Powerline Podcast

Jesse McKeral isn’t just a lineman.

He’s a teacher. A safety leader. And one of the most recognizable voices in the trade online through his platform @afewclickslow.

In this episode of the Powerline Podcast, we talk about:

• What mentors did right and wrong when we were coming up

• The biggest mistakes apprentices are making today

• Why safety and operations shouldn’t be at odds

• What linemen misunderstand about moving into leadership

• How social media is changing the way the trade learns

• And why visibility matters more than ever for the future of linework

Jesse shares honest lessons from the pole, the classroom, and the safety side of the industry.

If you care about training better apprentices, building trust in safety roles, and elevating the next generation of linemen this one’s for you.

In this episode of Powerline Podcast, I sit down with Alex Lacey to talk about leadership, risk, and why communication – not compliance – is what actually keeps crews safe.

We unpack the current state of safety in the trades, why memorizing rules isn’t the same as understanding risk, and how complacency quietly creeps into even the most experienced crews.

Alex breaks down how leaders can explain risk in a way that actually lands, what the data says that most people miss, and why culture ultimately determines whether a crew thrives or drifts into cruise control.

🎧 Topics include:

• Why understanding risk matters more than memorizing procedures

• What causes complacency in experienced workers

• The communication gap between leadership and the field

• How to build honest bottom-up dialogue

• Coaching people out of cruise-control mode

• Leadership habits that immediately improve crew safety

• Personal growth and mindset in high-risk industries

This episode is for foremen, supervisors, safety professionals, and anyone who wants to lead people–not just enforce rules.

In this episode of Powerline Podcast, I sit down with safety professionals from Arizona Public Service to unpack a different way of thinking about safety, one rooted in Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) and the belief that error is normal, learning is vital, and blame doesn’t improve work.

We explore how HOP shows up in real-world, high-risk environments like linework and substations, why traditional safety approaches often fall short, and how APS’s Safety Coach Program is helping shift safety culture from compliance to learning. This conversation goes deep into trust, accountability without blame, and how crews move from feeling like “the problem” to becoming part of the solution.

The group shares hard-earned lessons from decades in the trade, from working the tools, to foreman roles, to shaping safety culture at scale. We talk openly about resistance in the field, measuring impact beyond incident rates, and what it really takes to build a learning organization where people feel safe to speak up.

🎧 Topics include:

• Human & Organizational Performance explained

• Why error is normal in complex work

• Accountability vs blame

• The APS Safety Coach Program

• Building trust between safety and crews

• Creating a true learning culture

• The future of safety in the trades

This episode is for anyone who’s tired of safety being treated like paperwork and ready to talk about how work actually gets done by people.

In this episode of Powerline Podcast, I sit down with Juan Huerta and Beau Tubbs from Arizona Public Service for a deep dive into the world of substation work—one of the most critical, high-risk, and least understood parts of the power system.

We unpack what a real day in the life of a substation electrician looks like, why precision matters when the margin for error is slim, and how trust, communication, and accountability show up differently inside a substation than out on the line. This conversation goes beyond job titles and into the weight of responsibility that comes with working where everything connects.

Juan and Beau also share hard-earned lessons on collaboration between crafts, “failing safely,” teaching complex systems to apprentices, and creating environments where crews feel comfortable speaking up when something doesn’t feel right. We also talk candidly about stress, mental health, and what it takes to stay sharp—both on the job and at home.

🎧 Topics include:

• A day in the life of substation professionals

• Why substations are critical to grid reliability

• Trust and communication in high-risk environments

• Collaboration across multiple crafts

• Teaching, mentoring, and passing knowledge forward

• Mental health and stress in high-responsibility roles

Whether you work in substations, linework, or anywhere in the trades, this episode offers a rare inside look at the people and precision that keep the grid running.

In this episode of Powerline Podcast, I sit down with APS foremen Casey Lozier, Eric Eager, and Andrew Schonhoff for an honest roundtable conversation about what really holds crews together in the trade.

We talk openly about trust, mentorship, brotherhood, and the human side of being responsible for people — not just production. This conversation goes beyond the job and into the realities foremen face every day: balancing expectations, teaching the next generation, handling conflict, supporting mental health, and creating crews where people actually want to show up and work for each other.

The panel shares lessons learned the hard way, stories from the field, and practical insight on how culture is built through small daily actions — not titles or speeches. This episode is for anyone who’s ever worked on a crew, led one, or is about to step into more responsibility in the trade.

🎧 Topics include:

• Building trust on crews

• Teaching and mentoring apprentices

• Brotherhood and crew culture

• Mental health on the job• Conflict resolution and communication

• What foremen wish they’d learned earlier

Whether you’re on the tools, running a crew, or moving toward more responsibility, this episode offers a rare look at the conversations that matter most in the field — but don’t always get said out loud.

In this episode of Powerline Podcast, I sit down with Brian "Biscuit" Alston, Artie Garcia, and Todd Wilson from Arizona Public Service for a raw conversation about what really changes when the work stops being just about you and starts being about everyone else.

We talk about the moment responsibility shifts, how trust is earned from crews who used to be your peers, and why brotherhood still matters in a trade that demands both accountability and care for the people beside you. This isn’t about titles it’s about ownership, respect, and carrying the trade forward the right way.

The conversation covers mentorship, culture, hard decisions, mistakes, and the unseen weight that comes with being responsible for people, production, and safety. Whether you’re still on the tools or stepping into more responsibility, this episode speaks directly to that transition every tradesperson eventually faces.

🎧 Topics include:

• The responsibility shift from tools to people

• Earning respect without titles

• Brotherhood, culture, and accountability

• Mentoring the next generation

• Hard lessons learned on the job

• Carrying the trade forward with pride

In this episode of Powerline Podcast, I sit down with Mackenzie Rodgers, Vice President of Transmission & Distribution Operations at Arizona Public Service, for a powerful conversation on leadership, legacy, and long-term growth in the utility industry.Mackenzie shares her journey from interning at APS to stepping into a VP role—along with the lessons she learned along the way that continue to shape how she leads today. We talk about the influence of family legacy, earning trust in the field, making decisions under pressure, and what it really takes to grow as a leader without losing connection to the crews doing the work.We also dive into what it’s like to lead in a traditionally male-dominated industry, how respect is built over time, the role mentorship plays in developing future leaders, and what Mackenzie believes APS is doing well—and where there’s still room to grow.This episode is packed with insight for anyone in the trades, utilities, or construction industry—whether you’re just starting out, leading crews in the field, or navigating leadership at the executive level.

Karl Studer’s story is one of grit, vision, and staying rooted in where you came from.

In this episode of Powerline Podcast, Ryan sits down with Karl Studer, Executive Vice President Electric for Quanta Services, to unpack his journey from growing up on a ranch in Idaho to becoming a lineman, building and scaling his own power line companies, and ultimately stepping into executive leadership at one of the largest infrastructure companies in the world.

Karl shares the lessons he learned early on in the field, what it really takes to start and grow a line company, and how his time on the tools shaped the leader he is today. We dive into leadership, safety, culture, fatherhood, and why staying connected to the craft matters even at the highest levels of the organization.

This conversation is about more than titles and success. It’s about work ethic, responsibility, building people, and leaving the trade better than you found it.

If you’re a lineman, an apprentice, a foreman, or someone who believes in the long-term value of the trades, this episode will resonate.

In this episode, Ryan sits down with Elden Rivas — a Houston-based lineman from North Houston Pole Line, dedicated family man, and someone who takes his craft and his health seriously.

Elden shares where his journey began, how he found his way into the line trade, and the mentors and moments that shaped him. We talk about balancing family with long days, why discipline matters, and how focusing on health has transformed both his life and his work in the field.

This conversation is for every young person looking for direction, every lineman trying to stay sharp, and every parent working hard to build a legacy for their family. Elden’s story is proof that you can show up strong at work, strong at home, and still grow into the person you’re becoming.

Austin Carr is a lineman from Florida and goes by the name America's Favorite Lineman on social media. I caught up with Austin for a quick tailgate sit down interview at the International Lineman's Rodeo.

He shared his journey into the trade, advice for young apprentices and linemen, and how social media has changed his life in a positive way. We even talked about money and how the most money he ever made in a single day didn't come directly from line work.