Hoots on the Ground | The Lean Builder

About Hoots on the Ground | The Lean Builder

The Lean Builder's absolutely, positively NO bullshido podcast. Join Host Adam Hoots and his guests as they dig deep into the topics that are relevant to those of us who "get it": the men and women with the dirty boots, the ones who work in the field, doing the hands-on business of construction each day. Listen in as we keep it real while stories from the trenches are shared along with lessons learned and some laughter along the way.

Publisher

The Lean Builder

Category

business · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

13 Jan 2022

Latest episode

28 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

101 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   28 Sept 2026

   Get Your Mind Right: Energy, Courage & Human Connection with Daniel Allison (Episode 101)

   In this episode of Hoots on the Ground with No Bullshido, Adam Hoots sits down with Daniel Allison — better known as "The Average Dude" — for a wide-ranging conversation about courage, personal development, energy, trust, human connection, and what happens when we stop waiting for the world to give us permission to become who we are meant to be. Daniel traces his personal development journey back to November 11, 2014, a day when his marriage and personal life were under heavy strain and he made a decision to start changing himself. What followed was not a polished reinvention, but years of intentionally walking into uncomfortable rooms, speaking, interviewing people, joining communities, journaling, asking deeper questions, and learning to take responsibility for the person staring back at him in the mirror. The "Average Dude" name came from a random comment that could have been taken as an insult. Instead, Daniel turned it into permission. He stopped waiting for credentials, pedigree, or outside approval and started putting his ideas into the world. His message is not that he is ordinary — it is that ordinary people can take uncommon action when they stop being trapped by other people's thoughts. The conversation dives deep into: Why it takes courage to connect — and sometimes the first win is simply getting out of the car How F3's Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith gave Daniel a community of men who "leave no man behind" Why the truth of self requires courage, ownership, and personal responsibility How interviewing nearly a thousand people changed Daniel's perspective on judgment and human connection Why trust shortens the distance between people in sales, leadership, and life How First Sip became a daily discipline for getting your mind right at 7:55 every weekday morning Why energy management may be more important than time management How discomfort, embarrassment, and failure become fuel for growth Why artificial intelligence can help with self-reflection — but cannot replace real human connection What The Energy Bus taught Daniel about attitude, positivity, and the energy we bring into a room Why The Power of Now and "no conclusions" help Daniel stay present and open Adam and Daniel also connect these ideas back to construction. Job sites are full of different personalities, pressures, perspectives, and unseen stories. The leaders who create the most value are often the ones who can get curious before they judge, find the human behind the role, and build enough trust for people to tell the truth. Daniel closes with a simple challenge: when life is in an ebb, get control of your attitude, get around positive people, and pay attention to what they are seeing. Your energy changes what you notice — and what you notice shapes what you do next. This episode is about becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable, finding your frequency, and having the courage to connect. Or, as Daniel says: Let's roll. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Courage Creates Connection — New relationships, communities, and opportunities often begin with one uncomfortable action: getting out of the car and walking through the door. Stop Waiting for Permission — "The Average Dude" became a way for Daniel to stop worrying about pedigree and outside judgment and start acting on what was already in his heart. The Truth of Self Requires Responsibility — Once we become aware of our own patterns, wounds, behaviors, and choices, awareness creates a responsibility to do something with what we now know. Perspective Is Bigger Than First Impressions — Daniel intentionally talks with people who think differently because curiosity can break down snap judgments and expand our understanding of the world. Trust Accelerates Everything — In sales, leadership, and relationships, real progress happens faster when people feel safe enough to lower their guard and talk about the actual situation. Energy > Time — Time without energy does not produce much. Managing your state, environment, relationships, and mindset can determine how effectively you use the time you have. Discomfort Is Part of the Workout — Awkward moments, failed shows, rejection, and embarrassment are not automatically bad outcomes. They can be repetitions that build courage and capability. Human Connection Becomes More Valuable as Technology Grows — Artificial intelligence can accelerate thinking and reflection, but humans still bring stories, meaning, trust, empathy, and energy to the system. Be Here Now — Let go of yesterday, stop trying to control tomorrow, and resist forming conclusions so early that you stop receiving new information. Excavate Your Own Shame — Strong people do the work to understand and own their own shame instead of throwing the spoils of that excavation onto everyone around them. RESOURCE LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: FIRST SIP Get Your Mind Right - https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstsiplive/home/ F3 Nation — Fitness, Fellowship & Faith - https://f3nation.com/ The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon - https://theenergybus.com/ The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle - https://shop.eckharttolle.com/products/the-power-of-now Toastmasters International - https://www.toastmasters.org/ The Lean Builder – www.theleanbuilder.com EPISODE QUOTES (paraphrased): "It takes courage to connect." "If I'm not walking through new doors, new people are not going to come find me." "Leave the judgment to the world and focus on what you can control." "Once you understand the truth of yourself, you have a responsibility to change." "Energy management is more important than time management." "Find your frequency." "Real human connection is the energy that makes the whole system go." "Perfectionism holds us back. Sometimes the days that feel messy are the days we grow the most." "No conclusions. Be here now. Stay open to new information." "The strongest people excavate their own shame without throwing the spoils on others." "Let go — and let's roll." GUESTS FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE: Daniel Allison "The Average Dude" — Sales and business development professional, connector, interviewer, personal-development student, and co-host of FIRST SIP. Daniel's work centers on energy, human connection, courage, trust, and helping people "get their mind right." - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-allison-a7103828/ Adam Hoots — Host/Producer of Hoots on the Ground with No Bullshido and Lean Builder focused on field leadership, human connection, and bringing respect back to the people doing the work. - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamhoots/ 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.

2. 

   28 Aug 2026

   100 Episodes Later: We Ain't Done Yet, Baby! with Adam Hoots & Mike Chiles (Episode 100)

   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.

3. 

   30 Jul 2026

   Learning to Lead by Leading to Learn with Katie Anderson (Episode 99)

   In this episode of Hoots on the Ground with No Bullshido, Adam Hoots (https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamhoots/) welcomes internationally recognized Lean leadership expert, author, speaker, and Japan learning guide Katie Anderson for one of the most human-centered conversations the podcast has featured. Katie, author of Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn, shares lessons learned through her friendship with former Toyota leader Isao Yoshino and years spent living in Japan. Rather than focusing solely on Lean tools, the discussion explores the deeper purpose of Lean: developing people. The conversation dives into why organizations become overly focused on technical excellence while overlooking the social systems that enable people to thrive. Adam shares reflections from his own trip to Japan and how it reshaped his thinking around respect for people, visual management, discipline, and leadership. Topics include: ·         Why people must come before processes and tools. ·         Breaking the "telling habit" to develop others. ·         Leadership as a practice instead of a title. ·         Lean as a sociotechnical system. ·         Japanese concepts including Omotenashi, Shikō, Kaizen, and the Daruma Doll. ·         Turning learning into action instead of simply consuming more information. Whether you're in construction, healthcare, manufacturing, or any leadership role, this episode reminds us that organizations improve only when people intentionally help other people grow. KEY TAKEAWAYS: ·         People Before Process — Sustainable improvement begins by developing people before optimizing tools. ·         Break the Telling Habit — Great leaders ask questions instead of always supplying answers. ·         Leadership Is a Verb — Leadership is demonstrated through daily behaviors, not job titles. ·         Lean Is Sociotechnical — Great results require both strong systems and strong human relationships. ·         Intention Drives Action — Align daily behaviors with purpose and values. ·         Small Improvements Compound — Better happens through continuous, incremental improvement. ·         Learning Requires Action — Knowledge only becomes valuable when applied. ·         Respect Is Demonstrated — Small acts of service and genuine care build trust. EPISODE QUOTES (paraphrased): ·         "The only real secret to Toyota is its attitude toward learning." ·         "Leadership isn't about having all the answers—it's about creating the conditions where others can discover them." ·         "People come before process." ·         "Break the telling habit." ·         "The goal isn't the tool. The goal is helping people learn." ·         "Intention is where heart meets direction." ·         "Kaizen starts with improving yourself." ·         "Don't just collect knowledge. Harvest it by putting it into practice." RESOURCE LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: •         Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn: https://kbjanderson.com/learning-to-lead/ •         Chain of Learning Podcast: https://kbjanderson.com/podcast/ •         Japan Leadership Experience: https://kbjanderson.com/japantrip/ •         Toyota Production System •         Isao Yoshino •         John Shook •         Omotenashi •         Kaizen •         Daruma Doll GUESTS FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE: •         Katie Anderson — https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson/ - International leadership consultant, author, speaker, executive coach, host of the Chain of Learning podcast, and leader of immersive Japan Leadership Experiences. •         Adam Hoots — https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamhoots/ - Host of Hoots on the Ground with No Bullshido, Lean Builder, educator, and advocate for field leadership. 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.

Who has been a guest on Hoots on the Ground | The Lean Builder

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

• Thomas LaMay
• Dominic Desmarais
• John Toups
• Niklas Modig
• Hal Macomber

Reach and audience

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

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.9 / 5

11 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 59 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

86

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

82

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