About Jim Fowler – NOVO Construction
NOVO Construction is a minority-owned construction firm led by CEO Jim Fowler, a Chinese American entrepreneur whose personal story mirrors the company’s commitment to building inclusive, high-performing teams. In 2022, NOVO Construction earned certification as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) — a milestone that both validated their identity and opened new doors for growth. NOVO Construction came to Zilker Media ready to amplify that story. They wanted the industry to know not just what they build, but who they are.
The Challenges
Earning Credibility in a Relationship-Driven Industry
Construction is a relationship-driven industry with deep-rooted traditional values. NOVO Construction needed to accomplish something nuanced: establish CEO Jim Fowler as a credible thought leader on DEI without the message feeling performative — and do it in publications that actual construction decision-makers read.
The Solution
A Micromedia Strategy Built for Industry Influence
Zilker Media developed a micromedia strategy focused on consistent, compounding placements in industry-specific trade publications and podcasts — the channels where construction professionals actually spend their attention. Rather than chasing one big feature, we built a body of work. Every placement was selected for audience quality: reaching general contractors, project owners, and talent — the exact people NOVO Construction needed to influence.
Services Provided
- Earned media strategy
- Bylined article writing and placement
- Executive thought leadership development
- Podcast pitching and booking
- Brand narrative development
- Search visibility and digital authority building
- Press remarketing graphic design
The Execution
Building a Body of Work, Not a Single Moment
Zilker Media wrote and placed bylined articles under Jim Fowler’s name covering DEI best practices, inclusive business culture, and the competitive advantages of diverse teams — all grounded in his lived experience and NOVO Construction’s real results. In parallel, we pitched NOVO Construction women executives to podcast producers and publications focused on women in skilled trades and STEM, putting a human face on NOVO Construction’s culture beyond the CEO. We demonstrated that NOVO Construction’s culture story was bigger than one person — which made the narrative more believable and opened up twice the placement opportunities.
The Results
A Recognized Voice in the Industry Conversation
Zilker Media secured placements in four major industry publications, collectively reaching millions of readers:
- Construction Dive — Op-ed: “5 Ways to Improve Construction DEI”
- ForConstructionPros.com — “Laying the Foundation for Inclusivity in Construction”
- Modern Contractor Solutions — “Diversity and Inclusion: The Keys to Great Business Outcomes”
- Authority Magazine — Executive feature: “Jim Fowler of Novo Construction on Why Diversity Is Good for Business”
The Authority Magazine feature now ranks as the #3 Google result for Jim Fowler’s name, placing NOVO Construction’s DEI story directly in front of anyone researching him for a partnership, hire, or interview. NOVO Construction is no longer just a construction company with an MBE certification — they are a recognized voice in the industry conversation about what inclusive companies look like, and what they’re capable of building.