This episode, Luke Hansen and John Talman celebrate 4,000 downloads and a growing contractor community before tackling the big picture: a projected 2026 labor gap in construction, rising wages, and why hands-on careers are gaining momentum.

Key Takeaways:

• The 2026 Labor Gap Is a Real Opportunity: With a major shortage projected, contractors who recruit high-school grads and career-switchers now will win later.
• The "Fairness" of the Trades: Effort maps to outcome—learn, level up, lead, and even own.
• Positioning vs AI: The trades are resilient to white-collar AI volatility while still able to leveraging AI to reduce admin time.
• Leading Indicators: Kids are fascinated by hands-on work; internships and job-shadowing are potent pipelines into the trades.