You Don’t Need Permission—You Need Pressure

In this episode of Frank After 40, I sat down with Lance Cayko—a self-described serial entrepreneur, architect, builder, and podcast host—whose career arc is anything but ordinary. We talked about how growing up on a sugar beet farm in North Dakota taught him the value of grit, how a single conversation with a contractor changed his view of money forever, and how getting laid off during the 2008 recession led him to co-found F9 Productions, one of Colorado’s most successful design-build architecture firms.

Lance gets candid about bootstrapping through Craigslist ads, the power of customer service in a design-first industry, and why podcasting changed his business. We also dive into sustainable building practices, the myths around green tech, and why government regulation sometimes stifles the very innovation it hopes to promote. Stick around for the final segment where we geek out over alpine lake fishing and Lance’s idea of “Camp Uncomfortable”—his way of embracing discomfort as a way to grow stronger.

If you're in the architecture, construction, or entrepreneurship game—or if you just want a story of hustle, reinvention, and purpose—this one's for you.