Entrepreneur's Journey - Rory Rubin, CEO of S.I. Container Builds

Social worker turns 26 million stranded shipping containers into housing. Rory's husband offered a solution to her midlife crisis: "Just buy a sports car." She started a manufacturing company instead. Seven years later, she's built a two-story structure on Lake Michigan. This is episode 41.

When the easier path isn't the right one. *YOU'LL DISCOVER*

• Why 26 million shipping containers sit in US graveyards

• How a clinical social worker became a manufacturing CEO

• The Navy Pier project that made Chicago history

• Why containers weren't legal for housing until 2018 *WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS*

• Purpose beats profit: Impact over the easy sports car

• Legal matters: 2018 code changes opened markets

• Show don't tell: Navy Pier proved doubters wrong

*WHO THIS PERSON IS* Rory Rubin founded S.I. Container Builds after careers in social work and consulting. She's turning an environmental crisis into affordable housing, licensed in all 50 states. S.I. Container Builds is a woman-owned, certified manufacturer creating sustainable steel structures built to code. They combat the housing crisis with economical ADUs and community developments. To learn more, visit https://www.sicontainerbuilds.com/

*WHO THESE GUYS ARE* Brian Balduf co-founded and sold VHT Studios. Brad Balduf runs By Your Side Autism Therapy with 550 employees across 11 centers. Matt Croke keeps it honest and pulls out the chaos. They've been there, survived it, and have the scars to prove it.

*THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH* "My husband said are you sure you don't just want a sports car because that would be a lot easier. Now I look back, maybe that was easier." Ever take the hard path when everyone said there was an easier option? 

👇 SUBSCRIBE for new episodes every Friday. Real stories, real disasters, no LinkedIn energy. ———————————— *

TIMESTAMPS*

1:42 - The midlife crisis that started a company

4:44 - From social worker to manufacturing CEO

5:24 - 26 million containers and nowhere to go

7:19 - Legal since 2018 (people don't realize that's new)

30:22 - Navy Pier: First transient marina in Chicago history

32:04 - The bros want to build their studio in a container 

*ABOUT CEO BROS AFTER HOURS* CEO BROS: After Hours is raw business talk from CEO brothers Brian Balduf (VHT Studios) and Brad Balduf (By Your Side Autism Therapy) with host Matt Croke. Every Friday they share what actually happens building companies: brutal failures, scaling disasters, and the messy truth about leadership. No corporate polish. No LinkedIn energy. Just honest stories from the trenches. ————————————

🍸 *WIND DOWN WITH THE BROS: THIS WEEK'S COCKTAILS* Four drinks for four builders. Pick the one that matches your approach.

🍸 *THE STEEL STRUCTURE* Rory Rubin - Turned scrap into sustainable housing Recipe: • 2 oz silver tequila • 1 oz fresh grapefruit juice • 0.5 oz lime juice • 0.5 oz simple syrup • Pinch of salt • Grapefruit peel • Shake with ice, strain over fresh ice The Vibe: Clean, sharp, repurposed into something better. Rory takes what others throw away and builds something code-compliant. This drink's got structure underneath.

🍸 *THE SPORTS CAR* Brian Balduf - Sold VHT Studios Recipe: • 2 oz cognac • 0.75 oz lemon juice • 0.5 oz honey syrup • Champagne float • Lemon twist • Shake first three with ice, strain into flute, top champagne The Vibe: The easier choice. Looks impressive, costs more, everyone knows what it is. Brian picked entrepreneurial over corporate. Sometimes flashy isn't right.

🍸 *THE GRAVEYARD* Brad Balduf - The operator running 11 centers with 550+ employees Recipe: • 2 oz Irish whiskey • 0.75 oz coffee liqueur • 0.5 oz simple syrup • Orange peel • Stir with ice, strain into rocks glass The Vibe: 26 million containers sitting in shipyards going nowhere. Dark, underutilized, waiting for someone to see the potential. Brad knows what it's like to find value others overlook. 🍸

 *THE TRANSIENT MARINA* Matt Croke - The host keeping it real and pulling out the chaos Recipe: • 2 oz vodka • 1 oz blue curaçao • 0.75 oz lime juice • Splash soda • Lime wheel • Shake first three with ice, strain, top soda The Vibe: First of its kind in Chicago. Boaters from Wisconsin and Michigan finally have somewhere to dock. Bold, visible, makes a statement. Make all four.

Which one are you? Building from scrap? Taking the flashy route? Finding overlooked value? Creating something that never existed? Tag us. 

*JOIN THE CONVERSATION* https://x.com/CeoBrosAH https://www.instagram.com/ceobrosah/ https://www.facebook.com/CEOBrosAH https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceo-bros

 #entrepreneurship #manufacturing #startuplife #sustainability  Music: "Back to Black" by Rockin' For Decades (licensed through Epidemic Sound)