Blue-Collar BS

When uncertainty hits whether it's weather, natural disasters, or the unexpected how you respond reveals your leadership. We talk about what separates leaders who have plans from leaders who are making it up as they go.The difference between chaos and calm isn't luck. It's preparation. It's knowing what matters when everything else is falling apart. It's writing down who does what, what gets protected, and what the actual priorities are. Most leaders skip this step until it's too late.There's also a shift happening in what employees expect from their leaders when crisis hits. The old mindset was sacrifice everything for the business. The new mindset is having a plan that doesn't require that choice. Both matter and good leaders figure out how to do both.The real question isn't whether something will go wrong. It's whether you'll be ready when it does. And readiness starts with thinking it through now, before the pressure is on.The real question isn't whether something will go wrong. It's whether you'll be ready when it does. And readiness starts with thinking it through now, before the pressure is on.Highlights: Uncertainty reveals leadership prepare now or lead from chaos.Writing down your priorities and roles before crisis hits changes everything.Employees expect plans that don't force them to choose between family and work.The difference between panic and clarity is preparation.If you haven't already make sure to subscribe to Blue Collar BS. We would also appreciate if you could give us a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on Apple Podcasts this helps more people find our show!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrpOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Nush knew by sophomore year that traditional college wasn't her path. Automotive classes in high school led to NASCAR Technical Institute, then CNC machining when motorsport jobs required connections she didn't have. Now she's built Sisterhood of Trades, a Discord community of 850 women worldwide supporting each other across different trades. We explore why women still face basic safety issues like inaccessible restrooms and unlit parking lots that employers ignore while claiming to support women. Nush shares the harsh reality where reporting harassment leads to punishment instead of accountability, how LinkedIn networking creates more opportunities than degrees, and the vision to fund scholarships providing toolboxes for women entering trades so they don't start behind like she did.Highlights:How a worldwide Discord community of 850 women proves there's massive demand for peer support across trades.Why employers claiming to support women while ignoring accessible restrooms, lactating rooms, lit parking lots, and safe building access is empty lip service.The accountability gap where women reporting harassment about their bodies face punishment while leadership protects the men creating hostile environments.How university paths aren't the only option and successful fulfilling careers exist without the debt.The scholarship vision to provide toolboxes and resources so women don't start trades careers at a disadvantage.Subscribe to Blue Collar BS where we talk about the real gaps between generations in blue collar work and what it takes to lead across different age groups in today's trades.Get in touch with Nush: InstagramLinkedInSisterhood of TradesGet in touch with us:Check out the Blue Collar BS website.Steve Doyle:WebsiteLinkedInEmailBrad Herda:WebsiteLinkedInEmailThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrpOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Too many trades and construction business owners ignore their accounting until tax season hits, then spend days manually entering receipts from shoeboxes instead of using technology that does it automatically.We tackle the business operations side that gets pushed aside when you're busy doing the work that actually gets you paid.Steve reveals his manual QuickBooks process while Brad walks through why people fail to pay themselves properly, the three different rates you should be charging as owner-operator-CEO, and how to stop leaving money on the table with bad estimating.We explore tactics for building overhead into quotes without overcomplicating the math, why technology like receipt scanning apps can save days of work, and how understanding your customer's busy season changes your sales follow-up game completely.Highlights:HighlightsWhy paying yourself only after everything else is taken care of means you're getting a fraction of what you're worth instead of paying yourself first.How to calculate what you actually need to charge by separating your field labor hours from your CEO hours from your ownership compensationWhy most jobs are quoted wrong because overhead and profitability aren't properly estimated into the numbers.The garage door company example where tactical empathy in follow-up messaging closed the deal after understanding their busy season.Why seven touches before giving up beats three attempts, but only if you change your approach when the message isn't landing.Subscribe to Blue Collar BS for practical advice on running your business better. If you're still using shoeboxes and spreadsheets to track your money, this episode is for you.Get in touch with us:Check out the Blue Collar BS website.Steve Doyle:WebsiteLinkedInEmailBrad Herda:WebsiteLinkedInEmailThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrpOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Home service is now 4% of the US workforce and the fastest growing industry in the country, yet many successful businesses still struggle with basic invoicing and cash flow management. Joe Kaye, a tech veteran who worked construction through college, started exploring investments in blue collar businesses and discovered a massive gap between the amount of work available and the systems companies used to actually get paid. He teamed up with co-founder Luke to build Procured, a field service management software helping businesses get paid the same day jobs are completed instead of waiting weeks to send invoices. We explore why younger people are choosing trades over college debt, how 60-70% of home service businesses now embrace technology, and Joe's rapid-fire revelations including his vendetta against Reese's for changing their formula and why being 10 minutes early means you're on time.Highlights:Why tracking financials only when checks arrive creates cash flow chaos that makes it impossible to know if you can pay rent, staff, or buy equipment.The real cost of waiting 30-plus days to send invoices after completing jobs when you're paying for trucks, materials, and payroll today.How the gap between available work and getting paid is crushing successful businesses that should be thriving.Why younger workers choosing trades over college debt are forcing the industry to adopt technology or get left behind.The invoice that never gets sent because there's no system to track what's been completed versus what's been billed, leaving thousands of dollars on the table.Subscribe to Blue Collar BS where we talk about the real gaps between generations in blue collar work and what it takes to lead across different age groups in today's trades.Get in touch with Joe: WebsiteInstagramLinkedInEmail Get in touch with us:Check out the Blue Collar BS website.Steve Doyle:WebsiteLinkedInEmailBrad Herda:WebsiteLinkedInEmailThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrpOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Most business owners are sitting here in early January without any real plan for 2026 because they're still trying to close out 2025. Steve makes the case for one single measurable outcome that determines a successful year while Brad pushes back with the reality of "we just want more" thinking. Using gross margin improvement as an example, we walk through how to get every department aligned on the same goal, why supplier accountability is an untapped opportunity, and how to turn objectives into 12-week strategies. We also tackle why leadership is hard when you actually have to make decisions, how the Hoshin planning system creates 81 squares of complexity nobody needs, and why squirrels with shiny objects will always try to derail your focus unless pet projects directly support your singular goal.Highlights:Why "we just want more" or "we want better" fails without defining what that actually means in measurable terms.The trust but verify approach to supplier invoices especially around tariff line items that might have been passed through five times.How employees come back with excuses about SAP tickets and IT problems when you give them nine goals instead of one clear focus.The danger of operating in a one-year vacuum where beneficial three-year projects get killed because they hurt this year's numbers.Why amazing things happen when you make actual decisions instead of living in "I'll think about it" mode that keeps everyone guessing.Subscribe to Blue Collar BS for more real conversations about running and growing your business. Share this episode with a business owner who's still trying to figure out what 2026 looks like.Get in touch with us:Check out the Blue Collar BS website.Steve Doyle:WebsiteLinkedInEmailBrad Herda:WebsiteLinkedInEmailThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrpOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Most business owners get so stuck in daily operations overwhelm that they forget everything they accomplished throughout the year. Brad shares his process for helping clients identify wins they didn't even realize they had, while Steve explains the psychology behind why your success list is actually programming you for future achievements. We tackle the recency effect in performance reviews, why most people announce seven goals when they should focus on two, and how to use your wins as a catapult into 2026 instead of starting from scratch.HighlightsBreaking down the overwhelm by separating what feels like fifteen problems into the two actual tasks you need to complete.How the recency effect causes recent setbacks to overshadow an entire year of accomplishments in performance reviews.Why your success list is actually programming your brain to understand that progress is possible and you can achieve goals with determination.The difference between announcing top-line revenue goals that mean nothing to your team versus specific targets like twelve projects of X dollars.How analyzing your wins helps you identify whether successes were repeatable systems or random acts of kindness.Subscribe to Blue Collar BS for more real conversations about running and growing your business. Share this episode with a business owner who could use a reminder to celebrate their wins.Get in touch with us:Check out the Blue Collar BS website.Steve Doyle:WebsiteLinkedInEmailBrad Herda:WebsiteLinkedInEmailThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrpOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy