Build Your Success

Hosted by Brian Brogen

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257

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Establishing a foundation for your personal and professional development. This community and our guests will empower and equip you to be a better leader, enabling you to BUILD a brighter, better future for you and your team

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60 recent

June 16, 202626 min

Navigating New Frontiers in Wind: Millwrights Offshore with Andy Benedetto

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:brianb@buildcs.net 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.

June 9, 202626 min

Why EQ Matters for High Performance in Construction with Brent Darnell

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:brianb@buildcs.net 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.

June 2, 202623 min

From Peer to Supervisor with Mikel Bowman

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:brianb@buildcs.net 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.

May 19, 202626 min

Delegation & Leading Franchisees with Adam Povitz

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:brianb@buildcs.net 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.

May 5, 202622 min

Self-Advocacy and Emotional Intelligence in the AEC Industry with Stephanie Nowak

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:brianb@buildcs.net 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.

April 28, 202627 min

Building a Better Construction Workforce with Luke Hill

On the Build Your Success podcast, host Brian interviewsLuke Hill, a Marine Corps veteran and staffing manager for Telson in Houston, about leadership, mentoring, and construction recruiting. Luke shares his background in staffing and apprenticeshipplacement, his family ties to the trades, and how a former gunnery sergeant shaped his leadership “true north”: leaving an organization and its people better than he found them. They discuss the ripple effect of mentoring, the mission ofthe nonprofit Crew Collaborative to improve lives in blue-collar and construction careers by sharing real stories in schools, and the importance of presenting trades as a destination while acknowledging long hours, toughconditions, and cyclical work. Luke explains MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing), notesongoing workforce shortages and retirements and describes the most surprising and rewarding part of recruiting: the industry’s tangible community impact through projects like hospitals and schools.Guest Social: Luke Hill |LinkedInGuest Website: Tellepsen| Commercial Contractor Host Email:brianb@buildcs.net 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.

April 21, 202630 min

Connection Through Trust with Missy Washam and Mayce DelValle

In this Build Your Success Podcast episode, Brian welcomesleadership coaches Missy Washam and Mayce DelValle from Mpactful Messages, they share how they met, became best friends and business partners, and help companies transform through leadership development. They define strong leadership as authentic, vulnerable, androoted in connection, emphasizing that everyone deserves to be led well and that connection drives trust, buy-in, commitment, productivity, profit, and accountability. They discuss how leaders can move teams from compliance tocommitment by knowing people’s lives, strengths, passions, and motivators, and identify micromanagement as a major cause of disengagement. The conversation highlights practical examples from blue-collar environments, the impact ofleadership on work and home life. Get the Mpactful Messages Offer by texting: Time to (772)732-6684Missy: MissyWasham | LinkedInMayce: MayceDelValle | LinkedInGuest Website: MpactfulMessagesHost Email:brianb@buildcs.net 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, Brianbrings the real-world credibility and relatable rapport your audience craves.

March 24, 202626 min

What it Takes to Weld with Rob Sublette of Mountain Man Welding

On this episode of the Build Your Success podcast, host Brian Brogen welcomes Rob Sublette Vice President of Mountain Man Welding, a family-owned Denver welding and fabrication company founded in 1992 that transitioned from oil and gas into water infrastructure and has welded much of Colorado’s major welded-steel water pipelines over the past 34 years. Rob shares his path from welder helper to project engineer, operations manager, and VP in 2024, and discusses buying out the business as his mom serves as president. He defines leadership as being people-first, accessible, and willing to work alongside crews. Rob outlines opportunities for young people in fabrication, emphasizing starting at the bottom, gaining real field experience, and being patient about pay and progression. He highlights 2026 challenges including tariffs affecting material lead times and the ongoing labor and training gap, and advises newcomers to stay humble, invest in themselves, and avoid job hopping. Guest Social: Rob Sublette |LinkedInGuestWebsite: https://mountainmanwelding.comHost Email:brianb@buildcs.netHost LinkedIn: Brian Brogen,PMP 🧱 | LinkedInAbout 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.

March 10, 202630 min

What Are Your Culture Signals with Justin Barksdale

On this episode of the Build Your Success podcast we welcome Justin Barksdale, founder of Barksdale Safety and Barksdale Leadership. Justin shares his 15–16 years as a safety professional, starting as a scaffold builder, and explains his companies’ missions: educating, equipping, and empowering organizations to create safety and building leaders people want to follow and cultures people never want to leave. Justin defines leadership as servant influence that adds value and builds trust, and defines culture as how people think, act, and interact. They discuss how leaders shape culture through what they reinforce and tolerate, how “culture isn’t what we expect; it’s what we accept,” and how poor culture drives disengagement, turnover, and hidden costs. Justin warns against “flavor of the month” change, stresses measuring culture, investing in leadership development, and cites Microsoft’s culture shift from “know-it-alls”to “learn-it-alls.” Guest Social: JustinBarksdale, CSP | LinkedInGuest Website: BarksdaleLeadership Solutions ; BarksdaleSafety Solutions -Safety ConsultantsHost Email:brianb@buildcs.net Host LinkedIn: Brian Brogen, PMP 🧱| LinkedInAbout 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.

March 3, 202623 min

Growing Trades Through Safety and Innovation at Dewalt with Rob Newman

In this Build Your Success Podcast episode, host Brian Brogen interviews Rob Newman, Vice President of DeWalt Business Development Strategies, aboutleadership, innovation, safety, and workforce development in construction. Rob shares his 27-year journey at DeWalt, emphasizing leadership through listening, continuous learning, and self-reflection in communication. He highlights DeWalt’s new down-drilling robot partnership with August Robotics, tested on data center projects to improve accuracy, reduce dust exposure, enhance safety, and save significant schedule time, including reducing a seven-week drilling scope to seven days. They discuss labor shortages and how automation can repurpose workers into higher-value roles, including operating and programming robots. Rob also covers inherently safer tools and DeWalt’s Grow the Trades commitment, including expanded funding, tool donations, support for trade schools, veteran’spathways, and programs exposing youth and girls to skilled trades.Guest LinkedIn: Robert Newman |LinkedInGuest Website: https://dewalt.com and https://stanleyblackanddecker.com Host Email:brianb@buildcs.netHost LinkedIn: Brian Brogen,PMP 🧱 | LinkedInAbout 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 audiencethinking 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 that your audience craves.