Introduction
Josh Storey, managing principal of Storey Program Management, joins Jack Ossa on The Power of Design Podcast to talk about owner's representation, leadership and how a project is delivered well. Ossa Studio created the brand strategy and identity for Josh's new firm, so the conversation also looks at how a brand process helped him define his business.
Josh brings over 20 years of experience in the Carolinas, and the two discuss his career, the decision to start his own company, the differences between design and construction phases, and where the industry is going.
About the Episode
Josh grew up near Augusta, Georgia, where he spent time on job sites with his grandfather, a brick mason. He earned a civil engineering degree at Clemson, moved to Charlotte and started as an owner's representative on a large school bond program. He then joined a small family-owned project management firm, grew with it until it was acquired by a larger company, and moved into national project management. He describes missing the culture, the clients and the people, and decided to start his own firm.
He explains that his work comes from three traits: structure, a feeling for relationships and culture, and a willingness to lead and make decisions. Josh tells how the brand process with Ossa Studio began with several meetings that had no graphics, only questions about who his firm is and why it exists, and how that gives him confidence when he explains his brand. He says what he really sells is clarity, confidence and simplicity.
The firm now has five people, mostly colleagues he has worked with before, and serves clients in healthcare, corporate office, light industrial, hospitality and pharmaceutical projects. Josh and Jack compare notes on starting a business, from HR and payroll to the sense of responsibility for other people's families. They also discuss collaborative delivery, wasted effort in design RFPs, tools such as Smartsheet and Excel, and prefabrication.
Key Takeaways
- Define who you are first: a brand process that starts with questions rather than visuals helped Josh explain his firm with confidence.
- Combine structure and culture: good project management blends organization, relationships and leadership.
- Strengths can become weaknesses: Josh learned to be patient with people who do not work the way he does.
- Bring the team in early: contractors and trades can flag costs and long-lead items before a redesign or a delay.
- Keep communication transparent: the best tool shows who is responsible for what; Josh's team uses Smartsheet and Excel and adapts to the client's software.
- Quality over headcount: Josh wants to stay small enough to be nimble but large enough to react to big projects.
- Move toward prefabrication: building in a controlled environment improves quality, labor use and site safety.
Highlights from the Conversation
What I'm really selling is clarity, confidence and simplicity.
Josh Storey
Our role on a project is to make sure everyone else on the team has whatever information they need to do their job.
Josh Storey
I think it's far outweighed by what you gain with the collaborative advantage.
Josh Storey
Topics Discussed
- Growing up around construction and starting in program management
- Structure, culture and leadership in project management
- Leaving a national firm to start a regional one
- The brand DNA process for Storey Program Management
- Building a team and managing HR and payroll
- The owner's representative role in design and construction
- Collaborative project delivery and design RFPs
- Tools, prefabrication and the future of construction
Why This Conversation Matters
Josh's story shows how a young firm can use branding to clarify purpose before it needs a logo, which is the approach behind our work for Storey Program Management. The same thinking applies to other builders, such as Genesis Construction. His views on early collaboration also apply to architecture and interior architecture projects, where a good owner's representative helps translate between the client and the design team.
About the Guest
Josh Storey is the managing principal of Storey Program Management, an owner's representative program and project management firm in Charlotte, North Carolina. A Clemson civil engineering graduate with over 20 years of experience in the Carolinas, he has worked in healthcare, education, corporate office, entertainment, pharmaceutical and industrial markets. You can connect with him on LinkedIn.
