iReach Podcast Podcast Por ConstructReach arte de portada

iReach Podcast

iReach Podcast

De: ConstructReach
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Hosted by Paul Robinson, founder of ConstructReach, the iReach Podcast explores bold conversations shaping the future of construction. Each episode features leaders and changemakers who are redefining what it means to build a career in the trades. With a focus on mentorship, leadership, and equity, the show highlights emerging pathways into the industry. Whether you're a student exploring career options, an educator bridging the gap between classroom and workforce, or a professional looking to make a difference, iReach offers insight, inspiration, and a fresh take on the construction industry.

© 2026 iReach, the ConstructReach Podcast
Ciencias Sociales Economía Exito Profesional Gestión y Liderazgo Liderazgo
Episodios
  • What They Never Told You About the Trades
    Mar 24 2026

    The trades have a reputation problem. And for a long time, construction was the industry you ended up in, not the one you chose. Carlos Rodriguez, owner of Mr. Roofing out of California, knows that story firsthand.

    Carlos grew up watching his father build a roofing business from the ground up after immigrating from Mexico. He spent summers on tear-off crews as a teenager, went to UC Berkeley, worked in corporate, and eventually came back to take the family business to a level his dad never imagined. In this episode, he and Paul break down what it actually takes to run a construction company, why the stigma around trades is still real but slowly changing, and what young people are missing when they overlook this industry.

    We discuss:

    • The stigma roofing inherited and why it is finally starting to shift
    • Growing up in the family business and what his dad's approach taught him
    • What he looks for when hiring
    • The looming labor shortage
    • How to make the trades look as cool as they actually are
    • His advice to every high schooler figuring out what comes next

    Want to bring more young talent into construction? Let's talk.

    #ConstructionCareers #TradesLife #WorkforceDevelopment #RoofingIndustry #iReachPodcast

    TIMESTAMPS
    00:00 – Meet Carlos Rodriguez
    01:18 – Roofing industry stigma
    03:06 – Family roots and lessons
    04:37 – Reframing trades for youth
    08:32 – Returning to grow the business
    10:43 – From roofer to leader
    12:42 – Culture and core purpose
    15:42 – Modern trades misconceptions
    18:24 – Hiring for heart and hustle
    21:52 – Labor shortage and outreach
    26:12 – Making construction look cool
    29:19 – Trade vs. business skills
    30:15 – Advice for high schoolers
    31:11 – Closing thanks and wrap

    Subscribe and Review the iReach Podcast: If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave us a review. We read every single one.

    Follow Carlos Rodriguez:
    Website: https://www.mrroofing.net
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-rodriguez-a481b69

    Follow Paul Robinson
    Connect with Paul Robinson on LinkedIn.
    Follow ConstructReach on LinkedIn.
    Follow ConstructReach on Instagram @contructreach
    Check out the ConstructReach website at constructreach.com

    This podcast is sponsored by Construct Reach.

    As a workforce development initiative that builds reachable opportunities through construction, ConstructReach increases the visibility of the construction industry by educating students about career opportunities within construction, connecting general contractors to interns and innovative internship curricula, creating content and experiences to expose a diverse population to sustainable construction careers, and uniting stakeholders to ensure the construction industry continues to thrive.

    #IReachPodcast #PaulRobinson #ConstructReach


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    32 m
  • The Job Crisis No One’s Talking About
    Mar 10 2026

    Drew "The MFG" Crowe is the founder and CEO of Drew Crowe Manufacturing and one of the most influential voices in American manufacturing today. Often referred to as the leader of the New American Manufacturing Renaissance, Drew is an MIT graduate and two-time Aerospace & Aviation Man of the Year. He served as Lead Professor of Advanced Manufacturing Technology at Ranken Technical College. His résumé includes speaking at the White House and the Pentagon, and features in Forbes Magazine and USA Today. His mission is to connect youth, underserved communities, and justice-impacted individuals to life-changing careers in manufacturing. And to help companies understand why that's not charity, it's a business solution.

    In this episode, Drew and host Paul Robinson dig into the deep parallels between manufacturing and construction and why both industries are at a critical crossroads. Drew breaks down why 1.8 million manufacturing jobs sit unfilled and how that gap threatens national security and GDP. He explains why companies can no longer treat workforce outreach as a handout. The two get real about the generational barriers that keep diverse communities from entering the trades. They talk about why soft skills like grit and determination matter more than technical certifications. Drew also shares how he flips the script when talking to young people, connecting their passions for sneakers, video games, and cars to real manufacturing career paths paying $30+ an hour. Plus, he shares a powerful perspective on why he intentionally challenges corporate bias by showing up authentically in every boardroom he enters.

    If this conversation hits home, subscribe, share with a colleague, and learn more about ConstructReach and the iReach podcast at constructreach.com.

    In this episode:

    00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
    01:00 Drew's Against-the-Odds Journey into Manufacturing
    03:00 What Manufacturing Actually Makes — And Why It Matters
    05:15 3D Printed Houses and the Future of Construction and Manufacturing
    06:07 Why Representation Matters When Reaching Young People
    08:05 Connecting Overlooked Communities to Career Opportunities
    10:22 It's Not Charity — It's a Business Solution
    12:25 The State of Manufacturing: Tariffs, Workforce Gaps, and National Security
    15:13 Construction's Workforce Crisis: 4 Million Jobs by 2031
    17:45 The Most In-Demand Skill: Grit and Determination
    21:26 What Separates Shops That Survive from Shops That Scale
    25:06 Bringing Back CTE, Shop Class, and Career Pathways
    27:19 Investing in Messengers Who Speak the Community's Language
    29:21 Challenging Bias and Showing Up Authentically
    35:00 What Drew Tells an 18-Year-Old About Manufacturing Careers
    40:34 Closing Thoughts and Looking Ahead

    Subscribe & Review the iRea

    Follow Paul Robinson
    Connect with Paul Robinson on LinkedIn.
    Follow ConstructReach on LinkedIn.
    Follow ConstructReach on Instagram @contructreach
    Check out the ConstructReach website at constructreach.com

    This podcast is sponsored by Construct Reach.

    As a workforce development initiative that builds reachable opportunities through construction, ConstructReach increases the visibility of the construction industry by educating students about career opportunities within construction, connecting general contractors to interns and innovative internship curricula, creating content and experiences to expose a diverse population to sustainable construction careers, and uniting stakeholders to ensure the construction industry continues to thrive.

    #IReachPodcast #PaulRobinson #ConstructReach


    Más Menos
    42 m
  • Career Paths in Construction Most People Overlook
    Feb 17 2026

    In this episode, Paul Robinson challenges one of the most common assumptions in construction and workforce development: that young people simply “don’t want to work.”

    Speaking from experience hosting I Built This events across the country, Paul pushes back on the narrative and argues that the issue is not motivation, it is exposure.

    Through conversations with high school students at an I Built This event, we hear directly from the next generation. Many admit they had little to no knowledge of the range of careers available in construction before attending. After exposure, their mindset shifts. Trades become real options. Debt-free pathways become attractive. Entrepreneurship becomes visible.

    This episode reframes the labor shortage conversation. If young people do not know what the industry offers, the responsibility falls on the industry to make itself visible.

    🎧 Subscribe, share, and learn more at https://constructreach.com

    In this episode:

    00:00 The “young people don’t want to work” myth

    01:26 Generational assumptions and perspective

    02:08 Hands-on mentorship and learning at IBT

    03:23 Seeing the fruit of your labor in construction

    04:29 Exposure changes everything

    05:39 The industry’s responsibility to create visibility

    06:33 Making informed decisions requires information

    06:47 Debt-free pathways and skilled trades

    07:47 Aging workforce and pipeline urgency

    08:00 Students discovering opportunities they didn’t know existed

    09:36 Early exposure through family influence

    10:46 Why exposure during school matters

    11:29 Technology, hands-on work, and different giftings

    12:22 Self-inventory for employers

    12:39 Labor shortage as opportunity

    13:16 Students reflect on painting station and entrepreneurship

    13:35 Growth requires vulnerability

    Subscribe & Review the iReach Podcast

    If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with our friends, and leave us a review. We read every single one.


    Follow Paul Robinson
    Connect with Paul Robinson on LinkedIn.
    Follow ConstructReach on LinkedIn.
    Follow ConstructReach on Instagram @contructreach
    Check out the ConstructReach website at constructreach.com

    This podcast is sponsored by Construct Reach.

    As a workforce development initiative that builds reachable opportunities through construction, ConstructReach increases the visibility of the construction industry by educating students about career opportunities within construction, connecting general contractors to interns and innovative internship curricula, creating content and experiences to expose a diverse population to sustainable construction careers, and uniting stakeholders to ensure the construction industry continues to thrive.

    #IReachPodcast #PaulRobinson #ConstructReach


    Más Menos
    15 m
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