Claim OwnershipBlue Collar Business Podcast
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Welcome to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby. Dive deep into the world of hands-on entrepreneurship and the gritty side of making things happen. Join us for actionable tips on scaling your blue-collar business, managing teams, and staying ahead in an ever-evolving market. We'll also discuss the latest industry trends and innovations that could impact your bottom line. If you're passionate about the blue-collar world and eager to learn from those who've thrived in it, this podcast is a must-listen. Stay tuned for engaging conversations and real-world advice that can take your blue-collar business to new heights.
65 Episodes
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The labor gap isn’t just a numbers story; it’s a connection and knowledge story. We bring on JJ Owen, executive director of the Skilled Careers Coalition and Skills Jam, to map a practical playbook for reaching Gen Z, transferring craft wisdom, and rebuilding the trades pipeline with real stories, real training, and real community. We start by unpacking why five pros exit for every one who enters—and how that compounds into lost know-how on jobsites. JJ shows how to meet young people where t...
If you’ve ever stared at your month-end and wondered where the profit went, this conversation is the flashlight you’ve been missing. We talk candidly about the real money leaks in contracting—underbilling, missing labor burden, ignored equipment repairs—and the uncomfortable leadership shift required to fix them. Profit isn’t a dirty word; it’s a discipline, and the Work In Progress (WIP) report is the tool that turns chaos into clarity. With returning guest Nick Peters of Sterling Seacrest ...
A motocross kid with a box blade turns into an excavation owner with a clear head for profit and a deep respect for family time. That’s the arc Cole Morse walks us through, from watching his father rebuild an HVAC business after crisis to selling his first driveway grade and learning, job by job, what makes work sustainable. We dig into the real numbers behind “grossing $450k with a basic setup,” why renting bigger iron can out-earn owning smaller gear, and how a single miscalculated basement...
The fastest way to burn profit is to build off bad data. We sit down with Tylor Foster, founder and CEO of DirtLab, to unpack how rushed designs, mismatched elevations, and vague standards cascade into RFIs, idle equipment, and rework—and how to stop it before a blade ever touches dirt. Tylor draws on years at Granite’s large projects group to show why clean inputs and strong project controls aren’t optional; they’re the foundation that turns weekly WIP into real insight and keeps your foreca...
Hard work shouldn’t feel like guesswork. Sy sits down with Zach Estes, founder of Lean Dirt, to unpack a simple, battle-tested way to run civil construction with less chaos and more clarity. We get straight into the 2-3-4 framework, two systems, three actions, four routines, that turns hidden information into visible standards and transforms accountability from a speech into a system. We start by reframing value vs waste and why civil construction is real value creation, then zoom into the t...
Think your marketing problem needs more ad spend? Luke Eggebraaten argues it needs a better foundation. We dig into the exact steps excavation and utility contractors can take to get found, get picked, and get paid, without wasting cash on “magic” lead promises. Luke shares how he went from broad small-business marketing to serving the dirt world exclusively, why that focus matters, and how his team helps crews build a digital presence that matches the quality of their work in the ground. We...
Payroll panic, pricing doubts, and the pull of the machine, if you’ve ever felt that tug-of-war, you’ll feel seen here. We sit down with John to unpack how Dirt to Dollars grew from hard questions in the field into a coaching program grounded in reality, not buzzwords. He explains why context matters more than clichés, how to price for risk without flinching, and the simple shifts that move a crew from chaos to consistent wins. We get specific about the owner’s turning point: stepping out of...
Ever wonder why some blue-collar businesses look huge online yet struggle to keep cash in the bank? We dig into the real story behind sustainable growth with John Seaman of JC Property Professionals, how a kid raised on job sites built a company across trees, clearing, and grading, then made the tough call to walk away from custom home headaches and lean into dirt work where the math made sense. Along the way, we unpack the gear debate that quietly bankrupts operators: new machines with warra...
Tired of hard-bid chaos and the “race to the bottom” that leaves everyone exhausted and underpaid? We sit down with Dylan Ream, regional manager at ARCO, to unpack how design-build flips the incentives so subs can profit, owners get clarity, and schedules stop bleeding. Dylan’s path, engineering grad to field-heavy project engineer to design-build PM, reveals why real-world problem solving beats perfect paper and how continuity from kickoff to closeout (“cradle to key”) saves owners from pain...
Sam Light, owner of Lighthouse Machinery and a 25-year veteran of the heavy equipment industry, takes us behind the scenes of a market in transformation. With experience running dealerships across multiple states, Sam brings unparalleled insight into why he left the corporate world to create something that genuinely serves customers rather than shareholders. The conversation reveals how the construction equipment industry has fundamentally changed over the last two decades. Experienced profe...
What happens when skilled mechanics break free from the dealership model? A revolution in equipment service that's changing the construction industry. Alex Kraft spent 16 years watching the same problems plague heavy equipment service: weeks-long backlogs, poor communication, frustrated customers, and skilled technicians earning a fraction of what dealerships bill for their labor. Instead of accepting the status quo, he created Heave, an on-demand platform connecting equipment owners directl...
Ever wondered why your profitable projects aren't reflected in your bank account? The answer lies in construction financial management, specifically, the disconnect between traditional accounting software and the unique needs of contractors. In this revealing conversation, Sy Kirby speaks with Caleb Smith, Co-Founder and President of ControlQore, about the financial visibility gap plaguing blue-collar businesses. Caleb, whose team combines construction experience with software expertise, exp...
The skills gap in America didn't happen by accident. It was engineered through decades of educational policies that systematically dismantled vocational training in favor of college preparation. Zachary Hanson, author of The Trade Gap and host of The Okayest Trapper Podcast, joins us to share his remarkable journey from corporate executive to skilled tradesman. After climbing the corporate ladder in the AI industry, Zach experienced firsthand how precarious white-collar careers can be when h...
Ever feel like you're working harder than ever but your profits don't show it? You're not alone. In this eye-opening conversation, America's service coach Joe Crisara reveals the exact strategy that took him from $500,000 in debt to completely debt-free in just three years—without working more hours or finding more customers. The secret? The Pure Motive Service Approach. Joe walks us through how blue collar businesses consistently undervalue their expertise and leave massive profits on the t...
Marriage and business make for a volatile mix, as Sy and Sara Kirby candidly reveal in this vulnerable exploration of conflict communication and emotional safety. After nearly a decade of working side-by-side in their blue-collar business, they've weathered storms that would sink many relationships – and emerged with hard-won wisdom about keeping both enterprises afloat. The couple pulls back the curtain on their evolution from "loud and fast" arguments in early marriage to more methodical d...
The delicate dance between entrepreneurship and marriage takes center stage in this heartfelt conversation with Sy and Sara Kirby. The couple opens up about the challenges and triumphs of building a construction business while raising a family and nurturing their relationship. From the beginning, their different approaches were evident - Sy focused on scaling the business to eight figures while Sara concentrated on managing day-to-day operations and stability. This natural tension between vi...
Have you ever wondered if there's a more stable revenue stream waiting for your blue collar business? In this eye-opening episode, Eric Knellinger, president of US Federal Contractor Registration, reveals the largely untapped world of federal government contracts and how they can transform small businesses in the trades. Did you know that 23% of all federal contracts MUST be awarded to small businesses? That's billions of dollars in potential work for companies just like yours. Eric shares t...
Time—the ultimate non-renewable resource. For blue collar business owners juggling family life with entrepreneurial demands, time management isn't just a productivity hack—it's survival. In this raw and revealing second installment of our Date Night series, my wife Sara and I pull back the curtain on how we manage the constant tug-of-war between business and family time. From our hectic 5:30am wake-ups to the delicate dance of bedtime routines, we share an unfiltered look at what keeps our w...
Sy Kirby takes a deeply personal turn in this episode, inviting his business partner and wife of 11 years, Sara, to kick off a special four-part series on the challenges of marriage in entrepreneurship. Their raw conversation offers an intimate glimpse into how blue-collar business owners can protect their most important partnership while building something extraordinary together. The couple doesn't hold back as they share their journey from newlyweds to business partners, raising three chil...
If you're tired of spinning your wheels, worn down from the same routine, or just feeling mentally buried, this episode is built for you. We’ve stitched together the best answers from multiple guests who all responded to one honest question: what do you say to the blue collar worker who’s sick of being stuck in the mud? The responses are real, hard-earned, and brutally honest. You’ll hear from folks who’ve been in the ditch, started from nothing, and fought their way up. Some are running comp...
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