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What Moves You Forward When Everyone Says No?
What do you do when you've been told your entire life that you can't? If you're Matthew Rodriguez, Facilities Manager at Whataburger, you drop the T — and you keep moving.
In this episode of the Visionary Leader Podcast, Jim Robinson and co-host Lori Prust sit down with Matthew Rodriguez — a facilities leader who built his career from the ground up, starting with delivering fitness equipment at 17, teaching himself HVAC, and eventually leaving Chicago for Texas with one month's rent, a wife, and a baby on the way.
What came next is a masterclass in resilience, servant leadership, and showing up for your team the same way others showed up for you.
⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00 – Welcome & Introduction
01:26 – Matthew's Background: From Fitness Equipment to Facilities
03:28 – Work Ethic, Family Roots & Why "No" Became Fuel
05:29 – Leaving Chicago for Texas
07:15 – The Tough Two Years: No Jobs, Ramen Noodles & a Baby on the Way
09:14 – How That Season Still Drives Him Today
10:49 – Working Two to Three Jobs & Finding His Path in Facilities
12:11 – How Matthew Leads Now vs. Eight Years Ago
14:48 – The Mentor Who Said "I'll Tell You One Time" (And Meant It)
16:51 – Collaboration Over Competition: Working With Vendors & Contractors
19:02 – Identifying Who's Ready for the Next Level on Your Team
21:16 – Using CMMS as a Confidence Tool, Not a Barrier
22:53 – Jim's Upcoming Book: Building in Blue Jeans
25:19 – Managing 47 Locations Without Micromanaging
28:27 – Why Matthew Lives and Breathes SOPs
29:23 – Matthew's Core Values: Family, Facilities & Paying It Forward
31:20 – The Value Bomb: Let "No" Be Fuel, Not a Roadblock
🔗 Connect with Jim, Lori, & Matthew
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-rodriguez1129/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-robinson-18211918/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-prust-309898195/
https://www.cgpconstruction.com/
📌ABOUT THE VISIONARY LEADER PODCAST
The Visionary Leader podcast features real conversations with leaders who have done the hard work and are committed to leading people, not just managing them.
🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode.
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By CGP Maintenance & Construction Services, Inc
5
99 ratings
What do you do when you've been told your entire life that you can't? If you're Matthew Rodriguez, Facilities Manager at Whataburger, you drop the T — and you keep moving.
In this episode of the Visionary Leader Podcast, Jim Robinson and co-host Lori Prust sit down with Matthew Rodriguez — a facilities leader who built his career from the ground up, starting with delivering fitness equipment at 17, teaching himself HVAC, and eventually leaving Chicago for Texas with one month's rent, a wife, and a baby on the way.
What came next is a masterclass in resilience, servant leadership, and showing up for your team the same way others showed up for you.
⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00 – Welcome & Introduction
01:26 – Matthew's Background: From Fitness Equipment to Facilities
03:28 – Work Ethic, Family Roots & Why "No" Became Fuel
05:29 – Leaving Chicago for Texas
07:15 – The Tough Two Years: No Jobs, Ramen Noodles & a Baby on the Way
09:14 – How That Season Still Drives Him Today
10:49 – Working Two to Three Jobs & Finding His Path in Facilities
12:11 – How Matthew Leads Now vs. Eight Years Ago
14:48 – The Mentor Who Said "I'll Tell You One Time" (And Meant It)
16:51 – Collaboration Over Competition: Working With Vendors & Contractors
19:02 – Identifying Who's Ready for the Next Level on Your Team
21:16 – Using CMMS as a Confidence Tool, Not a Barrier
22:53 – Jim's Upcoming Book: Building in Blue Jeans
25:19 – Managing 47 Locations Without Micromanaging
28:27 – Why Matthew Lives and Breathes SOPs
29:23 – Matthew's Core Values: Family, Facilities & Paying It Forward
31:20 – The Value Bomb: Let "No" Be Fuel, Not a Roadblock
🔗 Connect with Jim, Lori, & Matthew
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-rodriguez1129/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-robinson-18211918/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-prust-309898195/
https://www.cgpconstruction.com/
📌ABOUT THE VISIONARY LEADER PODCAST
The Visionary Leader podcast features real conversations with leaders who have done the hard work and are committed to leading people, not just managing them.
🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode.