, coaches, and service providers across the U.S. and Canada who are ready to trade the polished version of leadership for the real one.
What's inside:
Monthly live calls — recorded and shared as a members-only podcast, so nobody misses a sessionFishbowl coaching — bring real problems, get real input, leave with a real commitmentBook study — one book every three months, discussed as a group, not just read aloneSelfish Servant Cheat Sheets — a weekly newsletter built to make leadership stickThe Vault — templates and checklists ready to use on the job, not just in theoryThree rules keep the room honest: be generous, be fearless, be cool. Ask how people want to be treated. Be more interested than interesting. Know when to pass the mic.
If leadership in construction has ever cost you sleep, this is the group built for that.
Listen now. Then go save your seat in the Lab.
00:00 Leadership Is Human
00:20 Why Leaders Need Support
01:52 Introducing The Lab
02:50 Core Features Overview
04:52 Calls Schedule and Focus
05:09 Book Study Deep Dives
08:12 Fishbowl Problem Solving
11:07 Commitments and Accountability
13:05 Weekly Newsletter Value
13:46 Content Vault Resources
15:17 Mission and Purpose
16:17 Community Guidelines
21:53 Join or Keep Listening
Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab
Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be
Why "Pass/Fail" Thinking Is Killing Your Momentum
2026/07/30
Ever quit on a goal the moment it stopped feeling like a win? This week's episode breaks down why treating progress as pass/fail is the quiet reason so many goals stall out before they get traction.
He unpacks the start-stop cycle: new goals always run into friction from commitments you already have, and pass/fail thinking punishes you for that friction instead of accounting for it. Using fitness as the example, Jesse shows how to build momentum differently, going from zero to one, chaining back-to-back reps, hitting a three-time streak, and only then raising the bar. Small wins aren't consolation prizes. They're the mechanism.
Next Jesse introduces "bookends": instead of judging a goal week to week, you set a real time horizon and a single checkpoint down the road; like committing to a podcast for 12 months no matter what the download numbers say early on. That container is what lets you actually learn, build relationships, and stumble into upside you couldn't have planned for (Jesse points to finding his own voice as one example).
Lastly, Jesse closes on why this matters beyond the goal itself, framing success not around hitting a number, but around impact, using his own book as the example: if it helps even one person, it did its job.
00:00 Escape Win Lose Thinking
03:04 Celebrate Zero to One
06:07 Back to Back and Streaks
10:01 Feedback Loops Beat Perfection
12:20 Shift Two Bookends
15:54 Podcast Bookend Example
18:51 Discovering Your Voice
20:58 Impact Based Goals
23:05 Book Link and Share It
24:19 Wrap Up and Next Steps
Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab
Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be
The Real Reason Construction Tech Dies in the Field with AJ Waters
2026/07/23
AJ Waters wanted to design stadiums. Instead, he ended up rebuilding the operating system for one of the largest construction companies in the world and learning, the hard way, why so many digital transformations quietly collapse in the field.
In this episode, AJ takes Jesse inside the messy reality of tech adoption at scale: what it was really like leading a major platform overhaul at Kiewit, why executives sometimes override the "right" decision for reasons that have nothing to do with the data, and the uncomfortable truth about who construction software has historically been built for and who's been left out.
They also get into:
Why teams keep optimizing for the back office while the people actually swinging hammers get ignoredWhat evaluating project management platforms for Google's data center builds taught AJ about alignment vs. politicsThe surprising throughline between his childhood Lego obsession and how he approaches problem-solving todayWhy AJ started The Engineered Life to talk about "superpowers" most people don't even know they haveIf you've ever wondered why the tools that look perfect in a boardroom fall apart on-site, or why subcontractors always seem to get the short end of the software stick, this one's for you.
By the end, you'll understand why AJ measures success by one simple standard: whether he left people, and situations, better than he found them.
00:00 Executive Override Reality
00:18 Meet AJ Waters
02:00 Lego Builds and Movie Nerd
03:23 Rebuilding Memorial Stadium
05:38 Dreaming of Stadiums
08:31 Not Smart Enough to Engineer
11:01 Design vs Construction Life
11:23 LnM Listener Shoutout
13:55 Why Construction Fits People
17:48 First Digital Takeoff Win
20:16 Resourcefulness and Problem Solving
25:17 iPhone Sparked Tech Interest
27:56 Volunteering for Transformation
29:48 Change Resistance on Site
31:32 Design for Field Users
33:20 Workarounds and Training Gaps
34:58 From Internal Tools to Innate
35:50 Owner Side Lessons at Google
40:07 Systems vs Human Behavior
42:50 Procore vs PlanGrid Politics
44:50 Tech Ignores Subs and Owners
46:27 AI and Platform Advantage
51:15 EngiNerd Life Origin Story
Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab
Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be
Too Much for Some, Just Right for Others: Amy Cordero-Houk on Being Authentic, Unapologetic, and Done with Chasing Everyone's Approval
2026/07/16
There's a version of "authentic" that's just an excuse to be obnoxious. Amy Houk isn't that version.
Amy is the president of National Lien Services and RSC Preliminary Lien Services and joins Jesse to talk about turning 50 and how that moment changed everything: she stopped caring about most things and started caring a lot more about the things that mattered.
She gets real about the line between authenticity and being difficult, why she owns her role in conflict instead of playing the victim, and the apology she almost didn't give (but did).
They also dig into saying the quiet part out loud, why boundaries beat manipulation every time, and how to spot a narcissistic dynamic before it costs you.
Then Amy pulls back the curtain on the side of construction most people ignore until it's too late — protecting your payments and mitigating risk before a project turns into a collections nightmare.
Listen now, and find Amy online for more on risk, contracts, and getting paid what you're owed.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyhouk/
00:00 Not Too Much
00:18 Meet Amy Houck
02:59 Desert Whales Icebreaker
04:49 Writing Like Yourself
06:23 Authenticity As Brand
09:20 Finding Courage At Fifty
09:54 Mom The Powerhouse
12:19 Shout Out Segment
13:13 Authentic Not Obnoxious
18:01 Men Versus Boys
18:19 Gen X Follow Up Email
22:24 Truth With Kindness
25:16 Narcissism Talk
29:41 What Lien Services Do
32:31 Leading By Educating
34:32 Monthly Live Webinars
35:24 Respecting Construction Risk
37:37 Ranch Roots Work Ethic
39:07 Service Driven Leadership
42:10 Authenticity And Influence
45:02 Posers And Being Enough
47:37 Honesty With Responsibility
49:06 Narcissist Fallout Lesson
53:29 How To Start Authentic
58:31 Promise To Stay Open
01:02:32 Where To Find Amy
Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab
Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be
Stop Giving Feedback - Have this Conversation Instead
2026/07/09
Feedback is optional. Performance isn't.
Most managers default to soft, vague feedback, the "poo-poo sandwich" of compliment, critique, compliment, because it feels safe. But feedback is suggestive by nature, appropriate for social settings or volunteer environments where the stakes are low. Performance conversations are different. They require clarity, accountability, and follow-through.
This episode breaks down a 3-part framework for having real performance conversations:
Anchor language — Use words that stick: if there is a failure, or expectations not met. Vague language gets forgotten. Anchor language gets remembered.Explicit consequences — Name what happens next: reassignment, termination. Ambiguity protects no one.Resources and support — Pair the hard conversation with a real path forward: tools, check-ins, and support to close the gap.Two examples bring the framework to life: a 90-day team member and a third-year apprentice, both of whom turned performance around after clear expectations, defined tool requirements, weekly check-ins, and stated consequences were put on the table.
The result isn't a harder conversation; it's a clearer one. And clarity is what actually changes behavior.
Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab
Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be
No Excuses, No Victims: Bradley Henderson on Radical Ownership and Closing the Divide
2026/07/02
Bradley Henderson built a company that bridges the field-office gap in construction, but the story of how he got there is the one worth hearing. Plumb Line Operations founder and field worker advocate Bradley Henderson joins Jesse to talk about the personal cost of traveling construction work, what addiction and prison taught him about radical ownership, and why he now builds a "second chance" lane connecting skilled workers with structured employers. Jesse opens up about his own 10 years of sobriety as the two get honest about the long road from victim mentality to accountability and what it really looks like to make amends and turn your worst chapter into your purpose.
00:00 Turning Pain Into Magic
00:14 Meet Bradley Henderson
01:34 The Toll of Travel Work
04:31 LinkedIn Style and Accountability
05:37 Addiction Prison and Ownership
07:52 Sobriety and Compounding Change
11:47 Shoutout and Viktor Frankl Lesson
14:14 Owning Mistakes in the Field
16:04 Rebuilding After a Record
19:49 From Manipulation to Influence
22:02 Rehab Story and Shame Release
24:28 Sharing the Shame
24:52 Why the Rooms Work
26:30 Turning Pain Into Help
27:27 Owing It Forward
28:57 Making Amends for Real
35:03 Gratitude and Second Chances
36:42 Building a Coaching Calling
38:02 Second Chance Workforce Plan
Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab
Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be
Accountability, Vulnerability, and Culture Change in Construction with Coralee Beatty
2026/06/25
Most construction leaders think they have an accountability problem. What they actually have is a clarity problem, and they're pointing the finger in the wrong direction.
Coralee Beatty, founder of Thrive HQ and one of the most honest voices in the construction leadership space, joins Jesse to get into the real reasons teams underperform, people quit, and culture stays stuck. From her point of view the fix is simpler (and harder) than most leaders want to admit.
In this episode, Coralee reframes accountability entirely, it's not a hammer, it's a scaffold. Real accountability means your people have what they need to succeed, and they know it's still on them to show up. When those two things are true at the same time, everything changes.
They get into why so many construction leaders default to blaming the crew when the real gap is in how roles, expectations, and commitments were set up in the first place. If your team doesn't know exactly what "good" looks like, you don't have an accountability problem, you have a leadership gap.
Coralee also talks about what it actually took to exit a business she built, the childhood abandonment that wired her to fear judgment and chase "good enough," and how she turned that into fuel. She doesn't dress it up. That's what makes it land.
And she makes the case that vulnerability isn't soft, it's a jobsite skill. When leaders show up honestly, teams feel safe enough to do the same. That's where trust actually gets built.
If your retention is struggling, your culture feels flat, or you're tired of having the same performance conversations with no real change, this episode is worth your full attention.
00:00 Why Accountability Matters
00:50 Meet Coralie Beatty
02:13 Clubhouse Community Era
04:07 Defining Accountability
05:42 Commitment Versus Control
10:06 Listener Shoutout Break
11:05 Building Accountable Teams
14:40 Leadership And The Denominator
16:16 No Master Plan Just Iteration
18:22 Resilience And Fear Of Judgment
22:05 Roots Of Not Enough
26:29 Sharing Lived Experience
27:54 Changing Minds Online
29:19 Construction Culture Shift
30:00 Appreciation Wins Talent
31:00 Acknowledgment Changes Everything
34:00 From Hardass to Human
36:32 Who Gets to Help
39:35 Vulnerability Builds Trust
47:39 Simple Culture Fixes
51:58 Connection Is the Cure
Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab
Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be
Podcast reviews
Read Learnings and Missteps by Depth Builder podcast reviews
SCMG33 2023/05/13
I’m lovin’ it!
Just listened to episode #3. Loving the conversation about masculinity traits and normalizing treating people like a human. More topics like these are...
NextGenBuilder 2022/11/14
LF TEAM
Jesse is a one-of-a-kind leader who understands the work that is done everyday on a jobsite. Where he differs from others, is heart for people. There ...
Sultanote 2022/06/23
Great learnings for non-craft people in construction
I’ve worked with Jesse many years and I know that his message is truthful and with the honest intent of helping people in the construction industry. L...
This Podcast is Spot ON! 2022/01/18
Need a lift? Listen to this!
I just finished listening to the episode with Barbie the Welder. Wow! What a great conversation. It made me feel like anything is possible when we ...
theboomdizzle 2021/12/21
Authentic
I love this podcast. The straight talk is authentic, vulnerable, and transparent. We need more of these kinds of discussions.
1jdavid51 2021/10/16
Demographics
I just want to get to the bottom line is that Lean tool process is great and sometimes we just get trade partners superintendents and foreman’s person...
Agile_FE 2021/03/02
Trades Always Find The Way
This is a genuine show that honestly shares what it means to work in the trades in North America. I have mad respect for this show, philosophy, and th...
Steparn 2021/02/26
Real Life, Down to Earth
What a great listen! I love that they are very practical and relatable. It’s like listening to old friends with real works experiences. This is a grea...
T Dolphin 2020/12/02
Worth the listen!
I enjoyed this podcast, it’s very relatable and shines a light on the construction industry that I do t hear very often. Mix that with personal takes,...
humble bragger 2020/10/30
IHooks you
Gotta appreciate their ganas. They ain’t perfect but they’re definitely onto something.
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