Episode 193: ‘Building Strong Foundations’ with Jesse Hernandez
In this episode:
Christi Powell and Angela Gardner welcome returning guest Jesse Hernandez (Depth Builder founder, partner in No BS with Jen and Jess, and host of Learnings and Missteps) to discuss leadership and systems in construction. Jesse shares pivotal moments from moving from installer to foreman, where intimidation got results but cost relationships, and how leadership training helped him shift to a people-centered approach. He explains why most leadership training is too generic and not contextualized to construction, emphasizing conversation, listening, and challenging ideas over slide-heavy agendas. For quick job-site results, he says leaders must be present, visible, and model desired behaviors. A simple ROI habit is setting daily targets and end-of-day check-ins to identify “time bandits” and interruptions. He urges listeners to meet someone new on the jobsite to build connections and improve the industry, and shares ways to reach him via LinkedIn and depthbuilder.com.
Show Notes and Links:
00:00 Welcome and Big Guest
00:36 Jesse Returns and Credentials
01:52 Events and Community Shoutouts
03:30 From Foreman to Leader
09:16 Why Training Feels Generic
13:50 Lead by Showing Up
16:36 Daily Targets Beat Chaos
19:35 One Action for Connection
20:54 How to Reach Jesse
21:40 Final Thanks and Sign Off
About Jesse:
From grading ditches to guiding executives, Jesse’s career proves one thing: leadership is about people, not titles. Today, he helps construction leaders humanize the work, optimize the execution, and scale the improvements. His training blends field-tested tactics with a people-first approach designed specifically for the trades.
