Welcome to Grit Nation . I’m Joe Cadwell the host of the show, and in this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with jobsite foreman, self-taught communication expert and author of two books on construction leadership, Brian Lousy . Brian landed on the literary scene with a thud in early 2016 with his book, The Mind-Readers Guide to Supervision, in which he introduced the practice of managing construction projects by intentionally holding back production goals and expectations from his crews...
Feb 12, 2025•14 min•Ep. 27
Welcome to Grit Nation, the Building Trades Podcast. I’m Joe Cadwell , the writer, producer, and host of the show and today I have the pleasure of speaking with Ken Rusk . Ken is a blue-collar career choice advocate, construction industry entrepreneur and the author of Blue-Collar Cash which details how you can…. Love Your Work, Secure Your Future and Find Happiness for Life. We’ll start today’s conversation by learning about Ken’s background and how his passion for hard work and construction ea...
Oct 04, 2023•37 min•Ep. 19
On today’s episode I discuss organized labor movements in America and why it is so important for UBC carpenters to develop and appreciate the storied history of our organization. Without knowing how we got to where we are, many may find it easy to undervalue the vast amount of blood, sweat and tears that were spilled in achieving the benefits we all enjoy as union members today. Countless hours devoted to organizing and negotiating campaigns often go unseen and unappreciated by the vary members ...
Jul 04, 2023•32 min•Ep. 3
Welcome to Grit Nation . I’m Joe Cadwell the writer, producer, and host of the show and on today’s episode I have the pleasure of speaking with author Kathleen McLaughlin , about her new book titled; Blood Money – The Story of Life, Death and Profit Inside America’s Blood Industry. In her book Kathleen turns the lights on a healthcare crisis hidden in plain sight and reveals a stunning example of economic inequality in action. Intertwined with her own story as a working-class American managing a...
May 16, 2023•43 min
On todays episode I have the pleasure of speaking with authors Ali Winston and Darwin BondGraham about their new book titled, T he Riders Come Out at Night: Brutality, Corruption and Cover-up in Oakland. Their book is a meticulously researched and engaging account of a police force rotten to its core and serves as a poignant reminder that the problem with policing in America isn’t just about crooked cops. The problem is a broken system that lacks the will to reform. During our conversation we’ll...
Apr 18, 2023•38 min
Use the link below to see the NBC Nightly News Story. https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/hidden-scourge-wage-theft-when-higher-profits-come-out-workers-n1272238 This episode of Stolen begins in the early morning of August 2020, when a storm system develops on the barren plains of the Nebraska and South Dakota border. Known as a Derecho, Spanish for straight, these type’s of storms are powerful, fast-moving systems that can generate hurricane force winds, and create tornados, heavy ra...
Apr 04, 2023•39 min•Ep. 14
On today’s episode we will meet labor attorney, member of Teamster’s Local 810 in New York City and author, Mark Torres. Mark’s latest book, Long Island Migrant Labor Camps: Dust for Blood , chronicles the plight of thousands of poverty stricken migrant workers lured to the agricultural fields of New York State for decades with the promise of good wages and decent housing. Once there, they were preyed upon by corrupt camp operators who often cheated them out of pay and housed them in deadly slum...
Mar 22, 2023•19 min•Ep. 8
On this episode I have the pleasure of speaking with management professor, leadership expert and author of, The Seismic Shift in Leadership . Her name is Michelle Johnston and on today’s show we discuss her book to learn more about how to be a better, more connected leader in today’s world whether in the boardroom or on the jobsite. We’ll open our conversation by learning what the seismic shift is and why the transition from an old-school style of command-and-control leadership to one of collabo...
Mar 07, 2023•32 min
Welcome to Grit Nation . I'm Joe Cadwell , the host of the show, and on today's episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with urban law expert and author Michelle Wilde Anderson about her book, The Fight to Save the Town - Reimagining Discarded America. The San Francisco Chronicle writes that her book is "a sweeping and eye opening study of wealth inequality and the dismantling of local governments of working class US cities, and passionately argues for a reinvestment in people ce...
Feb 21, 2023•1 hr 7 min
On today’s episode I have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Mike Rucker about his book, The Fun Habit - How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life. The Fun Habit is a science-backed, actionable case for the importance of seeking fun, rather than happiness, in our daily lives. Mike argues that fun is a resource available to anyone, at almost anytime, yet most people are not having enough of it. His insightful new book reveals how intentionally increasing your joyful moments can improv...
Feb 07, 2023•39 min
On todays episode I have the pleasure of speaking with professor of sociology at Middlebury College and author Jamie McCallum . Jamie’s latest work titled, Essential: How the Pandemic Transformed the Long Fight for Worker Justice , digs deep into the of today’s working class rage and uncovers the unravelling of the nation’s social safety net and regulatory standards. Essential is an in-depth look into how the Covid -19 pandemic changed the American labor movement and how an unprecedented recogni...
Jan 17, 2023•31 min•Ep. 47
Welcome to Grit Nation . On this episode I have the pleasure of speaking with Dan Kerrigan the author of Functional Firefighter Fitness . Though written for firefighters this book is packed full of solid advice to help you maximize your output on the job no matter what your trade is. We’ll open our conversation by discussing what it means to be “fit for duty” as we investigate the similarities construction industry professionals share with other craft that rely not only on their cognitive abilit...
Jan 03, 2023•42 min•Ep. 24
Welcome to Grit Nation. I'm Joe Cadwell, the host of the show, and on today's episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with the co-writer of a newly released book titled Dead in the Water, a true story of hijacking murderer and a global maritime conspiracy. His name is Matthew Campbell , and he's an award winning reporter and editor for Bloomberg BusinessWeek magazine. Together he and his co author Kitt Chellel , have put together a page turner of a book and a real triumph of inve...
Dec 20, 2022•47 min•Ep. 46
Welcome to Grit Nation . In this episode I have the pleasure of speaking with journalist, professor of sociology and author Eyal Press . Eyal’s latest book titled Dirty Work – Essential Jobs and the Hidden Toll of Inequality in America , addresses the morally troubling work that society silently condones and the hidden class of workers who do it. Eyal and I begin our conversation by discussing the origins of the term Dirty Work and how the unconscious mandate it reveals is as prevalent today in ...
Dec 06, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 23
Welcome to Grit Nation , I’m Joe Cadwell the host of the show and on today’s episode I have the pleasure of speaking with Waldo Waldman , a former Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, who is now a highly sought after motivational speaker and executive coach. He is also the author of The New York Times best seeking book, Never Fly Solo . Known to the tens of thousands of people who have attended his leadership seminars as the Wingman, Waldo’s unique and powerful presentation style was honed razor sharp ...
Nov 22, 2022•40 min•Ep. 44
On today’s episode I have the pleasure of speaking with retired US Navy Commander, and author of the new fictional thriller, Secrets in Depth . His name is Joe Dituri and his laid-back persona and colorful and exciting life truly make for an interesting episode. We’ll open our conversation by learning about Joe’s journey as an enlisted sailor to being commanding officer in charge of the Navy’s’ deep submergence unit. Next, we’ll unpack his transition out of the spec-op community and into the wor...
Nov 08, 2022•42 min•Ep. 43
Welcome to Grit Nation , I’m Joe Cadwell the host of the show and on today’s episode I have the pleasure of speaking with physician, adventurer and author of the newly published book titled, T he Unseen Body . His name is Dr. Jonathan Reisma n, and on today’s show Jonathan and I will discuss how his passion for, travel, prehistoric crafts, food, and practicing medicine all coalesced when writing his book. We’ll open our conversation as Jonathan explains how cutting into a cadaver in medical scho...
Oct 25, 2022•57 min•Ep. 42
On today’s episode I have the pleasure of talking with internationally acclaimed speaker and bestselling author, D.J. Vanas . D.J.’s latest work titled, The Warrior Within - Own Your Power to Serve, Fight, Protect and Heal , draws upon Native American philosophy and tradition to reveal insight on how to develop the resilience and toughness needed to face the overwhelming chaos and noise in today’s modern world. We’ll start our conversation as D.J. explains what the warrior spirit is, and why it ...
Oct 11, 2022•33 min•Ep. 41
Welcome to Grit Nation , I’m Joe Cadwell the host of the show and on today’s episode I have the pleasure of speaking with strength coach, self-defense instructor, and author, Varg Freeborn . I first came upon Varg’s unique perspective to self-defense and violence preparedness a few years ago and became a fan of his straight shooting, no BS philosophy. So, I was especially pleased to have the opportunity to talk with him recently. We’ll start our conversation as Varg details his childhood in the ...
Sep 27, 2022•59 min•Ep. 40
Hi, I’m Joe Cadwell , writer, producer, and host of Grit Nation , but in this special episode of the Building Trades Podcast I’ll actually be the guest on someone else’s show. Join me today as I talk with Nate Wadsworth from the Essential Craftsman Podcast. If you haven’t heard of the Essential Craftsman, you should really check them out. I’m a big fan of their YouTube channel, which is hosted by Nate’s dad Scott , and in fact I have been recommending his video series to my carpenter apprentices...
Sep 06, 2022•55 min•Ep. 34
On today’s episode I have the honor and privilege of speaking with Brian Bogert founder of the Brian Bogert Companies . Brian is a human behavior and performance coach, motivational speaker, and business strategist who has change the lives of thousands with his revolutionary coaching programs. Brian starts today’s conversation by sharing with us the horrific accident that he suffered as a child and then will explain how he was determined not to let that tragic moment define who he would become a...
Aug 30, 2022•38 min•Ep. 11
On today’s episode I have the pleasure of speaking with history professor and author Aaron Goings . Aaron’s latest work titled, The Port of Missing Men , is an in depth look into the life and legend surrounding Billy Gohl the charismatic, controversial and infamous labor organizer of the Sailors Union of the Pacific. After being convicted for the murder of a good friend, Billy was unjustly credited with the murder of dozens of port workers and was branded by the press as The Ghoul of Grays Harbo...
Aug 16, 2022•47 min•Ep. 38
Welcome to Grit Nation , I’m Joe Cadwell the host of the show and today I will be talking with the national account manager for Milwaukee Tools, Justin Ross. Milwaukee Tools has been a leader in the construction industry since 1924, and they continue to develop innovative solutions that deliver increased productivity and unparalleled durability for building trades professionals. Josh and I will open our conversation by discussing the history of the company, starting with their iconic Sawzall and...
Aug 02, 2022•24 min•Ep. 37
In this episode I’ll be talking with bestselling author Todd Brewster who together with co-writer Marc Lamont Hill have written Seen and Unseen – Technology, Social Media and the Fight for Racial Justice . This powerful book is a riveting exploration of the ways in which visual media has shaped the nations narrative on race and has fundamentally altered the centuries long battle for racial justice. We’ll open our conversation as Todd outlines his career as a journalist for Time/Life Magazine, a ...
Jul 19, 2022•37 min•Ep. 36
Welcome to the Grit Nation podcast, I’m Joe Cadwell and in this episode I have the pleasure of speaking with logger, blacksmith, carpenter, and internet sensation Scott Wadsworth . Better known to over 1 million YouTube followers as the Essential Craftsman , Scott, together with his son Nate , have created a wealth of entertaining and educational videos designed to help anyone interested in learning more about blue-collar craft skills. Scotts laid back, straight shooting, and down to earth demea...
Jun 21, 2022•49 min•Ep. 34
Welcome to Grit Nation , I’m Joe Cadwell the host of the show and today I have the pleasure of speaking with author Kim Kelly about her new book titled Fight Like Hell – The Untold History of American Labor. Kim’s book is a remarkable interweaving of past and present that brings America’s rich and bloody labor history to vivid life. Her book comes at a time of economic reckoning in America. From Amazon Warehouses to Starbucks coffee shops, interest in organized labor is at a peak not seen in mor...
Jun 07, 2022•27 min•Ep. 33
Welcome to another episode of Grit Nation , I’m Joe Cadwell the host of the show and today I will be talking with investigative reporter David McSwane about his new book Pandemic Inc. – Chasing the Capitalists and Thieves Who Got Rich While We Got Sick. David’s book is an explosive look inside the rush to profit from the Covid-19 pandemic and connects the dots between shady backdoor deals and a robust spoils systems that led to a catastrophic mishandling of the pandemic. Pandemic Inc is a brilli...
May 24, 2022•40 min•Ep. 32
In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with the Chief Style Officer for Diamondback Toolbelts, Damani Harrison. Headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia, Diamondback is taking building trades toolbelts and gear to the next level with their innovative design, ergonomic fit and manufacturing processes. We’ll start our conversation by discovering what makes Diamondback products standout in a marketplace that is jammed full of competition. And learn how Diamondback is pushing the envelop...
May 10, 2022•29 min•Ep. 31
On today’s episode I have the pleasure to speak with author Daisy Pitken about her new book titled, On the Line - A story of class, solidarity, and Two Women’s Epic Fight to Build a Union. In her book, Daisy recounts the story of a grueling 5 yearlong bottom-up campaign she was involved in to help unionize industrial laundry workers in Phoenix, Arizona. This book is both riveting and intimate and paints a humanizing portrait of the American labor movement. We begin our conversation by learning a...
Apr 25, 2022•47 min•Ep. 30
Welcome to Grit Nation , I’m Joe Cadwell the writer, producer, and host of the show and on today’s episode I’ll be looking into the complex world of finance credit. To help me better understand the role credit plays in a building trades professionals life and career I have invited back to the show Patrick Town , director of operations for Union Home Plus . Accompanying him is Serge Bagdasarov . We’ll start our conversation by learning how to establish and maintain good credit and we’ll finish by...
Apr 11, 2022•38 min•Ep. 28
