MCFA podcast
INSPIRING PEOPLE & PLACES
Leadership Blueprints is the podcast where leaders in the built environment learn to disrupt the status quo, improve their project teams, and steward public and private investments more effectively. Your host is BJ Kraemer. As the President and CEO of MCFA, BJ has navigated the complexities of the architecture, engineering, construction, and development industry. With a blend of interviews with national industry leaders and solo episodes filled with stories, tips, and lessons, Leadership Blueprints is your weekly source of inspiration and practical advice. By tuning in, you will learn how to challenge conventional processes, enhance team performance, and manage projects more effectively, paving the way for innovation and success in the built environment. Join BJ each week for a deep dive into the strategies and mindsets that drive real change and lead to real results.
Ever wonder what it takes to fix the people problem in the industries that quite literally build our world?
In this episode of Leadership Blueprints, we sit down with Dan Briscoe, President of BuildWitt, a company on a mission to transform the “dirt world,” from heavy civil construction to infrastructure and more.
Join us as we unpack the leadership, recruitment, and retention challenges facing the construction industry and explore how BuildWitt is innovating with creative solutions like microlearning platforms and leadership summits. Dan also shares invaluable insights from his journey through the Marine Corps, healthcare, and construction, offering actionable leadership lessons that resonate beyond the dirt world, and touches on the vital importance of caring for employees.
If you want to find out how tackling these challenges can elevate your leadership, inspire your team, and secure a thriving future for the construction industry, be sure to tune in now!
Key Points From This Episode:
• BuildWitt’s focus on improving recruitment, training, and engagement in the dirt world.
• Unique challenges and hidden opportunities in the construction industry.
• The importance of caring for employees while building sustainable business models.
• Rethinking work-life balance to attract the next generation to the construction industry.
• Addressing systemic issues like mental health, safety, and professional development.
Quotes:
“There’s so much of this industry that people don’t know, don’t see, take for granted.” — Dan Briscoe
“You’ve got to have a good business that’s profitable so that you can lead and care for people. That’s got to be first.” — Dan Briscoe
“To attract the next generation [to the construction industry] and make it somewhere where people want to come work, they want to have a life and they want to work hard – We’ve got to think differently as leaders.” — Dan Briscoe
“We’ve got to be better companies to our current employees so that they don’t leave and that they’re fulfilled – We’ve got to take care of them not only with a paycheck, but look at their health and mental health.” — Dan Briscoe
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Echelon Front Field Training Exercise (FTX)
Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family
Banana Ball: The Unbelievably True Story of the Savannah Bananas