The NEXT Academy

Thanksgiving Bonus Edition 🙌🏼 The Search for Fulfillment is a new short series released each Friday where we uncover lessons of the greatest minds to help you live with purpose, passion, and peace. In today's episode, Brian asks, "In what area of your life can you begin to trust your own worth more deeply, and how might that shift... lead to greater fulfillment?" Enjoy Episode 46 of The Search f...

The Search for Fulfillment is a new short series released each Friday where we uncover lessons of the greatest minds to help you live with purpose, passion, and peace. In today's episode, Brian asks, "What is one area of your life where you can embrace uncertainty and take a risk? How might that lead you toward greater fulfillment?" Enjoy Episode 45 of The Search for Fulfillment. #BeNEXT

Field Notes That Win Fights — Documentation as a Daily Habit Stop arguing and start  showing . In this  Hard Hat Headspace  episode, walk a stadium retrofit with a foreman who turns four quick photos and a 5-line  Doc Card  into faster RFIs, cleaner change orders, and fewer “we’ll circle back” delays. You’ll learn the  four-shot rule  (wide → medium → detail → measurement), wall-posted plans with ...

The Goods is a new series that delivers wisdom for personal and professional growth. In today's episode, Michael drops into an airline ops center during a blizzard, where one manager turns chaos into cadence with three columns—Protect, Recover, Communicate—and a bell that celebrates every saved flight. Learn how visible priorities, time-boxed decisions, synchronized updates, and a quick hotwas...

The Search for Fulfillment is a new short series released each Friday where we uncover lessons of the greatest minds to help you live with purpose, passion, and peace. In today's episode, Brian asks, "What is one small step you can take today toward progress, and how might that action bring you closer to a fulfilling life?" Enjoy Episode 44 of The Search for Fulfillment. #BeNEXT

The Goods is a new series that delivers wisdom for personal and professional growth. In today's episode, Michael shares how one leader’s simple ritual of reserving a seat for “the person not in the room” reshapes every decision her team makes. Discover how thinking beyond the table, honoring unseen stakeholders, and using powerful symbols can elevate your leadership and your culture. Enjoy Epi...

The Search for Fulfillment is a new short series released each Friday where we uncover lessons of the greatest minds to help you live with purpose, passion, and peace. In today's episode, Brian asks, "What system or habit can you create today that will help you navigate challenges more effectively and move closer to a fulfilling life?" Enjoy Episode 43 of The Search for Fulfillment. #BeNEXT

Hard Lines, Soft Skills — Emotional Intelligence in Work Boots Yelling isn’t leadership—it’s noise. In this episode, step onto a high-pressure data center build with a foreman who trades barking orders for field-ready emotional intelligence. You’ll hear how simple moves—naming tension without inflaming it, correcting in private, praising in public, and acting fast on craft feedback—drive trust, sa...

The Goods is a new series that delivers wisdom for personal and professional growth. In today's episode, Michael unpacks how a lost stuffed animal and a few creative frontline employees turned a simple customer problem into a story of unforgettable trust. Learn why empowering people at the edge, celebrating thoughtful details, and protecting discretionary effort can quietly define your culture...

The Search for Fulfillment is a new short series released each Friday where we uncover lessons of the greatest minds to help you live with purpose, passion, and peace. In today's episode, Brian asks, "What is one imperfection you can embrace today, and how might it help you grow and find deeper fulfillment?" Enjoy Episode 42 of The Search for Fulfillment. #BeNEXT

Right-Sized Crews — Line Balance Without the Burnout If your productivity chart looks like a heart monitor, this episode is for you. Walk a clinic floor with a foreman who stops chasing “more bodies” and starts balancing the line. You’ll learn field-ready moves: a 30-minute  walk-and-watch  to find the true bottleneck, a plywood  Yamazumi  to size tasks, two simple  work cells  (layout + install)...

The Goods is a new series that delivers wisdom for personal and professional growth. In today's episode, Michael spotlights Emily Warren Roebling, who stepped into the storm to translate complex engineering into clear action and carry the Brooklyn Bridge to completion. Discover how learning fast, leading without permission, and turning credibility into cadence can hold a mission together when...

The Search for Fulfillment is a new short series released each Friday where we uncover lessons of the greatest minds to help you live with purpose, passion, and peace. In today's episode, Brian asks, "What is one thing you can appreciate about your current life today, and how might cultivating gratitude for it lead to a deeper sense of fulfillment?" Enjoy Episode 41 of The Search for...

The Goods is a new series that delivers wisdom for personal and professional growth. In today's episode, Michael contrasts Amundsen’s steady, disciplined push to the South Pole with Scott’s surge-and-stall approach to reveal why boring consistency beats heroic bursts. Learn how setting non-negotiable daily targets, banking rest on easy days, and designing for real conditions can compound into...

Imagine walk-through day with nothing to fix. In this  Hard Hat Headspace  episode, a foreman turns “good enough” into “done-done” with field-ready moves: a door-posted  Gold Box  standard (photos you can point to), a pocket  Q-Card (height, label, torque mark, photo), and  blue → white → green  tags that prove self-check, peer-check, and  Next Trade Ready . You’ll learn a five-minute  fishbone  h...

The Search for Fulfillment is a new short series released each Friday where we uncover lessons of the greatest minds to help you live with purpose, passion, and peace. In today's episode, Brian asks, "What part of your journey can you embrace today, and how can the courage to keep growing bring you closer to a fulfilling life?" Enjoy Episode 40 of The Search for Fulfillment. #BeNEXT

The Goods is a new series that delivers wisdom for personal and professional growth. In today's episode, Michael follows John Snow through cholera-stricken London as his street-level data and a simple act—removing a pump handle—turn fear into facts and action. Learn how going to the ground, visualizing truth, and making one decisive move can spark systemic fixes that last. Enjoy Episode 41 of...

Two shifts, one plan. In this episode, walk the line between day and night with a handover routine that turns 24 hours into one continuous workday. You’ll get field-ready moves: a three-minute  SBAR  strip, the  3–2–1 snapshot (three photos, two blockers, one decision request), a simple  OODA  note to stay adaptive, a red/yellow/green  zone map  everyone can read at 20 feet, and a hard  24-hour de...

The Search for Fulfillment is a new short series released each Friday where we uncover lessons of the greatest minds to help you live with purpose, passion, and peace. In today's episode, Brian asks, "How can you serve others today, and what impact do you think that act of service will have on your sense of fulfillment?" Enjoy Episode 39 of The Search for Fulfillment. #BeNEXT

Your job isn’t slow—your  materials  are. In this episode, step into a medical tower where a foreman turns hallway chaos into smooth, point-of-use flow. You’ll learn field-ready moves: a 15-minute  spaghetti walk , a two-bin  supermarket  at the room door, a dedicated  water spider  to restock kits, and simple  kit kanban  tags that kill stockouts. We’ll also cover quick ergonomic wins (waist-high...

The Goods is a new series that delivers wisdom for personal and professional growth. In today's episode, Michael revisits Paul O’Neill’s audacious pledge to make worker safety Alcoa’s north star—and how that single moral metric rewired the entire company. Learn how turning values into mechanisms and pushing authority to the front line can lift culture, quality, and performance all at once. Enj...

The Search for Fulfillment is a new short series released each Friday where we uncover lessons of the greatest minds to help you live with purpose, passion, and peace. In today's episode, Brian asks, "What is one action you can take today to fully embrace the present moment, and how might that bring you closer to a fulfilling life?" Enjoy Episode 38 of The Search for Fulfillment. #BeNEXT

The Goods is a new series that delivers wisdom for personal and professional growth. In today's episode, Michael traces a junior nurse’s “time-out” and a 19-box checklist avert a dangerous allergy error, proving that small pauses save lives. Discover how normalizing the pause, giving every voice the mic, and standardizing the basics while personalizing the plan can build a culture where safety...

First days shape entire careers. In this episode, walk the site with a superintendent who turns rookie nerves into real productivity using a 15-minute  First-Hour Tour , a buddy system built on “ watch one, do one, teach back one ,” and two pocket tools: the  Job Map  (Access, Info, Material, Tools, Predecessors) and a 10-day  Passport Page for must-have skills. You’ll hear field-ready moves that...

The Search for Fulfillment is a new short series released each Friday where we uncover lessons of the greatest minds to help you live with purpose, passion, and peace. In today's episode, Brian asks, "How can you reflect on your past experiences today, and what lessons can you apply to move forward with greater fulfillment?" Enjoy Episode 37 of The Search for Fulfillment. #BeNEXT