Blue Collar Leadership

In this interview, George Grieb discuses: How and why he wants to lead his team through cultural transformation How and why he focused on his own mental and physical transformation first (he lost 50 lbs!) How bringing in Mack & Ria Story engaged his team at an entirely new level How and why bringing workforce and leadership development to all of his team members has been something he’s dreamed of doing for many years How the offsite workforce and leadership development workshop impacted his son who is a Lynn Electric team member How he plans to implement company wide book studies immediately  Why he wants to maintain the momentum going forward George purchased 500 books (various titles) for his ~50 team members and brought Mack & Ria Story in to speak to them for 4 hours on May 3rd, 2024. But, he didn’t stop there. He intentionally started facilitating book studies with everyone from top to bottom. Be sure to visit BlueCollarLeadership.com/BookStudyTraining to learn more about facilitating high impact book studies. George Grieb is the CEO/Owner of Lynn Electric which was founded in 1981 in Lawrence, Kansas. George purchased the company in 1999. At that time, Lynn Electric had 7 team members and less than $1 million in revenue. Today, there are ~40 team members and $20 million in revenue. They focus on the following type projects: large commercial, multi-use, multi-family, industrial, sports, office buildings, parking lot lighting, etc. George also started Freedom Excavating & Trenching in 2019 which has grown to ~10 team members in 2024. They perform horizontal directional drilling and traditional underground utility installations for the power, gas, and water markets. Don't miss the 13th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring George Grieb interviewed by Mack Story. Watch this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!" Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

(Part 30 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 30 Sold! Now, it's time to over deliver! Preview the first 5 chapters of this and other books at BlueCollarLeadership.com/download

In this interview, Danielle Smythe discusses: How books studies at work have inspired her to be a better mother at home How parents are often the first bullies that children encounter How book study participants are apprehensive at first become engaged as time passes How she embraces doing a very physical and dirty job How she’s a woman in a man’s industry How she’s gained confidence doing jobs that have traditionally been reserved for men How and why she wants to operate all of the equipment in her work area…and loves it! Danielle Smythe is a highly motivated and engaged front line team member at the City of St. Peters, MO. She overflows with enthusiasm and positive. She is currently a high performance “Recycle City” team member performing various recycling duties and loves it! Danielle doesn’t have a formal leadership position. However, she is developing her leadership skills by participating in weekly book studies and even facilitates them occasionally. Be sure to visit BlueCollarLeadership.com/BookStudyTraining to learn more about facilitating high impact book studies. Don't miss the 12th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Danielle Smythe interviewed by Mack and Ria Story. Watch this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!" Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

(Part 29 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 29 What if they don't Buy? Don't forget: You'll still be selling tomorrow! Preview the first 5 chapters of this book at BlueCollarLeadership.com/download

In this interview, Jim McEwen discusses: His passion for helping people live a better life at home and at work Why everyone deserves to be led well Why leadership support is critical to the success of his team How upper level leaders can demoralize or inspire a team How and why he leads his 10 person team through high impact book studies How participating in high impact books studies changes your mindset and makes you a better person at home and at work How facilitating high impact book studies build relationships between team members Why he believes book studies should be mandatory within an organization Jim McEwen is a highly motivated, truly dedicated, inspirational front line team member at the City of St. Peters, MO. Jim joined the City of St. Peters team in 2007 and is currently a Machine Operator baling recycled materials at “Recycle City” and performs many other functions too. Jim doesn’t have a formal leadership position. But, he hasn’t let that stop him from being a high impact leader. He embraced leading book studies a few years ago and leads his ~10 person team through two 30-45 minute book study sessions per week. Be sure to visit BlueCollarLeadership.com/BookStudyTraining to learn more about facilitating high impact book studies. Don't miss the 11th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Jim McEwen. interviewed by Mack Story. Watch this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!" Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

(Part 28 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 28 Networking Sells: Networking is about selling yourself, not your products and services. Preview the first 5 chapters of this book and others at BlueCollarLeadership.com/download

In this interview, Ken Kilgore Sr. discusses: His roller coaster of a career from starting out on the front lines to becoming a business executive His first construction job carrying shingles for a nickel a bundle at 10 years old How he didn’t like to read and wasn’t a great student in school but became an avid reader of personal growth content Why you should be willing to do anything you ask others to do Why he’s still fully engaged at 77 years old with no plans on retiring Why he remains growth-oriented at this stage of his career Ken Kilgore Sr. is former CEO and currently an Executive Vice-President with Kilgore Industries headquartered in Houston, TX. He earned his Journeyman Electrician License in 2023, turned 77 in 2024, and is currently working toward his Master Electrician License. Ken is still working full-time, goes to the gym a few times each week, and teaches several classes each week. Website: https://kilgoreind.com/ Email: kkilgoresr@kilgoreind.com Cell Phone: (713) 516-3565 Don't miss the 10th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Ken Kilgore Sr. interviewed by Mack Story. Watch this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!" Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

(Part 27 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 27 Responsibility Sells: Losers find an excuse; winners find a way.

In this interview, Bren Briggs discusses: Having to have his face rebuilt after an accident in a combat zone How being lonely in ICU while going through 6 surgeries led him to create The Eden Project Getting a divorce and being homeless The Eden Project’s Peer Program Warrior Centric Holistic Reintegration With 28 years of military service (8 years USMC; 20 years ARMY), Bren Briggs is the Founder and Director at The Eden Project, A Warrior Support Foundation, a registered 501 (c) 3. His desire is to inspire through example, act with integrity, and lead with honor. The mission of The Eden Project, is “to provide world class, community-based, reintegration programs for the warrior and his or her support group.” The Eden Project’s philosophy is to create this holistic, multi-disciplinary support network in each community to facilitate reintegration for warriors and their families. The Eden Project’s primary emphasis is on Encouraging, Engaging, and Empowering the warrior and his or her support system to promote and sustain the reintegration process. The transition from a military to a civilian career can be a difficult journey, but it doesn’t have to be. It is made even more difficult if the warrior has experienced physical and/or emotional trauma, long or multiple deployments away from their family or both. The Eden Project believes the path to healing starts with a foundation that consists of four main pillars; adequate health care, a strong support system, a sense of purpose, and faith. The Eden Project has begun assembling a coalition of veteran focused organizations and will lead this partnership as it addresses the needs of our veteran community. Website: https://eden-project.com/ Watch this and feel what the Eden Project is doing: https://eden-project.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Britt-Family-V2_n.mp4 Email: bbriggs@eden-project.com Don't miss the 9th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Bren Briggs interviewed by Mack Story. Watch this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!" Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

(Part 26 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 26 Attitude Sells: Don't whine...shine!

In this interview, Adam Hoots discusses: Helping people discover their own answers The importance of asking well designed questions, more open-ended questions to inspire thought Thoughts on white-collar and blue-collar people The challenge of defining who he really is and then doing the work to improve How we (Mack and Ria Story) have inspired him to improve his marriage  With over 20 years of experience in the architectural and construction industries, he is a passionate advocate and practitioner of lean construction principles. Adam is currently a Professor and PhD Candidate at Clemson University, where he teaches and researches topics related to construction science and management. Adam is the Lean Shepherd at Construction ACHE Solutions, a licensed general contractor in South Carolina that helps clients apply lean manufacturing principles to the construction industry. He also hosts “The Lean Builder” podcast where he shares insights and best practices on lean construction. Adam is a TedX speaker, co-author of the “Old Dawg Lean Thesaurus: Making Lean Simple,” and a kidney transplant survivor. Website: ConstructionACHEsolutions.com Website: OldDawgLeanThesaurus.com Don't miss the 8th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Adam Hoots interviewed by Mack Story. You can also watch the video version of this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!" Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

(Part 25 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 25 Supporting Sells: When you're there for your customer, they'll be there for you.

In this interview, Matthew McGrath reveals: New leaders who overestimate themselves and underestimate the difficulty of their new job do the worst. 30% of newly promoted leaders will fail or lose their job within the first 1 1/2 years. Every new leader doesn’t have the ability to say…”I’m a beginner. I don’t know.” Leaders should see every promotion as a brand new job, a brand new career. Character, discipline, hard work are blue-collar values, and that’s the kind of influence I need. We all have a calling, a purpose: When the phone rings, are you going to answer? Over the past 20 years, Matthew has coached over a thousand individuals globally. What gets him out of bed is the motivation of seeing others succeed through his coaching. Matthew has coached leaders at all levels, including C-Level executives, founders and entrepreneurs, but the place where he feels he can most impact the world's leadership is right where it starts: with newly promoted managers. Today, Matthew is on a mission to build the world’s premiere community of first-time managers and help them be awesome at their jobs. Website: JustGotPromoted.com Email: matthew@justgotpromoted.com Don't miss the 7th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Matthew McGrath interviewed by Mack Story. You can also watch the video version of this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!" Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

(Part 24 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 24 Understanding Sells: Squint with Your Ears; Listen with Your Eyes

In this interview, Nathan Hammer reveals: There’s a big need for workers in the pipeline industry Why Blue-Collar Leadership got his attention in 2017 How intentional growth has helped him arrive at the place he’s at today Focusing on personal growth helped him deal with the loss of his mother Nathan is a high impact leader that believes we should never get complacent, we should never quit learning, and we must never stop growing, personally or professionally Nathan is proud to be in the oil & gas industry. Nathan Hammer is the Co-founder of Trunkline, Inc. in Midland, TX, Founder of PSR SkySense, and VP of Environment, Quality, and Technologies at Premier Safety Resources. He’s from the Cushing, OK area and is an experienced entrepreneur and problem-solver focused on optimizing complex and heavily-regulated industries through innovative process improvements and technology-driven solutions. Websites: psrok.com & trunkline.com  Nathan seamlessly blends his 16 years of hands-on experience in field services, construction, operations, maintenance, technology, and environmental & safety compliance (USEPA, CISA, PHMSA, DOT, OSHA). He invites you to reach out to him by email at nathan@trunkline.com or you can find him by searching for “Nathan Hammer” on LinkedIn. Be sure to check out his “Regular-atory Compliance” newsletter while you’re there. You can also watch the video version of this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!" Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

(Part 23 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 23 Relationships Sell: Until You Sell Yourself, You Can't Build a Relationship.

(Part 22 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 22 Helping Sells: Stop Selling; Start Helping.

Asad Murdock pulls back the curtain and shares how developing himself positioned him to engage, encourage, and empower his team. Discover what made Asad a fan of Blue-Collar Leadership and how he’s leveraged the principles to develop himself and his team. Asad discovered that if he will pour into his team, as high impact leaders do, the results will come. What kind of results? 300% increase in productivity in just 10 months!! Listen and learn as he shares much of what he did to motivate and inspire his team to perform at a higher level. He says, "They’re just getting warmed up!!" Develop an understanding of how Asad used Blue-Collar Leadership to develop not only his English speaking team members, but also his Spanish speaking team members. He set them up for success! Asad Murdock is the Operations Manager at Creative Foodworks located in San Antonio, TX. He also describes himself as an avid student of Blue-Collar Leadership. Feel free to reach out to him by email at asadmurdock@yahoo.com or search for Asad on LinkedIn at Roderick “Asad” Murdock. Don't miss the 4th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Asad Murdock interviewed by Mack Story. Listen to it here, or watch it on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel and check out the other interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!" Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

(Part 21 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 21 Rapport Sells: When you value the customer, the customer will value you.

Eric Armour discusses how he faced the challenge of transitioning from a technician servicing and repairing heavy equipment in the shop to leading techs working in the shop and the field (on the road working out of a truck). Learn about the trying times he and his team went through during the 10 months when they didn't have a service manager (before he became the service manager). Discover how he overcame the odds being stacked against him with the field techs because he had no experience as a field tech. Develop an understanding of how applying leadership principles to develop your team can be much more challenging than applying them to develop yourself. Eric Armour shares a bit of the path he's traveled to be where he is today, how choosing to become intentional about personal development has helped him personally as he's become much better at unleashing his team's potential, and how it's helped him professionally as he makes his climb up the corporate ladder. Eric is the Service Manager at Yancey Bros. Co. where he leads a team of service technicians in the shop and in the field. He and his team focus exclusively on maintaining heavy duty Caterpillar equipment. Don't miss the 3rd episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Eric Armour interviewed by Mack Story. To watch the video version and other episodes, visit the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel and look for it within the "Real People Getting Real Results" playlist.