The Trade Talks

In college, Tyler Hoskins struggled to find a major that excited him. He overslept, partied too much, and bounced from job to job, sometimes getting fired, until he found plumbing. And while math wasn't his forté, plumbing gave him a sense of meaning and a way in which to provide. Now, as a tradesman plumber, specializing in leak detection and slab leaks, he makes over $200,000 a year, and has found a career.

Joe Kroninwetter learned early that if you want something, you have to work hard — and if you work hard enough, you might even get more than you bargained for. As a young man, he followed his passion, working on Harley's and sport bikes. But when a friend introduced him to the world of HVAC, he found a career that would provide more money and sustainability for years to come. In his words, "The trades are recession proof."

Melvin Viera cut his teeth at the bottom in the skilled trades, running parts and doing administrative work for Rescue Air. But that job gave him the necessary knowledge to become a successful HVAC Installer. He discusses his trades-based education, the brotherhood, pride, and comradery of being a tradesman, as well as his quick ascent to making over 6-figures per year in under than 24 months.

If you ask the teenage version of Saul Granado, his Texas summers sure as hell wouldn't be spent sweating his ass off in an attic. But now, as the sole provider for a family of 6, Saul Granado is grateful for his father introducing him to the trades. He is the LEAD HVAC INSTALLER for Rescue Air & Plumbing at the ripe age of 30, banking upwards of $150,000/year. In Saul's words, "Not everyone can do what we do. It takes a special breed to be up in that attic and do what we do for the amount of time we do it."

Day one, Randy Carpenter found himself hand-digging an existing grease trap. Looking back, he's surprised he didn't quit by noon. Now, as the plumbing manager at Rescue Air & Plumbing, Randy discusses his early life in the trades, and the importance of training for making a successful tradesman.

Philip Richmond worked at TD Mechanical many years before becoming the Lead Piping Superintendent for Wade Mechanical. Learning on jobsites from his father and other mentors, Philip learned in his early 20s how to be a solid leader. He's worked on several notable projects, including Cardinal Stadium in Glendale, AZ and Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX.

It took a semester for Cameron Dumond to learn college wasn't for him. And now, as a Journeyman Plumber, he is doing better than most of his friends with degrees. In this episode he discusses some wild jobs during residential service, his escapades during the Texas freeze of 2021, the differences between earning a Texas and Oklahoma plumbing license, and the infamous dollhouse all Texans must tackle to become a plumber.

Nils Rasmusson is the content creator behind LRN2DIY, a successful YouTube Channel with over 700k subscribers. As a father of four, Nils discusses the importance of any skilled trade as a valuable asset to (at the very least) fall back on, as well as the necessity for homeowners to have a basic understanding of the mechanics for upkeep on their homes.

When the twin towers were hit on 9/11, Andrew Brown was an IT geek who found himself racing through checkpoints in his friend's truck, heading towards ground zero. It was there that he understood the vital importance of tradesmen. Two weeks later, he quit his job and now owns ToolFetch.com, an e-commerce website with over 150,000 products across 7 different categories.

Robert Renfro was broke, out of work, but still had a growing family to feed. Out of necessity, he drove to Austin, TX and became an apprentice and a journeyman on the same day. Now with 8 children, eighteen grandchildren, and 40 years of plumbing under his belt, Robert discusses the sacrifices he made to earn a high six-figure salary, and how young plumbers can get on the fast-track to earning a comparable wage.