We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michele Wilson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Michele, thanks for joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken didn’t look like a bold leap from the outside. It looked like stepping away from something that was already working… which, in most people’s opinion, is not the move. 😄

At the time, I had built real momentum in the construction industry through Coffee with Contractors®. What started as a simple idea, getting people in a room to connect, had grown into something much bigger. We were bringing together builders, trades, suppliers, and business owners in a way that felt intentional, elevated, and different from the networking environments most people were used to… or actively avoiding.
From the outside, it made perfect sense to just keep going.

But behind the scenes, I started to feel a disconnect between what I was building and where I wanted it to go. As the founder, it was important to me that the brand and the experience continued to reflect the standard it was built on.

And once you see that gap, you can’t unsee it.
So I had a decision to make: stay comfortable and keep the momentum going as-is, or step back, create distance, and rebuild in a way that fully aligned with my vision and the long-term integrity of the brand.
That was the risk. Because stepping back doesn’t come with guarantees. It meant potentially:

Losing visibility and opportunities
Being misunderstood
Rebuilding what I’d already worked hard to create

But I also knew that if I didn’t make that move, I’d be compromising something much bigger than short-term growth. And I’m just not built for that.
So I chose to step back, reset, and rebuild with intention.

That decision brought clarity, not just around the events, but around what I’m actually building: a community rooted in trust, alignment, and long-term value. It also deepened the foundation of Sonder Luxe Home Solutions, where I work with homeowners during the planning and preconstruction phase to make sure everything is aligned before anything is built… because fixing it later is always more expensive.

The outcome wasn’t instant or effortless. There were moments of doubt, uncertainty, and sitting in the in-between longer than I would have liked.
But it was necessary.

Not all risks look like jumping into something new. Sometimes the real risk is walking away from something good to build something right.
Those decisions don’t always make sense in the moment. But they tend to make a lot of sense later.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

My path into construction wasn’t traditional. And in a lot of ways, that’s exactly what shaped how I approach the industry today.
Before any titles or businesses, my story started with identity and belonging. I was adopted, and that process took years to fully unfold. It shaped how I see people, how I build trust, and how I understand the environments we create around us, both personally and professionally. It also gave me a strong internal radar for when something feels right… and when it definitely doesn’t.

I was introduced to construction early, watching my dad set the standard for high-quality, detail-driven electrical work. He didn’t cut corners, and if something wasn’t right, it got redone, whether anyone else would notice or not. “Good enough” wasn’t actually good enough. As you can imagine, that sticks with you. 😄
After 22 years in project management, I noticed something. The talent in construction is incredible. But the alignment? Not always. Builders, trades, suppliers, and homeowners are all working toward the same goal, just not always from the same playbook. And that’s usually where the stress, cost overruns, and breakdowns start to show up.

That realization is what led me to build Coffee with Contractors®.
What started as a simple gathering has grown into a recognized platform for connection and collaboration across the construction industry, one that creates space for real relationships, better communication, and stronger alignment across trades and disciplines. It’s not just events. It’s a community built with intention, and people can feel the difference when they walk into the room. From there, Cocktails with Contractors™ was introduced as a larger-scale extension of that same vision, just with a little more energy behind it.

Alongside that, I founded Sonder Luxe Home Solutions, a boutique construction and owner’s representative firm focused on the preconstruction and project management phase of residential projects.

Most homeowners think construction starts when demo begins. In reality, the most important decisions happen long before that, when things are still flexible, and changes don’t come with a five-figure price tag attached. Through Sonder Luxe, I step in early to align vision, budget, design, and execution, reviewing plans through a builder’s lens, identifying scope and budget pressure points, and creating a clear roadmap so projects run efficiently from the start instead of catching up mid-build.

The problem I solve is simple, but significant: I help prevent expensive mistakes before they happen. That translates to smoother builds, stronger communication between teams, and meaningful cost savings by reducing change orders and rework.

What sets my work apart is the position I sit in, between the homeowner and the construction team. I understand both sides, and I translate between them in a way that keeps projects aligned and relationships intact. In this industry, that’s half the battle.

I’m not the right fit for every project or partnership, and I’ve learned that alignment on expectations and standards matters from the start. But for those who value precision, accountability, and doing things the right way, that’s exactly where I do my best work.

Through Coffee with Contractors and Cocktails with Contractors, I’m also focused on something bigger than individual projects: building a stronger, more connected construction community. One where collaboration replaces competition, relationships are built with intention, and the next generation has a better foundation to step into, instead of having to figure everything out the hard way.

What I’m most proud of isn’t just the businesses I’ve built. It’s the rooms that have been created and the people who have connected because of them.
The same standard that runs through my events runs through my client work. Everything I build, whether it’s a project, a relationship, or a community- starts with the right foundation.

Because how something is built will always determine how well it holds over time.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

There was a season in my life where, from the outside, everything looked like it was working.
Coffee with Contractors® was growing, the rooms were full, and there was real momentum behind what I had created. It was one of those moments where you’re supposed to feel like, “Okay, this is it. We’re good here.”
And internally, I was like… “Something’s off.”

Not in a dramatic, everything-is-on-fire kind of way. More like a slow, steady feeling that things weren’t as aligned as they looked. Little moments. Conversations that didn’t quite sit right. A growing sense that the direction wasn’t fully reflecting the standard I had set from the beginning.
Because when things are working, you almost try to talk yourself out of what you’re feeling. Like, “Maybe it’s fine. Maybe I’m overthinking it.”
Turns out, I wasn’t overthinking it.

There’s a real tension between protecting what you’ve built and being honest about what’s no longer aligned. For me, the pivot wasn’t one big dramatic moment. It was a series of intentional decisions, some behind the scenes, some more visible, to realign the direction of what I was building, creating space, pulling back. Getting clear on what I was willing to carry forward and what I wasn’t.
And I won’t pretend that part was easy.

What grounded me was leaning into the work itself, specifically Sonder Luxe Home Solutions, working with homeowners in the planning and preconstruction phase. Helping people make aligned decisions before anything was built reminded me of why I started in the first place. It brought me back to clarity, to process, and to building things the right way… which, if you knew my dad, is not optional. 😄

And slowly, that clarity carried into everything else.
Not all pivots are about changing direction. Sometimes they’re about returning to your standard, choosing alignment over momentum, integrity over convenience, long-term vision over short-term validation.

That season reshaped how I lead, how I build, and who I build with. And if I had to do it again, I would.
Because everything I’m building now is coming from a place that’s solid at its core, not just successful on paper.
And I’ve learned that if something feels off, it probably is. Ignoring it doesn’t make it go away… it just makes it more expensive later. 😏

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Honestly, part of it came from learning the hard way what I didn’t want my reputation to be.
Early on, I said yes to things I shouldn’t have. I overextended. I gave people the benefit of the doubt longer than I should have. And while none of that felt great in the moment, it taught me something I haven’t forgotten: your reputation isn’t just built on what you create, it’s built on what you tolerate.
That shifted everything.

I got clearer on my standards, who I work with, how I show up, and what I’m willing to be associated with. Not in a rigid way, in a grounded one. Because in an industry where relationships and word of mouth carry everything, people are always watching how you move.

With Coffee with Contractors® and Cocktails with Contractors™, that meant building better, not just bigger. More aligned. More intentional. The kind of spaces people actually want to come back to.

For Sonder Luxe Home Solutions, it shows up in how I work with clients. I’m not the easiest yes in the room. I ask questions. I ask for clarity. I slow things down when needed. I point out what could become expensive later, before it does. It’s not always the most comfortable approach, but it’s the one that protects my clients bottom line the most.

And I think that balance is what people remember.

I’m warm. I like people. I genuinely enjoy building relationships. But I also pay attention. I notice when something feels off, and I’ve learned not to ignore it.
My reputation wasn’t built on everything going right. It was built from a few things going wrong, and deciding I wasn’t going to keep repeating the same patterns.
That kind of clarity changes how you build.

You stop trying to be everything to everyone. You start building things that actually reflect you. And over time, people don’t just recognize your work…
…they recognize your standard.

Contact Info:

• Website: sonder-luxe.com | cwcrdu.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coffeewithcontractors/ | https://www.instagram.com/sonderluxehomesolutions/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-w/
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7Nc5bHPhDM

Image Credits

Steele The Moment Photography
TJ Cawley