Blue Collar Smart

Host Hugh Hornsby introduces Andrew Pacifico, CEO of Everflow Supplies who started his career in JP Morgan oil and gas investment banking before entering wholesale distribution at Morsco in 2012. He outlines leading acquisitions, learning under Reece Group, and growing Fordeline Waterworks by opening 25 branches and doubling the business before joining Everflow in 2025. Pacifico explains scaling a founder-led, “undermanaged” company by building an executive team, expanding sales coverage, opening a western distribution center, and emphasizing process over results and customer relationships.

00:00 Andrew’s Underdog Roots

03:18 Rice to Wall Street

05:33 Finding Distribution

07:07 Scaling Through M&A

10:55 Leading Everflow Growth

13:05 Sales Execution Mindset

15:43 Exit Planning for Owners

22:02 Private Equity in Trades

26:02 What Makes a Great Deal

28:33 Everflow’s Real Role

32:24 AI and the Human Touch

36:32 Yellow Pad Resilience

40:39 Bringing New Talent In

Thanks for listening, and please share this episode with a trade leader who is ready to build something bigger than a business. Every share helps us reach more owners, executives, and industry leaders who are committed to investing in their people and strengthening the future of the trades.

Have a great day.

Hugh Hornsby

"People build businesses. Invest in your people, and they'll invest in your future."

Get practical leadership insights, proven people-first strategies, and resources designed to help trade leaders build stronger teams, grow profitable businesses, and create organizations that stand the test of time. Join a community of owners, executives, and industry leaders who believe the future of the trades is built on people, relationships, and leadership.

Join the Community:

www.thebluecollarsmart.com and www.hughhornsby.com

Follow Hugh Hornsby:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-hornsby-51986b10/

Interested in executive advisory, leadership coaching, speaking, or mastermind opportunities? Connect with Hugh and discover how a people-first approach can help your organization grow with purpose, clarity, and lasting impact.

Show Sponsors

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About Andrew

Grew up in the Northeast, went to college in Texas. Started my career on Wall Street in investment banking. After graduate school, I pivoted to the wholesale distribution business (I really want to work in a business and help grow something). Spent 15+ years in wholesale distribution with MORSCO, Reece and Fortiline Waterworks. In 2025, I left the wholesale side to go to the supplier side, becoming CEO of Everflow Supplies.

Links

Website https://everflowsupplies.com/

LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-pacifico

Learn more about Distro at distro.app

Visit iWallet at https://www.iwallet.com/

Hugh Hornsby interviews Lieutenant Colonel Robert J. Darling, author of 24 Hours in the President’s Bunker. Darling details serving in the White House Military Office on 9/11, praising Condoleezza Rice’s support in the bunker, and explains how he now helps organizations improve resilience through risk assessment, preparedness, and people-first crisis leadership via Flash Emergency Management and FlashPrepared.

00:00 Meet Colonel Darling

03:34 Beirut Sparks Enlistment

09:05 Desert Shield Preparedness

11:21 Night Crash Leadership

16:06 Inside 9/11 Bunker

20:01 Why Trades Matter Now

26:45 Finance and Building a Team

28:38 Flash Emergency Management

31:01 Keeping Small Firms Sellable

37:39 People Before Profit Mindset

40:52 Affording Resilience Help

Thanks for listening, and please share this episode with a trade leader who is ready to build something bigger than a business. Every share helps us reach more owners, executives, and industry leaders who are committed to investing in their people and strengthening the future of the trades.

Have a great day.

Hugh Hornsby

"People build businesses. Invest in your people, and they'll invest in your future."

Get practical leadership insights, proven people-first strategies, and resources designed to help trade leaders build stronger teams, grow profitable businesses, and create organizations that stand the test of time. Join a community of owners, executives, and industry leaders who believe the future of the trades is built on people, relationships, and leadership.

Join the Community:

www.thebluecollarsmart.com and www.hughhornsby.com

Follow Hugh Hornsby:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-hornsby-51986b10/

Interested in executive advisory, leadership coaching, speaking, or mastermind opportunities? Connect with Hugh and discover how a people-first approach can help your organization grow with purpose, clarity, and lasting impact.

Show Sponsors

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About Lt. Colonel Robert J. Darling

In October 2007, Lieutenant Colonel Darling retired from the United States Marine Corps with just over twenty years of active-duty service. He flew attack helicopters in Desert Shield and Desert Storm during the first Gulf War and in Somalia, Africa, in support of Operation Restore Hope. In June 1998, he was selected to fly as a presidential pilot with Marine Helicopter Squadron One and in October 2000, was handpicked to work for the White House Military Office, Airlift Operations Department. It was in that capacity that Lt. Col. Darling supported the President, Vice President and National Security Advisor in the President's Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) on September 11, 2001. As a public speaker on crisis leadership and decision making, Bob has addressed numerous academic, government, and military organizations to include Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and as a guest lecturer on the subject of Crisis Leadership and counterterrorism at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Bob is the author of 24 Hours Inside the President’s Bunker, 9/11/01: The White House. He is the President and CEO of Flash Emergency Management, a crisis leadership training and technology company located in Stafford, Virginia.

Guest Links

Website: https://robertjdarling.com and https://flashprepared.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-j-darling-26a6674/?isSelfProfile=true

Learn more about Distro at distro.app

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Host Hugh Hornsby welcomes Dr. Greg Bourgond to discuss faith, purpose, and life transitions. Bourgond recounts his parents’ divorce at 12 and a defining “hugging the lion” moment that fueled lifelong focus, his 29-year Navy career retiring as a naval intelligence officer, and varied leadership roles in business, churches, and graduate education. He describes coming to Christ on August 11, 1973 after losing four babies and later founding Heart of a Warrior Ministries, now 30 years old. Bourgond outlines his book, The Winter of Your Life (“If you’re not dead, you’re not done”), explains four seasons of life, warns against identity in work, and shares practical steps for pursuing God’s counsel, planning, and meaningful legacy.

00:00 Welcome to Blue Collar Smart

01:25 Meet Dr Greg Bourgond

02:38 A Life of Many Callings

05:40 Finding the Right Ratio

07:17 The Lion Vow at 12

09:29 You Were Made on Purpose

11:15 Coming to Christ

15:17 Heart of a Warrior Begins

19:22 Winter of Life and Identity

22:10 The Four Seasons Framework

24:36 Inside the Book

27:57 Cancer Wake Up Call

29:05 Faithful Available Teachable

32:18 Where to Get the Book

33:55 Character Over Competence

35:24 Yellow Pad Advice

37:43 Nine Steps to Finish Strong

Thanks for listening, and please share this episode with a trade leader who is ready to build something bigger than a business. Every share helps us reach more owners, executives, and industry leaders who are committed to investing in their people and strengthening the future of the trades.

Have a great day.

Hugh Hornsby

"People build businesses. Invest in your people, and they'll invest in your future."

Get practical leadership insights, proven people-first strategies, and resources designed to help trade leaders build stronger teams, grow profitable businesses, and create organizations that stand the test of time. Join a community of owners, executives, and industry leaders who believe the future of the trades is built on people, relationships, and leadership.

Join the Community:

www.thebluecollarsmart.com and www.hughhornsby.com

Follow Hugh Hornsby:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-hornsby-51986b10/

Interested in executive advisory, leadership coaching, speaking, or mastermind opportunities? Connect with Hugh and discover how a people-first approach can help your organization grow with purpose, clarity, and lasting impact.

Show Sponsors

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About Dr. Greg Bourgond

Dr. Greg Bourgond is the founder and president of Heart of a Warrior Ministries, where he has spent more than three decades helping men develop lives of integrity, purpose, faith, and leadership. His background spans 29 years of active and reserve service in the U.S. Navy, including service as a Naval Intelligence Officer, along with leadership roles in the defense industry, business, churches, seminaries, and higher education.

Learn more about Dr. Greg Bourgond and Heart of a Warrior Ministries:

https://www.heartofawarrior.org/

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Visit iWallet at https://www.iwallet.com/

Host Hugh Hornsby interviews Daniel Quinonez, newly named CEO of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC), about his blue-collar upbringing in Newark, New Jersey, and his career path through construction associations, the National Association of Home Builders, and PHCC’s Educational Foundation. Quinones describes PHCC’s 140-year history and emphasizes apprenticeship training, scholarships, and PHCC’s Online Academy, plus continued business and leadership education for contractors. He discusses membership challenges from an aging contractor base and private equity consolidation, and the need to re-energize younger, tech-savvy members. Quinones frames “building the middle of the road” as offering debt-free, earn-while-you-learn alternatives to college debt, urges strong licensure standards against untrained contractors and fraudulent schools, views AI as a helpful business resource, and shares his “yellow pad” advice: never quit.

00:00 Blue Collar Roots

03:36 Path to PHCC Leadership

06:33 PHCC History and Change

08:49 Trades vs College Debt

12:22 Building the Middle Road

17:43 Business Skills for Growth

19:36 Succession and Private Equity

22:40 AI as a Tool

26:18 Licensing and Training Standards

30:00 Avoiding Fly By Night Schools

34:52 How to Start with PHCC

39:56 Yellow Pad Advice

42:33 Future of the Trades

Thanks for listening, and please share this episode with a trade leader who is ready to build something bigger than a business. Every share helps us reach more owners, executives, and industry leaders who are committed to investing in their people and strengthening the future of the trades.

Have a great day.

Hugh Hornsby

"People build businesses. Invest in your people, and they'll invest in your future."

Get practical leadership insights, proven people-first strategies, and resources designed to help trade leaders build stronger teams, grow profitable businesses, and create organizations that stand the test of time. Join a community of owners, executives, and industry leaders who believe the future of the trades is built on people, relationships, and leadership.

Join the Community:

www.thebluecollarsmart.com and www.hughhornsby.com

Follow Hugh Hornsby:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-hornsby-51986b10/

Interested in executive advisory, leadership coaching, speaking, or mastermind opportunities? Connect with Hugh and discover how a people-first approach can help your organization grow with purpose, clarity, and lasting impact.

About Daniel

Daniel Quinonez is the incoming CEO of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors—National Association (PHCC), bringing more than 20 years of experience in association leadership, advocacy, and workforce development. Raised in a blue-collar New Jersey community, Quinonez credits working in his father’s Newark tavern from a young age with instilling the work ethic that has shaped his career. Before joining PHCC, he held leadership roles with organizations including the Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association and Professional Electrical Apparatus Reconditioning League, worked with the National Association of Home Builders, and served 12 years in the U.S. Army Reserve. Since joining the PHCC Educational Foundation in 2023, Quinonez has helped expand apprenticeship education, scholarships, industry partnerships, and the PHCC Academy, while also serving as PHCC’s Chief Operating Officer. He was selected in May 2026 to succeed Cindy Sheridan as CEO, assuming the position November 1, 2026.

Links

PHCC Educational Foundation https://www.phccfoundation.org/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-quinonez-690ba68/

Show Sponsors

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Host Hugh Hornsby interviews Dr. Sam McGough, a former chiropractor who built a multi-provider medical clinic enterprise, stopped treating patients about a decade ago, and focused on systems, SOPs, and masterminds to create a business that can run without him. McGough explains his motivation came from his truck-driver father’s death, when a lack of systems forced his mother to sell the business assets cheaply, shaping his goal of building transferable companies. He shares how his Aestus mastermind emphasized transparent peer learning without vendor selling, and argues trades businesses often struggle to sell because owners remain the rainmaker and lack cash flow and documentation. McGough describes entering HVAC via a successful plumber patient, launching an HVAC business in January, adding electrical, pursuing plumbing, and prioritizing customer service, relationships, and building a home-services platform targeting $20–$50M revenue with strong margins and optionality.

00:00 Welcome to Blue Collar Smart

01:07 Sam’s Clinic Journey

05:18 Building Aestus Mastermind

15:18 Systems and Hiring Fast

18:25 Aging Owners and Selling

24:50 Acquisition Rollup Strategy

29:41 Hunt for Success Podcast

31:37 Money Skills for Trades

36:55 Real Mastermind Culture

39:09 Yellow Pad Takeaway

42:47 Freedom Through Systems

44:45 How to Contact Sam

Thanks for listening, and please share this episode with a trade leader who is ready to build something bigger than a business. Every share helps us reach more owners, executives, and industry leaders who are committed to investing in their people and strengthening the future of the trades.

Have a great day.

Hugh Hornsby

"People build businesses. Invest in your people, and they'll invest in your future."

Get practical leadership insights, proven people-first strategies, and resources designed to help trade leaders build stronger teams, grow profitable businesses, and create organizations that stand the test of time. Join a community of owners, executives, and industry leaders who believe the future of the trades is built on people, relationships, and leadership.

Join the Community:

www.thebluecollarsmart.com and www.hughhornsby.com

Follow Hugh Hornsby:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-hornsby-51986b10/

Interested in executive advisory, leadership coaching, speaking, or mastermind opportunities? Connect with Hugh and discover how a people-first approach can help your organization grow with purpose, clarity, and lasting impact.

About Sam

Dr. Sam McGough is an entrepreneur, healthcare executive, systems-builder, and host of The Hunt for Success. As Founder and CEO of Discovery Medical Center, a leader in national clinic platforms, and creator of Aestus Mastermind, Sam helps entrepreneurs and executives build successful businesses that create greater freedom, purpose, and adventure. An avid outdoorsman, he applies lessons from hunting, fishing, and the backcountry to leadership, discipline, resilience, and decision-making. Through candid conversations with successful founders, investors, and executives, Sam explores the strategies, failures, and habits behind building wealth without sacrificing the life you want to live.

Links

Website https://thehuntforsuccess.com/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/huntforsuccesspodcast

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/huntforsuccesspodcast/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-mcgough-674675135/

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUJBYLwqq-xy-CBEslkvmzw

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@huntforsuccesspodcast

Thank you to our sponsors

iWallet https://www.iwallet.com/

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Hugh Hornsby introduces his new podcast, Blue Collar Smart, explaining it reflects how people think rather than how they dress and sharing how childhood epilepsy and a learning disability shaped his perspective. He interviews Gary S. Michel, a Virginia Tech engineer and author of Decomplify and The Founder’s Mindset, who has led companies including JELD-WEN, Honeywell, Club Car, Trane, and Ingersoll Rand. They discuss Bud Foster’s “Lunch Pail Defense” and the idea that purpose and clarity outperform raw talent. Michel explains how leaders “complify” work with extra reports and meetings, why focusing on the critical few customer problems wins, and how asking frontline employees questions can prevent unnecessary capital spending. They cover building great companies people want to buy from, work for, and invest in, talent-destination cultures, mentorship, and Michel’s “yellow pad” lesson: be fully present and focus on what matters most.

00:00 Launch Story

01:17 Meet Gary Michel

02:39 Lunch Pail Leadership

04:27 From Engineer to Leader

06:36 Decomplify and Clarity

08:46 Focus on the Critical Few

12:30 Ask the People Doing Work

15:07 What Makes a Great Company

20:50 Culture and Talent Magnet

23:07 Ask Better Questions

25:48 Yellow Pad Moment

29:06 Mentors and Advisors

Thanks for listening, and please share this episode with a trade leader who is ready to build something bigger than a business. Every share helps us reach more owners, executives, and industry leaders who are committed to investing in their people and strengthening the future of the trades.

Have a great day.

Hugh Hornsby

"People build businesses. Invest in your people, and they'll invest in your future."

Get practical leadership insights, proven people-first strategies, and resources designed to help trade leaders build stronger teams, grow profitable businesses, and create organizations that stand the test of time. Join a community of owners, executives, and industry leaders who believe the future of the trades is built on people, relationships, and leadership.

Join the Community:

www.thebluecollarsmart.com and www.hughhornsby.com

Follow Hugh Hornsby:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-hornsby-51986b10/

Interested in executive advisory, leadership coaching, speaking, or mastermind opportunities? Connect with Hugh and discover how a people-first approach can help your organization grow with purpose, clarity, and lasting impact.

Guest Bio

Gary S. Michel is a transformation expert and seasoned executive who believes that the most powerful tool a leader possesses isn’t a spreadsheet—it’s a mindset. With nearly forty years of experience leading iconic brands like JELD-WEN, Honeywell, Club Car, Trane, and Ingersoll Rand, Gary has spent his career at the inter- section of high-stakes strategy and human-centric leadership. While his tenure as a board chair and CEO earned him acco- lades like “Most Admired CEO” by the Charlotte Business Journal, Gary is most often sought after for his role as a mentor and advi- sor. He has cultivated a loyal following of leaders and team mem- bers who rely on his unique ability to strip away corporate noise and restore a founder’s sense of ownership and purpose to estab- lished organizations. Whether he is delivering a keynote to hundreds, serving on boards, or advising a single executive, Gary’s guidance is rooted in the belief that clarity is a gift you give your team. A Vistage resource speaker and Forbes featured author, he is a dedicated advocate for the next generation of leaders through his board work with the American Heart Association and his deep roots in the Charlotte, North Carolina, community.

Links

Website: www.garysmichel.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garymichel1/

Thank you to our sponsors

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On Blue Collar Smart, Hugh Hornsby welcomes author and business relationship expert Ed Wallace for a practical conversation about building relational capital in sales, leadership, and the trades. Wallace explains how a family emergency led him to leave a successful corporate sales career and create a training company built around credibility, integrity, and authenticity. He shares his three-part learning model of stories, tools, and process while introducing relational GPS, the Fab Five, and the relationship ladder. Hugh and Ed examine why transactional thinking limits sales teams, how private equity-backed companies risk losing valuable relationships during acquisitions, and why active listening helps tradespeople stand apart from their competitors. Wallace also explains how leaders can use AI without losing their voice and shows how understanding another person’s goals, passions, and struggles creates stronger, lasting business relationships.

00:00 — Authenticity and Relational Capital

01:55 — Meet Ed Wallace

06:35 — From CPA to Founder

11:50 — Practical Relationship Training

18:35 — Build Your Fab Five

23:20 — Transactional Sales Problem

27:05 — Relationships Between the Boxes

31:40 — Active Listening Wins Business

38:15 — AI Without Losing Humanity

49:45 — The Relational GPS

Thanks for listening, and please share this episode with a trade leader who is ready to build something bigger than a business. Every share helps us reach more owners, executives, and industry leaders who are committed to investing in their people and strengthening the future of the trades.

Have a great day.

Hugh Hornsby

"People build businesses. Invest in your people, and they'll invest in your future."

Get practical leadership insights, proven people-first strategies, and resources designed to help trade leaders build stronger teams, grow profitable businesses, and create organizations that stand the test of time. Join a community of owners, executives, and industry leaders who believe the future of the trades is built on people, relationships, and leadership.

Join the Community:

www.thebluecollarsmart.com and www.hughhornsby.com

Follow Hugh Hornsby:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-hornsby-51986b10/

Interested in executive advisory, leadership coaching, speaking, or mastermind opportunities? Connect with Hugh and discover how a people-first approach can help your organization grow with purpose, clarity, and lasting impact.

Guest Links

AchieveNEXT: https://achievenext.com

LInkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/edwallace

Thank you to our sponsors

iWallet https://www.iwallet.com/

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Visit iWallet at https://www.iwallet.com/

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In this episode of Blue Collar Smart, Hugh Hornsby welcomes Jason Sullivan, founder of Distro, to explore how artificial intelligence can help trade distributors transform their businesses without losing their people-first culture. Jason shares how his background in cognitive science, computer science, finance, and AI led him into the distribution industry. The conversation covers preserving knowledge as experienced employees retire, helping teams embrace new technology, protecting company data, navigating private equity and succession, and using AI as a force multiplier rather than a replacement for people. Jason also shares practical leadership lessons from building Distro and explains why strong founders must remain students of their employees, customers, and industry.

00:00 — Why AI is really business transformation

02:50 — Combining cognitive science with artificial intelligence

07:00 — Preserving expertise as the workforce ages

11:31 — Introducing AI into a people-first business

18:42 — Protecting your data when adopting AI

24:39 — Why founders need the right support system

31:40 — Private equity, succession, and competitive leverage

40:09 — Jason’s “yellow pad” leadership lesson

Thanks for listening, and please share this episode with a trade leader who is ready to build something bigger than a business. Every share helps us reach more owners, executives, and industry leaders who are committed to investing in their people and strengthening the future of the trades.

Have a great day.

Hugh Hornsby

"People build businesses. Invest in your people, and they'll invest in your future."

Get practical leadership insights, proven people-first strategies, and resources designed to help trade leaders build stronger teams, grow profitable businesses, and create organizations that stand the test of time. Join a community of owners, executives, and industry leaders who believe the future of the trades is built on people, relationships, and leadership.

Join the Community:

www.thebluecollarsmart.com and www.hughhornsby.com

Follow Hugh Hornsby:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-hornsby-51986b10/

Interested in executive advisory, leadership coaching, speaking, or mastermind opportunities? Connect with Hugh and discover how a people-first approach can help your organization grow with purpose, clarity, and lasting impact.

Guest Bio

Jason Sullivan is the founder and CEO of Distro, the Agentic AI Sales Platform purpose-built for wholesale distributors and manufacturers' reps. He holds a master's in computer science with a focus on artificial intelligence from Stanford and an undergraduate degree in cognitive science from Yale. This rare pairing gives him both deep technical mastery and a sharp understanding of how people actually adopt and use technology.

Links

Website: distro.app

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncsullivan/

Visit iWallet at https://www.iwallet.com/

Visit iWallet at https://www.iwallet.com/

In this episode of Blue Collar Smart, Hugh Hornsby welcomes entrepreneur, philanthropist, author, and global business leader Sir Darren Jacklin to discuss how adversity can become the foundation for resilience, leadership, and lasting impact. Sir Darren shares how he moved beyond learning disabilities, mental health struggles, homelessness, and financial ruin to help grow eXp Realty into a multibillion-dollar company. He also explains why relationships, controlled discomfort, clear goals, thoughtful succession planning, and personal integrity are essential to building businesses that serve people and create a meaningful legacy.

00:00 — The vision behind Blue Collar Smart

02:00 — Overcoming early labels and a mental health crisis

07:30 — Why entrepreneurs often feel misunderstood

11:40 — Building success through service and relationships

18:45 — The network that led Sir Darren to eXp Realty

25:45 — Acquiring businesses to fund global philanthropy

28:25 — Preparing a business for succession and retirement

33:45 — From homelessness and financial ruin to millionaire

39:05 — Acting despite fear, doubt, and discomfort

42:05 — Why integrity gives your words power

Thanks for listening, and please share this episode with a trade leader who is ready to build something bigger than a business. Every share helps us reach more owners, executives, and industry leaders who are committed to investing in their people and strengthening the future of the trades.

Have a great day.

Hugh Hornsby

"People build businesses. Invest in your people, and they'll invest in your future."

Get practical leadership insights, proven people-first strategies, and resources designed to help trade leaders build stronger teams, grow profitable businesses, and create organizations that stand the test of time. Join a community of owners, executives, and industry leaders who believe the future of the trades is built on people, relationships, and leadership.

Join the Community:

www.thebluecollarsmart.com and www.hughhornsby.com

Follow Hugh Hornsby:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-hornsby-51986b10/

Interested in executive advisory, leadership coaching, speaking, or mastermind opportunities? Connect with Hugh and discover how a people-first approach can help your organization grow with purpose, clarity, and lasting impact.

Thank you to our sponsors

iWallet https://www.iwallet.com/

Distro distro.app

Learn more about Distro at distro.app

Learn more about Distro at distro.app

Randy Chaffee joins Hugh Hornsby for a conversation about leadership, adaptability, and why relationships remain the greatest competitive advantage in today's rapidly changing trades industry. With more than four decades of experience in building materials, manufacturing, sales, and industry leadership, Chaffee shares how growing up on a Michigan farm shaped his work ethic, why serving people always outperforms chasing transactions, and how personal branding has become just as important as product knowledge.

Together they discuss the evolution of sales after COVID, the role of digital communication and AI, the importance of hybrid relationship-building, and why technology should amplify—not replace—human connection. The conversation also explores recruiting the next generation into the trades, supporting women and underrepresented groups in the industry, financial education, private equity, leadership culture, and the mindset required to continually adapt as the business landscape evolves. Chaffee closes by encouraging leaders to embrace change while remaining grounded in their core values, reminding listeners that their greatest asset will always be their willingness to learn, grow, and serve others.

00:00 Adaptability Is Your Greatest Advantage

01:15 Welcome to Blue Collar Smart

02:15 Randy Chaffee's Journey into the Trades

04:35 Lessons Learned on the Family Farm

06:25 Why You Must Love What You Do

08:05 Relationships Over Transactions

10:25 Playing the Long Game in Sales

11:25 Becoming Part of the Industry

13:30 Building Trust That Lasts

14:30 Advice for Young Sales Professionals

15:10 You Are Your Brand

17:20 Selling Yourself Before Your Product

19:25 Private Equity and Industry Change

20:45 The Power of Hybrid Selling

23:40 AI as a Force Multiplier

24:20 Why the Trades Need More Women

26:35 Building Careers Through the Trades

28:20 Teaching Financial Intelligence

31:25 Mindset Creates Financial Success

33:30 People Are the Greatest Asset

35:45 Systems and Street Smarts

38:35 Randy's Yellow Pad Moment

40:40 Becoming an Adapter

42:00 You're Capable of More Than You Think

43:40 Final Thoughts on Leadership

Thanks for listening, and please share this episode with a trade leader who is ready to build something bigger than a business. Every share helps us reach more owners, executives, and industry leaders who are committed to investing in their people and strengthening the future of the trades.

About Guest

Randy L. Chaffee is the #1 Amazon Best Selling Author of Asphalt and Algorithms, with his newest book, The Closers Part 7, coming soon. Known as #HybridRoadWarriorRandy, he has spent more than four decades helping businesses grow through relationships, reputation, and practical sales strategies. As a speaker, author, and host of BuildingWins.LIVE, Randy combines old-school relationship selling with today’s digital tools to help professionals succeed in a changing marketplace.

Have a great day.

Hugh Hornsby

"People build businesses. Invest in your people, and they'll invest in your future."

Get practical leadership insights, proven people-first strategies, and resources designed to help trade leaders build stronger teams, grow profitable businesses, and create organizations that stand the test of time. Join a community of owners, executives, and industry leaders who believe the future of the trades is built on people, relationships, and leadership.

Join the Community:

www.thebluecollarsmart.com and www.hughhornsby.com

Follow Hugh Hornsby:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-hornsby-51986b10/

Interested in executive advisory, leadership coaching, speaking, or mastermind opportunities? Connect with Hugh and discover how a people-first approach can help your organization grow with purpose, clarity, and lasting impact.

Thank you to our sponsors

iWallet https://www.iwallet.com/

Distro distro.app

Learn more about Distro at distro.app

Learn more about Distro at distro.app