Episodes

In this powerful episode of Built With Purpose, Chris Fay sits down with Jyot Singh, Founder and CEO of RTS Labs, to explore how life’s most difficult moments can shape stronger, more intentional leadership. From a deeply personal story of loss early in his career to building a thriving technology company, Jyot shares how resilience and perspective have defined his journey. The conversation dives into the evolving role of vulnerability in leadership and how creating psychological safety within ...

What separates leaders who build lasting companies from those who stall out? In this episode of Built With Purpose, Chris Fay reflects on his conversation with Raj Alva and breaks down the leadership lessons that matter most. From having a chip on your shoulder to understanding your personal wiring, Chris explores how your past experiences shape your leadership style—and why purpose is often the driving force behind long-term success. The episode dives deep into the reality of building a compa...

Raj Alva’s story is one of resilience, perspective, and purpose. After immigrating to the U.S. with his family, Raj quickly learned the value of opportunity—and made a decision early on that he wouldn’t waste it. In this episode, Raj shares his journey through Wall Street, private equity, and entrepreneurship, including building brands like Grayson and Whiskey Gypsy. Along the way, he breaks down the lessons that shaped his approach to leadership, investing, and long-term success. This convers...

In this episode of Built With Purpose: Between the Builds, Chris Fay reflects on his recent experience integrating AI into his workflow—and what it reveals about fear, change, and personal growth. As technology continues to evolve, the real challenge isn’t stopping innovation—it’s how we respond to it. Chris shares a powerful analogy of the buffalo versus the cow, explaining why those who run toward discomfort grow faster than those who avoid it. From leadership lessons to personal development...

In this episode of Built With Purpose, Chris Fay takes a different approach—bringing his AI assistant “Abby” into the conversation to explore how artificial intelligence is actually being used inside real businesses today. From brainstorming and decision-making to challenging assumptions, this episode breaks down how leaders can start working with AI instead of fearing it. Chris and Abby dig into one of the biggest questions right now: is AI really replacing jobs—or just reshaping how work gets...

In this episode of Built With Purpose: Between the Builds, Chris Fay reflects on one of the biggest questions leaders face: Can you build something big without sacrificing what matters most? After a powerful conversation with Novolex CEO Stan Bikulege, Chris breaks down the key lessons that challenged his own thinking around growth, leadership, and family. Drawing from personal experiences—like revisiting his childhood roots in South Florida—Chris explores how the values and lessons we grow up ...

Stan Bikulege joins Chris Fay to share the leadership philosophy behind building one of the largest packaging manufacturers in the world. Stan reflects on how family values, humility, and discipline shaped his journey from a blue-collar upbringing to leading a global organization with 23,000 employees. Throughout the conversation, he explains how leadership isn’t about titles but about responsibility for the people and families behind the business. Stan also shares the lessons learned while sca...

In this episode of Built With Purpose — Between the Builds, Chris Fay reflects on a simple but powerful idea: success in business almost always comes back to the fundamentals. Using a conversation about lacrosse as a starting point, Chris explains how the same principle applies in leadership, sales, and organizational growth. Just like athletes who master basic skills before attempting advanced plays, professionals and leaders must focus on the foundational activities that actually drive result...

In this episode of Built With Purpose, host Chris Fay sits down with Steve Dell’Orto, Founder and CEO of ConCntric, to unpack what it really takes to build certainty in complex, high-stakes environments. After spending 26 years rising through the ranks of a top construction firm—helping deliver iconic projects like Salesforce Tower and the Golden State Warriors arena—Steve saw firsthand how outdated processes, disconnected data, and fear-driven decision-making were holding the industry back. Th...

Leadership isn’t built in the spotlight — it’s built in the in-between moments. In this Between the Builds episode of Built With Purpose, Chris Fay reflects on key leadership lessons inspired by a past conversation with Brad Hansen and expands on what it really means to grow before you feel ready. This episode explores the idea that belief often comes before clarity, and that waiting until everything is perfectly mapped out can actually stall growth. Chris breaks down how our beliefs shape our thoughts, thoughts drive our actions, actions form habits, and habits ultimately determine direction and destiny. Throughout the episode, Chris touches on the importance of: Giving yourself permission to move forward without all the answers Putting yourself in position to be “lucky” through preparation, consistency, and proximity to the right people Understanding that leadership is developed over time, not granted by a title Surrounding yourself with people who challenge, support, and sharpen yo…

In this episode of Built With Purpose, Chris Fay sits down with leadership consultant and former CEO Brad Hansen to explore what actually shapes great leaders—and why having everything figured out is overrated. Brad shares personal stories about mentors who opened doors, lessons learned leading a 200-person organization, and why ownership, humility, and trust matter more than titles or perfect plans. This episode is for founders, executives, and emerging leaders who want to build careers and c...

Most leaders don’t fail because of talent — they fail because they think too small. In this episode of Built With Purpose: Between the Builds, host Chris Fay reflects on a powerful leadership lesson inspired by hosting a company kickoff inside a professional hockey arena. The question that changed everything: What if you treated your business — and your life — like an open arena? Chris unpacks how artificial constraints around money, role, location, and fear quietly limit growth, and how leaders can unlock scale without sacrificing family, health, or culture. Drawing from conversations with Kirk Zambetti and lessons from elite operating systems, this episode breaks down what it really takes to scale through vision, people, and systems. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why leaders underestimate what’s possibl How artificial constraints quietly cap growth The “open arena” mindset for leadership and life Why scaling doesn’t require burnout How systems turn vision into execution What great …

What does it take to build a premium brand, scale organizations, and lead through massive growth without losing culture or purpose? In this episode of Built With Purpose, host Chris Fay sits down with former YETI executive and current President and Founder of NHUSSS Kirk Zambetti during TPM’s company kickoff meeting inside the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. This unique live conversation dives into what it truly means to think bigger — both as a company and as individual leaders. Kirk shares s...

What would you be willing to sacrifice for what you truly believe? In this Between the Builds episode of Built With Purpose, host Chris Fay reflects on a powerful conversation with former Chick-fil-A CMO Steve Robinson and unpacks one of the most important leadership questions of all: how deeply are your beliefs embedded in the way you lead, build, and serve? Chris breaks down how Chick-fil-A made the intentional decision to close on Sundays — a move that costs the company roughly a billion dollars a year — yet helped create one of the most trusted and recognizable brands in the world. Why? Because their beliefs aren’t just written down — they’re lived out daily through customer experience, employee development, and company culture. From the famous “my pleasure” service mindset to their commitment to people-first leadership, this episode explores how belief systems become visible through action — and why customers can literally feel a brand when values are real. Chris also challenges …

Chick-fil-A didn’t become one of the most admired brands in America by chasing growth, trends, or short-term profits. In this episode of Built With Purpose, host Chris Fay sits down with Steve Robinson, former Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Chick-fil-A, for a deep conversation on leadership, culture, faith, and long-term thinking. During Steve’s 35-year tenure, Chick-fil-A grew from under $100 million in revenue to more than $6 billion, eventually becoming a $24+ billio...

As we kick off the first Between the Builds episode of 2026, host Chris Fay takes a step back to reflect on leadership, priorities, and the pace of change ahead. Building off last week’s conversation with Patrick Murphy, founder and CEO of Toggle AI, this episode introduces a powerful framework for modern leaders: What should be systematized? What can be automated? And what must remain deeply human? From business operations to family life, Chris shares how intentional reflection, smart systems...

In this episode, we sit down with Patrick Erin Murphy to break down what it truly means to build with purpose—not as a slogan, but as a daily commitment to leadership, integrity, and long-term thinking. Patrick shares how staying grounded in values has shaped his approach to leadership, decision-making, and growth, especially in environments where shortcuts and short-term wins are often rewarded. This conversation explores what it takes to build something meaningful while maintaining discipline...

Shownotes In this Between the Builds episode of Built With Purpose, host Chris Fay reflects on leadership, culture, and growth as the year comes to a close. Drawing from recent conversations — including insights from Wes Palmisano of Renegade Construction — Chris explores what it truly takes to scale a business without sacrificing culture. From promoting leaders from within to empowering teams through clear frameworks and shared vision, this episode focuses on how intentional leadership cr...

In this episode, we sit down with Wes Palmisano, founder of Renegade, to break down how he’s building one of the most forward-thinking construction companies in the industry. Wes shares how Renegade scaled by challenging traditional construction norms, prioritizing culture and leadership, and embracing technology and innovation in an industry known for doing things “the old way.” From hiring and retention to operational efficiency, AI, and long-term vision, this conversation dives into wha...

In this episode of Built With Purpose, host Chris Fey returns with a powerful Between the Builds reflection—breaking down one of the most important leadership lessons from his recent conversation with Burton Hackney, President & CEO of JORIS General Contractors, one of Texas’s most admired construction companies. Rather than chasing size, geography, or market dominance, JORIS made a bold and clarifying decision: to become one of the most admired companies in Texas. Chris unpacks why that single...

Episode Summary In this episode of Built With Purpose, host Chris Fay sits down with Burton Hackney, President of JORIS, one of Texas’s most respected and long-standing construction companies. Across a candid, energizing conversation, Chris and Burton explore what it really takes to lead a 700-person organization through growth, uncertainty, and generational change—without losing sight of culture, people, or purpose. From JORIS’s 50+ year Texas legacy and the reboot that reshaped the company’s ...

In this Between the Builds episode of Built With Purpose, Chris Fay reflects on his recent conversation with Landon Messal, Founder & CEO of SiteMarker, and digs into one big theme: the people closest to the problem are usually the best equipped to solve it. Chris expands on what this means for leaders who aren’t always in the field or on every customer call—and how to build systems that surface insights from across a growing organization. Chris also explores how AI is transforming knowledge ca...

Episode Summary: In this episode of Built With Purpose, host Chris Fay sits down with Landon Messal, Founder & CEO of Site Marker, for a deep, forward-looking conversation about technology, process, and purpose inside the AEC industry. From the origins of Site Marker, born directly from real pain in the civil engineering field, to the rapid acceleration of AI, automation, and internal innovation, this discussion breaks down what it really takes to build tools that teams actually adopt. Chris and...

Episode Summary: In this episode of Between the Builds, host Chris Fay reflects on last week’s conversation with Al Petrangeli, diving deeper into one of the most foundational principles of effective leadership: servant leadership. Chris breaks down what servant leadership really means, how to distinguish it from simply “being a servant,” and why the difference can shape the trajectory of your team, culture, and organization. From leading by example and setting the tone for your team to empower...