Manic Energy Podcast

For nearly two decades, I’ve been the one asking the questions, listening, building, moving. But sometimes, you’ve got to flip the script. Sometimes, people want to know why you care so much about the work you do—and the truth is, my answer is tangled up in a long, winding road of risk, grit, trust, and a whole lot of “well, here goes nothing.”

Back then, I was just a kid working graveyard shifts at a steel plant, studying organizational management at UMD, and trying to figure out if I had any real skills. I didn’t have a grand plan. I just had a family friend who saw something in me, told me there was an untouched corner of his business, and said, “I can teach you the skills. What I need is someone I can trust.”

I didn’t know what a corrosion technician was. Couldn’t even spell it.

But I showed up. I read. I traveled. I learned from the people willing to teach me. And little by little, I built something—first as a one-man show, then with a growing team, then as a leader figuring out how to keep trust once it’s given.

The story takes a lot of turns—partnerships, acquisitions, leadership changes, industry downturns, the kind of moments where you’re not sure if you’ll make payroll or if you’ll still have a job at the end of the week. But somewhere in all that chaos, I learned that building something worth keeping is never about one person. It’s about the people who choose to care with you.

What I Hope You Take From This

• Trust is given once, but you have to earn it every day after.
• Growth isn’t just numbers—it’s people, skills, and patience layered over years.
• Sometimes the scariest conversations lead to the best partnerships.
• You can be staring at “you need to fire half the company” on Monday and still find a better way by Wednesday.
• The right people will start moving before you even ask.

Lines That Still Stick With Me

“I didn’t have any skills—but I had someone who trusted me. And that was enough to start.”

“It’s not about taking care of customers anymore—it’s about taking care of the people who take care of customers.”

“With great flexibility comes great responsibility. No one’s coming to save you now.”

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way—sometimes you just have to get creative with the deal.”

“I knew we’d be fine when I found out the team had already started on the work before I even asked.”

Episode Chapters

00:00 The table turns—Katie interviews me

02:14 The job offer I never saw coming

07:53 Learning the ropes and earning trust

16:08 First steps into leadership (and the bumps along the way)

24:20 The cash flow problem that changed everything

28:21 Growing fast—partners, capital, and new challenges

40:03 Taking the reins as president

48:48 The curveball: “Do you want to buy the business?”

55:01 Finding the right partner and making the leap

1:04:11 The moment I knew we’d be okay

This Week’s Reflection

Think back on the biggest risks you’ve taken.

Were you saying “yes” because you had all the answers—or because you trusted yourself to figure it out?

Links & Mentions:

Lake Superior Consulting – ⁠https://www.lsconsulting.com/⁠  

Connect with us / send episode ideas: [email protected]

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In this debut episode of Manic Energy, host Ryan Swor sits down with longtime colleague and fellow energy enthusiast Katie Brooks to answer the big question: why start a podcast about energy in the first place?

Ryan shares his journey from fresh-out-of-school rookie to president and part-owner of Lake Superior Consulting—and why that journey inspired this show. Together, he and Katie explore the often misunderstood world of energy infrastructure, how it shapes our daily lives, and the passionate, purpose-driven people who keep it all running.

Expect stories from the field, honest reflections on leadership and company culture, and a no-BS look at what it takes to deliver safe, reliable energy in an industry under pressure to evolve. This isn’t your typical corporate podcast—this is Manic Energy.

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