The Trades Are for Losers: From Doubter to Red Seal Electrical Contractor with Cory Byron
About this episode
Cory Byron discusses his journey from doubting the trades to becoming a successful electrical contractor and business owner.
🎙️ HVAC R&D Podcast — Episode 178 The Trades Are for Losers? From Doubter to Red Seal Electrical Contractor with Cory Byron Cory Byron once believed the trades were a dead-end path… until he realized the kind of life, freedom, and business you can build with your hands, your systems, and your work ethic. Today, Cory is the co-owner of Van City Electric, one of the most trusted electrical companies in Vancouver, British Columbia, and the founder of Next Step Systems, where he helps trades businesses modernize operations, simplify their tech stack, and scale without burning out. As the first electrical contractor ever featured on HVAC R&D, Cory opens up a whole new side of the trades for the TradeCrew — from building a multi-million dollar company to creating systems technicians actually follow. Rhydon and Cory also dive into their shared journey as LiveSwitch ambassadors, how technology is changing the race to the face, and where AI is creating real leverage inside modern service businesses. 🔧 In this episode, we cover: Why the trades can be the ultimate long-term career path Building an electrical company from the ground up Creating systems your team will actually use…
People in this episode
Guest: Cory Byron
Topics covered
- trades career
- electrical contracting
- business systems
- AI in service businesses
- scaling trades businesses
Keywords
- trades
- electrical contractor
- business growth
- AI technology
- customer experience
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Van City Electric, Next Step Systems, HVAC R&D
Places: Vancouver, British Columbia
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