Blue Collar StartUp

In this episode of Blue Collar Startup, host Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media sits down with Mike Zayachek of Zayachek Mechanical. Tune in as they discuss starting a business from a pickup truck and a trailer, growing to 147 employees, navigating cash flow challenges, and building a loyal team through training and mentorship in the power generation and industrial maintenance industry.

Learn more about Zayachek Mechanical at www.zayachek.com.

0:15 Introduction

0:32 Guest Introduction

1:04 Zayachek as a Case Study

1:53 Starting in a Barn

4:25 Left Job to Start in 2004

5:34 Customer Trust for Stability

6:08 Lean Startup: Truck, Trailer, Five Employees

8:20 Initial Services: Mills, Plants, Millwright

9:56 Current Work: Rigging, Welding, Maintenance

11:58 Growth: 5 to 147 Employees

12:49 Early Cash Flow Challenges

13:32 Mentorship for Business Skills

15:00 Recession-Proof Growth

19:20 Talent Retention: Training, Benefits

21:09 Welder Compensation

22:38 24/7 Schedules for Deadlines

25:00 Certifications and Training

28:52 Consulting for Coaching and Safety

31:55 Employee Training Investment

46:49 Advice for New Owners: Stay Lean

In this solo "Marketing Minute" episode of Blue Collar Startup, host Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media advises blue collar business owners to avoid starting a Facebook business page too soon and instead leverage personal profiles for better engagement and lead generation. He shares practical tips on transitioning to a business page later and maintaining an active social media presence to build credibility.

0:00  Intro and welcome to the Marketing Minute

0:15  Common mistake: Starting a Facebook business page too soon

0:45  Why business pages get less organic reach

2:00  The algorithm difference: personal vs. business profiles

2:45  Using your personal profile to promote your business

4:15  When to start a business page

5:00  Hiring social media help

5:45  Consistent posting for credibility

6:30  How customers research your business

8:12  Sponsor shoutouts and closing

In this Blueprint episode of Blue Collar StartUp, hosts Derek Foster and Mike Nelson dive into grassroots marketing. Listen in as they explore cost-effective, high-impact ways for small business owners to spread the word about their services—from vehicle wraps and yard signs to leveraging your personal network and overcoming the fear of rejection.

0:14 Podcast Introduction

0:30 What Is Grassroots Marketing?

2:23 Community-Based Tactics: Yard Signs, Wraps, Referrals

3:08 Brand Recognition and Consistency

5:07 Sales Before Marketing

9:00 Fear of Rejection and Mental Barriers

11:38 Leveraging Your Network to Build Business

14:42 Learning from Rejection

17:40 Creative, Low-Cost Ideas That Work

19:13 Final Advice: Hustle and Ask

20:05 Outro and Where to Connect

In this episode of Blue Collar Startup, hosts Mike Nelson of Five Towers Media and Derek Foster of Daigle Cleaning Systems sit down with Ryan Galusha of Galusha & Sons. Listen in as they discuss carrying a third-generation business into the future, mentorship, workforce development, and keeping a legacy alive in the ever-changing world of construction.

Learn more about Galusha & Sons at galushaandsons.com.

0:15  Intro and welcome

0:49  Meet Ryan Galusha of Galusha & Sons

1:20  What Galusha & Sons does today

2:09  How the family business began

3:44  Being third-generation: opportunity and pressure

6:56 Why Ryan had to earn his spot from the outside

8:44 Lessons from working at DA Collins

11:08 Earning respect in a family business

13:23 Ryan’s current role as General Manager

15:54 Balancing field and office work

17:03 Supporting team leadership without micromanaging

20:00 Keeping up with tech and regulation changes

21:48 Safety, training, and working with Catamount Consulting

23:49 Leadership growth and life skills through outside training

27:38 Finding and developing new talent

30:00 Why fewer young people choose the trades

33:44 Labor shortages and unexpected talent sources

36:17 Attitude over experience: the key to success

37:03 Ryan’s biggest challenge leading the next generation

39:01 Building trust and alignment with the team

41:26 The future of Galusha & Sons

43:07 How they expanded into logging

46:03 Why the trades still offer unmatched opportunity

47:13 Where to find Galusha & Sons

48:30 Sponsor shoutouts and closing

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