Episode 16: Keith Ledbetter: Data Centers, Trade Schools, and the Detroit Blue Ribbon

Episode 16: Keith Ledbetter: Data Centers, Trade Schools, and the Detroit Blue Ribbon

Keith Ledbetter took over ABC Southeastern Michigan ten years ago when the organization was getting threatening letters from the bank's attorney. Today he runs the largest construction trade school in Michigan with over 850 students across five campuses.   In this in-studio conversation, Matt and Keith get into therebuild, the merit shop philosophy, the data center wave that could reshape Michigan construction, and the Detroit charter school Keith helped build into a U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon school.   Our 3rd Annual Build Better Foundation Golf Outing is Thursday, June 25 at Hartland Glen. All proceeds fund trades scholarships for young people. Register or sponsor at www.schaferconstruction.net/build-better-foundation   Connect with Keith: linkedin.com/in/ledbetter1

Episode 15: Mailbag: Architects, Hiring Mistakes, Contech BS, Test Days & Gas Station Sandwiches

A different kind of episode this week — the first Build Better mailbag. Five questions I get asked all the time, batched into one show. Matt covers what he wishes architects understood about working with a Design-Build GC vs. the old adversarial Design-Bid-Build model, the biggest mistake he's made as a leader and how he rectified it (hint: it's about who he kept around too long), why most construction tech being sold today is "VC theater" solving problems that don't exist, what a "test day" looks like and how he resets, and a story from the late 90s involving negative temperatures, a 3-story top plate, and a gas station sandwich nobody should ever eat. If you've got a question you want answered on a future mailbag, DM Matt on LinkedIn or send it through schaferconstruction.net. ⛳ The 3rd Annual Build Better Foundation Golf Outing is Wednesday, June 25 at Hartland Glen. 100% of proceeds fund scholarships for young people entering the trades. Sponsor, golf, or learn more at: schaferconstruction.net/build-better-foundation Like the show? Drop a rating, leave a one-sentence review, and share it with someone in the trades. That's how we grow this thing.

Episode 14: Discipline is Cheaper than Excuses

Welcome to Build Better. I didn’t start at the top. I started on job sites. I worked my way through the roles, learned the business from the inside out, and saw firsthand what actually makes projects succeed — and what quietly kills them. This show is for builders, business owners, developers, and blue-collar badasses who care about doing things the right way. No shortcuts. No fluff. Just real conversations, real lessons, and practical insight from the field. If you care about building better — projects, companies, teams, and yourself — you’re in the right place. ----------------------------------------------- Follow on YouTube for FULL LENGTH VIDEOS and SHORTS!! Help us get the word out by giving us a share to someone else who takes pride in building a better America! Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattvetter  Want to be featured in an interview on Build Better? Reach out and let's get that set up!

Episode 13: Building a Culture That Feels Like Family | Heather Ruby of ARC Engineering Solutions

Welcome to Build Better. I didn’t start at the top. I started on job sites. I worked my way through the roles, learned the business from the inside out, and saw firsthand what actually makes projects succeed — and what quietly kills them. This show is for builders, business owners, developers, and blue-collar badasses who care about doing things the right way. No shortcuts. No fluff. Just real conversations, real lessons, and practical insight from the field. If you care about building better — projects, companies, teams, and yourself — you’re in the right place. ----------------------------------------------- Follow on YouTube for FULL LENGTH VIDEOS and SHORTS!! Help us get the word out by giving us a share to someone else who takes pride in building a better America! Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattvetter  Want to be featured in an interview on Build Better? Reach out and let's get that set up!

Episode 12: Stop Bamboozling People Into The Trades | Karly Hoehn

Welcome to Build Better. I didn’t start at the top. I started on job sites. I worked my way through the roles, learned the business from the inside out, and saw firsthand what actually makes projects succeed — and what quietly kills them. This show is for builders, business owners, developers, and blue-collar badasses who care about doing things the right way. No shortcuts. No fluff. Just real conversations, real lessons, and practical insight from the field. If you care about building better — projects, companies, teams, and yourself — you’re in the right place. ----------------------------------------------- Follow on YouTube for FULL LENGTH VIDEOS and SHORTS!! Help us get the word out by giving us a share to someone else who takes pride in building a better America! Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattvetter  Want to be featured in an interview on Build Better? Reach out and let's get that set up!