Peter Erdei – Erdei Designs
Peter Erdei builds high-quality custom pieces. And of those pieces, many of them are very high end, unique and stunning tables. As is most destinations in life, Peter arrived at this one after experiencing many different things in life. We talk about some of those experiences on the show. Matter of fact, we talk about a lot of things. I talk with Peter about the long hours he puts in, how his business actually got started (a little urgency!!), getting traction to start his business, learning more about the craft of finishing, and more in-depth knowledge about wood. We talk… View Episode Page
Rich Bradbury – Double Oarlock LLC
Rich Bradbury started as a rancher as a kid, worked in the Oil Fields in technical roles, worked on a ranch in Russia, and is back where he started, ranching in Oregon. His overall strategy involves adding leased land, managing, raising cattle on his ranch and with a group to produce high-quality beef, AND he is a teacher. To top it all off, he is Dyslexic. In this podcast, we talk about it all. Dyslexia, ranching, soil, the impact of urban sprawl on the land, the importance of the land to society, regeneration of soil, education... and I'm sure there… View Episode Page
Marc LeConte – High Quality Home Maintenance
Marc LeConte is the owner and operator of High Quality Home Maintenance located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Clocking in over 25 years in business, not counting the years spent building up the client list before officially launching - Marc has built relationships with his customers and a reputation that keeps him as busy as he wants to be. Maintenance and repair, if done properly, require adept and accurate problem-solving skills. Marc started developing this skill as a young lad, along with the skills to implement. After a stint in the Navy where Marc learned more skills, all of this culminated… View Episode Page
Trent Hendricks – Cabriejo Ranch
Trent Hendricks is owner/operator of Cabriejo Ranch which he runs with his wife and a whole passel of kids (you won't believe how many!). They raise grassfed cattle and sheep in more than just a sustainable manner, but in a Holistically Managed Regenerative model. Trent has a huge focus on "Regeneration" which seems to be at the core of everything he does. We definitely discuss the topic of "Regeneration" throughout this recording, including what exactly this means in practice. Trent is Vice President on the Board of Directors for the AMERICAN GRASSFED ASSOCIATION. As part of the AGA he is… View Episode Page
Nathan Brown – Old World Timber
Nathan Brown is the Owner/CEO of Old World Timber, a reclaimed wood wholesale and distribution company, located in Lexington, KY. We talk about sourcing old wood from both old buildings, from overseas, from rivers. Nathan tells his story of how he started Old World Timber, how it grew from a small project to a significant part of his life. The actual process of putting reclaimed wood to use can be challenging, and Nathan gives a pretty good overview. Old World Timber has grown to where it is becoming a significant player in the Reclaimed Lumber space, and Nathan is taking… View Episode Page
Jason Maldonado – Relentless Safety
Jason Maldanado has recently published a book about safety titled, "A Practical Guide to the Safety Profession: The Relentless Pursuit" This book is based on experiences that Jason has had in his career in the safety profession. The actual writing of this book was inspired - almost demanded - by his father. In this podcast episode, we talk about the experience of writing this book, how Jason got started in the safety profession, the impact his mentor Nick had on him, where Jason is going and what he is launching - and more. You can also read posts on his… View Episode Page
Chris Crawford – Owner and Operator of Spring A/C
Chris Crawford is the owner and operator of Spring A/C in Houston, Texas. Putting to use the skills learned over many decades, Chris operates Spring A/C with an intent to not only serve his customers, but his technicians as well. In this podcast episode, Chris talks about his experiences from starting work in the family business at a young age, the impact that had on him interacting with his peers in school, to what he learned in the military about management and leadership. Later, Chris built a division from scratch for an existing plumbing company, and he explains how that… View Episode Page
Three Recommended Podcasts
Hey Guys, today, I have three podcasts to recommend for you, that I think are informative, entertaining, and are just "well worth" the listen. And of course, check the show notes for links to these podcasts. These are also Blue Collar podcasts, and I definitely enjoy them - I'm betting that you will as well. The first one is: "The Roofer Show" with Dave Sullivan. Of the three I am listing today, Dave's show is the one I subscribed to first, and quite some time ago. I don't listen to every single episode, but the ones that are relevant to… View Episode Page
Chris Guidry – Google Adwords Expert
Chris Guidry is a Google Adwords expert. He can train you to run successful Adwords campaigns to get your phone ringing, and traffic to your website. Doesn't matter what trade or profession, the approach makes the difference. Listen to Chris talk about Adwords, and how it can help you, on this episode. View Episode Page
Manny Pasillas – Tech CNC
Manny Pasillas is a CNC Service Engineering Consultant, and doing so as owner and operator of Tech CNC. Services offered are: Certified: CNC Service and Repair, On-Site Contract, Process Engineering Improvement Consulting, Spindle Rebuilds, Regional or World Wide Company Relocation Specialist, Company Restructuring Consultant and Sales. Manny messaged me on LinkedIn about being a guest on Blue Collar Voices. We subsequently chatted briefly over the phone. I found him to be a great candidate for the show, with an excellent story - and fits the Blue Collar ethos very well. During the recording of the show, I got to learn… View Episode Page