The NEXT Academy

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

The Goods is a new series that delivers wisdom for personal and professional growth. In today's episode, Michael traces Florence Nightingale from lamplit wards to data-driven reform, showing how a single visual made invisible harm undeniable. Learn how pairing compassion with clear evidence—and turning metrics into fixes—can bend the curve on any team’s toughest problems. Enjoy Episode 38 of T...

Two lifts, one corridor, zero patience—sound familiar? In this episode, watch a superintendent turn a brewing standoff into smooth flow with a simple, repeatable play: a 2-minute F-I-O-D huddle (Facts, Interests, Options, Decide), a one-page  Corridor Rules  board, a tongue-in-cheek “Peace Line” down the floor, and a  10-Foot Talk  that certifies areas  truly  ready. You’ll leave with field script...

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 way you can focus on the present moment today, and how might embracing the now bring you a deeper sense of fulfillment?" Enjoy Episode 36 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 boards the USS  Santa Fe  to relive the moment a helmsman revealed an order that didn’t exist—and how Captain David Marquet transformed blind compliance into intent-based leadership. Learn how to push authority to where the information lives, make truth safe to tell, and train judgm...

Busy isn’t progress. In this  Hard Hat Headspace  episode, walk a school renovation with a foreman who caps chaos using simple, field-ready tools: two “work tokens” per installer, a red/green room tag for  Next Trade Ready , and a hallway kanban that makes starts—and finishes—visible. You’ll learn how small batch flow cuts rework, pulls inspections sooner, and steadies labor curves; how to pair pr...

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 embrace your unique journey today, and what steps can you take to live more authentically and without comparison?" Enjoy Episode 35 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 revisits the Golden Gate Bridge build and how Chief Engineer Joseph Strauss’ unseen safety net saved lives and redefined success. Discover why great leaders invest in protections no one applauds—putting people before progress, designing safety into the work, and turning honest signa...

When the clock is ticking and the AHJ is waiting, great crews don’t panic—they prepare. In this episode, you’ll learn a fast, field-tested playbook for high-stakes moments: a five-minute pre-mortem (hat tip Gary Klein), a simple Risks-Signals-Actions board (Karl Weick), a 60-second challenge-response checklist (Atul Gawande), intent-based leadership you can use today (“I intend to…”), and a two-mi...

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 yourself can you embrace more fully today...aka Hugging the Cactus... and how might that help you become the person you are meant to be?" Enjoy Episode 34 of The Search for...

The Goods is a new series that delivers wisdom for personal and professional growth. In today's episode, Michael revisits Abraham Lincoln’s unsent letter to General Meade—a quiet act of restraint that protected dignity and kept the mission on course. Hear how pausing before you press “send” can turn reaction into leadership, preserving trust while focusing energy on the next right decision! En...

Speaking up shouldn’t be a career risk. In this episode of  Hard Hat Headspace , we step onto a high-stakes healthcare build where a rookie’s question prevents a costly mistake—because the foreman has hardwired “If you see it, say it.” You’ll learn field-ready moves: two-question safety openers, 120-second micro-debriefs, and visible close-the-loop boards that turn near-misses into next-day wins....

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 how might that act of giving bring you a deeper sense of fulfillment?" Enjoy Episode 33 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 revisits the Johnson & Johnson’s 1982 Tylenol crisis and the moment CEO Jim Burke pointed to the Credo, choosing people over profit with a full recall and radical transparency. Learn how values-first decisions, telling the whole truth fast, and innovating as part of the apology...

Noise isn’t the problem—confusion is. In this episode, we follow a superintendent who turns hallway chaos into clean handoffs using a 30-second clarity test (3W1H: What, Why, Who, How), micro-updates (7 a.m., lunch, close-out), and simple visuals—taped zones, QR-linked specs, and bright RFI tags. You’ll get field-ready scripts that any foreman, super, or craft lead can use to cut rework and keep 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 let go of control, and how might that bring you more peace and fulfillment?" Enjoy Episode 32 of The Search for Fulfillment. #BeNEXT