When Michael Giaramita founded Group PMX in 2010, he made two unconventional bets. First, the company would be entirely virtual from day one, years before remote work became mainstream. Second, he would compete not by undercutting competitors but by partnering with them. At pre-bid construction meetings, he'd tell contractors, "We don't want to compete with you, we want to partner with you." They looked at him like he had two heads. Today, Group PMX has been named by Engineering News-Record as one of New York's top contractors for six consecutive years, managing over a thousand projects across buildings, infrastructure, and energy markets.

In this conversation, Michael breaks down the pivotal moments that shaped his leadership philosophy over 50 years in the construction industry. From realizing that chasing too much sub work was diluting his talent pool, to the project that taught him workers in the field are the first indicator of success, to why he plans to replace himself outside of New York to drive geographic expansion. He shares why he hates reporting, why counting workers daily matters more than monthly reports, and how one incentive got four contractors to shift traffic on the same day, saving a million dollars and eliminating dangerous S-curves on a 12-mile highway project.

Key Takeaways:
Why being 50 percent prime and 50 percent subcontractor work is the talent threshold that makes or breaks your competitive edge
The ceiling every growing company hits and how Michael has broken through it 5 to 10 times in his career
What happened when Michael told a client they needed to start counting workers in the field instead of waiting for monthly reports
How Group PMX stayed entirely virtual for 16 years and built culture through quarterly events and strict hiring standards
Why Michael plans to replace himself outside of New York rather than in his home market
The moment Michael walked into the International Monetary Fund project and realized the toxic culture could be turned around in two years
What it means to take data and turn it into something actionable instead of just reporting what happened
Why strategic thinking is the weakest core skill across the industry and how to get people thinking outside the box
The project in Houston where contractors started doing each other's work because the incentives aligned around one shared milestone
Why going to the high road takes longer but earns trust that sustains you through crisis

Connect with Michael Giaramita on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgiaramita/
Learn more about Group PMX: https://www.grouppmx.com/
Get Michael's book, It's All About Your Team: https://www.amazon.com/Its-All-About-Your-Team/dp/1637352670

I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.

– Kyle and The Refit Podcast team

Visit the Kohora website here: https://www.kohorainc.com/

Listen to The Refit Podcast on these podcast platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7rLQ7Qaj1lvLq5kjjkDgmF
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-refit-podcast/id1870231828
Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f884c7b1-1ea6-4b18-ab2c-0e880dd08c02/the-refit-podcast

#TheRefitPodcast #KyleKillian #Leadership #ExecutiveLeadership #BusinessLeadership #VeteranLeadership #HardThingAboutHardThings #LeadershipDevelopment #Entrepreneurship #CEOInsights #FounderStories #OperationalLeadership The Refit Podcast is where real leadership happens—no platitudes, no polished corporate speak, just honest conversations about the hard decisions that keep leaders up at night. Hosted by Kyle Killian, founder of Kohora and former U.S. Navy Intelligence Officer with nearly 30 years of military, corporate, and entrepreneurial leadership experience, this podcast dives into the moments when the playbook stopped working and leaders had to figure it out anyway.

In the first episode of The Refit Podcast, host Kyle Killian sits down with Don Whetro, Chief Executive Officer of AR Homes and AR Franchising, Inc., for an unfiltered conversation about what leadership really looks like when the playbook stops working.

With more than two decades in homebuilding and franchising, Don shares his unexpected journey from operations to the CEO seat and the realities of leading a 70+ year legacy organization through modernization, market disruption, and organizational change. From identifying leadership atrophy to making difficult people decisions, Don breaks down what it takes to move a business forward without losing its core identity.

This episode dives deep into the impact of COVID-19 on the homebuilding industry, the operational bottlenecks that stalled growth, and the controversial but necessary decision to outsource critical functions to keep the business moving. Don also opens up about the loneliness of leadership, the importance of trust and credibility, and why empathy and communication are essential when leading people through uncertainty.

If you are a CEO, founder, executive, or leader navigating growth, change, or legacy systems, this conversation offers real-world insight into leadership under pressure.

Topics covered in this episode include leadership transition, organizational change, homebuilding operations, COVID-19 disruption, outsourcing strategy, trust and credibility, executive decision making, communication, empathy, and modernizing legacy businesses.

Guest bio
Don Whetro is the Chief Executive Officer of AR Homes and AR Franchising, Inc., the company behind the AR Homes brand. Appointed CEO in December 2023 after serving as Chief Operating Officer, Don leads a national leadership team focused on modernizing the custom homebuilding experience while preserving a legacy of craftsmanship, design leadership, innovation, and customer focus. He brings over 20 years of experience across executive leadership, operations, sales, marketing, and strategic innovation within the homebuilding industry.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-whetro/

Website: https://www.arfranchising.com/

I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.

– Kyle and The Refit Podcast team

Visit the Kohora website here: https://www.kohorainc.com/

Listen to The Refit Podcast on these podcast platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7rLQ7Qaj1lvLq5kjjkDgmF
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-refit-podcast/id1870231828
Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f884c7b1-1ea6-4b18-ab2c-0e880dd08c02/the-refit-podcast

#TheRefitPodcast #KyleKillian #Leadership #ExecutiveLeadership #BusinessLeadership #VeteranLeadership #HardThingAboutHardThings #LeadershipDevelopment #Entrepreneurship #CEOInsights #FounderStories #OperationalLeadership The Refit Podcast is where real leadership happens—no platitudes, no polished corporate speak, just honest conversations about the hard decisions that keep leaders up at night. Hosted by Kyle Killian, founder of Kohora and former U.S. Navy Intelligence Officer with nearly 30 years of military, corporate, and entrepreneurial leadership experience, this podcast dives into the moments when the playbook stopped working and leaders had to figure it out anyway.
Each episode features candid discussions with CEOs, founders, operators, and veteran business leaders who've been in the arena—making tough calls with incomplete information, navigating organisational challenges, and coming out the other side with hard-won lessons. Kyle brings his unique perspective from leading intelligence missions in Iraq to driving growth at Fanatics, Nike, and Converse, creating conversations that go beyond theory into what actually happened when things didn't work.
Whether you're a business leader facing growth challenges, an executive navigating organisational transitions, a founder making high-stakes decisions, or a veteran moving into business leadership, The Refit Podcast offers practical insights from people who've been where you are. This is leadership stripped down to its essentials: the decisions, the consequences, and the lessons learned when you're in over your head.