Leadership Blueprints

What if understanding your team starts with questioning your own assumptions? In this episode of Leadership Blueprints, BJ Kraemer welcomes speaker, leadership consultant, and communication strategist Skot Waldron, whose work brings him into firms across architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC). In their conversation, Skot shares his perspective on people at work, and BJ reflects on his own experiences as a leader. They discuss how the way we interpret everyday behavior shapes our relationships and what it means to help people do their best work. They consider how people experience the same workplace differently and why making room for those differences matters. BJ and Skot challenge familiar ideas about what a meaningful contribution looks like and how leaders can recognize it. They also discuss the importance of self-acceptance, compassion, and the legacy we leave through everyday interactions. Tune in to learn how to understand the people you lead and recognize what they bring to your team.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Background on Skot and how referrals opened doors for him in the AEC industry.
• Discover why labels like “lazy” can lead you to misinterpret a team member’s behavior.
• Learn how noticing your triggers helps you give people the benefit of the question.
• Explore whether the same person can be both a fast starter and a last-minuter.
• Hear why feeling seen at work matters for fast starters and last-minuters.
• Uncover how company culture and mindset create the pressure to look busy.
• Recognize why you may excuse your own delays while judging someone else’s. 
• Consider why fixing friction can be more useful than trying to fix people.
• Find out how remote work can fuel judgments about a colleague’s progress.
• BJ explains why value-based delivery challenges the logic of billing by the hour.
• What counts as work when thinking is central to solving a problem.
• Skot’s rapid-fire picks, including a book, a memorable lyric, and dinner guests.

Quotes:

“[A salesperson’s] job is not to necessarily have the answer. Your job is to ask a whole lot of questions.” — Skot Waldron [0:12:22]

“That longing to want to be somebody else means that you’re never really in touch with who you really are.” — Skot Waldron [0:17:34]

“Fundamental attribution error is a principle in psychology that says, ‘I judge you by your character; I judge me by my circumstances.’” — Skot Waldron [0:27:12]

“I don’t fix people, I fix friction.” — Skot Waldron [0:30:25]

“I never look at overhead as a burden. I always look at overhead as an investment.” — BJ Kraemer [0:46:50]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Skot Waldron

Skot Waldron on LinkedIn

Skot Waldron on YouTube

Unlocked: A 52-Week Guide for the Intentional Leader

American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)

Skot Waldron at the ACEC Fall Conference

The Infinite Game

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

How do you want to show up for the people who matter most this holiday season? In this episode of Leadership Blueprints, BJ Kraemer revisits his conversation with Val Peterson, a licensed mental health counselor at Destin Counseling Center, about making room for peace before the calendar fills up. They explore how expectations and family dynamics shape the season and why protecting your energy matters for the people you lead and love. Val introduces a simple check for feeling hungry, angry, lonely, or tired (HALT) and explains how greater self-awareness can change how we respond to stress. Along the way, BJ recognizes his own tendency to overcommit and considers what a more intentional holiday could look like. Tune in to hear how to take care of yourself and be more present at home and at work this holiday season with Val Peterson.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Discover why pacing yourself and letting go of perfection protect peace.
• Learn how the HALT check helps you pause before stress shortens your fuse. 
• Explore how a shared holiday plan helps your family prepare for what matters.
• Hear how setting boundaries lets you enjoy celebrations without wearing yourself out. 
• Understand how to set boundaries with kindness, even when others are disappointed.
• Consider why patience and kindness at home matter just as much as they do at work.
• See why leaders who make time for rest can help create a calmer workplace. 
• Uncover why finding a middle ground matters when holiday habits don’t go to plan. 
• Reflect on how honoring loved ones and making time to grieve can bring comfort. 
• Recognize how simple traditions can bring more peace and joy into your home. 

Quotes:

“We cannot control everything. We don’t need to be perfect.” — Val Peterson [0:05:47]

“No one is going to take care of you but you.” — Val Peterson [0:07:24]

“Your attitude during the holidays is going to influence your children, your spouse, your work associates.” — Val Peterson [0:07:43]

“What starts at the top flows down to the rest of the crew or the rest of the workplace.” —  Val Peterson [0:17:16]

“Grieving is a process, not an event.” —  Val Peterson [0:26:22]

“It’s hard to heal if you do not feel.” — Val Peterson [0:26:53]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Val Peterson

Val Peterson on LinkedIn

Destin Counseling Center

Boundaries 

The Best Yes

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff 

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

AI is a challenge that business leaders are going to have to deal with, and finding a balance between pushing innovation and managing cybersecurity risk is essential. Today on Leadership Blueprints, we are joined by former DHS Deputy Director, veteran, author, keynote speaker, and federal cybersecurity operations expert, Dr. Derek Smith, to discuss how AI makes us more efficient! Tuning in, you’ll hear all about the biggest concerns when it comes to AI and cybersecurity risk, how leaders can encourage their employees to play with tools like AI without putting the organization at risk, what leaders need to be aware of when it comes to cybersecurity attacks, and more! Derek goes on to tell us about his training company, Certify IT Academy, and what it does before discussing some of the leadership lessons Derek has learned during the course of his career that have allowed him to push innovation while managing risk. We even delve into how our guest has found balance in his impressive, busy career and personal life. Finally, we talk about Derek’s favorite books (self-written and in general), how he leverages AI in his writing, his favorite leadership quotes, and dream dinner guests. To hear all this and even be encouraged to enable people to use AI as a tool in order to be a better leader, be sure to press play now! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Welcoming Dr. Derek Smith to the show and introducing today’s topic. 
• What leaders are concerned about when it comes to AI and cybersecurity risk.  
• How leaders can encourage the use of AI tools without putting organizations at risk. 
• What leaders should know about cybersecurity attacks and how they can get ahead.
• Derek tells us a bit about his cybersecurity training company and what they do. 
• Some lessons he’s learned that allowed him to push innovation while managing risk. 
• How compartmentalization and AI have allowed Derek to accomplish so much.  
• Our guest talks about some of his favorite books that he’s written and has read. 
• How long it takes Derek to write a book and how he leverages AI for his writing. 
• Derek shares his favorite leadership quotes and ideal dinner guests (dead or alive).

Quotes:

“When you introduce anything into your environment, [or] your network, [or] whatever, it’s going to come with inherent risk, and so does AI.” — Dr. Derek Smith [0:03:03]

“Your leadership experience [and] the things that you’ve been through cannot be duplicated in AI right now.” — Dr. Derek Smith [0:06:00]

“AI is going to replace people. The ones [who] are going to stick around are the ones like us who learn how to use AI.” — Dr. Derek Smith [0:09:55]

“If you don’t allow people to ‘fail forward’ and learn from that, they’re never going to grow.” — Dr. Derek Smith [0:15:55]

“AI is helping me be smarter, helping me be able to learn faster, [and] helping me remember more.” — Dr. Derek Smith [0:20:23]

“Find that one thing you can be great at and then go out and be great!” — Dr. Derek Smith [0:29:05]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Derek Smith 

Dr. Derek Smith on LinkedIn

Dr. Derek Smith on YouTube
Dr. Derek Smith on IMDB

Certify IT Academy 

The AI-Powered Defender

Cybersense

Derek’s First Novel

Zapp!

Brag! 

The Power of Focus

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

How can leaders prepare the next generation for a workforce being rewritten by artificial intelligence? In this episode of Leadership Blueprints, BJ Kraemer welcomes Edward DuCoin, a lifelong entrepreneur, adjunct professor, and co-founder and partner of Orpical Technology Solutions, to discuss how education and business leadership must adapt as AI reshapes employability, work, and growth. In their conversation, Edward reflects on starting his first business as a teenager, navigating significant setbacks, and turning those experiences into lessons for students and business leaders. He explains why students want to be coached hard, why college should offer a safe space to fail, and why learning to use AI is quickly becoming a foundation for employability. They discuss what it takes for a business to survive growth, and Edward shares how staying loyal too long changed his career trajectory. They also explore why leaders need to understand their limitations and how AI could revitalize business. Tune in to learn how to prepare people for change and turn hard-won lessons into stronger leadership.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Hear about Edward’s background and his entrepreneurial journey.
• Explore why ‘failing forward’ is essential for building future leaders.
• Discover why students want to be pushed and what employers should expect. 
• Learn why he sees a professor's job as helping students get, keep, and grow a career.
• Examine how AI is reshaping white-collar work and rewarding top performers. 
• Uncover why older workers may be more prepared for AI than younger workers. 
• Understand why companies do not fail at growth but can fail at surviving it. 
• Consider how growth without refinement can raise sales while erasing the paycheck. 
• Examine his biggest career failure and the cost of staying loyal for too long. 
• See why leaders must trust, verify, and ensure they get the little things right. 
• Edward shares the books that shaped his approach and mindset. 
• The difference between a warrior mindset and ruthless leadership. 
• Appreciate why AI may bring humanity back to the front and center of business. 

Quotes:

“I don't call it failure. I call it the opposite of success because failure means that you got nothing out of it.” — Edward DuCoin [0:03:44]

“[Teachers] have one job, and that is to make you employable: get the job, keep the job, and then grow the job.” — Edward DuCoin [0:10:44]

“Watch what you wish for in growth. You have to be prepared through process and constant refinement.” — Edward DuCoin [0:27:47]

“I think artificial intelligence is going to bring humanity back to the front and center of business.” — Edward DuCoin [0:40:43]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Edward DuCoin 

Edward DuCoin on LinkedIn

Orpical Technology Solutions

Montclair State University

Rowan University

'Indicted Loyalty, Convicted Logic'

The Hard Thing About Hard Things

Chop Wood Carry Water

Relentless

Pound the Stone

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

If you are in sales, you have probably heard the phrase: Always Be Closing, or ABC! But if you walk through life trying to ‘close’ every person you meet, you are likely to miss far more valuable things. In today’s solo episode of Leadership Blueprints, BJ offers a new version of this phrase and inspiring listeners to place their focus on more important things such as relationships, generosity, curiosity, and service. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about what it means to collect dots and why it’s essential. BJ delves into why showing up in the world with a spirit of curiosity and service is so valuable before he encourages listeners to consider the last time they helped someone who had nothing to offer them. He also talks about ‘collecting dots’ intentionally without forcing connections and enlightens listeners on when dots actually start to connect. Finally, BJ leaves us with his ABCD challenge. Thanks for listening!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The phrase Always Be Closing (ABC) and why it could be problematic.
• Why BJ prefers the ABCD (Always Be Collecting Dots) term.
• The importance of walking through life trying to be genuinely helpful to people.
• A breakdown of what a ‘dot’ represents in this scenario. 
• BJ challenges listeners to question when they last helped someone with no agenda. 
• Why you should ‘collect dots’ with intention without forcing connections. 
• When dots start to connect: when opportunity meets capability and trust. 
• BJ breaks down this week’s ABCD challenge for listeners. 

Quotes:

“Always be collecting dots because you can’t connect dots if you haven’t collected dots.” — BJ Kraemer [0:01:44]

“You want to be intentional, but you don’t want to keep score, and I think there’s a balance there.” — BJ Kraemer [0:14:12]

“There’s no contradiction between setting goals and being open to the unexpected.” — BJ Kraemer [0:14:35]

“Dots connect when opportunity meets capability and trust.” — BJ Kraemer [0:17:12]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

What does it take to turn leadership values into repeatable action? In this episode of Leadership Blueprints, BJ Kraemer welcomes Kevin Chemidlin, MCFA’s new Director of Client Activation. In a twist, Kevin takes the interviewer’s chair to ask BJ how systems thinking can coexist with the human realities of leadership. They discuss how structure and empathy work together, why growth depends on choosing the right challenges, and how leaders create clarity around expectations and shared responsibility. BJ and Kevin also unpack MCFA’s values of love, entrepreneurial spirit, accountability, and how culture becomes visible through decisions, habits, and relationships. BJ also reflects on the importance of connecting employees’ life plans to professional growth. Tune in to learn how thoughtful leaders turn values from words into consistent action and meaningful career growth.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Find out where BJ first learned to turn goals into repeatable systems.
• Hear how to pair systems thinking with the challenges of leading people.
• Discover where BJ developed the emotional intelligence to meet people where they are. 
• Learn how trust helps leaders know when to push and when to support. 
• Explore why MCFA embraces hard things without making difficulty the goal.
• Consider when leaders should persevere, simplify, or cut their losses.
• Uncover why love is an MCFA value and a deliberate choice.
• Understand how entrepreneurial spirit creates shared value. 
• Distinguish individual accountability from the protection teamwork can provide.
• Recognize when leaders take on too much accountability.
• Advice on how teams can delight clients by creating a white-glove experience.
• Gain insights into operationalizing the MCFA concept of stretch.
• Reframe discipline as restraint when success creates too many opportunities.

Quotes:

“When you are working together with other people, hard becomes a little more fun and a little easier.” — BJ Kraemer [0:17:45]

“Balance occurs in the macro, not the micro.” — Kevin Chemidlin [0:23:17]

“Love is hard. Love is an investment. Love is a choice.” — BJ Kraemer [0:30:08]

“Teamwork can also be the thing that disguises individual accountability.” — BJ Kraemer [0:37:25]

“When I always think of discipline, I think of exertion and getting yourself to do hard things, when really these days it sounds like it’s about what you don’t do.” — Kevin Chemidlin [0:54:13]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kevin Chemidlin on LinkedIn

Do Hard Things

The 4-Hour Workweek

The ONE Thing

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

Four Thousand Weeks

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

What can happen when you stop waiting for the right opportunity and start creating one? In this episode, BJ Kraemer sits down with Rylee Meyer, MCFA’s Office Manager and Marketing Coordinator, to talk about creativity, identity, and the courage to take action. Rylee shares how a background in radio, television, and film led her from production into a role that brings together operations, marketing, and storytelling. They discuss her upcoming Korean-language program, reconnecting with her birth family, and a documentary idea inspired by the Korean adoptee community. Rylee also explains why the trip was a win for both herself and MCFA, why she refuses to let fear of rejection close doors, and how her husband's support has helped her take meaningful risks. She also reflects on the value of curiosity, belonging, and the people and stories that continue to shape her. Tune in to discover how small acts of courage can create room for growth, connection, and a more fulfilling life.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Meet Rylee Meyer and see how she coordinates the organized chaos behind MCFA.
• Learn about the unexpected career turn that carried Rylee from a film set to MCFA.
• Hear why a language program in Korea became an opportunity she could not ignore. 
• Uncover the community-centered documentary she is currently working on.
• Find out how she turned a deeply personal opportunity into a win for herself and MCFA.
• Understand how Rylee transforms an idea into meaningful action.
• Discover where she learned to create opportunities despite the fear of rejection.
• The role that having a supportive partner has played in Rylee’s personal journey.
• Explore what Rylee enjoys most about being part of the MCFA team.
• Consider why the book Crying in H Mart struck such a personal chord with her.
• They unpack and reflect on their biggest ‘what if’ moments. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Rylee Meyer on LinkedIn

Sogang University Korean Language Education Center

Global Overseas Adoptees’ Link (G.O.A.’L.)

Crying in H Mart

Past Lives

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

What if the most powerful leadership advantage is showing people that you care? In this episode, BJ sits down with Justin Ricklefs, Founder and CEO of Guild Collective and author of Give a Damn: The Catalyst for Caring Companies, to explore what human-first leadership looks like in practice. They discuss his path from sponsorship sales to building a brand storytelling agency, and how mentors shaped his belief that leaders earn commitment by knowing and caring for their people. He explains why strong systems create room for exceptional human connection, how curiosity, compassion, clarity, and consistency turn care into a daily discipline, and why brand is far more than a logo or marketing department. Justin also shares his perspective on burnout, reflects on a restorative silent retreat, and explains why the match is a powerful leadership metaphor. Tune in to learn what it means to care for yourself, to pass your flame to others, and to build companies where humanity and performance strengthen one another.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing Justin Ricklefs, Founder and CEO of Guild Collective.
• Justin's journey from Learfield Sports and the Kansas City Chiefs to entrepreneurship.
• Find out how a mentor's genuine interest showed Justin the power of human-first leadership.
• Explore why thoughtful systems create the conditions for exceptional human connection.
• Find out the origin and inspiration behind Justin's Give a Damn philosophy and book.
• Uncover what it means to apply effort and attitude with curiosity, compassion, and clarity.
• Discover why consistent action, even if it is not perfect, compounds over time.
• The Guild Collective's Human-First Brand Blueprint: clarity, connection, and creativity.
• Learn why a brand is the emotional heart of a business, not simply a visual identity.
• Rapid-fire questions: mentors, writers, hospitality, and meaningful books.
• He reflects on how a retreat helped him overcome exhaustion and burnout.
• Hear how Justin stays grounded in the present through a simple gratitude exercise.

Quotes:

“Why? Because he knew me, he cared for me. He was curious enough when I wasn't in the room to figure out who I was.” — Justin Ricklefs [0:13:37]

“Effort and attitude [are] available. It’s energy, right? It does not cost us anything. If we bring those two ingredients or fuel sources to growing in our curiosity, our compassion, our clarity, and ultimately, our consistency, – good things happen.” — Justin Ricklefs [0:20:59]

“The brand is the heart center; it is the embodiment of the business.” — Justin Ricklefs [0:28:25]

“That’s the compounding effect of a leader. – It’s when they give their flame’s power to somebody else.” — Justin Ricklefs [0:42:21]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Justin Ricklefs

Justin Ricklefs on LinkedIn

Justin Ricklefs Email

Guild Collective

Guild Collective: Human-First Brand Assessment

Give a Damn: The Catalyst for Caring Companies

Giftology

Closing the Trust Gap

Matthew McConaughey's 2014 Oscar acceptance speech

Bird by Bird

The Conception Abbey Retreat

Unreasonable Hospitality

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

AI may transform how professional services firms deliver technical work, but it cannot replace the human qualities that build trust. In this episode, BJ welcomes back Jim Rogers, founder of Impellor Group and author of Becoming a Seller-Doer, to explore why client leadership, judgment, and empathy will become even more valuable as AI reshapes the AEC industry. Jim outlines the progression from transactional provider to embedded advisor, explains the difference between attentive, active, and empathetic listening, and shares ways emerging leaders can develop client-facing skills. They also discuss the risks of relying on AI, the leadership gap created as senior principals retire, and why paraphrasing is one of the simplest ways to prevent costly miscommunication. Tune in to discover how strengthening your human skills can protect your career, build relationships, and help you become the trusted advisor clients call first!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Jim’s approach to progressing from a transactional provider to an embedded advisor.
• Discover what empathy looks like in professional settings and leadership roles.
• The difference between attentive, active, and empathetic listening.
• Find out how empathetic listening helps people feel understood and strengthens trust.
• Explore why project management is about people, not only schedules and metrics.
• Learn how young professionals can build trusted-advisor skills through content curation.
• Uncover the risk that AI workflows pose and why experience and context matter.
• Understand how leaders adapt their tactics to the client, team, culture, and situation.
• The client-leadership gap and why empathy and relationship-building create career security.
• Try a practical listening exercise: paraphrase what someone said in your own words.

Quotes:

“So much of leadership is about human problems.” — BJ Kraemer [0:07:58]

“One of the foundations [of leadership] is caring about somebody else’s success.” — Jim Rogers [0:13:40]

“Everybody needs more client leadership.” — Jim Rogers [0:22:24]

“We’re taught to write, we’re taught to read, [and] we’re taught to speak [but] nobody’s ever taught to listen.” — Jim Rogers [0:27:56]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jim Rogers on LinkedIn

Impellor Group

Becoming a Seller-Doer

Seller-Doer Academy

Never Eat Alone

Project Management Institute

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

Becoming Happy High Performers with Jay Abbasi

Episode 270: Show Notes

What if burnout isn’t a sign that you need less ambition but rather that you need a different way to pursue it? Today we welcome Tesla leader turned professional speaker, Jay Abbasi, to discuss how leaders can help people achieve at a high level without sacrificing personal life along the way. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about Jay’s work in burnout, how he helps people become more adaptable through mindfulness and ‘mind-free-ness’, how mindfulness helped him thrive in a stressful environment at Tesla, and more! We delve into the importance of dedicating time to allowing your mind to be free before discussing Jay’s Resistance Formula (energy, space, and choice) and how to take the first step toward solving burnout. Jay even touches on the illusion of control, why our power lies in our choices, and why delayed gratification is far more fulfilling than instant gratification. Finally, our guest shares his thoughts on what makes a great leader and answers our rapid-fire questions. Thanks for listening! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing today’s guest, Jay Abbasi.
• Jay’s work in burnout and the power of adaptability.
• How Jay helps people become more adaptable.
• Starting the practice and building the habit of mindfulness.
• How mindfulness helped him in a chaotic environment.
• Jay shares how he teaches people ‘mind-free-ness’.
• The first step to handling burnout: Jay’s Resistance Formula.
• Shattering the illusion of control and where your power truly lies.
• Jay tells us about his one-on-one coaching and public speaking.
• Why instant gratification won’t bring you real fulfillment.
• What makes a great leader, according to our guest.
• Jay’s favorite books, quotes, and dream dinner guests.

Quotes:

“You will see results if you just consistently [practice mindfulness].” — Jay Abbasi [0:10:59]

“‘Mind-free-ness’ is intentionally freeing your mind to explore new ideas.” — Jay Abbasi [0:17:42]

“Choice is different than control. [What] I often want to talk to people about is this illusion of control. People think that they can control things, – the reality is, most things are out of your control. – What you have power in is your choice: choosing your response.” — Jay Abbasi [0:24:48]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jay Abbasi

Jay Abbasi on LinkedIn

Jay Abbasi on Instagram

Jay Abbasi on Facebook 

Unstuck with Jay Abbasi on Apple Podcasts

Man’s Search for Meaning

The Alchemist

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn