In this episode of What Were You Thinking?, host Tara Rinehart of Master Builders of Iowa sits down with Sonya Bohmann, Executive Director of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention. Together, they explore the urgent need to remove stigma around mental health in construction, share practical tools and resources for workers and leaders, and highlight how simple actions—like a conversation, a sticker, or a pledge—can save lives. September is Suicide Prevention Month, but this is a conversation we need all year long.

You’ve probably heard Ryan Leak on leadership podcasts or read one of his bestselling books. We get to dig into his brand-new book: A New York Times best-seller "How to Work with Complicated People." And boy are we complicated to work with. Ryan will also be joining us in person for an exclusive session at our 2026 Winter Conference on Tuesday, February 24th, from 2–4 PM. We are gifting every participant a copy of his book.

For the first time, The MBI EDGE is moving to YouTube! We are Iowa’s premier association for the commercial building industry focused on advocacy, education and resources and we are pleased to show you around our new studio. We hope you’ll subscribe to our channel and follow along as we educate, develop, grow, and enhance our member companies and the industry at large.

MBI is partnering again with Construction Angels for the 3rd year in hosting a golf tournament to benefit those who have lost a loved one due to a jobsite fatality. Hear from CEO Kristi Ronyak and MBI’s Ben Hammes on details about the charity, who they serve and how you can get involved in supporting this effort!

Planning your exit from your business might feel like a distant prospect, but exit planning is simply proper business planning and a process that should begin long before you’re ready to transition out. To simplify the complex process of exit planning into actionable concepts that every business owner should understand, listen in on how our sponsor coaches the use the Exit Planning Institute’s 5-4-3-2-1 framework.

This podcast is sponsored by McGill Junge Wealth Management

Join us for a conversation with Jay Montgomery of Montgomery Companies who will be facilitating a session at MBI on May 1st, 202 titled "Building, Keeping and What Kills Culture." In this session of What Were You Thinking, Jay will tell us what he has been thinking about when it comes to the heartbeat of any organization, their culture.

If you are stuck in an uncomfortable position of asking yourself, “what am I going to do with my business?”, please know that there are resources available at no cost for businesses of all sizes. Through Advance Iowa at the University of Northern Iowa, you can find confidential resources that will guide you on your succession planning path. Join us for this episode with Stacy Mullinex of Advance Iowa, for an in-depth conversation about succession planning and how you can get in touch with their professionals.

Georgia Van Gundy, Deputy Director at the Iowa Workforce Development will be keynoting the April MBI's BuildHer session where she will be speaking about the journey from groundbreaking to glass ceilings. Join us for this podcast as we discuss why MBI's BuildHer is critical to Iowa's workforce.

Allan Kehler will be keynoting this year’s Wellness Breakfast speaking about Finding Your Voice. Finding Your Power. Prioritizing safety, mental health, and wellness in the construction industry. Join us for this podcast as we discuss how in an effort to avoid being perceived as weak or vulnerable, many individuals in the construction industry have a tendency to bury their emotions deep within and we must do better.

In this episode, we are joined by Mike Huguelet and Kris Byam, both experts and educators in the public charter school space. Hear about how they are transforming educational experiences for many students in Iowa and what role trades-based education can play.