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Purpose Builders: Jed Richard on Leading Through Uncertainty With Endurance
When I sat down with Jed Richard, CEO of Richard, I expected to hear about construction headwinds, government contract delays, and workforce shortages. What I heard instead was a powerful story of resilience, purpose, and culture, told by a leader who has grown his business from a basement startup to nearly $170 million in annual revenue in just eleven years.
This hasn’t been an easy year for Richard. “In the 11 years I’ve been in business, this has been the most challenging year for the industry. Federal spending freezes, delayed contracts by six months, and rising interest rates created headwinds for construction firms across the board.”
And yet, Richard has grown. More revenue. More profit. More people. How? By leading with clarity, transparency, and values.
The Vision: Admiration Over Profit
Jed’s North Star is not being the biggest or the richest; it’s being the most admired.
“The goal isn’t to be the most profitable general contractor in the United States. It’s to be the most admired general contractor in the United States, and eventually in the world.”
Admiration, Jed explained, is earned by consistent delivery, great people, and buildings that elevate human performance. That’s where his concept of Purpose Builders comes in.
“Anybody can put up four walls and a roof,” Jed told me. “But a Purpose Builder creates a space that inspires people to do their best work. When you step into it, you should feel alive, like you belong, like you can go the distance.”
Culture as a Competitive Edge
Values at Richard are not posters on a wall. They’re the standards people are hired by and held accountable to: Gratitude, Resilience, Excellence, Adventure, and Transparency.
Jed gave me one of his favorite interview questions:
“I’ll ask a candidate: Name three people you’ve mentored who would follow you here. If you can’t answer, you haven’t built people, and you’re not going to be a fit here.”
Hiring is rigorous on both the technical and cultural fronts. Jed built his People Department before his Marketing Department, because as he put it, “If we don’t get the people right, nothing else matters.”
Once people are on the team, transparency becomes the anchor through uncertainty. Jed makes a point of sharing the company’s performance openly in all-hands meetings — not just the wins, but the challenges too. “The transparency ladder has been through the roof in these meetings,” he said. “We open the books at the right altitude, so people understand the revenue, the profit, and the why. That way, even when revenue expectations aren’t met, people still believe in the mission.”
Celebration Through Shared Challenge
If values guide the day-to-day, then adventure guides the celebrations. Richard doesn’t toast wins with drinks at a bar.
“Adventure is one of our core values, so when we celebrate, we take people out of the office. We’ll go climb a peak, do something really hard together. Hard is healthy. It builds the resilience to handle the chaos outside.”
“This isn’t just fun, it’s advancing your culture by investing in your people. It tells every team member: you are important, we value you, and we’re making the investments so you can lead as your best in this company.”
I’ve supported Jed and his company on some adventure off-sites, and they are worth their weight in gold in company and employee impact.
From Basement Startup to Purpose Builder Movement
Jed reflected on the company’s journey:
“When I started in my basement 11 years ago, survival was the goal. Then it was profitability. Now it’s about being Purpose Builders. It’s not just about revenue. It’s about admiration. It’s about being a stabilizing force for our people and our clients, no matter what’s happening in the world.”
That mindset is embodied in Richard’s spirit animal: the bison. When a storm hits, bison don’t turn away—they run straight into it, moving together as a herd. They know the fastest way through any challenge is head-on, with the team by their side.
“That’s who we are as builders. Projects throw regulatory storms at us, timeline storms, complexity storms—and we run straight into every one of them. We don’t shy away from a challenge. We don’t give up. And we get it done right because what we’re building is too important to do any other way.”
That focus has fueled growth in both scale and identity. Purpose Builders aren’t just employees; they’re a persona, a movement. Each new office, each project is an opportunity to bring purpose, belonging, and well-being to the communities they serve.
Three Moves You Can Steal From Jed
Jed’s approach offers three moves any CEO or senior leader can adapt:
- Clarify and Cascade. Set a vivid aspiration (like being “most admired”), define what it means, and cascade it through transparent standards and communication.
- Upgrade the Talent System. Hire for competence and culture. Test for technical skill, but make character the final gate. Continuously invest in your people and culture.
- Build Resilience and Momentum. Celebrate through shared challenges to keep teams strong in uncertainty.
Jed is not just building buildings. He’s building Purpose Builders.
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