People-First Builders Podcast

About People-First Builders Podcast

At People-First Builders, we shine a spotlight on the leaders who shape the construction industry by building more than projects—they build teams, culture, and legacy. This podcast is your gateway to the stories of exceptional CEOs and visionaries who prioritize their people, achieve remarkable success, and redefine what it means to lead in construction. Discover how family-owned businesses, niche projects, and innovative leadership styles are driving progress in steel erection, bridge rebar, and infrastructure installation. Each episode celebrates leaders who have spent decades honing their craft, advancing their operations, and achieving results that inspire their teams and peers alike. Whether you're a construction professional, a leader looking for inspiration, or simply someone fascinated by people-centered success stories, People-First Builders offers valuable insights and actionable takeaways from industry's best. While People-First Builders is a new podcast, it's backed by years of experience. Host Fletcher Wimbush is a seasoned podcaster with over seven years behind the mic, having built a dedicated audience with The Hire Talent—a show focused on optimizing hiring and leadership in the industry. Now, he's bringing that expertise to People-First Builders, highlighting the construction leaders who are shaping the future through culture, innovation, and operational excellence.

Publisher

Fletcher Wimbush

Category

business · business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

29 Jun 2018

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

76 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Oct 2026

   How Integrity Attracts Better Construction Teams with Victor Bretting

   What does 50 years in construction teach you about leadership, hiring, and building teams people actually want to be part of? In this episode of People-First Builders, Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Victor Bretting, Director of Concrete Operations at McGough Construction, to explore the leadership lessons Victor has developed throughout five decades in the industry. Victor started his career as a water boy on a nuclear power plant project and eventually worked his way into leadership roles overseeing operations with hundreds of field employees. Along the way, his approach to leadership changed from simply getting the job done to understanding the responsibility leaders have to the people and families depending on them. Victor shares why integrity and reputation are powerful recruiting tools in construction, why great people tend to follow great leaders, and how referrals and industry relationships can reveal far more about a candidate than an interview alone. He also discusses servant leadership, taking responsibility when things go wrong, developing the next generation of construction leaders, and why a willingness to listen became one of the most important lessons of his career. The conversation also explores Victor's work with Bretting Texas Ranch and how retirement plans evolved into an opportunity to give back through outdoor experiences for veterans, terminally ill children, and faith-based organizations. If you lead people in construction, this episode is a reminder that your reputation is built one decision and one relationship at a time, and that how you treat people ultimately determines the kind of people you attract.

2. 

   11 Aug 2026

   Training Trades to Get It Right the First Time with Michael Giaramita

   What if the biggest problems on a construction project aren't technical—but people problems? In this episode of the People-First Builders Podcast, host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Michael Giaramita, CEO of Group PMX, to explore how alignment, accountability, training, and respect can transform even the most challenging construction projects. Michael shares the story of stepping into a deeply troubled project that was years behind schedule and significantly over budget. His diagnosis was simple: everyone involved had stopped working as one team. By shifting the culture away from blame and claims and toward problem-solving, collaboration, and shared success, the project began to turn around. Michael also explains why getting the work right the first time starts with giving trades the right resources and expectations. Instead of waiting until the end of a project to create massive punch lists, he advocates for continuous quality checks, early involvement from architects and engineers, and training both sides of the equation so everyone understands what "right" actually looks like. Fletcher and Michael also discuss early-start scheduling, creating healthy peer accountability between trades, building pride of ownership, leading distributed teams, and using systems and skills-based development to help people grow. In this episode, you'll hear about: Why project problems often start with misalignment, not technical issues How Michael transformed a toxic project culture through shared accountability Why training trades can dramatically reduce rework and punch-list items How early-start scheduling creates incentives for everyone to succeed The importance of treating tradespeople with respect and protecting pride in their work Why architects and engineers should stay involved throughout construction How Group PMX has operated virtually for more than a decade Why strong systems and a single "record of truth" make distributed teams possible How skills-based development creates stronger people and stronger project teams Michael's philosophy is straightforward: align the team, remove the obstacles, give people the tools to succeed, and focus on solving problems instead of assigning blame. Because when everyone sees the project's success as shared success, better work follows.

3. 

   28 Jul 2026

   Hire for Character and Train for Capability with Jenny Nail

   Fletcher Wimbush interviews Jenny Nail, Chief Commercial Officer at CRH Americas Building Products, about prioritizing character over credentials in hiring to build exceptional, lasting teams.

Who has been a guest on People-First Builders Podcast

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

• Jenny Nail
• Greg Stewart
• Tania Van Herle
• Melissa Drew
• Brad Strawbridge

Reach and audience

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

YouTube views

118,304

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.6 / 5

5 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 57 / 100

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

Quality

68

Social presence

0

YouTube

82

Engagement

32

Contact People-First Builders Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

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

Questions about People-First Builders Podcast