What Commercial Construction, Mountaineering, and Raising Kids Have in Common

If you’ve spent enough time in commercial construction, you start to realize something very important:

No matter how good the plan looks on paper, something is always going to change.

A delivery gets pushed. A permit takes longer than expected. A wall that “definitely” wasn’t structural somehow turns out to be very structural. Someone says, “This should be simple,” which is usually the first sign that it absolutely will not be simple.

In other words, construction has a lot in common with life.

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to build a career in commercial construction across New Jersey, New York, Florida, and Texas, working on everything from office interiors and retail spaces to hospitality, industrial, and mixed-use projects. I’ve also spent time on mountains, in cockpits, on rugby fields, and at home raising three kids, with a fourth on the way. After all of that, I can say with confidence that leadership, planning, and controlled chaos are universal skills.

The Blueprint Is Never the Whole Story

In construction, everyone loves a clean set of drawings, a tight schedule, and a healthy budget. That is the dream. It is also, occasionally, fiction.

The truth is that successful projects are not about pretending surprises won’t happen. They are about building teams and systems that can respond when they do. Good leadership in commercial construction is not just knowing how to bid a job, manage a client, or sequence a schedule. It is knowing how to stay calm when the unexpected shows up on site at 7:12 in the morning.

That same principle applies outside the office too.

Kids do not respect schedules.
Weather does not respect ambition.
Gravity does not care about confidence.
And subcontractors, while highly valuable, sometimes operate on their own spiritual timeline.

The point is this: experience teaches you that success is less about perfection and more about preparation, adaptability, and keeping the mission moving forward.

Commercial Construction Is the Ultimate Team Sport

People sometimes think construction is mainly about concrete, steel, budgets, and deadlines. Those things matter. A lot. But at its core, this business is about people.

It is about aligning owners, architects, engineers, project managers, field teams, subcontractors, vendors, inspectors, and end users around a common objective, while everyone is under pressure and the clock is moving. That takes more than technical skill. It takes communication, accountability, trust, and the ability to make decisions without turning every issue into a five-alarm fire.

That is one of the things I enjoy most about this industry.

Commercial construction is one of the last businesses where leadership still has to be proven in real time. You cannot hide behind theory for very long. Either the project moves, or it does not. Either the team believes in the direction, or they do not. Either the client feels confidence, or they start making that face.

You know the face.

Mountains, Projects, and Perspective

Mountaineering has taught me a lot about business. Mostly that the mountain does not care about your résumé.

You can be confident, accomplished, well-equipped, and highly motivated, but if you do not respect the process, pay attention to conditions, and stay disciplined, the mountain will correct your attitude very quickly.

Construction works the same way.

The bigger the project, the more dangerous it is to let ego replace preparation. Strong teams win because they respect the details. They plan, they communicate, they stay alert, and they understand that momentum is built step by step, not through speeches.

Also, both construction and mountaineering involve long periods of strategic decision-making interrupted by brief moments where everyone asks, “Why is this happening right now?”

That part is universal.

Being a Pilot Changes the Way You Lead

Flying teaches a kind of discipline that transfers directly into business. You learn to think ahead, manage risk, trust your instruments, stay aware of changing conditions, and avoid overreacting when things get busy.

That mindset matters in commercial construction.

When you are leading projects across multiple markets, managing teams, growing a company, and navigating all the moving pieces that come with development and construction management, you need perspective. You need the ability to zoom out, assess conditions, and make clear decisions without adding noise.

Also, checklists are underrated.

A lot of problems in business could be avoided if more people respected checklists and less people said, “I’ve got it in my head.”

Rugby Also Has Some Lessons

Rugby is one of the best leadership sports there is. It is physical, fast, demanding, and very honest. It teaches resilience, teamwork, and how to keep moving even when the situation is less than ideal.

That sounds a lot like commercial construction.

You take hits. You adjust. You support the team. You protect the objective. You keep advancing.

Also, much like in construction, the people doing the hard, unglamorous work are usually the reason anything good is happening at all.

Family Is Still the Main Project

For all the deals, deadlines, meetings, bids, and travel, the most important thing I do is at home.

I’m a proud father of three children. Craig, otherwise known as CP3, Elizabeth, and Drew — with a fourth child on the way with my partner, Brielle. If commercial construction teaches patience, family life gives you plenty of opportunities to practice it.

Running a business is demanding. Raising kids is demanding. Doing both at the same time is a masterclass in prioritization, humility, and operating on less sleep than any leadership book recommends.

But it also gives everything perspective.

At the end of the day, success is not just about growth, volume, titles, or geography. It is about building something meaningful… in business, in family, and in life.

Why I Still Love This Business

Commercial construction is challenging, unpredictable, competitive, and occasionally insane. That is exactly why I love it.

It is a business built on execution. It rewards people who can think clearly, lead decisively, solve problems quickly, and build trust over time. It demands toughness, but it also rewards consistency. And when it is done right, it creates real spaces where businesses grow, communities evolve, and ideas become tangible.

That never gets old.

Whether the work is in New Jersey, New York, Florida, or Texas, the mission is the same: build well, lead well, and keep moving forward.

Preferably with fewer surprises behind the walls.