The Blue Collar Trades Show

Troy Latuff
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship

The Blue Collar Trades Show is where hard work meets real talk and a little controlled chaos, usually held together with duct tape. Hosted by Troy, Jim, Chad, and Marissa (four very different personalities who somehow make it work), the show brings together business owners, tradespeople, veterans, and everyday folks from a wide range of industries and backgrounds. Expect honest conversations about building careers, businesses, and lives, along with real stories, practical lessons, occasional sarcasm, and plenty of laughs- without the corporate buzzwords or polished nonsense. It’s all about doing great work, treating people right, and having some fun while we’re at it.

  1. 3d ago

    The One About Turning an Unexpected Career Change Into an HVAC Success Story

    Summary Janal Reid shares her inspiring journey from Detroit to becoming a successful HVAC business owner in Dallas, Texas. She discusses the importance of community, customer service, and strategic growth in building a lasting business. Janal shares her insights on building a strong company culture, empowering women in trades, and balancing family and entrepreneurship. Discover practical strategies for leadership, diversity, and growth in this inspiring conversation. Key Topics Janal Reid's early life and entrepreneurial spirit Transition from cosmetology to HVAC Building a business through strategic planning and community focus Lessons learned from rapid growth and setbacks The importance of culture and leadership in scaling a business Company culture development and values Strategies for attracting and mentoring women in trades Balancing family life with entrepreneurship Leadership and communication in a family business Industry insights on trades education and diversity Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Janal Reid and her story 00:01 Introduction to Janal Reid and her business journey 02:00 Early influences and entrepreneurial mindset 03:53 Transition from cosmetology to HVAC 04:09 Building a company culture aligned with core values 08:02 Moving to Texas and starting fresh 08:09 Strategies for attracting women to the trades 12:12 Launching the HVAC business in Dallas 12:32 The importance of mentorship and industry collaboration 16:04 Challenges of rapid growth and managing culture 16:07 Balancing family life and entrepreneurship 20:01 Building community and customer relationships 20:30 Leadership lessons in a family-run business 24:04 Strategic partnerships and training programs 24:19 The future of trades education and diversity 28:00 Advice for women considering careers in trades 32:09 Closing thoughts and key takeaways 33:00 Current state of the business and future plans Connect with Janal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janal-reid/ https://ngtf.co/ https://servewayhvac.com/about-us/ Connect with Us: https://thebluecollarrecruiter.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-blue-collar-recruiter-virtual-trade-school/

  2. Sep 22

    The One About Breaking Through Your Business Plateau

    Summary In this episode, Adam Skorstad shares his extensive experience in the trades industry, from technical roles to leadership and coaching. He discusses the importance of systems, leadership development, and strategic growth for contractors aiming to scale their businesses successfully. Key Topics Adam Skorstad's background and journey in the trades industry Importance of systems and processes in business growth Leadership development and team management Strategies for overcoming business plateaus The role of coaching and mentorship in contractor success Financial management and reinvestment strategies The value of training and continuous learning Insights on franchise opportunities and startup capital Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Adam's background in the trades 01:58 Adam's journey from college to trades 03:59 Early career and transition into management 07:00 The importance of continuous learning and growth 09:53 Leadership development and reinventing yourself 15:03 Common pitfalls in contractor business management 20:07 Managing growth and overcoming plateaus 25:03 Financial fundamentals and reinvestment strategies 29:56 Starting a new business and startup capital 34:58 Franchise vs independent startup considerations 39:57 The importance of training, systems, and processes 45:00 Building a strong team and retention strategies 50:11 Coaching, mentorship, and continuous improvement 55:01 Final advice and closing thoughts Connect with Adam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-skorstad-5530b98a/ https://www.bdrco.com/ Connect with Us: https://thebluecollarrecruiter.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-blue-collar-recruiter-virtual-trade-school/

  3. Sep 15

    The One About Finding the Profit Leaks in Your Business with Ben Hansen | Ep. 26

    In this episode of The Blue Collar Trades Show, Troy Latuff, Chad and Jim sit down with Ben Hansen, known as the Profit Doctor, to talk about what really drives profitability in a blue collar business. Ben shares practical insights on identifying and patching profit leaks, understanding the numbers behind your business, tracking project profitability, and making smarter decisions about the customers, projects, and markets you pursue. Troy, Chad, Jim and Ben also dig into common misconceptions about profit margins in the trades, the impact of owner compensation on the numbers, and why generating more revenue doesn’t always mean making more money. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Profit Doctor and his background 04:07 The importance of understanding profitability in blue-collar trades 06:07 The three buckets of profitability: top, middle, and bottom thirds 08:03 Debunking profit margin myths in construction and the trades 09:59 Average net profitability in trades businesses and industry benchmarks 11:55 The importance of accurate financial data and accounting methods 14:56 Common profit leaks and how to patch them 17:59 The impact of owner compensation on perceived profitability 21:12 Customer selection and its effect on business profitability 23:51 Strategies for improving profit through leak detection and patching 27:00 Project and customer selection as key profit drivers 29:53 The importance of choosing the right projects and markets 34:06 How to evaluate project profitability and avoid costly mistakes 37:00 The significance of project selection and its impact on the bottom line 37:56 Final thoughts on improving profitability in trades businesses Connect with Ben Hansen Website: https://profitdoctor.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benhansen/ Follow The Blue Collar Trades Show Website: https://thebluecollarrecruiter.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-blue-collar-recruiter-virtual-trade-school/

  4. Aug 26

    The One About What’s Beneath Our Cities with Matt Fishbune | Ep. 25

    In this episode, Matt Fishbune, CEO of Duke’s, shares his journey from sports to underground infrastructure, the importance of character in hiring, and the fascinating world of trenchless sewer repair. Discover how innovative techniques are transforming city maintenance, what it takes to build a successful business in this niche industry, and how AI, sensors, drones, and other emerging technologies could shape the future of underground infrastructure. Key Topics · Matt Fishbune's background in sports and transition to infrastructure · The importance of character in hiring for trades · Techniques and innovations in trenchless sewer repair · Challenges of aging infrastructure and solutions · Building a successful business in underground infrastructure · The role of technology in city maintenance · Character over competency in team building · Historical insights into sewer systems and materials Underground water and sewer systems · The role of gravity and pump stations in water flow · Infrastructure maintenance and capacity issues · Impact of AI on inspection and assessment · Future technologies like drones, sensors, and laser lidar · The importance of skilled trades and workforce development Takeaways · Character and attitude are more important than technical skills in hiring. · Always be hiring to stay ahead and avoid scrambling for talent. · Ask specific questions about past failures to assess accountability. · Most of the sewer infrastructure in the US is past its useful life. · Innovative trenchless methods can fix infrastructure without digging up streets. · Understanding the history of infrastructure helps appreciate current challenges. · Building relationships and reputation is key in niche industries. · Technology and proactive maintenance extend the life of infrastructure. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and guest background 02:02 Matt's sports background and transition from athletics 03:56 Introduction to trenchless sewer rehabilitation 06:58 Character in hiring and team building 10:57 Interview questions to assess accountability 14:59 The importance of always being in hiring mode 19:59 Matt’s family and their athletic achievements 21:59 History and evolution of Dukes and trenchless technology 25:03 Chemical solutions and service offerings 28:02 Service areas and industry growth 29:59 Longevity of infrastructure and historical systems 34:00 Water quality, safety, and infrastructure challenges Connect With Our Guest Learn more about Duke’s and connect with Matt: Duke’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/duke's-root-control-inc./ Matt Fishbune on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattfishbune/ Duke’s Website: https://www.dukes.com/

  5. Aug 18

    The One About Selling, Scaling, and Starting Again with Jamie Gerdsen | Ep. 24

    Jamie Gerdsen, founder of G5 Ventures, shares his path from third-generation HVAC roots to sales leadership, business ownership, private equity, and building his next chapter with G5 Ventures. We dig into what actually drives growth in the trades: hiring, lead flow, culture, cash flow, and putting people first. Jamie also breaks down why great sales still comes back to trust and follow-up, what owners underestimate about scaling, lessons from a near payroll crisis, and why he ultimately chose Main Street entrepreneurship over corporate life. Timestamps 00:00 - Opening and women in the trades 01:52 - Why technicians underestimate business ownership 04:07 - Jamie’s third-generation HVAC roots 07:18 - Residential sales and lead generation 09:32 - Building a systematic sales process 13:42 - Hunger, responsibility, and sales performance 15:06 - Authenticity and trust in selling 18:12 - Making it easier for customers to buy 21:55 - Growing up in the trades 24:36 - Hiring, apprenticeships, and scaling 29:11 - Fixing culture and putting employees first 33:04 - Leadership lessons from rowing 36:51 - The cash flow scare 38:50 - Why Jamie sold his company 41:45 - Moving into private equity and Turnpoint 45:40 - Launching G5 49:44 - From operator to systems architect 53:24 - Why perceptions of the trades are changing 59:06 - G5’s five-year vision 63:03 - Wealth, freedom, and defining “rich” 65:11 - Advice for young people 68:12 - Giving back and learning from failure 69:24 - Apprenticeships and the future of the trades 72:16 - Closing remarks Connect with Jamie Website: https://g5ventures.com/ https://www.jamiegerdsen.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiegerdsen/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/g5ventures/ Connect with us Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebluecollarrecruiter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tbcr_vts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-blue-collar-recruiter-virtual-trade-school Have a question, an idea for the show or know someone we should have on? Reach out, we’d love to hear from you! Key topics · Why field experience alone doesn’t prepare you to run a business · Old-school sales habits that still work: curiosity, objection handling, notes, and follow-up · Why authenticity beats pushing the most expensive option · Hiring ahead of growth and building a people-first culture · The cash flow mistake that nearly created a payroll crisis · Lessons from selling his company and moving into private equity · Why Jamie returned to entrepreneurship and launched G5 · The growing career opportunity in the skilled trades · Building businesses that create long-term opportunity for employees and families

  6. Aug 12

    The One About AI Communication In The Blue Collar World

    In this episode of the Blue Collar Trades Show, Troy, Jim, Marissa, and Jason Luo, CEO of Newo AI, explore how AI is changing customer communication for home service businesses. Jason shares how Newo AI helps HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and other service companies answer inbound calls, follow up with leads, and manage customer conversations using human-like voice AI. The group discusses the cost of missed calls, after-hours coverage, multilingual support, natural conversations, and how AI can be trained on a company’s website, FAQs, and internal knowledge. They also explore outbound uses like lead nurturing and recruiting, plus Newo’s pricing and trial options. Jason closes with his vision for AI in the trades… not replacing technicians, but helping owners and teams save time, improve operations, and focus on the work and customers that matter most. Chapter Breakdown 00:00 Intro and light banter 03:03 Jason introduces Newo and explains the company’s focus 05:56 Jason’s background in technology and home services 10:40 Why missed calls are such a big problem for trades businesses 14:26 How Newo’s AI receptionist works 17:16 Measuring call success and routing intent 18:36 How the AI handles pushback and awkward caller moments 19:32 Why Newo’s speech-to-speech system is different 23:34 Integrations, orchestration, and reducing hallucinations 27:30 Caller recognition, success rates, and missed revenue 32:40 Outbound calling, lead follow-up, and prospecting 35:28 Multi-channel support: voice, chat, email, and SMS 41:13 Recruiting use cases and candidate follow-up 44:38 Pricing, free trial, and enterprise options 49:55 What’s next for AI receptionists 56:54 Final thoughts and closing pitch Key Takeaways · Missed calls are a major revenue leak for home service businesses. · Voice AI can answer and route calls faster than traditional IVR systems. · Newo uses speech-to-speech AI for more natural conversations. · The system can support inbound, outbound, chat, email, and recruiting workflows. · AI may soon become a daily operational advisor for small businesses. Topics · Home services · HVAC, plumbing, and electrical businesses · AI receptionist technology · Missed call revenue · Call routing and lead management · Outbound prospecting · Recruiting automation · Voicemail detection · Customer experience · Future of AI in small business

  7. Jun 23

    The One About Flunking Business School and Building Companies with Chris Buttenham

    In this episode, Chris Buttenham, co-founder of REINS, shares his entrepreneurial journey from growing up in a blue collar family in small-town Canada to building and exiting successful businesses. Chris dives into the realities of entrepreneurship, the mindset required to succeed, and the massive opportunities emerging as baby boomer business owners prepare to retire. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, business owner, or someone interested in business acquisitions and employee ownership, this conversation is packed with practical insights and hard-earned lessons. In This Episode: · Chris shares how his father's security business influenced his entrepreneurial mindset · The story behind launching his first company as a teenager and later building a software business · Lessons learned from selling a company and what came next · Why Chris believes entrepreneurship is often an innate trait · The inspiration behind founding REINS and helping business owners implement employee ownership programs · A discussion on the challenges entrepreneurs face that most people never see · Insights into the business succession crisis impacting retiring baby boomers · Real-world examples of how ownership incentives transform employee behavior and company performance · Why entrepreneurs should focus on solving problems and spotting trends before others do Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction and welcome 02:15 - Chris's upbringing in a blue-collar family 05:08 - Learning entrepreneurship through his father's business 08:42 - Starting his first company at age 15 12:16 - Flunking out of business school and finding another path 16:03 - Building and scaling his first software company 20:44 - Selling a business and what's next 24:18 - The opportunity behind the "Silver Tsunami" 29:37 - Why retiring business owners create opportunities for entrepreneurs 33:54 - Are entrepreneurs born or made? 39:42 - How employee ownership improves retention and profitability 45:10 - Real examples of employees thinking like owners 50:28 - The misconceptions and sacrifices of entrepreneurship 56:17 - Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs 60:34 - Final thoughts and key takeaways Resources & Links: www.thebluecollarrecruiter.com www.BCRecruits.com Connect with Chris: REINS: www.myreins.com LinkedIn: Chris Buttenham Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myreins Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reinstechnologies

  8. Jun 16

    The One About Picking The Right Software To Scale Your Blue Collar Business with Jenny Benbrook

    Jenny Benbrook joins The Blue Collar Trade Show to unpack one of the biggest money pits in the contracting industry: software that gets bought but never gets used right. From her journey through the skilled trades industry to co-founding Powerhouse Consulting Group, one of the first consulting firms built to help contractors get real value out of platforms like ServiceTitan, Jenny breaks down why technology investments fail and what it takes to make them pay. The conversation digs into the unglamorous foundation of every successful software rollout: data hygiene. Jenny explains why dirty data quietly kills ROI, why most contractors only scratch the surface of what their platforms can do, and why a well-structured price book is the backbone of pricing, sales, and reporting. She also covers the most common challenges businesses hit with ServiceTitan and why expert guidance during implementation saves contractors months of frustration. The back half gets into the bigger picture: how the trades industry handles change, why intentional investment beats impulse software purchases, and how contractors should evaluate and plan their tech stack before signing another contract. What This Episode Covers: Jenny's journey through the skilled trades industry and into software consulting. The founding of Powerhouse and how software consulting for contractors became its own category. Why data hygiene is the silent killer of software adoption and ROI. The most common challenges contractors face with ServiceTitan. Why a well-structured price book matters more than most owners realize. How technology drives real business growth when implementation is done right. The role of change management in successful software adoption. How to evaluate and plan a tech stack with intention instead of impulse. Key Takeaways: Buying software is step one. Implementation, training, and optimization are where the dividends come from. Dirty data compounds. Clean it early or pay for it later. Your price book is the foundation of pricing, sales, and reporting. Structure it right. Change management is not optional. Your team adopting the tool is the whole game. Intentional investment beats reactive purchasing every time. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Location 06:11 Jenny's Involvement in the Founding of Powerhouse 13:59 Pioneering Software Consulting for Contractors 21:00 Data Hygiene and Software Adoption Challenges 26:15 Challenges with ServiceTitan 32:55 The Importance of a Well-Structured Price Book 43:34 The Value of Technology in Driving Business Growth 53:04 The Impact of Change in the Trades Industry 01:00:10 Tech Stack Planning and Evaluation Want to learn more about Powerhouse Consulting Group? LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennybenbrook/ Website: https://mypowerhouse.group/ Looking to hire skilled trades talent or find your next opportunity? Visit us at https://thebluecollarrecruiter.com and https://bcrecruits.com

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About

The Blue Collar Trades Show is where hard work meets real talk and a little controlled chaos, usually held together with duct tape. Hosted by Troy, Jim, Chad, and Marissa (four very different personalities who somehow make it work), the show brings together business owners, tradespeople, veterans, and everyday folks from a wide range of industries and backgrounds. Expect honest conversations about building careers, businesses, and lives, along with real stories, practical lessons, occasional sarcasm, and plenty of laughs- without the corporate buzzwords or polished nonsense. It’s all about doing great work, treating people right, and having some fun while we’re at it.

Information

  • Creator
    Troy Latuff
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Troy Latuff