Management Under Construction

By Dee DavisBusiness Entrepreneurship Education Self-Improvement Management

Management Under Construction episodes

October 05S4 E 13 Leadership and Emotional Intelligence with Jen Brown Part 2
Leadership, emotional intelligence, intention, business, construction, high achievers, health, trust, leadership development, DISC, positive intelligence, coaching, stress management Dee Davis talks with leadership coach Jen Brown about what it really takes to lead with intention in high-pressure environments, especially construction. The conversation focuses on celebration, self-awareness, communication, delegation, and rest as practical leadership tools, not soft extras. Jen shares how her background in a family construction business, diplomacy, and coaching shaped her approach to leadership development. Together, they explore how high achievers can get stuck on autopilot, why emotional intelligence is essential for trust and delegation, and how leaders can create healthier teams without losing momentum.
In this episode: Jen Brown shares how her leadership coaching practice is grounded in self-awareness, communication, and trust.
Celebration is reframed as a leadership habit, not a special event, and can be as small as a private reflection, a team breakfast, or a milestone check-in.
Dee and Jen discuss how high achievers often skip over wins because they are already focused on the next task.
Jen introduces the idea of building an “evidence list” of wins to help leaders see their own growth and resilience over time.
The conversation covers how autopilot shows up in leadership through stress reactions, default habits, and unexamined decision-making.
Jen explains how emotional intelligence helps leaders notice their own triggers, read others more accurately, and respond instead of react.
DISC and positive intelligence are discussed as practical tools for understanding communication styles, stress triggers, and team dynamics.
A major theme is delegation, especially how leaders become bottlenecks when they hold on to too much out of fear, identity, or lack of trust.
The importance of rest and transition time is emphasized as a safeguard against burnout, poor communication, and strained relationships.
The episode closes with a strong case for coaching, accountability, and building other leaders so the work can outlast the current leader.
Timestamps00:00 - Jen Brown’s coaching background and why she works with leaders
03:02 - Celebration as a leadership skill, not a parade
06:11 - Building an evidence list of wins and growth
08:34 - Celebrating failure as part of learning
12:18 - What self-celebration can look like in practice
15:15 - Why leaders run on autopilot
18:47 - Recognizing when you are reacting instead of leading
23:56 - A simple pause practice using sensory grounding
29:02 - Making the reset consistent through daily habits
33:46 - Why emotional intelligence is central to real leadership
38:16 - Leading with transparency instead of pretending work and life are separate
40:56 - Why emotional intelligence is not soft when hard decisions are needed
44:52 - Why self-awareness comes before leading others
46:40 - How DISC and positive intelligence create shared language
50:50 - Matching communication style to the person in front of you
53:38 - Closing the feedback loop so people know what success looks like
57:42 - Why mandating is not the same as leadership
61:55 - Bringing teams into change instead of withholding information
63:15 - Helping people understand what “good” looks like
68:26 - Why leaders become bottlenecks and how to prevent it
72:24 - Letting go of control without losing accountability
77:03 - Time, strategy, and the shift from task mode to CEO mode
80:51 - Why transition time matters between work and home
85:48 - The guilt around rest and why burnout is the real cost
90:12 - Modeling rest and care as a leader’s responsibility
93:42 - Ego, legacy, and why no one person should be the only expert
96:54 - How leaders can start building others instead of doing everything themselves
100:53 - Rapid fire leadership takeaways on celebration, autopilot, and delegationNotable quotes “When we don’t stop and reflect the wins, we’re not building evidence along the way.” “Leadership really starts with leading ourselves before we can lead others.” “What does good look like?” Action items
Add celebration into project milestones instead of treating it as an afterthought.
Build a personal evidence list of wins, growth, and handled challenges.
Notice your stress triggers and identify when you are operating on autopilot.
Use a brief grounding habit, like fingertip rubbing or hand tension, to interrupt reactive behavior.
Ask what outcome you want before responding in a stressful conversation.
Close the communication loop by asking what the other person heard and what they will do next.
Delegate with clarity: define success, guardrails, and check-in points.
Protect rest and transition time as part of the leadership system, not as a reward.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenbrown-coach/
https://www.journeyofgracecoaching.com/
59 min
September 28S4 E12 Leading with Intention: Coach Jen Brown part 1
leadership, business, celebrate wins, high achievers, teams, communication, stress, management

How to Lead with Intention: Celebrate Wins and Build Emotional Intelligence
Dee Davis welcomes leadership coach Jen Brown to discuss intentional leadership in high-pressure environments like construction. They explore two often-overlooked leadership practices: celebrating progress along the way and building emotional intelligence so leaders can respond thoughtfully rather than react on autopilot. Drawing on her experience in a family construction business, the U.S. Department of State, and leadership coaching, Jen shares practical ways to recognize wins, manage stress, strengthen teams, and communicate with greater clarity.
Key topics
Build celebration into the work. High-achieving teams can move straight from one task to the next without recognizing progress. Jen recommends including moments of celebration at project milestones—not only at the finish line.
Make recognition personal. Some people enjoy public recognition; others prefer a quiet thank-you. Leaders can learn what feels meaningful to each team member.
Keep track of progress. Jen suggests creating an evidence list of daily or weekly wins, including moments of growth, effective leadership, and resilience.
Learn from what goes wrong. Asking what the team learned from a failure can reveal useful lessons and help build momentum for the next phase.
Connect people to the purpose of the work. Dee shares how introducing construction crews to the people who will benefit from a facility can make the work feel more meaningful.
Notice autopilot reactions. Stress, avoidance, people pleasing, and holding on to too much work can all become default patterns. Awareness is the first step toward changing them.
Use a quick physical reset. Jen shares a simple grounding exercise: rub two fingertips together for about 10 seconds and focus on the sensation before choosing how to respond.
Practice emotional intelligence. Self-awareness helps leaders understand their triggers, listen more closely, build trust, and make more thoughtful decisions.
Lead through influence, not just authority. Natural leaders can strengthen a team even without a formal leadership title; recognizing and developing them helps build capacity.
Communicate for understanding. Having more ways to communicate does not guarantee clarity. Leaders can pause, listen, and check whether their message is landing as intended.
Timestamps
00:00 — Jen Brown’s background and the challenges of high-performing leadership
03:02 — Why celebration can be small and still meaningful
04:26 — Recognizing milestones in ways that suit the team
06:15 — Keeping an evidence list of wins
08:34 — Learning from failure
10:44 — Connecting construction work to the people it serves
12:18 — Ways to celebrate yourself
15:15 — Why leaders operate on autopilot
18:47 — Recognizing stress reactions and avoidance
21:39 — Moving from giving answers to empowering the team
23:57 — A simple practice to pause before reacting
25:12 — Using the senses to reset under pressure
27:13 — Grounding techniques and repairing a misstep
29:02 — Building mental fitness into everyday routines
31:20 — Sharing your growth journey with the team
34:16 — Emotional intelligence in day-to-day leadership
37:51 — Transparency, trust, and strategic leadership
40:04 — Recognizing leaders without formal titles
40:56 — Why emotional intelligence supports hard decisions
42:37 — Communication challenges in construction
43:35 — Closing and continuation in the next episode
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenbrown-coach/
https://www.journeyofgracecoaching.com/
43 min
September 21S4 E11 Mental Health in Construction REWIND
mental health, construction, suicide, drug abuse, leadership, stress, crisis, alcohol, human cost, projects, safety Mental Health in Construction: People Before Profit
Brad Wyant and Dee Davis discuss why mental health has become a critical issue in the construction industry, drawing on decades of field experience, leadership lessons, and hard statistics. They explore how stress, long hours, shifting schedules, and poor communication can contribute to burnout, substance abuse, and suicide, and they outline practical ways leaders can reduce harm and support their teams. In this episode, Brad and Dee focus on the human cost of construction culture and why better communication and stronger leadership matter just as much as safety gear and compliance. The conversation is grounded in real jobsite experience, with both hosts sharing stories from projects, training, and the pressures that shape daily life in the industry.
Key topics
Dee Davis shares alarming industry statistics, including suicide rates that are the highest across all industries and far above the national average.
Brad Wyant explains how anxiety, stress, and the nonstop pace of construction shaped his interest in mental health awareness and volunteer work.
The hosts discuss how substance use, including alcohol, opioids, cocaine, and marijuana, can become a form of self-medication in high-stress jobsite environments.
They connect prolonged overtime, demanding schedules, long commutes, and constant travel with burnout, reduced productivity, and strained family life.
Dee and Brad talk about how construction culture often normalizes pressure, urgency, and not taking breaks, which can leave workers with little downtime or recovery.
The episode examines how technology has changed construction communication, often for the worse, by increasing speed while reducing face-to-face conversation.
Dee introduces DISC-style personality awareness and explains how high D, high I, and SC communication styles can collide on a jobsite.
Brad and Dee stress that rapport matters, and that personal conversation, trust, and empathy can make difficult business conversations easier and more effective.
They argue that the biggest safety threat in the industry is mental health, and that leaders should say no to unrealistic schedules and prolonged overtime.
Dee shares a leadership example of helping union laborers find the next job before leaving a project, showing how communication and care reduce stress and build loyalty.
Timestamps
00:00 - Opening banter and episode introduction
00:24 - Why mental health is now a major construction industry issue
01:12 - Suicide statistics and why the numbers are so alarming
02:01 - Brad’s personal connection to stress, anxiety, and awareness work
04:14 - Substance abuse, self-medication, and jobsite injury risks
06:31 - Why construction rarely gives people time to celebrate wins or recover
09:54 - Overtime, long hours, commutes, and family separation
12:04 - Never enough: schedule pressure and the constant push for more
13:14 - Why construction people are drawn to change and challenge
16:09 - How Bluebeam and digital tools transformed paperwork and workflows
18:36 - Technology’s pace of change versus construction productivity
20:24 - Training deficits and the industry’s resistance to learning
22:00 - Safety documentation, regulatory burden, and extra stress
23:29 - How communication has changed from face-to-face to digital
24:26 - More ways to communicate, but less actual communication
28:02 - Fast RFI turnaround and the value of responsive remote collaboration
29:06 - Why repeat projects are never truly the same
30:52 - The hardest parts of every job are the first and last 10 percent
33:04 - Stress, health risks, and the Monday morning heart attack pattern
34:09 - A jobsite suicide that changed how Dee viewed the industry
36:36 - Why no one can rely on a single communication style
38:48 - Building rapport before hard conversations arrive
41:01 - DISC personality styles and why construction skews high D
45:16 - How to adapt communication so different personalities can hear you
47:15 - Smart, detail-oriented people still clash under pressure
48:30 - Military habits, urgency, and learning to temper reactions
49:32 - When blunt communication is a style versus a warning sign
52:16 - Why suicide is the single biggest safety threat in construction
53:34 - Standing up to unrealistic schedules and constant overtime
54:45 - Saying mental health out loud and treating it as a safety issue
56:25 - Why training should be prioritized the way elite teams train
57:31 - Personal-life stress and the hidden burden on leaders
58:54 - Owners need to listen when contractors say the load is too much
59:46 - Training people to communicate and supporting their well-being
60:14 - Reputation, pricing, and how difficult clients get priced in
62:54 - Why human beings dying is the real bottom-line issue
64:35 - People who become close under pressure become your real support system
68:11 - Helping every worker line up the next job before the current one ends
70:18 - Closing thoughts: communication, balance, and people before profit
Notable quotes “We have more ways of communicating now than we’ve ever had before and we communicate less.” “The single biggest safety threat facing our industry is suicide.” https://www.discprofile.com/what-is-disc https://www.osha.gov/preventingsuicides https://hardhatcourage.com/
1 hr 13 min
September 14S4 E10 Workforce Readiness, Signing Day, and the Power of Networking - EPIC Campus Part 2
work, workforce readiness, partnership, employment, construction, career, career path, school, high school, student, networking, interview, industry
Epic Campus Part 2 - Workforce Readiness, Signing Day, and the Power of Networking
Dee Davis continues the conversation with Marc Finer and Beth Best from Epic Campus in Littleton, Colorado, focusing on how the program prepares high school students for real jobs, not just classrooms. This episode shows why workforce readiness, professional habits, and networking can matter as much as technical training, especially for students headed into construction and other skilled trades. We discuss how Epic Campus grades soft skills, why concurrent enrollment and math credit are built into the curriculum, and how the school celebrates students who go straight into the workforce through Signing Day. The conversation also makes a strong case for parents, employers, and industry partners to rethink what a successful post high school path can look like.
Key topics
Workforce readiness is treated as a major part of the grade at Epic Campus, making up 40% of a student’s semester score.
Industry feedback shaped the program’s emphasis on showing up on time, communicating well, and being reliable.
Beth Best explains how communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and professionalism are embedded into every class.
A career fair story shows students transforming their posture and confidence once they dress professionally, carry resumes, and practice speaking with employers.
Epic Campus hosts Career and Information Night with dozens of companies, higher ed programs, unions, trade schools, and the military so students and parents can explore options beyond a traditional college track.
Concurrent enrollment gives students real college credit without extra coursework, and the first year in construction can earn nine college credits.
Students also earn content credit toward high school graduation, including math credit through construction classes aligned with district standards.
Marc Finer and Beth Best both emphasize how hands-on construction work helps students finally understand math, especially measurement, geometry, slope, and tape reading.
Signing Day celebrates students who go directly into work.
The episode underscores that networking is not awkward self promotion but a practical way to build relationships and find opportunities, including unpublished job openings.
Epic’s winter finals even include networking and interviewing practice, with students rotating through interviewer, interviewee, and observer roles.
NAWIC is highlighted as a meaningful partner, and Epic Campus is described as the first high school chapter in NAWIC history.
Timestamps
00:00 - Part two of the Epic Campus conversation begins
00:42 - Why the no boots, no work rule mirrors real job sites
01:51 - Why workforce readiness became 40% of the grade
03:23 - A career readiness lesson that stuck with the team
05:33 - Beth explains work based learning and soft skills
06:22 - Preparing students for a major construction career fair
07:33 - How students learned to introduce themselves professionally
08:01 - Career fairs turn into real job offers
08:29 - Career and Information Night brings in 49 companies
09:53 - Why Epic sees itself as a workforce development center
12:44 - Why concurrent enrollment matters even for non college bound students
13:43 - Apprenticeships, stackable credit, and future options
14:42 - Students earn content credit and math credit through construction
16:07 - First year construction students earning nine college credits
16:41 - How hands on work makes math finally click
17:36 - Tape measures, slope, and applied math in the field
20:06 - What Signing Day means at Epic Campus
21:39 - Celebrating students hired directly into the workforce
24:22 - Marc’s doorway analogy for different career paths
26:52 - A rising senior becomes acting foreperson on a summer internship
28:20 - A graduate pivots from criminal justice to construction management
29:47 - Why networking creates real opportunities
33:03 - Epic’s winter finals teach networking and interviewing
35:01 - NAWIC and Epic’s first high school chapter
37:48 - One thing an employer can do in the next month
38:36 - How parents can support a non college career path
41:41 - Closing thanks and reflections on community support
https://www.littletonpublicschools.net/o/epiccampus
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-finer-30575932/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-best-29840421/
46 min
September 07S4 E9 Building Career Pathways, Industry Partnerships, and Workforce Readiness with EPIC Campus part 1
Construction, career path, engineering, education, workforce, industry, employer, EPIC campus, jobs, jobsite

Epic Campus: Building Career Pathways, Industry Partnerships, and Workforce Readiness
Dee Davis sits down with Marc Finer and Beth Best from Epic Campus in Colorado to talk about how the school blends education and industry to help students explore real career pathways. The conversation covers how Epic chose its pathways, how it partners with employers, and why site visits and workplace expectations are baked into the student experience. In this episode, Marc and Beth share how Epic Campus is designed to let students test-drive careers, earn credentials, and see themselves in the trades and other industries before graduation.
Key topics
Epic Campus serves students from Littleton Public Schools, plus Inglewood and Sheridan, as a career and technical education campus focused on hands-on, career-connected learning.
Beth Best explains her role as industry partnership coordinator, acting as the bridge between education and industry and bringing employers into Epic’s ecosystem.
Marc Finer shares his path from working construction with his father to industrial arts education, residential remodeling, and helping build Epic Campus.
The district selected pathways based on workforce demand, livable wages, regional job gaps, and long-term career viability, not just student interest alone.
The team studied local and statewide labor trends, retirements, credential requirements, and postsecondary options to ensure students could leave high school career-ready.
Epic avoids unnecessary duplication with nearby districts by coordinating offerings and sharing students across programs when it makes sense.
The campus is still young, but it has already expanded pathways in response to student interest and industry demand, including behavioral health inside health sciences.
One of the standout success stories is the RV technician pathway, launched after industry saw the potential and asked, "Why wait?" before adding design-side innovation.
Epic became the first high school program in the country to certify students as level one RV technicians, with students moving into internships and jobs right away.
Industry partners are involved day to day, helping shape curriculum, teach in classrooms, host tours, and even bring apprentices close to students’ ages so students can see themselves in the work.
Marc emphasizes that partnerships are two way, asking companies what Epic can do for them, then aligning student learning with real workforce needs.
Workforce readiness matters as much as technical skill, with students being evaluated on professionalism, teamwork, problem solving, and showing up prepared.
Site visits are treated as class time, not field trips, with students required to follow jobsite expectations like off-site parking, boots, PPE, and punctuality.
The campus culture is intentionally industry-based, from Epic gear and safety boots to jobsite-style classroom rules and expectations.
Beth and Marc both stress the importance of representation, bringing in women, Latino professionals, and younger apprentices so students can picture a future in the industry.
The episode closes on the idea that the construction industry has a major workforce gap, and programs like Epic are helping fill it by preparing students earlier and better.
Timestamps
00:00 - Students should be able to see themselves in the industry
00:16 - Dee introduces Marc Finer and Beth Best from Epic Campus
00:50 - Beth Best’s industry background and bridge role
01:21 - Marc Finer’s construction and education background
02:25 - What Epic Campus is and who it serves
03:18 - Why Epic is built around exploration, not forced career choice
04:28 - Why workforce readiness matters alongside pathways and internships
05:33 - How Epic chose pathways based on real workforce demand
06:50 - Livable wages, retirements, and regional job research
08:26 - Avoiding duplication and building around community needs
09:21 - Why Epic added design thinking to construction earlier than planned
10:42 - Unique pathways and reciprocal partnerships with neighboring districts
11:49 - Why adding new pathways takes time, space, and approval
13:27 - Adding behavioral health and launching the RV technician program
14:52 - How Windish RV helped spark a new pathway
15:21 - Becoming the first high school RV technician certification program
16:44 - Students moving directly into jobs after the program
17:51 - How Beth recruits industry partners and sets engagement expectations
19:38 - Marc’s approach to industry partnerships as a two way street
21:34 - The construction workforce gap and industry involvement
22:24 - Why Epic asks partners to bring apprentices, women, and Latino professionals
23:20 - Adalia’s story and why student professionalism stands out
24:47 - How industry access gives students confidence and opportunity
26:45 - The biggest challenge with partners: time and scheduling
28:21 - Three hour classes and flexible levels of partner engagement
29:20 - Industry projects, real problems, and semester-long collaborations
30:47 - No boots, no work, and why Epic looks and feels like a jobsite
31:44 - The One River North site visit and students making an impression
34:09 - Why Epic calls them site visits, not field trips
35:37 - Career growth in construction without a traditional degree path
36:11 - Beth explains punctuality, PPE, and jobsite expectations
37:06 - How students learn real logistics from active jobsites
38:20 - Student professionalism during Block Kids
39:01 - Showing up unprepared means you do not work
40:03 - Why workforce readiness is missing in too many places
https://www.littletonpublicschools.net/o/epiccampus
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-finer-30575932/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-best-29840421/
41 min
August 31S4 E8 Employee Leave Coverage with Beth Wanner part 2
employer, employee, leave, coverage, parental leave, Human resources, mothers, fathers, parents, business, engineering, construction, continuity, retention, teams, people Mother Cover: Why Leave Coverage Matters for Working Parents and Teams
This episode of Management Under Construction features Beth Wanner, founder of Mother Cover, a specialized agency built to cover interim leave for professionals during parental, medical, mental health, caregiving, and sabbatical absences. The conversation focuses on why leave coverage is a business continuity issue, a retention issue, and a culture issue, not just an HR policy question. Beth shares the personal story that led her to build Mother Cover, and Dee Davis connects it to the reality many construction and engineering professionals face: feeling like they can never truly step away because the work never stops. Together they explore how thoughtful leave planning can protect both the employee taking leave and the teammates absorbing the work.
Key topics
Beth Wanner explains how Mother Cover provides interim leave coverage for knowledge-worker roles, with an emphasis on continuity, transition planning, and handing work back smoothly.
Beth shares that her background was in marketing, not HR, and that her own experience with infertility, IVF, pregnancy, layoffs, and being fired at eight months pregnant shaped the company’s mission.
Dee and Beth discuss how leave-related discrimination affects both women and men, especially fathers taking parental leave and caregivers taking time away for family or health reasons.
The episode highlights the hidden cost of “just dispersing the work” across existing staff, including burnout, resentment, turnover, and knowledge loss.
Beth explains why Mother Cover uses experienced professionals with 10 plus years of experience, often 15 to 30, so they can step in quickly without heavy onboarding.
The model is intentionally fractional, with coverage ranging from 15 to 30 hours a week, because some continuity can be preserved without replacing a role full time.
Beth describes the importance of transition templates, monthly updates, and a welcome-back brief so employees returning from leave are not dumped back into work blind.
The conversation reframes leave support as a retention strategy, especially for key people in revenue, customer-facing, leadership-track, and mission-critical roles.
Dee and Beth discuss how return-to-office mandates can push out experienced parents and professionals who need flexibility, even when they would otherwise stay.
Beth emphasizes that strong leave partners need low ego, emotional intelligence, and a genuine why for supporting someone through a vulnerable professional moment.
Timestamps
00:00 - Why a construction and management podcast is talking about leave coverage
01:04 - Beth’s background in marketing and the personal story behind Mother Cover
01:45 - Why manager interpretation can make a policy feel wildly different
02:48 - Why policy on paper is not the same as policy in practice
03:20 - How Mother Cover was built to solve real company pain points around leave
03:20 - Why overlap matters and how fractional coverage works in practice
03:51 - The hidden cost of dispersing leave work across an already stretched team
03:51 - Burnout, turnover, and the AFLEC study on stress covering leave
05:00 - Misconceptions about Mother Cover as staffing or recruiting
07:37 - The business case and culture case for investing in leave coverage
09:18 - The retention data companies should track after parental leave
10:57 - Why fathers taking parental leave still face stigma and backlash
11:37 - What getting leave support right feels like for employees
15:53 - Return-to-office mandates and how they affect flexibility and hiring
21:26 - Who fits Mother Cover’s leave partner roster and why experience matters
21:26 - How Mother Cover vets leave partners and screens for a real why
22:34 - Why interim work requires low ego and high emotional intelligence
22:34 - Protecting the returning employee from being replaced by their leave partner
23:05 - Transition templates, monthly updates, and the welcome-back brief
23:42 - Why a 30, 60, 90 day return plan helps employees reenter smoothly
24:22 - Why returning from leave is often more stressful than vacation
26:28 - First conversations leaders should have before parental leave
27:35 - The double circle exercise for identifying critical roles and people
28:40 - Why employees should ask for a performance review before stepping away
29:43 - Where to learn more about Mother Cover Action items
For leaders: start the leave handoff conversation three to four months before the leave begins.
Map every role using the double circle exercise: critical role, critical person, or both.
Build a contingency plan for every double circle person before leave happens.
Track who takes leave, how long they stay after returning, and whether support is consistent across managers.
Create written performance expectations before an employee steps away so there is clarity on return.
Treat leave coverage as part of operational resilience, not as an optional favor.
www.mothercoveragency.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethwanner/
32 min
August 24S4 E7 Employee Leave Coverage with Beth Wanner part 1
parental leave, family leave, employer, medical leave, leave coverage, benefits, temporary coverage, burnout, construction, engineering, manager, return to work

Mother Cover: Why Leave Coverage Protects Careers, Teams, and Culture
Dee Davis speaks with Beth Wanner, founder of Mother Cover, about a problem many workplaces still handle poorly: who covers a critical role when someone goes on leave. The conversation focuses on parental leave, but it also reaches medical leave, mental health leave, caregiving, and sabbaticals, showing why coverage planning matters for retention, burnout prevention, and employee trust.Beth shares the personal experience that led her to build Mother Cover, how the company matches highly experienced leave partners with interim roles, and why the work is designed around continuity rather than replacement. Dee and Beth also dig into return-to-office pressure, manager-dependent leave experiences, and the hidden costs companies absorb when they assume the team can simply “pick up the slack.”
Key topics
Beth explains that Mother Cover is a specialized agency for interim leave coverage, not a recruitment firm.
Her founding story includes infertility, IVF, a pregnancy layoff, and then being fired at eight months pregnant.
She says the emotional impact of that experience, plus responses from hundreds of others on LinkedIn, showed her the problem was widespread.
The conversation expands the issue beyond women and parental leave to include fathers, caregivers, medical leave, mental health leave, and sabbaticals.
Dee and Beth discuss how teams often respond to leave by dispersing work internally, even when everyone is already operating near capacity.
Beth cites burnout, turnover, and even additional leave triggered by covering someone else’s absence as hidden costs companies often miss.
Mother Cover’s model uses leave partners with at least 10 years of experience, often 15 to 30, so they can step in quickly with minimal hand-holding.
The company uses overlap periods, transition templates, monthly updates, and a welcome-back brief to support both the employee on leave and the person returning.
Beth stresses that the best interim hires have low ego, strong emotional intelligence, and a strong why for doing the work.

Timestamps
00:00 - Welcome to Management Under Construction and the Mother Cover concept
00:45 - What Mother Cover does for interim leave coverage
02:30 - Beth’s background in marketing and the origin story of Mother Cover
03:26 - Pregnancy, layoff, and firing at eight months pregnant
05:11 - Why Beth’s LinkedIn post resonated with so many people
06:26 - Turning contract and fractional work into a leave coverage model
08:13 - Why this is not only a women’s issue
10:24 - The stigma men still face when they take longer parental leave
13:41 - Why overlap matters and how leave coverage is phased in
15:36 - The hidden cost of dispersing leave work across already busy teams
16:53 - Burnout data and the 2025 AFLAC findings
18:48 - The real business cost of ignoring coverage and losing clients
20:15 - Why junior employees should not be expected to absorb senior-level work
21:01 - How Mother Cover shapes its roster and engagement model
23:53 - Transition templates, monthly updates, and the welcome-back brief
25:55 - The stress of returning from leave and why handoff support matters
27:38 - Which roles are a fit for Mother Cover
28:45 - Why emotional intelligence matters as much as experience
32:18 - Why Mother Cover does not post roles publicly and looks for mission alignment
33:09 - Clear boundaries so leave partners are not seen as replacement candidates
37:38 - Warning signs that a company needs leave coverage help
39:29 - Tracking return rates and the retention risk after parental leave
42:25 - The manager lottery and why policy alone is not enough

www.mothercoveragency.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethwanner/
43 min
August 10S4 E6 Why You Need a Written Quality Program for Your Company
Construction, quality, program, QC, QA, training, inspection Why Construction Quality Matters
Dee Davis explains why construction quality needs its own program, its own reporting structure, and its own authority in the field. This episode breaks down the difference between quality control and quality assurance, and why a written plan only works if people are trained on it and actually use it.
Key topics
The core difference between quality control and quality assurance
QC is contractor-side and internal to the company performing the work
QA is owner-side, often handled by a third party with no role in installing the work
A strong quality program reduces conflict of interest by keeping reporting independent from construction execution
Why company crews need to work from the same standards so quality does not vary by crew or person
A written QC plan is essential, but it fails if nobody knows it exists or has been trained on it
Leaving QC as a collateral duty for installation crews creates a high risk of inconsistent results
Good QC and QA personnel need to know codes, standards, project plans, specifications, manufacturer instructions, and company quality plans
Quality staff must have the authority to stop work when something does not comply
Quality roles are not the same as building inspectors for permit sign-offs
Inspection and test plans translate specifications into concrete field checks, test methods, and pass or fail criteria
The goal of quality is to verify that materials, fabrication, installation, and testing all match the project requirements
Timestamps
00:53 - QC versus QA: contractor-side and owner-side roles
01:43 - Why consistent standards matter across every crew
02:42 - QC must report independently from construction management
03:53 - The hidden failure of a quality plan nobody knows about
05:22 - Why assigning QC as a collateral duty is risky
05:52 - How QA differs and what third-party reviewers may specialize in
06:21 - What makes a strong QC or QA person
07:48 - Why quality staff need authority to stop work
08:47 - Quality starts with materials and continues through installation and testing
09:16 - How inspection and test plans turn specs into field requirements
10:05 - Mistakes in construction usually come from overload, not bad intent
10:31 - Trust but verify: why focused quality oversight protects the final system
12 min
August 03S4 E5 The Hidden Risk of Putting Mechanical Equipment into Service During Construction
construction, mechanical, equipment, warranty, service, maintenance, ventilation, temperature, humidity, environmental control
Putting Mechanical Equipment into Service During Construction
Explore critical considerations for using permanent equipment during construction, including warranty management, maintenance responsibilities, and protective measures to ensure system longevity and quality.
Key Topics:
Why and when to use permanent equipment during construction
Impact of factory startup on warranty periods
Maintenance planning and responsibilities (owner vs contractor)
Protecting air systems with filters and cleanliness standards
Factory and extended warranty options for major equipment
Best practices for preparing systems for turnover to owners
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to using mechanical equipment during construction
00:32 - Challenges of indoor climate control in enclosure phases
01:03 - Importance of understanding equipment warranty start points
01:30 - How factory startup triggers warranty coverage and extended warranty options
02:00 - Maintenance requirements for operational equipment during construction
02:44 - Responsibilities for equipment care: owner vs contractor
03:09 - Coordinating shutdowns, tie-ins, and system controls during construction
03:38 - Managing costs and documentation for maintenance performed during construction
04:19 - Ensuring accurate record-keeping for warranty Protection
05:18 - Protecting air systems with filters; importance of consistent upkeep
05:50 - The importance of verifying maintenance and cleanliness standards
06:16 - Ensuring rooms and systems are kept clean before turnover
06:37 - Preparing and servicing major HVAC components before project completion
07:01 - Factory checks, maintenance, and system cleaning prior to handover
07:31 - Extended warranty considerations for long-term equipment health
07:58 - Maintaining systems during prolonged construction periods
08:24 - Final thoughts on system use in dusty environments and warranty advice
Resources & Links:
HVAC System Maintenance Guide — ASHRAE Handbook
10 min
July 27S4 E4 Can it Really Rain Inside Your Building During Construction?
humidity, temperature, construction, buildings, finishes, design, hvac, flooring, cabinets, adhesives, curing

Discover how temperature and humidity affect construction projects, from material application to preventing indoor rain and mold. Essential insights for contractors, builders, and environmental managers aiming for quality and compliance. Main Topics:
The basics of humidity and its measurement in construction
How humidity impacts material curing, finishes, and building integrity
The importance of managing temperature and humidity during construction
Risks of indoor rain and mold caused by humidity swings
The evolution of industry standards for humidity control in building projects

Key Insights:
Relative humidity (RH) measures moisture in the air; ideal human comfort range is 40-50%
Most US climates hover around 50-60% RH, with exceptions like Colorado (20-40%) influencing static electricity issues
Warmer air holds more moisture, which increases perceived heat and humidity sensations
Psychrometric charts help predict moisture content at various temperatures, aiding construction planning
Incorrect application of coatings, sealants, and flooring outside recommended humidity ranges voids warranties and causes failures
Lower VOC paints and adhesives increased the industry’s need to control RH during application
Early construction humidity management helps prevent indoor rain and mold, ensuring longevity and safety
Controlling indoor humidity during construction can be achieved with temporary equipment or accelerated installation of permanent systems

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introducing the importance of temperature and humidity in construction
00:22 - Understanding humidity measurement and misconceptions
01:18 - The typical humidity ranges across the US and their implications
01:46 - How humidity affects human comfort and indoor environments
02:13 - Colorado’s dry climate and its technical effects on building conditions
03:08 - Static electricity as a symptom of dry climates
03:22 - Explanation of psychrometric chart and moisture content in air
03:51 - The impact of temperature and humidity on fog, dew, and rain formation
04:18 - Why managing humidity is crucial for construction materials and finishes
04:45 - Risks of applying coatings and sealants outside optimal humidity ranges
05:15 - Historical lack of climate control during construction and recent industry changes
05:40 - Challenges and solutions for temporary space conditioning
06:07 - Impact of low VOC materials on humidity management
06:32 - Early installation of permanent systems for better humidity control
07:01 - The necessity of controlling humidity to prevent interior rain and mold
08:25 - Real-world example of indoor rain caused by humidity issues
08:48 - The dangers of mold in construction and importance of early humidity management
09:17 - The critical need for managing humidity in sensitive builds like clean rooms
09:45 - Strategies for humidity control, including portable A/C units
10:13 - Concluding remarks: Keep buildings dry, safe, and compliant
Connect with Dee Davis:
LinkedIn
12 min

About Management Under Construction

From the publisher's feed

We are all constantly under construction In our personal and professional lives we seek to constantly learn and grow, and make better decisions. Together we will explore topics of construction,…

Share Management Under Construction

Sign up to save your podcasts

Management Under Construction

Management Under Construction episodes

About Management Under Construction