Turning Burnout Into Culture Change in Construction with Chad Abernethy

In this powerful episode of People-First Builders, host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Chad Abernethy, CEO of Abernethy Contracting, for one of the most honest conversations we've had about leadership, burnout, culture, and what it really takes to transform a construction company from the inside out.

Chad opens up about:
• Leaving his family's business after burnout and how it reshaped everything he believed about leadership
• Scaling a civil contracting company from 0 to $45M — and the personal cost behind the growth
• How a merger forced a complete culture reset
• Building a people-first organization in an industry not known for warm fuzzies
• Why accountability, vulnerability, and transparency must be non-negotiable for leaders
• The measurable impact of shifting from "bid-build-bill" to "develop people first"

Whether you're a construction leader, a builder of people, or someone navigating the challenges of company growth, Chad's story offers a blueprint for real, sustainable culture change.