Left Handed Hammers

About Left Handed Hammers

About Left-Handed Hammers Remember your first day on a job site? Maybe someone sent you looking for a left-handed hammer, a bucket of steam, or striped paint. That moment when you realized you'd been had? That's when the real learning began. Left-Handed Hammers is where construction professionals share the hard-earned lessons you can't learn from a manual—real talk about risk, safety, culture, and what it actually takes to build safely and profitably in today's world. Your Hosts: James Gurule, CLCS, PWCA - From swinging hammers on job sites to advising C-suite executives on complex risk. With 12+ years in risk management spanning underwriting, client advisory, and now specializing in construction and M&A at IMA Financial Group, James knows what it takes to protect both people and profits. A former wrestler and youth advocate, he brings grit, heart, and a servant-leader mentality to every conversation. Nathan Miller, CSP, CRIS - Risk Control Manager with over 21 years of safety expertise spanning construction, aviation, and industrial environments. As an OSHA Certified Instructor with a Master's in Industrial Safety, Nathan has dedicated his career to keeping workers safe and helping companies build cultures where everyone goes home at the end of the day. Perry Silvey, CHST (Contributing Host) - Safety Manager at BT Construction and proud NUCA representative who's lived every side of the construction equation—from operating equipment and laboring on sites, to estimating multi-million dollar projects, to leading safety programs across multiple companies. With over 15 years in safety leadership and a background in earthwork and utility construction, Perry brings the voice of the field and the practical reality of making safety work on real job sites every single day. Our Approach: James = Business/Risk lens Nathan = Technical/Regulatory lens Perry = Field/Practical lens + NUCA specialty Together, we bring you conversations with the people who know construction best: the C-suite leaders making strategic calls, the safety directors transforming culture, the field workers living it every day, and the industry experts solving the problems that keep us up at night. What We Cover: Real incidents and the lessons they taught us Safety trends and best practices that actually work The culture shifts transforming our industry Risk management strategies that protect your bottom line Stories from the industry Construction business acumen Who This Is For: Whether you're a CEO thinking about big picture and culture trends, a CFO measuring total cost of risk, a safety director building culture, a superintendent managing crews, an estimator pricing risk into bids, or a tradesperson who wants to go home safe every day—this show is for you. Because in construction, we learn by doing. But the smartest operators learn from others who've already been there, made the mistakes, and figured out what works. Get better every day and move the industry forward. New episodes twice monthly. Let's build smarter, safer, and stronger—together. 🔨

Publisher

James G

Category

business · comedy · education

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

26 Nov 2025

Latest episode

15 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

8 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   15 Oct 2026

   Powering Up the Fleet: Telematics Is a Data Point, Not a Program

   Send us Fan Mail You've got cameras and telematics. Now what? Brian Bickford, CEM, Director of Fleet Programs at MYR Group, sits down with James Gurule, Nathan Miller, and Perry Silvey to talk about running fleet for one of the largest electrical contractors in the country: nearly 10,000 units, from side-by-sides to a 300-ton crane. Brian fell into fleet through a small family-owned electric company and built a career out of it. He shares what he loves most about the work (buildin...

2. 

   2 Jul 2026

   Your Hamburger's Still in the Freezer: HB26-1311: Colorado's New Retainage Bond Law - Part 2

   Send us Fan Mail Part 2 of our conversation with Luke Miller (Colorado Pavement Solutions) and Rob Slauson (VP of Operations, ESI). If you missed Part 1 — their backgrounds, company culture, and why they invest in NUCA of Colorado — start there first. This half is a full breakdown of HB26-1311, Colorado's new retainage surety bond law, effective August 2026. Retainage is a form of risk transfer — owners and GCs hold back a percentage of a contract as assurance the work will be completed to st...

3. 

   29 Jun 2026

   From Asphalt Crews to the State Capitol: Culture, Associations, and ROI (Part 1 of 2)

   Part 1 of a two-part conversation with Luke Miller (Colorado Pavement Solutions) and Rob Slauson (VP of Operations, ESI) — two very different paths into the same industry. Rob grew up on an asphalt crew in Wisconsin, paid in cash at 12 years old, and has been on the construction side ever since. Luke studied political science and public policy, worked in local government, then found his way into the industry almost by accident before co-founding Colorado Pavement Solutions in 2017. James, Nat...

4. 

   9 Mar 2026

   Co Host Intro: Nate Miller & James Gurule

   Get to know the two IMA Cohosts 1st part Nate 2nd part James

5. 

   6 Mar 2026

   You Can’t Automate Grit: Fleet Safety, AI, and the Human Factor

   Cameras don’t fix bad culture. AI doesn’t replace judgment. Liberty Energy’s Michael Tuomi explains how fleet safety actually works—and why technology only amplifies what’s already there.

6. 

   11 Feb 2026

   Perry Silvey Intro

   Learn a little about Perry.

7. 

   11 Feb 2026

   Suicide Awareness & Mental Health w/ Heather Strong Gutierrez

   Construction has some of the highest rates of suicide and substance use in the country. Yet many workers still feel pressure to stay silent. In this episode, Heather Strong Gutierrez, Director of Safety at JHL Constructors, talks about turning pain into purpose after losing her son to a fentanyl overdose. She explains why safety must include mental and emotional health, not just physical hazards. The group explores: Why stigma remains a major barrierHow strong relationships on job sites creat...

8. 

   26 Nov 2025

   Underground Warfare: The Future of Utility Infrastructure

   Focus: The evolving demands on underground infrastructure and how utility contractors can stay ahead.

Reach and audience

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

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

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