Build Your Success

In this Build Your Success podcast episode,  Aaron Waechter, a Local Union 1121 millwright and tower lead on the Vineyard Wind offshore project, shares his path from studying engineering to completing a four-year apprenticeship and building a career in power generation. Aaron describes union training, paid hands-on learning,specialized courses in Las Vegas, and how opportunities led to nuclear work and travel, including a job in Romania and additional certifications. He explains his view of leadership as exemplifying standards, caring about crew members,and building trust, and highlights the importance of relationships and attitude alongside credentials. Aaron details the intensive safety training, helicoptertravel, harsh offshore conditions, complex U.S. logistics requiring open-water transfers, prototype equipment, multi-trade and multicultural teamwork, shift rotations, and the need for resilience, adaptability, and new procedures tocomplete first-of-its-kind work safely.Host Email: [email protected] Host LinkedIn: Brian Brogen, PMP 🧱| LinkedInHost Website: BuildConsulting Services - Mulberry, FL - Brian BrogenAbout the host: Do you want true engagement at your event?Expect Brian Brogen to deliver a keynote that sparks dialogue, inspires growth, and leaves your audience thinking long after the event ends.Drawing on his extensive experience as a general contractorand project manager in the construction, power, and mining industries, Brian brings the real-world credibility and relatable rapport your audience craves.

On the Build Your Success podcast, host Brian Brogen interviews Andy Benedetto, business representative for Millwrights Local 1121, which covers Millwrights across the six New England states and is part of the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters.Andy explains millwrights as industrial mechanics whoinstall, maintain, move, rig, and precisely align rotating equipment in power generation and general industry, including conveyors at airports and distribution centers. He details mobilizing for the Vineyard Wind offshore project with GE Vernova, including unique offshore challenges like helicopter travel, shipboard living, extreme heights, mixed crews, limited connectivity, and extensive added training (GWO, advanced rescue, HUET). To ensure success, the Local surveyed and vetted members forreadiness and professionalism, achieving 100% retention over about 2.5–3 years, while managing delays through standby pay. Andy shares lessons on planning, collaboration, and how union training can reduce cost and time, and provides contact channels on LinkedIn, Facebook, and at their website listed below.Guest LinkedIn: Andy Benedetto |LinkedInGuest Website: Local 1121Millwrights – Precisely Aligning New EnglandCarpenters Building aBetter Future - NASRCCHost Email:[email protected] Host LinkedIn: Brian Brogen, PMP 🧱| LinkedInHost Website: BuildConsulting Services - Mulberry, FL - Brian BrogenAbout the host: Do you want true engagement at your event?Expect Brian Brogen to deliver a keynote that sparks dialogue, inspires growth, and leaves your audience thinking long after the event ends.Drawing on his extensive experience as a general contractorand project manager in the construction, power, and mining industries, Brian brings the real-world credibility and relatable rapport your audience craves.

In this Build Your Success podcast episode, the hostwelcomes Brent Darnell, founder of Brent Darnell International, who has taught emotional intelligence and people skills in the construction industry since 2000 with a focus on mental, physical, and emotional performance. They discuss how the industry has shifted toward collaboration, purpose, and relationship-driven work, and why emotional intelligence can be measured and improved compared to many personality tests.Darnell explains how chronic stress impairs cognition, judgment, and safety, contributes to long-term health issues, and how improving emotional self-awareness and stress management can boost performance and longevity. He shares tools and resources including a free emotionalintelligence test, nutrition and stress-recovery assessments, and practical stress relief techniques rooted in breathing (including Navy SEAL box breathing), mindfulness, and meditation. The episode closes with advice to prioritize self-care, sleep, nutrition, stress management, and connection.Brent Darnell InternationalBrent Darnell | LinkedInHost Email:[email protected] Host LinkedIn: Brian Brogen, PMP 🧱| LinkedInHost Website: BuildConsulting Services - Mulberry, FL - Brian BrogenAbout the host: Do you want true engagement at your event?Expect Brian Brogen to deliver a keynote that sparks dialogue, inspires growth, and leaves your audience thinking long after the event ends.Drawing on his extensive experience as a general contractorand project manager in the construction, power, and mining industries, Brian brings the real-world credibility and relatable rapport your audience craves.

This week I am sharing a lesson from our Foundation First Leadership membership meetings. Mikel Bowman gave a great lesson on the challenges associated with transitioning from Peer to Supervisor.Becoming a member of Foundation First Leadership allows you and two of your colleagues' full access to our live calls and all of the archived lessons: Foundation First - Build Consulting ServicesHost Email:[email protected] Host LinkedIn: Brian Brogen, PMP 🧱| LinkedInHost Website: BuildConsulting Services - Mulberry, FL - Brian BrogenAbout the host: Do you want true engagement at your event? Expect Brian Brogen to deliver a keynote that sparks dialogue, inspires growth, and leaves your audience thinking long after the event ends. Drawing on his extensive experience as a general contractor and project manager in the construction, power, and mining industries, Brian brings the real-world credibility and relatable rapport your audience craves.

In this Build Your Success podcast episode, host Brianinterviews Adam Povitz, CEO of Anago Cleaning Systems, a three-tier commercial cleaning franchise operating across the U.S. and Canada with 1,800 franchisees and 50 master franchise regions. Adam explains how Anago supports post-construction final cleans that often lead to ongoing cleaning relationships, and how the model separates responsibilities so master franchisees handle sales, marketing, and administration while unit franchisees focus on delivering cleaning services.He defines leadership as stepping back from micromanagement, hiring the right people, setting vision and goals, and “getting out of the way.” Adam describes leading franchisees through influence, testing and vetting initiatives in select markets before rollout, managing adoption challenges with enablement support, and maintaining professional “frenemy” relationships with competitors to address industry-wide issues.Guest Social: Adam Povlitz | LinkedInGuest Website:_Commercial Cleaning | Anago Commercial CleaningHost Email:[email protected] Host LinkedIn: Brian Brogen, PMP 🧱| LinkedInHost Website: BuildConsulting Services - Mulberry, FL - Brian BrogenAbout the host: Do you want true engagement at your event?Expect Brian Brogen to deliver a keynote that sparks dialogue, inspires growth, and leaves your audience thinking long after the event ends.Drawing on his extensive experience as a general contractor and project manager in the construction, power, and mining industries, Brian brings the real-world credibility and relatable rapport your audience craves.

Host Brian Brogen introduces leadership readiness speaker and trainer Stephanie Nowak, who works with early-career professionals in the AEC industry. Nowak shares her background as an electrical design engineer, construction project manager, and engineering/construction group manager, thendefines leadership as servant leadership centered on trust, respect, collaboration, and advocating for one’s team. The conversation focuses on self-advocacy as both promoting oneself and setting boundaries, especially for middle managers managing up and down, including respectful ways to say no, clarify deadlines, and avoid burnout. They discuss reducing tension between engineers,contractors, office, and field through curiosity, communication, collaboration, and explaining requests with “because.” Stephanie explains she founded her work to improve leadership by building emotional intelligence and self-awareness, after recognizing her own gaps and seeing their impact on workplace culture and relationships.Guest LinkedIn: Stephanie Nowak,MBA | LinkedInGuest Website: https://www.engineeredtobecome.com/Host Email:[email protected] Host LinkedIn: Brian Brogen, PMP 🧱| LinkedInHost Website: BuildConsulting Services - Mulberry, FL - Brian BrogenAbout the host: Do you want true engagement at your event?Expect Brian Brogen to deliver a keynote that sparks dialogue, inspires growth, and leaves your audience thinking long after the event ends.Drawing on his extensive experience as a general contractor and project manager in the construction, power, and mining industries, Brian brings the real-world credibility and relatable rapport your audience craves.