Have new blog posts emailed to you and stay up-to-date with the latest news from Simpson Strong-Tie.
Welcome to Strong Conversations hosted by Simpson Strong-Tie where we bring partners, colleagues, innovators and leaders together for insightful conversations. We dive into the subjects and issues that we all face — forging stronger connections and relationships along the way.
In Part 1 of a two-part series of Strong Conversations, host Sam Marcoux sits down with Peter Jackson, CEO of Builders FirstSource, to explore the journey behind his leadership. From a childhood shaped by constant change to early career missteps and breakthrough moments, Peter shares how adaptability, resilience, and a willingness to chase opportunity defined his path. He reflects on the pivotal moment where ambition was misunderstood, the lessons learned from failure, and the mindset that ultimately propelled him to the CEO role. This episode offers an honest look at how persistence, self-awareness, and bold thinking can turn setbacks into defining moments of success.
In this episode:
Adaptability builds leaders
Failure reveals direction
Ambition invites resistance
Chase the opportunity, not comfort
Bold vision drives outcomes

We’ve been working with Jen Woodhouse for nearly a decade. Over those years she’s built projects as small as this modern dog house to others as large as a floating deck. In the last two years, she’s built a backyard Pergola, DIY’d a workbench in under two hours and even designed and built a fence with our free Fence Planner Software. Jen is a fantastic DIYer who is a dream to work with and who isn’t afraid to tackle even the largest projects that can bring a backyard to life.