David Hewitt is one of the first guests we've had who's led teams across the world - China, Europe, Asia, and North America. This gives David a completely different perspective than many of us would have. One of the starkest differences is how people view work.

In China, people didn't mind hustling because it got them to a goal. In Europe, work hours are strict and asking someone to stay late is basically a non-starter. Very different perspectives.

One thing David shared with us is that you have to learn that people have different definitions of winning. As a leader, you need to be clear about what that looks like, share it, and hold people to that goal.

We discussed whether working from home actually kills innovation and if you can replicate team collaboration the way it would in an office. But on the flip side, many people are more productive working from home. Maybe a hybrid situation is the best option.

The real question is what your business actually needs to win and how to manage a workforce that isn't backing down on wanting autonomy and flexibility through working from home.

What matters most is being intentional about it. Define what winning means, show people how their work connects to that, and celebrate when you hit it. That works whether people are in an office or remote.

Highlights:

• Ideas flow differently when teams are in the office versus working remote.
• Taking on a challenge is different than being in over your head.
• Regularly check in with your team on goals and hold each person accountable.
• Move away from tenure and focus on results the next generation won't wait 20 years for a promotion.

Make sure to subscribe to Blue Collar BS. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear conversations about what's happening in the trades from people in the trades.

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When uncertainty hits whether it's weather, natural disasters, or the unexpected how you respond reveals your leadership. We talk about what separates leaders who have plans from leaders who are making it up as they go.

The difference between chaos and calm isn't luck. It's preparation. It's knowing what matters when everything else is falling apart. It's writing down who does what, what gets protected, and what the actual priorities are. Most leaders skip this step until it's too late.

There's also a shift happening in what employees expect from their leaders when crisis hits. The old mindset was sacrifice everything for the business. The new mindset is having a plan that doesn't require that choice. Both matter and good leaders figure out how to do both.

The real question isn't whether something will go wrong. It's whether you'll be ready when it does. And readiness starts with thinking it through now, before the pressure is on.

The real question isn't whether something will go wrong. It's whether you'll be ready when it does. And readiness starts with thinking it through now, before the pressure is on.

Highlights:

• Uncertainty reveals leadership prepare now or lead from chaos.
• Writing down your priorities and roles before crisis hits changes everything.
• Employees expect plans that don't force them to choose between family and work.
• The difference between panic and clarity is preparation.

If you haven't already make sure to subscribe to Blue Collar BS. We would also appreciate if you could give us a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on Apple Podcasts this helps more people find our show!

Let's welcome Pat Riley onto the show this week. As an entrepreneur for years, Pat made a big pivot into working for someone else. That shift gives him a unique view from both the owner's and employee's side.

This conversation challenged stereotypes we all hear Gen Z isn't lazy, Boomers aren't just selfish stock watchers, and bringing decades of experience into a new role doesn't mean you're stuck in old ways.

Pat spent years owning and selling multiple businesses before transitioning into a sales management role. That transition from being the boss to having a boss required humility and finding leadership with values that aligned with his. He found both at Earth Development, bringing experience in building and leading organizations to his new position.

We spend too much time labeling generations instead of recognizing what each one brings to the table.

Pat's team is young and motivated by something bigger than just money. They understand the company's mission of keeping people safe in the winter. They care about purpose and community.

Pat also talks about how he brought his AI expertise to transform a stagnant CRM system by simply asking technology how to solve problems differently.

The college debt crisis came up when Pat shared his daughter's story about how her ideal college tuition just didn't make sense at over $200,000. The math didn't work. She ended up choosing a college closer to home which sacrificed experience but saved a lot of money in the future.

Major employers are also starting to shift their requirements for four-year degrees. They've realized that many positions don't actually need one.

Highlights:

• Young workers care more about purpose and being part of something bigger than just money.
• Pat's transition from business owner to employee required humility and finding values-aligned leadership.
• College debt has reached the point where $268,000 for a teaching degree makes zero financial sense.
• Major employers now accept two-year degrees because they've realized the traditional four-year degree isn't necessary for many positions.
• AI tools can transform stagnant systems when you simply ask how to solve problems differently.

Do you want more honest conversations about what's actually happening in business and the workforce? Make sure to subscribe to Blue Collar BS. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear conversations about what's happening in the trades from people in the trades.

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We break away from our usual educational episodes to talk about what's actually going on in our lives. Steve's daughter is graduating, Brad's rebuilding a trailer, and the roasting begins immediately starting with Steve's 40 yards of concrete project that never happened.

Our conversation bounces from home improvement disasters to paint color debates (chartreuse with zebra stripes, anyone?) to what summer looks like when we're not recording podcast episodes. Brad's golfing in 31-degree weather. Steve refuses to shingle his own roof despite knowing how. We argue about whether Cookie Monster blue or lime green with pink LEDs makes more sense for a trailer.

We wrap the episode with what's next for the show. We're thinking about an in-person event late 2026 or 2027, somewhere between Detroit and Milwaukee. We want to know what would get you to show up. What would make it worth your time?

Highlights:

• We ditch the usual format for a conversation about summer plans and roasting each other.
• Steve's daughter graduates and heads to college.
• Brad debates trailer paint colors while Steve deals with deck repairs and roof quotes.
• What's next for the show: a potential in-person event if you want one.

Let us know. Would you attend an event? If so what would make it a "Hell Yes" to attend? Email us your ideas. We appreciate you being here.

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The trades can't find people. Employers know this. Yet most are still ghosting qualified applicants and ignoring an entire demographic that wants in. Zoey Bryant's story shows both problems at once young workers getting shut out and women never making it past the application stage.

Zoey dropped out of college after realizing she hated classrooms. Her mom suggested welding. She went to trade school, got her certifications, and then spent six months applying to jobs with zero callbacks. When a pontoon plant finally brought her in to learn aluminum welding on the job, she was outperforming 15-year veterans within two weeks. The talent was there. Employers just weren't looking.

Hiring practices need to change if shops actually want to solve their workforce problems. That means calling applicants back, giving young people a real shot to prove their skills, and actively recruiting women instead of defaulting to the same hiring patterns. Zoey's experience at the pontoon plant proves the model works train on the job, test the skill, stop assuming experience always beats fresh talent.

Her advice to high schoolers mirrors what employers need to hear: try it before deciding it's not for you. The worst that happens is failure. The best that happens is finding work that actually fits. But young people can't try if shops won't open the door.

Highlights:

• Employers need a hiring system that includes communicating with applicants about where they stand in the process.
• Veterans and young workers both bring value younger ones just need the opportunity to prove their skills.
• Young people should try the trades if they're remotely interested instead of defaulting to college.
• Women bring just as much talent to the trades as men they just need employers willing to give them a real chance to prove it.

Are you having a problem with hiring? This episode could be an eye-opener as to one of the reasons.

Make sure to subscribe to Blue Collar BS for conversations about solving real workforce problems. Share this with anyone struggling to find good workers in the trades.

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Brad's Friday game night exists because he got uncomfortable during COVID and started networking. That group of strangers a travel agent, Microsoft expert, idea coach, and HR consultant became the friends now playing ridiculous word games together. More importantly, they became the network that solves real business problems.

That network paid off when a client texted Friday at 10:30 AM needing 2,000 square feet of outdoor storage space by Monday. Brad connected them with a trucking client who had yard space, solving the problem in hours. Business owners who don't build networks miss these opportunities constantly.

Most business owners default to Craigslist or calling their CPA for referrals instead of developing real relationships with their service providers. The commercial insurance agent, financial planner, and even personal insurance broker are sitting on valuable networks but only if you actually build relationships beyond paying invoices.

Brad challenges all the bankers, lawyers, and CPAs listening: stop accepting "I'm too busy" as an answer. Go have coffee with your blue collar clients. Learn who they are beyond the annual meeting. This tight-knit community rewards those who show up and provide real value.

For technicians going into homes, be curious about the homeowners. They know tons of people and run businesses. A simple conversation about their work can lead to referrals neither party expected. The window installer who showed up with a trailer organized to the nines got Brad's referrals because that trailer opening signaled competence.

Highlights:

• Brad solved a client's emergency storage crisis in hours by connecting two people in his network.
• Most business owners only contact service providers when paying bills or fixing problems not building relationships.
• Your commercial insurance agent, financial planner, and banker have networks you're not tapping into.
• Technicians should be curious about homeowners - they run businesses and know people who need referrals.

Is your network limited to the people you already know? Your net worth really is your network but only if you invest time building real relationships.

Make sure to subscribe to Blue Collar BS for practical advice about what actually works in business.

Sam Goldberg swore he'd never work at the family business. A high school internship building packaging machines at Econocorp proved him wrong. What started as a summer job on the assembly floor turned into a passion that led him from intern to COO of the 60-year-old company his dad owns.

The intern-to-COO path wasn't handed to him despite being the owner's son. Sam's dad made it clear: "I can get you in the door, but I can't help you once I get you in the door." That shop floor time earned him credibility.

Family businesses come with unique challenges. Sam and his dad learned to filter feedback through other leaders to keep professional conflicts from bleeding into their personal relationship and avoid creating awkward workplace dynamics.

Since becoming COO, Sam tackled the outdated facility that looked time-warped into the 1980s. He implemented 5S to clean up a production floor where you couldn't walk without running into something, renovated office spaces, and brought in EOS implementation. Now they hold quarterly town halls where everyone on the team has a voice - including assembly workers telling engineers their designs are a nightmare to build.

Sam noticed the average employee age was 55-60, which would create a serious problem when those workers retired. He pushed to bring in younger talent, but the team was skeptical about Gen Zs' work ethic. Sam brought in summer interns who proved everyone wrong they showed up ready to work hard. Now the company runs ongoing internship programs.

Sam chairs PMMI's future workforce committee, supporting high school robotics and packaging competitions. His message challenges the idea that college is the only option several leadership team members started on the assembly floor without degrees. Manufacturing isn't dark, dirty, and dingy anymore. It's well-lit, clean, safe, and full of exciting technology.

Highlights:

• Sometimes you have to accept that people will leave when big changes are made.
• Sam's open-door policy means anyone can share ideas or feedback - from assembly workers to leadership.
• Sam says people being honest, even if it's hard to hear, is how things actually get resolved quicker.
• The reason it appears Gen Z doesn't want to work is because they don't see downtime as beneficial.
• Engineers must build their own complex designs to understand how their decisions impact the assembly team.

Are you trying to bridge generational gaps in your manufacturing facility or family business? Sam's story proves credibility comes from doing the work, not the title.

Make sure to subscribe to Blue Collar BS for more conversations with young leaders actually solving workforce problems instead of complaining about them. Share this with anyone who thinks Gen Z doesn't want to work hard.

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Ann Ensenbach is back for her second appearance to share what's happened since moving Apex Group to the Carolinas.

The company now has multiple locations and three divisions - manufacturing machining, research and development, and military armor products.

What started as one smaller location turned into acquiring a company that was going out of business due to tariff impacts and dependency on outsourced products. Their loss became Apex's gain, allowing them to continue jobs and bring more opportunities to the area.

Ann's focus is mass manufacturing with minimum runs of 5,000 units proving that high-volume production doesn't have to be outsourced.

Five percent of everything Apex makes goes into a foundation supporting tiny homes for foster kids and scholarships for veteran groups.

We talk about culture transformation when acquiring talent, why recognition tied to money works better than public praise, how tribal knowledge and assumptions slowly kill industries, and why leaders need to understand that people who don't feel cared for won't care about company goals.

• How acquiring a workforce from a company going out of business requires clear communication about values and putting the right people in the right places.
• Why recognition programs that focus on cash bonuses and financial incentives work better than public acknowledgment.
• The biggest slow killer in industry lack of adaptability and tribal knowledge that assumes things can't change from how they've always been done.
• How mass manufacturing with runs of 5,000+ units can be done in America despite assumptions it must be outsourced.
• Why giving employees retirement contributions automatically regardless of 401k participation creates opportunities younger workers can't afford on their own.

Make sure to subscribe to Blue Collar BS where we talk about the real gaps between generations in blue collar work and what it takes to lead across different age groups in today's trades.

Be the first to hear conversations like this that introduce options you didn't know existed and challenge what you thought was possible in business.

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We weren't aware of ESOPs before this conversation, and chances are you haven't heard of them either.

Employee Stock Ownership Plans can drastically change how you run your business and transform the lives of your employees.

Publix is one of the best examples of making their employees' lives better. Cashiers who may never make more than $20 an hour but stay there 20-30 years retire as multimillionaires because of employee ownership.

Matt Middendorp helps business owners understand this transition option that most have never heard of.

He started working at an ESOP company in college without knowing what it meant, but recognized the culture felt completely different from corporate retail. People collaborated and took ownership of problems instead of waiting for someone else to solve them.

Matt Middendorp helps business owners explore this transition option. He started working at an ESOP company in college without knowing what it meant, but recognized the culture felt completely different from corporate retail.

People collaborated and took ownership of problems instead of waiting for someone else to solve them.

We talk about how ESOPs work, why they offer better tax benefits than other transitions, what makes a business a good fit, and how this approach solves problems for both owners looking to exit and employees building toward retirement.

• How employee ownership changes company culture when people take ownership of problems instead of waiting for others to solve them.
• Why ESOP companies grow faster than non-ESOP companies once employees have real financial stakes in success.
• The tax advantages that make ESOPs attractive for both sellers and companies compared to other transition options.
• What makes ESOP transactions collaborative instead of the combative due diligence process with private equity or strategic buyers.
• How long-term employees build wealth that solves the retirement gap many Americans face.

Make sure to subscribe to Blue Collar BS where we talk about the real gaps between generations in blue collar work and what it takes to lead across different age groups in today's trades. Be the first to hear conversations like this that introduce options you didn't know existed and challenge what you thought was possible in business.

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Phone - 715-897-0879

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Daryl connects manufacturing, education, and workforce development helping companies across Ontario, Canada prepare for the future of skilled trades.

Working for over 25 years as a tool and die maker showed him that most people have no idea this career exists or where it fits into the economy and trades overall. That invisibility is why nobody enters these fields.

A third of Ontario's skilled trades workers are over 55 and heading toward retirement in the next decade, and this pattern is likely playing out across the globe.

Companies aren't preparing to transfer decades of knowledge to the next generation before it disappears.

We talk about how technology like virtual reality and AI-powered training apps make learning more engaging while preserving what veterans know.

The industry keeps fighting over the same small talent pool instead of expanding it by showing up in schools early. Young people can't choose careers in trades they don't know exist.

• How new training technology makes learning skilled trades more engaging for younger generations.
• Why companies need better systems to capture and preserve knowledge before experienced workers retire.
• The talent shortage is a math problem expanding the pool matters more than competing for the same people.
• What shifts when companies move from informal apprenticeships to structured training approaches.
• Visibility drives interest young people need to know trades exist before they can choose them as careers.

Subscribe to Blue Collar BS where we talk about the real gaps between generations in blue collar work and what it takes to lead across different age groups in today's trades. Every episode tackles the gap between what you're told should work and what actually works when you're running a business in the real world.

Resources:

Knowledge capturing software

VR

https://gpconnections.com/

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