Michael Russell is the CEO of H.J. Russell & Company, one of the largest Black-owned real estate and construction firms in the country. The company was founded by his father, Herman J. Russell. After 16 years learning every corner of the business, Michael stepped into the top role. Today he leads a fast-growing operation with offices in Atlanta, Dallas, and Boston.
In this episode, Michael gets real about what it takes to scale. He talks about building the right culture, keeping clients at the center, and letting great work speak for itself. He also shares how H.J. Russell & Company is pushing toward a $1B revenue goal and why hyperscale data centers for companies like Microsoft and Google are fueling that growth.
We dig into succession, trust, and what it means to lead as a second-generation CEO. Michael also breaks down how construction is evolving—more technology, more diversity, and more ways to enter the field. Whether you’re a student, a new professional, or building your own path, his advice is clear: stay curious, solve problems, and create your own lane.
In this episode:
00:00 Introduction and Special Guest Announcement
00:30 Michael Russell's Early Exposure to the Industry
06:04 Challenges and Lessons in Leadership
11:03 Company Growth and Future Goals
16:38 Promoting the Construction Industry to the Youth
23:45 Legacy and Final Thoughts
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LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelrussellsr/
Website: https://www.hjrussell.com/
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This podcast is sponsored by Construct Reach.
As a workforce development initiative that builds reachable opportunities through construction, ConstructReach increases the visibility of the construction industry by educating students about career opportunities within construction, connecting general contractors to interns and innovative internship curricula, creating content and experiences to expose a diverse population to sustainable construction careers, and uniting stakeholders to ensure the construction industry continues to thrive.
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