Everything They Don't Tell You

Today I have a guest on the show who is incredibly passionate about her craft. She was actually supposed to join us last week with Kendra but couldn't make it. Honestly, I'm a little glad for that because we got to focus only on her and her journey. Jessica Duquette is a Millwright Apprentice who spends her days in the mines. Funny story, she has actually known she was going to work in the mines a...

Today we sit down with a truly remarkable young lady. Kendra Liinamaa joins us to talk all about being a Millwright Apprentice and working in the mines. One of my favorite parts of her story was when she told me that she was into automotive and welding all through high school. When I asked why her answer was that she comes from a heavy metal family to working with metal just made sense 😂 Anyways,...

Today we sit down with another ultra passionate tradesperson that turned their experience into a way to improve the landscape of safety in the skilled trades. Pete Zeppetella joins us on the podcast to talk about his journey through the trades, starting at just 13 years old in carpentry. He has always excelled at working with his hands so he went from carpentry to mechanics to framing to carpentry...

Today we sit down with a fellow author I met on Twitter. Jeff Putnam (@Rugged_Legacy) sits down today to tell us all about his journey through the blue collar trades. And how it led him to where he is now. A successful entrepreneur, writer, and amateur boxer. Jeff's journey begins and ends in South Carolina. In high school he signed up for the automotive vocational program to get out of class, but...

Today, we sit down with a seasoned skilled trades professional. Trevor Matthews of RefrigerationMentor.com joins us today to talk with us all about his journey in the trades. In high school he wasn't the slightest bit interested in working with his hands. Never even crossed his mind. So he did what many others have done over the years and went to university for business. Once he graduated, he coul...

Today, we talk with a huge advocate of women in construction. She herself has lived in a world of construction & skilled trades. Coralee Beatty joins us on the show today to share with us her journey through the trades. Coralee loved construction from a young age. Something about the smell of the wood, how the sound echoes through empty walls, and premonitions of who might occupy the future house....

We've got a special episode today. As most of you know, I am the West Coast Region Leader for the Fedd Group (thefeddgroup.com) and I sit down today (again) with the Midwest Region Leader, Mr Taz Sutherland. We wanted to make the world aware of what the FEDD group is and it's involvement in the skilled trades by breaking down the agenda for FeddCon 2022, happening in Scottsdale AZ April 25-27 th T...

Today we sit down with someone I've been trying to get on the show for the better part of a year. You might know him on Instagram as The HVAC Doctor. The great Dr Matt Waxer joins us today to talk all about his journey into the trades. Starting off living the typical narrative in high school, Matt had an interest in the trades, but listened to those who told him he had a brighter future going to u...

Today we welcome BACK to the show, and awesome advocate of the skilled trades. Only a year and a half removed from high school, Paige Knowles is finding any and every way possible to change the landscape of the skilled trades. In addition to being in college for Construction Management, Paige also has a popular Instagram & TikTok where she advocates for the trades. A Youtube channel to showcase th...

Today we're talking with another fellow Rock the Trades Rocker, Kurt Stenberg. Kurt has an awesome story that begins just out of high school as an EMT and Firefighter. Unfortunately, this highly stressful and traumatic career landed Kurt with PTSI (Post Traumatic Stress Injury) and he had to divert. After that Kurt found Arboriculture and fell in love with the profession. He dove head first into b...

Today we sit down with another fellow Rocker from Rock the Trades. He's as dedicated and transparent as they come and a wealth of knowledge in the HVAC world. You know him as @Northwest_hvac on Instagram. Mr Jamie Christensen joins us today to talk about his journey through the trades. Jamie's love for working with his hands started in high school when he got his first car. He loved changing the o...

Today we've got an awesome guest on the show. Someone who left corporate America to pursue a passion in woodworking. Mr Danny Zientek joins us today to talk with us about his journey to starting a wood working business. About a month ago, Danny posted his accomplishment on LinkedIn. He received over 100k like and almost 7k comments supporting his decision. I am proud to be one of those likes and t...

Alright, we're BACK in the saddle bringing you a new round of episodes, starting with the one and only Jessica Bannister or HVACJess as you may know her on Instagram. Jess started off on the typical route going to university after high school and landing in an admin position for the better part of 10 years. Once that career became less fulfilling than expected, she joined the family HVAC/R with he...

Today we have an awesome guest talking about an organization that supports the skilled trades to no end. Jeff Matulich joins us today as the VP of Marketing and Member Services for EGIA. For those unfamiliar, EGIA is the Electric & Gas Industries Association, a non profit organization. But they are far more than that. They also have a Contractor University Training Platform that focuses on the bus...

Today we talk to a Partnership Builder from a company that we've all heard of, Partstown. His official title is Vice President of Service and Dealer Partnerships, but I like partnership builder better. Chuck Combs comes on the show with us to talk a little about his background in college and the military as well as his responsibilities at Partstown. We also get into some hot topics like the percep...

Today's guest is a fellow podcaster, tradesperson, truth speaker, and inspirer. Jesus (Jesse) Hernandez is a plumber by trade who is also the host of the popular podcast Learnins and Missteps. His journey starts in high school, where he was academically gifted. A smart guy who checked all the right boxes and was well on his way to a shiny new college education. Because of his high energy attitude...

Today we have an industry expert on the show. Not necessarily in the field, but in the recruiting aspect. But he's not actually a recruiter. You still with me? Good. His name is Ryan Englin, CEO & Founder of Core Matters. He is nothing short of a pioneer in the blue collar world and is laser focused on solving the age-old problem of how to attract people, not only to the industry, but to your comp...

Welcome to today's special RFMA edition of Blue is the New White. Today we sit down, in person, with Rich Malachy of Malachy Parts & Service and The FEDD Group while in Charlotte NC to talk about the power of social media. What does this have to do with Blue being the New White? Well listen, part of climbing the latter and chasing opportunity is networking. And, in this day and age, networking can...

Stepping out of my realm a little bit this week. We have a roundtable of brilliant minds on today's show talking on a topic that few want to touch on: inclusiveness and diversity in the trades. My standpoint is very simple: Can you do the job? Why does it have to be more complicated than that? So without further ado here is: Miriam Jordi – A driven advocate who is in quality control. Previously a...

Today we sit down with someone who as just as passionate about the trades as I am. So much so that he's leading a brilliant initiative to Honor those in the trades, Inform those not in the trades, and Empower those who want to be in the trades. Chris CB Brenchley is the co-founder & CEO of Surehand, and the driving force behind Rock the trades. And today we talk on all aspects of the industry from...

This is our 100 th episode of Blue is the New White. Can you believe it? We've had 100 people on this show to share their knowledge, insight, wisdom, and advice for the skilled trades. I can't believe it myself. So before I introduce todays guest, a BIG shoutout to everyone who made this possible. All 100 guest, the thousands of listeners, and of course, this big beautiful industry that we all lov...

Today we talk with someone in the Facilities world. Not the boots on the ground facilities, but the technology space surrounding facilities. Griffin Hamilton is one of the founders of Flow Path, a facilities specific platform designed to deliver enterprise performance for small teams. Griffin has an incredibly relatable story. He grew up and followed the traditional path, got good grades, got a sc...

Today we have some familiar faces on the show. Faces you all know and love. Rich Malachy with Malachy Parts & Service, and FEDD. And Taz Sutherland with Walmart and my counterpart as region leader for FEDD. Join us for this off-the-cuff conversation about technician wages, company culture, the prices in the industry today, and the prices in the industry tomorrow. We talk about the economic climate...

Today we talk with a fellow FEDD Member, and if you don't know what that is, shame on you. Just kidding, look them up Food Equipment Digital Disrupters on Facebook. The fedd group dot com. Anyways, Chris Rohling with oasis preferred maintenance joins us today to tell us about his journey through the industry. Chris grew up admiring his grandfathers hands-on approach and his dads entrepreneurial sp...

Today's guest came up in the automotive industry to find his success. Chris Knuth is the owner of Star Motors European Service and founder of APAC ATI a non-profit organization that provides automotive technical training combined with personal growth and transformation skills to meet the demands of life. Serving Veterans, the recovery community, ex-offenders and other at-risk communities. Chris gr...