Blue Collar StartUp

In this episode, our host Mike Nelson interviews Devon Camenga from Camenga Construction. Devon really highlights how to go from no-hustle to side-hustle, and then how to turn that side-hustle into your full-time gig! Big secret to success here? We'll give you a hint: Reputation. Welcome to Blue Collar StartUp the podcast. Our Mission is Simple: To facilitate the growth and development of Blue Collar businesses. We will showcase REAL Blue Collar businesses in interviews, and use these stories to help educate and empower the next generation of trades workers to become Blue Collar business owners. Show Notes: 02:53 - Who is Camenga Construction, and What Do They Do? 05:12 - The Difference in Demand Between Now, and Just 5 Years Ago 11:23 - Young Blue Collar Labor Force 14:18 - Soloprenuer! 14:47 - Looking For an Apprentice. 16:40 - Making the Jump from Educator to Full-Time Contractor... 18:57 - ... It's a Scary Leap. 21:04 - Your Reputation is EVERYTHING! 22:14 - You Have to Know How to Network 24:21 - The Plight of the Adirondack Contractor 27:58 - Mentors Along the Way 30:15 - Secret to Success 32:11 - State of Blue Collar Industries 44:26 - Things to Consider - Trade School IS an Option! 47:06 - Mental Toughness... 49:01 One Bad Job

In this episode, Mike interviews Derek Foster: co-founder of Blue Collar StartUp, president of Daigle Cleaning Systems, and CEO of DCS Franchises. Derek has grown a commercial cleaning and janitorial business from his side hustle to a thriving multi-million dollar business with over 100 employees! In this podcast, Derek fills us in on how he got started, going from side hustle to full time, and what it takes to grow a successful business in the janitorial industry. Welcome to Blue Collar StartUp the podcast. Our Mission is Simple: To facilitate the growth and development of Blue Collar businesses. We will showcase REAL Blue Collar businesses in interviews, and use these stories to help educate and empower the next generation of trades workers to become Blue Collar business owners. Learn more about Blue Collar StartUp at https://bluecollarstartup.io/ Show Notes: 04:13 - Work Ethic 06:50 - Side Hustle Start Up 10:05 - Creating Process 11:13 - Everyone Sucks Sometime 13:46 - When Mistakes Happen, You Have Two Choices 25:05 - State of the Blue Collar Industries 29:41 - From Chaos... Comes Opportunity 31:29 - Patience - It Goes a Long Way! 32:14 - Biggest Challenge Derek Ever Faced 33:00 - Wake-Up Call 37:10 - Will vs Skill 37:22 - What Would he do Differently, if he Could Do it Again? 38:34 - Mentors Along the Way 44:01 - Secret to Success

In our first episode, Derek Foster and Mike Nelson discuss what the podcast is about, who it is for, and what's behind it all. We (MIke) did make a couple mistakes while recording so our audio is a little off on this one... We also discovered that Mike should not be allowed to chew gum during recording! As the title says though: "You gotta' start somewhere", and we look forward to improving the quality of the recording as we go. Welcome to Blue Collar StartUp the podcast. Our Mission is Simple: To facilitate the growth and development of Blue Collar businesses. We will showcase REAL Blue Collar businesses in interviews, and use these stories to help educate and empower the next generation of trades workers to become Blue Collar business owners. Learn more about Blue Collar StartUp at https://bluecollarstartup.io/ Show Notes: 00:38 - Derek Gives us the Run-Down on Blue Collar StartUp 01:55 - Huge Opportunity 02:28 - What We Know to be True... 03:56 - Tech is Sexy! 04:48 - Derek's Favorite Show 05:51 - The Idea... 06:58 - The Blue Collar Blueprint 09:16 - Application of Knowledge 10:14 - Putting it Out There!