Bridging the Gap Between High and Low Voltage Professions

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And also we're also looking for corporate sponsorship . So if your company lines with educate , encourage and enrich and you okay , being on an agnostic platform , reach out to me on social media and let's get this going . So one of the things you'll find in our industry is there's a love-hate relationship between electricians and low-voltage people .

And now , with all the new technologies coming out , like PoE , digital power , all that other stuff , there's more and more electricians getting into the low-voltage sphere .

So I was thinking about the other day because you always see this negative social media post on all this thing about you know oh , sparky did this and you know well , you know what we do bad work too . We do bad work just as much as they do but it's an opportunity for them to get into low-voltage stuff .

So I was thinking who can I ask to come on to talk about this ? And then I remembered when I attended the Nica Philly Summit . Oh , I don't know , it seemed like two years ago now . That's what happens when you get old like me .

Samantha said , hey , you need to check out Jeff the 360 electrician and I was like that's who I need to get on this show , because , number one , he already knows how to talk in front of a camera . Right , I don't have to worry about it , you know teaching him how to do that . Number two he's an electrician , so welcome to the show , mr Jeff .

How you doing , my friend ?

I call myself the 360 electrician because my two brick and mortars one in Los Angeles , california , and one in Missoula , montana Is called the 360 electrician .

So if you work for me or you follow me or you're you like what you hear , or If I saved your butt from something and that's the main thing right is tell people what I did wrong so they don't do it themselves . You're a 360 electrician . So my channel is pretty much based at YouTube . I'm a long-form Business to business .

I teach Electricians how to become electrical contractors and for electrical contractors to level up . That's pretty much what my channel is all about .

The funny part is we kind of are blessed by having that niche , because that's what we really do , and but recently , because I have two brick and mortars with multiple you know journeymen and masters , we're gonna branch out and get into some more tool reviews , some more you know how to's , and I got a lot of people that I'm working with great people like you ,

because now I have a friend in the low voltage industry , so that means the collabs are just getting better and better Code writers . So I've got a couple of guys that are my good friends now that we're collabing with and they're on the NEC Code committees . So that's what my channel is .

And then , of course , I teach diversification of skills and how you're gonna level up . How did I , how do I run a mid-sized company in California and about to be a mid-sized company in Montana and and I'm 1200 miles away sometimes , if I teach you guys again my systems and all that stuff , you'll , you'll , you'll level up on your end .

And then part of that is to diversify your business . So you're constantly busy in good times , bad times , any recession commercial , residential , industrial and low voltage is such an Intrugal part of that diversification . And so that's why I'm so excited to be here and talk to you and just talk about all things wiring . I'm glad .

I do have my first basic tools , believe it or not , but it's just nostalgic now being where I am at now and some of these brands are inviting me to their factories and doing stuff that I who could have saw the videos where you got to walk around the Klein thing .

I don't care about your free tools , I'll go buy myself and , and really I'm not after the advertising dollar , I'm really about the relationship and what it brings to our subscribers . I know it's easy to say , but I'm on the street literally giving away tools to my competition and , and you know , as long as they subscribe to the channel , I'm giving them .

Whatever I get for free , I like I always give it to free . I call it the Mr Beast of electrical , except take out about 28 zeros off the back of the bank .

I'm I'm the electrician that when I talk to anybody I let all the trades it's technically go first , meaning plumbing , mechanical , all that . The only one that I like to either work after and that's because of your codes is low voltage technicians , because it Still who's the easiest to install . I can move my conduit .

Sometimes if it's rigid we can't , but who cares if it's rigid ? We got spacing and rules , but if I'm running flex , romex , mc cable , I can move it to get away from the plumber and the mechanical . But now if low voltage is in there first , it becomes kind of tough .

And so I think that that point comes where you know you guys are not only just telecommunications , you're also fire alarm systems , your PoE Camera systems . So you guys are always in our way and I think that's the big problem .

It's kind of somehow , some way we're dealing with the other trades and it either takes us some more extra time and , literally , it's lack of communication . I think that's the biggest reason , because we're in each other's space and there's a lack of communication .

That's why I think there's always that , that rift , and that's why I said for me Not as much , because the first thing I do when I get to the job site who's the electrician contractor , who's the boss , who's the low voltage boss , who's the , you know , who's the mechanical boss we get together and we I name every single one of my technicians , give them their

information and say , because I don't want the phone call , chuck . And so it ends up that I also tell them in front of my technicians Fire alarm guy , I love to run extra conduit , I want the change order . If you don't want to do it , so tell my guys .

They're gonna be more than willing to help you so that you can help me , and and that's what , that's what we do , that's how I live 1200 miles away and run a business , you know , because I don't have fires that I got to constantly put out . But I think that's the biggest reason .

I don't know if you can add to that , but I would say lack of me , communication , and we're constantly working each in each other space .

The right so you can make sure you're .

There's good union electricians . There's bad union electricians . There's good union low voltage guys . There's bad union low voltage guys . It is what it is , but I have an episode of coaching space and and and just because we're men , we'd like to be hard on each other anyway . Right , because you know we talked to each other . If it was .

My grandson's are visiting last weekend and my oldest grandson , he's 18 , starting to feel the oats and we're sitting or having dinner . He's out of the blue . He says me I can fish better than you , poppy , and and I knew exactly what he was doing . He was challenging me , right . So I said , yeah , he's actually taking electrical classes in high school .

I said I know electricity better than you . And then I know this about better than you bet . My wife says me she was . It wasn't a competition . Yes , it was right . Yes , it was , because that's how men communicate .

And he's up there trying to change the light bulb and all of a sudden he's like the trolls like go on , and then he does this and then as soon as he strips the wire , he goes oh , I could have done it better than you know . And he goes I'm out of here .

It's so true , dustin electrician , you always talks about haters and he has the best one response to it it's like I don't care .

That range , well , c10 covers it . So somehow C10 is better than C7 . No , don't put me in a data center and give me some tools . The you know , don't have me splice fiber optic so I don't care . That's when we say , yeah , the man thing like no , I think everybody has an incredible talent and and you can only Benefit by collaborating versus not .

I'm a big collaborator on YouTube . Every single you know almost everybody in our space is a friend of mine . I did a lot to get him over to Nika and show my heart , and that's the same way I run my business and I tell all my guys . Last thing I want to hear is that plumber Pissed off because you did . You cut a pipe .

That was in your way , you know . So same with low voltage absolutely .

I don't even refer to myself as an expert , right , I don't , I'm just a good learner , that's the difference and you always have something to learn right . Absolutely and I'll learn people . I learned stuff from them all the time , all the time .

So let's talk about electricians and getting in low voltage right , because that's your space , yes , that's where you're intimately knowledgeable . I'm I've dealt with electrical companies , stuff .

But if there's an electric company looking at you to transition into the the low voltage world , right , yes , what are some of the key differences that they need to be aware of , other than electric , traditional electrical ?

There are codes to the electrical that are totally different than it would be for low voltage again , stuff that I've learned just watching you and your channel and your Nehes . You know Ben radius . We have been radius for wire , so think about it for a second . If I've got a Ben radius for Romex , shouldn't there be a Ben radius for cat five , cat six fiber ?

Those are the things that I think when you're transitioning you gotta realize that there are some basic codes and wire types , best practices . I know you preach a lot about best practices . Look like we say the same thing you guys do . This is just the basic , the minimum after this really comes from the masters . There you go .

The standards , the expertise comes from journeymen like you , journeymen like me that then teach the little ticks , tips and tricks .

I don't know if you know , chuck , I think my biggest video I've ever done on shorts was me fishing a cat five POE wire through my own house here that studio them at , through my garage wall where there was styrofoam insulation , and I just I put it on a piece of number 12 wire and then I put a you know like the Klein pull strings for wire , and then I

did a whole bunch of fish loops you know loops on it and I shoved it in there and then when you stick your little hook now you have all these little and people were like blown away .

That was just something that I did out of common sense , yep , but you see , I might have been a low voltage tech that taught that to an electrician , which the electrical ocean can now use it to pull his electrical wire and vice versa . I believe that the trades really it's you , you .

You really build a better business and a better you by doing this versus your against each other . So I highly , highly , highly talk about diversifying . You know our niche is the electrical contractor , the electrician that wants to become the electrical contractor and electrical contractor to diversify , to level up their business .

We do marketing courses and paperwork courses and coaching and stuff like that , and so I encourage every single person listening that's an electrician right now . You better get into this space if you're really going to be the next gen electrical contractor .

You know there's lots of different things in the low voltage industry , right ? What are some ? Could you highlight maybe what would be one of the areas that an electrical company can get into the to easily make that transition into the low voltage ?

, absolutely . It's something I thought about for a long time and so I realized , looking at hundreds and hundreds of plan in LA we've been open 18 years I mean I've looked at thousands of blueprints . We have a blueprint printer . Anybody has a blueprint printer . You know they're doing some . You know serious , I joke and I said you got a blueprint printer .

Okay , I know what size your company is , you know not not to knock it up , but I probably in 90 , 98% of our blueprints don't come with low voltage and most people look at that . But 98% of those buildings got built , didn't they ? And they had low voltage . What happened and where did it happen ? Most contractors , almost everybody I coach and I do .

I've well over 500 people signed up for coaching and these are one to five year electric machine Contractors or about to be . When we talk about low voltage they go I have no idea . I've never looked at it , I've never seen it , I've never even seen it on a plan . There's your in .

So I think if you're going to get into low voltage , you got to realize that there's such a big win that if either you're going to partner up with a great low voltage company and make them your best friend . Nothing wrong with that , because you can share referrals .

But if you don't have that luxury or you know it's a rural build and it's not like you can get 20 contractors out there , no low voltage , because it's an upsell for you . What you do is you love and you , you love him . You hug him . I'm Armenian , so I always say kiss him on both cheeks , give him a hug , give him the value .

Once you're in the door and you're set , then my tactic is to go in case hey , check , alright , so we're started out .

I got building planned out , I've got the utilities coming , but I need to talk to your low voltage technician because I need to know where they want the D mark , where they're going to put their receptacle , their convenience outlets and stuff , and then deer and headlights . Yep , there's a huge value , isn't that what you're doing ?

There's best practices in the right way , otherwise it becomes a nightmare once the drywall goes on . Yeah , so you got to get into it and I would say the basics . You get into the basics and we can talk about that .

If you want or you can , you can let you know , educate us on the electrical side as well , but you got to know the basics of low voltage , which is , again , use your cable , your RG six and your cat five and your cat six and stuff like that . That's a great entry point .

There's a there's a magazine and I don't know if you've ever heard of it , but you guys probably have one intellectual entry , but it's called cable installation and maintenance magazine . It's a free subscription . Yeah , there you go . Con-electrical contract you got the same thing except for low voltage .

It's called General Institution Maintenance Magazine Interesting , and they've got free webinars .

Right , there you go . That's a good one . So , how poor do you think it is for electricians to stay up to date with the current stuff in our low voltage industry ?

But now that we are comfortable in our niche we kind of own that niche . Youtube is the number one place to type in how to wire or connect or do something with the cable that you're looking to do . I learned low voltage because of the minimal knowledge I have on low voltage . I'm no expert by any means , but I'm learning because of my own .

I'm a tinkerer , I do my own home networking . I have NAS . Now I'm in the YouTube , so I have to have all this . I'm now looking at 1 gigabit , 10 gigabit , 2.5 gigabit . I'm looking at things that I never thought I would look at . And then I said well , the tools for the entry point .

We're not talking about the testers that are the certifiers , I think it's called , and stuff like that , but your entry point for tools to get into low voltage a couple hundred bucks or less . Great companies out there Jonard Klein , ideal , I'm sure many other ones great low voltage tools . There are a dime a dozen .

Get them , get on YouTube , learn them , because you're going to find out that you're going to do the same thing I did when I got into solar . Was that it ? It's this big elephant in the room , it's a giant barrier . We start sweating and we go , oh my gosh , this is just . I can't figure it out .

It's not that residential , it's not that difficult and there's so much upside to it in so many different ways . And I also want to talk about how my apprentice is leveled up by actually getting into .

Low voltage is something I want to share , and because you've got a lot of low voltage technicians that maybe look , maybe low voltage has dried up a little bit , you have a perfect opportunity .

If it's a 360 electrician contractor meaning they think like I do you have a perfect opportunity to move over from a low voltage contracting company straight into an electrical contracting company , and I want to share how that works on my end .

Or maybe a specific cable stripper , because UTP is smaller . You don't want to use your nines Distribute UTP cabling , right ? So , yeah , so you're right , very minimal investment to jump over into this injury . The key thing is make sure you have that knowledge

. Let's touch base on the apprentice thing you were just talking about . Yeah , diving a little further for me .

I mean they need 250,000 electricians over the next 10 years , which is probably the same with low voltage technicians . I mean every time Amazon . Can you imagine , when Amazon opens a facility , how much low voltage goes in there ? I mean you can probably you can have a city worth of low voltage technicians .

So this goes for you low voltage contractors out there as well . I constantly am looking on ways that I can build better systems and still retain my existing employees . We run such an amazing shop that sometimes , when I tell people all my jobs are on YouTube , I don't hide anything , unlike other creators that talk the talk .

There is no walk the walk because I don't see anything . I like to show you guys , because if you're going to believe in me and you're going to learn from me , if I'm going to try to bless you in some way , I'm going to show you how I do it and again my mistakes . So I want my employees to be with me for a long time .

So this is just one example that happened here in Montana . The work ethic is a little bit different than LA , not to knock my LA guys . So I had a guy that needs to come in . He's a little bit older and he's just gung-ho . He wants to get his journeyman electrician card . Well , that's a minimum four years to go from here to there . Things are not cheap .

How am I going to keep this guy , because he's a keeper by all sense of the means ? How am I going to pay him more money ? So what I did was I said , aha , perfect example . Now I was building my own house here , so that kind of fit right in . I said , hey , I won't name him by name , but I don't think he cares .

He's been on the YouTube channel again . I'll name him Josh . Hey , josh , listen , I love you , I appreciate you . I know you want to get to be the journeyman level . You'll get there . He'll be one of those fast people that I can pay . But I tell you what I said . I'm going to do something that you probably didn't think about .

I'm going to give you this cat six spicer . I'm going to give you the terminator , I'm going to give you the tester . I'm going to go around my own house for like one full day and I'm just going to do it .

I'm going to show you , I'm going to do it , I'm going to test it , we're going to test it , we're going to do five runs and then I'm going to give it to you to do the next three runs . Test it . Come back In one day . I'm not even joking , chuck , because again we've got a knowledgeable guy . He's a musician , he can work with his hands .

In one day he got it . He made a few mistakes Of course we all are but in one day I told him you know what ? I can now put you in charge of my low voltage and residential and feel confident that we're going to get a great job . Therefore , I can pay you the journeyman rates for that . And he just was like blown away .

And now of course he wishes we had those jobs every single day . Unfortunately , they come every couple of months . But you see , that's a way that I can level up my apprentice who's learning the trade , who's going to trade school , but actually give him a better pay because he's actually doing a journeyman's position , not that he's a low voltage journeyman .

I know every low voltage guy out there is going to knock me and say you're in it . That's not what I'm talking about , guys . We're talking the basic . Basic . This is that you're low voltage guys . That's where you would throw them , I'm assuming , if they started out , and so that's a great way for businesses to level up .

And then the next 35 , 40 posts where people bashing him about well , maybe you shouldn't be having your own company if you don't know how to price your stuff . And like guys , remember you were there once too , you were there once too . So just how about we cut the guy little black right now ?

I'm on the roof doing a splice on live wire with some cheapo gloves because I didn't have my good set . I'm in tennis shoes . People are freaking out . Look , this is how we do it in SoCal , baby . We roll crazy right like we're With at least Vans . You probably not .

They're probably like new , balanced daddy , old , old , old , that's what , whatever , yeah , so you've done it and you'd been okay . Yeah , and look I , I got the heat and you know , oh , she's gonna show up . I go well , listen , if Osh even was in the neighborhood , like we wouldn't be doing this . This is just how we were taught , this is how we do it .

And so people are are quick to bash and look , I'm that way too . Sometimes , you know , I'll see somebody post something on YouTube and I'll go oh my gosh , did he blow that ? It's totally wrong . And I want to be like you did it wrong and I go . Why I got there's . Eight million people are gonna comment on it .

I'm right with you , and and you did it , and you know that too because people who are really good at being technicians when you're talking about , josh , people are good at being technicians are typically Tactile learners .

Hmm , they want to put their hands on the stuff , they want to play with , they want to punch it down , and that's you learn From your mistake . You learn more from your mistakes than you learn from reading books . Absolutely , absolutely .

But that propelled me in different ways and I sometimes say it it would have took me four years on the field to learn what I learned in two years and still have . You know , you learn motor control , you learn things you're never gonna do , but it's so funny how that bleeds in . So learning , whether it's on YouTube , school or whatever , 100% .

And Then the last bit of salt , which I think you would agree common sense almost trumps all of that . Yes , literally . Yeah , like you can get the smartest surgeon , brain surgeon in the world that you go . Wow , he is so smart . Put a , put a 10 in one in his hand and he'll . He won't know how to flip a socket .

So common sense goes so so far , and I hire based on common sense more than I do Technical skills a lot of times when you said that , it reminded me of a project I did once .

Can you cut a hole in the dry ones ? Yes , I said everywhere there's a post-it note . I need you to cut a hole like you know this size . He did up high where the post-it notes were not down with electrical stuff goes where I'm like when have you ever seen a telephone or electrical drop that high ?

Hooked up to the LiDAR wires , maybe that maybe to transmission microwave , microwave goes thousand miles by , hundreds of miles . Wires are hooked up to the microwave . You , it is so important , I think the very first .

So I , when I say diversify in my in as an electrician , I always say gate motors , low voltage , intercom , your your striker , your your safety loops , all low voltage .

When I talk about solar , hello , communication wires , bringing the cat5 , cat6 to the unit , whether it's wireless or not , because I do consider Wireless to be more on the low voltage side , by the way , because you're putting AP , you know module stuff , that stuff , it wireless low voltage is more Together than it would be on the electrical side .

So you got to learn all those stuff . So when I say solar , when I say gate motors and then when I talk about low voltage , it's an integral part . It's not going away . If anything , it's gonna increase because our demand for consumable entertainment , information , learning , everything . I mean . Look at what happened in COVID .

Everybody around me here in Montana and I'm in a pretty isolated spot , but a really nice spot , super high-end homes . I've been blessed to be here Guess what ? They don't have fiber optic . Well , everybody here is demanding fiber optic . Great , it's gonna come to the house and maybe they're gonna do transit .

I'm the kind of guy that not only wants the fiber optic at my DMark , I've already pre ran it and got it ready to come right up to my server . So therefore , now I you know all these things are super important . So my vision is this you're gonna do two things . As an electrical contractor , like , do it right now .

Like Chuck said , there's so much free stuff out there for you to learn . Start learning . Okay , along with that learning , hire someone that already has got some basic knowledge or knows how to do it to partner up with you .

The second thing you're gonna do is you're gonna partner up with someone that does low voltage and you're gonna say what is the win-win for both of our companies ? Because there is a win-win . And again , low voltage Doesn't just mean it .

Low voltage Interact , it means fire alarm , and and add on to this anytime you want fire alarm , entry system , communications , fiber optic , life safety . Oh , and , of course , the big money maker right now , especially if you're in Los Angeles POE camera systems .

Yeah , I mean everybody in their mother's camera systems like crazy , because all the theft but see pewe's more than just cameras , though .

All that stuff is gonna be pewee , just sure yeah it's all great opportunities

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Guys , if you really are worried about well , if I go to look electrician that he's gonna do all the electrical work Sign a one-year agreement and then sign the agreement that says any job we did together . You don't go back and solicit . You know I would sign that in two seconds flat because I'm an honest business man . I wanted .

So there's different ways to do it , but you , you guys , you know Everybody listening here , whether you're electrician or low voltage , working together is what two people are now holding something else up , and so that's the ladder right .

One of you , sooner or later you can go up that ladder by yourself , but isn't it better just to know that you have somebody holding the ladder down below ? Or you know , whatever the case of me , some days it's gonna be you the electrical contractor , some days is gonna be low voltage . That's probably the only best analogy I can tell you .

I got on it , I saw it and then I was just happy to see you at Nica and I think that reminded me because we would been talking a couple of times . Honestly , honestly , I think we're gonna be doing talking a lot more , because you know , this is how that happens . See , this is exactly what it is . Hey , no voltage and electrician , just boom . We just hit .

And now there's just so many things , because now the clock starts , the clock , the bro , the up . My dusty brain here is gonna start going crazy and I'm gonna be doing videos that I go oh my gosh , chuck , I need your knowledge , let's get up and then we're gonna be so . I don't know I took so long , but I'm glad I'm here and that's it .

You know you might not be able to get rid of me .

Their talent is on that side and we work together . If it doesn't work out , you know one doesn't do it , the other one doesn't . That's the systems and my systems are based on . You know , if , if , if we fail anywhere , we just look at the system and go Jeff , it was you and , believe me , chuck , most of the time it's me .

Yeah , p , we switch in the attic and I just said not the best place for a POE switch . I even quoted the half-life rule and that was one of my biggest posts and people will call me a cracker . I didn't know what I was talking about . I was like , really , Look , common sense again .