Dirt Talk Podcast

November 5, 2026

Construction Can Rebuild The Middle Class w/ Larry Baker

Larry Baker w/ FleetWatcher – DT 493

Larry Baker is the former President and CEO of FleetWatcher, a construction equipment management technology company he built and eventually sold. After decades in the construction industry, Larry began rethinking what it meant to build a successful business. What started as a focus on personal development eventually transformed the way he approached leadership, company culture, and taking care of his employees. By prioritizing the right people, sharing profits, and creating a workplace where employees felt valued, Larry built a company that people wanted to be part of.

Larry shares how firing three key employees changed his company's culture, why he believes the money in construction is made in the field, and how giving more to his employees ultimately made his business more successful. He also reflects on the financial struggles he faced during the recession, including losing his home and struggling to make payroll, and why achieving financial success didn't bring the fulfillment he expected. Along the way, Larry discusses his decades-long search for meaning, the importance of knowing when you have enough, and why he believes the construction industry has an opportunity to rebuild America's middle class by creating better lives for the people doing the work.

Follow Larry Baker on LinkedIn at:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-baker-3883348

Want to better develop your civil construction workforce and leaders?

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November 2, 2026

Why Not Being Good is Good (Building BuildWitt #77) 

BuildWitt Update #77– DT 492

Aaron recaps the wins and lessons learned at BuildWitt this week.

Learn more about attending the 2026 Ariat Dirt World Summit by visiting https://events.dirtworld.com/event/summit-2026/summary

Want to better train and develop your teams? Check out BuildWitt Improve! https://buildwitt.com/product

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October 29, 2026

The Cost of Opening Too Soon w/ Jacob Robinson

Jacob Robinson w/ Dig World – DT 491

Jacob Robinson is the Founder of Dig World, a construction-themed amusement park where kids and families can operate real heavy equipment. The idea came from his son, Pierce, who suffered a devastating brain injury after contracting bacterial meningitis at just 21 months old. After 75 days in the hospital, Pierce returned home nonverbal, deaf, in a wheelchair, and experiencing roughly 100 seizures a day. Through it all, one thing never changed: his love for construction equipment. That passion inspired Jacob to create a place where Pierce could one day work and families could come together to experience something different.

Jacob shares how he turned that idea into a business despite being rejected by 248 potential investors, navigating the challenges of COVID, and experiencing a disastrous grand opening that forced Dig World to temporarily close. He also discusses appearing on Shark Tank, partnering with Caterpillar, and expanding Dig World beyond its original Houston location. Along the way, Jacob reflects on how Pierce's story changed his perspective on failure, risk, faith, and leadership, and why introducing kids to construction at an early age could help inspire the next generation of the industry's workforce.

Follow Jacob Robinson on LinkedIn at:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-robinson-9912b215/

Learn more about Dig World at: https://digworldnation.com/

Want to better develop your civil construction workforce and leaders? Check out BuildWitt Improve! https://buildwitt.com

Questions or feedback? Email us at [email protected]!

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October 26, 2026

Dirt World Nearly Died (Building BuildWitt #76) 

BuildWitt Update #76– DT 490

Aaron recaps the wins and lessons learned at BuildWitt this week.

Learn more about attending the 2026 Ariat Dirt World Summit by visiting https://events.dirtworld.com/event/summit-2026/summary

Want to better train and develop your teams? Check out BuildWitt Improve! https://buildwitt.com/product

Questions or feedback? Email us at [email protected]!

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October 22, 2026

Building A Business That Outlasts You w/ John Scepaniak (DT 489)

John Scepaniak is the Director of Aggregate Operations at Wm. D. Scepaniak, a family-owned company specializing in mobile aggregate processing and material handling. John grew up in the business, starting work as a teenager and eventually taking on a leadership role as the company expanded from its roots in Minnesota to projects stretching from the Canadian border to the Mexican border. Having never worked anywhere else, John has spent his entire career learning the complexities of crushing rock, managing crews, and keeping a growing operation moving across the country.

John shares what it takes to operate multiple crushing plants across different states, why something as simple as rock can be surprisingly complicated, and how expanding into new markets has forced the company to learn and adapt. He also discusses the challenges of transitioning a family business to the next generation, why growing revenue doesn't necessarily mean building a better business, and how his approach to leadership has evolved as he's taken on more responsibility. From the enormous financial barriers to entering the aggregate industry to his ambition of completing a crushing project in all 50 states, John explains why building a successful company is one thing, but creating a business that can thrive for generations is an entirely different challenge.

Follow John Scepaniak on LinkedIn at:  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-scepaniak-7284a4134/

Learn more about Wm. D. Scepaniak at: https://www.wdscepaniak.com/

Want to better develop your civil construction workforce and leaders? Check out BuildWitt Improve! https://buildwitt.com

Questions or feedback? Email us at [email protected]!

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October 19, 2026

How is Building Around the World Different? (Building BuildWitt #75) 

BuildWitt Update #75– DT 488

Aaron recaps the wins and lessons learned at BuildWitt this week.

Learn more about attending the 2026 Ariat Dirt World Summit by visiting https://events.dirtworld.com/event/summit-2026/summary

Want to better train and develop your teams? Check out BuildWitt Improve! https://buildwitt.com/product

Questions or feedback? Email us at [email protected]!

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October 15, 2026

The Conversation Construction Avoids w/ Kristi Ronyak

Kristi Ronyak w/ Construction Angels – DT 487

Kristi Ronyak is the Founder and CEO of Construction Angels, a nonprofit providing immediate financial assistance and grief counseling to families after a construction worker is killed in a work-related accident. Growing up in a third-generation asphalt family, Kristi never really thought about construction fatalities until a woman collecting money for a fallen worker’s family stopped her at World of Asphalt in 2009. On the flight home, she couldn’t stop thinking about why an industry built around taking care of its own didn’t have an organization dedicated to supporting the families left behind.

That question eventually became Construction Angels. Kristi shares what happens in the days after a worker doesn’t come home, why more than half of the fatalities her organization responds to involve workers being struck by traffic, and why the construction industry needs to become more comfortable talking about death instead of only reacting after something goes wrong. She also explains how Construction Angels gets money into families’ hands quickly, provides grief counseling and scholarships, and why her ultimate goal is to one day have no families left to help.

Follow Kristi Ronyak on LinkedIn at:  ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristi-ronyak-construction-angels-inc-national-charity-64a45520⁠

Learn more about Construction Angels at: ⁠https://www.constructionangels.us/⁠

Want to better develop your civil construction workforce and leaders? Check out BuildWitt Improve! ⁠https://buildwitt.com⁠

Questions or feedback? Email us at [email protected]!

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October 12, 2026

2026 Australia Adventure Week Two! (Building BuildWitt #74) 

BuildWitt Update #74– DT 486

Aaron recaps the wins and lessons learned at BuildWitt this week.

Learn more about attending the 2026 Ariat Dirt World Summit by visiting https://events.dirtworld.com/event/summit-2026/summary

Want to better train and develop your teams? Check out BuildWitt Improve! https://buildwitt.com/product

Questions or feedback? Email us at [email protected]!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

October 8, 2026

You Can’t Lead From The Office w/ Luke Minger 

Luke Minger w/ Minger Construction – DT 485

Luke Minger is the President and CEO of Minger Construction, a Minnesota underground utility contractor his parents started more than 40 years ago with a tractor backhoe, a pickup truck, and a ten-speed bicycle. After earning a construction management degree, Luke came home expecting to put it to use—only for his dad to put him at the bottom of a sewer crew. He worked his way from the field into estimating, project management, and eventually leadership, learning along the way why the best construction leaders never get too far removed from the work.

He shares how losing his dad forced him to step fully into leadership, why growing a construction company shouldn't just mean chasing more revenue, and why maintaining culture gets harder with every new employee. Luke also explains why leaders have to keep showing up in the field, how Minger approaches complex underground work, and why developing and keeping good people remains one of the biggest challenges in construction.

Follow Luke Minger on LinkedIn at:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-minger-529b3136

Learn more about Minger Construction at: https://www.mingerconst.com/

Want to better develop your civil construction workforce and leaders? Check out BuildWitt Improve! https://buildwitt.com

Questions or feedback? Email us at [email protected]!

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October 5, 2026

2026 Australia Adventure Week One! (Building BuildWitt #73) DT 484

BuildWitt Update #73– DT 484

Aaron recaps the wins and lessons learned at BuildWitt this week.

Read the full newsletter here:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/2026-australia-adventure-week-one-aaron-witt-fnvte

Want to better train and develop your teams? Check out BuildWitt Improve! https://buildwitt.com/product

Questions or feedback? Email us at [email protected]!

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