In this premiere episode of Shady Characters, executive producer Tom Dioro sits down with creative partners Evan Burgher and Tim DeBrincat to uncover the origins of their friendship, their boutique agency, Thatch Creative, and their new show.
Bruce Burgess on Mull-It-Over’s Growth, Engineering-First Products, and Better Building Transition Points
In this episode of Mull-It-Over Television Network, founder and president Bruce Burgess discusses how Mull-It-Over evolved from a startup explaining its solution to architects into a widely accepted product used by major U.S. firms, including recent orders tied to General Motors and NVIDIA headquarters, and notes shipping its 10,000th building. He explains that his work has shifted toward helping architects integrate the proven product into unique designs, while being honest when constraints exceed capabilities. Burgess shares innovation behind an improved expandable gap filler using upcycled foam instead of steel springs, avoiding red list materials, and earning third-party Declare verification. He outlines five-year goals, interest in global expansion, a focus on solving building transition points, a win-win business model, and nonprofit work guided by an “Apollo 13 rule” that relies on local people and materials, including flood-proof latrines built in Southeast Asia.
00:00 Going Deep Intro
00:48 From Startup to Standard
03:11 Proven Product Pitch
04:30 Handling Constraints Honestly
05:24 Upcycled Gap Filler Innovation
07:48 Creativity Meets Discovery
09:34 Skeptics Become Promoters
11:34 Five Year Growth Goals
12:40 Transition Points Mindset
14:11 Apollo 13 Giving Rule
19:20 Win Win Business Model
23:04 Career Path and New Goals
26:19 Origin Story of Mull It Over
29:44 Engineering Over Marketing
31:34 Closing Thanks and Wrap
