The Trade Talks

It was a random encounter that led Jamie McMillan to Ironwork, though with her mining roots, it seems she was tailored for success in the skilled trades.  Now, a 20-year union vet, Jamie travels 30 weeks a year providing keynotes and workshops to more than 50,000 students, parents, educators, and employers each year across North America. She founded Kickass Careers and developed the Children's Book Series, All the Kids On Builder Street. In 2019 she was named co-chair of Canada's National Skilled Trades Advisory Committee to promote careers in skilled trades.

McKinsey is an Austin-based interior designer who turned her passion into a full-scale operation. From blue collar roots, she received first-hand, on-the-job training from her tradesman grandfather. Now, through failures and successes, she understands what it takes to build a home, and what it takes to make that home functional. 

Known on social media as Wally the Welder or The Weld Professor, Wally got into the trades to stay out of trouble. Through hard work and grit, he earned the opportunity to apprentice for the nation's top welders where he found not only a career, but a passion which enabled him to climb the ranks and provide a comfortble living for his family.

Matt Osborne ran operations for the CIA and the Department of State before joining Operation Underground Railroad and the fight against human trafficking. In this episode, he discusses how service techs can be aware and vigilant to mitigate today's fastest growing arm of organized crime.

Scott Dixon worked in operations for years at Caterpillar before carving his own path through social media. Now, a successful content creator in the DIY space, Scott discusses the unique ways he relates to his vast audience, and the necessity for diligent sweat equity, not only in your profession, but in yourself.

Scott currently creates content for his YouTube channel @EverydayHomeRepairs.

Former offensive lineman Kyle Hofmann tried everything from selling insurance to driving for Uber before finding meaning in the plumbing trades. Through hard work, Kyle has climbed the ladder in a budding career that allowed him to uproot his family from Washington to the Lone Star State. But his introduction to the trades was anything but ordinary, pulling a page straight out of the Roger Wakefield playbook.

Unlike most young men, Shawn Strong took his mother's advice and became a plumber, but it didn't start out that way. He tried sales, graphic design, anything in an air-conditioned cubicle in front of a computer, only to learn later on that working with his hands provided a comfort and joy only those in the skilled trades can understand. In addition to plumbing, Shawn runs the Discord and sub/Reddit channels for the man himself, Roger Wakefield.

Dave Hill, owner of Express Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling in Jersey Shore cut his teeth as an apprentice on a service truck until he was fired -- on his wedding day, and by his own father -- during the recession. But through hard work and dedication, Dave has built his business into a Jersey Shore household name, now with plans to extend his reach to the great state of Texas. This episode discusses the hurdles of running your own business, in addition to tapping into the unlimited growth potential of the trades.

Passed over for promotions time and time again, Brent Gentling (@BYOTools) risked it all when he left the security and stability of his construction job at the height of COVID to pursue content creation. He now operates the successful, burgeoning brand of Bring Your Own Tools across multiple social media platforms.

With over 30 years of experience as a plumber, Kevin Adams is the Discipline Lead Professor for Plumbing at Collin College. He holds a Texas state Master Plumbers License, a TCEQ Level C Groundwater License, and a TCEQ Backflow Prevention Assembly Testers License.