Blue-Collar BS

Brad Herda and Steve Doyle
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The age-old excuse "we can't find good people" is busted by two business coaches, Brad Herda and Steve Doyle. Blue-Collar BS features the top blue-collar business owners, thought leaders, and experts to share strategies on attracting and retaining top talent across ALL generations--including Gen Z's (and why they should not be overlooked). Blue-Collar BS helps blue-collar business owners like you build a business that'll thrive for decades by turning that blue-collar bullsh*t into some blue-collar business solutions. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

  1. 4d ago

    Plug the Biggest Hole with Jared Millar

    This week on the show we talk with Jared Millar, co-founder and head of operations at Big Blue Collar, a growth partner built specifically for blue collar businesses. Before getting into marketing and operations, Jared spent years running his own tile setting business, so he's coming at this from inside the trades, not just as an outside consultant. A lot of the conversation centers on a mindset shift Jared sees constantly: business owners think their problem is a lack of leads, when the real issue is usually what happens after the phone rings. Missed calls, no follow-up system, no plan for staying in touch with a customer who isn't ready to buy yet, these gaps cost more than any ad spend ever could. Jared also gets into the value of looking inward before spending more on marketing, using the idea of finding the biggest leak first instead of trying to patch everything at once. We also dig into team culture and training, including a story about a crew that didn't feel empowered to answer a simple question on the spot, and what that costs a business in missed opportunities. Jared closes out with his read on how different generations of owners are adapting to newer tools and marketing channels, and where he sees the biggest room for growth right now. Highlights Jared's background running his own trades business before moving into growth and marketing.The "find the biggest hole and plug it" approach to fixing a struggling business.How team culture and training affect whether missed opportunities get caught or lost.How different generations of blue collar owners are adapting to newer marketing tools. Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. We bring on guests to talk about topics you won't find anywhere else, straight from people who actually work in the trades. Get in touch with Jared: Website LinkedIn Get in touch with us: Check out the Blue Collar BS website. Steve Doyle: Website LinkedIn Email Brad Herda: Website LinkedIn Email This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

    Plug the Biggest Hole with Jared Millar

  2. Aug 28

    Why American Manufacturing is NOT dead with Jim Vinoski

    We're joined by Jim Vinoski, a Gen Xer who spent over three decades on factory floors before turning to writing about American manufacturing. He wrote for Forbes for seven years and is releasing a book profiling 22 of the best American manufacturers, built on stories he collected from a career spent inside the industry rather than looking at it from the outside. We talk about how manufacturing has been unfairly written off for decades, and why the companies that actually thrive tend to share the same handful of traits: they treat people as individuals rather than resources, they think in decades instead of quarters, and the people running them genuinely love the work. Jim shares some standout stories from the book, including a Wisconsin company that built a K-12 STEM program from scratch to solve its own labor shortage, and a Michigan manufacturer that hires people straight out of halfway houses and built its own affordable housing subdivision for employees and the surrounding community. One of the most surprising finds in his research was Revere Copper, a company founded by Paul Revere himself that's still running strong today, and now positioned well for the AI and grid infrastructure boom because of its focus on copper. Highlights Jim's three-decade manufacturing career and what led him to start writing about the industry.The common traits behind the standout companies in his upcoming book.A Wisconsin company that built its own K-12 pipeline to solve the skills gap.A Michigan manufacturer's approach to second-chance hiring and affordable housing.The surprising history behind Revere Copper, founded by Paul Revere himself. Jim's book on America's best manufacturers is out now, links in the show notes. Make sure to subscribe to the show so you never miss episodes. We appreciate you being here. Get in touch with Jim: Website LinkedIn Youtube Jim's Book Get in touch with us: Check out the Blue Collar BS website. Steve Doyle: Website LinkedIn Email Brad Herda: Website LinkedIn Email This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

    Why American Manufacturing is NOT dead with Jim Vinoski

  3. Aug 21

    Can AI Find You a Great Welder? This One Can with Daniel Walsh

    Daniel Walsh grew up with a father who was a plumber, but he couldn't have foreseen that his career would eventually lead him to serve people just like his dad. He ended up creating a tech platform for the trades. Daniel is the founder of VeroSkills, an AI hiring platform built to solve one of the biggest headaches in the trades, finding good people fast, without the cost of a full staffing agency. We talk about how small businesses like his dad's never had access to real recruiting firepower, and how VeroSkills is closing that gap by running AI-driven interviews that actually test trade knowledge instead of just scanning resumes. We also get into the bigger picture behind why this matters right now. An entire generation, maybe two, got pushed toward college and away from the trades, and the shortage we're living with today is the bill coming due. Daniel's take is that the trades are about to become some of the best jobs around, especially as AI and infrastructure investment ramp up, and that convincing the next generation of that is the real challenge ahead. Highlights: Daniel's path from a plumber's son to building an AI hiring platform for the trades.Why small blue collar businesses have never had real access to staffing help, and how that's changing.The labor shortage as a long time coming, not a surprise.Why the trades might be some of the best jobs of the next decade. If you're looking for a change or you're trying to hire good people without knowing the right person to call, check out VeroSkills. Make sure to subscribe to the show so you never miss episodes. We appreciate you being here. Get in touch with Daniel: Website LinkedIn Instagram Facebook Get in touch with us: Check out the Blue Collar BS website. Steve Doyle: Website LinkedIn Email Brad Herda: Website LinkedIn Email This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

    Can AI Find You a Great Welder? This One Can with Daniel Walsh

  4. Aug 14

    Hug a Contractor with Toby van Sistine

    This week we're joined by Toby Van Sistine, Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Builders Association (MBA), whose path into home building started with a detour into aerospace engineering before he landed in construction for good. We dig into a theme this show returns to often: why Gen Z isn't seeing a clear path into the trades, and how Toby's own son found his way into an electrical apprenticeship almost by accident. Toby's take: kids aren't lazy, they just need someone to show them the door exists, and parents need permission to be okay with their kid choosing a toolbelt over a diploma. We also got into new territory for the show: Toby's take on why the building industry feels so combative right now. HGTV expectations, nickel-and-dimed contracts, and homeowners who'll drop $50K on a home theater but fight a contractor over $500. His read: something broke in how people trust the people building their homes. Also in this episode: smart homes and disposable appliances, plus a look at this year's Parade of Homes, now in its 80th year. Go give your contractor a little love this week. They've earned it. Highlights: This year's Parade of Homes.Toby's unconventional path into home building.Why the trades need better messaging, to kids and their parents.The real reason the building industry feels more combative than ever.How weather, region, and red tape shape the labor force differently across the country. Get in touch with Toby: Website LinkedIn Get in touch with us: Check out the Blue Collar BS website. Steve Doyle: Website LinkedIn Email Brad Herda: Website LinkedIn Email This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

    Hug a Contractor with Toby van Sistine

  5. Aug 7

    No Emojis Just Real Talk with Thomas Hermann

    This week on the show we're talking about something most business owners never think about until they can't find people to hire the pipeline. Tom Hermann is an educator who spent 24 years as a principal and now works on connecting schools with businesses through experiential learning. And he's got something important to tell you. There's a massive gap between what schools teach and what the real world actually looks like. No amount of videos or lectures can bridge that. A student can learn construction theory in a classroom, but until they're 25 feet up in the air on an actual job site with nothing to grab, they don't really know what it's like. That's where you come in. The shift happening right now in education is that schools finally understand they can't do it alone. They need businesses to open their doors. Not for a year-long commitment. Not for a massive time investment. For a half day. An hour. Even just a conversation. Let a teacher walk your facility for 30 minutes so they can go back and tell students about the real work happening in their own community. But here's the bigger piece when you bring people into your organization, whether they're students or new hires, they need to understand they belong to something bigger than their job. They need to see the whole picture, not just their task. And they need to know there's a path forward. That sense of belonging and purpose matters more than the paycheck now. Highlights: There's a gap between school and work that experience is the only way to bridge.Most schools need businesses to help. The commitment level is very low start small.New employees need to understand how their role fits into the bigger picture.Belonging and purpose matter more to younger workers than the paycheck.Clear growth paths and "what's next" conversations change retention dramatically.Your best recruitment tool is your local school. Make sure to subscribe to Blue Collar BS where we talk about the things most don't want to talk about so we can help move the trades forward. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear real conversations from people actually working in the trades today. Helpful Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQZokbCmCkg&authuser=0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMu4ySZKVZE&authuser=0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wd0J-Uk9Eo&authuser=0 Get in touch with Tom: LinkedIn Phone - 262-497-6351 Get in touch with us: Check out the Blue Collar BS website. Steve Doyle: Website LinkedIn Email Brad Herda: Website LinkedIn Email This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

    No Emojis Just Real Talk with Thomas Hermann

  6. Jul 31

    Bushwood Chronicles

    This week on the show we're exploring something most business owners don't talk about the mental game. Brad's been writing about his golf experiences and how they directly parallel running a business. Not in a cute, surface level way. In a real way that matters to how you lead and make decisions. The thing about golf is it reveals exactly what's happening in your head. You can have all the physical tools, all the knowledge, all the experience, but if your mind isn't right, you're not going to perform. Same in business. You can have the best systems, the best team, the best opportunity, but if you're operating from fear or desperation or anger, it changes everything about how you show up. Brad broke 80 on a new course this year a goal he'd been chasing for four years. Physically he could do it the whole time. The piece that was missing was mental. He had to learn to be present instead of fixated on the result. He had to learn to control what he could control his reaction, his communication instead of getting frustrated at things outside his control. For business owners, this is everything. Your service tech gets angry because a customer doesn't show up. Now he's providing bad service, cutting corners, not following process. A salesman loses a deal and decides the market's dead instead of asking what they could have done differently. A leader gets frustrated at a problem and makes decisions from that place instead of solving from clarity. The best coaches whether in golf or business help you see the gap between where you are and where you want to be, then help you close it. They show you what you're missing. And they teach you to stay present. Highlights: The mental game in golf is exactly the mental game in business.You can have all the skills and still perform poorly if your mind isn't right.Most business problems come from reacting out of fear instead of solving from clarity.Control what you can control your reaction and how you communicate.Being present means focusing on the solution, not fixating on the result. Make sure to subscribe to Blue Collar BS where we talk about the things most don't want to talk about so we can help move the trades forward. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear real conversations from people actually working in the trades today. Get in touch with us: Check out the Blue Collar BS website. Steve Doyle: Website LinkedIn Email Brad Herda: Website LinkedIn Email This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

  7. Jul 24

    6-7 Means Nothing. Your Network Should Mean Everything with Jamar Jones

    This week on the show we're talking about something that might be the most important thing you never thought about who you're spending time with. Jamar Jones wrote a book called "Change Your Circle, Change Your Life" because he realized that his ability to consistently change his circle of people was what got him where he is. Not his skills alone. Not his hustle. The people around him. Most business owners go through life never really auditing who they're letting into their space. You've got the same two guys you've been working with for 35 years. Or you frequent the same place every morning and complain with the same people about the same stuff and then you wonder why things aren't changing. The thing is you don't have to cut people out. You don't have to burn bridges. You can add to your circle. But you do have to start separating yourself from what Jamar calls the vampires the people who are constantly draining your energy with victim mentality, complaining, and whining. Because here's the reality: if you're around that all day, you become that. Your circle shapes your energy, your mindset, and ultimately what you can achieve. The other piece is being intentional. Stop saying "I just want to be better next year." That means nothing. You need to know exactly what you want, who has what you need, and be willing to ask for help. Make introductions for other people first. Give value. Build real relationships, not transactional ones. And then and only then ask for what you need. Highlights Who you spend time with shapes who you become.You don't have to cut people out, but you do have to limit the toxic ones.Intentionality about your goals and conversations changes everything.Most people won't ask for help, but most people will give it if you ask.Your circle is one or two introductions away from completely changing your life. Make sure to subscribe to Blue Collar BS where we talk about the things most don't want to talk about so we can help move the trades forward. Share this episode with a friend or colleague who would benefit from hearing real conversations from people who actually work in the trades today. Get in touch with Jamar: Website Linkedin Youtube Book Get in touch with us: Check out the Blue Collar BS website. Steve Doyle: Website LinkedIn Email Brad Herda: Website LinkedIn Email This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

    6-7 Means Nothing. Your Network Should Mean Everything with Jamar Jones

  8. Jul 17

    3hr Scope Meeting WTF

    This week on the show we're discussing a real life example of how home service businesses operate when they don't have their systems dialed in. Without the proper CRM and real processes, you and your team are winging it. You're losing time and money while everyone's frustrated because they're not on the same page. In this example a large landscaping project was what the homeonwere needed. They called 10 different companies and only one called back. Those other companies lost money just by not having a process in place to return calls. What stands out in this situation are massive opportunities to streamline operations. Between a three-hour scope meeting, handwritten quotes, and communication happening through personal cell phones, there's clear potential to implement software and systems that would transform how the business operates. When business owners say cash flow is the problem, maybe it's time to take a look at a few simple things: Where are you spending your time? Are there some processes that could be automated? Is it time to let go of the old ways of doing things and update by bringing in software? Highlights Manual quote process means your team is never on the same page.Being the one who answers the phone is the simplest way to stand out make sure you have a system for callbacks.Operations are the foundation - everything else builds on that.Implementing a communication platform shows professionalism and streamlines communication so your team isn't texting clients from their personal phones. Get in touch with us: Check out the Blue Collar BS website. Steve Doyle: Website LinkedIn Email Brad Herda: Website LinkedIn Email This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

    3hr Scope Meeting WTF
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About

The age-old excuse "we can't find good people" is busted by two business coaches, Brad Herda and Steve Doyle. Blue-Collar BS features the top blue-collar business owners, thought leaders, and experts to share strategies on attracting and retaining top talent across ALL generations--including Gen Z's (and why they should not be overlooked). Blue-Collar BS helps blue-collar business owners like you build a business that'll thrive for decades by turning that blue-collar bullsh*t into some blue-collar business solutions. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Information

  • Creator
    Brad Herda and Steve Doyle
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    220
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Brad Herda and Steve Doyle
  • Show Website
    Blue-Collar BS