Labor Day: Beyond Barbecues and Long Weekends: Yearly Podcast Update

Get to have that backyard barbecue , maybe even some end-of-summer sales , maybe get to go kayaking or camping , whatever it is that you like to do . But do we actually know what Labor Day is all about ? I mean , what's the real deal here ? So , grab a drink , sit back and let's dive into this . What is Labor Day and why do we celebrate it ?

Well , first up , what is Labor Day ? If you're thinking it's a day to honor the American labor movement and the works , the contributions of laborers , you're spot on the money . And if you didn't know that , no worries , now you do . You see , there's a lot of Americans out there who confuse Labor Day with Memorial Day , even though they are very different .

There's a huge difference between those two holidays . This holiday we celebrate the workforce . Why do we celebrate it ? Well , it's a nod back to the blood , the sweat , the tears of the men and the women who made America what it is today . I mean , think about it . It's everything from the skyscrapers in New York to the tech innovation in Silicon Valley .

None of that would have been possible without the hard-working people behind it . So what does Labor Day really mean to be ? You know you might be thinking , okay , cool , it's just another barbecue , it's another long weekend . Ah , my friend , labor Day is so much more than that .

The holiday was actually created by the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of the American workforce . It's a yearly national tribute to the contributions that workers made through the strength , the prosperity and the well-being of this country .

So while you're flipping the hamburgers or you're enjoying that day off , remember this is the chance to honor everybody in the workforce , from electricians to nurses , to teachers to construction workers , even those low-volt guys . Yep , it's about giving credit where credit is due , to those who clock in every single day and give it their all .

I get asked all the time Chuck , is it really a federal holiday ? That is a great question , because the answer is yeah , it is . Labor Day is a federal holiday , which means , among other things , the federal employees get this day off . It's right up there with Christmas , new Year's and the 4th of July .

Most schools are closed and many businesses shut their doors down to give their employees a well-deserved break as well . So , yes , you can thank Uncle Sam for this holiday . Why is Labor Day always in September ? Now here's an interesting tidbit . Why is Labor Day celebrated on the first Monday in September , you might be asking .

Well , the choice of September is actually attributed to a massive labor strike that took place on September 5th 1882 . You see , on that day more than 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square in New York City , basically just saying hey , we're here , we're valuable and we contribute to society .

It was kind of a big deal and it caught on . Other states started recognizing it and eventually , in 1894 , it became a federal holiday . That's the temperate stuck , and it's a good one , isn't it ? It offers a nice symbolic end to the summer and a nod to that start of the school year .

I usually use this day all the time to judge when school was started , because it used to always start after Labor Day . So there you have it . That's the 411 on Labor Day . So next time you're enjoying that day off , you'll know exactly why you're celebrating it and hopefully you'll take a moment to tip your hat to the American worker .

So if there's people outside the US listening to the show , this is a US-based holiday . Now let me give you the podcast update , since it's Labor Day and the podcast just hit its three-year anniversary .

I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on the labor and the journey that the podcast has been through over the past 12 months , some of our accomplishments and what is coming down the road for the podcast . We have grown from an audio-only podcast to a show , to a vlog , with a weekly presence on YouTube , instagram , tiktok , linkedin and Facebook .

You see , our first show aired August of 2020 . So the show is just over three years old . When I listened to that first episode , I realized how much I've grown as a speaker and how I've found my voice . I cringe when I hear those first episodes .

All of our audio podcasts are still online so you can go back and listen to any of them , including that first one , the podcast introduction . We have discussed everything from testing copper and fiber to project management , to estimating , getting certifications . We've covered a wide range of subjects .

We have just under 200 audio podcast episodes that have been published and they've been downloaded 33,000 times . Not bad for a super niche subject like ours , and one of the things I'm proud of the show is my ability to listen to the input to the audience members to make the show better .

You see , it was a suggestion from an audience member who asked well , where's the video counterpart to the audio show ? Well , I then changed the format and hence let's talk cabling . Youtube channel was born . On the YouTube channel we have amassed over 600 videos . Now many of those are YouTube shorts .

All of the 200 audio shows are also on YouTube and YouTube averaged 37,000 views last month . Many of the questions from the live streams comes from the interactions on YouTube . It was suggested from another audience member for me to put a presence on TikTok . I was hesitant to kind of do that because of all the negative vibes about that platform .

Yet I have found many friends and content creators on TikTok , like Ed the Old Tech Guy , sean Rep , geek IT Tech , low Volt Warby , all Green Lights and many , many more that I probably can hurt their feelings because I didn't mention them . I have found inspiration for so many shows and so many fantastic cable jobs are being done out there .

There are a plethora of low voltage people on that platform . On TikTok . Last month we had 55,000 views . On every post I include a hashtag CBRCDD and it helps people to find me . It also helps me track my impact . On TikTok alone , that tag has been viewed 1.4 million times since its inception .

Linkedin is also where you're going to find my daily schedule posts , everything from my acronym challenge Project Management Monday , tdm Tuesday , named this tool Wednesday . It's some Thursday pro tip Friday , which has resonated with many people .

I get messages daily from people telling me how those posts are helping them become better installers , better project managers , better estimators , along with questions on how to get their Bixie certification , how to become an instructor . You see on the LinkedIn platform by far my most performing presence . We had 62,000 impressions last month 62,000 .

The Thursday night after hours live stream was yet another suggestion and that's where people submit their questions about installation , certification , project management , estimation , even career path . I've even been blessed with regulars who tell that show all the time , like Mark Higgison and George . Those people inspire me and keep me creating content .

You see , those live streams are recorded and they're made available on YouTube and sometimes I even put them on the audio podcast platform . We have not done a live stream in the last couple of weeks because of logistic issues and travel , but I'm starting on back up this Thursday with a very special episode , so make sure you tune in this Thursday .

Those live streams usually get anywhere between 350 and 1500 attendees . Now , just to be transparent , not many of those attendees stay there for the entire live stream , but there's always a lively conversation in that chatroom and that's not the only place where the let's Talk cabling has impacted the industry .

We have run so far since inception three TDMM study groups where over 200 people have joined and helped them to pursue their RCDD and witnessed over a dozen people getting their RCDDs . We are forwarded the opportunity to be a part of the journey of people like Jeff Bojorklin RCDD Now Jeff . If I mispronounce your name , dude , I'm so sorry .

Also , jasmine Centro , rcdd Now . These people , they inspire me and let me know that this industry is in good hands . We're also gonna be launching an outside playing study group , an id , some study class and lots of stuff .

Now this year we were also awarded the David K Blythe University of Kentucky as a membership Bixie member of the year in the spring conference by Bixie Because of the impact that this podcast has had on the industry . I'm truly humbled to realize that I've been part of that company of past recipients of that reward .

Now , many people may not realize this , but I am not just the host . I'm the video editor , the social media manager , the audio editor , the administrative assistant , the scheduler , the creative team that comes up with all this content .

I don't have a staff other than my wonderful wife who puts up with the machine against all the late night recording and editing , and our patients as well appreciate when she's patiently waiting for me to finish that interview to go on our date that night . All of this is done on top of my day job . Yes , the podcast is my side gig .

It's done at nights and weekends . I have a day job , just like you do . I've never mentioned my day job on the podcast , but over the last 12 years at that current position I have also taught over 20,000 people in this industry . There is a saying that will help any content creator and the saying goes comparison is the thief of joy .

I know my numbers are minuscule when you compare them to other content creators , but my real success is with the people I help during this journey . You need the numbers , so the algorithm puts your content in front of other people . I don't compare my success to other shows , rather to my earlier self . I always compare my numbers to my previous numbers .

I'm always finding ways to increase my numbers , yet not falling into the trap of well , the ABC contractor is getting more views than me . As long as I keep going , I'm happy . As long as those numbers keep going up , I'm happy . And this is where I need your help . I need your support .

You see , the show's been running on the bank of Bowser for the last three years . It needs to become self-sufficient . There are several ways that you can support this show and help us educate , encourage and enrich the lives of people in this industry .

One of the ways that you can do that and it doesn't cost you a single penny is when you see one of our posts , share it , like it , comment on it , tell other people about the show . That way , that algorithm , when it sees all that action , it says hey , we need to push this content out to more people so we can make a bigger impact .

You can also become a Patreon member . Visit the Patreon page and look up let's Talk Cable . I do publish articles there only for Patreon members . One of my Patreon members , shotsy Lee has been supporting this show for nearly all three years . Thank you , shotsy , for your support .

The fact that this father of young kids spent some of his hard-hurned money with me just absolutely amazes me . And finally , we are always looking for corporate sponsors , so I am building a new podcast here , so maybe some naming rights might be in there .

If your company values your core values aligned with educating , encouraging and enriching the lives of people in this industry , reach out to me and let's have a conversation .

Let's figure out a way that we can help each other , and keep in mind that any corporate sponsor that we take on must understand that the let's Talk Cabling Podcast Show is an agnostic platform . We will talk about all manufacturers , all services . There is plenty of room in this industry for all of us .

Now let's talk about some of the content that's coming down the pike . I'm truly excited about this . So in the next year we're gonna publish out more interviews , which , by the way , are fan favorites . We're gonna document the journey of an RCDD candidate as he goes through his decision on applying , studying and then getting his RCDD .

We're gonna have Traxlon , who's found an ingenious way to do fiber on top of parking lots . My first international guest will also be on the show this year . From down under , we're gonna talk about ingress protection and cabinets . We're talking to CompTIA yes , that CompTIA about their certifications and many more topics .

So if you have an idea for a topic or you wanna be on the show , just stop by the let's Talk Cabling webpage , fill out a guest application and shoot it to me and let's make this happen . So , in closing , this has been such a fantastic year and the success of this show is because of you . That's right . You , the listener .

I'm always looking out for your best interests . I am your coach , in your corner , I'm cheering you on , I'm giving you the information that you need to be more successful . I want you to be more successful than me . So until next time , everybody , happy holidays . Knowledge is power .