Blue Collar StartUp

Hosted by Michael Nelson

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Episodes

142

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

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.

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60 recent

October 21, 2026Episode 14642 min

The Future of Trades Education Is Changing | Blue Collar StartUp #146

Dr. Michael Brophy, President of Hudson Valley Community College, joins Mike Nelson and Derek Foster on Blue Collar StartUp to discuss the skilled labor shortage, the future of trades education, workforce development, and the growing demand for technical skills across New York's Capital Region. From AI's impact on traditional careers to hands-on training, shorter certificate programs, and employer partnerships, discover how technical education is preparing workers for new opportunities in the trades. Learn more about Hudson Valley Community College at hvcc.edu/index.html and explore its programs for students and working professionals. 0:00 Introducing Blue Collar StartUp and Hudson Valley Community College 2:17 Dr. Brophy's Career in Higher Education 4:44 The College's Programs and Capital Region Campuses 7:20 How Technical Education Has Changed 8:39 What Regional Employers Say the Workforce Needs 10:08 Why Students Need More Hands-On Trade Experiences 11:47 Why Employers Need More Than Technical Skills 14:01 The Skilled Labor Shortage and Career Opportunities 15:31 Meeting Demand for Skilled Workers Across the Region 17:07 The Capital Region's Growing Technology and Manufacturing Economy 18:38 Retraining Adults for New Careers 19:27 Shorter Training Programs and Employer Partnerships 22:08 Why Attitudes Toward the Trades Are Changing 24:13 The Business Opportunities Available in the Trades 25:28 How AI Is Changing Higher Education and Lifelong Learning 28:30 Why Skilled Trades Will Still Matter in an AI-Driven World 31:08 Connecting High School Students With Hands-On Training 33:55 How Local Employers Can Connect With Hudson Valley Students 37:51 Expanding Training Capacity and the Future of the College 40:23 Exploring Programs and Visiting Campus Want more Blue Collar StartUp? Website: bluecollarstartup.io Facebook: facebook.com/bluecollarstartup Instagram: instagram.com/thebluecollarstartup #BlueCollarStartUp #SkilledTrades #WorkforceDevelopment #HudsonValleyCommunityCollege #FutureOfWork

October 14, 2026Episode 14558 min

The Real Cost of Building a Successful Plumbing Business | Blue Collar StartUp #145

What does it take to turn a plumbing business into a thriving company? Pete and Alicia Green of Go Green Plumbing share how they grew from one service truck into a multimillion-dollar operation through financial discipline, business systems, leadership, and community investment. They also explain why knowing your break-even costs, separating salary from profit, and learning how to run a business are essential for long-term success in the trades. Learn more about Pete and Alicia Green at gogreenplumb.com . 0:00 Welcome to Blue Collar StartUp 2:06 Pete and Alicia’s Story and the Start of Go Green 3:26 Building a Business Roadmap Before Hiring 5:40 Pete’s Early Interest in the Trades 7:39 Failed Businesses, Visionaries, and Implementers 9:06 Learning Business Systems and Leadership 12:26 What Nexstar Offers Plumbing and HVAC Contractors 16:32 When Is a Contractor Ready for Business Coaching? 19:10 Why Pete Committed to the Nexstar System 21:15 The Conversation That Inspired Pete to Start His Business 24:42 Starting With One Truck and Working Long Hours 25:17 Why Knowing Your Break-Even Cost Matters 27:00 Sacrifice, Salary, Profit, and Reinvesting in Growth 31:01 Go Green’s Early Revenue and Growth 34:07 Learning From Bad Reviews, Employees, and Mistakes 37:52 Finding the Right Roles and Supporting the Team 45:51 Go Green Community Promise and Giving Back 50:06 Advice for Future Tradespeople and Business Owners Visit bluecollarstartup.io for more real stories and practical lessons from blue-collar business owners. Facebook: facebook.com/bluecollarstartup Instagram: instagram.com/thebluecollarstartup #BlueCollarStartUp #PlumbingBusiness #BlueCollarBusiness #Entrepreneurship #SkilledTrades

September 30, 2026Episode 14451 min

The Business Lessons Behind Duke's Nationwide Growth | Blue Collar StartUp #144

Matt Fishbune, CEO of Duke's, joins Blue Collar StartUp to discuss how a specialized sewer root control company grew from its Syracuse, New York roots into a nationwide business through acquisitions, market expansion, skilled labor, leadership development, and a focus on its core business. Matt also shares lessons from Duke's growth, including how to evaluate new markets, build teams across multiple regions, develop future leaders, and why the trades should never be viewed as a fallback career. Connect with Matt Fishbune and learn more about Duke's at dukes.com . 0:00 Welcome to Blue Collar StartUp 3:57 How Duke's Root Control got started in Syracuse 7:41 Turning a chemical product into a service business 10:54 Building a specialized blue-collar workforce 12:56 Matt's role and building Duke's for the next 40 years 15:05 Growth, acquisitions and entering new markets 18:13 Why Duke's invests in greenfield expansion 21:11 Learning from failed investments and "scar tissue" 22:53 How Duke's decides which markets to enter 24:05 Why local relationships matter in a national business 27:03 Building the infrastructure to manage nationwide growth 30:47 Creating a more effective organizational structure 32:42 Why leadership needs to get out in the field 35:05 The "Chief Reminding Officer" approach to leadership 38:00 Building Duke's Academy and developing leaders 39:50 Why onboarding can become overwhelming 42:18 When expanding into a new market can be a mistake 45:05 The "30-foot dunk" test for new business ideas 46:31 Why the trades are not a fallback option 48:04 Learning the trade and the business side 49:37 Where to learn more about Duke's Want more Blue Collar StartUp? Website: bluecollarstartup.io Facebook: facebook.com/bluecollarstartup Instagram: instagram.com/thebluecollarstartup #BlueCollarStartUp #BlueCollarBusiness #TradesBusiness #Entrepreneurship #SkilledTrades

September 23, 2026Episode 14343 min

Why Growth Means Hiring Before You Feel Ready | Blue Collar StartUp #143

Brianna Ford, Founder of All In Heating & Air, shares how she went from working inside multimillion-dollar HVAC companies to launching her own business from zero customers, building a database, generating leads through community involvement, and growing a recognizable local brand. She also breaks down restructuring a $40 million HVAC company that was losing $1 million a month, why businesses need to hire ahead of growth, and how she created processes and KPIs to build All In Heating & Air. Learn more about All In Heating & Air and connect with Brianna at callallin.com . 0:00 Welcome to Blue Collar StartUp 3:17 Meet Brianna Ford of All In Heating & Air 5:26 Growing an HVAC company from $3.5M to $28M 6:06 Restructuring a $40M company losing $1M a month 9:16 The power of nurturing your customer database 11:42 The three areas to fix a struggling business 14:13 Why Brianna decided to start her own HVAC company 16:38 Turning the All In dream into a real business 20:08 Building a marketing strategy without relying on Google 21:39 How Facebook groups generated $100K in leads 23:20 Jeremy's role in building the business 25:01 The first calls and first month of All In 27:15 Why you should hire before you feel ready 29:19 Creating KPIs when you don't have a database 32:28 Going from operations to sales and cold calling 33:57 Building business systems for future growth 35:59 What Brianna would do differently 37:35 Learning to network when nobody knows you 39:07 Why growth is uncomfortable 40:16 Brianna's advice: Take the leap of faith Want more Blue Collar StartUp? Website: bluecollarstartup.io Facebook: facebook.com/bluecollarstartup Instagram: instagram.com/thebluecollarstartup #BlueCollarStartUp #HVACBusiness #HVAC #TradesBusiness #Entrepreneurship

September 16, 2026Episode 14246 min

The Marketing Strategy Every Contractor Needs | Blue Collar StartUp #142

What does it take to build a memorable brand and consistent marketing strategy for a home service or contracting business? Crystal Williams, Co-Founder of Lemon Seed Marketing, shares practical advice on contractor branding, business naming, social media content, Google Business Profiles, mascots, and community engagement. Learn more about Crystal Williams and Lemon Seed Marketing at lemonseedmarketing.com . 0:00 Intro & Welcome to Blue Collar StartUp 1:49 Meet Crystal Williams & Lemon Seed Marketing 2:11 Growing Up in the Trades 3:58 From Side Hustle to Fractional Marketing 5:58 What a Fractional Marketing Team Actually Does 7:07 Why Brand Consistency Matters for Contractors 9:20 How Should Contractors Name Their Business? 10:21 The Biggest Business Naming Mistake Contractors Make 12:30 Creating a Unique, Memorable Business Name 14:17 Why Most Contractor Names Are Too Similar 15:15 The Story Behind Spot On Pest Control 17:19 How Lemon Seed Marketing Got Its Name 19:24 Why Mascots Can Build Brand Recognition 22:38 Do Mascots Work Beyond the Trades? 25:33 Is There a Marketing Silver Bullet? 27:19 Why Content Is King for Contractors 29:55 The Google Business Profile Mistake Contractors Make 37:55 Community Engagement & Building a Referral Engine 40:10 Turning Community Causes Into Marketing Opportunities 43:45 How to Get Started With Lemon Seed Marketing Want more Blue Collar StartUp? Website: bluecollarstartup.io Facebook: facebook.com/bluecollarstartup Instagram: instagram.com/thebluecollarstartup #ContractorMarketing #HomeServiceBusiness #ContractorBranding #SmallBusinessMarketing #BlueCollarStartUp

September 9, 2026Episode 14155 min

How Anchor Heating & Air Rebuilt to $8M From $2,000 | Blue Collar StartUp #141

Stephanie Postell, Owner and COO of Anchor Heating and Air Conditioning, joins Blue Collar StartUp to share how she and her husband built an $8 million HVAC company from just $2,000 after losing the previous $5 million business they helped build. She also explains how HVAC contractors can grow by charging appropriately, understanding their numbers, building a strong brand, investing in great employees, and creating processes that support rapid growth. Learn more about Stephanie and Anchor Heating and Air Conditioning at anchorheatingandair.com . 0:00 Welcome to Blue Collar StartUp 2:55 Introducing Stephanie Postell of Anchor Heating and Air 3:39 Building an $8 million HVAC company in five years 4:51 Starting from zero instead of buying an existing business 5:58 Getting fired and facing an uncertain future 7:21 Finding an investor and deciding to start from scratch 8:09 Launching a new company just before COVID 8:46 Growing from $0 to $5 million in 20 months 11:29 Starting Anchor Heating and Air with just $2,000 13:15 Reinvesting the first HVAC job into the next opportunity 16:02 Why there is no secret sauce to business growth 17:01 Educating HVAC customers instead of high-pressure selling 19:20 Why contractors must charge what their work is worth 22:00 How underpricing is hurting the HVAC industry 26:27 The risks of relying too heavily on AI and ChatGPT 31:00 Building a powerful brand and telling a business story 35:02 Free marketing strategies using Facebook community groups 40:39 Helping launch another HVAC company past $1 million 43:16 How to scale quickly by charging enough and hiring great people 48:29 Investing in employees and building a company people love 53:07 Where to find Stephanie and Anchor Heating and Air 53:35 Closing thanks to listeners and Blue Collar StartUp sponsors Want more Blue Collar StartUp? Website: bluecollarstartup.io Facebook: facebook.com/bluecollarstartup Instagram: instagram.com/thebluecollarstartup #HVACBusiness #BlueCollarBusiness #TradesBusiness #SmallBusinessGrowth #HVAC

August 26, 2026Episode 14051 min

Why Contractors Need to Put Their Pricing Online in 2026 | Blue Collar StartUp #140

Paul Redman, President of Contractor Commerce, joins Blue Collar StartUp to discuss how AI, online shopping, transparent pricing, and changing homeowner expectations are reshaping the trades. He also breaks down common technology mistakes, the importance of speed to lead, and hiring the right people to create a business that can grow without becoming dependent on its owner. Learn more about Paul Redman and Contractor Commerce at contractorcommerce.com . 0:00 Welcome to Blue Collar StartUp & Meet Paul Redman 1:26 The Family HVAC Business Behind Contractor Commerce 3:14 From HVAC Contractor to E-Commerce Business 4:11 Why Contractor Commerce Launched in 2018 5:54 How Technology Changed the Contractor Business 7:45 Paul’s Journey Into the Trades 10:09 Leading a Growing Team of 50+ 13:40 The Compounding Effect of Doing the Right Thing 16:00 How Homeowners’ Buying Habits Have Changed 18:25 How Contractors Can Win in AI Search 20:22 Why Contractors Should Put Pricing Online 23:41 What Younger Homeowners Expect 25:39 Why Contractors Need to Organize Their Data 27:59 Common Technology Mistakes Contractors Make 31:14 Brand, Speed to Lead, Conversion & Cash Flow 34:09 Building a Business That Creates Freedom 36:49 The Importance of Hunger in New Hires 41:18 The Future of Digital Sales for Contractors Want more Blue Collar StartUp? Website: bluecollarstartup.io Facebook: facebook.com/bluecollarstartup Instagram: instagram.com/thebluecollarstartup #BlueCollarStartUp #ContractorBusiness #HomeServices #AIForBusiness #ContractorCommerce

August 19, 2026Episode 13954 min

How AI Helped Save Her Landscaping Business | Blue Collar StartUp #139

Andrea Palacio is an AI Business Strategist and founder of Crewless who helps business owners automate repetitive work, streamline operations, and use AI to get their time back. After buying a struggling landscaping company, Andrea used AI automation for phone calls, lead follow-up, payments, scheduling, customer service, proposals, marketing, and other business operations—and ultimately rebuilt the company while creating a new business around AI automation. Learn more about Andrea Palacio at andreapalacio.ai . 0:00 Welcome to Blue Collar StartUp & Meet Andrea Palacio 2:08 What Andrea Does as an AI Business Strategist 3:12 From E-Commerce Entrepreneur to Landscaping Business Owner 3:56 The Landscaping Acquisition Goes Wrong 4:33 Revenue Falls From $70K to $40K a Month 5:35 Fighting Back With Google Ads and Automation 6:19 Why Andrea Chose Automation Over Selling the Business 8:07 Going From Freedom to Extreme Business Stress 11:25 Another Leadership Crisis Forces Andrea to Level Up 13:15 Rebuilding the Landscaping Business With AI 15:03 Building an AI Receptionist to Capture Leads 17:19 Do Customers Actually Want to Talk to AI? 21:27 Using AI to Automate Collections and Get Paid 23:10 AI Scheduling, Content Creation and Business Operations 28:50 Turning AI Consulting Into a Scalable Business 31:18 Claude Code, AI Agents and Building Business Systems 35:30 Why Business Owners Struggle to Adopt AI 40:43 AI, Leadership, Delegation and Getting Your Time Back 47:05 Why You Can't Grow Without Delegating 50:42 “New Levels, New Devils” and the Entrepreneurial Journey 52:04 How to Connect With Andrea Palacio Want more Blue Collar StartUp? Website: bluecollarstartup.io Facebook: facebook.com/bluecollarstartup Instagram: instagram.com/thebluecollarstartup/ #AIForBusiness #AIAutomation #SmallBusiness #LandscapingBusiness #BlueCollarStartUp

August 12, 2026Episode 13852 min

The Hidden Opportunities in Manufacturing | Blue Collar StartUp #138

What does the future of manufacturing and the skilled trades workforce look like in New York’s Capital Region? In Episode 138 of Blue Collar StartUp, Mike Nelson and Derek Foster talk with Don Wiesenforth and Matt Grattan of the Center for Economic Growth (CEG) about manufacturing careers, registered apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeship programs, workforce development, automation, AI, and the growing demand for skilled workers. They also explain how CEG helps manufacturers grow, connect with talent, access training and incentives, and navigate resources available to small and mid-sized manufacturing businesses. Learn more about Don, Matt, and the Center for Economic Growth at ceg.org . 0:00 Blue Collar StartUp Intro & Hosts Catch Up 1:53 Introducing Don Wiesenforth & Matt Grattan from CEG 2:22 What the Center for Economic Growth Does 5:02 The Growing Demand for Blue Collar Talent 8:31 Why the Capital Region Has So Many Manufacturers 10:22 How CEG Supports Manufacturers & Workforce Development 11:35 Getting More Women Into Manufacturing 12:45 Pre-Apprenticeship Programs & Direct Entry 13:12 The New Regional OnRamp Manufacturing Center 16:14 What Manufacturing Apprenticeships Actually Look Like 18:36 How Apprenticeships Can Lead to College Degrees 20:42 The "Earn While You Learn" Model 25:13 The Massive Demand for Manufacturing Workers 28:48 Getting Middle School Students Interested in Manufacturing 30:35 How Automation & AI Are Changing Manufacturing Jobs 37:49 CEG's Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) 43:2 What Employers Really Want From Workers 45:32 The New Generation of Workers & Work-Life Balance 47:23 Why Economic Development Is About More Than Big Companies 50:11 How Manufacturers Can Connect With CEG Want more Blue Collar StartUp? Website: bluecollarstartup.io Facebook: facebook.com/bluecollarstartup Instagram: instagram.com/thebluecollarstartup/ #BlueCollarStartUp #SkilledTrades #Manufacturing #WorkforceDevelopment #Apprenticeships

August 5, 2026Episode 13753 min

Escaping the Messy Middle in the Trades | Blue Collar StartUp #137

In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, Brent Garrett, President of Sirius Plumbing & Air Conditioning, shares the five stages of business growth, how to transition from technician to coach, and the systems that helped him build a multi-million-dollar company. Learn why most contractors get stuck between $750K and $2.5M in revenue, how to delegate effectively, improve profitability, and create a business that runs without you. Connect with Brent on his website at theskilledtradescoach.com and learn more about Sirius Plumbing & Air Conditioning at siriusplumbing.com . 00:00 Introduction & Welcome 00:47 Meet Brent Garrett of Sirius Plumbing & Air Conditioning 01:57 Growing Up in the Plumbing Industry 04:16 Why Brent's Father Didn't Want Him in the Trades 06:07 The Trade Labor Shortage & Need for Mentors 07:44 Coaching Employees Through Growth & Change 09:05 Why the Trades Are One of the Best Careers Today 11:22 How AI Is Impacting Careers & Skilled Trades 13:27 Starting a Business at 26 with $5,000 14:36 Stage 1 & Stage 2 of Business Growth 16:06 Understanding the "Messy Middle" 19:21 What the Top 20% of Contractors Do Differently 20:25 Becoming a Coach Instead of a Technician 22:26 The Importance of Pricing, Margins & Delegation 24:01 Parkinson's Law & Time Boxing for Productivity 26:21 Performance-Based Compensation & Customer Options 27:42 Why Marketing Matters for Trade Businesses 29:00 Building Equity, Wealth & Legacy Through Business 32:33 Burn the Boats: Commitment to Growth 37:30 Delegation, Leadership & Accountability Systems 41:14 Why the Field Team Drives the Business 46:22 Brent's Top Advice: Culture & Financial Ownership 49:10 How to Connect with Brent Garrett 51:43 Closing Thoughts & Final Takeaways Want more Blue Collar StartUp? Website: bluecollarstartup.io Facebook: facebook.com/bluecollarstartup Instagram: instagram.com/thebluecollarstartup #BlueCollarStartup #TradesBusiness #SmallBusinessGrowth #HVACBusiness #PlumbingBusiness