People-First Builders Podcast
At People-First Builders, we shine a spotlight on the leaders who shape the construction industry by building more than projects—they build teams, culture, and legacy. This podcast is your gateway to the stories of exceptional CEOs and visionaries who prioritize their people, achieve remarkable success, and redefine what it means to lead in construction. Discover how family-owned businesses, niche projects, and innovative leadership styles are driving progress in steel erection, bridge rebar, and infrastructure installation. Each episode celebrates leaders who have spent decades honing their craft, advancing their operations, and achieving results that inspire their teams and peers alike. Whether you’re a construction professional, a leader looking for inspiration, or simply someone fascinated by people-centered success stories, People-First Builders offers valuable insights and actionable takeaways from industry’s best. While People-First Builders is a new podcast, it’s backed by years of experience. Host Fletcher Wimbush is a seasoned podcaster with over seven years behind the mic, having built a dedicated audience with The Hire Talent—a show focused on optimizing hiring and leadership in the industry. Now, he’s bringing that expertise to People-First Builders, highlighting the construction leaders who are shaping the future through culture, innovation, and operational excellence.
Episodes
In this compelling episode of People-First Builders, host Fletcher Wimbush welcomes Mike Frick, president of Bear Ironworks, to share the incredible story of how a simple welding project turned into a thriving, multi-generational manufacturing business. From his early days in the oil fields and rural road building to managing over $200 million in infrastructure...
In this episode of the People-First Builders Podcast, I’m joined by Jeffery Forrest Jr., successor and co-owner of WPC, a family-run construction powerhouse based in Central Florida. Jeffrey shares his journey from pushing a broom on job sites at 15 to leading one of the Southeast’s premier construction management firms.
We div...
In this episode of The People-First Builders Podcast, host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Jeff Forrest Sr., President and CEO of WPC, a construction industry titan with over 45 years of hands-on leadership experience. From humble beginnings in 1979 to overseeing thousands of units across the Southeast, Jeff shares a c...
In this episode of People First Builders, host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Paige Byrd, Co-President of Thiel & Team, a seasoned leader in amenities-focused interior design and architecture. With over 30 years of experience, Paige shares the remarkable story behind the revival of the historic Baker Hotel and Sp...
In this episode of the People First Builders podcast, host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Justin Bride, CEO and founder of Ascent Contracting, to explore what it really means to lead with purpose in the construction industry.
Fro...
In this episode of People-First Builders, host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Traci Austin, Chief Talent Officer at Elevated Talent Consulting, to unpack one of the biggest leadership challenges in the trades: the blame game.
Tracy, a lifelong advocate for transformatio...
In this episode of the People First Builders Podcast, host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Brandon Stanchock, CEO of SWF Industrial, to explore how authentic leadership and a true commitment to people-first values can transform a business.
Brandon shares his journey from project management in power plant const...
From Field to Founder: How Sal Hernandez Scaled, Exited, and Now Coaches the Next Generation of Builders
In this episode of People-First Builders, host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Sal Hernandez — a veteran, serial entrepreneur, and former owner of a successful desig...
In this episode of People First Builders, Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Sam Rockaway, Head of Sales at REDCOM Design & Construction, to unpack his remarkable journey from construction outsider to B2B sales powerhouse in the design-build space.
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From Farm Life to Design-Build Leadership: Lance Cayko’s People-First Journey
What happens when a poor farm kid from North Dakota trades irrigation lines for blueprints? You get Lance Cayko, co-founder of F9 Productions—a thriving design-build architecture firm in C...
In this episode of the People-First Builders podcast, Fletcher Wimbush interviews the CEO of Core Matters, Ryan Englin. Ryan shares his journey from running a marketing company to specializing in recruiting for trades like HVAC, plumbing, and construction.
He highlights the high turnover rates and the inefficiencies of traditional staffing agencies. Ryan discusses the importance of creating a sustainable hiring process, improving c...
In the inaugural episode of the People-First Builders podcast, Josh Elledge of UpMyInfluence interviews the creator and host of the show, Fletcher Wimbush. Fletcher is the owner and CEO of Discovered.ai, Wimbush & Associates, Inc., and Integrity First.
Fletcher addresses the significant talent shortages and shares strategies for effective hiring and retention. Drawing from his extensive experience, he introduced Discovered, a recru...
In this episode, Damien joins Fletcher in discussing the new norms that have stemmed from the pandemic such as remote work, the rise of international workers in the software development field, and how to identify and include these new set of workers into the company and its culture.
Fletcher Wimbush brings on Julie Kratz from Next Pivot Point to discuss diversity in the workplace and how important representation has become in both society and our workforce.
Michael Yinger, CEO of Resume Sieve, joins Fletcher Wimbush to discuss the best ways to hire the right person for the right job through the resume sorting process.
Fletcher Wimbush talks with Shaun Martin, author of "Hack Your Hiring: The Tactical Playbook to Find, Evaluate, and Hire A+ Talent" on how to attract and find the best talent using the right job ad.
The Hire Talents podcast, Optimizing The Hiring Process, for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs is excited to host Cameron Herold, a true serial entrepreneurial genius known around the world . He is the mastermind behind hundreds of companies’ exponential growth. Join us as we get in depth with THE CEO WHISPERER
Fletcher Wimbush speaks with Bianca Lager of 'Social Intelligence' a consumer reporting agency focused on online risk for human resources. www.socialintel.com
A lot of leaders fear having a remote dispersed workforce will hurt productivity. Learn about this and more on today's podcast with Shane Metcalf.
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