From Grizzly Screens to Generational Impact: Mike Frick’s Blueprint for Trades-Led Entrepreneurship
Release Date: 06/16/2025
Building Scalable Roofing Teams Through Structured Training with Michael Feazel
People-First Builders Podcast
In this episode of People-First Builders, host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Michael Feazel, Co-Founder and CEO of Roof Maxx, to explore how structured training, intentional leadership, and innovative business models are reshaping the roofing industry. With decades of experience as a roofing contractor and industry thought leader, Michael shares his journey from climbing roofs in the 1980s to building one of the fastest-growing roofing service networks in the country. He explains how Roof Maxx created an entirely new category—roof rejuvenation—and how simplifying the work has opened the...
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Developing Future Talent by Making Trades Attractive with Chad Raymond
People-First Builders Podcast
In this episode of the People-First Builders Podcast, host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Chad Raymond, General Manager and Head of Sales at Henry Company, a subsidiary of Carlisle Weatherproofing Technologies. Chad brings a unique perspective from the supply-side of the construction industry, working daily with builders, contractors, architects, and developers across residential and light commercial markets. Chad shares what he’s seeing firsthand on the front lines of today’s labor shortage—how skilled trade shortages are impacting project timelines, business growth, and quality, and...
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Why Paying Top Talent Pays Off Scaling in Tough Markets with Scott Menard
People-First Builders Podcast
In this episode of People-First Builders, host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Scott Menard, President & Chief Operating Officer of Homes Built For America, to discuss how strong leadership, accountability, and purpose-driven culture shape successful construction organizations. Scott shares his perspective on leading teams in the residential construction space, the importance of operational excellence, and how aligning people, process, and mission creates long-term stability and growth. Drawing from his experience overseeing large-scale operations, he offers practical insights into...
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Turning Burnout Into Culture Change in Construction with Chad Abernethy
People-First Builders Podcast
In this powerful episode of People-First Builders, host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Chad Abernethy, CEO of Abernethy Contracting, for one of the most honest conversations we’ve had about leadership, burnout, culture, and what it really takes to transform a construction company from the inside out. Chad opens up about: • Leaving his family’s business after burnout and how it reshaped everything he believed about leadership • Scaling a civil contracting company from 0 to $45M — and the personal cost behind the growth • How a merger forced a complete culture reset • Building a...
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Build Together Thrive Forever Creating an Employee Owned Future with John Abrams
People-First Builders Podcast
What happens when a small crew of “hippie carpenters” grows into a nationally admired, employee-owned company that changes lives, families, and communities? In this inspiring episode, Fletcher sits down with John Abrams, founder of Abrams+Angell, formerly of South Mountain Company, who spent 50+ years proving that business can be both profitable and profoundly people-centered. John shares how he transitioned his company into a worker cooperative long before employee ownership was common, how that decision transformed culture, turnover, customers, and leadership—and why he believes...
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Lead with Empathy Growing People, Then Performance with Jim Robinson
People-First Builders Podcast
In this episode of People-First Builders, host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Jim Robinson, President & CEO of CGP Maintenance & Construction Services, leadership coach, and soon-to-be author of Lead With Empathy (co-written with Chris Voss). With 40 years in business, Jim has grown CGP into a people-first organization known for unmatched employee loyalty, multi-decade tenure, and an education-driven culture. His approach is simple but rare in the trades: grow the person first — and performance will follow. What You’ll Learn from Jim in This Episode: • How leading with empathy...
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Lead with Love, Build with Purpose: Growing Through People with Scott Walters
People-First Builders Podcast
In this inspiring episode of People-First Builders, host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Scott Walters, President of Walters Services, a family-run waste management company built on one simple belief: “We love people.” From humble beginnings on a chicken farm to a thriving multi-location business, Scott shares how his parents’ people-centered values shaped a 50-year legacy that continues to grow today. He opens up about giving second chances to employees, leading with empathy, building mentorship into company culture, and using the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to scale with...
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Engineer the Vision, Build the Team: Leading with Intention with Scott Harvey-Lewis
People-First Builders Podcast
In this episode of People-First Builders, host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Scott Harvey-Lewis, founder of Billing Mavens and a seasoned engineering leader who left corporate consulting to build something of his own — a firm grounded in integrity, intentional hiring, and creative leadership. Scott shares how his background leading large engineering teams inspired his approach to people-first entrepreneurship: hiring for humility, building global teams with purpose, and blending technology, AI, and offshoring to create a lean and human-centered company. From “being your own headhunter”...
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From Court Discipline to Business Growth: Leading with Structure
People-First Builders Podcast
What happens when the discipline of the court meets the chaos of business? In this People-First Builders episode, host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Uros Vasiljevic to unpack how athletic rigor and coaching fundamentals translate into predictable, scalable operations. From daily cadence and clear roles to simple “scoreboards” that make performance visible, Uroš shares the systems leaders can use to reduce noise, build trust, and grow without burning out their teams. You’ll learn: The mindset shift from heroics to repeatable processes How to design weekly rhythms that keep...
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Culture and Leadership: The Path to Elevating the Trades
People-First Builders Podcast
What if a construction company were known first for who its people become, not only for what it builds? In this People-First Builders episode, Fletcher Wimbush talks with Chad and Cory Kundert of Kundert Construction in Monroe, Wisconsin, about turning a job site into a launchpad for growth. They share how school partnerships and hands-on “Trades Day” experiences spark curiosity in students, how paid apprenticeships give teens a direct path into meaningful work, and how transparent pay ladders keep talent engaged from apprentice to foreman. Inside the company, carpenters earn leadership...
info_outlineIn this compelling episode of People-First Builders, host Fletcher Wimbush welcomes Mike Frick, president of Bear Ironworks, to share the incredible story of how a simple welding project turned into a thriving, multi-generational manufacturing business. From his early days in the oil fields and rural road building to managing over $200 million in infrastructure projects, including a $6 billion LNG plant, Mike’s career spans the full arc of American blue-collar ingenuity. What began as a practical solution to a job-site challenge, designing a rock screen for a skid steer, eventually became Bear Ironworks, a Colorado-based fabrication company that now ships across the country and employs a team of dedicated craftspeople. Mike recounts how his son, then a college student, took the reins, built a website, and helped scale the business before returning to finish his degree. Together, they rebuilt the company during COVID, running it remotely across multiple states while staying grounded in family values and a shared belief in hard work. Along the way, Mike discusses how he has consistently inspired and trained young people, including his son and stepson, to pursue careers in the trades, often helping them launch their own businesses.
Key takeaways from this episode include:
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The power of hands-on experience in launching successful entrepreneurial ventures
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Why blue-collar careers offer financial freedom, personal pride, and long-term opportunity
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The importance of teaching and mentoring the next generation, even if they eventually leave your company
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How to build a values-driven culture that balances safety, autonomy, and professional development
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Why leaders in the construction and manufacturing sectors must champion the trades as viable and noble career paths
Mike’s story is a timely reminder that building things with your hands can also build a legacy. Leadership, at its best, is about investing in people for the long haul.