Blue Collar StartUp

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.

Blue Collar StartUp is a business podcast hosted by Michael Nelson, with 139 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Michael Nelson hosts Blue Collar StartUp, a business show with 139 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #144

  The Business Lessons Behind Duke's Nationwide Growth | Blue Collar StartUp #144

  Sep 30, 202652 min

  Matt Fishbune, CEO of Duke's, joins Blue Collar StartUp to discuss how a specialized sewer root control company grew from its Syracuse, New York roots into a nationwide business through acquisitions, market expansion, skilled labor, leadership development, and a focus on its core business. Matt also shares lessons from Duke's growth, including how to evaluate new markets, build teams across multiple regions, develop future leaders, and why the trades should never be viewed as a fallback career. Connect with Matt Fishbune and learn more about Duke's at dukes.com . 0:00 Welcome to Blue Collar StartUp 3:57 How Duke's Root Control got started in Syracuse 7:41 Turning a chemical product into a service business 10:54 Building a specialized blue-collar workforce 12:56 Matt's role and building Duke's for the next 40 years 15:05 Growth, acquisitions and entering new markets 18:13 Why Duke's invests in greenfield expansion 21:11 Learning from failed investments and "scar tissue" 22:53 How Duke's decides which markets to enter 24:05 Why local relationships matter in a national business 27:03 Building the infrastructure to manage nationwide growth 30:47 Creating a more effective organizational structure 32:42 Why leadership needs to get out in the field 35:05 The "Chief Reminding Officer" approach to leadership 38:00 Building Duke's Academy and developing leaders 39:50 Why onboarding can become overwhelming 42:18 When expanding into a new market can be a mistake 45:05 The "30-foot dunk" test for new business ideas 46:31 Why the trades are not a fallback option 48:04 Learning the trade and the business side 49:37 Where to learn more about Duke's Want more Blue Collar StartUp? Website: bluecollarstartup.io Facebook: facebook.com/bluecollarstartup Instagram: instagram.com/thebluecollarstartup #BlueCollarStartUp #BlueCollarBusiness #TradesBusiness #Entrepreneurship #SkilledTrades

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  Episode #143

  Why Growth Means Hiring Before You Feel Ready | Blue Collar StartUp #143

  Sep 23, 202644 min

  Brianna Ford, Founder of All In Heating & Air, shares how she went from working inside multimillion-dollar HVAC companies to launching her own business from zero customers, building a database, generating leads through community involvement, and growing a recognizable local brand. She also breaks down restructuring a $40 million HVAC company that was losing $1 million a month, why businesses need to hire ahead of growth, and how she created processes and KPIs to build All In Heating & Air. Learn more about All In Heating & Air and connect with Brianna at callallin.com . 0:00 Welcome to Blue Collar StartUp 3:17 Meet Brianna Ford of All In Heating & Air 5:26 Growing an HVAC company from $3.5M to $28M 6:06 Restructuring a $40M company losing $1M a month 9:16 The power of nurturing your customer database 11:42 The three areas to fix a struggling business 14:13 Why Brianna decided to start her own HVAC company 16:38 Turning the All In dream into a real business 20:08 Building a marketing strategy without relying on Google 21:39 How Facebook groups generated $100K in leads 23:20 Jeremy's role in building the business 25:01 The first calls and first month of All In 27:15 Why you should hire before you feel ready 29:19 Creating KPIs when you don't have a database 32:28 Going from operations to sales and cold calling 33:57 Building business systems for future growth 35:59 What Brianna would do differently 37:35 Learning to network when nobody knows you 39:07 Why growth is uncomfortable 40:16 Brianna's advice: Take the leap of faith Want more Blue Collar StartUp? Website: bluecollarstartup.io Facebook: facebook.com/bluecollarstartup Instagram: instagram.com/thebluecollarstartup #BlueCollarStartUp #HVACBusiness #HVAC #TradesBusiness #Entrepreneurship

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  Episode #142

  The Marketing Strategy Every Contractor Needs | Blue Collar StartUp #142

  Sep 16, 202647 min

  What does it take to build a memorable brand and consistent marketing strategy for a home service or contracting business? Crystal Williams, Co-Founder of Lemon Seed Marketing, shares practical advice on contractor branding, business naming, social media content, Google Business Profiles, mascots, and community engagement. Learn more about Crystal Williams and Lemon Seed Marketing at lemonseedmarketing.com . 0:00 Intro & Welcome to Blue Collar StartUp 1:49 Meet Crystal Williams & Lemon Seed Marketing 2:11 Growing Up in the Trades 3:58 From Side Hustle to Fractional Marketing 5:58 What a Fractional Marketing Team Actually Does 7:07 Why Brand Consistency Matters for Contractors 9:20 How Should Contractors Name Their Business? 10:21 The Biggest Business Naming Mistake Contractors Make 12:30 Creating a Unique, Memorable Business Name 14:17 Why Most Contractor Names Are Too Similar 15:15 The Story Behind Spot On Pest Control 17:19 How Lemon Seed Marketing Got Its Name 19:24 Why Mascots Can Build Brand Recognition 22:38 Do Mascots Work Beyond the Trades? 25:33 Is There a Marketing Silver Bullet? 27:19 Why Content Is King for Contractors 29:55 The Google Business Profile Mistake Contractors Make 37:55 Community Engagement & Building a Referral Engine 40:10 Turning Community Causes Into Marketing Opportunities 43:45 How to Get Started With Lemon Seed Marketing Want more Blue Collar StartUp? Website: bluecollarstartup.io Facebook: facebook.com/bluecollarstartup Instagram: instagram.com/thebluecollarstartup #ContractorMarketing #HomeServiceBusiness #ContractorBranding #SmallBusinessMarketing #BlueCollarStartUp

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  Episode #141

  How Anchor Heating & Air Rebuilt to $8M From $2,000 | Blue Collar StartUp #141

  Sep 9, 202655 min

  Stephanie Postell, Owner and COO of Anchor Heating and Air Conditioning, joins Blue Collar StartUp to share how she and her husband built an $8 million HVAC company from just $2,000 after losing the previous $5 million business they helped build. She also explains how HVAC contractors can grow by charging appropriately, understanding their numbers, building a strong brand, investing in great employees, and creating processes that support rapid growth. Learn more about Stephanie and Anchor Heating and Air Conditioning at anchorheatingandair.com . 0:00 Welcome to Blue Collar StartUp 2:55 Introducing Stephanie Postell of Anchor Heating and Air 3:39 Building an $8 million HVAC company in five years 4:51 Starting from zero instead of buying an existing business 5:58 Getting fired and facing an uncertain future 7:21 Finding an investor and deciding to start from scratch 8:09 Launching a new company just before COVID 8:46 Growing from $0 to $5 million in 20 months 11:29 Starting Anchor Heating and Air with just $2,000 13:15 Reinvesting the first HVAC job into the next opportunity 16:02 Why there is no secret sauce to business growth 17:01 Educating HVAC customers instead of high-pressure selling 19:20 Why contractors must charge what their work is worth 22:00 How underpricing is hurting the HVAC industry 26:27 The risks of relying too heavily on AI and ChatGPT 31:00 Building a powerful brand and telling a business story 35:02 Free marketing strategies using Facebook community groups 40:39 Helping launch another HVAC company past $1 million 43:16 How to scale quickly by charging enough and hiring great people 48:29 Investing in employees and building a company people love 53:07 Where to find Stephanie and Anchor Heating and Air 53:35 Closing thanks to listeners and Blue Collar StartUp sponsors Want more Blue Collar StartUp? Website: bluecollarstartup.io Facebook: facebook.com/bluecollarstartup Instagram: instagram.com/thebluecollarstartup #HVACBusiness #BlueCollarBusiness #TradesBusiness #SmallBusinessGrowth #HVAC

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  Episode #140

  Why Contractors Need to Put Their Pricing Online in 2026 | Blue Collar StartUp #140

  Aug 26, 202651 min

  Paul Redman, President of Contractor Commerce, joins Blue Collar StartUp to discuss how AI, online shopping, transparent pricing, and changing homeowner expectations are reshaping the trades. He also breaks down common technology mistakes, the importance of speed to lead, and hiring the right people to create a business that can grow without becoming dependent on its owner. Learn more about Paul Redman and Contractor Commerce at contractorcommerce.com . 0:00 Welcome to Blue Collar StartUp & Meet Paul Redman 1:26 The Family HVAC Business Behind Contractor Commerce 3:14 From HVAC Contractor to E-Commerce Business 4:11 Why Contractor Commerce Launched in 2018 5:54 How Technology Changed the Contractor Business 7:45 Paul’s Journey Into the Trades 10:09 Leading a Growing Team of 50+ 13:40 The Compounding Effect of Doing the Right Thing 16:00 How Homeowners’ Buying Habits Have Changed 18:25 How Contractors Can Win in AI Search 20:22 Why Contractors Should Put Pricing Online 23:41 What Younger Homeowners Expect 25:39 Why Contractors Need to Organize Their Data 27:59 Common Technology Mistakes Contractors Make 31:14 Brand, Speed to Lead, Conversion & Cash Flow 34:09 Building a Business That Creates Freedom 36:49 The Importance of Hunger in New Hires 41:18 The Future of Digital Sales for Contractors Want more Blue Collar StartUp? Website: bluecollarstartup.io Facebook: facebook.com/bluecollarstartup Instagram: instagram.com/thebluecollarstartup #BlueCollarStartUp #ContractorBusiness #HomeServices #AIForBusiness #ContractorCommerce

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