Blue Collar StartUp

In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, hosts Mike Nelson and Derek Foster sit down with Joe Cerrone, owner of Cerrone Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, to explore what it really takes to scale a second-generation trades business. Tune in as they share lessons in leadership, hiring, delegation, software systems, and how to grow a company that can thrive without your constant presence. Lear...

In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, hosts Mike Nelson and Derek Foster catch up with returning guest Brad Lewis, executive director of the Troy Community Land Bank. Tune in as Brad shares his seasonal work strategies, real estate investments, cash flow insights, and more! Learn how Brad bought a house for $100 here: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/capital-region/housing/2021/04/20/troy-forec...

In this episode of Blue Collar Startup, hosts Mike Nelson and Derek Foster talk with Cameron Carson, founder of Franbassador. Cameron shares how he built a window cleaning company from just $50 into a 13-unit franchise system, eventually selling it for a major multiple. They discuss the power of door knocking, the challenges of scaling, why franchising is exploding in home services, and how Franba...

In this mini episode of the Blue Collar Startup podcast, host Mike Nelson shares a short but powerful message for business owners who may be questioning whether to keep going. Drawing from a recent conversation with a fellow entrepreneur, Mike talks about the struggles many face after five years in business, why perseverance matters, and how you might be closer to success than you think. Listen to...

In this episode of Blue Collar Startup, host Mike Nelson talks with DT Tobiason, founder of West Coast Renewables, a Washington-based company transforming grease trap pumping, cooking oil recycling, and commercial kitchen plumbing. DT shares how he grew from a shop vac in a pickup to a 24-employee operation serving the Pacific Northwest. They cover scaling challenges, disposal costs, employee recr...

In this episode of Blue Collar Startup, host Mike Nelson sits down with Jason and Stacy Spector to explore how growth mindset, resilience, and mindset coaching can transform students, athletes, and blue-collar workers alike. Tune in as they share personal stories from wrestling and education, practical strategies for leadership in the trades, and how mindset shifts can help businesses overcome hir...

In this episode of Blue Collar Startup, hosts Mike Nelson and Derek Foster interview Chris Buttenham, co-founder and CEO of Reins. Tune in as they discuss how his company helps blue-collar contractors offer equity incentives, his journey from working in his father’s contracting business to addressing the "silver tsunami" of aging business owners needing succession plans, and more! Learn...

​​In this episode of Blue Collar Startup, hosts Mike Nelson and Derek Foster interview Joe Dana, Amy Posner, and Chris McNally from Hudson Valley Community College. They discuss the college’s trade-focused programs, the importance of lifelong learning, partnerships with industry leaders like Global Foundries, opportunities for students in high-demand fields, and more! Learn more about Hudson Valle...

In this solo episode of Blue Collar Startup, host Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media shares a quick, practical process for turning a simple 5-minute video into a polished blog post using AI tools like Otter.ai, ChatGPT, and Opus Clips. He explains how to save time, create multiple pieces of content from one recording, and boost your SEO without breaking the bank. 0:00 Intro and welcome to Blue Colla...

Dive into an engaging conversation with Warren County Sheriff Jim Lafarr on The Blue Collar Startup Podcast! Discover why policing is a true blue-collar trade, requiring grit, stamina, and smarts, and hear gripping insights into the daily challenges of keeping Warren County safe. Learn about the physical and mental demands of the job and the surprising parallels between running a sheriff’s office...

In this episode of Blue Collar Startup, host Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media sits down with Mike Zayachek of Zayachek Mechanical. Tune in as they discuss starting a business from a pickup truck and a trailer, growing to 147 employees, navigating cash flow challenges, and building a loyal team through training and mentorship in the power generation and industrial maintenance industry. Learn more a...

In this solo "Marketing Minute" episode of Blue Collar Startup, host Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media advises blue collar business owners to avoid starting a Facebook business page too soon and instead leverage personal profiles for better engagement and lead generation. He shares practical tips on transitioning to a business page later and maintaining an active social media presence to...

In this Blueprint episode of Blue Collar StartUp, hosts Derek Foster and Mike Nelson dive into grassroots marketing. Listen in as they explore cost-effective, high-impact ways for small business owners to spread the word about their services—from vehicle wraps and yard signs to leveraging your personal network and overcoming the fear of rejection. 0:14 Podcast Introduction 0:30 What Is Grassroots...

In this episode of Blue Collar Startup, hosts Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media and Derek Foster of Daigle Cleaning Systems sit down with Ryan Galusha of Galusha & Sons. Listen in as they discuss carrying a third-generation business into the future, mentorship, workforce development, and keeping a legacy alive in the ever-changing world of construction. Learn more about Galusha & Sons at ga...

In this episode of Blue Collar Startup, host Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media sits down with Scott McKenna of Catamount Consulting to dive deep into the topic of emotional intelligence (EQ). Tune in as they discuss how EQ impacts leadership, team dynamics, hiring, company culture, and long-term success in business and life. Learn more about Scott and Catamount Consulting at catamountconsultingllc....

In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, hosts Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media and Derek Foster of Daigle Cleaning Systems have an honest conversation about what it really takes to build and grow a business. Listen in as they share lessons from their own business journeys, discuss the importance of building a strong team and being a strong leader, how success is a never-ending project, and more! F...

This is a special crossover episode with our sister show, Buying Local, on Blue Collar Startup! In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, hosts Mike Nelson and Derek Foster interview Terry Hubbard of Peak Environmental about innovative landscape construction and eco-friendly practices. Tune in as they discuss robotic mowers, sustainable services, opportunities in the landscape industry, and more! Fi...

In this episode of Blue Collar Startup, hosts Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media and Derek Foster of Daigle Cleaning Systems interview Curt Hemmeler, Executive Director of the RV Technical Institute. Tune in as they explore the booming RV industry, technician training programs, entrepreneurial opportunities, and much more! Learn more about Curt and the RV Technical Institute at rvti.org . 0:15 Intro...

In this new episode of Blue Collar StartUp, hosts Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media and Derek Foster of Daigle Cleaning Systems have a conversation about what it means to be unhireable. Tune is as they explore how problem-solving, initiative, and adaptability make employees indispensable, offering insights for aspiring entrepreneurs and dedicated team members in the trades to achieve career growth...

In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, your hosts Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media and Derek Foster of Daigle Cleaning Systems, sit down with Chris and Noah Manzella of BradManz Landscaping. Tune in as they discuss being honest with your clients to maintain trust, the importance of cold calling, having confidence in networking scenarios, and much more!  0:15 Intro 0:40 Welcoming Chris and Noah Ma...

In this Blueprint episode of Blue Collar StartUp , host Derek Foster of Daigle Cleaning Systems chats with Carrie Kirvin , now with MP: Wired for HR , about payroll and HR solutions for small businesses. At the time of this recording, Carrie was with Paychex , where she helped entrepreneurs save time, manage cash flow, and stay compliant through services like payroll outsourcing, workers’ compensa...

In this episode of Blue Collar Start Up, hosts Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media and Derek Foster of Daigle Cleaning Systems are joined by Scott McKenna and Stacy Spector of Catamount Consulting. Tune in as they explore workforce development challenges, the role of entrepreneurship in attracting young talent to the trades, the importance of emotional intelligence, and much more! 0:15 Intro 0:51 Int...

In this episode of Blue Collar Start Up, your hosts Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media and Derek Foster of Daigle Cleaning Systems interview Kendra Hart, president at Martin Electric. Listen in as they discuss experimentation within business growth, the experiences of being a young woman in construction, setting up your team for success, and much more! 0:15 Introduction 2:22 Meet Kendra Hart 3:20 Th...

In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, your host Derek Foster (Daigle Cleaning Services) sits down with returning guest, Josh Jewett of Cole’s Collision. Tune in to learn about the creation of a process – Indicators of when a process may be necessary, how to pivot with change, monitoring the process and adjusting with feedback, prioritizing tasks, setting standards, and outcomes! Want to connect...

In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, your hosts Mike Nelson (Five Towers Media) and Derek Foster (Daigle Cleaning Services) interview Mike Munter and Alex Dominguez of Munter Enterprises. Tune in to hear them discuss choosing to pursue the trades after trying out college, going into a construction job with no experience, passing down skills to younger workers, and much more! Want to connect wit...