Sport is an incredible tool in developing leaders. Welcome to a very special episode of Leadership Blueprints, where BJ and Joey Fay are diving into the Army-Navy rivalry ahead of Army-Navy Week next week!

In this conversation, you’ll hear all about the history of the Army-Navy games, what it feels like to participate, the rivalry of both love and hate, and so much more! We delve into some leadership lessons we’ve learned on the field of friendly strife before discussing the power of working as a team. Finally, you’ll hear about Joey and BJ’s Army-Navy bet for this year.

Thanks for tuning in and go Army! Beat Navy!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How sports help develop good leaders.

• The history of wins in the Army-Navy games.

• What it’s like to be part of the Army-Navy game.

• The love/hate relationship this rivalry creates.

• Leadership lessons we learned on the field.

• The special trust between these teammates.

• Joey and BJ tell us about their Army-Navy bet.

Quotes:

“The power of sports in the development of leaders is unmatched.” — BJ Kraemer

“I think that this is an unpredictable game!” — Joey Fay

“The experience at the Army-Navy game as an athlete is one of the most exciting things I think you could ever experience.” — Joey Fay

“The [Army-Navy] rivalry is one of both love and hate.” — BJ Kraemer

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Joey Fay on LinkedIn

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

Entrepreneurship often starts with a spark of curiosity and the courage to follow it.

In this episode of The Leadership Blueprints Podcast, BJ Kraemer sits down with Malory Atkinson, co-founder and managing partner of Shear Structural, Georgia’s only all-women-owned structural engineering firm. Malory shares how growing up with an entrepreneurial father and starting her career during the 2008 recession shaped her approach to leadership, relationships, and resilience. She reflects on her time in tech startups, her return to the built environment, and what it means to create a company that grows sustainably while empowering employees to lead.

From the lessons of working directly under CEOs to launching a firm focused on adaptive reuse, healthcare, and education projects, Malory underscores that engineering is ultimately a business of people, and that success depends on relationships built before you need them.

Tune in to hear her insights on networking, storytelling, and leading with authenticity in a changing industry!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How her father’s example sparked her entrepreneurial drive.

• Insights gained from a stint in tech and returning to the built environment.

• Founding Georgia’s only all-women-owned structural engineering firm.

• Creating a resilient company that grows sustainably and supports employee growth.

• Building leadership at every level of your company.

• The importance of making relationships before you need them.

Quotes:

“I started my career in 2008, which is the absolute worst time anybody could have ever started in this industry. But I learned a lot about the value of client relationships and winning business when there was no business to be had.” — Malory Atkinson

“Engineering is not just a business of design: it’s a business of people and trust.” — Malory Atkinson

“Shear Structural is Georgia's only all-women-owned structural engineering firm. We're focused on adaptive reuse, health care, education, and municipal projects across the southeast.” — Malory Atkinson

“Somebody told me, early on in my career, to make relationships before you need them.” — Malory Atkinson

“I approach networking as, ‘How can I help you?’ So, if I'm meeting somebody, I'm not like, ‘How can you help me by giving me work?’ I'm like, ‘How can I help you?’” — Malory Atkinson

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Malory Atkinson on LinkedIn
Shear Structural

The Zero Co

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

A leader’s success is directly tied to their ability to set an example to those they’re leading and manage their own sense of discipline.

Today on Leadership Blueprints, we wrap up our DOD series with a special guest, Dan Bailey. Dan is a former naval officer and the current vice president of commercial operations at Quanta Services. Tuning in, you’ll hear about Dan’s time in the Navy, moving from active duty to Quanta Services, what the company does, and why leaders need to be enablers.

We delve into Dan’s role at Quanta Services and how he brings value to the business as a whole, before discussing the biggest lessons he learned from his transition from active duty, what led him to decide to leave, and how he determined what he wanted to focus on next. Dan discusses the leadership lessons he has learned from his military experience, how they have benefited him in his new career path, and what he hopes to achieve.

As always, Dan answers our rapid-fire questions and, to close, leaves listeners with some pearls of wisdom and tells us all about the Honor Foundation.

Be sure to press play now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• What drew our guest to the Naval Academy.
• Dan tells us about his role at Quanta Services and how he brings value to the company.
• Lessons he learned from his transition from active duty and how he decided what to do next.
• How being in the military has served Dan as a leader in the private sector.
• How to apply to the Honor Foundation and Dan’s advice for transitioning officers.

Quotes:

“As a leader in any company, you have the opportunity to be an enabler to the degree that you want to be.” — Dan Bailey

“If I’m doing my job right, we’re able to move faster, bring more value, and help the customer succeed in their projects and their goals.” — Dan Bailey

“A leader doesn’t succeed by using force, they succeed by using example.” — Dan Bailey

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dan Bailey on LinkedIn

Quanta Services

The Honor Foundation

Robert E. Lee on Leadership

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn