A good leader is aware of cybersecurity risks and tackles them intentionally!

Today on Leadership Blueprints, we are joined by our very own information security practice leader, Bill Jones, to discuss all things cybersecurity. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about the very real cybersecurity threats that are out there, Bill’s career from the military to the FBI to MCFA, and more!

We delve into what most leaders are blind to with regard to cybersecurity risks before touching on the importance of awareness and proactivity in information security practice. We even discuss some of the most valuable leadership lessons Bill has learned throughout his career. As always, we close with some rapid-fire questions for our guest and hear who he wants to network with in the near future.

Thanks for listening!

Key Points From This Episode:

• What Bill is seeing in the cybersecurity space at the moment.
• Bill tells us about his career in the military and after active service.
• What leaders aren’t aware they’re at risk of when it comes to cybersecurity.
• How MCFA can help early on in the design of information security.
• What attracted Bill to step into his position at MCFA.

Quotes:

“IT systems have inherent risk as they support the business. The business leaders are accepting that risk whether they know it or not.” — Bill Jones

“If your team doesn’t trust you, if they don’t know what you’re going to do ahead of time – then nothing happens.” — Bill Jones

“[AI is] a great research tool!” — Bill Jones

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Bill Jones on LinkedIn

Team of Teams
Thinking in Bets

Start with Why

Flex

The 80/20 Principle

Risk

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

The difference between a stalled project and a successful ribbon-cutting ceremony lies in the project champion, a leader who possesses the courage, fortitude, and strategic mindset to navigate complex bureaucracies and transform ambitious plans into multigenerational realities.

Today on the podcast, BJ is joined by MCFA’s Brian Pieplow and Michael Fuhrman to talk about the necessity of cultivating a project champion to manage upcoming billion-dollar infrastructure programs. They unpack the three As, characteristics all project champions have, and highlight the importance of third-party consultants who provide the objective perspective needed. They also introduce the DNA framework, a strategic tool to help leaders assess project viability and overcome institutional inertia.

Tune in now to learn why leadership-driven approaches are critical to infrastructure projects to deliver long-term value to the public.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Understanding the importance of a champion in moving projects forward.
• They dig into the three As of a project champion.
• How external partners bridge organizational gaps and enable effective execution of vision.
• Brian takes us through the DNA process: discover, navigate, accelerate.
• The importance of the project charter.

Quotes:

“Sometimes a third party within your organization can color outside the line and kind of protect and buffer the internal champion.” — Michael Fuhrman

“Discover, navigate, [and] accelerate is not necessarily a linear process, but it's iterative.” — Brian Pieplow

“Multigenerational projects are not easy and not for the faint of heart.” — Michael Fuhrman

“I think one takeaway — is the importance of the project charter, setting the tone and using DNA to help develop a strong project charter — every major project, mega project has a charter…” — Brian Pieplow

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Brian Pieplow on LinkedIn

Michael Fuhrman, MCFA

Make No Little Plans: A Planning as Project Development Approach to Building Infrastructure

DNA Workshop Workbook

Study (managing risk)

Getting Naked: A Business Fable About Shedding The Three Fears That Sabotage Client Loyalty

JETC

American Planning Association Conference

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

What does it take to turn an ambitious vision into a buildable, fundable reality?

In this episode of Leadership Blueprints, host BJ Kraemer sits down with Brad Tubbs, president of Willis Construction Consulting, to discuss cost estimating, risk management, and the leadership role estimators play in complex construction projects. In their conversation, Brad explains why great estimators do far more than assign numbers to drawings, how estimators mentally build projects long before design is complete, and how they help owners and teams make better decisions earlier in the process.

Brad shares how early estimating supports smarter planning and stronger project outcomes and unpacks the importance of communication, trust, team dynamics, and leadership. Brad also shares the lessons he has learned from leading his own firm, why estimating remains deeply creative work, and why the ability to think critically, communicate clearly, and ask better questions still matters.

Tune in to hear why cost estimating is not just a technical service, but a strategic advantage for owners, project teams, and future leaders in the built environment.

Key Points From This Episode:

• What early-stage cost estimating looks like and how estimators translate vision into scope.
• Learn how estimators break large creative ideas down into a detailed scope and budget.
• Discover how estimating helps teams navigate risk, feasibility, and budget limitations.
• Explore why effective communication is an essential skill for cost estimators.
• Unpack why cost estimators are value-add rather than extra project cost.

Quotes:

“[Estimators] really have to define the big scope and then each one of our estimators in their own specialized division whittles that down into the small scope.” — Brad Tubbs

“The real value of an estimator – is the creativity and the imagination that you have to have as an estimator to understand what’s not currently shown in the documents and apply a solution to what’s not shown.” — Brad Tubbs

“The estimator is the person, in the team, who really is most intimate with the project as a whole.” — Brad Tubbs

“Learn the drawings, learn the process of design and engineering so that you can manage projects well, but also learn to communicate.” — Brad Tubbs

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Brad Tubbs

Brad Tubbs on LinkedIn

Willis Construction Consulting

Brad Tubbs Email

Heroic Leadership

The Power of One

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

What does it take to build a championship football program that shapes not just great athletes but exceptional leaders?

In this episode of Leadership Blueprints, host BJ Kraemer sits down with Frank DeLano, Head Football Coach at Haddonfield Memorial High School, to explore how to build a winning culture rooted in relationships, values, and community, and his leadership lessons from decades of success on and off the field.

Frank explains the origins of his “we” philosophy, the mission statement that guides his coaching, and how creating a sense of belonging for every player can change a team into a family. He delves into the challenges behind youth sports culture, the pitfalls of early specializations, and the importance of relationships, communication, and core values in a “me-first” world. He also shares how to cultivate team culture, develop leaders, and leave the game better than you found it.

Tune in to learn how to lead with purpose, passion, and humility with Frank DeLano.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Frank’s coaching mission statement and the values that shape his leadership.
• Why he chose to eliminate individual awards from his football program.
• Find out what his “we, not me” philosophy looks like on and off the field.
• Why relationships and communication are essential for meeting kids where they are.
• The benefits of multi-sport and the dangers of youth sports specialization.

Quotes:

“I have always loved the passion of the X and O part of football. I always knew that being a fan simply wasn’t good enough.” — Frank DeLano

“Rules are for people who don’t have discipline. Standards are for those who want to be elite.” — Frank DeLano

“[Coaches] didn’t invent [football] and our job is to make this game a little bit better than when we found it.” — Frank DeLano

“Clinic seasons are great; they’re also dangerous. Because you might sit in front of someone for 45 minutes, they’ve got this wonderful idea, and they never told you what went wrong.” — Frank DeLano

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Frank DeLano

Haddonfield Memorial High School

InSideOut Coaching: How Sports Can Transform Lives

Do You Love Football?: Winning with Heart, Passion, and Not Much Sleep

Fearless: How an Underdog Becomes a Champion

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

It’s easy to assume that growth comes from adding more, but it often actually requires doing less with greater intention.

Today on the Leadership Blueprints Podcast, BJ sits down with Jeff Evenson, Scaling Strategist at Scaling.com, where he helps clients 10x their business in three years or less, which Jeff describes as the “impossible goal”. Tuning in, you’ll find out what it really means to grow a business strategically, including compressing timelines to sharpen decision-making, learning how to distinguish signal from noise, and setting clear boundaries around what not to pursue. Jeff introduces the concept of “frame, floor, focus,” and explains how simplifying priorities can unlock higher-impact opportunities. He also explores the identity shift required of leaders as their roles evolve, and why coaching and accountability are essential to sustaining progress.

Listen in for a grounded, practical perspective on leading and scaling with intention!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Using time as a tool to force better decisions and innovation.
• The concept of signal vs. noise in business decisions.
• Identifying which opportunities are distractions rather than true growth paths.
• Introducing “frame, floor, focus” as a scaling framework.
• Setting a floor to define what work and clients to say no to.

Quotes:

“The impossible goal is a 10x goal, but the more impossible piece of it is to collapse and use time as a tool.” — Jeff Evenson

“If we use time as a tool, we can force people to think differently and create innovative pathways to get to that 10x goal in a much shorter timeframe.” — Jeff Evenson

“That floor will indicate what things we can do, and, more importantly, what things we say no to.” — Jeff Evenson

“Personally, professionally, having somebody [who] is always in your corner, yet is also relatively rigorous with accountability, is a superpower.” — Jeff Evenson

“Our goals and our future self really shape who we are today.” — Jeff Evenson

“The goal is just a tool. We don't want it to be a cudgel or a punishment or anything like that. We want it to be a tool, a useful tool that challenges our thinking and really shapes our decision making now.” — Jeff Evenson

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jeff Evenson on LinkedIn

Jeff Evenson Email

Scaling.com

The Science of Scaling: Grow Your Business Bigger and Faster Than You Think Possible

Bill Watkins on LinkedIn

Dan Sullivan Books

Benjamin Hardy Books

Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork

10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less

Freddie Kim on LinkedIn

MILSPEC TALENT

Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

Setting priorities and staying aligned is essential in business. But without the right systems, it’s only a matter of time before you get caught up in day-to-day operations and lose sight of the bigger picture.

Since 2018, MCFA has been using quarterly reviews to set a 90-day cadence, allowing teams to align efforts, set priorities, and ensure clarity across teams. In this solo episode of Leadership Blueprints, BJ Kraemer discusses the importance of quarterly reviews and how they connect your long-term vision with your daily actions. He shares why setting up robust systems is essential for staying focused on larger targets, emphasizing the role of weekly check-ins and accountability in turning plans into meaningful progress. BJ also explores how you can apply quarterly thinking beyond work to your personal goals and growth.

Listen in for a practical framework to reset your focus and make the most of the next 90 days!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Using a 90-day cadence to align efforts, set priorities, and get clarity.
• The gap between annual reviews and reactive daily work.
• Using quarterly reviews to connect your long-term vision with your daily actions.
• Understanding your limitations and how to make trade-offs.
• The 90-day challenge: define priorities, build a plan, and track weekly progress.

Quotes:

“We are going to prioritize where we're going to invest our time, our energy, our creativity, and our focus for the next 90 days.” — BJ Kraemer

“This is our chance to synchronize everybody's efforts, get everybody back on the same page and make sure that we're really working on the hardest things.” — BJ Kraemer

“Even though I've been doing this for eight years, there are different parts of my life where I get out of sync with the discipline of a 90-day world.” — BJ Kraemer

“We can't do it all. – There is a limitation to what we can invest, whether that is our own time or reinvesting company profitability. There's always a limitation. So you have to really be good with understanding trade-offs.” — BJ Kraemer

“The quarter, [or] the 90-day world is short enough to create urgency, [and] long enough to actually give yourself time to create change.” — BJ Kraemer

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

What does it take to lead major infrastructure projects when the work is complex, there are many stakeholders, and the outcome must last for decades?

In this episode of Leadership Blueprints, we sit down with Brian Pieplow, Chief Project Development Officer at MCFA, to explore how project development leaders transform big ideas into tangible, resilient realities. Brian shares the path that shaped his work in planning and the built environment, and he breaks down how he approaches planning and problem-solving across disciplines. He also explains why diverse teams create better outcomes and why strong coordination matters when projects involve public agencies, private partners, and long timelines.

Tune in now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The “MCFA is ME” idea and how MCFA reinforces a people-first approach.
• Hear why diverse team backgrounds improve how projects get developed and delivered.
• Explore how curiosity and continuous learning show up in Brian’s day-to-day work.
• Learn why the built environment needs different skillsets working together to succeed.
• How professional networks can help solve problems more quickly and unlock new opportunities.

Quotes:

“Life is more than a sum of transactional experiences.” — Brian Pieplow

“When new developing staff or new talents come in and find an environment [and get to] create their own journey and thrive, it’s extremely exciting.” — Brian Pieplow

“I think a lot of challenges in our industry, particularly design professionals [and] engineering professionals, don’t know is that there is a business side as well.” — Brian Pieplow

“There really isn’t a problem we shouldn’t be able to figure out how to solve.” — Brian Pieplow

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Brian Pieplow

Brian Pieplow on LinkedIn

The 4-Hour Workweek

Make No Little Plans

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

Most leaders believe the lie that “hustle” is the only path to success. But true success is actually an optimized daily experience sustained over time. When you neglect your physical, mental, and spiritual health, you become a reactive leader-swinging a dull axe and working harder for fewer results.

In this episode, BJ explores the powerful intersection of servant leadership and personal sustainability. Through the classic leadership parable of the Two Lumberjacks and a personal story about how his mom embodied servant leadership, he unpacks what it truly means to lead by serving others. Most importantly, he explains why protecting your ability to serve requires intentional leadership maintenance and practical frameworks for long-term sustainability.

Don’t miss another insightful episode of Leadership Blueprints with BJ Kraemer.

Key Points From This Episode:

• What servant leadership is all about.
• Why we can’t forget about the sustainability of servant leadership.
• The importance of renewing ourselves: mind, body, and spirit.
• What it means to sharpen the saw.
• Why it’s essential to protect your ability to serve to build an incredible career.

Quotes:

“When your instinct, [and] your life or leadership philosophy is about serving others, and helping people and solving problems and leading and giving of your time, you can easily forget or run out of margin in your life for sharpening your soul.” — BJ Kraemer

“Leadership begins with the natural desire to serve others.” — BJ Kraemer

“The interesting thing about servant leaders, sometimes it's those people that give the most of themselves that are most likely to run themselves into the ground.” — BJ Kraemer

“Sharpening the saw is about maintaining the very instrument that allows you to serve others, which is you.” — BJ Kraemer

“The truth is, if you're going to lead people, if you're going to serve others, if you're going to help others grow, you can't do it effectively if you're exhausted.” — BJ Kraemer

“The leaders who truly build incredible careers, who influence people for decades, they understand they have to protect their own ability to serve – not because they are selfish, but because they know something way more important: that a sharp saw serves more people.” — BJ Kraemer

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Robert Greenleaf

Simon Sinek
Stephen Covey on Instagram

West Point
US Air Force

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

David Allen — Getting Things Done

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn