{"href":"https://api.simplecast.com/oembed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstrong-conversations.simplecast.com%2Fepisodes%2Fkodiak-steve-swinney-vMuVCymj","width":444,"version":"1.0","type":"rich","title":"Betting Big: The 2.25 Billion Dollar Dice Roll with Steve Swinney","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/7c47af60-fe43-4097-962a-8bfff4fcc96a/275301e8-10ae-498c-a939-d5aa2f69e1be/titlecardswinney.jpg","thumbnail_height":300,"provider_url":"https://simplecast.com","provider_name":"Simplecast","html":"<iframe src=\"https://player.simplecast.com/be962e12-7210-46c5-9d8f-5306041499a6\" height=\"200\" width=\"100%\" title=\"Betting Big: The 2.25 Billion Dollar Dice Roll with Steve Swinney\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"></iframe>","height":200,"description":"In this episode of Strong Conversations: Real Stories, Sam Marcoux sits down with Steve Swinney, CEO and co-founder of Kodiak Building Partners, to unpack what it really means to bet big—and do it thoughtfully.\n\nFrom launching Kodiak during the Great Recession to leading a 5,500-employee organization into its next chapter with QXO, Steve shares lessons on risk, culture, scaling, and leadership. The conversation blends hard-won business insight with humor, reflection, and a few 1980s hair-metal references along the way.\n\n---\n\nEpisode Highlights\n\n· Why Kodiak’s biggest bets were bold but calculated\n\n· Lessons from starting a company during the Great Recession\n\n· How culture became the #1 diligence factor in acquisitions\n\n· What it’s like being acquired after 15 years of growth\n\n\nSteve is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Kodiak Building Partners, a transformative force in the building materials industry that he has steered through strategic growth and 40+ acquisitions throughout the past 13 years."}