Transcription

• Speaker #0

  We've all went through it, and I think that if they can get through the first year, that's when the unlocks start to happen. It's hard for somebody, and I think that if they had somebody they could call and that could tell them exactly that, you know, hey, chill out. It gets greater later. Like, just keep pushing your head down. Eventually, you're going to punch through that ceiling, and when you have that breakthrough and you get moved, you know, up, it's going to feel good. You're going to earn it.

• Speaker #1

  Hello and welcome to the Skilled AF podcast, a podcast elevating the voices that are shifting the face and future of the skilled trades. I'm your host, Amanda Lucchetti, founder of The Skilled Project, a platform shaping how skilled trades and construction careers are seen, accessed, and experienced. You can learn more at theskilledproject.com. Today's guest is Brad Henderson, project manager at Bay Climate Control and Refrigeration and founder of Plum Line Operations, a consulting firm built to open structured pathways for second chance workers in the skilled trades. In this episode, Brad shares how a baseball injury in his team spiraled into addiction and eventually prison and describes how he rebuilt his life. We talk about what it actually takes to support someone coming out of incarceration, the make or break first year. In the pipeline, Brad is building on a simple belief. When hunger meets opportunity, magic happens. Wherever you're at in the world, we hope you enjoy. Brad, thanks for being on the show. I'm so excited to talk to you today.

• Speaker #0

  Glad to be here, Amanda.

• Speaker #1

  You have had a journey, and I am so excited to share your story with everybody. One of... resiliency and of, again, second chances. And so I would like to start, though, with where you are today in your life. What do you do on a day-to-day with Bay Climate? And then what are you working on as well with the company you started recently?

• Speaker #0

  Basically, I run operations for Bay Climate Control. I also do a bit of business development and I try to lead execution. Through that job, I help projects get delivered and just make sure the guys are performing daily. That's inside of Bay Climate. Fun Line is an operational execution consulting firm with a twist that it's geared to help second chance people who really want it. So there's going to be guidelines and it's going to be a very structured path for them to take this road. But I think that if you find the individual who is hungry and he gets the opportunity, when those two meet, magic happens. It's happened for me and it's happened for a couple other people too. and what can come out of that is very cool.

• Speaker #1

  With your new company that you're starting, how long have you been at this? When did you start to stand that up?

• Speaker #0

  I thought about it in 25 pretty hard. And then, you know, I started taking action on the first part of 26. So I think I filed the LLC in January of 26.

• Speaker #1

  So yeah, we're rolling.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah.

• Speaker #1

  That's exciting. Well, and so take me back to before you turned your life around. It sounds like we connected. You started your career in the trades, correct? In general, out of school. And so can you briefly share about that specifically? And like when things started to go a different direction and then what was life like back then?

• Speaker #0

  I was a pretty normal kid growing up. My granddad owned a metal fabrication shop. So I grew up kind of in the fabrication industry, was an athlete and throughout high school, learned to weld. That's kind of what was my first taste of skill trades. And I worked that, And in addition to playing baseball is where I got injured. That led to the opiate addiction. This was in my late teens, early 20s. And I held it together for some time. But I was hiding behind the addiction in my early 20s. But behind the scenes, my life has just literally fallen apart. And one thing led to another. fell apart. You know, I held it together. I could hide it by getting underneath the welding hood and fake it for so long until the addiction reared its head and I started traveling down a road that led me to making some decisions, you know, that I'm not proud of. But it's something that I, you know, had to own and kind of face it head on. Ultimately, it led me to prison. And once I got out, it was a function of, you know, what are you going to do? What do you know? The only place that I could think of to get a career to support moving forward was, you know, the trades because you don't have to be a perfect soul to well metal together. So I got an opportunity with some of my dad's old friends and just started climbing from there.

• Speaker #1

  For you getting out of prison, what for you was that turning point? Was that that opportunity to work through your dad's contacts? Like, what was that? I guess I'm trying to understand like a...

• Speaker #0

  You know, no, I got there and I was deep down, lonely, clear headed and heartbroken that I let A, so many people down and sitting in prison around a bunch of people I didn't know in a place that was almost unbearable to be at made me dig deep to make a decision that this is not the life that I want to live anymore. So finally, I made a decision to get my shit together. And since then, I mean, I have not looked back.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah,

• Speaker #0

  being in prison was the defining moment for me. I mean, I've always did good for a little while, would fall back in it, did good for a little while, fallback in it. But, you know, today I'm, Going five years clean and my life has completely shifted and turned around.

• Speaker #1

  It's something to celebrate.

• Speaker #0

  You would never even know that I was there other than me telling the story. So yeah,

• Speaker #1

  with a little bit of a tangent, but like who was in like your corner when you were at that low? Like who, was there anyone that was, you were able to lean on?

• Speaker #0

  Sure. Yeah. I had my family, which I was very fortunate to have. Also had two mentors that never really gave up on me. I'm so grateful for those relationships because being able to lean on those guys when I was going through my lowest points in my life was very beneficial. And all it really did was give me the hope to keep pushing forward that, you know, one day I would find kind of my calling and we would navigate these waters and move through it. So I really didn't feel that alone, even though I was alone. So I did have a support system. And those two people are showing my life and they're very special to me to this day.

• Speaker #1

  That makes me happy. Yeah. I mean, it means everything, I think, for somebody.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah. They play a vital role in my life today.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. Are they in the industry? I was just wondering.

• Speaker #0

  No. Both of them are entrepreneurs. They are not in the industry, but they're just outside of it.

• Speaker #1

  That's great. To just talk a bit about addiction in general and the trades, you've seen the statistics. The construction industry has some of the highest, I would say, overdose rates and I think I was looking at a statistic, which is 17% of overdose deaths among the working population are from those within construction, even though they make up only 8% of the US workforce, which is crazy. And I think a question from you, just like living in it and being in the industry is like, why is addiction seemingly, is it a part of construction culture? What factors from your eyes perpetuate addiction?

• Speaker #0

  I think it'd be several components. Mine came from the opiate epidemic. So I got prescribed pain pills and then ended up really liking them and that they took over my life. I also think that, unfortunately, it's who we place ourselves around a lot of times that encourage us to do things that maybe we didn't mean to get involved in, but we did. So a lot of blue collar people have started from the bottom and worked their way up. in a lot of those. people that have started from the bottom from the hardest workers I've ever met in my life because they've got that built in them. But they've also placed themselves around people that do extracurricular activities. And for me, you know, I've got an addictive personality. Unfortunately, it's either I'm all in or I'm not. And, you know, if I find going in on something, it's full throttle. So that's what I see. I think that it was placing, you place yourself around and then whether you've got that addictive personality edge to you. And a lot of people in the trades do just because we are wide open people.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. You've shared with me that you have ADHD and I was just wondering, and this is more your perspective, if does that play a role at all in the addictive personality or in the addiction that you had?

• Speaker #0

  So maybe this ADHD deal, I got diagnosed it when I was a child. So yeah, I used to have to take the Ritalin when I was in. elementary school and I was so embarrassed about having to deal with that. But later on, as I became an adult, I tried Adderall and seeing if that would make me focus and it was different. It made me real quiet. So I don't know if the diagnosis was correct back then, but I know that my head thinks one or two ways it's going to shut on or it's going to turn off.

• Speaker #1

  Sure.

• Speaker #0

  And I think that that's probably the ADHD working in them.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. So my buddy, he's actually at HVAC. He was on the podcast shows ago, Nick. He also, ADHD, got prescribed meds, took meds for a while in his 20s. And he was saying how it made him like numb. to the world. And just, he was like, I felt like I was just like on autopilot and like, and then he said one day he just like quit and was just like, I need to figure out how to work with this and not medicate. And he unlocked it completely for him. And now he's just like this powerhouse in like trades leadership and has really worked his way up. And yeah, I always am so curious about anyone that's taken medication, what that's done. because it has helped some people. I've talked to others that were like, oh, it worked great for me. But I also think it's like, this is a part of who you are and how you're wired. And I call it a superpower. And it's like, what worked for you to unlock it? Was it certain structure? Like for my buddy, there's certain structure that just like it allowed, it really helped him changing like diet, stuff like that. And I'm just curious what you've gone through there.

• Speaker #0

  For me, I believe it was placing myself around the right people and also getting motivated because I was starting to get older and hadn't really done anything special. And I always felt like I was, you know, built to do something special, but I haven't, you know, I hadn't unlocked it yet. Always kind of made plans to do that, but kind of took a hard right with an attitude over and over again. And this last time I could tell something was different because something changed in me. Now I've got, you know, at the time, my daughter was, you know, two years old. And it was, you know, if I'm not going to do it for myself, I need to do it for something that I believe in greater than myself. And it's her. And what kind of legacy did I want to leave? Did I want to be a piece of shit father who's a drug addict that overdosed and killed himself? Or do I want to be remembered for somebody who actually got off his ass and made something that was worthwhile that could hopefully, eventually... compound and help other people along their way or pick them back up, give them a little bit of hope. That's the goal. And it started with surrounding myself with the right people like that. That is so important.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. That's literally like segue into like my next area, which is what's actually needed to support somebody that was in your position. And it's like community, community of people that get it. And... What is actually needed to support someone that has been in your position? Somebody that's hungry for opportunity, but just needs an opportunity.

• Speaker #0

  Right. And they got to be willing to get outside themselves a little bit. For me, I knew I had to do that. And it took some awkward conversations and reaching out to some people that I probably had no business reaching out to, but they picked up the phone. And I've met some incredible people that are always two or three steps ahead of me, kind of where I'm wanting to go. and you know I took some chances on myself and they took some chances on me too because I wanted to be in the room one day with them and how was I going to get there well I started a relationship with them I just look for who are the absolute most successful people that I can probably do not have a shot at being around and I go after it and that that's kind of worked for me but I also think a core group of human beings that you can men you that I can go to and get vulnerable with and talk to about real shit, real problems, and also real wins. And, you know, how to navigate life has been a huge asset to have those core people. And that's back to the two individuals that I was talking about earlier. The advice that they have and are willing to pour into me, that's something that just money can't buy. And, you know, I'm sociable. Thank God I reached out to him. Thank God I started, you know, intentionally building a relationship with him. And today those relationships served me very well.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. Did you reach out to them then just like that first year of you getting out of prison? Was it like, when did you make that connection with the right after that?

• Speaker #0

  So I went to rehab one time and that's when I met Skip. And, you know, Skip is dead set. Jesus Christ is the way, and he is a Southern Bible-believing guy, and that's great. He is a wonderful human being who has found success beyond your wildest imagination, and he just wants to help humanity. And I got introduced to him back in 2016, probably, and I've always kept the relationship, you know, at a distance. While I was still running through addiction, you know, bullshitting him, which he knew it the entire time. But anyhow, I kept the conversation door open with him. The other gentleman I've known my whole life and, you know, he knew when I was going sideways and when I was not. But he was always one of those guys that was hard nosed and would call me out on my bullshit. And that's the type of people I need around me. I don't need anybody that's going to. Tell me what I want to hear. There's plenty of those people out there. Dave, when we get really real with me, call me out. And I've known him since probably 06 for a while. So they've been in my life for a while.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. I mean, yeah, holding you accountable, but also like up leveling you in a way.

• Speaker #0

  Right. Yeah. Yeah, that's exactly right. I mean, anything that I've got to do with those two gentlemen is definitely pulling me forward. They're pulling me with them as long as I'm willing to do the work to get there.

• Speaker #1

  A couple of things, like when you look back your experience, I'm thinking about the system and it might be like, I guess the system could be our jail system or education system. I'm thinking about, are there areas where... You saw the system and you're like, that's going to fail a lot of people.

• Speaker #0

  Yes, yes. Because, you know, when I found myself in prison, I was in a program, what they call drug court. So you have to do a bunch of bullshit and you get to stay out of prison. But if you mess up, you get sent there. And I was doing really, really well. I had worked my ass off and drove myself from a Labor hand all the way up to an operations manager of a very prestigious HVAC company here on the Gulf Coast. And I forged a document, right, and that ultimately sent me down the road. It was clean at the time, but I knew that, all right, well, what got me here? And, you know, I had to go back through all of that. But, yes, I believe it's rigged and it's going to be stacked against you. But, you know, I had to really quit making excuses for myself, and I had to take complete ownership of where I put myself. Because ultimately, you know, I got me there. I did some dumbass shit that put me in a position that put me where I was at, and either you do right or you do wrong. And I didn't follow the rules 100%, and everything got ripped out from under me. Because, you know, I'd worked very hard to get... to that position. Didn't think I was going to be able to get anything close to that once I got out. So it took me kind of letting go of excuses. You know, it is what it is. The system is not going to change for Brad Henderson. I'm going to have to change to get through this bullshit I've got to go through and then start working towards a solution when I'm done. Thankfully, when the jail stuff was behind me, I was able to get back in with... with a group of people, I started building relationships and somebody was willing to take another chance on me. And that was, you know, the guys at Bay Climate. And we've exploded. I mean, we have literally exploded and it's, it's, it's been a, a fun experience to be a part of. You know, I wasn't there probably a year before I got brought on the leadership team. And then I moved to a director level. It's just, things are going really well. I don't know if I answered question or not, but...

• Speaker #1

  You did. For you, it was like, I need to take ownership of where I'm at in my life. And I am going to get on the other side. I'm not going to be the victim. I'm going to make it. I think what's interesting, we can talk a bit about this now in regard to what you're doing and the second chances, the pipeline of folks that you're working to build. Because you're in a sense, I don't know if it's fixing the system, but you are taking a look at you where is the system at least not, I would say failing when it comes to supporting some of these people that do need some just additional support to get this opportunity, right? There's almost beauty in the experience that you went through of like going through chaos. And then you've been in an operations role too, like, so like figuring out structure and finding structure. And then now it seems like you're doing the same for possible people that you're looking to bring on and to get placed and to support. So it's just a really interesting thing when you look Got it.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah, yeah, the structure is kind of the core basis of the curriculum. I mean, without structure, it doesn't work. The guardrails have to be put in place, and you also have to take ownership of what's going on. Like, the excuses really don't matter anymore at the point where if you get felonies on your record, you know, excuses don't matter. It's total ownership, structure, build, repeat. That's it. And if you do that for a period of time, sooner or later, it's going to pay off. Somebody's going to see it. Somebody's going to give you a chance. And if they're willing to go through some things, they will get to the other side. It's just a journey that they're going to have to go through to get there.

• Speaker #1

  Right. Well, can you share a bit more about what are you doing with PlumLight? Like a bit more detail in regard to the second chances in that pipeline you're building. And then also... You're also helping trades companies, correct? You're getting pulled into a lot, which is super cool. And I'm curious more of both, what you're building. So maybe we start there around, what are you building that's missing that needs to exist? At least from the second chance piece of it.

• Speaker #0

  Right now we're experiencing a crazy, crazy situation within the trades where we've got these labor gaps. Um... A bunch of electricians, a bunch of HVAC techs, a bunch of plumbers, you know, we need skilled labor. And we're also experiencing... mission-critical work, right? So that's all these AI centers going on. That's stacked on top of, you got residential work, then you got that stacked on top of commercial work, and you got that stacked on top of industrial work, and you got that stacked on top of the new mission-critical work. Everybody's kind of leveling up, and these gaps are getting further and further separated. So something's got to be put in place where these skilled individuals that are getting overlooked. Either A, have an opportunity to either get in the game and get their stuff together, or they can, you know, go the other route. But to make it and be successful, I believe, in the trades, with a felony, with a bunch of stuff holding you back, you're going to have to go through some things. And it's just so needed right now. Like, there's not a better time for, you know, a person with some blemishes on the record. To be able to get into the trades, it's just we're needed because we have a skill. We know how to use the skill. If we're willing to take ownership of our past, we can move forward and utilize our skills that are needed. So that was the whole basic thesis behind what I was going to do with Plum Line. I took it there, started talking to companies about operational. operations and operational execution. And where I found that we were falling short in the company I worked for was the operational execution between estimation, project management, and the field. That was the gap. So I did some digging as hard as I could and researched what is making us fall short in these certain areas. And I started talking about it and one thing led to another. I've seen a massive increase. in my LinkedIn exposure. And it was just all through talking about stuff that I was going through and stuff that I was trying to change and move in these markets. That's how it all kind of started. Now, people are reaching out to me for my advice on operational execution work and how they can take advantage of some of the tricks that I've learned, I guess, is how it's been said to me. But it's really back to Systems and processes, you know, and, you know, who owns the outcome between here and there, you know, where the handoff is the next person. So the ownership and the transfer ownership, you know, how is that governed? And I mean, we just really dig down deep into it. And everything has a process now where we're signing in and we're signing out of tasks.

• Speaker #1

  Sure. Well, and from the outside, I'm sure these companies look like they have their shit together.

• Speaker #0

  No. Yeah, well, it's crazy how bad it is. Like when I walk into some of them that do look like they have it together, it blows me away. I don't even know how they're still operating.

• Speaker #1

  Functioning, yeah. Well, you get in these rooms now and like, what's the reality? It's just like messy as can be?

• Speaker #0

  Shit show.

• Speaker #1

  And then who, I mean, and then who does that hurt at the end of the day?

• Speaker #0

  I mean, it hurts everybody. Everybody's going to hurt the company, the customer, the employees. I mean, it hurts everybody. but just the amount of blame the excuses people put on each other just blows me away you know if it's your fault i would have so much more respect for you if you just say man i messed up here's what i'm gonna do to fix it this will not happen again let's move forward like that we can work forward from but you know the blame game or denying it or you know pointing the finger is gonna get us nowhere like what's the problem where's the solution let's move every company i've worked with so far has been stuck there

• Speaker #1

  Got it. So needing some structure, there's chaos, need structure. Are you in conversations with some of these companies also with the pipeline of folks that you're building around the program around second chances? Like, is there opportunity there to place some of these people in with the companies that you're consulting with on the op side?

• Speaker #0

  I am. I am. Right now I'm working on building a pipeline of individuals. I'm putting them through a level of work that I would require myself to go through if I was doing this. In fact, I am doing it. I'm doing it with them. So every time they have to do something, I've got to do something too. So you don't get many that follow through, but the ones that you do get, like that's the point. They're going to have placement and they're going to have a structured process to work within. And there's just no way that they won't be successful if they make it to the first day of work, you know, with one of these companies that are going to bring us on. They're going to get a rock star. Yeah.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. Yeah, I mean, it's like they have the hunger and it's like all the potential is there. And it's just like unlocking that potential and giving them a chance. Working through the structure aspect of stuff.

• Speaker #0

  They worked for themselves. They earned it.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah.

• Speaker #0

  Earn something you care about a little more, in my opinion, than being given something.

• Speaker #1

  You and I talked, I think, in our first call together about, I've come across a lot of programs that do second chances. There's one in my area. That first year is like make or break after somebody is trying to get into, whether it be they're coming out of incarceration, or let's say they just go through like a... pre-apprentice program and they've landed an apprenticeship, meaning that first year tends to, you'll get, you get like a lot of people dropping out that first year. And I guess the question is, is there anything, and I think you're doing this with like the, the mentorship and the group stuff that you're putting together, because I've seen that as a gap, at least when I've talked to folks of like, oh, we need better mentorships and better support there. Some of these people I know have like, caseworkers that support these people too, as they're going in and out and up, especially that first one to two years, but really that was that first year. So I love your point of view on what you think about that.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah. The first year out, it's going to suck. And I think that's where they're probably quitting because it's hard work. It's going to suck. It doesn't feel like you're catching much traction that first year. It's a bunch of bullshit. But. That's all like part of the journey. Like we've all been through it. You know, anybody that's made any distance within the trades, they weren't really given anything. And it takes going through that rough spot for it to get better. And it's just like you said, making it through that first year. If you can get through it, you're going to open up a door that's going to be another room and it's going to be nicer. You know, like there's no couches in the first room. In the second room, and there's couches. Next room, there's the whole house. cool stuff. But it's just like there's progressions to it. So the first year is going to, you know, you're going to have people talking down to you. You know, you may have people telling you to go get things and bossing you around like hands, you know, get told. But we've all went through it. And I think that if they can get through the first year, that's when the unlocks start to happen. It's hard for somebody. And I think that if they had somebody that they could call. And I can tell them exactly that, you know, hey, chill out. It gets greater later. Like, just keep pushing your head down. Eventually, you're going to punch through that ceiling. And when you have that breakthrough and you get moved, you know, up, it's going to feel good. You're going to earn it. I mean, it just does something to the morale of the person and shows them that, A, they can finish something and they can stick with something long enough to see the improvement. and to get better. Nobody's going to start off perfect, you know, at anything we do. Just think, you got to get in there and do the work. And just, I think the reason why they quit is because it's not fun work the first year. Like it's hard. Just, you got to get through the hard to get, and it just gets harder. Like it doesn't get easier being, you know, over operations for a company that sounds cool, but my God, it's a lot of work.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah.

• Speaker #0

  I can't tell you. I mean, I'm working all the time. I work a lot. It's just hard manual labor up front, and they're not willing to make the sacrifice for now, which is unfortunate. I believe if they had a new work they could call on, it would be a different story.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. It's that foresight, right? You're talking about that it is going to get better. I think when somebody is down on their luck and they continue to hit that, just they're like, what the F? And you get to a point where it's not fun. If you have a lifeline and can call somebody It just shows, I'm a big believer in the mentorship and stuff, how much one call, one conversation can impact somebody, especially during that time.

• Speaker #0

  We're talking about some mentorship programs that we're probably going to try and create, even if it's nothing more than just a toned down mastermind group that individuals at that level can call into weekly. So we can, you know, talk about situations on the ground.

• Speaker #1

  I mean, that's amazing. any mastermind, like office hours, open hours, where you have a chance to drop in.

• Speaker #0

  Right, and talk to people who have been through it. That's the main deal.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah, eye to eye.

• Speaker #0

  Right.

• Speaker #1

  Totally.

• Speaker #0

  And sat in the seat that they're in.

• Speaker #1

  Yes.

• Speaker #0

  That'd be who I'd want you to speak to.

• Speaker #1

  Well, which is why it makes it so much powerful for you to be doing what you're doing right now. I mean, because you can. I'm thinking of how much you can unlock for other people just going through the experience that you went through. You're able to relate to these people that are, you're like, I've been there, but this is what's on the other side.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah. So, so it's, it's definitely possible. And I don't really think it stops here. Who knows what's in the future, but I see cool things. I see a lot of things happening. And right now I'm super focused on getting the foundation of Plumline correct and operating at a level that is moving the needle forward for the company. with. When you have a past, you have to The expectation is one thing, like baseline is here. When you have a past, you have to rise above it, and you have to know that the expectation is higher for us. And it's an unfortunate situation, but that's the way it is. You just rise up and try to go above because we have a past. And I think that if we do that and try to achieve that in everything we do moving forward, that even if we fall short on the expectation we set on ourselves, But if we meet the baseline, Like that's good enough and keep pressing forward. And I've found that trying to ask more out of myself has been helpful too. But I've had guys pushing me the whole time.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. I've not thought about that. And I think you bring up a really good point about the pressure. But I mean, when you said expectations, there's a higher expectation because of more eyes on you, right? Where somebody with a record or whatever is not going to have that same pressure.

• Speaker #0

  Correct.

• Speaker #1

  Which is a different pressure.

• Speaker #0

  Of course. You know, that's something that they're going to have to be okay with. It's just part of it. Over time, if you continue to do the same thing, and you repeat, and you get better at it, and you get better at it, and golly, man, staying consistent over a period of time, people come around. And I found a level of consistency today that I never thought that I would even be close to. So I'm going to do what I did today, yesterday. I'm going to try to do a little better. And that's really, really working for me. That's another key ingredient, I think, to a comeback story. Even growth in oneself is just knowing how to be consistent. That's a huge deal.

• Speaker #1

  Oh, yeah. I mean, you see any entrepreneur, it's like consistency over skill. If you can be consistent.

• Speaker #0

  Consistent every day. And I've seen growth.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. Just a quick question on that. Is it literally just The repetition, do you think is like what has made like flexing that repetitive muscle allowed you to be consistent? Or is there something else that you changed in your life that just like unlocked you where you're like, I don't have this barrier anymore. I'm able to show up. I'll do it, you know, each day. I'm just was wondering if there's something.

• Speaker #0

  I used to be embarrassed about, you know, the past and was fake. I wanted to hide, hide it all behind a, you know, whatever. Finally, I got over that and let it out and it lost power over me. And once I did that, it unlocked me to be able to tell the truth and really dig on that. And when I started to do that, I was calling myself out on LinkedIn. And I did that over and over again and started to resonate with other people. I think this is kind of what you asked me, but anyhow, it resonated with other people. We started having conversations about it and one thing's led to another and that's what I do daily now is look at a problem, what's the solution, what can we do better, how can we do better and that's pretty much my game plan.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah I was going to say it's pretty unbelievable just to see how far you've come in a very short amount of time. I mean if you're saying you said five years ago.

• Speaker #0

  And this account is you know I've only been growing this since September of last year. intentional. 68% of my people are my ideal customer profile. It's crazy.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah.

• Speaker #0

  It's crazy. The conversations I'm having with people today is just nuts. I mean, legends and titans of the industry, which is sometimes I even wonder why they're even taking their time with me, but I'm very fortunate in that aspect and grateful.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. A couple of questions to close our interview. One was like, what do you wish employers knew about somebody that has a record? understood better about somebody having a record?

• Speaker #0

  That change is possible. Change is possible. The employers knew change was possible, that some people are going to be able to change and they're willing to do the work to change. And if they were just willing to give them a chance, a structured chance, they would be surprised at what they would get. Because like I said, when you mix opportunity and you give that, deliver that to a guy that is very, very hungry for it. That's all he wants is a shot. That's all he needs is one shot. And that's the shot that he's got. I believe that that's when performance happens. And, you know, you get a guy that's... found the opportunity and has the hunger, that's when the magic happens. And you're going to get a guy for less money, who's working harder, who's loyal, who's, you know, going to call other people out because he doesn't, you know, it's just, it's, it's all around win-win when that, when you get that right fit.

• Speaker #1

  What are you most excited about for where you're headed right now?

• Speaker #0

  Oh man, I'm excited about a bunch of stuff. So I'm excited about the people that I'm going to meet and the future relationships and I'm coming in contact with. I've got like 10 or 15 events I'm speaking at around the country.

• Speaker #1

  That's amazing.

• Speaker #0

  I haven't been up in front of a crowd yet. So we'll see how I fumble through that.

• Speaker #1

  This is all practice for that.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah, right. So it's going to be going through the reps and just being, putting myself, getting vulnerable again and making myself do it. So I'm excited about a lot of things. I'm excited about... Being able to chase my dreams, that's huge for me. And that's coming up pretty quickly. So I don't know how much longer I'll be kind of over operations at a commercial HVAC company because my dream is starting to take off. It's really cool to be a part of and watch.

• Speaker #1

  We're here to support your dream. So

• Speaker #0

  I appreciate that.

• Speaker #1

  Freaking love it. My last question for you is. Given the journey that you've been on, like, is there anyone in your life that you would like to thank for where you are today?

• Speaker #0

  Of course, my mother. You know, without her, nothing would have really been possible for me. I mean, it tears me up even thinking about it just because she's getting older. But I'm super stoked that I'm doing something that she's proud of today.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. Really special. Yeah. Multiple people have cried when I've asked that question. So don't, you're not the first.

• Speaker #0

  But yeah, my mom and then of course, you know, my mentors and then, you know, Bay Climate for giving me an opportunity to showcase my skill. And, you know, a lot of the people on LinkedIn for taking a chance on me too. SkillTrade is just a very, very understanding community who's willing to give people a second chance. And it's, you know, what are you going to do with it when you get it? That's what it's about. You can either take it and do something powerful with it, or you can throw your life away. So that's your choice. I mean, there's no in between for me.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. And you are going to take it and run with it. So.

• Speaker #0

  So far, so good.

• Speaker #1

  Brad, thank you so much for sharing your story, your vulnerability, and all the work that you're doing to help people that have been in your shoes. Of anyone, you're the one to lead and light the way. So the industry, God, owes you so much. I feel like you're going to leave this massive impact on that and impact on every single person that you are getting involved with here. So appreciate you and everything you're doing, your skilled AF and onwards, man. Let's go.

• Speaker #0

  You got it. Well, I'm going to keep doing my part. That's for sure. I appreciate you having me on. I appreciate. everything that you're doing as well. And I'll have to stay connected with you and watch each other move forward.

• Speaker #1

  Cool.

• Speaker #0

  On these rocket ships.

• Speaker #1

  Thank you so much for tuning into this episode of the Skilled AF podcast. If you enjoyed it, please rate, review, subscribe to it wherever you're listening. And if you want to stay connected, partner, you name it, head over to theskilledproject.com or follow us on social media at theskilledproject. Until next time, stay skilled AF.