Blue-Collar BS

Most business owners are sitting here in early January without any real plan for 2026 because they're still trying to close out 2025. Steve makes the case for one single measurable outcome that determines a successful year while Brad pushes back with the reality of "we just want more" thinking. Using gross margin improvement as an example, we walk through how to get every department aligned on the...

Manufacturing has a storytelling problem and it's costing the industry talent to the skilled trades. Meaghan Ziemba, a technical writer with a master's degree who's been in the industry since 2008, got tired of watching male hosts ignore her suggestions to interview women in manufacturing. So she started Mavens of Manufacturing during the 2020 pandemic and has since interviewed over 200 women, cre...

Most business owners get so stuck in daily operations overwhelm that they forget everything they accomplished throughout the year. Brad shares his process for helping clients identify wins they didn't even realize they had, while Steve explains the psychology behind why your success list is actually programming you for future achievements. We tackle the recency effect in performance reviews, why m...

Most blue collar business owners see real estate as either something they have to deal with or a major expense eating into their profits. Brad sits down solo with millennial real estate investor Geoff Stuhr to explore how property ownership can become a wealth building tool instead of just another overhead cost. We discuss the generational differences in approaching property ownership, why selling...

With Christmas less than a week away, we tackle one of the most uncomfortable conversations happening in blue collar businesses right now: the holiday bonus. What happens when bonuses have become an expectation rather than a reward? We talk through why delaying bad news creates disengagement, how to communicate with empathy when bonuses aren't happening, and the critical mistake of buying yourself...

With Steve out on college tours, I sit down solo with Beth Carter, the self-proclaimed badass bookkeeper who talks to trades clients like actual human beings instead of reciting profit and loss statements like a robot. We discuss why your aunt Sue probably shouldn't be doing your books, the difference between quality bookkeeping and data entry, and how a negative $250,000 bank account on a balance...

We dive into what separates great customer service from terrible experiences using Steve's recent dealership visits as an example. On this episode we discuss how behavioral styles impact sales performance, why most customer service failures are actually leadership problems, and the critical difference between selling to someone versus letting them buy from you. We explore how sales managers can be...

Remember when Black Friday meant people fighting at store entrances and camping out for deals? We dive into how one of America's biggest shopping traditions became a ghost town in just five years and what it reveals about how businesses must constantly evolve. In this episode, we get nostalgic about our completely different Black Friday experiences. Brad loved the event getting up early, hitting H...

Terry Taylor grew up moving 40 times before graduating high school, attending 25 different schools, and finding his path through sports instead of the wrong crowd. In this raw and honest episode, Terry shares how basketball and football taught him the perseverance, competitiveness, and accountability that propelled him from an hourly worker to plant manager at one of the biggest aerospace companie...

In this episode, we talk with Joe McClaran, a millennial talent acquisition manager who's passionate about changing perceptions of the skilled trades. Joe shares his journey from mortgage collections and food service to becoming a skilled trades advocate, and discusses the real challenges and opportunities in recruiting and retaining young talent in the construction industry. Joe reveals the truth...

Brad's morning at Panera turned into an accidental observation study on how personal drama is infiltrating the workplace. Surrounded by Gen X and Boomer professionals complaining about family issues, relationship problems, and personal grievances with coworkers, he witnessed something that used to be unthinkable people bringing their entire personal lives into professional spaces. The once-impenet...

Two Gen X women who worked their way through male-dominated manufacturing share stories about earning respect, managing up, and why facts beat emotions every time. Becca and Jennifer reunite with Brad who used to manage them back when they all worked at Bucyrus to discuss leadership lessons. Both women rose from early roles to director level positions Becca now leads marketing at Super Products ma...

At 22 years old, Colin Thomey manages staff members twice his age while running his own golf performance business on the side. His journey from retail frustration to golf course general manager reveals what happens when Gen Z enters leadership roles in family businesses. Colin learned early on in his career that coming on too strong with new ideas instead of taking time to understand the family bu...

When is a job really finished? This episode explores the gray area between completed work and customer satisfaction through Steve's personal experience as both contractor and homeowner in a landscaping project gone sideways. The conversation centers around a classic scenario: contractor completes work per original scope, homeowner calls four months later wanting additional work done. Steve built a...

How aware are you of your surroundings? Retired law enforcement captain Catherine Trimboli shares decades of experience about personal safety and situational awareness, revealing why our phone-obsessed generation has become sitting ducks for criminals. This GenXer spent 30+ years in law enforcement, working everything from jails to freeway patrol as a deputy, sergeant, lieutenant, and captain. Her...

A $6 soldering iron that catches fire the first time you use it versus a snap-on tool that still works perfectly after 35 years the difference between cheap tools and quality equipment mirrors the challenge many blue-collar businesses face with workforce compensation and expectations. The conversation starts with tool brand loyalty Milwaukee versus DeWalt versus Ryobi - and evolves into a deeper q...

A lot of business owners wake up one day looking like "crispy toast" and realize they need to exit only to discover their business isn't sellable. Mike Finger lived this nightmare firsthand and spent five brutal years rebuilding his company with buyers in mind before successfully selling. This Gen Xer has bought and sold multiple businesses over 25 years, learning hard lessons about what makes com...

What happens when two 30-something millennials decide to shake up a traditional industry dominated by older, established companies? Tim and Vadim from IRBIS HVAC prove that age is just a number when you combine technical expertise with smart marketing and genuine care for your team. These Ironman finishers started as hands-on technicians and built their Silicon Valley HVAC company from scratch, re...

From production manager to entrepreneur in just three months Nathan Schnell's water jet cutting startup reveals the real challenges and unexpected wins facing young business owners in traditional manufacturing industries. Born in 1995, Nathan represents that unique generation caught between millennials and Gen Z - old enough to appreciate wisdom from seasoned professionals, young enough to embrace...

What happens when workplace positivity becomes a toxic mask that's slowly killing your business? Steve's recent post about this very issue sparked a fascinating conversation that reveals why so many blue-collar organizations are struggling with employee loyalty and retention. The discussion began with a complete misunderstanding of what "toxic positivity" means. Its not about creating contagious p...

You don’t need to know the trade to own the business. Adam Goldman helps people see why franchising might be the smartest move they’ve never considered. We brought on Adam Goldman, a franchise consultant who's seen hundreds of folks jump ship from corporate life and into something way messier and way more fulfilling. From office cleaning to water restoration to lighting installs, Adam’s not just w...

We’ve all worked places where the culture sucked. Aaron Beay decided to build the one he always wanted and five years later, no one’s left. We brought Aaron on because of the culture he’s created one that actually retains young talent, and not by accident. After 18 years in the field, burnout pushed him to try teaching. That part-time gig turned into a full-blown strategy for recruiting and traini...

Ever thought about owning a franchise but had no idea what kind would actually fit? Chris Mesker’s been there and most people don’t realize how many are built for the trades. In this episode, we dig into what franchise ownership really looks like, especially for those of us coming from the trades, stuck in a job you hate, or just done working for someone else. Franchising isn’t just fast food. The...

If you’ve listened to the show for a while, you know that we are big believers that not everyone is meant for a 4-year university. It looks like the mainstream media has also picked up on that, and we're excited to dive into what that means for the future of work. Brad and I had a fantastic conversation this week about a significant cultural shift: high schoolers increasingly choosing the trades o...

We’ve heard a lot of “that’s how we’ve always done it” in the trades but Frank Manning is showing how to lead with humility, trust, and a hands-on mindset. Frank is the President of Diversified Marine, isn’t your typical shipyard boss. He stumbled into the marine industry after a failed business venture and has been hooked ever since. Leading one of the top tugboat building teams on the West Coast...