In this episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with multi-passionate entrepreneur and architect Lance Cayko to unpack what it truly means to build something that endures.
Lance shares how being laid off early in his career became the spark that led him to found multiple seven-figure companies grounded in culture, customer service, and steady growth. Instead of chasing scale for status, he focused on intentional expansion, creating an integrated ecosystem of architecture, construction, and development designed to withstand economic shifts.
Carly and Lance move beyond tactics into mindset. They explore faith, philosophy, and the law of polarity, and how adversity has consistently paved the way for opportunity in Lance’s journey. From implementing a daily Two-Second Lean process to embedding language from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People into company culture, Lance demonstrates how clarity, humility, and communication create long-term resilience. This episode is a reminder that leadership is not about control. It is about stewardship, presence, and choosing your response when challenges arise.
Key Themes:
Customer Service as the Differentiator: Why design is assumed, but responsiveness, empathy, and communication win long-term trust.
Setbacks as Catalysts: How layoffs, downturns, and difficult seasons strengthened both Lance’s companies and his leadership philosophy.
Culture by Design: Why intentional systems, shared language, and daily improvement habits create accountability and alignment.
Memorable Quotes:
“When I have a really bad day, that’s actually when I get excited — because something good is coming.”
“Design is the baseline. People assume architects can design. What they’re really looking for is service.”
“You can’t have electricity without positive and negative. The same is true in business and in life.”
About Lance Cayko:
Lance Cayko is a multi-passionate entrepreneur, award-winning architect, builder, and co-founder of F9 Productions, a nationally recognized design and build firm based in Colorado. Over the past fifteen years, he has also launched F14 Productions and F12 Development, building three seven-figure companies from the ground up and scaling revenue by more than 5,800 percent. Lance is the co-host of Inside the Firm, one of the world’s top-ranked architecture and business podcasts with over 700,000 downloads. Through his companies and platform, he equips entrepreneurs, business leaders, and creatives with practical strategies to build resilient businesses and meaningful lives.
Connect with Lance Cayko:
🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/lance-cayko-1227031a/
📘 https://www.facebook.com/F9ProductionsInc/
📘 https://www.facebook.com/FishingwithLance/
📸 https://www.instagram.com/FishingwithLance/
