Elevate Construction

Are Controlling Superintendents Sabotaging Your Project? Learn the Red Flags Before It's Too Late! In this episode of the Elevate Construction Podcast, we uncover the subtle but dangerous signs that someone on your project site is prioritizing control over results. From avoiding pull plans and quality preconstruction meetings to hoarding information and isolating themselves from the team, these be...

How to Stop Trades from Self Optimizing and Keep Your Project on Track Ever had a trade partner prioritize their own schedule over the success of the entire project? In this episode, we dive into the exact strategies you need to prevent self-optimization before it derails your job. From real-world pre-construction planning examples to visual iterations that align every contractor's work, I break d...

Breaking the Silence with Coralee Beatty Construction is one of the toughest industries in the world and it's also one of the hardest on mental health. With suicide rates at alarming levels, leadership gaps on jobsites, and the pressure to constantly deliver, it's time to have a real conversation. In this episode of the Elevate Construction Podcast, Jason Schroeder sits down with Coralee Beatty fr...

Breaking Patterns in Construction Smarter Planning, Prefab, and Flow Why do some projects soar while others spiral into chaos? The difference often comes down to patterns the hidden rules driving planning, prefabrication, and production flow. In this episode of the Elevate Construction Podcast, Jason Schroeder unpacks two game-changing concepts every builder needs to master: ·     Resource, Supply...

Supporting Trades and Teams in Construction If you want people to thrive, you have to love the environment that makes them strong. In this episode of the Elevate Construction Podcast, Jason Schroeder shares a powerful analogy: just as a flower needs soil, water, and sunlight, our trade partners and teams need clarity, safety, organization, and lean systems to truly flourish. Too often, leaders cha...

Are you unknowingly the bottleneck on your construction project? In this short but powerful episode of the Elevate Construction Podcast, Jason Schroeder breaks down three game changing truths every builder and leader needs to hear: ✅ Why keeping the plan in your head makes YOU the project's biggest constraint. ✅ The hard truth about lean: why you can't punch up and what it really takes to scale...

My Unfiltered Response to a Negative Review In this episode, I break down a recent four star review that accused me of being "too political" and explain why topics like racism, sexism, and the treatment of people in construction are not off limits they're essential. Along the way, I unpack why I stand behind voices like Taylor Swift, why toxic figures like Andrew Tate are dangerous for our industr...

The #1 Project Killer You're Probably Ignoring In this episode, I unpack a brilliant concept shared by Kevin Rice "managing timelines". We're talking about the sequences that don't repeat, don't fit neatly into your normal planning structure, and yet carry massive consequences like permanent power, elevator installs, switchgear procurement, or utility hookups. If you're not breaking these timeline...

Who Really Controls the Schedule: You or the Trades? Too many projects grind to a halt because one trade insists on "doing it their way" taking massive areas, blowing through at their own pace, and expecting everyone else to adjust. Sound familiar? In this episode, Jason breaks down why allowing a single trade to drive the schedule kills flow, profitability, and project success. You'll learn: ·  ...

Building Better Leaders, Saving Lives, and Changing Construction Culture In this episode, Jason Schroeder sits down with Jason Sturgeon, founder of Arcade Way finding, to unpack his 30 year journey through the trades and the mission behind his groundbreaking programs for foremen and project managers. Together, they dive into: ·     Why fear vs love is at the core of every leadership decision. ·  ...

From Multitasking Myths to Flow Based Success in Construction Why do so many projects stall, burn out crews, and miss deadlines despite everyone "working hard"? The answer might shock you: multitasking and too many open work fronts. In this episode, Jason Schroeder sits down with Dr. Efrat Goldratt-Aschlag, co-author of Goldratt's Rules of Flow and daughter of Dr. Eliyahu Goldratt (author of The G...

Stop Undervaluing Work & Respect the Small Projects In this episode, Jason Schroeder flips common construction myths on their head, smaller doesn't mean simpler, and slashing prices isn't a path to success. Learn why rushing to cut costs or undervaluing service providers hurts your team, your projects, and your relationships. Jason dives deep into how to negotiate fairly, effectively, and ethicall...

In this podcast we cover: Why waste and variation are detrimental. What we can learn from old school Supers. What advice would I give myself when I was 28? What if the biggest lessons in construction leadership aren't about schedules or systems—but about people? In this episode, I answer three powerful listener questions that go straight to the heart of what makes a great superintendent. We'll exp...

In this podcast we cover: Why it's so hard to fix construction. Why the ego gets in the way. This episode dives deep into one of the most powerful yet invisible forces holding construction back, the ego. Too many leaders cling to pride, resist change, and refuse to ask for help, even when projects are sinking. Drawing on insights from Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now , I break down the eight ways...

In this podcast we cover: The rise of builders. Sharing information with Trades. The hell of CPM. Are we losing the builders in construction? In this episode, I tackle three pressing issues shaping our industry today. First, I break down why companies must restore balance by empowering superintendents, foremen, and field engineers instead of drowning in administration. Then I expose the destructiv...

In this podcast we cover: The right format for weekly work plans. How to approach using them. Advice for your lean journey. Curious how weekly work plans really work on a live job? In this episode I sit down with Jared Davis to unpack takt planning, pull planning, and making look aheads actually useful. We answer the trade lane question: separate them or show them together. You will learn why the...

In this podcast we cover: What pull means. How we can approach real lean construction. Advice on your lean journey. Are we holding construction back by clinging to the wrong systems? In this blog, I dig into three game-changing truths about our industry: why project managers have overtaken builders, why hiding schedules from trade partners destroys trust, and why CPM is a nightmare we must leave b...

In this podcast we cover: Why orders must be written and verbal. How changes to the plan should be handled. Why Supers keep the plan in their heads. What the consequences are. Too many superintendents are sabotaging their own projects without even realizing it. In this blog, I share a hard truth: verbal instructions alone destroy schedules, disconnect teams, and neutralize the systems that keep pr...

In this podcast we cover: Why you should never ask trades to send you their WWP. What you should expect from the meeting system. Are your construction meetings driving results or just wasting time? In this blog, I uncover one of the most damaging habits in Last Planner implementation: asking trade partners to submit separate weekly work plans. This practice undermines flow, wastes valuable time, a...

In this podcast we cover: Why it is cool that these things are hard. Why you should make your best players famous. Why being bigger means you may be more abusive. In this episode, I share three powerful lessons every construction leader needs to hear. First, why making your winners famous creates a culture where excellence spreads instead of negativity. Second, how privilege and power, whether in...

In this podcast we cover: Why CPM Is a failed system. How pedaling it is like being a member of a drug cartel. In this episode, I confront a hard truth about our industry: too many leaders still advocate for systems that harm people, especially CPM scheduling. I share why this approach is not just outdated but actively destructive, leading to unsafe practices, wasted resources, burnout, and broken...

In this podcast we cover: Expanded explanations of the rules of flow. In this episode, I unpack Eliyahu Goldratt's rules of flow and show how they apply directly to construction. I break down why avoiding bad multitasking protects capacity, why full kit readiness prevents delays, and why triaging priorities keeps projects on track. I share stories from the field that highlight the importance of sy...

In this podcast we cover: What are the 8 Wastes of Starting Lean? How can you use them to begin your Lean journey? In this episode, I share what I call the eight ways of starting lean. While the traditional eight wastes are still critical, these barriers often stop teams before they ever begin the journey. From ignorance and procrastination to unchecked egos and blaming others, we explore what rea...

In this podcast we cover: Why each effort needs a kit first. How that opens the gate to your beginning. In this episode, I dive into the idea of kitting, inspired by Efrat Goldratt's The Rules of Flow, and explore how it can transform the way we approach construction. I share how a simple experience with my kids in Minecraft made me realize the power of preparation and how that same principle appl...

In this podcast we cover: Things people say about being tough in construction. Why we need to be more accepting. In this episode, I sit down with Brandon Montero in Guadalajara, Mexico to have an honest conversation about the culture of toughness in construction. Brandon shares a powerful story about someone being told to "grow thicker skin or get out" after showing emotion in a meeting and we div...