The Iron & Infrastructure Podcast

In this episode of The Iron & Infrastructure Podcast, I sit down with Charles Wilson to discuss the skilled labor shortage, workforce development, and why investing in the next generation of tradespeople is critical to our industry's future. We also dive into accountability, overcoming adversity, and how the skilled trades can create opportunities for financial freedom and generational wealth. A c...

Failure isn't the problem. Refusing to try again is. In this episode, I break down why we train to failure in the gym to get stronger, but often avoid it in business and life. Whether you're building a business, chasing a bigger goal, or trying something new, failure is part of the process. The key is learning from it, making adjustments, and getting back to work. Stop making excuses. Review what...

In this episode of The Iron & Infrastructure Podcast, I sit down with John Seaman, owner of JC Property Professionals and founder of Dirt to Dollars, to talk about what it really takes to build and scale a blue-collar business. John shares lessons from 13 years in business, including the hard reality of losing money despite generating millions in revenue, investing $750,000 in coaching and educati...

There are decisions I've made that I'm not proud of. Times when I was so focused on being right that I lost sight of what actually mattered. I've learned that being right and being effective are two completely different things. Sometimes, the hardest part of moving forward is accepting that you made a mistake and recognizing the role you played in it. In this episode of The Iron & Infrastructure P...

In 2007, I was making $9 an hour with a shovel in my hand, looking at business owners thinking, "Must be nice." In 2019, I became one myself and realized ownership was nothing like I imagined. The pressure, responsibility, and weight of leading a team showed me that becoming a business owner wasn't the finish line. It was the starting line. Hard work and grit got me to the next level, but they wer...

Working harder does not always mean making progress. In this episode, I break down the connection between your mindset, physical capacity, and the systems you build. Your hardware and software have to work together if you want to create real and lasting progress. I share lessons from my own experience of constantly pushing harder without actually getting better, and why I had to learn the importan...

PART 2: In this episode of the Iron & Infrastructure Podcast, Mike Pence and I talk about what it really takes to go from labor to leader. We get into the lonely road that comes with growth, leaving environments that keep you stuck, and why becoming the person you want to be requires taking the next right step instead of skipping the hard parts. We also talk leadership, building great teams, prote...

PART 1: In this episode of the Iron & Infrastructure Podcast, Mike Pence and I talk about what it really takes to go from labor to leader. We get into the lonely road that comes with growth, leaving environments that keep you stuck, and why becoming the person you want to be requires taking the next right step instead of skipping the hard parts. We also talk leadership, building great teams, prote...

In this episode of the Iron & Infrastructure Podcast, I sit down with Cory Gregory to talk about what it takes to keep growing through different seasons of life, business, and training. We get into discipline, consistency, entrepreneurship, personal development, and the pursuit of building a life by design. Cory shares lessons from decades of training and business, while we talk about how your env...

300 episodes. Three years. One reminder: you never know what saying yes can lead to. In this episode, I share the story behind my trip to Vegas, getting the opportunity to be on the Dropping Bombs Podcast, and what the experience reminded me about business, relationships, proximity, and putting yourself out there. Create the opportunity. Commit to it. Be present. The iron forged the path. The Inst...

Three years. Nearly 300 episodes. And a lot of lessons learned along the way. As I get ready for Episode 300, I'm reflecting on what this podcast has taught me about business, relationships, discipline, and putting yourself out there. The lessons are simple: build your network, stay in the arena, and don't quit. There were plenty of moments when I didn't feel ready, confident, or good enough. But...

Hard work got you here. But it won't get you everywhere. At some point, you have to stop doing more and start getting better. In this episode, I break down the shift from grit and determination to building systems that create scalability, repeatability, and ultimately freedom. This evolution is what led to the Iron Institute - helping leaders build the mindset, systems, and skills to create their...

What do you do when you get a rain day? You can create problems for yourself, or you can make progress. I know this because I used to be the guy raising hell on rain days, drinking with the guys and setting myself back. Eventually, I realized a rain day could be an accelerator for personal development, discipline, and growth. In this episode, I break down how blue-collar workers can use downtime t...

Have you ever achieved something you wanted and then questioned whether you actually deserved it? In this episode, I break down the limiting beliefs that can keep you from recognizing what you're capable of and the stories you've been telling yourself that may not even be true. I walk through three simple but powerful questions to help you challenge those beliefs: Is it true? How old is it? What m...

The barbell doesn't care about your excuses, your title, your past, or the story you tell yourself. It gives you honest feedback. In this episode, I break down the 7 Iron Truths the barbell teaches us about reality, discomfort, fundamentals, progress, identity, and taking action. These aren't just gym lessons. They're life lessons. Face reality. Protect the basics. Meet resistance. Build the perso...

In this episode of Trench Talk, I sit down to talk about one of the biggest transitions in the field: moving from operator to foreman. Being great at the work doesn't automatically mean you're ready to lead people. We break down why leadership requires communication, confidence, accountability, and the ability to get out of the seat and see the bigger picture. We also talk about mentorship, teachi...

Complexity is the ultimate demise in high-stakes situations. In this episode, I talk about simplifying complex processes, bridging the gap between what we know and what others need to know, and building systems from simple foundational steps. Simple scales. Complex fails. Key Topics: Simplifying complexity P2P bridge + seeing the field Building simple systems Teaching instead of assuming  Learn mo...

In this episode of Trench Talk, we break down what I call the two 80-percents: communication and documentation. If you can get both of those right, you're already ahead of the game. We talk about setting clear expectations, creating a two-way feedback loop, speaking up when something isn't right, and why documenting the work matters just as much as communicating it. Clear communication builds trus...

When I first started in this industry, my biggest downfall was not shutting up and listening. My ego was too big, and I thought I had to prove I knew what I was doing. In this episode, Mike Pence and I talk about the difference between hearing and actually listening, putting your ego aside, becoming a sponge, and learning from the people who have already walked the road. You don't have to know it...

In Part 2 of this roundtable with Jeffrey Lowery and Kody Rostofer, we go deeper into what it takes to actually build a meaningful life and business. We talk about overcoming fear and imposter syndrome, protecting your time, creating accountability, and having the confidence to stand behind the value you provide. Most importantly, we get into why fulfillment isn't about constantly chasing more. It...

In this roundtable episode, I sit down with Jeffrey Lowery and Kody Rostofer for a real conversation about consistency, focus, accountability, and what it takes to build a meaningful life and business. We talk about overcoming imposter syndrome, taking uncomfortable action, recognizing the problems holding us back, and why the simple, boring fundamentals often create the biggest results. We also g...

Looking back at old photos brought back a lot more than just memories. In this episode, I go through pictures from some of my earliest experiences in the pipeline industry, from learning to operate equipment at just five or six years old to working cross-country jobs and learning some hard lessons in the field. Some of these moments were challenging, some were terrifying, and a lot of them helped...

Time is the one thing we can never earn back, and we never know exactly how much of it we have left. In this episode, I break down a simple way to structure your calendar around three things: perform, preserve, and prepare. I talk about protecting your priorities, creating themed days, eliminating distractions, recovering when needed, and preparing yourself to execute at a high level. If you want...

Most people don't stay stuck because they're incapable... they stay stuck because they're comfortable. In this episode, I challenge you to stop confusing comfort with competence and take an honest look at whether you're settling for "good enough." I share the mindset shift that's helped me make some of the biggest decisions in my life, the simple 3S framework I use when facing uncertainty, and why...

In this episode, I sit down with operations expert Doug Levy to unpack why the best businesses aren't built by adding more complexity—they're built by creating more clarity. We dive into leadership, communication, hiring, company culture, and what it really takes to build a business that can scale without depending on one person. If you're leading a team, growing a business, or trying to become a...