In this inaugural episode, host Craig Williams sits down with Madelyn Sell, a Galesburg native and Carl Sandburg College graduate who found her calling not in a boardroom, but in a machine shop.

Madelyn’s journey into the world of precision machining began not with a lifelong dream, but with a nudge from her father and an open mind. What started as a simple course in CNC at the Galesburg Area Vocational Center sparked something in her—a curiosity that became passion, and a passion that quickly turned into a career. With guidance from Sandburg’s expert faculty and the hands-on training that only a community-focused college can offer, Madelyn discovered that the trades were not only a good fit for her skills—they were a path to personal confidence, professional pride, and financial stability.

This conversation explores Madelyn’s experience as a student, her entry into the workforce, and what it means to be a young woman in a traditionally male-dominated field. She speaks candidly about the surprises she’s encountered along the way, from the joy of seeing a completed part she machined herself to the encouragement she’s received from mentors and coworkers.

But more than anything, this episode is about growth. It’s about what happens when a person finds their place in the world—not by following someone else’s plan, but by trading up for something authentic and self-made.

TradingUp is about more than career pathways; it’s about personal transformation. And as Madelyn Sell reminds us, there’s immense beauty—and real opportunity—in working with your hands, building something from nothing, and knowing that what you do matters.