Sewers, Suits, and Shit That Matters Lauri Rollings

Lauri Rollings worked as a lawyer for 20 years before ending up in trade associations completely by accident.

A family member of a colleague was in need of emergency help with labor negotiations and she took the job not knowing anything about construction or apprenticeships.

What she found surprised her people learning skilled trades while getting paid, graduating with zero debt, and making six figures with benefits. She couldn't figure out why more people didn't know this path existed.

After running contractor associations in Milwaukee and Portland for a decade, she started consulting on leadership development because like many industries, nobody was training people to become the next leaders.

We talk about why the biggest myth she fights is that young people don't want to work hard, how skills from unexpected places like video games or music transfer to trades work, and why asking different interview questions reveals talent that doesn't fit the farm kid stereotype.

Highlights:

1. Why the myth that younger generations don't want to work hard is completely false and comes down to individual values rather than birth year.
2. Why asking better interview questions reveals how someone's background in gaming, music, or other hobbies translates to skills needed in trades work.
3. Why older generations expect people to earn trust over time while younger generations expect to start with trust until they lose it
4. Why education systems did a disservice by removing hands-on training and pushing everyone toward college as the only path.
5. Asking about best mentors or coaches helps people connect past experiences to workplace skills.

Make sure to subscribe to Blue Collar BS where we explore how different generations approach work, leadership, and building careers in the trades. Every episode tackles the gap between what you're told should work and what actually works when you're running a business in the real world.

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