Escape the CEO Doom Loop
Escape the CEO Doom Loop is built for CEOs and leadership teams ready to grow. Each episode delivers practical insights, real-world stories, and tools you can use today to lead with clarity and scale with confidence. We spotlight what’s working—and what’s not—for leaders navigating growth, building culture, and driving accountability.
It’s more than a podcast—it’s a gateway to The CEO Playbook and the next step in becoming the leader your business needs next.
Escape the CEO Doom Loop
Episode 9: The CEO Shift: From Doer to Leader - Shawn Verlinden, Auch Construction
In this episode of Escape the CEO Doom Loop, hosts Glen Dall and John Ninkovich sit down with Shawn Verlinden, CEO of Auch Construction. Shawn shares his journey from project manager to CEO of a 100+ year-old construction firm, and how building leadership rhythms transformed his company’s culture and growth trajectory.
Shawn explains how letting go of daily tasks was the best move he made, how daily huddles created trust and speed across the company, and why coaching and accountability drive momentum. From his first year as CEO, Shawn’s insights are practical, candid, and deeply human — lessons every leader can use.
If you’re a CEO struggling with growth challenges, this episode will give you practical strategies to lead with clarity, courage, and discipline. Subscribe for more conversations with real-world CEOs.
Chapters:
[00:00:00] Intro & Guest Welcome
[00:01:00] Shawn’s background in construction
[00:03:00] The CEO Doom Loop explained
[00:07:00] Building a cohesive leadership team
[00:13:00] First year as CEO: lessons learned
[00:17:00] Letting go of projects to lead the company
[00:20:00] Shifting from operations to strategy
[00:27:00] Coaching, huddles, and momentum
[00:34:00] Shawn’s leadership philosophy & vision
[00:42:40] Closing
