Trades Secrets

Sit back and relax for a great conversation with two veterans of the industry – Bill Summers with Sioux Chief and Kevin Swisher with CSA Georgia. Bill is part of an ongoing lineage of skilled tradesmen that continues today. Kevin is the best kind of sales professional – he's all about relationships. It's a wide-ranging conversation, but all circled around the future of the skilled trades.

Billy Moyers stays on Part 2 with Workforce Innovators of America and is joined by two of their success stories – Carter & Blayson. Just in case we started to believe that hard work doesn’t pay off, wait until you hear how Carter & Blayson’s commitment to quality lead them to success at such a young age. It’s an encouragement for those who are worried about the next generation, and an inspiration for fellow members of the next generation.

Pete McGill brings two of his welding instructors – Billy Moyers & Kevin James – to talk about how Workforce Innovators of America is providing the real world training that prepares people, young and older, to pursue careers in welding that not only provide for their families, but also play a critical role in sustaining the nation's energy infrastructure.

Special Guest Zulfiya Forsythe of The Omadli Group joins Keith on this episode to talk about how skilled trades businesses can better utilize both internal data & information and external data & information in order to see their business more clearly and gain meaningful insights that lead to informed actions resulting in measurable growth. It is a conversation revolving around the careful and intelligent use of technology, not for technology sake, but for the sake of better business health. Enjoy!

Skilled trades businesses LISTEN UP! Everybody expects you to be great at your craft or particular trade, but they (and you) shouldn't expect you to be great at business without some help! John Addington with Clay Verse Media is our guide to understanding the importance of marketing in our digital age - from knowing your STORY and having a good Google Business profile to knowing your ideal clients and making sure your website and social media find them. John provides great insight, especially with his skilled trades background. Join us for another great story and conversation on Trades Secrets.

Talk about OJT! Keith is joined by the Work-Based Learning Coordinators from the three school systems in Jackson County, GA for a great conversation about the connections between education, work, business, and success. From Commerce High School’s Cameron Shirley and Jefferson High School’s Christy Drew, to East Jackson High School’s Holly Canup and Jackson County High School’s Greg Maxwell, you’ll learn the ins and outs of how Work-Based Learning offers amazing benefits to both students and businesses that ultimately serve to grow the community. Join us for a great conversation and afterwards, reach out to these great folks to see how your business can benefit from Work-Based Learning.Cameron Shirley: cameron.shirley@commercecityschools.org; Christy Drew: christy.drew@jeffcityschools.org; Holly Canup: holly.canup@jcss.us; Greg Maxwell: gmaxwell@jcss.us

The willingness to listen and learn carried him through working on turbine engines in the Navy to running instrumentation & control systems in power plants. For Jake Blickenstaff of UC Premier Properties, that same willingness has allowed him to learn more quickly what it takes to be successful in real estate and commercial brokerage. Join us for a journey through Jake's professional learning and how it so easily dovetails into the mission and vision of growing the skilled trades. It's another great episode of Trades Secrets, but this time with someone from OUTSIDE the plumbing industry!

He was never going to be a white-collar guy, but he found his way to success through the plumbing industry. From new construction to wholesale to manufacturer's representative, Kevin Crane, from Harry Warren of Georgia, has built a successful career through hard work, relationships, and always being willing to learn. He's also supported the industry through involvement with the PHCC and AIM/R. His story is a great reminder that a job is never just a paycheck, it can be a way to not only support your family, but also be an influence for good in your industry and in society as a whole. Join us for another great story from the skilled trades.

On this episode of Trades Secrets, Keith is joined by Taylor McLeroy - AKA TechTaylor - from MasterCraft Plumbing to talk about how he got into plumbing, the drive that keeps him going, and the way plumbing has impacted his life. It's an inspiring story of a young man finding his way in life by serving others.

Keith welcomes Doug Dyson to the studio and learns how he became a triple-threat in the plumbing industry - wholesale, manufacturing, and manufacturing sales agency. Doug shares the importance of relationships and integrity, recognizing a number of great people in the industry who helped him along the way. It's a great conversation with a great supporter of not only Trades Education Center, but the plumbing industry as a whole.