The Builders

Hosted by Matt Levenhagen

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301

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Oct 2026

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About the show

"The Builders" Podcast is designed for those that are 'building' stuff on the web. Whether that's building a business, an agency, building teams, building products, services.. or building websites.. if it's related to building something, it's fair game.

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November 2, 2026Episode 30144 min

Rich Magallanes – From Mailroom Grunt to Nickelodeon Senior VP, Overcoming Self-Doubt

What does it take to build a successful career when you start with very little support, no clear roadmap, and a persistent sense of self-doubt? In this episode of The Builders Podcast , Matt Levenhagen sits down with Rich Magallanes, longtime animation executive, producer, and founder of Animated U, to explore his remarkable journey from a difficult childhood to becoming a senior vice president at Nickelodeon. Rich shares what it was like growing up in poverty, working alongside his father in wealthy Los Angeles homes, and eventually putting himself through college while trying to figure out his future. His journey took him from journalism and a radio station mailroom into acting, filmmaking, and creative production. Along the way, unexpected connections and mentors helped him recognize opportunities and abilities he often struggled to see in himself. The conversation explores the power of persistence, the importance of surrounding yourself with people who believe in your potential, and how a career can take shape one opportunity at a time. Rich also reflects on his 18 years at Nickelodeon, transitioning into independent production, and how his experiences have ultimately led him toward building a community that supports and connects other creators. Key Takeaways Keep moving forward, even without a clear roadmap. Rich didn't always know what he wanted to become, but knowing what he didn't want helped him make decisions and pursue a better future. Your beginnings don't have to define your opportunities. Growing up without stability or financial resources didn't prevent Rich from pursuing education and building a career. Sometimes you have to create your own opportunities. A bold move involving his college diploma and a stack of mail helped Rich get noticed and earn a position in the newsroom. Mentorship can change how you see yourself. Throughout his career, professors, directors, and executives recognized potential in Rich before he fully believed in his own abilities. Self-doubt doesn't have to stop your progress. Even as Rich advanced into executive leadership, insecurity remained part of his experience. He continued learning, growing, and accepting new challenges. Relationships and experience can become the foundation for your next chapter. The connections Rich built throughout his career eventually helped shape his latest venture, Animated U, focused on bringing creative professionals together. Tune in for a conversation about resilience, creative careers, mentorship, and the unexpected paths that lead us toward building something meaningful.

October 26, 2026Episode 3001 hr 4 min

Matt Levenhagen – How AI Is Changing the Way I Build, Manage, and Grow My Agency

In this milestone 300th episode of The Builders Podcast , Matt Levenhagen takes a look behind the scenes at how artificial intelligence is transforming the way he builds, manages, and grows Unified Web Design. What started with AI helping write emails, troubleshoot code, and handle individual tasks has evolved into something much bigger: an increasingly connected system of AI assistants helping manage daily operations, monitor business activity, coordinate projects, and deliver client work. Matt shares the evolution of his own AI operating system, from spending months developing a local Command Center to discovering that newer cloud-based tools and proactive AI agents could accomplish much of what he had been building toward. Along the way, he recounts a surprisingly productive afternoon in a Subaru dealership waiting room, explains how AI is changing development workflows, and shares examples of projects that would have required significantly more time and effort just a year ago. But there's an interesting paradox emerging. AI has dramatically increased Matt's capacity, yet it's also helping generate more business, more opportunities, and more work. And there are still limits to what one person can manage, regardless of how capable the tools become. It's a candid look at the opportunities, challenges, and lessons of building an AI-assisted agency, and why the future may involve smaller, more capable teams rather than eliminating the need for people altogether. Key Takeaways Build systems to solve real problems, not just to use new technology. A system that works today may need to evolve tomorrow, and that doesn't mean building it was a mistake. AI is moving from reactive assistance toward proactive business support. Connected agents can help monitor information, identify priorities, and surface issues before they become problems. The way we work is changing, not just how quickly we work. Access to business context and connected tools makes it possible to handle meaningful work from almost anywhere. AI expands what small teams can deliver. From software development and documentation to project coordination and client deliverables, AI-assisted workflows are creating new capabilities. More productivity doesn't eliminate human limitations. Decision-making, attention, oversight, and context-switching still create bottlenecks, making human collaboration essential as businesses grow. Adaptability may be one of the most important advantages for small businesses. Experimenting, learning, and remaining willing to rethink established processes can help smaller teams compete in new ways. Tune in for a firsthand look at building an AI-assisted business, where the tools keep evolving, the opportunities keep growing, and the lessons are still being learned.

October 19, 2026Episode 29950 min

Gabe Arnold – How to Build an Elite Team and Stop Being the Bottleneck in Your Business

What does it take to build a business that grows without requiring more and more of your time? In Part 2 of our conversation with Gabe Arnold , CEO of Simple Operations, we explore the systems, leadership principles, and team structures that allow entrepreneurs to step out of the day-to-day and focus on building something sustainable. Gabe knows this transformation firsthand. After implementing the Simple Operations framework in his own marketing agency, he doubled revenue, tripled profit, and reduced his working hours from more than 60 per week to under 30. That experience eventually led him to acquire the very company that helped him change how he operated his business. Now he's helping other founders achieve similar results through clearer roles, better communication, meaningful metrics, and shared accountability. We dig into the five foundational principles behind his business operating system, how to identify the areas that need the most attention, and why the relationship between a CEO and an operator can be such a powerful part of scaling. Along the way, we discuss real examples of business owners who have reclaimed their time while growing their companies, and why sometimes the best-run businesses are the ones where things have become wonderfully boring. Key Takeaways Build an elite team, not just a business family. Clear expectations, defined responsibilities, and accountability help everyone contribute to the company's success. Create rhythms that keep strategy moving. Connect annual goals to 90-day targets and weekly commitments so important improvements don't get lost in daily work. Measure what actually matters. Focus on a critical number that reflects customer impact, and assess lead generation, nurture, conversion, delivery, and retention to identify where improvement is needed. Give your team ownership of outcomes. Use the Outcome, Transparency, and Accountability (OTA) framework to make projects more predictable and encourage shared responsibility. Stop being the bottleneck. A strong operator can manage daily execution and team coordination, freeing the CEO to focus on vision, strategy, and removing barriers. Build a business that supports your life. Sustainable growth isn't just about increasing revenue. It's about creating a company that can thrive without consuming all of your time. Tune in for a practical conversation about building better teams, simpler systems, and businesses that give their founders the freedom to lead.

October 12, 2026Episode 29851 min

Jay Sargeant – The Painting, the Jaguar, and the Pool: Enter Their World Before You Pitch

What if the secret to better sales wasn't learning how to close, but learning how to connect? In this second conversation with Coach Jay Sargeant, Matt Levenhagen explores a different approach to selling, one built around understanding people, earning trust, and creating lasting value. Drawing on decades of experience and his work adapting Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) into sales training, Jay explains why the most effective sales conversations begin long before anyone makes a pitch. Through three unforgettable stories involving a $5,000 painting, a classic Jaguar, and a home near the Pacific Ocean, Jay demonstrates how great salespeople recognize what truly matters to their customers. From asking the right questions to reframing objections without pressure, each story reveals a practical lesson about communication, human behavior, and creating the right fit between a person and a product. Matt also reflects on his own journey through sales, from early struggles selling vacuum cleaners and encyclopedias to developing his skills as an insurance agent. Together, they explore how sales can become less about persuasion and more about service, listening, adaptability, and relationships. Whether you're building a business, selling a product, leading a team, or simply trying to communicate more effectively, this conversation offers timeless principles for connecting with people and creating value that lasts. Key Takeaways Build rapport before making a pitch. Establish trust and understand the person before introducing your solution. Ask better questions and listen carefully. Discover what someone wants, why it matters, and what they're really trying to accomplish. Present solutions through the customer's perspective. The strongest presentation speaks to what the customer values, not simply a list of features and benefits. Reframe objections instead of fighting them. Sometimes the facts can't change, but helping someone see them from another perspective can reveal a solution. Focus on lasting value, not just closing the sale. The right product or service should continue delivering value long after the transaction. Stay observant, flexible, and intentional. Effective communication requires paying attention, adapting your approach, and understanding the outcome you're working toward. Tune in for three memorable stories and a lifetime of lessons about building trust, understanding people, and approaching sales with purpose.

October 5, 2026Episode 29750 min

Carl Fudge – From Boardroom to Lunchroom: The Winding Path to Presentation Mode

Carl Fudge helps founders tell stories that investors can understand, remember, and act on. But as Carl points out early in this conversation, telling your own story is often much harder. His path to founding Presentation Mode wasn't a straight one. It moved through organizational psychology, management consulting at McKinsey, an early-stage innovation company, business school at MIT, eight years at IDEO, and eventually a turbulent startup experience that ended with an unexpected layoff. Along the way, Carl began discovering pieces of himself that weren't always obvious from a job title. At IDEO, a project redesigning San Francisco's school lunch experience took him, as he jokes, from the boardroom to the lunchroom . What looked like a step backward in prestige became a huge step forward creatively. He learned that he loved creating things that didn't exist, bringing different disciplines together, recognizing hidden strengths in other people, and helping quieter voices become part of the conversation. Then came the reset. After leaving IDEO for a promising technology startup, Carl found himself laid off and without the carefully mapped next step that had characterized much of his career. Freelancing gave him space to reflect, journal, and pay attention to what actually gave him energy. One small side business kept pulling him back: helping people with presentations and storytelling. That instinct eventually became Presentation Mode, where the lessons from psychology, strategy, design, leadership, and storytelling finally came together. Key Takeaways Your career doesn't need to move in a straight line to move forward. Experiences that look disconnected in the moment can become the raw material for what you eventually build. Pay attention when other people recognize strengths you don't see in yourself. Sometimes the people around us notice our natural abilities before we understand their value. Great teams make room for more than the loudest voices. Leadership can look a lot like conducting an orchestra: knowing when to amplify someone, when to create space, and how to help different strengths work together. Creation and optimization require different kinds of energy. Carl eventually realized he was far more energized by building new products, services, businesses, and stories than by improving what already existed. Culture is part of what you're building. The IDEO experience showed Carl that high standards, serious work, creativity, kindness, humor, and joy don't have to compete with one another. Sometimes a setback creates the space to finally follow an instinct. Carl's layoff wasn't the beginning of his entrepreneurial desire, but it gave him the push to stop ignoring it and start building something of his own. Sometimes the winding path isn't a detour. It's the thing preparing you to build what's next.

September 28, 2026Episode 29645 min

Gabe Arnold – From Hustle and Failure to Building a Business That Gives You Back Your Life

Gabe Arnold has spent most of his life building. He started working alongside his grandfather in the trades as a kid, launched his own construction company at 18, eventually grew it to around 40 employees and roughly $1 million in annual revenue... and then watched it fall apart. Bankruptcy, painful partnerships, personal loss, and plenty of hard-earned business lessons followed. But Gabe kept rebuilding. He moved into websites and digital marketing, learned how to productize services, built recurring revenue businesses, assembled teams, and gradually became obsessed with a question many founders eventually face: How do you keep growing without simply working more? By the time his agency reached the $600,000–$700,000 range, 50- and 60-hour weeks had become normal, and brute-force effort was starting to hit its limit. That search eventually led him to Simple Operations. Over the next 18 months, Gabe says his business doubled revenue, tripled profit, and took his workload from more than 60 hours a week to less than 30. The system worked so well that years later, he acquired the company behind it. In Part I of our conversation, we unpack the experiences, failures, reinventions, and lessons that shaped the builder behind that decision. In Part II, we’ll dig deeper into the operating principles and systems themselves. Key Takeaways Revenue alone doesn’t mean you’ve built a healthy business. Gabe once ran a million-dollar company with dozens of employees while discovering that the underlying margins and financial structure weren’t strong enough. Failure can expose the systems you never knew you needed. Bankruptcy and difficult partnerships pushed Gabe to understand finance, structure, accountability, and ownership differently. Good businesses are rarely built exactly as originally planned. Gabe continually changed his model as customers, markets, competition, and technology changed. Productizing creates leverage. Turning custom work into repeatable processes allowed Gabe to build recurring revenue, delegate delivery, and grow teams around defined systems. Hard work eventually reaches a ceiling. When every new level of growth requires more founder hours, the business has created another job rather than true ownership. The point of systems isn’t simply efficiency. Done well, they create clarity, empower other people, and give the founder back time for family, creativity, and the rest of life.

September 21, 2026Episode 2951 hr 5 min

Jay Sargeant – Seven Reinventions, No Resume, and Proof There Are No Small Moments

In this episode of The Builders Podcast, Matt Levenhagen sits down with Jay Sargeant, a self-described serial reinventor whose path has taken him from community organizing and professional tennis to franchise development, NLP training, entrepreneurship, coaching, and writing. Jay’s story is filled with the kinds of moments that seem small until you realize they changed everything: walking into an interview with no resume, buying a blue suit and a briefcase he never opened, attending a dinner party he wanted to skip, making a deal with a shirtless software pioneer in Venice, and meeting a poolside stranger who handed him a book that redirected his life. Through seven reinventions, Jay has arrived at three enduring principles: credentials are overrated, there are no small moments, and it is never too late to change. His journey offers a vivid look at how people build their next chapter by trusting the abilities they already possess, recognizing unexpected opportunities, and continuing to create at every age. Key Takeaways Reinvention often begins by repurposing the skills you already have, not collecting another credential. Knowing what you do well is only part of the equation. You also need to recognize what should be entrusted to someone else. Relationships built through years of genuine service can open doors that qualifications alone cannot. Opportunities frequently arrive disguised as ordinary conversations, uncomfortable invitations, or inconvenient moments. Strong sales begin with connection and trust, making the eventual close a natural result rather than a forced technique. Age does not determine whether your most meaningful work is behind you or still waiting to be built. Tune in for a funny, unpredictable, and deeply human conversation about recognizing the moments that can build an entirely new life.

September 14, 2026Episode 29451 min

Bryan Blackmon – You Are Worth It: Sobriety, Belief, and the Rise of Crab Crew

In this episode of The Builders Podcast , Matt Levenhagen sits down with Bryan Blackmon , founder of Crab Crew Life, for a story about rebuilding from a place most people would have trouble imagining. Bryan’s journey moves through addiction, heroin and methamphetamine use, jail, prison, homelessness, and years of living what he describes as a life of constant chaos. But the turning point wasn’t another punishment, rehab program, or person telling him he needed to change. After eventually finding his way to Huntington Beach and renting a room from an 85-year-old woman named Elaine, Bryan experienced a quiet moment while brushing his teeth when four words came clearly to him: “You are worth it.” For the first time, he began believing that a different life might actually be possible... and more importantly, he decided to pursue sobriety because he wanted something different. What followed wasn’t an overnight transformation. Bryan began rebuilding through simple routines, meetings, walking, reading, coffee shops, and continuing to get back up. Eventually, sharing that journey online alongside Elaine attracted a community of people who kept returning. A TikTok joke involving a crab gift became the beginning of Crab Crew , and Bryan started recognizing that the resilience, adaptability, and belief he had developed through his own life could become a framework for helping others pull themselves out too. Key Takeaways Lasting change has to become personal. Bryan had people who wanted him sober for years, but his transformation began when he finally wanted a different life for himself. Belief can come before the roadmap. When Bryan heard “you are worth it,” he didn’t yet know exactly what he was worth or where the journey would lead. Believing there could be something better was enough to begin. Rebuilding happens through small actions. Meetings, short walks, reading a few pages, sitting in a coffee shop... seemingly ordinary disciplines became pieces of a completely different life. Resilience sometimes means simply getting back up. Bryan’s story is filled with setbacks and relapses, but those experiences eventually became part of the resilience behind Crab Crew. Your past can become material for what you build next. Bryan doesn’t erase the old TikTok videos or pretend the chaos didn’t happen. Those experiences became part of the story, perspective, and purpose behind the work he does today. Sometimes the thing you build emerges before you recognize it. Crab Crew didn’t begin as a polished business concept. It grew from community, humor, storytelling, lived experience, and Bryan paying attention to what was already happening around him. Tune in for a story about hitting bottom, choosing to get back up, and discovering that sometimes the first thing you have to believe before rebuilding anything is that you’re worth rebuilding.

September 8, 2026Episode 29348 min

Matt Levenhagen – How Building a Better Week Gave Me My Sundays Back

For years, Matt Levenhagen had a habit that probably feels familiar to a lot of entrepreneurs: when the workweek ran out of room, the work simply spilled into the weekend. Podcast editing could happen on Sunday. Weekly planning could happen Sunday night. A little strategy or content work didn’t really feel like “work” anyway...so what was the harm? Then Matt started moving those responsibilities back into the week. Podcast production moved to Thursday. Weekly planning moved to Friday. Daily planning became more intentional. Slowly, Sunday stopped being an extension of the workweek and became something worth protecting. What surprised him wasn’t simply having more free time. He felt lighter. More focused. More present. And because Sunday mattered, he actually became more deliberate about finishing important work during the week. In this solo episode of The Builders , Matt explores what happens when better systems aren’t designed simply to squeeze more productivity out of the day, but to give some of your life back. With less unfinished work occupying the background of his mind, there was suddenly room for art, longer walks, time with family, quiet mornings on the porch...and even new business ideas. It’s a reminder that sometimes the purpose of structure isn’t getting more done. It’s protecting the space where thinking, creativity, relationships, and life can happen. Key Takeaways Unfinished work creates mental residue. Even a few hours of work planned for Sunday can occupy part of your attention long before you actually sit down to do it. Protecting time can improve the work that comes before it. Once Sunday became something Matt genuinely wanted to preserve, Thursday and Friday became more focused and intentional. Simple systems reduce what your brain has to carry. Daily planning, inbox triage, task management, and weekly planning create a place to return when the inevitable fires interrupt the day. Mental space has creative value. When work stopped occupying the background of the weekend, ideas began showing up during walks, art sessions, and quiet time instead. Structure and freedom aren’t opposites. The right habits and boundaries can create more freedom because important work already has a place to live. There’s a difference between choosing to work and having to work. Matt still might do something on a weekend, but now it can be a choice rather than something hanging over him because Monday is coming. Sometimes building a better business starts with building a week that leaves room for the life you’re building it for.

August 31, 2026Episode 29247 min

T. Christian Helms – Building a Brand That Isn’t Trying to Be for Everybody

What happens when a difficult season forces you to rebuild not only your life, but the way you lead? In Part 2 of our conversation with T. Christian Helms , we pick up with Christian’s recovery from Lyme disease and the unexpected effect it had on his business. Before getting sick, Christian admits he was trying to do too much himself and micromanaging the people around him. Recovery forced him to accept help, trust capable people, and eventually build a team he describes less like a family and more like an elite sports team... talented, collaborative, low-ego people given the autonomy to do great work. From there, we dig into Christian’s world of branding and the philosophy behind Helms Workshop. For Christian, great branding isn’t about creating something that appeals to everyone. It’s about uncovering what is genuinely different about a company, product, or founder and amplifying it enough that the right people connect with it. We explore that idea through everything from Yeti coolers to Christian’s work helping rebrand Southern Comfort, where digging into nearly two centuries of history helped uncover pieces of the brand that could become relevant again. We also talk about choosing clients who fit, building a business around work you actually enjoy, and what AI means for branding and creative agencies. AI can be an incredibly useful research and exploration tool, but Christian argues that meaningful brands still require something harder to automate: experience, authorship, judgment, and a genuine point of view. Because whether you’re building a brand, a team, or a business, being remarkably different starts with understanding who you actually are. Key Takeaways You don't have to do everything yourself. Christian's recovery helped him learn to trust talented people, give them autonomy, and focus his own energy where he creates the most value. The people around you shape what you can build. The right team, partners, family, and clients repeatedly emerge as part of Christian's rebuilding story. A strong brand isn't trying to appeal to everybody. The goal is to understand what makes you meaningfully different and connect with the people who value it. History can be an asset rather than baggage. The Southern Comfort rebrand shows how looking backward can uncover authentic ideas capable of making an established brand relevant again. Fit matters in client relationships too. Being able to recognize and eventually turn away poor-fit work can create a healthier business and better work. AI can accelerate the process, but differentiation still needs a point of view. Tools can research, summarize, and generate ideas, but experience and judgment help turn those ingredients into something distinctive. You don't need to build something everybody likes. You need to understand what makes it yours... and build it well enough that the right people care.