On this episode of One Step Beyond, we are joined by Pete Chramiec, Founder of Bicycle Homebuilding and New England Punk Icon.

In this episode, Pete Chramiec shares his unique journey from the punk rock scene to becoming an energy-efficient home builder focused on sustainability, affordability, and community impact. Aram and Pete discuss how his roots in the DIY punk movement, particularly through his band Verbal Assault and time at the Discord house, laid the foundation for his values-driven approach to construction. Drawing from his experiences growing up in Newport, Rhode Island, Pete discusses how music, mentorship, and the punk ethos shaped his commitment to environmental action and social responsibility in both life and business.

The conversation dives deep into the Passive House movement, a rigorous standard for building energy-efficient homes, and how Pete integrates these principles into his work. He talks about the uphill battle of scaling sustainable housing solutions in a challenging Northwest housing market, emphasizing the need for partnerships, skilled labor, and fair pricing. Pete also reflects on the tension between DIY culture and valuing one’s financial worth, encouraging builders and creatives alike to charge appropriately for their work while staying grounded in integrity and purpose.

Throughout the episode, Pete highlights the broader implications of personal and professional choices, arguing that environmentally conscious construction isn’t just a technical decision but a moral one. From designing "little golden girls huts" to championing affordable housing, Pete’s story is a testament to how passion, resilience, and mentorship can drive innovation in unexpected spaces. His blend of punk rock ideology and construction expertise offers a refreshing perspective on what it means to build with both heart and intention.

ON THIS EPISODE WE TALK ABOUT

About Pete Chramiec:
Pete Chramiec was born in Newport, Rhode Island, a long time ago. He spent his childhood sneaking small sailboats into the Atlantic Ocean without telling his parents. As a teenager, he joined a band and went on some tours, which led to him being in Berlin in 1989 on the very day the Berlin Wall came down, a fact that he doesn't let anyone forget. 1989 ended up becoming his best year, as he was voted guitar player of the year in the unread Flipside Magazine (a xeroxed copy of which he posts next to our report cards on the fridge every year). He later lived in Washington DC, but it was too muggy (weather-wise and also getting-mugged-wise), so he moved to the better Washington: Washington State. There, he studied Organic Farming, but couldn't grow things good. He luckily met his wife and, more importantly, had two very cool daughters (one of which he forced into making this website for him). Now, he lives in Olympia with his family, along with his two cats, one dog, and eight chickens. As you can tell, he is very into these animals. Some of his skills include eating cookies (all of the cookies), losing at Cribbage, and building houses (maybe).

Connect with Pete:
https://www.bicyclehomebuilding.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-chramiec-ab9b4776/

About Aram Arslanian:
Cadence was established in 2016 by Aram Arslanian, a coach, therapist, and executive with over 20 years of experience. His background in business, counselling, and performance has enabled him to build a firm uniquely positioned to support organizations in developing their talent. Aram’s approach to leadership and communication is informed by research, his therapeutic experience, and his lived experience as an executive leader.

Connect with Aram:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aram-arslanian-cadencelc/

About the company:
Cadence Leadership + Communication is a professional development company dedicated to unlocking true leadership potential. We guide individuals to lead authentically and effectively with a unique blend of mindset and skill set development that is rooted in psychology. Our team is laser-focused on meaningful change and empowering clients to break free from limiting habits. Cadence has worked globally with leaders and their teams from the C-suite to the frontlines and has engaged with companies from a diverse range of industries. At Cadence, our passion is helping people become their greatest selves so they can create a lasting impact in the workplace and beyond.

Coaching | 360 Assessments | Team 360 Assessments | Courses | Keynote Speaking

Connect with Cadence Leadership & Communication:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cadence-leadership-communication/
https://cadenceleadership.ca/

On this episode of One Step Beyond, we are joined by Pete Chramiec, Founder of Bicycle Homebuilding and New England Punk Icon.

In this episode, Pete Chramiec shares his unique journey from the punk rock scene to becoming an energy-efficient home builder focused on sustainability, affordability, and community impact. Aram and Pete discuss how his roots in the DIY punk movement, particularly through his band Verbal Assault and time at the Discord house, laid the foundation for his values-driven approach to construction. Drawing from his experiences growing up in Newport, Rhode Island, Pete discusses how music, mentorship, and the punk ethos shaped his commitment to environmental action and social responsibility in both life and business.

The conversation dives deep into the Passive House movement, a rigorous standard for building energy-efficient homes, and how Pete integrates these principles into his work. He talks about the uphill battle of scaling sustainable housing solutions in a challenging Northwest housing market, emphasizing the need for partnerships, skilled labor, and fair pricing. Pete also reflects on the tension between DIY culture and valuing one’s financial worth, encouraging builders and creatives alike to charge appropriately for their work while staying grounded in integrity and purpose.

Throughout the episode, Pete highlights the broader implications of personal and professional choices, arguing that environmentally conscious construction isn’t just a technical decision but a moral one. From designing "little golden girls huts" to championing affordable housing, Pete’s story is a testament to how passion, resilience, and mentorship can drive innovation in unexpected spaces. His blend of punk rock ideology and construction expertise offers a refreshing perspective on what it means to build with both heart and intention.

ON THIS EPISODE WE TALK ABOUT

About Pete Chramiec:
Pete Chramiec was born in Newport, Rhode Island, a long time ago. He spent his childhood sneaking small sailboats into the Atlantic Ocean without telling his parents. As a teenager, he joined a band and went on some tours, which led to him being in Berlin in 1989 on the very day the Berlin Wall came down, a fact that he doesn't let anyone forget. 1989 ended up becoming his best year, as he was voted guitar player of the year in the unread Flipside Magazine (a xeroxed copy of which he posts next to our report cards on the fridge every year). He later lived in Washington DC, but it was too muggy (weather-wise and also getting-mugged-wise), so he moved to the better Washington: Washington State. There, he studied Organic Farming, but couldn't grow things good. He luckily met his wife and, more importantly, had two very cool daughters (one of which he forced into making this website for him). Now, he lives in Olympia with his family, along with his two cats, one dog, and eight chickens. As you can tell, he is very into these animals. Some of his skills include eating cookies (all of the cookies), losing at Cribbage, and building houses (maybe).

Connect with Pete:
https://www.bicyclehomebuilding.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-chramiec-ab9b4776/

About Aram Arslanian:
Cadence was established in 2016 by Aram Arslanian, a coach, therapist, and executive with over 20 years of experience. His background in business, counselling, and performance has enabled him to build a firm uniquely positioned to support organizations in developing their talent. Aram’s approach to leadership and communication is informed by research, his therapeutic experience, and his lived experience as an executive leader.

Connect with Aram:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aram-arslanian-cadencelc/

About the company:
Cadence Leadership + Communication is a professional development company dedicated to unlocking true leadership potential. We guide individuals to lead authentically and effectively with a unique blend of mindset and skill set development that is rooted in psychology. Our team is laser-focused on meaningful change and empowering clients to break free from limiting habits. Cadence has worked globally with leaders and their teams from the C-suite to the frontlines and has engaged with companies from a diverse range of industries. At Cadence, our passion is helping people become their greatest selves so they can create a lasting impact in the workplace and beyond.

Coaching | 360 Assessments | Team 360 Assessments | Courses | Keynote Speaking

Connect with Cadence Leadership & Communication:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cadence-leadership-communication/
https://cadenceleadership.ca/

This week on One Step Beyond, Aram shares leadership strategies around how to rebuild trust after sudden leadership changes, and how to resign without burning bridges.

On this episode we talk about:

About Aram Arslanian:
Cadence was established in 2016 by Aram Arslanian, a coach, therapist, and executive with over 20 years of experience. His background in business, counselling, and performance has enabled him to build a firm uniquely positioned to support organizations in developing their talent. Aram’s approach to leadership and communication is informed by research, his therapeutic experience, and his lived experience as an executive leader.

Connect with Aram:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aram-arslanian-cadencelc/

About the company:
Cadence Leadership + Communication is a professional development company dedicated to unlocking true leadership potential. We guide individuals to lead authentically and effectively with a unique blend of mindset and skill set development that is rooted in psychology. Our team is laser-focused on meaningful change and empowering clients to break free from limiting habits. Cadence has worked globally with leaders and their teams from the C-suite to the frontlines and has engaged with companies from a diverse range of industries. At Cadence, our passion is helping people become their greatest selves so they can create a lasting impact in the workplace and beyond.

Coaching | 360 Assessments | Team 360 Assessments | Courses | Keynote Speaking

Connect with Cadence Leadership & Communication:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cadence-leadership-communication/
https://cadenceleadership.ca/

On this episode of One Step Beyond, we are joined by Drew Wilkinson, climate activist, consultant, and Founder, Climate Leadership Collective.

In this episode, Aram and Drew discuss how sustainability can be more deeply woven into corporate culture. Drawing from his experience at Microsoft, Drew emphasizes that climate change is not a problem individuals can solve alone through lifestyle changes, it demands systemic, collective action. He reflects on how employee engagement can drive meaningful corporate responsibility and how advocacy within companies can shift conversations and policies around climate impact.

Drew shares his transition from a corporate role to starting his own sustainability consulting business, highlighting how intuition, relationship-building, and purpose guided that shift. He explores how consulting allows him to support companies that are serious about aligning growth with environmental values, and why ambitious goals require both internal pressure from employees and leadership buy-in. Throughout the episode, Drew and Aram also touch on the psychological and emotional aspects of this work, including how meaning, spirituality, and personal belief play into one’s ability to pursue change.

The conversation ultimately calls for courage, especially from young professionals, who are often leading sustainability conversations from within. They explore how risk-taking, authenticity, and personal conviction are essential to shifting the corporate status quo. Whether it’s confronting “green hushing” or reimagining what leadership looks like, the episode is a reminder that large-scale climate solutions begin with people willing to show up, speak up, and make sustainability part of everyone’s job.

ON THIS EPISODE WE TALK ABOUT

About Drew Wilkinson: 
Drew Wilkinson is a sustainability consultant and community organizer with over a decade of experience turning climate ambition into employee-powered action. He specializes in employee engagement, program design, and change management—working with everyone from CSOs to new hires to make sustainability part of everybody’s job. Drew co-founded Microsoft’s 10,000-member sustainability community, one of the largest green teams in the world, and now consults through the Climate Leadership Collective. His background spans nonprofits to Big Tech, grassroots activism to corporate strategy. In a past life, he was a punk singer and eco-pirate with Sea Shepherd. 

Connect with Drew: 
www.drewwilkinson.earth 
Linkedin 

About Aram Arslanian: 
Cadence was established in 2016 by Aram Arslanian, a coach, therapist, and executive with over 20 years of experience. His background in business, counselling, and performance has enabled him to build a firm uniquely positioned to support organizations in developing their talent. Aram’s approach to leadership and communication is informed by research, his therapeutic experience, and his lived experience as an executive leader. 

Connect with Aram: 
Linkedin

About the company: 
Cadence Leadership + Communication is a professional development company dedicated to unlocking true leadership potential. We guide individuals to lead authentically and effectively with a unique blend of mindset and skill set development that is rooted in psychology. Our team is laser-focused on meaningful change and empowering clients to break free from limiting habits. Cadence has worked globally with leaders and their teams from the C-suite to the frontlines and has engaged with companies from a diverse range of industries. At Cadence, our passion is helping people become their greatest selves so they can create a lasting impact in the workplace and beyond.  

Coaching | 360 Assessments | Team 360 Assessments | Courses | Keynote Speaking 

Connect with Cadence Leadership & Communication: 
Linkedin

On this episode of One Step Beyond, we are joined by Josh Grabelle, Founder of Trustkill Records. 

In this episode, Aram and Josh dive into the rise, fall, and rebirth of Trustkill Records. Josh recounts the label’s early days in 1994, driven by passion and a DIY ethos, and how he navigated the challenges of distribution deals, marketing shifts, and the eventual decline of CD sales. As the music industry underwent rapid changes, Josh had to constantly adapt, balancing creative vision with the harsh realities of business. 

Josh and Aram discuss the challenges Josh faced as Trustkill Records struggled and eventually collapsed. He reflects on the tension between artistic authenticity and commercial pressures, emphasizing how crucial it is to maintain strong relationships with the bands you work with. Josh chose to reinvent the label, securing a new deal with Universal and reshaping the business model to align with a changing industry landscape. 

The conversation underscores the value of adaptability, clear communication, and bold leadership in uncertain times. Josh's story illustrates that visionary thinking, combined with execution and resilience, can turn setbacks into new beginnings. His journey is a reminder that passion is only powerful when paired with courageous action, and that effective leadership often means seeing potential where others see risk. 

ON THIS EPISODE WE TALK ABOUT

About Josh Grabelle: 
Trustkill Records was a pioneering independent label that helped define the hardcore, metalcore, and post-hardcore sound of the late '90s and early 2000s. Founded in 1994 by Josh Grabelle in New Jersey, it quickly became a beacon of raw energy and DIY spirit. With a knack for discovering talent, Trustkill introduced the world to genre-shaping bands like Poison the Well, Bleeding Through, Terror, and Eighteen Visions, acts that blended hardcore intensity with metal precision, setting a new standard for heavy music. 

More than just a label, Trustkill became a cultural force, taking bands from basement shows to major tours like Warped and Ozzfest, and landing releases in Hot Topic and MTV. Before its 2010 hiatus, the label had sold over two million albums and left an indelible mark on the underground scene. Now, in 2025, its legacy surges forward with the return of HELLFEST, the legendary festival it once presented, reaffirming Trustkill’s role as a torchbearer for a new generation of heavy, fearless music. 

Connect with Josh: 
www.trustkill.com 
www.hellfest.com
www.bullettooth.com 
www.grabelle.com
Linkedin

About Aram Arslanian: 
Cadence was established in 2016 by Aram Arslanian, a coach, therapist, and executive with over 20 years of experience. His background in business, counselling, and performance has enabled him to build a firm uniquely positioned to support organizations in developing their talent. Aram’s approach to leadership and communication is informed by research, his therapeutic experience, and his lived experience as an executive leader. 

Connect with Aram: 
Linkedin

About the company: 
Cadence Leadership + Communication is a professional development company dedicated to unlocking true leadership potential. We guide individuals to lead authentically and effectively with a unique blend of mindset and skill set development that is rooted in psychology. Our team is laser-focused on meaningful change and empowering clients to break free from limiting habits. Cadence has worked globally with leaders and their teams from the C-suite to the frontlines and has engaged with companies from a diverse range of industries. At Cadence, our passion is helping people become their greatest selves so they can create a lasting impact in the workplace and beyond.  

Coaching | 360 Assessments | Team 360 Assessments | Courses | Keynote Speaking 

Connect with Cadence Leadership & Communication: 
Linkedin

On this episode of One Step Beyond, we are joined by Josh Grabelle, Founder of Trustkill Records. 

In this episode, Aram and Josh dive into the rise, fall, and rebirth of Trustkill Records. Josh recounts the label’s early days in 1994, driven by passion and a DIY ethos, and how he navigated the challenges of distribution deals, marketing shifts, and the eventual decline of CD sales. As the music industry underwent rapid changes, Josh had to constantly adapt, balancing creative vision with the harsh realities of business. 

Josh and Aram discuss the challenges Josh faced as Trustkill Records struggled and eventually collapsed. He reflects on the tension between artistic authenticity and commercial pressures, emphasizing how crucial it is to maintain strong relationships with the bands you work with. Josh chose to reinvent the label, securing a new deal with Universal and reshaping the business model to align with a changing industry landscape. 

The conversation underscores the value of adaptability, clear communication, and bold leadership in uncertain times. Josh's story illustrates that visionary thinking, combined with execution and resilience, can turn setbacks into new beginnings. His journey is a reminder that passion is only powerful when paired with courageous action, and that effective leadership often means seeing potential where others see risk. 

ON THIS EPISODE WE TALK ABOUT

About Josh Grabelle: 
Trustkill Records was a pioneering independent label that helped define the hardcore, metalcore, and post-hardcore sound of the late '90s and early 2000s. Founded in 1994 by Josh Grabelle in New Jersey, it quickly became a beacon of raw energy and DIY spirit. With a knack for discovering talent, Trustkill introduced the world to genre-shaping bands like Poison the Well, Bleeding Through, Terror, and Eighteen Visions, acts that blended hardcore intensity with metal precision, setting a new standard for heavy music. 

More than just a label, Trustkill became a cultural force, taking bands from basement shows to major tours like Warped and Ozzfest, and landing releases in Hot Topic and MTV. Before its 2010 hiatus, the label had sold over two million albums and left an indelible mark on the underground scene. Now, in 2025, its legacy surges forward with the return of HELLFEST, the legendary festival it once presented, reaffirming Trustkill’s role as a torchbearer for a new generation of heavy, fearless music. 

Connect with Josh: 
www.trustkill.com 
www.hellfest.com
www.bullettooth.com 
www.grabelle.com
Linkedin

About Aram Arslanian: 
Cadence was established in 2016 by Aram Arslanian, a coach, therapist, and executive with over 20 years of experience. His background in business, counselling, and performance has enabled him to build a firm uniquely positioned to support organizations in developing their talent. Aram’s approach to leadership and communication is informed by research, his therapeutic experience, and his lived experience as an executive leader. 

Connect with Aram: 
Linkedin

About the company: 
Cadence Leadership + Communication is a professional development company dedicated to unlocking true leadership potential. We guide individuals to lead authentically and effectively with a unique blend of mindset and skill set development that is rooted in psychology. Our team is laser-focused on meaningful change and empowering clients to break free from limiting habits. Cadence has worked globally with leaders and their teams from the C-suite to the frontlines and has engaged with companies from a diverse range of industries. At Cadence, our passion is helping people become their greatest selves so they can create a lasting impact in the workplace and beyond.  

Coaching | 360 Assessments | Team 360 Assessments | Courses | Keynote Speaking 

Connect with Cadence Leadership & Communication: 
Linkedin