Own The Build
Own the Build is the podcast for Quantity Surveyors and Commercial Directors who want to sharpen their commercial edge and lead with confidence.
Hosted by Paul Heming, former Commercial leader and now co-founder of C-Link, each week’s conversation dives into the realities of modern commercial management — from procurement and contracts to digital transformation and leadership in construction.
Through honest discussions with industry leaders, forensic planners, and forward-thinking QSs, Paul explores how the best commercial teams deliver profit, performance, and project certainty in a changing industry.
If you’re serious about mastering the commercial side of construction — this is where you build your advantage.
Own The Build
From Labourer to Leader: Why Every QS Should Spend More Time on Site (EP 222)
In today’s episode, Paul is joined by Stephen Harpur, Managing Director at Sharpur Consultancy – a Chartered Construction Manager with more than 25 years in the industry. Stephen’s journey is anything but typical: he started as a labourer, worked every trade you can think of, and went on to lead some of the most complex, multimillion-pound construction projects in Northern Ireland.
Register your interest for the Strategy Summit Event at the Churchill War Rooms on June 26th here - https://c-link.com/C-Link-Churchill-War-Rooms-Event
This episode is all about what world-class construction management really looks like, and how project leaders, QSs, and PMs can raise the bar—together.
We talk about:
- What Stephen learned going from hands-on trades to boardroom leadership
- How to plan and manage a project from inception to “cutting the ribbon”
- Why every QS needs to spend more time on site
- Building alignment between commercial and delivery teams
- Lessons from subcontracting, consulting, and working on the largest live building project in NI
If you’ve ever felt that QSs and PMs should work more collaboratively, or you want to lead construction projects more effectively—this is one for you.
📩 Have a question for Paul? Email paul@c-link.com to have it answered in an upcoming episode!
📩 If you'd like to read the two Own the Build eBooks based on 200+ episodes — Mastering Your Career in Quantity Surveying and The AI Revolution in Quantity Surveying — head to the show notes to download your free copy.
Download them here - Free eBook Downloads.
Want to connect with Paul?
Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at paul@c-link.com or through, C-Link.
C-Link is software built by Quantity Surveyors for Quantity Surveyors. We save 600 hours of Quantity Surveying time per project in automation. We can make your QS’ so much more efficient.
Watch the Video to learn more; you can book a demo by clicking here.
