In this week's episode we talk with the Kevin Dobson, the Executive Director and Founder of Capital College and Career Academy. CCCA is a brand new charter school, based in Sacramento, with a focus exclusively on the construction trades.

Borne out of frustration, over the lack of opportunities and preparedness for real life in this Title 1 neighborhood, Kevin and a core team of industry partners devised CCCA to help build pathways for kids to escape of poverty and develop the hard and soft skills to succeed in life.

Learn how he devised the idea for CCCA, created the strategic partnerships that helped navigate political waters and fund it.   We hope you can take away a few ideas to implement in your own communities and if you like what you hear, please follow the show and share it with a friend!

Resource Links for More Information:

• Kevin Dobson LinkedIn Profile
• CCCA Website
• CCCA Linktree for Social Channels
• Angela Duckworth TEDtalk 
• Greg McClelland Episode

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Ryan vanDyk brings 20 years as a HVAC technician, manufacturing rep and business owner into the show this week to talk about business ownership and how his podcast is helping other HVAC owners navigate running their operations.  

When it comes to ownership there are a lot of skills that contribute to success and it's not just from being a technician.  

If you'd like like to learn more about his work and show click on the links below:

• Ryan's LinkedIn Profile
• Contractor Growth Hub
• Contractor Growth Hub Podcast

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When it comes to creative thinking and big ideas the name Brandon Eckenrode should be near the top of the list.  Dubbing himself The Facilitator of Generosity on his LinkedIn account, Brandon has helped to generate and distribute millions of dollars and various resources to collision repair programs across the country.  His passion for the trades and providing opportunities for kids to succeed in the collision repair industry are on full display in this episode and we think you'll learn a lot from him and how his work could help your community.

Also, if anyone is friendly with Mookie Betts please tell him to reach out because we've got some great ideas to share with him!

Referenced Links:

• CREF Website 
• CREF Instagram 
• CREF LinkedIn
• CREF YouTube 
• Operative Talent fundraising campaign with KTL Restorations and BASF 

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We got a two-fer on this show - Talking the House That She Built AND heading back to our adopted city of Philadelphia!  We've loved this book and the movement it's been able to grow that we had to have the author on and hear all about the origins and how it's changed the course of her life.

If you'd like to learn more about the book and how you can get involved here are some helpful resources: 

• The House That She Built
• Group Two Advertising 
• Mollie's LinkedIn bio 

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One of the things we’ve noticed in the course of hosting this show is how much further ahead Canada’s been in creating programs and incentivizing groups to get more people thinking about a life in the trades.  To shed some light on this we invited in sheet metal worker, YouTube host, advocate, parent to a son in the trades, and of all things a Red Sox fan, Nick Tountas.  We would consider Nick one of the more innovative and creative voices in this field and his cooking show, Nickflix and Skills, has even caught the attention of members of the Canadian government, with some coming  on to talk skilled trades over a home cooked meal. 

 There are some great takeaways in this episode and a few ideas we could implement in our own back yard, to get more people interested in thinking about the trades. If you'd like to learn more about Nick and the groups he's part of check out:

LinkedIn
Instagram
Kickass Careers
Optimists Club
The Dad Club

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Meredith Balmforth's story isn't unique - high academic achiever and setting her sights on continuing that in college, earning a scholarship to her top school choice.  Unfortunately, she was gone by the end of her first year, questioning what direction her life was going to go.  Mix together some ingenuity, willingness to take a bold step and some divine intervention and she built an incredibly fulfilling life as an electrician and electrical instructor for IEC Utah.

Though her story isn't unique, it shows that academic excellence isn't necessarily a predictor of career success.  The time and dedication to working in the trades, especially as an electrician, requires as much, if not more academic diligence to be successful.  Meredith's path led her to a happier and more fulfilling place and has also helped her inspire a new generation of girls to explore a future in the trades, through The House That She Built initiative.   

We love her energy, passion and dedication to imparting her knowledge to others and think you will too!

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One of the groups we want to talk with this season are those with active platforms to advocate for the skilled trades. Their voices are critical to amplify the messages we need to get out to kids and young adults thinking about their futures. Saying Andrew Brown is equipped for success in this arena is a major understatement.

In just a few short months the founder of Toolfetch, one of the largest online providers of tools on the internet, has garnered millions of views through his video series on boosting careers in the trades. He's passionate about this work and it makes sense when you hear where it came from.

You can find Andrew pretty much all over the internets, including:
LinkedIn
YouTube
Instagram
TikTok
Toolfetch

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Season 2 kicks off with Matt and Derek recapping their first year of podcasting and exploring the skilled trades as outsiders.  We appreciate how much the blue collar community has embraced us and helped us learn so much in such a short time and it's invigorated us to keep looking for answers!

This season we are diving deeper and narrowing the focus to five groups we think hold answers on closing the talent gap in the trades:

•  Influential voices already in position to advocate for the Trades
• Entrepreneurs
• Business Leadership
• Technology
• Educators

These groups have come up repeatedly in conversations and our own explorations and match what other voices have echoed. We're always looking for information to test these theories and if you're in one of those communities, please reach out. We'd love to hear your thoughts and may just ask you to be on the show!

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When looking for marketing help in your business, it helps to know there are providers that specialize in small business trades owners and Duct Tape Marketing is right there!  We sat down with their COO, Sara Nay, and learned how they're supporting the trades by offering strategic advice or providing full agency services.

Key Takeaways:

• Importance of Professional Presentation as a residential service provider -  Dress and manners matter when you're going into someone's home!
• Stay on top of your online reviews - potential customers are going to give preference to a business with more than 2 reviews.
• Marketing doesn't need to dominate your life.  Even taking an hour a week to engage with social media followers can make a difference.

Duct Tape Marketing
Strategic Growth Quiz

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Kicking off Season 2 of Inside the Trades is the Executive Director for the Western Steel Council, Greg McClelland.  Greg has sat across the negotiating table with many large construction outfits and advocated equitable pay, realistic timelines and safety standards for men and women working in the ironworkers unions.

He's also a staunch advocate for the trades and his organization has been active in supporting veterans groups, like the Honor Foundation, which helps service members transition out of the military and into civilian careers.   

Greg is also on the Board of Directors for Capital College and Career Academy, a Sacramento charter high school with a sole mission of teaching young men and women, in a Title 1 community, the skills and confidence to being a career in construction trades. 

We couldn't be happier talking with Greg and we're going to be revisiting his work in the communities again.  Enjoy and thank you for listening!

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