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In a world that’s so demanding and fast-paced, it’s important that we slow down and connect with ourselves and each other. That’s the main lesson this week’s guest has learned (and is still learning) along her career path. In this episode, I welcome Christi Powell, Co-Founder of Women Confidence Builders, WBE-certified Sales Representative for 84 Lumber, and co-host of the Women Talk Construction podcast. After working in male-dominated industries for 27 years, once she started working in in th...

With the recent influx of technology and digital innovation, every business in every industry has the opportunity to become more efficient, sustainable, and optimize their processes. People in the trades are no exception! So, what happens when you mix digital innovation, financial education, and the trades? Here’s a hint… it involves SUCCESS. In this episode, I welcome Michael Fina, a New York City native who for the past 15 years has been working with LendingClub, a union-founded bank, and The...

Female and minority contractors need more representation, compensation, and respect in their industry. There’s no doubt about it! But how do we make that happen? This week’s guest is a prime example of that mission coming to life. In this episode, I welcome Demetria Bivens, Managing Member at dlb Consultants and Senior Executive Director of Business Development for DFW Airport Texas. Demetria is on a mission to change the narrative around minority contractors and bring more respect and recognit...

Gabriel Garcia shares some the recruiting secrets Marek uses to engage High School students in accessing fruitful careers. With early dreams as a Rockstar he found an environment he would thrive in on the jobsite. Understanding the value of giving back to the community, Gabriel took a leadership role as the Build Competition Rockstar with Texas Construction Careers Initiative.

As professionals in the trade industry, we have the power to do more than just pour concrete, weld metal structures, or build an elevator car… we have the power to build people and create a sense of depth, or deeper meaning, in our industry. In this episode, I welcome Edward A. Rivera, also known as Your Elevator Pal. Ed is a Modernization/Construction Foremen, but beyond that, he’s a content creator who’s passionate about sharing his love for his profession with the world via LinkedIn. Listen...

This one’s for the gals out there! From the construction industry to the petro-chemical industry, women have the power to find success, empowerment, and fulfillment in industry careers. Whether you know what you want to do after high school, you can’t figure it out, or you’re an adult who wants to pivot in your career path, this week’s guest may be able to guide you in the right direction. In this episode, we welcome Stephanie Hajducek, a Project Engineer, Design Lead, and Founder of This One’s...

We’ve all heard about the importance of integrating more STEM into children’s education, but could STEM magnet schools be the future of education in America and around the globe? Is it the best way to get more women into the trades and construction industry? In this episode, we welcome Kate Gause, a Project Engineer at ISEC, Inc. Kate attended Construction Careers Academy High School, a magnet school that focuses on educating teenagers about construction management, engineering, architecture, a...

What are the best ways to avoid job site conflict? Why is it important to invest in your employees? What if there was a leadership and professional development course created by tradespeople for tradespeople? Well, get ready because this week’s guest has tons of insights on job site management and being a leader… PLUS, he’s creating that leadership development course we all need! In this episode, we have our first insulator on the show, Brad Anderson! Brad is an entrepreneur and mechanical insu...

We need to bring love and meaning back into the construction industry. Like a relationship, if your life and your career are built on a strong foundation of love, care, and compassion, it’s going to take something tremendous to tear you down. So, how can we start pouring these elements into the foundation of the construction industry? In this episode, we have Walker Lott and Davis Hambrick, two young construction professionals and co-hosts of The Laying Foundations Podcast, a podcast about choo...

Although there’s an immense lack of skilled tradespeople, there’s still tremendous investment going into our nation’s infrastructure. It’s great that the US has the money to improve infrastructure, but if you don’t have the people to do the work, it can’t be done. That’s why Rock the Trades was born. In this episode, we have Christopher Brenchley, CEO and Co-Founder of Surehand, the skills-first hiring platform that instantly matches industrial employers with best-fit tradespeople. Chris is als...

We’ve all heard the term “starving artist” … In fact, it’s a phenomenon that often deters creatives from pursuing their talents and turning them into a career. Today’s guest has completely busted the “starving artist” archetype to smithereens and turned her passion into a lucrative full-time career. In this episode, I speak with Barbie The Welder, an incredible sculptor, author, and skilled trades advocate who is “irreverently creating art for happiness”. Barbie has overcome so much in her life...

When we cross the finish line together, we can celebrate together. Teams that don’t recognize that are painfully missing out on the beauty of collaboration and humanity. At the end of the day, you can choose to make your work painful or you can choose to make it collaborative, creative, and rewarding. So, which will you choose? In this episode, I speak with Henry Nutt, a well-known speaker and industry influencer who’s passionate about transforming the construction industry through collaboratio...

As professionals in construction, we often focus too much on hard skills, or the specific knowledge and capabilities we need to complete the job. Too often, we forget about soft skills, like communication, adaptability, and teamwork. Both are needed to be successful in your career, so let’s dive into the power of developing soft skills in construction. In this episode, we have James Gable, Host of The Uncommon Communicator Podcast. For most of his life, James was an industrial contractor. In fa...

Blue is the New White: The Value of Skilled Trades for the Youth Today Do you know the value of skilled trades for you as a young person and society at large? The skilled trades industry has many opportunities and possibilities that can lead you to some of the most lucrative jobs out there and a fat check. In this episode, we have Josh Zolin, CEO of Windy City Equipment Service, speaker, and the author of Blue is the New White. He had previously worked as a stuntman in Hollywood before he quit ...

Wouldn’t it be great to bring back the honor in the trades and eliminate the stigma surrounding the sector? Now is the time to change the narrative about the trades and bring back the deserved honor to the industry. In this episode, we have Steve Turner, a custom upholstery small business owner and the founder of Bring Back the Trades organization. Steve came to the realization that the closer he got to retirement, the higher the risk of him closing down his business became a reality due to the...

What does it take to find a fulfilling career that makes you completely happy? Finding a career or owning a business that fulfills you even when things get difficult should be an ultimate goal. In this episode, we have Lisa Payan, the owner of Mastermind Plumbing in San Antonio Texas, a mother, and a community contributor. Lisa left her accounting career and incidentally fell into plumbing which she has gone on to own a business in. She describes the work she does with Lone Star Construction Tr...

Are you ready to start embracing lean construction principles and processes as a leader in construction? By adopting lean construction principles and processes in your construction projects, you will enhance everyone’s experience and work as an integrated team. In this episode, we have Brian Winningham, Field Driven Lean owner, and has over 20 years of experience estimating, planning, managing, and leading construction projects. He is very passionate about sharing the benefits of Lean Construct...

How do you more in your work while still managing to deliver value with efficiency? By intentionally balancing your flow with resource efficiency, you’re enabling yourself to live an amazing and balanced life. In this episode, we have Felipe Engineer- Manriquez, a construction scrum expert, national director of lean construction, and the host of the EBFC show podcast. He’s also an international keynote speaker with decades of experience in process improvement, project planning, execution, chang...

In this episode Rene Duron comes back from a long summer of overtime and he didnt skip a beat. His heartfelt vulnerable questions invite Spencer Easton breathe some accountability into Rene. Spencer came into construction intending to be a field engineer which turned into him being a Scheduling Manager. His experience as a scheduling expert ignited his passion to find another way to better serve the construction industry. His purpose is strictly to help people get home healthy and happy. Contac...

Get to know Program Coordinator / Project Manager Miss Krista Ackles. Krista studied finance and when seeking employment she decided the construction Industry was more suitable and went out and made that happen. The recession hit which caused her to seek work elsewhere, thank goodness!! Since then she has been changing worlds at Construction Careers Academy. Give us a listen for a blueprint on building a solid CTE program that connects students to jobs in Construction. Connect with CCA at: http...

We managed to get some time with Celebrity Influencers Keyan Zandy and Joe Donarumo, Authors of The Lean Builder. Felipe and I get to unearth several truths behind them writing this book. As usual, you best have your notepads ready to capture the secrets to unlocking a new level of performance with the Lean efforts on your Jobsite. The tips they dole out can be applied on any construction project with any team, and its best if you "start small". After you finish taking in all the goodness, shar...

Felipe and I wrap up our whining and war stories around Chapter 7 of The Last Planner, which is around the charged subject of PPC. Those 3 letters stand for Percent Plan Complete and have been the subject of much confusion and discontent. Which of course spills out the entire episode. And there is some good stuff too we give away the best method for incentivizing PPC, the secret ingredient of Culture and how that impacts PPC. Lastly I explicitly share about the purpose of PPC and how to close th...

Get to know Mr Adam Hoots: Construction Professional, Entrepreneur, Trades Advocate, Author and the list goes on. His story takes us from his entry into the workforce as the result of a gift he received on his 17th birthday. The experience he had as a plumbers helper informed the way he serves the Construction Community today. His purpose and vision are contagious and he is a pretty deep thinker that never hesitates to share the stage or honor the people that have contributed to his place in the...

Jesse & Felipe are rounding 3rd base as they cover Chapter 6 of The Lean Builder. Catch a heavy dose of collaboration cheat codes with a side of attitude from Jesse the grouch. This conversation touches many of the necessities for achieving positive outcomes with LPS, some of which will take practice to master. And many you can apply today. Connect with us at: https://www.learningsandmissteps.com/ Connect with Felipe at: https://www.theebfcshow.com/