Learnings and Missteps by Depth Builder

Jesse
  • 5.0 (19)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Biweekly

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.

  1. 1d ago

    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 thatThe real reason she left Las Vegas, and what it forced her to confront about her valuesHow showing up on LinkedIn became less about growth and more about connection, fun, and impactThe 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 companyHer take on AI and tools lowering the barrier to start, and the one thing that still separates people who succeed from people who don'tWhat "More Than an Engineer" really means, and the identity work behind reclaiming a labelThe promise she made to herself: to become the person her younger self neededIf 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

    From Cheat Codes to Self-Trust: Stefanie Reichman on LinkedIn, Identity, and Building a Life Outside Your Job Title

  2. Aug 27

    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 constructionWhy "shutting off" work is a skill most leaders never learnBuilding a peer support network for an industry that doesn't ask for helpTurning mistakes into systems: how to document, train, and clone yourselfWhat it really takes to earn trust after a job goes wrongProtecting 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

    Dino DePasquale on Construction's Mental Health Crisis, Burnout, and the Steel Erector's Playbook

  3. Aug 20

    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

    How to Say No Without Guilt: A Simple Framework for Builders and Leaders

  4. Aug 13

    From Backhoes to CEO: How Tim Tuoni Built a Site Development Company from the Ground Up

    Tim Tuoni went from riding backhoes as a kid to running Tuoni Site Development, and he's got zero patience for people who think construction guys are just difficult for the sake of it. In this episode, Tim breaks down what actually gets mislabeled as "a-hole energy" in this industry: it's standards. It's direct communication. It's not tolerating half-effort on a highway job where mistakes cost real money and real safety. He and Jesse dig into what it's like building a company under public scrutiny, including dealing with the YouTube and social media critics who've never swung a hammer but have plenty of opinions. Tim also gets real about the moment that changed his trajectory: walking off a job after a safety incident and taking a leap into subcontract work before he was "ready." He talks about the mechanical skills that saved him money and made him dangerous in a good way, how he uses LinkedIn every single day to market himself and scout opportunities, and why he now shows up for Crew Collaborative classroom talks to give students a real alternative to the college-or-bust narrative. If you need a reset on what actually matters in this trade, Tim's closing line says it all: "It's just f*ing dirt. You're never above a shovel." Connect with Tim https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-tuoni-16730893/ https://tuonisitedevelopmentllc.com/ In this episode: Why the industry's reputation for being "difficult" is really about standardsBuilding a business in the age of social media criticsThe safety incident that pushed Tim into entrepreneurshipUsing LinkedIn as a daily marketing and research toolWhy he's showing up in classrooms to change how kids see this career path00:00 Just Dirt Mindset 00:18 Meet Tim Toonie 02:09 Construction People Standards 05:41 Mentors And Online Critics 09:52 Why Equipment Life Chose Him 13:03 First Machines First Memories 15:24 Skid Steer Lessons And Antics 18:25 Getting Hired Certified Today 21:09 Starting His Own Company 24:39 Resourcefulness Under Pressure 30:27 Saving Money With Repairs 33:03 Time Versus Money Skills 33:59 DIY Marketing Learning Curve 35:28 LinkedIn Outreach Playbook 39:28 Creative Prospecting For Contractors 42:35 Why He Volunteers 44:02 Trades Versus College Paths 51:27 Where To Connect Online 54:48 Promise Intended To Be 58:00 Never Above A Shovel 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

    From Backhoes to CEO: How Tim Tuoni Built a Site Development Company from the Ground Up

  5. Aug 6

    Construction Leadership Lab: The Room Where the Real Talk Happens

    Leadership in construction is lonely. The 2 a.m. gut-check calls. The mistakes nobody at the office needs to know about. The moments where "fake it till you make it" stops working and you just need someone who gets it. This episode, Jesse opens the door to something new: the Construction Leadership Lab: a peer community built for leaders who are done pretending they have it all figured out. This isn't a networking group. It isn't a highlight reel. It's a room for GCs, subs, owners reps, coaches, and service providers across the U.S. and Canada who are ready to trade the polished version of leadership for the real one. What's inside: Monthly live calls — recorded and shared as a members-only podcast, so nobody misses a sessionFishbowl coaching — bring real problems, get real input, leave with a real commitmentBook study — one book every three months, discussed as a group, not just read aloneSelfish Servant Cheat Sheets — a weekly newsletter built to make leadership stickThe Vault — templates and checklists ready to use on the job, not just in theoryThree rules keep the room honest: be generous, be fearless, be cool. Ask how people want to be treated. Be more interested than interesting. Know when to pass the mic. If leadership in construction has ever cost you sleep, this is the group built for that. Listen now. Then go save your seat in the Lab. 00:00 Leadership Is Human 00:20 Why Leaders Need Support 01:52 Introducing The Lab 02:50 Core Features Overview 04:52 Calls Schedule and Focus 05:09 Book Study Deep Dives 08:12 Fishbowl Problem Solving 11:07 Commitments and Accountability 13:05 Weekly Newsletter Value 13:46 Content Vault Resources 15:17 Mission and Purpose 16:17 Community Guidelines 21:53 Join or Keep Listening 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

    Construction Leadership Lab: The Room Where the Real Talk Happens

  6. Jul 30

    Why "Pass/Fail" Thinking Is Killing Your Momentum

    Ever quit on a goal the moment it stopped feeling like a win? This week's episode breaks down why treating progress as pass/fail is the quiet reason so many goals stall out before they get traction. He unpacks the start-stop cycle: new goals always run into friction from commitments you already have, and pass/fail thinking punishes you for that friction instead of accounting for it. Using fitness as the example, Jesse shows how to build momentum differently, going from zero to one, chaining back-to-back reps, hitting a three-time streak, and only then raising the bar. Small wins aren't consolation prizes. They're the mechanism. Next Jesse introduces "bookends": instead of judging a goal week to week, you set a real time horizon and a single checkpoint down the road; like committing to a podcast for 12 months no matter what the download numbers say early on. That container is what lets you actually learn, build relationships, and stumble into upside you couldn't have planned for (Jesse points to finding his own voice as one example). Lastly, Jesse closes on why this matters beyond the goal itself, framing success not around hitting a number, but around impact, using his own book as the example: if it helps even one person, it did its job. 00:00 Escape Win Lose Thinking 03:04 Celebrate Zero to One 06:07 Back to Back and Streaks 10:01 Feedback Loops Beat Perfection 12:20 Shift Two Bookends 15:54 Podcast Bookend Example 18:51 Discovering Your Voice 20:58 Impact Based Goals 23:05 Book Link and Share It 24:19 Wrap Up and Next Steps 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

    Why "Pass/Fail" Thinking Is Killing Your Momentum

  7. Jul 23

    The Real Reason Construction Tech Dies in the Field with AJ Waters

    AJ Waters wanted to design stadiums. Instead, he ended up rebuilding the operating system for one of the largest construction companies in the world and learning, the hard way, why so many digital transformations quietly collapse in the field. In this episode, AJ takes Jesse inside the messy reality of tech adoption at scale: what it was really like leading a major platform overhaul at Kiewit, why executives sometimes override the "right" decision for reasons that have nothing to do with the data, and the uncomfortable truth about who construction software has historically been built for and who's been left out. They also get into: Why teams keep optimizing for the back office while the people actually swinging hammers get ignoredWhat evaluating project management platforms for Google's data center builds taught AJ about alignment vs. politicsThe surprising throughline between his childhood Lego obsession and how he approaches problem-solving todayWhy AJ started The Engineered Life to talk about "superpowers" most people don't even know they haveIf you've ever wondered why the tools that look perfect in a boardroom fall apart on-site, or why subcontractors always seem to get the short end of the software stick, this one's for you. By the end, you'll understand why AJ measures success by one simple standard: whether he left people, and situations, better than he found them. 00:00 Executive Override Reality 00:18 Meet AJ Waters 02:00 Lego Builds and Movie Nerd 03:23 Rebuilding Memorial Stadium 05:38 Dreaming of Stadiums 08:31 Not Smart Enough to Engineer 11:01 Design vs Construction Life 11:23 LnM Listener Shoutout 13:55 Why Construction Fits People 17:48 First Digital Takeoff Win 20:16 Resourcefulness and Problem Solving 25:17 iPhone Sparked Tech Interest 27:56 Volunteering for Transformation 29:48 Change Resistance on Site 31:32 Design for Field Users 33:20 Workarounds and Training Gaps 34:58 From Internal Tools to Innate 35:50 Owner Side Lessons at Google 40:07 Systems vs Human Behavior 42:50 Procore vs PlanGrid Politics 44:50 Tech Ignores Subs and Owners 46:27 AI and Platform Advantage 51:15 EngiNerd Life Origin Story 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

    The Real Reason Construction Tech Dies in the Field with AJ Waters

  8. Jul 16

    Too Much for Some, Just Right for Others: Amy Cordero-Houk on Being Authentic, Unapologetic, and Done with Chasing Everyone's Approval

    There's a version of "authentic" that's just an excuse to be obnoxious. Amy Houk isn't that version. Amy is the president of National Lien Services and RSC Preliminary Lien Services and joins Jesse to talk about turning 50 and how that moment changed everything: she stopped caring about most things and started caring a lot more about the things that mattered. She gets real about the line between authenticity and being difficult, why she owns her role in conflict instead of playing the victim, and the apology she almost didn't give (but did).  They also dig into saying the quiet part out loud, why boundaries beat manipulation every time, and how to spot a narcissistic dynamic before it costs you. Then Amy pulls back the curtain on the side of construction most people ignore until it's too late — protecting your payments and mitigating risk before a project turns into a collections nightmare. Listen now, and find Amy online for more on risk, contracts, and getting paid what you're owed. https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyhouk/    00:00 Not Too Much 00:18 Meet Amy Houck 02:59 Desert Whales Icebreaker 04:49 Writing Like Yourself 06:23 Authenticity As Brand 09:20 Finding Courage At Fifty 09:54 Mom The Powerhouse 12:19 Shout Out Segment 13:13 Authentic Not Obnoxious 18:01 Men Versus Boys 18:19 Gen X Follow Up Email 22:24 Truth With Kindness 25:16 Narcissism Talk 29:41 What Lien Services Do 32:31 Leading By Educating 34:32 Monthly Live Webinars 35:24 Respecting Construction Risk 37:37 Ranch Roots Work Ethic 39:07 Service Driven Leadership 42:10 Authenticity And Influence 45:02 Posers And Being Enough 47:37 Honesty With Responsibility 49:06 Narcissist Fallout Lesson 53:29 How To Start Authentic 58:31 Promise To Stay Open 01:02:32 Where To Find Amy 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

    Too Much for Some, Just Right for Others: Amy Cordero-Houk on Being Authentic, Unapologetic, and Done with Chasing Everyone's Approval
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About

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.

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