Sometimes the hardest part of building isn't the work itself. It's realizing the system you're building within wasn't designed for you.

This week, I sat down with Candy Rodriguez and Andrianna Butler from the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. Both women have navigated systems that weren't built for them. And instead of walking away, they chose to build not just for themselves, but for everyone who comes after.

This conversation reminded me: The system's failure is not your failure. And the doors you build don't just change your life, but they change the system.

Connect with Charbel:

📖 Read the book: The Door Builder

🛒 Purchase The Door Builder on Amazon

💼 Connect on LinkedIn

🌟 Brand Ambassador: Find the Good Brand (Shop & Support)

🌐 Learn more about Charbel Aoun

Less than 1 week ago, I stood on stage as the MC of TEDxSugar Hill 2026: "Catalyst," exploring how sparks become systems and moments become movements. Despite an ice storm that weekend, the event was phenomenal. But in the quiet that followed, sitting with congratulations pouring in from dozens of people, I realized something: the voices I wanted to hear most weren't there. And their absence made me question everything.

In this episode, I explore the builder's aftermath: that space after you've pulled off something extraordinary where you're left alone with the magnitude of what you've built, wondering: "Am I even building the right things?"

Connect with Charbel:

📖 Read the book: The Door Builder

🛒 Purchase The Door Builder on Amazon

💼 Connect on LinkedIn

🌟 Brand Ambassador: Find the Good Brand (Shop & Support)

🌐 Learn more about Charbel Aoun

Sometimes belonging isn't something you build through sheer force of will. Sometimes it's something that finds you when you're brave enough to show up.

Ken Jackson left South Carolina for Georgia with no roadmap, but instead decided to restart: in a new city, with new networks, and really, new everything. And in that uncertainty, he discovered what it means to leave what's familiar and trust that belonging will meet you on the other side.

In this episode, Ken shares his story, the moment Georgia stopped feeling like a "new place" and started feeling like home, and what Leadership Gwinnett taught him about community, connection, and being seen.

Connect with Charbel:

📖 Read the book: The Door Builder

🛒 Purchase The Door Builder on Amazon

💼 Connect on LinkedIn

🌟 Brand Ambassador: Find The Good Brand (Shop & Support)

🌐 Learn more about Charbel Aoun

Every builder has an origin story; a moment when they first realize they're capable of creating something that didn't exist before. Mine came at 17, standing backstage at my high school graduation ceremony.

In this first episode of Becoming the Builder, I share my origin story. The moment that taught me what door building actually means. Because doors don't just appear because we're talented or smart or deserving. Doors appear because we advocate for ourselves.

Connect with Charbel:

📖 Read the book: The Door Builder

🛒 Purchase The Door Builder on Amazon

💼 Connect on LinkedIn

🌟 Brand Ambassador: Find The Good Brand (Shop & Support)

🌐 Learn more about Charbel Aoun

Some of us grew up knocking on doors that never opened. So we learned to build them. Becoming the Builder is a podcast about human stories, leadership with heart, and what it means to grow into who we're becoming. Hosted by Charbel Aoun: FirstGen Operations Strategist, Healthcare Professional, and Leadership Educator. Launching January 2026. New episodes every Thursday.