Builders of Authority

What does it take to turn a beat-up cargo van and an $8,000 summer into a national franchise with more than 200 locations and over $300 million in annual sales?

In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, Adam McChesney sits down with Nick Friedman, co-founder and president of College Hunks Hauling Junk.
Nick shares how he and his best friend, Omar Soliman, started the company in 2003 and transformed it from a s...

What does it really take to build a $60 million real estate portfolio starting in your early 20s?

In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, Adam McChesney sits down with James Gleeson, a St. Louis real estate investor and serial entrepreneur, to break down how he went from college basketball and mechanical engineering to owning more than 450 rental units.

James shares how he built the majority of his portf...

What does it really take to grow a family business, build a trusted local brand, and compete in a market full of short-term competitors?

In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, Adam McChesney sits down with Angi Hess, Vice President and General Manager of Spas and More, to talk about family business, leadership, marketing, company culture, and the evolution of the health and wellness market.

Angi brings ...

What does it really take to build a custom home brand that stands out, serves clients at a higher level, and creates a healthier business behind the scenes?

In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, Adam McChesney sits down with Mark Williams, a third-generation custom home builder from Minnesota with more than 20 years of experience.

Mark is the founder of Mark D. Williams Custom Homes, the host of the Cu...

What separates high performers who thrive under pressure from those who become overwhelmed by it?

In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, Adam McChesney sits down with Dr. Erin Shannon, a doctor of clinical psychology who has spent more than 15 years working with elite athletes, Olympians, CEOs, veterans, and other high performers.

Growing up in a family of professional athletes gave Dr. Shannon a natura...

What does it really take to rebuild your business, reputation, and confidence after losing almost everything?

In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, the tables are turned as Adam McChesney steps away from the host’s chair and is interviewed by Builders of Authority COO Alejandra during her visit to the St. Louis office.

Adam shares the complete story behind his entrepreneurial journey, from workin...

What does it take to leave a stable career, build a real estate portfolio, and create a personal brand that generates consistent opportunities?

In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, Adam McChesney sits down with Matt Kresko to discuss his journey from recruiting and talent acquisition to becoming a full-time real estate investor and capital raiser.

Matt shares how he started with house hacking, grew to 25 ...

What does it really take to scale a general contracting business from a solo operation into a full-service machine that dominates the market? 

In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, Adam McChesney sits down with Bryson Kinkade, owner of Kinler Services, to unpack his journey from Army infantryman to leading a growing, full-service restoration company. Bryson shares how Kinler Services helps property owner...

What does it really take to turn years of hands-on experience into a content brand with nearly two million followers?

In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, Adam McChesney sits down with Travis Collins, better known online as Tools by Design, to discuss his journey from finish carpenter and custom automotive shop manager to full-time content creator.

Travis shares how Tools by Design started with conten...

Is your business actually growing if you can’t step away from it? 

In this episode, I’m getting real about the "Entrepreneurial Paradox": we build businesses for freedom, yet most of us struggle to truly disconnect and enjoy that freedom when it counts.

I share the unfiltered story of a recent family trip to Disney that turned into a work nightmare, contrasted with how a subsequent trip to Mexico beca...

Mark Steiniger, CFO and partner at Keil Excavating, discusses his transition from public accounting to leading his family's heavy civil contracting business. He provides insights into the complexities of inter-family business transitions, the strategic reasoning behind diversifying into commercial plumbing to derisk from earthwork volatility, and the importance of earning respect from long-term employees. T

his episode serves as a p...

Kira Andersen’s life took a drastic turn when her husband, Kyle, was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer shortly after the birth of their third child. Refusing to accept a grim prognosis, Kira leveraged her background in medical and pharmaceutical sales to advocate for experimental treatments, securing "compassionate use" for a promising inhibitor. 

This intervention, now known as the "Kyle Anderson Regime...

Jimmy Vreeland is a West Point graduate, former Army Ranger, and full time real estate investor with a portfolio built through discipline, private money, and some hard lessons learned the expensive way.

In this episode Jimmy walks through his journey from buying his first houses while deployed overseas to scaling to 120 properties and hitting a wall that forced him to rethink everything. He covers the four pillars of real estate wea...

Ashley Burkeen is a serial entrepreneur with 12 years in general contracting, a regional Master Networks franchise, short-term rentals, a holistic skincare line, and a book to her name. In this episode she gets real about what it actually takes to build across multiple industries without losing yourself in the process.

From networking and personal branding to failure, delegation, and self-awareness, Ashley brings a refreshingly hone...

Brandon Fuchs brings over 20 years of construction experience and $100 million in managed projects to this conversation. As the founder of the Elite Builder Society, he's on a mission to cut the contractor failure rate by tackling the root cause: fear and a lack of business fundamentals.

In this episode we cover why so many skilled contractors stay stuck, how AI is transforming the front end of construction businesses, and what a re...

Most people use a pandemic as an excuse to wait. Jeremy Wolf used it to launch. In March 2020, with the world shutting down, he started Stay Cool Climate Control from scratch and turned it into one of the most recognized HVAC brands in St. Louis.

In this episode, Jeremy breaks down how he built a standout brand in a crowded market, made the shift from technician to business owner, and learned to trust a team so the business could gr...

Most contractors stay stuck swinging a hammer for 90 hours a week because they never make the jump from operator to owner. Trant, a third-generation carpenter based in Nottingham, New Hampshire, almost did. Then his wife told him they were having a kid, and everything changed.

In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, host Adam McChesney sits down with Trant to break down exactly how he went from solo contractor ...

Quitting a stable paycheck to build something of your own is the hardest decision most future business owners ever make. In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, host Adam McChesney sits down with Michael Schieffer, a former commercial loan officer who spent 10 years inside the banking world before walking away in April 2023 to build three businesses of his own.

Today Michael runs a real estate flipping operatio...

After years of adding complexity, multiple agencies, multiple locations, a lawsuit — I'm done overcomplicating things.

In this video I'm walking you through my new office setup at Adventure Unknown, why I made the move, and the exact way I've structured my environment to do better work in less time.

I'll walk you through:
👉 Why I traded a 10-minute commute for a 30-minute one — and why it was still the...