Learnings and Missteps by Depth Builder

Hosted by Jesse

Business Entrepreneurship Education

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Episodes

252

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

EN-US

About the 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.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 22, 2026Episode 25324 min

Stop Trying to Impress People: The Listening Habit That Makes You More Likable

You walk away from a conversation and nothing happens. No follow-up, no rapport, no real connection. What if the problem isn’t that you’re boring, but that you’re trying too hard to be interesting? In this episode, we break down why leading with your resume, credentials, and accomplishments can quietly sabotage the connections you want, and what to do instead. Resume stuff has its place on a job application. Face to face, it often builds a wall. In this episode, you’ll learn: The mindset shift that makes people instantly more comfortable around you The behavioral shift: how asking more questions changes every conversation What “toppers” are, and why one-upping people kills rapport How to measure your “airtime” so you stop dominating the conversation Simple, curiosity-based questions you can use at networking events and on the job site Why people who feel listened to become your biggest advocates Being more interested than interesting is one of the simplest ways to build influence, earn trust, and become the person people want to work with and recommend. 00:00 Stop Selling Your Resume 01:44 Be Interested Not Interesting 03:23 The Topper Problem 05:05 Learn About Them 06:05 Questions That Open Doors 08:20 Why Interest Works 11:01 Pressure to Sell 12:47 Back Pocket Questions 15:01 Jobsite Conversation Starters 19:42 Measure Your Airtime Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be

October 15, 2026Episode 25253 min

From 5,000 Rejections to the Grand Ole Opry: Doug Berry's "Think Huge" Story

A “big zero” in writing credentials and a C in English. That’s how Doug Berry describes his qualifications, and he’s now a children’s book author, a sci-fi novelist, and a Josie Music Award nominee headed to the Grand Ole Opry. Doug is a recently retired Air Force veteran from South Carolina who asks the question most of us are afraid to answer: why am I not working on my dream? For Doug, it started when he watched his Air Force buddy study to become a pilot. It led him to send about 5,000 emails and letters until one NASCAR team finally said yes. None of his success happened overnight. It’s been about 26 years since the NASCAR days to the Opry stage, with hot spots and cold spots along the way. The one thing about Doug is that he never stopped. In this episode: Why Doug’s advice for retirement is “keep busy and enjoy it” How a baby rabbit named Jasper, caught in the backyard by his nine-year-old son, became the Jasper and Friends children’s books The part of publishing nobody warns you about: choosing the illustrator’s scenes, getting an ISBN, and why Doug took photos from “rabbit height” around his yard Hybrid publishing vs. Amazon KDP, and why he did one for his children’s books and the other for his sci-fi novels, Guardians of the Unknown and Guardians of the Unknown: Convergence How rejection toughened his shell, including about five hybrid publishers saying no before one said yes The “make a decision and fix it if it’s wrong” mindset he learned in the Air Force The advice from game-show creator Dave Knoll to “think huge” that sent Doug from books to a jingle and songwriting The story behind “We Don’t All Come Home the Same,” nominated for Social Impact Song of the Year at the Josie Music Awards Why Doug says he's “years into a 10-year overnight success” Connect with Doug: You can find him on LinkedIn . His Jasper and Friends books are on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart online. 00:00 Think Huge Mindset 02:00 Retirement Transition Tips 03:21 No Credentials Needed 06:23 Air Force Grit 07:31 NASCAR Dream Pursuit 13:03 Handling Rejection 14:56 Jasper Book Origin 16:59 Publishing Reality Check 20:40 Sci Fi On KDP 22:26 Writing Process Flowcharts 25:05 Songwriting And Branding 28:38 Song Meaning and Message 29:26 Josie Awards Nomination 31:24 Long Game of Success 33:40 Make the Decision 37:29 Handling Rejection and Ghosting 39:09 Outside Perspective and Networking 44:27 Dream Bigger Than Big 47:36 Where to Find Doug Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be

October 8, 2026Episode 2511 hr 6 min

I'm Your Buffer Between the Company and OSHA: Kim Pierce on Safety That Works

Fourteen years on the tools. About twenty in safety. A safety expert witness. An author. And a woman who got a 98 on her journeyman's test, better than the guys who did all four years. Kim Pierce is the kind of safety professional Jesse says he wishes he'd had on every job. She doesn't stand over the crew like a "bird dog" and then tattle to the foreman. She shows up early, asks what's coming, explains the why , and finds a compliant way to get the work done. In this conversation, Jesse and Kim dig into: Why safety is still hard 50 years into OSHA How production pressure and personal risk tolerance shape what happens on a jobsite Why the "safety guy" who only writes people up kills trust and retention What new safety grads need to hear before they walk onto a site (hint: go get dirty first) What happens when a company hands the safety job to someone with no training and a chip on their shoulder How Kim became a construction safety expert witness Why she wrote The Hands That Built This: Restoring Respect and Rebuilding the Future of the Trade , and what it will take to keep new people, especially women, in the trades If you work in construction, lead people in the field, or are the person who gets called when something goes sideways, press play. Connect with Kim: https://www.kajelegacy.com/ Author Site 02:30 Why Safety Is Hard 04:27 Risk Tolerance Clash 05:53 Proactive Safety Planning 08:04 Real World Safety Lessons 12:29 Field Experience Matters 16:52 Advice for Young Safety Pros 22:22 Punitive vs Culture Safety 25:23 Credentials and Career Paths 27:33 Mentorship and Knowledge Loss 31:17 Choosing a Service Mindset 32:04 Safety Bird Dog Problem 33:41 Building Trust On Site 36:44 Safest Option Not Perfect 38:12 When To Drop Hammer 39:46 Life As Expert Witness 43:41 Writing The Hands That Built This 48:38 Retention And Respect In Trades 52:09 Breaking In As Woman Apprentice 54:57 Where To Find Kim Online Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be

October 1, 2026Episode 25054 min

Mistakes, Lessons, and the Mud: What 250 Interviews Taught Us with Rene Duron

Six years after episode zero, Jesse is back with his original co-host (and baby brother) Rene for a 250th episode full of laughs. They recorded at 6 a.m. on a Sunday, with Rene hiding out at his office so his four kids, the "raptors," wouldn't crash the interview. Rene explains why he stepped back from co-hosting, and he shares the whiteboard drawing behind his advice for new podcasters: a pipe full of mud, with clean water waiting behind it. They look back at the messy early days, including the conversation Jesse forgot to record. Rene admits what he was really doing with some of his questions ("let me get some air time"). He also tells how he ended up editing five podcasts at once and making the most money of his life, and why that taught him he isn't driven by money. Jesse explains why the guest list grew beyond tradespeople, and why he'll keep doing the show even though it costs him money. Along the way, Rene says Jesse is secretly showing guests the Dragon Scroll from Kung Fu Panda . Then Rene throws Jesse a curveball on the closing question: What is the promise you are intended to be? The answer involves a goofy lizard named Rango. 00:36 250th Episode Reunion 02:44 Starting the Podcast Messy 07:02 Pipe Full of Mud Advice 10:58 Confidence and Questions 13:10 Stepping Back to Edit 15:44 Values Beyond Money 18:23 Career Growth and Connections 20:53 Big Guest Takeaways 23:45 Unicorns and Caring Leaders 24:56 Family Life and Editing Time 25:43 Family Support and Diapers 26:28 Podcast Guest Shift 28:30 Finding Guests Gets Hard 30:44 How to Ruin It 31:58 Why Keep Going 36:27 Same Format Debate 37:24 Dragon Scroll Metaphor 40:55 Future of the Show 42:07 The Promise Question 47:15 God Given Purpose 48:28 Becoming the Hero Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be

September 24, 2026Episode 2491 hr 3 min

"Nobody Wants Your Elevator Pitch": Neel Zbinden on Field Marketing, Integrity, and Ending the War Between Sales, Ops, and Brand

Sales blames marketing. Marketing blames ops. Ops blames sales. Neel Zbinden says it usually starts at the top. After 30 years in restaurants, Neel quit on April 1st with no plan. A few months later she was in construction marketing, teaching herself the job through trial and error. Today she's the founder of Z Collab Group and co-founder and president of Contractors, Closers, and Connections (CCC) Fort Worth. She fixes the disconnect between sales, marketing, brand, and operations, and she won't work with anyone who lies, cheats, or steals. She tells them on the first call. In this episode: Why service-industry people make great hires in construction What field marketing really is (hint: the extra mile) Why departments battle, and why great people get fired for bad leadership Quarterly reviews, simple CRMs, and cutting the busy work Why "What's in it for me?" loses the room 00:00 Leadership Sets the Tone 06:04 From Restaurants to Construction 12:20 Service Mindset and Transferable Skills 15:39 What Field Marketing Really Is 22:35 Aligning Teams and Fixing CRM Chaos 29:41 Integrity and Ops vs Sales Disconnect 32:56 Speaking Up at Work 34:36 Consulting Gets Heard 37:00 Sales Marketing Reality Check 39:10 Delegation and Giving Value 40:43 Training as Retention 44:07 Bachata Training Lesson 47:38 Owning Your Voice Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be

September 17, 2026Episode 2481 hr 2 min

Built Not Forced: Jody Fitzgerald on Ownership, Flow, and Building People (Not Just Buildings)

Most superintendents don't run jobs; they survive them by firefighting their way to the finish line. Jody Fitzgerald did it that way for 40 years, until it cost him more than he was willing to keep paying. In this week’s conversation with Jesse, he breaks down what separates a superintendent who protects tomorrow's work from one who's just good at creating the next fire. What you'll get out of this one Why most jobs have zero flow — superintendents run on personality, not a system, because nobody ever taught them the why behind the steps. The five pillars of Built Not Forced — identity, preparation, flow, standards, stewardship. Everyone talks about the middle three; Jody explains why the bookend pillars are where all the money actually is. A one-sentence definition of the job that'll stick with you: protect tomorrow's work. Everything inside the fence is his to own. The "dummy tax" is real. Jesse confesses exactly how trade partners quietly price bad superintendents differently than good ones — and Jody's reaction says it all. Ownership can be taught — and Jesse gets vulnerable about the moment it finally clicked for him. Technology gave us speed and stole our communication. Why instant information created an expectation of instant, "complete" answers — and why that's wrecking decisions in the field. The 23-year-old kid Jody handed a job to — proof of what it looks like to actually build someone up. Connect with Jody: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-jody-fitzgerald-73235843/ 00:00 People Build Buildings 00:33 Meet Jody Fitzgerald 03:16 Why Jobs Lack Flow 05:42 From Screamer to Leader 13:56 Built Not Forced Origins 15:21 Five Pillars Framework 16:05 Superintendent Role Defined 19:12 Ownership and Self-Improvement 20:27 Tech vs Real Communication 22:53 Teaching Ownership the Why 28:08 Dummy Tax and Trade Respect 30:54 Industry Perfect Storm 32:08 Training and Listening Fix 34:26 Listen Not Apps 35:24 Translation On Site 37:20 Huddles And Systems 38:17 Surface Problems Safely 40:44 Trust And Standards 42:50 Mentoring The Next 47:58 Tech And Expectations 50:35 Drawings Owners And No Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be

September 10, 2026Episode 24743 min

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 the people on your team who seem checked out are actually starved for two things: autonomy and critical thinking. Jesse gets brutally honest about his own journey, reframes why some people show up guarded and afraid to make decisions, and shares the exact reflective questions he uses to turn hesitant "doers" into confident decision-makers. Plus, he tackles two pop-up questions: what to do when your boss is underutilizing you, and how to "manage up" without becoming a bootlicker. If you've ever thought "why won't they just think for themselves," this episode will make you rethink who's really responsible for that. 00:00 Failure Fuels Growth 00:14 Your Most Important Customer 01:00 Internal Customers First 02:01 Activating the Doers 02:58 You Are Not Paying Them 06:18 Autonomy Explained 08:50 Stop Overreacting 10:01 Reinforce with Reflection 16:42 Critical Thinking Muscle 23:34 Fear Based Backgrounds 25:23 Underrated by Your Boss 30:01 Managing Up Without Sucking Up 36:33 Fulfillment Beyond Work 37:20 Fernando’s Wake Up Call Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be

September 3, 2026Episode 2461 hr 7 min

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 returns to unpack the moment she stopped chasing "cheat codes" for success and started building her own definition of it instead. A cross-country move from Las Vegas to the Midwest cracked open questions she hadn't let herself ask: What pace of life actually fits me? What happens after I hit the goal? And who am I if it's not exciting anymore? Jesse and Stephanie get into: Why can a big milestone feel like nothing, and the one thing that changes that The real reason she left Las Vegas, and what it forced her to confront about her values How showing up on LinkedIn became less about growth and more about connection, fun, and impact The blunt truth about employers who shut down employees who create content (and why that's a mistake) Why content creation quietly makes you better at your job, and more valuable to your company Her take on AI and tools lowering the barrier to start, and the one thing that still separates people who succeed from people who don't What "More Than an Engineer" really means, and the identity work behind reclaiming a label The promise she made to herself: to become the person her younger self needed If you've ever hit a goal and felt strangely underwhelmed, or you're an engineer (or anyone) quietly wondering if there's more to your identity than your job title, this one's going to hit close to home. 00:00 Taking Back Control 00:26 Meet Stephanie Reichman 02:00 No Perfect Plan Confession 06:46 Redefining Success After Moving 09:18 Finding Your Pace 12:35 Celebrating Goals Without Parades 17:39 Followers Versus Purpose 20:27 Keeping Content Fun 23:10 LinkedIn Impact at Work 26:14 Employers and Employee Advocacy 31:14 What Community Means 33:11 More Than an Engineer Origins 34:03 Turning Ideas into Action 34:44 AI Lowers the Barrier 36:13 Building A Personal App 38:18 Iterate and Improve Fast 40:26 Marketing and Distribution 43:32 Choosing Projects Wisely 45:49 Fun Versus Practicality 49:26 More Than an Engineer Meaning 56:00 Momentum Train Mindset 49:27 The Grand Slam Question Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be

August 27, 2026Episode 2451 hr 0 min

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 the side of construction leadership nobody puts on a business card: the suicide and overdose statistics haunting the trades, the impossible task of "shutting work off," and why connection might be the most underrated safety equipment on any crew. Jesse and Dino don't stay in the dark for long. They dig into why leaders hesitate to teach and mentor publicly because of confidence, added responsibility, and the fear of getting it wrong out loud; and how Dino turned his own mistakes into the systems now running his company. His answer to burnout and bottlenecks? "Clone yourself" through documentation and training, so the business doesn't live and die by one person's memory. Then things get real when Dino walks through a recent job that went sideways, and what it actually looks like to earn trust when you own the problem instead of hiding from it. He also previews his plans to help lead a construction-focused peer group on mental health. If you run crews, run a business, or just run yourself into the ground more often than you'd like to admit, this episode’s for you. In this episode: The mental health and addiction crisis hiding in plain sight across construction Why "shutting off" work is a skill most leaders never learn Building a peer support network for an industry that doesn't ask for help Turning mistakes into systems: how to document, train, and clone yourself What it really takes to earn trust after a job goes wrong Protecting focus time and staying resourceful enough to climb the ladder 00:00 Industry Pain Opens 00:14 Meet Dino DePasquale 02:17 How Hard Is It 02:59 Steel Life Story 04:59 Mental Health Crisis 08:46 Peer Group Plans 09:23 Addiction And Overdose 11:19 Jesse Recovery Story 15:23 Why Share A Playbook 18:55 Cloning Yourself Systems 21:00 Confidence To Teach 26:39 Document Your Day 28:26 Track Your Time 29:00 Stop Answering Every Call 29:31 Delegate With Clarity 32:15 Progress Over Perfection 32:55 Being Real Online 36:24 Job Went Off Rails 37:58 Own The Fix 41:35 Purpose Beyond Hard Work 46:42 Resourcefulness To Advance 51:46 Where To Find Dino 53:32 Why Converge Hit Different Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be

August 20, 2026Episode 24435 min

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 framework for builders and leaders who can't delegate, can't say no, and are quietly running on tasks that were never actually theirs to carry. He walks through the exercise in real time, then shows you what to do with everything left uncircled: reduce it through optimizing or automating, delegate it, or extinguish it outright, and why time deserves more vigilance than money ever will. The twist: he says you don't build this skill in the high-stakes moments. You build it at home, in the small stuff, asking for help before you need to; so when it counts in your business or on the jobsite, saying "not me" is second nature instead of a crisis decision. If you've ever ended a workday exhausted but couldn't name what you actually accomplished, this one's for you. 00:00 Focus on What Matters 01:25 Framework Overview 02:30 Step One Write It Down 04:33 Step Two Circle Only You 07:11 Why Delegation Feels Hard 11:37 Step Three Reduce Tasks 19:34 Extinguish Nonessential Work 21:09 Outsource and Guard Time 24:15 Ask for Help and Communicate 29:09 Final Recap and Homework Lets leave the Construction Industry Better than We Found It https://www.depthbuilder.com/construction-leadership-lab Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be