Make Trades Great Again
Whether you're a seasoned professional, a newcomer, or simply interested in the trades, the "Make Trades Great Again" podcast offers something for everyone. Our goal is to promote the value of skilled trades, provide essential resources, and build a strong community of passionate individuals.
Industry Insights - Educational Content - Community Stories - Technology in Trades
Tune in now and be part of the movement to make trades great again!
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 31 minutes
- Episodes
- 354
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2025
#174 Bonus Bonus What about Bob?
What about Bob, Andy has an update on the stolen van debacle.
Send us your feedback or topic ideas over on our social channels!
Eric Aune @mechanicalhub
Andy Mickelson @mick_plumb
Newslet…
#173 New tool Flare!
Eric recants a problem he recently had with a tool. The guys chat about emerging technology in the tool world.
Send us your feedback or topic ideas over on our social channels!
Eric Aune…
#172 Giving customers bad news sucks!
Ever have to tell a client their heating or cooling system need replaced? Sure! But have you done it when it was just three years old?
The guys bs and talk about the week, how its going and whats com…
#171 Gas, Electric, Fuel Oil…Which is cheapest?
The guys dig deep to compare the true cost of Fuel Oil, Electric, LP and Natural Gas as fuels for heating.
Thanks to listener Steve for sending in the question: Is it time to get away from fuel oil a…
#170 Bonus - What's your preference, copper or PEX Stub outs?
Bonus - Eric and Andy discuss the results of a recent poll about how you like to stub out you water supplies.
Send us your feedback or topic ideas over on our social channels!
Eric Aune …
#169 Do you wanna buy a new tool?
Eric and Andy talk about pipe benders, machines and Wiha screwdrivers.
Send us your feedback or topic ideas over on our social channels!
Eric Aune @mechanicalhub
Andy Mickelson @mick_plu…
#168 Bonus: Did Andy's Van Get Stolen?
You gotta hear this crazy story! Andy's van might've been stolen...we're not sure just yet.
Send us your feedback or topic ideas over on our social channels!
Eric Aune @mechanicalhub
And…
#167 How Do You Get Paid?
The guys talk about the many ways to get paid as a contractor. Things have changed over the last handful of years, have you?
There are like seventy-eleven ways to get paid for your services, how many…
#166 Handling the dirty work, when to let an employee go.
The guys answer a listeners message about the difficult task of letting an employee go, along with some of the hurdles and issues that come up.
Send us your feedback or topic ideas over…
#165 Hurricanes and Supply chains
Eric and Andy talk about how natural disasters can affect supply chains in the building trades.
Send us your feedback or topic ideas over on our social channels!
Eric Aune @mechanicalhub…
#164 Bonus 6-pack of nipples
Andy see his first nipple pack in this week's bonus episode. Things get dicey but there's a lesson to be learned from one of Eric's recent materials order.
Send us your feedback or top…
#163 I like to watch
HVAC OnlyFans, custy watching, I need to concentrate!
We polled out IG fam asking if they minded the customer watching while servicing/fixing a problem on site. The answers where what you'd expect..…
#162 When to hire an employee?
Eric and Andy answer a listeners question about what goes into the decision of hiring an employee or adding another technician.
Send us your feedback or topic ideas over on our social c…
#161 AHR 2023 with Nicole Bush
Nicole Bush Communications manager for AHR 2023 joins the boys to talk about the largest Heating Air Condition and Refrigeration Expo in North America.
Send us your feedback or topic ide…
#160 Tool Talk!
The guys talk tools, new tools, what they're liking lately and whats coming.
Who does't like some tool talk? We do!
Send us your feedback or topic ideas over on our social channels!
Eric…
#159 Pay in the Trades with Chad
Andy, Eric & Chad talk more about pay in the trades, personal accountability and making it thru a recession. As usual things start out rough and barely make it thru to the end without offending someo…
#158 Fall is in the air!
The boys chat about how they are getting things ready for heating season.
If you do service work, do season changes effect your vehicle stock?
Send us your feedback or topic ideas over …
#157 You're Fired!
We answer a listeners question regarding an irritated customer. When do you "fire" the customer, what does it take? The guys discuss some of the in's and out's of letting a customer go.
#156 Bonus: Can heat pumps replace gas heating systems in in the North?
The guys get back into the electrification of everything and talk heat pumps. Will they be able to repolace gas furnaces and boilers fully?
Also, is it slowing down where you're at?
Sen…
#155 Listener questions: How do you get started on the project?
Quin writes in asking how we prefer to get started on the job. What do we tackle first, the tough stuff or the low hanging fruit. In either case the project has to get finished but sometimes a clear …