PODCAST · education
Learnings and Missteps by Depth Builder
by Jesse
The Learnings and Missteps Podcast is about unconventional roads to success and the life lessons learned along the way. You will find a library of interviews packed with actionable take aways that you can apply as you progress on your path to Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be. Through these interviews you will learn about the buttons you can push to be a better leader, carve your own path, and build your influence. Find yourself in their stories and know that your path is still ahead of you.
Episodes
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Why Your Best Employees Clock-in and Coast (And How to Fix It)
Every leader has that employee who clocks in, does the bare minimum, and clocks out. Jesse says that's not a "them" problem — it's a "you" problem. In this episode, he flips the script on who your most important customer really is (hint: it's not the one paying the invoice) and breaks down why…
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From Cheat Codes to Self-Trust: Stefanie Reichman on LinkedIn, Identity, and Building a Life Outside Your Job Title
Stephanie Reichman has done everything "right". She is the co-founder of AEC Tech Jobs, creator of More Than an Engineer, a stage speaker, and a customer success manager at Bluebeam. So why did hitting a major follower milestone leave her flat instead of fired up? In this episode, Stephanie…
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Dino DePasquale on Construction's Mental Health Crisis, Burnout, and the Steel Erector's Playbook
A 31-year ironworker doesn't scare easily. But ask Dino DePasquale what keeps him up at night, and it's not the job site; it's the industry's silence around mental health. Dino built DePasquale Steel over 21 years and created the Steel Erector's Playbook along the way. In this episode, he goes to...
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How to Say No Without Guilt: A Simple Framework for Builders and Leaders
Here’s a test for you: write down every single thing on your plate today and tomorrow. Now circle only the ones that would fall apart if someone other than you did them. Most people circle almost nothing. And that's the problem. In this episode, Jesse breaks down "strategically selfish"; a...
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From Backhoes to CEO: How Tim Tuoni Built a Site Development Company from the Ground Up
Tim Tuoni went from riding backhoes as a kid to running Tuoni Site Development, and he's got zero patience for people who think construction guys are just difficult for the sake of it. In this episode, Tim breaks down what actually gets mislabeled as "a-hole energy" in this industry: it's...
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Construction Leadership Lab: The Room Where the Real Talk Happens
Leadership in construction is lonely. The 2 a.m. gut-check calls. The mistakes nobody at the office needs to know about. The moments where "fake it till you make it" stops working and you just need someone who gets it. This episode, Jesse opens the door to something new: the Construction…
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Why "Pass/Fail" Thinking Is Killing Your Momentum
Ever quit on a goal the moment it stopped feeling like a win? This week's episode breaks down why treating progress as pass/fail is the quiet reason so many goals stall out before they get traction. He unpacks the start-stop cycle: new goals always run into friction from commitments you already...
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The Real Reason Construction Tech Dies in the Field with AJ Waters
AJ Waters wanted to design stadiums. Instead, he ended up rebuilding the operating system for one of the largest construction companies in the world and learning, the hard way, why so many digital transformations quietly collapse in the field. In this episode, AJ takes Jesse inside the messy...
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Too Much for Some, Just Right for Others: Amy Cordero-Houk on Being Authentic, Unapologetic, and Done with Chasing Everyone's Approval
There's a version of "authentic" that's just an excuse to be obnoxious. Amy Houk isn't that version. Amy is the president of National Lien Services and RSC Preliminary Lien Services and joins Jesse to talk about turning 50 and how that moment changed everything: she stopped caring about most…
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Stop Giving Feedback - Have this Conversation Instead
Feedback is optional. Performance isn't. Most managers default to soft, vague feedback, the "poo-poo sandwich" of compliment, critique, compliment, because it feels safe. But feedback is suggestive by nature, appropriate for social settings or volunteer environments where the stakes are low....
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No Excuses, No Victims: Bradley Henderson on Radical Ownership and Closing the Divide
Bradley Henderson built a company that bridges the field-office gap in construction, but the story of how he got there is the one worth hearing. Plumb Line Operations founder and field worker advocate Bradley Henderson joins Jesse to talk about the personal cost of traveling construction work…
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Accountability, Vulnerability, and Culture Change in Construction with Coralee Beatty
Most construction leaders think they have an accountability problem. What they actually have is a clarity problem, and they're pointing the finger in the wrong direction. Coralee Beatty, founder of Thrive HQ and one of the most honest voices in the construction leadership space, joins Jesse to…
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Become Your Best Advocate: Do an Inventory and Get Clear on Expectations
Every time you say yes to avoid discomfort, you're saying no to yourself. Over time, that trade leads straight to burnout — and to showing up for everyone else at a fraction of your capacity. In this episode, Jesse breaks down two foundational steps to stop operating on everyone else's terms and...
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Old-School Crews, Last Planner Mistakes, and Building Culture by Design with Boone White
Boone White grew up with a stutter. Public speaking was something he avoided until years of running weekly safety meetings forced him to figure it out. He got better by going shorter, ditching the scripts, and replacing bullet points with stories. Now he's a general superintendent at ICM...
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Efficiency Isn't a Buzzword: Sneha Kumari on Merlin AI, Orchestration, and Operational Intelligence
Most people think Lean is a manufacturing methodology. Sneha Kumari lives it as a mindset. Sneha is back on Learnings & Missteps. She's the president of Merlin AI and one of the most recognized women in manufacturing; and this conversation gets into the stuff that actually moves the needle. Jesse...
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Break the Hyper Reactivity Loop: The Weekly Planning System Every Construction Leader Needs
Time management for construction leaders isn't about working harder — it's about deciding what actually matters before the week decides for you. In this episode, Jesse breaks down the hyper-reactivity loop that keeps construction superintendents, foremen, and project managers double-booked and...
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Your Workers Aren't Lazy - They're Depleted: Jennifer Martinez on Rapid Restoration for Industrial Athletes
Your people aren't running out of steam because they're soft. They're running out of electrolytes — and the water cooler isn't fixing it. Jennifer Martinez is a sports-medicine-trained performance specialist who decided the trades deserved the same recovery science as elite athletes. She calls it...
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Leadership Tachycardia and the Power of Recovery with Hanna Bauer
Hanna Bauer, founder of Heartnomics, joins Jesse to talk about what she calls "Leadership Tachycardia" — what happens when leaders skip recovery and wonder why they're running on empty. Hanna blends Six Sigma, systems thinking, and personal experience to help leaders align internally so they can...
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YES! The Real Reason Your Weeks Feel Busy But Empty
You'd never start a project without knowing what it's going to cost you. But most people say yes to commitments without running those same numbers. Jesse calls it choose your consequence. Consequence isn't punishment. It's just the result of every decision you make — whether you thought it…
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Why Most Leaders Avoid the Conversations That Actually Build Culture (With Lisa Corrales)
Most leaders say culture matters. Very few are willing to do what it actually takes to build one. In this episode, Jesse sits down with Lisa Corrales - Field Verified leader with 25 years in organizational development and healthcare - to unpack the uncomfortable truth: culture isn’t built through...
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Your Broker Might Be Costing You: Micah Salas on Insurance That Actually Works
Most construction owners treat insurance like a bill they just have to pay. Micah Salas thinks that's exactly why they overpay. Micah is an Austin-based commercial insurance author and the guy who wrote The Business Insurance Playbook — not for agents, but for owners like you. In this episode, he...
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Stop Winning At Work And Losing At Life
You can be great at your job and still be losing the parts of life that actually make success worth it. That’s where we start: the quiet trade so many high performers make, sacrificing sleep, health, learning, and real presence with the people we love so we can keep delivering, keep getting...
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The Dirty Secret About Moving Up in Construction Nobody Prepares You For — With Gary Borque
Most people in construction get promoted and handed a completely different job with the same title. No roadmap. No manual. No honest conversation about what moving up is actually going to cost them. Gary Borque lived that. Multiple times. He started as a fabricator, worked his way through the...
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Keep the Flame Alive: Apprenticeships, Retention, and Building a Training Culture in the Trades (with Manja Horner)
Jesse hosts the Learnings and Missteps podcast and interviews Manja Horner, founder and CEO of Boost Learning Design, about solving skilled-trades workforce shortages driven by retirements and the long push toward college over trades. Manja introduces her book, “Pass the Torch: A Call to Rescue…
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Why LESS WORK beats High Productivity
Jesse explains the second half of his FIREBOX time- and self-management framework for freeing calendar space and preventing burnout so you can invest in what matters most. After briefly reviewing “Finish First” (time-sensitive and only you can do) and “Invest Focus” (not urgent but only you can…
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Why Humans Are Wired for Connection (And What Happens When It Breaks) with Jackie Hallberg (Audio)
What if the biggest problems in dating, leadership, and workplace conflict all come from the same place? In this episode of Learnings & Missteps, Jesse sits down with Jackie—romance coach and consultant who works in crime reduction and reentry—to explore why humans are wired for connection and…
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The Hidden Cost of Settling for Mediocrity: Why 'Good Enough' Isn't Enough with Scott Evans
Jesse hosts the Learnings and Missteps podcast and interviews Scott Evans, founder of Scott Evans Speaks, about mental health in the construction field as “operational integrity” and “invisible PPE,” emphasizing a 360-degree safety culture that extends beyond the jobsite gate. They discuss the...
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Gas on the Fire: Advocating for Respect and Connection in Construction with Mia McGlynn
Jesse hosts the Learnings and Missteps podcast and introduces guest Mia McGlynn, a Pennsylvania-based construction influencer, writer, photographer, and fractional support partner who focuses on “the people behind the work.” Jesse gives an LnM Family shout-out to Bryce Ager for reviewing one of...
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Why Relationships Are the Real Foundation of Construction with Mike Chiles
In this episode of the Learnings and Missteps podcast, Jesse interviews Mike Chiles, a seasoned project director in the construction industry. They discuss the unpredictable challenges of construction, the importance of relationship building, and effective leadership. Mike emphasizes the role of...
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When Stories Meet Services: Can A Podcast Stay Honest While Owning Its Work
The truth landed on us after dozens of job site chats: some folks know our training but not the show, and others love the show but don’t know we train crews for a living. So we’re making it obvious. Learnings and Missteps is now Learnings and Missteps by Depth Builder, a single, honest banner…
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Stop Living Reactive And Start Choosing What To Optimize For
What if your calendar isn’t the problem—your priorities are? We walk through the FIRE Box, a clear, practical framework that helps you stop living reactive and start building a week that reflects what you value. Instead of chasing every ping, you’ll learn how to Finish First on the urgent and...
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Learn How To Plan, Commit, And Execute Without Burning Out
Most leaders don’t have a time problem. They have a decision making problem. We break down a self-first framework that turns chaos into clarity by separating planning, commitment, and execution into clean lanes—each with its own tool and purpose—so you can stop spinning and start finishing the…
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From Overbooked To In Control: A Practical Guide To Strategically Selfish Scheduling
Ever feel like your calendar is packed but your real life lives off to the side? We dig into a simple, no-fluff system to make every commitment visible, merge the hidden to-dos with the scheduled ones, and carve out protected time for sleep, movement, and deep work—without the guilt. The result...
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You Can Plan Forever, But Nothing Changes Until You Commit To One Next Step
Planning feels great until reality shows up. We’ve all sketched beautiful lists, only to watch them dissolve under meetings, family needs, and the next urgent fire. Today we turn planning into progress by committing to a simple, visual flow that respects your bandwidth and fuels momentum: brain...
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The Long Game: Stephanie Wood on Culture and Commercial Success
In this episode of the Learnings and Missteps podcast, host Jesse Hernandez converses with Stephanie Wood, co-founder and CEO of Coal Build Construction. Stephanie, with a background in organizational leadership and trauma-informed neuroscience, shares her journey from English literature major to…
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From Broadway to Brand Building: Liberty Cogen on Reinvention
In this episode of the Learnings and Missteps podcast, host Jesse Hernandez sits down with Liberty Kogen, a construction social media expert with an impressive background in musical theater and business. Liberty shares her journey from performing in Legally Blonde to launching a successful...
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How To Stop Doing More And Start Doing What Matters
Want a year that actually changes your life? We break down a practical system to stop chasing busywork and start stacking wins that matter. It starts with a guilt-free brain dump to pull every idea, project, and half-finished goal out of your head so you can judge them by outcome, not overwhelm....
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No More Mediocre Leadership: Wally Adamchick’s Blueprint for Better Teams
n this episode, Jesse discusses the critical role of servant leadership in the construction industry with Wally Adamchick. They explore how a servant leadership mindset, which includes being respectful, setting expectations, and supporting employees, can lead to higher employee retention and...
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Become the Connection: Bryce Harem’s Modern Take on Leadership
In this episode, Jesse hosts Bryce Harem, founder of BTG Services and creator of the Middleman Mindset, as they discuss the essence of true leadership, personal struggles, and the ways to effectively bridge the gap between office and field in the blue-collar industry. Jesse and Bryce explore the...
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Stop Spinning Your Wheels And Start Seeing Your Goals
Ready to stop storing your entire life in your head and start building a future you can actually live? We walk through phase one of guilt-free future planning, a simple, practical way to unload your ideas, goals, and projects so you can see them clearly and choose with confidence. No apps…
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First-Generation Grit: Building a Career Against the Odds with Yuri Salgado
In this episode of the Learnings and Missteps podcast, Jesse interviews Uri Salgado, a bilingual business development executive at Detritus. Yuri shares her remarkable journey from helping her mother with translation in her childhood to achieving a milestone of 10 years at her previous company.…
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Lead Like You Build: Brian Anderson on Integrity, Grit, and Growth
In this episode of the Learnings and Missteps podcast, host Jesse interviews Brian Anderson, President of Bear Construction. Brian shares his journey of starting his own construction company, driven by his desire to create his own values and methods. Despite initial setbacks, such as working for...
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From Curveballs To Focus: A Practical Guide To Managing Distractions At Work
Ever blink at 4 p.m. and wonder where your day went? We’ve been there—busy all day yet weirdly light on results. This conversation lays out a distraction detox that replaces chaos with clarity using two simple moves: track the curveballs that hit you and cage the squirrels you chase. The payoff...
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How to Clear the Chaos (and Your Mind) with Melissa Stecher
Jesse interviews Melissa Stecher, founder of Hopeful Simplicity, discussing her 3S method designed to help busy moms declutter and organize their spaces for a more peaceful lifestyle. Melissa explains the importance of aligning organizational styles with personal and family needs, the emotional...
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Subcontracting Success: Transforming the Trade with Shayne Paterson
In this episode of the Learnings and Missteps podcast, host Jesse welcomes Shane Patterson, founder and CEO of Jenga. With a background in finance and software engineering, Shane has focused on solving complex problems in the construction sector. The conversation highlights Shane's journey into…
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This is how professionals actually get more done without working late
Take Command of Your Day with the Daily Domination Board Gear up for the new year The fastest path to real high performance isn’t a new app or a 4 a.m. alarm—it’s a cleaner day. We walk through a lightweight Daily Domination workflow that gets tasks out of your head, into a simple Trello board…
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Mastering Modern Marketing with Mohit Bhagchandani
In this episode of the Learnings and Missteps podcast, Jesse interviews Mohit Bhagchandani, a data-led marketing expert and founder of Adeptimize. They delve into the essence of modern branding, discussing the importance of personal and business identities. Mohit highlights that a successful…
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Megan Shapiro: Authenticity as a Superpower
In this episode of the Learnings and Missteps podcast, Jesse reconnects with Megan Shapiro, an accomplished lawyer and repeat guest. They discuss her evolving career and ventures, including launching the Converge Construction Summit and her business coaching initiatives. Megan shares insights on...
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Breaking Down Your Work: A Strategic Guide to Outsourcing and Automation
Ever feel overwhelmed by your to-do list? That sensation of drowning in tasks while your most important work gets pushed aside? You're not alone—and there's a solution hiding in plain sight. In this eye-opening episode, Jesse breaks down a deceptively simple framework for identifying exactly…
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Laying the Groundwork: Innovation with Joseph Richards
In this episode of the Learnings and Missteps podcast, host Jesse interviews Joseph Richards, the owner and chief takeoff officer at Flooring Takeoffs. Joseph discusses his unique career path, transitioning from an English teacher to a business owner, and the challenges he faced along the way. He...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Learnings and Missteps Podcast is about unconventional roads to success and the life lessons learned along the way.
You will find a library of interviews packed with actionable take aways that you can apply as you progress on your path to Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be.
Through these interviews you will learn about the buttons you can push to be a better leader, carve your own path, and build your influence.
Find yourself in their stories and know that your path is still ahead of you.
HOSTED BY
Jesse
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Learnings and Missteps by Depth Builder have?
Learnings and Missteps by Depth Builder currently has 250 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Learnings and Missteps by Depth Builder about?
The Learnings and Missteps Podcast is about unconventional roads to success and the life lessons learned along the way. You will find a library of interviews packed with actionable take aways that you can apply as you progress on your path to Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be. Through...
How often does Learnings and Missteps by Depth Builder release new episodes?
Learnings and Missteps by Depth Builder publishes regularly with 250 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Learnings and Missteps by Depth Builder?
You can listen to Learnings and Missteps by Depth Builder on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Learnings and Missteps by Depth Builder?
Learnings and Missteps by Depth Builder is created and hosted by Jesse.
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