From Complaints to Culture: Leading with Purpose in the Trades with Traci Austin

In this episode of People-First Builders, host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Traci Austin, Chief Talent Officer at Elevated Talent Consulting, to unpack one of the biggest leadership challenges in the trades: the blame game.

Tracy, a lifelong advocate for transformational leadership in construction and the AEC space, shares how leaders can shift from chronic complaints to intentional culture-building. Her no-nonsense mantra — "Stop bitching, start pitching" — sets the tone for a conversation packed with practical tools and mindset shifts.

You’ll learn:
🔹 How trade leaders can move from task management to team empowerment
🔹 The top 5 levers of employee engagement (and how to actually use them)
🔹 Why onboarding, mentorship, and peer support are essential retention tools
🔹 How to define and communicate what “good” looks like on your job sites
🔹 What it takes to turn job ads, interviews, and the first week into culture wins

Whether you’re a CEO, foreman, or HR lead in the trades, this episode will challenge you to lead with purpose — and give you the tools to start building the culture your people deserve.

🎧 Listen in and start turning complaints into culture today.