Construction and AEC leaders — we've made the hard hat mandatory, the harness routine, and the steel-toe a given. But the person wearing all of it is still the most unprotected thing on the jobsite.

This episode asks one question: what's the PPE you can't see?

Ryan Ware sits down with Dina Fodero — speaker, certified Enneagram Practitioner, and creator of I-PPE™ (Invisible Personal Protective Essentials) — to explore the human side of safety in construction. Dina's core belief: "PPE protects the body. I-PPE protects the person." Drawing on 20+ years in leadership, communication, and personal development - and her own experience of feeling like an outsider - she unpacks what it takes to build cultures where people actually stay.

Key drivers:

Why physical safety is only one part of protecting people at work
What I-PPE™ (Invisible Personal Protective Essentials) really means
How psychological safety and belonging shape construction culture
Why "soft skills" are the hardest work leaders actually do
What women experience when they feel isolated on the jobsite
How men become allies — and why that matters for retention
Why one-time training can't build the culture you need
How invisible experiences affect mental health for women and men alike

The shift: This isn't a conversation about feelings over framing. It's about widening how construction and AEC leaders define safety - because the factors driving your best people out the door are the ones nobody can see. Belonging, communication, and emotional intelligence aren't a nice-to-have. They're the retention lever your safety program has been missing.

This episode is for construction and AEC leaders who want to stop losing good people to a culture problem they can't name — and start building workplaces where the whole person, not just the body, is protected.

Because what we don't see doesn't mean it isn't happening.

Subscribe so you don't miss the next conversation on leading change with clarity - not overwhelm.

Links:

ActivatingCuriosity.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryankware/
ConnectiveConsultingGrp.com

Timestamps:
00:00 — Construction Protects the Body. But What About the Person?
04:59 — Learning That Culture Matters as Much as Technical Skill
09:?? — Creating a Culture Where People Feel Safe to Grow
15:16 — Hiring People With Heart
23:27 — We Don't Leave Our Lives at the Door When We Go to Work
28:21 — Women in Construction Don't Need to Navigate It Alone
32:36 — There's Nothing Soft About Human Skills
34:44 — Leaders Have to Remember They're Leading People
42:22 — Culture Isn't a One-Time Training
46:31 — There's Enough Room on the Beam
47:42 — The Invisible Challenges Affect Men Too
52:20 — What We Don't See Doesn't Mean It Isn't Happening