People-First Builders Podcast

What does 50 years in construction teach you about leadership, hiring, and building teams people actually want to be part of?

In this episode of People-First Builders, Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Victor Bretting, Director of Concrete Operations at McGough Construction, to explore the leadership lessons Victor has developed throughout five decades in the industry.

Victor started his career as a water boy on a nuclear power plant project and eventually worked his way into leadership roles overseeing operations with hundreds of field employees. Along the way, his approach to leadership changed from simply getting the job done to understanding the responsibility leaders have to the people and families depending on them.

Victor shares why integrity and reputation are powerful recruiting tools in construction, why great people tend to follow great leaders, and how referrals and industry relationships can reveal far more about a candidate than an interview alone.

He also discusses servant leadership, taking responsibility when things go wrong, developing the next generation of construction leaders, and why a willingness to listen became one of the most important lessons of his career.

The conversation also explores Victor's work with Bretting Texas Ranch and how retirement plans evolved into an opportunity to give back through outdoor experiences for veterans, terminally ill children, and faith-based organizations.

If you lead people in construction, this episode is a reminder that your reputation is built one decision and one relationship at a time, and that how you treat people ultimately determines the kind of people you attract.

What if the biggest problems on a construction project aren't technical—but people problems?

In this episode of the People-First Builders Podcast, host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Michael Giaramita, CEO of Group PMX, to explore how alignment, accountability, training, and respect can transform even the most challenging construction projects.

Michael shares the story of stepping into a deeply troubled project that was years behind schedule and significantly over budget. His diagnosis was simple: everyone involved had stopped working as one team. By shifting the culture away from blame and claims and toward problem-solving, collaboration, and shared success, the project began to turn around.

Michael also explains why getting the work right the first time starts with giving trades the right resources and expectations. Instead of waiting until the end of a project to create massive punch lists, he advocates for continuous quality checks, early involvement from architects and engineers, and training both sides of the equation so everyone understands what "right" actually looks like.

Fletcher and Michael also discuss early-start scheduling, creating healthy peer accountability between trades, building pride of ownership, leading distributed teams, and using systems and skills-based development to help people grow.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• Why project problems often start with misalignment, not technical issues
• How Michael transformed a toxic project culture through shared accountability
• Why training trades can dramatically reduce rework and punch-list items
• How early-start scheduling creates incentives for everyone to succeed
• The importance of treating tradespeople with respect and protecting pride in their work
• Why architects and engineers should stay involved throughout construction
• How Group PMX has operated virtually for more than a decade
• Why strong systems and a single "record of truth" make distributed teams possible
• How skills-based development creates stronger people and stronger project teams

Michael's philosophy is straightforward: align the team, remove the obstacles, give people the tools to succeed, and focus on solving problems instead of assigning blame.

Because when everyone sees the project's success as shared success, better work follows.

Hire for Character and Train for Capability with Jenny Nail, Chief Commercial Officer at CRH Americas Building Products

What separates great organizations from the rest? According to Jenny Nail, it starts with hiring people for who they are—not just what they know.

In this episode of the People-First Builders Podcast, Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Jenny Nail, Chief Commercial Officer at CRH Americas Building Products, to explore how people-first leadership has shaped her remarkable career—from a college student working at Home Depot to leading commercial strategy for one of North America's largest building products companies.

Jenny shares why character outweighs credentials, how small moments during the hiring process reveal a candidate's true potential, and why organizations must continuously create growth opportunities if they want to retain exceptional people. She also discusses the importance of staying connected to frontline employees, learning from hiring mistakes, and building cultures where curiosity, collaboration, and customer obsession thrive.

Whether you're hiring your next employee or leading a growing organization, this episode offers practical insights into building stronger teams that last.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why character should be evaluated alongside technical skills
• How micro-interactions reveal the best hiring insights
• The value of creating growth opportunities through lateral career moves
• Why leaders should regularly spend time with frontline employees
• How to improve hiring by learning from both successes and failures
• Why customer obsession starts with putting people first

🎧 Listen now and discover why the best organizations hire for character and develop capability.

Creating Growth Paths Across Every Department with Greg Stewart, President of Jewett Construction

What keeps great people in construction? According to Greg Stewart, it's not just competitive pay or exciting projects—it's creating meaningful opportunities for people to grow.

In this episode of the People-First Builders Podcast, Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Greg Stewart, President of Jewett Construction, to discuss how a people-first culture has fueled the company's success for more than five decades. Greg shares why retention begins with growth, how thoughtful onboarding shapes long-term engagement, and why trust, transparency, and genuine relationships remain the foundation of every successful project.

The conversation also explores hiring for character alongside competence, building career paths across every department, and why "work-life satisfaction" is a better goal than work-life balance.

Whether you're leading a construction company, managing a growing team, or looking to improve hiring and retention, this episode offers practical leadership insights you can apply immediately.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why retention starts with creating growth opportunities
• How onboarding influences long-term employee success
• Hiring for cultural fit without sacrificing technical excellence
• Building leadership pipelines from within the organization
• The importance of trust, transparency, and communication in construction leadership
• Why work-life satisfaction creates stronger, more engaged teams

🎧 Listen now and discover how investing in people creates stronger businesses and better project outcomes.

Tania Van Herle, Co-CEO of HED, shares how one of the nation's leading architecture and engineering firms has built a people-first culture that drives innovation, attracts exceptional talent, and retains employees through trust and flexibility. Drawing from her 30-year journey with HED, Tania discusses how integrating architecture and engineering creates stronger collaboration, why "kindness" has become a defining characteristic of the firm's culture, and how embracing remote work expanded access to top talent nationwide. She also explains how intentional leadership, transparent communication, mentorship, and employee flexibility have helped HED grow while maintaining the close-knit culture of a much smaller firm.

Whether you're leading a construction company, engineering firm, or any growing organization, this conversation offers practical lessons on building a workplace where people thrive—and business follows.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why HED believes a culture of trust and kindness is a competitive advantage
• How flexible work policies helped attract and retain top engineering talent
• Strategies for maintaining culture across remote and hybrid teams
• Why intentional communication matters more than ever in distributed organizations
• How mergers and acquisitions can strengthen both talent and company culture
• The importance of mentorship for developing the next generation of AEC professionals
• Leadership practices that keep employees engaged during periods of rapid growth and change

What does it take to successfully launch a construction management company and immediately take on a $53 million project? In this episode of People-First Builders, Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Melissa Drew, Founder & CEO of InSite Build, to discuss how strong relationships, trust, and people-first leadership can transform complex construction projects.

Melissa shares her journey from spending 20 years with a national contractor to building her own company focused on commercial and state government projects. She explains how InSite Build creates alignment between owners, subcontractors, and project teams through intentional communication, collaboration, and culture-building practices that improve both project outcomes and team morale.

From building interconnected jobsite trailer communities to bringing hot chocolate and snow cones to crews in the field, Melissa reveals how small human-centered actions can create massive impacts on trust, productivity, and project success. The conversation also dives into entrepreneurship, hiring strategies, leveraging relationships, managing large-scale government work, and creating successful partnerships in the construction industry.

If you're interested in leadership, construction management, company culture, and building stronger teams in the trades, this episode is packed with practical insights and real-world lessons.

🎧 In this episode, you'll learn:

• How Melissa launched InSite Build with a $53M project from day one
• Why relationships and trust are critical in construction success
• Strategies for improving communication on complex projects
• How to create stronger collaboration between owners and subcontractors
• Practical ways to support and appreciate field teams
• Lessons learned transitioning from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship

What does it really take to build a high-performing roofing company in today's construction landscape?

In this episode of the People-First Builders Podcast, Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Brad Strawbridge — Founder & CEO of Capital City Roofing, Chief Strategy Officer at Builderlync, and founder of Feeding the Future Project — to discuss how operational systems, leadership development, and people-first values are transforming the roofing industry.

Brad shares his journey from driving delivery trucks at Lowe's to leading multimillion-dollar operations, launching his own roofing company, and building technology solutions that help contractors scale smarter. Together, they explore the importance of SOPs, EOS implementation, hiring through relationships, overcoming fear-based leadership decisions, and why slowing down to build systems is often the fastest path to growth.

This conversation is packed with practical insights for contractors, entrepreneurs, and construction leaders looking to scale sustainably while building strong teams and lasting culture.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How Brad transitioned from corporate leadership at Lowe's into entrepreneurship
• Why roofing and construction businesses need systems before scaling
• The role EOS and SOPs play in operational success
• How referrals and relationships drive high-quality hiring
• Why fear keeps many leaders stuck — and how to move forward anyway
• The biggest growth bottlenecks in commercial construction businesses
• How Builderlync is helping contractors streamline operations through technology

In this episode of the People-First Builders Podcast, Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Richard Douglass, President of TruMark Homes and Communities, to explore how decentralized leadership creates stronger teams, better projects, and thriving company cultures in the homebuilding industry. Richard shares lessons from decades of navigating California's complex building environment, why construction is the ultimate "team sport," and how empowering people at every level leads to better decision-making and stronger communities.

From hiring strategies and leadership development to trust, mission alignment, and creating opportunities for growth, this conversation dives deep into what it takes to build organizations where people truly flourish. Richard also explains how TruMark approaches collaboration with trades, develops future leaders, and maintains a culture where teammates support each other both professionally and personally.

If you're interested in leadership, culture, hiring, or the future of construction and development, this episode delivers practical insights from a seasoned industry leader who believes that great communities start with great people.

In this episode of People-First Builders, Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Carrie Stokes, CEO and President of Barge Design Solutions, to explore what it truly means to build a people-first engineering firm.

Carrie's journey—from student intern to becoming the first woman to lead a 70-year-old, employee-owned company—is a powerful example of long-term growth, intentional leadership, and investing in people. With nearly three decades in the architecture and engineering industry, she shares how Barge is redefining career paths, leadership development, and talent retention in a highly competitive market.

They dive into how creating flexible career tracks—where engineers can grow without being forced into management—helps retain top talent and build stronger teams. Carrie also breaks down how employee ownership, internal mobility, and leadership transparency are shaping a culture where people stay, grow, and thrive.

If you're a leader navigating the "war for talent" or looking to build a company where people actually want to stay, this conversation is packed with actionable insights.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why forcing engineers into management is a mistake
• How to create multiple career paths that retain top talent
• The role of employee ownership in engagement and performance
• Why internal mobility ("climbing the rock wall") drives long-term growth
• How leadership transparency builds future executives

On this episode of the People-First Builders Podcast, host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Russ Seamon, President of Seamon Whiteside, a fast-growing civil engineering and landscape architecture firm in the Southeast.

Russ shares how his firm transformed from a small, family-founded business into a 250-person, multi-office organization—without losing its culture. At the core of their growth? A deliberate decision to scale for their people, not just for profit.

From implementing leadership training and mentorship programs to building structured onboarding, project management boot camps, and a culture of intentional development, Russ breaks down how Seamon Whiteside is accelerating the growth of its people while maintaining excellence across the organization.

He also dives into:

• Why growth is essential for creating opportunity and retaining top talent
• How to develop future leaders faster through intentional delegation and training
• The power of culture in attracting and retaining experienced professionals
• Why organic growth can outperform acquisitions when building a people-first company
• Practical strategies for balancing accountability and empowerment in leadership

If you're a leader in construction, engineering, or any service-based business looking to grow without sacrificing culture—this episode is a must-listen.