Chad Doucette, foreman at Ace Welding in Oceanside, California, joins Jason Becker on the Arch Junkies Podcast to talk about going from a random job offer on the street to running a structural steel shop — all in five years.

Chad breaks down the real path to growth in this industry: why the helper position is the most underrated opportunity in any shop, how attitude and work ethic matter more than your cert, and why he's now setting his sights on the CWI. He also gets candid about where he came from, how welding changed his life, and the mindset shift that made all the difference.

If you're early in your career, thinking about the CWI, or just need a shot of motivation — this one's for you.

Topics covered: Starting as a shop helper · Growing into a foreman role · What Chad looks for when hiring · Pursuing the CWI exam · Running a structural solar canopy shop · Mindset, health, and building a life you love in the trades.

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In this special National Welding Month edition of Weld Wednesday with AWS, host Jason Becker sits down with three guests who each represent a unique and exciting path that a welding career can open up. Kicking things off is Austin Ross — known across social media as A-Ross Welding — a pipeline welder with roughly a decade of experience and a member of Pipeliners Union 798. Austin breaks down the real cost of life on the pipe, how to break into the industry as a helper, what it takes to earn your spot, and why attitude and thinking ahead can make or break your career out there.

Next up, Richard Johnston from The Ocean Corporation in southwest Houston, Texas joins the show to pull back the curtain on the world of commercial diving. Richard — a third generation diver — explains what commercial diving actually looks like day to day, the range of environments divers work in, how the training program at OceanCorp.com prepares students with zero prior experience, and why the career is far less dangerous than its reputation suggests. Closing out the episode is Brian Wills, a motorsports fabricator, race car builder, and Formula Drift Prospect Series competitor who builds and races his own cars under the Nasty Habit Motorsports banner. Brian shares how fab school launched him into drifting, what goes into building a competition-ready drift car from the ground up, and why welding has made it possible for him to spend the last five years doing exactly what he loves.

Jason sits down with Sheldon Wray, head of Industrial Technology and Innovation Strategy at Lincoln Electric, for a conversation that is equal parts inspiring career story and inside look at the future of the welding industry. Sheldon shares how he went from studying electronics and computer engineering in LA to falling in love with welding at night school class — and how one chance encounter at a career fair changed everything. He breaks down Lincoln Electric's legendary welding school, what it actually takes to earn your place in the field, and the inside story behind the development of the game-changing Lincoln Electric 300C.

The guys also dig into the retirement of the iconic Lincoln 225 tombstone, where AI and robotics are headed in the fabrication world, and the emerging role of handheld laser welding technology. Plus, Sheldon opens up about earning his MBA from the prestigious Kellogg School of Business — while working full time in Cleveland — and why he believes failure isn't something to fear, it's the first step toward mastery.

Passing the CWI exam is a huge accomplishment — but it's only the beginning.

In this episode of the Arc Junkies Podcast, Jason Becker sits down with veteran welding inspector Daryl Peterson to discuss what new Certified Welding Inspectors really need to know after earning their certification.

From ethics and inspection authority to metallurgy, code interpretation, and non-destructive testing, this conversation breaks down the real challenges that many new CWIs face when they step into the role for the first time.

Daryl shares insights from 40 years in welding inspection, including the importance of mentorship, understanding QA vs QC responsibilities, and why gaining experience in NDT methods like PT, MT, UT, and radiography can dramatically improve your effectiveness as an inspector.

They also discuss common industry myths, welding metallurgy concepts that inspectors must understand, and how unethical decisions early in your career can have serious consequences.

If you're a welder thinking about becoming a CWI — or a newly certified inspector trying to figure out your next move — this episode is packed with practical advice from someone who's spent decades in the field.

Topics include:

• What new CWIs should focus on after passing the exam

• The difference between QA and QC inspectors

• Why ethics and integrity matter in inspection

• How NDT experience can accelerate your career

• The metallurgy concepts inspectors must understand

• Common welding myths and misunderstandings

In this special episode of Weld Wednesdays with AWS, recorded live at the Inspection Expo & Conference in Austin, Texas, Jason Becker sits down with longtime AWS volunteer and industry veteran Bill Komlos for an in-depth conversation on volunteering on AWS code committees.

While most welders, inspectors, and fabricators rely on AWS codes every day, few understand how those standards are actually developed. Bill shares his journey from local AWS section involvement to national technical committees, explaining how volunteers from across the industry—inspectors, fabricators, engineers, and educators—collectively shape the codes that govern welding worldwide.

This episode covers why committee participation is open to the public, how involvement can accelerate your career, and why real-world shop experience is essential to keeping codes practical, relevant, and safe. Jason and Bill also discuss mentorship, networking, the value of diverse perspectives, and why the next generation of welders and inspectors is critical to the future of AWS standards.

If you've ever complained about a code requirement—or wondered how to get involved in shaping them—this episode is for you.

For more information on how you can get involved with the AWS Click Here