If you spend your days rolling over, you’ll be treated like a service provider. But if you spend your days telling customers what needs to be done—and then doing it—you’ll be treated like a partner.

If you want respect, be the kind of manager who faces conflict with clarity and care. Avoidance, gossip, and hiding behind policy all erode trust—direct, timely conversations build it.

Most construction BD teams make the same mistake: they start selling the moment a prospect shows interest. But the real power move is resisting the urge to pitch and instead staying in discovery long enough to uncover the priorities, risks, politics, and decision criteria that actually drive decisions. When you wait, your final pitch becomes dramatically more relevant—because it’s simply a reflection of what the prospect already told you they care about. The discipline to slow down is the skill that separates average BD teams from elite ones.

There are many capable coaches, but far fewer who’ve lived the construction executive journey. You want someone who understands P&L responsibility, backlog risk, bonding realities, labor and capacity constraints, client and GC dynamics, and the field–office tension.

“Project excellence won’t save a company that can’t read the road. Markets shift. Backlogs thin. A-players get poached. Technology shows up whether you plan for it or not. If your managers can only think in weeks, you’ll live in reaction. If they can think in horizons, you’ll shape the next 12 months+.”

One of the best ways I have found for evaluating an executive's ability to think strategically is to start paying attention to their typical planning horizon. For those who don't know, a planning horizon is the period of time into the future in which you are looking to build your plan.

Every single person in your organization can be part of your recruiting efforts — they just need to be empowered to do it. When you rely solely on recruiters, you’re not only spending tens of thousands per hire, you’re missing out on the best recruiting resource you already have: your people. Teach them to build real relationships, reward their referrals, and watch how quickly your recruiting ecosystem grows.

Building a sales mindset isn’t about forcing deals or coming across as “salesy.” It’s about moving people naturally through three key stages: Target → Attention → Client. When you focus on building real relationships and consistently showing up with value, every conversation becomes a win—whether someone just heard of you, started following your work, or became a loyal client.

"By controlling three key moments in every sales meeting—the introduction, the recommendation, and the resolution—you can launch yourself from amateur to professional and close more work, all while building real trust with clients."

Leadership isn’t about being perfect—it’s about caring deeply for your people, being authentic about who you are, and consistently doing your best. When you practice these three simple principles, the anxiety of ‘Am I doing this right?’ starts to fade, and your team will follow you because they want to, not because they have to.

A mentor can change everything—from finding fulfillment to accelerating your career—but only if you’re ready to commit, listen, and apply what you learn.

If you want to accomplish great things, one of your job responsibilities is to show up and be at your best. To be a great worker, you need to rest, enjoy the moment, and give yourself credit for the work you’ve already done. You’re no good to anyone if you’re burned out.

ChatGPT can be a powerful tool—but only if you use your own brain. Don’t just copy and paste. Rewrite in your voice, fact-check, and add the experiences only you can bring. AI is leverage, not a replacement.

Business development isn’t about chasing every opportunity—it’s about building real partnerships. Focus on GCs who value your time, respect your expertise, and give you a true seat at the table.

When impostor syndrome shows up, I remind myself: I am not my emotions. I am the observer of my emotions. And I get to choose what I believe.

Culture is shaped by what leaders tolerate. If you tolerate gossip, you’re encouraging it.

Working “on” your business is an exciting prospect, but avoid this common mistake. 

Your core purpose is the foundation of your strategy—it’s not what you do, but why you exist. When you lead with purpose, every decision becomes clearer, every message sharper, and your business begins to stand for something more. If you can answer why you exist, you’re already ahead of the pack.

Bonuses, raises, and perks aren’t entitlements—they’re rewards for helping the business win.

The construction company of the future knows its worth, takes care of its people, invests in bold ideas, and dares to be different—and that’s exactly why it wins.