A few months back, a guy named Connor walked into FWH HQ.
Within ten minutes, I knew.
Not the “yeah, let’s collaborate” knowing. The deep kind. The kind where you meet someone fighting the same fight in a different arena and realize you’re not as alone as you thought.
He owns The Buildwell Group— a high-end construction company here in Philly doing the kind of work most won’t even attempt anymore.
We were talking about what drives us. What keeps us up at night. I told him our mantra. He didn’t miss a beat.
“For me,” he said, “that’s ‘Build well, or not at all.’”
Everything stopped.
Then he pulled out his phone and showed me something.
Eleven rules he’d written for his team— inspired by The Rules of The Few. To lead them. To hold the line in an industry where shortcuts have replaced craft and “good enough” has replaced pride.
One rule stopped me cold.
“Your name is on every nail.”
Think about that.
No client is inspecting the blocking behind your drywall. No inspector is checking every joist hanger in the crawl space. Nobody’s standing there watching every nail get driven.
But you know they’re there.
And Connor’s saying: do it right anyway. Because your integrity isn’t for sale. Because your character is defined by what you do when it doesn’t matter to anyone but you.
That’s not just about construction.
That’s about whatever you’re building in life.
We took that rule and built a shirt around it.
“Many cut corners. Few build well. Our name on every nail.”
Limited release. No restocks. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.
If you’re still holding the standard when the world keeps asking you to lower it— this one’s for you.
No matter what you’re building in life this week, be One of The Few and put your name on every nail.
-Joey (cofounder)
The Buildwell, or not at all philosophy is a deep rooted value driven into my head from a very young age. Today it shapes every decision made @thebuildwellgroup
The person I am today in my personal and professional life was largely shaped by the game of hockey.
I began playing at the age of 4 and fished my competitive career at the age of 24 with the University of Massachusetts, Boston. 20 years of friendships, lessons, heart brakes, celebrations, blood, sweat, and tears. I dedicated my life to this game and was blessed with so many valuable experiences and lifelong memories.
Dedication, perseverance, and sportsmanship. These 3 values were driven into me from the very start of my career and they are now characteristics I carry into my everyday life with my family and business.
Thank you to my parents, my wife, teammates, coaches, and everyone else that played an instrumental role in shaping my character and supporting my goals. And thank you to the game of hockey. I am looking forward to coaching my son along his journey in this sport, he will be a better player and person than I ever was or will be
In my 30’s training to represent the USA men’s national ball hockey team at the world championships in Czech Republic this summer. Feels good to be reaching my prime athleticism again after ending my ice hockey career over 10 years ago. Buildwell, or not at all. @usaballhockey
As I prepare to work all day on another Saturday and miss yet another one of my son’s soccer games, I find myself questioning if I am being a good enough dad for my kids. The business we are building is demanding and requires 99% of my time and bandwidth. I ask myself, is it worth it? The trade off and sacrificing time with my family. Then @cindyrenzina will send me a picture like this and the question is immediately silenced. It is not the amount of time I spend with my kids that really matters as the father, rather it’s the moments in time I get with them and the example I set that counts. Our kids are watching our every move and trying to be just like us. This gives me peace of mind knowing that our kids will grow up learning real values of hard work, determination, and sacrifice for the family. I just need to continue being present in the few moments I get with them. Build-Well, or not at all.
Might not always hit the margins you plan for on projects, especially in complicated renovations/remodels that take a year, but the relationship and end result is far more important. Do good, be good, and Buildwell. And the rest will work itself out. Cheers.
There’s a lot of Ranger blue going on in this kitchen, so the Big Lad had to throw on the Belfast green 😂 🇮🇪. But in all seriousness, the McStravick family will always take a shot in the dark.. and has worked out pretty good so far. Go on the lads!
I stopped by our 1950s Main Line project today during demo to study the house.
Not the finishes. The intent behind it.
This home was built during the Main Line expansion right after World War II—a time when the industry started shifting toward speed and production.
But going through Brent Hull’s work on historic millwork has me looking at things differently. You start to see where details come from—not just what they look like.
The original fireplace mantel told the whole story.
After digging, I traced it back to a 1936 Curtis Woodwork catalog—an “authentic reproduction from a home of Revolutionary days.”
Think about that.
A 1950s builder pulling from a 1930s catalog… that was already pulling from the 1700s.
That’s not random. That’s intentional.
This house was built by E. B. Mahoney—right when building fast was becoming the norm. But details like this prove he wasn’t just building to get it done.
He was building with purpose.
Cheers, EB. We’ll carry it forward the right way.
Shout out to @brenthull_ for pushing this mindset and inspiring the next generation of Master Builders.
Buildwell, or not at all.
Another year of navigating the seas of life surrounded by some of the best humans this world has to offer (some, not all, pictured here).
What have I learned in 34 years? Go after what you want with no regrets, and surround yourself with people you would go to literal war for.
Thank you to everybody that reached out today, always puts a smile on my face.
Buildwell, or not at all
You can’t fake this.
This industry’s flooded with “GCs” who’ve never done the work. People building for profit over legacy.
No reps. No scars. No standard. Just spreadsheets and bottom lines.
I’m not a GC — I’m a Builder.
I built this from the field up, and I’m still in it.
Buildwell, or not at all.
