Learnings and Missteps by Depth Builder

Hanna Bauer, founder of Heartnomics, joins Jesse to talk about what she calls "Leadership Tachycardia" — what happens when leaders skip recovery and wonder why they're running on empty.

Hanna blends Six Sigma, systems thinking, and personal experience to help leaders align internally so they can execute externally. In this conversation: empowerment, fabricated stress, the difference between excellence and perfection, and why purpose and passion aren't the same thing.

Topics covered:

• Leadership Tachycardia and the cost of skipping recovery
• Separating facts from the stories we tell ourselves
• Excellence vs. perfection
• Purpose vs. passion
• Empowerment as a personal responsibility

Connect with Hanna: heartnomics.com | LinkedIn

00:00 Exhausted Yet Driven

00:15 Meet Hannah Bauer

02:14 Defining Empowerment

03:38 Stuck Signals and Burnout

06:09 Breathing and Recovery

08:40 Purpose Versus Passion

09:59 Leadership Tachycardia

13:15 Seasons and Rest Rhythms

16:21 Excellence Over Perfection

20:12 Facts Versus Stories

23:31 Beliefs and Empowerment

26:16 Trauma to Thrive

28:13 Pick Your Pain

29:55 Heartnomics and Innovation

32:30 Risk and Breakthrough Leadership

33:20 Risk And Real Leadership

34:34 No Roadmap For Change

35:58 From Survival To Six Sigma

38:04 Systems Thinking From The Heart

39:11 Stop Blaming People Fix Systems

42:28 Getting Used To Being Well

45:45 Coaching Mentors And Accountability

46:41 Your Story Becomes Your Message

50:43 Excellence Versus Perfection

Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab

Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be 

You'd never start a project without knowing what it's going to cost you. But most people say yes to commitments without running those same numbers.

Jesse calls it choose your consequence. Consequence isn't punishment. It's just the result of every decision you make — whether you thought it through or not.

He puts his own life on the table. Explains why he doesn't date. Not because he can't. Because he did the math on what it costs — hours, money, focus — and decided that's not where he wants to spend it.

Every yes is a no to something else. The question is whether you're choosing that tradeoff on purpose.

If you keep ending the week feeling like you worked hard and moved nothing forward — this one's for you.

00:00 Choose Your Consequence

01:47 What Consequence Means

04:00 Time Pressure Reality

05:11 Dating Decision Example

10:17 Zoom Out and Simplify

11:55 Opportunities and Ego Traps

14:52 Long Term Lens

18:52 Non Negotiables and Hard Nos

22:58 Workshops and Next Steps

24:32 Podcast Outro and Resources

Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab

Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be 

Most leaders say culture matters.
Very few are willing to do what it actually takes to build one.

In this episode, Jesse sits down with Lisa Corrales - Field Verified leader with 25 years in organizational development and healthcare - to unpack the uncomfortable truth: culture isn’t built through values on a wall. It’s built through conversations most leaders avoid.

They get into why promoting people based on seniority quietly erodes teams, what separates leaders who grow from those who stall out, and why self-awareness is the foundation almost no one invests in enough.

Lisa also shares how Field Verified operationalizes culture - from weekly check-ins to real-time recognition - and what changed when she stepped into the direct, no-filter world of construction.

But the real shift?
Reframing “hard conversations” as the job, not the exception.

If you’ve ever avoided a conversation, you knew you needed to have… this one will hit.

00:00 Leadership Not Conflict

00:13 Meet Miss Lisa

03:36 Why Culture Drives Growth

07:24 Internal Customers Matter

10:19 Can Leadership Be Taught

15:51 Building Leaders at Work

21:01 Designing Thriving Culture

29:16 Accountability And Coaching

33:52 Responsibility Of Leadership

35:16 Rewarding Top Performers

35:57 Willing Versus Capable

36:53 Bad Behavior Spreads

38:21 Communication Styles Matter

40:00 Praise And Direct Feedback

43:09 Building A Praise Culture

46:50 Reps For Tough Talks

52:56 From Medicine To Construction

59:12 Site Visit Perspective Shift

01:02:06 Promise And Closing

Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab

Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be 

Most construction owners treat insurance like a bill they just have to pay. Micah Salas thinks that's exactly why they overpay.

Micah is an Austin-based commercial insurance author and the guy who wrote The Business Insurance Playbook — not for agents, but for owners like you. In this episode, he breaks down why the way most contractors shop for coverage is quietly working against them, what it actually looks like to "sell your risk," and the specific things happening inside your operation right now that are either raising or lowering your premiums.

This one gets practical fast. We get into driver controls, subcontractor agreements, and what an underwriter is actually looking for when they get on a call with you — and it's not what most people think.

If you've ever wondered whether your agent is actually working for you, this episode is worth your time.

00:00 Risk First Mindset

00:15 Meet Micah Salas

03:03 Insurance Shopping Myth

04:30 Carrier Blocking Explained

06:52 Agent Versus Underwriter

08:07 Sell Your Risk

10:23 Real Estate Analogy

13:13 Shoutout And Recap

14:08 Cost Of Risk

16:22 Why He Wrote Book

20:21 Practical Risk Reducers

27:33 Leadership And Character

29:23 Client Fit Signals

30:46 Risk Readiness Checklist

31:39 Social Media as Signal

32:29 Selling Your Risk Story

33:58 BIM and Prefab Safety

37:14 Side Hustle Selling Mindset

39:57 Workshop to Product Pipeline

43:17 Cold Outreach and Content Reality

46:32 Building Max Revenue

49:18 Bumps and Big Leaps

52:37 Stillness for Resilience

56:47 Meaning Making and Rejection

Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab

Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be 

You can be great at your job and still be losing the parts of life that actually make success worth it. That’s where we start: the quiet trade so many high performers make, sacrificing sleep, health, learning, and real presence with the people we love so we can keep delivering, keep getting promoted, and keep looking “fine” from the outside. I share a personal wake-up call that made it impossible to ignore the gap between professional execution and personal neglect.

From there, we lay out the Self First Framework, a plan, commit, execute system built for self-management. We talk about guilt-free future planning to get your goals out of your head and into three clear buckets: meaningful connections, personal growth, and business or professional growth. Then we prioritize using the DAM Matrix so you can start with high impact, low effort wins that build momentum instead of shame. The key is simple: plan without rushing to the calendar, then commit real time to the first small step.

We also get tactical about “not having time.” Most capable people aren’t failing because they’re lazy, they’re failing because they’re overcommitted. I’ll show you how to make your workload visible, then use strategically selfish scheduling with the FIRE boxes to finish what’s urgent, invest in what only you can do, reduce what can be delegated or automated, and extinguish what never needed you. We close with a straightforward daily execution method that helps you track distractions and actually follow through.

If this hits home, subscribe, share this with a high-achiever who’s running on fumes, and leave a review with one thing you’re committing to protect this week.

Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab

Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be 

Most people in construction get promoted and handed a completely different job with the same title.

No roadmap. No manual. No honest conversation about what moving up is actually going to cost them.

Gary Borque lived that. Multiple times.

He started as a fabricator, worked his way through the millwright and carpenter's union, spent five years as a traveling superintendent, built a training department from scratch, and now serves as director of field operations at Hemi Systems.

Every transition came with the same dirty secret nobody warned him about — and in this episode he finally says it out loud.

Gary gets into the imposter syndrome that nearly derailed him, how he learned to compete against himself instead of everyone around him, and why 42.5% of the construction industry retiring in the next ten years isn't a future problem — it's already here.

If you've ever gotten promoted and immediately wondered if someone was going to figure out you didn't have it all together — this one's going to hit close to home.

Connect with Gary Borque | LinkedIn 

Learn more about Depth Builder 

00:00 Imposter Syndrome Fuel

00:38 Meet Gary Bork

02:37 Constructability Explained

04:08 Estimating Field Gap

05:29 Cost Codes Integrity

08:06 From Fabricator Mindset

10:32 Union Pride Shift

13:33 Field Experience Advantage

19:05 Leadership Skills Upgrades

26:43 Handling Bad Leadership

30:29 Life as Road Superintendent

33:55 Leading Like Family

36:56 Doubt in New Role

38:00 Asking Questions Under Pressure

38:30 Imposter Syndrome as Fuel

40:11 Ask for Help and Get Specific

41:39 Why Debt Builder Matters

44:22 Transition Into Training

45:34 Building Training From Real Gaps

47:57 Workforce Shortage and Safety Stakes

49:36 Planning Toolbox in Action

51:15 Investing in People to Win Talent

53:38 New Role in Field Operations

55:51 Hiring and Mobile Training Trailer

59:09 Legacy and Final Wrap

Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab

Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be 

Jesse hosts the Learnings and Missteps podcast and interviews Manja Horner, founder and CEO of Boost Learning Design, about solving skilled-trades workforce shortages driven by retirements and the long push toward college over trades. Manja introduces her book, “Pass the Torch: A Call to Rescue the Future of Trades,” and explains her “talent flywheel” for retention: strong onboarding, trained supervisors who give clear feedback, clear expectations and standards, and career pathways with training and advancement. They discuss why training succeeds only with leadership buy-in, clear business impact, and protected time, contrasting failed and successful rollout examples. Manja outlines a learning ecosystem (attitude, strategy, content/knowledge capture, trainers/technology, and skill practice with deliberate repetition). They cover apprenticeships as an industry responsibility, Manja’s path from violin teaching to trades training via her family’s restoration business, and close on thinking bigger.

Get the Book: https://www.boostld.com/pass-the-torch-book

Get the staff onboarding blueprint: https://www.boostld.com/onboarding-blueprint

00:00 Apprenticeship Wake Up Call

00:27 Meet Mana Horner

02:43 The Skilled Labor Cliff

05:52 Pass the Torch Book

06:54 Retention Talent Flywheel

13:10 Career Pathways That Work

17:38 Training Buy In Story

24:14 Learning Ecosystem Framework

32:19 Why Apprenticeships Matter

33:31 From Violin To Trades

39:29 Transferable Skills Mindset

41:10 Collecting Experiences Lesson

42:25 No Credentials Needed

43:20 Preboarding To Orientation

46:11 Role Onboarding Structure

47:25 AI And Constant Learning

48:29 Talent Choice And Culture

54:17 Let Kids Figure It Out

59:00 Skill Stacking Plan

01:03:35 School Mismatch Insights

Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab

Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be 

Jesse explains the second half of his FIREBOX time- and self-management framework for freeing calendar space and preventing burnout so you can invest in what matters most. After briefly reviewing “Finish First” (time-sensitive and only you can do) and “Invest Focus” (not urgent but only you can do, guided by what you’d do with more time), he focuses on “Reduce” and “Extinguish.” Reduce covers tasks that are time-sensitive but don’t require you, using optimization, automation, and delegation (e.g., scheduling tools, outsourcing groceries, delegating chores). Extinguish targets tasks that aren’t time-sensitive and don’t require you, emphasizing having conversations to remove expectations (e.g., replacing a meeting with recorded playback) and accepting others may do tasks differently. He connects delegation to leadership and offers templates and additional resources.

00:00 Free Up Your Calendar
01:45 Firebox Framework Recap
04:15 Reduce Time Sensitive Tasks
07:01 Optimize and Automate Work
08:48 Delegation Without Guilt
14:57 Leadership and Self Management
17:47 Extinguish Low Value Commitments
23:11 Outsourcing and Letting Go
26:39 Templates and Next Topics
28:46 Podcast Outro and Resources

Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab

Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be 

What if the biggest problems in dating, leadership, and workplace conflict all come from the same place?

In this episode of Learnings & Missteps, Jesse sits down with Jackie—romance coach and consultant who works in crime reduction and reentry—to explore why humans are wired for connection and what happens when that connection breaks down.

Jackie argues that the common advice to “leave your personal problems at home” is unrealistic—and often harmful. When resentment, trauma, and poor communication go unaddressed, they don’t stay contained. They show up in our relationships, workplaces, and sometimes escalate into serious conflict.

Together they unpack:

• Why dishonesty and venting can quietly destroy relationships
 • How dating apps can reinforce unhealthy communication patterns
 • The difference between romance coaching and therapy
 • Why small “baby-step” breakthroughs can transform intimacy and trust
 • How leaders can support the whole person without sacrificing boundaries

Jackie shares how her work in relationships, family reunification, and personal development all connect to one mission: helping create a happier, healthier, and safer world—one honest conversation at a time.

Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab

Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be 

Jesse hosts the Learnings and Missteps podcast and interviews Scott Evans, founder of Scott Evans Speaks, about mental health in the construction field as “operational integrity” and “invisible PPE,” emphasizing a 360-degree safety culture that extends beyond the jobsite gate. They discuss the disconnect between corporate, compliance-focused tools like apps and HR videos versus the field reality that trust and real conversations—often one-on-one on site—drive help-seeking, while stigma and policing language can shut people down. Scott shares lived experience with family suicide, trauma, and his own suicide attempt, reframing it as wanting a “way up,” and argues that prevention has ROI through reduced shutdowns, turnover, and insurance impacts. Jesse highlights Scott’s free bilingual “five lifesaving tools” field guide (notice, ask, share, connect, act) and the need for jobsite champions. 

Connect with Scott on LinkedIn

Check out Scott Evans Speaks

00:00 Donuts Over Hotlines

00:30 Meet Scott Evans

03:23 Operational Integrity Explained

07:02 Invisible PPE Concept

10:13 Apps vs Field Trust

13:45 Training Shift In Culture

17:17 Talking Is Hard

20:41 Stop Policing Words

23:43 Champions On The Jobsite

26:11 Scott’s Internal Fall

29:57 Family Impact and Addiction

32:07 Why He Speaks Up

34:57 Choose Tomorrow Mindset

37:05 Making Change While Working

41:07 Jobsite Champions Explained

45:08 Five Lifesaving Tools

47:05 Connect and Get Involved

49:16 Prevention Is ROI

52:54 Beating Scarcity Thinking

57:02 The Promise to Be

Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab

Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be