In this milestone 100th episode of Hoots on the Ground with No Bullshido, the microphone gets flipped. Mike Chiles takes over as host and interviews Adam Hoots, bringing the podcast full circle from Episode 1 and creating space to pause, reflect, learn, and look ahead. Adam revisits the beginning of the show and the trust Joe Donarumo and Keyan Zandy placed in him to bring a field-first voice to The Lean Builder. What began as a podcast focused on translating Lean concepts into language builders could actually use became something much bigger: a four-year learning journey about people, leadership, health, faith, relationships, and the responsibility leaders have to improve the lives of the people doing the work. The conversation gets deeply personal as Adam reflects on the 48-day hospitalization that stopped his fast-moving consulting career in its tracks, the loss of his transplanted kidney, dialysis, and the eventual kidney transplant that gave him another chance. He shares how Buddy Brumley became an anchor during that season and helped pull The Old Dawg Lean Thesaurus out of him while simultaneously challenging Adam to see Lean as something far greater than a collection of tools. Mike and Adam revisit the people and conversations that shaped the first 100 episodes, including lessons from Buddy Brumley, Jesse Hernandez, Felipe Engineer-Manriquez, Mack Story, Jeff Reilly, Brent Darnell, Boone White, Gabe Lightner, and many others. The recurring lesson is clear: construction does not transform through tools alone. It transforms when leaders develop themselves, genuinely see the humans doing the work, and create environments where those people can flourish. Adam also finally defines the phrase that has lived in the show's title for 100 episodes: "bullshido." Borrowed from the martial arts world, it describes what happens when ideas are mixed, repackaged, and separated from their original meaning. For Adam, Lean becomes bullshido when tools, certifications, jargon, and consultant-driven systems become more important than the frontline people they were supposed to serve. The episode then turns toward the future. Adam announces that Hoots on the Ground with No Bullshido is beginning to sunset as the mission expands beyond one person and beyond the word Lean. The next chapter is centered on the Old Dawg Builders community and the Old Dawg Leadership Podcast: builders building builders, sharing construction wisdom with the next generation, and developing leaders who improve themselves first, others second, and ultimately their teams, companies, and industry. After 100 episodes, this is not a goodbye. It is a reflection on where the journey started, gratitude for everyone who helped shape it, and a declaration that the work is only beginning. KEY TAKEAWAYS: • Pause, Reflect, Learn, Share — Reflection is where experience begins turning into wisdom. Episode 100 intentionally looks backward so those lessons can be carried forward. • Continuous Improvement for the Betterment of People — Lean is not improvement for improvement's sake. The purpose is to create greater value and better conditions for the humans doing the work. • Develop the Capability to Develop Capability — Leadership is not about becoming the person with every answer. It is about creating environments where other people can learn, grow, solve problems, and eventually develop others. • Respect Must End in Human Flourishing — Respect for people cannot stop at slogans, kindness, or jobsite rules. The ultimate test is whether the people in the system are actually becoming better and flourishing at work and at home. • Leadership Requires Range — Laissez-faire, transactional, and transformational leadership all have a place. The challenge is understanding the person, situation, and purpose well enough to know which approach is needed. • Between Stimulus and Response Is a Choice — Emotional intelligence requires awareness and regulation. Leaders can learn to pause, select their response, and act intentionally rather than simply react. • Beware of Bullshido — Lean loses its meaning when tools, certifications, jargon, and consultant-created variations become more important than the people doing the work. • Leadership Lives on the Ground — Leadership is found in the mud, meetings, sweat, tears, conversations, and daily interactions where builders either create suffering or create environments where people can succeed. • Build Yourself Before Building Others — Personal mindfulness and character come first. The progression is yourself first, others second, and the team, company, and industry third. • The Next Chapter Is Bigger Than Hoots — The future is about community, leadership, wisdom transfer, and builders building builders through the Old Dawg Builders community. RESOURCE LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: • The Lean Builder — Joe Donarumo and Keyan Zandy https://theleanbuilder.com/ • The Old Dawg Lean Thesaurus — Adam Hoots and Buddy Brumley https://a.co/d/07Yg73BV • Old Dawg Builders Community — https://www.skool.com/olddawg • Old Dawg Leadership Podcast —https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MONxYKqdfk&list=PLKqwflrGs-zw • Lean Construction Institute (LCI) — https://leanconstruction.org/ • Making Construction Easier, Better, Faster — Felipe Engineer-Manriquez https://www.theebfcshow.com/ • Five Principles of Human and Organizational Performance — Dr. Todd Conklin https://a.co/d/06Ka8Wbx • Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention — https://www.preventconstructionsuicide.com/ • Miles that Matter Virtual 5K —https://runsignup.com/Race/PA/Springfield/MilesThatMatterVirtual5K EPISODE QUOTES (paraphrased): • "Continuous improvement for the betterment of people." • "How do we develop the capability to develop capability?" • "The last dimension of respect for people is the flourishing of the individual." • "If you are only talking Lean, you are missing the boat. What we are really talking about is leadership." • "87% of the reason people follow you is because of who you are; 13% is what you know." • "It is not Hoots on the Ground. It is boots on the ground." • "Leadership lives on the ground. It is in the mud, the meetings, the work, the tears, the sweat, and the blood." • "Build yourself first, others second, and the team, company, and industry third." • "We are builders building builders who are building buildings." • "We ain't done yet, baby. This is only the beginning." GUESTS FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE: • Adam Hoots https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamhoots/ — The tables turn for Episode 100 as Adam becomes the guest and reflects on the first 100 episodes of Hoots on the Ground, his personal journey, the evolution of his thinking about Lean and leadership, and what comes next. • Mike Chiles https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-chiles/ — Guest host for Episode 100, Old Dawg Leadership Podcast co-host, trusted friend, and construction leader who guides Adam through the reflection on the past four years. ABOUT HOOTS ON THE GROUND PODCAST: The Lean Builder's absolutely, positively NO Bullshido podcast. Join host Adam Hoots and his guests as they dig deep into the topics that matter most to those in the field. With stories from the trenches, lessons learned, and plenty of laughter, this podcast is for the men and women doing the hands-on work of construction.
