Blue Collar StartUp

Michael Nelson
  • 5.0 (3)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Our Mission is Simple: To facilitate the growth and development of Blue Collar businesses. We will showcase REAL Blue Collar businesses in interviews, and use these stories to help educate and empower the next generation of trades workers to become Blue Collar business owners.

  1. 1D AGO

    Project Management in the Trades with Caitlin Beaudry | Blue Collar StartUp #114

    In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, hosts Mike and Derek sit down with Caitlin Beaudry, Project Manager at Bonacquisti Brothers Construction, to break down what project management really looks like inside a commercial construction company. Caitlin shares her path from working in the field to managing up to 15 projects at once, along with lessons on leadership, loyalty, and why asking questions is a superpower in the trades. You can find Caitlin Beaudry and Bonacquisti Brothers Construction online through their company website bonbrosconst.com, and on Facebook and LinkedIn. Check out our Blue Collar StartUp Patreon for exclusive bonus content! https://patreon.com/BlueCollarStartUp?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan&utm_content=copyLink 0:00 Welcome to Blue Collar StartUp 0:28 Mike and Derek kick off the show 2:14 New episode formats and 2026 updates 3:23 Women in the trades and upcoming roundtables 5:10 Sponsors, Patreon, and supporting the trades 6:48 Introducing today’s guest, Caitlin Beaudry 7:23 Caitlin explains her role as a project manager 8:08 What a PM actually does day-to-day 9:10 Business development vs project execution 10:21 How Caitlin got into construction 12:29 First projects and early nerves on job sites 15:15 Learning to ask questions without fear 18:19 Mistakes, budgets, and reading the fine print 20:11 Office careers vs field work in construction 21:50 Managing 8–15 projects at the same time 24:32 Staying organized without going fully digital 26:15 Loyalty, trust, and why she’s stayed 7 years 33:32 Looking ahead and career growth in construction

    37 min

  2. JAN 28

    How to Actually Sell a Blue-Collar Company with Shenar Wood | Blue Collar StartUp #113

    In episode 113 of Blue Collar StartUp, host Mike and Derek chat with Shenar Wood, who shares his remarkable journey from Apache helicopter pilot to founding Dynetek Solutions, a niche underground utility conversion company that he successfully sold to private equity. In this raw conversation he reveals the financial discipline, leadership mindset shifts, and strategic decisions that allowed him to scale fast, break through bonding & debt ceilings, and exit profitably. You can find Shenar Wood on LinkedIn or his company Dynetek Solutions at dyneteksolutions.com. 0:00 Intro & welcome back after the break 0:34 New 2026 episode formats & Women in Trades segment 3:00 Guest introduction: Shenar Wood, Dynetek Solutions 3:57 From broke college kid → military → buying first directional drill 6:07 Burned bridges & bought the drill: quickest path to cash 7:51 The mindset shift: build to sell, not to own forever 8:39 Why utility/power work is somewhat recession-proof 9:46 Leveraging old trade & military contacts for early subcontracts 11:21 First years reality: drilling all day, books all night 12:30 When & why he finally brought his wife in for HR 13:56 The $200k mistake: waiting too long for proper books & fractional CFO 15:22 Bonding & surety as the biggest glass ceiling in trades 19:52 The Friday leak check system that stopped revenue bleed 25:18 How the weekly revenue delta meeting works & why it matters 29:53 Discovering $75k in unbilled work the hard way 31:28 Beginning with the end in mind: planning the exit from day one 32:59 Why EBITDA growth flattens after ~year 5–6 in many trade businesses 34:49 Main episode wrap & sponsor thanks

    36 min

  3. JAN 21

    Designing Org Charts That Actually Work with Bill Tansey Jr | Blue Collar StartUp #112

    In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, Mike and Derek sit down with Bill Tansey to break down why org charts are one of the most misunderstood—and most powerful—tools in a growing trades business. They dive into standard roles, functional accountability, and how to design an organization that supports real strategy instead of being built around the people you already have. Check out our Blue Collar StartUp Patreon for exclusive bonus content! https://patreon.com/BlueCollarStartUp?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan&utm_content=copyLink Bill can be found on LinkedIn as William (Bill) Tansey Jr., or through his website at theopexshop.com. 0:00 Welcome to Blue Collar StartUp & show intro 0:45 Kicking off the new year & new sponsor announcement 2:00 Daily task lists, focus, and doing less to accomplish more 3:15 New episode formats & “Let’s Ask Bill” introduction 5:00 Supporting the trades through sponsorships 6:20 Introducing Bill Tansey 7:30 What an org chart actually is (and isn’t) 9:00 Org charts as a communication tool, not a hierarchy 10:00 Current-state vs future-state org charts 12:00 Planning only one year ahead—and why it matters 13:15 The importance of standard roles for scaling 15:00 Why org charts shouldn’t constantly change 17:10 Adding overhead roles and financial justification 19:00 Full-time equivalency and wearing multiple hats 21:10 The danger of building roles around people 23:40 Functional accountability explained 27:00 Common org chart mistakes business owners make 34:20 Strategy, tactics, execution & wrapping the episode

    37 min

  4. JAN 14

    Don’t Get Stuck Self-Employed: Cashflow Quadrant Part 2 | Blue Collar StartUp 111

    In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, Mike and Derek break down Part Two of the Cashflow Quadrant, focusing on the difficult transition from being self-employed to becoming a true business owner. They unpack leadership, systems, vision, cashflow realities, and the mindset shifts required to stop owning a job and start building a business. Check out the Blue Collar StartUp Patreon for exclusive bonus content! https://patreon.com/BlueCollarStartUp?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan&utm_content=copyLink 0:00 Welcome to Blue Collar StartUp 0:29 Introductions and kicking off the new year 1:29 New episode formats and what’s coming in 2026 2:32 Patreon overview and why the bonus content matters 3:47 Sponsorships and supporting the next generation of trades 5:00 Episode topic: Cashflow Quadrant, Part Two 6:10 Defining self-employed vs. business owner 7:57 What a “real business” actually looks like 9:38 Can a business truly run without its owner? 12:20 Growth creates new problems at every level 15:36 Hiring, delegation, and leveraging strengths 18:05 The risks and realities of business ownership 21:13 Letting go and trusting your team 23:12 Vision, mission, and values as leadership tools 27:01 Why most self-employed owners never scale 31:17 Culture, buy-in, and decision-making frameworks 37:39 Cashflow myths, payroll pressure, and sacrifice 44:24 Patreon topics, wrap-up, and where to find the show

    46 min

  5. JAN 7

    Turning Tragedy into Triumph with Mason Hamilton | Blue Collar StartUp #110

    In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, Mike and Derek chat with Mason Hamilton as shares his incredible journey from excavator operator to president of Donnelly Construction, a leading traffic control company in New York State, revealing how hard work and resilience turned personal tragedy into triumph. Despite a paralyzing snowmobile accident, he continued leading and growing the business through sheer determination and problem-solving. Learn more about Donnelly Construction at donnellyconstruction.net. Check out our Blue Collar StartUp Patreon for exclusive bonus content! https://patreon.com/BlueCollarStartUp?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan&utm_content=copyLink 0:00 Intro and Welcome 0:15 Hosts Banter and New Year Shoutout 1:13 Sponsor Shoutouts Begin 2:26 Patreon Mention 3:20 Introducing Guest Mason Hamilton 3:40 What is Donnelly Construction? 4:31 Explaining Traffic Control Services 5:30 Geographic Coverage and Visibility 6:34 Mason's Start in the Company 7:51 Path to Becoming an Operator 9:39 Timeline to President (21-22 Years) 11:30 Brief College Story 14:11 Day-to-Day as President 16:16 The Snowmobile Accident and Transition 20:52 Management Style 24:26 Overcoming Adversity Mindset 29:49 Plans for 2026 and Growth 33:28 Where to Find Donnelly Construction 34:12 Wrap-Up and Patreon Teaser

    35 min

  6. 12/31/2025

    Building a Profitable Print Shop with Korey Chapman | Blue Collar StartUp #109

    In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, hosts Mike and Derek sit down with Korey Chapman, owner of Little Moose Prints, to break down the realities of running a low-margin, labor-intensive business in a highly competitive market. Korey breaks down ten years of lessons in screen printing and embroidery, including pricing in a race-to-the-bottom market, managing production labor, investing in equipment, and building systems that keep jobs moving out the door on time. Check out our Blue Collar StartUp Patreon for exclusive bonus content! https://patreon.com/BlueCollarStartUp?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan&utm_content=copyLink You can learn more about Korey Chapman and Little Moose Prints at littlemooseprints.com and across their social platforms. 0:00 Cold open and welcome 0:15 What Blue Collar StartUp is all about 1:03 Sponsors and supporting the trades 1:31 Introducing Korey Chapman and Little Moose Prints 2:08 Ten years in business and team size 3:19 From fourth-generation farming to entrepreneurship 4:54 Discovering screen printing and moving to Idaho 6:01 Starting as a side hustle and going all in 7:18 Competing in a race-to-the-bottom industry 8:49 How farming prepared Korey for business reality 10:18 Saying yes before knowing how to deliver 11:57 Manual presses, brutal hours, and automation 13:49 The biggest challenge over ten years: labor 15:47 Letting go of the wrong people sooner 16:32 Learning to track numbers and run a scorecard 18:23 Leadership, decision-making, and accountability 21:59 Pricing, margins, and firing the wrong clients 33:00 Patreon preview, where to find Korey, and wrap-up

    35 min

  7. 12/24/2025

    Can Your Business Run Without You? Let’s Ask Bill | Blue Collar StartUp #108

    In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, Mike Nelson and Derek Foster welcome back Bill Tansey Jr. to break down what it really takes to build a business that can operate without its owner being involved in every daily decision. From getting the “trains running on time” to implementing org charts, escalation criteria, and documented processes, the conversation delivers practical guidance for trades business owners looking to scale sustainably. Check out our Blue Collar StartUp Patreon for exclusive bonus content! https://patreon.com/BlueCollarStartUp?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan&utm_content=copyLink Bill can be found on LinkedIn as William (Bill) Tansey Jr., or through his website at theopexshop.com. 0:00 Show introduction 0:25 Hosts Mike Nelson and Derek Foster introduce themselves 1:34 Year-end planning, goal setting, and why planning fuels growth 2:46 Sponsors, community impact, and giving back to the trades 5:18 Podcast milestones, episode output, and tools & tuition donations 6:31 Introducing Bill Tansey and the “Let’s Ask Bill” series 8:12 Vision boards, goal visibility, and staying focused all year 10:05 Today’s topic: building a business that can run without you 11:17 Hiring outside the friend circle and preparing for real growth 13:50 “Are the trains running on time?” explained 17:01 Cash cows, sustainable advantage, and the buggy whip analogy 18:59 Escalation criteria: critical vs. major vs. minor issues 22:19 When and how to use organizational charts correctly 26:36 Functional vs. cross-functional teams explained 29:20 Processes, business systems, and operations manuals 32:17 Why documented processes are required to scale 34:22 Biggest mistakes owners make when growing their business 37:04 Where to find Bill and closing remarks

    39 min

  8. 12/17/2025

    How Robots Help Derek Foster Clean Smarter | Blue Collar StartUp #107

    In this episode of Blue Collar Startup, hosts Mike Nelson and Derek Foster explore how robotics and automation are being used in real-world trade businesses to solve labor challenges, improve efficiency, and deliver better results. From commercial cleaning to healthcare facilities, we break down what the technology actually does, where it works best, and why robots are becoming tools—not replacements—on the modern jobsite. Check out our Blue Collar StartUp Patreon for exclusive bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/posts/how-robots-help-146011099 00:00 Intro and welcome to Blue Collar Startup 01:30 Snowstorms, winter work, and life in the trades 03:10 The real cost of vacations for business owners 04:40 Setting up the episode: robotics in the trades 06:00 Derek’s background and growth of Daigle Cleaning Systems 08:20 Introducing robotics and automation in cleaning 10:45 Business acquisition and scaling during COVID 13:30 How cleaning robots actually work (mapping & programming) 16:45 What robots can and cannot replace 19:10 Safety, sensors, and robots working around people 21:30 Productivity gains and reallocating human labor 24:00 Using robotics to open doors with new clients 26:20 ROI, cost savings, and efficiency benefits 28:45 Where robotics works best: healthcare, offices, schools 31:15 Residential vs. commercial cleaning differences 34:00 Franchising, systems, and avoiding costly mistakes 36:30 Labor shortages and the future of automation 39:00 Industry standards, certifications, and audits 44:20 Advice for business owners considering robotics 50:09 Episode wrap-up and sponsor acknowledgments

    50 min
See All (111)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Our Mission is Simple: To facilitate the growth and development of Blue Collar businesses. We will showcase REAL Blue Collar businesses in interviews, and use these stories to help educate and empower the next generation of trades workers to become Blue Collar business owners.

Information

  • Creator
    Michael Nelson
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    111
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Michael Nelson
  • Show Website
    Blue Collar StartUp