People-First Builders Podcast

Fletcher and Chad dive deep into one of the most critical and often overlooked challenges in scaling a commercial construction business: taking the estimating hat off the owner's head. They explore: Why owners must eventually delegate estimating to scale effectively. The two main paths : grow an estimator internally vs. recruit one from a competitor. Growing your own estimators : Preferred degrees...

In this compelling episode of People-First Builders , host Fletcher Wimbush welcomes Mike Frick, president of Bear Ironworks, to share the incredible story of how a simple welding project turned into a thriving, multi-generational manufacturing business. From his early days in the oil fields and rural road building to managing over $200 million in infrastructure projects, including a $6 billion LN...

In this episode of the People-First Builders Podcast , I'm joined by Jeffery Forrest Jr., successor and co-owner of WPC, a family-run construction powerhouse based in Central Florida. Jeffrey shares his journey from pushing a broom on job sites at 15 to leading one of the Southeast's premier construction management firms. We dive into his unique career trajectory, including a fascinating stint as...

In this episode of The People-First Builders Podcast , host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Jeff Forrest Sr. , President and CEO of WPC, a construction industry titan with over 45 years of hands-on leadership experience. From humble beginnings in 1979 to overseeing thousands of units across the Southeast, Jeff shares a candid look at the art of leadership transitions, generational shifts, and the...

In this episode of People First Builders , host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Paige Byrd, Co-President of Thiel & Team, a seasoned leader in amenities-focused interior design and architecture. With over 30 years of experience, Paige shares the remarkable story behind the revival of the historic Baker Hotel and Spa in Mineral Wells, Texas — a project nearly two decades in the making. From her ear...

In this episode of the People First Builders podcast, host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Justin Bride , CEO and founder of Ascent Contracting , to explore what it really means to lead with purpose in the construction industry. From his unconventional path—pivoting from a physics degree to a career in residential construction—to founding a company rooted in empathy, integrity, and craftsmanship ,...

In this episode of  People-First Builders , host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Traci Austin , Chief Talent Officer at Elevated Talent Consulting, to unpack one of the biggest leadership challenges in the trades: the blame game. Tracy, a lifelong advocate for transformational leadership in construction and the AEC space, shares how leaders can shift from chronic complaints to intentional culture-...

In this episode of the People First Builders Podcast , host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Brandon Stanchock, CEO of SWF Industrial, to explore how authentic leadership and a true commitment to people-first values can transform a business. Brandon shares his journey from project management in power plant construction to leading a growing industrial fabrication company—where he's driven incredible...

From Field to Founder: How Sal Hernandez Scaled, Exited, and Now Coaches the Next Generation of Builders In this episode of People-First Builders , host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Sal Hernandez — a veteran, serial entrepreneur, and former owner of a successful design-build firm. From humble beginnings mowing lawns with his father to scaling a full-service construction company with multiple li...

In this episode of People First Builders , Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Sam Rockaway , Head of Sales at REDCOM Design & Construction, to unpack his remarkable journey from construction outsider to B2B sales powerhouse in the design-build space. 🔍 What You'll Learn: How Sam turned a relationship-first mindset into an $8M average deal size The unusual way he was recruited—then left in charge whe...

From Farm Life to Design-Build Leadership: Lance Cayko's People-First Journey What happens when a poor farm kid from North Dakota trades irrigation lines for blueprints? You get Lance Cayko , co-founder of F9 Productions—a thriving design-build architecture firm in Colorado—and one of the most intentional leaders I've met. In this episode of People First Builders , Lance shares how a summer job wi...

In this episode of the People-First Builders podcast, Fletcher Wimbush interviews the CEO of Core Matters, Ryan Englin. Ryan shares his journey from running a marketing company to specializing in recruiting for trades like HVAC, plumbing, and construction. He highlights the high turnover rates and the inefficiencies of traditional staffing agencies. Ryan discusses the importance of creating a sust...

In the inaugural episode of the People-First Builders podcast, Josh Elledge of UpMyInfluence interviews the creator and host of the show, Fletcher Wimbush. Fletcher is the owner and CEO of Discovered.ai , Wimbush & Associates, Inc. , and Integrity First . Fletcher addresses the significant talent shortages and shares strategies for effective hiring and retention. Drawing from his extensive experie...

Fletcher and Gerald discuss how looking at your team as artists can help with better understanding their role and how everyone ties into your workplace orchestra.

In this episode, Damien joins Fletcher in discussing the new norms that have stemmed from the pandemic such as remote work, the rise of international workers in the software development field, and how to identify and include these new set of workers into the company and its culture.

Fletcher Wimbush brings on Julie Kratz from Next Pivot Point to discuss diversity in the workplace and how important representation has become in both society and our workforce. Next Pivot Point Linkedin Facebook Twitter

Michael Yinger, CEO of Resume Sieve, joins Fletcher Wimbush to discuss the best ways to hire the right person for the right job through the resume sorting process.

Fletcher Wimbush talks with Shaun Martin, author of "Hack Your Hiring: The Tactical Playbook to Find, Evaluate, and Hire A+ Talent" on how to attract and find the best talent using the right job ad.

The Hire Talents podcast, Optimizing The Hiring Process, for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs is excited to host  Cameron Herold , a true serial entrepreneurial genius known around the world . He is the mastermind behind hundreds of companies' exponential growth. Join us as we get in depth with  THE CEO WHISPERER

Fletcher Wimbush speaks with Bianca Lager of 'Social Intelligence' a consumer reporting agency focused on online risk for human resources. www.socialintel.com

A lot of leaders fear having a remote dispersed workforce will hurt productivity. Learn about this and more on today's podcast with Shane Metcalf.

On today's podcast Fletcher interviews Natalya Berdikyan, the Founder and CEO of Life By Design-Academy . Discussing How Negative Energy Levels may affect your hiring and business results. Answering questions like, " Can you you detect Energy levels quickly in an interview?" Hear the latest podcasts online at TheHireTalent.com Podcasts . Learn about pre-employment assessments to help you hire smar...

Justin Weeder is the owner and head coach at The Covert Closer where they help organizations and individuals implement the LISTEN method to scale sales results. Additionally, he is currently developing a high performing team of Rockstars as the Director of Sales at PaySimple. To work with Justin you can reach him at https://www.thecovertcloser.com/ Our sales assessments help companies hire salespe...

In this episode of The Hire Talent's podcast, Optimizing the Hiring Process, we are joined by Deb Venable. A leader in sales strategy, sales coaching and sales training, Deb's passion for people and progress help her work with business owners to generate significant, predictable & sustainable growth year after year. As a 27-year entrepreneur and business owner, Deb understands first-hand the strug...

Rebecca Morgan, CSP, CMC, is an international speaker, trainer, and consultant specializing in creating innovative solutions for workplace effectiveness challenges. She's appeared on 60 Minutes, Oprah, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes.com , National Public Radio, and USA Today as well as international media.  Rebecca is the bestselling author of 28 books, including "Leadership Lessons from Silicon...