What do a hotel clerk who fixed an ice machine on a whim, a man who walked out of prison and into a trade school, and a Marine who built a $100M HVAC company all have in common?

They found their way into one of the most in-demand, overlooked, and flat-out lucrative careers in America.

In this special episode of Skilled Nation, we're bringing together the expertise of three HVAC professionals who've lived every side of the industry — the grind, the growth, and the life-changing money.

Chris Watt — Senior HVAC Instructor at RSI — breaks down why this career is AI-proof, recession-proof, and more financially rewarding than most four-year degrees.

Michael Gabhart — co-founder of Blue Line HVAC — shares the brutal schedule, the $9,500 trade school debt, and the moment a rooftop paycheck notification made him grab his chest.

Jesse Keenan — founder of Semper Fi Home Services — talks culture, veterans in the trades, and why he has technicians making half a million dollars a year.

This isn't a recruitment pitch. It's the real story of what this career looks like — the good, the grind, and the ceiling that barely exists.

🎙️ Subscribe to Skilled Nation wherever you get your podcasts.

America doesn't have a shortage of skilled trades careers. It has a shortage of awareness, mentorship, and experienced workers to train the next generation.

In this episode of Skilled Nation, host Jimmy Rhoades sits down with Concetta Defa, electrician, workforce advocate, and host of Hire PowHER, to uncover the real reasons behind the skilled trades workforce shortage.

While many conversations focus on labor shortages, Concetta explains why the biggest challenge is the apprenticeship pipeline. As experienced journeyworkers retire, fewer mentors remain to train future electricians, lineworkers, heavy equipment operators, welders, HVAC technicians, plumbers, and other skilled professionals.

They also discuss:

• Why employers are ready to hire more skilled workers

• The apprenticeship bottleneck slowing workforce growth

• Why hands-on learning cannot be replaced by classrooms alone

• How Concetta became an electrician after a life-changing accident

• The role mentorship plays in building long-term careers

• Why more women are entering construction and energy careers

• Common misconceptions about skilled trades

• Why construction workers are some of the most highly skilled professionals in America

• How Hire PowHER is helping build the next generation of skilled workers

Whether you're a student, career changer, educator, employer, contractor, union member, or simply curious about the future of America's workforce, this conversation offers an inside look at the opportunities shaping the skilled trades.

Guest: Conchita Defa Electrician | Workforce Development Advocate | Host of Hire PowHER

HirePowHER.org

@HirePowHer

@GetintoEnergy

Everyone talks about the skilled trades shortage, but are the jobs really worth it?

In this episode of Skilled Nation, host Jimmy Rhoades sits down with Jacob Evanson, Business Manager of Boilermakers Local 627, for an honest conversation about the realities of working in the trades. They tackle the questions people are asking online:

• Do skilled trades actually pay enough?

• Is the work too hard on your body?

• How important are unions in today's workforce?

• What happens when projects end?

• Are apprenticeships better than college?

• Will AI replace skilled trade careers?

• How are data centers, semiconductor plants, mining, nuclear energy, and America's manufacturing revival creating new opportunities?

Jacob shares his own journey as a third-generation boilermaker and explains how apprenticeship programs, mentorship, healthcare benefits, pensions, continuing education, and union support systems help workers build long-term careers instead of simply finding jobs.

The conversation also explores mental health in construction, workforce shortages, career advancement into project management and welding inspection, and why skilled workers remain essential to America's future.

Whether you're a student, parent, career changer, veteran, or someone wondering if the trades are still a smart career path, this episode offers a candid look at what life in the skilled trades really looks like.

In this episode:

✔ Boilermaker careers explained

✔ Union vs non-union jobs

✔ Apprenticeship opportunities

✔ Skilled trades pay and benefits

✔ Mental health in construction

✔ Career growth beyond the tools

✔ Data centers and AI-driven infrastructure

✔ Energy, mining, and manufacturing jobs

✔ Workforce development in America

✔ The future of skilled trades

Learn more about Boilermakers Local 627: https://www.627.org

#SkilledNation #Boilermakers #SkilledTrades #UnionJobs #Apprenticeship #ConstructionCareers #Welding #Manufacturing #WorkforceDevelopment #DataCenters #NuclearEnergy #BlueCollar #TradeSchool #CareerChange #Infrastructure #PrattPodcasting

What happens when a second-generation welder combines decades of hands-on experience with the power of social media?

In this episode of Skilled Nation, host Jimmy Rhoades sits down with Stan Sherwin of SS Custom Welding, a custom fabricator, welding educator, and online creator who has built a loyal audience of more than 150,000 followers by sharing his craft, mentoring the next generation, and proving there's more than one way to master a trade.

Stan shares how growing up around his father's boilermaker career shaped his work ethic, why he chose the skilled trades over college, and how years of practicing after work helped him become one of the top welders in his field. He also reveals how posting welding videos online transformed his career, connected him with aspiring welders around the world, and gave him a new purpose: helping others succeed.

Whether you're considering welding school, already working in the trades, or interested in building a personal brand around your skills, this episode offers practical advice on craftsmanship, consistency, confidence, social media, mentorship, and career growth.

In this episode:

How Stan learned welding from his father and on the job

The realities of becoming a professional pipe welder

Why welding is both a trade and an art form

Building a welding brand on Instagram

Handling criticism and trolls online

How social media can create opportunities in the skilled trades

Advice for young welders and future tradespeople

The philosophy behind "Learn It. Earn It. Return It."

Skilled Nation celebrates the people, careers, and stories that keep America running. Because being a tradesperson isn't just a job. It's a way of life. It's a badge of honor. Subscribe today!

#PrattPodcasting #StarWorldwideNetworks

Jennifer Robles was exhausted, overwhelmed, and stuck in survival mode balancing two jobs, raising three boys, and trying to hold her family together. But instead of settling, she made a life changing decision that would completely transform her future.

In this emotional and deeply honest episode of Skilled Nation, Jennifer shares how she went from working as a medical assistant and fast-food supervisor to graduating from the electrical program at Tulsa Welding School with highest honors.

She opens up about motherhood, sacrifice, heartbreak, self-doubt, being the only woman in her electrical class, and the moment she realized she was capable of more. This is a raw, inspiring story about resilience, career change, women in the skilled trades, and building a better future through electrical training and hands on education. If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or afraid to start over, Jennifer’s story will hit home.

#SkilledTrades #Electrician #WomenInTrades #TulsaWeldingSchool #CareerChange #BlueCollar #Tradeswomen #ElectricalWork #SkilledNation #Motivation #StarWorldwideNetworks #PrattMarketingAgency #PrattPodcasting

What started as two brothers decorating their family home turned into one of Arizona’s most recognized holiday attractions.

In this episode of Skilled Nation, Sammy and Kyle Pratt, better known as the Pratt Brothers, share how they built a nationally recognized Christmas spectacular using welding, electrical work, fabrication, programming, plumbing, pyrotechnics, and pure creativity.

From dumpster diving for materials and teaching themselves trades on YouTube to managing massive live events seen by thousands, this conversation explores the real intersection of skilled trades, entrepreneurship, entertainment, and innovation.

If you’ve ever wondered how hands on skills can evolve into a creative business, this episode is proof that the trades can build far more than buildings. They can build experiences, brands, and entire worlds.

Subscribe today for more insight into what careers skills in the trades can lead to.

#StarWorldwideNetworks #PrattMarketingAgency #PrattBrothersChristmas #PrattBrothers

Peyton Sweet went from learning welding at Tulsa Welding School to building Sweets Fabrication into a growing business and online brand in just five years. In this episode of Skilled Nation, Peyton breaks down the real side of welding, fabrication, entrepreneurship, pricing jobs, social media growth, mental health, and what it takes to survive in the skilled trades.

From learning fabrication in the field to building a welding business during economic uncertainty, Peyton shares honest insight into the pressure, freedom, failures, and opportunities that come with skilled trades careers. He also explains how welding, problem solving, and content creation helped him grow a following of hundreds of thousands across social platforms.

This episode is for anyone interested in welding careers, fabrication, skilled trades training, entrepreneurship, or starting a business without a four year degree.

Featuring Peyton Sweet of Sweets Fabrication.

#Welding #Fabrication #SkilledTrades #Entrepreneurship #TulsaWeldingSchool #WeldingBusiness #TradesCareers #SkilledNation

How does a 14-year-old struggling to strike his first arc turn into “The Welding Magician”… a welder, content creator, and founder of a fast-growing global brand?

In this episode of Skilled Nation, Michael Cortez shares how he went from documenting daily welds to building a loyal community, launching a business, and inspiring the next generation to pursue careers in the skilled trades. From discipline and consistency to social media growth and brand building, this is a real story of turning blue-collar skills into opportunity, income, and impact.

If you’re interested in welding, skilled trades careers, trade school pathways, or building a brand from your craft—this episode breaks it all down.

New episodes of Skilled Nation drop weekly. Subscribe to Skilled Nation Podcast for real stories from the trades shaping the future.