Best Podcasts 2026 featuring Gabe Norcross
If you are looking for the best podcasts 2026 and wondering what custom home builders and remodelers could listen to, Gabe Norcross of Norcross Builders in Louisville, Kentucky has been showing up in some notable places lately. Gabe and Brad Leavitt, founder of AFT Construction in Phoenix, Arizona, first crossed paths at the Contractor Coalition Summit and have stayed close ever since, catching up at industry events around the country, most recently in Nashville. That friendship led to Gabe joining Brad on his podcast, and it is the first of several appearances we will be rounding up here as part of our best podcasts 2026 series.
Brad Leavitt Podcast: The Courage to Build Less with Gabe Norcross
Gabe sat down with Brad Leavitt for an episode called The Courage to Build Less, and it is packed with insight for anyone in the building industry, whether you run a crew of two or twenty. Here are a few of the highlights.
Building in the Bay Area versus building in Kentucky. Gabe spent years building in San Francisco before relocating to Kentucky, and he talks through how differently the two markets operate. Materials, methods, and even the rain all factor into how a project comes together, and Gabe compares the pace and approach of building on the West Coast to what he does now in Louisville.
Choosing to build less, on purpose. Rather than juggling a full slate of projects at once, Gabe now takes on three to four projects a year and moves at a slower, more intentional pace. He talks about stepping away from the pressure of managing a large staff of employees and what it means to build a business around quality over volume.
Family first, without sacrificing the work. Gabe shares how he has restructured his schedule so weekends are for his kids, not job sites. He no longer works Saturdays and Sundays the way he used to, and he is candid about what that tradeoff has meant for both his business and his family.
Subcontractor relationships and design partnerships. A recurring theme is the value of finding good subs and investing in real relationships with them, making sure they understand Gabe's standards and can be trusted to follow through. He also talks about collaborating with local designers, including Natalie O, and the historic remodel work that has become part of his portfolio, along with a project he completed in Greenland.
Mental health in the building industry. Gabe opens up about mental health among builders and tradespeople, a topic that does not get enough airtime in this line of work. He references a recent conversation with Morgan Molitor of construction2style, tied to resilience2reform, a platform Morgan and Noah Bergland built to give people in the industry a place to share their stories of struggle and rebuilding. Gabe talks about wanting to help pick that work back up and keep the conversation going.
You can listen to the full episode here: The Courage to Build Less with Gabe Norcross.
Curious Builder Podcast with Mark D. Williams
Gabe's next stop was the Curious Builder Podcast in the Twin Cities with host Mark Williams. Episode 177 Depression, Construction, & Deciding You Are Worth Saving
What building in California without a signed contract can cost you
Gabe shares how a handshake deal on a major ocean-view addition with no signed contract and a budget the client controlled became a turning point that forced him to reevaluate everything. Years of overextending himself, saying yes to too much, and putting the business ahead of his own well-being finally caught up with him. It wasn't just a business lesson; it reshaped how he thought about the life he wanted to build and the father and husband he wanted to be.
Why he packed up and moved his family to Louisville, Kentucky
Rather than keep pushing forward on the same path, Gabe and his wife made the leap: they sold their California home, closed the business, and relocated across the country. What started as a stop on the way to somewhere else ended up feeling like home almost immediately, giving the family the slower pace and breathing room they'd been missing.
How he's building differently now — and why he's speaking up
Today, Norcross Builders takes on just 3–4 carefully chosen projects a year, each paired with a designer and a real pre-construction process, so the work stays sustainable instead of all-consuming. The experience also pushed Gabe to speak openly about burnout and mental health in the trades, and he's now excited to explore more opportunities to share his experience and bring that conversation to more builders.
