From Solitary Confinement to Construction Leadership | Josh Vitale

In this episode of the Atomic Construction Podcast, Kevin Hohe sits down with Josh Vitale, construction executive and founder of Project Built, a 501(c)(3) on one clear mission: to improve the total wellbeing of those who carry the greatest weight. Josh shares his resurrection story; from alcoholism, divorce, and waking up in solitary confinement in Wyoming, to leading large transmission and distribution teams and building the Built Standard: 3 pillars, 12 domains, 144 indicators for what it takes to have a holistically well workforce. We dig into good blue-collar leadership in practice: how to support your team, spot struggle early, create psychological safety without going soft, and build from the inside so your company can actually scale. Josh also breaks down Recharge Rooms for first responders and how the same recovery model applies to crews in the trades. If you're a contractor or trade owner who wants to grow beyond working in the field, this is how people-first leadership turns into retention, culture, and growth. IN THIS EPISODE: Josh's rock bottom to industry leader story Why high-stress, high-impact workers burn out What a holistically well workforce actually looks like The Built Standard framework for owners How supporting your staff helps you scale a blue collar business 🎙️ Atomic Construction is a weekly podcast for contractors and trade business owners about hiring, sales, culture, money, and ownership. 👉 Subscribe for new episodes every week with owners and operators in the trades. Connect with Josh Vitale: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-vitale-vitalchemy/?isSelfProfile=false Checkout Project Built: https://getbuilt.org/