Behind the Barricade

About Behind the Barricade

Most construction issues don’t start in the field. They start behind the scenes. With misaligned systems, siloed teams, and owners left in the dark. Behind the Barricade pulls back the curtain on what really derails timelines, budgets, and trust. Each episode, we talk with construction leaders, project owners, and field experts who’ve faced the chaos.... and found a better way through. We cover: -What went wrong (and why) -How they turned it around -The systems and strategies that actually work This isn’t PR. It’s a pressure test for how construction is led. Because when owners see the truth, they lead differently.

Publisher

Jim Christian

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

27 Oct 2025

Latest episode

13 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

25 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   13 Oct 2026

   AI, Agents & the Future of Construction with Chad Cannon, Founder of CardinalEA.ai

   "The wave is here." Chad Cannon, Founder + CEO of CardinalEA.ai, on where construction leaders should start with AI and agents. A lot of leaders are waiting for AI to settle down before they jump in. Chad's answer: "I hate to tell you, but in the next decade, this wave's not calming." In this episode of Behind the Barricade, I turn the tables on Chad. He's the brainchild behind this podcast and has been helping us grow it and build it, and he's usually the one interviewing me. This time I interview him on AI and its impact on business, and what we should be thinking about, or at least exploring, as construction experts. In this conversation: Why waiting out the wave is a bad bet, and why he says to pick one process in your business to automate with AI and start there How to find your AI champion and run a half-day team experiment If your processes aren't written down: chatbots vs. agentic AI What an org chart with humans and AI agents could look like A simple first step: list your "drudgery" tasks and turn them into a job description for an agent Whether construction really is different Where AI helps with design and proposals, and a voice-note timecard tool built for a maintenance crew A simple way for an executive to start: pick a platform, run a couple of projects, and meet weekly to compare notes Whether you run projects, lead a team, or just keep hearing "AI, AI, AI" and want to know where to begin, this one is for you. Chapters 0:00 Jim's welcome: why Chad is the guest 1:07 Why Chad thinks AI is bigger than the printing press 1:59 How Chad got into AI 4:23 Cutting through the AI noise: "this wave's not calming" 8:19 How to choose your one thing 9:37 If your processes aren't written down: chatbot vs. agentic AI 13:48 AI agents on the org chart 17:18 Agents in your team's Slack, and the jobs question 18:53 Step one: your drudgery list and an agent's job description 22:08 Will AI be construction's productivity magic bullet? 23:51 "Construction is different": Jim pushes back 26:45 AI for design and proposals 28:29 Voice notes that fill out the timecards 29:44 Final thoughts: how an executive should start 32:40 The experiment mindset, and how to reach Chad 34:07 Jim's takeaways and sign-off About Chad Cannon: Founder + CEO, CardinalEA.ai (https://cardinalea.ai). chadwickcannon.com (https://chadwickcannon.com) | LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadwickcannon) About Jim Christian: Host of Behind the Barricade and Founder + CEO of Cornerstone (https://cornerstone-builds.com). | LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimchristiancornerstone/) Mentioned: Viktor (https://app.viktor.com/signin?ref=WkQrstDXLrNdGCJq988Ayf), the tool Chad uses to work with an AI agent inside Slack or Teams. Behind the Barricade is brought to you by Cornerstone (https://cornerstone-builds.com), dedicated to creating a better journey for clients, staff, project partners, and the world. If you liked this episode, please leave a review and share it with someone who's playing around with AI in construction.

2. 

   6 Oct 2026

   From Adidas Flagships to AI: Smarter Construction with Jeff Boylan

   Construction productivity is not just about moving faster. It is about seeing what is coming before it becomes a crisis. In this episode, I sat down with Jeff Boylan, a longtime retail construction leader who spent 16 years with the Adidas group overseeing store development, construction, and maintenance. Across his career, Jeff has overseen roughly 170 new, remodeled, or relocated store projects, giving him a practical, field-tested view of what actually makes projects work. We talked about Adidas’ first global flagship, a 45,000-square-foot Midtown Manhattan project that required the team to break the work into smaller phases, stay ahead of permits, manage long-lead items, and keep the entire team aligned around a hard opening date. Jeff also shares why bad news needs to surface early, why unresolved design creates schedule and cost problems, and why project leaders need to spend real time in the field to understand what is actually happening on-site. You’ll discover: How Jeff’s architecture and field-rep background shaped his attention to drawings, details, and execution Why proactive project management means looking ahead instead of only reacting to today’s task How breaking a major flagship project into smaller phases helped the team keep moving Why landlords, permit expeditors, architects, engineers, suppliers, and field teams all need to be part of the conversation Why “no news is worse than bad news” when issues threaten budget, schedule, or opening day How to have accountability conversations that are direct, constructive, and focused on solving the problem Why schedules and spreadsheets matter, but they cannot replace getting into the field What makes open remodels especially challenging when the business still needs to operate How AI could help construction teams track schedules, costs, site status, submittals, and overdue commitments Whether you’re a project manager, owner’s rep, contractor, architect, retail leader, or developer, this episode is a reminder that successful projects do not happen by accident. They require preparation, communication, field presence, and the courage to address problems before they grow. If you care about delivering better projects with fewer surprises, this conversation with Jeff Boylan is one you’ll want to hear. Relevant Links: Listen to Behind the Barricade on Amazon Music. Amazon Music (https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/48df54ab-222f-4538-a058-fdde52f3d628/behind-the-barricade) Follow Behind the Barricade on Apple Podcasts. Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behind-the-barricade/id1851310248) Connect with Jeff Boylan on LinkedIn. LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-boylan-0338158/) Connect with Jim Christian on LinkedIn. LinkedIn (https://ca.linkedin.com/in/jimchristiancornerstone) Learn more about Cornerstone. Cornerstone Services (https://cornerstone-builds.com)

3. 

   18 Sept 2026

   Project Managers, Not Witnesses: Building Better with Danny Orenstein, LMNT

   Jim Christian interviews Danny Orenstein, Senior Manager of Real Estate at LMNT, about what really drives productivity in construction and project management. Danny shares his career path from architecture to retail construction, WeWork, Aesop, luxury fashion, and LMNT, along with lessons learned from fast-moving projects where curiosity, cost awareness, communication, and team alignment made the difference. The conversation explores when tools like Procore help and when they slow teams down, why stalled RFIs and submittals often need a phone call instead of another email, and how AI can improve workflows without replacing the human side of construction. At its core, the episode is about staying focused on the project, not just the process. Show Notes Construction productivity is not solved by adding more software, more emails, or more meetings. Real progress happens when project leaders stay curious, challenge assumptions, understand the cost and time behind the work, and know when to bring people together to solve the issue directly. In this episode, Jim Christian sits down with Danny Orenstein, Senior Manager of Real Estate at LMNT, to talk about what he has learned across architecture, retail construction, WeWork, Aesop, luxury fashion, and LMNT. From fast-track schedules to high-pressure openings, Danny shares practical lessons on speed, budget discipline, communication, technology, and human-to-human project leadership. You’ll discover: How Danny’s early experience in architecture shaped the way he thinks about construction and project execution What WeWork taught him about speed, cost, self-performing work, and challenging the usual way things get done Why curiosity is one of the most underrated drivers of construction productivity How tools like Procore can help document work, but can also slow teams down when they replace real decision-making Why project management platforms should store answers, not become the only place where answers are slowly created When stalled RFIs, submittals, and drawing reviews need to move offline into a real conversation How fast schedules can quietly compromise budget, quality, and team alignment if they are not managed carefully Why regular budget check-ins and a “last two weeks” contingency can protect high-pressure openings How AI can help with modeling, budgeting, and presenting information more clearly Why project managers need to lead the project, not simply witness it through software updates and email threads Whether you’re an owner, developer, architect, contractor, or project manager, this episode is a reminder that productivity is not just about moving faster. It is about staying aligned, asking better questions, using tools wisely, and keeping the project’s success at the center of every decision. If you care about building better projects with fewer delays, clearer communication, and stronger team alignment, this conversation with Danny Orenstein is worth listening to.

Who has been a guest on Behind the Barricade

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Heath Dyer
• Alec Zaballero
• Brent Felten
• Christina Magrans
• Philip Angel

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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