What does leadership look like when the stakes are at their highest? And what happens when those same lessons are applied to the everyday challenges of leading a team? In this episode of Facility Rockstars, host Jay Culbert sits down with retired Navy SEAL Master Chief Rick Kaiser, Executive Director of the National Navy SEAL Museum, Silver Star recipient, author of Frogman Stories, and veteran of 34 years of military service. Rick shares lessons from his time with SEAL Team Two and SEAL Team Six, including his experience during the Battle of Mogadishu, and explains why some of the most important lessons in leadership come down to staying calm, holding people accountable, and being willing to do the same jobs you ask of your team. Rick also takes Jay inside the leadership challenges of running the Navy SEAL Museum, where facilities, volunteers, operations, and unexpected problems all come with the territory. From cleaning toilets in Bosnia to handling logistics at SEAL Team Six, Rick's stories reinforce a simple idea: titles don't excuse leaders from getting their hands dirty. Great leaders step up, set the example, listen to their people, and make the call when it matters.   Takeaways: Being a good follower and listener helps you become a better leader. Leadership isn’t always about taking charge. Rick emphasizes recognizing when it’s time to lead, when it’s time to follow, and when it’s time to get out of the way. Leaders have to be willing to do the jobs they ask of others. Whether taking the least desirable seat during a mission or cleaning toilets for his team in Bosnia, Rick believes leaders have to set the example through their own actions. Accountability keeps teams operating effectively. Rules and expectations only work when they’re reinforced. Rick explains why someone has to “hold the line” and why a lack of consequences can quickly lead to chaos. Mental toughness can outweigh raw physical ability. Rick says succeeding in BUD/S requires physical capability, but the defining characteristic is the mental toughness to continue when quitting becomes the easier option. When a challenge feels overwhelming, focus on getting through the next hour. Rick describes approaching some of the hardest moments of SEAL training hour by hour rather than allowing the entire challenge to become overwhelming. Staying calm allows leaders to make better decisions under pressure. Instead of getting swept up in workplace chaos, Rick believes leaders should put the situation into perspective, gather input from the people around them, and make a decision. Great facilities teams make everything else possible. Now running the Navy SEAL Museum, Rick sees firsthand how much an organization depends on its facility professionals. When the building and its systems work, everyone else can focus on accomplishing the mission. Quote of the Show:  “A bad call is better than no call at all.” Links: Email: RKaiser@navysealmuseum.com  Website: https://www.navysealmuseum.org/  Book: “Frogman Stories: Life and Leadership Lessons from the SEAL Teams”https://a.co/d/08asAYst  Shoutouts:  Elaine Ryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laineryan/  Swim with a Misson (SWAM): https://www.swam.org/  Navy Seal Museum San Diego: https://navysealmuseumsd.org/   Admiral McRaven Jack Carr Sal DeFranco Matt Anthony

Facilities teams can spend their entire day putting out fires, but without the right systems in place, that cycle never ends. In this episode of Facility Rockstars, host Jay Culbert sits down with Dean Vieira, Facilities Maintenance Manager at CA Design, to talk about his transition from technician to facilities leader and what he has learned about building more proactive, reliable maintenance operations. Dean shares how one team went from roughly 80% reactive maintenance to 80% proactive and preventive maintenance, why tracking the work was a critical first step, and how consistency helped make the change stick. Dean also explains why technical expertise alone isn't enough when you move into leadership. He discusses learning to view problems through a business lens, earning management's trust by delivering on promises, getting teams to embrace new systems, and protecting yourself from burnout in a career that rarely fits neatly into traditional working hours.   Takeaways: Stop accepting firefighting as the norm. Without systems and processes in place, reactive maintenance will continue consuming the team's time. Track before you try to improve. Dean's team used maintenance software to understand what they were actually doing and identify recurring failures that could become preventive tasks. Facilities leaders have to think beyond the repair. Moving from technician to manager required Dean to consider production value, priorities, downtime, and the overall needs of the business. You don't need to use every feature of your CMMS. Dean's team eventually identified the functions that mattered most and focused on consistently using those instead of trying to do everything. Consistency creates lasting change. Dean describes persistence, rather than demanding immediate compliance, as one of his most effective approaches to changing behavior. Trust gives your ideas more runway. When leadership knows you deliver on what you promise, they're more likely to listen when you bring them difficult news or ask for additional resources. Protect yourself from burnout. Facilities work often means weekends, off-hours calls, and interrupted vacations, making the ability to switch off especially important. Quote of the Show:  “If you don't put systems in place, you will never stop firefighting.” Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-vieira-cfm-60891abb/  Website: https://c-a-design.com/ 

Facilities work often goes unnoticed when everything is running smoothly. In this episode of Facility Rockstars, host Jay Culbert sits down with Andrew MacFadyen, Regional Vice President of Engineering at UG2, to discuss the lessons he’s learned over more than two decades in facilities, including his experience at some of New England’s most recognizable sports and entertainment venues. Andrew shares stories from major projects at Gillette Stadium and TD Garden, along with his approach to leadership built on honesty, empathy, and communication. He also discusses how AI is helping him work more efficiently, why human judgment still matters, and the importance of hands-on experience and strong relationships in facilities.   Takeaways: Facilities success often happens behind the scenes. Andrew compares facilities professionals to offensive linemen and a duck swimming across the water: everything may look effortless from the outside, while an incredible amount of work is happening underneath. Trust starts with how you treat people. Andrew’s biggest leadership lesson is simple: treat others the way you want to be treated. Honesty, empathy, and transparency can create a strong foundation for relationships with employees and customers. Emotional intelligence changes how you communicate. Transparency does not mean communicating with everyone in exactly the same way. Strong leaders learn to read the room and understand what to say, when to say it, and who needs to hear it. Preparation needs contingency plans. During a major TD Garden renovation, Andrew’s team balanced construction with an active event schedule. Success required constant communication between stakeholders and backup plans for when materials, schedules, or other variables changed. Facilities can shape the customer experience. Facility teams cannot control what happens on the field, court, or ice, but they can control the environment around it. Cleanliness, comfort, security, food service, and reliable building operations all contribute to the experience. AI works best as a tool, not a replacement for judgment. Andrew has found value in using AI for difficult communications, SOP development, reporting, data analysis, and troubleshooting, while still emphasizing the importance of human oversight. The trades need the next generation. With an aging workforce, Andrew sees significant opportunity for young professionals willing to learn technical skills, ask questions, and gain hands-on experience. Build your network before you need it. Looking back, Andrew wishes he had invested more time earlier in his career attending conferences, continuing his education, and developing industry relationships. In facilities, the person who can help solve your next challenge may only be a phone call away. Quote of the Show:  “Stay true to who you are and continue to treat others the way you want to be treated.” Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-macfadyen-391b494/  Email: andrew_macfayden@yahoo.com  Website: https://ug2.com/ 

Every facilities professional has a story about the moment when things didn't go according to plan. In this special compilation episode of Facility Rockstars, we're revisiting conversations with Robert “Bob” Mack, Director of Facilities and Laboratory Operations at Korro Bio; Andrew DelPrete, Senior Facility Manager at Liberty Mutual Insurance and former President of IFMA Boston; Mark Netherton, Maintenance Manager at Grower Direct Farms; Carrie Battafarano, formerly Maintenance Manager at Nouria and now Business Development Manager at A-PRIME; Jeff Chierepko, Vice President of Global Facilities Management, Construction, CRE & EHS at SIG Sauer; Derek Earp, formerly Facilities Manager at UG2; and Jeff Beaudry, Regional Facilities Director at Appleton Corporation. Together, they share some of the toughest challenges they've faced throughout their careers and what it took to work through them. From a devastating facility fire and high-stakes safety incidents to troubled construction projects, vendor communication breakdowns, transitioning into management, and developing the next generation of leaders, these stories show just how much can land on the shoulders of a facilities professional. More importantly, they reveal what happens next. You'll hear how preparation can make the difference when an emergency strikes, why communication and trusted relationships matter when solving problems, and why sometimes the biggest leadership challenge is resisting the urge to do everything yourself. Takeaways: Preparation shows its value when something goes wrong. Training, procedures, and strong safety programs give teams something to fall back on when they're faced with an unexpected incident. A strong team can make an enormous difference during a crisis. One facilities team went from losing power, water, technology, and major portions of its operation in a fire to restoring essential systems within days. Direct communication can prevent small problems from becoming recurring ones. When information has to pass through multiple vendors, the original expectations can easily get lost. Get the right people in the room. Construction, design, facilities, and project teams working in separate "pods" can create unnecessary meetings and slow down decision-making. Not every meeting needs to be an hour. Focused conversations with the people who can actually make decisions can keep projects moving. Doing it yourself isn't always good leadership. Taking the time to teach, delegate, and let others take ownership is essential for developing a team that can operate without relying on one person. Developing leaders requires continued support. Promoting talented people is only the beginning. Leaders need to stay engaged, check in, and help the people around them grow. Challenges become experience you can use later. The lessons learned from past mistakes and difficult situations can make teams better prepared for whatever comes next. Quote of the Show:  “It’s the best way to learn is making mistakes, and I’ve made, like, all of them.” — Jeff Chierepko Links: Mark Netherton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marknetherton2/   Email: manetherton@gmail.com   Derek EarpLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekearp/   Carrie Battafarano LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-battafarano-82ab3a59/   Email: cbattafarano@nouria.com  Jeff ChierepkoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-chierepko-2126964b/   Bob MackLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobmack9/  Andrew DelPreteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-delprete-a2b5807a/  Jeff BeaudryLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-beaudry-a132b311a/  Email: jbeaudry@oconnells.com  

Facilities management is demanding. Between 24/7 operations, unexpected failures, tight deadlines, and the responsibility of leading a team, it can be easy to put your own well-being on the back burner. In this episode of Facility Rockstars, Jay Culbert sits down with Jonathan Gendron, Field Engineering Manager at TJX Companies, to talk about the human side of facilities leadership. Jonathan shares why prioritizing mental health has become one of the biggest lessons of his career, how empathy and vulnerability have shaped his leadership style, and why great leaders need to be willing to show up alongside their teams when things get difficult. Jonathan also reflects on a catastrophic facility failure that cost millions of dollars in lost product, the importance of balancing proactive and reactive maintenance, and his journey from vocational school to a 15-year career spanning biotech, life sciences, power generation, and commercial retail. For Jonathan, strong facilities leadership ultimately comes down to a few fundamentals: keep learning, own your mistakes, care about your people, and bring the right attitude every day.   Takeaways: Prioritize your mental health. Facilities professionals are often expected to be everywhere and solve everything. Jonathan believes leaders need to take care of themselves if they expect to effectively take care of their teams. Never stop learning. Jonathan learns from mentors, leaders, direct reports, certifications, classes, and his own mistakes. Continuous learning keeps both his career and his work from becoming stale. Turn mistakes into teachable moments. Leaders aren't flawless. Jonathan believes admitting mistakes and sharing what you learned gives your team permission to do the same and can prevent them from repeating those mistakes. Empathy is a leadership skill. Understanding that employees have families, health concerns, and challenges outside of work can build trust and morale that people remember. Be the example you want your team to follow. When Jonathan's team responded to an emergency at 3:00 AM, he drove two hours to Boston to be there alongside them. Prepare to be proactive AND reactive. Preventive maintenance matters, but unexpected equipment failures will still happen. Strong facilities teams need a plan for preventing problems and responding when prevention isn't enough. Attitude can outweigh credentials. Jonathan's advice for someone entering facilities is simple: attitude is everything. Experience and credentials matter, but having the right attitude can take you a long way. Quote of the Show: “When you genuinely show that you care for your team, they will care for you. And they’ll care for their job as well.” Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-m-gendron/  Website: https://jobs.tjx.com/global/en