Building The Future

What comes after a budget that barely covers the bills? In Affordability Part 4, Ben Sampica joins the Building The Future Show to explore how people can move from getting by toward building a better life. The conversation returns to the series’ household-budget example and asks what meaningful progress looks like when money, time, and local opportunities are limited.

The group discusses career growth, asking better questions ...

A guest lecture introduced Will Ries to the person who became his boss. That connection led him to Just Add Water, where an internship became a career building ponds, waterfalls, and the team behind them.

On the Building The Future Show, Will explains how a water feature becomes a living ecosystem, why the way a customer wants to use a yard matters, and how small design decisions change the finished experience. He also shares what h...

What can AI take off your plate, and what still needs a person who knows the work? In Episode 12 of the Building The Future Show, ChatGPT Astra 6 joins us through a MacBook for a conversation about work, judgment, and the limits of a confident answer.

We compare our own experiences using AI, challenge what it can do on a jobsite, and put questions directly to Astra. The conversation moves from practical office tasks and software...

Cassie Cannon of FC Trucking joins Building The Future Show to share a family story that began with her grandfather hauling grain and led to building a trucking business of her own. From childhood rides with her dad to one truck, one driver, and daily calls looking for work, Cassie explains how she found her place in the industry.The conversation covers earning repeat business, working with brokers, buying and maintaining trucks, k...

Blake Haan joins Building The Future for Part 3 of our affordability series, continuing the conversation about whether young people can still build a stable life and reach the American Dream.

Blake and the group discuss housing, debt, income, lifestyle expectations, sacrifice, and family priorities. They examine how career choices, practical skills, spending habits, and decisions made early in life shape what becomes affordable over...

Royce Johns joins Building The Future to share his unexpected path from singer-songwriter and studio owner to excavation business owner. After building his own home, stepping away from equipment, and watching his studio venture fail, Royce returned to the work he enjoyed and began building a business around excavation and land clearing.

Royce discusses buying equipment, managing insurance and cash flow, finding customers through doo...

Ben Sampica returns to Building The Future for the second half of our conversation about affordability and whether the American Dream remains within reach for young people and working families.

The group brings the question down to everyday math: buying a home with less than 20% down, PMI and first-time-buyer financing, emergency funds, credit cards, housing and utility costs, transportation, healthcare, food, and lifestyle choices....

Colby Elmitt, who runs Langel and Wood, joins Building The Future for a practical conversation about custom clothing, customer experience, and the business behind a well-made suit.

Colby explains the difference between suit jackets and sport coats, how fabric choices range from practical everyday options to luxury wools, and why measurements, fit, color, pattern, shoes, ties, and linings matter. The conversation also covers warm-wea...

Ben Sampica joins Building The Future for the first half of a two-part conversation about affordability and whether the American Dream remains within reach for young people and working families.

The group examines rising housing and living costs, household income, credit card debt, and the disappearance of affordable starter homes. They also discuss college versus the trades, lifestyle expectations, saving, sacrifice, and how career...

Denny Deaken joins Luke Bristow for a practical conversation about tree care, jobsite safety, and the judgment behind deciding whether a tree should be protected or removed. Denny explains why healthy trees need thoughtful care, and why dead ash trees can remain dangerous even when they are still standing.

They discuss a climbing close call, safety standards, root damage caused by construction, and the challenges of building around ...

Peter Cooper joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about entrepreneurship, skilled trades, apprenticeships, hiring, education, and building a career that lasts.

Peter shares how he turned a layoff into an opportunity, the lessons he has learned from building businesses, and why your attitude, relationships, and willingness to keep learning matter just as much as your technical skills.

Whether you are a student exploring careers, a...

Josh Stover, owner of Stover’s Motors, joins us to share how he went from playing jazz saxophone and growing up in rural Iowa to building his own small-engine repair business.

Josh talks about trying different jobs before committing to a career, learning through mistakes, and recognizing the difference between aimless job hopping and purposeful career exploration. We also discuss the real grind behind succeeding in the trades,...

The Building The Future Podcast is back with another conversation about work, discipline, career paths, and what it takes to build a future you can be proud of. Our guest this week is Wes Stover who has been a teacher in public education for decades.
In Episode 2, we continue exploring real stories from real people - the kind of conversations students and young adults need as they think about their next steps.
Whether you are...