Builders of Authority

Mark Steiniger, CFO and partner at Keil Excavating, discusses his transition from public accounting to leading his family's heavy civil contracting business. He provides insights into the complexities of inter-family business transitions, the strategic reasoning behind diversifying into commercial plumbing to derisk from earthwork volatility, and the importance of earning respect from long-te...

Kira Andersen’s life took a drastic turn when her husband, Kyle, was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer shortly after the birth of their third child. Refusing to accept a grim prognosis, Kira leveraged her background in medical and pharmaceutical sales to advocate for experimental treatments, securing "compassionate use" for a promising inhibitor.  This intervention, now known a...

Jimmy Vreeland is a West Point graduate, former Army Ranger, and full time real estate investor with a portfolio built through discipline, private money, and some hard lessons learned the expensive way. In this episode Jimmy walks through his journey from buying his first houses while deployed overseas to scaling to 120 properties and hitting a wall that forced him to rethink everything. He covers...

Ashley Burkeen is a serial entrepreneur with 12 years in general contracting, a regional Master Networks franchise, short-term rentals, a holistic skincare line, and a book to her name. In this episode she gets real about what it actually takes to build across multiple industries without losing yourself in the process. From networking and personal branding to failure, delegation, and self-awarenes...

Brandon Fuchs brings over 20 years of construction experience and $100 million in managed projects to this conversation. As the founder of the Elite Builder Society, he's on a mission to cut the contractor failure rate by tackling the root cause: fear and a lack of business fundamentals. In this episode we cover why so many skilled contractors stay stuck, how AI is transforming the front end...

Most people use a pandemic as an excuse to wait. Jeremy Wolf used it to launch. In March 2020, with the world shutting down, he started Stay Cool Climate Control from scratch and turned it into one of the most recognized HVAC brands in St. Louis. In this episode, Jeremy breaks down how he built a standout brand in a crowded market, made the shift from technician to business owner, and learned to t...

Most contractors stay stuck swinging a hammer for 90 hours a week because they never make the jump from operator to owner. Trant, a third-generation carpenter based in Nottingham, New Hampshire, almost did. Then his wife told him they were having a kid, and everything changed. In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, host Adam McChesney sits down with Trant to break down exactly how h...

Quitting a stable paycheck to build something of your own is the hardest decision most future business owners ever make. In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, host Adam McChesney sits down with Michael Schieffer, a former commercial loan officer who spent 10 years inside the banking world before walking away in April 2023 to build three businesses of his own. Today Michael runs a r...

After years of adding complexity, multiple agencies, multiple locations, a lawsuit — I'm done overcomplicating things. In this video I'm walking you through my new office setup at Adventure Unknown, why I made the move, and the exact way I've structured my environment to do better work in less time. I'll walk you through: 👉 Why I traded a 10-minute commute for a 30-minute one...

Most contractors think social media is a waste of time. John McDonald proved them wrong, with 400K followers on Facebook, 315K on Instagram, and a multi-million dollar business that grows because of his personal brand, not in spite of it. Adam McChesney sits down with John McDonald, founder of Fab Tech Solutions, to break down how a Navy vet who started with $4,000 in the bank built a massive pers...

If your painting business can't run without you, you don't have a business. You have a job. Adam McChesney sits down with Chris Moore, founder of Elite Business Advisors, to break down exactly how painting contractors go from overwhelmed owner-operators to running a scalable business with a real leadership team and hitting $1M+ in revenue without being on every job site. Chris has coache...

If your home service business is struggling with labor shortages, high turnover, or leads that go cold before your team can follow up, this episode is for you. Adam McChesney sits down with serial entrepreneur Chris Huddleston to break down how AI voice agents are replacing underperforming sales reps, cutting labor costs, and closing more jobs for home service businesses in 2026 and beyond. Chris...

Do you want to turn a successful local business into a national brand through franchising?  In this episode, we break down the real-world process of "multiplying success" with Dr. Tom DuFore—from identifying if a business is "franchiseable" to navigating the long-term sales cycles required to scale. This isn’t theory. It’s what happens when a founder decides to move from a visi...

What does it actually take to walk away from a high-paying job… hit rock bottom… and rebuild multiple successful businesses? In this episode, we break down the real entrepreneurial journey of Marburger—from selling cars at 18 to building multiple income streams across real estate, automotive, martial arts, and investments. This isn’t theory. It’s what happens when everything falls apart—and what i...

In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, I sat down with our COO, Alejandra Donaire, to talk about what actually goes into building and scaling a digital marketing agency behind the scenes. We recorded this from Nicaragua, and this conversation is a real look at what most people don’t see, the systems, the pressure, the leadership, and the day-to-day execution it takes to grow a busin...

In this episode of the Builders of Authority podcast, I sit down with Colin McNeil, owner of the McNeil Insurance Group, for a deep and personal conversation about growth, accountability, and the realities of entrepreneurship. We take a trip down memory lane, reflecting on our shared history playing sports in St. Louis and attending high school together. Colin opens up about a defining period duri...

In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, I sit down with Clint Webb, owner of Web Decks and founder of the Deck Building 101 Facebook group, a community of more than 110,000 deck builders and contractors. Clint shares his story of getting laid off during the 2008 housing crisis, how that led him into deck building, and how a simple idea to create a better online community for builders...

In this solo episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, I share some real thoughts on entrepreneurship, leadership, and the journey of building a business. If you’re a contractor or home service business owner working to grow your company: whether you’re in roofing, HVAC, plumbing, remodeling, or another trade,  this is a conversation that will likely resonate with you.  Building a business, le...

In Episode 208, I’m joined by Sam Chapman to talk about building businesses with family and long time partners and what that actually looks like behind the scenes. Sam lives in Northern Virginia and has spent the last 10+ years growing companies in the construction and insurance restoration space. After beginning his career in commercial real estate, he partnered with his brother to build Caseco i...

If you're building a business while trying to be a present leader, spouse, or parent, this episode is going to resonate with you.  In this conversation, I sit down with Jaden Barr to talk about what really builds authority over time. We go beyond tactics and dive into identity, discipline, leadership, leverage, and community. Jaden is a St. Louis-based real estate business owner, former colle...

What if the breakthrough wasn’t fame… but discipline? Episode 206 is a powerful one. Joey YAK went from elite athlete to touring artist to walking away from it all. He chose family over fame, got sober, rebuilt his life, became a top-performing sales leader, and eventually founded his own creative agency. This conversation goes beyond business tactics. It’s about identity, maturity, responsibility...

What does it really take to grow an outdoor living contracting company the right way? In this episode, I sit down with Chris Treese, founder of Olympus Outdoors, to talk about leadership, systems, accountability, and what it means to build a business that can operate without chaos. If you’re building patios, pergolas, outdoor kitchens, or full backyard projects, this conversation applies directly...

Life doesn’t stop asking hard questions just because you’ve already “made it.” In this episode, I sit down with Reed Low to talk about what comes after the peak moment. We get into reinvention, discipline, and how the same mindset that drives elite performance can carry over into business, family, and leadership. Reed shares an honest perspective on pressure, purpose, and staying grounded when the...

In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, I sit down with Jennifer Dempsey-Blakely to talk about building authority while running multiple businesses across hospitality, short-term rentals, and experiential brands. Jennifer is a lifelong entrepreneur and Hazelwood Central graduate who built her education through hands-on experience, conventions, and continuous learning. With 30 years i...

In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, I sit down with Ashley Fitzgerald of Studio Epik to talk about building authority through branding, leadership, and systems. We break down why most business owners struggle with control, how processes actually create freedom, and why brand consistency matters more than chasing short term leads. Ashley shares lessons from scaling multiple brands...