#108 Degree vs. Experience: What It Takes to Succeed in Construction Business With Brendan Nielsen Artwork

Crushing It In Construction

Crushing It In Construction is a weekly podcast created to give people in the construction industry a resource where they can learn tips and tactics on how to improve their business, improve their career and keep up to date on everything happening in the world of construction. We cover a wide range of tips from marketing construction, technology, succession planning, recruiting, culture and much much more. Whether you're in heavy civil, mining, engineering, building, landscaping or plumbing our guests share tips and tactics that are actionable and insightful.

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Crushing It In Construction

#108 Degree vs. Experience: What It Takes to Succeed in Construction Business With Brendan Nielsen

May 07, 2025 • Jordan Skinner

Welcome back to the Crushing It In Construction Podcast.

This week’s guest is Brendan Nielsen, the founder of JC Engineers.

Brendan’s not your typical engineer. He’s spent years getting his boots dirty on site and knows firsthand that there’s a big difference between what’s drawn on paper and what actually works in the real world. In this episode, he shares how he went from working in the industry to backing himself and starting JC Engineers, a business built on solving real problems with the right people around him.

We get into how studying engineering didn’t exactly prepare him for what came next, what finally pushed him to take the leap, and why he’s more focused on building something solid than chasing wild growth. Brendan also gets real about what it’s like to run a business, the early frustrations, and why a degree doesn’t always mean you’ve got it sorted on site.

If you’ve ever felt like experience beats theory or you're someone who wants to hear the honest side of building something from scratch, this one’s worth a listen.

Let’s get into it with Brendan!

Connect with Brendan Nielsen:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-nielsen-59013a46/

Website: https://www.jcengineers.com.au/

Connect with Jordan Skinner:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanaskinner/

Website: https://moonshotmedia.com.au/

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