Elevate Construction

What are you withholding from your clients, and how much is it costing you? In this episode, Jason unpacks Patrick Lencioni's Getting Naked, a model for naked service that overcomes three fears: losing the business, being embarrassed, and feeling inferior. You'll hear the story of an arrogant curtain wall contractor who lost a project the moment the PM opened his laptop and started checking emails, learn why asking dumb questions and celebrating mistakes builds trust faster than perfection, and discover why giving away the business and doing the dirty work wins more work than any PowerPoint presentation. This is about transparency, humility, and human-to-human connection, not manipulation.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The three fears that prevent naked service: fear of losing the business, fear of being embarrassed, and fear of feeling inferior

• How to overcome fear of losing the business by entering the danger, telling the kind truth, consulting instead of selling, and giving away the business

• Why asking dumb questions, making dumb suggestions, and celebrating mistakes creates safe environments and builds rapport

• How to honor the client's work, make everything about them, do the dirty work, and take a bullet, even if it means helping with the groundbreaking

• The PM who opened his laptop and started answering emails the moment a contractor said, "You just need to hire us"

Don't your clients deserve to work with transparent, honest, open, safe people? Use this model if you are that and if you're faking it, please don't sour it for the rest of us.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

You know how to get into state so why aren't you doing it? In this episode, Jason breaks down the three keys to peak performance: physiology, focus, and language. You'll learn why Olympic champions and effective leaders master these elements before high-stakes moments, hear how Jason used box breathing and music to demolish a high-profile interview, and discover the boot camp breakthrough where acknowledging "I don't know what I'm doing" flipped fear into connection and problem-solving. This is about showing up ready whether you're walking into a safety meeting, a hard conversation, or your front door after work because your body is the vehicle through which your mind performs.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The three keys to being in state: physiology (posture, exercise, movement), focus (where you look is where you go), and language (stop negative self-talk)

• Why dancing and music at boot camp keeps participants at peak performance for 17-hour days with 95% success rates

• How to dance with your fear instead of fighting it—acknowledge it, then focus on your goal, not the fear

• The breakthrough moment: saying "I don't know what I'm doing" increases communication from 5 to 50 questions per hour

• The CDAAA list technique: write down negative thoughts, then correct them with the truth until negativity disappears

Motion equals emotion. Practice your morning routine, box breathing, and intentional focus on physiology, language, and where you're headed, not where you're afraid of going.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

What if the breakthrough you need starts with yelling "I don't know what I'm doing" as loud as you can? In this episode, Jason reveals the pivotal boot camp moment when field engineers stopped clinging to certainty and significance, admitted they didn't know what they were doing, and watched their communication skyrocket from five questions an hour to fifty. You'll learn why figuring things out presupposes you don't know what's going on, how admitting uncertainty increases your chances of survival like pilots in an emergency, and why dancing with your fears instead of fighting them enables you to turn nothing into something. This is about building a team that can figure it out because when you can do that, you can do anything in construction and in life.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why the process of figuring things out presupposes you don't know what you're doing, and admitting that increases communication

• The airplane emergency analogy: fast, short bursts of communication increase survival; silence decreases it

• The breakthrough exercise: yelling "I don't know what I'm doing" and how it relieved the fear of looking stupid

• Boot camp testimonials on dancing with fears, realizing what giving 100% really means, and rallying teams after rough starts

• How field engineers learn a method of learning and a mindset of figuring things out that enables them to live a remarkable life

It's okay to not know what you're doing. Once you realize that, you can increase communication, ask questions, and fail forward at a faster pace.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Can your team solve problems together, or are you relying on sad experience instead of wisdom? In this episode, Jason reveals the exact pattern that enables teams to be as successful as possible every single time, from boot camp exercises to construction projects. You'll learn why appointing a point person, truly collaborating, and ensuring total participation moves you from leader-centric chaos to team-powered execution. Plus, hear powerful testimonials from boot camp participants and instructors about breaking out of comfort zones, failing forward, and discovering that technical expertise alone won't propel your career, it's the compilation of skills that wins.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The team success pattern: appoint a leader, collaborate fully, make decisions, ensure understanding, work together, then plan-do-check-act

• Why learning from the wisdom of the team prevents sad experiences, mistakes, trials, and stress you carry alone

• How to move from leader-centric systems to total participation, where everyone can see, know, and act as a group

• Boot camp testimonials on getting out of your comfort zone, failing forward, and learning about your blind spots

• Why technical skills aren't enough—it's teamwork, emotional range, and giving 100% that propel your career

We can learn from wisdom or from sad experience. The strength of the team and the burden shared together is how we avoid riddled problems and distress.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Are you grading high enough in all areas of life to keep your head up? In this episode, Jason introduces the Wheel of Life, a powerful tool to assess whether you're balanced across seven key areas: physical body, emotions and meaning, relationships, time, work and mission, finances, and spiritual contribution. You'll hear Jason respond to listener feedback about jobs spiraling out of control and the tension between schedule and information, learn why you need at least four areas above a grade of seven to avoid a dark spot, and discover Tony Robbins' model for taking massive action. This is about protecting yourself by getting help when you need it because the tough guy facade is fake, and we all need support sometimes.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How to use the Wheel of Life to grade yourself in seven key areas and identify where you're struggling

• Why the flow of information is king, and the schedule comes first, they work together, not against each other

• The warning sign: if you don't have at least four areas above a seven, get coaching or clinical help immediately

• Tony Robbins' model for massive action: get your body in shape, find your passion, decide and commit, then take immediate intelligent action

• Why the tough exterior is a façade, real strength is asking for help when you need it

If your wheel is jagged and you don't have wins in life, you can't sustain it. Get help. Keep your head up. You deserve it.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

What would you do if the railroad blocked your critical lumber shipment, and litigation would take five years? In this chapter of Calumet K, Bannon refuses to let emotion drive his decisions, recruiting farmers with a grudge against the railroad to haul lumber overland while he orchestrates barges, fixes broken bridges in the night, and sets aggressive timelines that leave everyone breathless. Jason reflects on the power of urgency, logistical genius, and clearing roadblocks before they stop your workforce because the fastest path forward reduces the opportunity for things to go wrong. This is about execution through total participation, not heroics.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why Bannon refuses slow legal action and builds a creative solution using farmers, wagons, and barges instead

• The principle of aggressive timelines: "It moves in an hour" instills urgency without compromising safety or respect

• How Bannon clears roadblocks, proactively fixing the bridge at night so 1,500 feet of lumber can flow smoothly

• Why character and integrity matter: Bannon refuses to manipulate the wheat market for personal gain despite a clear opportunity

• The logistical genius of checking every possible breakdown point and ensuring redundant checks for flow

Bannon doesn't say "I'll do it myself"; he leverages everyone and everything available because the rapidity of advance toward victory reduces the opportunity for obstacles to stop you.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Tell me you don't judge a restaurant by the quality of their bathrooms—because on a construction project, how your bathroom goes is how your project will go. In this episode, Jason makes the bold case that remarkable bathrooms are foundational to operational excellence, walking you through multiple practical solutions from building them out of trailers to fitting them inside the building itself. You'll learn why lean culture always starts in the bathroom, how to build custom facilities for $7,000-$14,000, and why management should use the same bathrooms as the workers. This is about respect for people as a production strategy, and it starts with white epoxy paint, great lighting, and zero tolerance for dirty conditions.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why the state of your bathrooms is a key indicator of morale, health, and project culture, check them first when you walk into a site

• Four viable bathroom solutions: build out of trailers, standalone facilities, inside the building, or upgraded event restrooms

• The bare minimum requirements: cleaned 3-5 times per week, handwash stations, trash cans, music, white paint, and great lighting

• Why you should budget bathroom quality into mockups and get creative with insulated tents, plywood partitions, and temporary fixtures

• The story of workers ripping clothing for toilet paper and why that proves we have disrespect in construction

Lean starts in the bathroom, and if you wouldn't let someone drain your bank account without permission, don't let dirty bathrooms drain the culture and respect on your project site.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Would you let someone randomly access your bank account and spend your money on things you don't even use? Would you let them make you feel guilty for saying no? That's exactly what you're doing with your time, and Jason says time is more valuable than money. In this episode, Jason makes the case for why a personal organization system is the number one thing anyone in construction should implement, walking you through the five steps of mastering workflow from David Allen's Getting Things Done. If you're wasting 30-40% of your time because you don't have a system to capture, clarify, organize, reflect, and engage with your tasks, this is your wake-up call.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why time is more valuable than money—you can earn and borrow money, but you can't earn or borrow time

• The powerful metaphor of people draining your bank account without permission, and how it mirrors what happens with your time every day

• The five steps of mastering workflow: capture, clarify, organize, reflect, and engage and how to implement them by Friday

• Why do you need as few capturing buckets as possible, and must empty them regularly to stop wasting 40% of your day

• The three daily habits of a builder: 30 minutes in your drawings, 30 minutes in your schedule, and 30 minutes on a reflection walk

Stop letting people schedule meetings without your consent and waste your most valuable commodity. Get organized, protect your time, and start doing the work of three people.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Is operational control a dirty word, or is it exactly what your project needs to protect your people and deliver results? In this episode, Jason breaks down the false choice between command-and-control and collaboration, showing you how to build a system that uses both. You'll learn why the industry has demonized the wrong concepts, how to get scheduling information all the way to your workers, and the exact workflow that moves your project from chaos to operational excellence. This is about protecting families by protecting flowand it starts with having control of your project site.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why collaborative planning and accountable execution aren't opposites—they're partners in operational control

• The three systems compared: Old System, Last Planner System, and Operational Control System, and where information breaks down in each

• How afternoon foreman huddles and morning worker huddles solve the 50% communication breakdown that kills your schedule

• Why your project needs six weeks of structured implementation before collaboration can truly work

• The Rick Rescorla story from 9/11 and what "I have to evacuate my people now" means for your responsibility as a leader

The system failed them; they didn't fail the system, so build a system that gets information all the way to the workers, protects your people, and gives you operational control without apology.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Intimacy can feel like an awkward topic until you realize it's one of the top friction points for new couples, right alongside finances and keeping the house clean. In this episode, Jason and Katie talk candidly about what they've seen with new couples in construction, what they struggled with themselves, and why "fix what bugs you" applies at home just as much as it does on a jobsite. You'll hear practical ways to communicate needs, reduce resentment, and build a system that actually works for your relationship. The goal isn't perfection it's progress, trust, and a home life that brings you joy.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

· Why new couples commonly fight about finances, intimacy, and the house and how to stop the spiral

· How to "fix what bugs you" in a relationship without blame, shame, or avoidance

· The difference between obligation and intentional partnership and how to move from one to the other

· How Love Languages can help you translate what your spouse needs (even if it doesn't come naturally)

· Why scheduling intimacy can be a healthy solution (and how to keep it from feeling transactional)

· How resentment kills connection and how meeting needs outside the bedroom changes everything

· Why kindness, consistency, and teamwork matter more than "spontaneity"

· How prayer and alignment helped Jason and Katie break through a long-standing struggle

· A simple framework for new couples: talk openly, make a plan, work the plan, adjust together

· The bigger aim: build a marriage that brings joy, stability, and strength for your life and career

If you're a new couple in construction, don't wait years hoping things "just get better." Have the honest conversation, build the system together, and keep refining it. Share this with someone who needs it.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw