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Building What Matters

Building What Matters

Written by: FBCORPCEO
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About this listen

Welcome to Building What Matters - a podcast by Andrew Robles (@fbcorpceo), entrepreneur, builder, and visionary behind FBCorp. Each week, Andrew shares real, raw, and tactical insights on entrepreneurship, leadership, and the mindset behind building a business and a life that truly matters.

From mastering execution to overcoming fear and perfectionism, this show is your blueprint for action. Learn from real-world stories, startup lessons, and the journey of building from the ground up.

What to expect:

  • Business strategy & entrepreneurship mindset

  • Lessons on scaling and leadership

  • Real stories from builders and visionaries

  • Weekly “Lesson of the Week” to fuel your growth

Don’t just build anything - build what matters. Subscribe and tune in on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere you listen.

Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Peter Madrigal | Ep 009 | Building What Matters
    Dec 19 2025

    In this episode of Building What Matters, host Andrew sits down with Bravo’s own Peter Madrigal for a wide-ranging conversation about his massive career shift.

    After ten seasons on the hit show Vanderpump Rules and years managing the iconic restaurant SUR, Peter is leaving the hospitality world behind to focus on his true passions: directing, producing, and entrepreneurship.

    Peter opens up about his latest ventures, including: The Launch of PM Coin: His new cryptocurrency designed specifically to revolutionize the nightlife and hospitality industry.

    Moving Behind the Camera: Peter discusses his recent experience directing a TV show in Elko, Nevada, and his upcoming big-budget film project featuring two A-list stars.

    Building a Legacy: The duo talks about the importance of "high processing speed" in business, the value of due diligence, and how to balance multiple high-stakes projects at once. Whether you’re a fan of the "Pump Rules" era or an aspiring entrepreneur, Peter’s journey from SUR to the boardroom offers invaluable lessons on pivoting with purpose and building what truly matters.

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    35 mins
  • Business Planning | With Alina Abramova | Ep 008 | Building What Matters
    Dec 12 2025
    Business Planning, Adversity, and Construction with Andrew Robles & Alina Abramova

    This episode of "Building What Matters" features host Andrew Robles (@fbcorpceo) and guest Alina Abramova, who discusses her background in real estate and marketing, reflects on 2025's business goals, discusses market conditions, and shares a major lesson on overcoming adversity.

    2025 Business Planning & Expansion

    Andrew emphasizes that a business plan is a living document that must be consistently reviewed and updated, not just created once.

    • 2025 Goal Success: The main goal for 2025 was to successfully integrate a media and social sector into Foundational Builders Corp (FB Corp).

      • Success Metrics: In just two months, the company achieved 12,000 YouTube subscribers and over a million views on YouTube, securing several magazine features and attaching a distinct personality to the construction company.

    • Geographic Expansion: A key goal set in late 2024 was obtaining contractor licenses in Arizona and Florida. This goal was successfully met by March 2025.

    • 2026 Goals: Potential expansion states for 2026 include Massachusetts, Washington D.C., and Nevada.

    • The Curveball (Unexpected Pivot): A major unplanned event for 2025 was the Altadena and Pacific Palisades fires. This required FB Corp to allocate time and resources to the rebuilding efforts in those areas, which now creates a strong local presence alongside the company's interstate expansion.

    Social Media, Real Estate, and Construction

    Alina Abramova, who has a background in real estate sales in the UAE, Florida, and is planning expansion into Saudi Arabia, highlights the crucial role of social media in today’s business environment.

    • Marketing as a Necessity: Social media and marketing are essential for all businesses, especially those in real estate and construction. Younger generations, in particular, use platforms like Instagram and YouTube to research a company's work quality, reviews, and experience.

    • FB Corp's Brand Advantage: Tying the media sector to construction makes the process easier by establishing a transparent personality and knowledgeable reputation. Developers prefer working with people they know and trust, rather than just faceless entities.

    • Construction Market Ethics: Andrew and Alina discuss the issue of unethical contractors who may price gougeor deliver poor quality, particularly in disaster rebuilding areas and growing markets like Florida and Arizona.

      • FB Corp's Commitment: Andrew stresses that FB Corp will never take advantage of owners and will always bid projects at honest market cost. Their aggressive presence in Florida and Arizona is specifically to counter contractors who are "full of shit" and lack experience, especially as many multi-family projects in Arizona are currently being built by inexperienced residential contractors.

    Market News & Finance

    • Florida Political Shift: They note the election of a Democratic mayor in Miami. Andrew believes this may slightly shift the market towards affordable housing over market-rate projects, but it shouldn't significantly hurt the construction industry given the billions of dollars flowing into Florida annually.

    • Interest Rate Cuts: Anticipated interest rate cuts are expected to bring a new wave of enthusiasm to the real estate market, fueling the refinancing market and bringing both market-rate and affordable housing projects back to life.

    Lesson of the Year: Love Your Enemies

    The biggest lesson of 2025, according to Andrew (citing Joel Osteen), is to "Love your enemies".

    • Adversity Breeds Strength: People who slander you, create obstacles, or try to put things in your way are unknowingly making you sharper and more prepared.

    • Example: The Domain Extortion: They share a weekend story where their main domain, FBcorp.com, was held for a $30,000 ransom after their contract expired. Instead of paying the full price, they leased the domain short-term and secured alternative domains (FBcorp.co, FBcorp.ai, etc.). Andrew frames this as an act of extortion and leverage, but ultimately a lesson that made them more adaptable.

    Guest Shout Outs

    • Andrew Robles (@fbcorpceo) - CEO of Foundational Builders Corp.

    • Alina Abramova - Guest and Producer of the podcast.

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    21 mins
  • The Affordable Housing Revolution With Jason Riffe | Ep 007 | Building What Matters
    Dec 5 2025

    The Affordable Housing Revolution: Building Cheaper, Faster, and Smarter with Private Capital

    This episode of the "Building What Matters" podcast features host Andrew Robles (@fbcorpceo), CEO of Foundational Builders Corp, and guest Jason Riffe (@jasonriffe on Instagram), a leader in affordable housing finance with the SDS Impact Debt platform. The two discuss affordable housing strategies, finance, and construction.

    Key Discussion Points
    • Financial Innovation: Jason Riffe’s background in sustainable development and social ethics led him to finance. He highlights the need for a shift from traditional, slow public funding (which often results in high costs, $650,000 per unit in LA) to private capital.

    • The Private Capital Solution: Jason’s firm accesses private capital through capital markets (like bonds) to provide debt financing for affordable housing. This streamlined approach can reduce the development timeline to under four years and lower the cost to about $300,000 per unit.

    • Construction & Quality: Andrew Robles (FB Corp) emphasizes that successful affordable housing requires high-quality, skilled, and union-level subcontractors. Low-bid contractors lead to delays and poor quality, but a quality GC ensures compliance and maintains the dignity of the housing.

    • Expansion & Growth: Andrew confirms that FB Corp is licensed and operating in California, Florida, and Arizona. He announced that FB Corp is pivoting to become a developer itself, with the goal of raising a half a billion-dollar fund to efficiently execute projects.

    • Advice: Jason advises career starters to focus on specialized trades like electrician and HVAC. He recommends that investors consult their advisor about the municipal bond space, which he considers a safe asset class.

    Guest Shout Outs
    • Andrew Robles (@fbcorpceo) - CEO of Foundational Builders Corp.

    • Jason Riffe (@jasonriffe) - Managing Director of SDS Impact Debt platform.

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    28 mins
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