In this episode of Blue Collar Startup, host Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media sits down with Scott McKenna of Catamount Consulting to dive deep into the topic of emotional intelligence (EQ). Tune in as they discuss how EQ impacts leadership, team dynamics, hiring, company culture, and long-term success in business and life.

Learn more about Scott and Catamount Consulting at catamountconsultingllc.com.

0:15 Intro

0:43 Introducing Scott McKenna

1:20 What is EQ?

3:18 Self-Awareness and Emotional Growth

5:26 Coachable vs. Unfireable

7:24 EQ in Schools and the Trades

10:00 Skills vs. Attitude in Hiring

13:23 Company Culture and EQ

17:42 Psychological Safety at Work

21:11 Investing in Emotional Intelligence

22:46 What EQ Looks Like on the Job

24:54 EQ Reduces Chaos and Firefighting

27:43 Extreme Ownership and Team Trust

33:44 Efficient Leadership through EQ

34:40 How to Train EQ in Organizations

36:36 Teaching Self-Awareness and Composure

41:11 How to Build Empathy

47:29 Guardian vs. Warrior Leadership

54:01 The FORM Method for Better Communication

55:29 Final Thoughts on Emotional Intelligence

56:43 Book Recommendations and Wrap-Up

59:57 Sponsor Acknowledgments and Closing Thoughts

In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, hosts Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media and Derek Foster of Daigle Cleaning Systems have an honest conversation about what it really takes to build and grow a business. Listen in as they share lessons from their own business journeys, discuss the importance of building a strong team and being a strong leader, how success is a never-ending project, and more!

Find Blue Collar StartUp on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Rumble and connect with us today at [email protected].

0:15 Introduction

1:29 How Long It Really Takes to Build a Business

3:19 Derek’s 15-Year Business Journey

5:00 Starting Without Corporate Experience

6:27 The Never-Ending Project of Growth

8:14 The Myth of “Set It and Forget It” Success

10:00 Quitting the Day Job

12:15 Competing in a Crowded Industry

13:32 Growth Milestones: 0 to 50+ Employees

15:04 Building Culture and Processes

17:31 Delegation and Leadership Evolution

19:03 Education, Certification, and Self-Improvement

21:32 Defining Good Management

28:24 Providing Resources and Getting Out of the Way

30:09 Learning From Mistakes and Documenting Solutions

33:18 The Importance of Hiring the Right People

35:06 Employee Recognition and Internal Growth Paths

37:30 Recruiting and Meeting Talent Halfway

39:03 Creating Career Roadmaps and Aligning Pay

41:01 Perceptions of Hard Work

44:52 Advice for Startups and Final Thoughts

47:13 Thank You to Our Sponsors

This is a special crossover episode with our sister show, Buying Local, on Blue Collar Startup! In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, hosts Mike Nelson and Derek Foster interview Terry Hubbard of Peak Environmental about innovative landscape construction and eco-friendly practices. Tune in as they discuss robotic mowers, sustainable services, opportunities in the landscape industry, and more!

Find Blue Collar StartUp on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Rumble and connect with us today at [email protected].

Learn more about Terry and Peak Environmental at peakec.com.

0:15 Introduction

0:28 Mike and Derek’s Banter

1:56 Introduction of Guest Terry Hubbard

2:01 Overview of Peak Environmental

2:16 The Evolution of the Landscape Industry

5:02 Introduction to Robotic Mowers (Mobots)

6:38 Terry’s Journey to Eco-Friendly Practices

8:41 Shift to Organic Lawn Care

9:41 Environmental Impact of Traditional Lawn Care

12:39 Strategies for Sustainable Landscaping

13:50 Transition to Electric Equipment

16:13 Benefits of Robotic Mowers

17:31 Industry Pressures and Automation

20:00 Strategy Behind Green Care Services

23:07 Terry’s Approach to Business Strategy

26:01 Power of Peer Groups

47:22 Advice for Entering the Landscape Industry

In this episode of Blue Collar Startup, hosts Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media and Derek Foster of Daigle Cleaning Systems interview Curt Hemmeler, Executive Director of the RV Technical Institute. Tune in as they explore the booming RV industry, technician training programs, entrepreneurial opportunities, and much more!

Learn more about Curt and the RV Technical Institute at rvti.org.

0:15 Introduction

0:33 Derek’s Tooth Story

2:07 Introduction of Guest Curt Hemmeler

3:10 Overview of the RV Industry

5:51 RV Technical Institute’s Training Programs

9:25 Curt’s Background

11:12 Building the Institute

13:23 Growth and Impact

15:00 Technician Shortage

18:42 Skills Taught

21:37 Entrepreneurial Opportunities

27:28 Skill Transferability

29:46 Level 1 Training Details

37:55 Challenges for the Institute

52:41 Outro and Sponsor Acknowledgments

In this new episode of Blue Collar StartUp, hosts Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media and Derek Foster of Daigle Cleaning Systems have a conversation about what it means to be unhireable. Tune is as they explore how problem-solving, initiative, and adaptability make employees indispensable, offering insights for aspiring entrepreneurs and dedicated team members in the trades to achieve career growth and potential ownership opportunities.

0:16 Introducing the Episode and Hosts

1:35 Defining "Unemployable"

1:46 Introducing the Concept of Being "Unfireable"

2:56 Discussing the Importance of Learning to Follow Before Leading

5:00 Exploring Career Paths: Entrepreneurship vs. Employee Growth

6:36 How Stressful Events Highlight Top Performers

7:56 Importance of After-Action Reports and Debriefs

10:00 Qualities of an "Unfireable" Employee

11:41 Emphasizing Problem-Solving Skills

13:47 Using Technology (AI, Google, YouTube) to Find Solutions

15:45 Problem-Solving as the Core of Business Operations

17:30 Encouraging Employee Initiative and Feedback

20:08 Creating an Environment for Employee Freedom and Innovation

23:16 Learning Through Experience vs. the School of Hard Knocks

26:08 Reformatting the Podcast to Include Employee Perspectives

In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, your hosts Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media and Derek Foster of Daigle Cleaning Systems, sit down with Chris and Noah Manzella of BradManz Landscaping. Tune in as they discuss being honest with your clients to maintain trust, the importance of cold calling, having confidence in networking scenarios, and much more! 

0:15 Intro

0:40 Welcoming Chris and Noah Manzella

2:53 Getting Clients in the Door

5:22 Word of Mouth vs Putting Yourself Out There

10:38 Leveraging Your Network

15:04 The Cost to Get a Customer

17:54 “We Don’t Answer RFPs”

21:52 Building a Reputation and a Client Base

23:14 Cold Calling is Not Dead

25:30 Be Creative with Getting in Front of People

27:33 The Farmer Salesman vs the Hunter Salesman

30:52 Door Hangers

32:14 Response Time is Key

34:20 The 25-4-2 System

36:46 Marketing Comes Later 

38:15 Industry Groups & Face-to-Face Communication

47:28 Ask Questions!

52:12 Parting Thoughts

53:18 Outro

In this Blueprint episode of Blue Collar StartUp, host Derek Foster of Daigle Cleaning Systems chats with Carrie Kirvin, now with MP: Wired for HR, about payroll and HR solutions for small businesses. At the time of this recording, Carrie was with Paychex, where she helped entrepreneurs save time, manage cash flow, and stay compliant through services like payroll outsourcing, workers’ compensation, and 401(k) plans.

0:14 Podcast Introduction

0:38 Guest Introduction: Carrie Kirvin, formerly of Paychex

1:10 About Paychex and Its Services

2:55 Benefits of Outsourcing Payroll for Small Businesses

4:40 When to Consider Outsourcing Payroll

6:00 Company Size and Paychex Services

7:00 Process of Setting Up Payroll with Paychex

10:03 Transitioning from Another Payroll Provider

11:09 Human Resources Services and Compliance

13:24 Employee Retention Tax Credits

15:00 Workers’ Compensation and Payroll Integration

18:56 Paychex and NYSIF Partnership for Workers’ Comp

20:00 Retirement Planning and 401(k) Services

20:50 New York State 401(k) Mandate

22:00 Keeping Clients Informed on Regulatory Changes

23:50 Contact Information for Carrie Kirvin

24:10 Outro

In this episode of Blue Collar Start Up, hosts Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media and Derek Foster of Daigle Cleaning Systems are joined by Scott McKenna and Stacy Spector of Catamount Consulting. Tune in as they explore workforce development challenges, the role of entrepreneurship in attracting young talent to the trades, the importance of emotional intelligence, and much more!

0:15 Intro

0:51 Introducing Scott and Stacy

3:11 Workforce Development Challenges and Entrepreneurship

9:29 Pros and Cons of Encouraging Entrepreneurship

14:42 Need for Coaching and Mentorship

19:23 Proactive Recruitment and Education

26:24 Challenges of Entrepreneurship

30:55 Emotional Intelligence in Workforce Development

38:55 Handling Failure and Growth Mindset

43:46 “Unemployable” Entrepreneurs and Ownership Models

48:57 Employee Engagement and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

54:51 Closing Thoughts

55:06 Outro

In this episode of Blue Collar Start Up, your hosts Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media and Derek Foster of Daigle Cleaning Systems interview Kendra Hart, president at Martin Electric. Listen in as they discuss experimentation within business growth, the experiences of being a young woman in construction, setting up your team for success, and much more!

0:15 Introduction

2:22 Meet Kendra Hart

3:20 The History of Martin Electric

6:35 Thriving Under Pressure

8:42 Utilizing her Accounting Degree

9:44 Getting Certifications and Using Local Resources

12:22 The Hard Hat Wall

13:14 The Current Scope of the Business

16:06 Valuing what you Created

16:57 Onboarding and Training Processes

19:17 Starting Pay Rates and Benefits

20:24 Schools Not Promoting the Trades

22:12 Trades are for People who Learn Differently

23:23 Managing 20 People at Once

25:24 Leadership Training

26:29 Bring your People to Conferences

28:29 Time Management

29:41 What does Growth Look Like?

31:37 Changes in Structure

32:36 The Original Principles are Still in Place

34:00 Don’t Worry about What Other People Think

37:15 Just Do It

38:31 Hiring Process

40:40 Establishing a Better Interview Process

43:05 Parting Knowledge

44:02 Where to Find Kendra and Martin Electric

45:03 Closing Thoughts

45:58 Outro

In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, your host Derek Foster (Daigle Cleaning Services) sits down with returning guest, Josh Jewett of Cole’s Collision. Tune in to learn about the creation of a process – Indicators of when a process may be necessary, how to pivot with change, monitoring the process and adjusting with feedback, prioritizing tasks, setting standards, and outcomes!

Want to connect with Blue Collar StartUp? Reach out to us at [email protected]

00:55 - The systemic approach and finding efficiency 

02:34 - Red flag indicators leading to process creation

04:45 - Pivoting with change and how to address it

06:36 - Monitoring the process and receiving feedback

10:38 - Prioritizing tasks and setting standards

15:40 - Where is the line between process creation and micromanaging?

19:12 - Managing deviations and differences