Nic starts off talking about parking problems at hotels (which he solved with style) and issues with his underwear. Tarina reflects on choosing to not fold Cruze’s left foot socks—this is why Nic only wants gray socks without L or R printed on the toes.

In this episode, Nic and Tarina discuss ways to make hard decisions easier. One step Nic mentions is to take the emotion out of the decisions. Time can sometimes be used to help take the emotion out of a decision. “You can’t take a year to do it, though.”

They also talk about what often stops people from making decisions. Nic often is brought in to be a neutral third party—which is another option for people who are stuck. Find someone who doesn’t have a “dog in the hunt” to help provide perspective.

As you will learn in this episode, hard decisions may never be not hard, but there are ways to make them a little less hard. It’s important to remember that sometimes the hard thing and the right thing are the same thing.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at [email protected].

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to [email protected].

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

David Finley, the manager of the NECA chapter (National Electrical Contractors Association) in Oklahoma, joins Nic in the studio. David was the one who spurred Nic to launch his leadership training work.

After working in the sugar industry in Hawaii, David moved to Oklahoma. In 2010, he took over both the Kansas and Oklahoma SMACNA (Sheet Metal Air Conditioning Contractors National Association) chapters. Today he is the only chapter manager who oversees all the trades: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Sheet Metal Air Rail Transport (SMART), and United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters (UAPP).

From his perch David sees the differences in the various trades: the massive shortage in labor as well as a shortage of good leaders who can manage teams to get jobs done.

Together, Nic and David created the Oklahoma NECA Leadership Academy. They built a program for future leaders to see the value in assuming the role of a foreman or supervisor. In an environment where many say being a foreman or supervisor not worth the headache, Nic has identified how messaging the value of being a leader is the real opportunity.

One thing for contractors David advises: “Don’t get trapped in the old ways. There are so many opportunities out there that do not require a college degree.” He highlights how some of the big tech firms do not require a degree but today look for skills.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at [email protected].

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to [email protected].

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

In this episode, Carl Britton, Jr. joins Nic across the lens to talk about AI and how it can benefit workers in the skilled trades and construction industry.

Before Carl ran his own concrete company, now he’s training men and women in the trades in how to implement AI in their work and life. He is the founder of Iron Thread Consulting and a family man. One use case Carl’s mentions is how to let AI produce a safety briefing, manually verify its accuracy, and save a lot of time in the process.

In his trainings Carl shows individuals how to build agents and GPTs to help automate some of the mundane tasks and other time-consuming tasks. Personally, he has uses it to help him improve his diet and nutrition as well as produce images for his presentations.

They discuss the barriers to people using AI and recognize how those who know AI will likely be the ones who keep their jobs or replace those who don’t know how to use AI.

You can reach out to Carl at http://www.ironthread.online/.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at [email protected].

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to [email protected].

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

In this episode, Patrick puts Nic in the hotseat and ask him questions. Together they explore tough conversations, frameworks, and the four mindsets: 1) Struggler 2) Achiever 3) Thinker and 4) Doer.

As Nic says, “We’re all in the people business.” Patrick adds how our work is to create more human connections. “The magic happens through the conversations we have and the connections we make.”

The question we want to ask: How can I create a connection with this person? And in the process help them thrive?

Building on the last week’s episode, it is important to develop strong communication skills because how we communicate reflects how we lead.

You can reach him at [email protected]. This is the second of two episodes with Patrick. 

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at [email protected].

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to [email protected].

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

After producing nearly 90 episodes the Life & Leadership Podcast, Patrick gets in front of the microphone. Beaming into Nic’s Office in Corn America is Patrick McGowan, Nic’s podcast producer and expert in communication. 

Patrick is the CEO of Punchn Communications (www.punchn.io), a growing communication and organizational change consulting firm. At the heart of his communications training is the belief that powerful communications isn’t just about speaking—it’s about creating moments of connection that spark engagement and inspire action. Additionally, Patrick believes that the best leaders are great communicators—and should invest in themselves as Nic recommends.

Together, Nic and Patrick discuss how communication is a hard skill and should treated as such. They explore the reasons why communication training doesn’t get more attention. And Patrick also provides a couple of useful frameworks leaders can use to communicate more efficiently and more effectively. 

As he says, “Just because I own a hammer, doesn’t make me a good carpenter. Similarly, just because I know how to talk doesn’t make me a good communicator.” 

You can reach him at [email protected]. This is the first of two episodes with Patrick. 

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at [email protected].

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to [email protected].

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic rants about able-bodied people who walk slowly side-by-side in an airport—rather than single file. He argues that capital punishment would be warranted.

What's next for Nic? He's writing a new book on creating connections. Tarina asks if this is part of Nic’s sensitivity training, which it is not. His purpose is to help people be more human.

The idea is that relationships will open doors, the key to life, and the key to success. Tarina adds that relationships are the key to fulfillment.

Nic shares a story about speaking at church about video games to a group of 6th and 7th grade boys. In his own words, he unloaded both barrels. Tarina asks tongue-in-cheek, “Did you connect with them?”

When the Bittles host the football team for dinner before home games, Nic and Tarina have a basket for the boys to leave their phones. It’s building teamwork and connection before the game. The noise level is less desirable (Nic and Tarina are “old and crunchy”), but the engagement is worth every decibel.

What you will learn in this episode is behaving in a way that the human in front of you is more important than your device, your podcast, your video game, or your doom scroll. Because we all crave connection and fulfillment, we need to remove the barriers to connecting with people.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at [email protected].

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to [email protected].

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Tarina gives Nic a new nickname, “Wreck it Mouth.” And Nic congratulates Tarina on saving $2.50 on her “$9.00” coffee shop espresso drinks.

In this episode, Nic and Tarina lead a conversation on what it takes to be a great leader.

Their discussion can be summed up in a simple phrase: “Own it.” Among the attributes and activities of great leaders, here are a few they talk about:

• A leader protects his people
• A leader walks into danger first
• A leader leads with empathy
• A leader is about influence not authority
• A leader lives with the consequences of their decisions

As Nic observes, the construction industry needs good leaders. The hard part to swallow is many are promoted to a leadership position who don’t want the responsibility nor do they have the ability to lead well.

Leadership, as Nic and Tarina share, is a sacred responsibility and an important skill.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at [email protected].

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to [email protected].

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic sits down with Jason Downs for a talk about career and education options. Jason is a self-described middle-aged family man with an accounting degree who recently served on a local school board. After a series of accounting related jobs, today finds him a stay-at-home dad.

They start their discussion with a focus on the Swiss VET System. VET stands for “Vocational, Educational, and Training.” The system is designed to assess high school students’ aptitude, how they are wired, and then put them on a track that includes job skills training.

The kids graduate ready to enter the workforce and make a real contribution rather than wait to learn everything on the job.

Nic observes, “There’s something magical about being a producer and not just a consumer.”

Jason shares his story about choosing accounting over becoming an architect. His heart is clear: we need to find a way for our school systems to do a better job. The statistics in Switzerland show two-thirds of kids going into the trades. In the United States, two-thirds go to college and half of them never finish college.

The realization is not every kid is academically wired. Jason’s desire is for high school to be both “life prep” and “college prep.” He wants to believe there’s a better way for kids to find their path that allows them to contribute to society in a meaningful way.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at [email protected].

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to [email protected].

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic and Tarina joke about the possibility of producing a 2026 calendar featuring him and Cruze moving plants into the rain. Tarina “loves” the idea. Nic also believes Tarina lost her true calling as a word-smith. “So good it just tastes like really dark dirt,” was Tarina’s comment after taking a sip of her Americano.

Nic shares a correction on the previous episode about Charlie Kirk. Nic believes people feel connected with Charlie because he was courageous. A lot of people are inspired by his example of boldness in faith, work, and life.

Tarina and Nic just returned from the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) National Conference in Chicago. Nic spoke about how to have hard conversations while there. This is one of the skills Nic loves teaching. It takes courage to tell somebody they can do better.

In a standing-room only session, Nic talked about being able to do an assessment on your leadership style. A lot of people afterwards came up with questions and feedback.

It was a great time to catch up with people, connecting in person, and invite them to be on the podcast.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at [email protected].

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to [email protected].

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Charlie created a connection with people, especially college students. One way he did this was have conversations with people and stay cool under pressure.

While Nic sees him as a greater debater, he didn’t feel like he knew him like some folks have expressed online. They both see him living boldly his values: You know where he stood on his beliefs and his perspective.

Do you want to do a better job of connecting? You have to let people in, be vulnerable, practice humility, and be more curious not judgmental. You also need to be aware and available, not on your device, and have conversations.

Ask yourself the question: Do people really know me? Why or why not?

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at [email protected].

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to [email protected].

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.