Blue Collar StartUp

Andrew Wilkinson of National Trade Tech explains why the skilled trades shortage keeps getting worse and which trades, like electrical, HVAC, and appliance repair, are in the highest demand. Hear how an online trade school uses virtual reality simulations, live instructors, and national certifications to get new technicians job-ready in 3 to 6 months. Learn how AI can help tradespeople and busines...

What does it take to build a business that grows without depending on its owner every day? Steve Rolle, entrepreneur, author, former U.S. Army service member, and host of Rolle With Steve, joins the conversation to explain how side hustles become scalable businesses, why delegation and repeatable systems matter, and how small businesses can increase productivity. He also shares practical lessons o...

What happens when you take over a 45-year-old family business and discover that growing it means rebuilding almost everything? Daniella Devine, President & CEO of Peacock Floors, shares lessons on business succession, commercial flooring, cash flow, hiring, customer retention, business acquisitions, and using AI to streamline operations and grow a traditional trades business. Learn more about...

Dr. Michael Brophy, President of Hudson Valley Community College, joins Mike Nelson and Derek Foster on Blue Collar StartUp to discuss the skilled labor shortage, the future of trades education, workforce development, and the growing demand for technical skills across New York's Capital Region. From AI's impact on traditional careers to hands-on training, shorter certificate programs, and...

What does it take to turn a plumbing business into a thriving company? Pete and Alicia Green of Go Green Plumbing share how they grew from one service truck into a multimillion-dollar operation through financial discipline, business systems, leadership, and community investment. They also explain why knowing your break-even costs, separating salary from profit, and learning how to run a business a...

Matt Fishbune, CEO of Duke's, joins Blue Collar StartUp to discuss how a specialized sewer root control company grew from its Syracuse, New York roots into a nationwide business through acquisitions, market expansion, skilled labor, leadership development, and a focus on its core business. Matt also shares lessons from Duke's growth, including how to evaluate new markets, build teams acros...

Brianna Ford, Founder of All In Heating & Air, shares how she went from working inside multimillion-dollar HVAC companies to launching her own business from zero customers, building a database, generating leads through community involvement, and growing a recognizable local brand. She also breaks down restructuring a $40 million HVAC company that was losing $1 million a month, why businesses n...

What does it take to build a memorable brand and consistent marketing strategy for a home service or contracting business? Crystal Williams, Co-Founder of Lemon Seed Marketing, shares practical advice on contractor branding, business naming, social media content, Google Business Profiles, mascots, and community engagement. Learn more about Crystal Williams and Lemon Seed Marketing at lemonseedmark...

Stephanie Postell, Owner and COO of Anchor Heating and Air Conditioning, joins Blue Collar StartUp to share how she and her husband built an $8 million HVAC company from just $2,000 after losing the previous $5 million business they helped build. She also explains how HVAC contractors can grow by charging appropriately, understanding their numbers, building a strong brand, investing in great emplo...

Paul Redman, President of Contractor Commerce, joins Blue Collar StartUp to discuss how AI, online shopping, transparent pricing, and changing homeowner expectations are reshaping the trades. He also breaks down common technology mistakes, the importance of speed to lead, and hiring the right people to create a business that can grow without becoming dependent on its owner. Learn more about Paul R...

Andrea Palacio is an AI Business Strategist and founder of Crewless who helps business owners automate repetitive work, streamline operations, and use AI to get their time back. After buying a struggling landscaping company, Andrea used AI automation for phone calls, lead follow-up, payments, scheduling, customer service, proposals, marketing, and other business operations—and ultimately rebuilt t...

What does the future of manufacturing and the skilled trades workforce look like in New York’s Capital Region? In Episode 138 of Blue Collar StartUp, Mike Nelson and Derek Foster talk with Don Wiesenforth and Matt Grattan of the Center for Economic Growth (CEG) about manufacturing careers, registered apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeship programs, workforce development, automation, AI, and the growi...

In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, Brent Garrett, President of Sirius Plumbing & Air Conditioning, shares the five stages of business growth, how to transition from technician to coach, and the systems that helped him build a multi-million-dollar company. Learn why most contractors get stuck between $750K and $2.5M in revenue, how to delegate effectively, improve profitability, and create...

Can someone with zero construction experience build a successful concrete company? Jeff Price, owner of Texas Slab Guys, shares how he left a white-collar career in finance and technology to launch a scalable concrete business, why AI influenced his decision, and the systems he uses to grow through sales rather than traditional operations. This episode covers entrepreneurship, subcontractor manage...

In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, Scotti Sentes from the Wrestlers in Business Network joins Mike Nelson and Derek Foster to discuss bridging the gap between student-athletes and skilled trades. Learn how wrestling builds the discipline, grit, and work ethic required to excel in blue-collar careers. Discover how innovative AI matching technology connects high-performing athletes directly wit...

What happens when you buy a $1.7 million electrical company without ever working for an electrical contractor? Zack Mutnik shares how he and his wife acquired, rebranded, and rapidly grew Mutt's Electric, covering SBA financing, hiring, leadership, recurring revenue, marketing, company culture, and scaling a trades business. Whether you're thinking about buying a business, growing your con...

What separates top-performing tradespeople from everyone else? Scott McKenna, Stacy Spector, and Jason Spector of Catamount Consulting explain why today's skilled trades professionals should think of themselves as "Industrial Athletes" and how mindset, movement, recovery, and leadership reduce injuries while improving performance on and off the job. Learn practical strategies for pre...

Are hiring challenges really hiring problems—or onboarding problems in disguise? In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, Mike Nelson and Derek Foster sit down with Bill Tansey Jr. of The OpEx Shop to discuss employee onboarding, mentorship, training systems, accountability, retention, and how process-driven businesses build stronger teams. Bill shares practical strategies for creating competency-b...

Tom Jameson, founder of AstroWatt Electric, joins Blue Collar StartUp to share how he went from apprentice electrician to building one of North Carolina's most people-focused electrical companies. Learn how AstroWatt uses culture, leadership, unlimited PTO, employee benefits, and customer service to attract top talent and scale a successful trades business. Tom also shares lessons on starting...

In this episode of Blue Collar Startup, hosts Mike Nelson and Derek Foster sit down with Denver Whetten of Degan Construction LLC to discuss building a successful construction company through leadership, Extreme Ownership, and strong client relationships. Denver shares how he scaled from a small concrete startup into a major contractor while developing leaders, creating a winning company culture,...

In this episode of Blue Collar Startup, hosts Mike Nelson and Derek Foster sit down with Lawrence Castillo to talk about scaling an HVAC business through customer service, recruiting, training, and operational structure. Lawrence shares how Brody-Pennell HVAC grew from a legacy company with 250 Google reviews into a dominant Southern California brand with over 5,000 five-star reviews while buildin...

In this episode of Blue Collar Startup, Scott Sypniewski and Scott Sypniewski Jr. share how they built SSLLC Plumbing into a $25M+ plumbing business by combining extreme ownership, leadership development, and strong company culture. From overcoming personal struggles to scaling fast in the trades, this father-son team breaks down real strategies for growing a service business, implementing EOS, an...

In episode 127 of Blue Collar StartUp, hosts Michael Nelson and Derek Foster sit down with Bill Tansey to discuss bringing structure to a chaotic business and defining the real root of your operational fires. They dive into the critical differences between just being busy and actually being productive, and how to know when wearing every hat becomes a liability instead of a hustle. You can connect...

In episode 126 of Blue Collar StartUp, Derek and Mike break down what marketing actually looks like when you’re starting a blue-collar business, from building a simple website to leveraging personal social media for real leads. Listen in as they discuss what’s worth your time, what’s a waste of money, and how to grow your visibility without overcomplicating the process. For exclusive content, bonu...

In episode 125 of Blue Collar StartUp, guest host Stacy Spector sits down with Sarah Patrie to explore her journey from growing up in a construction family to becoming Executive Director of PCI Northeast, highlighting the power of mentorship, industry involvement, and embracing nontraditional career paths. They dive into workforce development, innovation in concrete, and the critical role of relat...