The Line

Every career has a starting point. For Nathan Maughan, it began washing dishes, working at a gas station, and helping on a farm. It wasn’t a glamorous beginning, but it became the foundation for something much greater. In this episode of The Line, Nathan shares the journey that took him from apprentice to owner, leading multimillion-dollar construction and engineering projects while building and i...

Leadership isn’t built in a boardroom. It’s built through people, experience, and the stories that shape us. In this episode of The Line Podcast, I sit down with Ilya Tlumach, President of JM Lapp, for a conversation about leadership, legacy, and what it means to steward an organization you didn’t found. We discuss Ilya’s family’s journey from Ukraine, the values that have been passed from generat...

In this episode of The Line, Joshua sits down with Arlan King of Bevanda Products to explore how something as simple as a coffee mug, cooler, or water bottle can tell a much bigger story. The conversation goes beyond branded merchandise and into the heart of what it means to build a company culture that values its people. Arlan shares how Bevanda has become a trusted partner to contractors and bus...

--------------------------WHERE TO WATCH:Spotify ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/07rT0hF...Apple ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...-------------------------FOLLOW JOSH:X: https://x.com/Joshuadmellott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠... / joshuadmellott LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ucc11qg6hxwp7tmvmr_sv7vg⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --------------------------FOLLOW BLACKLINE: @blacklin...

This past weekend marked the 82nd anniversary of D-Day, a time to remember the men and women who fought for the freedoms we enjoy today. What many people may not know is that the story of C.W. Matthews begins in the shadow of that generation. After returning home from World War II, C.W. Matthews founded the company in 1946. As Georgia grew, so did C.W. Matthews, investing in roads, infrastructure,...

In this episode of The Line, we sit down with Marc Andrew, a firefighter from Detroit, for a real and honest conversation about leadership under pressure, purpose through hardship, and what it means to carry responsibility when the heat is on. Marc shares stories from the fireground, moments of intensity, sacrifice, and humanity that have shaped the way he leads both on and off the job. We talk ab...

The finish line has been crossed. One team is celebrating, and the rest are already preparing for next year. Those were the words Erik Cowden shared with us as we sat down together at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to talk about the realities of racing, the highs and lows of competition, the pressure of performance, and what it takes to continue moving forward whether you win or lose. In this fou...

In episode three of the Brickyard Series, Blackline goes behind the scenes at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Tyrone Garrison ahead of the 110th Indy 500.In this conversation, we walk the track, drive the facility, and uncover what it really takes to operate and maintain one of the most iconic race venues in the world. From the history of the bricks to the responsibility of preparing for race...

Episode 2 of The Brickyard Series: “The Track — What Lies Beneath the Surface” At Blackline, we believe the stories worth telling are often found beneath the surface. In this episode of The Line, Joshua Mellott sits down with Bill Pine of The Heritage Group at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway — or, as Bill calls it, “the track.” What starts as a conversation about asphalt quickly becomes something...

In this conversation kicking off our Brickyard Series, we sit down with Keaton Turner for a real one. We start a little differently. The first 20–30 minutes are an homage to his podcast, The Per Diem Podcast—a walk-and-talk around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where Keaton does what he’s known for… a straight-up rant. No video. Just real conversation. We talk about leadership, what it takes to s...

The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday | Part 2 with Herb SargentIn part two of our conversation with Herb Sargent, we go beyond business and get into perspective. We start with something simple—an incredible conference table, a gift from the Sargent family back to the company. But what it represents isn’t simple at all. It’s legacy. It’s ownership. It’s a reminder of who you’re building for. From there,...

The Hard Work Starts Today | Sargent 100-Year Story (Part 1 of 2)Most companies won’t make it 100 years. Even fewer do it on purpose. This episode of The Line by Blackline LTD tells the story of Sargent, a 100% employee-owned company, and what it actually looks like to build something that lasts. In this conversation, Herb Sargent (chatgpt://generic-entity?number=0) shares how their team invests i...

I went to Massachusetts to sit down with Blue Collar Bobby. This is a real conversation about the sprinkler fitter trade, fire protection, and what it actually means to do the work. Bobby is also the host of The Dope and Tape Show, where they’re talking with anyone in the fire protection industry, real conversations with the people actually doing it. We get into what it takes to earn your place. N...

If you’re not measuring your work, you don’t actually know what you’re doing. This Monday, I sit down with Marcos from Ruby-Collins as he leads a pipe crew and breaks down what that really means in the field. We talk about what it takes to understand your work, have the right tools in your hands, and see what others miss. Marcos shares how their team builds culture, trains the next guy up, and men...

This week, Blackline spent time in Georgia with Ruby-Collins, a general contractor that does things a little differently. From civil work to plant work, underground, boring, and more—this is a team that’s been building for nearly 60 years out of Smyrna, Georgia. In this episode of The Line, we sit down with Jason Hyde, one of their VPs, inside their newly built office to talk about what they do, h...

Building What Can’t Fail. Moms are an interesting thing for me. My mother is one of the most influential people in my life, and I don’t think that’s uncommon. But I do think we underestimate what’s really out there — the opportunities, and the women willing to do what it takes to make a difference not just in their kids’ lives, but in our country and our future. I sat down with Liddy Fair of Micro...

In this episode of The Line, Joshua D. Mellott sits down with George Bee of U.S. Gold Corp to talk about what it actually takes to develop the next American gold mine. George shares insights into the exploration and development process, what his team is working on in the United States, and why domestic mining still matters for our economy and our country’s future. Along the way, the conversation m...

What happens when a company actually has a plan—not just to win work, but to change an industry? In this episode of The Line, I sit down with Garret Barbush of Warfel Construction. As he walked me through their strategic plan, one thing became clear: They’re not just building projects. They’re building a culture. At Blackline, we talk a lot about elevating the view of the skilled trades. Listening...

In this episode of The Line, I sit down with Shane Stolp, CEO of Wescom, Inc., and host of the Energizing America Podcast. We talk about how we attract new talent to the trades — and the real opportunities that exist. The trades aren’t a dead end. They’re a launching point. The skills learned in the field can transfer into leadership, ownership, entrepreneurship, and countless other paths. In this...

The definition of the word trademark is simple. It’s a symbol that identifies a company, a product, or a body of work. But at its origin in America, a trademark was something even more personal. It was your mark. It was how you gave your word. It was how you signed a contract, how you did business, how blacksmiths, stonemasons, and silversmiths marked their work so people knew exactly who stood be...

This one was cold. As I write this post, I can still feel it. I sat down in the snow on a project with Christopher Maharg , Vice President of Legacy Electrical Services Inc. We were out there while his teams worked behind us to complete the project on time and under budget—words clients absolutely love to hear. We talked about what’s needed in the trades and how his company sometimes feels called...

The Line… it’s quite an interesting term. Sometimes it means a podcast where two men sit and have an honest conversation. Sometimes it’s a line in the sand—things you’re not willing to cross. Sometimes it’s a line on the battlefield, like Gettysburg, where men stood firm and held the line, refusing to let it be crossed. In this conversation, Dan Garcia and I are sitting in a farmhouse on the battl...

If you don’t want to micromanage, the simple answer is this: don’t. Because if you’re going to do it anyway, you might as well have done it yourself. In this conversation with Laurence Sisco of IronStrong Metal Fabrication , we talk about what it really means to build teams—and to build businesses that are strong. Not perfect, but strong. The kind of strength that comes from working through failur...

The Backyard is the final episode in our four-part series with Better In Our Back Yard—and it brings the conversation home. In this episode, we hear from members of the organization, as well as from Ryan Sistad , who leads Better In Our Backyard and serves as the primary leadership voice in this conversation. Ryan shares what he hopes people take away from being part of this work, and why the orga...

The Bedrock is where the resources sit—and what everything above it is built on. It’s what we build with, and ultimately, what determines the strength and longevity of what we leave behind. In this episode, we bring together conversations with Jon Cherry , Stephen Donohue , and J.T. Starzeki —leaders who are focused on the bedrock of America and the responsibility that comes with stewarding its re...