🎙️ Episode Summary:
How do you go from serving on the high seas to managing high-stakes infrastructure? Meet Kaylen Bushell—a data center strategist whose journey from the U.S. Coast Guard to leading hyperscale initiatives proves that the path to tech infrastructure leadership isn’t always a straight line. In this episode, Kaylen shares how adaptability, mission-driven thinking, and cross-disciplinary fluency helped her translate service experience into technical excellence across some of the world’s most sophisticated data centers.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Military experience cultivates unmatched adaptability and operational discipline, ideal for infrastructure roles.

• The ability to “speak multiple languages”—technical, strategic, operational—is essential for success in complex environments.

• You don’t need a traditional tech or construction background to thrive in the data center space.

• Empathy and curiosity are underrated superpowers in technical leadership.

🧑‍🚀 Guest Bio – Kaylen Bushell:
A Managing Consultant at Avicado, Kaylen supports hyperscale data center clients through strategic advisory, asset management, and operational excellence. Drawing from a foundation in military service and field-level experience at AWS and Meta, she excels in aligning construction and operations to reduce risk and improve lifecycle outcomes.

Welcome to Wired to Build, a data-driven, technology-focused podcast digging into how owners and operators use technology to manage the full lifecycle of their projects.

In this episode, we’re bringing back Hannah Misch, Quality Manager at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), for a deeper conversation about a topic that rarely makes it onto the schedule: vibes.

From navigating multi-layer inspections and fire-stopping challenges at the Denver Airport to coordinating with bomb squads on federal jobsites, Hannah shares how energy, trust, and emotional awareness impact project outcomes. We explore how “reading the room” and planning with intention can reduce rework, improve quality, and build stronger teams.

Topics include:

• What happens when the vibes are off—and how to reset

• How to balance accountability with empathy

• Creating trust through transparency and preemptive action

• Why “too chill” can sometimes become a risk

• Lessons in leadership, communication, and culture-building

This episode is packed with practical takeaways for anyone managing teams, quality, or complex projects—and proves that managing the people side of construction is just as critical as managing the plan.

🎧 Subscribe, rate the show, and sign up for the Avicado Toast newsletter to stay in the loop. And don’t forget to share with a colleague who’s ready to build with better vibes.

🔑 Key Takeaways

1. Culture is Contagious: Energy—good or bad—spreads quickly on job sites. Intentional planning and communication help set the tone.

2. Process Drives Vibes: Poor planning leads to bad vibes. Start with clear documentation, expectations, and knowledge transfer.

3. Chill Can Be a Risk: Even positive cultures need balance. Too relaxed, and critical warnings (like potential unexploded ordnance) might be ignored.

4. Trust Fuels Progress: Teams that self-report issues early, call before problems escalate, and lean into feedback loops succeed more often.

5. Empathy is a Tool: Noticing someone's bad day, offering a water break, or just being human goes a long way.

6. Quality is Human: You’re not just checking specs—you’re checking culture. Be the calm in chaos, and people will rally around you.

Welcome to Wired to Build, a data-driven, technology-focused podcast digging into how owners and operators use technology to manage the full life cycle of their projects.

In this guest introduction episode, we sit down with Hannah Misch, a civil engineer-turned-quality-leader at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Hannah brings over 14 years of experience across residential, industrial, and commercial construction—starting on job sites with her dad, and now representing owners on some of the nation’s most sustainable builds.

From early exposure to luxury home construction in Indiana to managing quality control at billion-dollar airport expansions, Hannah shares how her passion for processes, documentation, and doing things right the first time shaped her career. We explore her mentors, her love of structured workflows, and her approach to coaching the next generation.

Oh, and there’s plenty of personality here too—video games, gardening, and the real-life chaos of working from home with pets.

This episode tees up our next conversation: how emotional “vibes” and mental health directly impact safety, productivity, and risk on the job site.

🎯 Key Takeaways

• Quality roots run deep: Hannah's journey started in childhood, working alongside her dad on luxury residential builds.

• Process = peace: From document control to LEED tracking, her love for structure and detail emerged as a superpower.

• Mentorship matters: Hannah highlights the power of being mentored—and now mentoring others—with openness and humility.

• Humanizing the jobsite: From video games to vegetable gardens, Hannah reminds us that personal balance plays into professional performance.

• Prepping for "vibes": We set the stage for a powerful conversation on how psychological safety and culture affect project outcomes.

Welcome to Wired to Build, a data-driven, technology-focused podcast digging into how building owners and operators use technology to manage the full life cycle of their projects.

In this episode, Nick and Christy dive back in with contractor, TV host, and fierce trades advocate Kayleen McCabe.

From toolboxes in third grade to high school pre-apprenticeships and post-prison re-entry programs, Kayleen unpacks the urgency—and opportunity—of workforce development. She shares actionable ways the industry can engage youth, support skilled professionals, and make the trades an aspirational career path for everyone.

Expect a lively and heartfelt discussion on how video games, 3D printing, and tiny hammers are shaping the builders of tomorrow.

🔧 Topics covered:

• Building early engagement in elementary and middle school
• Trade schools, apprenticeships, and the ROI of training the next gen
• How gaming culture is influencing process thinking in construction
• Why soft skills like grit, communication, and failure are critical
• Supporting today’s workforce with simple but powerful changes

📌 Key Takeaways

• Start early: Engage students in 2nd and 3rd grade with hands-on projects like toolboxes tied to basic math and fractions.
• Make it visible: Careers in construction can be inspiring—when students see them in action. Think job site tours, volunteers in classrooms, and real-world exposure to tech.
• Soft skills matter: The shop class is one of the last safe places for students to fail and develop perseverance, teamwork, and problem-solving.
• New media = new outreach: Want to recruit tomorrow’s talent? Try Xbox ads, movie theater clips, or meet them in the virtual worlds where they already build.
• Take care of today’s workforce: From portable microwaves to mental health plans and rideshare credits, small changes can create a culture of respect and care.

🧵 Episode Summary:

In this episode of Wired to Build, we sit down with contractor, TV host, and workforce development champion Kayleen McCabe. From growing up around tools and sawdust to hosting DIY Network’s Rescue Renovation, Kayleen’s journey is anything but ordinary. She opens up about her winding path through construction and television, founding the McCabe Foundation, and her unwavering mission to advocate for vocational education and mental health on the job site.

This guest introduction episode dives deep into how early tinkering turned into a lifelong calling, why storytelling matters in construction, and how being a former 911 dispatcher gave her the resilience to lead crews and inspire the next generation of tradespeople.

🎧 “This isn’t just a job—it’s art.”

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Mental health is a job site safety issue: Through her chaplaincy work, she’s helping normalize check-ins and emotional awareness on crews.

• TV taught her speed, construction taught her humility: Her time in production shaped how she leads and educates with compassion and efficiency.

In this deep-dive episode, we explore how digital twins are reshaping capital programs and facilities management. Chris Hussey of TransformXD unpacks the real-world applications of digital twins across design, construction, and operations. We discuss how to virtually prototype your facility, the ROI of integrating data early, the role of digital PMOs, and what it means to become your own “digital owner’s rep.”

Whether you’re building a new data center or retrofitting a legacy facility, this conversation is your blueprint to staying ahead.

🔑 Topics Covered:

• What a digital twin really is (hint: it’s not just 3D)

• Virtual prototyping & coordination to reduce RFIs

• Building metaverses of real estate portfolios

• Predictive maintenance using IoT and sensors

• Data strategy: when, how, and why to collect and structure information

• Creating contractual standards for asset data deliverables

Welcome to Wired to Build, a data-driven, technology-focused podcast exploring how owners and operators use technology to manage the full life cycle of their projects. In this guest introduction episode, we sit down with Chris Hussey, VP of Sales at Transform XD, to explore his journey into the world of digital twins. From his early days working with Audi’s Le Mans racing team to pioneering AI-driven predictive maintenance for buildings, Chris brings a unique perspective on how data-driven modeling is reshaping industries far beyond construction.

Tune in to hear about Chris’s career evolution, the future of digital twins, and why if you’re not digitally twinning your assets in 2025, you might be putting your job at risk. This is just the beginning—our deep dive into the applications of digital twins will be dropping in the next episode, so stay tuned!Key Takeaways

• What is a digital twin? A digital model of an asset that integrates real-time data for simulation, monitoring, and maintenance.

• The origins of digital twins: From NASA in the 1960s to Audi’s Le Mans racing and beyond.

• The data challenge: Why garbage in, garbage out is the ultimate hurdle for digital twin adoption.

• The AI future: How predictive maintenance and AI-driven insights will define the next generation of digital twins.

In this episode of Wired to Build, we sit down with Hamzah Shanbari, Director of Innovation at Haskell and author of Paperless Builders: The Why, What, and How of Construction Technology. We dive deep into the evolving landscape of construction technology, exploring how digital transformation can streamline workflows, improve collaboration, and drive efficiency. Hamzah shares insights from his book, discussing the biggest roadblocks to innovation, the critical role of people in technology adoption, and how companies can embrace failure as a necessary step toward progress.

From rethinking paper-based processes to leveraging AI in construction, this conversation is packed with valuable lessons for anyone navigating the challenges of digital transformation in the built environment.

🔹 Why change in construction is hard—but necessary
🔹 The Builder’s Framework for implementing new technology
🔹 How to overcome fear of failure and drive adoption
🔹 The future of AI, automation, and digital twins in construction
🔹 Practical steps companies can take to innovate today

Don't miss this engaging discussion on what it really takes to go paperless, digital, and future-ready in construction.

Episode Summary
In this episode of Wired to Build, we sit down with Hamzah Shanbari, Director of Innovation at Haskell and author of Paperless Builders: The Why, What, and How of Construction Technology. Hamzah shares his journey from growing up with a construction site next door to becoming a leader in construction innovation, highlighting his passion for digital transformation and the role of BIM, data strategy, and collaboration in reshaping the industry.
We explore the inspiration behind his book, how technology can empower construction teams, and why a paperless approach is crucial for efficiency, accuracy, and project success. Hamzah’s deep industry insights, combined with his hands-on experience, provide a roadmap for those looking to navigate the future of construction technology. If you’re a builder, owner, or designer looking to maximize data-driven decision-making, this episode is for you.
And stay tuned—our next episode will dive even deeper into the people side of digital transformation and what it takes to truly drive change in the industry.

Key Takeaways

• Innovation is for everyone. Hamzah’s book was written to help small and mid-sized GCs and trade partners without dedicated innovation teams embrace construction technology.

• Data, not just 3D models. The real value in BIM lies in the information behind the models, helping teams collaborate, reduce risk, and close the feedback loop between design and execution.
• Tech is ready—you just need to embrace it. Many solutions for scheduling, coordination, and automation are already available. The challenge is not the technology itself but getting the industry to adopt it.
• Failure is a necessity in innovation. At Haskell, the leadership supports a culture of experimentation, where failure is seen as a step toward meaningful progress.
• Construction needs better communication. One of the biggest barriers to efficiency isn’t the technology—it’s ensuring that all stakeholders are aligned and working toward a common goal.

Episode Chapter Outline
[00:00] Introduction – Meet Hamzah Shanbari, Nick’s excitement for his book, and the goal of today’s conversation

[04:30] From the Site Next Door to Construction Innovation – Hamzah’s early inspiration and career journey.

[12:15] The Birth of Paperless Builders – Why Hamzah wrote the book and what he hopes readers will take from it.

[18:30] Technology and the Future of Construction – BIM, digital twins, and closing the information loop between design and execution.

[27:00] Haskell’s Innovation Culture – How the company fosters experimentation and a “fail fast, learn faster” mentality.

[33:45] Final Thoughts – What the industry needs to focus on and why collaboration is the key to success.

[38:00] Preview of Part 2 – Next episode will cover the human side of digital transformation.

In this episode of Wired to Build, host Nick and Christy continue their insightful conversation with Dr. Laura Gallaher of Gallaher Edge. Together, they dive into the psychology of change and how leaders and organizations can better navigate transitions by fostering self-awareness, adaptability, and emotional intelligence.

Key topics include:

Dr. Gallaher shares practical tools and perspectives to help teams align around shared goals while respecting individual interests and emotions. Whether you're a leader, team member, or industry professional, this episode offers a refreshing look at how to embrace change and thrive in a dynamic environment.

Want more from Dr. Laura?