In the first episode of the Build Better Homes Podcast, host Royal Mortier (Founder of PLIRIS) and co-host John O’Shea(Chief Operating Officer of PLIRIS) share their personal journeys through the construction industry, from sweeping floors and working concrete crews as teenagers, to leading teams that manage complex residential and commercial builds.

Royal discusses how his early work in concrete, mentorship under seasoned builders, and passion for structural engineering led him to found PLIRIS, a solutions company providing permit-ready plans, engineering services, and construction technology for builders. John reflects on his path from small contracting jobs to running crews on 10,000-square-foot custom homes and later managing production pipelines for regional and national builders.

Together, they explain why practical, hands-on experience combined with academic training produces stronger builders and better homes. They highlight the importance of relationships with contractors, inspectors, and developers, and share lessons on scalability, systems, and simplifying engineering to support both custom and production homebuilding.

This debut episode sets the stage for the Build Better Homes Podcast, a series dedicated to helping builders, designers, and developers create smarter, faster, and more efficient homes.