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The moment the uniform comes off, the noise drops—and the harder questions echo. We open up about the silence that follows separation, the sudden return of every choice, and why “freedom” can feel like drift when the structure that once organized your life disappears. Instead of sprinting into a new title to patch the hole, we get honest about the quiet grief many veterans carry and the subtle ways it shows up as irritability, restlessness, or emotional flatness.

Together we unpack the temptation to over-identify with the next role and call it resilience. We draw a hard line between usefulness and worth, then explore how to build identity on anchors that do not move: values, principles, and for some, a renewed or redefined faith. You’ll hear practical ways to practice identity rather than hunt for it—how you speak when you’re tired, how you treat people who can’t advance you, how you rest without a spreadsheet to justify it. We share why patience is not passivity but the only path to depth, and how families often sense the drift before we do.

This conversation is for veterans who feel “between structures” and anyone who loves them. We honor the past without getting trapped in it, and we set a course for integration—carrying forward discipline, mission, and service into a wider life that isn’t defined by rank or role. If the question “Who are you without the uniform?” makes you uneasy, good. That’s the starting line. Press play, sit with the question, and let the answer take time. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a fellow veteran, and leave a review to help others find the show.

If you're a military veteran in the construction industry, or you're in the construction industry and support our military vets, and you'd like to be a guest on the podcast you can find me at [email protected] , or send me a message on LinkedIn. You can find me there at Scott Friend. Let's share the stories and motivate others!

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What if the skills you earned under pressure—decisive action, accountability, and care for your team—were the exact traits that make you great at serving builders? That’s the heart of our conversation with Air Force veteran Brandon, who traded security forces and deployments for a construction-adjacent sales role where reliability and relationships win the day.

We dig into the real transition—messy, human, and often humbling. Brandon shares how leaving the structure of service collided with personal upheaval, how TAPS helped and where it fell short, and why therapy, faith, and community became non-negotiables. He walks through the early stumbles in sales, the awkward jump to speaking with executives, and the moment he reframed the job: stop pushing, start listening, ask sharper questions, and deliver outcomes that matter on a jobsite. From fallen units and damaged fence to preventative planning for porta potties, waste tanks, and service schedules, he explains how small details shape morale, productivity, and profit.

You’ll hear why construction professionals respond to blunt honesty, how veterans connect faster on site, and what separates a true partner from a drive-by “car salesman.” We talk trade coordination, poll planning, doing it right the first time, and the leaders who keep evolving instead of hiding behind “that’s how we’ve always done it.” Brandon offers grounded advice for veterans entering sales—be patient, be humble, and keep asking for help—and a challenge to construction leaders: give grace, set clear expectations, and measure vendors by their response when things go sideways.

If you care about building teams that communicate, deliver, and grow, this story will land. Subscribe, share this with someone navigating their own transition, and leave a review to help more veterans and builders find practical guidance and a community that’s got their back.

This episode is brought to you buy Aerial Resupply Coffee. Aerial Resupply delivers bold flavor with every sip. Their beans are expertly roasted for peak freshness and a smooth, invigorating taste. Elevate your coffee game by using code CONSTRUCTIONVET10 at checkout to receive 10% off every order. Stay caffeinated with Aerial Resupply Coffee.

 For precision that sets the standard, choose Benchmark Abrasives! Their high-quality discs and pads deliver unbeatable performance and durability. Get the job done right—every time. Benchmark Abrasives, where excellence meets efficiency.

BENCHMARK ABRASIVES

If you're a military veteran in the construction industry, or you're in the construction industry and support our military vets, and you'd like to be a guest on the podcast you can find me at [email protected] , or send me a message on LinkedIn. You can find me there at Scott Friend. Let's share the stories and motivate others!

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• TCV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionvetpodcast/

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Ever feel that split second when your jaw tightens and your breath runs short right before you snap? That flash is the hinge of leadership. We dig into why yelling often masquerades as control, how it triggers a threat response that looks like action but kills trust, and what to do instead when pressure, risk, and deadlines stack up on a busy job site.

We walk through simple, practical moves for steady leadership under stress: pause before you speak, lower your volume on purpose, use names, state facts instead of feelings, and give clear direction once. We draw a clean line between urgency and emergency so your team can spot real danger without tuning you out. We also unpack the soldier-to-builder transition: command presence has a place in combat, but on a civilian site constant volume becomes intimidation and drains loyalty. Survival isn’t development; crews don’t grow under fear, they shrink.

You’ll hear how to repair after you yell—own it, reset expectations, and skip the long justification—plus why systems beat shouting every time. Clear scopes, daily huddles, written expectations, and consistent consequences reduce chaos and make the site predictable. Predictability builds psychological safety, and safety unlocks performance. We address burnout as the hidden accelerant: when patience runs thin, the pause disappears. Rest, support, and boundaries are leadership tools, not luxuries, because your voice sets the emotional climate people carry home to their families.

If you’re ready to trade noise for clarity and build a crew that chooses to follow, press play. Subscribe, share this with a foreman or PM who needs it, and leave a quick review telling us the one habit you’ll practice this week.

If you're a military veteran in the construction industry, or you're in the construction industry and support our military vets, and you'd like to be a guest on the podcast you can find me at [email protected] , or send me a message on LinkedIn. You can find me there at Scott Friend. Let's share the stories and motivate others!

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• TCV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionvetpodcast/

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Ever been told “your skills translate” and left wondering how that actually helps on a chaotic job site? We zoom into the real mechanics of taking military strengths—situational awareness, accountability, and calm under pressure—and turning them into measurable outcomes in construction. No capes, no clichés, just the honest, practical shifts that let veterans earn trust fast, avoid burnout, and build a reputation that sticks from project to project.

We start with the familiarity factor: structure, roles, missions, and visible progress make construction feel like home after service. Then we pull apart the translation gap. Awareness needs to be framed as experience with clear examples. Accountability requires boundaries so shared ownership doesn’t become silent overreach. Pressure changes shape too; the sprint reflex that works in acute ops needs a steady cadence for chronic deadlines. We map these differences to on-site realities—safety, schedule, cost, quality—so your value shows up where leaders notice.

Some skills don’t auto-transfer, and that’s where most friction hides. Directive leadership must become relational leadership grounded in credibility and consistent follow-through. Blunt communication needs context and intent to land with crews, subs, and PMs. Identity tied to title gives way to identity tied to values—safety, reliability, problem-solving—so role changes don’t shake your confidence. The move that unlocks growth is simple and hard: stop trying to prove you belong, start learning how the industry works. Become bilingual in military and construction—fluent in the language of schedules, change orders, and stakeholder incentives—so your strengths convert into results the whole team recognizes.

This is part one of a three-part series on veterans in construction. Next, we get into how to grow and lead without burning out, followed by practical ways construction leaders can better integrate and support vets. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a veteran on your crew, and leave a review telling us where translation has been toughest for you.

If you're a military veteran in the construction industry, or you're in the construction industry and support our military vets, and you'd like to be a guest on the podcast you can find me at [email protected] , or send me a message on LinkedIn. You can find me there at Scott Friend. Let's share the stories and motivate others!

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The job gets built either way, but what happens to the people building it? We pull back the curtain on mental health in construction, naming the pressures everyone feels but rarely says out loud: relentless schedules, thin margins, and a culture that equates stoicism with strength. The result is a quiet grind where “I’m fine” becomes a habit, veterans push past their limits, and crews treat exhaustion like a badge until safety and relationships start to crack.

We challenge the myth that toughness is the only path forward. Toughness without awareness becomes recklessness—on the job site and at home. Drawing from real-world rhythms—fast starts, frantic finishes, unforgiving punch lists—we explore how burnout signals show up as irritability, withdrawal, and numbness long before a breakdown. We also explain why isolation, not weakness, drives the industry’s high suicide rates and how moving from posters to presence can change outcomes.

Leaders set the tone. Practical, immediate steps matter: ask better questions, notice who goes quiet, honor your word about leaving on time, and normalize recovery after heavy pushes. For veterans, we validate the pull of structure while naming the risks of endless compartmentalizing—and we offer ways to channel that strength without burning out. If you’re feeling stretched thin, you’re not broken; you’re human under prolonged pressure. Stick around for a candid, compassionate blueprint that keeps crews safer, teams closer, and people whole.

If this resonates, share it with someone on your crew, subscribe for more straight talk, and leave a review to help others find the show. And if you’re struggling, reach out—we’ll listen.

If you're a military veteran in the construction industry, or you're in the construction industry and support our military vets, and you'd like to be a guest on the podcast you can find me at [email protected] , or send me a message on LinkedIn. You can find me there at Scott Friend. Let's share the stories and motivate others!

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• TCV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionvetpodcast/

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Jet noise, Humvees, and a weather station might sound like an odd path to construction leadership, but that’s exactly where Alicia’s story takes us—and why it sticks. We sit down to talk about growing up with limited family ties, finding belonging in the Air Force, and discovering that “voice” isn’t just confidence; it’s responsibility when pilots are waiting on your call.

Alicia breaks down the real work behind the “weather observer” title—tactical support with Army units, maintaining deployable systems, even mastering Humvee driving—and how those stakes forged communication, poise, and process improvement instincts. Then we get real about transition. She calls it “optimistically naive,” the belief that corporate America will instantly value mission-first leadership and initiative. Instead, we unpack how to translate military experience into business language, avoid being misread as a threat, and prove value without burning out.

From rebuilding a childhood home to earning a construction management degree, Alicia moved through roles as project engineer and superintendent, learning to coach early, protect standards, and keep a team moving without hiding from tough conversations. Today, she runs a consulting practice with two engines: a fractional, co-op style compliance backbone that helps small contractors win and deliver federal work, and a veteran-focused program that equips construction firms to reduce risk and raise resilience. We talk suicide risk in the trades, what leaders signal by their habits, and how to design structures that build hope instead of draining it.

We also meet Admiral, her service dog, who detects hypervigilance and medical shifts before she does and supports mobility when back injuries flare. It’s a powerful case for practical accommodations and dropping the stigma around tools that work. If you care about veteran transition, construction leadership, mental health at work, or building small-business capacity to compete on federal projects, this conversation offers both hard-won lessons and actionable steps.

Enjoyed this one? Follow and share with someone navigating the jump from uniform to hard hat, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.

This episode is brought to you buy Aerial Resupply Coffee. Aerial Resupply delivers bold flavor with every sip. Their beans are expertly roasted for peak freshness and a smooth, invigorating taste. Elevate your coffee game by using code CONSTRUCTIONVET10 at checkout to receive 10% off every order. Stay caffeinated with Aerial Resupply Coffee.

 For precision that sets the standard, choose Benchmark Abrasives! Their high-quality discs and pads deliver unbeatable performance and durability. Get the job done right—every time. Benchmark Abrasives, where excellence meets efficiency.

BENCHMARK ABRASIVES

This episode is brought to you by Memorial Ranch; A place where for our veterans and first responders to find rest and relaxation while they prepare for their next mission: LIFE

Memorial Ranch

If you're a military veteran in the construction industry, or you're in the construction industry and support our military vets, and you'd like to be a guest on the podcast you can find me at [email protected] , or send me a message on LinkedIn. You can find me there at Scott Friend. Let's share the stories and motivate others!

Support the show

• TCV Email: [email protected]
• TCV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionvetpodcast/

Send us a Message!

What if rest didn’t feel like failure? We open the year with a quiet, unhurried conversation about choosing depth over speed, especially for veterans and builders who were trained to move toward noise, deadlines, and pressure. When usefulness becomes identity, stillness can feel unsafe—so we name that tension and learn how to carry strength without losing our humanity.

I share why structure comforts until it outlives its season, how exhaustion can hide beneath applause, and the moment when “pushing through” stops being leadership and becomes avoidance. We sit with the grief almost no one names: the loss of brotherhood when you leave a unit or a crew. You don’t miss the chaos; you miss being known. We talk about letting that grief soften rather than harden you, honoring what was without demanding it stay the same, and rebuilding by reordering—not erasing—your past.

Faith has a place here too. Early faith often trades in outcomes, but maturity asks for trust when control won’t cooperate. Transition can’t be brute‑forced; it has to be walked, patiently and honestly. Along the way, we revisit what legacy actually is: not a speech or a ceremony, but your daily posture—how you show up tired, how you repair mistakes, how you treat the people in your care, and whether you can rest without apology. Real leadership creates space, protects margins, invites candor, and teaches calm through self‑regulation, not performance. And we face the hidden invoice for unchecked hustle: when we don’t choose where the cost lands, family pays it by default.

If you’ve been praised for endurance so long that stopping feels dangerous, this is your permission to slow down. Start smaller than you think—five quiet minutes, one clear boundary, a single honest no. Subscribe, share this with a teammate who’s carrying too much, and leave a review with one small change you’ll commit to this week. Your life should have room for you inside it.

This episode is brought to you buy Aerial Resupply Coffee. Aerial Resupply delivers bold flavor with every sip. Their beans are expertly roasted for peak freshness and a smooth, invigorating taste. Elevate your coffee game by using code CONSTRUCTIONVET10 at checkout to receive 10% off every order. Stay caffeinated with Aerial Resupply Coffee.

If you're a military veteran in the construction industry, or you're in the construction industry and support our military vets, and you'd like to be a guest on the podcast you can find me at [email protected] , or send me a message on LinkedIn. You can find me there at Scott Friend. Let's share the stories and motivate others!

Support the show

• TCV Email: [email protected]
• TCV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionvetpodcast/

Send us a Message!

What happens when a Night Stalker trades flight ops for flat roofs—and still refuses to miss the mission? We sit down with Dylan Kirkpatrick, a former 160th SOAR crew chief, who rebuilt his sense of purpose by owning the full stack of commercial roofing: business development, estimating, and project management in the booming Dallas–Fort Worth market.

Dylan walks us through the habits forged in special operations—meticulous planning, relentless tempo, and uncompromising integrity—and how they transfer directly to high-stakes construction. He unpacks the steep learning curve of product mastery, from manufacturer systems to screw counts that make or break million-dollar proposals, and explains why a partnership mindset earns trust when roofers are first to be blamed for leaks. Along the way, we talk frankly about identity after service, survivor’s guilt, and the ongoing toll of suicide in both veteran and construction communities, grounding big goals with family support and everyday routines that keep him steady.

If you’re curious how to build a book of business from zero, get onto GC bid lists, or diversify into building owners and property management groups, Dylan shares concrete steps and targets—like crossing $1.1M in awarded revenue within months and pushing for $1.5M by year’s end. We also explore the wider DFW landscape—data centers, healthcare, K–12, and high-end interiors—and why now is a prime window for veterans and career changers to enter trades like roofing, HVAC, electrical, or GC operations with tools such as SkillBridge.

Subscribe for more real-world playbooks from veterans thriving in construction. If Dylan’s journey helped you, share this episode with a teammate, leave a review, and tell us what mission you’re chasing next.

This episode is brought to you buy Aerial Resupply Coffee. Aerial Resupply delivers bold flavor with every sip. Their beans are expertly roasted for peak freshness and a smooth, invigorating taste. Elevate your coffee game by using code CONSTRUCTIONVET10 at checkout to receive 10% off every order. Stay caffeinated with Aerial Resupply Coffee.

If you're a military veteran in the construction industry, or you're in the construction industry and support our military vets, and you'd like to be a guest on the podcast you can find me at [email protected] , or send me a message on LinkedIn. You can find me there at Scott Friend. Let's share the stories and motivate others!

Support the show

• TCV Email: [email protected]
• TCV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionvetpodcast/

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After 21 years in the Army, Master Sergeant Karl Muller faced a crossroads common to many veterans—how to transition from the structured military environment to a fulfilling civilian career. The decision to retire wasn't made lightly. Despite earning a spot on the promotion list to Sergeant Major, Carl recognized that another series of moves would take a toll on his family. "I looked at my wife, Maria, and she just wasn't happy," Karl reflects. "Those weren't tears that were celebratory. It was pain because I was dragging my kids from school to school."

Enter the Department of Defense SkillBridge program, a powerful but underutilized resource that connects transitioning service members with civilian employers for internships during their final months of service—all while maintaining their military salary and benefits. For Karl, this opportunity led to Builders First Source, a national distributor of construction materials, where he now manages multi-family construction projects in Lubbock, Texas.

What makes Karl's story particularly compelling is that he had zero construction experience. Yet the leadership skills, problem-solving abilities, and disciplined approach he developed through multiple combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan made him an ideal candidate. "Your skills in the military will have you learn faster than ever," Karl explains, having mastered complex aspects of construction project management in just four months that might take others years to grasp.

The parallels between military service and construction run deep. Both require precise teamwork, attention to detail, and the ability to adapt when plans go sideways. As Karl puts it, "We don't just build projects, we build teams, communities and a future worth fighting for, just on a different battlefield." For veterans seeking a tangible way to apply their skills, construction offers the satisfaction of creating something visible and lasting—a stark contrast to the often intangible nature of military achievements.

Want to support veterans in your community? Consider participating in the SkillBridge program at your company. As Karl powerfully states, "You've heard somebody say 'thank you for your service,' but nothing says

This episode is brought to you buy Aerial Resupply Coffee. Aerial Resupply delivers bold flavor with every sip. Their beans are expertly roasted for peak freshness and a smooth, invigorating taste. Elevate your coffee game by using code CONSTRUCTIONVET10 at checkout to receive 10% off every order. Stay caffeinated with Aerial Resupply Coffee.

 For precision that sets the standard, choose Benchmark Abrasives! Their high-quality discs and pads deliver unbeatable performance and durability. Get the job done right—every time. Benchmark Abrasives, where excellence meets efficiency.

BENCHMARK ABRASIVES

This episode is brought to you by Memorial Ranch; A place where for our veterans and first responders to find rest and relaxation while they prepare for their next mission: LIFE

Memorial Ranch

If you're a military veteran in the construction industry, or you're in the construction industry and support our military vets, and you'd like to be a guest on the podcast you can find me at [email protected] , or send me a message on LinkedIn. You can find me there at Scott Friend. Let's share the stories and motivate others!

Support the show

• TCV Email: [email protected]
• TCV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionvetpodcast/

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Ted Baumgardner's journey from Marine Corps intelligence officer to construction technology entrepreneur offers a compelling roadmap for veterans seeking meaningful work after service. Growing up in a South Jersey construction family with parents who ran union businesses in Atlantic City, Ted had building in his blood—but first answered the call to serve after 9/11, attending the Naval Academy and becoming a Ground Intelligence Officer.

What makes Ted's story particularly valuable is how directly his military skills translated to construction. As an intelligence officer, his job was "organizing chaos"—collecting battlefield information and delivering it in a synthesized, actionable format to commanders. When he joined his family's glass and glazing business after eight years of service, he discovered the construction industry faced similar challenges with information overload. Estimators and project managers were drowning in drawings, specifications, and communications, often spending half their time just organizing files rather than applying their expertise.

"Building skyscrapers is the closest thing to war in a peacetime environment," Ted quotes, highlighting why veterans find such natural homes in construction. Both domains thrive on teamwork, shared mission, and overcoming physical and mental challenges together. The sense of camaraderie that veterans miss after leaving service exists abundantly on construction sites, where creating something tangible with your team provides profound satisfaction.

Ted offers a philosophical perspective on finding purpose after military service: "When the revolution was over in 1783, George Washington went back to the plow. The whole point of war is to achieve peace. And then, what do we do in peacetime?" The answer lies in building communities. "If it wasn't for folks in construction, we wouldn't have places to live, work, or worship. All of this is done because men and women dedicate themselves to working together and creating things that otherwise wouldn't exist, and there's nothing more meaningful than that."

Connect with Ted on LinkedIn to learn more about transitioning from military service to a fulfilling construction career—he's passionate about mentoring others following this path.

This episode is brought to you buy Aerial Resupply Coffee. Aerial Resupply delivers bold flavor with every sip. Their beans are expertly roasted for peak freshness and a smooth, invigorating taste. Elevate your coffee game by using code CONSTRUCTIONVET10 at checkout to receive 10% off every order. Stay caffeinated with Aerial Resupply Coffee.

If you're a military veteran in the construction industry, or you're in the construction industry and support our military vets, and you'd like to be a guest on the podcast you can find me at [email protected] , or send me a message on LinkedIn. You can find me there at Scott Friend. Let's share the stories and motivate others!

Support the show

• TCV Email: [email protected]
• TCV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionvetpodcast/