The Construction Veteran Podcast

The Construction Veteran
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Welcome to the Construction Veteran Podcast. This is a podcast connecting and celebrating veterans in construction, those who have the desire to be in the industry, and those who support them to create the built environment. SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=M6ZMR2J2FVX4W 

  1. Your Grit Called; It Wants A Day Off

    3D AGO

    Your Grit Called; It Wants A Day Off

    Send us a Message! The quiet danger isn’t missing deadlines—it’s losing yourself while still hitting them. We dig into why veterans in construction often mistake burnout for high performance, how chronic stress differs from the military’s surge-based stress, and why the mantra “I’ve handled worse” can mask a long, slow drain of meaning. This isn’t a story about weakness; it’s about duration, load, and the patterns that turn grit from a superpower into a liability. We break down the subtle signals that many of us ignore: numbness where there used to be drive, irritability with crews and family, and the creeping fantasy of quitting with no plan. Then we get practical. You’ll hear a clear distinction between rest and recovery, plus small, sustainable steps that actually restore capacity—honest self-assessment, naming limits, shedding unnecessary load, rebuilding boundaries, and asking for support before the blowup. No silver bullets, no hustle slogans. Just real tools that work on real job sites. Leaders have a bigger role than they realize. Culture sets the pace. We talk about modeling disengagement, rewarding sustainable execution instead of heroics, and tracking chronic exposure with the same care we bring to safety. If you feel trapped between obligation and exhaustion, you’re not broken; you’re overloaded. The fix isn’t quitting everything—it’s changing something. Strength isn’t endless endurance; it’s knowing when to adjust your pace so you can build a career that lasts without burning out the person doing the work. If this conversation hits a nerve, share it with someone on your crew, subscribe for part three, and leave a review with one change you’ll try this week. Your voice helps more veterans work—not just hard, but sustainably. If you're a military veteran in the construction industry, or you're in the construction industry and support our military vets, and you'd like to be a guest on the podcast you can find me at constructionvetpodcast@gmail.com , or send me a message on LinkedIn. You can find me there at Scott Friend. Let's share the stories and motivate others! Support the show TCV Email: constructionvetpodcast@gmail.com TCV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionvetpodcast/

    10 min
  2. Rebuilding Identity Beyond Rank And Role

    FEB 16

    Rebuilding Identity Beyond Rank And Role

    Send us a Message! The moment the uniform comes off, the noise drops—and the harder questions echo. We open up about the silence that follows separation, the sudden return of every choice, and why “freedom” can feel like drift when the structure that once organized your life disappears. Instead of sprinting into a new title to patch the hole, we get honest about the quiet grief many veterans carry and the subtle ways it shows up as irritability, restlessness, or emotional flatness. Together we unpack the temptation to over-identify with the next role and call it resilience. We draw a hard line between usefulness and worth, then explore how to build identity on anchors that do not move: values, principles, and for some, a renewed or redefined faith. You’ll hear practical ways to practice identity rather than hunt for it—how you speak when you’re tired, how you treat people who can’t advance you, how you rest without a spreadsheet to justify it. We share why patience is not passivity but the only path to depth, and how families often sense the drift before we do. This conversation is for veterans who feel “between structures” and anyone who loves them. We honor the past without getting trapped in it, and we set a course for integration—carrying forward discipline, mission, and service into a wider life that isn’t defined by rank or role. If the question “Who are you without the uniform?” makes you uneasy, good. That’s the starting line. Press play, sit with the question, and let the answer take time. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a fellow veteran, and leave a review to help others find the show. If you're a military veteran in the construction industry, or you're in the construction industry and support our military vets, and you'd like to be a guest on the podcast you can find me at constructionvetpodcast@gmail.com , or send me a message on LinkedIn. You can find me there at Scott Friend. Let's share the stories and motivate others! Support the show TCV Email: constructionvetpodcast@gmail.com TCV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionvetpodcast/

    12 min
  3. How An Air Force Vet Built A Sales Career That Serves Construction

    FEB 9

    How An Air Force Vet Built A Sales Career That Serves Construction

    Send us a Message! What if the skills you earned under pressure—decisive action, accountability, and care for your team—were the exact traits that make you great at serving builders? That’s the heart of our conversation with Air Force veteran Brandon, who traded security forces and deployments for a construction-adjacent sales role where reliability and relationships win the day. We dig into the real transition—messy, human, and often humbling. Brandon shares how leaving the structure of service collided with personal upheaval, how TAPS helped and where it fell short, and why therapy, faith, and community became non-negotiables. He walks through the early stumbles in sales, the awkward jump to speaking with executives, and the moment he reframed the job: stop pushing, start listening, ask sharper questions, and deliver outcomes that matter on a jobsite. From fallen units and damaged fence to preventative planning for porta potties, waste tanks, and service schedules, he explains how small details shape morale, productivity, and profit. You’ll hear why construction professionals respond to blunt honesty, how veterans connect faster on site, and what separates a true partner from a drive-by “car salesman.” We talk trade coordination, poll planning, doing it right the first time, and the leaders who keep evolving instead of hiding behind “that’s how we’ve always done it.” Brandon offers grounded advice for veterans entering sales—be patient, be humble, and keep asking for help—and a challenge to construction leaders: give grace, set clear expectations, and measure vendors by their response when things go sideways. If you care about building teams that communicate, deliver, and grow, this story will land. Subscribe, share this with someone navigating their own transition, and leave a review to help more veterans and builders find practical guidance and a community that’s got their back. This episode is brought to you buy Aerial Resupply Coffee. Aerial Resupply delivers bold flavor with every sip. Their beans are expertly roasted for peak freshness and a smooth, invigorating taste. Elevate your coffee game by using code CONSTRUCTIONVET10 at checkout to receive 10% off every order. Stay caffeinated with Aerial Resupply Coffee.  For precision that sets the standard, choose Benchmark Abrasives! Their high-quality discs and pads deliver unbeatable performance and durability. Get the job done right—every time. Benchmark Abrasives, where excellence meets efficiency. BENCHMARK ABRASIVES If you're a military veteran in the construction industry, or you're in the construction industry and support our military vets, and you'd like to be a guest on the podcast you can find me at constructionvetpodcast@gmail.com , or send me a message on LinkedIn. You can find me there at Scott Friend. Let's share the stories and motivate others! Support the show TCV Email: constructionvetpodcast@gmail.com TCV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionvetpodcast/

    48 min
  4. Calm Beats Control

    FEB 2

    Calm Beats Control

    Send us a Message! Ever feel that split second when your jaw tightens and your breath runs short right before you snap? That flash is the hinge of leadership. We dig into why yelling often masquerades as control, how it triggers a threat response that looks like action but kills trust, and what to do instead when pressure, risk, and deadlines stack up on a busy job site. We walk through simple, practical moves for steady leadership under stress: pause before you speak, lower your volume on purpose, use names, state facts instead of feelings, and give clear direction once. We draw a clean line between urgency and emergency so your team can spot real danger without tuning you out. We also unpack the soldier-to-builder transition: command presence has a place in combat, but on a civilian site constant volume becomes intimidation and drains loyalty. Survival isn’t development; crews don’t grow under fear, they shrink. You’ll hear how to repair after you yell—own it, reset expectations, and skip the long justification—plus why systems beat shouting every time. Clear scopes, daily huddles, written expectations, and consistent consequences reduce chaos and make the site predictable. Predictability builds psychological safety, and safety unlocks performance. We address burnout as the hidden accelerant: when patience runs thin, the pause disappears. Rest, support, and boundaries are leadership tools, not luxuries, because your voice sets the emotional climate people carry home to their families. If you’re ready to trade noise for clarity and build a crew that chooses to follow, press play. Subscribe, share this with a foreman or PM who needs it, and leave a quick review telling us the one habit you’ll practice this week. If you're a military veteran in the construction industry, or you're in the construction industry and support our military vets, and you'd like to be a guest on the podcast you can find me at constructionvetpodcast@gmail.com , or send me a message on LinkedIn. You can find me there at Scott Friend. Let's share the stories and motivate others! Support the show TCV Email: constructionvetpodcast@gmail.com TCV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionvetpodcast/

    10 min
  5. Why Veterans Thrive On Job Sites When Translation Comes First

    JAN 26

    Why Veterans Thrive On Job Sites When Translation Comes First

    Send us a Message! Ever been told “your skills translate” and left wondering how that actually helps on a chaotic job site? We zoom into the real mechanics of taking military strengths—situational awareness, accountability, and calm under pressure—and turning them into measurable outcomes in construction. No capes, no clichés, just the honest, practical shifts that let veterans earn trust fast, avoid burnout, and build a reputation that sticks from project to project. We start with the familiarity factor: structure, roles, missions, and visible progress make construction feel like home after service. Then we pull apart the translation gap. Awareness needs to be framed as experience with clear examples. Accountability requires boundaries so shared ownership doesn’t become silent overreach. Pressure changes shape too; the sprint reflex that works in acute ops needs a steady cadence for chronic deadlines. We map these differences to on-site realities—safety, schedule, cost, quality—so your value shows up where leaders notice. Some skills don’t auto-transfer, and that’s where most friction hides. Directive leadership must become relational leadership grounded in credibility and consistent follow-through. Blunt communication needs context and intent to land with crews, subs, and PMs. Identity tied to title gives way to identity tied to values—safety, reliability, problem-solving—so role changes don’t shake your confidence. The move that unlocks growth is simple and hard: stop trying to prove you belong, start learning how the industry works. Become bilingual in military and construction—fluent in the language of schedules, change orders, and stakeholder incentives—so your strengths convert into results the whole team recognizes. This is part one of a three-part series on veterans in construction. Next, we get into how to grow and lead without burning out, followed by practical ways construction leaders can better integrate and support vets. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a veteran on your crew, and leave a review telling us where translation has been toughest for you. If you're a military veteran in the construction industry, or you're in the construction industry and support our military vets, and you'd like to be a guest on the podcast you can find me at constructionvetpodcast@gmail.com , or send me a message on LinkedIn. You can find me there at Scott Friend. Let's share the stories and motivate others! Support the show TCV Email: constructionvetpodcast@gmail.com TCV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionvetpodcast/

    9 min
  6. Under Pressure, Not Alone

    JAN 19

    Under Pressure, Not Alone

    Send us a Message! The job gets built either way, but what happens to the people building it? We pull back the curtain on mental health in construction, naming the pressures everyone feels but rarely says out loud: relentless schedules, thin margins, and a culture that equates stoicism with strength. The result is a quiet grind where “I’m fine” becomes a habit, veterans push past their limits, and crews treat exhaustion like a badge until safety and relationships start to crack. We challenge the myth that toughness is the only path forward. Toughness without awareness becomes recklessness—on the job site and at home. Drawing from real-world rhythms—fast starts, frantic finishes, unforgiving punch lists—we explore how burnout signals show up as irritability, withdrawal, and numbness long before a breakdown. We also explain why isolation, not weakness, drives the industry’s high suicide rates and how moving from posters to presence can change outcomes. Leaders set the tone. Practical, immediate steps matter: ask better questions, notice who goes quiet, honor your word about leaving on time, and normalize recovery after heavy pushes. For veterans, we validate the pull of structure while naming the risks of endless compartmentalizing—and we offer ways to channel that strength without burning out. If you’re feeling stretched thin, you’re not broken; you’re human under prolonged pressure. Stick around for a candid, compassionate blueprint that keeps crews safer, teams closer, and people whole. If this resonates, share it with someone on your crew, subscribe for more straight talk, and leave a review to help others find the show. And if you’re struggling, reach out—we’ll listen. If you're a military veteran in the construction industry, or you're in the construction industry and support our military vets, and you'd like to be a guest on the podcast you can find me at constructionvetpodcast@gmail.com , or send me a message on LinkedIn. You can find me there at Scott Friend. Let's share the stories and motivate others! Support the show TCV Email: constructionvetpodcast@gmail.com TCV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionvetpodcast/

    11 min
  7. From Flight Lines To Job Sites

    JAN 12

    From Flight Lines To Job Sites

    Send us a Message! Jet noise, Humvees, and a weather station might sound like an odd path to construction leadership, but that’s exactly where Alicia’s story takes us—and why it sticks. We sit down to talk about growing up with limited family ties, finding belonging in the Air Force, and discovering that “voice” isn’t just confidence; it’s responsibility when pilots are waiting on your call. Alicia breaks down the real work behind the “weather observer” title—tactical support with Army units, maintaining deployable systems, even mastering Humvee driving—and how those stakes forged communication, poise, and process improvement instincts. Then we get real about transition. She calls it “optimistically naive,” the belief that corporate America will instantly value mission-first leadership and initiative. Instead, we unpack how to translate military experience into business language, avoid being misread as a threat, and prove value without burning out. From rebuilding a childhood home to earning a construction management degree, Alicia moved through roles as project engineer and superintendent, learning to coach early, protect standards, and keep a team moving without hiding from tough conversations. Today, she runs a consulting practice with two engines: a fractional, co-op style compliance backbone that helps small contractors win and deliver federal work, and a veteran-focused program that equips construction firms to reduce risk and raise resilience. We talk suicide risk in the trades, what leaders signal by their habits, and how to design structures that build hope instead of draining it. We also meet Admiral, her service dog, who detects hypervigilance and medical shifts before she does and supports mobility when back injuries flare. It’s a powerful case for practical accommodations and dropping the stigma around tools that work. If you care about veteran transition, construction leadership, mental health at work, or building small-business capacity to compete on federal projects, this conversation offers both hard-won lessons and actionable steps. Enjoyed this one? Follow and share with someone navigating the jump from uniform to hard hat, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. This episode is brought to you buy Aerial Resupply Coffee. Aerial Resupply delivers bold flavor with every sip. Their beans are expertly roasted for peak freshness and a smooth, invigorating taste. Elevate your coffee game by using code CONSTRUCTIONVET10 at checkout to receive 10% off every order. Stay caffeinated with Aerial Resupply Coffee.  For precision that sets the standard, choose Benchmark Abrasives! Their high-quality discs and pads deliver unbeatable performance and durability. Get the job done right—every time. Benchmark Abrasives, where excellence meets efficiency. BENCHMARK ABRASIVES This episode is brought to you by Memorial Ranch; A place where for our veterans and first responders to find rest and relaxation while they prepare for their next mission: LIFEMemorial Ranch If you're a military veteran in the construction industry, or you're in the construction industry and support our military vets, and you'd like to be a guest on the podcast you can find me at constructionvetpodcast@gmail.com , or send me a message on LinkedIn. You can find me there at Scott Friend. Let's share the stories and motivate others! Support the show TCV Email: constructionvetpodcast@gmail.com TCV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionvetpodcast/

    1h 17m
  8. When Rest Feels Unsafe: Choosing Depth Over Speed

    JAN 5

    When Rest Feels Unsafe: Choosing Depth Over Speed

    Send us a Message! What if rest didn’t feel like failure? We open the year with a quiet, unhurried conversation about choosing depth over speed, especially for veterans and builders who were trained to move toward noise, deadlines, and pressure. When usefulness becomes identity, stillness can feel unsafe—so we name that tension and learn how to carry strength without losing our humanity. I share why structure comforts until it outlives its season, how exhaustion can hide beneath applause, and the moment when “pushing through” stops being leadership and becomes avoidance. We sit with the grief almost no one names: the loss of brotherhood when you leave a unit or a crew. You don’t miss the chaos; you miss being known. We talk about letting that grief soften rather than harden you, honoring what was without demanding it stay the same, and rebuilding by reordering—not erasing—your past. Faith has a place here too. Early faith often trades in outcomes, but maturity asks for trust when control won’t cooperate. Transition can’t be brute‑forced; it has to be walked, patiently and honestly. Along the way, we revisit what legacy actually is: not a speech or a ceremony, but your daily posture—how you show up tired, how you repair mistakes, how you treat the people in your care, and whether you can rest without apology. Real leadership creates space, protects margins, invites candor, and teaches calm through self‑regulation, not performance. And we face the hidden invoice for unchecked hustle: when we don’t choose where the cost lands, family pays it by default. If you’ve been praised for endurance so long that stopping feels dangerous, this is your permission to slow down. Start smaller than you think—five quiet minutes, one clear boundary, a single honest no. Subscribe, share this with a teammate who’s carrying too much, and leave a review with one small change you’ll commit to this week. Your life should have room for you inside it. This episode is brought to you buy Aerial Resupply Coffee. Aerial Resupply delivers bold flavor with every sip. Their beans are expertly roasted for peak freshness and a smooth, invigorating taste. Elevate your coffee game by using code CONSTRUCTIONVET10 at checkout to receive 10% off every order. Stay caffeinated with Aerial Resupply Coffee. If you're a military veteran in the construction industry, or you're in the construction industry and support our military vets, and you'd like to be a guest on the podcast you can find me at constructionvetpodcast@gmail.com , or send me a message on LinkedIn. You can find me there at Scott Friend. Let's share the stories and motivate others! Support the show TCV Email: constructionvetpodcast@gmail.com TCV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionvetpodcast/

    25 min
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About

Welcome to the Construction Veteran Podcast. This is a podcast connecting and celebrating veterans in construction, those who have the desire to be in the industry, and those who support them to create the built environment. SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=M6ZMR2J2FVX4W 

Information

  • Creator
    The Construction Veteran
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    70
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Construction Veteran Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Construction Veteran Podcast