Tom Gardocki has been at the helm of some pretty heavy equipment since just 4 years old. His father, owner and operator of a now 45 year old hardscaping business, was quick to introduce his son to the trades. By 10, Tom already had the knowledge and experience to independently run the equipment on job sites. 

“I scared a ton of customers. My dad would literally..we would go into a new front lawn, and he would get all the equipment ready and he would leave..we had to put a 50 lb bag of seed behind me so I could reach the petals”

Spending countless summers working alongside the company foreman, Tom not only picked up a wealth of knowledge, but a deep love for running equipment. Hardscaping, however, was no easy feat. It’s laborious nature had taken a toll on his father over the years and Tom knew early on, long term, he did not want to carry the torch. Instead, he set his sites on Excavation which was able to combine his landscaping knowledge with his love for heavy machinery.

“I grew up in the family business so I knew hardscaping was hard work...I’d rather let the machines do the work”

Fast forward to 2010. Eager to show off his equipment skills, Tom created a YouTube account under the pseudonym “Dirt Ninja”. Not expecting much, he uploaded video after video all while learning the basics of the channel. It wasn’t until he posted a video of him stacking glass bottles with an excavator did things take a wild turn. The video was gaining 500,000 views a day and reached a level of virality some content creators can only dream of.

Now at 32, Tom’s is the co-owner of New Era Excavation out of Londonderry, NH and has a hand in a multitude of other businesses (including his parents), and While “Dirt Ninja”channel  has garnered a global following opening up doors he could have never imagined, Tom’s purpose behind the platform runs deeper than just creating a cool video. 

“My content is not just about me..it’s about what I’m doing. Not many 32 year olds have been running equipment since they were four..the main purpose of social media is making connections and helping promote and show off our business..”

From his early days in hardscaping to his current role as serial entrepreneur and social media guru, we've been blown by Tom's story. Be sure to listen as we dig into how the “Dirt Ninja'' came to be and what’s next for Tom Gardocki